Tokyo Disneyland
Topic: Planning Osaka trip, need advice?

#	Author	Message
11	Mr X Tue 6/9/2009 4:55p	I disagree that Kyoto is a day trip, although 4 days might be a bit much. We went there for 2 days and still didn't see everything we wanted to see (there are many unique kinds of places like the 33 Buddas place and the golden and silver temples and the emperors palace and the 3 rivers shrine etc...all are quite different from each other so you don't want to miss any of it)...personally I would say 2-3 days should do it (leave your schedule fairly flexible so if you're done in 2, you can move on to someplace else on the 3rd...I would suggest Nara Dreamland but sadly...).
12	Anatole69 Wed 6/10/2009 12:55a	I can't recommend Himeji castle strongly enough. If you want to see the only original, unreconstructed, majestic old school-japanese castle still standing in one piece, you have got to see Himeji-jo. Himeji Garden next door is well worth a looksie too. I did Kobe and Himeji in one day and it was as much a highlight of my trip as my 2 week stay in Tokyo. - Anatole
13	leemac Wed 6/10/2009 1:58a	X - I think the problem can be "temple fatigue" - I can happily spend a few days wandering around temples and other historical sites but spending a week or more doing that at multiple sites can be exhausting and mentally tedious. Just going to one location for a few days is very different to one trip. After TDS opened in '01 we took some time off to travel around to Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima etc. and it was a wonderful trip (the highlight was unquestionably the Itsukushima Shrine with that wonderful floating torii that just appears out of the early morning mist as you arrive on the ferry) but it can get repetitive. Malin - I'd stick with 2 days tops in Kyoto unless you are going to say at a Ryokan - which would require more time. There are some wonderful ryokans in Kyoto.
14	Mr X Wed 6/10/2009 3:20a	***X - I think the problem can be "temple fatigue" - I can happily spend a few days wandering around temples and other historical sites but spending a week or more doing that at multiple sites can be exhausting and mentally tedious.*** I can certainly agree with this. My trips are of the 2-3 day variety then back home to my own bed. When I *actually* vacation, it's on a beach somewhere (or DisneyWorld lol).
15	Anatole69 Wed 6/10/2009 6:00p	Can a Gaijin visit a geisha in Kyoto? If so, I wonder how much it would be. - Anatole
16	Inspector 57 Wed 6/10/2009 6:03p	<<Planning Osaka trip, need advice?>> No, but thanks so much for asking.
17	SuperDry Thu 6/11/2009 11:52p	I too think Osaka is a pit. It's the only place in Japan that I have not really enjoyed visiting, and makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason that I can't quite identify. But, I would not want to discourage someone else from visiting it at least once, especially for someone that's been to Tokyo several times. Just expect a very different vibe. <<< It is a rather drab place though. But the people seem much friendlier than in Tokyo I thought. >>> I agree on the drabness, but I also thought the people were very noticeably UNfriendly and harsher than Tokyo. Malin, you mentioned the cities that you want to visit: Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima, but interestingly the only specific thing you mention about the whole trip is wanting to visit USJ. We're left to guess about the rest. I'll make an educated guess that Kyoto and Nara are for the temples and shrines, and Hiroshima is for the atomic museum and grounds. But I have no idea what you want to do in Osaka other than USJ. Having said all of that, I would actually recommend that you consider Kyoto as your base. Specifically, the Hotel Granvia, which is located directly above Kyoto Station. You'll be local to Kyoto, and have direct train access to Nara and Hiroshima. Also, consider that the train trip from Kyoto Station to USJ is about 49 minutes: almost exactly the travel time from Shinjuku to TDR. Since the only thing you mention for Osaka itself is USJ, I think this might best serve your trip. Also, for other things to do in Osaka, it's not as if you'd be a long way away. Travel time from Kyoto Station to Shin-Osaka station is just 14 minutes via Shinkansen. The biggest thing you lose by staying in Kyoto is being able to stay out in Osaka past "last train" and being able to walk or take a reasonable cab ride back to your hotel. <<< Can a Gaijin visit a geisha in Kyoto? >>> The Hotel Granvia Kyoto actually has a special program just for this purpose. <<< If so, I wonder how much it would be. >>> From their website, it looks like its JPY16,000 per person, including dinner, Geisha entertainment, and a night at their associated guest house.
18	Mr X Fri 6/12/2009 12:01a	***<<< It is a rather drab place though. But the people seem much friendlier than in Tokyo I thought. >>> I agree on the drabness, but I also thought the people were very noticeably UNfriendly and harsher than Tokyo.*** Interesting. It has always seemed to me that the Tokyo folks are some of the least approachable, most stressed out types I've encountered. Even in neighboring Yokohama, the vibe is quite different I think (someone from California once compared it to the difference between L.A. and Orange County). I certainly can't speak with great knowledge about Osaka, having only been there just the once, but I do have some friends who hail from there and they seem nice enough (though with a bit of a sarcastic streak..every one of em..which I personally enjoy but others may not). One interesting thing happened that made me think Osaka was more friendly (perhaps laid-back is a better way to put it). A group of us entered a train station but then realized that we were in the right location after all (after having bought tickets and entered, duh). When we brought the tickets back to the train guy, we were given refunds with a smile. I can't imagine such a thing happening in Tokyo. Quite the opposite, in fact. The train folks seem quite stubborn and adamant, and even if you lose your ticket they'll make you pay all over again. Once, I lost my train pass at Maihama station. The JR folks actually called me to tell me it was found. I went to Maihama station, and they informed me that for some unknown reason the pass had been taken to the Shin-Urayasu office (it was a Maihama to Shin-Urayasu pass). So I tried to go catch a train and was stopped. "You must PAY for a ticket!" (knowing full well that I was a passholder and that my pass was sitting right there at the other end) Jerks. Anyway, it's funny how different experiences can color the way you look at things (and naturally having lived around Tokyo I've had more opportunities for negative AND positive ones).
19	Mr X Fri 6/12/2009 12:14a	None of that was meant to discourage you from considering SD's Kyoto advice, by the way. That sounds like a very reasonable suggestion (assuming as he says that you aren't looking for a crazy nightlife scene, as I believe Kyoto offers little compared to Osaka in that department but I could be wrong).
20	Anatole69 Fri 6/12/2009 12:56a	I found the people of Tokyo to be quite nice and pleasant and was very shocked by how approachable I found them. By contrast, the people of Hong Kong were difficult to stop and talk to and much colder. I was very similar to New York and they had a New York walk. I was expecting this in Tokyo and didn't find it there at all. - Anatole

All times are Pacific Time (US)

Note: Information on the discussion boards is sometimes based on rumors or incorrect information and should not be assumed true. Messages do not necessarily reflect the opinion of LaughingPlace.com or its editors.

More messages:	1-10	11-20	21-30	31-40	41-50
	51-54

< Previous Topic

Next Topic >

You must be a registered user to post messages.
Click here to register.
After registration you will automatically be brought back to this topic

Theme Park DVDs at
The LaughingPlace Store
The LaughingPlace Store carries theme park DVDs from Jeff Lange and many others featuring the best of Walt Disney World and Disneyland past and present.

What's on
The Latest
Video: World of Color paper animation
THR: Chris Evans Offered Role of Captain America
Catch Special Primetime Handy Manny Episode on Disney Channel 3/20
The Worlds of Fairies and Humans Converge for the First Time in an All-New Magical Adventure
Radio Disney and Nintendo Team Up to Offer Oceans of Fun at Georgia Aquarium
Disneyland Resort Expansion Continues with New Parking Lot Opening
EW: Captain America Possible Starring Roles
Mediaweek: Flash Forward Return to ABC Respectable
Fess Parker who played Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV, dies at 85
StarWars: Star Wars Weekends 2010 guest list

Click here for The Latest