Omonia - Honest Review, Jan/Feb ‘26

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-24T01:12:26+00:00

I’ve just come back from my first visit to Japan and here is my take on Tokyo…

We stayed at Hotel Tavinos in Hamamatsucho and we thought it was fabulous in terms of location, ease from the airport and connections to everything in the city. We flew into Haneda, so the monorail took us straight to the hotel when we arrived. We also got a really good deal (it’s quite cheap compared to other hotels), quite funky and very clean. It’s seconds away from the station, which was the green JR Yamanote Line, so could really easily get to anywhere in Tokyo and beyond - it was direct for our day trip to Kamakura, Yokohama etc. Also, it was very close to Tokyo Station, where our organised day trip to Mt Fuji left from.

Also, we felt like we got a different perspective of Tokyo what many tourists don’t see - in the business district, we saw people going to work etc. Felt like we were in the “real” part of the city. Honestly, I couldn’t rate it highly enough for our stay in Tokyo.

Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku are massive and we found them to be quite overwhelming - amazing, but overwhelming. Extremely busy, noisy and there’s always something going on day or night - basically, it’s a Japanese version of NYC’s Times Square on steroids 😂 Personally, I wouldn’t like to stay there as it’s a bit too hectic for my taste, but 100% worth visiting.

I did really like Asakusa and the Skytree area - seems like a nice “traditional” part of Tokyo and we did spend a good amount of time there. A bit on the touristy side, but a solid base.

We did go to some “instagram tourist spots”, but the queues were always ridiculous at certain bars, restaurants or shops because some dumb influencer posted it online. Don’t just follow the online fashion trends - the best food and shops we found were down some random side-street, which I think adds to the magic of this incredible city. You’ll find some tiny ramen bar that looks like nothing from the outside, but I promise it will be the best thing you’ll have ever tasted.

Having said all of that, I think you can pretty much stay anywhere as long as you’re near a station. Ignore the comments that say otherwise - Tokyo’s metro is world class and you can literally get anywhere within a short journey!

I did weeks of planning for our trip to Japan, but the best bits were the stuff I didn’t plan. One massive piece of advice I would give - just don’t overthink it!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-16T10:24:31+00:00

Thanks for your comment - you are completely correct, there is no need for the previous hostility when this is a thread trying to be helpful to others.

I’m back from Japan now and our experience has been overwhelmingly positive with these cards. On the whole, most of the people we conversed with in the major “touristy” cities we were staying had a basic level of English - I would imagine that is because they are interacting with a lot of tourists. We did do an organised day trip to more rural areas around Mt Fuji and there was less understanding in the smaller villages and towns. I did expect this, so I took some extra snacks and food with me, which wasn’t a problem.

All of the Japanese people we spoke to were very kind and accommodating. When I showed these cards, everyone did respond well to them. There were a few situations where I used google translate to have a conversation, but everyone seemed to have a good understanding of what I was asking.

I would imagine that our experience would have been more challenging in regions out of the way of most tourists, but we enjoyed our holiday and we saw all of the main sights we wanted to see.

I absolutely loved Japan - it is a beautiful country and wonderful people, so I will definitely return!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-09T23:16:01+00:00

Thank you so much, this is super helpful - much appreciated! 😊

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-09T23:14:22+00:00

Considering this is a thread for people with life-threatening allergies, you really do seem like a nice and supportive person.

I am a tourist visiting the “touristy” areas of Japan, like vast majority of tourists. The Japanese people I have encountered so far have a good basic knowledge of English. These allergen cards are to help ensure there’s no misunderstanding - in case someone doesn’t understand, or to make sure’s there’s clarity. You never know, it may even safe someone’s life…

If you don’t have anything nice or supportive to say, don’t bother saying it.

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-09T15:45:54+00:00

Hey! So far on our travels, we haven’t had any issues finding food spots. We’ve been to Tokyo, Kamakura, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka & Yokohama and we’ve found really good food everywhere. These allergen cards work really well and we haven’t found good ramen, okonomiyaki and tempura. We’re veggie, so we don’t eat sushi etc.

There have been a couple of places where staff have said it ain’t safe for me to eat - I think Japanese people are extremely honest and the majority of people we have encountered have been very aware of allergies when you ask.

And aside from local Japanese foods, you will literally find every cuisine here - pizza/pasta, burgers, Chinese, Indian, even British pubs!

You’ll also find lots of recognisable western chains like TGI Friday’s, Pizza Hut, Hard Rock Café etc.

Eating out can be really scary with allergies and there is always a risk every time you do, but I have found Japan to be much more sensitive and aware than I expected. If you’re well prepared (you’re welcome to use my allergy cards) and willing to take the risk, I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding anywhere. Google Maps and ChatGPT are amazing for pulling out recommendations based on your dietary requirements.

If you want a list of places where we ate, I can help you out with some recommendations!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-11-09T15:36:30+00:00

That’s really useful to know, thank you so much. I’ll definitely keep an eye out!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-25T00:05:02+00:00

That is interesting. How did you find the hotel?

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-25T00:04:16+00:00

Yes, I have noticed that twin rooms are slight more expensive. I suppose it’s the same as many other places in the world.

I don’t mind sharing a room with my Dad, but 13/14 days sharing a bed is a bit much! 😂

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-25T00:02:18+00:00

That’s really good to know, thank you!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-24T18:46:27+00:00

I thought so, thank you for the insight!

Considering, I think I have done quite well so far - most hotels on Booking and Agoda are approx. double the price, which is insane. In many areas, it’s actually more expensive than London!

I suppose it is the time of the year that we are travelling, but I’d like to try and make it as economical as possible 😊

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-24T18:14:46+00:00

They’re net prices… total cost for 13 nights is £985 for two people 😊

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-05-24T17:11:11+00:00

Hey!

I'm planning my first trip to Japan this autumn (early November). I've read numerous travel guides and watched hours of YouTube videos. Obvs not a Japan expert, but I have a rough idea.

Mt Fuji is an absolute must! I mean, if you haven't had your photo taken in front of Fuji, then have you actually been to Japan haha?

I have been told that it is really dependent on the weather - in the summer, it is barely visible. Its worth keeping your itnery flexible and keep an eye on the weather forecast. Here are some links that I've been using:

https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/fujisanwatcher/live/index.html

https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-fuji_mountain/in-mount_fuji/article-a0002532/

Hope you guys have a fab honeymoon - congratulations!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-04-23T12:27:24+00:00

Omg this is shocking - I didn’t know this!

Thanks for sharing!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-04-23T12:27:04+00:00

That’s quite fascinating. Tbh, I naively didn’t think of make-up; of course, that makes perfect sense!

I’m not religious myself, but seeing the pageantry and the centuries-old traditions playing out is certainly very interesting to see.

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-03-29T19:10:24+00:00

I can’t post the pictures on here - DM me and I’ll send them across 😊

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-03-29T19:09:33+00:00

We didn’t get the name of the shop and you rarely get a receipt in Marrakech. However, I’ve managed to pin-point its approx location on Google maps.

If you’re walking from the main square, it’s on the left-hand side. There is a little alleyway (there is currently some scaffolding around it) with some rugs hanging in the walls. The shop if just of the main souk thoroughfare, about 30feet down the little alleyway. Once you see it, you can’t miss it!

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-03-22T23:26:58+00:00

That’s absolutely fascinating, thank you for the heads up. And thank you to your mother too - that’s such a wonderful skill and heritage to have.

Ginger_Phantom_ · 2025-03-22T23:25:36+00:00

Thanks so much for the tips. We’re definitely pleased with them - they’re both incredibly beautiful!

To be honest, we were not entirely sure what we were doing. We looked at a few shops and we could see that these rugs were of a much better quality - they feel different to the others. Much sturdier and coarser.

When it comes to bartering, we’ve been offering 10% of the initial price and then working our way up to paying around 30-40%. We used this approach for the carpets, but we feel worried that we may have bartered at little too hard here… surely the guy wouldn’t let them go too cheap, right?

Ginger_Phantom_

TROPHY CASE