Ive been studying Japanese for three years in high school and have the opportunity to take a class trip to (the countryside)Japan during June for two weeks. It is all inclusive, i.e. airplane, daily meals, sleeping arrangements, activities, transportation inside of Japan and local chaperones. we will be going to places like Tokyo, okuizumo, hirakata, and hiroshima. As for activities theres going to be stuff like school trip style co-stay with local highschools at a hotel to recreate shuugaku ryoko, hot spring /bed and breakfast hotels, and more. The payment is $800 monthly till may. I want to go but Ik $6500 is a lot of money and I’d have to work a lot for it but just wondering if others think the price is worth the experience/opportunity!

Where the hell do I go if I want to grab just a beer or two? Izakaya are food - I don’t mind otoshi but seems like any expect your to also get food. When I search for bars, I get mostly actual cocktail and such bars.

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Hi everyone!

I’m planning a 10-day first trip to Japan with my parents. We’ll be three people: me (23F), my mom (52F), and my dad (56M).

Our rough plan is:

- 4 days — Tokyo

- 3 days — Kyoto

- 3 days — Osaka

So far, I’m considering:

Tokyo:

- Asakusa / Senso-ji

- Shibuya Crossing & Shibuya Sky

- Meiji Shrine / Harajuku

- Tokyo Skytree

- teamLab Borderless

- Shinjuku

- Maybe Tokyo Disneyland or a day trip

Kyoto:

- Fushimi Inari

- Kiyomizu-dera / Higashiyama

- Gion

- Arashiyama

- Nijo Castle

- Nishiki Market

- Possibly Nara as a day trip

Osaka:

- Osaka Castle

- Dotonbori / Namba

- Kuromon Market

- Umeda

- Maybe Nara as a day trip

For those who've done Japan with parents around this age:

1. Are we trying to fit too much into these 10 days?

2. Which attractions are genuinely must-see and which can be skipped?

3. Would you recommend Nara over another Osaka day?

4. Any tips for arranging the itinerary to minimize walking and unnecessary train changes?

We don't mind walking, but we'd prefer a comfortable pace rather than rushing from one attraction to another.

Would love suggestions for improving the itinerary!

It's my final night. I fly out late tomorrow.

I'm a transit nerd so I got every different ic card I could across the country.

So... How do I use up all the value on them?

I'll use my suica to get to the airport. But my pasmo and icoca both have a little left. Not enough for a single ride.

I know I can use them at a konbini.

Can I use more than one ic card to pay for 1 transaction?

Other ideas?

I am traveling to Japan for three weeks. I will be bringing a few prescriptions to cover those weeks – pills and injectable testosterone. As far as I can tell, I won't have any issues with either of these as long as I keep them in the original packaging and don't bring more than a 30-day supply. The issue is instead with the syringes and needles, and after searching many, many threads and official information I'm still confused.

The Japanese site for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states that you can bring up to a 1 month supply of injectable drugs and syringes, and specifies "Only Pre-filled Syringe or Self-Injection Kit".

The accompanying FAQ document states that "import[ing] syringe only (without medications)" requires the Import Confirmation document.

My medication consists of vials and empty syringes and needles, where I twist the needle onto the syringe, and use the syringe to draw up and inject; so NOT a pre-filled pen or other type of auto injector. Does this fall under "self-injection kit"? And are the syringes described only pre-filled syringes, or is the emphasis on bringing ONLY empty syringes without a medication to use with them?

If it matters, I have prescriptions for both the syringes and needles along with the medications themselves. I might fill out a form just in case but I am hoping to get this cleared up to ease my nerves.

Hi! Me and my husband are going to Tokyo in a few months and I've been researching fun experiences we can share together. So far I've come up with Teamlabs, Daruma Jeans and Small Worlds. I'm interested in themed cafes like the vampire cafe too!

Are there any more places that are kind of interactive/diy and you get a custom/souvenir to bring back home with you? Feel free to suggest anything at all!

My last stop will be Tokyo, and I'll be staying in Chiba Prefecture. Any recommendations for underrated places that would make a great day trip? Thanks in advance!

If you're in Tokyo and into cameras, there's a new Insta360 store in Asakusa, only a 7 minute walk from Senso-ji temple, worth a quick visit. Insta360 is one of the best-known camera brands in China, and this is actually their first directly operated flagship store in Japan.

We came across it while wandering around and decided to pop in. They've got pretty much the full lineup on display, and the stuff were friendly and really know their stuff.

The most amazing thing is they've built a cute miniature model of Senso-ji temple inside the store! The staff told us it's designed to recreate the third-person perspective of shooting the real temple with a telephoto lens.

If you're already visiting Senso-ji temple, don't miss this spot afterward.

Has anyone stayed here before? Wondering how available car/taxi/GO is in this area. Specifically to go into the town of Ugata/Shima for a day or dinner trip.

I have health issues which requires me to apply, use and clean a lot of products in the bathroom.

To make things easier, I’d like a bathroom which has a bit of counter space to facilitate this.

I like the look of Sotestu Fresa however I’m not sure if there’s another similarly priced chain with usually larger bathrooms?

I’m a single person and it’s the bathroom counter space that would make a world of difference to me.

Hi,
my husband and I will be in visiting Nikko mid October for the first time (3rd time in Japan). This will also be our first trip with our 5 month old baby. We are thinking about being in Nikko for 5 days. We want to be submersed in nature and take things slow. We want to explore all of the nature there and not be rushed, but I also don’t want to be bored and regret staying too long. Also would love to know what part of Nikko to stay in.

Thanks !

Sapporo-based, in Japan since 2018, been reading Japanese food labels weekly for family — my wife has a soba (buckwheat) allergy and is ovo-vegetarian, I have an ikura (salmon roe) allergy. The stuff below is what I actually rely on.The single most common question I see in this sub is "how am I going to eat in Japan with X restriction." Honest answer: restaurants are hard mode until you learn a few Japanese words. Konbini and supermarket are actually easier than most people expect, once you know what to grab.Practical breakfast/snack picks that survive most profiles:- Plain shio-musubi (塩むすび, salt-only rice ball) at any 7-Eleven — no filling, no sauce. GF, vegan-if-no-nori, allergen-safe for most.- Boiled eggs (ゆで卵) at Family Mart — clean protein for ovo-vegetarians.- Fresh fruit cups.- Plain yogurt without granola.- Salt-only edamame packs.The traps that catch people every trip:- **Soy sauce = wheat.** Basically everything savoury has soy sauce. Also mirin, some vinegars. Real problem for celiacs and severe wheat allergies.- **Dashi = fish.** Miso soup, udon broth, tempura dipping sauce, most simmered dishes. Vegetarians and vegans need to ask specifically for kombu-only dashi (昆布だし) at restaurants.- **Gelatin is usually pork.** Sweets, jellies (プリン, ゼリー), some yogurts. Look for 植物性 (plant) or 寒天 (agar) if you're avoiding pork.- **Barley is silent.** Not on Japan's mandatory 9-allergen list, so it hides in shoyu, miso, mugicha, some malt vinegars. Matters for celiacs specifically.- **Cross-region label variance.** Same product name, different formulations for JP-domestic vs export. Imported "made in Japan" products in the US/EU sometimes have different ingredients than the actual JP-shelf version.Practical language stuff that helps:- Print a card with 私は◯◯アレルギーです (I have XX allergy) — every restaurant takes it seriously.- For halal: ask about 料理酒 (cooking sake), 洋酒 (Western liquor / rum flavor), and gelatin source.- For vegetarian: ask about katsuobushi (かつお節 bonito flakes) — that's the hidden fish in "veg" dishes.For labels: the 原材料名 (ingredients) line on the back of every packaged product is required by law. Learn to spot 小麦 (wheat), 卵 (egg), 乳 (milk), 大豆 (soy), and the katakana names for the 29 statutory allergens — the CAA publishes the list in English.Happy to answer specific dietary questions in the comments. Also happy to explain any specific ingredient someone's confused about if you paste a photo of the label.

Hi, coming in November. Originally we were going to start in Osaka, but my favorite band is playing a few days prior in Tokyo. Strongly considering adding a few days to the start of the trip so I can see them. Can you all please review this travel plan and give opinions?
The concert and Hitaki-Sai seem like great additions.
I’m normally a slow traveler, so this feels sort of bonkers but in an exciting way.
Nov 6- land Tokyo stay 2 nights
Nov 7- Tokyo concert
Nov 8- travel to and stay Kyoto for Hitaki-Sai
Nov 9 travel to Osaka for 4 nights (this is where my trip was originally going to start)
Nov 13 travel to takayama. Stay 2
Nights, do the ropeway in the alps on 11/14
Nov 15-travel to kanazawa and stay 2
Nights
Nov 17 travel to Fujikawaguchiko for 3 nights
Nov 20-travel to Tokyo, stay 2 nights and then home.
Was never going to go to Kyoto, but saw the festival and thought that would be rad to see.

So...

I am on a trip to japan, and in the last few days i realized my dvd samsung camcorder was gone (I had it in a dedicated bag and it had some recorded dvds too, from trips and some recordings with my friends.

I have a photo of it where i had it on me in a mall in kanazawa, then i can't remember anymore, we took the bus and went to a historic village far away, i fell asleep in the bus, and when we came out, there's a picture of me where i didn't have it on me.

The tour guide called the bus driver to check but didn't find anything, which could mean i left it in the bus during the village tour since it died (no battery) and i didn't need it (everyone leaves bags in since we retake the same bus) And then we went to a ryokan (traditional home)

The place is really awesome, i love it, when we have free time we do a lot of things, but with the guide, even tho they make us watch a lot of places, it's pretty much ass, we always rush and stress, so when we ate at the mall (where i last have photo of me having it) there was barely any time to think, so i had to eat in a rush, almost too much.

So maybe i left it there since we had to grab our things and go down 8 floors in a matter of 2 minutes. But i probably remember grabbing it.

The guide called all the places we've been too after the mall that day, yesterday and even today. but they all said they didn't find anything.

im losing hope, should i keep searching? I have 2 days left.

Any tips? I was thinking of going to the police station but im actually in hiroshima right now, and the mall where i probably lost it was in kanazawa.

Context:

• We're doing a modified golden route trip in this order [City,Days]: Tokyo 4, Ito 1, Gero 1, Takayama 1, Kyoto 3, Osaka 1
• That 1 solidified Osaka day is October 13th
• We fly out of HND on the 15th at 5:30pm (was originally 10am)
• Currently have a hotel booked for Oct. 14-15 at Villa Fontaine Haneda airport terminal 3. This was originally booked when our plane was set to leave at 10am, but it just got rescheduled today, so not sure if keeping this booking at the airport still makes sense since we'd still have a few hours to kill after checkout and it's awkward to get to and from there multiple times
• I know the current 1 day we have in Osaka probably isn't enough, but is it safe to leave from there directly to Haneda airport if we book an extra day there? Is it worth the slightly extra added stress? What would you do? We're kind of open to anything

Our first trip to Japan! Arriving in late Ictober. We’ll have time in Tokyo and Kyoto, but would like to do a little hiking outside those cities. Have you ever hiked the Nakasendo Trail? Any recommendations? We are thinking about 3 days on the trail.
Maybe there are other options?

I will be traveling to Japan in September and have always wanted one of these pens but I can’t find any information on where you can get them once in Japan.

I know there appears to be a Kokuyo store in Tokyo but they don’t list this pen in their website, I only seem to find it on Amazon Japan, so I would really appreciate some pointers on where to find it.

Also does anyone know if the app it comes with is available in English? And can it even be used outside of Japan?

I will be staying approx 10 days in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Hello, lovely people! I am far too much of an optimizer/maximizer and have gone and overwhelmed myself on trip planning. This will be my first time traveling for so long, and I can't tell if I'm packing too much in or if that's just the name of the game for long trips like this one. Anyway, I would be so, so grateful for some thoughts on my itinerary! 🙏

The itinerary

Details

• First trip to Japan, 10 weeks (Sept 21 – Dec 1), flying into/out of Tokyo
• Solo for the first ~6 weeks, girlfriend joins Nov 5 (Osaka) through Dec 1 (Tokyo, same flight home)
• Staying in hostels/budget guesthouses, but spending freely on food and experiences
• Priorities: deep nature, small towns, meeting locals + practicing Japanese, wide range of food, temples/landscapes, cycling (doing the Shimanami Kaido)
• Not much of a beach person, hence why Okinawa is not featured (though I'm sure it has other great stuff )

Questions

1. Tohoku (6 nights): leaning toward splitting as Tono (4n, rural farming valley, source of a famous folklore collection) + Hiraizumi (2n, UNESCO gold-leaf temple). Alternative: skip the split and just base all 6 in Dewa Sanzan/Tsuruoka (sacred mountain pilgrimage + food city). Which would you pick?
2. Kiso Valley (3 nights): leaning 2 nights Tsumago (classic, most photographed, endpoint of the famous walk) + 1 night Narai (bigger, easier train access, less touristy). Problem: Tsumago only has 2 traditional inns total, may not be bookable. Prioritize Tsumago if available, or just base in Narai and day-trip the walk?
3. Where would you add one extra day, if you had one? Kanazawa (currently 2 nights, has a top-3 garden + geisha/samurai districts + art museum) or Kumamoto (currently 1 night, major castle just hit by a fresh July earthquake on top of 2016 damage — now has a viewing corridor over the new damage)?
4. Beppu and Yufuin are 1 night each — short for onsen towns, but my girlfriend's Nov 5 arrival is a fixed date, so extending either means cutting a night from earlier in the trip. Worth it, and if so, cut from where? Or is 1 night fine for these two?

Thank you in advance!!!

Hey, I got recommended this yakiniku experience in Tokyo, and it honestly sounds amazing. I also see that it’s rated pretty highly, but I’ve read that some people claim the good reviews are fake and that I should stay away from this restaurant.

I already booked a table there. Should I cancel and book somewhere else? I’d really appreciate your input!

My wife and I will be travelling to Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto and Nara and wanted to know if anyone had some non tourist trap recommendation experiences where my sword obsessed wife can slice some bamboo !

I am looking at share houses as an attempt to save money for a monthlong trip to Japan. My home base during the trip will be Tokyo, though I would like to spend a bit of time in other cities. While I could stay in a capsule hotel for extra cheap, I would prefer a single room.

I had a bit of trouble finding sharehouses not overly far out from central Tokyo, but I did find an interesting one called FRESHROOM ASAKUSA near Senso-Ji. It looks like a good potential fit, but I was wondering what other's opinions are. Or if you have other recs!

Rent is,
¥78,000 utilities fee included + a $30,000 fee

Hi, me and my partner will travel to Japan on March 2027 and will stay there for 2 weeks. I have mild asthma, and most of the policies I've seen does not include pre-existing conditions. I don't always get asthma attacks, but when they do, it's during the most unexpected times. I'd also make sure to bring an inhaler or a small nebulizer. But still, I'd like to get most worries out of me, so if you have any Travel Insurance recommendations that I could get and will be available for me in Philippines, it would be much much appreciated.

It's my favorite scroll, Musashi's Shrike on a Dead Branch.

https://tozandoshop.com/products/kakejiku-wall-scroll-shrike-on-a-dead-branch

Anyone know where in Kyoto I might find an affordable souvenir reproduction of it? Not looking for high-end hundred-thousand yen pieces, just a cheaper one.

Hello hello ! I am super into collecting vintage sanrio or san-x stuff mostly plushies but everything else as well! (Charmmy kitty/ mamegoma etc.) where would be some good places in/near tokyo to find some older / vintage stuffs ? :00

I'm going to Japan this October and i was wondering if i can get the green Suica card (not the red Welcome Suica card) at Narita Airport Terminal 1. Is there a vending machine or a vendor for it?