Category "japan"

Getting around on Kyushu (Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Beppu)

We are thinking about taking shinkansen to Fukuoka and then visit Nagasaki and Beppu (possibly some place in the mountains as well) and probably stay a night or

Is researching dating tips for a specific country worthwhile, useless or counterproductive?

I'm planning on visiting Japan for two weeks. While dating isn't the purpose of my trip, I hope to socialize a bit with people my age, including some aprè

Is tourism beneficial to the economies of places affected by natural disasters?

Is tourism to regions that were hit several months ago by natural disasters (for example, the north-eastern part of Honshu, Japan) good for the local economy, a

Are most flights to Japan staffed by hosts with good Japanese?

Are most flights from Australia to Japan staffed by hosts with good Japanese language skills? I assume that Australian based airlines would, but I'm not sure a

How much should I fear golden week in Japan?

I am planning a vacation to Japan, and currently have two possible plans. In plan A I leave well before Golden week (on 4/24). In plan B I leave during the firs

Cheapest place to buy a JR Pass

I realize that the cost of the pass itself is fixed, in yen. However, I see that travel agents often add extra costs, in the form of "delivery fees" and "proces

Are there electrical plugs and/or wifi in Japanese shinkansen?

Do the Shinkansen trains have wifi? How about electrical plugs? If it depends on the train, these are the ones I'll be taking: Hikari 546 (Hiroshima->Shin-

How reliable are portable WiFi hotspots in Japan?

Instead of getting a prepaid SIM chip, I'm thinking of renting a mobile wifi hotspot. I've found these two so far. Two questions: Are these reliable? I will be

Can group tours help you see more of remote regions of Japan, such as Tohoku?

I'm going to Japan by myself in February, and I'm thinking of spending about a week visiting the Tohoku region. Wikitravel mentions that some train services ca

Jogging in Tokyo and Osaka

I'm not a huge fan of jogging on crowded sidewalks even in the US, and I expect many sidewalks in Tokyo and Osaka will only be more crowded. What locations in

Can I side-step discrimination against foreigners in Japan?

I've heard that there can be discrimination against foreigners, and even naturalized citizens born in other countries, in Japan, and that it happens in onsen, b

What to see in Kobe and Tokyo? [closed]

I found out only yesterday that my company is sending me to Japan to Kobe this Saturday, for two weeks. I'll be working all day but in the eve

Is there luggage storage at train stations in Japan?

We will travel around Japan by train and will make a few shorter stops with only a nights stay so it would be handy to be able to drop the bags at the station w

Looking for micro breweries in the Tokyo area

We will spend a couple of days in the Tokyo area and it would be really fun to visit a microbrewery there. So I am looking for microbreweries in the area or pla

How common are onsen that require swimming costumes in Japan?

I assumed that you don't need a swimming costume when going to an onsen, but I came across this page mentioning that some places require swimsuits (it mentions

Karaoke for solo travellers

How can solo travellers do karaoke in Japan? Are there places where you can meet random strangers and do karaoke with them? Failing that, are there places whe

How to avoid having my drink spiked in a bar

How do I avoid being the victim of drink spiking in a bar? (As in spiking to steal money or commit credit card fraud, not for sexual assualt) Presumably I shou

Recommended quiet neighbourhoods to stay anywhere in Japan? [closed]

Planning to go to Japan to experience life as a local and looking for a place to stay for a week that feels very homely. An area where there i

Health retreats in Japan

I am looking for health retreats in Japan. Specifically places that offer meditation (not necessarily zen), healthy food, a relaxing environment and beautiful s

What are the cheapest ways to get from East Asia to Australia?

I have a return ticket that gets me from Turkey to Korea to Australia but it cannot be extended beyond the end of May. I'm thinking of forfei