I found a cheaper place to get Japan Rail Pass. I haven't gotten mine yet as I'm only travelling in April. Here is the link: http://www.ylholidays.com.my/japan-rail-pa...n%20rail%20pass

RM990

Is RM2000 enough for 10 days in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto? This is just for Suica/Passmo card, food, minor shopping. If no shopping, RM1500 okay?

JR Pass is another expenditure which is not included in the RM2000.

Thanks for the advice, guys! I think RM2000 should be enough. Maybe some days just eat kombini food or Yoshinoya then can survive. My last day is through Booking.com in an old ryokan. They don't accept credit card so I gotta pay cash, that one is about RM400 I think. I guess if I really budget my trip, I can still pay for the ryokan.

I'm going to Japan Apr 2-10 and I will start using my JR Pass on the third day which is Apr 5. I understand it is sakura season so must I book my seat? I am using the ordinary pass.

Also, non-related but the Yen went up again! When it went down a few days ago, I didn't change. Now gotta wait for it to drop *hopefully*

Great, thanks cloudwan0

I'm travelling solo to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto for 10 days in April. Should I bring a tripod? I want to take photos of the sakura and I don't like selfie sticks. Also, I'm going to carry my Sony NEX C3 with the kit lens. The tripod weighs about 500g and it is the length of a forearm when compacted. Is it worth it? Or should I just ask people to take photos for me?

Thanks for the tip. I guess I can ask strangers to help me take photos if I want to.

Live report from Narita Airport. I just arrived. The queue is so long I think I will reach my accommodation midnight. Even the air stewardess said she has never seen the crowd like this before. The queue is leading towards the right which is the counter section. I think there are at least 1,000 people in this area only. Like some protest T_T


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Counter section photo and my current queue. My flight arrived about an hour earlier. I have been queuing for about 45 mins


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Last night, finally arrived at my AirBnB. Weather is amazing so don't have to wrap like dumpling. Here is a photo of a sakura tree at a park near my AirBnB. Gonna go Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku today.

This post has been edited by midnightsunray: Apr 3 2016, 11:04 AM


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It's amazing! Now I'm camping at a manga cafe overnight so I can go Tsukiji in the morning at 2AM. It's 990yen for 3 hours at the manga cafe. Inclusive of Internet, drinks, access to books, magazines and a reclining chair to sleep. Lots of tourist camp here and it is 5 min walk away from the market. Will update you about the market!

Are fortune tellers in Japan able to speak in English? I'm still a beginner in Japanese language so I might not understand fully. I'm heading to Yasui Konpiragu for fortune telling in the next few days.

Does anyone know?

Does anyone know if JR pass can be used from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport? I used a bus to get to Tokyo from Narita because I only activated the pass on the third day in Japan.

Thanks!

Just flew back today. Kyoto still had some cherry blossoms as well as Asakusa in Tokyo. However, the weather is getting warmer and that's when the flowers start to wither.

Just a tip for those going there in case of emergency. I fell down a flight of stairs in the subway and I couldn't walk. I did not have travel insurance and if you are a tourist, you cannot just go to any hospital. I used Uber Black to get to the hospital. Luckily I knew some locals so they gave me a number.

The hospital is 24-hours and it is in Shinjuku. National Center for Global Health and Medicine Bureau of International Health Cooperation, Japan is the name of the place and the address is 1-21-1, Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Although it was expensive, it was really good as the doctors speak English and I was treated promptly.

If you want to claim insurance back in Malaysia, you can ask the doctor to write a diagnosis report for you. Otherwise, the receipt will do as it describes the treatment although it is in Japanese.

Hope this helps!

I've been to Japan four times already. Once with my family, once for a month-long student exchange programme in Tokyo and once for work. This April I went to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto during hanami season. I've only been to Japan during winter, summer and spring. I've been to Tokyo 3 times, then Osaka and Kyoto.

Where should I visit next? I like nature as well as good food. I can speak basic Japanese and read hiragana. I thought of Hokkaido but I'm not sure if there is anything to do there if it's not winter. I normally prefer AirBnB so I would be staying in a local's home if I go to Japan.