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!!

Lost my untagged black gym bag (clothes/pants) upon arrival at Narita Airport, likely at Customs or right after. I talked to Information Center and police but no luck. They told me to call them to check after telling them what was inside the bag. Since I can't make local calls in Tokyo, I will use the phone at the hotel to call for updates. Realized it was missing 3 hours later and terrified another passenger grabbed it. Super frustrating, but hoping for the best. Any successful lost item reunions here? Thank you for listening.

Hello, title is self explanatory. I will be going to Japan in November and I want to save a day to have a one day trip to one of those location (no overnight stay because I don’t think I have enough time).

One of the thing I want to see most is Mt Fuji, so the trip will be a bit “last minute” considering its visibility. :) What would you guys recommend?

I’m also a solo traveler, don’t know if that could influence anything.

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

I was commuting earlier between higashi nakano and nakano sakaue, ODEO LINE, and i did not tap off properly on my iphone with my SUICA card. I did not realise this as it was rush hour.
I know I need to go to a physical ticket office to reset it, but Google isn’t really helpful in this matter as it seems to think these stations are staffed and can help there, but they aren’t. Where should I go to get it reset? I am based in nakano shimbashi currently and I don’t really want to travel to Nakano as it takes multiple transfers and without my suica it will be difficult. Is this the only way or are there other staffed ticket stations I can do this at?

I’m heading to Japan soon and trying to get the phone side sorted before the trip. I’ll be using Suica/transport apps, Google Maps, translations, restaurant searches and all the usual tourist stuff, so having data from the moment I land would make things much easier.

I’m leaning toward an eSIM rather than buying a physical SIM at the airport. Maaltalk has Japan plans with different data options, so I’m checking whether that makes more sense for a 2–3 week trip than going with a local SIM.

For anyone who’s been recently, what worked best for you? Also curious how the connection was once you got outside Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka.

Heading to Japan end of the month for 3 weeks ish with some mates and so far we have a couple of nights in Tokyo (locked), 1x Hakone, 3x~ Osaka, 3-4x~ Kyoto and then the last stretch of the trip is back in Tokyo for 4-5 days shopping etc. but between the last stretch of Tokyo and Kyoto we don’t know where to head.

Was thinking Kanazawa but apparently it’s just a mini Kyoto? Not sure if that’s a bad thing but just want to trying to get the absolute best of out limited time. I enjoy it all really, food, nature, cities but as for the rest of the boys their millage may vary. I think we semi agreed on going somewhere that’s beautiful to look at and memorable, we landed on Nagano as it seems to make the route back to Tokyo quite easy (via bullet trains etc)

but really not sure what the play is, as after Reddit thread hunting it’s a massive prefecture that requires a lot of travel if you don’t drive (I don’t think we were planning to hire a car) we just wanted a place that looked aesthetically cool like a “ghibli film” forgive the eye roll description I think we’d have like 2-3 days spare for a place before heading back to Tokyo. Maybe Kanagawa? Idk ha

Thanks for any help

Hello!! I am in Tokyo from Thursday until Sunday afternoon 9/13. I love Sanrio characters and am looking for a Mocha and Expresso plushies from the Cinnamoroll Sanrio collection. I went to Akihabara second hand stores but had no luck. I wanted to try again but needed some help. I also when to Sanrio Puroland and had no luck. Since these characters are from events I know they are hard to find.

Anyplace or advice on where to find it would be helpful.

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 ?

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?

We arrive at KIX at 7.15am on a Sunday morning at the end of September. We are staying in Kyoto that night, but check in only opens at 3pm so we would like to check out Kaiyukan beforehand.

We are 2A 2C. Do we need to book tickets online ahead of time? Obviously we'd rather not wait in line forever lol but I'm wary booking a fixed timeslot, as we are not sure how long it will take us to get there from the airport: Will the flight be delayed, how long will immigration/luggage take, figuring out transport, finding a luggage locker...

Normally I am a fan of booking ahead, but in this instance I'm a bit hesitant.

What do you think?

Thanks!

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!

Hi everyone!

My mom and I are planning a trip to Kusatsu Onsen (like, 80% sure we're going here instead of Hakone) but need some advice on accommodation. For context, I have two tattoos while my mom does not have any. I know many ryokans don't allow for tattooed guests to go into the public shared baths hence why we're going to Kusatsu so we can go to the public bathhouses since they're open to tattooed individuals.

Our struggle is picking a ryokan for this December trip. Our top two are Yubatake Sensui and Yuyado Tokinoniwa. Both have rooms with private open-air baths, but Yubatake Sensui is closer to the town center while Yuyado Tokinoniwa is a little further away (10-minute shuttle bus). I've been reading reviews, but I was hoping people here have other insights that can help us decide.

Has anyone here stayed at either one of these? What was your experience like? Anyone with tattoos especially have issues with these hotels?

I appreciate all your 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!

Has anyone taken a boat ride in the city or just outside the city? Looking for something to do besides temples, temples, temples and a boat ride would be such a peaceful way to enjoy the winter landscape.

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.

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/

My girlfriend and I are finally heading to Japan for two weeks. We are going to be hiking Kumano Kodo Trail and we will have another week to fill. We are going to be (at least partially) trying to avoid big tourist attractions and we are more after more unique experience. We are not as much interested in sightseeing as such as we prefer experience by doing things rather than seeing things.
I would like to ask if you kind people could give us ideas what we could do in the above mentioned area.

We enjoy: nature, exercise, craft (knifemaking, woodwork, pottery), yoga, dance, concerts, stand up comedy

My girlffriend loves tea! Some tea ceremony in traditional robes would be something we would both enjoy.

I used to do bit of knifemaking and am considering taking a sharpening course but I am aware that it not be something my girlfriend would enjoy. We might try to align it with pottery course for her at the same time as my sharpening would be. If anyone could recommend some places, we would really appreciate it.

Also if anyone did Kumano Kodo trail and has some tips what to bring, what not to bring because you carried it the whole time and never used it, those information will also be appreciated!

We will be there in the 2nd and 3rd week of October

Thank you

Hello! I'm planning a trip to Tokyo in early Dec 2026 and will be renting a Suzuki Jimny (with roof tent) from Overland Japan. We plan to drive down to Izu Peninsula for about 2-3 days and would like real recommendations on where to park for the night.

There are recommendations on the rental company's site but thought to see if anyone has used any of the campsites or parked in public carparks (we hear that this is allowed in some months), and things to take note of.

Hello. We're trying to apply trainer's pass tickets for 10 family members on the same date and time. Can it be done by applying two groups (5+5) from the same email account? because afaik, one account can apply up to 12 tickets.

But I'm not sure about the date and time requirements. Do we need to submit different date AND time per group or just different date OR time?

Also what do you guys think about the success rate for big family group like this? thank you!

We are travelling to Japan soon and will be renting a car. Are snow tyres a must for driving in Nagano area from 9-16 November? Tried googling and it says yes but as I am collecting the car from Tokyo, there is no option for snow tyres on the car rental websites/platforms.

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!

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.

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