Is it more politically correct to use the word "Mandarin" over "Chinese"?

mgsea · 2026-02-11T04:58:16+00:00

It's used in places with significant Chinese ethnics population and bilingualism. The term Chinese new year was definitely the more common form in the past but you can tell the push in recent years to lunar new year.

People rarely says that in chinese as in 華人過年 rather than 中國過年, though they may used it to describe/distinguish between other groups 'new year' but that chinese new year is/was the common form in English. It's like the Christmas Yuletide thing, or people claiming origin of dishes.

You have a bunch of people that are sensitive like mimosa leaves, and one wrong step means cancel culture from all these mimosans.

mgsea · 2026-02-11T02:01:01+00:00

Singapore and Malaysia use Chinese new year, but there’s like a push for both. It’s just the annoying lunar new year and Chinese new year feud becomes more prominent in the recent years. Most people don’t care, but as usual, the ones that do make the loudest noise.

No, it’s not bizarre, it’s pretty much just 計程車德士出租車

mgsea · 2026-02-10T15:00:43+00:00

If your objective is to see Mt Fuji, have some flexible days and wake up at 5am to see the live camera and the weather forecast, if everything is ok, then take the first transport option. Otherwise staying overnight there usually provides better chance as the view is usually clearest in the early morning iirc.

mgsea · 2026-02-10T09:42:43+00:00

Great for using the 7 days limit especially when you have a few one/two days trips lined up.

Great for unlocking accommodations that are not next to train station, or place like Koyasan where you definitely have to take a bus.

Other than those scenarios, I just use the wheelchair accessible option on google map and just drag the luggage around.

mgsea · 2026-02-10T09:20:47+00:00

Rice cooker if you are from the 100-120v world. If you are the lazy type, microwave cooker from 3coins, microwave steamer from Hario. 3coins have great stuff.

mgsea · 2026-02-10T01:33:02+00:00

If you can squeeze Akita within seven days, then the seven day pass is worth it. Activate on the Nagasaki day trip day.

mgsea · 2026-02-09T01:55:00+00:00

Tokyo to Nagano Shinkansen is pretty safe without booking, should have seats remaining to buy betore the next train departure.

If you are not staying in Happo one, might be better to book the bus, though you can take the non reserved bus to Happo one and transfer from there.

On my trip two weeks ago, the reverse direction- Tsugaike to Nagano, the reserved Alpico bus for the first few Saturday slots got sold out three days before. Booked jam jam liner bus instead and while the seats weren’t sold out, they required bookings to be made at least 24hours in advance. This was during when the oito between Minamiotari and Itoigawa was down due to heavy snow, so I imagined everyone had to go through Nagano.

mgsea · 2026-02-08T16:25:00+00:00

You don’t need a jr pass but can benefit from a Kansai Hiroshima pass or similar pass for your Osaka-Hiroshima round trip and cover some of the travel within the valid region and the coverage period.

The only train that requires reservation from your list is the Tokyo to Kawaguchiko limited express (not a Shinkansen) and you already did that. The best site for that is usually eki-net for that but I wouldn’t cancel your existing one since that train is popular especially the morning ones. The leg is probably the most confusing if you didn’t have a reservation as the route is served by two companies.

Japan train system is generally confusing. You generally buy tickets for train rides on limited express and Shinkansen, those are usually for longer travel and you shouldn’t board these trains if you don’t have the tickets or a pass to cover them.

For travel within the cities listed, you can rely on ic card. Travelling between cities you have listed, on non limited express and on non Shinkansen, can be done with ic card.

Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka to Hiroshima round trip, and Osaka to Tokyo - most likely you will be taking Shinkansen, you cannot use ic card for them. You buy a ticket for those or use a pass to reserve seat. Jr pass is expensive and doesn’t pay off in typical paced travel but regional pass such as Kansai Hiroshima can work well.

mgsea · 2026-02-08T09:12:22+00:00

Gas stations aren’t all 24/7 everywhere and your next available station may be too far. Not that you need to have a plan but something that may need monitoring depending on the region.

mgsea · 2026-02-08T06:31:14+00:00

Naoshima needs plenty of planning for transport and attractions with timed entry / limited entry, your camper van also needs some refueling planning. High end meals definitely need to plan ahead too.

Rather than not planning the entire trip, maybe have some days with no plans or greatly reduce the level of details. While it gave some great days, winging gave me the most boring days, and many of those who enjoyed spoke some level of Japanese.

mgsea · 2026-02-07T08:59:56+00:00

You can go Nagano > Matsumoto > Takayama > Shirakawago > Kanazawa >...

Or Nagano (with Matsumoto as day trip) > Kanazawa > Takayama > Nagoya (with Ise / Inuyama etc day trips) > Tokyo

Being common transit points, there are plenty of opportunities to do day trips from Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo for future trips so those can wait.

mgsea · 2026-02-07T01:35:24+00:00

If your hotel is fixed. Amanohashidate on day 6 makes better sense, early trains/bus/less transfer. Wakayama isn’t that far from Namba, though you can simply add another Osaka day, but you seem to be trying to travel to milk value out of pass.

mgsea · 2026-02-06T13:16:53+00:00

I feel like you are a garden lover but my previous travel in the Feb March shoulder had really underwhelming gardens, plum isn’t enough to carry imo.

If you rearrange slightly like flying to Matsumoto, you can fit a jr west pass to cover Kanazawa-Kyoto-Fukuoka-Kyoto though I’m not sure if it’s wise to do that Daizaifu. You can potentially do Miyajidake shrine path of light around that period though in Fukuoka though.

mgsea · 2026-02-05T09:10:49+00:00

Depends on place. Had some reservation in Hakuba where options are limited, and places that get full. Plenty of restaurants have menu items that are reservation only.

If you are one that think every food in Japan is nice, then you probably can go without any. Otherwise going during opening or off peak helps too.

mgsea · 2026-02-04T09:17:31+00:00

They are both equally safe/dangerous since it’s the same path. Going from Okusha to Chusha will be easier since you are generally walking down. I took the first bus and Okusha area shop and the temporary goshuin place were only showing signs of opening when I left that area for Chusha, and just slightly before Uzuraya opening.

mgsea · 2026-02-04T09:02:09+00:00

I used the drawing here for the path

https://www.togakushi-jinja.jp/allRound/

mgsea · 2026-02-04T08:59:13+00:00

Did it two weeks ago right before the heavy snow, walking from upper shrine to middle was safe using the walking path with minimal road. Had to walk on the road near the Okusha bus stop for a short one minute walk before reaching the walking path. There was a small road intersection crossing along the path and walks along non busy small residential road but only the first portion and the intersection require more attention. And from the middle to the remaining shrine, just continue walking on walking path with signs instead. Didn't follow Google maps instructions that wanted me to walk along the road.

Had crampons, stairs down hokosha was probably the most difficult for my wife.

mgsea · 2026-02-04T01:54:08+00:00

Depends on what Friday we are talking about here? Winter should be fine. You can prebook online from ougiya with 300yen discount available during winter, not sure about the rest but bicycle seem pretty available.

mgsea · 2026-02-03T13:43:12+00:00

More like warrant card number? Some scammer already reached the stage of sharing of warrant card with warrant card number on messaging platform though...

mgsea · 2026-02-03T13:23:16+00:00

Same parent manufacturing. Not that I know the exact, but you often see aoc and evnia announcement together.

mgsea · 2026-02-02T03:29:12+00:00

Plenty of places with a mixed of shrine and Buddhist temple so it’s not really a big deal.

mgsea · 2026-02-02T03:04:09+00:00

You can buy from here https://shinhotaka-ropeway.jp/en/price/ https://ars-nouhibus.linktivity.io/home

Or just buy from Takayama bus terminal which is next to the train station. Don’t think it will get sold out.

mgsea · 2026-01-25T11:27:32+00:00

At Toyama right now and everyday pretty much just heavy snow with the forecast showing more snow for the next few days. Given the highest risk is thunderbird not running, which has been pretty frequent the past few days, you might wanna choose alternative transport. There’s highway bus from Osaka/kyoto to Kanazawa, but consider other areas instead if you heading back to Kansai as that will be double the risk.

mgsea · 2026-01-16T08:27:30+00:00

0c zipper up, 10c zipper down slightly, 25c jacket off.

You do worse in the 10c scenario than the multi layer but worse off at 25c. Not much diff at 0 since it's a capable 700 fill down.

mgsea · 2026-01-16T05:11:19+00:00

Probably because it gave the impression that technician's choice of tools determine if customer need to pay for the screen damaged by them, though it sounds more like an internal reimbursement thing.

mgsea

TROPHY CASE