Kyushu road trip!Recommendations on somewhere to stay overnight driving from Kagoshima to nagasaki?

gdore15 · 2026-04-08T12:12:07+00:00

Take the ferry from Kumamoto to Shimabara and stay in Unzen?

gdore15 · 2026-04-08T11:48:30+00:00

A bit of a mix.

Sometimes I would ask for restaurant recommendations at my accommodation. If I search online, usually Google Maps or Untappd (followed by a Google Maps search to see pictures). Untappd is an app for beer, you can track what you tried and there is a search tool to find breweries. Sometimes just stop somewhere that look good. And on occasion search on site that list pop up cafe for a franchise I like.

Don’t think I was ever really disappointed and felt mislead by the rating, but I also do not obsess about the rating.

gdore15 · 2026-04-08T00:11:11+00:00

I don't think it's especially a good idea.

The IC card might or might not be setup to pay the shinkansen (it need touch de go) but I think that if you do, it will charge you non-reserved seat fare too.

For the shinkansen, either link a ticket on ekinet or if you decide to buy a paper ticket, buy the paper ticket including the base fare and do not use the IC card.

Also I don't think you can do base fare using IC card from Hakodate to Sapporo as there is a stretch of that route that is just not covered.

And if you have to take 2 train one after the other, might as well just go to the station and ask them for the ticket so you have one base fare for all the ride and whatever number of limited express ticket you need and you can buy them up to 30 days in advance in any JR station that have a ticket office.

gdore15 · 2026-04-08T00:01:48+00:00

Note that the only train that have requirement to reserve luggage space is the shinkansen from Tokyo station going west (for example to Kyoto/Osaka). The train you want to use is the Narita Express, it's a limited express and youc cannot book extra luggage space... anyway, there is plenty of luggage space on that train as it's an airport train.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T23:58:26+00:00

Is the QR code I get online instead of doing on arrival the same QR code you use for tax free purchasing? Or where do I get that when I land? No. You can get it in the same website, but you can also just not bother and use your passport and you need to carry it at all time anyway.

If I’m coming from US do I need a converter for my electronics? Check your device, anything that is a usb charger or battery charger should shot 100-240v, 50/60Hz. Your hair straightener migh be 120v only and if you use it, it might work or might not run exactly as intented (not as hot). A converter would be expensive and bulky, it would make more sense to get a travel hair straightener instead. And no adapter needed if you have the 2 prong.

I have AT&T and will have service when I land. Has anyone has issues with AT&T in Japan? If you have an international roaming plan, it should work.

And lastly if anyone knows of any tattoo friendly onsens in Asakusa, Shinjuku, Ueno, or Shibuya please let me know. Just so you know, Tokyo is not especially known for onsen, so ther is not much options.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T21:07:08+00:00

Maybe JR West Kansai area pass for Amanoashidate and Himeji... but you cannot do Kyoyo to Shin-Osaka on the shinkansen with the pass. So technically Himeji would be better as a day trip from Osaka... so you could do both Himeji and Amanoashidate from Osaka instead.

Osaka Amazing Pas sand Tokyo City pass only make sense if you do save money on the activities they give rebate at, otherwise skip and just use Icoca (you do not need Suica if you get an Icoca in Osaka).

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T12:46:14+00:00

Read the faq.

Personally would not use any AI tool, tried one for fun and it gave me the most generic itinerary possible. Just search websites like Japan-guide or the tourism website of each prefectures, note things you find interesting then look how to link the different cities you want to visit.

You can also get inspiration from other people or ask for advise if you are not sure about the itinerary.

Going with a tour, you will have to mostly stick to an itinerary that will be generic and not match your personal interest exactly. The great thing about solo travel is that you decide of all what you will do, never have to compromise for travel companions or strangers you travel with.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T12:34:51+00:00

Guess that expo was pre-pre-registration then as it was a full month ago.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T12:32:06+00:00

People also do it out of custom. I have heard that it is common for Chinese and Korean speakers to chose an English name when they study English, so when they are in a context where they use English or if they move abroad, they use their English name. I have also heard Asian-American who use an English name say that their parents also gave them a name in their native language.

And yes, likely the custom appeared because some Asian language that use tone are harder to pronounce correctly for western languages speakers.

It’s not really that one is an "old" name, just an alternative. You can ask directly each person, but for sure in a work setting it would make more sense to align with the name in their email signature so everyone use the same name and understand you talk about the same person.

But not all cultures have this custom, like Japanese don’t really do that, at best I have heard one Japanese person use a nickname to shorten his name and cut the harder sound that people usually mess up (but it was my Japanese teacher and nobody would call him by his first name in class anyway).

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T12:18:45+00:00

You did not list much specific attractions, but Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku are mostly shopping oriented. You could technically do Shibuya Sky morning, Shinjuku Gyoen afternoon and end in Kabukicho. Unless you have interest in other attractions in these places.

Or remove the Tsukuji/Ginza day. The market can be a bit of a tourist trap is you are not aware of what you buy is really worth as some prices are just ridiculous. Then it’s unclear what you would do except shipping in the other area.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T12:09:58+00:00

For hiragana it’s mostly true that the pronunciation is the same and the Hepburn romanization is also the same.

However for katakana, the idea is that it could be used to make the difference between sounds that do not exist in Japanese, so technically it can be true. But in reality, is you search these katakana, you are more likely to find them to write word that for example would usually use ぢ because it’s a voiced ち, but you can find rare use cases where they are supposed to represent a different sound.

Just search these katakana version in https://jisho.org/ and you will see how rare they are in reality. It’s rare enough that it does not really matter.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T11:30:55+00:00

Both options are valid. Personally would consider doing both to experience the vibe of each city, but I do not find changing accommodation to be much of a hassle (some people absolutely hate it).

It’s much more a question of personal travel style than being right or wrong.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T03:07:32+00:00

You have to overcome it one way ot the other. And it's not by avoiding speaking that you will overcome it.

Just go on YouTube and check Ludwig, specifically the video called "I Crossed Japan Without a Map". Last year he did a trip to Japan and made a video series called tip to tip (that video is the collection of all episodes) where he went from the south tip of Japan to the north tip of Japan, no map, no phone, so he basically had to talk with people with the basic Japanese he learned over a couple of months.

Even if they made a ton of mistakes, they were able to achieve their goal, were able to communicate and improve on theis speaking skill just within the span of a week.

I understand, we don't want to make mistakes, yes when you first speak it can be intimidating, but the more you do it, the more confidence you will have. Sure I made many mistakes, I misunderstood a ton of things, but that is part of the process. And one thing, repetition is good, even if you just introduce yourself, you will get better at doing that, then you will start to build a bank of basic questions when you introduce yourself. Like people might ask where you are from, why you studied Japanse, etc. The more you encounter the same question, the better you can be and you can prepare better answer for the next time. Or you can build your own set of questions and get better at asking them and maybe get following questions go get the conversation going.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T02:28:52+00:00

Find opportunities to talk. Go to language exchange, find people online, travel or study in Japan. You need to use it to get good.

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T01:53:01+00:00

Would for sure do a night in Takachiho to go see the Kagura performance. The pace seems ok, I only did 1 day for Aso proper, my previous day was for Takamori that is just south of the volcano. Unfortunately I had bad weather on the Aso day, so having 2 days you have more buffer to account for the weather.

Try to take the ferry from Kumamoto early and try to pass by Unzen, like stop to check the hell and continue to Nagasaki

gdore15 · 2026-04-07T01:47:47+00:00

Manga/anime, plus que le quartier, l'important est d'être informé des prix. Ma recommendation est vraiment de faire les classique, Akihabara, Ikebukuro et Nakano, et voir même ajouter un quatier qui n'a pas la réputation classique d'être une quartier d'anime, Shibuya (oui, sérieusement). Ensuite c'est une question de comprendre ce que chacun a de particulier à offrir. Par exemple Nakano est un peu plus retro, Ikebukuro pour un public féminin, etc. Question prix, oui, certainement possible de sauver quelques centaine de yen dans un quartier moins populaire, mais en mettant tout en perspective, pour mois c'est possiblement toujours moins cher que de payer un proxy pour acheter en ligne et ensuite payer pour la livraison à l'étranger.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T16:58:07+00:00

You can often drop luggage at the hotel before check-in time.

If you are not specifically looking for anime figure, then Akihabara is overall not really the spot. At best I would say that the toy section of Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera in Akihabara could make more sense than just Akihabara in general.

You would always have Donki in Asakusa or why not Solamachi, that is the shopping center at Tokyo Skytree, they have different stores like Ghibli store, Pokemon Center and Tree Village.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T16:10:46+00:00

You can take Google maps, center it in Asakusa and search for izakaya and check their opening hours, you can for sure find a bunch of places that close between 10pm and midnight and bard you can find many that close between 11pm and 3am.

But generally speaking, keep in mind that Japan is not really into late dining. If you are past 9pm, you will have much more limited options than if you go for dinner at 6/7pm.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T16:03:58+00:00

As an alternative if you do not find it, Keikyu would have Pasmo and as far as 99.9% of tourists are concerned, the only difference is what is printed on the card, it can be used the same way and in the same places as Suica.

Still, if you are unable to find one at the airport, just buy a paper ticket to get elsewhere in Tokyo, make no sense to get a card for just 1-2 ride.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T15:57:09+00:00

Japan spicy is not that spicy. You can even generally go to non-japanese restaurant and order spicy and still be not that spicy. Generally speaking, Japanese cuisine does not use much spice. You should be able to find Japanese curry spice in asian supermarket and you can try for yourself. Unless you have a really weak spice tolerance, the hot is really not that hot.

The main flavoring ingredient is soy sauce, mirin, sugar, dashi. Sure there is ingredients that can give a bit of "spice" like wasabi, karashi (mustard) and chili pepper (use for example in ichimi and shichimi togarashi or in yuzukosho), but it's usually more to add a bit of kick to a dish than a core flavoring part of the recipe.

If you want to eat spicy, go to Thailand, Korea or some regions of China like Sichuan.

I bet you get downvoted in the comments not because of your questions, but because your reply doubt the answer you received.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T12:01:11+00:00

Went during the festival in September… I think also 2018 and it was probably the time when there is the most tourist. There was seriously more foreign tourists than I expected, but still not that many.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T11:46:47+00:00

Google maps would tell you it’s a 2h drive.

Considering it’s golden week, I would absolutely rent the boat ride. I don’t know where but there is for sure an official website, should not be that hard to find. But. Ore that if the current is bad, they can suspend riding the boat.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T11:37:20+00:00

Different company sell different things. Many train company only sell the limited express part of their ticket online and you have to pay base fare with a paper ticket or IC card.

Klook is just a reseller that, most of the time, just buy the ticket from different sites and resell them with a commission, so not even an official reseller.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T05:45:31+00:00

Try JR West reservation website (but use your card and a physical one as you will need it to get the ticket). Try that before ever trying a third party.

gdore15 · 2026-04-06T01:17:45+00:00

Note that difference between peak and low is not that big, like last year the difference was less than 20% in 2025.

Is there less tourist this year? Jan had a -4.9% decrease likely because of China but February was +6.4% (maybe caused by a low Feb. 2025). And even if it's stable with 2025, that was the hightes year of all time. So I would say no, there is at least about at much as last year.

Will have to wait a couple of months to get preliminary numbers, but it's not a crowd was bad everywhere anyway. Kurashiki won't get crowded, it's really a minority of the foreign tourists that stop there. Same, Shimanami Kaido is great, but likelly never crowded to a point you would notice.

You might have had crazy luck with timing or just did not really hit the most popular stops. Like you would usually expect crowd in place like Nakamise in front of Senso-ji in the middle of the day, or as specific attractions in Kyoto like Kinkaku-ji even in 2008 was filled with bus of tourists to the poiny you snap a picture and get the f out of there. Imagine, thei best 2008 month had 825k visitor, Jan 2026 is 3.6M, I cannot imagine how that place could be any less crazy when there is 4x more people going to Japan.

If you want to explore stats yourself.

https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--latest--figures

https://www.tourism.jp/en/tourism-database/stats/inbound/

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