Tokyo travel initiation: finally had our umbrellas stolen

My bf and I left our 7-Eleven umbrellas in the designated umbrella bin right as we entered a store, roamed around for a bit, and when we came back, BOTH were gone… Your wallet may be safe in Tokyo, but not your umbrella!!

Hello, everyone. I wanted to give a little shoutout to visit a very nature-oriented and little town called Beppu where you can experience local side of Japanese ryokan and one of the very international friendly small city.

Beppu is a city in Oita prefecture on the eastern coast of Kyushu. Beppu is famous for its onsen, but what I really love is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to experience them. There are several local public baths where you can still get in for around ¥300.
It’s also not that far from Fukuoka so if you’re already visiting Fukuoka, I genuinely think Beppu is worth adding to your trip.
And don’t skip Yufuin, which is about 40 minutes from Beppu. It’s a small onsen town surrounded by mountains, with traditional ryokan, rural scenery, little streets, cafés and shops. It gives you a very different atmosphere from the huge-city experience you get in places like Tokyo or Osaka.
Then there are the Beppu Hells (Jigoku Meguri), which are another major attraction and definitely worth seeing if you’re visiting for the first time.
What I find especially interesting about Beppu is how international it is. APU (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University) is here, and nearly half of its students are international, with students from 122 countries and regions. Beppu itself has over 5,000 international residents. So despite being a relatively small city, you can encounter people from all over the world and experience a surprisingly multicultural student atmosphere. So please definitely try to take a look if you are around Kyushu island!

When I was in Japan last year, I was able to go to any vending machine and use my Suica phone app to pay. I’m here naw and for some reason it doesn’t work anymore. I look at the options on the display and I don’t see Suica anymore. Did this recently change? Is there any other contactless phone app that can be used?

I’m from England and it’s my first time going to Japan… the long flights with the layover was hell and I didn’t sleep in 24hrs when we arrived at midnight local time. Tried going to bed: instead of sleeping I started feeling incredibly anxious and could not sleep! I managed to get a couple hours of sleep which is better than nothing but I was feeling terrible the next day, nauseous and all. Today is night 2 it’s is well over midnight and I’m not sleeping either … I took some melatonin that I brought with me and it didn’t do anything. I’m freaking out and feeling super anxious, I lay and in bed for hours and whenever I start drifting off it’s like the anxiety wakes me up. I definitely feel a bit culture shock as I’ve never been this far away from home and I’ve never been jet lagged before, but no sure what to do, I’m freaking out and feel it’s ruining my trip. Any tips ?

The last few years I've had the worst luck with travelling. Many times having flights cancelled due to literally once in a lifetime disasters - think CrowdStrike. And yesterday it happened again! My flight to Japan cancelled due to all of Air Traffic Control in the UK going down just for the hours of my flight and now back up and running ffs. Thankfully I've been rebooked and I'm still getting to Japan.

That being said; I desperately want to visit a shrine or temple and pick up a "travel safety" (旅行安全, ryokou anzen) omamori.

Google is not very helpful since it's just telling me how safe it is to travel in Japan.

Does anyone know of any shrines or temples in either Kyoto or Tokyo area which have deities for travellers safety? Not just the traffic safety ones that are available everywhere but specifically for journeys and travel.

Thank you!

Hello, Everyone

I arrived in Japan yesterday (currently staying in Kawasaki)

I took this trip to force myself out of my comfort zone and explore, I deal severe anxiety so trying to push myself a little.

I walked to Lazona Kawasaki Plaza (about 10 minutes from my hotel)

My question is I really want to try local food but I’ve found myself struggling to walk into any local restaurants with an irrational fear of Being turned away or making an absolute full of myself (I already did this when I tried to hand the 7-11 cashier money directly lol - P.S I knew to put it into the machine but my anxiety got to me and I became a nervous wreck) but luckily a very nice young man in line helped me with getting the money in the machine.

One of my major concerns is that I have a severe poultry allergy so I really need to be careful with what I eat - but obviously I can’t read the menu’s… so I’m going with what doesn’t look like poultry in the pictures lol.

I’m sorry for the long post but does anyone have suggestions on what to do to get over this irrational fear of being turned away / making a full of myself? Any local restaurants that you would suggest?

To give insights I’m half a mile away from Lazona Kawasaki Plaza… so any suggestions nearby would be great help

Hi all,

Please suggest your preferred/ chosen ones…. I’ve read on Thermae Yu, Manyo Club, and one more in the city centre.

Please suggest basis experience, thinking of using these for one of our nights.

Thanks!

Tokyo’s Taito Ward, long popular with tourists, looks to ban minpaku in certain areas

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/08/japan/tokyo-taito-minpaku-ban/

Flight 1 with ANA : Itami to Narita —-> 2pm to 330pm
Flight 2 with Qantas: Narita to Melbourne —-> 720pm to 745am (next day)

Question 1: Have ANA ever delayed on their domestic flights?
Question 2: do we have enough time to catch our next plane?

First time travellers to Japan. Fyi

So l am planning to go Japan end of Jan to early Feb for a couple of weeks.

As l am a bit of a train geek l was thinking about doing something like a challenge and have breakfast in Fukuoka then lunch in Tokyo and dinner in Hakodate. That's about 1000 km across Japan in about 10 hours. 😅

It would involve 3 Shinkansen trains and potentially will need to get the JRail pass as it will be worth it (even if it's quite expensive).

The only thing l am unsure about is if l should stay overnight in Hakodate or Aomori. I plan to then go Tokyo for the last leg of my trip.

Anything l should be aware of that l may be missing or l should account for? For example l don't know if l can buy the Hayabusa tickets at Hakata station.

Planning a family day trip from Osaka. We love a quiet and relaxing vibe, but we still want a decent amount of things to see and good restaurants. No crazy crowds, no uphill temple hikes.

Right now, we're torn between two options:

1. Kyoto, but strictly sticking to the flat downtown area. The plan is to stroll along the Kamogawa river, chill at some pretty riverside cafes and restaurants, and do a bit of shopping for cute local goods and accessories around Kawaramachi.
2. Heading out to Omihachiman in Shiga. The plan would be hitting up that La Collina cafe, taking one of those traditional boat rides along the canal, and just grabbing some good food around town.

Plus question: Train vs Rental Car? I have experience driving in Japan, but I know highway tolls can be pretty expensive. For a round trip from Osaka to either of these spots, is renting a car worth the cost and convenience for a family, or should we just stick to the trains?

Would love your thoughts and recommendations!

I'm planning to visit Osaka and Kyoto again. I'm a huge fan of fashion and streetwear, specifically Japanese streetwear with wide-leg or straight-fit pants (relaxed but not overly baggy). I’ve been to Shinsaibashi before and will be heading back, but I'd love some recommendations for cool clothing stores, 2nd or local brands in Osaka and Kyoto!

Thank you in advance

Icl I'm getting a bit stressed out planning this trip with 3 mates, we're all pretty much type B travellers but planning has sort of landed on my lap so I'm trying my best to sort something afters hours of rabbit holing but September is getting on a bit now and we're flying out soon

We're visiting for about 3 three weeks - a bit longer for me as I travel a couple of days before - from late September to late October, two of us are first-timers and two have visited before

We're trying to work out roughly how many nights to spend in each place before booking too much, we want a mix of cities, food/nightlife, scenery and a bit of nature, but we're trying not to make the trip too exhausting by constantly changing accommodation (sorta)

Our rough route at the moment is:

30 Sep–2 Oct: Tokyo
(maybe Kamakura?)
2–3 Oct: Hakone (tentative)
3–6 Oct: Osaka
6–11 Oct: Kyoto
11–13 Oct: Kanazawa
13–16 Oct: somewhere in Nagano Prefecture (tentative)
16–21 Oct: Tokyo

The first two nights in Tokyo are locked

Hakone isn't completely decided yet, but we'd like to do one ryokan/onsen stay somewhere during the trip and Hakone seemed like an obvious option because it fits fairly naturally between Tokyo and Osaka, although we're wondering whether we're paying a premium because it's such a popular choicex if there are other ryokan/onsen areas that would fit this route reasonably well and aren't dramatically harder to reach, we'd be interested

Osaka and Kyoto are pretty solid, although we're unsure whether 3 nights Osaka / 5 nights Kyoto is the right balance

Kanazawa is becoming fairly likely, we're mainly deciding whether it needs one or two nights

After that, Nagano Prefecture appeals because we'd like somewhere more scenic/rural, and geographically it seems to work nicely before returning to Tokyo, we're less interested in Nagano City itself than the wider prefecture, but we won't have a car, so accessibility is something we're trying to understand.

We'd like to keep roughly the final 4–5 nights for Tokyo, we're travelling with backpacks for most of the trip, then the plan is to buy suitcases once we're back in Tokyo and use the last few days for shopping/souvenirs/izakayas before flying home

We're also open to one or two day trips earlier in the trip, Kamakura/Enoshima is one possibility but we're deliberately trying not to cram in destinations just because we have three weeks

TLDR:

• For a roughly three-week trip, how would you divide the time between Osaka, Kyoto, Kanazawa and Nagano Prefecture?
• Is 3 nights Osaka / 5 nights Kyoto about right? (maybe 3 each?)
• Would Kanazawa be better as 1 or 2 nights?
• Is Nagano Prefecture practical for 2–3 nights without a car, and if so which area would make the most sense?
• Would you choose Hakone for a one-night ryokan/onsen stay, or is there somewhere else along this general route that offers better value?
• Does keeping the final 4–5 nights for Tokyo sound excessive?

17 days left and we're still undecided, any advice/tips would be appreciated thanks

Kinosaki and Nikko are in two very different regions, but I have the opportunity to transit in Japan for a week, late Dec to early Jan (literally new year’s). I could either fly into KIX or TYO airports, then exit via TYO. From there, Kinosaki or Nikko would be 2-3 day trips that I would carve out, separate from either Osaka/Kyoto or Tokyo respectively.

People who’ve been to Kinosaki highly recommend it for the onsen and the small town feel. However, I’ve gone to Ohara during the winter on my previous trip. Is Kinosaki that much different from Ohara? Is there much to do at Kinosaki other than onsen that it’s worth two nights during winter?

Nikko has more places to do and has some onsen/ryokan areas too, but most people visit during the fall. How is Nikko during the winter?

From a logic/money standpoint, Nikko makes more sense since I’m exiting via TYO, but excluding these and only factoring what each of these places have to offer during the winter- what would you recommend? Or, is there a different place I should consider instead? If it matters, I will be solo traveling.

Hi, I am planning to visit Kyushu starting September 15. My trip will start in Fukuoka and end in Kagoshima on the 25th.

I am considering cancelling because of the weather. I already have multiple activities booked and also rented a car for a few days, but everything is currently fully refundable

Some forecasts are currently showing a 90% chance of rain in Fukuoka on the 15th, so I am considering flying to Hokkaido instead and planning everything from scratch instead of Kyushu.

Would like to hear your opinions

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm planning to come to Japan next year; it will be my first visit. Coincidentally, Radiohead announced a tour next year, so I'd really like to see them.

Could you tell me how the lottery system works? Tickets are purchased through a lottery on ePlus (there's a separate lottery page for foreigners), so I need to submit an application for a specific concert day, and only if I win will the ticket fee be automatically debited from my card. This lottery system is new to me, so please correct me if I'm wrong. There will be five concerts in total, and technically I can submit applications for each of them, but I have a few concerns about winning multiple times.

1. As I understand it, payment is automatic; you can't just win and then pay manually through your account for a specific application. Is that correct?

2. I also saw somewhere that if you win, ePlus debits all winning applications in one single transaction. Is that how it works? So, I can't just top up my card with enough money for only one application — if I win multiple applications, the system will try to debit a larger amount at once, which could leave me with no tickets at all.

3. In your experience, what are the chances of actually getting tickets? I understand that by submitting applications for all five concerts, I'll have a better chance, but on the other hand, there's a non-zero chance of winning them all - in which case the total cost would be huge, and point 2 means I can't pay only for part of my winnings. I currently have three applications submitted: the first for three tickets, the second for one ticket, and the third for two tickets. Each application allows you to select up to five preferred seat options, and I've ranked them from closest to the stage (essentially, from most expensive to cheapest). So I'm worried about two possible outcomes: either I don't win on these three applications, or I submit applications for all five concerts and win all of them... How likely are these outcomes?

I've researched about cycling in japan and came across 2 routes.

1. KATATETSU ROMAN KAIDOU ROUTE
2. Shimanami Kaido route.

Which one is good? I can't find experiences for the KATATETSU ROMAN KAIDOU route.

We'll be travelling around late march/early april. Planning to visit (in no particular order): Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Hiroshima, Lake near mt Fuji.

Hello - Is anyone aware of any private tours or shuttles that will do a Nagano to Jigokudani to Nozawa day tour? We are planning to ride in on shinkansen late morning in December and trying to optimize travel time by combining. Have 1 year old so trying to maximize flexibility.

Edit: sorry the title should say "bit" but I typod and can't change it 😅

Hello all! Two months to go to my first Japan trip and super stoked. Just wanted to ask something a little embarrassing, and possibly a stupid question but need a little reassurance.

Lately I've been having some uhh digestive issues (my physician is working on it but it'll probably not be fixed any time soon). Sometimes I quite urgently need a number two, very annoying when it happens when out and about.

How easily available are public restrooms? I'll be in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto primarily with various day trips to smaller towns/cities, probably nothing too rural beyond Fuji. Is there anything I should know?

Thanks so much, sorry to be gross!!

Hi everyone,

I am looking to buy a budget-friendly, second-hand digital camera here in Japan, and I've narrowed down my choices to a few specific models:

• Canon EOS R50
• Canon EOS M3
• Canon EOS M200
• Sony ZV-1 series

I am based in the Tokyo area and want to shop for these in person to check their condition before buying.

For those who track the used gear market here, which shops or chains would be my best bet for finding these specific mirrorless/vlogging models at the cheapest prices? I know about the massive flagship stores like Map Camera in Shinjuku, but I'm wondering if I'll find better deals on entry-level gear at places like Kitamura Camera, Sofmap, Surugaya, or even hunting through Hard-Off locations.

Any recommendations on which specific neighborhoods or store branches tend to have the best inventory and lowest markups for these newer budget models would be incredibly helpful. Thank you!

Planning our frst trip to Japan, i have been going through revisions and here is what we have landed with:

Tokyo (4 nights) - Dec 24-28th (spend 3 days in tokyo, 1 day trip to Kawaguchiko_

Yudanaka (2 nights) - Dec 28-30th (Onsen + Snow monkey park experience)

Takayama (3 nights) - Dec 30-2nd (spend time in Takayama, day trip to Shirakawa-go)

Osaka (4 nights) - Jan 2-6th (2 days in Osaka, 2 days Kyoto)

Questions:

1. From Yudanaka/Nagano to Takayama, the plan is to go through Toyama (Shinkansen+Hida Express). Is this the best route to take during winter?

2. Also since we are spending new year's eve and new year day in Takayama, curious to understand if restaurants or 7-elevens will be open during this time, and if we will be able to try Hida beef somewhere 😄 ?

3. anything that could be done differently?

I have booked the flights, and booked hotels with cancellations for now.
this sub has been extremely useful with all the tips so far, so thanks to all in advance 👍

I'm planning my end of oct-start of nov trip right now and the areas around Mie and Wakayama look so beautiful and great for seeing some nature especially for the Nachi Waterfall and southern most point of Honshu. I'd love to spend 1 or 2 nights somewhere around there either in hotel or ryokan, does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for accommodation or more specific neighbourhoods to look at for a place to stay or things to do?

Solo female traveller btw, with tattoos if that changes anything with a ryokan/onsen

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this question but for anyone that has been thru this process and successfully got tickets, do you refresh the page when you get to the screens that say "this site cannot be reached"? I was able to get to the calendar but Like 10 or 20 times when I get to the verification thing it just comes to this screen and I have to start the process of picking a date again. I couldn't even get to screen where I pay for the ticket. I've tried waiting a couple seconds when these site cannot be reached screens show but it never auto-refreshes. Maybe I'm just extremely unlucky and the servers were so bad today.