2 weeks in Japan - looking for ideas

[drron]

I discovered a new site last night for looking up Japanese festivals. Some can be a real delight.
Occasionally we have timed our visits for local festivals but mostly just in the right place at the right time.

Events | Japan Cheapo

Events, festivals, markets, exhibitions, concerts, comedy, nightlife, and things to do in Japan in September 2023.

japancheapo.com

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Starting to reserve my train tickets online - is there anywhere worth stopping for a few hours/lunch on the way from Odawara to Nagoya?

 

[Himeno]

there is a current shortage of Suica/IC type cards (used for everything except Shinkansen it seems) because of a wwide shortage of chips.

There are special Shinkansen IC cards you can get Boarding with an IC card | Boarding Guide | Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen Internet Reservation Service


There was talk of moving JR passes from a pass shown to the station staff at ticket gates to an IC card, but that hasn't happened. They have however moved the passes to a normal magnetic ticket. There is a QR code on the pass that can be used to book reserved seat trains (you scan the QR code on the pass at a reserved seat ticket machine and type in your passport number).
I got a 7 day JR pass for my last trip (mid Aug). When I went to reserve a shinkansen for Numazu to Shinagawa (local train to Mishima), the ticket office staff couldn't read the pass in their ticket reader, likely due to some dampness from sweat and 3 days of use in 31+C temps. They hunted through their manuals to find a way to reissue the pass before they could book the shinkansen seat.

 

[Himeno]

My itinerary is finally taking shape - thank you to everyone for their insights and suggestions. Here's how its looking:

• Tokyo - 3 nights: Arrive into HND early in the morning off QF25. Explore Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya + sumo grand tournament at Kokugikan (thanks drron for the recommendation) for these first few days. Staying at Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku for its convenient location.
• Hakone - 2 nights: Take the Odakyu limited express romance car from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto + activate the Hakone freepass to see the sights in the area. Staying at Hakone Yutowa.
• Nagoya - 5 nights: Activate a 21-day JR pass and take the Kodoma shinkansen from Odawara to Nagoya. I'll be at the Suzuka circuit for the F1 most of the time, but hoping to find time to squeeze in the Maglev and Toyota techno museums. Staying at Sanco Inn Grande Nagoya.

Since you don't want to active your JR pass on the first day, I'd suggest getting it activated at Shinjuku or Shibuya Stations before leaving Tokyo. That way you aren't in a rush trying to get it activated before heading to Nagoya.
You can specify a date for the pass to start when you get the exchange order converted to a pass. It doesn't have to start on the same day.

You can activate it at Haneda airport, but that office gets busy in the morning (the office can open with a 30+ min queue) and they prefer that you don't use that office if you aren't starting using of the pass right away.

 

[clifford]

I've just returned from a couple of weeks in Japan, using a JR Kyushu rail pass.

It was great value and I based myself in Miyazaki, which is quite handy to Kagoshima, Oita and the far south of Kyushu.

However, I didn't take the physical credit card I used to purchase the pass, so I had no alternative but to buy a new pass on the spot at the JR booking office at Miyazaki airport station. I was later able to claim a refund online for the original pass, minus a 10% processing fee, but it was still a hassle.

Worth noting, as the JR staff are immovable on this.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Since you don't want to active your JR pass on the first day, I'd suggest getting it activated at Shinjuku or Shibuya Stations before leaving Tokyo. That way you aren't in a rush trying to get it activated before heading to Nagoya.
You can specify a date for the pass to start when you get the exchange order converted to a pass. It doesn't have to start on the same day.

You can activate it at Haneda airport, but that office gets busy in the morning (the office can open with a 30+ min queue) and they prefer that you don't use that office if you aren't starting using of the pass right away.

I've just purchased my pass directly online (i.e. not through a travel agency), so I believe I wont get an exchange order but it's already set with a future start date. I'll see what the line is like at Haneda, but with a 5AM arrival time, suspect I will probably collect it at Shinjuku. The neat thing about purchasing directly is that I'm already able to reserve my seats online!

I've just returned from a couple of weeks in Japan, using a JR Kyushu rail pass.

It was great value and I based myself in Miyazaki, which is quite handy to Kagoshima, Oita and the far south of Kyushu.

However, I didn't take the physical credit card I used to purchase the pass, so I had no alternative but to buy a new pass on the spot at the JR booking office at Miyazaki airport station. I was later able to claim a refund online for the original pass, minus a 10% processing fee, but it was still a hassle.

Worth noting, as the JR staff are immovable on this.

Good to know!

 

[BCons]

There are special Shinkansen IC cards you can get Boarding with an IC card | Boarding Guide | Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen Internet Reservation Service


There was talk of moving JR passes from a pass shown to the station staff at ticket gates to an IC card, but that hasn't happened. They have however moved the passes to a normal magnetic ticket. There is a QR code on the pass that can be used to book reserved seat trains (you scan the QR code on the pass at a reserved seat ticket machine and type in your passport number).
I got a 7 day JR pass for my last trip (mid Aug). When I went to reserve a shinkansen for Numazu to Shinagawa (local train to Mishima), the ticket office staff couldn't read the pass in their ticket reader, likely due to some dampness from sweat and 3 days of use in 31+C temps. They hunted through their manuals to find a way to reissue the pass before they could book the shinkansen seat.

We were able to get IC (suica) cards from JTB Sydney before our July trip and they earned themselves on arrvl Haneda where there was a 20-pers queue for the monorail and rail ticket machines.. Walked right past them all.

But the main value of an IC card - when using JR's app named 'Smart-EX' for booking shinkansen travel - is that you can nominate that IC card during the booking process. It becomes your proxy ticket. Then its very easy to tap on at the shinkansen turnstile, get a little printed tkt with yr car/seat details, and off you go to the platform. No printouts at the hotel, no A4 bits pf paper folded for the QR code. But you hv to remember to tap off on exit. We didnt buy a JR pass because we had sevrl days btween shinkansen travel that wud hv negated the value.

Standard Suica and Pasmo card sales were suspended early Aug, due to a chip shortage, tho tourists can still get 'Welcome Suica' and 'Pasmo Passport' IC's on arrvl. More here :

Sales of Suica and PASMO Transit Cards to be Temporarily Suspended

Japan's omnipresent IC Cards are set to halt sales due to supply chain issues. However, there are still alternatives. Here's what you need to know.

www.japan.travel

 

[Himeno]

I've just purchased my pass directly online (i.e. not through a travel agency), so I believe I wont get an exchange order but it's already set with a future start date. I'll see what the line is like at Haneda, but with a 5AM arrival time, suspect I will probably collect it at Shinjuku. The neat thing about purchasing directly is that I'm already able to reserve my seats online!

It's still an exchange order with an direct online reservation. It's just digital, not something an agent needs to mail out. You still confirm what date you want to start when you collect it. The date entered when ordering the pass doesn't mean a lot. It's more to confirm that you plan to start using the pass within the time limit (pay for pass within 3 months collecting pass IIRC).

The HND JR office (next to the monorail arrivals level ticket gates) opens at 6:45am. I was the 2nd in line after arriving on JL36 last month. I was considering heading over to collect my wifi router rental when another 15 people arrived (many with QF baggage tags).
In late Oct 2019, I arrived on QF25 and by the time I got through into the public area, the line for the JR office, which wasn't yet open, was spilling into the central area heading back towards the doors to customs. I got that pass activated at Tokyo Station.

Even if you've booked the shinkansen online, don't forget to collect the tickets (you can do that at the same time as collecting the JR pass). You'll use the JR pass to access the Shinkansen platforms, but the shinkansen ticket will show your reserved seat details.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

It's still an exchange order with an direct online reservation. It's just digital, not something an agent needs to mail out. You still confirm what date you want to start when you collect it. The date entered when ordering the pass doesn't mean a lot. It's more to confirm that you plan to start using the pass within the time limit (pay for pass within 3 months collecting pass IIRC).

The HND JR office (next to the monorail arrivals level ticket gates) opens at 6:45am. I was the 2nd in line after arriving on JL36 last month. I was considering heading over to collect my wifi router rental when another 15 people arrived (many with QF baggage tags).
In late Oct 2019, I arrived on QF25 and by the time I got through into the public area, the line for the JR office, which wasn't yet open, was spilling into the central area heading back towards the doors to customs. I got that pass activated at Tokyo Station.

Even if you've booked the shinkansen online, don't forget to collect the tickets (you can do that at the same time as collecting the JR pass). You'll use the JR pass to access the Shinkansen platforms, but the shinkansen ticket will show your reserved seat details.

That's interesting that it's still considered an exchange order.. I'm finding it all a little confusing to be honest, but we're making progress. I'm surprised that more people don't do the direct online reservation, I wonder why?

 

[Himeno]

We were able to get IC (suica) cards from JTB Sydney before our July trip and they earned themselves on arrvl Haneda where there was a 20-pers queue for the monorail and rail ticket machines.. Walked right past them all.

But the main value of an IC card - when using JR's app named 'Smart-EX' for booking shinkansen travel - is that you can nominate that IC card during the booking process. It becomes your proxy ticket. Then its very easy to tap on at the shinkansen turnstile, get a little printed tkt with yr car/seat details, and off you go to the platform. No printouts at the hotel, no A4 bits pf paper folded for the QR code. But you hv to remember to tap off on exit. We didnt buy a JR pass because we had sevrl days btween shinkansen travel that wud hv negated the value.

Standard Suica and Pasmo card sales were suspended early Aug, due to a chip shortage, tho tourists can still get 'Welcome Suica' and 'Pasmo Passport' IC's on arrvl. More here :

Sales of Suica and PASMO Transit Cards to be Temporarily Suspended

Japan's omnipresent IC Cards are set to halt sales due to supply chain issues. However, there are still alternatives. Here's what you need to know.

www.japan.travel

Good thing I have some then.
I got a Suica in Tokyo around 2007 or 2008. I got a ICOCA for use in Osaka around the same time.
The interoperability of IC cards from different regions either didn't exist yet or wasn't widely advertised for the cards that did work. They only really advertised the interoperability of other branded IC cards for the same region (eg ICOCA/PiTaPa or Suica/PASMO).
I also have 2 manaca (Nagoya area private lines) IC cards from my parents. They had a Vancouver-Tokyo cruise in mid 2019 and added a 2 week stay in Japan at the end. They got the manaca cards and JR passes as part of a tour package.

 

[clifford]

That's interesting that it's still considered an exchange order.. I'm finding it all a little confusing to be honest, but we're making progress. I'm surprised that more people don't do the direct online reservation, I wonder why?

Well, because they might suffer the same fate as I did.

Next time I'll buy after I land in Japan. Very little benefit in buying it online, and some downsides...

 

[Himeno]

That's interesting that it's still considered an exchange order.. I'm finding it all a little confusing to be honest, but we're making progress. I'm surprised that more people don't do the direct online reservation, I wonder why?

They just call them different things when booked in different ways. One is digital, the other isn't. The collection process is the same, go to a JR ticket office, and show them your passport with a short term visitor sticker and any other needed paperwork.

Most sites talking about JR passes and most travel agents point people towards the overseas JR authorized agencies like JTB.
It also looks like you have longer to start using it by going via an agent.
Ordering via JTB gives you 90 days from order/payment to collect the pass in Japan, then when collecting, you pick a date within 30 days to start. japan-guide.com says that using the JR online sales directly locks you in to selecting a start date within 30 days of payment.

Good thing you got in before the pass increase. Most JR ticket products are increasing (some by up to 70%) next month. A 7 day national JR pass is going from 29,650JPY to 50,000JPY. However, the Nozomi and Mizuho trains, which currently can't be used on a JR pass, will become available after October 1 - for a discounted surcharge.

Post automatically merged: Sep 4, 2023

Well, because they might suffer the same fate as I did.

Next time I'll buy after I land in Japan. Very little benefit in buying it online, and some downsides...

They are getting rid of the in Japan sales of JR Passes next month. You'll only be able to buy them directly from JR online or via an agent outside Japan.

 

[clifford]

They just call them different things when booked in different ways. One is digital, the other isn't. The collection process is the same, go to a JR ticket office, and show them your passport with a short term visitor sticker and any other needed paperwork.

Most sites talking about JR passes and most travel agents point people towards the overseas JR authorized agencies like JTB.
It also looks like you have longer to start using it by going via an agent.
Ordering via JTB gives you 90 days from order/payment to collect the pass in Japan, then when collecting, you pick a date within 30 days to start. japan-guide.com says that using the JR online sales directly locks you in to selecting a start date within 30 days of payment.

Good thing you got in before the pass increase. Most JR ticket products are increasing (some by up to 70%) next month. A 7 day national JR pass is going from 29,650JPY to 50,000JPY. However, the Nozomi and Mizuho trains, which currently can't be used on a JR pass, will become available after October 1 - for a discounted surcharge.

Post automatically merged: Sep 4, 2023

They are getting rid of the in Japan sales of JR Passes next month. You'll only be able to buy them directly from JR online or via an agent outside Japan.

Oh dear...

 

[Himeno]

The biggest downside at the moment is the state of Australia Post.
For my last trip, I went to Japan for 4 days in early June (10-14) (just Tokyo, didn't need a pass), then came home for 2 weeks (the return flight was the start of a DONE4), then headed off again at the end of June for a 6 week holiday with the last stop being Japan (what I needed the pass for).

The pass was ordered prior to departing for Tokyo on the short trip. It was expected to arrive while I was away. It was sent from JTB to my travel agent, then forwarded to me.
It took a week to get from JTB Sydney to the travel agent (in Sydney), so the agent had it after I got back from the short trip to Tokyo.
It was forwarded to me the same day the agent got it. It then took 10 days to travel the 4 hours down the Hume highway to CBR.
Thus it arrived 4 days before I left on the trip.

Not much better then 2019 trip. JTB used Toll to ship to a PO Box instead of AusPost, so Toll got confused. Then once the travel agent had it, it took a week to ship to Canberra - with an express overnight post envelope (at least that trip I had it a little more then 2 weeks before departure).
Australia Post has issues.

 

[elanshin]

Starting to reserve my train tickets online - is there anywhere worth stopping for a few hours/lunch on the way from Odawara to Nagoya?

Shizuoka or Hamamatsu isn't too bad although personally though, I'd just goto Nagoya for Miso Katsu or Chicken Wings in Nagoya itself. But if you're going to be staying at Nagoya for a while - by all means check out one of those cities.

Well, because they might suffer the same fate as I did.

Next time I'll buy after I land in Japan. Very little benefit in buying it online, and some downsides...

That's a reasonable thing to do now. It used to not be possible to purchase JR passes in Japan hence a lot of the established guides suggested to get it outside first. Also rememeber that prices are about to double for the normal JR pass - regionals are still good value. I actually use regional passes heaps more than normal JR.

The pass was ordered prior to departing for Tokyo on the short trip. It was expected to arrive while I was away. It was sent from JTB to my travel agent, then forwarded to me.
It took a week to get from JTB Sydney to the travel agent (in Sydney), so the agent had it after I got back from the short trip to Tokyo.
It was forwarded to me the same day the agent got it. It then took 10 days to travel the 4 hours down the Hume highway to CBR.
Thus it arrived 4 days before I left on the trip.

I believe for my Feb trip this year we got Klook for JR passes and it was all digital - just printed and gave to the exchange office. Typically I exchange at Ueno a lot of the times as it's generally quieter there than Tokyo or Shinjuku.

 

[ShelleyB]

My family and I travelled to Japan for the first time in April. We did the fairly standard route for first timers but loved all of it. As others have noted upthread Kyoto and Nara feel very traditional Japanese. I would put in a particular plug for Hakone (also mentioned by others) as a great place to spend a few days. If you are interested in more specific detail of our travels, I have a blog here Round the World

 

[elanshin]

• Takayama - 2 nights: Take the Hida limited express up to Takayama, stopping in Gero on the way. I think by this point I'll need a couple of days to take it easy, so I'm looking forward to taking in the scenery and getting into nature. Staying at Hotel Wood Takayama - really looking forward to this, I love the aesthetic of the building.
• Kanazawa - 3 nights: I'll probably take the bus to Kanazawa as I would love to stop in Shirakawago. The alternative would be to take the train via Toyama. Staying at Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa.

Highly recommend shirakawago.

That being said, I personally feel driving (rental) gives you a lot more flexibility and freedom than public transport. While you can use public transport, it does limit your timing significantly. Shirakawago is definitely doable as a day trip from Takayama. Heck we did it from Nagoya as a day trip.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Highly recommend shirakawago.

That being said, I personally feel driving (rental) gives you a lot more flexibility and freedom than public transport. While you can use public transport, it does limit your timing significantly. Shirakawago is definitely doable as a day trip from Takayama. Heck we did it from Nagoya as a day trip.

It's on the agenda, although probably not as a full day trip. I'll probably take the first bus up to Shirakawago from Takayama in the morning, spend a few hours there, and then jump back on the bus to Kanazawa.

 

[elanshin]

Starting to reserve my train tickets online - is there anywhere worth stopping for a few hours/lunch on the way from Odawara to Nagoya?

Don't forget that if you're travelling with luggage on the tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo > Nagoya is on it) you now need to book the luggage seat (aka last row).

Also if you have a second lighter suitcase or bigger backpack, you can send your main suitcase constantly forwards to the next cities with delivery services while just carrying smaller backpacks and a couple of days worth of clothes. We found for some parts, this frees us from dragging a bigger suitcase all over the country.

 

[Hunter4vr]

We were able to get IC (suica) cards from JTB Sydney before our July trip and they earned themselves on arrvl Haneda where there was a 20-pers queue for the monorail and rail ticket machines.. Walked right past them all.

But the main value of an IC card - when using JR's app named 'Smart-EX' for booking shinkansen travel - is that you can nominate that IC card during the booking process. It becomes your proxy ticket. Then its very easy to tap on at the shinkansen turnstile, get a little printed tkt with yr car/seat details, and off you go to the platform. No printouts at the hotel, no A4 bits pf paper folded for the QR code. But you hv to remember to tap off on exit. We didnt buy a JR pass because we had sevrl days btween shinkansen travel that wud hv negated the value.

Standard Suica and Pasmo card sales were suspended early Aug, due to a chip shortage, tho tourists can still get 'Welcome Suica' and 'Pasmo Passport' IC's on arrvl. More here :

Sales of Suica and PASMO Transit Cards to be Temporarily Suspended

Japan's omnipresent IC Cards are set to halt sales due to supply chain issues. However, there are still alternatives. Here's what you need to know.

www.japan.travel

If you have an iPhone you can get a digital Suica or Pasmo card straight through the Apple Wallet. See below link, it's very easy.

Add a Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card to Apple Wallet – Apple Support (AU)

Add a Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card to Apple Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch to use public transport and make purchases using Apple Pay.

support.apple.com

If you already hold a physical card then you can also convert it into digital. The cards will be set in express mode, so you don't need to unlock your phone to tap at the gates.