A question was asked a few months ago about doing Osaka, Hokkaido, and tokyo in the same trip.

The consensus was it wouldnt be worth it due to all the travel.

Im posting to say I just got back from a two and a half week trip and it is absolutely doable and worth it.

We opted to take the shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka and from Hakkodate to Tokyo because we wanted to ride the bullet train, get views of Fuji between tokyo and Osaka, and both legs were reasonably quick

We flew from Osaka to Sapporo to get aerial views of mt fuji and because the flight was cheap and less than 2 hours long

All up our travel time around the country, Including the local train from Sapporo to Hakodate, took less than half a day and was split up quite well, due to the later start time for most things in Japan we set it up so most of the travel happened in the early - mid morning so everything was open and ready for us to do whatever we wanted once we reached our destination(s).

If we opted to just fly, the time would be halved and the cost would have been significantly less than taking the shinkansen aswell.

My advise would be to just book whatever you want to do and see and not rely on other peoples opinions on whether a sub 2 hour plane ride is worth it.

To me it absolutely was, Sapporo was great and Id happily go back again

Stayed in tokyo for 6 days as 30F solo traveller.
Some tips:

- Subway is a piece of cake if you simply follow directions and have used the metro in any major city like Delhi, Bangalore or abroad.
- Suica for Indian users: makes life so much easier. You can add it to Apple Wallet if you have a compatible iPhone. I was able to add money using my Axis Bank credit card.
- Shinkansen is pretty simple too. Reach Tokyo Station and follow the directions. You can carry luggage on the subway as long as you can manage it. No need to come hours early.
- Hostels are pretty cramped so pack light or consider a smaller suitcase.
- If you intend to shop, dont bring much from home.
- Definitely carry your passport everywhere for tax credit benefit.
- Pocari Sweat is a good pick-me-up on tired days.

Each area I visited and what it was like.
Harajuku — modern, vintage shopping.
Shibuya — great shopping, very cool vibe.
Akihabara — hip vibe, full of game and anime stores.
Asakusa — traditional and touristy, with lots to explore. Must visit Senso-ji, Sumida River and Sumida Park.
Ueno Park — beautiful park and an amazing market nearby.
Shinjuku — great for OG Tokyo photos, neon lights and nightlife. I also did a ghost and wartime-history walking tour here.
Ikebukuro — great for shopping, with lots of stores like MUJI, UNIQLO, GU, LOFT and Daiso.
Chiyoda — business district, Imperial Palace area and beautiful city views.
Jimbocho — book street. Great if you're a book lover; can skip otherwise.
Omotesando Hills — premium and luxury shopping, with beautiful architecture.
Ginza — premium shopping and Itoya stationery store.
Shopping: Daiso for inexpensive everyday items, LOFT for stationery and lifestyle products, and Japanese drugstores for makeup and skincare.

Hi everyone!
We’re a family of four (2 adults and 2 teens) arriving at Kansai International Airport at 10:40 pm on an international flight with a connection in Seoul.
I’ve been looking into transport options to get to our hotel in Osaka, but I’m a little concerned about the late arrival. From what I’ve found, the last limousine bus leaves at around 12:15, and the last trains depart earlier.
Taking into account immigration, baggage collection and the possibility of delays, catching public transport seems a bit risky.
For those who have arrived at KIX late at night, what would you recommend?
Is it realistic to catch the last limousine bus?
Would booking a private transfer or taking a taxi be a better option for a family of four with luggage?
Would it make more sense to book a hotel near the airport for the first night and travel to Osaka the following morning?
We’ll likely be staying in the Namba area, but we’re open to other suggestions.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and what you would do in our situation. Thanks!

I'm looking at hotel prices and they seem to be much more expensive in Kyoto.

Considering the train each way is only 580Y, would it be worth it to just stay in Osaka and day trip to Kyoto each day? Has anyone done this?

Also, what areas would you recommend staying in, in Osaka?

Last weekend, I attended a Super Formula event at Fuji Speedway. As a motorsport fan, it was a great day out and as it's not particularly well documented (and I've seen a few posts looking for details when searching here) I thought I would document what I did, how to get there, a few potential pitfalls and some other observations. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.

While I attended a Super Formula race, I would imagine similar advice applies to Super GT, the Japan Road Race Championship (superbikes), and other National championships. It may vary for bigger/international or smaller events.

Buying Tickets

Tickets are sold through a few channels. The easiest I found was Lawson Ticket and these can be bought online or through the Loppi terminal in all Lawson convenience stores when you arrive. Advance sales close when the event starts (usually on Friday morning) but National events basically never sell out and you can buy tickets at the gate, though that will be more expensive.

Getting to Fuji Speedway by public transport

Fuji is a bit out of the way but it’s entirely possible to get there by public transport. There are a few options but by far the most popular and frequent is the dedicated shuttle bus from Gotemba station.

Getting to/from Gotemba from/to Tokyo

Option 1: Romancecar Mt Fuji

This train runs three times per day from Shinjuku (the Odakyu section) to Gotemba via the south-west Tokyo suburbs. There is a departure at 6:40, which takes just over 90 minutes to Gotemba.

Note the Romancecar is a limited express, so you will need both a ticket and a seat reservation. Seat reservations can be made online or at an Odakyu ticket machine, but I needed to go to the ticket office to get the basic ticket in advance. The seat reservation is the important part though as the train can sell out.

Unfortunately, none of the return trips really work out with race day timings (the last departure is at 17:23, earlier than you can get out of the track after the last race) so you’ll be on JR lines for the journey back.

Option 2: JR lines

From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Line to Kozu and change to the Gotemba line. Depending on your starting point, this will take 2-3 hours.

As the Gotemba line is run by JR Central, it can cause problems with IC cards going to/from Tokyo - the solutions seem to be to exit and re-enter the ticket gates at Kozu or to buy a paper ticket (JR experts please correct me if I’m wrong). I bought a paper ticket from Gotemba and still needed to go to the ticket office at my destination, but Gotemba is a popular day trip destination so the staff seem to be used to sorting problems.

For people coming from elsewhere, Atami and Mishima are the closest Shinkansen stations to the Gotemba line, from the Tokyo and Nagoya directions, respectively.

Option 3: Highway buses from/to Tokyo

These came up on Google Maps but I didn’t use them. They might make sense for you, especially for the return trip.

Getting to the circuit

Use the Mt Fuji exit at Gotemba station and turn left. At bus stop 2, there’s a window where you can buy your ticket. On the day I went, a single was 720 yen and return was 1350 yen. There seemed to be a way to pay by contactless just before getting on bus but I didn’t want to chance it.

There was a schedule on the circuit website but in practice you queued up and each bus left with a full load. If you go on a quieter day like Saturday the schedule will probably be more fixed. The bus will enter the circuit gate and drop you behind the main grandstand, where you enter with your ticket.

The shuttle bus schedule was posted about 2-3 weeks before the event under the Service tab on the website, so don't worry if you can't see it before then.

Note: there are public buses that run past the circuit gates, which you will see on Google Maps. Avoid these as the gates are a fair distance from the main areas, though there is a shuttle that runs around the circuit perimeter roads if you do end up there.

At the circuit

The circuit experience will be familiar if you’ve been to a smaller event at a grade 1 track before. There’s the usual stalls selling merch and Japanese-style fast food. Parts of the main grandstand required a separate ticket and these were clearly signed, but the rest was general admission so feel free to move around during the day. There’s also a smaller stand at turn 1 with a big screen and other spectator areas around the track, though I didn't see any more big screens.

Like for other sports, the Japanese crowd are quiet but attentive and will applaud good overtakes etc. The circuit PA and radio will only be in Japanese though, at least for national series.

Other notes

• The track, including the main grandstand, is quite exposed, so bring your waterproofs/sunscreen as necessary.
• Take a walk around the infield during gaps in the racing, if only to appreciate the stunning setting in the mountains.
• If you’re into motorsport history, a section of the original 30 degree banking has been preserved. Follow the perimeter road past turn 1 and you’ll see a silver board making the entry to that section.
• The Fuji Speedway museum is supposed to be excellent, but it’s hard to incorporate a visit into a race day without missing a lot of track action. However, if you’re in the area on another day, it’s next to the east gate so the local public buses can get you there.

As I said at the top, if you have any questions, I will try to answer them in comments.

Hi,

I’m planning to add Kurobe Alpine Route to my Japan itinerary, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.

I want to go there on 8th of November, so autumn foliage would be already over and it can even snow.

Main reasons for going there were: stunning views, nature, photography and unique experience such as ropeway.

On the other hand it can be pretty cold and requires special clothes I wouldn’t use in other parts of Japan. It is expensive - 100 euro.

I wonder if the view and experience wouldn’t be that great, but rather tiring, overcrowded and pricey.

Do you have any experience with Kurobe Alpine Route, especially in November? Do you recommend it?

Hi! Anyone has some recommendations for cool thrifting spots in Osaka? Arigatou!

Hi all, where in Kyoto can I get rubber ducks? I have a friend who wants one for her jeep and of course I waited until the end of my trip to look for one. Does Don Quijote have these? I am located near Nakagyo ward. Thank you!

My wife and I will be traveling to Japan in the next few days. Both of us are 70 years old and take a number of medications. I always prefer to carry my medication in a pill sorter in my briefcase that I carry on. I'm getting advice that that's not a good idea and that we should carry all of our medication in the original prescribed pill bottles, which would be a pain for me to do. Have you carried medication with you to Japan, and was it ever a problem? How do you carry it?

Google Maps is showing permanently closed. Any other recos for traditional yakiudon near Kokura station?

On Sunday, 15 November at Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagakute City, Aichi, the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagoya, will host its annual one-day Classic Car Festival. It's always a rare and great event. Take the Linimo maglev train to get there. Google "classic car festival Aichi" for details.

I'll be traveling to Japan this weekend for a work trip (I work in travel and was invited on what's called a familiarization or fam trip). We were just told by the organizers that the dress code is business casual, and it's throwing me for a bit of a loop.

I am not used to wearing any kind of business attire since my workplace (in California no less) is totally casual. Just don't wear shorts and mini skirts and tank tops/revealing tops, and you're pretty much fine by my boss' standards. She'll poke fun at me if I show up in a sun dress. And normally, on trips I'm quite casual as well unless a situation during the trip calls for dressing up.

But Japan has completely different business attire standards that are much stricter, and everything I'm seeing online is for formal business attire, not business casual.

I can generally apply the same principles (neat/tidy appearance, more neutral colors, no crazy patterns, no sneakers) for the most part, but can anyone give me any specific examples of business casual for women? And how would you adapt it to a situation where one is also doing light sightseeing? Our activities aren't too active, but we are also expecting rain.

This isn't my first time in Japan, but it is my first time with a dress code in mind.

Edit: Thank you to everyone who’s responded! I think I’ve got at least 1-2 outfits prepared and my friend has offered to bring me some options tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll be able to pull this off without spend a lot of money.

Hi . Traveling in November from Kyoto to Mishima and then trying to figure our best option (non bus) to get to our hotel in Lake Fujikawaguchiko. There are three of us with luggage. One thought hire a chauffeur that could also do brief stops at skywalk and panorama view point. Has anyone done this and recommended company ? Other thought was taxi no stops unless they might stop at view point ? I know taxis are expensive but thinking of splitting between three and avoid hassle of bus. None of us would be comfortable driving and we won’t be going back to Mishima in return. Thank you

Hey guys will be visiting Nagoya in November. Can you guys recommend good and budget friendly whey proteins I can get from Don quijote or other stores? thank you so much

Hey all. I'm wondering if anyone has any anecdotes or stories about travelling in the Kagoshima/Kirishima area. I'll be there next March.

Perhaps recommendations outside the usual ones, or experiences around some of the usual ones and if you thought they were worthwhile or not. Big or small.

I travel pretty slowly and I'll have a car hired. I'll have 5 nights total. I already have a rough itinerary of basics I want to cover, but there's room for other ideas.

Thanks, folks.

Planning a 2 week trip to Japan (first time) brief plan

Day 1-5 tokyo (including day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima)

Day 6 Morning train to Kawaguchiko

Day 7 - Journey to Takayama (long journey)

Day 8 - Takayama and Shirakawa-go

Day 9 - Travel to Kanazawa

Day 10 - 12 - Kyoto Travel and Kyoto

Day 13 - Evenings travel back to Tokyo

Day 14 - Fly back from Tokyo

Is this Itinerary decent? And is there any way to rearrange it such that not have Kawaguchiko to Takayama journey. Didnt see a decent route to travel there.

Hi, I will be travelling to Japan at the start of November and am looking to pick hotels for these three cities.

I have a niche recommendation request regarding sleep accommodation.
My priority is hotels that would ensure great sound insulation between my room and hallway (I noticed many japanese hotels doors, even luxury ones, do not have any kind of threahold and there is a small gap between the doors and floor), other rooms and, of course, the outside.
It would also be very beneficial if the bed were further away from the hallway door and if there was another door separating the bed from the hallway.
Blackout curtains are also a must.

Is anyone else quite a light sleeper and had good experience with a specific hotel and room type and could give me examples?

Budget could be up to 1500 eur (265k yen) / night, but it is absolutely not necessary to reach it.

Thanks a lot.

Hi, I need some advice on planning a trip to Mt. Fuji.Lot of reels suggest that either Lake Yamanaka or Lake Kawaguchiko offers the best views, and many recommend renting an e-bike and explore lakeside. Would you suggest renting an e-bike or booking an organized day trip from Tokyo? Also, please recommend any other great viewing spots/places—I'm open to staying overnight nearby as well...pls suggest

I have a trip on November and my Japanese is almost zero what app do you recommend or have used before in order to communicate avoiding mistranslations? Thanks in advance for the help 🫡

Hello,

I am flying to Tokyo next Thursday and I am trying to get a Shinkansen ticket. However, I keep getting an error to try again later or a different browser. I have tried Google Chrome and the same error. Is there a way to bypass this and get my seat? Thank you!

Hello travelers!

I have found myself in a very unfortunate situation. I carried two fully charged batteries for my Sony A7iii to my day trips to Nara and Hiroshima. To my bad luck, both batteries drained when my camera somehow accidentally turned on inside the bag. I left my camera charger in my main luggage.

I traveled to Miyajima and booked an expensive hotel so that I can take pictures of the Tori early morning and now I am only left with my phone.

Slim chances but is there any recommendation for how/where I can find a Sony camera charger around here? Does anyone have a charger I can borrow for a while?

Staying in Nihombashi for the next couple of days, would love some food recs. Nothing specific, would be okay with long queues if it’s worth it. Only thing booked is omakase

Hi everyone,

I’m currently finalizing plans to propose to my girlfriend during our upcoming trip to Japan and working with a local photographer.

Originally, our main plan was to do it at Lake Kawaguchiko for the classic Mt. Fuji backdrop. We’re staying on the southern shore (Funatsu area, near Kasuitei Ooya). The photographer recommended an early morning shoot around sunrise (~5:00–5:30 AM) to catch the best light and beat the tour buses, suggesting either Oishi Park or Nagasaki Park.

However, we are also spending time in Tokyo, and I’m starting to wonder if a scenic location in Tokyo might actually be a better, more memorable setting compared to Kawaguchiko (especially considering Fuji's unpredictable weather and visibility).

A few questions for those familiar with both areas:

1. Kawaguchiko Comparison: Between Oishi Park and Nagasaki Park at dawn, is Nagasaki Park noticeably quieter, or does Oishi offer a better angle/composition with the lake?
2. Tokyo vs. Fuji: For those who have visited or done photo sessions in both, would you stick with the Fuji lake setting, or are there specific spots in Tokyo (gardens, skyline viewpoints, waterfronts) that you felt were much more scenic or atmospheric for a proposal?

Appreciate any perspectives, personal experiences, or advice!