Travel Japan

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So I’m heading to Japan for a couple of weeks in October after I do a tour of North Korea and a few days in Beijing.

I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport. I’ve done a little bit of reading and it doesn’t seem as daunting as I thought it might be. I’ve driven in Europe and in the US but I feel an Asian country is a different kettle of fish. Does anyone have any experience driving in Japan and has anyone driven the five lakes?
 
WhyAlwaysMe said:
So I’m heading to Japan for a couple of weeks in October after I do a tour of North Korea and a few days in Beijing.

I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport. I’ve done a little bit of reading and it doesn’t seem as daunting as I thought it might be. I’ve driven in Europe and in the US but I feel an Asian country is a different kettle of fish. Does anyone have any experience driving in Japan and has anyone driven the five lakes?
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Catch a train from Tokyo and rent a car from near that station might be easier ?
 
WhyAlwaysMe said:
So I’m heading to Japan for a couple of weeks in October after I do a tour of North Korea and a few days in Beijing.

I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport. I’ve done a little bit of reading and it doesn’t seem as daunting as I thought it might be. I’ve driven in Europe and in the US but I feel an Asian country is a different kettle of fish. Does anyone have any experience driving in Japan and has anyone driven the five lakes?
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The roads are narrow and crowded but other than that there's nothing particularly difficult about driving in Japan. Just get yourself an international driving permit.
 

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WhyAlwaysMe said:
I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport.
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The risk with doing a tour is if you go on a day with cloud cover and don't see Fuji at all then it's money and a day wasted.

The best strategy I was told was when you get to Tokyo look at the weather and pick the day that has the least cloud cover projected for the area.

I can't comment on driving but I took a train to a place where if there was no clouds gave you a great view of Fuji.

Sure, it's a long day but if you see it and it's a nice day then you feel pretty good about it on the train ride home.
 
It is the shy mountain ,the day I went you could only just see the top as the clouds moved and it was a really clear day.
The next 2 times I randomly went past on the train you could see the lot
 
WhyAlwaysMe said:
So I’m heading to Japan for a couple of weeks in October after I do a tour of North Korea and a few days in Beijing.

I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport. I’ve done a little bit of reading and it doesn’t seem as daunting as I thought it might be. I’ve driven in Europe and in the US but I feel an Asian country is a different kettle of fish. Does anyone have any experience driving in Japan and has anyone driven the five lakes?
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Can't report on the driving part, but got to those parts this spring and thought it was fantastic.
 
We are heading to Japan for three and a bit weeks in late December, early Jan. Looking at Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and Takayama. Is Hakone worth it with a 5 year old? It looks good but bloody expensive for a couple of days.

Also what you you recommend for kids? Thinking Disneyworld and TeamLabs of course, but interested in some others, especially in Kyoto and Osaka.

Also keen to get to the sumo.
 
GOALden Hawk said:
We are heading to Japan for three and a bit weeks in late December, early Jan. Looking at Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and Takayama. Is Hakone worth it with a 5 year old? It looks good but bloody expensive for a couple of days.

Also what you you recommend for kids? Thinking Disneyworld and TeamLabs of course, but interested in some others, especially in Kyoto and Osaka.

Also keen to get to the sumo.
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Universal Studio is in Osaka
Tokyo has Disney Sea as well as Disneyland
 
GOALden Hawk said:
We are heading to Japan for three and a bit weeks in late December, early Jan. Looking at Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and Takayama. Is Hakone worth it with a 5 year old? It looks good but bloody expensive for a couple of days.

Also what you you recommend for kids? Thinking Disneyworld and TeamLabs of course, but interested in some others, especially in Kyoto and Osaka.
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Legoland
 
Mr Shankly said:
Legoland
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For a 5 year old the Legoland experience on Odaiba is very good.

The sunshine aquarium in Ikebukuro is excellent for a 5yo. Some really imaginative displays including a curved glass penguin pool where you can see the penguins along side you and on top of you.

Seriously the best possible thing for a 5 yo is Tokyo dome city theme park. 5 is about the target age for about 70% of the rides. Get a wristband. There are some bigger rides that won't let the 5yo on but most do. https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/en/tourists/attractions/information.html
 

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00Stinger said:
Hanedo Tokyo

Kind of thinking of spending a week in Tokyo, sometime in the countryside maybe and Osaka
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Guess it depends what you are interested in. Train ride up to Hakodate from Tokyo is nice - could go there for a few days and maybe onto Sapporo. From Sapporo I'd take a domestic flight to Osaka - base yourself there and ultimately catch a train back to Tokyo to return home. If you were going a little later in the year you could travel inland on Honshu up to Nagano and check out the snow monkies - kids would love it (last time I went I stayed in an area called Shibu Onsen). Still a nice area to visit for the baths IMO. I'm pretty bad with recommendations as I usually stay in one of the cities or in the arse end of Ise.
 
deathevocation said:
Guess it depends what you are interested in. Train ride up to Hakodate from Tokyo is nice - could go there for a few days and maybe onto Sapporo. From Sapporo I'd take a domestic flight to Osaka - base yourself there and ultimately catch a train back to Tokyo to return home. If you were going a little later in the year you could travel inland on Honshu up to Nagano and check out the snow monkies - kids would love it (last time I went I stayed in an area called Shibu Onsen). Still a nice area to visit for the baths IMO. I'm pretty bad with recommendations as I usually stay in one of the cities or in the arse end of Ise.
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cool, what is there in Sapporo?

I do like the beer, in fact I love Japanese beer and whisky as a whole
 
00Stinger said:
cool, what is there in Sapporo?

I do like the beer, in fact I love Japanese beer and whisky as a whole
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I'm no Hokkaido expert but many animals live there that don't live on Honshu. Only place in Japan where lamb is commonly eaten. They have Ainu people there (indigenous to the land). Can go visit Abashiri Prison up north. Nikka has its distillery up there. Be plenty of things to do based on those alone. Or you can be like me - drink beer and play darts. I didn't even make it to the Sapporo Beer museum. Haha.
 
deathevocation said:
I'm no Hokkaido expert but many animals live there that don't live on Honshu. Only place in Japan where lamb is commonly eaten. They have Ainu people there (indigenous to the land). Can go visit Abashiri Prison up north. Nikka has its distillery up there. Be plenty of things to do based on those alone. Or you can be like me - drink beer and play darts. I didn't even make it to the Sapporo Beer museum. Haha.
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yeah ok, plenty to do there. I'll need to give it a really good look over
 
00Stinger said:
Just booked 3 weeks in October next year

Any tips, travel advice?
Travelling with a 7 and 5 year old and happy to move around
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Disney Sea is the only example of that in the world in Tokyo, would be perfect for a 7 and 5 year old if that's their thing. Depending on whether you want to spend small amounts of time in lots of places, or longer amounts in just a couple of places will guide your trip. E.g you could easily spend the bulk of your trip just in Tokyo and day trips from there, or you could hop around by train/bullet train (best way to travel in Japan).

You might want to pick maybe 2 or 3 places as your home base, otherwise you might find it annoying checking in and out etc a lot.

I was there for about 15 days and spent time in Tokyo, Osaka as my two main bases, then short day trips and/or overnight stays in Kyoto, Hakone, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Mount Fuji.

One man's great trip is another man's hate trip so if you give an idea of what you enjoy I'm sure people who have been to Japan can give some recommendations.
 
WhyAlwaysMe said:
So I’m heading to Japan for a couple of weeks in October after I do a tour of North Korea and a few days in Beijing.

I’m interested in going out to Mt Fuji (from Tokyo) and I’ve done a bit of research on tours etc and nothing seems to jump out at me so I’m contemplating driving out to the five lakes myself and making a day of it. I figure I’ll have my own freedom and I’ll get to a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to on a tour or on public transport. I’ve done a little bit of reading and it doesn’t seem as daunting as I thought it might be. I’ve driven in Europe and in the US but I feel an Asian country is a different kettle of fish. Does anyone have any experience driving in Japan and has anyone driven the five lakes?
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How was North Korea??
 
00Stinger said:
Just booked 3 weeks in October next year

Any tips, travel advice?
Travelling with a 7 and 5 year old and happy to move around
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Must do Kidzania in Tokyo. Mini city where the kids get jobs and play. Mine were police, firefighters, fast food servers. Loved it.

You might be too late for sumo season but if there’s a tournament on, go. Awesome.
 
swingdog said:
Must do Kidzania in Tokyo. Mini city where the kids get jobs and play. Mine were police, firefighters, fast food servers. Loved it.

You might be too late for sumo season but if there’s a tournament on, go. Awesome.
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yeah Sumo was on my to do list

The kids mini city sounds awwesome
 
swingdog said:
Must do Kidzania in Tokyo. Mini city where the kids get jobs and play. Mine were police, firefighters, fast food servers. Loved it.

You might be too late for sumo season but if there’s a tournament on, go. Awesome.
Click to expand...

I would second kidzania. Wednesdays used to be for English speakers but it is worth checking.
 
00Stinger said:
Looking at spending a week in Okinawa. Flights are pretty cheap from tokyo

Anyone been before? it looks amazing
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Lived there for a year 1997-1998, great place. Hope you like humidity and rain though. April/May is a good time to go. I'd try and get out of Naha and ideally visit some of the smaller islands.
 

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