Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community
Old 08-15-2017, 09:21 AM   #61
Torture
Loves Teh Chat!
 
Torture's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF View Post
EDIT: I've determine looking for Hakushu, Hibiki or Yamazaki on a quick trip in Japan to be equivalent to chasing a unicorn. I'll consider it a game in my life to see if I can acquire a bottle for a good price. Most of what I've researched mentions I need to go to areas more rarely traveled by travelers.
We got a bottle of Hibiki for 40,000 yen. Dunno if that's a good price but it's much better than $110/bottle here!
Torture is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2017, 09:22 AM   #62
Ozy_Flame

Posted the 6 millionth post!
 
Ozy_Flame's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Exp:
Default

Best hotel I stayed at in Tokyo was the Century Western Tower, right on top of Shinjuku Station. Got it on a hotel deal from AMOMA if I recall, and it was amazing on all fronts. Class, décor, size, and the view from the 39th floor was incredible.

If you can find a hotel deal that is like 10 bucks more than a regular hotel, just go for it - I think the benefits often outweigh the costs, especially when it comes to comfort.
Ozy_Flame is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2017, 09:32 AM   #63
I_H8_Crawford
Franchise Player
 
I_H8_Crawford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

7 of us + a baby AirBnB'd our first week at Tokyo, as well as our week in Kyoto - worked out great as the AirBnB also included a pocket WiFi to make things easy for us.

In Tokyo we stayed in Shinjuku - it was close to subway, and had AMAZING, cheap Garlic Ramen a couple blocks away.

Also had a Family Mart and 7-11 nearby for delicious, cheap breakfast
I_H8_Crawford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2017, 09:51 AM   #64
DoubleF
Franchise Player
 
DoubleF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torture View Post
We got a bottle of Hibiki for 40,000 yen. Dunno if that's a good price but it's much better than $110/bottle here!
18 or 21 year vintage? Those things literally are almost more collector's items than pure beverage these days.

Narita airport sells Hibiki 21 and Hakushu 18 with a custom decorated bottle for 50,000 yen. I'm not that desperate for it though.
DoubleF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2017, 10:03 AM   #65
DoubleF
Franchise Player
 
DoubleF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Exp:
Default

I'm staying in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku on my next trip. My previous trip was with a tour in the Shibuya area and traveling around from there wasn't too difficult.

My buddy came back recently and he Air BnB'd. Said it was a great way to save coin. He did mention though that on occasion he had to trek a little bit to figure out where the Air BnB was as the location wasn't as obvious as a hotel. I believe he mentioned on certain days he spent a bit over an hour trying to figure out the location without wifi. It's also easier to mail your luggage to a hotel than Air BnB if you don't want to lug it around when traveling city to city (ie: Kyoto/Tokyo). Which he tried to do due to a large suitcase he was concerned wouldn't fit on the bullet train. He also mentioned some Air BnB offer to lend you a pocket wifi included in the stay price, so it's an even better deal than hotels.

There is a little extra stress involved with Air BnB, but my buddy says he'd take that minor stress to save money again. He saved a solid 30-40% of what I will be spending in Japan for accommodations. Buying a 15 day 2GB Japan sim for $33 probably would have helped greatly to reduce the time it took for him to find the Air BnB, even if he has pocket wifi free at many Air BnB.
DoubleF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2017, 11:55 AM   #66
snootchiebootchies
Powerplay Quarterback
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by chemgear View Post
Frankly, food in general is way better than anything here so you can't go too wrong. But for ramen you can certainly hit Tokyo Ramen Street. If noodle in general is your thing, there is the Cup Noodle Museum and the Ramen Museum in Yokohama (not far away at all) The cup noodle place also takes appointment for you to decorate your own bowl and they fill it with the soup/items you want so you can bring an instant bowl back home that you made. They also have a noodle making session that you do from scratch as well. It's pretty fun.

It can be a bit expensive but I'd try some kobe/wagyu beef as well.
I promised myself the next time I'm in Tokyo, I was going to hit up this place for lunch.

snootchiebootchies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2017, 01:51 AM   #67
lucky1
Crash and Bang Winger
 
lucky1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Exp:
Default

I did a self guided tour thru Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto and Hiroshima last year - great trip! I have the guide books for these cities in PDF format available for those who are in need - great books, helped me alot

as far as Japanese whiskey goes, there is a great hole in the wall in the Shinjuku area of tokyo called Zoetrope - seats maybe a dozen people, absolutely stacked to the rafters with Whiskey - my wallet was quite a bit lighter when I finally stumbled out of there - really never been anywhere like it

PM me if you want a copy of the guide books
lucky1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2017, 12:03 PM   #68
DoubleF
Franchise Player
 
DoubleF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Exp:
Default

I just got back from Japan. Great place and I'd be happy to add it back into my travel rotations!

Misc observations:

For "wifi" you need access to internet to get it. Many wifi you need to use your email to activate access to the wifi. So definitely consider acquiring a SIM card. Google maps cannot use offline mode in Japan, and is unreliable, but still the best option on hand.

I hit Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima/Miyajima, Shin-Kobe and Shin-Osaka in 10 ish days. Not exhaustively hit all locations, but the major points.

In Kyoto, definitely consider a bus day pass. A metro day pass is 600 in Kyoto, a day pass in Tokyo is 1200 yen I believe.

Japan with wifi is probably both the easiest and most difficult place to navigate I have ever visited. If you mess up (and you will) there are so many alternative methods to get to your location, it's easy to fix. But there's also so many moving parts, it's easy to mess up going there in the first place.

Definitely add extra time getting through airport security and customs in Japan when departing. I put aside 2 hours and barely squeaked in with 10 extra minutes to spare.


Robot cafe. Nothing online does it justice. It's pure sensory overload. It's like a combination of Mad Max fury road and Pacific Rim fights but Japan B movie style. So stupid! So awesome!

Coins, you will have many. Make sure you have a wallet that can keep coins.

Make a list of items to do in an area for back up if certain spots don't work out. I ran into a few holiday closures I did not expect. It didn't mess up too much of my trip by having a back up place to visit on hand.

Food... so freaking good.

Walking. So much walking. If I had to venture a guess, my wife and I were easily doing 10-30 km a day. You'll walk as travel, walk in parks, walk in temples/shrines. From the moment you wake to the end of the day, you will spend a ridiculous amount of time on your feet. Invest in a good set of shoes and heel slips.

The JR pass' unlimited travel can be ridiculously abused. Consider using it to its maximum.

Shopping. I don't know why, but I barely shopped. I spent all my money on experiences and food. I expected to shop, but I'm not sure if it's the exchange rate or whatever, but nothing felt like an amazing deal. Lots of good ones for sure, but nothing great. I just acquired things that I knew I couldn't acquire in Canada.
DoubleF is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to DoubleF For This Useful Post:
LGA
Old 03-19-2018, 09:48 AM   #69
J pold
Franchise Player
 
Join Date: May 2004
Exp:
Default

The wife and I are heading out to Japan for 2 and a half weeks in 10 days.

We are doing Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and the Ryukyu Islands. My wife is much more organized than me and has things planned for most of the trip but I’ve been tasked with finding things to do in Kyoto.

We are there for 3 days and 2 nights – any recommendations CP? Right now, I’ve got the Bamboo Forest but no much else…

Thanks!
J pold is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 10:31 AM   #70
CaptainYooh
Franchise Player
 
CaptainYooh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by J pold View Post
The wife and I are heading out to Japan for 2 and a half weeks in 10 days.

We are doing Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and the Ryukyu Islands. My wife is much more organized than me and has things planned for most of the trip but I’ve been tasked with finding things to do in Kyoto.

We are there for 3 days and 2 nights – any recommendations CP? Right now, I’ve got the Bamboo Forest but no much else…

Thanks!
If there's only one thing you do in Kyoto it would have to be visiting Daigoji Temple. Easy public bus ride, 15 min from the city centre. Plan to spend 4-5 hours there or more, just walk the paths and prepare to be amazed.

Walking to Gion is very over-hyped and overrated. Millions of tourists from China make it unbearable.

Try to include Kamakura in your travel, even if for one day only.

If you didn't do it yet, get a 2-week Japan Rail Pass. It's for tourists only and you CAN'T buy it in Japan. It will save you hundreds of dollars.

Get a Suica card at Narita airport and put $500 on it. You will need it everywhere to pay for everything. It's like an electronic wallet.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.
__________________
"An idea is always a generalization, and generalization is a property of thinking. To generalize means to think." Georg Hegel
“To generalize is to be an idiot.” William Blake
CaptainYooh is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to CaptainYooh For This Useful Post:
Old 03-19-2018, 11:32 AM   #71
DownhillGoat
Franchise Player
 
DownhillGoat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by J pold View Post
We are there for 3 days and 2 nights – any recommendations CP?
If you happen to find wasabi Pringles there and feel like bringing a container or two back with you, I'd pay handsomely for them.

Other than that, no. No recommendations.
DownhillGoat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 11:37 AM   #72
Fuzz
Franchise Player
 
Fuzz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Exp:
Default

The 7/11 ATM is delightful to use. I felt like I had just won a prize with all the sounds and the cash trap-door opening. Skip to 40 seconds(best video I could find)...
Fuzz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 11:42 AM   #73
Muta
Franchise Player
 
Muta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Auckland, NZ
Exp:
Default

Yeah, it's easy to withdraw cash at any konbini (or, convenience store). Mostly all machines have English GUIs. 7-11, Lawsons, Family Mart... they are everywhere and all have cash readily and easily available.
Muta is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 11:47 AM   #74
DoubleF
Franchise Player
 
DoubleF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainYooh View Post
If there's only one thing you do in Kyoto it would have to be visiting Daigoji Temple. Easy public bus ride, 15 min from the city centre. Plan to spend 4-5 hours there or more, just walk the paths and prepare to be amazed.

Walking to Gion is very over-hyped and overrated. Millions of tourists from China make it unbearable.

Try to include Kamakura in your travel, even if for one day only.

If you didn't do it yet, get a 2-week Japan Rail Pass. It's for tourists only and you CAN'T buy it in Japan. It will save you hundreds of dollars.

Get a Suica card at Narita airport and put $500 on it. You will need it everywhere to pay for everything. It's like an electronic wallet.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.
While Gion is a bit of a tourist trap, I wouldn't suggest skipping it. Just, don't allocate as much time there.

The 2 week pass is a great idea. Consider also looking into a 3G sim card on the JR Pass website to combine with the JR Pass. IIRC it's all couriered anyways, so you can piggy back and save the courier cost/hassle of finding a card in Japan (which aren't cheap as everything I saw was LTE which was overkill) IMO the portable wifi are ridiculously expensive to rent online. Definitely also download specific apps to help with navigation.

$500 in one go is a bit overkill on a Suica/Pasmo. I usually add $20-50 as needed. Definitely use up your Suica before you leave the country though. I kept my emptied Suica as a souvenir. It's not exactly like a wallet though. More like a prepaid "visa" mainly used for transportation but can also be used for small purchases.

On the note of money though, as a reminder, BRING CASH. For a super technologically advanced society, I was surprised at how usage of credit cards/debit cards wasn't as common as here. Part of it is the use of suica/pasmo, but a lot of it was also just general preference for usage of cash. Bring cash. Lots of it. Japan is so safe, that wandering around with cash isn't a huge deal. Easily the safest foreign country I've ever been in by a huge margin.



To answer J Pold regarding Kyoto though

- Temples are great in the area. I hugely recommend using a day pass when you go on a long bus trip so you don't have to figure out how to calculate the bus fee and use cash. There was some weird thing where I don't think they accepted suica or pasmo for some odd reason. It's like $6 for the day for unlimited rides and it's super worth it from a convenience and time saving standpoint.

- You can do a kimono or Yukata (unsure of the temperatures there right now) dress up for a fee ($100 something bucks per?) and wander the city wearing it. HOWEVER, those wooden sandals are murderous on the feet. My smart ass response is to bring sandals in a reusable bag to swap in and out of. These places will keep your bags as a sort of collateral and you will be able to bring a shopping bag and whatever you can fit into a small bag (phone, wallet etc.) at max. See above for the bus ticket recommendation, but IMO I would not suggest more than 2-3 hours planned in that get up if you decide on it.

- Gion is a tourist trap, but IMO you shouldn't skip it. Allocate less time on it for sure though. I think about half an hour is enough to walk up and down the strip + temple at the top, but it depends on what you and your wife want. I do recommend going at night over the day though. The lights at the temple at the top look great at night.

- Monkey park closes early (Like 5:00 and last entrance 30 mins before that or something). Plan accordingly. Bamboo forest is not far from there and there's a nice temple in the vicinity too. (10 minutes by bus or 15-20 minutes walking or something like that) I didn't know this and my wife and I missed out on Monkey park . Bamboo forest is great, but don't waste time at the opening. Walk for a solid 5-10 minutes (which tourists often don't do) and it gets dark and really cool really fast. Good place for pics (less tourists) ad more amazing than the "entrance" of the forest.

- Ryokan. If you can swing it, even if only for one night, I'd recommend it. It's not cheap, but it's a heck of an experience. I'm not sure if you plan to do this in other areas of Japan though.

- IMO the temples in the Kyoto area are nicer than Tokyo and elsewhere. Worth doing. The temple admission fee (which is technically a minimum donation for maintenance of the temples IIRC) isn't super expensive. I usually take between 15-45 minutes per temple. Depends how into the details and taking pictures you and wife are into.

- Fushimi Inari shrine (orange sticks lined pathway you may run into when searching Kyoto stuff) is cool. But IMO, don't bother going much more than 15-20 minutes if it's not specifically a thing you love. After about 15-20 minutes, it's about the same.


Also... making sure you wear appropriate footwear is HUGE in your enjoyment of Japan. There is a ridiculous amount of walking required. Look into buying some gel heel slips or having shoes that are great to walk in (ie: Hiking shoes, runners with gel slips vs slip flops).
DoubleF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 11:53 AM   #75
DoubleF
Franchise Player
 
DoubleF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Muta View Post
Yeah, it's easy to withdraw cash at any konbini (or, convenience store). Mostly all machines have English GUIs. 7-11, Lawsons, Family Mart... they are everywhere and all have cash readily and easily available.
My buddy said certain cards were easier than others to grab cash. I don't know personally because I just brought cash and I never bothered to waste time figuring out how to grab cash at a convenience store. But after experiences of wasting up to half a day figuring out money issues due to travelers cheques and withdrawal etc. I just don't bother anymore in wasting time to figure these things out. Cash is easest IMO in foreign countries.

And again, Japan is ridiculously safe. If you keep some form of ID and/or your itinerary with your cash, even if you did super dumb like drop it in the middle of the street, the odds are probably higher someone returns it to you within a few days rather than someone stealing it. The wheel from my luggage fell off and some guy on a bike chased me down a block from where the wheel came off and returned it to me.

My friend said if you go clubbing, you'll see people leave valuables out in the open all the time. No one is really worried about theft.
DoubleF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 12:10 PM   #76
chemgear
Franchise Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Exp:
Default

Eat. Eat your face off. While you can.

Sushi is gonna taste like ash when you get back. North American sushi is garbage.
chemgear is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to chemgear For This Useful Post:
Old 03-19-2018, 12:16 PM   #77
chemgear
Franchise Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF View Post
EDIT: I've determine looking for Hakushu, Hibiki or Yamazaki on a quick trip in Japan to be equivalent to chasing a unicorn. I'll consider it a game in my life to see if I can acquire a bottle for a good price. Most of what I've researched mentions I need to go to areas more rarely traveled by travelers.
? Department stores have them. Usually basement floor. Small section but I picked up a 25 year last time.
chemgear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2018, 12:31 PM   #78
DownhillGoat
Franchise Player
 
DownhillGoat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF View Post
My buddy said certain cards were easier than others to grab cash.
I was told the 7-11 ones are the easiest for N/A cards. That's where I grabbed every time. No issues.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chemgear View Post
Eat. Eat your face off. While you can.
I miss ramen

I did sign up for a Japan subscription crate recently though. Best thing I've done in ages.
DownhillGoat is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to DownhillGoat For This Useful Post:
Old 03-19-2018, 12:45 PM   #79
Muta
Franchise Player
 
Muta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Auckland, NZ
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF View Post
My buddy said certain cards were easier than others to grab cash. I don't know personally because I just brought cash and I never bothered to waste time figuring out how to grab cash at a convenience store. But after experiences of wasting up to half a day figuring out money issues due to travelers cheques and withdrawal etc. I just don't bother anymore in wasting time to figure these things out. Cash is easest IMO in foreign countries.

And again, Japan is ridiculously safe. If you keep some form of ID and/or your itinerary with your cash, even if you did super dumb like drop it in the middle of the street, the odds are probably higher someone returns it to you within a few days rather than someone stealing it. The wheel from my luggage fell off and some guy on a bike chased me down a block from where the wheel came off and returned it to me.

My friend said if you go clubbing, you'll see people leave valuables out in the open all the time. No one is really worried about theft.
I've been to Japan four times and have never had issues withdrawing money, but perhaps it's different for certain cards. If your card has the Plus or Cirrus logo on the back, it's pretty much good to go.

As for safety, I agree. Also, my dad left his camera on a park bench in Tokyo by accident back in the 70's. He came back a week later and it was still there.
Muta is online now   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Muta For This Useful Post:
Old 03-19-2018, 01:51 PM   #80
activeStick
Franchise Player
 
activeStick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Toronto
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by chemgear View Post
Eat. Eat your face off. While you can.

Sushi is gonna taste like ash when you get back. North American sushi is garbage.
Yeah totally agree. But Japanese cuisine is so much more than just sushi. Try out their wagyu beef, try out Japanese curry, ramen, soba noodles, udon, Japanese bbq skewers... Bottom line, lots to eat in Japan!
activeStick is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to activeStick For This Useful Post:
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:29 PM.

Calgary Flames
2023-24




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright Calgarypuck 2021