From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/alicenin9, Nov 01 2022 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/yjhl9h/best_age_to_travel_with_child/ My partner and I had planned on doing Japan for 3ish weeks before having kids. Since Japan shut down with no clear opening date just before we made it (we had planned on going that fall), we decided we couldn't wait any longer to have our first. So basically I am wondering if anyone who has done Japan with their kid(s) has any pros and cons for which age my kiddo should be when we finally go. Open to suggestions as well. He is 4 months old now and I cant really see us going anytime soon with the frequent naps situation. Thanks all EDIT: Thanks everyone for the replies, lots of great tips and i am starting to get some ideas of how and when we would do the trip. I can't keep up with replying to everyone but have been reading everything and will be looking back on your responses as I formulate my plan. Thanks again!

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/TochJPGR, Aug 12 2021 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/p30bih/is_sapporo_and_northern_japan_really_worth_it/ My two best friends and I are going all in for our first trip to Japan: 28 whole days backpacking in the country in July 2022, with the majority of those spent outside of Tokyo with the help of a 21-day JR Pass. We're currently having a disagreement about where to go during our tour across Japan. We're definitely staying at Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, but additional locations are still up for discussion. Two of us are really curious about Sapporo, and with that much time, I figured that spending a week going to Sendai, Hakodate and Sapporo at the tail-end of our trip would be a good idea. We could spend two days in each city before using a seventh day for the long trip back to Tokyo. Our other friend strongly opposed that idea, though - saying that an entire day spent on travel just for those three cities isn't worth it, when we could just as well spend more time in the cities we agreed upon, or doing shorter trips to more adjacent areas like Hakone, Kamokochi, Kobe or Nikko. I vouched for the scenery and variety up north, but he argued that we could get plenty of both elsewhere, which is very true. Our third friend decided to stay neutral about it. I'm inclined to follow his lead, but first I really want to make sure that we're not skipping anything unmissable by sticking to the southwest. So, in your opinion, is there anything in northern Japan that's essential for the Japanese experience? Or is the detour not worth it that much when there's still plenty to see elsewhere? Thank you so much for your time! \[Edit\] Added dates.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/[deleted], Feb 27 2019 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/av924o/friendly_reminder_japan_exists_outside_tokyo_kyoto/ I read an article recently about how Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are heavily overtouristed, and the problem seems to be getting worse, fraying the nerves of both visitors and locals. ​ I hope people could consider getting off the beaten tourist path a bit and going outside the "golden highway" between Tokyo and Osaka. There's plenty of locations in Japan that are absolutely beautiful, fun, and culturally enriching, which have very, very few foreign tourists (or any tourists at all, sometimes). All of the best experiences I've had in the country were away from the crowds. ​ Here's some ideas, and if other people wanted to contribute some, maybe that would be cool and helpful to some folk :) ​ Kyoto has plenty of beautiful temples, shrines, and gardens. But also plenty of tourists. Hirosaki and Kanazawa both have some excellent temples, shrines, and gardens, along with castle ruins at both. They're far less crowded and the people are very welcoming. For nightlife, Sapporo in the North and Fukuoka in the South, both have some great party areas with packed bars and excellent brew on tap. Day trips to Mt. Fuji are nice, but Mt. Aso in Kyushu (active volcano with huge, green caldera you can take a ropeway up to see), Mt. Hakodate in Southern Hokkaido (the view from the summit is the most stunning in the world at night), and Mt. Haku in Gifu, which is quiet yet beautiful. If you really want to experience some of Japan's remote and unspoiled beauty, any of the cities and towns dotting the Sea of Japan ("other" coastline) get practically no visitors from outside the country (aside from Niigata, and even that place is underrated). Tottori has amazing sand dunes with all the associated fun activities (sandboarding, paragliding, camel rides, and a local legend about a cursed woman). Or practically anywhere in Shikoku, which is basically the everyday Japan, without the hype. The prefectural capitals here all have museums, nightlife, attractions, and restaurants (geared towards locals instead of tourists, so higher quality and lower price). The towns and villages are full of friendly and interesting people, and the air is often so fresh it's intoxicating. ​ I definitely don't want to slam Tokyo or Osaka; I love those places and everyone needs to check them out at least once in their lifetime. But dedicating part of your vacation to seeing some of Japan's less instagrammed places could be a really awesome experience, too :)

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/misterLoco, Sep 20 2018 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/9hj59y/what_did_you_wish_you_bought_in_japan_or_japan/ Pretty open ended question - I just want a general idea what I can miss out on. I'm a fan of casio g-shock watches so I may dip my toes in that. I might also buy a bunch of uniqlo things.

From Reddit saved comment — r/JapanTravel, u/vanillagorilladx, Jul 26 2018 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/923153/any_conveyor_belt_sushi_restaurants_that_are/e32nn6b/ Comment on: Any conveyor belt sushi restaurants that are suitable for larger groups in Tokyo? Hanamaru in the Kitte building close to Tokyo Station has tables for 4

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/Doraemon404, Jul 13 2018 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/8yfxec/best_shops_and_arcades_in_akihabara/ Hey all! I was wondering, what are some good shops and/or arcades to visit in Akihabara? Of course, I'm going to go to Super Potato and Club Sega but are there any other lesser well know places, or your personal favourites, that you would recommend? I'm also a fan of Trading Cards (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Tokusatsu (Kamen Rider, Ultraman, etc.) and various Video Game series if that helps!

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/SimbaTh, Jul 10 2018 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/8xq0s6/people_who_have_traveled_to_japan/ Just curious regarding people on this sub who have already traveled to Japan, how long was your stay, and how much was the total cost of the trip? Thanks.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/kisekikumo, Jan 15 2018 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/7qhohe/tourism_by_prefecture_series_an_introduction_and/ Hello /r/JapanTravel! In our last mod announcement (which you can read [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/7dilp7/rjapantravel_announcement_new_mods_55k/) if you have not done so already), we mentioned that a series of megathreads focusing on sightseeing in Japan grouped by city or prefecture was in the works! I’m delighted to introduce you to the **Tourism by Prefecture Series** with the first megathread of the series dedicated to **Osaka Prefecture**! Whilst our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) and [Resources Page](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/resources) contains a lot of information about the logistics of traveling in Japan, there are no recent pages collating where to go and what to do whilst you’re there. Although resources such as Japan-Guide, Lonely Planet etc are great, many visitors to this sub are after more recommendations based on the personal experience of other redditors, and places that may not be so easily researched/have little to no information in English available. /r/JapanTravel is always aiming to improve the wealth and quality of the information we provide as a sub. Our fantastic commenters contribute a lot great information in response to questions which regularly focus on the same areas. We’d like to expand on this and introduce the Tourism by Prefecture megathreads that will cater more to repeat travellers, as well as readers wanting to get off the beaten track and users eager to share their favourite spots located in other areas of Japan. Every week or so a new thread dedicated to a new prefecture(s) will be posted, and users can submit their recommendations of places to visit in that area. There is a [new section in our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/tourism_by_prefecture) that will link to each thread as they are made to make it easier to find past threads to read through. We want to cover every prefecture of Japan and hope that giving lesser known/visited areas their own megathread at some point will shine a spotlight on great places to visit that may otherwise be missed. For this week’s Tourism by Prefecture we are focusing on **Osaka Prefecture**, with an emphasis on sharing hidden gems and lesser-known spots. To ensure a level of quality and consistency in replies, if you have any recommendations for **Osaka Prefecture**, please use the template below to format your reply: Name: Description: Google Maps Link/Access Info: Cost (¥): About: I would recommend this to: We hope this will become the first stop for users looking for suggestions on what to do or see in a particular area of Japan. When posting, please keep the usual sub rules in mind (do not include links to any vlogs/videos/blogs/personal websites etc - see Rule 10 in the sidebar). I know I speak for the other mods when I say we are really looking forward to seeing your recommendations, and that your contributions to the sub are invaluable. /r/JapanTravel has grown to an amazing 80,000+ subscribers and this would not be possible without your time and effort in assisting travellers to Japan in their planning and research! We hope that the Tourism by Prefecture series will be another huge achievement for this sub! If you have any questions/suggestions for this series or the sub in general, please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FJapanTravel). As this is a new concept for the sub we may tweak the format of the Tourism by Prefecture series as it goes on to try and optimise it as much as possible, so we welcome your feedback in its early stages. Many thanks and happy travels~ /u/gazbomb /u/laika_cat /u/Himekat /u/kisekikumo With thanks to /u/NotACaterpillar for their time and suggestions towards making this happen!

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/legitdontknow, Sep 25 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/72dzi8/worth_it_to_go_to_akihabara/ Just wanted some of your guys opinions are whether or not it's worth it to go to Akihabara just as a sightseeing thing if I don't really have a strong interest in anime or electronics. The reason is because we will spending a Sunday at Ueno Park and Asakusa to visit the sensoji shrine so we would be in that area anyways. Just based on casual research a lot of the things to do there related to electronics/manga/anime, but would it still be fun just to take a stroll around at night for a bit?

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/ots0, Aug 29 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6wt7b7/thanks_for_all_the_advice_had_a_great_trip/ I found this subreddit only a short time ago --- but had planned my trip late winter. But some of the advice here --- especially the stuff that came up repeatedly, was invaluable. Thanks everyone that contributes. The advice that was most useful for us: 1. Suica card in advance of trip 2. Pocket wifi delivered to airport 3. Takkyubin - worked out really well. We used it two times - from Tokyo to Kyoto and back again. We left Tokyo for a single night stay in Hiroshima that we just took our toiletries and an overnight change of clothes to. Thank goodness we did not have to drag our luggage there. Our luggage went straight to Kyoto. We debated whether to use it going from Kyoto back to Tokyo, but decided that it really was that much better. We had two big bags (max size) and the price was about 3000 yen. 4. Onigiri - fantastic - don't think we would have discovered these great treats without you guys. My husband preferred Lawson because it included English so that you knew what the filling was. But they were great! 5. 7-11 for ATMs 6. Change purse for all the change 7. T's TanTan for vegetarian ramen 8. craft beer recommendation Had a great time! edit: one last piece of advice that we received here that worked out great: downloading the hyperdia app. If you're using it less than 30 days, it's free. And it shows timetables and next stops and offers multiple options and allows you to save searches. A couple of times we thought we were on a direct route without any stops (but were wrong) - the hyperdia app showed us which stops there were and allowed us to relax...

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/NFava1, Aug 17 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6u6hf6/coin_laundry_in_akihabara/ Staying in Akihabara for 2 weeks at Akihabara Washington, looking for a place to do laundry as the hotel's laundry service is rather expensive.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/Boboct1, Aug 15 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6twsnq/is_one_night_in_hakone_worth_it/ Hello, My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan in late April 2018 for 2 weeks. The trip we are planning for is: Tokyo (5 nights) --> Kyoto (4 Nights – day trip to Nara) --> Osaka (3 nights) --> Hakone (1 night) --> Tokyo (last night) We are set on Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but we are not sure if taking the 1 night trip to Hakone is worth it. During our trip, we would like to try an Onsen and see the glory of Japan's nature and wilderness. Hakone seems to be the perfect place for that. However, I feel as though 1 night in Hakone wouldn't give us much time to appreciate what the city has to offer. Should we consider a different city or would 1 night in Hakone give us enough time to get the most out of the experience there? Any advice would be much appreciated!

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/kvom01, Aug 15 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6tugrf/5000_yen_omakase/ In a recent thread about high-end sushi, there seemed to be general agreement that most of us tourists wouldn't be able to appreciate the difference between a 5000 and 15000 yen meal. Given that I'm going to be 3 weeks in Japan in October and love sushi, I'd like to eat some omakase meals fairly frequently. Can the experts on this sub recommend their favorites at this price range in both Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, and even Hiroshima? Thanks in advance. On a perhaps related topic. Are their omakase places that serve primarily sashimi? I prefer sashimi over sushi most of the time.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/dinozoff, Jul 08 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6m3js5/back_from_japan_my_experience_and_advice/ I spent two weeks in Japan last May. And probably spent other 10 months planning and reading (this forum of course) before the trip. This is some advance from my experience. Note: I know every person is a different kind of traveler. So, take that in consideration. This is only a point of view. **PLANNING THE ITINERARY:** I spent so much time reading all forum and blog posts before traveling that I knew maybe too much of what I was going to experience. Actually the weekends after spending hours reading so much information I used to end stressed. When I read a request for Itinerary and see a day by day detail of the places and things to be done, I remember that time and simply close it. My recommendation: Do a proper research on what to see and where you want to do, but don't over plan. Puting so much things on a same day won't let you enjoy the trip enough. You better have MUST DO's and map other places you want to have on your radar. Once you are there, you meet people, places, manage weather, etc, you can make your own decisions. **FUNDAMENTALS** - ** Get your JR PASS.** The only thing you need to do is estimate if you need a one week / two week pass. Some people recommend organizing your itinerary to save money on the pass (doing two ways Tokyo - Kyoto in a week). Don't let your need to save a couple of bucks make you rush on your pace. I ended up buying a 7 Days Pass and buying a one way Shinkanzen ticket for the day it wasn't covered by it. I ordered the pass online and received it at home in 2 days. Once you get there, you exchange it for the real ticket and you are done. Seamless experience. There are sites that let you 'Calculate' which pass to buy based on your itinerary. - ** Wifi Modem:** Life saver. It was really easy to have my pocket size modem in my backpack and have unlimited internet. I payed 80 USD for 17 days. Received my modem on my hotel on arrival and returned it by post from the airport. **SMARTPHONE APPS:** - Foursquare: I used it before the trip to make a [list of places of interest!] (https://www.foursquare.com/ddiament/lists/created) and restaurants I wanted to go. Once there it was really easy to see everything in a map. I didn't find a better app to do this. For reviews Yelp and Foursquare took me to great restaurants and bars. - Google Maps: Works perfectly to find places, to see how they look (some times are hard to find) and to get the times of the next subway. - Hyperdia: Great app to plan your itinerary on the Shinkanzen and other local transportations. - Google Translate: It is so easy to travel having this. I used to use the app with the camera to translate menu and signs in real time. Japanese were amazed of this too. **UNIQUE EXPERIENCES:** - Sleep in a Ryokan: The typical japanese hotel experience. Amazing food. You walk with a Yukata around the hotel and sleep in a tatami. They use to have an Onsen too. Do it! I did it in Takayama. - Onsen: The thermal baths everybody are afraid of doing. So much relaxing and very unique experience. There are onsen parks, in hotels and towns. I recommend do it at Oedo Onsen in Tokyo. Then you will want' to do it everywhere. - Food: Everything is delicious. I recommend using the online recommendations to get to places you will love. The two places I went randomly weren't of my taste. On Foursquare you can get all the places you need. I didn't go to any fancy restaurant that needed 90 days prior reservations. - Festivals: Check online if during your stay there is any festival going on. I happened to be during Kanda Matsuri - that happens once every two years - and was a highlight. **WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO DO, BUT DIDN'T:** - Maricar: Racing around Tokyo dressed like Mario in a Karting. Can sound silly or daunting. But after you see them on the streets you will want to do it. You need an International Driver License. So plan ahead. **WEBSITES OF REFERENCE AND INSPIRATION:** - Japonismo.com (spanish) - MuyLejano.com (spanish) - https://nerdnomads.com/ - japan-guide.com - https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/ - Eater Japan Guide **DESTINATIONS CONSIDERED BUT NOT DONE:** We loved our trip. It felt very rush even with not many places. I wouldn't have added any other place. There are many places I considered but then decided not to go, and focus on a small numbers of cities/towns. - Hiroshima - Yokohama y Kamakura: We had enough city and temples with Kyoto and Tokyo. - Lake Kawaguchi: Close to Mt. Fuji. But required a big detour. I ended up staying a night in Hakone and saw Mt. Fuji from there.. Koyasan:Sleep in a Budhist temple. Kanazawa: I was between this and Takayama. Ended up choosing Takayama and it was a highlight. ** FINAL ITINERARY: ** - TOKIO: 5 nights - TAKAYAMA: 2 nights (Daytrips to Shirakawa-go) - KYOTO: 5 nights (Daytrips to Osaka, Nara) - HAKONE: 1 night. - TOKIO: 2 nights Will talk about each place on a dedicated posts.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/Anemoni, Jun 02 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/6esj1p/use_taqbin_to_deliver_your_luggage_from_hotel_to/ Just a general PSA about something that's made my travel in Japan much easier - you can use Yamato's delivery service to send your luggage to your next hotel so you don't have to drag it through train stations/down the street. Just go to your hotel's front desk and ask for takkyubin. They'll give you a form to fill out (in Japanese but it's not hard to figure out) where you put your origin address (current hotel) and destination address (next hotel). You pay for the delivery (somewhere between 1200-2000 yen in my experience) and they tag your bag and take it from you. It's delivered the next day, so you'll need to hang on to one day's worth of clothes and toiletries. Using this has seriously reduced my traveling anxiety, since it's just so unpleasant to have to haul big luggage through train stations, especially if you have multiple train changes. More info - http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/personal/ta_q_bin/

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/Eowyn27, May 05 2017 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/69c6p7/help_me_decide_on_what_bags_to_bring_to_japan/ So, I know what to pack but I'm afraid of what bags to bring with me to the airport because I'm not sure if it's too much or just right? Here are my thoughts: Plan A: -Backpack with essentials -Carry On wheel bag (with my clothes for the trip) -Check in Bag (mostly, if not, all empty for possible things to bring back from Japan to USA) Plan B: -Backpack -Carry On Duffel Bag (collapsable in size) with my clothes for the trip -Check in bag (mostly empty) Or should I put my clothes in check in bag and keep the duffel bag collapsed with me on the airplane, etc... Either way, I'm thinking about bring a check in bag so that I can bring back whatever needed from Japan (Things like whiskey, sake, boxes of candies, treats, etc...) I would *Probably* use the luggage forwarding for the check-in bag but carry the rest of the bags on me. Everything I read online says to carry light and never mentions a check in bag, so I'm wondering if I'm doing this wrong? I'll be staying in Tokyo, Kawaguchiko and Kyoto hotels with commuting to Okayama, Himeji, Nara and Osaka for day trips from Kyoto. So the only issue is bringing the bags from Haneda airport to Tokyo to Kawaguchiko to Kyoto and finally to Osaka airport. What bags did you bring on your trip? What was your experience?

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/wispofasoul, Oct 23 2015 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/3pvonz/just_back_feedback_on_japan_travel/ I'm just back from Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima), and here is my advice considering what went right and wrong on my trip: ## The Good * **Japan Rail Pass** - worked like a dream. It gave me the unforseen flexibility to change my trip mid way. On some days, I just took a bullet train on a whim to another city to spend the evening/night. Once, I even stopped over at a station enroute to my originally intended destination (Osaka) to spend a few hours. This is coming from a person who tries to plan things to the T. * **Bullet Trains** - I dare say that Ordinary class is as comfortable as business class on an airplane. Huge legroom, great reclining seats and sufficient luggage space. And if you miss one, there's always another. I use my journeys to catch up on sleep time. Seat reservations aren't necessary unless its a high-traffic route. Just jump into the cars for people without reservations. * **Hyperdia app** - Indispensible and accurate for planning trips on the go. Occasionally used Google Maps, too. * **Google Translate app** The picture translation was sufficiently accurate to help me. E.g at a restaurant without an english menu. Also great for communicating with Japanese people :) **Hint**: Rotate your phone landscape to show the magnified translation to the other person. * **Luggage forwarding** I used Yamato transport. It worked like a dream. I paid about $20 to send a single, heavy suitcase from Tokyo to Kansai airport (Osaka) for a _week_ later! Price is dependent on size + weight, btw. * **Coin Lockers** - Life saving, use them instead of lugging stuff around. It costs 300-500 yen per day roughly. * **Miyajima island** - highly recommended, but be warned the climb to the observation deck of Mt Misen from the ropeway is very demanding. And the Daisho-in temple is gorgeous, maybe the best temple I saw during my trip. * **Kyoto Bus network** - super! * **Arashima Monkey Park** - very good experience, although the way up was demanding, though not as demanding as Mt Misen in Miyajima. Hey I'm not an athlete :) ## The not-so Good * **Tobu Nikko passes** due to poor planning, I ended up seeing only the Yokeimon gate+temple and the Shinryu bridge. Lesson: one daytrip is not enough considering daylight hours (sunset at 5ish). I should have followed the advice from someone on this thread and stayed a night.... Important: The Tobu passes have an important limitation: it only permits ONE roundtrip from Asakusa to Shima-imachi. From Shima-imachi you can take multiple trips to Nikko but that's useless to someone taking day trips from Tokyo, for example. * **I booked too much time in Hiroshima** - Great place but 1 night 2 days is sufficient, one day for Miyaijma and a half day for the peace park. You'll need to find other interests to stay there further. I'll add to this post as more occurs to me. Let me know if you have specific questions.

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/hinokio61, Sep 21 2015 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/3lsl7k/japan_travel_what_do_you_wish_you_had_known/ Open question to anyone who has traveled in Japan. What's something that you wish you had known before or during your trip that might have improved your overall experience? Thanks in advance for your responses!

From Reddit saved post — r/JapanTravel, u/bleb89, Sep 12 2015 https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/3kmc3k/suitcase_or_backpack/ I'm going to be traveling around Japan between Dec 28th and Jan 22nd, and I'm really unsure about whether to bring a suitcase or backpack. We're going to stay for a week in Tokyo, but then move round quite frequently through Osaka, Kyoto and around that area. We're going to get from place to place using public transport. I can see the pros and cons for both suitcases and backpacks... so any advice on which to take and why would be appreciated!