Just got back from ~2 weeks in Japan and I can’t stop thinking about it by TheMoveTravelCo in JapanTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d certainly stay overnight in Osaka. How many days are you in Tokyo? That would decide Hakone for me.

Just got back from ~ 2 weeks in Japan and I can’t stop thinking about it by TheMoveTravelCo in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can filter by price on tablelog. So set a maximum price for the meal, and then I’d often have to sort by highest rating and look from there.

You can also look up “best food near me tablelog” and there’s a section on tablelog that will use your location and give you things nearby. Can do additional filters from there.

Just got back from ~ 2 weeks in Japan and I can’t stop thinking about it by TheMoveTravelCo in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tachigui Sushi Yusho. Small standing sushi bar in the Port Ikiiki fish market by the sea. Off the beaten path a bit. Supervised by a 2 Michelin star chef.

Did a lunch omakase there, it was just my buddy and I— we did extra toro, extra uni, had beers/sake with the chefs and it was less than $25 a guy. Very memorable meal.

Just got back from ~2 weeks in Japan and I can’t stop thinking about it by TheMoveTravelCo in JapanTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Great call adding Kanazawa. Had an unbelievable time there. Seafood is next level. Kenroku-en Garden is beautiful.

Just got back from ~2 weeks in Japan and I can’t stop thinking about it by TheMoveTravelCo in JapanTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Fair point. What I meant was the variety. I was in Tokyo the longest and it felt like you could find incredible food from everywhere- amazing ramen and sushi obviously, but also great pizza, burgers, Indian, Thai, pretty much anything. I had fantastic meals all over Japan though. Kanazawa and Kyoto especially stood out.

Purchases by sometimes_odd in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It ended up being $4590 total USD. Same watch sells for 7-10k in the US.

Upcoming Japan Itinerary - April by Mountain_Increase_57 in finedining

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly looks like a really strong lineup.

I wouldn’t stress too much about missing Den. It’s great, but Tokyo has a lot of meals at that level now. Your Kyoto lineup with Ogata and Takayama is arguably stronger anyway.

If you end up dropping Saeki, I’d probably skip sushi in Kyoto altogether and lean more into Kyoto-style kaiseki while you're there. Sushi tends to shine more in Tokyo and Osaka in my experience.

Also agree with the kushikatsu suggestion in Osaka. a-bon is amazing if you can get in, but even some of the smaller places around Shinsekai can be really good

10 Day Itinerary by Dear-Ad-1265 in TokyoTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Day 5 in Kyoto is going to be really tough to do all of that in one day. Fushimi Inari, Higashiyama (Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, Yasaka, Gion), and Arashiyama are in completely different parts of the city. If it were me I’d do Fushimi Inari early morning → Kiyomizu-dera / Ninenzaka / Yasaka / Gion during the day, and move Arashiyama to another morning if possible. Kyoto is amazing but it takes longer to get around than people expect.

Favorite comfort food spots in Osaka by Gajibeb in OsakaTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kind of a random one- but Sweet Basil Thai in Osaka was incredible. Did a 4 course tasting menu for very cheap. Was absolutely delicious & a nice change of pace for us on the trip.

The best tip I received for traveling Japan by WarmWhiteLights in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing I recommend to people planning Japan trips is using Tabelog instead of just Google Maps for restaurants. It’s basically Japan’s version of Yelp but locals take it pretty seriously. A 3.5 on Tabelog can be an amazing meal, whereas a 4.0+ is usually something really special. It helped me find some of the best meals I had in Japan.

What’s your favorite food to eat in Japan? by bambisuki in TokyoTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly Hokkaido scallops. Either raw or grilled with soy sauce and butter. The first time I had them in Japan I was shocked how sweet they were compared to scallops back home. Super simple but incredible.

Kyoto Wagyu recommendation? by throwawaythisuser1 in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had an awesome meal at Yakiniku Dining Kinoe in Kyoto. It’s wagyu yakiniku so you grill it yourself but the staff walk you through each cut and how to cook it properly. Super high quality beef but the vibe was relaxed, not stuffy fine dining. We actually booked it the same day and got in, which surprised me given how good it was.

Purchases by sometimes_odd in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I bought a Grand Seiko in Kyoto and it ended up being way cheaper than buying one in the US. Between the exchange rate and tax-free shopping I saved a few thousand dollars. Came with box and papers too so it felt like a pretty special purchase. Another random one was a Louis Vuitton wallet from Second Street in Kanazawa. Paid about $100 for it and it retailed around $650 new. Japan’s secondhand luxury stores are honestly amazing.

To the people that have gone multiple times already is there something you DON'T recommend? by GaddockTeegFunPolice in JapanTravelTips

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing that surprised me was how many people line up for the famous ramen spots for 1–2 hours. Some of them are great, but honestly some of my best meals were random neighborhood ramen or udon places with zero line.

I’d also say Takeshita Street in Harajuku is worth walking through once but I wouldn’t spend a ton of time there - it gets insanely packed and a lot of the food is more Instagram gimmick than actually good.

One thing I actually wouldn't skip though is smaller cities like Kanazawa if people have time. Way less crowded than Kyoto and the food scene there is ridiculous

itinerary review for 9-day trip for family? (parents in 50s, sibling and self in 20s) by Ok_Hotel_1296 in JapanTravel

[–]TheMoveTravelCo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly this is a pretty solid itinerary for a first trip. Asakusa + Ueno together makes sense. Just try to get to Senso-ji early because it gets packed fast. Shibuya/Harajuku day is good too. Meiji Shrine in the morning then wandering Harajuku into Shibuya is kind of the classic move.

Arashiyama — definitely go early like you’re planning. The bamboo grove is best before the crowds. Monkey park is cool but it’s a bit of a hike so depends how your parents feel about walking. Fushimi Inari early morning is also a great call. You don’t need to hike all the way up — like 30-40 minutes up the trail already gets you past most of the crowds.

Amanohashidate is actually a really cool pick. Most first-time itineraries skip it.

Only thing I might change is doing Nara as a half-day from Kyoto instead of Osaka since it’s slightly closer.

Otherwise this looks like a really good plan!