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Travel recommendations for Japan
Hey Everyone,
My partner and I are headed on a spontaneous trip to Japan in a few weeks and looking for suggestions. We've heard some great things about Piss Alley and Golden Gai in tokyo, as well as the fish markets, and got really excited about the southern island of Kyushu after watching a video from Huckberry. We're hoping to get out of cities for the most part and into nature/sleepier towns, are able to rent a car but would love to explore as much as we can on trains/bikes, and are really excited about the culture/food/onsens. Really excited to hear about anything you'd recommend based on that or really anything that knocked your socks off!!! Thanks!
Golden Gai is fine to walk around it, but it somewhat of a tourist trap. You have some killer table charges there.
The classic path for first time Japan tourists is the golden triangle - tokyo -> kyoto -> osaka. It doesn't really jive with your desire for "sleepier towns", but I would caution against doing that on your first trip.
For one, Japan is probably one of the countries in Asia with the worst English ability (I've found Korea and Taiwan to have much better English - even mainland china) - in the countryside, it's nil. Going to restaurants will be a struggle - while some will try their upmost to accommodate, many will also just either deflect with the classic "we don't have space" while they obviously have space, or just straight up kick you out. You also miss out on a lot of the classic sites.
If it's your first time, for a short stay, just stay in Tokyo - there's more than enough to do. You can spice it up with some day trips to Kamakura/Enoshima, Hakone, or Takao-san. For longer, add in Kyoto (and I would recommend a daytrip to Nara if possible). For even longer, add in Osaka. All of that is easily accessible via the Tokaido shinkansen.
If you want a more classic experience, go to a ryokan. Fancier ones will have some level of English, and you'll get to sleep on tatami and go to an onsen and all that.
I would absolutely learn some Japanese before - even just the basics for ordering will be important the moment you step out of the busiest parts of Tokyo, let alone into the countryside.
I would also spend some time learning the expected manners - if nothing else, make sure to be observant and do what other people do. Don't be the folks standing on the right side of the elevator, or talking in the subways.
I didn't have much of a language issue even in smaller towns. A few times I did require the services of Google Translate. Once I just pointed at a menu at random and had one of the best meals of the whole trip. I generally find you can go a long way with pointing and smiling.
Please and thankyou, hello and goodbye and sorry should be plenty. Although more is good, of course. Every time I tried to practice some Japanese the person I was talking to wanted to practice their English!
I did exactly that once, and found it utterly impossible to get a bowl of rice to go with the 2 different delicious fish dishes I ordered at random. Very good fish, just no sides whatsoever.
Not only English ability was the barrier, but the wait staff also had low motivation to cooperate and zero willingness to act on its own initiative. I'm convinced they were 99% sure what I wanted, but didn't dare to guess the last 1%. Google translate was not a thing yet, unfortunately.
So the meal in question for me was in a tiny underground (literally underground, we went downstairs from street level to enter) restaurant in Kyoto. When we arrived there was one member of staff who seemed very surprised to see us, and one table where four fairly elderly gentlemen in extremely nice suits were sitting and talking quietly over sake. They acknowledged us with a nod as we sat down and a glass of sake each arrived shortly after, unasked for, and before the menu. We ordered one thing, which turned out to be a chicken hotpot, but more food kept turning up and everything was incredible. Not a single person entered or left the restaurant for the whole time we were there. After we finished this huge meal, the bill was tiny - maybe £20 each or so - and the elderly men once again nodded seriously in our direction before we left. The only staff member we saw all night walked us to the street and was effusive in their thanks for our custom even by Japanese standards (and that's a seriously high bar)
I've heard so many of these "and then it turned out we'd been to an organised crime front" kind of stories but I do wonder if that's what happened that night. The chicken was incredible though. Maybe hotpot is for Yakuza what ragu is for the Mafia...
Just wanted to echo this, but also to say to please be as polite and patient as possible.
This should go without saying and I would expect it to be less of an issue among Tildes posters, but several times over the years while living in or visiting Japan I've come across tourists behaving boorishly, sometimes out of jetlagged frustration and sometimes just because, but either way it reflects poorly on everybody there from abroad and makes for trouble for the locals (which is why, for example, parts of Kyoto had to be closed off to tourists recently). It's good to relax and enjoy yourself, but please remember that you're a guest of somebody else's home and that it's a country, not a theme park.
I totally hear both of you! I'm pretty anal about courtesy here - lining up, waving when merging, ordering quickly in a long line, etc... - so I think I should be good. A little more worried about my volume if we do end up at the Golden Gai area, haha, but I'll be sure to try to keep a lid on that. I always think of myself as an ambassador for the US when I'm abroad. It would be terrible to add to the well earned stereotype of Americans as assholes. I have definitely ended up unwittingly making cultural faux pas though, were there any that you experienced that I might be unaware of? Thanks for calling it out!!!
Body language and social distance are important and different. People are also more likely to be less overt in expressing their discomfort.
Let people you talk to set the distance they are from you when talking. Americans trend very "in your face," which bothers me as an American, and other countries have varying levels of appropriate distance.
Making eye contact with random people is rude or even threatening, even while having a conversation with someone. Doing it briefly is a way to get someone's attention.
Pointing at people is rude. Indicate with head movement or an open hand.
Crossed arms in front of your body, like a big X, means "no." e.g. someone might do that if they're telling you not to go somewhere or are doing something very dumb. This is more imperative and less likely in a conversational context, where slightly waving may also indicate polite disagreement.
On that subject: Beckoning to someone is like the "shooing an animal" gesture. (Like a Lucky Cat.) Waving in greeting is done by rotating the wrist.
There are intricacies to the practice of bowing, but as a foreigner you can get away with just a head nod as a greeting/thanks/etc and seem reasonably polite. (Otherwise, casual social situations are usually around 15 degrees and you put your hands at your sides if you're male or on the front of your thighs if female.)
Holding your hand in front of you with the edge facing forward when you're trying to walk through a crowd indicates intent to pass through.
Crossing your index fingers to make a small X indicates you want your check at restaurants that use that system.
This is not usually the case in my experience. Empty tables does not mean there is space. Often there are reservations on those seats.
My wife once asked for help trying to buy something in a big chain store (she speaks japanese) and was recommended to go to a more tourist friendly store that obviously did not have the item.
We found a lot of friendly helpful people, but it is definitely not uncommon to be (very politely) told to go away.
Thanks for the in-depth write up! We've heard a lot about the lack of english and are both diligently getting down the basics on duolingo. I used to travel a lot for work to pretty remote places/no english spoken, and I'm hoping my translation charades will work in Japan as well. In the countryside of China I found folks were pretty open to me smiling and pointing but I could see that being frowned upon in Japan. Thanks for the heads up.
Additional info if it's helpful. We'll be there for 16 days, so plenty of time to explore. We have friends in Tokyo who are Japanese and will be able to show us around Tokyo and the adjacent area. We also have friends in Osaka we'll be staying with, but they are state department folks who moved out there 6 months ago and also have limited range speaking Japanese. Also I love the ryokan idea.
I know it's a bit of a stretch, but we're hoping to combine google translate, charades, and broken Japanese to get around Kyushu on bike for a week. We've done a lot of bike touring/packing and feel really confident on the bike part of the journey, but potentially less so on the communication part. I've experienced in the past that the farther we get from cities the more welcoming and helpful folks are when they see us on our bikes and I kind of made the same assumption about Japan. Does that seem completely ridiculous?
The undisputed highlight of our trip was Ryoan-ji in Kyoto. We leveraged jet lag from the UK to get up super early and arrive just as they were opening the gates and it was one of the most tranquil places I've ever been. Amazing. Even today, years later, just thinking about that place makes me relax.
Wow, that looks incredible! It's definitely going on the list. Sounds like you took it home as your mind palace.
My first night in Japan was spent with friends in a temple on Mount Koya (Koyasan), south of Osaka. I was completely jet-lagged, ate incredible vegetarian food, and visited the Okunoin cemetery early in the morning with still morning fog. This was magical/mystical and unlike anything you can ever experience in Western countries.
Sounds like just the experience we're after! Anything else jump out at you?
I had similar vibes when I made a trip to Nikko (North of Tokyo).
For context I just had spent one whole week in Tokyo, and although I fancy myself as an urban person, I was absolutely sick of people and civilisation.
So going to a place famous for its shrine and hikes was a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively).
I remember going through a sideway and trekking through the fog/drizzle in the woods to get to the Tokugawa Shrine. I also remember having a good time walking through the Kanmangafuchi Abyss. It's a nice walk with lots of Jizo statues.
Note: This is a list based on my last time there - about 10 years ago. I believe, for instance, nomihoudai is called something else now, etc.
Food - Toyko Hyatt in Shinjuku. $$$ but the view is amazing as is the vibe and food. Where Lost in Translation was filmed.
Momopara is an all you can eat shyabu-shyabu place. You will die from meat but oh what a way to go. Also, Shinjuku I think.
Tsujiri - Green Tea parfait place. http://tokyostory.net/gourmet/gion-tsujiri/ In shimbashi I think?
Ghibli museum - In Mitaka, best place on the planet for feeling like you’re 8.
Asahi Building - Drink a pint of Asahi blank from a building in the shape of a beer mug with a great view
Ramen Museum - In Yokohama but awwwwwesome. Not too far by train.
Maid Cafe - I’ve been to @home. It’s an experience but really wacky.
There’s a robot/Heavy Metal like bar that’s supposed to be bonkers. Cat Cafe’s are fun.
There’s a place in Shinjuku called Dance that’s a fun piano bar. Their bartenders are amazing.
Shibuya is just a lot of fun to walk through. Has the famous New York Time Square crossing at Shibuya 109. There’s a Starbucks that you can sit at and watch the city do its thing. It’s my favorite district in Tokyo.
Harajuku’s “main drag” is a lot of fun.
You should hit an arcade - they are absurd.
Not sure your dates but the parks/gardens in Tokyo are really nice. Shinjuku has a couple - the pay one is worth going to. During the spring it’s like the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in my life.
Of course if you have the $$$ - Jiro in Ginza. It’s not sushi. It’s something else.
Kyoto is nice but pretty touristy. I think I like Nara more which is pretty close. Nara has domesticated deer and like the largest buddhist temple in the world. That said Kyoto is a must go. Don’t have many recommendations though. Just sorta fun to tourist about and do the tours and shops.
Google Maps is a must so having international data or using an app like Offline Maps is key. The address system in Japan is impossible for locals. Maps are required.
Nomihodai is a phrase that means “All you can drink.” Look for izakaya’s that offer nomihodai. It’s like $30 for 90 minutes of drinking. Good times. Momopara offers it as well so all you can eat and all you can drink for like $50. It’s the best. Ikebukuro doesn’t have a lot of tourist places but has a lot of local dining/izakaya style places to eat.
Roppongi is a bit shady. If you hit a club or bar be careful with your drinks. Also, probably won’t happen but if anyone comes up to you and asks you any question the answer is always “No thank you.” It’s useful to look up popular scams in Japan (or any place you travel to). Don’t go with anyone anywhere off the street. No matter how nice they seem. Organized crime is real and in the open operating businesses. Tokyo is very safe but also very corrupt. Be mindful.
Probably not on your radar because, again, everything fun is expensive but Tokyo Disneyland and Sea is easily the best disney experience. It’s far and away better than the US ones in every way.
The National Museum is very nice. Ueno park is pretty.
The big shopping areas like Ginza and Omote Sendo are like big Fashion Valley malls. So neat if you want to shop big brands but not particularly interesting or novel.
Odaiba is pretty fun but I say to skip it. It’s got some fun shops and stuff but I think other places are better bang for your buck in terms of time. Sorta the same with the Imperial grounds. Especially since you are going to Kyoto.
There are an infinite number of random little shops and stores on every floor in every city. In Kyoto we just picked a building and went from floor to floor, each having one or two bars, and did a “building crawl.” Super fun. But all the small spots are the magic of that city.
What a list!!! Thanks so much for spending the time to put it together!
I really like Haruki Murakami and Shibuya is central to so many of his works. Any other fun spots you would recommend while I'm in that part of the city?
Japan for me is always a walk around and discover just things you never thought could exist. And it’s always changing. I can’t think of anything specific- there are amazing onsens that overlook mt fuji too! Something to look into!
Himeji castle was a real highlight for me.
Nice! I was really into samurai and shoguns when I was a kid so this does look like a dream! Anything to consider as far as times to go or things to make sure we see there?
It will take a few hours to tour the castle. We did it as a day trip from Kyoto where we were staying but you could stay a night there if you want to. I tend to prefer setting up a home base when I travel but either works.
Did you see this thread? It's only a year old. I bet it has a lot of useful stuff for you 😊
Great call! I hadn't seen it, there are some awesome suggestions in there. Thanks for the link!
OP of that thread here, this comment, the very last line was one of the highlights of the trip for me! Alejandro is a great tour guide and I got to have a lot of fun just chatting with all the locals. 10/10 would recommend.
If you get a chance to go to the Teamlabs in Toyosu, there's a ramen stand right outside of it that has some of the best ramen I've ever had (and I had like 5 bowls in the 10 days I was there) and it's vegan which is crazy.
Only annoying thing I can think of is that I think the JR pass is a bit more expensive now, which might make it not worth it depending on how often you travel.
Edit: this is the tour I'm referring to, I think he mentioned to me that going through his website is better for obvious reasons
JR pass is almost never worth it. If you have to ask, it’s not. It’s only worth it if you have a very specific, super heavy schedule that involves an intense amount of intercity travel.
I don't think that was always true, IIRC when I went last year it seemed like it was worth it with a bunch of legs on the shinkansen
It wasn’t in the past but unless you’re going on some insane schedule like 20 cities in 7 days it’s not going to be worth it. They’ve bumped up the price so much you need to live on trains.
It’s also inconvenient, since the JR pass only applies to JR run lines.
Oh! You will be too early for my bucket list item: autumn leave illumination season:
https://www.chion-in.or.jp/en/event/event/3022/
Happens in many places, beautiful gardens, fall colours, tasteful lights display at night to heighten their beauty.
Another possible type of event is "conventions" and "expo"s, instead of physical location destinations. With their very high population densities, it's possible to hold entire expos of the most niche and eclectic hobbies. Whatever you guys are mad into and think it's too weird to be mainstream, they've probably got an expo for it.
This website may not be exhaustive and their interface is really naggy and annoying, but they list 23 arts and craft expos in October alone!
like cute/cool/artsy/goth/sparkly stationery? bungo joshi is their annual mecca, this year the main event is in December (I think?) but there's a pop up in Kyoto Oct 10-14 if you're there.
You said you wanted to be out of the city. I'm not sure if it's because you want out of the crush of crowds or you wanted to see "authentic" japan. For myself I LOVE crowds, so the least touristy thing I can do is to go to events the locals are excited about that I'm also excited about.
Wow that looks incredible. My partner and I were saying we really need to do 4 trips to Japan - Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. We're trying to slip this into the summer category but maybe it just means we'll need 5 :)
Great suggestion for the expos, I'll look into a few. We love biking, swimming, rock climbing, tea, cooking so hopefully we'll overlap with one of them while we're there. That would be so exciting! Also the Bungo Joshi looks like so much fun! If it overlaps with our trip we'll be there!!!
I'm excited to experience the crowds too - a small dream of mine is to be pushed onto the train at rush hour (as weird as that sounds). But we really like getting into nature on our vacation and Japan seems to have some really gorgeous places to get into. On top of that cities can often feel a little ubiquitous (though we're less worried about that in Tokyo) and sometime the real defining cultural aspects are found in the countryside.
Thanks for all the amazing suggestions!!!
People have already covered Tokyo, Kyoto and such pretty well. I'll give you some recs focusing on Kyushu and some less obvious / smaller places on the way from Tokyo to Kyushu on the assumption that you will go there by train
Kyushu
Nagasaki is one of my favourite Japanese cities. The recreated Dutch trading post at Dejima is fascinating, the food is great and there's a bunch of good museums and galleries.
The National park at Aso has some nice hiking trails and some beautiful volcanic scenery.
You can take a ferry from Kagashima to Yakushima, the island that inspired Princess Mononoke. The forest with the ancient Cedars growing there is like nothing else I've ever seen.
Tokyo - Kyushu
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Miyajima. There's a good reason why it's one of the Three Views of Japan. If you can stay there overnight, the atmosphere when the daytrippers have gone home and the laterns are lit is magical.
It's off the direct path, but I really liked the mountain town of Tsuwano. Some historic buildings, fish / emergency food supply in the roadside canals, a fun chairlift and relatively few tourists.
Similarly Tomonoura for a slightly run down and sleepy yet picturesque seaside town.
If you stop at Okayama, the garden is great as is Kurashiki.
Another vote for Koyasan, it's a unique experience staying there.
A few favorite spots from the time when I used to live there.
Tokyo
Kyoto
Gifu (between Tokyo and Kyoto)
Hiroshima (between Kyoto and Kyushu)
Kyushu (these are more like possibly lesser known attractions that could be of interest)
Take a day trip to Nara and feed some deer!
You got to visit some of the most beautiful gardens in Kyoto. A lot are along the “philosopher’s path”.
Even outside the super dense spots, check out some random bar and try to communicate with someone more local. We got a recommendation from a nerdy jazz DJ for a really cool bar on like the third floor of a residential building. Note that this is supposedly how you can get ripped off in some of the more touristy spots, be weary about people being super pushy.
Not sure if you are art people but even if not, consider the Hakone Open Air sculpture museum. It was an unexpected highlight for us.
Try investing in a stay at a traditional ryokan, it’s magical and there are places where English is no problem (we stayed in one near Hakone).
If you’re feeling like hiking, consider visiting the moss-covered forests of Yakushima. A bit of a trip but probably the most amazing thing we saw in Japan.