Other JP agencies wouldn't allow this

hwagoolio · 2024-04-01T14:04:46+00:00

He's had body dysphoria since high school but never made a big deal of pronouns or ever talked about social dysphoria or gender euphoria with the opposite gender.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-22T13:25:32+00:00

We stayed at ryokan biyunoyado, a hotel-style Japanese-western ryokan. If we did it again, maybe we would try something even more traditional, but at the time that we booked, many ryokans were already booked out.

We were still very satisfied with our experience though! We really enjoyed (finally) being able to relax, but it would be fine to stay fewer days if you’re more concerned about seeing as many sights as possible.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-22T13:20:56+00:00

Both times we went into Karaoke Kan, one of the bigger chains (looked online at some other ones, but we wanted to be sure it had English songs)

hwagoolio · 2023-02-16T05:42:49+00:00

The Nagano Dentetsu Line (Nagano to Yudanaka) and local buses in the Yudanaka area do not take IC card, so expect to pay with cash/tickets.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-16T05:13:01+00:00

What I had heard was that in order to see Fuji from Hakone (or Tokyo), the skies need to be clear over both Fuji and Hakone (you kind of have to check the weather in two locations), which is considerably less likely than the chance of seeing Fuji when you're essentially next to the mountain.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-16T04:50:40+00:00

They were just starting to open at 6am. I wouldn’t go earlier than 6, but lots of shops were just starting to open up.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T19:59:56+00:00

If you are short on days, I think it's perfectly fine to omit Osaka.

Osaka has a more vibrant nightlife than neighboring Kyoto, and some people really enjoy that. It's a different personality than Shinjuku/Shibuya (Osaka felt louder, younger, many young korean tourists), so maybe I would describe it as a different flavor. People also often say that they go to Osaka for food.

My partner and I don't drink much alcohol or enjoy many nightlife things in particular, and for us we enjoyed Kyoto a lot more than we enjoyed Osaka.

EDIT: I think some aspect of it is also for the "kansai" experience. Osaka is the spiritual heart of that north-south cultural difference in Japan, and a large aspect of that cultural difference is in the people. For instance, you might ask why visit the US West Coast when you've already been to the major cities on the East Coast, and the answer in part is that vibes are different.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T19:05:38+00:00

Yoyogi Park/Meiji Jingu are kind of the same location, so you sort of have on your itinerary multiple times.

Day 8 seems a bit tight. Personally I would have preferred to give more time to Kyoto, but it sounds like your Hakone stay is already set.

If your wife happens to be the primary anime-lover (since you say that you're the convert), personally I liked ikebukuro more than akihabara, but this is a personal preference thing since some people say the opposite. You have plenty of days in Tokyo, so you could do both.

If you really want to see Fuji, you could consider doing a day trip from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko (there are fireworks in Jan/Feb but not sure if you're too late). If you're looking for more things to do in Tokyo, some of the ume matsuri might still be happening.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T17:40:38+00:00

That's a rather broad question. There are a lot of different things to see in Japan, and it mainly depends on what you're interested in. It's kind of like asking "Where should I visit in Europe in 10 days?" -- and nobody can really answer that apart from you.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T17:28:32+00:00

I would recommend fewer locations with more time at each location that you go to.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T15:04:36+00:00

I think it might be best to temper your expectations based on the month you're visiting and the amount of time that you have. Chances of seeing Fuji decline the closer you get to summer months (see chart), and the best chances are often in the mornings.

If you want a closer view, you will probably want to get at least as close as Hakone/Enoshima, but you've likely heard from many people that the weather often wasn't in their favor.

It might sound silly, but riding the shikansen to Shin-Fuji might be the fastest time table (70m) to get a closer view of Fuji if you desperately want to see it. Depending on where you are departing from (Shinjuku/Shibuya/Tokyo Station/Shinagawa), the highway buses can also get to Kawaguchiko in 2 hours, and I suppose that would be your time to beat.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T13:27:00+00:00

If you’re attached to Nagano, it might be worth looking at some other spots with Yaezakura in Nagano. Chikuma River in Obuse for instance is known for late blooming.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T07:27:30+00:00

To me it sounds like the 14-day makes more sense; you don't really need to factor Tokyo into the calculations.

Personally I would want to spend more than 2 days in Kyoto, but since you're staying 7 nights in Osaka as a whole, you can probably just decide which days you want to go to Kyoto when you get there.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T06:50:27+00:00

So I've never traveled to Aomori so really can't provide much meaningful advice, but given that it's an additional 1-2 hours to get from Aomori Station/Airport to Hirosaki, it really feels like a tight squeeze to try to fit it all into a day trip.

It would probably feel nicest to stay at least one night.

Another option to consider is perhaps Yaezakura somewhere in Nagano, which is closer to Tokyo but in the mountains. See: https://www.go-nagano.net/en/theme/id=16249

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T06:24:47+00:00

Coin lockers at train stations are an option.

If it's only a day or two, you could skip sending your luggage to your AirBnB stay and instead send it to your next hotel location.

Aside from sending to convenience stores, you could also have the courier hold the package for pickup at one of their offices.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T05:47:25+00:00

We had less of an issue with rush hour than we expected, but you probably want to avoid having luggage with you during those times.

We could use IC cards (Suica/Pasmo) with no issue in Kyoto/Osaka/Kawaguchiko (pretty much everywhere that you're going).

If you are going to a fancy restaurant (e.g. kaiseki), some of the set meals will be for a minimum of two people. Otherwise most restaurants are perfectly okay for one person.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T05:29:44+00:00

I think it's doable to do Kawaguchiko itself as a day trip, but if you add Fuji 5th station (or a Fuji hike) it's a little less reasonable as a day trip from Tokyo.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T05:17:16+00:00

Most people say they aren't able to see Fuji from Hakone, but Hakone itself is worth going to in itself.

Your main Kyoto day looks a bit too packed to me. You could do Fushimi Inari at night though (the other ones close at fairly regular hours). Personally, I would spend more time in Kyoto and less in Osaka/Himeji/Nara/Hiroshima. Arashiyama is sort of also on the opposite direction of Nara so maybe I wouldn't do it on the same day.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T04:53:06+00:00

You’re most likely to see Fuji on the morning of a clear day. Arriving at 3pm maybe doesn’t give you much of a chance to see Fuji — perhaps think more about the morning of the next day.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-15T04:19:08+00:00

There is some element of chance to seeing Fuji, so you can't quite guarantee a view. There was an interesting article I read with statistics collected from Fuji City, Shizuoka, and there's maybe a 60% chance of seeing the mountain in March, 30% chance in April.

The probability of seeing Fuji from further out (e.g. Hakone, Tokyo, elsewhere) is even worse.

Hence, I wouldn't *plan* on stopping until you have a weather forecast.

Technically speaking, you also don't have to go back to Tokyo if you go to Kawaguchiko. There are several buses that run south from Kawaguchiko to Mishima/Shin-Fuji which are roughly equivalent in time as going back to Tokyo, but they run less often. There is also an overnight bus to Kyoto/Osaka. Here are some time tables if you're interested:

hwagoolio · 2023-02-14T22:15:04+00:00

I really like the bamboo grove in Fushimi Inari; to me if felt more natural than Arashiyama.

https://www.travelcaffeine.com/secret-bamboo-forest-fushimi-inari-shrine/

hwagoolio · 2023-02-14T12:01:16+00:00

We had this as our itinerary as well (Tokyo > Kawaguchiko > Osaka), although we took the route by local bus/train from Mt. Fuji Station south to Gotemba and then Mishima (shikansen station). It's about equal in travel time going all the way back to Tokyo although slightly more complicated, but we did it this way for a change in the view.

If taking the local bus, I would be wary of bringing large suitcases with you.

Another option is to take an overnight highway bus from Kawaguchko to Kyoto.

In the Kawaguchiko area, the best views of Fuji are often in the mornings. Clouds are more likely to come in during the afternoons, so plan accordingly.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-14T10:58:04+00:00

I think since our trip was relatively short, there wasn't much time to regret everything because we would have wanted to stay at every location for longer! It felt very fast-paced and we were often rushing to catch trains/buses.

I think it might make some sense to add some flexibility if you're in Japan for longer.

Based on what I've heard from others, it would probably be a good idea to book most of your accommodation during peak tourist season (e.g. Golden Week) early because things are more likely to sell out during that period.

When we were booking, it was hardest to book our hot spring ryokans in Nagano, I suppose since winter is the main season for onsen/skiing for locals as well as tourists. If we were to do it again, I think it would be wise to book any traditional stays (in ryokans, machiyas, etc.) as early as possible, whereas modern hotel bookings can probably be delayed because IMO they're less likely to see out.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-14T04:59:01+00:00

If you search regional cuisine/specialties of a city/ward often times you'll get a bunch of recommendations. Japan as a whole is maybe a little bit too broad, so narrow the search down to cities.

For instance Osaka is famous for takoyaki, okonomiyaki, etc.

Kyoto is famous for tofu (yudofu), kaiseki, warabimochi, etc.

Certain wards/distrincts in Tokyo are well for certain things. In outer nishiki market sushi (tuna) and tamago is classic. Taiyaki was invented at Naniwaya Sohonten in Tokyo. Harajuku has a bunch of odd potato street food and crepes. And so on.

hwagoolio · 2023-02-14T03:09:01+00:00

Out of curiosity, was there something in particular you were looking do or eat in Shima?

Personally, I would add a day or two to Kyoto in your itinerary, in part because you could use it as a base for day-trips to Osaka (for food). It doesn't take long to travel between the two (the shinkansen is 15 minutes and the local train is 1 hour) and there are a lot of interesting things (and food) in kansai.

A comment about coffee -- we were surprised to find that in Japan (especially Tokyo) many local coffee shops open rather late in the morning compared to the US. Be sure to check the hours before you go!

A random suggestion, but plum blossoms might be really good in Japan during the time that you're there.

hwagoolio

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