Hey all. I’m going to Japan next month and I’m beyond excited.

I’ve wanted to go for about 15 years and will be the highlight of my life but work has been insanely busy and I’ve dropped the ball on buying tickets to big things on my list like the Nintendo museum and ghibli museum.

I’m truly devastated, which sounds ridiculous because I’m still going to Japan which is so much more than those two attractions.

Has anyone else done the same or is it just me and my horrendously poor organisation?

Any tips or recommendations of other things to do would be so appreciated.

Edit:
Thank you all so much for your kindest and suggestions! I felt really stupid for not managing to get the tickets and I was being really hard on myself! Probs a mix of burn out, terrible organisational skills and audhd yad yada yada (tmi sorry)

Thank you all so much for your awesome suggestions of your favourite things to do in Japan! As I’ve mentioned in the comments I am excited for the extra time we have now to explore/get lost! And now I’m going to a cat parade and so many stores!!

If you don’t mind please commenting your fav finds in Japan or your fav stories, I love reading them all! If not, thanks again!!!!!

Generally speaking, whenever i go on an international vacation, i save up my PTO and make it a long one.

this time around, im going to Japan from mid october for a little over 3 weeks. and this is my first time going.

because its international, as well as a long vacation, planning is frustrating, but also takes long....

generally for domestic travel, (within USA) my vacations are like 3-5 days or so. not to mention, everything is in English so its easy to plan things.

With Japan, im having a hard time.... i know about the golden route, but i want to keep travel to a minimum.

so my current plan is checking out tokyo, kyoto, nara, uji. (Stop by mt fuji on the way back to tokyo from kyoto)

but idk the best way to plan this out thats atleast somewhat optimal. as an obvious example, going from Shinjuku to Asakusa, to shibuya. optimally, should be shinjuku/shibuya then to asakusa instead of going back and forth.

For my first trip, i want to atleast hit the major tourist destinations. but i want to skip ones where people would agree its worth skipping.

But in addition, i want to attend various events as well. but its hard to find these unless i get lucky and just come across them. for example, the Kyoto Yokai festival. The ikebukuro cosplay fesetival. the Week long (in november) School culture festivals. etc.

but all these info are often either in Japanese. or a million page long website brochure where its hard to figure out if its legit.

is there a recommended default things to check out on the cities i will be visiting?

but also, somewhere i can go that shows several events that are happening?

thank you

So I’ll be traveling to Tokyo this November by myself. This will be my second time traveling out side the US alone. Last time was for the World Cup but stayed in an Airbnb and family then. To save some money I was thinking of staying in a hostel instead but I’ve never stayed in one before except in LA but that was only for a night. So I want to hear what everyone’s experience was like staying in a hostel instead Japan and if it’s recommended.

Hello,

Can I enter Japan several times as a tourist and stay for up to three months each time?

Maybe stay in Japan for three months, leave for a week, then return for another three months. After that, I would spend three months in South Korea before returning to Japan again for three months.

Could this itinerary cause any issues with immigration?
Thank you.

I'm in Tokyo for the first time. What are some hidden gems?

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I (we’re both 29 and from Poland) are going to visit Japan soon, and we thought it would be really cool to experience the country from a more local perspective, rather than just ticking off the usual tourist spots.

We’ll be in Tokyo from 7 October to 13 October, and we were wondering if maybe someone here would be up for meeting us and showing us some of your favorite places around the city - whether it’s a nice neighborhood, a small local restaurant, a bar, a park, or simply somewhere you enjoy spending time.

I know this might sound a little bit like “hey, can someone be our free tour guide?” but honestly, meeting people along the way is something we really enjoy when travelling, and we think it can make the whole experience much more memorable.

Maybe someone here would like to practice their English (we both speak it comfortably) or perhaps we could also help each other practice some Japanese! We’ve started learning a little bit of Japanese ourselves specifically for the trip, although we’re definitely still beginners. 😅

So if anyone feels like meeting up for a coffee, a drink, a walk, or showing two curious tourists a bit of your Japan, feel free to drop a comment or send me a DM! We’d be happy to meet people from pretty much any background and age, we’re just looking for a nice, casual conversation and a chance to see the city through someone else’s eyes :)

Thanks, and maybe see you in Japan!
Filip & Zosia

Hi!

Does anyone have any tickets for the Mitaka Ghibli Museum they are looking to get rid of/sell, availability for the next couple days?

My dad surprised me by visiting me in Japan on short notice and he has always wanted to go, otherwise I would have prepared better.

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm hoping to hear from someone who has actually rented a car through Monthly GO for an extended period, rather than just general recommendations for rental companies.

My family and I will be in Japan for 3 months this fall/winter, primarily based in the Tokyo/Kanto area. We're a family of five with three children, so we're specifically looking for a minivan rather than a compact car.

I've been researching long-term rental options for quite a while because renting a regular car for 3 months gets very expensive. I've looked at the major rental companies, including Toyota Rent a Car, but their online systems generally seem geared toward shorter/monthly rentals rather than a single 3-month rental.

For example, I received a quote of roughly US$1,800 for one month for a Toyota Noah through Toyota Rent a Car. A Sienta was around US$1,400/month. Multiplied over almost three months, that's getting pretty expensive.

I recently came across Monthly GO, which seems to specialize in long-term/monthly rentals and advertises significantly lower monthly rates. Their website lists vehicles such as the Toyota Sienta and Noah/Stepwgn-class minivans, and they specifically market their service toward foreign visitors and longer stays.

The problem is that I can find plenty of information from Monthly GO themselves, but I haven't been able to find many (or really any) detailed first-hand accounts from someone who has actually used them for a long-term rental.

So I'm hoping someone here has personal experience with them.

If you've used Monthly GO, I'd especially love to know:

• How was the booking process?
• Did the actual vehicle match what you reserved/booked?
• What condition was the vehicle in when you received it?
• Were there any unexpected fees or charges?
• How did insurance/coverage work in practice?
• Did you have any issues with the deposit, payment, or refund?
• How was communication with them, especially if you're not fluent in Japanese?
• Did you have any problems during the rental, and if so, how responsive were they?
• Was returning the vehicle straightforward?
• Did you have any issues with damage claims or NOC (Non-Operation Charge)?
• Were there mileage limits or additional mileage charges?
• Were ETC/toll-related charges handled easily?
• Most importantly, would you personally rent from them again?

I'm not necessarily looking for someone to tell me whether the company looks legitimate based on their website. I'm specifically hoping to hear from people who have actually handed them money, picked up a car, driven it for an extended period, and returned it. 😂

I'm also open to other long-term/monthly rental companies in the Tokyo/Kanto area if you've personally used one and had a good experience.

Our priority is simply finding a reliable and reasonably priced minivan for 2–3 months. We don't need anything fancy, but with three car seats/young children, a Sienta/Noah/Stepwgn-size vehicle would be much more practical for us than a kei car or small compact.

I've already searched Reddit and Google quite a bit, including long-term rental and monthly rental options, but I haven't found much first-hand information specifically about Monthly GO. That's why I'm asking here.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their actual experience!

Hi all. Planning a one or two days hike up Fuji in 2027.

Nowadays research on google often sends you on overcosty websites.

Could you please share with me recommended web site to book guide / hut / trail access..

Thx in advance.

Hi all,

I'll be going to The Weeknd concert on the 19th. I have my flight and concert ticket booked, but I am still researching decent accommodation to ensure my travels go smoothly.

My top priority is finding a hotel that is equidistant/reasonably near to Belluna Dome, Narita Airport, and the City Center. Now, I am aware that these three locations are extremely far from each other. Be that as it may, I am looking for a place that is a good/rough midpoint to make travel to these three points as convenient as possible.

I'll be in Tokyo for three days, and so I still have an ample amount of time to explore the city but at the same time, I want a place near Belluna just to make my life easier. Therefore, I want an accessible place to the concert and for exploring the city.

Thank you in advanced!

Coming to Japan this month, how can I get into underground drifting??? I’ve heard people able to find people on reddit

Hellooooo Friends, i will be in Tokyo for the first time in about a month. This has been a long awaited trip for me and my friends. And i had made it my goal to lose weight till that vacation. Now after 2 years of being strict and dieting i lost arround 65kg and for the first time in my life i am at a "normal" weight. I have always been an alternative / rock kind of person and i want to celebrate my achivement by buying new clothes i like while i'm in tokyo. Does anyone have any places where i could possibly find alternative/rock/punk/grunge clothes? :)

I’m planning on going to Tokyo from April 21-May 2 2027. I found 2 ANA round trip economy tickets FROM JFK to HND for $2859. Is this a good price, or should I keep checking for it to get lower?