Hi all, I have some queries about my upcoming Japan trip
1) I will be landing in Osaka around 7:30 AM on a weekday of mid-January 2019, and will be using my JR rail pass. I am planning to take Haruka express, JR Osaka loop line etc to my Airbnb accommodation between 8:30 am - 9:30 am. Is that an office peak hour in Japan? I am carrying a large suitcase and a Boston bag, Backpack etc. Is it easier to get in to the suburban train with those luggages?
2) Is there any place (closer to JR route) where one can see snow during mid-Jan. I read that Kyoto and Osaka urban area doesn't get any snow. The only place I heard about is Biwako Valley near Shiga station. I want to avoid going too far like Otaru Hokkaido
Any suggestion, highly appreciated.
Japan Travel Queries - Mid January
Iwantthatbargain on 05/12/2018 - 08:51
Last edited 05/12/2018 - 10:08
Last edited 05/12/2018 - 10:08
Comments
Thanks mate, unfortunately I am not in a hotel but booked an Airbnb accommodation, which is quite far from the city to take a taxi. Are the trains usually very crowded?
morning on a weekday yes. if you could delay and hang out at the airport, get some breakfast, then leave about 9.30-10am, you might save yourself some of the expected early morning rush.
But there will be a few planes full of people doing the same thing. i think local osaka commuters will be avoiding you anyway. changing trains is your only bust, so you can make it to central station (or wherever you are changing), put your luggage in a locker for a few hours and get some breakfast and go for a walk.
Careful doing Airbnb.
They Japanese government has passed some strict laws regarding it and if your host is breaking those laws and a neighbour complains you could be removed from the home by the police (happened to my sister two weeks ago)
A lot of Airbnb hosts are claiming they have met the new guidelines but in fact haven’t and just take the risk.
I always stay Airbnb when I travel but the risk in japan now is to great to risk it.Thanks for the heads up. This house is a stand alone one and looks like it has been listed on Airbnb for a long time
Even during non peak times, catching the local trains with luggage sucks
How so? I'm curious to know as I'm planning to do that between Osaka, Kobe and Himeji, outside of non peak hours.
I assume getting in to metro line would be difficult, but not sure of JR lines. I hope weindavin can clarify this
Urban trains there are configured mostly the same, at this point Osaka Metro and JR is just a different brand of the same thing.
Trains and luggage sucks here in Sydney as well, but even more so in Japan due to how big the stations are and the colossal amount of entry/exit points, with only a handful of escalators and elevators.It's not too bad though since you'll be avoiding rush hour by the time you get to the city, so you should get a seat and can place the luggage in front of you. I've done this before in Tokyo Station with my partner around 7.30pm, so just when the commute started to thin out. But I concur with weindavin that if you can splurge for taxi, it'll definitely take the stress away of navigating with your luggage.
Another option is to get your large luggage delivered via Takuhaibin in Kansai Airport. It'll take a day so move your overnight essential to a bag you can easily carry.
No place for big suitcases. And taking up seats or blocking aisles is a big no no. Japanese travel light. A small case is fine but a big case like we have just isn't meant for their local system. If you use a JR and if you book a seat you can usually find a place for storage. And on popular routes like Osaka to Kyoto there are places but they're hard fought over.
How about smaller towns? I am planning to take Kyobashi to SUMINODŌ STATION, on JR Touzai-Gakkentoshi line
@Iwantthatbargain: Again it depends on the line and the time. If yr OK to stand. And you look sheepish. And you don't talk on yr mobile phone. All good.
Japanese people are very polite so their scorn will be silent. :)
If you're catching the bullet train with luggage to those locations you'll be fine. It's just local trains are usually packed, or at least they have been when I've visited. I'm probably over reacting, I just feel very rude taking my big backpack on a crowded train haha.
For trains, based on my personal experience, Japanese rush hour is around 6am-830am. So you should just miss it.
On top of that, Haruka Express is a special Kansai airport loop, so it's not really affected by rush hour and you should be able to get your luggage in safely. Book the seats and leave enough time to go to the platform so you're near the front of the queue entering the passenger car.I haven't been to Japan in a snow period, so I can't comment on that. Lucky you :).
Regarding snow, I landed in Tokyo in March 2017 and went skiing in Hakuba Valley. The JR shinkansen will get you to Nagano City and there's some snow around there.
I didn't venture down Osaka way but for snow closer to Tokyo, Mount Fuji is certainly snow capped. I also went up to Nikko on JR and then to Kegon falls by bus, which was up in the clouds and it was still snowing even in late March!
I recommend Gero Onsen, about 2 hours by train out of Osaka. Lovely area, have a relaxing onsen (if you dont have any tattoos) and walk around a lovely little town. the train ride there is great, and maybe a terrific way to see snow. Go for a day.
Its 19 degrees here in Nagasaki today, and was 27 degrees in Oita yesterday. about 10 degrees higher than normal. I had the oil heater on 10 days ago and was wearing 4 layers. So somethings up with the weather, and you dont have a guarantee of snow for the dates you're there, so keep it as a plan B.
Check out Kobe (Sannomiya) and see if you can get a bus to Tokushima, and check out the whirlpools at Narita for a day trip.Mate, is that temperature in °F or °C
Metric in Japan, drive on the same side of the road as Australia, same temperature measurements.
Only United States and a bunch of central america countries still use Fahrenheit. And Liberia.
iirc koyasan gets a lot of snow
This! I went to Koyasan in 2011. Beautiful town.
Going to Japan again in 9 days. so exciting :) 7th Japan trip in 10 years.
I haven't been there but Hakodateyama is a 20 minute bus ride from Omi Imazu Station (which is 80 minutes from Osaka on the train):
https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/shiga/takashima/…
The Haruka from the Airport to Shin-Osaka will be fine. But you may be squeezed heading out from there to your airbnb. If you wanted to wait a bit grab some breakfast at Shin-Osaka station before continuing (much cheaper than at the airport as suggested). Without knowing you actual destination it's hard to give more accurate advice. But in general you will be heading opposite to most people on the local trains so might not be too bad except for the loop line which will be bad no matter. If you are far out, see if there is a limited express you can take with reserved seats if not to your destination, at least gets you closer without the squeeze.
It does snow around Osaka and can last on the ground a few days, so you might be in luck. a couple of years ago we had snow with good coverage on the Golden temple and around the hills at Kiyomizu-dera, and Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine which made it even more special.
If you want guaranteed snow you need to head up to the mountains.
The easiest and quickest guaranteed snow (using your JR pass) is probably http://www.biwako-valley.com/ you can get to the Biwako Ski resort ropeway in about 40 minutes by train(JR Kosei Line) from Kyoto Station to Shiga Station, then 10 minutes by bus to the ropeway.
Mount Hiei is closer, but you need to pay for private railways to get there from either side.
From experience I suggest you either go straight to your hotel and drop your luggage off before check in OR as soon as you get off the Rapid express, store your luggage in a locker at Osaka station (there are heaps of them). Even during non peak times, catching the local trains with luggage sucks. If your hotel is close to the station the express train gets off at, might be worth just catching a taxi to the hotel from there.
Can't really help with the snow question as I've never been in Winter, hoping to do that in 2020 when I go back for a 5th time.
Have fun, Osaka is the best!