Hello everyone... I’ve been reading the messages on this board for a bit now, and really have to say that you are all such a great resource! With some of the advice in mind, I’ve sketched out an itinerary for me and a friend that will be roughly 5 days in the Kyoto area (with side trips to Nara and Osaka) and 3 days in Nagoya. However, with a little less than a week to go before we head out to Japan (we’re flying into Nagoya May 12), I still have a few lingering questions I was hoping someone could help me with:

1. We’ve decided to buy our train tickets point-to-point, as a JR pass doesn’t really make sense for us given the (relatively) small area that we’ll be traveling around. That said, would it be worth it to buy bus or combination bus-subway passes for Kyoto sightseeing and general exploring?
2. We’ll be in Kyoto for the Aoi Matsuri. Does anyone have any insider advice as to the best place to check it out? Should I stake out a place near the Imperial Palace, or near the Shimo-gamo/Kami-gamo Shrines? Somewhere in between?
3. I’d love to check out a nighttime temple/shrine illumination. Does anyone know of any places having such events? What is the general timing?
4. Any advice on things to do in the Nagoya area? We’re planning to visit Magome and Tsumago one day and the Expo for at least one other day, but would love to know what other options are out there, especially at night. I hear Sakae is supposed to be nice; is there anything in particular I should look out for?

Sorry for the long list... I'd appreciate advice to any or all of these questions. Thanks in advance for your help!

Sakae in Nagoya is the main shoppnig district in Nagoya. If you like to shop, this is the place in Nagoya to do it.

For Expo, get there early, as lines are long. If possible, don't go to expo on a weekend.

In Kyoto, depending on how much you plan to move around within the city, and depending on if the places you want to visit are easily accessible by public transport, you might want a local transport pass. We've always just done the pay as you go...using bus/subway sometimes, and taxis a bit more often. We've found that the cost of a taxi divided by 3 or 4 people isn't too bad, and the time and hassle saved by going directly from one place to the other without dealing with getting to stations/stops and waiting...it was just easier and more enjoyable to use taxis in Kyoto, and it certainly didn't break the bank. You can always ask the driver about how much the trip might be and decide that way.

There is baseball at the Nagoya Dome on May 13, 14, and 15. I believe that the game times on those days are 6PM, 3PM, and 2PM, respectively.

The Nagoya team, the Chunichi Dragons, won the Japan Series last year. The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks will be visiting.

The Kyoto night illuminations at temples are Spring cherry blossom and Fall leaf season events.

There is none listed during your visit at:

http://raku.city.kyoto.jp/sight_e.phtml

Thanks everyone, for your kind replies!

KimJapan: I’ve also heard that the Expo lines are long, and, though I was able to get tickets in advance, I didn’t receive them in enough time to make online reservations for some of the more popular pavilions. Fortunately, we’re planning to visit the site on either a Wednesday or Thursday… hopefully we’ll be lucky! Have you been to the Expo? Anything there that’s an absolute must see? As for Sakae, how late are things usually open? It will be nice to do a little window shopping, etc. after the Expo and I also understand there’s a good concentration of restaurants around there.

As for Kyoto transportation, I think we’ll probably end up paying as we go as well, though it’s good to know about the taxi option… I was always under the impression that they’d be much too expensive!

mrwunrfl: Ah, Japanese baseball… I would love to check out a game, especially for the atmosphere, but my friend just doesn’t get excited by the idea. Besides, I will probably be in the Nagoya area May 17-19 (we’ll be going straight to Kyoto when we fly in on the 12th), so I’ll miss those games. Just for future reference, though, do you know of any good links for baseball schedules, etc.? Maybe for the next trip!

nickn: I remember coming across that link when I was doing some of the initial planning, but somehow lost track of it (this was a very last minute trip, so most of my time was spent trying to make hotel reservations… no easy task, especially given the Expo in Nagoya). Though I’m a little disappointed that there won’t be any illuminations this time of year, the site has some nice info on the Aoi Festival, especially regarding timing, that I don’t think was there the first time I checked it out. Thanks for reminding me of that resource!

Haven't been to expo...every friend I have who has gone has given reports of 2 hour waits outside pavillions and similar waits for lunch. I'm not patient enough for that.

Sakae shops close between 7 and 9 pm, open between 10 and 11...depends on the shops. Not much window shopping to speak of. Shops are located inside buildings...department stores are filled with various shops, too. For food, it's everywhere. The top floors of department stores have restaurants. The basement floors have food shops of every variety, and maybe a restaurant or two. On the street, restaurants are not only located on street level, but on every floor including the basement levels. They can actually be tricky to find.

Taxis...they are reasonable for short distances....expensive for long distances. It might pay to ask the driver for an estimate before you get in if you aren't sure of the distance. You could also ask at the information booth of sites about the cost of a taxi from there to the next site...depending on their disposition they might either tell you, help you ask the driver, or shrug...it's worth a shot though.

There is a list of transport directions that looks useful. It is at the JNTO website.

Go here:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spn/kyoto/index.html

Click on: Transport Information

Click on: "A click displays a big image" or the image itself

Hmm... that's too bad about the Expo. I guess we'll check it out for at least one day to see if it actually warrants another. I had no idea that there were similar waits just to get lunch, though! I think I read somewhere that they now allow people to bring their own lunches into the site. Do you happen to know if this is the case?

I think I'll most probably end up doing most of my Kyoto sightseeing by bus, subway, and some good old walking. Thanks for directing me to that transport information page -- the bus route map is especially helpful!

You may now bring food in with you, yes. You may not bring any drinks that are in PET bottles though, so if you bring drinks in be sure they are boxed or canned. Carrying around lunch all day isn't my idea of fun though...not to mention the risk of spoilage.

Exceptions to the spoilage rules we all know though are convenience store/bento shop boxed lunches and prepared foods like onigiri and sandwiches...these types of foods are so heavily laced with preservatives and anti-microbes that they will be safe to eat in terms of food poisoning safety, but in terms of chemical content per serving...well, let's say our family has avoided these types of foods ever since we were enlightened by one of my students/friends who had a part-time job in a Lawson's (convenience store chain) kitchen.

So...maybe bring in fruit, drinks, and bread...or brave the lunch lines. Perhaps you'll get lucky on a weekday and have good luck. Also, an acquaintance who went to Expo yesterday told me that lines to popular things...like Toyota and the mammoth, were out of control, but the less popular places weren't as bad so they missed the popular famous stuff but did enjoy the day.

That's great advice -- thank you!

It's funny that my original idea actually -was- to pick up a boxed lunch or some onigiri from a convenience store. I've never really paid much attention to preservatives, etc. but the thought of "chemical content per serving" is something that could definitely kill an appetite...

As for Expo strategy, I'm starting to think along the same lines. I'd love to see the robot exhibit, but I think I'd equally enjoy just hanging out at the Growing Village.