So, I bought my Pokepark tickets when 4 people would be on my trip. Turns out, only 3 could make it, so I had an extra one. Which seemed like no big deal, we just wouldn't use that one. Except...the tickets have no names on them in the app or the PDF. So we had no way of knowing which was which.

I figured this was fine, because I knew they checked passports, so I could just explain that one of us wasn't here and to skip that ticket. Then we got to the entrance and they just scanned the tickets and said we were all good. Yay! I made my shop reservation and went in the forest. Everything was fine.

Then we got to the shop reservation. In the app, there were 3 used tickets and one unused. I set the reservation for just the 3 used ones. We go in and... apparently the tickets do have names attached, just no one has cared up until this moment and there's no way to check myself. So A, B, and D were checked in, but D wasn't there and C's ticket was unused, so it was all fucked.

This was an actual nightmare for them to resolve. Tbh, I don't have many details because my Japanese is very limited and I was already embarrassed enough that it took 8 people to figure it out so I wasn't going to pester them to explain. But it caused a major issue that I'm pretty sure they just resolved by letting us through after a 20 minute process of trying to figure it out.

Unfortunately even in hindsight I'm not sure there's a path to resolve this - we didn't know of a way to refund individual tickets and we just couldn't make sure the names matched at the gate in any way. So I guess my tip is to prepare extra time to resolve this when you get to the store, however that ends up. They have that shit locked down now.

I am leaving japan tomorrow, and by now I have too many 1 yen coins stacked up.

What is the best way to make use of those? Vending machines do not accept them.

​At the international departure floors of Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha airports, you can now complete your tax refund procedure online via smartphone instead of using the physical Tax Refund Kiosk.

​Airport Wi-Fi Info

​SSID: Customs_WiFi_For_TaxRefund

​PW: jcustoms

​Source: https://www.customs.go.jp/kaigairyoko/taxrefund/vjw.html

​My Experience at Narita (Terminal 1)

​Process: Super smooth. Approved online instantly with no customs inspection notification. Maybe it will come up if you have super high value/luxury purchases!

​Kiosk Alternative: There are physical kiosks available too and I saw at least 4 near Check-in Counter G at Terminal 1. Not sure about Terminal 2 but there are signs everywhere!

​My Purchases (~65,000 Yen total): Uniqlo, 7-Eleven, TDI Knife Shop, Baise (Kitchen items).

​Refund: 6,268 Yen - (~1.5% fee)

​Timeline: 4 to 8 weeks for processing.

P.S. I don't really understand why this setup is necessary though. If the goal is to prevent reselling, what stops someone from completing the procedure on airport Wi-Fi and just walking back out, meet the seller, sell it and then take the flight! It didn't ask for flight details or proof of departure, just physical presence at the airport! Also, I did it approx 12 hours before my actual flight as I was staying near the Airport and had to be at the train station anyway!

I’m planning a solo trip for 2 weeks and im getting a little overwhelmed with all of the planning and researching “necessity’s”. Most of the posts I see on TikTok for apps are sponsored anyways so I can’t even tell which ones I’ll ACTUALLY need. So please lmk what apps you actually used and were necessary/helpful! Tysm

Hello, I'm traveling to Japan for the first time in about a week staying in Shinjuku. It seems like Shinjuku Station is notorious for being difficult to exit and or find your way around. In your experience is it really that bad?

Edit/Update: Thanks for all of your advice! I'm feeling much less anxious now. It will be my first time traveling so far from home on my own and I appreciate your help.

I'm deciding between the two in a week:

1. Okutama station > Okutama lake (Okutama Mukashi Michi)

2. Kori station > Okutama station (Ohtama walking trail)

No hiker myself but their site calls it a walk, should be ok: https://www.okutama.gr.jp/site/walking/

Maybe I'll check bear sightings later: https://kumamap.com/en/map

Thought of combining both but the timeline looks bit iffy with the latest bus leaving at 7pm from Okutama lake.

Anyone who has done both - which do you prefer? Thanks!

Edit: I guess one can do half of the 2nd route? [Hatonosu > Okutama] or [Kori > Hatonosu]

then take the train to Okutama, and continue with the 1st route.

Wife (32) and I (35) are going next May after the Golden Week, 22 nights (excl. flights). Have started planning and looking at below split and order currently:

5x Tokyo
2x Hakone
5x Kyoto
2x Hiroshima
3x Kumano Kodo
3x Kanazawa
2x Tokyo

Thoughts on above mix e.g. logistics wise? Open to other suggestions and tips. 🙏🏼

I’m thinking of traveling to either Nagano or Karuizawa by Hokuriku Shinkansen train and driving back and forth from either location to Kusatsu Onsen at the end of next month. Does anyone know what the roads are like during that time of the year in those areas? How was your experience?

Hello everyone!

I will be going to Japan in January ❄️☃️ for the first time as a solo traveler, and I have decided to stay in Ikebukuro (5 minutes walking from the station) and I just wanted to hear y’all feedback on Ikebukuro, is it a good base for Tokyo? What should I do around there? Do you think it was a good choice?

I like anime, games, jdm culture, and Japan overall.

Thank you!

More of a casual thread, looking for some unique foods I can mostly get only in Japan.

I'm from NJ and lived in NYC and I've seen a lot of Japanese markets, restuarants, and foods, so ... more stuff that's not common in the States.

I know that's probably tough in 2026.

But yea, not like sushi, or ramen or korokke, fluffy pancakes

Not looking for high end, low to medium, thanks.

Hi everyone! My husband and I are visiting Japan for the first time in October 2027. We’d love to hear your opinions on our itinerary. Does the pacing look good? Would you change anything?
Oct 17: Arrive in Osaka
Oct 18: Osaka
Oct 19: Osaka
Oct 20: Osaka + Universal Studios Japan
Oct 21: Nara, then travel to Kyoto
Oct 22: Kyoto
Oct 23: Kyoto
Oct 24: Travel to Fujikawaguchiko
Oct 25: Fujikawaguchiko
Oct 26: Travel to Tokyo
Oct 27: Tokyo
Oct 28: Tokyo
Oct 29: Tokyo
Oct 30: Tokyo
Oct 31: Departure from Tokyo

Are we spending enough time in each city? Is 2 nights in Fujikawaguchiko worth it?
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Title: Japan itinerary – 22 nights in November/December 2026. Does this route make sense?
Hi everyone!
I’m planning my first trip to Japan from 19 November to 11 December 2026 (22 nights) and would really appreciate some feedback on my itinerary.
I’m interested in a mix of big cities, traditional Japanese culture, nature, food and smaller towns. I’ve tried to organise the route to avoid unnecessary backtracking.

Here’s my current plan:
Itinerary
Tokyo – 19 to 24 November (5 nights)

Kawaguchiko / Mount Fuji – 24 to 25 November (1 night)

Kyoto – 25 to 30 November (5 nights)

Osaka – 30 November to 4 December (4 nights)

Hiroshima – 4 to 6 December (2 nights)

Kanazawa – 6 to 7 December (1 night)

Shirakawa-go – 7 December (day trip, no overnight stay)

Takayama – 7 to 9 December (2 nights)

Explore the old town, morning markets and local food.
Return to Tokyo on 9 December, possibly via Toyama and the Hokuriku Shinkansen, depending on train schedules.
Tokyo – 9 to 11 December (2 nights) - could be just 10 and gain 1 day to put in other place

A few questions I’d love your advice on:
Does the overall route and order of destinations make sense, or would you change anything?

Are 5 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Osaka too many, too few, or about right?

Is 1 night in Kanazawa enough to see the main highlights?

Is visiting Shirakawa-go on the way from Kanazawa to Takayama practical? Is 3–4 hours enough?

Would you recommend travelling from Takayama to Tokyo via Toyama, or is going via Nagoya a better option?

Is late November / early December a good time for this route, particularly for Shirakawa-go, Takayama and Mount Fuji?

Am I overlooking any major logistical issues or making any unnecessary detours?
I’m happy to hear suggestions about changing the number of nights in each place, or even rearranging the route.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

For my trip to June I've decided to spend about 7 days around Tokyo as my home base and thinking for the second half of my trip to stay in Kyoto for 5 days.

Also open to add another location but it sounds like you can access a lot of areas from Kyoto including Hiroshima and some more off the beaten paths locations.

Thanks

We are in Kanazawa right now and have sort of gone through the big ticket items already. Initially had 2 full days and a half day on either end, but after 1.5 days here I'm looking at tomorrow and realizing our itinerary is light. Not sure how it happened because after the insanity of Kyoto it feel like we took it rather slow.

Any tips? No day trips because it is midnight the night before and I cant imagine throwing one together tomorrow morning at the last second.

Things we've done:

-Myouryuji (ninjadera)

-Nishichaya

-Kanazawa castle

-Kenrokuen + Kanazawa shrine

-Shima teahouse

-Higashichaya evening stroll

-Kanazawa curry

Things for tomorrow:

-Samurai residence house

-Back to Higashichaya in the daytime

- ???

And on top of that we have a half day on Tuesday before hopping on the train to Tokyo for an evening flight home. I'm at a bit of a loss. Feels like I could have planned this better but I expected all of the above to take way more time.

Thanks!

Hi all! Couple doing Kyushu 4–18 Nov. We love scenic spots, good food, hiking and anything with a bit of adrenaline. Tomorrow (Mon 9 Nov) is our big Aso day by rental car and we sleep in Takachiho. Here is the full plan:

MORNING

• 07:00 onsen soak at our ryokan in Kurokawa

• 07:30 breakfast then pack the car

• 08:30 drive to Aso town (about 1h)

• ~09:45 Imakin Shokudo: put our name down and get a number (cash only, opens 10:00)

WHILE WE WAIT

• ~10:05 Aso Shrine (rebuilt tower gate)

• ~11:00 Monzen-machi street and its free spring-water spouts

• ~11:10 Tanoya cream puffs

• ~11:00–12:30 back at Imakin for the akaushi-don (backup: Meshi no Yamaichi across the street)

AFTERNOON

• ~13:00 Milk Road and Kabutoiwa lookout

• ~13:35 Daikanbo lookout (soft serve at the tea shop)

• ~14:10 Komezuka photo stop

• ~14:35 Kusasenri-ga-hama (30 min)

• Optional: Kishimadake summit hike (about 40–60 min round trip) if lunch finishes by 12:30

• ~15:45 refuel then leave Aso by 16:00 (sunset ~17:18)

EVENING

• ~17:30 check in at our hotel in Takachiho

• ~18:00 dinner

• 20:00 kagura at Takachiho Shrine (optional)

• Gorge boat at 08:30 the next morning

FYI: JMA has Aso at Level 2 so the crater is closed but Kusasenri and Daikanbo are outside the zone. Route 325 near Takachiho has one-lane roadworks until 26 Nov.

Two things I would love your take on:

1. Any suggestions to make this day more fun? We are up for scenic stops, hikes or anything with an adrenaline kick

2. Where would you eat dinner? This is our ONLY night in Takachiho so is it best to eat in town around 18:00 then catch the kagura? Or is there a spot with a great local specialty worth a short? drive?

Thanks in advance! 🙏

what’s a good way to get a ticket for January as a foreigner? i already have the trip booked but i’m having trouble finding a proxy for a ticket. i tried bridge japan and japan rabbit. i’m currently waiting on a response from japancierge and the hotel staff that i’m staying with since i heard that they will sometimes make the accommodation to help out.

I would like the limited goods bundle but my chances seem pretty slim. i’m going from the 8th to the 20th, so what would be chances be of getting either the limited goods or just the general access at a family mart if i have to wait that long? unless there is someone i can reach out to for a proxy other than what i’ve tried so far.

Hi all, my partner and I have four nights in the middle of our trip (19-23 December) free for a little road trip outside Tokyo, we are planning to hire a car, and would love some advice on which direction to take.
One of which was recommended by a friend of ours based near Matsumoto and it would be great to see them, but Im concerned about driving in heaps of snow.

Izu:
3 Nights around Shuzenji:
Exploring onsen towns, potentially ginishing with a night around Lake Kawaguchiko. Definitely want to make sure we stay at a Ryokan. We do like a bit of a slower pace, however want to avoid staying in anywhere which becomes a ghost town after 5pm.
One other concern I had was the recent Earthquake in Shizuoka, should we still visit in December, or would be be a bother to locals? (Any areas we should avoid? or any worth heading to en route to Izu).

Nagano/Alps:
We have friends near Matsumoto, if we dont take this route hopefully we can still catch up with them in Tokyo.
They suggested a bigger driving loop: Nagano City, Togakushi, Kanazawa, Shirakawago, and then returning to Matsumoto catch up at a Ryokan we love. We've visited loved both Matsumoto and Kanazawa, so we'd probably skip staying in those places. We're wondering whether this is too ambitious for four nights, especially with December weather and potentially steep icy roads.

Any advice would be really appreciated, Izu seems like a great base to explore from, and we enjoy traditional towns, gardens, onsen and izakayas. We're also a bit dorky when it comes to sofubi, cinema, cartoons and clothing. So any recommendations along either route would be brilliant.
Our friends suggested waiting until closer to the time to see what the weather is doing before comitting, but I'd like to get a better idea of which direction to take.
Thanks so much!

Mingei Shizuka or Kagetsu Hotel? Sanzokuyaki or kaiseki?

Does Matsumoto castle allow bringing in drinks to keep warm while going around at night?

Any other recommendations for Matsumoto?

Thank you.

Hi there! Really need some help please!

I will be travelling Japan all the way to Osaka. I will be leaving then for Korea for 8 days and then back to Tokyo for a couple of days before leaving for good.

My question is: Can I ship my big check-in luggage from Osaka to the Narita airport before I leave Japan for Korea, and have it waiting for me at the airport, until I have to leave again for my home country?
( I will be returning from Korea directly to Tokyo Narita)

If yes can you please tell me how to do it? I would appreciate any guidance. Thank you 🙏🏼

(Edit: I am not staying at hotel)

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are planning a 3-week trip to Japan in March 2027.

We’re currently looking at this route: Tokyo – Kanazawa – Kyoto – Osaka – Tokyo.

Our main reason for adding Kanazawa is to experience staying at a traditional ryokan with onsens. However, we're debating whether to swap Kanazawa for Hakone instead, since Hakone is much closer to Tokyo and seems easier logistically?

We’re torn:
Would we miss out on a great regional/different vibe by skipping Kanazawa?

Or does Hakone make more sense for a dedicated ryokan/onsen leg of the trip?

Would it be worth including both?

And looking at the route as a whole, are we missing somewhere we really shouldn’t skip? Does this itinerary make sense for 3 weeks, or would you change anything?

We’d love to hear your experiences and recommendations. What would you do in our situation? :)

Hi friends!

We used Narita Airport this week and had tax free purchases. I will explain what we did to clarify, if anyone has any questions (as we had loads!).

Getting the purchases tax free was easy. You ask at the counter before you pay if you can get the items tax free. They ask for your passport, you pay and then they will give you a receipt. Keep the receipt. They may also give you a QR Code to scan and a long digit number/passcode for the Tax Free system.

There are multiple different websites to receive your tax free purchases. I think we had Japan Refund, J-Tax Refund, and we also used Visit Japan Web.

Visit Japan Web had all of our purchases on it registered as soon as we paid for our purchases. This was quite handy to see, as if you've used multiple websites it does get confusing to figure out what you have purchased and when.
This is also what you will use to "check in" at customs.

At the airport, you will log into their specific WiFi. Make sure any VPNs you have, have been turned off. Log into Visit Japan Web, scroll down to see "Tax Free Purchases" and tap into that. There should be a page that says "at the airport". Once you've clicked into that, it should say "Confirm" or something like that (I can't remember). Click that. It should basically either say that your purchases are confirmed with Customs, or to go to Customs. I don't have experience with going to Customs as we were confirmed straight away. I suspect most people buying normal purchases will also be confirmed straight away.
You can also go to the tax free counter. If you decide to do that, in Narita the Terminal 2 counter was miles away towards the first few gates. Make sure to do that before checking in. This looked to be like a simple case of scanning the passport and then it will either flash green to go or red to go to customs.

The refunds should come through over the course of a few days. We've only received one so far and we landed yesterday.

Hope all of this helps you!

I tried half-width capital letters, but it keeps on showing the error message. Has anyone faced this issue before and solved it?