Hello
Starting to research our next trip and Japan is at the top of our list. Anyone have any tips for best time to go and where to stay in Tokyo. I think we would go to Hiroshima as well for a couple days.
Thanks!

Spring (cherry blossom time ) is the best time to go as it is very hot and humid in the summer months. I would visit Kyoto and Nara if you can fit it in. I think it is better than Hiroshima.

Shinjuku area in Tokyo is great to stay in. Do a city day tour that includes a cruise on the river and goes by the Palace. We flew in/out of Narita and the train to Tokyo was very fast and efficient.

Heidi we were gifted an afternoon tour of Tokyo. It was awesome

Go to Kyoto. It’s amazing!

If you're planning to take the bullet train to a few places, it may be worthwhile to look into a JR pass before you leave. You can't purchase this in Japan.
Don't go to Japan in the summer - it is so hot and humid in the summer months.

Lia The pass is basically the cost of 1 return trip from Tokyo>Osaka, so if Hiroshima is in the plans, its basically mandatory

Lia hello. Would happen to know what is the best site to but the JR pass. I have found multiple and don't know what is a good one or legit

Kendell I can't remember where we got ours. It was so many years ago! I think we actually purchased ours through a travel agency that sold JR passes in Edmonton. So sorry that I'm not much help.

Stay as close to a central train station as possible. The train stations have absolutely everything - take away food, restaurants, hotels etc. the Japanese gear their world around stations. Use that as your golden rule and you’ll enjoy your time more.

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If you're heading to Hiroshima, we did a couple days on Miyajima Island and it was amazing! Also the birthplace of Okonomiyaki so you must hit the OG spot there!

I worked many years to Japan and spring is the best time. Try to see the Cherry Blossom festival Nagoya Osaka and Narita and Hiroshima are lovely in the spring and fall…..

Annie what is the weather like in april-may

Kendell nice bit like Vancouver Victoria some rain not lots. You can buy the yen at the airport exchange better than the bank. They take credit cards almost every where

We are leaving tomorrow for 3 weeks in Japan!! I can reply back with some suggestions. We are doing Tokyo: go karting in the streets, cooking class, team lab planet museum, sumo tournament Nagano:skiing, snow monkeys Kyoto: bamboo forest, temples, shrine, tea ceremony and Mt. Fuji: hike around the five lakes, onsen

Jam We are planning a trip as well so I look forward to hearing your tips and advice!

Jam do you know if there are any requirements to go to Japan? Not even just covid. From my research it doesn't look like we need a visa or other vaccines.

Kendell you need 3 covid vaccinations or a negative PCR with 72 hours if you're unvaccinated (or < 3 vaccinations) no visa is required

No other vaccinations needed

Jam perfect. Thank you! That's what I was seeing too just wanted to make sure I didn't miss something

A few people have said spring and it is lovely, though Oct-November is also a really nice time to go. October if you're into cute Halloween stuff and November for the fall leaves. Weather in both months is still quite nice.
If you're planning on Tokyo and Hiroshima, definitely look into the JR pass and a stop in Kyoto for a minimum of a day on the way- it's beautiful- even if you don't stop at the major tourist spots. Golden Temple is nice but SO BUSY (same with the bamboo forest in arashiyama and kiyomizudera) but still worth a stop for sure if you're going to pass it anyway.
Seconded for Miyajima island, it's so pretty out there, though staying on the island itself is VERY expensive so you can make it a day trip if you've got the time.
Depending on if you want to travel around more or stick to the two main cities, I'd also suggest Osaka and Nara. The former for the chill vibes completely
opposite of Tokyo (also BBQ), and the latter for the giant Buddha and the deer (buy deer crackers. 10/10 but they will bite you if you're not careful lol)
As for Tokyo, it's cheaper to stay a station or two away from the main hubs like Shinjuku or Shibuya. Otsuka and ikebukero are generally cheaper and will very close (though the trains are really handy and you can stay almost anywhere and it's usually within ~30 min of where you'd want to go), and make sure to book in advance. If you're looking into hotels double check if what you're booking is a smoking or non-smoking room cause iirc you can still smoke inside and some places just reek.

Jhoudiey thank you so much for this! That was amazing info and so hekpful

Jhoudiey The 2 times I traveled there was during October/November and I have to agree. Not as expensive as spring and not as touristy

Jhoudiey hello! Do you have a reccomended site to buy the JR pass?

Kendell i generally just get it from jtb.ca or Japanrailpass.net both you'll choose your dates (please be careful when booking a 7 day will go Monday- Sunday at midnight not Monday-Monday) and they send you the exchange paper in the mail to exchange when you arrive in Japan (you can exchange at the airport easily and choose which day to start service)
JAPANRAILPASS.NET
JAPAN RAIL PASS | ジャパン・レール・パス

Kendell oh and I think these days they limit the amount of luggage people bring on the train and you need reserved seats to travel (very easy- take your pass to the JR office and ask to reserve seats at whatever time/date. One person can take all the JR passes of the group up so everyone doesn't have to wait for their own.

Jhoudiey hello sorry to bother you again. We are are about to buy the JR pass. Do you think it is worth getting the green pass or is ordinary okay. We are going to be there during golden week. Bad planning on our end. We both will have large suitcases. Looking to see what is worth it.

Kendell definitely not worth the green pass! (Ironically I'm there during golden week too haha) but overall the regular pass is plenty spacious, but make sure to book seat reservations in advance (free with the pass- just go to the ticket counter). I do know they've recently put limits on luggage for the train, but unfortunately i haven't been since they've come into affect so not quite sure what the limits are. I'd just ask when you book your seats.
That being said, there is overhead storage space and plenty of legroom in the regular cars. If for whatever reason they don't have room for your suitcases, you can always ask your hotel to forward your luggage to the next destination and 99% of the time it'll be there by the next morning. I've done that several times and it was like $20 or something to send 4 suitcases to the next hotel so i didn't have to worry about struggling with them at the train station

Kendell Here's the info about large suitcase on shinkansen, https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/info/oversized-baggage/
GLOBAL.JR-CENTRAL.CO.JP
Reservations for Seats with an Oversized Baggage Area

Avoid the summer unless you like crazy humid heat... Do you care about size of room? I just booked a hotel the other day and got 7 nights for around $550. Its a small room, but almost brand new i think and does have an onsen. Its pretty close to Ginza/Roppongi and Shibuya/Shinjuku is fairly close. If your interested in checking out some amazing jrock shows, i have plenty of tips haha, thats usually my main activity there... here is the hotel: https://www.expedia.ca/Tokyo-Hotels-JR-WEST-GROUP-VIA-INN...
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JR WEST GROUP VIA INN PRIME AKASAKA Reviews, Deals & Photos 2023 - EXPEDIA.CA

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