mandanudes, 1 month ago

@neatchee I’m also going in June lol

mdmrn, 1 month ago

@neatchee Enjoy and have fun!!

rgbunny, 1 month ago

@neatchee Hehe, I'm also heading to Japan, but my trip's coming up really soon! Also spending 10 days across Tokyo and Kyoto. Really hyped for it!

(But also a bit on edge because I hope I didn't forget anything important in my packing list :frierenconcerned: )

neatchee, 1 month ago

@rgbunny NICE! Hope you have a great time!! Let me know how it goes and if you learn anything that would be useful on my trip >:3 hehehehe

rgbunny, 1 month ago

@neatchee Hehe, will do!

anianimalsmoe, 1 month ago

@rgbunny @neatchee
Are you taking the Shinkansen this trip, or flying KIX to HND/NRT?

The Shinkansen has new oversized luggage reservation rules:
https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/info/oversized-baggage/

rgbunny, 1 month ago

@anianimalsmoe Shinkansen for me (wanna try it at least once :Hehe: ). My dad also briefly mentioned this. I'll have to read up on it.

neatchee, 1 month ago

@rgbunny @anianimalsmoe Good call out. We are planning on the Shinkansen both ways so we'll have to be careful of this.

neatchee, 1 month ago

@rgbunny @anianimalsmoe

This size is almost the same as that for which an oversized baggage fee is charged on international flights.

Seems like anything that counts as a "carry-on" for international flights will probably be OK?

rgbunny, 1 month ago

@neatchee Well, I'm bringing a check-in luggage this time :frierendisappointed1:

I'm not bringing much to Japan, but I don't know how much I want to bring back, so I ended up getting a big luggage that is currently 75% empty after I've packed most of my stuff in.

neatchee, 1 month ago

@rgbunny .....damnit this is smart and I may need to rethink things now.....

anianimalsmoe, 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago)

@rgbunny @neatchee
Anyway, just me being a busybody.

Some tips for Kyoto:

• Avoid Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, unless you really want to, then go by 8am before the crowd appears. It's literally a single straight path, so you'll get rekt by crowds entering/exiting/taking photos
• Go to Kiyomizu-dera first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds
• Similarly Fushimi Inari Shrine, try either early morning or evening. Sunset there is pretty nice, but it might get crowded
• Kitano Tenmangū Shrine is famous for its success in studies amulets
• The JEUGIA Sanjo Head Store is the one from K-on!, if you want to see it
• Bookings are required to visit the Yamazaki Distillery if you want to visit
• Bookings are required to visit the Kyoto Imperial palace if you want to visit
• One ultimate photo is sunrise thru the
  Shirahige Shrine Torii, but you'll need a car to go early enough to catch it (about 5am)

Other random:
This'll speed up your immigration, and might be useful for claiming Tax-Free purchases
https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/

• Watch out for 税込 (Tax included) and 税抜 (Tax excluded) pricing, especially when comparing online shop prices
• Yodobashi and Bic Camera both have websites that show exactly which stores are out of stock of items
• Bic Camera provides a reservation service, so you can browse the site, and get them to hold stuff at the counter for you to pick up, instead of getting lost in the store https://www.biccamera.com.e.lj.hp.transer.com/bc/c/info/order/keep-tourist.jsp

anianimalsmoe, 1 month ago

@neatchee
Ooh, the Golden Route. Hope you manage to avoid a Japanese summer heat wave!

neatchee, 1 month ago

@anianimalsmoe Me tooooo! Supposedly June shouldn't be horrrrrible, July/August would've been worse, but you never know!