School me on Japan

[neverLift]

Flights are pretty cheap between Osaka and Tokyo (there is a reduced foreigner rate I believe with some of the airlines).

If you're flying in/out of Osaka, have the pass start when you leave Osaka to kyoto or wherever and use it for that week, and then to get to Tokyo. In Tokyo the metro/toei are all you need. Then fly back to Osaka at the end of your time in Tokyo.

However if you plan on day trips from Tokyo to Nikko/Hakone/wherever, a full 14 day pass might be worthwhile (and train back to Osaka at the end of the trip).

Cheers

[DHP 1]

however one of my friend was saying that JR pass isnt very effective in the Kansai area? is this true?\


i was thinking to take the train from tokyo to oaska and fly out??

[Expresso]

Let's say a round trip bullet train ticket between Tokyo to Osaka or vice versa is the cost of a JR pass. I missed the part you are flying into Osaka first.

You can survive without a JR pass during your first week in Kansai. To be fair, the JR pass doesn't have much use in Tokyo either...I probably just end up starting the JR pass when you leave for Tokyo and then use the JR pass to return back to Osaka. You aren't getting much value, but it is what it is.

I found the JR pass is more useful in Kansai than just in Tokyo. At least you can hop between all the major cities using a JR line which would be included. In Tokyo, the metro/toei lines are the main modes of transportation which isn't included.

[CivicBlues]

FWIW, the Tokyo Yamanote line and the Osaka Circle line both accept the JR pass. You can pretty much visit 80% of where you want to go (for Tokyo anyways) just by using this line. You'll of course need to use subways here and there but you can still get free rides in the city with your JR pass.

[DHP 1]

with what expresso says....it seems JR pass is completely useless other than tokyo to osaka (vice versa)


if thats the case, shouldnt i just buy a one way ticket when i am there? instead buying a 7 day pass here? which costs $350 usd a person for 7 days..

[yray]

just fly, fuck the shinkansen unless you've never been on one

$200+ ticket vs $80

osaka and kyoto is only a $15 train ride,

[Expresso]

Originally Posted by DHP 1

with what expresso says....it seems JR pass is completely useless other than tokyo to osaka (vice versa)


if thats the case, shouldnt i just buy a one way ticket when i am there? instead buying a 7 day pass here? which costs $350 usd a person for 7 days..

Yes, only if you plan to fly back to Osaka.

And I don't know about you but i'll happily take the train then trying to get to Narita/Haneda, Check-in/Baggage Drop, Waiting for luggage etc...

If you had a JR pass, you literally hop on and hop off. Nothing to wait for and you can catch any train you want. You could ride any JR train within Tokyo for free too as a bonus.

[TOS'd]

+1 JR pass, would buy again

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by syee

I'm heading out there next week and found bMobile to be fairly cheap as well. Also on Docomo network

Purchase page | b-mobile VISITOR SIM

I just back from Japan and my wife used this and it worked reasonably well - they do a bit of throttling so you don't get max LTE speeds but it's generally not a problem.

I used: https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/ which comes with an actual phone number - the speeds were definitely better than with b-mobile but it does cost a bit more but having a real number is handy (I never ended up needing to call though). You need to order about 3 weeks before your trip to get the SIM card in advance as you need to submit a copy of your passport in advance to get it activated (Japanese law).

[Raid3n]

Originally Posted by DragonChi

I believe if you're under 30 you'll have a way better chance getting a work visa. You'll also need to find a sponsor for your visa. This is from what I remember when I looked into it.

The Japanese embassy in Vancouver will be your best resource.

working holiday visa you don't need to be sponsored, but only available until you turn 31.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...vel-japan.html

[jtanner_]

Just returned from Japan as a group of 8 people. We had slightly different itineraries and so half the group had purchased the JR pass. We were there for 16 days total and when I had done the calculation for all of the places we were travelling we ended up saving about $80 CAD by not using the JR pass.

It was also slightly inconvenient at times because there were instances where our friends with the JR pass had to then spend additional money to take non-JR lines to stay with us (because at times the non-JR lines were more convenient/faster than the JR equivalent).

Overall I think if you're doing the whole Tokyo -> Osaka and back within 7 days its' or travelling further within 14 it can be totally worthwhile to use the JR pass and you can actually save quite a bit, this just wasn't the case for our trip. We ended up travelling from Tokyo --> Osaka (+ Half day trip to Nara) --> Kyoto --> Back to Tokyo.



Additionally, so long as you have data or connect to wifi travel in general is super simple to navigate within Japan, and their Pasmo/Suica cards (similar to HK octopus or London's Oyster card) make it easy to just tap in/out and go.

As for network, I ended up purchasing the Zen Sim from Amazon (7.99 USD) before our trip and it worked perfectly during our travel. I found the pricing to be really competitive too and the network on 4G worked great during our entire trip and I was constantly uploading videos/pictures on snapchat/instagram, loading maps and google for restaurant reviews, etc.

If anyone wants a copy of my travel itinerary and places we went feel free to PM me and I can share the google doc we put together.

[SkinnyPupp]

I know I've said it here already, but to reiterate since there's some misinformation: JR pass is ONLY worth it if you use the bullet train (or other long distance trip) at least twice on your visit. It's a ripoff otherwise, and inconvenient to use compared to a Suica card (having to line up with old people instead of just scanning).

Also in Tokyo at least, most (no, not all) of the places you'll go are better served by the subway. If you spend much time in Kyoto you'll be on subways too (or other modes of transportation). Not sure about Osaka, I had a car for my visit there.

[Raid3n]

when i went to osaka i was staying in Remm-Shin Osaka so the trains were super convenient for me (hotel is above the station), though tbh because i spent most of my day in that area in Himeji, i really only went to Shinsaibashi lol

for my trip i used the bullet train a lot so the pass was worth it for me.
Tokyo-Kyoto: 13,910￥
Kyoto-Osaka: ~3000￥
Osaka-Himeji: ~3800￥
Himeji-Osaka: ~3800￥
Osaka-Tokyo: 14,450￥
Total: 38,960￥
Cost: 29,100￥
Saved: 9,860￥

and then i threw 50$ on a suica for subway/bus that wasn't JR and for using at vending machines and using at lawson, etc.

[iwantaskyline]

Originally Posted by supafamous

I just back from Japan and my wife used this and it worked reasonably well - they do a bit of throttling so you don't get max LTE speeds but it's generally not a problem.

I used: https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/ which comes with an actual phone number - the speeds were definitely better than with b-mobile but it does cost a bit more but having a real number is handy (I never ended up needing to call though). You need to order about 3 weeks before your trip to get the SIM card in advance as you need to submit a copy of your passport in advance to get it activated (Japanese law).

How's the reception in underground train stations and buildings?

My last two trips we used a wifi egg as it was convenient for two people but the reception was really poor inside concrete buildings and underground stations.

[syee]

Originally Posted by iwantaskyline

How's the reception in underground train stations and buildings?

My last two trips we used a wifi egg as it was convenient for two people but the reception was really poor inside concrete buildings and underground stations.

I'll speak on bMobile (which is an MVNO for docomo, so I guess that would apply to any other SIM that uses the docomo network) As supafamous mentioned, it's not super fast but was good enough for maps and general browsing. (it says it connects at 4G - sorry didn't do a Speedtest to find actual speeds). It did work underground in the subway for everywhere I went, and I honestly don't remember any instances where I didn't have reception. (maybe for a few minutes on the bullet train when going through the countryside?)

[DragonChi]

When I went, I was on the Docomo network, had no issues underground or in buildings. This was in Tokyo.

[syee]

Sorry, I should have mentioned location as well - I was in Tokyo, Hakone and Osaka. No problems in any of these places with cell signal either in buildings or underground. Most food establishments also had free Wi-Fi if you want to get something that has a lower data allotment.

Only thing to note - because of all the tall buildings, GPS/Google Maps navigation can be a little bit off. I wouldn't rely solely on it - probably wise to have a general sense of direction of where you're going so that you're not spending all your time walking back and forth.

[CorneringArtist]

Used Telus data roaming and was on Docomo, super reliable.

Going to be in Kansai next year, and it looks like subway is going to be cheap to get around. Basically load Icoca and go.

[DragonChi]

^ Aren't you the guy that had a terrible time traveling?

[CorneringArtist]

I like to waste my money attempting to feel things and take pictures home.

[syee]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

Used Telus data roaming and was on Docomo, super reliable.

How much did that cost? I made the mistake of throwing my Fido SIM in my phone (so I wouldn't lose it) while I was going in between Japan and HK, and turned on my phone. Saw a nice $12 charge for International roaming on my statement. (or does Telus have a foreign data package that's cheap?)

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by iwantaskyline

How's the reception in underground train stations and buildings?

My last two trips we used a wifi egg as it was convenient for two people but the reception was really poor inside concrete buildings and underground stations.

No problems with Docomo (B-mobile) or Softbank (Mobal) when I was underground - worked everywhere I went.

[DragonChi]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

I like to waste my money attempting to feel things and take pictures home.

LOL!

[CorneringArtist]

Originally Posted by syee

How much did that cost? I made the mistake of throwing my Fido SIM in my phone (so I wouldn't lose it) while I was going in between Japan and HK, and turned on my phone. Saw a nice $12 charge for International roaming on my statement. (or does Telus have a foreign data package that's cheap?)

10 a day. Only there a week so the price balanced out with pocket WiFi but without worrying about returning it. It was tied to my phone plan and allowed international calling, but I have the 10GB plan and never got close to my limit.

[Fafine]

Went with iij was 3000 yen for 3gb.
It's data only though so if you don't need voice it's a pretty good deal.