technically you should have your passport at all times. the police do a large amount of random checks for them and you can be in shit if you dont have it

good deal on Tokyo Japan going on, at yvrdeals.

But man, is Tokyo expensive for a solo traveller.

i really want to try ANA but cant justify revisiting in less than 12 months
Tokyo is not cheap but it's not expensive either
I can't think of a better place to solo travel than Japan
capsule hotels, cubicle ramen joints, soaplands if that's your thing

thanks, I'll have to do some more research.

Japan is definitely on my list.

Going to tokyo for a week in december!! what to expect? temperature wise??

which hotel to stay? Should i stay in shibuya?? Recommendations?

place to "MUST EAT!"? My only place to visit is the ramen place with the vending machine and small windows for their hands to slip thru...

i will tickle their hands and play with them (yes i am fcking weird)

^Why do you want to make them feel uncomfortable?

also, is travel insurance a must? going for 3 weeks

No need, if you get injured or killed abroad just have your family start a gofundme page on your behalf. I hope you have generous friends and/or are a hot girl.

If you do get it, you will likely only need it for cancellations and baggage.

Health care there is VERY cheap.

My gf had a very bad reaction to a mosquito bite (whole thigh swelled up) and we had a friend in Osaka take us to the hospital.
Seeing a dermatologist and getting 2 prescription meds only cost us $72 Canadian. That being said, they do not have 24hr emergency rooms like we do. VERY few are 24hr.

Personally I got insurance purely for baggage and cancellations, was not worried about health at all

forgot to say i am going to hongkong for 2-3 weeks as well so im not sure if it is cheap there..

Jesus Christ guys, such dumbass millennial thinking - "nothing bad's ever happens to me so why bother with insurance?"

Go and get a quote at BCAA: https://www.bcaa.com/Apps/Travel/Ful...lMedical/Start.

Travel Medical insurance costs around $20/week. And before you say "oh I never get sick", "Japan/HK is safe". What if you get hit by a car? What if you trip, fall into a storm drain and break your arm? $20/week is hell of a lot cheaper than paying for a hospital stay in a foreign country or to get yourself to get medevac'd back home (we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum.)

If anything, travel medical insurance should be the top of your list. Losing your luggage or getting a flight cancelled is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

lol the rationale. listen to this guy ^

It'll cost you at most $40-60, that is peanuts compared to the cost of the entire trip.

agreed, I was always planning to get travel insurance, was unsure which place to get. BCAA looks like its the best price / most trusted out of them all

decided to stay either at shibuya or shinjuku

which one?

and why aren't there god damn two bed room hotels lol... all single rooms with 2 beds :(

cant bring a girl to my room if its 1 room 2 beds lol.

edit: looking for a place where i can walk down to the hotel and visit some shopping areas and shops / restaurants within a 5minute radius lol

Not many hotels have multiple rooms, unless it's a suite. Also hotels in Japan tend to charge per person, so when you bring your hooker home you'll need to pay for him or her to stay too 4Head

Went to HK / Japan in May, 5 days HK, 2 weeks japan. Been wanting to go since ever.

HK - hot, humid, dirty city, sweating the moment i step outside, nice to visit big buddha, night city photography is unreal. otherwise would never return.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8825/2...cd818907_z.jpg

Japan (shibuya, taito, kobe, osaka) - perfect weather, clean streets, peaceful environment. out of the places i have been, this is the only place i want to move to permanently.
If you plan on going between cities, and want the japan rail pass, GET IT AHEAD of time. you CAN NOT, get it in japan. (my vacation was literally last minute, and i had mine shipped to my friends house in hong kong.....LOL)

Booked all my places off Airbnb. total of 7 locations, 1 was a shitter. 3 were as expected, 3 exceeded my expectations (japan). Not to mention how much money i saved.

Make sure to hit up mario kart in japan (IRL) walking on the street my last day, and fucking luigi, mario, pricness, and bowser pass me on the street in go karts, nearly had to slap myself for a reality check.

Conveyer belt sushi. Eat all of it.

Im not a park person, but i would hit up every park in the area, very calming.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5335/3...c9352588_z.jpg

Love hotel is always an option for smashing locals.

Pack light, i ended up buying and filling an entire suite case full of shit / clothing / souvenirs.

Hit up some zoo's, i generally dont care for zoo's, but my god, japan has some exotic shit. Not to mention in particular Kobe zoo the animals are all in the same pit, and jump / fly / run past you.

Theres a few high view points you can hit up for free in tokyo if im not mistaken. (40th floor etc of whatever building)

Bamboo forest was a movie only scene, until i walked thru it.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5793/3...f29a8697_z.jpg

Yes you should be excited off your mind. 11/10

@donk. were you traveling solo or with other people? Not sure if airbnb would be the cheapest option for me if its just for one person.

Also does Japan have any hostels that are similar in environment/atmosphere as hostels in Europe? Ie. lots of mid 20s solo travelers and opportunities to make friends and travel around with?

A while back, I stayed at Affordable Hostel and Guest house in Tokyo | Sakura Hostel Asakusa in Asakusa, Tokyo (The historic area of the city next to Senso-Ji temple). Would recommend :bigthumb:

solo. i hustled around with one friend in japan the entire trip, but since i literally told my boss im leaving in 7 days, i booked everything last minute.

no doubt hostels are WAY cheaper than airbnb, but i travel with X thousand dollars worth of camera gear, and hostels are a no go. i cant help you with hostel advice.

Cost of my trip:
Flight : booked one week in advance 920$ (may)
Stay: HK + Japan 800$ for 16? days?
Travel: including rail pass, 700$
Food: approx 1000$ (anything and everything i wanted)
Clothes: 1000
Insurance / broke my phone / sim cards / small stuff: 500$
Entertainment / parks / attractions / etc: 400

again, this is my cost. you can easily do the same trip i did for a 1/4th of the cost.

ymmv to donk's sentiments...i was disappointed with arashiyama's bamboo grove...and I quite enjoyed hong kong. gnarly atmosphere added to the charm. shitty service made me appreciate the food a bit more haha.

when I traveled with costly photo gear I stayed at hostels and it was fine

I went for private rooms to reduce theft risk but also because I have shit tons of things to charge and the shared rooms will have limited outlets.

in fact my whole time through HK/Korea/taiwan etc I felt safer than in Vancouver.

If travelling alone in Japan, capsules are the way to go IMO. Most people envision the tiny little coffin sized ones they had in the 80's but it's not really like that any more. All the ones I've stayed at give you a capsule that is probably bigger than the newest condos selling in Hong Kong LUL

They're quite private, efficient, and cheap. Just look for something modern.

Edit: Found a picture of the last capsule I stayed at, in Kyoto. IIRC it was about $20 per night

You can stand up in there, and there is a TV above the entrance (where I was standing when taking the picture)

Capsule hotels are definitely a good option, often the bunks in a shared room of a hostel are set up in a similar style and give about the same amount of space anyway.

These hostels are fairly good in Asakusa:
http://kshouse.jp/tokyo-oasis-e/
http://retrometrobackpackers.com/index-en.html

This ryokan in Ikebukuro is nice:
http://www.kimiryokan.jp/

cheers

Any ryokan recommendation for Osaka-Kyoto region? Planning a family trip during Chinese New Year time.

Also, where would be a good website to book them?

I used Khaosan and Piece hostel in Kyoto and reminds me of the hostels in Europe. There are so many hostels in Japan and I imagine they're all similar. Piece was awesome because it was new so super clean. Even though it's an international audience, I think most know it's Japan so they won't reach out to say hello. In fact, if you are Asian, they may think you don't speak English. Most hostels in Japan even cater to families, so there will be grandparents and kids. If you wish to make friends, make sure to join the free walking tours that only some hostels offer.

I've used hostels.com and hostelbookers.com, as well as booking direct.

cheers
-Evan