Hokkaido

[Pushka]

Re Suica Card

I don’t know about android, but on iPhones you can add a Suica to your Apple Pay wallet directly in the wallet app before you even get to Japan, with no other activation required (no third party app required at all). Load it directly with whatever yen you want direct from the wallet app whenever you need

Means no need for a physical card and sorting one on arrival.

If you add as your ‘Express Transit Card’ on iPhone, you just tap phone onto transit scanner and no need for any authentication to slow you down. Also keeps working for some amount of time if you run out of battery, but have never been game to try that!

I’ve had one sitting in my wallet app since pre COVID holding a very minimal balance, ready to go for whenever need again

Can use it anywhere a Suica accepted

Eigo?

 

[Pushka]

Re Suica Card

I don’t know about android, but on iPhones you can add a Suica to your Apple Pay wallet directly in the wallet app before you even get to Japan, with no other activation required (no third party app required at all). Load it directly with whatever yen you want direct from the wallet app whenever you need

Means no need for a physical card and sorting one on arrival.

If you add as your ‘Express Transit Card’ on iPhone, you just tap phone onto transit scanner and no need for any authentication to slow you down. Also keeps working for some amount of time if you run out of battery, but have never been game to try that!

I’ve had one sitting in my wallet app since pre COVID holding a very minimal balance, ready to go for whenever need again

Can use it anywhere a Suica accepted

I just did this and found this YouTube really helpful how to do this

Couldnt get the app sorted for Shinkansen but will buy those on the day. My smattering of Japanese language just didn't cut it.

 

[Seat0B]

Now for some details about other passes (not the standard, now super expensive JR Pass):

Passes offered by JR East for use in Tokyo and Area

Find Your Pass | JR-EAST

JR東日本で購入できるパス一覧です

www.jreast.co.jp

We have used the tokunai pass which for ¥760 per day offers a good discount. It's an orange coloured physical ticket that you just insert in the machine and collect as you go through the barrier. You can use it on the Yamanote Line and also a couple of other JR lines in central Tokyo. Pays for itself if you do 4 or more trips in a day.

Family members have used the Tokyo Wide pass for Tokyo and day trips covering areas such as Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohama, Nikko and Shinkansen as far as Gala Yuzawa, plus both airports Cost is ¥15,000 and it's valid for 3 days.

Other Rail Passes
This site (below) has a great list of all the passes (both types of subway, subway and JR combined and local excursion passes) that you can buy for Tokyo and surrounds. Of course, you can do all of these trips using a Suica - but you won't get a discount fare or other special offers that are in place for tourist passes from time to time. Your call what suits you best.

Useful Tickets in Tokyo - Japan National Tourism Organization

Learn about the different types of discounted train passes and tickets for use when travelling around Tokyo. Includes JR, Metro, Subway and more.

www.japan.travel

City Passes
Most cities in Japan offer a tourist pass for buses/trams/trains, sometimes subways, sometimes ferries etc for 24/48 hrs. These also usually represent good value if you will be taking a few rides. In almost all cases, you buy these at the tourist information office at the JR station or in the station plaza. Very rarely, you can buy on the bus, but usually not. If you're not taking about 4 rides in a day, you might find it cheaper and easier to just use the Suica to pay for each ride you take. For these local forms of transport, you can also usually pay cash, but often have to have the correct fare (no change given). Many buses etc have a note changing machine onboard to help with that.
For example:

• I understand that Kyoto has recently discontinued its pass, which used to cost ¥700 per day
• Kanazawa ¥800 per day, a single ride is ¥200
• Nagasaki ¥600 per day, single ride is ¥160
• Hiroshima ¥1000 per day, includes ferries, single ride is ¥220
• Matsumoto ¥500 per day, single ride ¥150
• Osaka - so many options, see the link below

Travel Passes | Information

osaka-info.jp

Riding a bus/tram/trolley
This process is pretty standard all over Japan.

• line up at the bus stop, politely, quietly and in order of arrival at the bus stop
  
• board promptly when the bus arrives
• get on using the back doors, marked as the entrance 入口
• if paying by Suica, tap on
• if paying by day pass, do nothing
• if paying by cash, take and keep a numbered ticket from the machine near the entry door. This will be used to work out your fare.
• ride to your stop, and press the buzzer to signal you want to get off
• make your way to the front doors, but wait until the bus stops - the aisle are crowded and the buses move around a fair bit and it can be quite dangerous trying to walk to the front while it's moving. The exit will be marked with 出口
  
• if paying by Suica, tap off
• if paying by day pass, show it to the driver
• if paying by cash, check the number on your ticket for the stop where you boarded eg it might say 3. Then look at the fare board displayed near the driver at the front of the bus and the fare you owe will be underneath the number corresponding to the stop where you boarded. Pay that exact fare in cash into the fare box and also insert the numbered ticket into the fare box. Ideally, check the fare before the stop, use the money changer if necessary, have your cash ready and try not to hold everyone up.
• Don't worry if you make a mistake, say sumimasen and the driver will politely help you. Then say arigato.
• Offer your seat, if you get one, to anyone who needs it more than you do. It goes a long way towards reducing friction between locals in tourist towns and gaijin hordes of tourists.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks all, again

And can I recommend this place?

Giving it a good look - but my brain hurts; pages excruciatingly slow to load; 'English booking page' isn't. Not on booking.com

What do you think 読みがな which seems to translate as 'reading' means?







Dormy inn at Abashiri shared bathroom - no good.

Any recommendations ion the east side of Daisetsuzan National Park? Maybe $250-$300 night (I could accept paying for two, to get a western room), but western style room essential.

If a room description says 'tatami' , does that mean the bed is a futon?

What's the difference between '8 mats' and '10 mats' (or other numbers)?

 

[Cynicor]

Thanks all, again



Giving it a good look - but my brain hurts; pages excruciatingly slow to load; 'English booking page' isn't. Not on booking.com

What do you think 読みがな which seems to translate as 'reading' means?

View attachment 374393

View attachment 374394



Dormy inn at Abashiri shared bathroom - no good.

Any recommendations ion the east side of Daisetsuzan National Park? Maybe $250-$300 night (I could accept paying for two, to get a western room), but western style room essential.

If a room description says 'tatami' , does that mean the bed is a futon?

What's the difference between '8 mats' and '10 mats' (or other numbers)?

Reading means your name, again, if you have an English name.
For the Japanese they will translate it into an alphabet.

Is asahidake on the east or somewhere else? I like the la vista there.

If it’s described in tatami size then yes, you will be on the futons.

Each mat is 1.8mx0.9m so 10 mats is the size. 1.7sqm per mat; so 17sqm and 14ish sqm.

 

[rbjhan]

Re Daisetsuzan, I know there's a La Vista - same group as Dormy Inn.
And this one seems to be good, opened 2022.
旭岳温泉　湯元　湧駒荘

Both western rooms.

 

[rbjhan]

Ah, my previous post was removed...

Anyways, just put your English name in the field, that one is for Japanese Kanji names.

I don't think Dormy Inn do no bathrooms....are you sure?

Edit, okay I just checked hotel website, there are showers. I don't know where you get the info from but probably don't use them?

 

[rbjhan]

Okay it's in Japanese but you can see the shower and toilet right?

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks @rbjhan - dunno where I saw shared bathroom for the Dormy.

I've booked the Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa you suggested . Interesting to see what I end up with!!

But I'd be grateful if you could continue consulting . Could you have a look here:

【Formal homepage】Noted hot water in Hokkaido The hotel in Noboribetsu ：Sounkyo Choyoresorthotel■NOGUCHI KANKO｜

It is by the payment in the reservation & cash from formal HP -- all the plan 5% -- it turns off 　☆　What has local nice appears in a Viking!【I will market carry out and will eat! 】A plan is 1 other-people 5980 yen ?

choyo-resort.com

This is the English page, which doesn't work further than the landing page. Could you please go to the Japanese page; I'm looking at a 'Modern Twin Room - non smoking' and want to confirm that it has private bathroom and its a 'western style' bed.

Qantas Hotels says:



Booking.com says shared bathroom (which I don't believe for $240/night)



They are roughly the same price, so pretty sure talking about the same room type. What do I get according to Japanese?

 

[rbjhan]

Thanks @rbjhan - dunno where I saw shared bathroom for the Dormy.

I've booked the Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa you suggested . Interesting to see what I end up with!!

But I'd be grateful if you could continue consulting . Could you have a look here:

【Formal homepage】Noted hot water in Hokkaido The hotel in Noboribetsu ：Sounkyo Choyoresorthotel■NOGUCHI KANKO｜

It is by the payment in the reservation & cash from formal HP -- all the plan 5% -- it turns off 　☆　What has local nice appears in a Viking!【I will market carry out and will eat! 】A plan is 1 other-people 5980 yen ?

choyo-resort.com

This is the English page, which doesn't work further than the landing page. Could you please go to the Japanese page; I'm looking at a 'Modern Twin Room - non smoking' and want to confirm that it has private bathroom and its a 'western style' bed.

Qantas Hotels says:

View attachment 374449

Booking.com says shared bathroom (which I don't believe for $240/night)

View attachment 374450

They are roughly the same price, so pretty sure talking about the same room type. What do I get according to Japanese?

Oh lord....That's why I don't book ryokans in English...

Bad news, there are 3 types of "Modern" rooms. Western Modern, Japanese Modern and Healing modern! Good news, they all kinda meet your requirement.

I'd probably go with either Japanese modern



Or western modern


If I have to guess, the shared bathroom thing is related to public bath (onsen), which of course, is shared!
Looks nice though.



Also, note in Japanese sites there would be multiple plans with different pricing based on meals provided. What did Booking.com say?

 

[rbjhan]

RE Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa, so you don't know what room you book??!
IIRC their entry level rooms there are two types, Japanese (tatami) and western, same price. But it should be clear on the reservation?

Anyways, this ryokan's service is excellent! If you have doubts maybe send them an email. They can and will respond in English. Back in 2016, they emailed me a few days ahead to check on my travel plans, told them which train I planned to take, confirmed on the day, and voila driver picked me up from JR station.

Edit, my TR FYI.

北国の秋 - Autumn in Northern Japan

Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido Shrine JR Sapporo Station Hokkaido University

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[drron]

My experience too. Even if only a Website in Japanese I send an email in English and have always had a reply back in English.

 

[RooFlyer]

3 types of "Modern" rooms. Western Modern, Japanese Modern and Healing modern! Good news, they all kinda meet your requirement.

If in doubt, I go by 'bed' as opposed to futon.

That double room (bed) in your TR. Can you recall how soft it was? The reason I'm so on about this is that I have some arthritis in my lower back. Need a soft(-ish) bed; and chairs with legs. I'm the guy who took an air mattress to India, where they have notoriously hard beds. But on this trip I want to go HLO.

PS there will be no 'bedrock baths' !

Oh lord....That's why I don't book ryokans in English...

I hear you! I've gone to booking.com and even Qantas hotels for a couple of places, whereas I usually like to book direct.

Also, note in Japanese sites there would be multiple plans with different pricing based on meals provided. What did Booking.com say?

'Dinner and breakfast included'. I guess the gaigin gets whatever's served up I chose a meal plan for Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa

RE Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa, so you don't know what room you book??!

Yes, in this case:

○ Room type : [Ocean Front] Western-style double room
○ Smoking category : Non-smoking
○ Plan name : ★Limited to 10 meals a day Chef Miura's special "Furukawa Zen" Online card payment only
○ Meals available: Dinner Breakfast

I can see from your TR for meals that I'll be using Google translate on my phone, where you hold it up to the foreign script and it shows the English on the screen . No wi-fi though. No doubt mobile data - need to keep look out for earthquake/tsunami!

Many thanks for your assistance. There might be more needed yet! But I'm getting the hang of it.

My experience too. Even if only a Website in Japanese I send an email in English and have always had a reply back in English.

Not Onsen Asayo Resort Hotel. E-mailed query in English, reply in Japanese, but easily translated.

 

[rbjhan]

If in doubt, I go by 'bed' as opposed to futon.

That double room (bed) in your TR. Can you recall how soft it was? The reason I'm so on about this is that I have some arthritis in my lower back. Need a soft(-ish) bed; and chairs with legs. I'm the guy who took an air mattress to India, where they have notoriously hard beds. But on this trip I want to go HLO.

PS there will be no 'bedrock baths' !



I hear you! I've gone to booking.com and even Qantas hotels for a couple of places, whereas I usually like to book direct.



'Dinner and breakfast included'. I guess the gaigin gets whatever's served up I chose a meal plan for Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa



Yes, in this case:

○ Room type : [Ocean Front] Western-style double room
○ Smoking category : Non-smoking
○ Plan name : ★Limited to 10 meals a day Chef Miura's special "Furukawa Zen" Online card payment only
○ Meals available: Dinner Breakfast

I can see from your TR for meals that I'll be using Google translate on my phone, where you hold it up to the foreign script and it shows the English on the screen . No wi-fi though. No doubt mobile data - need to keep look out for earthquake/tsunami!

Many thanks for your assistance. There might be more needed yet! But I'm getting the hang of it.


Not Onsen Asayo Resort Hotel. E-mailed query in English, reply in Japanese, but easily translated.

Japanese beds are not very soft, unfortunately.
I'm not sure about your tolerance level, for me it's okay-ish but not great.
As far as I remember they are just like everyone else in Japan.

 

[rbjhan]

'Dinner and breakfast included'. I guess the gaigin gets whatever's served up I chose a meal plan for Soul Resort Umi no Bettei Furukawa

Yeah that's not very helpful isn't it.

This is from one of my previous reservations on IKYU.
The ryokan actually provided a very detailed menu!





I think you'll be on the basic dinner plan.

Booking direct has its advantages, but I normally use IKYU or Jalan. IKYU offer 5% off on any booking instantly, which I find easier to use than collection points.

 

[rbjhan]

Many thanks for your assistance. There might be more needed yet! But I'm getting the hang of it.

No problems at all!
Happy to help.

 

[veridian5]

Definitely recommend Lake Toya area you can get some great deals on some really nice hotel rooms some even with private onsen balconies with a view of Mt Yotei (on a clear day). It’s super relaxing and if you like staring out at the view you usually only see on a postcard it’s certainly for you.

Also recommend Furano/Asahikawa/Biei for others reading this who aren’t sticking to the SW. Getting a car from CTS and driving over the mountains is nice the roads are great and not busy. Peak of winter can be interesting but again the roads are fairly good in most parts and so long as you drive carefully it’s fine. I’ve used Orix rentals most times and they’ve been great (from CTS and AKJ) allowed booking fairly far out and also allowed me to specifically reserve a 4x4 which I highly recommend in winter. I think Times also allows you to reserve a 4x4.

Lastly make sure you try the Yubari Melon soft serve.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Definitely recommend Lake Toya area you can get some great deals on some really nice hotel rooms some even with private onsen balconies with a view of Mt Yotei (on a clear day). It’s super relaxing and if you like staring out at the view you usually only see on a postcard it’s certainly for you.

Also recommend Furano/Asahikawa/Biei for others reading this who aren’t sticking to the SW. Getting a car from CTS and driving over the mountains is nice the roads are great and not busy. Peak of winter can be interesting but again the roads are fairly good in most parts and so long as you drive carefully it’s fine. I’ve used Orix rentals most times and they’ve been great (from CTS and AKJ) allowed booking fairly far out and also allowed me to specifically reserve a 4x4 which I highly recommend in winter. I think Times also allows you to reserve a 4x4.

Lastly make sure you try the Yubari Melon soft serve.

Do you mean true 4x4 like a delica/prado/landcruiser or AWD? Cos I've found specifically choosing 4x4/AWD (and paying the supplementary fees) especially redundant in Hokkaido as 90%+ of rental cars are AWD as standard, even down to Toyota Prius/Corolla etc...

Maybe just my experience though!

 

[veridian5]

Mixed results a couple of times yes and a couple of times I just got an AWD. Just wanted to rule out the possibility of getting a 2wd. If they are all AWD that would be handy to know.

 

[Cynicor]

In winter basically every car rented on Hokkaido is 4wd, even the micras etc.
They probably have extra fleet that is 2wd for summer but good odds on 4wd,
Personally I use jr Eki rental and it’s been pretty easy/ not pricey to just get 4wd guaranteed