true..if walk from sensoji at asakusa still ok but ueno

or can get the lengzhai rickhaw puller service

How long is the journey?

Yup, it was highlighted in the papers. And from japan (sapporo?) to Hawaii

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Dec 22 2014, 01:13 PM

soon will get visa waiver spend few days in sapporo then off to hawaii..what a holiday that will be

i thought wagyu is a generic name..the different type of wagyu ie. kobe, matsusaka, omi refers to the breeding region

well, that is what i said

Hi, welcome to the thread

arashiyama too maybe..which season?

do share more on your okinawa plan from time to time

i see..view of kinkakuji and kasuga taisha covered in snow would be amazing i guess

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Dec 28 2014, 03:52 PM

at the far side of the lake, what building is that? so happening one

wah, 2 weeks journey?

more kyoto, less tokyo

You will be amazed at how helpful they are. One tip, do not refer to them as Japs, kind of a derogatory term to them.

No issue with signboards but may have problems in some restaurants so just point to menu / picture.

One thing I am very impressed with Kyoto is their bus system. If you have done some homework beforehand, no issue at all.

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Jan 2 2015, 12:52 PM

Hotels advisable to reserve in advance.

Rail passes like Haruka, Hakone Pass, Kansai Thru Pass, Eco card can be purchased on the spot / ticket machine. For Haruka, I made a reservation online without payment so it is a breeze when I go to the counter to purchase.

Disneyland tickets can also be purchased on the spot or at Disney Stores but if you are the type that wanna rush once the gate is open, then better buy online first

haha...i second this too

^ yup, rail + bus combo will be more convenient

Kodama (slowest tokaido train) will stop at Odawara. If you are having JR pass, then you can board this for free.

If you purchase the Hakone Pass at Shinjuku St, then the fare is inclusive of the Odakyu railway.
If you use your JR pass for Kodama to Odawara, then get the Hakone Pass at Odawara.

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Jan 5 2015, 12:19 AM

Yup, this may give you a clearer picture:
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/

Pasmo is just like out TnG card, universal card but no discount, fuss free. You may want to have a look at Kansai Thru Pass as another option when you are travelling in kansai area.

Rough calculation, it is not worth for the JR Pass since you are only travelling one way Osaka-Tokyo. However, since you are moving everyday from your base in Kobe to Osaka/Kyoto, you may use shinkansen using the JR Pass. So use hyperdia to add up your journey costs and compare which one is better, with or without JR pass, or using Kansai Thru Pass.

Have fun getting headache

Tips, plan your osaka trip to concide with weekends, then you can use the Eco card.

This post has been edited by Human Nature: Jan 6 2015, 12:48 AM

Sunday also can use the eco card. Else have a look at Kansai Thru Pass.

For me, I used cash for shinkansen with icoca card and pasmo card

Combine it with Kyoto bus pass, Eco card, Haruka combo.

When i bought my hakone pass previously, the staff spoke perfect British English!