Japan--Independent travel before a cruise???

We are a retired couple, who have enjoyed the luxury of traveling extensively over the past decade---mainly in Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand.

Next spring, we are booked to depart Tokyo on a trans-Pacific Silversea cruise to Vancouver, via Russia and Alaska. We would like to spend 7-10 days in Japan beforehand, but we find the prospect more unsettling than when we travel to “western” countries---

Language---most of the travel world where we’ve been speaks English, and we can manage French and Italian, a bit of Spanish, and can decipher signs in German or even Greek. BUT, are there added difficulties in Japan??

Safety---obviously, one has to be wary in any crowded city situation, but, alert and cautious, we like to wander and explore on foot, in cities and in villages and in the countryside. How does Japan safety compare to other advanced, civilized countries?

Train travel---we would like to leave our main luggage at a hotel in Tokyo, and explore by train with light luggage for a week or so. Safe, convenient, and easy to understand??

Suggestions on where to go???---we enjoy being physically active, exploring, and observing life as it is now, or perhaps hints of how it was. We prefer countryside, smaller communities and villages…..or cities with “old-town” character in spots. Museums, historic sites/monuments, temples, etc. are not as interesting. (We prefer a day walking the hills of Cinque Terre to a day of tours of the Duomo or Pitti Palace in Florence; we’d rather a pubic footpath in the Cotswold’s to a tour of Westminster Abbey; we’d rather get lost in the streets of Paris than spend the afternoon at the Louvre.)

Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

We've been to Japan a few times. All of the signs we've needed have been in English in addition to Japanese. Spoken English can be difficult to find at times, but have found the Japanese very accommodating that we don't speak their language. Pantomiming works well if all else fails.

Safety has not been a concern. We find Japan extremely well civilized.

Just do it, dont worry at all, Japan is a very safe friendly place.

My sister left her handbag with passport, money camera etc on a seat at the osaka station and it was handed in to the tourist office. she only realised when she went to get her camera while we were on the train to kyoto.

The Japanese are very helpful, if you ask directions they will more than likely insist of walking you to the location. The older school kids and uni age are probably the best at english but they also can understand the written english easier than the spoken, I assume its to do with our accents.

We are also not big city people give me a small town any day over the cities. I have been to Japan maybe 6 or 7 times always independent travel by bullet train with a JR pass.

Safety wise I would never worry about the Japanese, but of course there are travellers from all around the world. My daughter spent a year in Japan during high school as an exchange student and she was often going home from school at 10pm after the school clubs etc.

We have just booked the diamond princess 8 days around Japan leaving 26 July this year. Only booked a few days ago so have been very busy trying to co -ordinate the 10 days we are travelling after the cruise. First trip to Japan for hubby.

Our itinerary - arrive at Narita, have booked a guide with van to collect us from the airport and give us a tour of tokyo as we will be somewhat jetlagged and I hate trying to get around tokyo, big cities and I dont work.

The driver is taking us back to the hotel at the airport after the 8 hour tour. 45,000 yen for 4 people all up.

Next day, train from narita to the ship port and check out the local area.

cruise for 8 days.

on arrival back in yokohama we are off to Takayama for a night, staying in a temple traditional Japanese style.

Next day to Okayama, followed by hiroshima and miyanjima, then to kyoto, nara and then up to mt fuji hakone area for 2 nights then back to kamakura and to the airport. i had planned to include Nikko however as I am having an op next week and the trip is only 6 weeks later I am taking it a bit slower. But if you do plan a trip I recommend Nikko. I wouldnt bother going any further north than Tokyo as the real beauty and history tokyo down. Temples and shrines you just wont be able to avoid, every town has many many of them.

If you want to send me your email I am happy to forward my daily diary from my last trip to Japan, I sent home emails to hubby and kept them as a diary. That trip wasnt the traditional site seeing areas, as we had been only a year earlier so decided to get right out away from the tourist areas.

unfortunately i dont have any records from my previous trips as my computer died and I wasnt smart enough to back up, and still dont...... yes i am bad but I am very technology challenged.

Forgot to answer your question re luggage, you could either store your luggage or use the luggage forwarding service.

I actually phoned Japan yesterday to get all the info on that. We will be dropping our suitcase at a 7- 11 store in Odawara before heading up to mt fuji hakone area, it will be 1,404 yen to have it delivered to the airport hotel. When daughter was at school her friends would send home their dirty washing when away on school camps. they told me to send it 2 days before but it generally only takes a day.

gran.of2athotmaildotcom

We used UniqueJapan for our 2 week trip. We were glad we did because you won't find English signs off the beaten path. We would not have been able to organize everything without help. There are plenty of things we would not have known and not done right. We would also not have seen as much.

The Japanese are polite and helpful. The country is very clean and well organized. Safety is not a concern. Foreign ATM machines only work in the 7/11 stores and the post offices.

If you want to send me your email I am happy to forward my daily diary from my last trip to Japan, I sent home emails to hubby and kept them as a diary. That trip wasnt the traditional site seeing areas, as we had been only a year earlier so decided to get right out away from the tourist areas.

unfortunately i dont have any records from my previous trips as my computer died and I wasnt smart enough to back up, and still dont...... yes i am bad but I am very technology challenged.

 

Forgot to answer your question re luggage, you could either store your luggage or use the luggage forwarding service.

I actually phoned Japan yesterday to get all the info on that. We will be dropping our suitcase at a 7- 11 store in Odawara before heading up to mt fuji hakone area, it will be 1,404 yen to have it delivered to the airport hotel. When daughter was at school her friends would send home their dirty washing when away on school camps. they told me to send it 2 days before but it generally only takes a day.

 

gran.of2athotmaildotcom

Tara Jane,

Thanks for your reply and offer. I've never sent my email address to another member....how is this done? is there a way to do it privately, or must it go in a regular post?

thanks

just send me an email, nothing to do with these boards. just a regular email as if you were sending to your friends. Just make sure you have my address right and you need to put in the dot rather than spell out the dot but it causes problems here if i put the address. there is definately a dot after gran

grandotof2athotmaildotcom ( i am a proud granny of 2)

hope this helps.

please make sure you put japan info cc in subject line as I dont open anything that i dont recognise and of course i wouldnt recognise your email address

We are booked on the Millenium leaving Yokohama on 25 October.

We fly into Tokyo on 17 October and have some tours booked, staying in Tokyo until 22 October then going to Kyoto returning on 24 Oct.

Here is our Kyoto tour:

Two or Three day tour of Kyoto from Tokyo $ 639.04

http://www.viator.com/tours/Tokyo/Kyoto-and-Nara-2-Day-or-3-Day-Rail-Tour-by-Bullet-Train-from-Tokyo/d334-2142TYO_QT2_QT3

2-day or 3-day guided tour of Kyoto and Nara with bullet train, from Tokyo

See majestic Mt Fuji from the Shinkansen bullet train (weather permitting)

Visit Nara's highlights including Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Deer Park

Witness Kyoto’s rich heritage at Kinkaku-ji Temple, Sanjusangen-do Hall, Heian Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Admire the majestic architecture the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle

Choice of one or two nights' tourist-class or first-class accommodation in Kyoto

Enjoy a worry-free tour that includes an expert guide for daytime tours, transportation, and accommodation

While in Tokyo, we are staying the the Hotel Metropolican Marunouchi

which i located at Tokyo Station.

We have booked these tours:

http://www.viator.com/tours/Tokyo/Kamakura-Yokohama-and-Tokyo-Bay-Day-Trip-from-Tokyo/d334-2142F990

Explore the countryside outside Tokyo on a day trip to Kamakura and Yokohama. You’ll see the Giant Buddha of Kamakura, tour ancient temples and shrines, and enjoy lunch at an authentic Yokohama Chinatown restaurant. You’ll also discover Japan’s ancient history and culture on a walk through Yokohama’s traditionally landscaped Sankeien Garden. Finally, cross the Tokyo Bay on Yokohama's iconic 2,822-foot (860-meter) cable-supported bridge.

Highlights

Kamakura, Yokohama and Tokyo Bay day trip

Tour Kamakura's historic Hasedera Temple

Visit the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, one of Kamakura's most ancient buildings

Enjoy a delicious Chinese meal in Yokohama Chinatown

Take a stroll around the Sankeien Garden before crossing Yokohama Bay Bridge

$ 103.95

Best of Edo Japan: Nikko National Park and Edo Wonderland Day Trip from Tokyo

Visit Nikko on a partially guided day trip from Tokyo to learn about the fascinating era when Tokugawa Ieyasu ruled Japan. Take a guided tour of a UNESCO World Heritage site to admire the gorgeous Nikko Toshogu Shrine, burial place of the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa government. From there, head to Edo Wonderland, an amusement park where ninjas, samurais and geishas roam the Edo period village and perform theatrical shows that give you a glimpse into Tokugawa-ruled Japan.

Highlights

Full-day trip from Tokyo to Nikko National Park, the Toshogu Shrine and Edo Wonderland

Learn about the venerable Toshogu Shrine from your knowledgable local guide

See the famous carving of the three wise monkeys depicting ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’

Take in the natural beauty of Nikko National Park and look for wild monkeys

Step into the past with a visit to Edo Wonderland, a 17th-century theme park

Watch performances of traditional Japanese theater as well as samurai and ninja demonstrations

Rent ninja, samurai or geisha costumes to wear

$ 121.28

As you are going to be spending a good amount of time in Japan, you may want to explore further away than the usual sites of Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto area. The way you are describing the countryside/active lifestyle, I don't think you would enjoy Kyoto as it's filled with temples and quite crowded with tourists. You may want to venture to the northern island of Hokkaido or the southern island of Kyushu to get a different experience.

I assume you are flying into Tokyo (Haneda or Narita). So if you are wanting to venture to Hokkaido for a few days, both airports have luggage storage service so that you can leave your heavy luggage while you travel to the island. Flying would be the ideal way of getting there. If you venture south, Kyushu is accessible via the bullet train and I would also recommend the JR rail pass for a week.

As far as transportation which is primarily the rail network, I would highly recommend purchasing an IC card. These can be purchased at major train stations through the ticketing machines. The hard part of getting around Japan is that there are various train companies that operate all of the lines. So transferring from one network to another, figuring out each fare, buying tickets for each line can get confusing. With the IC card, it is accepted by all of the train lines, some bus lines, vending machines, and even some restaurants so it makes paying for items simple. The card is reloaded with cash at train station ticket machines.

English is readily available in the metropolitan areas, but becomes less accessible in other spots. I would suggest a mobile wi-fi rental in Japan so that you can use your smartphone. Google Maps is an amazing tool in Japan as it will let you know what train/time, sometimes platform, and fare amount through the app. If you are really lost in translation, Google Translate will usually get your message across to a Japanese speaking person.

Safety is really not something I would worry too much about in Japan. I've walked alone in the streets of Tokyo late at night without feeling uneasy.

Hope you have a wonderful time in Japan.

Language- Like any country, the number of foreign language speakers is higher in cities. People younger than 40 have several years of English in grade school, so seek out a younger person if you need help. If you look like a confused tourist, a passer-by will usually come up and offer to help. That said, most are better at written than spoken English, and since the demographics force young people to leave towns for professional jobs in big cities, older people in outlying areas won't speak English at all...but will still go far out of their way to try to help. And like any country, knowing 5 or 10 basics (Thank you, please, taxi, bathroom) will really break the ice.

Most signage in airports and the rail system include Western alphabet (Romaji), or international icons. Recognizing the Asian characters for entrance and exit would be good.

Safety- Street crime is essentially zero- crime seems to be reserved for white collar situations :). Unaccompanied women walk and take the subway home from work or dinner at 10pm in downtown Tokyo, totally unconcerned. If you lose your wallet, 95% chance it will be returned to a police station totally intact. Food, water, and restaurants are arguably cleaner and safer than the US. Safety issues for tourists are pedestrian safety (since Japan is left-side traffic, look left when stepping off the curb), and what to do in the unlikely event of an earthquake.

Train travel- Good strategy. Japanese travel light; also it will make you a lot more mobile. FYI, train stations have luggage lockers, and there's also a nationwide luggage forwarding service to any address for about $10/bag. It's usually overnight between major cities and hotels, with dropoffs at airports, train stations, 7-11s, etc. I also recommend buying the appropriate Rail Pass. Purchase them here (before you travel) and will save a lot of $$.

Avoid the subway at morning/evening rush hour. No worries about pickpockets or getting groped :) ....but people are literally packed into the cars by platform attendants who politely push passengers so the doors will close. Also ask your hotel desk if they have a subway / city map in English.

There's a wealth of online info from JNTO and JTB as well as other websites, and you can also pre-purchase tours and transportation, sometimes at a better price than if you purchase once you're in Japan.

FYI, Pseudoephedrine (in many common over-the-counter decongestants) is illegal in Japan. Customs will usually specifically ask and politely confiscate it. Also tipping is not required. The philosophy is you're their guest and they are paid to provide good service. Tips will usually be refused and the person may feel a bit insulted because it suggests their service wasn't good enough. Definitely a society full of subtleties and nuances!

You will have an amazing time!

Go, Japan is clean and safe. There will always be someone around who speaks English or they will find someone to help you. Lots of tourist information places to get information to find your own way around. Don't miss Nara, the temples there are beautiful. Osaka castle is worth a visit as well and if you can make it to Hiroshima, the museum and park is well worth a visit. All of it can be done on your own easily as people will give you directions.

If you do get to Hiroshima which I believe is a must for any trip to Japan, make sure you also go to Miyanjima island. Its a half hour from hiroshima station and a short ferry ride to the island. All covered by the JR pass.

The peace pass is very thought provoking. I did go to the museum but found reading everything too distressing, Walking through was hard enough.

We will be in Hiroshima on 6th August this year after our cruise and they have special ceremonies to mark the occasion. It will be the 70th anniversary. My daughter was there on the 50th anniversary whilst on a school camp during her one year student exchange.

Other favourite places are Takayama and Nara.

Oops, I meant "look *right* when stepping off the curb!" :eek:

You can get every train schedule in Japan by going to hyperdia dot com. Also, you might consider using Goodwill Guides (Google: Goodwill Guides Japan and click on the volunteer guides link). You pay their transportation (travel is via train, subway, or bus) and lunch but no fee or tip. (We usually bring something small from home.). We just tell the guide via email beforehand that we've seen enough temples and shrines to last a lifetime. In Kyoto our guide took us to the bamboo forest in Arashiyama; in Yonago, our guide took us to a small shop where they hand make umbrellas and to an art class in a center for senior citizens; in Hakodate, our guide took us to the morning market and to a museum of northern peoples. Most of these places you can do on your own (except for our Yonago visit) but until you become familiar with the transportation system in various towns, the guides can be a huge time saver and provide lots of info.

You can get every train schedule in Japan by going to hyperdia dot com. Also, you might consider using Goodwill Guides (Google: Goodwill Guides Japan and click on the volunteer guides link).

I see you are on-line...We are just now trying to decide what tours to take off Diamond Princess in May/June. Prior to that we go to Osaka for 3 nights and Kyoto for 3 nights. Can you recommend any tour guides or ways to get around? Have you used the Kansai Pass? We are from Kailua, O'ahu. :D

We loved Japan and did an 8 day pre-cruise in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Here is my review:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=518503&et_cid=2531924&et_rid=17221689&et_referrer=Boards

The People in Japan are wonderful. English signs are not everywhere, but seem to be there when you need them. The country is very safe and clean. You never see trash on the streets or graffiti.

Note, ATM cards from North America only work on a few Japanese ATMs. Look for post offices. We took $1000 worth of Yen, which worked out great. Use Bank of America in the USA for better rate than your local bank.

Our tours turned out great.

Don't miss Nikko, north of Tokyo. Kamakura is good as well. Kyoto is must see.

The Panorama tour of Tokyo was excellent.

 

Note, ATM cards from North America only work on a few Japanese ATMs. Look for post offices.

The op has sailed by now, but for other travelers: In addition to post offices, the ATMs in the Seven Eleven Stores also work. Seven Eleven stores are ubiquitous and more visible than the discrete signs on the post offices.

I LOVE Japan! :)

We are a retired couple, who have enjoyed the luxury of traveling extensively over the past decade---mainly in Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand.

 

Next spring, we are booked to depart Tokyo on a trans-Pacific Silversea cruise to Vancouver, via Russia and Alaska. We would like to spend 7-10 days in Japan beforehand, but we find the prospect more unsettling than when we travel to “western” countries---

 

Language---most of the travel world where we’ve been speaks English, and we can manage French and Italian, a bit of Spanish, and can decipher signs in German or even Greek. BUT, are there added difficulties in Japan??

 

Safety---obviously, one has to be wary in any crowded city situation, but, alert and cautious, we like to wander and explore on foot, in cities and in villages and in the countryside. How does Japan safety compare to other advanced, civilized countries?

 

Train travel---we would like to leave our main luggage at a hotel in Tokyo, and explore by train with light luggage for a week or so. Safe, convenient, and easy to understand??

 

Suggestions on where to go???---we enjoy being physically active, exploring, and observing life as it is now, or perhaps hints of how it was. We prefer countryside, smaller communities and villages…..or cities with “old-town” character in spots. Museums, historic sites/monuments, temples, etc. are not as interesting. (We prefer a day walking the hills of Cinque Terre to a day of tours of the Duomo or Pitti Palace in Florence; we’d rather a pubic footpath in the Cotswold’s to a tour of Westminster Abbey; we’d rather get lost in the streets of Paris than spend the afternoon at the Louvre.)

 

Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

We very much enjoyed our time in Japan (March 2015) after a cruise from Bali to Osaka. We had a wonderful guide for the Osaka/Kyoto area. Takakazu Machi (Taki) is one of the nicest most humble people I have ever met. He is truly professional in his planning and tour guiding and in his driving. Before he was a tour guide he worked for a multinational company as the driver and guide for their top executives. He makes life very easy for his customers and is very considerate -- his car is large and comfortable. contact him at http://privatetour -Kyoto.com/ehome.html. He has an email but I don't have it any longer. He is a wonderful guide.

We then took the bullet train by ourselves to Tokyo. Really very easy (and I was very worried). Taki helped us purchase the tickets and it was very nice and comfortable ride. Japanese efficiency is something to marvel at. The trains run on time to the minute and boarding and getting off are very civil and polite. A young girl even walked us all the way to the door and showed us the taxi line -- just to be nice!

In Tokyo, we used Discover Japan Tours which is the family business of Yosuke Yokokura. He is the travel guide but he is also a travel agency operator for foreign and Japanese travelers both. I think that he would be able to organize your whole trip for you with transportation tickets, tours, and whatever you need to make your trip comfortable. He worked very well with me and was very responsive. He spent time in the US as a High School student and as college student? His English is great. I would think that with Tokyo being so big and so crowded (sidewalks , stores and all other facilities just so many people) without a local guide you would loose so much of your time trying to figure out how to get there and where to enter. etc. Discover Japan Tours is on Trip Advisor or just google it.

Both guides were wonderful. I loved Japan and I would go back in a heartbeat. So much to see and do. People are unfailingly polite and want to meet you and help you. The city of Tokyo was much different from Kyoto. Both are wonderful places to visit. Hope this helps you.

Please accept our thanks for providing so much info on Japan - we are very excited about our future trip!

For those of you who took either the Viator or JTB Panoramic Tour of Tokyo, how many people were on the tour/coach? Thank you!

Oops, I meant "look *right* when stepping off the curb!" :eek:

I look both ways. Improves the odds.:D

We did a mix of touring on our own and using a guide. We booked with Tours by Locals in Tokyo and our guide was terrific - fluent in English and of course very knowledgeable about his home town. He helped us figure out the subway and system, which proved invaluable once we were on our own (yes, we would have figured it out, but he made it a lot small learning curve).

We used the Eyewitness guide to Tokyo and the Lonely Planet guide to Kyoto (we stayed in Osaka and took the train there for a lovely, long day).