going early oct
not sure it's public holiday or school holiday or not

just make sure is weekday. Someone here advise to avoid Monday/Friday too. Last Dec I went on Monday.. crowded.
We actually queue outside the gate 40min earlier before gate open. Is queue up to wait, so if you want to take some photo (wefie/selfie), make sure you have someone stay in the queue. Read the map and identify the spots and run towards that direction once you enter. I see all the youngsters did that (we did too). But am not sure you can cover all the rides/shows before USJ close.

me too
going october
osaka, kyoto 10 days
will start reading again after february

and want to ask 1 question
is it worth to get the express pass for universal studio?
the ticket is already expensive enough, pair it with like express pass 4...it's like RM5XX

Hmmm guys, my gf been asking for some fine dining experience in Tokyo. Any place can recommend and wont cost a bomb to the wallet? budget rm200 per person doable?
i remeber during my early days to japan, i had one japanese fine dine concept. its like all small small dishes together. Attached is the one i had. Wished to have something fancier but to japanese concept.

Thanks in advance Japanese Sama

me too
going october
osaka, kyoto 10 days
will start reading again after february

and want to ask 1 question
is it worth to get the express pass for universal studio?
the ticket is already expensive enough, pair it with like express pass 4...it's like RM5XX

If your travelling group is big, I would suggest Biwako House in Kyoto. It's just beside Lake Biwa, quite nice quiet small town. Only catch is there is no bus between accommodation and train station; you can either walk (about 1KM) or book a taxi.

If you don't mind waiting, you don't need express pass for USJ. I went on Tuesday early November last year, only 2 queues were almost an hour (Flying dinosaur and Minions Mayhem). Harry Potter ride was about 30 mins or so (I went in the evening as well), Spiderman was even shorter.

If your travelling group is big, I would suggest Biwako House in Kyoto. It's just beside Lake Biwa, quite nice quiet small town. Only catch is there is no bus between accommodation and train station; you can either walk (about 1KM) or book a taxi.

If you don't mind waiting, you don't need express pass for USJ. I went on Tuesday early November last year, only 2 queues were almost an hour (Flying dinosaur and Minions Mayhem). Harry Potter ride was about 30 mins or so (I went in the evening as well), Spiderman was even shorter.

Come i help for fun

Sunday morning arrival - Go to Noberibetsu straight away for accomodation with onsen, preferably.

Monday - Day trip to Lake Toya.

Tuesday - Leave Noberibetsu in the morning for to stay in Sapporo for a night. (Visit Mount Moiwa, Beer Factory, etc)

Wednesday - Leave Sapporo in the morning to stay in Asahikawa for two nights (Visit Asahiyama Zoo)

Thursday - Day trip to Furano or Asahidake (with Asahikawa as your base)

Friday - Leave Asahikawa to stay in Sapporo for a night (Visit Susukino shopping district, Sapporo station shopping area, buy your snacks and stuff before going back)

Saturday - More shopping in Sapporo if you want. (Visit Odori Park). Leave Sapporo in the evening to stay in Chitose for a night (because of Sunday morning early flight - choose your hotels carefully because some provide free shuttle to the airport early in the morning)(Visit Aeon Chitose or Chitose Outlet Mall if you have time)

Sunday - Go airport

elifen, not sure bout you or your spouse packing skills. Do bear in mind that you have 2 young kids with you. Frequent change of accommodation means a lot of daily packing unpacking. We used to DIY all along, but basically for me.. the travelling/moving hotel day almost equal to a less active day, as we need to pack and unpack; check-out and check-in hotel. Or probably I am the "maid" of the family. I need to dig out clothing for them, pack stuff bk in and worst still when you bought something on the way.. and need to find the best space in the luggage to store it. Imagine doing it almost daily, it is hectic.

Yes, joining travel agency is the same, moving hotels daily. But don't forget that tour guide will discipline you with their timing, but DIY .. no matter how discipline you are on the timing, you won't willing to wake your kids up earlier (as in tour guide rules) and may end up daily get out a bit later than your planned time. Another thing is you maybe worry bout transportation, trying to catch buses/train and if this happen daily due to change of hotel, I don't think you will enjoy much.

My last Dec Japan holiday, I planned start our day around 9am. We have this timing in all our past vacation (Osaka, Kyoto, UK, HK, TWN, etc).. no problem at all. But this round really shock us, we were sandwich in the train terribly in Tokyo and Sapporo. Then we adjust our time much earlier til 7.30am (shake the kid up at 7am, he slept bout 12am daily) yet train still crowded.. move up to 7am then.. wah!!! end up we get out later at 10am unless we choose to walk escape the train (which we did actually). And we stay 6N totally in Sapporo.. no move hotel.. still alot to enjoy and see. But looking at the snowy weather, the thick clothing, the kids' pace, the public transportation..if possible avoid move around too much.

We expect crowded train during peak hours but never imagine that level or sandwich til kepit each other tightly. And the local are quite ignorant when it comes to the fighting their way to squeeze in the train. With kids, this is definitely dangerous. There were once my boy manage to squeeze in but not us. Lucky he know where we are heading and quite use to DIY trip with us.. so he waited us there. And he have h/p & $ with him. He is 11yrs old.

Thanks for your recommendation of the places to visit. I like all those place but changing accomodation 5 times a bit headache like what cc980024 bro's mentioned below. Can help to reschedule to the most 3 places to stay? Based on your itinerary is Noberibetsu 2 nights, sapporo 1 nights, asahikawa 2 nights, sapporo 1 night, chitose 1 nigths, maybe help me to schedule to 2 nights each place. Thanks ya.
Thanks for your sharing. Changing accomodation too frequent is a big issue to me. After reading your experienced on the packed train and the super crazy expensive taxi fare posted by icehart i decided to rent car instead of taking train. Maybe mixture of self driving and taking train.

Bro, what do you think about snowfall during my plan duration from 14/12 to 22/12? Will i encounter heavy snowfall?

Have not done any study for the past 2 weeks due to CNY.

Hi all sifu few question here

1. do taxi in kyoto take 4adult and 1 yound children (5years old)? Will taxi reject short distance drive for eg 2km?

2. do restaurant in japan allow children (<6 year) to share food with adults? And provide the basic utensil for children?

3. Plan to rent kimono in kyoto, but I m abit concern about if my 67year mother able to get use to the wooden sandals, anyone has experience with bringing elderly for kimono wearing? If someone had poor bladder.. can we go toilet with kimono?

Thanks

Hi, i just come back from my hokkaido trip few days ago. I encounter train delay due to heavy snow fall from Otaru to Yoichi and i heard few train being cancel due to heavy snow fall from Otaru to Sapporo. Like my case the train delay make us wait and queue in the platform more than 30min with heavy snow fall under -13 c. Luckily i travelling in couple i can't imagine how child to stand for this kind of weather.

I stay in toya and noboribetsu each 1 night. Traveling to Toya by JR Express from Sapporo station is very convenience. The transit buses to the lake toya just in front of the Toya JR station only. February they only have 2 Schedule from toya to noboribetsu 9am & 3pm. Travelling by bus between lake toya and noboribetsu is more convenience compare you by JR train.

Is not easy while you walking on the snow and you may need more careful some solid ice may hide below the snow layer.

I rescheduled the plan hokkaido winter tour to this duration due to cheaper flight fare. The duration is from 15/12 to 23/12.

15/12 (JAL-economy) - 12 hours
22:50 - 06:35 KLIA-Tokyo, 10:30 - 12:00 Tokyo-Sapporo. RM 975 each

23/12 (JAL-premium economy)-24 hours
19:00-20:40 Sapporo-Tokyo 11:05:18:10 Tokyo-KLIa. RM 1495

Before firm up my itinerary, i have few doubt here and need guidances :
1. Visa. I googled and found out Malaysian do not required Visa when visiting Japan. Is  there any others document i need to prepare?

2. Do i need to purchase any insurance?

3. I will need to apply international driving permit, right? Is it alright if i apply one month in advance before the trip?

4. Transit hours. For KLIA flight to Sapporo and transit at Tokyo is alright cause it is just about 4 hours. I can just spend my time around airport area. How about the flight back from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo? There is total 14 hours and over night. Should i find the nearest hotel to stay. Is it expensive? Or how i should go about.

There is return flight which takes 11 hour from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo (2 hours) but the departure time is at 7:50am. This is probably too early cause normally we need to check in 3 hours before the flight which meant we need to get ready check out hotel at about 2-3am. If i wish to take this 7:50am flight, what should i do for the last night before leaving Sapporo?

First time DIY tour and a lot of questions to ask.

Thanks for your recommendation of the places to visit. I like all those place but changing accomodation 5 times a bit headache like what cc980024 bro's mentioned below. Can help to reschedule to the most 3 places to stay? Based on your itinerary is Noberibetsu 2 nights, sapporo 1 nights, asahikawa 2 nights, sapporo 1 night, chitose 1 nigths, maybe help me to schedule to 2 nights each place. Thanks ya.
Thanks for your sharing. Changing accomodation too frequent is a big issue to me. After reading your experienced on the packed train and the super crazy expensive taxi fare posted by icehart i decided to rent car instead of taking train. Maybe mixture of self driving and taking train.

Bro, what do you think about snowfall during my plan duration from 14/12 to 22/12? Will i encounter heavy snowfall?

Have not done any study for the past 2 weeks due to CNY.

Thanks for sharing. I believe February is the peak of snowfall. My visit is in December and should have no train delay issue. I have not finalise my itinerary yet but you had given me a good info that i can travel by train from sapporo to noberibetsu. At first i thought self driving is to rent car at sapporo and drive all the way to noberibetsu. Ha Ha

I rescheduled the plan hokkaido winter tour to this duration due to cheaper flight fare. The duration is from 15/12 to 23/12.

15/12 (JAL-economy) - 12 hours
22:50 - 06:35 KLIA-Tokyo, 10:30 - 12:00 Tokyo-Sapporo. RM 975 each

23/12 (JAL-premium economy)-24 hours
19:00-20:40 Sapporo-Tokyo 11:05:18:10 Tokyo-KLIa. RM 1495

Before firm up my itinerary, i have few doubt here and need guidances :
1. Visa. I googled and found out Malaysian do not required Visa when visiting Japan. Is  there any others document i need to prepare?

2. Do i need to purchase any insurance?

3. I will need to apply international driving permit, right? Is it alright if i apply one month in advance before the trip?

4. Transit hours. For KLIA flight to Sapporo and transit at Tokyo is alright cause it is just about 4 hours. I can just spend my time around airport area. How about the flight back from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo? There is total 14 hours and over night. Should i find the nearest hotel to stay. Is it expensive? Or how i should go about.

There is return flight which takes 11 hour from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo (2 hours) but the departure time is at 7:50am. This is probably too early cause normally we need to check in 3 hours before the flight which meant we need to get ready check out hotel at about 2-3am. If i wish to take this 7:50am flight, what should i do for the last night before leaving Sapporo?

First time DIY tour and a lot of questions to ask.