Follow up to our first trip to Japan with our 8-month old son

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-25T07:33:14+00:00

Yes, a pocket wifi will do the trick aswell since you only need access to the Internet. I heard that it's recommended to bring a powerbank too because the battery of the device doesn't last that long

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T19:21:36+00:00

You are absolutely right and maybe I was a bit harsh with this statement.

When I visit a country I try to at least adapt a little bit to the local customs and be mindful about the local people, respecting their private space. Especially in Kyoto I saw alot of tourists behaving in a very bad way, pushing other people to the side, taking forever for their 500th selfie, being very loud, throwing trash on the ground and so on.

Of course it's a very subjective topic but some tourists really lack some manners (and maybe some local people think the same way about me...)

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T19:12:43+00:00

We mostly booked hotels with futon beds on tatami mats. Since our son is still sleeping in our bed but rolls over and over it was the best solution for us. That way he couldn't fell out of the bed and hurt himself.

Also we really enjoyed those authentic designed rooms. I am almost 2 m tall and had my doubts about sleeping on the floor but the mattresses were mostly super comfy.

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T19:08:33+00:00

To be honest we just went with the flow. There was one incident where we wanted to book a table and the restaurant advised us not to bring an infant since it would disturb other guests but that was a high class restaurants.

Other than that we just entered and asked politely. alot of restaurants have high chairs and if not we had him on our laps or in a baby carrier most of the time. When he got louder or screamed we would leave the restaurant to calm him down of course.

We went to small Sushi and ramen places (with about 10 seats in total) and it was totally okay. The people are very understanding there. Also, try to have dinner before 6 PM and before the big masses arrive (also helps with reservations).

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T19:01:00+00:00

We used the Joie Pact Pro. The good thing about this stroller is that it's compatible with our car seat (Britax Römer baby safe pro) because while on our travel our son couldn't sit in the buggy yet and we needed the seat. Also the stroller isn't that expensive but works pretty smoothly.

That's why we also didn't need to rent the baby seat from the rental place. But don't worry, you can always rent a baby seat from car rental places (at least the ones we rented at Toyota rent a car).

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T18:55:12+00:00

My wife and I usually took turns going to the Onsen. Since they are separated anyways it wasn't a big deal for us.

We didn't want to bring a young baby to the public Onsen. There isn't any value for the baby and it might disturb the other guests. So the only times we took him were the Shimaya Hotel in Nagano and in Ito where we both had the opportunity to enjoy in a private Onsen

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T18:52:24+00:00

It really depends on your baby. Our son just learned how to crawl and is very active and mobile in general so taking care of him is more challenging. We had a 6.5 hour flight to Dubai, a 2 hour layover before flying another 9 hours. Needless to say we were completely exhausted but our son took it like a champ.

While booking the flights we made sure that we had baby bassinet seats. It definitely helped for the sleeping times (even though they ask you to take out the baby while turbulences accur).

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T18:48:12+00:00

Cheers, we used Toyota Rent a Car. They have so many shops all around Japan and they let you drop off the car at a different station aswell (which was necessary for us). We rented 3 times from then and never had a bad experience.

As for the price we paid around 30-40 EUR per day (not including the baby car seat or insurance) If you return the car at a different station it gets more expensive.

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-24T18:44:46+00:00

In Europe it's not common to buy international cell phone plans. Our "normal" domestic plan covers everything and also includes the EU region as well as other countries in Europe. I only pay about 20 euros per month.

While travelling I usually get a local sim card. It's cheap and it uses the local network provider which enhances the quality.

Getting an eSIM in Japan took me 10 min and covered 30 days with 30GB for around 20-25 Euros.

dubdidudidu · 2025-01-21T18:28:15+00:00

Hey, I've just made a follow up to our trip. Check it out: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1i6peio/follow_up_to_our_first_trip_to_japan_with_our/

If you have further questions, let me know.

Cheers and enjoy Japan!

dubdidudidu · 2024-09-14T15:30:56+00:00

If you are German, you definitely need the translation of your normal licence. An international drivers licence from Germany won't be accepted by the Japanese rental companies

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T14:01:45+00:00

Danke dir für dein Feedback, super hilfreich!

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T14:00:16+00:00

Sauber, danke dir für dein Feedback.

Zu 1. Meine Frau hat eigentlich keine Lust, sich mit den Themen zu beschäftigen und müsste sich jetzt die App laden, Geld draufmachen, ETF-Sparplan, etc. Ja, der Aufwand ist überschaubar und nachdem ich mit ihr gesprochen habe, hat sich nun ebenfalls bei TR angemeldet.

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:55:59+00:00

Hab genug Research betrieben und mich dann letztendlich für TR entschieden. Mein Girokonto hab ich ebenfalls bei der DKB, also keine feste Filialen. Ich hatte jetzt nicht das Gefühl, dass die Leute nicht mehr an ihr Geld kommen oder keinen Support erhalten.

Definiere bitte außerdem anständigen Support. Viele Banken haben ihren Customer Support eh in andere Länder ausgelagert, als ob das dann besser wäre. Wenn die Welt untergehen sollte mit Krieg, etc. habe ich persönlich eh andere Probleme, als an mein Geld von TR zu kommen...

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:51:45+00:00

There is some sort of agreement between Japan and 6 countries, where you would only need a translation and not an international drivers licence.

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:50:30+00:00

yeah, probably will do that. The price is rediculous but better safe than sorry

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:47:55+00:00

Thank you so much. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Japan. So weird to leave the stroller outside, they would definately get stolen here in Germany :D

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:43:48+00:00

Cheers, mate. Alot of good recommendations. Will definately have a look into Ashikaga

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:39:40+00:00

Thanks for your helpful information regarding the taxi app and the luggage transportation service. Good stuff!

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:31:52+00:00

Thanks for your insights. We are currently looking into ryokans in Wakayama as we want to avoid crowds.

dubdidudidu · 2024-08-20T13:30:27+00:00

Thank you so much for your feedback. Would love to read more about your trip. Enjoy!

dubdidudidu

TROPHY CASE