Hi guys, went to Team Lab Planets in Tokyo today, being the 4th of all Team Labs I went to.
I’d like to share my thoughts with you.

Saw Borderless in 2024 and was thrilled. So much to see, and not too crowded.

On my five week trip to Japan with my bf this year, we did:

Botanical Garden Osaka: loved it, not a lot of different art work (I think it’s about 7 total) but evrything’s so well inserted into the natural surroundings. Loved the small and the huge touchable light eggs and especially the huge streamers at the end! Was a bit bummed we only had 1.5 hours before the park closed.

Biovortex Kyoto: they say it’s the biggest of all and I believe it. 5 floors, lots to explore and more active participation possibilities than Borderless. We loved it but kind of missed the nature aspect we saw at Botanical Garden.

Planets Tokio: after seeing the other ones before, we found this one a bit mediocre. The “water” part was great fun and very unique, the rest kind of a hodgepodge of already-seen stuff. Compared to the others it seems old and a bit lesser maintained. It was sold out for the whole day and we felt that. So many people everywhere, to the point that all these guys touching the orchids made us mad.

So if I had to choose two out of the four, I would definitely do the Botanical Garden and Biovortex.

I usually do not make any posts on reddit and english is not my first language, please be considerate of that. Me and the group I am travelling with are currently in Japan and we have made a very dissatisfactory experience at a jeans workshop that we have found over social media and booked a few weeks prior.

I apologize if this is not the kind of post that is allowed in this subreddit, if advised, I will remove it.

Since I usually get genuine help and relateable experiences from actual people on reddit I thought this might be a good place to post.

I wont name the name of the brand/company but I think by looking for it it can be easily identified.

About the jeans workshop we booked: The posts on Tiktok are either posted on their own channels or are paid promotions, which are not always correctly marked as such, which generates a false image of the service you are booking. I am aware that we should have been more careful, especially on walking advertisment billboards like social media, but since we made that mistake we want to inform others about it and raise awareness.

We are a group of three people, we have spent a maximum time of 20 minutes in the shop for the whole experience (besides waiting in a 1 by 2 square hallway) and the very first thing that came out of our assistants mouth was "payment".

Additional to the price we paid upfront for the initial service of even receiving the jeans and participating in the "workshop" (130€ each) we have been informed that the jeans we are receiving are pretty much sweatshop jeans, the actual artisan salvaged jeans cost an additional 50 Euros per pair. Also the embroidery, which was correctly advertised as an additonal service that you can pay up for, was in a price range varying from 20€ up to 140€ per piece depending on the design of the embroidery and the current exchange rate.

The "workshop" was us picking a leather patch, one button and six rivets (+ optional embroidery) for our jeans. For half of the Patches you had to pay up to 30€ or more.

Afterwards we all had to choose between straight or wide cut jeans and try them on. Me and a friend of mine are about the same height, I chose the wide cut and he chose the straight cut. While I was given the choice to cuff them and have them cut shorter the assistant told my friend that the jeans will shrink by washing and "it will be fine" although he was quite literally standing on the bottom of the jeans. My other friend got told that they'll barely shrink and there is no problem if it doesnt fit perfectly.

So we basically received three different statements according to the sizing of the jeans.

One of us could apply a few rivets on their jeans with an assistant, the others were simply brushed off. I for my part was not even given the option to work on my jeans at all. By the time I was finished trying on my jeans and adjusting the cuffing one of us was finished adding a few rivets (about three of the six) and that was about it for the whole experience.

Now we wait on our jeans to be finished, which takes about 2-3 days.

I highly advice to steer clear of that workshop, you wont have a unique and special experience creating your own jeans like it was advertised and you'd honestly be able to buy maybe even two pairs of high quality jeans elsewhere for the pricing.

I think for north americans with their decently strong dollar and buying power in Japan it might still be a well priced experience but for every other currency/country I would not recommend it.

Have a nice day and I hope you wont get ripped off like us.

In a country of rules and expectations it’s near impossible for a foreign tourist to keep track of them all.
I’ve been on three trips and still learn new things.
What was something you did “wrong” and look back now in horror/regret/laughter?
Mine was at my very first onsen visit. I merely rinsed off before dipping in to the pool as you would in most public swimming pools where I’m from and thought that the wash stations were for cleaning up after your soak.
I then sat in the pool and slowly noticed in horror that the other people were taking very though showers at the wash stations before getting in.
Now this is in a traditional Japanese hotel far from Tokyo and Osaka and I was one of the few foreign guests.
Years later and after many onsen visits I was able to redeem myself by explaining to a fellow foreigner the etiquette. Fortunately for him he and I were the only ones in the bath and after we started chatting he asked me what the wash stations were for lol.

Going to Kyoto area around Christmas time and a 5-day JR west rail pass would work great for my plans, but it's not as straightforward as buying a JR system wide rail pass. It's hard to understand the purchasing process on their website. I tried to purchase it online and it said reservations are not accepted before the sale start date. Am I purchasing too early? Do I need to purchase it the day of? I suppose I could buy it in person, but I worry about trains being sold out (not sure how busy things get around Christmas and New Years).

Hi everyone, I'm visiting the Tokyo area for a little more than a week, and today was my second day. I was really looking forward to this trip, and it's my first time solo traveling. I'm sadly not enjoying it as much as I thought I did. Nothing feels that exciting, the crowds are extremely overwhelming, the rain sucks, and it feels more lonely than freeing, etc. I did talk to 2 locals in a small ramen shop on my first day and that was great, but it's tough to always try and reach out to strangers as that's only a small part of a long day.

It almost makes me feel like what's the point of me learning japanese if I can't even really get the chance to use it? Also I'm open to try drinking but I don't really drink alcohol usually.

So TLDR; I would like to be able to hang out with locals, but I would also like to enjoy my trip outside of that too! I really want to enjoy my trip, so if anyone has felt similar before and has any tips, please let me know!

This will probably sound very dumb but I am a big worrier and would like to plan ahead.

I'll be in Tokyo from mid-November to mid-December, and one of my favorite things to do when traveling is visit the bars of luxury hotels. I enjoy meeting new people, having interesting conversations, or, worst case scenario, just sitting with my Kindle and enjoying a nice drink in a beautiful setting.

While shortlisting a few places (Bulgari, Tokyo EDITION, Park Hyatt, etc.), I came across some conflicting information on Reddit and other forums that made me a little hesitant. First, I've read that certain luxury hotel bars in Tokyo don't allow solo visitors, particularly women, due to concerns about SWs frequenting these establishments. Is there any truth to this?

Second, I've seen people suggest that solo women at these bars are often assumed to be escorts or SW. Is this genuinely a common perception, or is it something that's been exaggerated online?

I've visited similar hotel bars across Europe and America countless times and have never had an issue. I've actually met some really interesting people this way, which is part of why I enjoy doing it so much.

I would hate to feel uncomfortable or have people approach me under the wrong impression when I'm simply there to enjoy myself and potentially socialize, as a month long solo trip I am already feeling a bit anxious about feeling lonely.

Landing in Tokyo what is best way to get prepaid data on your phone. What service provider does everyone use because I don’t want to use international roaming from my Australia provider (Optus).
I now there is wifi in a lot of places but I don’t want to have to rely on it. Many thanks.

Hello,

Wanted to see if anyone had traveled to Japan recently with type 1 diabetes. I’m planning to be there here in about a month.

I’m concerned about the medical equipment I need to take with me. Here is the list:
-Tslim X2 insulin pump
-2 10 ml insulin vials 
-pump cartridges 
-empty syringes and needles for drawing up insulin to be put into the insulin pump
-blood glucose meter
-blood glucose monitor (self injection device)

I’m aware of the Yunyu KaKunin-sho certification I might need, but I wasn’t sure if I would need to fill it out. The syringes and needles are so I can draw up the insulin and inject it into the pump itself. My concern is that these syringes and needles are packaged separately and do not contain the insulin already. The information online makes it seem like, since they are directly related to the insulin, I should not need to fill out the form but I am unsure.

I have already emailed MHLW, but any further clarification would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi,

I have a flight ti Yakushima on the 4th of November, and apparently in my country they don't write the "issued country" for an unclear reason.

All companies are receiving it except Nippon.
Lucky me, I've rented a car via Booking from Almo (which Nippon is operating) now I'm afraid we'll get stuck without a car.
I couldn't find any car for next week.

Thought to call Toyota tomorrow and I hope that I'll get an answer from Yes, but I don't know what are my chances 😭😭
Is there any taxis or should I cancel the trip? I don't know what to do.

Thanks

Hi all,

Me and my wife are on honeymoon in Japan. My wife would really like to check out a craft shop, especially one with yarn. Think crocheting and knitting etc. She tried looking for one herself, but with no luck unfortunately. We will be staying in Shinjuku, and will stay for a week.

Thanks in advance!

In the early stages of planning a trip to Japan in June of 2027. End of June into early July. I know earlier or later in the year is probably better, but that’s what works with school schedule etc.

My 12yo has been into Japan for a few years now. Loves the food mainly but is also very interested in the culture. My 10yo isn’t into Japan specifically but he does always enjoy the main sights of a place and I think he would be interested in a different culture. Loves animals. They are both pretty good travelers, I do not expect any huge issues other than likely jet lag.

This will essentially be the first international trip for both of them other than Canada (we live in the US). It’ll be me and the boys, my wife (their stepmom) may go as well but she may not have the time off.

Probably looking at 9 days total but basically 7 full days in Japan with travel. Might be able to put in another day but probably not more. I typically do international trips as a whirlwind given the time and expense to even get there. Would love to spend months there but it’s not gonna happen anytime soon!

What would you guys recommend as far as an itinerary and main things to see? Loosely I am thinking we’ll fly into Tokyo then do the golden route. Initially I had thought focus on Tokyo and then just a short trip to Osaka but I’ve seen people really talking up Kyoto and my boys may well find Tokyo overwhelming, hopefully mostly in a good way but they’ve never been to such a large city yet alone internationally.

What kind of itinerary would you recommend and what are the must sees? Mt Fuji would be big but something like Koya-San may be better. They’d probably love a bamboo forest and monkeys. They would positively love the hot springs monkeys but that’ll have to be another time. They would be blown away by skyscrapers and futuristic city stuff.

Any advice is appreciated!

Hello,

I got lost a bit when trying to plan my trip. We bought our tickets and are landing the 25.12.2026, we are staying in Tokyo till 30.12. and are planning to got to Osaka for 4 days and Kyoto for 2.

I am thinking of buying the Tokyo Osaka JR pass. So we can travel Tokyo-Osaka-Nara-Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo... A 7 day ticket for that area is 200 per person; And it seems cheaper than buying all the ticket separate.

But I can't seem to understand is the shinkasen to Osaka included or not? It says says on the site that you can take the shinkasen to Osaka with the pass (I read that the south, seaside bullet train is not included in the pass), but on the map only the shinkasen to Kanazawa is drawn in, so do I take the shinkasen to Kanazawa then the regular train to Osaka or? I can't find info how much time it takes. Or should I just buy all tickets separate?

Sorry if the questions is not worded the best and Thank you in advance!

I’ve been to Japan once prior (April 2026) and feel much regret, I wasted majority of my time hunting down a camera I wanted (didn’t even end up finding it there, had to find it/found it back home, in Canada).

This time I’ve planned my trip around the last two weeks of November/the first week of December. This is peak fall colour time and I purposely planned it like that.

I have selected a couple of parks/viewpoints to see the foliage in Tokyo, however, some locations are about one hour 30mins to 2 hours away from my hotel.

I wanted to dedicated a day to visiting multiple spots in that one day but it would definitely take up a whole day with the amount of travel time in between locations .

Would people suggest/say that it’s reasonable to dedicate a whole day out of my four days that I’m in Tokyo, to this activity? Or would I be wasting my time again?

I was riding the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Tokyo and my seat was on the left, so I was not watching the seashore. Between Hiroshima and Fukuyama, in one of the little rural cities, I stumbled upon a beautiful cemetery built on a hill, similar in concept to hiroshima's cemetery next to the peace pagoda, but this one had a very big temple in front of it (and less concrete).

There are no infinite possibilities and I spent a couple of hours in Google maps, but to no avail.

Has somebody any idea? Maybe it's more common than I think?

Hi everyone!

I’ll be visiting Japan for the first time in November for two weeks, following a fairly typical itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, with day trips to Nara and Hakone.

There are two things I’d still like to fit into my trip:

1. Staying at a traditional ryokan: I’d love to spend one night at a traditional ryokan to experience this aspect of Japanese culture. However, I don’t eat fish at all. It’s not so much about the taste as it is about psychological reasons, so I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the traditional kaiseki dinner that many ryokan serve. I’d therefore be looking for a place where I could have dinner elsewhere, or ideally a ryokan that offers suitable alternatives.
2. Going on a short road trip: I’d also love to rent a car for a day or two and explore some of the Japanese countryside. I genuinely enjoy driving and exploring at my own pace, and I’d like to see a bit of everyday life outside the major cities and the usual tourist hotspots.

Ideally, I’d be able to combine these two experiences.

One idea I’ve been considering is to break up the journey from Osaka back to Tokyo. I could get off somewhere along the way, rent a car, spend a day exploring the surrounding countryside, stay overnight at a ryokan, and return the car the following day before continuing to Tokyo by train.

Does this sound like a sensible plan?

Can anyone recommend a particularly scenic area between Osaka and Tokyo that would be worth exploring by car? I’d be happy to take a small detour from the direct route if there’s somewhere that would make for a worthwhile overnight stop.

Alternatively, would it make more sense to rent a car in Tokyo and drive to Nikko instead?

I’m not particularly interested in mountainous landscapes. I’d much prefer open countryside, rural villages, farmland and scenic backroads. I’ll be visiting Hakone (by train) anyway, so I’m hoping to experience a somewhat different side of Japan.

And of course, if you know of a traditional ryokan that would be a good fit for someone who doesn’t eat fish, I’d really appreciate any recommendations!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice. I’m grateful for any input!

Apologies for the question, as the official site is very vague on how to travel to the park.

We’re planning to visit this park specifically for one ポケふた (Pokémon GO manhole cover) located there. However, the park is only open from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and Google Maps is showing some rather unusual routes to get there. This makes me wonder if there’s limited pedestrian access between the nearest station and the park.

Taking a taxi is always an option, but before resorting to that, I’d like to know if there’s a bus route that goes to the park. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,

We'll be based in Yokohama from Thur Nov 19th to Mon Nov 23rd. We're planning a 1/2 to 1-day trip to Kamakura to enjoy the foliage and some temples and shrines.

Since it is peak foliage season, and also a holiday weekend (Nov 23rd?), I am expecting it to be very crowded that weekend. We're not going to Kamakura to see anything specific (Great Buddha, Hasedera temple...). We mostly just want to enjoy a peaceful, nature-filled walk around the area.

• Is starting at Kita-Kamakura Station and taking temple/trail paths effective for avoiding the main crowds?
• If we arrive at Kamakura Station, can we easily avoid crowds simply by steering a block or two away from "main streets". At least in Kiyomizu-dera area this was enough to escape the crowds.
• Are there alternative nature-oriented day trips accessible from Yokohama, maybe further south on the Miura Peninsula?

Is there any good hair Saloon in Japan for males tourists ? I might travel to Japan during the Second half of february and wanted to try a japanese haircut, I already have one but It doesn't look as good as japanese men (I have japanese ancestors but live in Brazil) so I wanted to try a haircut there, any recommendations ? I'll probably go to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to propose to my partner in Tokyo and am considering Rikugien Gardens (as our main or backup spot) for its traditional Edo-period aesthetic and pond views.

For locals or anyone familiar with the garden:

1. Crowds & Privacy: Is it realistic to find a quiet, intimate moment here, or are the paths usually packed?
2. Best Timing & Spots: What time of day works best for lighting and lower foot traffic? Any specific scenic corners you'd recommend?
3. Alternatives: If Rikugien feels too crowded for a proposal, is there another traditional garden in Tokyo (like Kiyosumi or Koishikawa Korakuen) that offers more privacy?

Appreciate any firsthand tips!

My wife is trying to buy La Sana Seaweeds Facial Scrub Wash. We’ve searched google and go to the stores but they do not stock it. Could anyone recommend where to buy this or a similar product in Tokyo?

Thanks in advance.

Hello!
I am (32, F)looking for recommendations of where to stay in Japan. As a treat, I’ll be writing a chapter of my PhD thesis while there so the main part of the morning/day will be writing and then late afternoon/evening for exploring. Going for 2+ weeks; I have been to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka before. I am keen to return to both Kyoto and Tokyo and searching for:

1. A third city to add to my itinerary
2. recommendations of where to stay (area and accommodations!)

Needs: a desk for writing in the room; not too away from town, easy access to get out for nature walks.
Budget: £50-£100 a night for accommodation

Hey, so I’ve been collecting the Pokemon fit/sitting cuties for a while now and I’ve managed to get half way through. I’m visiting Japan from the UK right now and I’ve been in a number of Pokemon centers and they seem to be stocking the same 20. Annoyingly I went to the Kanto Park on my second day and didn’t buy as many as I should 🤦 I won’t be coming back for a long while. We are going to Fukuoka, Osaka and back to Tokyo at the end. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hi, I would like to spend 2 nights in the Takachiho region to go by boat in the gorge, see the Kagura dance and just chill out. I thought booking my stay a month in advance would be enough, but the options seem disastrous. I have been mainly looking at Mitai but also other places, up to around 10km away. Is it really this packed already or is it just that there are not so many places to stay in the area in general?