just to share my own opinion and experience:
end july is the peak of summer..

- Will it be unsuitable for onsen during the day? no
- Will it be suitable for an open top bus trip in the city? no
- Is outdoor activity advised? not advised but sightseeing requires you to be outdoor so stay hydrated ?
- How about a trip to the beaches? no, unless you wanna spot bikinis

that being said...everyone's tolerance to heat is different

Dear sifu,

Planning trip to okinawa and hokkaido this summer. I have plenty question regard of trip to okinawa. Hokkaido still in research.

1. which place will you recommended for scuba diving?
2. is it necessary to learn to swim for scuba diving?
3. will rain effect the schedule of scuba diving?
4. which company is suitable for beginner (non license)?
5. what is the best time for scuba diving?

Additional information and pointer will be helpful for the trip. Thank you.

elifen, I assume this is your 1st trip to Japan + 1st time snow + 1st time DIY and with kids some more. If I were you, I don't dare to self drive. And take note, the parking is very pricey if you have to park those charge $.
And the car to skid if their tyre is not well equip. Even if your car is well equip, be cautious that those on the road may not. I recall when we were at the traffic light waiting (we are pedestrian), the car are very well slow down alot.. yet struggle to make a turn.. the tyre skid a little.. all of us back off .. cannot stand just right next to the road waiting to cross.

For Japan, we all along didn't use any pass. Only purchase on-the-go. Due to we have a kid and my hubby is a leisure traveller.. at any time we may add or remove itinerary. Sometimes he want to walk! So the travel pass actually didn't save much for us.

And DIY, make sure your keep an eye on your accommodation booking. As the hotel prices change from time to time.. RM300-500 is quite tough for hotel accommodation cater for 2adult+2 child.

I stayed 1-7Dec at Sapporo Park Hotel (triple room) at RM2K. Got this price because I keep booking and release for n-times since March, the hotel rate changes over time (high and low hard to say). Gotta hardworking in monitoring the hotel rate. This hotel next to a park which is very beautiful during winter cover with snow. As we didn't went to snow mountain, minimally we get to have a nice white park. And a train station is next to hotel. And the room more spacious than those near sapporo centre.

This post has been edited by cc980024: Feb 20 2019, 11:02 AM

Thanks bro. I just standby my IDP. After reading some advises here, i will take train for long distances and take taxi or bus for short distance. I will buy rail pass for convenient sake cause not need to queue to buy ticket. I had checked the hotel price and mostly around 1k. May i know what apps or website you used to book hotel?

your queries on scuba diving quite general...not specific to country

better get some advice from lowyat scuba diving thread if there is any, or best walk-in to any PADI scuba diving centre to ask

I previously researched on Okinawa before and bumped into this website, hopefully u can read chinese
https://tw.blue-cave.org/
hope it helps.

Thank you for the pointer.

I have some question for u.
1. have you been there before?
2. if yes, which transport you using? bus or self drive?

Not exactly Hokkaido, but this parking lot I came across in Yokohama came across to me as being remarkably exorbitant, even for Japan standards ...

japan gahmen trying to encourage tourists to utilize their public transports

No matter what.. is just not something that Malaysian willing to pay.. too high for our standard..

sry never been to okinawa. just researched.
if i were to go, i'll rent a car and drive around.

thats crazy!!!!

30 minutes = RM37.

That day in KL I parked at open parking nearby Petaling Street, 30 minutes RM4 I already making lot of noise.

If you have an IC, you dont need to queue as long as you have enough money in the card. THere are a few rail pass and you need to know where you are going to get the most economical pass.

Only JR, sapporo town subway/ trams & buses accepted IC card. Others outskirt station or buses only accept cash or ticket purchase from the station.
For your info JR passes only allow in free seated cabin. If travel with children better take number seat tickets.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190220_19/

ANA, JAL to slash fuel surcharges

Air travelers in Japan can expect some relief for their pocketbooks this spring. The country's biggest airlines say they are going to slash fuel surcharges for many of their international flights.

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines say the cuts will be in effect for tickets issued in April and May.

The fuel charges will be slashed by over 60 percent. Consumers can thank lower crude-oil prices.

Airlines add fuel surcharges to international airfares based on fuel prices and review them every two months.

Sharing some pics of my visit to Toyosu market last month (for those of you who don't surf /k/) ...

Thanks for sharing, what about food wise?

Thanks for the info. I have a bit of idea now about the transportation in hokkaido. At first i thought JR pass can use for all trains, buses & taxis. LOL. Even Hokkaido Rail pass do not cover buses & taxis as well. I will work out again the cost for one way and round trip to take train before decide for the pass. I think i had read that JR pass cover Donan Bus, correct ? So for the transportation between these few towns, chitose, noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Sapporo & Asahikawa will be by train. I will need IC card to take subway and buses for the transportation within sapporo area. I do not need any pass for the transportation within noboribetsu and Lake Toya area ( to purchase ticket from counter). Please advise.

JR Pass, as the name implies, only covers JR trains unreserved + reserved (except Nozomi and Mizuho) and JR buses (Not all - I remember they do not cover express buses). Donan bus is not JR bus.

This is the schedule and cost for in noboribetsu. http://bluemoonpear.blogspot.com/2015/10/d...e-and-fare.html

This post has been edited by Icehart: Feb 22 2019, 01:16 AM