Took train all the way to Nagano yesterday just to see snow monkey and the park was close😭😭😭😭😭

Bad weather was one thing but it was still quite ok.
Apparently the bad weather gave some problems to the pipe towards the onsen. And hence no monkey in the onsen. 😭😭😭

I did check. Everything was ok.
Staying at Airbnb unit. No hotel receptionist.

We even bought the day pass already at Nagano station. A lot of others also bought. Boarded the express bus heading to the park. We were on the 2nd 9am bus as the first one left for the park already. 5 minutes on the bus, the bus driver park at the road side and spoke to everyone in Japanese. Basically saying park close and whether we wanna go ahead to the mountains or we can get off and walk back to the station.

A few of us decided to get down and walk back to try to get a refund for the day pass. And we did get a refund. 😬 But still Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano 😅

Lots of snow though. And the weather in Nagano town was quite pleasant even though snowing.

Tokyo got snow one.

You referring to what idoblu posted in /k before?
That was the last time it snowed so early in the year was 50 years ago.

I was there in mid January 2013 and there was a snow storm.
I was there last 2 weeks and there was one day where it was snowing too.

Remember wear waterproof boots hahah.

Got go disneysea ah you?

I very scared of cold one okayyy.

Disneyland or disneysea?

Dude, THAT is DISNEYLAND. Lol.
Disneylands all over the world is the same. What I liked about Japan one was the politeness and cleanliness. Although I don't understand pretty much anything.

Did I not ask Disneysea?

Got la. Bluff you for what lol. Serious one.

"Tokyo residents aren't complete strangers to the icy white stuff – they even have a special word for the snow's arrival each year, which is "hatsuyuki" or literally, "first snow" – but it usually comes down in a few occasional dustings during January and February, and it sounds like a lot of citizens were caught unprepared."
Source: http://www.sciencealert.com/tokyo-gets-sno...time-since-1962

You will be fine la. It's not that bad. Just make sure your shoes are slightly waterproof and don't slip and fall.
Headgear, scarf, gloves most important. I pakai heattech no problem.

Ooops heheh.

Previously I bought mine all from JTB.

Wah, Taobao sell JR pass also?

Have fun in Tokyo

Just get Suica/Pasmo. It's very convenient.

Plus you can topup suica/pasmo pretty much anywhere anytime. Get your refund done at the airport just before you check in for your flight. Use it on JR and Metro train lines. Don't bother getting any other pass if you are just going around Tokyo.

Yes, I've bought from Narita airport. There's pretty much no cost to it other than the 220 yen they deduct when you return the card for a refund. There's a deposit of 500 yen which you'll get back when you return the card.

I wouldn't say 5 days in Tokyo is more than enough. In fact, I would say it's not enough. 3 days Tokyo and 2 days Osaka is really pushing it, you won't see much things unless you prefer the touch and go type. Personally, I would think a week in Tokyo would be just nice. 5 days you should be able to cover the popular and must-go spots, don't have much time to go shopping and eating around. If you plan for Disneyland/Disneysea, that's at least 1 day gone there already.

Ooh so go back Japan that time can use.

Haha. Agreed. Just did my 4th trip there last few weeks and already planning for next trip.

RM10k is definitely way more than enough for such a short trip of 3 pax.
I go 2 weeks plus include JR ticket and hotel also RM5-6k per pax only.

Food I usually budget around RM50/meal as I do lots of snacking in between.
Shopping would prolly be your biggest expense. If you are a big shopper, then RM10k would probably be just nice.

For more info on transportation, check the first page of the thread.

You can always PM him for recommendations and tips on travelling in Japan.

I felt 1 day trip to Kamakura was good enough.

You can get iijmio sim card here in Malaysia from JTB. Activate it here and ready to use when you arrive Japan.

Toll is super expensive. From what I heard, it's possibly cheaper to just take the shinkansen or domestic flight. Plus Osaka and Tokyo is well covered with public transport anyways.
If you're gonna spend most of your time in the city, you wouldn't need a car, parking will burn a hole in your pocket.

A lot of countries don't provide chilli sauce actually.
Ketchup is more widely available. In certain countries, don't be surprised that you'll have to pay for ketchup in fast food joints.

Very true, especially if they have mobility problems. In that case, it's better to just hire private tour that organize and handles everything like you say.

I agree. It's time for new thread also.

Aiya, you be new TS la ok?