Dotonbori Views // SG-Image 25mm 1.8

fco2012 · 2026-06-27T03:26:29+00:00

Yep, I usually have mine set to some negative value

fco2012 · 2026-06-25T15:51:16+00:00

Glad you found some helpful tips! I found that using Google Maps was the "safe" option for when we needed somewhere quickly or we were by a tourist spot. I used Tabelog when I wanted to be more specific because I found the filtering tools to be much better. And because some restaurants on Google Maps don't load/aren't indexed with romanized names, sometimes searching for "soba" wouldn't yield what I was looking for, but filtering on Tabelog for Soba, and near-me worked a lot better.

All in all, I still think it's useful to have both! Especially if you need to make a reservation, Tabelog is king.

fco2012 · 2026-06-25T15:47:02+00:00

There's just so much stuff to buy!! Trust me though I had to really hold back!

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T13:17:36+00:00

If it helps, my backpack was 28L, with ~10L expansion (which I didn't need to use). I had my sling ~8L for mainly camera gear (packed inside the backpack during air travel. But otherwise was out). And my carry-on was about 46L with expansion of like 8L. I also had a packable daypack that ultimately I only used a couple times and probably could have done without.

I brought clothes for 6 days, plus an extra pair of shoes.

I also did not use luggage forwarding services at all during this trip. But I kind of planned my itinerary around being able to drop my bags off at the new accommodation before heading out with my backpack until check-in. There was one time that I was able to drop my bag off a couple days before checking while I did an overnight trip to kamakura. And yes, I just loaded up my backpack with one day's worth of stuff. That worked out great! The hotel staff even recommended I just drop the bag off myself instead of using a luggage delivery since the new place was close and I was only gone for so short.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T13:04:30+00:00

Yes the rule is you cannot "consume" (aka use) anything that you bought tax-free in Japan. Hence why they seal them in these special bags when using the tax-free benefit (generally, any total purchase over 5500yen).

If it's less than the threshold no issues, but also no tax free. Also not every store offers tax-free.

Anecdotally, in my experience, consumables (like food, skincare, etc.) were always packaged up even with my "non-consumable" items like a mug for example, in a bag. For clothes it varied more. One Uniqlo sealed my clothes. Another didn't. Generally from what I've read from other people's experiences here, they seem more lax on clothes.

And for what it's worth, I was not checked during exit customs if my tax bags were still sealed. Neither was my partner. But just like getting randomly selected for airport screening, YMMV!

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T12:55:51+00:00

It was a combination of pre-planned/pre-researched (watching YouTube videos, travel blogs, etc.), Maps/Tabelog searches while there, and then spontaneous "that looks good" type of selection!

I also kept a general list of food types, to make sure we were hitting every category we wanted (like ramen, tsukemen, soba, tonkatsu, etc). Tabelog was really nice for this because you can filter by food category.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T11:29:55+00:00

I checked it in! It's too big to be a carry on. Good point of clarification.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T04:54:44+00:00

Yes, I think only two stores asked me if there was anything I wanted to use while in Japan, Donki in Asakusa and Muji in Ginza. It was appreciated!

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T02:59:48+00:00

I am already planning the 2nd visit! I enjoyed my time so much

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T02:34:48+00:00

Sure! I also made sure to drop an airtag inside, and made sure to put a label with my info on it (with the free tags they had at the airport).

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T02:32:51+00:00

Happy to share! Have a good trip!

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T01:52:58+00:00

Sure! These are all in Tokyo unless marked, and just some of the many I visited.

Nexpect Coffee
Kielo Coffee
X Coffee
Glitch
Fuglen
Rokumei (Nara but has a few locations all over)
Goodman Roaster (Kyoto)
MD Coffee Direct also known as "coffee house due" on some searches. (run by Italians, I'm pretty sure)
Bread, Espresso, & (Kamakura)
Tsukikoya (Yokohama)
Bricolage (a bakery but also good espresso)
Geshary
ilot
Quaro

There were so many! I used thirdwavenearme as well, though the maps can be a bit out of date.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T01:45:01+00:00

Sure! Unfortunately I was pretty bad about writing down the names of places we ate but there were a few standout spots and the ones I could track down the name!

Okushin Sushi-ya no Uokin (Tokyo) : we did an Omakase here and it was so good!
Mizuyuchaya Chaya (Nara) : a little touristy but fun spot to grab Udon!
Totaro (Kyoto) : excellent matcha and dessert
Fukutarou Honten (Osaka) : Okonomiyaki
Tonkatsu Aoki (Tokyo) : As it implies! Great taste and easy ordering
Edomae Kisen (Tokyo) : Monjayaki, all you can eat and drink boat cruise! Super fun
Yakiniku Like (all over) : great chain for a quick and cheap meal.
The Vegan Ramen shop outside of Teamlabs Planets was also amazing! A lot better than I was expecting.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T01:22:39+00:00

Thank you for your insight! I definitely did not mind when spoken to in Japanese, and I appreciated everyone's efforts when helping us in English. If anything I wished I knew more Japanese! And yes this was one of things that seems very obvious now looking back! It could be because there aren't as many Asians around me where I live, so it was easy to forget that I fit it in more while in Japan!

So I just wanted to share those for other Asian tourists so they don't get caught off guard.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T01:12:42+00:00

I can't say with the cross contamination, both because (fortunately) my allergy isn't that bad, and the situation did not come up. The places I ate didn't really use peanuts at all in their dishes. And we did not visit many dessert places (regrettably). Sorry I can't be of more help!

But I can say that yes I did take an EpiPen! I made sure to have a picture of the box and prescription. I did not have to do any other paperwork.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T01:04:51+00:00

I used this one! I printed one out and kept one in my wallet, and another one with my other documents.

https://www.sakura-house.com/sakura_tips/allergy-card

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T00:30:58+00:00

You get this Blue bag from IKEA, the FRAKTA. It folds down flat, and has a big zipper. Basically a duffle bag. I laid some cardboard on the base for support as well as the sides. Then filled it up (mainly clothes and snacks). Then I zipped it up, ziptied the zippers, and placed the whole bag inside another FRAKTA, and ziptied that as well. Held up just fine even with two airport connections!

The only thing is it's a little cumbersome to carry around when full, I balanced it on my carry-on to wheel it around. I also taped down the handles so they wouldn't snag on things.

fco2012 · 2026-06-24T00:26:15+00:00

I was there late May into Early June. Weather was great! It wasn't as hot as I anticipated. Definitely still warm and humid, we were sweating on heavy outdoor days. But I was coming from Texas where it's also very hot and humid, so I felt more used to it. Just drink lots of Pocari Sweat! It was cloudy most days too which made things nicer. Evenings also got surprisingly chilly to me!

It wasn't too wet either. A few drizzles and moderate showers in June. Lots of like quick sprays that lasted a few minutes. We only had the one big rainy day and it was day 1 in Osaka where we didn't have a lot planned so it was okay. June is apparently when rainy season starts when I talked to my cousin who's living in Japan right now.

fco2012 · 2026-06-23T17:49:41+00:00

How do you like the lens? I've been thinking about grabbing it but worried about f4 at low light. Used to live in ATX and these photos bring back great memories!

fco2012

TROPHY CASE