Suggestions for visit to japan

[logiclife]

We are planning on going to Japan end of July and was wondering if anyone has a good travel agency to refer to book through them. It appears that we may need a well planned visit for our 8-9 trip days since language may be an issue.

So, I was hoping to get some advice/ good referrals on a travel agency or a tour operator.

If we get a good travel agency we are fine as we are mostly DIY'ers but I realize life can be lot easier if we go with a tour operator.

we are looking to go Tokyo/Kyoto/osaks and okinawa. we enjoy Architecture, local traditions, culture and foodies

Thanks.

[barnaclebob]

For getting around on the trains and subways, English will be fine. There is almost always an information desk that has helpful people who speak English. The more difficult thing about getting around is figuring out where a restaurant is in a skyscraper IMO.

[realclemsongrad]

We are planning on going to Japan end of July and was wondering if anyone has a good travel agency to refer to book through them. It appears that we may need a well planned visit for our 8-9 trip days since language may be an issue.

So, I was hoping to get some advice/ good referrals on a travel agency or a tour operator.

If we get a good travel agency we are fine as we are mostly DIY'ers but I realize life can be lot easier if we go with a tour operator.

we are looking to go Tokyo/Kyoto/osaks and okinawa. we enjoy Architecture, local traditions, culture and foodies

Thanks.

Several friends took gate1travel to Japan and they were happy with it. That is what I plan on using myself.

[caffeperfavore]

Given where you're going, the language will not be much of an issue. Japan is fairly easy to get around and fun to explore.

[logiclife]

thanks all for your kind replies., I will check out the gate1travel

[adamthesmythe]

Concur that Japan is easy enough to get around, especially the big tourist destinations of Tokyo and Kyoto. I have no experience with Okinawa.

I traveled independently except for a walking tour arranged by Oku Japan. Well worth it.

Booked everything (except for the walking tour) through Expedia.

[logiclife]

Concur that Japan is easy enough to get around, especially the big tourist destinations of Tokyo and Kyoto. I have no experience with Okinawa.

I traveled independently except for a walking tour arranged by Oku Japan. Well worth it.

Booked everything (except for the walking tour) through Expedia.

thank you

[MarkBarb]

We went to Japan pre-pandemic (2019), but we didn't use a travel agent, so I cannot recommend one.

We had no problems despite not knowing almost any Japanese. Google Maps was sufficient for getting around. We just said where we wanted to go and it told us where to walk, what station to go to, what platform to get on, what train or bus to take, and at what stop we should get off. It was amazingly useful.

A Japan Rail pass was great for traveling around the country. It eliminated the need to do a lot of detailed planning.

All the major hotel reservation services and AirBnB worked great. It was no harder to find a place to stay in Japan than it is in the US.

If you prefer tours and travel agents, I don't want to dissuade you, but don't feel like you need one if you are comfortable planning your own trips to other places.

The one thing I will say was a little challenging was street addresses. I never could understand them. When you combine the radically different alphabet with street addresses that were not in the typical house number, street, city, zip format, there were a couple of times when it took us an extra 5-10 minutes to locate our AirBnb.

I think you'll love your visit there. Everyone I know that has been has really enjoyed it. I dreaded going, but now I'm looking forward to returning.

[Cruise]

Check out Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines. Both periodically publish lists of recommended agents. Very high-end.

[StewedCarrot]

Concur that Japan is easy enough to get around, especially the big tourist destinations of Tokyo and Kyoto. I have no experience with Okinawa.

I traveled independently except for a walking tour arranged by Oku Japan. Well worth it.

Booked everything (except for the walking tour) through Expedia.

I'll add that Okinawa is very english-friendly. They've hosted American military personnel and families for generations now.

Expect Japan to be hot and humid in July. It's a wonderful place. Enjoy your trip!

[exodusing]

I'll join the trend. We've visited Japan three times and had no trouble getting around. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are great and shouldn't be a problem to do on your own. The train system is very efficient and easy. Get a few guidebooks, see what you think looks good. It's a great country for Architecture, local traditions, culture and foodies.

[Newaygo]

If you are flying into Tokyo, odds are you will fly into Narita. However, there are some flights from the US going into Tokyo's second airport Haneda. Double-check your arrival and departure airport. I heard the story about a US traveler flying into Narita and assuming that the departure was out of Narita. On the departure day, he arrived at Narita on time to find out that the departure was out of Haneda, and missed his flight home.

[logiclife]

thank you all for your VALUABLE inputs.

[GerryL]

I went to live in Japan for two years in the early 1980s. Two things I did to prepare: 1) brought a few cloth handkerchiefs as napkins and paper towels are not often available. 2) brought plenty of tissues or ends of TP rolls as TP is not always available in public toilets. Yes, you can buy these things in Japan, but you want to make sure you have them at hand when you need them.

I have not been back in many years, but I'm sure someone here will advise if the lack paper products at point of need is no longer an issue.

[Doctor Rhythm]

If you are generally more comfortable using an agent, that’s fine. However, you don’t need to use one for Japan, and certainly not because of language. English signage and announcements are widespread in touristy areas. After a week, I felt more comfortable traveling within Japan than in the US, as it really is that easy to go anywhere on mass transit.

The napkin thing, though. So pathetic.

[CashConfessions]

Just want to echo that I agree with all of the feedback above (2 trips to Japan, including all of the areas you've asked about). All of the advice you've been given is spot-on.

Couple of additional items:

- Tokyo (and other major cities) can be as expensive or cheap as you want them to be. I've had colleagues spend $70 on an American breakfast while I spent $5 on a rice ball and coffee at a 7-11.

- If you're ok sleeping on a (somewhat-padded) floor, you may want to try a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto. At least one meal is typically included per night. Many of the places allow you to book online and speak/email basic English.

- You may want to consider getting a rental cell-phone while you're there (if your current plan doesn't offer international coverage). I think we rented one for $30 for 10 days about 7 years ago -- really nice to be able to have maps and search access. I imagine translation services are even better now. Ordering was done entirely online even then.

Have a great trip!

[typical.investor]

If we get a good travel agency we are fine as we are mostly DIY'ers but I realize life can be lot easier if we go with a tour operator.

JTB is no. 1 in Japan.

I never used an agency working there, but did go one one bus tour with a funny guide.

Anyway, the whole hospitality thing is them looking for a way to take care of you. It’s more an emotional thing than say upgrade to a suite.

I went through work training on it (had nothing to do with the hospitality industry but did interact with customers).

So for a Japanese experience, I’d recommend them.

But you won’t go wrong DYI and planning things yourself.

https://www.jtbusa.com/TourTop.aspx

Another possibility is volunteer tour. It was years ago, but my first visit I used one in Kyoto. I think they are pretty common. I had a college student who was eager to speak English. It was really useful and fun. I forgot but think it may have been one of these https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/list-o ... er-guides/. Anyway, those are all registered with the Japan National Tourism Organization. I use some volunteer group connected to that.

[GuyInFL]

Google Translate app is your friend. Some restaurants even have English menus available. Eight days is a short time to see so many places. I'd consider a couple cities and take the Shinkansen bullet train between them.

https://www.eatandtravelwithus.com/cate ... apan/tokyo

[tfunk]

An excellent website for self planning is Japan-Guide.com. It is well organized with descriptions of all major tourist sites. It also have very good information on transportation both how to get from one place to another and details about local transportation once you get there including cost and details about all the various Rail Passes and combination tickets. We have been to Japan several times and this website has been most helpful.

[Lookingforanswers]

An excellent website for self planning is Japan-Guide.com. It is well organized with descriptions of all major tourist sites. It also have very good information on transportation both how to get from one place to another and details about local transportation once you get there including cost and details about all the various Rail Passes and combination tickets. We have been to Japan several times and this website has been most helpful.

Yes!!! This is excellent advice. Japan-Guide.com has excellent information. Their website used to be a little clunky looking (it's now freshened up a bit) but they have great advice. I've been to Japan 25+ times on business but always work in some free time to travel around, and Japan-guide stands out for two reasons:

1. They are *really* tough graders when it comes to attractions. If they mention something, it's worth seeing. If they put red circles on it (their rating system), it's really worth seeing. When you are somewhere like Tokyo or Kyoto and have many choices on what to see, their rating system will help you narrow down your list.

2. They have excellent transportation tips. So once you pick something you want to see, they're really good on providing you the best options to get there. And if you want to get to a different city, they give you really clear advice on your options (train vs bus vs rail), the costs, where you get tickets, and they even often have maps that make it super clear.

I also agree with an earlier poster -- once you're in a neighborhood or city, Google maps seems to work really well these days to direct you to the best subway lines, etc.

[GerryL]

- If you're ok sleeping on a (somewhat-padded) floor, you may want to try a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto. At least one meal is typically included per night. Many of the places allow you to book online and speak/email basic English.

I never slept better than the two years I lived in Japan. In my little apartment, I spread the futon out on the tatami (woven grass mat) floor each night. When I traveled, I stayed in ryokans, with the same sleeping arrangement. And the meals at the small-town inns were usually fabulous. Love me a big Japanese breakfast with rice, fish, miso soup and three kinds of seaweed.

[caffeperfavore]

- If you're ok sleeping on a (somewhat-padded) floor, you may want to try a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto. At least one meal is typically included per night. Many of the places allow you to book online and speak/email basic English.

I never slept better than the two years I lived in Japan. In my little apartment, I spread the futon out on the tatami (woven grass mat) floor each night. When I traveled, I stayed in ryokans, with the same sleeping arrangement. And the meals at the small-town inns were usually fabulous. Love me a big Japanese breakfast with rice, fish, miso soup and three kinds of seaweed.

Second this. Staying at a ryokan was one of my favorite experiences in Japan. Absolutely worth the money for a good one.

Earlier, you mentioned paper products and toilet paper being an issue in the 80s. Neither I or my wife (who travels to Japan a few times a year) have run into that, except for one time at the public toilets near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. It had a couple of footprints and a hole. Nearly everywhere else has TP and even many public restrooms have bidet toilets with all the bells and whistles.

One more thing, if you're going to be in Kyoto, I recommend a side trip to Nara, which is accessible by train. It was the capital of Japan prior to Kyoto (itself prior to Tokyo) and has a number of fascinating old buildings and nice areas to walk and explore.

[howard71]

Did an 8 day tour visiting Tokyo, Mt. Fiji, Kyoto, Okinawa, and Osaka a couple of years ago. Included a lot of travel on the Shinkansens and subways.

Booked everything myself online. You can buy a Shinkansen ticket good for one week of travel but you must buy before you go.

Getting around all those places was ridiculously easy. Google maps is your friend.

Second best trip of my life so far, BTW. First was Alaska.

[daleddm]

Get the first class (whatever it's called) train rail pass - makes it very relaxing when dealing with the trains, which can otherwise be a little crowded. And as someone else pointed out, you have to purchase it before you go. It will be valid on almost all trains - some local lines are private.

[Horologium]

Have not been to Japan, but used to do business with some Japanese companies. Some colleagues recommended that I learn a few Japanese words and phrases, and some cultural “dos” and “don’ts” (e.g., bowing politely when meeting someone instead of shaking hands).

I found that the few words and phrases I knew (and likely mangled), and knowing a little cultural etiquette, went a long way. I suspect you will have the same experience as a visitor to Japan.

[ryman554]

I went to live in Japan for two years in the early 1980s. Two things I did to prepare: 1) brought a few cloth handkerchiefs as napkins and paper towels are not often available. 2) brought plenty of tissues or ends of TP rolls as TP is not always available in public toilets. Yes, you can buy these things in Japan, but you want to make sure you have them at hand when you need them.

I have not been back in many years, but I'm sure someone here will advise if the lack paper products at point of need is no longer an issue.

I can assure you that, certainly in the areas the OP will be visiting, finding items with which to wipe various body parts is not an issue. Avoiding being inundated with them, on the other hand.....

[ryman554]

Get the first class (whatever it's called) train rail pass - makes it very relaxing when dealing with the trains, which can otherwise be a little crowded. And as someone else pointed out, you have to purchase it before you go. It will be valid on almost all trains - some local lines are private.

I disagree with this analysis.

Green cars (first class) are only on a subset of typically long-haul trains. Unless going during commute hours, one shouldn't have any issues reserving seats (can do online for some!) and will be fine. Green car pass is not worth double the cost.

[logiclife]

An excellent website for self planning is Japan-Guide.com. It is well organized with descriptions of all major tourist sites. It also have very good information on transportation both how to get from one place to another and details about local transportation once you get there including cost and details about all the various Rail Passes and combination tickets. We have been to Japan several times and this website has been most helpful.

Yes!!! This is excellent advice. Japan-Guide.com has excellent information. Their website used to be a little clunky looking (it's now freshened up a bit) but they have great advice. I've been to Japan 25+ times on business but always work in some free time to travel around, and Japan-guide stands out for two reasons:

1. They are *really* tough graders when it comes to attractions. If they mention something, it's worth seeing. If they put red circles on it (their rating system), it's really worth seeing. When you are somewhere like Tokyo or Kyoto and have many choices on what to see, their rating system will help you narrow down your list.

2. They have excellent transportation tips. So once you pick something you want to see, they're really good on providing you the best options to get there. And if you want to get to a different city, they give you really clear advice on your options (train vs bus vs rail), the costs, where you get tickets, and they even often have maps that make it super clear.

I also agree with an earlier poster -- once you're in a neighborhood or city, Google maps seems to work really well these days to direct you to the best subway lines, etc.

Thanks for the tip here on the site. I was just wondering if those red circles are of any worth nevertheless I was using them to priortize our places to visit.


I appreciate everyones great inputs here. we travel quite a bit but we werent sure of Japan as DIY'er.

one thing Iam conflicted about is the beaches so far I have seen that these beaches are good. We dont swim so we are looking for nice serene beaches similar to Maldives, Maui, etc. Here are the ones that seem good, any suggestions are helpful

Maehama Beach
Yoshino Beach
Sunayama Beach

[typical.investor]

Maehama Beach
Yoshino Beach
Sunayama Beach

Miyakojima!

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7300.html

You might like a bridge tour. I forget which one, but maybe all of the three, you can see seven distinct colors of blue in the water depending on the weather. We saw five. I'm partial to blue myself, so that was a highlight for me. We just used the beach near the hotel as we tended to go in February (birthday discount!) when it's warm but not sunbathing for too long warm for us at least. It'll be hot for you!

Eat seafood! Sashimi with spicy soy sauce!

[logiclife]

Maehama Beach
Yoshino Beach
Sunayama Beach

Miyakojima!

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7300.html

You might like a bridge tour. I forget which one, but maybe all of the three, you can see seven distinct colors of blue in the water depending on the weather. We saw five. I'm partial to blue myself, so that was a highlight for me. We just used the beach near the hotel as we tended to go in February (birthday discount!) when it's warm but not sunbathing for too long warm for us at least. It'll be hot for you!

Eat seafood! Sashimi with spicy soy sauce!

Thanks are you suggesting that beaches here are worth visiting and better than the ones in Okinawa? Thanks. we dont swim, we just enjoy the beaches strolling around, the peace etc

[typical.investor]

Maehama Beach
Yoshino Beach
Sunayama Beach

Miyakojima!

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7300.html

You might like a bridge tour. I forget which one, but maybe all of the three, you can see seven distinct colors of blue in the water depending on the weather. We saw five. I'm partial to blue myself, so that was a highlight for me. We just used the beach near the hotel as we tended to go in February (birthday discount!) when it's warm but not sunbathing for too long warm for us at least. It'll be hot for you!

Eat seafood! Sashimi with spicy soy sauce!

Thanks are you suggesting that beaches here are worth visiting and better than the ones in Okinawa? Thanks. we dont swim, we just enjoy the beaches strolling around, the peace etc

Sorry, we are miscommunicating. The beaches you listed are all on Miyakojima (Miyako island) which is in Okinawa prefecture. So I believed that is where you are going.

If you are going to Okinawa island though (which is of course also in Okinawa prefecture), then yeah I recommend Okinawa island and not changing plans. The beaches on Minako-jima were more beautiful I thought but Okinawa has a lot more interesting cultural attractions.

Ah ... hey I am right ...

The entire prefecture of Okinawa is famous for its warm climate and beaches. While Okinawa Main Island (Okinawa Honto) is not considered to have the prefecture's very best beaches (these are found on smaller islands such as Miyako), it, nevertheless, has some attractive beaches where visitors can enjoy the sun, sand and sea. See the list below for some of the island's best beaches and snorkeling spots.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7119.html

[BuddyJet]

We had a great experience using toursbylocals.com to book guides for our days in Tokyo. We chose two older guides that matched well with our interests

[rk6]

Two answers to questions you didn't ask:

1 - a typical summer in the Kanto region (Tokyo + surrounds) will have 3 or 4 100F days - mid-July to mid-Aug can be some of the hottest and most brutal times of the year. In my experience living there for several years the most humid part of the year comes a bit later, but it's pretty humid in mid-summer too. The Japanese do not always air-condition every building to the same level as other locations in Asia like Hong Kong or Singapore.

2 - for an 8 day trip (really 7 unless you have already factored in the day you lose getting there), that's a lot to pack in. You'll enjoy it none the less, but with flights to Okinawa included you will probably spend at least a complete whole daytime day physically on transportation or in terminals.

[BlueyDivine]

We used Audley Travel and I would highly recommend them. They organized some nice activities for us (food tour, cooking classs etc). We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, and kawaguchiko.

We could have done it without them but it would have involved a lot more work and time. We travel a lot and have never used a travel ageng before, but for Japan, unless you have a lot of time to do research, it felt worth it for us.

[BrightEyes]

I lived in Japan for a few years; while I didn’t have time off to travel as extensively as I would have liked, I never needed a travel agent. I did take a few organized group trips that had a guide or leader, and those were fine, but mostly my friends and I either drove around northern parts of Honshu (the main island) or took Shinkansen or local trains. We took a sleeper car train from Tokyo to (almost, had to change to a local train in the morning for about another hour) Hiroshima, because we wanted the sleeper car experience. It was fun, and different, but we could have gotten there faster staying on Shinkansen; depends on priorities, what experience you are looking for. I don’t remember booking the train to be all that difficult, though I think there was minimal English on the website.

We always booked our own lodging, (occasionally by walking in and asking about a “hoteru”, with many gestures and occasional references to computer webpages or electronic translators) in more remote areas where we hadn’t been able to find anything ahead of time via the web. Our back up plan was sleeping 3-4 women in the car or going to a love motel if we could not find anything else! Fortunately, we stumbled into a beautiful onsen resort, and found a fabulous dinner and the baths were included in the price of our rooms. (This explained why the price for each of us was the same whether we shared a room or had our own, which was a pretty funny confusing conversation/ negotiation! We found consistently that most Japanese people, especially in the hospitality industries, were incredibly welcoming and kind, and understood a lot more English than they felt comfortable claiming to speak. Learning a few polite phrases and some basic words will go a long way , will make folk even more welcoming. We stayed 4-5 nights at a guest house in an older part of Kyoto; it was not at all fancy, but we met so many great people from around the world (Paris, China, other parts of Japan) and threw a birthday party for the daughter of the proprietors, a graduate student of music— and she gave us an impromptu concert on the piano in the kitchen.

There are so many options, so much to see… I want to go back now I’m retired, so I can get to the places that were on my list that I never had time to get to. We really loved just getting off the touristy track and exploring the ordinary places and spaces and people, staying in mostly non-western lodgings, and definitely trying as many onsens as we were able to. The famous attractions/ locations are famous for reasons, though, and also worth visiting, of course. And easier to get to. But as others have said, you are trying to get to too many places in such a short time. You will be able to collect a lot of tourist stamps ( that’s a real THING in Japan, look it up! And take a notebook for collecting your stamps! ) but you will only lightly skim the surface, not get to know anywhere really. And you will probably be exhausted.

Have a wonderful time!

Bright Eyes

[WallyBird]

Two answers to questions you didn't ask:

1 - a typical summer in the Kanto region (Tokyo + surrounds) will have 3 or 4 100F days - mid-July to mid-Aug can be some of the hottest and most brutal times of the year. In my experience living there for several years the most humid part of the year comes a bit later, but it's pretty humid in mid-summer too. The Japanese do not always air-condition every building to the same level as other locations in Asia like Hong Kong or Singapore.

2 - for an 8 day trip (really 7 unless you have already factored in the day you lose getting there), that's a lot to pack in. You'll enjoy it none the less, but with flights to Okinawa included you will probably spend at least a complete whole daytime day physically on transportation or in terminals.

I second both of these emotions, though you actually lose about two days getting there. If you're coming from Chicago, you'll be leaving around noon and landing at about 3 pm the next day. By the time you get thru customs and checked into your hotel, you'll have just enough time to get dinner and crash. You'll wake up early the next day, so this will be a great day to visit a big department store and witness their solemn daily door-opening ceremony.

The Tokyo area does get pretty hot and stuffy in July and August. And it gets wet in July. You can beat the heat somewhat by gaining some altitude or getting closer to saltwater. Or you can gain some latitude. Northern Japan is generally off the beaten path, and will be somewhat cooler. But it's much less populous, so getting around might be a challenge, depending on how remote you get.

Okinawa is indeed quite a detour from the main islands: it's a 3 hour flight from Tokyo or Osaka.With your timeframe, I'd skip Okinawa unless you have people to see there or a particular historic or cultural interest there. There's enough between Tokyo and Osaka to keep you plenty busy for a week. If you go, consider booking straight thru if you can, connecting in Narita or Osaka. Landing day isn't much use anyway, so may as well chug on thru to Okinawa. For the flight from Okinawa, JAL has a discount program for foreigners flying domestic: https://www.jal.co.jp/aul/en/world/japa ... r_pass/lp/ .

Exchange rates are pretty good for Americans going to Japan right now. 1000 yen used to be like a ten dollar bill. Now it's just $7.50. With that in mind, Japan is the rare place where visitors can get better travel deals than locals, but they require a little advance planning.

If you'll be traveling long distance, the JR Railpass is a great deal. The marketing folks like to point out that a 7 day JR pass costs about the same as a Tokyo-Kyoto round trip shinkansen (bullet train). With your timeline, you should try to open jaw into Tokyo and out of Osaka, or vice versa, so this is isn't quite that impressive, but it's still a good deal, even though using the pass isn't honored on the fastest shinkansen services. (No big deal-- there are plenty of trains, and even the slower shinkansen are plenty fast.) I bought my JR pass from IACE in Chicago, but it should be the same price from any agency. I wouldn't bother with the Green Car pass. My favorite trips on JR are the podunk lines in the country and the remaining sleeper trains:
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/night-tr ... se-express

When you buy the pass, you get a voucher than you exchange for the pass when you get to Japan. There are a limited number of places you can do this, so plan ahead. I didn't need my pass to start until a few days into my trip, and my first stop wasn't that far out of Tokyo. I exchanged the pass at one of the major stations in Tokyo before I left, specifying the start and end dates. I then paid out of pocket for my short trip out of Tokyo to Inaka-mura, puttered around Inaka-mura for a few days, and then started my first day of travel on the pass from Inaka-mura to Osaka.

If you'll be in Tokyo for any length of time, you'll want a subway pass. You can buy these in select locations in and around Tokyo. More info here:
https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/travel/

Often you'll find that though the JR lines cover the long distance routes well, independent private lines are sometimes faster, cheaper or more direct. Around Tokyo, you'll see this when you go to Narita (Keisei line) or Nikko (Tobu line). In the Kansai (Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Kobe) area, private lines are just about all you need. The Kansai Thru Pass covers these well, and you can use it on non-consecutive days.
https://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_ ... glish.html

You mentioned architecture, so you may be interested in this outdoor museum near Nagoya, which includes the lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3353.html

[JackoC]

We went to Japan pre-pandemic (2019), but we didn't use a travel agent, so I cannot recommend one.

We had no problems despite not knowing almost any Japanese. Google Maps was sufficient for getting around. We just said where we wanted to go and it told us where to walk, what station to go to, what platform to get on, what train or bus to take, and at what stop we should get off. It was amazingly useful.

I think map/direction apps have made a big difference in case somebody is concerned about language vs. getting lost, compared to years past. Although that issue was and is always personal. Some (English speaking) people love the adventure of getting by in places where perhaps fewer people speak good English than other places. Others are intimidated by that, though via self selection IME the more adventurous people tend to dominate the conversation. I lived in Japan pre-map apps, but was for work so you make the best of it. Language could be an issue sometimes, more relatively than for example in Netherlands and Denmark were I also lived briefly, comparable to South Korea (though my Korean is not as bad as my Japanese). A reason not to visit? No, I'm not saying that at all. For one thing in Japan (or ROK) you're pretty much completely safe from crime, you really have go to looking for trouble to find it. That's not *as* true in today's Europe.

[exodusing]

Another useful technology advance is translation. I can point my phone at something in another language, including Japanese, and it will translate to English. Reportedly it will also work with spoken language, but I haven't tried that yet.

[MoonOrb]

8-9 days is barely enough to do Kyoto and Tokyo. Leave out the rest.

Japan is an amazing place to travel. It feels overwhelming but it is so easy to get around.

Buy a Suica card when you arrive to get around on local transit.

You need to book the shinkansen separately, but that is easy to do. The rail pass may or may not save you money (I can't remember how expensive it is) but in general it's an excellent deal.