juice & snacks

Though we’ve talked about it many times, we’ve have not been back to Japan since we first met seven years ago. Since then, much has changed including airfares and travel references. As we planned our last minute to Japan, we relied a lot on our past experiences as well as some new tools.

Finding the best deal

As with most of our travel, the first place we went to check out rates for flights was kayak.com. We usually go there to get a ballpark figure of what price range we should look at and then go directly to the airline website to see if there is more flexibility with schedule. After a quick search we found that Japan Airlines had the best rate for our route. We found a direct flight that was about $300 less than the nearest competitor. The best part was that it was a flight directly to Haneda Airport.

Getting around

Recently, JAL has started international flights into Haneda Airport which is great because it is much closer to the center of Tokyo. A typical trip from Narita to central Tokyo takes about an hour whereas from Haneda, you can get there in about half the time. We were thrilled to be able to find a flight on such a great airline but with the convenience, there are a few things to consider:

1. From what I’ve heard, in order to be able to fly into Haneda the departure/arrival times have to be at times when there are no flights to/from Narita. For us this translated into later departure times. This worked out great for us because we were able to work a full day before we left the States and our flight out of Japan was at midnight, giving us another full day.
2. Given the proximity of Haneda to the City Center, the primary mode of transportation is by rail. From Narita there are a lot of airport limousine (buses) options but this was difficult for us to find, especially given our late arrival time. I even solicited the help of a co-worker from Japan but since we had a lot of luggage and were expected to be in the office early the next morning. we decided book a taxi. For two of us, we spent just over $100 (*exchange rate = 75 yen to 1 USD). A slightly cheaper option could be pack an extra change of clothes in your carry on, send your luggage to your hotel from the airport and then take the train. This is what we did on the way back and it cost about $50 to send our luggage (this included a one week storage fee) and about $10 for the train. The best advice of all would be to travel light and take the train. Traveling light in Japan has a lot of benefits which we will discuss in a future post.

The Japan Rail Pass

The other thing we made sure to do since we were tacking a week of vacation onto the end of our business travel was to get a Japan Rail Pass. If you are going to travel any distance in Japan where there is a JR Line, this is the way to go since trains can be expensive and this pass allows you to take unlimited rides on any JR train, bus and ferry with just a few exceptions. Usually with a round-trip journey from Tokyo to the Kansai area (ie. Osaka, Kyoto) you can get your moneys worth.

Since we booked our trip just over a week before our departure, I bought our passes from a Japanese travel agent, JTB so I could pick up the passes. I did not want to chance not being able to receive the passes in time. The nice thing about the pass is that it is not activated until you take it to one of the designated exchange centers and may be exchanged within three months of the purchase date.

See the rest of our Japan photos »

japan

For the adventurous or the price-conscientious, Japan offers a wide range of hotel & housing types for you to sample! During our three-week stay last October, we had the opportunity to experience a wide range of housing that Japan has to offer.

In Tokyo (& other major metro areas)

If you’re planning your first trip to Japan (we’re really excited for you!), Tokyo is likely at the top of your list of cities to visit. We stayed in the tourist-friendly Roppongi area & had a blast out there, especially since it was a place where we could step out of our hotel & be in the middle of it all. If this is the case, consider also Shibuya & Shinjuku if you can swing it.

If you’re on a budget, staying in non-major districts is just as good, since all of Tokyo is conveniently connected by trains & subways. For example, we stayed at a place called Nihonbashi, a few stops away from Tokyo Station.

If you’re on a super budget, you should totally try the capsule hotels, even if just for one night!

(Note that some capsule hotels will only cater to men, so keep that in mind when hotel shopping.)

If you suffer from agoraphobia, know that in most of the major districts, it can get crowded. Despite the density of humanity, the people here make sure that they don’t run into you & will provide adequate space if they can (this is thrown out the window during commuting hours on the trains). Here’s a common sight of the Shibuya crossing in the middle of a weekday:

For the adventurous

In the first part of our trip, our Tokyo hotel was classified as Western style (huge space, queen-size bed), so when we traveled to the island of Naoshima, we opted to sample the opposite end of the spectrum & stayed in a Mongolian pao—essentially, an outdoor tent!

Although the tent was hooked up with a few outlets for electricity, we appreciated the luxuries of a proper hotel room after a night spent roughing it up outdoors. It was nice to be connected to nature, even though we were kept warm at night by some installed electric heater & lights.

For the traditional

Try a ryokan for the real taste of Japanese culture! It won’t come cheap, but honestly worth every yen.

You get the whole Japanese experience: eating multi-course Japanese cuisine on the tatami mat served by your own Japanese maid, who then converts that floor space into a bed with an extremely warm & fluffy futon, dress into the robe (yukata), then walk to the communal hot spring a few steps from our front door for a relaxing, post-dinner dip.

Room comforts

One thing’s for sure about Japan—it’s clean. You can expect the same for the hotel rooms as well. A big part of this is the cardinal rule for indoor private spaces:

Just remember that because space is at a premium, everything is condensed into a small area. If you live in a small studio apartment, you’ll never complain about the space you don’t have after staying at a few Japanese business hotels. Here’s how they consolidate a toilet, sink & shower into a small space:

At the same time, you can get some electronic comforts, too! Introducing, fancy bathroom technology provided at the comfort of your seat. The best part of the experience is guessing what each button does while sitting on the throne:

At most business hotels, you’ll be handed a room key with a huge piece of plastic attached. Right next to your hotel room’s front door is what looks like two light switches:

All the outlets & electricity (even the room lights) are inactive until you jam the piece of plastic into the square slot. Since you need your hotel key to return to your room, this is a clever effort for power conservation. Also, for many Japanese hotels, it’s quite common that they’ll request that you leave your hotel key at the front desk while you’re away.

What’s left to mention as a part of the Japanese housing experience is the short-stay love hotel, but I don’t have much experience with that.

See the rest of our Japan photos »

japan

We’re back from Japan! After seven years from our totally awesome study abroad experience, we’ve finally found the opportunity to visit our old  home. The photo above marked the location of the beginning of my courtship with my wonderful wife, as this was the place where we had our first lunch date/picnic.

We have much stories to tell, advice to share, & nearly 5,000+ photos to wade through & edit for upload—keep visiting our site for more!

You’re probably read some news about the Japanese government giving away free flights to Japan, but they’re likely awarded to those who are willing to publicize their experiences. We’ll try to audition for the job through our blog, so if you can share our site with your friends & family who you would think would enjoy the wild & zany adventures of a married Asian couple in a foreign land, that would be the best! Thanks & stay tuned!

japan, travel