When would you go there? Would you coordinate the trip around toy conventions? What cities would you visit?
1. Late spring or mid fall. I would avoid May (Golden Week), summer (hot), and August (Obon). 2. Probably not. A few years ago, I might have said yes. With a few exceptions, most of the new stuff at the shows doesn't interest me. 3. I've only been to Honshu, so I would probably try to visit the other islands.
Absolutely avoid deep Summer, it is very hot and the humidity is intense. I would go in either spring or fall.
1) Spring or fall. I've learned from visiting what few other countries I've visited summer is a no go. Last I was out of the country was August 2012 and Barcelona had the worst heat wave in decades. No way I'm going through 95+ humidity every day again. 2) I agree with Daniel. A few years ago it would have been all about the toy shops, then culture, food, and other things. Opposite would be true now as most new kaiju sucks. Not into designer vinyl, only like licensed characters for the most part. Still I'd love to visit any of the infamous shops I've heard and seen pics of- Mandarake (any), CKA, US Toys, Shikaruna (obviously just to see them do their thing!), would be nice to 'discover' hidden vintage shops but I doubt they exist anymore. 3) I'd like to see a bit of everything from up north down to the southern islands. I guess Tokyo and Kyoto would be on the list but it would be nice to see the countryside as well. Will this ever happen? Yeah maybe in the next five years or so.
Summer can be a rough time, especially with all the events going on. But if you enjoy that sort of stuff go for it. I enjoy the spring the best, but also its the season when I find it easier to coordinate with my friends in there. As for conventions, if it's what you want to do, go for it. Just make sure your heart is in it because there are things to do that are way better experiences than an event with a bunch of toys and long lines. Kanto region is my favorite by far since I always had some great experiences with the locals there. I hope you have a great trip.
Point to this thread? Feeler or inquiry based on something else? Are you planning a trip? You just seem like the type that doesn't give a shit about other people's opinion so this seems rather random.
I do give a shit about other people's opinions. I went to Japan in 1998 for two weeks and mainly stayed in Tokyo. But that was over 15 years ago... This time, my wife will come with me.
^^ Nice. Avoid the summer. It's not fun. I agree with Daniel's assessment however if you can squeeze in a trip to based on a convention go for it. When I went with my family we happened to go at the same time as one of the "fests" and it was just a lot of fun to see. Especially since I have only seen pictures. Visit cosmo alpha knight and the mandarakes.. Well worth the journey.
It is a rather vague inquest you have put forth here tho Chad and I would think you would have lots of solid contacts to point out the places to see. Maybe hit up Dennis, Koji, (DD) Don or Mark they I am sure can point out good places to eat, Koji is Vegan so I bet he knows the best places. Mount Fuji would be at the top for me and in the late fall.. Aokigahara, also known as Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees, is at the northwest base of Mount Fuji. Not sure your wife shares your interest in the occult and paranormal but that place has always drawn me in. There are many mini museums that should be easy to locate such as the Yokai one and also the Sex, which sells wind up vagina and penis toys! Those may be fun to visit as a couple. I would want to attend either Bon Festival or the Bizarre Night Festival in Ekoda plus CKA is in Ekoda. If all goes well with my health I plan to go next fall maybe the last 5 days of October and thru the 1st 5 days of November. It would be fun to try to meet up with others from Skullbrain for part of the experience. I long to meet Mr. Sato in person and also Mr. Yoda, Jun Masaru etc.
I really don't have some insidious plot with this thread. I haven't even started contacting contacts. I just wanted to throw it out there and see what peeps had to say. Really...
Does anyone say you had an insidious plot? No they did not. If you did not want input or commentary why bother to ask others opinions? You comment on folks wondering about the question yet do not comment on their suggestions? Nevermind I don't even care, this is a perfect example of negative paranoia on SB. No one said anything negative towards you Chad. Really! Good luck on the trip to Japan and enjoy your time there.
Sorry, I was trying to be funny. All suggestions are good so far! I didn't want to steer the thread in any direction is the only reason I didn't comment on people's comments.
Well when and if you do go invest time with that which you will glean the most enjoyment from. I think Koji had a post on his blog 3 years ago about that Sex museum it really seemed like a place that could be entertaining and amusing! That Forrest seems like it would be a great place to write an article on the experience. Someone told me its forbidden to go there yet not impossible to hike into from the opposite side. I would love to camp there for a day or 2 but I am weird like that.
Agree with what others have said about the timing. I never made it to the extreme north or south and would love to check out those areas, but I can speak to my experience over there on 2 separate trips. Kyoto is a must. Definitely one of the most special places I have ever been. You can really feel the history and culture as it really is all around you. Rent bikes, see the cultural landmarks, and be sure to spend some time exploring the Kyoto train station which is packed with restaurants and shops. Osaka is cool for a day trip and is located a short train ride from Kyoto. Pretty much an eating/drinking paradise, but not much else to do there (although there is a good mandarake there as well as one of the best toy shops I visited over there- psychedelia toys). I would highly recommend staying in a ryokan during your trip. Many people opt to do that in Kyoto, but if you have the time I would say journey to the mountains and stay in a ryokan in Hakone. Epic views of Fuji-San, mountain railway cars, a gondola, and a pirate ship; the Hakone mountain loop is awesome and doable in a long afternoon. After the journey, a soak in an onsen is a must. There are a million places I could recommend in Tokyo, but I'm sure your other friends can help too. I remember don telling me about a hot spring amusement park with different soaking tubs filled with sake, red wine, green tea, and coffee. Supposedly good for kids. Anyway, if you have any questions feel free to pm me. Not true! I found Lots of small shops in akiba and around nakano with plenty of hidden gems. I'm sure there are others I don't know about Anyway, it's always fun for me to share my experiences and relive my time spent over there. Hope to be back as soon as I can, but obviously it's a pretty involved journey. Have fun and safe travels!
Yep, me too. I did a lot of walking all over Kyoto and there is always something interesting to see. Entry to the temples like Kinkaku-ji, Toji, Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kiyomizu-dera are all either very reasonable or free. There is a antiques/flea-market on 21st of each month at Toji Temple . . . I would also recommend a trip to Himeji Castle. Himeji is on one of the main Shinkansen lines and the castle is just a short walk straight up the main road from the train station. If you only ever get to visit one Japanese castle in your life, Himeji would be a good choice. I absolutely loved every minute of it. I went early on a Sunday so it was fairly quiet. Parts of Nara are really nice. The Buddhist temple complex Todai-ji is well worth a visit. The huge main temple houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha 'Daibutsu'. There are hundreds of wild Deer wandering around all over the place, buy some deer-crackers and spend some time feeding the Deer. I would also recommend Hiroshima. It had a different feel to the other places i visited in Japan. It has lots of rivers and bridges and feels kinda European. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is fascinating, too. Oh, and the Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) is mind-blowing. If you like that kind of thing, i guarantee you will be impressed. That was a few of the highlights from when i was there. I'm sure there are tons of places i'm forgetting. I really hope i can get back to Japan for another visit at some point.
It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Quite frankly there's something to appreciate about it anytime if the year. I'd recommend staying in Yokohama, and traveling to Tokyo on a need-be basis.
I'd love to do that too. Looking forward to that new horror movie that comes out in the next week or so about that forest as well. Apparently a lot of filming took place around and in Aokigahara which is kind of crazy but cool at the same time.
Anyone travel Japan with allergies? I've got severe nut/fish/legume allergies. I'd eat vegan, but with the nut and legume I would expect that to be just as difficult. I'm thinking of just bringing a note written in Japanese that lists it out. I've heard allergies referred to as a western issue, so I worry that I'll have issues communicating the severity. and Aokigahara... shudder... I don't think I could do it. I'm not superstitious, but don't think I could deal with coming across a suicide or anything. Surounding area though looks really nice.
Japan is quite difficult if you're a vegetarian or vegan, lots of meat everywhere, a lot harder to find something on the menu you can eat than in America. As for your nut allergies, I don't believe any food packaging labels if the food was manufactured in a facility that processes tree nuts. I've known friends in Japan with food allergies, but tbh I never asked them about the labeling. I'd just avoid all chocolates, etc and assume. As for a facility that processes fish or shellfish, I think you might need to post this question on a travel forum as I'd hate to give any incorrect advice concerning an issue that may affect your health.
Being vegetarian/vegan actually isn't very difficult in Japan at all. I stayed with two vegetarians for two months and they had no difficulties with where we ate. I even dipped into vegetarian dishes a few times myself. From what I was told, it's been growing quite a bit over the last handful of years.
Oddly enough, "new trend" is exactly how it was described to me! I went just last January through March, so if was super recent!
I went to Tokyo a year ago. A vast, amazing experience. I think all I did was Toy shop. On the Vegan tip... Japan is the mother land of the macro biotic vegan diet. Its super Veg / Vegan friendly. more so than allot of places I've been. Cheers!
