Jill02

In a week from Sunday my family of 5 sets off for Japan. We have never been there, or anywhere in Asia but this was a graduation gift to my 18 year old son so here we go. We squeezed in the only consecutive 15 days the family has available so yes, we are going in August. We know to stay hydrated and set reasonable limits.

I would sincerely appreciate tips on the following:

1. First 5 nights Tokyo.

Private transfer to hotel so what could go wrong? We purchased JR passes for the next day. Do we validate them at Narita? Where/how? We are staying in the Shinjuku Distrcit so we can walk around and get oriented to stay awake until local bedtime. The first day we have a tour which includes the major sites. Rather than plan day by day itineraries, I like to be equipped with a flexible list of attractions to shoot for. I'm letting the teenagers drive the additional Tokyo sites - their #1 is the zoo.

We have our Tokyo day trips narrowed down to 3 options: Kamakura, Nikko and/or Hakone. After paying $2109 for the train passes, I don't feel like paying $150 X 5 for a tour. Is it possible to follow the directions on the Japan-Guide to arrive at these destinations and then hire a local guide? I don't want to be studying maps the whole time. I'm leaning towards Nikko and Kamakura.

2. To Hiroshima

Searching for trains on Hyperdia is confusing. Is Nozomi private? Do I have to reserve seats? Looks like a 289 minute journey with 1 transfer. Will non seafood food be available for purchase? What do we do with our suitcases?

Once we arrive in Hiroshima we can walk or taxi to the Sheraton. The next morning, I have a lovely simple walking tour mapped out. Food suggestions for picky kids who like Top Ramen and rice?!

3. Mirajima

The directions to the ferry look pretty easy. We will be staying at a traditional ryokan so that will be an experience. Food suggestions? Do you just walk around?

4. Osaka

How do we get from Mirajima to Osaka on JR lines? We are staying at the Marriott and going for the purpose of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Silly, I know. We will have time for another attraction or two in Osaka - suggestions?

5. Kyoto - 5 nights

We purposely end in Kyoto close to Tokyo for a shorter train ride back to the airport on our departure day. How crowded will the 9 am Shikansen to Tokyo be? We will have suitcases.

I haven't even started researching Kyoto yet. Of course we want to see Nara. Romantic train? TBC... I have to run to Target to buy my kids shoes and shorts. Btw, can I wear light sundresses without offending any dress or cultural codes? Flip flops?

kja

1. No reason to pay for a tour anywhere. Many of us find japan-guide or the Japanese National Tourism Organization (JNTO) information
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/
or a good guidebook or two more than sufficient. And if you do want a guide, by all means, consider one of the many free guides available in Japan, e.g., Goodwill guides: JNTO coordinates free "volunteer guides who are knowledgeable and happy to guide you in return for practicing their English – which can be excellent!
www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/trav…
You pay any entrance fees and his/her meal if your time with the guide includes one.

2. Nozomi trains are the higest speed trains run by Japan Rail; they are not private, but are not included in most passes. For information on trains, including what to do with your luggage,
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html
and how to read the schedules,
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2323.html

3. Most ryokan include breakfast and dinner – and expect you to be there and on time!
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2029.html
If you mean food for lunch, yes, just walk around.

4. Back to Hiroshima, on to Osaka:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3404.html

5. Re: you luggage. Are you aware of Japan’s wonderful luggage forwarding option? It is called takuhaibin:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

With only 4 days for Kyoto and Nara, you will need to be very selective. Please note that IME, the times given on japan-guide.com for exploring Kyoto are serious underestimates – I think they include only walking times, not times to actually see things.

Sundresses – perhaps. Just remember that you might want to climb some very steep open work stairs and be able to sit on the floor and make sure you can do those things in your sundresses with the degree of modesty with which you are comfortable.

As for flipflops:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/que...y.html?0+70792

Other: See the “search” box at the upper right of the japan-gude.com screen? Use it! There is very little you won’t find there.

Good luck!

janisj

I'm not nearly the expert kja is . . . but just a comment re shoes: IMO/IME you need to wear GOOD shoes -- comfortable and supportive enough to walk 8 or 10 miles a day . . . flip flops ain't it

kja

(@ janisj: Thanks, but I'm no expert!)

I agree with janisj, <b>and</b> note that, IME, it would be advisable to select comfortable, supportive shoes that one can take on and put on easily without sitting.

Jill02

You guys are great. Se generous with your valuable knowledge. Kids all now have second pair of sturdy walking shoes. Flip flop question pertained to running out for a quick lunch a block or two from the ryokan - whether it is socially acceptable.

Looking forward to googling guides tonight!

I read a bit about the popular and inexpensive luggage forwarding service. With my strong teens there is nothing we cannot carry and so I dismissed the idea because I didn't want to pack separate backs for 5 people for 2-3 days.

I've also read a bit about seat reservations and I'm still a little fuzzy. Back to Japan-Guide I go.

Kavey

You mentioned not wanting to spend time reading maps.

Use Hyperdia to work out your train routes, dates and times to various places in advance. You can then just create a printed sheet of these and keep it with you, to save looking it up each day you need to travel.

Likewise, you can use Google Maps in advance to map out a basic walking route in a place, print that out and that makes it easier than referencing a full-size map all the time.

Alternatively, we used Google Maps when we needed to, not so much for driving (as had an in-car satnav / GPS) but for walking. If you think that would be useful for you, the way many of us do this is my renting a mobile wifi device for the duration of the trip, this is great, you can use it anywhere (stopped for a coffee, in your room, on the train) and can connect more than one device to it - mobile phones, tablet, laptop. We used it for looking up tourist info, google maps, email access and social media. Japan Guide has a page on it.

Reading54

>> We purchased JR passes for the next day. Do we validate them at Narita? Where/how? <<
>> I've also read a bit about seat reservations and I'm still a little fuzzy. Back to Japan-Guide I go.<<

You may exchange your rail pass voucher for a rail pass at Narita airport at a <b>"JR East Travel Service Center"</b>. Each person must show passport, and the names on the voucher must match that of a passport. (Or you may choose to do this exchange the next day at the Shinjuku JR rail station.)

At the time of voucher exchange, you tell the staff which date you want the rail pass to start counting. You may also reserve your shinkansen seats at this time for trains you already know you will take. JR Pass is not valid on Nozomi trains on the Tokaido line, so when checking schedule on Hyperdia.com, use the options link to uncheck Nozomi trains, so the search results won't show trains you cannot ride with JR Pass. See validity on http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

Most Shinkansen on your route has cars 1 to 5 unreserved. So in a spur of moment and for a short train ride, you may board a Shinkansen train without seat reservation, and then try to find seats in cars 1 to 5. For all other times, just walk into a JR station and show your JR Pass to request seats reservation for Shinkansen trains you plan to take a few days down the road.

mrwunrfl

>>Do we validate them at Narita? Where/how?

You don't need to get your passes at Narita because you won't be using JR to get into the city.

Get your 14-day JR passes validated at JR Shinjuku station. The day after your arrival will be day 2 of your 15-day itinerary, right?

If so, you could use them that day on JR lines in Tokyo and day 14 of the pass will be when you go back to Narita Airport.

>>Is Nozomi private? Do I have to reserve seats?
You won't be able to use Nozomi trains with your JR Passes. None of the trains are private. You don't have to reserve seats but you should. For a group of five get your seat reservations in advance. There is no charge for seat restorations with a JR Pass.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html

>>Will non seafood food be available for purchase?
I wouldn't count on it if I had a seafood allergy. You can food at the station (or elsewhere) and take it onboard.

>>What do we do with our suitcases?
They go on a rack above the seats or behind the last seat at the end of the car.

>>Once we arrive in Hiroshima we can walk or taxi to the Sheraton

You will walk. The Sheraton is a few steps away from the north/shinkansen side of the station. When you come down from the shinkansen platform you will see most people head to the right to the south/city side of the station. You will just bear left and go out the nearest entrance. The Sheraton is on the right. After you enter the building you will have to take an elevator to get to reception. Ask for a city view which includes a near view of the station and the trains coming and going.

>>How do we get from Mirajima to Osaka on JR lines?
First take the JR ferry and walk to Miyajimaguchi and catch the next local train to Hiroshima.

You are going to Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel, right? When you make your seat reservation ask for Hiroshima to Tennoji (10 O G). That hotel is at JR Tennoji station.

From Hiroshima you will take the shinkansen to Shin Osaka and transfer to a limited express train to Tennoji.

I recommend visiting Osaka castle. Get the history of it before you go.

mrwunrfl

>>When you make your seat reservation ask for Hiroshima to Tennoji

Because you will then be able to get seat reservations on both the shinkansen to Shin-Osaka and the limited express to Tennoji at the same time.

The train from Miyajimaguchi is a local, so no reserved seats. You can expect it to be busy, esp on a weekday morning.

That trip might be a good time to ship some luggage ahead.

BigRuss

You need to hit the books.

1. First 5 nights Tokyo.

Who is running the private transfer and for how much?

You can EXCHANGE your JR vouchers for JR passes at Narita. You do not have JR Passes. You only have vouchers. You cannot buy passes outside Japan.

You can get to Nikko on JR trains from Shinjuku. You don't need a guide. A half-decent guide book will have plenty of information. Nikko is a world heritage site, it's a bit famous.

2. To Hiroshima

YOU CANNOT USE NOZOMI TRAINS WITH A JR PASS. Understand this: the Nozomis are not included. If you board a Nozomi train and show your JR pass, you will be charged the FULL price of the ticket. When you use Hyperdia to search for trains, UNCHECK the Nozomi box on the additional options.

Go to the nearest Vie de France and stock up on food for the trip.

WTH does "private" mean? JR doesn't run trains for small groups.

5. Kyoto

Again, you need to redo your Hyperdia search. If your "9 am shinkansen" is a Nozomi (which it seems to be based on a quickie Hyperdia search), you can't take it unless you're willing to pay another 14K yen for each of your five travelers - or about $700.

Boveney

Re 'private' train: there are many private railway companies in Japan including Tobu, Odakyu, Tokyu, Seibu, Keio, etc. The OP's question, 'is a Nozomi private?', seems to stem quite understandably from that confusion. It is a legitimate question which has been answered above. Have a wonderful time,Jill02 - and although it will be hot and humid in August, you will see lots of fireworks and dancing in the streets - Obon festivities everywhere. It will be crowded but what an experience!

BigRuss

<<Re 'private' train: there are many private railway companies in Japan including Tobu, Odakyu, Tokyu, Seibu, Keio, etc.>>

D'oh. I should have caught that. Nozomis are JR trains, not a separate private railway company. They still are not covered by the JR Pass.

Adastra2200

Hi,
First, the info on the JR Pass is correct, but to be clear, please remember also that the day you activate it for counts as Day One - which starts and ends at midnight. So if you activate it to immediately use it at 6 PM, your first "day" is just 6 hours long.

You can also exchange your order for the pass and designate a future date to start on it - so for example to start using your pass from the earliest train possible (sometimes departing before the office even opens) or to leave from another station where you can't exchange your order for the pass, you can set the first day as tomorrow, or 3 days from today, or whenever.
BTW if you want to save some money, the cheapest way into Tokyo is the 1000 yen bus:
http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/
The orange limousine bus may go straight to your hotel in Shinjuku, but costs more than triple. Up to you.
Regarding the Tokyo day trips, all 3 places are very good. But Fuji is often hard to see clearly due to weather, especially in summer, so if the reason you picked Hakone was because of the lovely pics of Fuji by the lake, you might be disappointed. Nikko should definitely be one of the places you go, and if you choose Kamakura, then fine. Try to get an early morning start, and include Enoshima as well.

As said, you don't need a tour. And nothing beats the freedom of going where you want, when you want, and for how long you want.

Also as mentioned, Nozomi (and Mizuho) are the fastest bullet trains and you can't use them with the full JR Pass. (As an aside, the regional long distance rail passes such as from JR West do allow the Nozomi though). Taking the slightly slower bullet train like Hikari will add another 30 minutes or so from Tokyo to Kansai, which is not a huge deal. Since you can get seat reservations for free with the pass, why not do so to sit together? And from Tokyo, try to get the right hand side to see My Fuji (if the weather cooperates). For food during the trip, there are always bento lunches being sold, which often consist of this and that - some may have seafood, some partially so, others not. If you're asking due to a food allergy though, then by all means go to a department store basement or convenience store and buy your food for the trip there ahead of time. For your luggage, overhead racks are enough for small hand carry bags, but for larger suitcases there is space in the back of the train car.

If your kids like Top Ramen, then go to a *real* ramen shop. They'll never want Top Ramen again. In Hiroshima (as well as Osaka) the big dish is okonomiyaki, a grilled flat pancake type of dish - try it at least once. There is Okonomiyaki-mura near the central shopping arcade. Worst case, there are always some family restaurants nearby that serve pasta, burgers, salads, etc.

For Miyajima, there are 2 ferry companies to go to the island - make sure you go to the JR one to use your pass. The main sights are the Itsukushima Shrine, Daishoin Temple, and climbing Mt Misen. There is also a pricey but good aquarium if you like.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...KGUB-HPKNxP10Q
Be sure to take some time and go for a walk in the evening or early morning, before/after the tourists crowds are there - it is a very peaceful and quiet atmosphere.
Since you are already seeing Tokyo, you can largely skip Osaka during the day. The castle area is nice, but a far better idea is seeing Himeji, which has Japan's finest castle (and the Kokoen Garden next to it is nice too).
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3500.html
After the temples of Kyoto close down around 5 PM, you can zip over to Osaka for the evening. At night the city comes alive and has some great places to see, such as Dotonbori, plus the night views from the Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg are wonderful.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...K2bcKCzr2pJQh2
For Kyoto, definitely save at least half a day for Nara - it would be tragic if you missed it.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...TIKwkioxuAKwt5
Most of the best places are in the Nara Park area.
Kyoto will be extremely hot and stuffy in August. There is one other thread I found with good advice from some people:
https://www.quora.com/Im-travelling-...ring-this-time

If you want to go straight from Kyoto to Narita on your last day, then saving your last pass day for that makes sense. Go to Tokyo Station, transfer to the Narita Express train, and off you go.
You don't have to worry about running out of money so much though. If you have an ATM card you can easily get cash from any 7-11 or post office ATM, as well as some others, at a good exchange rate.
See:
http://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/en/i...ias_index.html
http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/card2.html

Lastly, don't just go to places to cross them off of a bucket list. Experience Japan while you are there, not just see it. Since Japan is relatively safe and extraordinarily different, take time to simply walk around the neighborhoods. Visit grocery stores and see what people eat. Smell the cooking aromas at dinner time. Listen to the children playing. Everyday life there is much different than it is elsewhere, and may mean more than seeing some old temple.

Jill02

I am so grateful for the kind, thoughtful replies.

We arrive August 1 so even if we waste that as day 1, we depart on Day 14 (August 14) so no worries there.

We are now going to forward our luggage from Tokyo to Osaka and travel with small hand bags for Hiroshima and Miyajima. We will only have complete luggage for the late night trip to Kyoto from Osaka (after a full day at Universal Studios) and back to the airport on departure day. Not too bad.

BTW... We purchased a Groupon for a 5 night Tokyo package that included airfare, hotel and the arrival transfer - somebody will be there with a sign and we will be taken directly to the hotel on a shuttle.

I now feel brave enough to tackle the Tokyo side trips with a guide book.

We switched from the Marriott in Osaka to a hotel in Universal City for convenience.

I'm now CRYSTAL clear no Nozomi trains with the passes. Got it! Yes - that's what I was calling "private trains". Somebody figured out what I meant.

Love the walking directions to the Sheraton and getting the right ferry. Even 100 yards out of your way in the heat is a bummer!

It never occurred to me to zip into Osaka for nightlife. Will do!

Agreed. Nara is a must and on the list. Don't think we will make it to Osaka Castle - despite its importance in the Shogun mini series! Note: Even the hungry shipwrecked English sailors threw out the fish! Will try hard for Himeji - see how our energy is doing.

Ok. All packed and off we go.

One more thing... Our cell phone carrier Sprint CLAIMS that a $5 fee activates our phone and includes roaming charges, data, etc in Japan for 1 month. I'm more than suspicious...

But in the hotel I should have WIFI on my iPad to read train schedules, etc right?

kja

Enjoy!

amy_torres_sd

Jill... we arrived in Tokyo on Friday (with next to no time to plan the trip, as it was a whim.) I'd read your thread several times to glean important info. Imagine my concern when I realized that we boarded a Nozomi train to Kyoto today, instead of the regular Shinkashen (we jumped the gun by 12 minutes.) No worries, the train personnel told us to exit at the next stop and transfer to the correct train. No firing squad required. LOL

Your $5 fee covers roaming charges? Verizon has no such plan. We rented a personal wifi device which has been great in the 2 hours that we have had it (error on my part, made right by CDJapan).

Have fun!

Jill02

Thanks for sharing Amy. Aren't we lucky to have this site where the novices meet the pros and avert catastrophe?

I'll let you know if a Sprint phone can really work. I doubt it. We will make do with Wifi in the hotels and use books by day.

Have a great time!

BigRuss

<<But in the hotel I should have WIFI on my iPad to read train schedules, etc right?>>

If said hotel includes or offers WiFi, yes.

Some places offer personal wifi devices (including both apartments we're renting in November).

You need to also check your phone type to make sure it works on the various Japanese bandwidths. See here: http://eng.blogfromamerica.com/archives/31

Jill02

LOVE Tokyo. Having a fantastic time. Our iPhone S's actually work! Unlimited roaming, data, texting and calls for $5 a month through Sprint. It's really nice to have Hyperdia on the go. Lightening delayed our little Nikko line train and we were able to find a new Shikansen.

Walked around Shinjuku our first night and did the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory. The first morning was a city tour that came with our hotel package: Tokyo Tower, Imperial gardens, Ginza and the shrine (I can't spell right now). We spent the rest of the day in Shibuya. Found Parco and the Spanish Slope.

Yesterday was Nikko. Amazing. We took the bus to Lake Chuzenki and saw Kegon Falls. We were a bit rushed through the shrine complex (had no idea how large they were) but feel like 2 hours were about all the kids could handle.

Question: After Nikko do we need to do Kamakura? How can any shrine compare? I don't want to burn my kids out. We still have 10 days/Kyoto to go.

Today is Ueno Park and the zoo. Which museum is recommended for teens in Ueno Park?

Is it a good time to swing by the fish market on the way to Ueno?

Tomorrow is our last full day in Tokyo. If we don't do Kamakura, suggestions? We decided against Hakone. Weather is volatile and you can't see Mt. Fuji.

Last night when we returned to Shinjuku station we really enjoyed grabbing takeout food and eating outside at the new South Gate.

kja

I'm glad you enjoyed Nikko and made it to Kegon-no-Taki -- beautiful, isn't it?

Kamakura is not like Nikko, or perhaps I should say that Nikko is, as I understand it, relatively unusual in Japan for its architecture and setting. The temples of Kamakura are generally older and simpler; they are not in a forested setting. Look at the pictures on japan-guide.com or google-images. Your children might enjoy the Daibutsu and the cave shrines of Hasadera.

Have you been to the Edo Tokyo Museum? As I recall, it had some great interactive displays.