November trip
Mar 10th, 2015, 06:17 AM
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November trip
Hello,
This November we are going to Japan for the first time. We already discovered that we need more time so this will be the first but not last visit.
First a bit of introduction:
I'm Yvet and 38 years old and married to Emiel (48) we live in Delft the Netherlands.
We both are complete Disney geeks and have visited the US many many times at both Disney parks and also traveled around the US quite a lot. We also visited New Zealand, Australia and big parts of Europe.
Because we are huge Disney fans we decided to go on a trip to Japan.
Our goal is to visit all the Disney parks in the world, so in the future there will be trips to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Of course we want to see Japan also and not only experience Disney.
Our travel schedule:
November 13th Travel from Amsterdam to NRT with Aeroflot.
November 14th Arrive at NRT 11.40am, stay in Tokyo (Asakusa) see Ueno park and Senjii Temple and walk around Asakusa.
November 15th Day in Tokyo, overnight Disney
November 16th Tokyo Disneyland, overnight Disney
November 17th Tokyo Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 18th Tokyo Disneyland / Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 19th Tokyo Disneyland / Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 20th Day in Tokyo, overnight Tameikesanno
November 21st Daytrip to Nikko, overnight Tameikesanno
November 22nd Daytrip to Kamakura, overnight Tameikesanno
November 23rd Travel to Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 24th Day in Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 25th Daytrip to Nara, overnight Higashiyama
November 26th Daytrip to Hiroshima, overnight Higashiyama
November 27th Daytrip Osaka, overnight Higashiyama
November 28th Day in Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 29th Stay Himeji Castle, overnight Narita Airport
November 30th Fly back home 13.10pm NRT - AMS
Normally when we travel to Orlando we stay in a villa, any other trips we stay in luxury hotels. This time we try something else, we have rented apartments thru Airbnb and we are staying at a Machiya.
In Tokyo we have the first night an apartment close to Asakusa Station. then we travel to Disney where we want to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay. after Disney we go back to Tokyo and stay in an apartment close to Tameikesanno station. Next we travel to Kyoto where we stay at Sakara Kyoto.
The last night we want to stay close to NRT airport and are looking into staying at Radisson Hotel Narita.
We are going to get a Japan Rail Pass.
1 I think it's best / cheapest to get a 7 day pass starting the 23rd and have the trips Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Nara, Kyoto-Hiroshima, Kyoto- Osaka, Kyoto- Hineji-Narita included. And pay for the trips Tokyo-Disney, Disney-Tokyo, Day trip Nikko and day trip Kamakura out of pocket. Am I correct?
2 To reserve seats, do we have to wait till the day the pass starts (the 23rd) or can we do this when we exchange the voucher?
3 Is it best to exchange the voucher at the airport or is it more convenient to do it elsewhere?
Of course I have a bunch of other questions:
4 What do you think of our schedule?
5 Do any of you have suggestions about the hotel at Disney and at Narita?
6 What are your suggestions for must sees, not to miss, things to do in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?
7 Would it be allowed to bring your own slippers to Temples (castle)?
8 Tipping is a no go, but can we bring like Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes as thank you gifts?
9 Do you have any tips for me?
And lots more but they come later ;-)
Sorry that the first post became so long with lots of questions.
Thanks in advance for all your help, tips and suggestions.
This November we are going to Japan for the first time. We already discovered that we need more time so this will be the first but not last visit.
First a bit of introduction:
I'm Yvet and 38 years old and married to Emiel (48) we live in Delft the Netherlands.
We both are complete Disney geeks and have visited the US many many times at both Disney parks and also traveled around the US quite a lot. We also visited New Zealand, Australia and big parts of Europe.
Because we are huge Disney fans we decided to go on a trip to Japan.
Our goal is to visit all the Disney parks in the world, so in the future there will be trips to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Of course we want to see Japan also and not only experience Disney.
Our travel schedule:
November 13th Travel from Amsterdam to NRT with Aeroflot.
November 14th Arrive at NRT 11.40am, stay in Tokyo (Asakusa) see Ueno park and Senjii Temple and walk around Asakusa.
November 15th Day in Tokyo, overnight Disney
November 16th Tokyo Disneyland, overnight Disney
November 17th Tokyo Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 18th Tokyo Disneyland / Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 19th Tokyo Disneyland / Disney Sea, overnight Disney
November 20th Day in Tokyo, overnight Tameikesanno
November 21st Daytrip to Nikko, overnight Tameikesanno
November 22nd Daytrip to Kamakura, overnight Tameikesanno
November 23rd Travel to Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 24th Day in Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 25th Daytrip to Nara, overnight Higashiyama
November 26th Daytrip to Hiroshima, overnight Higashiyama
November 27th Daytrip Osaka, overnight Higashiyama
November 28th Day in Kyoto, overnight Higashiyama
November 29th Stay Himeji Castle, overnight Narita Airport
November 30th Fly back home 13.10pm NRT - AMS
Normally when we travel to Orlando we stay in a villa, any other trips we stay in luxury hotels. This time we try something else, we have rented apartments thru Airbnb and we are staying at a Machiya.
In Tokyo we have the first night an apartment close to Asakusa Station. then we travel to Disney where we want to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay. after Disney we go back to Tokyo and stay in an apartment close to Tameikesanno station. Next we travel to Kyoto where we stay at Sakara Kyoto.
The last night we want to stay close to NRT airport and are looking into staying at Radisson Hotel Narita.
We are going to get a Japan Rail Pass.
1 I think it's best / cheapest to get a 7 day pass starting the 23rd and have the trips Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Nara, Kyoto-Hiroshima, Kyoto- Osaka, Kyoto- Hineji-Narita included. And pay for the trips Tokyo-Disney, Disney-Tokyo, Day trip Nikko and day trip Kamakura out of pocket. Am I correct?
2 To reserve seats, do we have to wait till the day the pass starts (the 23rd) or can we do this when we exchange the voucher?
3 Is it best to exchange the voucher at the airport or is it more convenient to do it elsewhere?
Of course I have a bunch of other questions:
4 What do you think of our schedule?
5 Do any of you have suggestions about the hotel at Disney and at Narita?
6 What are your suggestions for must sees, not to miss, things to do in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?
7 Would it be allowed to bring your own slippers to Temples (castle)?
8 Tipping is a no go, but can we bring like Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes as thank you gifts?
9 Do you have any tips for me?
And lots more but they come later ;-)
Sorry that the first post became so long with lots of questions.
Thanks in advance for all your help, tips and suggestions.
Mar 10th, 2015, 09:35 AM
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It depends on your personal interests but you've left very little time to see Tokyo itself, most of your time there is either at Disney or away on day trips. I might consider dropping a day trip to give more time to Tokyo itself.
Likewise, much of your time in Kyoto is not actually in Kyoto as you have a lot of day trips planned. Kyoto has so much to see and do and enjoy, it's very easy to shortchange it and regret it later. You only have two days actually dedicated to Kyoto that I can see.
Hiroshima is worth a visit, though personally I recommend if you visit to overnight on Miyajima before returning to Kyoto the next day, it's a beautiful island and well worth a visit.
I'm not sure whether I'd cut Osaka or Nara, both are worth visiting, but I feel your itinerary is quite rushed already.
Obviously, I'm not suggesting cutting Disney, as I realise it's central to your interests. Five nights/ four days seems like a lot to me but I'm not really a Disney geek, though I've enjoyed several visits to both US sites.
Likewise, much of your time in Kyoto is not actually in Kyoto as you have a lot of day trips planned. Kyoto has so much to see and do and enjoy, it's very easy to shortchange it and regret it later. You only have two days actually dedicated to Kyoto that I can see.
Hiroshima is worth a visit, though personally I recommend if you visit to overnight on Miyajima before returning to Kyoto the next day, it's a beautiful island and well worth a visit.
I'm not sure whether I'd cut Osaka or Nara, both are worth visiting, but I feel your itinerary is quite rushed already.
Obviously, I'm not suggesting cutting Disney, as I realise it's central to your interests. Five nights/ four days seems like a lot to me but I'm not really a Disney geek, though I've enjoyed several visits to both US sites.
Mar 10th, 2015, 06:44 PM
#3
I'm not sure if the Himeji castle visit on November 29 is a typo or if you really plan to go to Himeji from Kyoto then head north to Narita for the night.
If you want to see Himeji Castle, you should do it on your way to or from Hiroshima, as it is halfway between Kyoto and Hiroshima. You could easily stop in Himeji on the way to Hiroshima (leave your luggage at the train station), then spend the night in either Hiroshima or Miajima.
Otherwise, you'll need to spend about 2 hours traveling from Kyoto to Himeji, a couple of hours to tour the castle and another 4 or 5 hours to get to Narita that day. 6 or 7 hours on the train- the day before a long airline trip- sound like a very tiring ending to your trip.
If you want to see Himeji Castle, you should do it on your way to or from Hiroshima, as it is halfway between Kyoto and Hiroshima. You could easily stop in Himeji on the way to Hiroshima (leave your luggage at the train station), then spend the night in either Hiroshima or Miajima.
Otherwise, you'll need to spend about 2 hours traveling from Kyoto to Himeji, a couple of hours to tour the castle and another 4 or 5 hours to get to Narita that day. 6 or 7 hours on the train- the day before a long airline trip- sound like a very tiring ending to your trip.
Mar 11th, 2015, 02:09 AM
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I agree with both Kavey and lcuy; I think each has offered some comments that are well worth your consideration.
At the risk of stating the obvious, there are Disney-related things that can be seen in MANY places around the world, and things that have nothing to do with Disney that can be seen ONLY in Japan. Only you and your family can decide how to distribute you time across these options.
"Would it be allowed to bring your own slippers to Temples (castle)?"
IME, one does NOT wear slippers in temples. You generally leave your footwear at the entrance. Here's some info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2057.html
The only places I remember that asked me to wear slippers were places like Himeji that asked guests to put "slippers" on to protect the floors. These aren't really slippers -- they are just little bits of protective fiber. I don't know, but would be surprised if you would be allowed to use your own slippers,
8 Tipping is a no go, but can we bring like Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes as thank you gifts?
I don't know the value of Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes, and so can't comment with any confidence. But I would note that Japan has a gift EXCHANGE tradition -- if you give a gift, you are basically making a statement that you should be given a gift, and preferably one of comparable value. My Japanese friends advised me to take only truly nominal gifts -- key chains, notepaper, etc., but with some connection to my home, and they told me to wrap them and present them (with both hands, right on top of the left, as I recall) ONLY if I was sure I could do so without invoking the shared gift giving tradition -- and to have such a gift handy in case someone unexpectedly engaged me in that tradition!
I trust you are familiar with the excellent japan-guide website?
http://www.japan-guide.com
Enjoy!
At the risk of stating the obvious, there are Disney-related things that can be seen in MANY places around the world, and things that have nothing to do with Disney that can be seen ONLY in Japan. Only you and your family can decide how to distribute you time across these options.
"Would it be allowed to bring your own slippers to Temples (castle)?"
IME, one does NOT wear slippers in temples. You generally leave your footwear at the entrance. Here's some info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2057.html
The only places I remember that asked me to wear slippers were places like Himeji that asked guests to put "slippers" on to protect the floors. These aren't really slippers -- they are just little bits of protective fiber. I don't know, but would be surprised if you would be allowed to use your own slippers,
8 Tipping is a no go, but can we bring like Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes as thank you gifts?
I don't know the value of Delft Blue Porcelain wooden shoes, and so can't comment with any confidence. But I would note that Japan has a gift EXCHANGE tradition -- if you give a gift, you are basically making a statement that you should be given a gift, and preferably one of comparable value. My Japanese friends advised me to take only truly nominal gifts -- key chains, notepaper, etc., but with some connection to my home, and they told me to wrap them and present them (with both hands, right on top of the left, as I recall) ONLY if I was sure I could do so without invoking the shared gift giving tradition -- and to have such a gift handy in case someone unexpectedly engaged me in that tradition!
I trust you are familiar with the excellent japan-guide website?
http://www.japan-guide.com
Enjoy!
Mar 11th, 2015, 02:46 AM
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In terms of gift giving, I had a couple of people I wanted to take a gift for on my last trip.
One was a volunteer guide we booked for a day in Fukuoka. All we paid for were her travel expenses (to meet us and get home, plus bus etc. tickets during the day) and we covered her food and drinks during the day. But there was no other charge.
And the other was the owner of a ryokan we had stayed in on our previous visit and who had gone above and beyond when I needed help, accompanying us to a hospital (and refusing to let us pay the taxi fare), translating, arranging transport to get home, leaving us a picnic dinner in our room as she knew we'd be home late, and encouraging us to check out late to give me more time to rest/ recover.
For both, I took a selection of British pickles in jars - I know the Japanese love pickles so I thought it would be a gift that they could enjoy.
I think I made it clear (without belabouring the point) that these were my thanks in return for the gifts they had given me - for the first, the gift of her time and knowledge of Fukuoka and for the second, the kindness she had shown us when we were in need.
My impression was that they appreciated and understood the reason for the gifts and did not take from them an obligation to give me another gift in return.
One was a volunteer guide we booked for a day in Fukuoka. All we paid for were her travel expenses (to meet us and get home, plus bus etc. tickets during the day) and we covered her food and drinks during the day. But there was no other charge.
And the other was the owner of a ryokan we had stayed in on our previous visit and who had gone above and beyond when I needed help, accompanying us to a hospital (and refusing to let us pay the taxi fare), translating, arranging transport to get home, leaving us a picnic dinner in our room as she knew we'd be home late, and encouraging us to check out late to give me more time to rest/ recover.
For both, I took a selection of British pickles in jars - I know the Japanese love pickles so I thought it would be a gift that they could enjoy.
I think I made it clear (without belabouring the point) that these were my thanks in return for the gifts they had given me - for the first, the gift of her time and knowledge of Fukuoka and for the second, the kindness she had shown us when we were in need.
My impression was that they appreciated and understood the reason for the gifts and did not take from them an obligation to give me another gift in return.
Mar 11th, 2015, 03:00 AM
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What wonderful examples of instances in which giving a gift in Japan works! Especially because, as I understand it, Kavey has a connection to Great Britain (thus giving the pickles a personal meaning). Thanks, Kavey!
Mar 11th, 2015, 10:15 AM
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Some great gift advice above.
Have considered a a visit to Studio Ghibili in Mitaka?
If you want to go you need advance reservations for your time of choice.
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket_information/
Have considered a a visit to Studio Ghibili in Mitaka?
If you want to go you need advance reservations for your time of choice.
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket_information/
Mar 11th, 2015, 10:53 AM
#10
1. Yes
2. When you do the exchange
3. Elsewhere
4.
5. I liked the Hilton at Narita. Take the loop bus and visit the onsen in town.
6. Go to Mieji Jingu on the 15th for Shichi-go-san
7. Probably
8.
2. When you do the exchange
3. Elsewhere
4.
5. I liked the Hilton at Narita. Take the loop bus and visit the onsen in town.
6. Go to Mieji Jingu on the 15th for Shichi-go-san
7. Probably
8.
Mar 11th, 2015, 11:51 AM
#11
If you are talking about the little tiny ceramic shoes, those would be fine. One trick to avoid the other party running to find a comparable gift for you, is to give it right as you leave; meaning as you exit the door waving goodbye.
And say something along the lines of, "This is nothing. Just a small thank you for all your kindness". Doesn't matter if you're giving a Rolex watch, you always say its "very small, really nothing"
And say something along the lines of, "This is nothing. Just a small thank you for all your kindness". Doesn't matter if you're giving a Rolex watch, you always say its "very small, really nothing"
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