Going to Tokyo this Raya Puasa.

Can anyone share whether they can make it on time to catch the keikyu line, or Express bus to Tokyo since AAX flight lands at 11pm, and dont know whether we can make it to Shinjuku Hotel in Tokyo by 1 am.

Do we have to change trains ? Is the taxi price of 8000 Yen from Haneda to Tokyo based on per person or per taxi?

From experience in Tokyo, which places worth to visit for around 3-4 days, and good eating places suitable for Malaysian taste.

Thanks.

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Six of us planning to go to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka during Raya using AAX to Haneda.

Would appreciate if anyone can share with us their experiences in Japan during their trip, such as interesting places to see, what to do, how did they manage to reach their tourist spots, Hotels late at night, experiences they cannot forget, and lastly their advice to us.

Roughly our itinerary is to spend 3 night in Tokyo, and 4 nights in Osaka. Places we intend to visit is Hakone/Mt Fuji, Fish Mkt, Shibuya, Odaiba.

In Osaka area, may go to Osaka castle, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara, sighseeing, etc.

We have bought 7 days JRPass, but wondering if good to go to Nikko, Gifu, etc.

Due to O-bon festival, the Onsen Ryokan rates this August are high, so is it worth it to put up in a Ryokan ?

Are there any reasonably priced Hotels along JR lines at Shinjuku which is convenient to stay, and in Osaka which is a good Hotel ?

Thanks very much as this will greatly help us as first time to Japan on our own.

Just to thank you guys at the forum for all the discussions and information given. From middle June, we have been going around trying to get info to plan our itinerary as we are going on our own.

Our group of 6 from Melaka, will be going soon during Raya, and hope we will have a good time. Only thing is we did not know at this time it is Obon festival, and thus Onsen at Hakone is very expensive to stay.

We hope to pay hotel bills by Credit card and allocate around 60,000 Yen for food and transportation as we have already bought JR Pass and will try to use JR line as much as possible. To make the pass worth it, will go to Hiroshima, from Osaka.

We would appreciate it if those well versed with Japan can at least try to help with whatever info that they know. Most of us are first timers going to Japan and there is a limit to what we can find from the Web. It is better getting some direct advice and help from those who have experienced it before. For example, during weekends, better to tour City, and go to Hakone, etc during weekdays to avoid the crowd.

Booking thru Air Asia, we feel it is better to go in thru Osaka and exit thru Tokyo as we can avoid problem of most trains stopping service after midnight since AAX flights to Haneda will arrive around 11pm and earliest can arrive at Hotel in Shinjuku is around 1am, using Hiperdia guide.

Thanks, all your info has in one way or other helped us to get a clearer picture of what we will be going through. After this trip, will be glad to offer helpful info to those going on their own to places we have been.

Regent,

You mentioned to someone that he missed alot of key points in Tokyo, mind telling what are the Key Points about/ in Tokyo. Would love to hear your views as you are a very frequent visitor to Japan.

Had an enjoyable trip to Japan, covering Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima within 9 days 8 nights, using 7 day JRPass.

Using Air Asia X to Haneda Airport, arrive at 11pm, but yet still make it to Keikyu line to \tokyo as Immigratn and Customs took around 45 minutes. Then to vending machine to buy 590 Yen ticket and took the line before 12 mid night to reach Hotel Vintage at Shinjuku just before 1.00 morning. Thanks to the Forum.

JRPass is very useful but if you foret to bring it, they will not let you in as our group experience this delay. We were worried about lugguage space in Trains, but really no worry as some Mat Salleh used very big lugguage which they put on top of their seat railings and behind the last seat row. We only use 20 inch bag, thinking cumbersome to move in the train. However on some platforms, you simply haave to lift/carry your lugguage as there are only steps, no escaltor or elevator to roll your lugguage.

In Osaka, there is a JR Osaka loop like the Yamanote loop in \tokyo, but to reach places faster and in many places, have to use other lines. We had to use Midosuji line to our Hotel in Nagahori, ( Ark hotel, Shinsaibashi ), as it is more direct rather than JR loop as it does not cover this area. Shinsaibashi is nice shopping area and the hotel room better than in Tokyo.

In Shinsaibashi and Namba, there are areas of underground shopping. Dotonburi, Osaka is nice shopping area with bargains during evening time. JRPass is worth it as we can use Shinkassen to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Odawara, but better to book a reserved Hikari or Sakura Shinkassen rather than KOdama as it stops at almost all stations along the route. Journey from Hiroshima to Shin Osaka took us 3 hours by Kodama. Hikari from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka also stops at some towns, like Yokohama, Odawara, etc. All major shinkassen stops at Shin-Osaka, where you can then transfer to JROsaka / Umeda to your Hotel. Departure to Kansai Airport , must use Tennoji station.

Due to lots of people using trian stations, you can get lost as there are many exits, many lines, and many platforms at the Stations like Osaka/ Umeda, Tennoji, which you must take in order to reach your destinations.

Managed to try Kobe Beef at Osaka. Overall had a nice time in Japan.

Lestary 1987.- No of days to spend at the cities depends on what you want to see and do, and whether you want to move around with your lugguage after you checked out. Check out time is mostly 11 am the most.

Our group chose 4 nights in Tokyo, staying in Shinjuku, near to JR station, and 4 nights in Osaka, Ark Hotel, Shinsaibashi, where from Shin Osaka, take the Midosuji line straight to Shinsaibashi Station, then use underground Crystal Nagahori shopping walkway, and walk to Nagahori side, exit 4, and you will be at the Hotel's door !! The buffet breakfast at 1000 Yen is really worth it.

In Osaka, we spent 1 day in Kyoto, 1 day in Hiroshima and the rest in Osaka On hindsight, should have spent 1 day in Kobe since it is a good shopping area, nice cheap beef and it is covered by JR Pass. Arashiyama in Kyoto is a must , including eating green tea ice cream, and the bamboo grove. Osaka cast le is the most impressive whereas the Kyoto castle, you have to do lots of walking around the building. Summer is definitely hot and humid.

To me JR Pass is useful as we saved valuable time, walk thru the manned counter and just show the pass, and they let you pass. With the Pass, can even go to Gifu, Nagoya, Nara, KYushu, etc. It is worth the amount paid since you can use the JR Osaka loop and from Tennoji connect to Kansai Airport.

About Radiation from Fukushima, we travel only to Tokyo and moved south, moreover none of our members are pregnant, so not an issue.

For food, breakfast will normally cost around 500 Yen for bread with tuna, etc and coffee latte at Doutour. Lunch and dinner is also not expensive, around 1000 Yen per person for a set. We normally order the set, and then share it for the two of us, one eat the rice, another the ramen. Eating is never a problem as most train stations have lots of restaurants for you to choose. Avoid Chinese restaurant at Tennoji Station, as I felt the price is more expensive than normal. Dinner set - Chanko is also on the high price side.

At peak season, better to reserve your seat on the hikari, otherwise no need to reserve as they have non reserved coach also. Should you go to Tokyo, then experience Toyota Web at Odaiba. If you go to Tsukiji market, use the Shiodome exit, use underground passage to reach it , and Panasonic showroom is also nearby.

Actually taxis are expensive. Even after arrival at Haneda thru Air Asia, you can still make it by train to your hotel. Try to get hotel near to JR line if you buy JR Pass. We stayed at hotel vintage, near Shinjuku, within walking distance from the East Exit. Immigration and Customs is fast and from Airport, can take the Keikyu line to Shinagawa, and then transfer to JR Yamanote line, no need bus.

Go to front page of the Forum, you will find lots of info, such as JNTO, wikipedia, but the most useful is Japan-Guide.com.

From experience, it is not worth to go to Imperial Palace at Chiyoda, as you can only see the walls and you have to walk quite far. Tsukiji for the auction, it is limited to 40 people on first come basis for those who register earlier. They dont allow visitors to go to actual fish market, only after 9am, as lots of mini transporters are moving around, sending things, packaging and repacking activities. There are long queues at the popular fish stalls, so in the end we ate eels instead of Salmon !!

Hope this helps.