hahaha...0 lah bro! I learn nothing hahaha..just a basic only in short course...you need to learn or study face to face and 1 to 1 sensei...then you can improved..I learn Japanese (even broken) with a stranger in Japan hehehhe

Well, first of all... there is no snow in Tokyo so you gotta go hunt for snow elsewhere (up north to Hokkaido or the west side of Japan eg Nagano, Niigata).
With regards to your tour question; it really depends. I believe some tour packages are pretty good value for money but the problem is that - you're bound by their schedule. If you're the adventurous type - then this might be a problem because perhaps there's some places that they won't go. One such places I think of is Akihabara.

Here's another piece of news that might be of interest to you -
http://www.japantoday.com/category/feature...ns-travel-scene

Seems like AirAsia is set on flying to Japan soon so you might be able to save on air tickets and fly AirAsia for your trip next year.

Once Air Asia announce their trip to Japan, many people going to pokai liao...

If airasia can fly to Japan, then i think JAL airline lagi pokai.

JAL is already pokai... The country need Air Asia to boost tourism industry

About the tour groups right - anyone here have any idea if any of the tours includes a trip to kyoto? also is a trip down to kyoto worth it?

hence why i want to do one week tour, one week self jalan jalan. at least you know the first week your food is well catered for. and you can go to those tourist places with guides to boot!

Also, i think you still need to give your bank statement even if you go with tour groups right?

Yes, it's worth it to go Kyoto... btw, you can backpack to Kyoto without tour group
When you reach JL Kyoto Station, go to Kyoto City Tourist Information Centre for more/detail information

This post has been edited by arthurlwf: Jan 27 2010, 07:35 PM


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Tourist Group no need bank statement to get Visa.

Kyoto City Tourist Information Centre their english is so Sxxx until you cannot understand....like human talking to Alien. If you lucky then you still can find soneone with better english.

Air Asia is hard to get route to japan...if can early early during route to Taiwan sudah get....japan Airport open for international airlines is only Kansai , Nagoya(Chubu / Centerair) , Haneda....Narita international route is for JAL , ANA.

IF Air Asia is going Japan they have to stop at this 3 airport only which is airport tax is so soso so so soso soso high plus the Turn around check before Flight is so so so so expensive until Air Asia is imposible to get in...same story as London Heathrow...that why Air Asia only can stop at Standly Airport which is 1 hour 30 minute away from london City.....same story as Shanghai ...they stop at Tainjin Airport which is 2 hour away from Shanghai.

LOL...Even MAS so big company only can affort to stop at kansai Airport only...they can't even affort to pay haneda or CenterAir (Chibu Airport) the parking fees .


So Far in Japan they is no budget airlines fly into japan...all is major Big Airlines only...even world biggest budget airliens ..Virgin Airline also cannot get route into japan...Air Asia lagi? slow slow dream first la

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 27 2010, 09:17 PM

Is Jetstar consider budget airline?
The cost of the flight from Gold Coast to Narita Airport is 960 AUD = 2,767 MYR and it's 8 hour flight (Take note that Australia to Japan is very very far)

The budget airline trend is going to Japan

This post has been edited by arthurlwf: Jan 27 2010, 10:25 PM


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Hopefully they can land a spot at the new Ibaraki airport.

If really 10k yen, i'll fly to Japan every weekend

JetStar is not really 100% low cost Airlines...is was a sister company make by Qantas to fight Virgin Airlines Customers only.....like JAL got alot sister compay like JAL Express , JTA (Japan transocean Airlines) , HAC (Hokkaido Airline Commuter)....all the money is get from JAL HQ

ANA got sister company also is call ANK...they make this lowcost just for domestik route to fight back JAL low cost domestik route.

Those Sister Company profit and Lose....all expenses are handle by main Company

...same as this Jet Star..becasue of the boss is Qantas..sure they can get route to Japan.....JetStar Profit mean Qantas Profit....

So Far there is no way a budget Airliens can go Japan ..paying expensive airport tax and parking fees (airport gate) and Airport Turn Around fees (Technician , Push back Tow Truck , Baggage truck ...etc) with out Parent Company behind Support


So far is Virgin Alantik going Narita ...parent company is Virgin group...but this airliners is not low cost...it got First class (Premier Class)

Viva Macau is another Budget Airliens to narita....but is Charted Route....

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 27 2010, 11:23 PM

I'll go at least twice a year liao....

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Added on January 27, 2010, 11:27 pm like that hope for the best liao...

This post has been edited by arthurlwf: Jan 27 2010, 11:27 PM

maybe....Hope So...since they are now building up a LCCT there...but got 2 Major weakness.

1st it was 80+km away from Tokyo City.....without rail ..only way is go by Bus or Taxi..
-Taking taxi is japan is LOL....it so expensive ..you will GG
-Taking Bus is slow But no cheap also....from what i see Narita > Ikebukuro By NEX is 3,400Yen (40minute) ; Taking Bus From Narita > Ikeburuko is 3,340Yen (1hour 20 Minute)
-My estimate Time for Bus from Ibaraki to Tokyo City will be 2 hour or More

2nd Most Major Big Problem
-It was Gap between (South) Narita , Haneda Airport and (North) Fukushima Airport
-It will become the Next Kansai Area..which is Gap together with Kobe Airport , Kansai Airport , Osaka Itami Airport......the traffic is so jam pack...everyone need hold in air minimum 30minute to 2 hour.....wasting even more and more time.



LOL BTW even got LCCT in Japan...got Budget Airlines from Malaysia to Japan...i will still using JAL or ANA to japan.....Who wnat to eat nasi Lemak on the way to Japan? i want Japanese meal lar....sure is taking JAL or ANA already....LOL

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Jan 27 2010, 11:53 PM

The issue of airlines flying to Japan is complex (at least for Tokyo). It's not so much about costs although parking at NRT is among the most expensive in the world.

NRT is a slot-restricted airport (just like LHR/Heathrow). Airlines must obtain slots and this is done on a country-level bilateral arrangement or buying them from exiting airlines. NRT cannot expand (the recently built new runway nothwithstanding - this was on existing land) - there is no land. It also has flight restrictions after 11pm+.

HND also had a lot of restrictions too in the past. Little-to-no international flights (restricted by Japan's MOTA because of concerns that HND was too close to the city and also they did not want to cannibalize NRT's business) and also flight restricted at night due to noise. Recently though the japanese goverment is changing their minds about HND. SQ is already flying to it.

Added to that, there are few LCCs in Japan. Domestic I can think of 2: SkyMark and AirDo and international: maybe jeju air and cebu pacific. Japan practises protection: simply it does not want its carriers to face competition. This has long been a hallmark of Japanese trade practice: cars, finance, air transportation etc

The granting of slots is largely international politics (unless you buy the rights form an airlines that already has a slot). Apparently Japan has granted an extra slot to the Malaysian government. Now it is a tussle between AirAsiaX and MAS to see who gets it.

i have a silly question

if you have a plus minus a month, where in japan would you go to? tokyo and kyoto is already a must...
and
how many days would you allocate for each city?
time period somewhere around september or oct

This post has been edited by mr lappy: Jan 28 2010, 12:21 AM

September is still summer in tokyo and kyoto. If you wana enjoy autumn scenery the only place to be is Hokkaido because autumn starts late sept to early oct. I would consider Hiroshima because of history.

Thanks bro...thats the point! Culture is priority and the business too!

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Added on January 28, 2010, 6:49 amBro...muahs muahs!
I LOIKE...every week got someone will belanja me..yatta!

This post has been edited by tanoshi: Jan 28 2010, 06:49 AM

JAL Airline from KL route to Japan only Tokyo & Osaka, why so limited? I saw JAL from Bangkok covered route to 6 major cities in Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Hiroshima.

Simple demand-supply. BKK is a major tourist destination as well as a major manufacturing (autos, food, consumer goods) hub.

KL? Not so much. ANA(NH) pulled out of the KUL route several years ago; it still continues to fly 2X flights a day into BKK - one morning and one late evening.

Anyway JL will probably be cutting some of those routes as part of the restructuring - one of the reasons they got into trouble was they had so many money-losing routes.

FYI, Air Asia's big plan is to fly into Haneda airport, as the Malaysian govt did get slots for parking there now.

Jetstar asia though they can get it, but the singapore govt gave it to Singapore Airlines instead.