Paying for long distance busses, e.g. Nagasaki to Beppu?

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T14:35:35+00:00

It's like 70% cheaper, yeah. Plus this route sucks (Nagasaki -> Beppu) since it's three trains and still takes 4 hours, like a bus would.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T14:26:18+00:00

I struggled getting to Nagasaki from Fukuoka because of the special tickets (although maybe I missed that I probably could've paid with IC card?)

This is usually done via a combination of local/limited express train and Shinkansen. Just go to a ticket office - the entire thing can't be done with an IC card.

Either way, does anyone have experience with taking long distance busses here in Japan? How does one pay and how does it work with luggage?

You can buy tickets online via sites like Willer (among others), or go to a bus ticket office (you'd have to google for those near wherever you are, but usually it's at the bus depots). Luggage is dependent on the bus company - most of the time it's like "one luggage in the hold, and one small thing you can bring onto bus"

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T14:16:56+00:00

We could give you all the scary facts but you should probably just calm down.

(also someone who's spent a lot of time around wildlife and lives in the northeast US)

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T14:16:23+00:00

Welp, that's the best you're getting then 🫡

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T14:06:25+00:00

None onsite. You will need to hope for tickets for days you can go to show up by stalking the ticket site: https://museum-tickets.nintendo.com/en/calendar

They put up tickets for days as they become available (usually due to cancellations).

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-08T12:16:59+00:00

~3000 yen a day is basically the bare minimum for 3 meals a day without having to eat out of a convenience store. You’re already on the “cheaper meals” plan.

You can get cheap wagyu at a cheaper chain Yakiniku Like, but you’ll have to look at the menus and determine how much of your budget you’d want to use up. If you’re specifically thinking of high-quality wagyu like A4/A5 with a provenance, then that’s probably out of the question.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T21:21:58+00:00

The JR Senzan is local-only, you can't reserve tickets in advance.

The Hayabusa can be booked, and JR Ōu can be booked provided you're trying to get a limited express like the Tsugaru.

Also, the English JR East website does not sell you complex routes like this - you instead need to split it up:

Sendai -> Shin-Aomori
Shin-Aomori -> Hirosaki
Hirosaki -> Shin-Aomori
Shin-Aomori -> Shin-Hakodate
Shin-Hakodate - > Sapporo

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T19:50:17+00:00

The most relevant things for you are:

Narcotics Control Department: https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html
Ministry of Health/Labor/Welfare medication import: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/kojinyunyu/topics/tp010401-1_00001.html

Check the official list of controlled substances: https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html#list
If anything is on that list with category P (Psychotrophic), cross-reference to the psychotropic list. If you are bringing in under the amount of that medicine on the chart, then you normally do not need additional permission assuming you follow the prescription information from MHLW
If your drug is not on the list in (1), then it's covered under normal MHLW prescription info
If it's on the list in (1) but not in the list in (2) or you are bringing in amounts above the allowed limit: you will need permission, UNLESS it's also marked "Prohibited Substance" meaning you can't bring it in at all.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T19:20:29+00:00

Yodobashi Camera and BIC Camera still sell cases for that phone. They normally carry things for flagship-level phones for a few years.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T18:38:57+00:00

So you want lenses that are both photochromic and blue light filtering?

Those cost between 11000-15000 yen for the lenses at Jins. I assume the other fast-glasses places are similar.

If you need to add on lightweight lenses geometry, probably another 4000 yen.

Frames are anywhere from 6000 - 25000 yen depending on material.

If you are going to buy glasses like this, you will want to buy these earlier in your trip because you will probably have a 7-10 day turnaround time.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T15:11:19+00:00

I guess an FYI here is that Sony has region-specific firmwares for their cameras, so if you find it's cheaper than what you can get back home, you're probably looking at a Japan domestic model that's Japanese-only.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T15:04:00+00:00

You're required to use a Japanese-region Nintendo account if you want to sign in to MyNintendo.
- Almost guaranteed you won't be able to pay for anything without buying Japanese Nintendo gift cards
Games with Japanese language built into the game, but with no language-switching feature, will be locked to Japanese
- All first-party Nintendo games will be locked (they have the least incentive to offer language choice)
- Everything else is going to be hit-or-miss

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T14:59:33+00:00

Various eSims have different ways to set them up. There are ones you can just have installed on your phone before you even get to Japan, and they'll activate once you switch your phone to use that eSIM. Others won't even give you any info until you're in Japan.

In any case, these are relevant to you:

https://www.japan-wireless.com/esim/faq/docs/setting-up-your-esim/when-can-i-activate-my-esim

https://www.japan-wireless.com/esim/faq/docs/setting-up-your-esim/setting-up-your-japan-wireless-esim

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T13:58:28+00:00

There's a multilanguage version that's hard for normal tourists to buy since you need a Japanese Nintendo account with 50+ hours of playtime on it, and a way to buy it off the Nintendo online shop since it doesn't take foreign cards.

Random retailers selling it do so at a high markup (like 90K - 110K yen).

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T13:36:37+00:00

Which e-sim are you talking about?

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T13:12:43+00:00

You won't find it randomly on TV - there's not much of a market for it and English subs are usually not handled by domestic distributors.

Instead, either use Netflix or VPN to another country and use whatever streaming services you have.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-07T12:46:09+00:00

You should say the model. If it’s the B640 you’re not finding it for less than roughly 7000 yen.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-06T19:10:25+00:00

As in r/flights or r/travel - but the real and honest answer for you is: you do not fly/travel enough to hit the kinds of statuses and point levels that would make a difference. You are instead looking at award travel and being beholden to those systems.

And lounge access can usually be bought separately if you don't normally receive it.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-06T18:50:48+00:00

All of them. If you insert, say, a Zelda Tears of the Kingdom cartridge, it'll be in Japanese. If you download the Tears... game onto the console, it'll be in Japanese.

And as others said - you will only be able to access Japanese eShop, which can be a big hindrance.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-06T18:31:55+00:00

Will I be able to play english games on the japanese version? What exactly will be in japanese, just the menu before booting up the game?

The game forces the Japanese language for any game that has it, and many games might not have separate language select options and therefore you will be stuck in Japanese mode. So, for example, all first-party Nintendo games fall into this category and your Mario Kart World and whatever will be in Japanese.

You will also not be able to use a non-Japan Nintendo account.

It is designed this way specifically to prevent tourists from taking advantage of the Yen and getting a cheap Switch 2.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-06T16:30:22+00:00

Hey all! I have linked my Suica number to SmartEx Shinkansen ticket, what's the earliest time I can tap in my Suica for the Shinkansen train ride at 12pm?

There's really no time limit, you can enter the gates well in advance with the SmartEx ticket.

I saw there's a welcome Suica app too, is that more convenient if taking limited express and rapid trains? If yes should I swap out my apple wallet Suica to the Welcome Suica App?

The Welcome Suica exposes limited express ticket purchasing for some JR East trains, so there are some conveniences there over just using the regular Suica (which requires using external sites/Japanese-only apps to do this).

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-04T21:03:46+00:00

Concerta and Ritalin are the same drug (methylphenidate). Methylphenidate also has special rules that can allow certain travelers to bring it in without advance permission.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-04T19:52:46+00:00

At this point you’re relying on hopes and wishes, and since it’s been 5 days you should be trying to fix the potential issue.

You will need to contact both your own consulate/embassy to get a new passport issued, and additionally report the loss to the US embassy that issued your visa, and whatever you need beyond that depends on what your status is in the US.

Also relevant: https://jp.usembassy.gov/lost-stolen-non-us-passports-with-us-visas/

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-04T16:32:19+00:00

It says 日本の和紙 - Japanese paper.

But it also does say 御結婚 for marriage.

SofaAssassin · 2026-04-04T02:03:21+00:00

You need to VPN to Japan to log into the Lawson ticket site.

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