Going To Japan For 14 Days

[Nee-san]

Hey guys,

Myself and 3 other guys are going to Japan sometime next year, we want to structure the trip around one of the major automotive events (hopefully superlap 2014)

Can anyone tell me when this is usually held? because I seriously can't find it on the net!

Are there any tips or pointers in relation to getting around accommodation etc.

There will be four of us, we are all 24 and we're not interested in Skiing,

Cheers in advance!

[darksky34]

accomodation will be hard to find for 4 people if you intend on being in one room - or it will be very expensive, and in a big hotel - so pretty much you will have to split up. hard to find rooms with 2 single beds too, so if you don't mind sleeping in the same bed....ahahahhaha

as for travelling, get a SUICA or JR rail pass. that's all i know.

[GH05T]

where are you staying, ie which city

[liger]

There was a big post i made a while ago about going to Japan, i will have to re-do it sometime..

if going to the tokyo area:

Staying: Shinagawa Prince hotel - main tower ( if you plan to travel on the bullet trains)
to get around: JR rail pass if your travelling all over the country, or SUICA if only travelling around tokyo area
Sights : tokyo sky tree, old tokyo tower ( if they still do tours), asakusa, meiji shrine, shibuya, roppongi ( nightclub area pretty much), Onsen's

[Nee-san]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I would like to see as much of traditional Japan as possible, Tokyo obviously plus Time attack and Nismo Festival of speed.

So those regions basically.

The travel agent reckons about $5000.000 for 3 weeks all in.

[liger]

as for the spending money.. is that $5,000 for spending money only? or is it to pay for hotels aswell?

if the hotels are already paid for, then $1,000-$1,200/week spending money is more than enough if you have paif for the hotels and have a JR rail pass. but keep a eye on the exchange rate, DONT get the JPY form the airport. as you will get screwed over.

earlier in the week the yen was as high as AU$1= 88.6JPY . But it took a major dive yesturday to 87.1JPY. if the yen improves on monday or tuesday, order the moeny through your bank( or you can order it through westpac even if you dont have a account with them. you can pay by Bpay, and they seem to have the best exchange rate out of all the major banks).

[GTR-N1]

Hire a car - a well handling car - and do this...

It's called Irohazaka. It's One Way traffic and it can be done in a day trip north of Tokyo, including Lake Chuzenji & Nikko with it's Cat Temple.

[elrodeo666]

5K for 3 weeks !! Your travel agent is bending you over !!

You can get good decent hotel rooms for 5-6,000yen a night.

Your going to be moving around so why waste coin on a room when you can spend it enjoying Japan.

Just had family over whilst back inn Japan for 6 weeks on business and 4 people accomo and rental car was around 5,000 a day for 17 days and we had self contained rooms 90% of the time.

Eating out is cheap unless your eating top end food each night e.g waggyu then you'll blow 10,000-20.000 a meal for the good Tokachi waggyu. Craps on the Kobe beef.

Booze is cheap. Hit a bottle shop or supermarket and load up your hotel fridge or suss out nomihodai (all you can drink) or nomitabihodai (all you can eat and drink)

Usually around 1500 to 2500 yen for 90-120mins. Go hard and you'll only need to top up a couple of drinks every hour.

I've been to some great 10 hr nomis for less than $30 and legless is modusoperandai !!

Seriously you can spend shit loads of coin in Japan but a bit of research and you'll save heaps and have more coin for fun like a bit of a seedy night in Kabukicho eating sushi of the back of naked chicks.

If you want to have fun on some great roads in a rental car then the Hakone skyline is shit load of fun and some good views of Mt Fuji and some good onsens if you know where to go. Not the hotels but the locals onsens are the go.

You can even hire a Hakosuka for a a day cruise.

My opinion, and that's from years of living in Japan is save your coin for having fun really experiencing Japan and also for buying those goodies you might want to bring home.

[NYTSKY]

Who uses travel agents these days anyway?

[darksky34]

Marcus, me and my mate did exactly that - we rented an 86 and drove from Shibuya to Hakone, up around the mountain to an onsen, then to Lake Ashi and then across the mountain to Yokohama - then to Daikoku Futo that night (IT WAS THE BEST NIGHT EVER) - and back to shinjuku. That was the most amazing day of our trip. And the roads (especially mountain roads) are amaaaaaaaazzinnnnnnnnnnggggggggg

[GH05T]

even though i was in a cube, we went for a drive through the mountain toll roads outside of kyoto, was good fun,

we had 2 modified S15s and a WRX doing touge through one section which was fun to watch.

[Nee-san]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your replies.

Terry, that sounds awesome, what do you guys know of car hire over there?
It is something all of the guys would definitely like to do.

The 5k is all in including flights and probably 1k spending money outside of food and getting around etc, that also includes JR ticket.

We are not necessarily going to go through an agent, just using her to get an idea of rough cost.

Please give me your ideas and tips!

totally open for suggestions on what to do over there, we have 3 weeks and so far have only 4 days booked out.

We are up for any sort of housing arrangement as long as it isn't shit hostels etc, all the guys have decent coin so we would rather spend the cash and have a good time!

Cheers!

[elrodeo666]

http://travel.rakuten.com/

http://www.jalan.net/en/japan_hotels_ryokan/

These are the english versions of Japanese accomo sites.

Heaps of options for all types of accom from business hotels to top dollar ryokans.

If you find anything you like let me know as going via the Japanese sites can be even cheaper.

Can help book anything you need.

[Nee-san]

Awesome mate, do you live over there currently?

We'll have to catch up for a beer if so.

[elrodeo666]

Awesome mate, do you live over there currently?

We'll have to catch up for a beer if so.

Back and forward these days.

Couple of months in Oz and back to Japan for awhile.

Don't want to live there anymore since f*kushima as the muppet brigade are in charge of the worlds worst nuclear disaster.

I could tell you horror stories of whats really going on. Some bullshit coverups from both Tepco and the Government.

If you need any help booking etc let me know.

Shame I didn't know you were going over as could have brought a chunk of yen back and done a swap for oz $ at good exchange rate.

[darksky34]

Would be very interested in the horror stories Marcus, please forward me some if you have the time!

[Nee-san]

So november has been locked in for the trip.

2 weeks (More leave friendly)

Want to do Tsukuba and Festival of Speed.

Everything else is open atm!

[ichi-go]

Nice! 3 of us are heading over in Nov as well (heading for nismo festival) for 3 weeks plus

Plan to go around tokyo, nismo festival then travel down south to nagoya/osaka then come back to tokyo on the last few days to catch the flight back

What have you got planned?

[Nee-san]

Nice! 3 of us are heading over in Nov as well (heading for nismo festival) for 3 weeks plus

Plan to go around tokyo, nismo festival then travel down south to nagoya/osaka then come back to tokyo on the last few days to catch the flight back

What have you got planned?

We have no idea at the moment mate! haha

Traditional Japan.

Getting together soon to nut it out.

Do you have the date for Nismo Festival 2014?

[elrodeo666]

Nismo Festival is pretty much always first sunday in December and Tsukuba the following Friday but sometimes the Friday before Nismo.

Dates for Nismo Festival won't be released until at least June.