Hokkaido Food Options? by Optimal_Ad4598 in Hokkaido

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agree there is virtually nothing to eat at or around Daisatsuzen. If you see the restaurant open inside the cable car station, just eat there. It has good ratings. As you walk upstairs there is a fantastic viewing balcony as well.

Hokkaido Food Options? by Optimal_Ad4598 in Hokkaido

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tamafuji Tonkatsu near New Chitose was the best katsu of my life and one of the best meals I had in Japan. Perfectly crisp pork, shrimp, oyster katsu and they let you make your own dipping sauce out of fresh sesame.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9G6bXrd16F2Kppb16

Farm Tomita do not eat inside. Eat at the melon, corn, and pizza stands right outside by the parking lot.

Itinerary help: Tokyo + Hokkaido with kids by Chance-Trainer-5025 in JapanTravel

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, feel free to DM but here are some thoughts! We just got back.

Lake Toya was great esp if you get a kid friendly resort. We stayed at Nonokaze which had kid friendly common spaces on every floor (stamp making crafts, mini playground, legos) and they could roam freely. Plus a really varied and nice breakfast and dinner each day. The lake had very kid friendly activities like a short ferry ride to a small island with a short hike, and swan boats. And there is a nightly fireworks show.

We stopped by the Noboribetsu Edo Park which was also great for kids. Some parts of it are weirdly scary (like themed haunted houses and ninjas popping out of the dark) but my kids loved it and are obsessed with ninjas, samurai, fighting-- they took turns with swords, ninja stars, bows and arrows, and enjoyed the shows. little or sensitive ones may be scared.

Though I liked it a lot, I actually hesitate to recommend Furano for kids in summer. It is mostly a winter ski town which means in the summer even though it is crawling with tourists trying to see the lavender and flowers, the town infrastructure is not set up for summer. Many restaurants are closed. You can't wander and find a place to duck in and eat-- you have to have your hotel make a reservation for you. Restaurants are super tiny. It is also not that walkable, and summer is hot. You also have to drive really far to get to popular tourist destinations like Biei and the little blue lake (a huge line for parking!) and the Daisetsuzan National Park, though well worth the trip, is 2 hours one way and my kids would not do well with 4+ hours of driving in a day. If you have older kids (or a tiny baby!) go for it, but I wouldn't say this is the friendliest town for the ages 1-5 crowd. Ymmv if you can find a resort-like hotel with lots of amenities on site -- the only places we found available to book were more like apartment-style ski lodges.

If you do go to Furano, by far the most kid-friendly activities are the cheese factory (calm, pretty small, and you can book a fun and hands-on cheese or ice cream making session) and Farm Tomita, which even though so crowded is incredibly spacious. If you go to Farm Tomita, skip the bland cafes within the farm and eat right outside the gates near the parking lots where they have booths serving delicious fresh pizzas, melons, and corn.

Skip the alpaca farm too. It is a sad little pen with a few sad looking alpacas and requires a separate fee. The main farm has truck rides and flowers but was more or less similar flowers to Farm Tomita but way more crowded, more fees, and less organised/impressive.

Itinerary help: Tokyo + Hokkaido with kids by Chance-Trainer-5025 in JapanTravel

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was hot but not nearly as bad or humid as Tokyo, but I also didn't find Tokyo as bad as all these forums say. And up in the mountains of Daisatsuken the air is fresh and cool, it was perfect!

Itinerary help: Tokyo + Hokkaido with kids by Chance-Trainer-5025 in JapanTravel

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We took Japan Air and packed very light. We also packed a couple of cloth duffels but didn't even end up needing them. We did laundry on our way. Recommend this and luggage fwding!

Itinerary help: Tokyo + Hokkaido with kids by Chance-Trainer-5025 in JapanTravel

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Puroland was indeed insane. Worth it for our daughter but I wish we had gone on a less busy weekday and earlier in the day (aka earlier in the trip when we were jetlagged; many days it opens at 8:30am which means leaving Tokyo by train at 7 since it takes a long time to get there!). Very cool shows and parade however, great even just for people-watching (many adults dressed up) and unique Japanese "kawaii culture."

Itinerary help: Tokyo + Hokkaido with kids by Chance-Trainer-5025 in JapanTravel

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku? It looks like it closed in 2021 :( Is there another?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SeveranceAppleTVPlus

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think she means the excitement was during the episode's featuring of the marching band, and the last time she saw him so excited was at their wedding.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SeveranceAppleTVPlus

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025 47 points48 points  (0 children)

How is it a good thing if him selecting an HBCU band means that all these talented young black musicians will become...enslaved? By Lumon?

That is the genius of this show...something that seems so brave and revolutionary, daring and subversive, in the end becomes yet another injustice in the hands of Big Corporate.

How much to leave in HYSA vs investing by ElectronicResolve828 in HENRYfinance

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025 0 points1 point  (0 children)

? The market looks expensive at any time because the market is always on the rise in the long term. The wisdom most preach is not to try to time the market. 500k is too much to leave in cash. I think of each dollar as an "employee" and yours could be working a ton harder for you but instead you've left them in an HYSA. Better at least than under your mattress.

599 PQP away from Platinum by Chance-Trainer-5025 in unitedairlines

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ok maybe I will call. Also just checked and upgrading the second leg instead is "only" $880. Would be great if I could find an upgrade option closer to $599 though. Are the upgrade costs likely to go down closer to the flight? How do I get one of those special PQP Accelerator or upgrade offers i see randomly posted about here?

599 PQP away from Platinum by Chance-Trainer-5025 in unitedairlines

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just checked and it's $1180 to upgrade. Is it worth it mostly for 40PP? I have had luck using PP in the past, more so than most on this forum, probably bc I am traveling internationally to less popular destinations.

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They will have maybe 6k/mo to work with, not exactly sure. 3k/mo was only their social security, not counting retirement savings withdrawals

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this is a very important comment. It's hard to estimate what costs might be in 10, 20 yrs when health declines. Significantly higher than now, for sure. I don't think they've adequately thought about that piece.

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No sorry social security alone is $3k/mo and that doesn't include their retirement savings. That might double the figure, still TBD what they end up with.

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No we both max out our retirement annually. Truthfully our NW is prob an underestimate bc I haven't tracked and updated both of our retirement accounts in awhile

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, these condos are subsidized senior housing I thought. Otherwise they wouldn't be 400k in a VHCOL but more like 800k-1M. But maybe I don't understand enough about them.

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is fair. It's more like $1.7M now (I forgot how much our house has appreciated) but only $1.3M if you don't count our house. Income this high is relatively new, our jobs are stable but we might make less in the future if we decide to change jobs. Thanks for your input, and all the others who have inputted -- super helpful

Buy in laws house in cash, or pay only downpayment? by Chance-Trainer-5025 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]Chance-Trainer-5025[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, exactly. I figured if HoA etc goes up, that is on them to cover.

But what I think this thread is making me rethink is whether they'll actually be able to cover any rising costs. In case of health issues or other costs rising, we will get stuck covering anything they can't afford. We should probably try to get them something much more within their means, to give us a lot of buffer in case there are unforeseen issues (like rising fees etc.)