(29-09-2013, 02:12 PM)KopiKat Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:If you're going to Tokyo, remember Hakone... direct bullet train from Shinjuku (<2 hrs)
Travelling by Shinkansen is the fastest and easiest means of Rail Transport but also the most expensive. For those who're planning to do that, it may be cheaper to buy a JR Rail Pass in Singapore first (Pay 1st and collect in Japan, triggered on the day of collection). Comes in different no. of days eg. 7-days and for different region. For such a case, it'd also be better to plan your itinery ahead so as to maximise the usage of the Rail Pass.
http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/
If I do remember correctly, I think you can specify the start date at the point of collection or purchase, not necessarily on the same day as you collected the rail pass.
Personally, I have been to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kanazawa, Hakone, Takayama, Toyama, none of them were organised tours. It's amazing what you can see and taste and experience without a tour guide rushing you all over the place.
To be able to read Mandarin is a help. Alternatively, the handphone cam is prob one of the more useful tools you can utilise. Just take a picture of the food you want to try, whether it is at the shopfront or at the malls, and use that as a guide to ordering your meals. FYI, many local eateries do not provide picture menu, only worded menus. So it is useful to learn the japanese names of things like prawn/shrimp, squid, meats, noodles, etc.
For accomodation, I usually stay at Toyoko Inn hotels. My wife has taken up a Lifetime membership there, costs about ¥1000 and lasts for life. Gives 10% off all room rates and for every 10 nights stay, you get 1 free night. Since this is a business hotel chain, they are located almost exclusively near major train train networks and stations and in almost every city and major town. Sundays are cheaper as well. Very clean rooms and all amenities are provided for (I don't bring towels or bath soaps or slippers to Japan trips
) Price ranges from ¥6k - ¥9k+.
For sightseeing, I highly recommend doing some research prior to the start of the trip. Things like festivals and special events are some not to be missed experiences.
To save on costs, do plan your trips well. Train ticket prices have not changed much since the first time I've been to Japan until now. That said, it is not cheap either. So taking multiple short train rides , at the end of the day, can use up quite a bit of your transportation money. Another way to save costs is to carry your own water. I generally go to the first convenience store I pass by when I first arrive, buy a 1.5L PET bottle drink (my favourite is a non-sweetened green tea that comes in a stout short bottle, easy to pack), finish it up within a day, then from that day on, top-up with boiled tap water from the hotel's kettle.
Smoking while walking on the streets is prohibited in most major cities in Japan. If you do need to smoke, either find a smoker's corner (identified by the public ash trays available) or stand away from the main street, preferably on a side-street or so, and do the deed. One of the reasons I found out is because smokers tend to flick their ashes anywhere and everywhere and many a time, the still burning tobacco sometimes flies into the eyes of children walking behind. (I usually just look out for a bunch of locals smoking to identify "safe" zones)
Some of the curious, yet amazing habits I've observed on my past trips thus far. In major cities like Tokyo, commuters standing on the escalator (not the rushing type) only stand on the left side, the right side is the express lane for people running to catch trains, etc. in Osaka, it is the exact opposite. Right for standing people, left for the express. Also, public trash bins are uncommon in some areas. Most train stations and shopping centers do have recycle bins ard, but in some places, refuse bins are few and far between, so it is a good practice to carry a small plastic bag to accumulate all your trash.
As for local delicacies, almost every town in Japan has their own locally available specialty dish. Some can be snacks, others can be a certain type of noodle, or sushi, etc. For example, on Miyajima Island near Hiroshima, their specialty is Oysters. So you can find Oyster on-the-rocks/grilled/ramen/udon/soba/crackers/ice-cream, etc, sold almost exclusively on the island. In Nagasaki, it is a special sponge cake, very fragrant and flavourful. In Osaka, it's TakoPachi, in Hiroshima, it's Okonomiyaki. So much to eat and so little time and money to eat them all...