Japan trip: fare discounts

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  TassieJones14 on 07/12/2014 - 16:18

  Also, how many days do you guys recommend spending at Disneyland? One or two days? Is one day sufficient to get to both parks?

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    asil92 on 08/12/2014 - 01:15

    They have Disney sea and Disney land in tokyo (train ride away from way from eachother )
    Lines are much shorter In Disney sea ! By a whole two hours I noticed !!
    So much fun at both! I went from 10am-8pm at each
    A day is enough IMO for one, just be quick to get fast passes!

    My fav places was asakusa!! (Google it)
    Second time going tokyo I went here and it blew me away! Amazing market shopping heading towards the main temple, there's lots of food stalls too!
    So many things to do there ! I was in asakusa for about 10 hours!!
    Akihabara, harajuku & shinjuku are areas you have to go see also!

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      TassieJones14 on 08/12/2014 - 09:28

      I have heard great things about Asakusa and Shinjuku! Will be keen to go there.

      Oh, do you recommend going to (if I were only to pick one) DisneySea or Disneyland? I heard Disneyland Tokyo is similar to every other disneyland and I am going to Paris next year? What are your thoughts on DisneySea? :)

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  sraymond on 07/12/2014 - 16:44

  Go to Whirlpool forums and look in travel. There is a giant thread about Japan.

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  donga100 on 08/12/2014 - 08:50

  +2

  Are you just staying in Tokyo for the whole trip or do you have 1 week there and then longer in the rest of the country?

  If you are only staying in Tokyo the JR pass is a waste of money. Just get a Suica card (like a myki card) on arrival and don't limit yourself to only JR trains. Some suggested places in Tokyo:

  Shibuya - Right in front of the station is a world famous pedestrian crossing which is more exciting/interesting than it sounds. This is also a major hub for shopping and restaurants.

  Harajuku - Come and see cosplayers (people dressed as cartoon/video game characters) just outside the station. Most popular on weekends.

  Yoyogi Park - It's right next to Harajuku station so you can visit at the same time. A beautiful big park with a shrine/temple.

  Tsukiji Fish Market - Tourist guides will tell you to get here at 4am or some ridiculous/impossible time to see the tuna auctions. In my opinion it isn't worth doing this because a) you're on holidays and it's way too early to get up b) unless you are staying in the area it's difficult/expensive to get there at that time as public transport isn't running. I suggest just coming here at whatever time of morning suits you, you can still see all the interesting seafood being sold in the market, sample/taste lots of interesting products at the stalls in the surrounding streets and eat some delicious and cheap sushi/sashimi at one of the many sushi shops in the area. Look out for the sushi shops advertising 80yen sushi, it's where my "NipponBargain" friends suggest. All plates are 80yen and there is a huge selection all made fresh to order, not sitting on a sushi train for hours.

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  Since it seems you might be spending some time outside of Tokyo (flying home from Osaka) I recommend getting the JR pass just for this portion of your trip. Places to consider visiting:

  Yokohama - It's on the shinkansen (bullet train) line from Tokyo. A big city with impressive architecture and interesting chinatown. Could also be done as a day trip from Tokyo.

  Kamakura - Just south of Yokohama. A giant Buddha statue, ancient temple and numerous shrines to see. There is also a couple of cool little antique stores on the street just outside the Buddha statue. Could also be done as a day trip from Tokyo.

  Hakone - Just south of Kamakura. Iconic views of Mt Fuji. The journey here includes a scenic mountain train ride, scenic ropeway over a dormant volcano and sulphur mine, scenic lake cruise and a few good restaurants and ice cream stall at the end. If you are going during cherry blossom season this is also a great place to see them. Could also be done as a day trip from Tokyo.

  Osaka - Sounds like you are already planning to visit here. Get the Osaka Amazing Pass and see all the attractions you want with entry fees and transportation included. Osaka Castle, the river cruise, and the Science centre were my picks.

  Kyoto - Definitely spend at least a day here. The temples, shrines, etc. are phenomenal and shouldn't be missed by anyone travelling to Japan. The street leading up to Kyomizudera has a number of small shops that will give you samples of chocolate, rice cakes, tea, etc.

  Hiroshima - It's a few hours south of Kyoto but well worth visiting especially if you have the JR pass anyway. Visit the Peace Park and atomic bomb dome. It's very eye-opening!

  Anpanman museum - I guess it's best suited to those with an interest in Anpanman although it is Japan's Most Popular Museum. The train ride to Shikoku island is also very interesting in itself as you cross the Great Seto Bridge, the world's longest two-tiered bridge system.

  There are of course thousands more places worth visiting in Japan so don't be scared of picking random places that you come across even if they are suggested here or elsewhere. Enjoy your trip!

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    TassieJones14 on 08/12/2014 - 09:27

    Hey,

    I am spending one week in Tokyo and another in Kyoto/Osaka. I am returning back to Melbourne from Osaka so I don't require a return trip train ticket.

    Do you by any chance know if one-way tickets are hard to purchase in Japan? (ie. one way trips from Kyoto to Osaka etc or Tokyo Central to Tsujuki.) and do seats ever run out, if I plan to not buy the JR pass?

    Also, thanks so much for the attractions list; right now I have

    Shibuya
    Meiji Shrine
    Shinjinku
    Asakusa
    Disneysea
    Mt Fuji
    Imperial Palace and Ginza
    Tsujuki Fish Market
    Kyoto
    Osaka

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      Sinchan on 08/12/2014 - 09:37

      Without JRpass, Cheap oneway ticket Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka is by night bus, save you on ticket and hotel cost but it's 8 hrs ride. Kyoto to Osaka only approx.one hour by normal train.

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        TassieJones14 on 08/12/2014 - 09:44

        But can I still buy one way train pass for Tokyo-Kyoto when I'm in Japan? I mean, I am more willing to pay the one way train fare than spending my night on a bus…

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        Sinchan on 08/12/2014 - 10:40

        @TassieJones14:
        yes, you can buy shinkansen one way. Try Hyperdia to look up the cost.
        FYI, in Kyoto, you can buy daily bus ticket, for Y500, you can use bus around the city all day. last time I could buy it at hotel reception.

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        donga100 on 08/12/2014 - 11:19

        @TassieJones14: Yes, you can just buy a ticket at the station. Almost always seats available and the availability is no different if you have a JR pass. One way ticket is around $130 whereas a 7 day JR pass is $297. I would buy the pass so that you can use Shinkansen between Kyoto-Osaka and also for airport train. Might as well add on a day trip to Kobe and a day trip or overnight trip to Hiroshima too since it's not costing you anything. Be aware though that JR pass is not particularly useful for getting around Osaka itself as majority of places use private railways/subways.

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        TassieJones14 on 08/12/2014 - 11:46

        @donga100: Yup, thanks. I only need a one-way ticket from Tokyo-Kyoto ($130)- not worth paying $300 for JR pass.

        Also, I checked on Hyperdia: Kyoto - Osaka costs around $30 only… so yeah, saving $600 (6 people travelling) by not buying JR pass - cuz I don't need the return trip back to Tokyo. Just need to pre-plan all the station stops on Hyperdia!

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        donga100 on 08/12/2014 - 12:13

        +1

        @TassieJones14: Try to go for the Nozomi Shinkansen for your Tokyo-Kyoto trip. It only costs a few dollars more but is the fastest train in Japan. It is normally excluded from the JR Pass.

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  pernunz on 08/12/2014 - 12:20

  +2

  For anyone going to Tokyo, I have to recommend going to the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku. Not suitable for children, but it's absolutely astounding and it was the most insane 90 minutes I spent in Japan.

  http://www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/?lng=en

  A stage show involving robots of all sorts. Don't look too much into it, otherwise you'll spoil some of the surprises.

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  zrach on 08/12/2014 - 23:23

  +1

  This thread will come in handy for my Japan trip too!

  Some places I plan to go:
  Wisteria Tunnel
  Universal Studios
  Owl cafe
  Rabbit Island