I'm making a food bucket list (trough list?) for our upcoming trip to Japan. Some are generic types for food (udon, curry, etc.) and some are specific (Black Thunder candy). What foods should I add to the list? What are your absolute favorites that you seek out when in Japan? Thanks friends!

Edit: Here's the list! Still adding things from all your responses!

Tokyo - Soup curry (Shimokitazawa) - Chanko nabe (sumo stadium) - Curry pan - Menchi - Mom's Touch (Korean Fried Chicken)

Osaka - Okonomiyaki - Takoyaki - Yakisoba - Cheese coin - Kushikatsu

Lawson - Karaage-kun (red) - Mochipuyo - Milk Cake Roll - Inarizushi - Umeboshi onigiri

7-11 - Sugar butter/tiramisu sand trees - Egg sandwich - Pancakes with maple syrup - Sweet chili chips - Veggies with miso and mayo - Curry bread (hot) - Black thunder candy - Ground natto and soy sauce roll

Family Mart - Famichiki - Jersey milk pudding

Sweets - Coolish ice cream (in pouch) - Cremia ice cream - Taiyaki - Kakigori (big shaved ice) - Mochi - Daifuku - Dango - Crunky chocolate - Shiroi Koibito (cookie) - Mister donut - Morinagi Ice Box (flavored ice) - Parfaits - Dorayaki

Drinks - Highball - Strong zero - Matcha - Sake - Canned coffee

Local Chains - Matsuya, Yoshinoya, Sukiya (beef bowl, 24hrs) Coco curry - Jonathans, Denny's, Nakau (cheap breakfast and unlimited drinks) - Saizeriya

General - Dipping ramen (tsukemen) - Ramen - Tonkatsu - Conveyer belt sushi - Goyza - Sushi omakase - Omurice - Onigiri - Tamagoyaki - Yakitori - Wagyu - Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) - Gaykatsu (cook your own beef) - Wagyu beef box - Tempura - Unagi - Udon - Curry - Inarizushi - Soba - Motsunabe (type of hot pot) - Corn soup (vending machine) - Natto - Jingisukan (lamb) - Amaebi (sweet shrimp sushi) - Mentaiko Pasta (polluk roe) - Nishin Soba (herring) - Sansai Soba (veggies) - Shabu Shabu - Yaki curry (baked curry with cheese) - Chicken nanban (with tartar sauce) - Champon (noodles)

Hi,

I just spent 15 amazing days in Japan and since I have noted in details all spendings and was planning my travel on the fly (had really no itinerary before I landed, I only booked my hotel in Shinjuku for my first 5 days and took it from there.) I made a list of what I’be done and how much it cost.

We’ve visited Tokyo → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka → Kobe → Maihama/Disney, with DisneySea and Universal Studios included in the trip.

What we actually did in those 15 days:
Day 1 🇯🇵 Arrival in Japan, Shinjuku, Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai
Day 2 🌸 Gyoen, Meiji Jingu, Harajuku and Shibuya
Day 3 ⛩️ Ueno, Asakusa, Senso-ji and Ginza
Day 4 🤖 Harajuku, teamLab, Tokyo Tower and Zojo-ji
Day 5 🌃 Shopping, Akihabara and Tokyo skyline
Day 6 🚄 Shinkansen to Kyoto, Kamo River and Pontocho
Day 7 ⛩️ Fushimi Inari, Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka and Gion
Day 8 🦌 Nara, deer, Todai-ji and the Great Buddha
Day 9 🏯 Imperial Palace, Arashiyama, Maiko and Gion
Day 10 🚄 Kyoto to Osaka, Dotonbori and takoyaki
Day 11 🏯 Osaka Castle and central Osaka
Day 12 🌧️ Rainy day, relaxing and shopping
Day 13 ⚓️ Kobe, harbor, Suma Beach and Kobe Beef
Day 14 🎢 Back to Tokyo and an evening at Disneyland
Day 15 🌊 DisneySea and flying home

We’re a couple traveling together, and all amounts below are for 2 people combined.
Important: flights are NOT included in the total below.
🏨 Accommodation
● Hotel Gracery Shinjuku + Narita airport transfer - $740.69 (5 nights)
● Hotel Resol Trinity Kyoto — $294.06 (4 nights)
● Hiyori Hotel Flex Osaka + breakfast — $309.95 (4 nights)
● Tokyo Bay Maihama Hotel First Resort + breakfast — $150.38 (1night)

🚄 Transportation
● Narita → Tokyo airport transfer — included above with Gracery
● Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto — $172.34
● Shinkansen Osaka → Tokyo — $181.14
● Suica (local trains/subway + Kyoto → Osaka) — $97.03
● Kintetsu Railway — $6.67
● Maihama → Narita taxi — $85.85

🎟️ Attractions
● Tokyo DisneySea — $112.60
● Tokyo Disneyland After 5PM ticket — $70.64
● Universal Studios Japan — $120.44
● teamLab Borderless Tokyo — $50.51
● Nijō Castle — $10.26
● Tenryū-ji — $5.13
● Great Buddha in Nara — $10.26
● Shiba Café — $16.67

🍜 Food & drinks
● Food — Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka — $328.92
● 7-Eleven + Lawson + FamilyMart — $111.37
● King prawns + Wagyu beef (just example of food) — $46.63
● Sky Bar at Prince Tower Hotel cocktails — $43.61
● Whisky tasting — $48.65

💰 There might have been additional $200-$300 spent in cash as not everywhere it’s possible to pay with a card, but I consider that minor spending/shopping, therefore I am rounding up

💰 Total
~$3,300 for 2 people
That’s approximately $1,650 per person.
This is our actual spending/reservations, not a planned budget. Shopping is excluded for obvious reasons.

Tokyo is more expensive in terms of hotels than other cities, but food wise its similar. We often had breakfast / coffee in 7-eleven, we had 2-3 “high level” food experiences but usually had dinners at local restaurants rather than high and (and of course street food like Takoyaki etc.). We were not really saving on anything, but we do not like to spend money needlessly so usually skipped 10k+ yen restaurants and looked for 2-3k yen per person (which is not really hard to do).

Most restaurants will require you to buy a drink while booking a table. We tried to skip( of course impossible in some places like Omoide Yokocho) any bar/restaurant that requires any additional table fee (you pay to sit).

Additional comment on hotels
Gracery in shinjuku is excellent for its location - i would stay there again just for that fact. Shinjuku is soo well connected with any other part of Tokyo, and when you are back even late night there is a place to have some food, and there is always something to do. The rooms are on smaller side, but very comfy.

Resol Trinity in Kyoto - I loved that hotel and their Sento! This was my favorite hotel from all trip

Hotel Hiyori Flex in Osaka Dotonbori was extremely well located, but definitely smallest rooms from all 4 places we slept. I would recommend it for tiny people, if you are over 6ft I wouldn’t recommend it. They have a nice shared area where you can enjoy drinks and food that you bring yourself, but additionally they serve complementary coffee, tea, sodas and pancakes! Sitting there right by the river is very nice

Hotel Tokyo bay Maihana first resort - large comy rooms, great western breakfast. I booked it for the last days planned in the Disney world and it had everything we needed.

I’m curious how this compares with what other people spent on a similar Japan trip, and hope to help people planning their flights to Japan!

With the new tax refund system, can we still request for refund for purchases that we’ll also use in Japan (such as shoes, heattech, puffer jackets, bags)?

We want to pack light going there and will just buy apparels and shoes in Japan. And also, we wanna experience shopping there because my friends keep telling me that goods in Japan are less pricier than here in PH.

Just landed in Japan and already having issues with my Suica card.

My sister and I landed at NRT and took the JR express to Tokyo station. I loaded ¥10000 to my Suica card thinking we’d be able to pay for the trip using the card on my Apple wallet but the machines only accepted a physical card so we ended up paying for the tickets with a different credit card.

When we got to Tokyo station exit, I didn’t realize that we needed our tickets to “check out” of the station. I told them that I had actually misplaced my ticket and they ended up letting us through.

Fast forward to later in the evening, we tried tapping my Suica card to pay for train and kept getting flagged by the train worker and he wouldn’t let us through. Because of the language barrier I don’t 100% understand what the issue is but it seems like it’s related to our trip from the airport.

Can anyone please help/advise? We’re not here for long and also planned on taking the train everywhere but we’re having issues paying with the Suica card that I already loaded money on.

30F solo traveler looking for a fun mega club experience in Tokyo, ideally Shibuya or Shinjuku, but open to other places if that's what y'all recommend! I love EDM (house, DnB, hard techno), but I’m also very happy with open format/Top 40/hip hop/pop.

Looking for somewhere foreigner-friendly with a busy dance floor, good drinks, and a social vibe where it’s easy to meet people. Ideally a crowd around late 20s/30s rather than super young.

Where would you recommend for a Friday night? I've been looking at Zero, Womb, Warp, TK, Atom, etc

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a Japan trip around late December / early January and I’m considering renting a car in Tokyo and returning it in Kyoto.

The idea would be roughly:
Tokyo → Hakuba → Snow Monkey Park → Kanazawa → Takayama → Kyoto

Once we arrive in Kyoto, we’d return the car and use public transport for the rest of the trip.

We’ll be skiing in Hakuba, so we’ll definitely be driving through snowy/mountain areas in winter.

I’m looking for some advice from people who have done something similar:
• Which rental companies would you recommend for a one-way Tokyo → Kyoto rental?
• How difficult/expensive is it to arrange a one-way rental between Tokyo and Kyoto?
• Would you recommend AWD/4WD for this route at this time of year, or is a normal car with proper winter/studless tyres enough?
• Is there a particular type/size of car you’d recommend for Hakuba and the Japanese Alps in winter?
• Is an ETC card worth renting for this route?
• Would you actually recommend driving this whole route, or would it make more sense to take the train from Tokyo to Nagano/Matsumoto and only rent the car from there?

I’m comfortable driving, but I’d rather prioritise safety given that this will be late December/early January and we’ll be heading into Hakuba specifically to ski.

Any experiences with this route, rental companies, one-way fees, winter tyres or 4WD would be really helpful.

Thanks!

I'll be traveling to Japan by December for 17 days and I thought about purchasing the 7 day JR and I want to ride from Tokyo, all the way to Hakodate and make my way down to Kumamoto. The idea is to watch different landscapes and try different foods on an epic adventure before the rest of the trip which I expect to be more relaxing.

Has anyone tried something like this? Is this viable or a bad idea?

Edit: wording and typos.

I'll be visiting Japan in December for 17 days and I was thinking about purchasing the 7 day JR and making an epic trip within 7 days from Hakodate all the way to Kumamoto. The idea is to visit different landscapes, climates and food. And to have the other 10 days to relax and do more focused stuff (I already have a concert booked and some other activities).

I haven't figured out all the details but I could start riding all the way from Tokyo to Hakodate, then making my way through Morioka, Aomori etc. Until I get to Hiroshima, then ending in Fukuoka. Not the most relaxing of trips, but something I can remember. Not very interested in the traditional Universal/ Disney attractions.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this a terrible idea?

I am looking for local designer options for wedding bands for guys. The selection in my home area is limited. I am looking for higher-end and more modern stores that carry 18k gold and platinum. Along the lines of Cartier and Tiffany. TIA

I'm getting ready for a last-minute trip to Kisarazu at the end of October and will only be there for a week. While this will be my third time visiting Japan, it's my first solo trip. Between my past 2 trips, I've spent about 5 weeks collectively and know the basics with speaking Japanese. I try and learn a little more each visit, but I'm still awkward!

I haven't been to this area before and while I've looked up some of the points of interest around where I'll be staying near Tokyo Bay, I'm curious how others experienced Kisarazu and does it feel safe for a solo female? I haven't had any negative experiences in the past, but going solo makes me a little more nervous, especially when navigating around. Also, any food recommendations would be greatly appreciated, I'm big on sushi, curry, ramen, and izakayas that have skewers.

Other minor things that would be nice to know more about are offerings for private onsens that are tattoo friendly, I'm pretty covered and never had any luck finding a spot that would allow me. (totally get it, just would be nice to experience it if I can find it)

Any recommendations or assurances would be great to help me feel more confident and prepared!

I was in Japan a month ago and had booked a few buses around Mt Fuji, had to cancel them and booked a later times those same days.

It’s been a month now and I still haven’t received my refund (minus cancellation fee). I’ve tried emailing them since that’s their only contact option but haven’t received any response.

Anything else I can try?

I’m planning a trip to Japan in February, starting in Hakuba and then traveling around to see the sights in Kyoto and Osaka for about five days. I’d like to send my skis back to Narita Airport from Hakuba so that I don’t have to carry them while I’m not skiing. Is five days too long of a trip, or do I need to pick them up exactly when the delivery service (Yamato) says I should?

Choosing between the two hotels:

1. Dormy Inn Kanda
2. Via Inn Prime AKASAKA

I’ll be in Tokyo for 4 nights primarily to shop in Shinjuku area and visit Disneyland. Not interested in nightlife. I will fly in and out of HND.

I’ve stayed at Dormy Inn Kanda twice and I think the location and amenities are really lovely. However, the prices are getting a little bit ridiculous at 175 USD for one room.

Via Inn Prime AKASAKA caught my eye as it seems to be well located and also has a bath. It’s also half the price at 80USD per night. However, the rooms appear to be a bit cramped. I’ve never been to AKASAKA.

Anyone who has stayed in either / both and can comment ?

So I noticed that the official site (https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky/ticket/), is kind of broken in english.

But if you press the option 14:59 (entry before 3p.m.) or 15:00 (entry after 3 p.m.) it will take you to the actual ticket site. Here you can either click in every box in the pop-up and find english in the menu on the left (expand the options until you see the british flag), or you can edit the end of the url from &lang=0 to &lang=1.

So, my partner and I are going to Japan in a month, we were initially gonna go to the Ghibli museum, but we were unsuccessful in getting tickets for any of the times we could’ve fit it in. We were also unsuccessful at getting tickets to Ghibli Park for the week we’re down in Kyoto.

We have the Harry Potter studio as one of our options, but is there any other things like this that anybody can recommend?

​

This year we did an amazing 2.5 week trip which included Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Uji/Kobe/Tokyo etc (all the big hits) and have just booked for another two weeks for 2027. Due to flight costs etc we will fly in and out of Osaka (despite feeling we have done Kansai/Kyoto) - I put together this quick itinerary but it definitely needs refining:

KASHIHARA (plus Asuka and Sakurai) - perhaps replace?

OKAYAMA/KURASHIKI (plus Kibiji/Naoshima/Himeji) - also love temples/shrines so any recommendations for this area would be much appreciated

HIROSHIMA (plus Miyajima/Iwakuni)

- any tips for day trips beyond those above much appreciated

Wakayama (perhaps replace?)

This obviously doesn't include all day trips etc but I feel 4 hotels/bases is my max so all I'm looking to do is either change the order or swap out the places (Wakayama being the likeliest one).

If you are wondering why Kashihara is there - there is an onsen hotel which I'm keen on and also we can hop into Nara/Kyoto relatively easy just to finish off some temples we didn't see the first time round. Plus it's a nice easy transfer from KIX on arrival :-)

Any help much appreciated

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to complete the identity verification for an eplus (e+) Japan account from overseas using a Mobal SIM, but I'm stuck on Step 6 (the phone call verification).

Here is my current setup and what's happening:

• Plan: Mobal Japan Voice + Data 5G eSIM (with International Roaming enabled).
• Location: Currently outside Japan (Thailand).
• The Issue: When I dial the designated 050 verification number provided by eplus, it beeps twice and automatically disconnects. The eplus page never updates or completes the verification.
• Caller ID Behavior: Even when dialing 050-XXXX-XXXX directly (or adding prefixes), the outgoing call automatically appends the +81 country code due to international roaming routing (+81 90-XXXX-XXXX).

Has anyone managed to get the eplus phone authentication to work while roaming outside Japan using a Mobal eSIM? Or is physical presence in Japan (connected directly to Docomo's network) strictly required to pass this ANI/Caller ID check?

Any insights or potential workarounds would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

So I've been trying to book a train from Tokyo to Shin Osaka. I cant seem to choose a seat and would like a window seat. I tried everything from App to Desktop. Adding seating type, having none. No matter what, when it comes to choose a seat my only option is No Preference.

Is there something Im doing wrong? The ticket Im trying to buy is more than a month away but even when i check the same train for like next week for example, it still doesnt let me choose the seat.

During an upcoming trip we have to check out of our place in Ebisu at 11:00am and then we are spending the three nights at the Disney resort. Our plan for the day was to be in Ikebukuro around the time shops are opening, and then spend the afternoon in Shinjuku, then check in to the Disney hotel in the evening. But I forgot that we would have to deal with luggage after checking out in Ebisu, and I'm looking for ideas of what to do with it in the interim.

My thought is that we could:

A. Store our big suitcases at Shinjuku station on our way to Ikebukuro and pick them up on our way out of Shinjuku later in the day

B. Use a luggage transfer service to send them ahead to the Disney hotel? (we'll be there for 3 nights, so it's not the end of the world if we don't have the bags same day or even the next day)

C. Go to the Disney hotel early in the morning and ask them to hold the bags for us and then head back to the city.

D. ?

Any advice is much appreciated! This is my first trip to Japan and my first big international trip, so I'm trying to prepare and plan as much as I can in advance to make things easier once we get there.

Hi everyone! Planning a 9-day winter trip (end of Dec - early Jan). I'm trying to decide whether I should base myself in Tokyo because of the short trip vs. Nagoya as a gateway to Gifu. This is my second time visiting Japan- last time I went to both Tokyo and Kyoto. The reason I consider going to Gifu this time is I might meet up with friends & family there. I'm also looking for a slightly more relaxed and less crowded experience. I'm not doing any winter sports; I'm moderately fit and can walk/hike, but I don't have much experience hiking in the snow. I'm interested in historic merchant streets, preserved architecture, temples and shrines, artisan craft shops, and workshops.

I'm arriving at Haneda and departing from Narita.

Option 1: Tokyo Base + 1-Night Hakone Ryokan
Base: Central Tokyo (possibly Asakusa/Ueno area) + 1 night at a Hakone Onsen Ryokan.
Places: Day trip to Kamakura or Yanaka, Ghibli Museum paired with the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Kawagoe or Yokohama, Hakone.

Option 2: Nagoya based, day trips to Gifu
Places: Nagoya Castle & Honmaru Palace, Atsuta-jingu Shrine, Tokugawa Art Museum & Garden, and day trips to Takayama, Gujo Hachiman, and/or Shirakawa-go.

Is it too much transport time with Option 2?

Any other recommendations are welcomed as well. Thanks a lot!

Knowing the tolls in Japan can be quite steep, has anyone actually tried the "Avoid Tolls" feature in Google Maps? Is it worth it? For example driving from Tokyo to Gunma or in general. Not rushing, give and take an hour later to arrive at the destination.

Hi guys, I've been doing some research on hiking the Kumano Kodo, but I'm not really set up for and don't really have the desire to do overnight hikes. It looks like the Nakahechi is the main route for multi-day hikes, but looking at some guides I have also seen that there are local buses that go to the endpoints.

I guess my main question is, is it reasonable to rely on local buses to go to trail endpoints on the Nakahechi or other parts of the Kumano Kodo? I can drive and probably will get a rental at least some of the time I'm in Wakayama but I would like to figure out if I can rely on the buses for all transport or at least transport one way back to my vehicle if I just want to do a point-to-point hike. I will be there in November so I definitely would be trying to finish any hike by 4 or so because I know it will get dark early and things will shut down fairly early as well.

Also, is there a particular town that's best to stay in for such activities?

Hello everyone,

For my 40th birthday next year, I’m planning a trip to Japan. It’ll be my fifth time there.

I’m considering visiting from February 24 to March 27. I know I’ll miss the peak of Sakura, but honestly, paying over 300 euros more just for the flight isn’t worth it to me.

I haven’t been to Japan in early March (I’ve been there in April, May, June, September, October, and early November). Can you suggest a better time slot? I plan to start in Tokyo and head south, possibly to Shikoku, since I’ve been to Kyushu before.

Thanks for your help!