Travel: Japan - General
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Rundown...you guys are harsh. I prefer stuck in time :rotflmao:
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GEP2KIDS\" post_id=\"2084918\" time=\"1665022287\" user_id=\"161589:
In Kyoto, there’s a rafting actitivity after yr Bamboo forest walk. It’s pretty fun as u flow towards rapid waters (guided) and we enjoyed the snacks by boat hawkers at the end of the ride. There are lots of interesting shops for mochi, green noodles, ice cream, grilled shisan, melons & all sorts of Japanese materials, hair bands, clips, etc. Still rmbr the aromatic grilled cuttlefish & sausages! Try the kimono & take pretty colorful pics!
We are arriving late on a Friday and leaving the following week Sunday....still thinking if we should just stay in Tokyo as a base or spend 3-4 days in Tokyo and another 3-4 days in Osaka or Kyoto. I think Kyoto will be boring to the kids though with mainly shrines and more shrines.
We started fr Saga Torokko stn for a scenic train ride. You can take diff train rides thro the forests. Take a horse carriage ride.
Visit Nakamise, btwn Sensoji & Kaminarimon & the Thunder Gate. Lots of tasty food & delicious snacks. I bought most of my Japanese plums, Shiso, Miso, pickles, strawberries (red, white & pink), etc.
LegoLand & Disney Tokyo is worth a visit! Do incl the Aquarium.
Visit the Toyota museum. I’m sure yr kids will enjoy esp those assimilation train driving. Need to book ahead, not sure after covid need more than a wee pre-booking. We were amazed at how a family bz fr weaving & knitting evolved to car technology & the museum showed old car technology to latest electric car.
If u hv time, and enjoys Onsen, we like Kinosaku-onsen. We stayed a couple of days & went for all the onsens we can try. We booked a stay with a Michelin star restaurant with homestay. The service was excellent & food was very exquisite with lots of varieties.
Enjoy yr planning & holidaying in Japan! -
sushi88\" post_id=\"2084940\" time=\"1665028339\" user_id=\"100857:
Agree. The train system confuses me a lot esp with language barrier. I recalled following the guidance of a brewery to take xx train and alight at yy station however the xx train we took apparently did not go to yy station. It was one of those where selected times/trips of the day, there was diversion to another route so we took the “wrong” train and miss the brewery tour (located in outskirts of Osaka) but ok lah, lesson learned in JP transportation system.
9 days free and easy is good to cover 2 places.
Travelling should not be dashing around. Take time to appreciate everything in the culture and everything in the nature we do not have and buffer time for getting lost... We almost missed our flight back!
Our last trip to Japan was Osaska.. it looked pretty rundown with age but that's also probably a highlight for us as we looked at the city from the subway platform and imagine the years those houses have gone thru....
And since we seldom take MRT in SG then, we were shocked to learn that one line could have 2 trains for different destination n we needed to understand Japanese in order not to hop onto the wrong train! 😳. Very educational...Only after that, we realised SG has lines like this too and we try to take MRT more often if we can. :lol: -
SG_KP1\" post_id=\"2084945\" time=\"1665029276\" user_id=\"188234:
Ah, it’s abt getting assimilated & accepting differences when we experience diff things. In fact, DH spotted the stn still using fluorescent lights, which he pointed out as very reliable old technology. No LED few years back. Not sure if they’ve decided to go for LED. Wld be more Eco-frdly.
Rundown...you guys are harsh. I prefer stuck in time :rotflmao:
Like HK, we find the stairs to all their train stns punishing, tho they hv lifts but mostly for elderlies. The stns hv many outlets to diff parts of the city. I find it conducive for avoiding sun & rain for awhile btwn meals. If u’re rushing & hv no time for sit down meals, pls rmbr to buy bentos fr the shops ard the stn malls.
We managed to figure out their train systems & directions. Plan daily ahead & asks for directions the day before u hit for yr destinations. Saves u lots of time & angst for missing train. With our JR Passes, we find it useful to hit for the Express train rather than the normal ones 🚊as it’ll save u hours of travelling s’times. Quite easy to decipher the 快车 🚅. Don’t stretch to go for last train coz if u missed the last train, u might hv to contend with the slower train & get back late to hotel. Be punctual coz their train don’t wait. -
Imp75\" post_id=\"2084954\" time=\"1665031407\" user_id=\"2358:
Ah, but now that your kids are proficient in Japanese, they can help double check by asking the fellow passengers or train station staff before boarding. Benefits of learning the language.
Agree. The train system confuses me a lot esp with language barrier. I recalled following the guidance of a brewery to take xx train and alight at yy station however the xx train we took apparently did not go to yy station. It was one of those where selected times/trips of the day, there was diversion to another route so we took the “wrong” train and miss the brewery tour (located in outskirts of Osaka) but ok lah, lesson learned in JP transportation system. -
zac's mum\" post_id=\"2084957\" time=\"1665031688\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2084957 time=1665031688 user_id=53606]
Yalor but covid le. A bit hesitant to go now esp just open up and it’s very costly. Wait for euphoria to die down first.
Ah, but now that your kids are proficient in Japanese, they can help double check by asking the fellow passengers or train station staff before boarding. Benefits of learning the language.[/quote] -
SG_KP1\" post_id=\"2084945\" time=\"1665029276\" user_id=\"188234:
Rundown...you guys are harsh. I prefer stuck in time :rotflmao: After reading your post, I try to use \"time-travel' to describe what I saw but hmmm....it could not fit...
The image is still strong in my mind now. It was not just a retro-setting of the buildings which we saw. The buildings looked weathered with age and suggested a lot of maintenance work needed to be done to refurbish the city. That was our impression then...not sure if things have changed. -
GEP2KIDS\" post_id=\"2084897\" time=\"1664989316\" user_id=\"161589:
You take the N'Ex train, not the slow coach.
Thanks.. any recommendation for hotel in Shinjuku area near to express bus drop off from Narita airport? Looking for quad room..
All JRs (including the N'EX ones) have a big hotel above it or connected to it, e.g. Tokyo Hotel right next to Tokyo station. Keio Plaza at Shinjuku, etc. But they cost a lot more.
Even if we were to recommend a hotel in Shinjuku, it may not offer quads or even have any quads left for this period! Many things have changed during the 3 years of Covid. I think Toyoko Inn at Kabukicho is not even open anymore? You can check on that but it's in Kabukicho lah.
Best you follow zacmum's advice and google hotels near Shinjuku station yourself and study the walking route connecting the JR station to your hotel. I just quickly run a search on Prince Hotel right next to Shinjuku and it's sold out for mid-Nov.
Nowadays, you can Google-Earth on your own to view the entire street and imagine your teens lugging the bags along those streets leading to the N'Ex station! That's what I always do. I also look for Lawson, FamilyMart, etc. :evil:
Second, what are the genders of your teens? Do the 2 teenagers want to sleep together on a queen bed? Quad means 2 queen beds I think. Unless you book a junior family suite with maybe 2 baths (a lux in Tokyo!).
Anyway, teens are old enough to be able to take their own twin room already. Just ask hotel to give you next or opp room, or same floor. That way you're not limited to just a few hotels.
Teens are very smart one. Don't have to worry about their topographical skills. They can take the card key and run downstairs to buy coffee, or to the exec lounge and pool/gym themselves, yeah...up and down the hotel floors without parental supervision. -
zac's mum\" post_id=\"2084957\" time=\"1665031688\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2084957 time=1665031688 user_id=53606]
No need to know Jap lang to ask for directions. All major train stations have Eng-speaking staff to guide you. The train station, carriage signboards come with Eng as well as romaji, right? And ticketing machines have Eng options too. If you can recognise traditional Chinese, you can look at the kanji. Same as commuting in China and Taiwan.
Ah, but now that your kids are proficient in Japanese, they can help double check by asking the fellow passengers or train station staff before boarding. Benefits of learning the language.[/quote]
And there's GPS nowadays. I used GPS to locate the Godzilla statue in Tokyo.
Kanji recognition-translation apps are also useful. A Singaporean SA at a Jap beauty counter at CKTangs recently used her HP to scan some kanji wordings on her product manual to let me know the ingredients of a Jap product I was thinking of getting. The translation was very accurate! -
zeit.\" post_id=\"2084987\" time=\"1665038926\" user_id=\"194295:
I am not so sure that there are English speaking staff always available to help. And precisely there are so many signage’s and languages that it became confusing. I was not in Tokyo nor Osaka then. I was traveling to the outskirts to visit the breweries and if I am
No need to know Jap lang to ask for directions. All major train stations have Eng-speaking staff to guide you. The train station, carriage signboards come with Eng as well as romaji, right? And ticketing machines have Eng options too. If you can recognise traditional Chinese, you can look at the kanji. Same as commuting in China and Taiwan.
And there's GPS nowadays. I used GPS to locate the Godzilla statue in Tokyo.
Kanji recognition-translation apps are also useful. A Singaporean SA at a Jap beauty counter at CKTangs recently used her HP to scan some kanji wordings on her product manual to let me know the ingredients of a Jap product I was thinking of getting. The translation was very accurate!
Not wrong, it’s one of those local rail-lines like hankyu or smthg.
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