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 November 4 by BNErider

[Brad2912]

12 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. 

 

12 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 of 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…

12 hours ago, BNErider said:

I ALWAYS book my hotel as 1 person

Bizarre. 

12 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. 
 

12 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 can move about in a city like Tokyo without everything going to shit. 

Edited November 4 by Brad2912

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yeah i've got to agree with Brad on this one - it sounds like you went into Japan expecting it to be the same as Australia or the US and it just isn't. 

Tokyo Disney Resort just feels like work. While the US parks are becoming increasingly reliant on apps and upcharges, you simply can't enjoy your day in TDR unless you've been like this for the past 9 months or more:

I found Universal a lot better to get around and their ticketing options were broad but very clear to understand.

 

The best advice for anyone planning a trip - especially to Japan - is to research in advance. Find YouTubers that have done videos in the region - but watch more than one channel to ensure it isn't biased. TDRExplorer does really informative videos of the parks, but if you're wanting info on other things in Japan you need to go a bit broader (Abroad in Japan has given me lots of info over the years on etiquette and food).

Join facebook groups. there's plenty out there for every aspect of the trip - don't just join one either! join several USJ groups and several TDR groups and so on, and search the group (don't be a bonehead and ask the same questions that have been asked 100 times before) but by all means ask a follow up question if the original post didn't answer your question fully!)

Reddit, cesspool that it may be has some great subreddits for Japan travel - and is the best source for a QUICK response if you need info in a hurry - especially while on the ground. Experienced tourists as well as locals are in the subreddits and they answer very fast and are helpful (though you will have the inevitable trolls)

 

The golden rule for Japan - the more work you do before you go, the less it will feel like work while you're there.

[Gazza]

I take the post as being more of a word of warning for things you might not necessarily expect to think about.

The one about taking 40-50 mins to get anywhere actually kinda resonates. The transport network is amazing, but for the most part it tends to run all stops in central areas so not always quick, so factor that in when hopping about, another factor is that huge Imperial palace complex, which means all the subway lines go around it, so not necessarily always direct A to B.

Likewise, when I've booked hotels I tend to just get lazy and put my details in, so a 2nd person may be an issue if you forget to do that.

Edited November 5 by Gazza

[BNErider]

Sorry, my post was absolutely not a bitch by any means. I LOVED Japan.  

It was my opinion which obviously some disagree with, which is OK. 

I have traveled pretty extensively and have never had to book more than 1 person. I first started doing it when Hilton group offered it as a perk for their members.  But it appears culture was the issue for my trip, not hotel chain. Across all hotel chains it mattered, whereas in my previous experiences I've never had an issue. 

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/hilton-honors®-2nd-guest-formerly-spouse-stays-free-how-to-use.34657/page-4

I was well versed in Universal's express offerings which is why I didn't feel it was good value for money. The ticket bookings open up 2 months out - another tip I'd suggest. 

Universal was just over packed. Their operations were not amazing. They were similar to Movie World in the way of lose articles, and even had iPads to show queuers the "rules" prior to boarding. ThIs slowed down ops. They still run VR on one of their ride which had resulted in stoppages. This park was BUSY! I'm talking struggling to walk through certain parts of the park busy. 

Even within Tokyo, each train trip was a good 30-40 minutes Google Maps time, which makes it more time consuming when visiting various parts of the city. Not a bitch, just observation. Swapping tourist venues is not as quick as a few stops on the metro like Singapore or even NYC. 

Edited November 5 by BNErider

[Ashley Jeffery]

29 minutes ago, BNErider said:

Sorry, my post was absolutely not a bitch by any means. I LOVED Japan.  

It was my opinion which obviously some disagree with, which is OK. 

I have traveled pretty extensively and have never had to book more than 1 person. I first started doing it when Hilton group offered it as a perk for their members.  But it appears culture was the issue for my trip, not hotel chain. Across all hotel chains it mattered, whereas in my previous experiences I've never had an issue. 

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/hilton-honors®-2nd-guest-formerly-spouse-stays-free-how-to-use.34657/page-4

I was well versed in Universal's express offerings which is why I didn't feel it was good value for money. The ticket bookings open up 2 months out - another tip I'd suggest. 

Universal was just over packed. Their operations were not amazing. They were similar to Movie World in the way of lose articles, and even had iPads to show queuers the "rules" prior to boarding. ThIs slowed down ops. They still run VR on one of their ride which had resulted in stoppages. This park was BUSY! I'm talking struggling to walk through certain parts of the park busy. 

Even within Tokyo, each train trip was a good 30-40 minutes Google Maps time, which makes it more time consuming when visiting various parts of the city. Not a bitch, just observation. Swapping tourist venues is not as quick as a few stops on the metro like Singapore or even NYC. 

Thank you for shutting down @Brad2912 he's a flog and about time someone put him in his place.

Edited November 5 by Ashley Jeffery

[Brad2912]

2 hours ago, Ashley Jeffery said:

Thank you for shutting down @Brad2912 he's a flog and about time someone put him in his place.

Welcome to use the block button buddy. 
 

[themagician]

12 hours ago, BNErider said:

Universal was just over packed

That’s why they’re the third busiest theme park in the world

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

12 hours ago, BNErider said:

I have traveled pretty extensively and have never had to book more than 1 person. I first started doing it when Hilton group offered it as a perk for their members.  But it appears culture was the issue for my trip, not hotel chain. Across all hotel chains it mattered, whereas in my previous experiences I've never had an issue. 

The thing isn't cultural. I've encountered this in many places the world over where they ask you how many people are in your room so that they can ensure the room they allocate to you will accommodate them. Some rooms only offer a double bed, which can accommodate two smaller adults, but sometimes not comfortably. Some rooms say they accommodate 3 people, but this can be only with bed-share (a very asian concept we discovered) and they expect that parents will share a bed with their 12 year old child. And especially in Japan - the home of the Business Hotel where some rooms only have one single bed - it's important that your host knows how many people are with you.

Many places i've been to (including around Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States) ask how many people are in the room, and they aren't doing it for fun. Some charge for the second guest, some say 'up to 2' guests are included in the price but charge for a third - but if you're travelling with 2 people, put down two people? If the second person is free, it doesn't matter if you tell them one or two, so the only reason why you'd specify 'one' on a booking you intend to have 'two' for is to try and avoid extra charged or cheat the system - neither of which is something that they'll allow you to do in Japan (and something many other places in the world would consider theft if you'd avoided extra charges in their hotel).

The fact that Hilton had an offer that said you wouldn't be charged doesn't then mean that every other hotel in the world just asks the question for fun. The link you provided is specific to the one hotel chain - that's how Hilton have decided you get to use their rewards program benefit - but that doesn't translate to everywhere else, and even Hilton has exclusions to that offer which can negate it on their own properties too:

Quote

A guest stays free in the Member's room on qualifying stays at hotels when there are additional charges for double occupancy. This benefit excludes stays at any hotel when the rate includes additional components (e.g., meals, activities, parking); specialized rates (e.g. package rates, bed & breakfast rates) or taxes that are quoted as a per person or per room charge; or is an All-Inclusive property.

(And just to be clear - Japan has a hotel occupancy tax applicable in many prefectures which is payable on a per person basis, which based on the above would specifically exclude the Hilton offer from applying).

13 hours ago, BNErider said:

I was well versed in Universal's express offerings which is why I didn't feel it was good value for money. The ticket bookings open up 2 months out - another tip I'd suggest. 

Universal was just over packed. Their operations were not amazing. They were similar to Movie World in the way of lose articles, and even had iPads to show queuers the "rules" prior to boarding. ThIs slowed down ops. They still run VR on one of their ride which had resulted in stoppages. This park was BUSY! I'm talking struggling to walk through certain parts of the park busy. 

Your opinion, sure - but this just doesn't make sense to me - you found the park to be absolutely jammed, but didn't see value in the express pass offering? By your own admission, you screwed up your 1.5 day ticket, which clearly outlines that it must be used on two consecutive days.

This makes sense then as to why you didn't get the express pass - because you had to 'spring' for a second day ticket after you wasted your first, and express passes would have been sold out for that day - especially as it was also on a weekend (which is the absolute worst day to go).

13 hours ago, BNErider said:

Even within Tokyo, each train trip was a good 30-40 minutes Google Maps time, which makes it more time consuming when visiting various parts of the city. Not a bitch, just observation. Swapping tourist venues is not as quick as a few stops on the metro like Singapore or even NYC. 

Overall this is probably the best thing to share to anyone visiting Japan, but especially Tokyo. We have this image of a city like Sydney or the Gold Coast and most people cannot fathom just how LARGE the Greater Tokyo City area is. People plan to visit multiple things in a day because "it's in tokyo" without realising that the distances between things are akin to moving from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Their transport systems are incredibly efficient, but they move so many people that the time it takes to get to a platform is necessarily longer than we're used to here.

When we planned our Tokyo days, we mapped everything we wanted to do and then grouped those things that were really close by. We avoided travelling across the city, or more than 'a couple of stops' or 'one line change' for that reason as we saw google's predition on how long things would take to get to. It's a great tip for others when planning.

[BNErider]

I'm not sure how my tip of "make sure you specify how many in your room" has caused so much debate, lol. It doesn't change the fact in Japan, it is the first and only time I've ever been stopped and charged more for a second person. I'm fairly well traveled so I have quite large sample base to go off.

It wasn't a bitch, and again, merely an observation. 

Also, not sure if a on site hotel perk, but some express passes were available the morning of second visit. We were almost going to, hesitated again at the cost, and decided to not proceed.

In the end, we achieved everything we needed to in the 1.5 days, albeit minus one Halloween attraction. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

3 hours ago, BNErider said:

I'm not sure how my tip of "make sure you specify how many in your room" has caused so much debate, lol.

You've been a member here for 18 years, and you're not sure? really?

I think the discussion has mostly been triggered by the fact that you said you always book 1 person, which - in the context of HHilton makes sense as thats how you claim the perk, but for most people without the Hilton loyalty status (or indeed in any other hotels) this comes across as deceptive. Most people travelling with 2 people would put down that they're travelling with two people, so it's just odd. 

 

Are other hotels aware that you're travelling with two people and simply don't charge you? or are they unaware, and you're cheating the system by not declaring the second occupant of the room? That, I think, is the issue being raised here. You do you, but i've never heard of someone only booking a room for one person even though they've got others travelling with them, so it just seemed strange as a tip to tell people "make sure when you book a room for two people, you tell them that you've got two people" - like that just seems common sense - like "press the up button if you want to go up in the elevator" - like... who would press 'down' ??

Edited November 6 by DaptoFunlandGuy

[BNErider]

43 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

You've been a member here for 18 years, and you're not sure? really?

I think the discussion has mostly been triggered by the fact that you said you always book 1 person, which - in the context of HHilton makes sense as thats how you claim the perk, but for most people without the Hilton loyalty status (or indeed in any other hotels) this comes across as deceptive. Most people travelling with 2 people would put down that they're travelling with two people, so it's just odd. 

 

Are other hotels aware that you're travelling with two people and simply don't charge you? or are they unaware, and you're cheating the system by not declaring the second occupant of the room? That, I think, is the issue being raised here. You do you, but i've never heard of someone only booking a room for one person even though they've got others travelling with them, so it just seemed strange as a tip to tell people "make sure when you book a room for two people, you tell them that you've got two people" - like that just seems common sense - like "press the up button if you want to go up in the elevator" - like... who would press 'down' ??

To be honest, I thought most chains had a similar ruling up until Japan. As I said, unless there is a breakfast or perk provided per person, I thought it was basically an allowance for a spouse. 

Which I still think for the most case, as I haven't had this issue in any country other than Japan.

Same reason I book hotels with a AAA discount. Because, technically, local motoring agencies are affiliated with the AAA. I'm sure if I did that in Japan, they'd check my AAA membership. I didn't book under a AAA rate, but when I have through Singapore, HK, US, Germany, Netherlands, Italy (you get the gist) and other countries, I wasn't ever asked. 

No, the other person staying with me was not hiding but rather standing right next to me. Hence why Japan hotels asked, we answered and they charged accordingly. 

FWIW, I was given an extension on dates with a ticketing "misunderstanding" in Universal Orlando without issue. It happens, we miss stuff. Guest relations usually help if you ask nicely. 

All I was pointing out was: a big take away from my trip was that in Japan, as friendly as they all are, every T&C will be followed. No matter the circumstance.  

That's fine, hence why I amended my bookings and enjoyed the holiday. No sleep lost. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

16 hours ago, BNErider said:

big take away from my trip was that in Japan, as friendly as they all are, every T&C will be followed. No matter the circumstance.  

Yes it's a good takeaway from the experience and certainly the biggest culture shock most westerners will have visiting Japan. 

We find it jarring because many western cultures consider that going the extra mile to resolve an issue to your satisfaction is the right way to provide great customer service to you.

The Japanese consider that to bend the rules to keep you satisfied actually inconveniences or disadvantages everyone else who followed the rules - so they won't break the rules, because that provides a poorer customer service to everyone.

I don't think either is the right way - the western culture has bred "Karens" who demand a manager when they don't get their way no matter the reason or fault, whereas in Japan it can truly leave you with a poorer experience when things that are not your fault occur (we had an experience where they didn't program our room key correctly, and instead of immediately fixing it, they asked us to join a long queue of people waiting to check in to be seen in turn. We felt quite put out by this but the cultural view would be those people were waiting to be served first - even though i'd been there only minutes earlier - it's a tough nut to crack!)

I truly feel as a culture - we need to wind back the sense of entitlement that many folk have with 'service industry' folk, and Japan could do with a 'little' flexibility on some of the less critical 'rules'.

[DJKostya]

On 05/11/2024 at 7:39 PM, BNErider said:

I have traveled pretty extensively and have never had to book more than 1 person. I first started doing it when Hilton group offered it as a perk for their members.  But it appears culture was the issue for my trip, not hotel chain. Across all hotel chains it mattered, whereas in my previous experiences I've never had an issue. 

I'll add my 2 cents in LOL

Admittedly I haven't worked in the industry for quite some time, but it used to be a legal requirement to know how many people were in a hotel room. This is usually to do with emergency situations where they need to confirm that everyone has been safely evacuated. 

Hotels also use the numbers to make sure that people are only sleeping in the beds and not camping out on floors etc. For example the policy the hotel chain I worked for had was that the maximum occupancy of a room was 2 per double/queen bed, 1 per single and 1 adult/2 children per sofa bed (We didn't have rollaways). It also helps in determining that the room hasn't been booked for a party for example (Though people would always lie and say it was just them in the room).