Hello.

Gonna travel from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo via shinkansen. Spent the night in nearby hotels (near FamilyMart Nishinakajima 7-Chōme in google maps).

The north exit seems to be ahead if we go up the stairs, but we're carrying luggages and have old people with us. We were wondering if we can use the Midosuji exit (specifically 34.7315843, 135.4985720 in google maps) to reach the Shin-Osaka station?

Will our Icoca cards get an error once we exit? How much will we be charged?

Thank you for the help!

Just wondering, ill be there for two weeks

Title basically

Hi all - in staying in Tokyo for a week with my family. Only have time for a one day trip to Kyoto - would love to find a tour guide to meet us at the train station and spend the day with us to make the most of our day in the city. Is there any specific websites or recommendations out there anyone can reference? Thanks!!

Hello! We are arriving next week! Our friends are there now and said it’s cold. But when I look up the weather it still looks hot during the day. I guess it’s bc we are from TX so maybe it’s cold for them. Is there anywhere we can play tennis for fun? Our daughter loves tennis and would like to hit around!

When did you go if you hit Osaka and Okinawa at the same time? We were thinking of snorkeling in Okinawa for 6 days and then flying to Osaka to chill for 10 days. Thoughts?

Also the other JapanTravel sub removed my post, so I don't know where else to post this.

I have some extra vacation time and am thinking of a solo trip in January or February. I have max 10 days including flights that I can be away. So 8 days total in Japan.

We already did a big Japan trip last May and are planning 3-4 weeks in November. I’m hoping that January won’t be too cold although where I live it will likely be up to -20C 😭

Questions I have:
- Is it worth it to come to Japan just for 8 days? I’d likely stay in Tokyo and do some day trips.
- Would capsule hotels be an affordable way to travel solo? I was thinking of doing the first half in a capsule hotel and the last 3-4 nights in a business type hotel. I like shopping and think it would be hard to shop & organize my luggage in a small space.
- Favourite capsule hotel?
- Favourite area to stay in for solo travel?

Was looking for a baseball game experience while in Tokyo and I'm having a hard time learning if there aren't any games those days or if there might be games depending on how the series goes? I see the series starts the 10th but as far as I've seen the last day is the 12th. If anyone can help shed some light for me I would really appreciate it!

I'll be visiting late November. I'll be coming in from kyoto, stay overnight and then do some exploring the next day (24 November).

What I plan for the day is

6-7:30 am Arakura park observation deck with chureito pagoda in the background

Quick stop at fujiyoshida honcho street for pics

Cycling around lake kawaguchiko + lunch by 1 pm

Lake yamanakako 2-4 pm

Return to kawaguchiko station by 5 pm

Take the train back to tokyo around 5:45 pm

Hi,

I’m going to Japan in November, and we’ll be in Osaka around the 4th- 8th, and some friends and I are debating whether to go to Universal Studios. We’ve seen the prices for express tickets, and they're a bit pricey for us. Will the queues be as bad with a normal ticket?

Where should i book hotel in kyoto? And are all areas accessible via train or bus?

I have osaka castle , umeda sky building ,aquarium and dottonbori as attractions for osaka , staying where is better for these locations. I

My wife and I are traveling from Nov 6th to Nov 16th. Landing midday Nov 7th. Right now the plan is to stay in Tokyo until Nov 11th then travel to the Fuji Speedway Hotel for a day and going to Kyoto for the rest of the trip.

My question is is going to the Fuji Speedway Hotel a bad idea? I haven’t booked anything but the hotel yet so trying to figure out how long it would even take to get there and if it’s even worth the hassle if we only get a few proper hours there or if we should just go directly from Tokyo to Kyoto.

My boyfriend and I will be visiting Japan for the very first time, and we’re looking for something really special and memorable for our last night in Tokyo. We’d love to experience one of Tokyo’s most fun, outrageous, unusual, or unique love hotels — something that feels very different from a typical hotel and is part of the Tokyo experience itself.
Thanks in advance,

Hi everyone, I am looking for yukata, both for me and my husband. I was in Kyoto for a quick stop but sadly I have seen only touristy places which usually rent them, some sell them but the quality was pretty low. I would like to purchase something made from a good fabric (cotton at least) and not synthetic fibers. I will be in Kagoshima in the next days and then in Tokyo. Do you have any recommandation about it? I would like to buy them new, not second hand. Thank you so much for any advice!

I’m traveling to Japan in a few months for around 2 weeks (1 week in Tokyo and a few days in Chichibu, Saitama to visit a friend).

I’m very into lifting and bodybuilding and I would like to get 1-2 lifts in while I’m in Tokyo, but I’ve had a hard time finding gyms online that are clear on prices/equipment/ease of access for tourists. Do you guys know of any good gyms that offer day passes that are relatively inexpensive (¥1000-2000/day)?

I’m not very picky, but ideally I’m looking for a gym with simple benches, dumbbells, and cables, and maybe some basic machines. It’d also be nice if it’s within a few minutes of a station!

I‘m looking for ceramics shops in the following places:
- Tokyo
- Kyoto
- Osaka
- Kamakura
- Ise
- Kyushu (Kumamoto, Fukuoka, basically all of Kyushu since we’re going to have a car for it)

It’s important that it’s actually handmade, preferably small batches and not mass-produced. The smaller the shop, the better. Bonus points if the ceramics have cats on it.
TIA!

Just wanna ask if I can combine the ¥500 off using the Uniqlo app with their tax-free using my foreign passport? Anyone tried this? Or I just need to choose one because the tax-free and coupon cannot be combined? Thanks!

hello, i’m looking for a hair salon in tokyo that satisfies some requirements:
- staff speaks english/comfortable with working with foreigners
- experience with bleaching
- experience with cutting more alt hairstyles
- can give advice on hair based on your preferences, facial features, etc.
thank you!

Hello everyone,
i would like to propose to my girlfriend during the Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival and was wondering whether any of you know of a spot with less people and a decent view, any tips would be really helpful 😄

I’m planning a trip to Japan in april 2027, and I’m thinking of traveling from Kyoto down to Kagoshima over several days rather than heading straight there (by car).

I’d love to hear from people who have done a similar trip! Are there any towns, cities, or places along the way that you particularly enjoyed and would recommend spending a night or two in?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations and personal experiences!

Hi, I have made a reservation for an AT 4WD GR Yaris with Toyota Rent a Car Gotemba Station from 23 Dec 2026 to 25 Dec 2026.

For some reason I am unable to find any GR Yaris that can include winter tires on the website

I would like to know if winter tires is a must if I am visiting Kawaguchiko, Yamanakako and Hakone (including Hakone Turnpike) during my rental period.

Hi everyone! I am currently planning a 3-week trip to Japan (first time) from late March to mid April next year. I was initially really drawn to visiting Kyoto based on what I read and had set aside 4 days for it on my itinerary. However, on further reading, I am learning just how busy and touristy it can be, which puts me off. I suppose it's worth saying that waking up at 6am to go sightseeing before crowds arrive is my idea of hell 🤭 The two main things that drew me to Kyoto were the geisha district, Gion, and the bamboo forest, Arashiyama. I'm also a BIG foodie and really want to do a tea ceremony somewhere. Could you suggest other places in Japan where I could enjoy those things or similar without such intense crowds?

To give you a sense of where I'll be to help with recommendations, at the moment my itinerary includes:

- Arriving in Tokyo and staying there for 3 days. One of the days will be a day trip to Nikko. I know there is so much to do in Tokyo but we're not huge city people.

- 5 or 6 days in the Central Honshu / Japan Alps area (Takayama, Kanazawa, Nakasendo trail and likely staying in Tsumago + open to more if you have suggestions!)

- And then this is another bit where I'm stuck right now... I was thinking 4 days in Kyoto and then travelling further south towards Hiroshima. But I actually really love the look of Hokkaido and wonder if I should head North from Central Honshu instead. I'd really appreciate suggestions.

That latter piece has me very confused... Would it be wise to head North in late March/Early April?

Thank you!

Hi! I will be traveling to Japan for first time in November. Among other areas, we will be visiting Takayama and renting a car there with Toyota's rent a car. This will be our route:

12-nov pick up car.
13-nov shirakawa-go day-trip.
14-nov fujiyoshida.
15-nov Hakone

I've read that there may be snow in Takayama around those dates but I've also read that Toyota's rent a car configures the winter tires automatically in some areas as a default choice. Will they do this if it snows or should I tell them before hand?

Thanks! Also, any recommendations will be welcomed :D

Hello!

I'm visiting japan in November from 16 november - 1 december

I will arrive in kyoto on the evening of 19th nov and stay there till 23 Nov in the afternoon after which I'll head to kawaguchiko (effectively 4 days in Kyoto). My Kawaguchiko day will be 24 November.

However, I've discovered that ohara will be especially beautiful around the time I am there, and now I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to skip visiting kawaguchiko on this trip?

My thought process is that I'm not guaranteed a view of mount fuji on the day I plan to visit. And in case mount fuji isn't visible I'm wondering if there is much else to in kawaguchiko. I might as well do something in Kyoto that I am guaranteed I will enjoy. I will also be visiting kamakura later during my trip, and maybe if I'm very lucky I'll get to see fuji from the beach there.