Souness' 'tache Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Me and the Mrs are heading to Japan next year, (March/April) and just looking to see if anyone has any advice on things to see and do, stuff a bit off the beaten track as well or any advice on accommodation or trips to be done. Planning on being in Kyoto for a week or so, then travelling up to Tokyo for the same, with a stop off somewhere towards Mt Fuji/Mishima/Gotemba or similar areas. Accommodation advice would be really good, trying to sort that out at the moment. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Bring a telescope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aff2rehab Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Had a fantastic fortnight there in September, sent you a pm with loads of info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy North Croy Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Head to the hills in the Hakkone region.....stunning!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilser Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) I had a long holiday there at the start of the 1990s (so this is going from memory and could also be out of date). Anyway: - it's worth getting a Japan Rail Pass - they're only available to foreigners and have to be bought outside Japan and validated when you arrive. Anyhow, it's a dirt cheap way of getting around including on the Shinkansen (the bullet train). It covers the distance from Aberdeen to London (Tokyo to Hiroshima) in about 4 hours and is something that every tourist should try. - Tokyo is incredible - you could easily spend your entire holiday there and barely scratch the surface. - Kyoto is very peaceful in comparison. Lots of temples and zen gardens - there was a golden temple that's worth seeing and also several others. I'm not religious in any way but you feel very relaxed and at one with the world after sitting in one for a while watching the monks do their stuff. - It's worth staying in a Ryokan (a traditional inn) for a night or two - you'll sleep on a futon on a tatami mat and there's a big fuss made of you when you get your green tea. They'll also run a bath for you at a given time - again it's a big deal. The one I stayed in in Kyoto (Yuhara Ryokan) is still on the go and wasn't far from the main station. Hiroshima is worth a visit too - the peace museum and also an amazing modern art gallery with millions of pounds worth of art in every room (if you can think of a famous artist they'll probably have something by them). Great country to go to and they love Scotland too... Edited October 6, 2014 by neilser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParisInAKilt Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Think I'll be going end of Feb / March next year. Looks incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigieBrown Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Hiroshima is worth a visit. The peace park is quite sobering. There are also some temples (lots of them) on some islands not so far away from Hiroshima (maybe 40 mins away then a boat). Well worth the effort to get to though. Kyoto is quite special too... the city where everyone gets buried and the city where they train the Geisha girls!! Accommodation is plentiful and Ryokans (B&Bs) are quite affordable. The shoe lockers at the entrance are generally not quite big enough for western sizes of footwear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goozay Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Eat at a tiny restaurant (more a row of food stalls) in Omoide Yokocho, also known a Piss Alley. Go for a drink afterwards in a tiny bar in Golden Gai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brixton footsoldier Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Takayama. Sumo (arrive early an sit in the posh seats) Trekking round Fuji san. Tokyo fish market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe545 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Go to the toilets in the Sega megastore in Akihabara and play their urinal video game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 This book might be worth a look. An English journalist I met on my travels documented her 15 month walk, the length of Japan. Fascinating and might give you some 'off the beaten track' ideas and an insight into the culture... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Japan-Foot-Mary-King-ebook/dp/B00PSOVZSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417024371&sr=8-1&keywords=japan+on+foot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 PM DerekfaeJapan on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian67 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 If hour are going to be in Kyoto for such a long time then try and go to Himeji Jo castle and also the bamboo grove walk just outside Osaka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnie x Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Get a Japan rail pass before you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) Don't know what you are into but here is a wide range of experiences, j-folk do too. If you are into snowboarding/skiing got to Hokkaido, or Nagano area, (Nara is great.. near Kyoto Watch out for the deers. Hakone for hot springs , you have to eat the eggs boiled in the natural spring Nagasaki for the history and Glover Garden a whole park dedicated to the most famous Scotsman in Japan ,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blake_Glover Hire a car and drive to unzen (nagasaki area) hot springs, get the ropeway up to the top of a volcano ) Take in a j-league game, see a baseball game, go to supermarket buy picnic food/drink (alcohol will be poured into a plastic cup and given back to you at entrance), the game is shite but lasts 2-3 hours and it's a fun j-experience chilling and getting slowly pissed from the at-seat beer vendors and it's fun watching the fans take turns in singing. Check if there is sumo on, get the cheapest ticket go early( midday) go right down the front and then when folk start coming into the posh seats just keep moving slowly back a seat at a time (you are not being rude), paid 12 quid and sat in the 250 quid seats.! Hiroshima is great too, nice vibe Kobe Port, china town in Kobe.Osaka for partying, people more outgoing, it's my favourites city in Japan. if you are a record collector lots of rare records in Americamura ( Camden of Osaka) Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Osaka Aquarium Eat Okonomiyaki in Osaka ...superb! ask them to make it in front of you. http://www.ideaosaka.co.jp/web/english/ Inuyama castle ,near nagoya genuine old style small castle . Takayama village old style j-village near nagoya. definitely buy the Japan rail pass, a lot of money but cheaper in the long run, You can get on and off anywhere. So plan your journey carefully and you can see lot of places and not waste time. it's not just the shinkansen(bullet train) you can use the local JR trains too.http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html train time website http://www.hyperdia.com oh yeah... and Tokyo. Edited December 11, 2014 by Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khana Lagur Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I'd second a lot of what others have said. Kobe (try the beef), Hiroshima (peace park/Dome is quite thought provoking but often very busy with school parties who, if I remember correctly, all tend visit it at some point). There's also a piece of Ben Nevis in the park as well (no idea why). Kyoto and Himeji are well worth seeing. And the best value you will get in Japan is probably the rail pass. Spend a night in a capsule hotel - it's a weird experience. And go into one of the pachinko parlours - take some ear muffs, tho. Watch out for the 'friendly' Nigerians in Rippongi and be careful you don't get sprayed with spew from some stocious salaryman in the subway halls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 There's also a piece of Ben Nevis in the park as well (no idea why). August 2, 1972 - Peace Cairn, Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Donated by the cities of Dudley (England) & Fort William (Scotland). Text of inscription: ""This particular stone was hewn from Britain's highest mountain BEN NEVIS FORT WILLIAM SCOTLAND, 2nd August 1972." Info from Pocket Peace Guide. See 1945 Peace Cairn on Ben Nevis. http://peace.maripo.com/x_japan_hiroshima.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khana Lagur Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 August 2, 1972 - Peace Cairn, Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Donated by the cities of Dudley (England) & Fort William (Scotland). Text of inscription: ""This particular stone was hewn from Britain's highest mountain BEN NEVIS FORT WILLIAM SCOTLAND, 2nd August 1972." Info from Pocket Peace Guide. See 1945 Peace Cairn on Ben Nevis. http://peace.maripo.com/x_japan_hiroshima.htm Ah, light is shed. Just had a look at a picture I took of it and while the inscription's words are the same as above (minus a comma and a full stop, for any peace memorial pedants tuning in ) it doesn't mention Aug 2 - only 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slide tackle Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Don't know what you are into but here is a wide range of experiences, j-folk do too. If you are into snowboarding/skiing got to Hokkaido, or Nagano area, (Nara is great.. near Kyoto Watch out for the deers. Hakone for hot springs , you have to eat the eggs boiled in the natural spring Nagasaki for the history and Glover Garden a whole park dedicated to the most famous Scotsman in Japan , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blake_Glover Hire a car and drive to unzen (nagasaki area) hot springs, get the ropeway up to the top of a volcano ) Take in a j-league game, see a baseball game, go to supermarket buy picnic food/drink (alcohol will be poured into a plastic cup and given back to you at entrance), the game is shite but lasts 2-3 hours and it's a fun j-experience chilling and getting slowly pissed from the at-seat beer vendors and it's fun watching the fans take turns in singing. Check if there is sumo on, get the cheapest ticket go early( midday) go right down the front and then when folk start coming into the posh seats just keep moving slowly back a seat at a time (you are not being rude), paid 12 quid and sat in the 250 quid seats.! Hiroshima is great too, nice vibe Kobe Port, china town in Kobe. Osaka for partying, people more outgoing, it's my favourites city in Japan. if you are a record collector lots of rare records in Americamura ( Camden of Osaka) Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Osaka Aquarium Eat Okonomiyaki in Osaka ...superb! ask them to make it in front of you. http://www.ideaosaka.co.jp/web/english/ Inuyama castle ,near nagoya genuine old style small castle . Takayama village old style j-village near nagoya. definitely buy the Japan rail pass, a lot of money but cheaper in the long run, You can get on and off anywhere. So plan your journey carefully and you can see lot of places and not waste time. it's not just the shinkansen(bullet train) you can use the local JR trains too. http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html train time website http://www.hyperdia.com oh yeah... and Tokyo. Cheers for all that sir? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin63 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Going to Japan for 2 weeks in August (yes, I know, it will be hot and humid!). There's some great tops in this thread. We plan to spend time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Any other recommended places to visit? Osaka sounds good. Any other tips for Japan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora MaDonald Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Animals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I ended out in the sticks in Mie prefecture a couple of times and that was interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfieMoon Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Looking at going to HK, Tokyo/Kyoto and Seoul in the last couple of weeks of September (from 18th) into October. I know September is rainy/typhoon season and then the monthly average temp/rainfall seems to drop away into October but does anyone know if the start of September gets the brunt of the bad weather? (which I'm kinda hoping is the case so that the latter half of the month will be calming towards October like rain/heat/humidity). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisEDI Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Im off for 2 weeks in june, right at the start of the raining season , flights were only £380 so it was that or going to georgia with a bunch of jakey jocks ;-) for £330 (both with turkish airways). bring on japan ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristolhibby Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Im off for 2 weeks in june, right at the start of the raining season , flights were only £380 so it was that or going to georgia with a bunch of jakey jocks ;-) for £330 (both with turkish airways). bring on japan ! That's a great price. Fancy going out for the Rugby World Cup in 2019, will have to see how that flys with the missus nearer the time, not for the whole tournament obviously, but maybe a couple of Scotland games and some others thrown in. Also keen to go to a football match. Anyway, lots of time to scope this out. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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