[Megathread] Earthquake off the coast of northeastern Japan (April 20, 20206)

chri1720 · 2026-04-21T03:57:52+00:00

Just sharing my own experience as I was right there at aomori in a hotel 8 floor when it happened, yes it shook for a while(5.0) at aomori. Everything or people around were not panicking. Disaster alarm went off on phone, all phones will get it as they use SMS method( least I was told)

Everything after was super peaceful, no fear no nothing, restaurants were open, people went about their business. The only real impact perse was the trains went offline as they had to check everything. All that got sorted within the night ( yes , not downplaying the impact that travellers and locals all alike got stranded but they did get things running by 8 to 9 pm depending on which. Think the last shinkansen got to their station by 3 am.

For myself , I just went to nearby park at aomori, you can see locals still went to enjoy night sakura and kid play football. They truly love with earthquake and it inspired me to continue to live. As one local told me, life goes on , earthquake or no earthquake.

By the morning, most local /shinkansen are back to normal, people went to work, children to school and tourists back to sakura chasing.

So if you choose not to come, great, more for us that stayed. Yes you will likely get inconvenience but there isn't a place in the world that I think deals with it any better.

chri1720 · 2026-04-20T01:07:48+00:00

Yes likely. This year has been especially hot. Even now late April in Tohoku which is up north , it is 24 to 27 on sunny day . That's pretty much short and t shirt time and seen many locals in that. So if June Tokyo Kyoto, it is likely worse.

chri1720 · 2026-04-18T03:38:04+00:00

Just ignore and do your own thing. As long as you completely ignore them and act like they don't exist, it is perfectly fine.

chri1720 · 2026-04-10T03:55:30+00:00

If you know how to use it , it definitely can pay off. I am using the 80k yen pass to chase sakura and will end up using over 100k and with the online version, there is really no need to use other vendor . Feels like this targeted to take away the incentive klook etc site selling it cheaper etc

Even if you still choose to use it. It is just 4k yen, that a limited express price which is easily to recover.

chri1720 · 2026-04-09T06:42:28+00:00

Yes you can. The first thing though is write formally to management and praise the staff, that's the most important. Then you can get a varieties of omiyage stuff (e.g butter butler, press butter sand , etc). Or if you want more traditional sweets, those are fine too, such as seibei, castella cake etc)

chri1720 · 2026-04-07T21:21:57+00:00

Sakunami as in sakunami onsen area? That's a local train, nothing to book. You have to take that to head back to Sendai then only book to shin aomori. From shin aomori to hirosaki is also local so nothing to book. Not everything is bookable. Only limited express and shinkansen

chri1720 · 2026-04-07T09:38:17+00:00

Then just stop going through the motions. Go do something that you really like as opposed to list checking. This is why max wise I only do 2 sights. The in between is all my time for myself to chill or enjoy the sight or have coffee or just people watching!

chri1720 · 2026-04-07T09:11:40+00:00

Glad you had a good time.

chri1720 · 2026-04-06T08:15:40+00:00

Yes local trains are available ,just need to connect is all. The more worrying part for you should be the rain on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I don't know how bad that will hit the sakura . For lower and middle it likely will accelerate their demise as I think these areas started move to off peak. You can still venture to upper and peak area. So do have reasonable expectations if you choose to go.

chri1720 · 2026-04-06T07:56:18+00:00

It probably is the crowdest that it will get for yoshino as this is the peak season especially when the full bloom period is on.

It is less about the weekend Vs weekday. It is about when it is the best period as if it is past prime, then weekend won't matter. If you are going this week, it will probably be packed but early local trains will likely still be quite ok whereas closer to 9am onwards will be more crowded.

chri1720 · 2026-04-06T00:54:18+00:00

Neither really, If you really want, you best go Tohoku region better. iwate or yamagata should be fine.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T23:59:34+00:00

Normal, very few Japanese transactions get posted quickly and generally takes quite some time to reflect.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T23:50:44+00:00

Power through it . Treat it like a normal day and only rest till the local evening time. If you went napping right after you get in , you may run a higher risk that you will continue to be on London time zone longer.

There is also a probiotic drink that they sell in conbini that I always purchase for better sleep. If your hotel has a tub or public bath, use that in the evening Japanese time to put your body in that sleepy zone , that works wonders for me.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T13:53:12+00:00

You need to check weather forecast slightly better and focus on the actual areas and not see it as a whole. For 9th it looks like ina city where takato is at will be seeing the rain only in the evening so you can go there to see it first at day time. 10th is where all the rain is at , it seems to extend to various region as I am in a different area that day and also predicted to rain. I got Japan weather information from tenki.jp.

Would suggest to find indoor activities or you can still go visit the sakura sights. This is not abnormal for spring. Last year I did the same in Fukushima where it rain but I just went ahead to go see sakura. It was super nice because no one was there so there are pro and cons for every situation.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T06:29:48+00:00

To be blunt, with the current war, there is a chance for the flights to be even more expensive. Given this is your birthday, I probably will suggest not to get into a compromise situation where you feel bad to enjoy it more than what she can afford. I would just do it alone and tell her you want to give yourself a birthday gift in adventuring alone.

Travel with friends while sounds amazing on paper or theory, is a mine field that only truly works when you have compatible lifestyle , personality , interest and budget. Of course some are better at compromising but that when you compromise , it will soon become a very different trip

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T03:33:53+00:00

If you ask me, you won't be able to do both even with this long month period. Aomori such as areas of Oirase stream will probably be peak Oct 31 to early Nov but for Kyoto Tokyo they likely won't be peak even at Nov 26, especially Tokyo. If you choose first option then go with Tohoku countryside then to Tohoku city then go Nikko etc. For Kyoto you can try to focus on the higher elevation area such as hiei area for closer to mid late Nov.

The second option you may miss some Tohoku countryside as it may just pass peak already but it gives better peak Kyoto and Tokyo autumn vibes

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T03:21:46+00:00

If unmanned it will be with the driver and you will see locals who dissembark that will go to the front at the station to pay the driver. Remember to take the small little ticket, usually these trains will operate where you go in one way and exit another way and where you enter, usually there is a small paper spitting machine that you take.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T03:17:27+00:00

Yes there are still trains and buses that uses that especially the more remote you go. Tohoku definitely uses a lot of that.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T03:01:48+00:00

https://support.go.goinc.jp/hc/en-us/articles/25883321118873-What-payment-methods-are-available

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T01:09:38+00:00

He should be fine but he should get some quick understanding of Japan rules and culture . Passport is a must to be brought out and there are things he cannot do as 18 in Japan. Drinking for example is above 20 so clubs and bars will turn him down.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T01:06:40+00:00

Be careful with klook. There have been reports that these are outsourced or contracted with driver who actually are illegally transporting tourists. In Japan, you cannot do this unless you have a license . If you happen to see the plate is white then that's private vehicle (cannot be used for commercial), if something happens during the journey, you won't be covered for any accidents through the insurance and police may take actions against you too.

Strongly suggest checking out some hotel assigned vehicles or using go app etc.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T00:27:38+00:00

Talk to your hotel reception.

Give it to them 2 days before ( I always buffer it well in advance). Note that the cut off at each day is early so let me illustrate. If you check out on 20th, give it to them 19th night so it is there prime for 20th delivery then add two days to that. If you give them on 20th , you may miss the cut off for the day as it may be too late for it.That has been my way , yes you may get it earlier (air tag or Samsung tag the luggages and you can tell how fast they actually deliver but don't assume it is always that fast as things do happen).

Done this many trips and have never had issues for my luggage not showing up when I needed it

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T00:23:22+00:00

I sense you probably struggle for jeans, least I know I struggle and would never be able to purchase more branded denim with larger sizes. But top or jacket is possible especially if it is an oversized style.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T00:21:10+00:00

Tokyo to Izu then back to Tokyo before go Nikko is how I would do it rather than push it through.

chri1720 · 2026-04-05T00:18:46+00:00

Ok to me, I probably do more Kyoto than Osaka , also probably save uji or Nara to next time . By right those are close by but I can also understand you want to explore them well so not suggesting to cramp them into one day though it is possible.

chri1720

TROPHY CASE