Japan
- Thread starter windian
- Start date
Rainy season starts now... then it's humid as shit until September/October.
You need to decide what you want to see.
If you want lots of rich history and culture, you should plan a 1 or 2 day trip to Kyoto. Takes about 2.5 hours by Shinkansen and everything is easily accessible.
If you want modern Tokyo with culture and History, then you would be fine just staying in Tokyo. (If not Tokyo, then Osaka, Nagoya or somewhere further south.)
A Japan Rail Pass would be a wise investment if you are staying at least 7 days.
If you decide where to stay and what you'd like to see, then I can give you some pointers on how to get where cheaply and easily.
You need to decide what you want to see.
If you want lots of rich history and culture, you should plan a 1 or 2 day trip to Kyoto. Takes about 2.5 hours by Shinkansen and everything is easily accessible.
If you want modern Tokyo with culture and History, then you would be fine just staying in Tokyo. (If not Tokyo, then Osaka, Nagoya or somewhere further south.)
A Japan Rail Pass would be a wise investment if you are staying at least 7 days.
If you decide where to stay and what you'd like to see, then I can give you some pointers on how to get where cheaply and easily.
Pussenboots
R.I.P.
If you can hold off til March, I would go about the way of convincing her of Sakura. End of August is also great, as it cools down a bit, last few weeks Fuji is open to climb, not to mention the Azabu-Juban festival which is one of the larger ones in Tokyo. If interesting in activity, the sunrise from Fuji is a once in a life time experience, words can't really describe it. If you want I can put up some pics. But yeah, I would wait until Mid to late august before coming.
Hmm... I love history, so I enjoyed reading/visiting castles and shrines and their significance within Japanese history. I definitely recommend visiting Mt. Fuji (the clearer the day, the better for pics). I also recommend going to an open air hot springs (or at least a hot springs). Its a pretty neat experience.
Pussenboots
R.I.P.
Here is a pic of a clear sunrise from Fuji, just be aware its about 7 hours straight up at night and 5 hours straight down. Goes from burning hot, to freezing cold with ice and snow. As the saying goes, "you are stupid to not do it once, and stupid to do it more than once"
Zeri
Retainer of the House of Ultimague
Here is a pic of a clear sunrise from Fuji, just be aware its about 7 hours straight up at night and 5 hours straight down. Goes from burning hot, to freezing cold with ice and snow. As the saying goes, "you are stupid to not do it once, and stupid to do it more than once"
Now add a few funky trees, and you basically have the view from that giant hill in Attohwa Chasm... yes, I'm sad >.>
Ashmus
Unicorns are kickass!
I was reading national geographic about mount fuji and they said it was top of their list of worst mountains to climb, not cause of the weather, but because its packed with tourists and other people almost shoulder to shoulder, never really have a second to yourself. Did you have a problem with that? or are there off days where you are more isolated?
Pussenboots
R.I.P.
Well depends on how you hike it. If you hike during the day, or with a set group, then good chance there will be a bunch of people around you. We started at 8pm at night, group of 7 of us with lights on our foreheads. The first 3 of us made the top at 2:30am, yeah we broke into groups because some people needed more rest. Everynow and then we would run into a group of people, but not packed at all going up. Coming down is far worse than going up though, that is when its a giant meandering caravan walking down a continuous sand dune loaded with nothing but lava rock land mines. My buddy and I actually sprinted down as to reduce the amount of shock taken by our knees by sinking into the soot.
Over all it was absolutely beautiful, amazing, once in a life time experience, had perfect sky, but never again.
Over all it was absolutely beautiful, amazing, once in a life time experience, had perfect sky, but never again.
Pussenboots
R.I.P.
Train and cabs would be after 6pm, and in the morning around 8am to 9am. During those times its usually easier and faster to subway/train rather than cab. Friday night cabs, good luck. Although, also depends on the area you are at.
Morning: (from where I live...)
Trains start at 4:30 AM and are packed from 5:30AM to 8:30AM. If you are going the opposite way, they are empty. (i.e. Pussen's train is empty coming from his apartment to our office since most everyone else is going the other way.) I live at a large station, so trains going into Central Tokyo are packed and the ones going the other way are empty.
Afternoon: (from our office area)
Most offices let out between 5:00-5:30 PM, Trains are packed for about 2 hours. But, it depends on what direction you are going. The trains going to the outskirts are packed until 8:00PM and then there is the last train rush around 11:30PM-12:30AM, packed ratio depends on where you are.
I tend to leave later in the morning and I can usually get a seat on the JR line or Subway. In the afternoon, I try to leave on-time and can manage to get a seat 50% of the time. (otherwise, you are standing of course.)
EDIT: After Pussen's post: Cabs in highly packed night areas are impossible to get. However, if you walk for about 10min, you can always get a cab somwhere in the middle. Cabs in my neighborhood are easy to come by all the time. Also, Cabs are you only option after all the trains stop (~1:00AM latest JR train), Cabs are also 20% more expensive after 10PM.
Pussenboots
R.I.P.
To add to Fodder's comment, if you go to Osaka, the female train cars are female all day only, not just limited for rush hours like in Tokyo.
Or you can always ride a girl in a train. I mean um......
Or you can always ride a girl in a train. I mean um......