Japan 2025 Trip - Update

[TBoy]

Hello everyone:

A few months ago I told you about how we want to go to Japan in 2026 and asked you what we should do. We are moving this trip up to late 2025, and are currently planning to do:

• Fly from Melbourne to Tokyo, spend 3-4 days in Tokyo including Tokyo Disneyland/Tokyo DisneySea (1 day each) as well as a seperate day for other activities 
• Spend a few days travelling down to Osaka, stopping at Mount Fuji and Ghibli Park
• Head to Osaka and spend 2-3 days there, 1 of them at Universal 
• Head down to Nara, then go back to Osaka and fly out to Melbourne

We want to spend around 10-14 days there (likely including travelling) and we would want some more tips on what to do, especially on the way from Tokyo to Osaka.

 

[Brad2912]

If you only have 1 day at universal you will absolutely need to get express passes (ideally a 7 attraction) though these may actually be reshaped with the opening of DK Land within SNW

[TBoy]

2 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

 

If you only have 1 day at universal you will absolutely need to get express passes (ideally a 7 attraction) though these may actually be reshaped with the opening of DK Land within SNW

 

Yes we are doing that, and also arriving early and leaving late to get the most out of the day. We aren’t just doing parks, I am going with non-thoosies who also want to do other things.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Depending on how much you want to do, you can reasonably tick off the major points in both Kyoto and Nara in a day. We managed to do the Arashiyama bamboo forest, Tenryu-Ji Temple and flower garden, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (Thousand Torii Gates), and then detoured to Nara to visit the Deer Park all in the same day. 

While in Osaka, we enjoyed the Tempozan Aquarium and Wheel. Universal's express pass was essential. Staying on property at universal also means you get the inside scoop on what time the park will open the next day (the park has publicly advertised opening times, however gates open well in advance of those times and the hotels generally know what time it is planned to be, and if you haven't paid the premium prices to guarantee entry to Nintendo you'll need to be first in the park to guarantee you get yourself a timeslot.

I'd encourage a visit to Hiroshima Peace Park. Miyajima was also on our list for a day-trip but other events changed our plans and we didn't get to go.

[BNErider]

Just got back from Japan Sunday. Here's some advice.

Disneyland and Disneysea do mid-week. We did a Tuesday a week apart. I made the mistake of staying way too far away on the first visit, and got to Disneysea too late to get Fantasy Springs entry. Oh well. Disneyland the week after rained all day, so lines were fantastic! The park was empty after around 7/8pm except for Main Street.

Universal - that park is a mess. The Express Pass can only do select rides; you opt for 'packages'. We found single rider OK. Still struggled to get on everything with the 1.5 day pass. Unfortunately we missed the fact it needed to be consequent visits, so had to spring for a second day pass.

We got Nintendo entry at around 11am still. This was on a weekend too, mind you. But if you can get up early and/or stay on site, try to get it as early as possible. You need to scan in to get the app entry, not just be on site.

Disney/Universal park hours reportedly open an hour earlier than posted times. We didn't get there early enough. Staying til close helps also, as people tend to leave after the main show/parade but Universal in Halloween is still a mess.

The locals LOVE shows/parades/anything they can take photos of. Use this to your advantage and go hit the rides first/last up.

Staying at a resort also allows you to get pass outs (or can you make other excuses? Who knows).

Nagashima Spa Land ops are a joke. Go on a quiet day and still will struggle to fit everything in. Steel Dragon is amazing in the last row. We paid the $15 (or was it $10?) to get express pass one time.

In Tokyo, it felt like everything was 40-50 minutes travel from one another. No matter how close it appears on a map. We changed our hotels halfway through the trip to stay on site, ended up making life A LOT easier.

I don't really have any specific advise but feel to PM if you have any questions.

I found Japan really easy going and quite tourist friendly, SO LONG as you have something like Google Maps to assist with transport. Make sure you go get a Pasmo or Suca card (QC) ASAP when you land - otherwise every train line basically has its own company and ticketing systems. The Go Card-like cards allow you to top up and you can use these throughout Tokyo, Osaka, Nara (and I assume elsewhere). Google where to purchase.

You just buy your Shinkansen (bullet train) as needed. Don't fear unreserved seating, we did this as we decided to do an open jaw booking (Osaka to Nagoya then on to Tokyo the next day).

Hmm what else. Make sure you book the hotels as 1 or 2 people per room (or whatever arrangement you have). I ALWAYS book my hotel as 1 person except when it has something like breakfast or executive lounge included. But in Japan it was a problem EVERYWHERE. We just caught on and amended bookings. The Japanese are mega rule followers. Every part of the T&C is upheld. Late checkout, theme park ticketing (lol read above) - this is a good and bad thing, but it caught us out a few times. In the US and Europe it tends to be a bit more of a conversation and sometimes you get lucky.

Cash is good for topping up the QC cards above. Other than that, we only needed cash for the express pass and food machines at Spa Land.

Try researching flight prices at flights.google.com. JAL has the best leg room and seat width. I'd say Singapore is next (we did this, via Singapore).

Have fun, I've caught the bug and want to go back already!

Edited 9 hours ago by BNErider

[Brad2912]

2 hours ago, BNErider said:

Universal - that park is a mess

How so? The rest of your paragraph just seems to show you didn’t do your research beforehand on express passes and studio passes and how they work. That’s not on the park. 

 

2 hours ago, BNErider said:

In Tokyo, it felt like everything was 40-50 minutes travel from one another. No matter how close it appears on a map

Kind what happens when you are in a city that has double the population of Australia. Can take 10mins to talk from one side of Tokyo station to the other side to change lines…

2 hours ago, BNErider said:

I ALWAYS book my hotel as 1 person

Bizarre. 

2 hours ago, BNErider said:

But in Japan it was a problem EVERYWHERE

Reckon the problem is you trying to cheat the system and save money, not Japan. 
 

2 hours ago, BNErider said:

The Japanese are mega rule followers

Prior research would have told you the Japanese are all about order and respect for rules and processes. It’s the only way so many people and move about in a city like Tokyo without everything going to shit.