Don’t feel like you’re super poor just because the Yen doesn’t have as good of an exchange rate as before. Someone is always poorer than someone else. You will go down the rabbit hole fast if you think the way you do. Rather, look how safe you are, what incredible environment you are in, and many more things that you have to be grateful for and that made you decide to make Japan your home. A person can have money to spend to last several lifetimes but it doesn’t mean that they have time or the ability to enjoy it.
It's high on my bucket list since my kid is a big pokemon and anime fan but life keeps getting in the way. One day we'll make that trip over for the experience.
I’m moving to Japan in a few weeks for JET, I prayed to not get Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto because the overtourism is just so insane 😭 I lived in Nagoya when I studied abroad & it was perfect!! I got lucky and got placed in Nagasaki, I’m so excited
@@squidwithbootsdon’t be frightened!! My son has been teaching at ECC and l has lived in Osaka for the last 4 years. Not as many people speak English as Tokyo. You’ll do great! Enjoy.
We just got back a few days ago. We only did Tokyo, Kamakura and Osaka because our teen wanted to hit the theme parks. It was his first trip there, but my husband and I went in 2009. Glad we went to Kyoto and Himeji back then when everything was empty. It was SO CROWDED this time. We had an amazing time, but it was way different. Lots of tourists were rude and disrespectful to the Japanese culture. We were disgusted by some of the behavior we saw. We did bring an entire suitcase of stuff home. Shopping was so fun! You are right that the good stuff was still the same. We fell in love with Japan all over again and we're already planning a trip back as soon as we can save some $$! We'll visit Tokyo plus smaller towns to get a break from the huge crowds.
Hi, Thanks for that . We are planning on going next week and wanted to check if people concerned with the spread of STSS in Japan? did you feel as though it was safe and there were more safety precautions at tourist locations?
@@milankarajakaruna1012 We were not concerned at all. I didn't see any additional safety precautions. Lots of people still wearing masks. We carried hand sanitizer and made sure to wash well and/or sanitize, especially after being on a train or using a public restroom. I don't think STSS is a huge concern unless you have a compromised immune system. If you're relatively healthy, go, be careful, have fun!
Agree it made for us most places in Kyoto not enjoyable and so many overcrowding issues in temples, transport. when someone on TH-cam shows you Sensoju Asakusa temple it is after they walked agonisingly slow for 2 hours in the sun to get to it. 2 people actually fained there.
I lived in Japan for 14 years. I saw the summer growth become horrific. They are way too many tourists to enjoy anywhere. It is way too humid from June 1 until early September. I refer to it as 100 days of hell! If you’re smart, you will figure out a way to visit Japan either in the spring or the fall, those are the best. The best time for tourists is late March/early April. They can see the cherry blossoms. Also, avoid the end of April/early May. It’s golden week in Japan. The entire country is on vacation. Hotel room rates quadruple. Good advice!
I highly agree with your comments of getting off "the golden route". After spending some time in Tokyo (and staying in Shinjuku) I went to Kanazawa and it almost felt like a ghost town but was a wonderful change of pace. At Kenroku-en Garden I was able to get pictures without other people in them (with some occasional waiting for people to move on but not too much). One warning about Kanazawa though, where I was staying all the restaurants closed around 4:30 - 5:00 local time. Thankfully a combini was close by when I first found this out.
omg same, i went to Kanazawa and barely saw tourists...like 2 or 3 dutch and that's all, i was like "so where're the tourists" i admit i felt a bit alone because i was going solo but in some way i enjoy it because i could take the time of the world to see things
I personally didn't like Kanazawa much compared to most other towns I visited. Kenroku-en was a nice garden but honestly there are Japanese gardens everywhere, and when I went it was still pretty crowded there. Won't be going back to Kanazawa when I go to Japan again. The towns in Gifu though... definitely would revisit
Thanks! We finally made it to Japan and after hearing your advise and our son’s too; we were so pleased to follow in your footsteps and explore this amazing place! Wishing you all the best!!!
Nagano, Gifu, and Tochigi were amazing places to visit. Beautiful nature, traditional Japanese cities, and just a friendly great vibe everywhere. Just renting a bike and riding through the rice fields among the mountains to feel like a character in a Ghibli movie is my number one recommendation. Additionally there are a ton of cool hobbies you can pursue like bouldering in Ibaraki, fishing in traditional Japanese styles, or rafting in the mountains are all great things to do off the track in Japan. Not to say we didn't like Kyoto or Tokyo, but all of us that traveled to Japan together have our favorite place somewhere else.
When I was there with my partner in May, we drove by car from Tokyo --> fukuoka and stopped in smaller regional cities, much nicer. I loved the drive up Chuugoku, we visited Matsue and Tottori which were lovely.
I was over in April and went to Asakusa at about 10pm. Near empty and lit up lovely - a definite contrast to during the day! Heading over again next week but Hokkaido first then Tokyo can't wait...
We spent time in both Kyoto and Tokyo this spring, and although I was stunned at how many tourists there were in central Kyoto, if you go to lesser known shrines, temples, parks, gardens, etc, and other places on the edges of Kyoto, there are few people, and these sights are just as wonderful. Same with Tokyo, it is such a huge city, we have visited a different area each time, and always find interesting things to see and do, that again have very few tourists.
Hello Allison, I visited Japan in November of 2023 thanks to you and your videos warning us of the JR Pass increase. So I got to visit Japan for 14 days taking advantage of the now-old JR Pass price. I did not go to Mount Fuji, and I did not go to Kyoto. I arrived by plane to Korea first in Seoul, then I went to Pusan by bus and I took the Ferry to Fukuoka. I bought the Fukuoka IC card so I did not get to confront the shortage of SUICA or PASMO cards they have in Tokyo. From Fukuoka where I exchanged my JR voucher for the JR Pass and went to Hiroshima. From there to Onomichi I stayed in the Guesthouse "Onomichi Mochilero " which belongs to a Peruvian of Japanese descent. Of course, I followed your advice of not coming in the summer or during the golden week. November of 2023 was just great I had superb weather. Thanks again for all the advice you provide us. "Lonely Planet" watch out. Regards
We visited Japan for thr first time in Oct 2023. Loved it all but our favorite area was Nikko /Kinnagawa Onsen. Highly recommend and beautiful on the fall. Some other tourist but not over crowded.
I’m glad I got most of my travelling out of my system twenty years ago, everywhere is like this now. That said I did the golden route and that made me want to see the more rural Japan as well, so good to know my business will be welcome!
Great video Allison and super relevant info. Was in Japan in may and agree - so busy in the main areas. We went to Hokkaido and absolutely loved it. A bit slower paced, excellent food and beautiful scenery. Btw tax free minimum spending is now 5500 yen. Thanks!
I am 53, solo travelling next feb. not to Tokyo, Osaka but a ramen pilgrimage lol to fukuoka. Train travel and not to the usual hotspots. Keeping it simple, stress free and to appreciate the culture.
@@pinksugarcookies71 Yeah did Kyoto on my first trip last year. Walked for ages to the Nintendo buildings I had no idea they were based there until a barman told me!
I visited Japan in Nov 2023 after previously visiting in 2015, and everything you said was true. No regrets though, we had a great trip and plan on going back in Nov 2025. I hope for your sake the yen is doing better by then, but doing things like staying at a ryokan for "garbage money" prices was great :)
Funny cause I'm planning to Morioka. My reasons are probably more on the unusual side though: - Riding the Hayabusa since it's the fastest Shinkansen service (I'm a railfan/train enthusiast) - The Bakery store which I saw in a video that sells very unique and apparently super delicious sandwiches.
So spot on in many ways except 1, Asakusa is an amazing area. Yes, the station and tourist area is insane but just a few blocks away in any direction is a beautiful neighborhood filled with friendly people and shops near the sumida river and sky tree. Don’t be afraid to come to Asakusa. Thank you for all your advice over the years, it led us here at this time because it’s a unique time to see this beautiful country!
I did the Golden Route back in February and it was great. There were plenty of tourists, but I live in NYC and there are always lots of tourists. So it wasn't a problem. :)
in 2023 i stayed in japan for around 7 weeks, most i paid for a hotel was around 25-30e a night. we stayed in many hotels around the entire country. in my opinion you shouldnt get a expensive hotel as you wont spend time there unless you get sick and need to lay down. stayed in business hotels, capsule hotels and some weird hotels (henna) yen was 150-1 eur when i was there and im planning a trip for next summer. it was an unforgettable trip and i plan on visiting many more times and maybe even moving there (if i could find a job that pays well as currently yen is so weak.)
Hey Allison! Thank you for taking us somewhere new 🙏🏻. Loved the dress you got at Uniqlo and totally agree on those collab anime shirts there. I get them and wear them to the gym since they’re baggy 😅 Give AOT another chance 😁
Came back from a week in Kyushu end of May ... I saw really few Western tourists and hardly any places were very busy in general, so the suggestion to stay of the beaten track is spot on.
I was in Japan in May and June. It was perfect weather: 25-30c all the time with only a few raining days. The Yen is so low now that Japan is cheap for Europeans. I went to all the usually spots (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki). Kyoto was amazing but so crowded with tourists. But I also went to places like Kagoshima, Kinosakionsen, Izumo and Toyama. At those places there were almost no people. So the take away: by all means: gooooo but also go off the ‘Golden route’.
i went to the okutama trail that you only mentioned in passing and it was really nice. i got off at hatonotsu and there was nobody out there. also overcast days in july are not that bad if you are from east coast america.
When visiting Japan, you don't have to stick to the famous tourist spots. There are countless amazing places in the countryside that aren't as well-known, and they stretch from the north to the south of Japan. I realized this during my fifth trip to Japan. The key is to always stay at an onsen ryokan. Almost every tourist spot in Japan has one, and each place also offers incredibly delicious local cuisine!
We are going, period, dot, end-of-story in early December. Expecting cool/cold weather and we'll be dressed appropriately. Hopefully it won't be as crowded and the excitement to visit Japan will be a little less. :)
I've just come back from visiting Japan, and I can really see what Allison is saying. When I compare it to my last trips pre-covid, the tourists are strangling the main attractions. What I did though, was use Tokyo as a base and do day trips out of the city (admittedly Lake Kawaguchiko was very very crowded, so I did Lake Saiko instead). And I went to Fukushima Precture to Aizuwakamatsu - that was the best part of my trip. Onsen, beautiful nature, homely hospitality and no crowds. Ah bliss!
I just love your videos. I had hesitated visiting because so many people are going but I finally am later in this year and I will be off the golden route. I feel much better going now after hearing your thoughts. You rock!
I visited in April 24 for 3 weeks! Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya! AMAZING! I can not wait to return. I stayed in Ota city and never saw any tourists ( other than in the mirror ).
There’s even a term for it, inbound-don, meaning charging inbound tourists exhorbitant prices for a bowl of rice. To be fair I don’t think most places are charging different prices based on whether you’re a tourist or not, it’s just the more touristed places charge more for the same thing kind of like you should expect to pay more for food if you go to Disneyworld in Orlando. Ironically Disney Tokyo has some really good reasonably priced food so you may just want to go spend the day eating there. 😊
I hate crowds, but I went to Tokyo last year and earlier this year and it wasn't too bad. Especially the second trip where we avoided the more touristy spots that we got out of the way on the first trip and only travelled on public transport when it wasn't the peak times. Aiming to get Osaka and Kyoto off the list next year, and although I know it will be crowded, it feels like a race at this point. I think it's only going to get worse, at least for the major cities, so I'm trying to get ahead of that. I'm already kicking myself for waiting too long and having the pandemic ruin my first trip when I finally made plans to visit, I don't want to repeat that mistake. After that though, I'll have visited the big three and I'll plan future visits to less popular regions.
I visited in 2022 right as it was opening back up and I regret not doing more of the bigger touristy things when it was still really empty, since I think if we were to try again soon the places would be super packed. But I do want to try some non-golden route places next time!
I’ve been telling everyone I know that it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Japan with the exchange rates. Family loved it so much last July that they wanted to come again this summer.
I'm really really over the super tourist places as I get over. I will hopefully plan my trip to Japan in the Fall this year, (or of not, Spring 2025 and summer 2025) but as I get older I'm more interested in countryside and hiking and hiking trails of Japan.
Thanks for the super honest insights! I have a trip planned for October, Tokyo will be the base but def looking for “off the beaten path” neighborhoods or day trips. I was considering Kawagoe and Shibamata but I’d love to hear your recommendations!
I went ahead and visited Japan in the peak of hot summer. Was there for a few weeks and got back early September. Allison was not joking about the heat. It was like a sauna. Showering a couple times a day and enjoying frozen treats helped! As a former resident with a Japanese spouse, we did a few of the 'Golden Route' things, but also several not so common ones. We enjoyed a good mix of both.
I’ve wanted to visit for years (was supposed to go in March 2022) and I’m finally going late October. I’ll be staying in the Tokyo area and don’t really care much for the super touristy things, but my brother has other ideas so that could be fun 😅
I came to Tokyo towards the end of 2023 and it was the absolutely best time to visit! There was hardly any tourists, most probably because many other countries was still in lockdown, hotels were halla cheap! I can't imagine what it'll be like when I relocate to sometime next year. I'm from the UK, back in 2008-9 it was the UK pound was strong for a while, 1 GBP to 256 JPY, currently the yen for us brits isn't as low as it was, but having said that the GBP is weak. UK economy has so many problems.
As someone who frequents Japan because of work (20 or so years now), i've noticed that over the years it's been getting worse, it's ruining the awe that Japan has. Most tourists thesedays don't respect the culture of the country they're visiting and it's terrible. Noise and extra rubbish are the most noticeable.
Thanks for the tips Allison! I wish the public transport infrastructure was better in places like Tohoku, but it seems that without a car, you will have a hard time reaching nice spots to visit there
Thank you very much for your posting! Summer season in Japan is very hot & humidity, so please be careful the heat stroke.(June, July, August, September🌞) You can buy cold drink or frozen drink convenience stores & vending machines to avoid the heat stroke.🥤
My wife and I are planning on coming next year but during October and November. I've been to Japan several times. My wife, no. She's never left the states. We more than likely will stay away from Tokyo and travel to see smaller towns and look for the best places to eat along the way. Food > Her experiencing the food and culture > Video Games (Since we both love video games) > Anime (For me, but my Anime taste is old school, Golgo 13, Crying Freeman, and anything Studio Ghibli). In that order of importance.
@@georgeinjapan6583 we live in a major tourist city and can’t do anything here during the summer months. So we understand if it’s a place tourist frequent during certain times just seek out other places.
I’m coming next week, yen is so cheap. Already pulled 1.1k usd. Hoping to find cool crafts specific things like old companies making products you can watch and buy (tea, ceramics, chopsticks, knives). Would be cool to see a vid on that, you see foodie tours, but harder to find videos on yt of craft tours
Agreed with the golden route. Tourists are like sheep, plus follow whatever the algorithm will make what becomes popular. Even venture off the stations in between, take the local trains outwards. Explore Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka City, Nagoya, Hamamatsu. The Tohoku region does deserve more tourists. Barely 1% of tourists head this far north. Chris Broad always promotes this area. Probably one thing he's beloved by Japanese citizens according to The Japan Reporter.
My wife and I are leaving for Japan on Friday… two week tour… Tokyo, Harkone, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and some other areas. We will be there during rainy season, so maybe the numbers will be down.
Holy cats! That's a lot of tourists. I will definitely not be coming in summer. I missed an opportunity to visit in '84 and it's been on my list ever since. Thanks for the insightful video.
I was just there for 15 days 3 weeks ago my best advice is to plan all major sites on the weekdays. I went from may 19 till June 3 and any major tourist areas I went from Disney, to universal and everything else wasn't super crowded there were still people there but not like the chaos you see. but I did go to Kyoto on a Sunday nd that was crowded especially the bamboo forest. it may of helped that I went right after the golden week holiday ended t. but if you go on weekends not only are you dealing with tourist but locals that aren't at work to.
Touching on the golden route, I went in August/September 2023 and the golden route was "nice" but it was far too crowded. I loved Hokkaido region and Okinawa way more than the golden route. Sure Okinawa was 30+'c at night but it was so much more pleasant to be around than being in Mount Fuji which felt more like Sydney Australia than Japan. Personally, I am quiet so seeing loud people whether tourists or not is a lot for me. EDIT: When in Kyoto I kinda felt sorry for the locals, I was on a bus and there were school kids BUT IT WAS RAMMED WITH PEOPLE, and the queues were cooked. Not what I'd want when going home from work or school.
I was in japan last month from mid may to end of the month. Took the golden route, it's not as bad as one expected, yes it's bit crowded in asakusa afternoon, and sannenzaka i kyoto. But most of time it's quite chill. If people avoid travel during peak of sakura and golden week, it's totally fine.
Just go to 2nd and 3rd tier cities in Japan or the countryside. My last trip I went to Karatsu, Saga, Kumamoto, Beppu, Izumo, Matsue, Tottori, Kobe, Matsumoto, Saitama, and Naha. Only a few of those destinations were crowded.
That moment when your own currency is weak and plane costs have trippled since my first trip in 2016. It is just absurd how much a flight is now compared to what it used to be. That said since I will visit Nagasaki, Okinawa, Fukuyama and Fukuoka I hope for less tourists than I usually see. Considering it is my 6th trip I will stay in the Asakusa area because I know my way around. The pro tip would be to go to Sensoji at around 10pm. Few people and since the buildings are lit up it looks very pretty.
Flights are so expensive now! I last went to Japan 2018 and it was about $400 - $500 cheaper then, without any sales 😭 and accommodation.. also tripled 😬
@@frangipanisandgirl As a Japanese person, my personal opinion is: have airline tickets really increased that much? Japan's inflation rate is more moderate compared to Western countries, and with the yen's depreciation, prices are relatively affordable. In conclusion, isn't it the foreign airlines that are profiting the most from the current Japan boom? Even with JAL and ANA's price hikes, the increase seems to be around 30%.
@@gotakazawa408 sorry, I didn’t mean specifically Japanese airlines flight prices had increased, flights all over the world have increased (I don’t want to even look at Europe prices!), but that flight to Japan was my last trip, and now that I’m wanting to visit Japan again, the prices are very different post pandemic. In my mind I was actually thinking of Singapore airlines, as that is my preferred airline with the best connections coming from Australia and who I travelled with last time. They’re definitely profiting right now 😅
@@gotakazawa408 My first place tickets to Japan for a round trip were around 300€ if I convert my currency to €. I knew back then I had already scored a good price. In 2017 it had gone up to around 500€. Still very reasonable. For my trip this year I am paying 1240€ for my flights to Japan. That is a very steep increase. The domestic flight to Okinawa and Nagasaki are a lot cheaper than I am used to compared to domestic flights in Europe.
@@frangipanisandgirl Acommodation might have increased but considering how expensive a hotel night is in my country I think those are quite cheap in Japan. My co-workers laughed about the hostel in Okinawa because that kind of a deal is impossible in my country. For me it is mostly the plane ticket to Japan and from Japan where I feel the increase. It is more than half of my salary for just the plane ticket. 🙁There were a few cheaper options but then it was impossible to get to the airport at those times, so in the end a night near the airport would have amounted to the same cost anyways.
We tried to go to Tokyo, cause its funny to fly into tokyo and not see the place but an hour in shinjuku and akihabara was enough to turn us off. We both moved out from larger cities in the US, no need to travel accross the world to vacation in one lol. Sapporo off season was great and went to random towns between kobe and yokohama. Lovely people all around, great food and wished we did more thrift shopping
Starting in 2015 I'd go to Japan at least once a year (pausing during covid) and it has like quadrupled in busy-ness since 2015! I went last year and it was so unbelivably croweded in Tokyo/Kyoto.
I'm so glad I went last year in April for a month. Wasnt crowded at all. A 15 Year dream came true. I'm just sad i didnt visit the more rural parts. Next trip in a few years then maybe. But i would definetely visit in one of the least crowded months. Tokyo was packed enough, even without many tourists.
hahaha almost feel personally attacked booked my flights and hotels for Tokyo and Osaka couple of weeks ago for later this year and I was planning on popping over to Nara and Kyoto🤣🤣Is there anywhere you would recommendations for day trips out or lesser known must see spots?
Allison, your vid was great - just back home last night after 10 days in Tokyo (I live in Australia) and also had a couple of wks in April in Tokyo + Kyoto. Used to visit a few times per yr and really noticed the affordability shift this year. Agree that hotels are expensive and sell out relative to past years, but transport is inexpensive (digital-wallet Suica worked fine) & Tokyo especially is best when walking (all the lovely surprises). This past week or so though was HOT! phew! so later in summer will need some planning if you are visiting. Food is super affordable - and like you, didn't strike the "tourist-premium". Highly recommend "decentralising" your location in Tokyo etc - you can train where you need then chill in "local" spots near your accommodation and actually chat/ engage with people (why I love Japan)... and as many have said, the regional areas are wonderful. Stay cool this summer!!
We rushed and planned a trip in March 2023 (so fun!) mostly because we knew it would get crazy with tourists the following year, plus when the country opened up tourism from China!! It already felt so crowded at the time but I cannot imagine what it’s like now!
@@ronica2623 That makes sense! I think I read that 30% of all tourists in Japan come from China alone, which is a huge chunk. So for them to be held off on coming to Japan makes sense folks from China are FLOODING in now!!
We can only go in summer due to our school holidays. Last time was 2018 and already very crowded in the touristy spots. But to put things into perspective: The bigger European countries have way way more annual tourists and Singapore as a single small city state has about half as many annual tourists. So the numbers per se aren't that high. One problem is people concentrating on Tokyo and Kansai. Maybe the rest of Japan should be promoted more!
Unfortunately, as a teacher, the most reliable time for us to travel is the summer. I've done a lot of research -- many of it coming from your videos (thank you, btw!), so hopefully we can make it work. Two weeks starting in mid July. (Eek!). Super excited to be visiting my first country in Asia . One of my life goals is to visit all Disney parks -- here we go! Thanks for your videos and frankness!
Went to Japan a year ago for the first time, and this year in March for the second time, and lowkey I want to go again this autumn. The flight tickets are so expensive though 😭😭 but weak yen in Japan is so tempting!
one year ago I was in Japan for the first time in my life. We tried to add more out of paths destinations while also doing the golden route. Kyoto was VERY VERY VERY PACKED. LIKE, VERY! But only the main attractions! So while we decided to skip some places because it was too overwhelming, we visited other temples where it was super quite. And yes, for you to get that picture you have to wake up SUPER early. Also, we decided to do a day trip to Onomichi, a cute small town and it was very nice, and we also went to some places that are part from the "Kumano Kodo", which I totally recommend! it was also very nice!!! We could enjoy a good onsen bath, eat good food without doing queues... etc... I still dream about that tuna we ate in Kii Katsuura :'))) so yeah
can you do a video showing off your japanese level. I am a computer science major with two minors in asian studies and tesol. so im basically taking all japanese courses for my asian studies minor. I would like to see your progress :)
personally i do agree with the pokemon generation having adult money now correlates to the increase of tourist in japan 😂 because A LOTT of my friends have been visiting japan this year, including me for later in autumn. we just graduated last year and is on our first year into the workforce, and obviously the first thing we do was to save up for a japan trip, duh. it's our childhood dream!!! 🤤✨
I have been staying in the Nara area and studying the Japanese language since April 2nd this year. Now at my last week of school and leaving back to the Netherlands next Saturday. Had a good time here. But indeed it is way more crowded than when I visited in 2017 and 2019. And I miss the cheap JR railpass. It is now not really worth in anymore. But I did manged to get a Icoca card which makes traveling a lot easier than figuring out the cost of your ticket every time :)
Arigatou gozaimashita! Good to know the pro's and con's! I'm also interested in the more out of the way places especially in the southwest and southeast which are where the ancestral homes are. Just watched Life Where I'm From where he and his sister-in-law took local trains which were very scenic, but not always conveniently connected to buses/taxis. Good and bad that the yen is down. Hopefully the overtourism will help a bit! Gambatte!
My husband and I did Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto last year during summer and NEVER AGAIN. I nearly ended up in hospital with heat stroke and the crowds were hell. We’re going back april next year and we’re going to go to Sendai, Iwate and Aomori.
went to Japan 3 weeks ago and i was off the Golden route, i barely saw tourists to the cities i was visiting like Fukui or Hikone in Shiga. Next year Im going again and also going cities like Aizu-wakamatsu, Magome, Gifu City etc..i prefer the cities where i barely see tourists
Get off the "golden route'. I travelled around Shikoku in May and it was nowhere near as over-run as Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka. My next trip is to eastern Hokkaido
Are you planning an upcoming trip to Japan? Let me know down below what you think 😋
Don’t feel like you’re super poor just because the Yen doesn’t have as good of an exchange rate as before. Someone is always poorer than someone else. You will go down the rabbit hole fast if you think the way you do. Rather, look how safe you are, what incredible environment you are in, and many more things that you have to be grateful for and that made you decide to make Japan your home. A person can have money to spend to last several lifetimes but it doesn’t mean that they have time or the ability to enjoy it.
Could you please talk about the STSS outbreak and weather its safe to visit in june this year?? Please
@@rhea6151 what is STSS?
It's high on my bucket list since my kid is a big pokemon and anime fan but life keeps getting in the way. One day we'll make that trip over for the experience.
Its a bacterial infection thats spreading in japan at a concerningly high rate
I’m moving to Japan in a few weeks for JET, I prayed to not get Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto because the overtourism is just so insane 😭 I lived in Nagoya when I studied abroad & it was perfect!! I got lucky and got placed in Nagasaki, I’m so excited
Incoming osaka JET🤣(I'm scared)
Hey, please don't be afraid to come to Osaka!😂
@@squidwithboots
Welcome to Osaka!
@@squidwithbootsdon’t be frightened!! My son has been teaching at ECC and l has lived in Osaka for the last 4 years. Not as many people speak English as Tokyo. You’ll do great! Enjoy.
Japanese here :) That depends on the place. Osaka, Kyoto, and also Tokyo has lots of places where almost no tourist goes.
We just got back a few days ago. We only did Tokyo, Kamakura and Osaka because our teen wanted to hit the theme parks. It was his first trip there, but my husband and I went in 2009. Glad we went to Kyoto and Himeji back then when everything was empty. It was SO CROWDED this time. We had an amazing time, but it was way different. Lots of tourists were rude and disrespectful to the Japanese culture. We were disgusted by some of the behavior we saw. We did bring an entire suitcase of stuff home. Shopping was so fun! You are right that the good stuff was still the same. We fell in love with Japan all over again and we're already planning a trip back as soon as we can save some $$! We'll visit Tokyo plus smaller towns to get a break from the huge crowds.
Hi, Thanks for that . We are planning on going next week and wanted to check if people concerned with the spread of STSS in Japan? did you feel as though it was safe and there were more safety precautions at tourist locations?
@@milankarajakaruna1012 We were not concerned at all. I didn't see any additional safety precautions. Lots of people still wearing masks. We carried hand sanitizer and made sure to wash well and/or sanitize, especially after being on a train or using a public restroom. I don't think STSS is a huge concern unless you have a compromised immune system. If you're relatively healthy, go, be careful, have fun!
@@magicsheepmom7790 Thank you so much !
Agree it made for us most places in Kyoto not enjoyable and so many overcrowding issues in temples, transport. when someone on TH-cam shows you Sensoju Asakusa temple it is after they walked agonisingly slow for 2 hours in the sun to get to it. 2 people actually fained there.
I lived in Japan for 14 years. I saw the summer growth become horrific. They are way too many tourists to enjoy anywhere. It is way too humid from June 1 until early September. I refer to it as 100 days of hell! If you’re smart, you will figure out a way to visit Japan either in the spring or the fall, those are the best. The best time for tourists is late March/early April. They can see the cherry blossoms. Also, avoid the end of April/early May. It’s golden week in Japan. The entire country is on vacation. Hotel room rates quadruple. Good advice!
No country seems to want tourists these days just their money
I highly agree with your comments of getting off "the golden route". After spending some time in Tokyo (and staying in Shinjuku) I went to Kanazawa and it almost felt like a ghost town but was a wonderful change of pace. At Kenroku-en Garden I was able to get pictures without other people in them (with some occasional waiting for people to move on but not too much).
One warning about Kanazawa though, where I was staying all the restaurants closed around 4:30 - 5:00 local time. Thankfully a combini was close by when I first found this out.
omg same, i went to Kanazawa and barely saw tourists...like 2 or 3 dutch and that's all, i was like "so where're the tourists" i admit i felt a bit alone because i was going solo but in some way i enjoy it because i could take the time of the world to see things
I personally didn't like Kanazawa much compared to most other towns I visited. Kenroku-en was a nice garden but honestly there are Japanese gardens everywhere, and when I went it was still pretty crowded there. Won't be going back to Kanazawa when I go to Japan again. The towns in Gifu though... definitely would revisit
in sakura season Kanazawa was overcrowded too (esp. the park and the art museum)
Thanks! We finally made it to Japan and after hearing your advise and our son’s too; we were so pleased to follow in your footsteps and explore this amazing place! Wishing you all the best!!!
Thank you!! I am so glad you had an amazing time 🩷🩷
Nagano, Gifu, and Tochigi were amazing places to visit. Beautiful nature, traditional Japanese cities, and just a friendly great vibe everywhere. Just renting a bike and riding through the rice fields among the mountains to feel like a character in a Ghibli movie is my number one recommendation. Additionally there are a ton of cool hobbies you can pursue like bouldering in Ibaraki, fishing in traditional Japanese styles, or rafting in the mountains are all great things to do off the track in Japan. Not to say we didn't like Kyoto or Tokyo, but all of us that traveled to Japan together have our favorite place somewhere else.
I plan on visiting Japan in around October-November in 2025. Can’t wait hopefully things get better.
Yeah same!!!
Do you already have you Itinerary? I’m going for 3 weeks and I’m already planning how long to stay where
Tbh it’s just certain areas that are overcrowded, walk a block away and it’s usually empty.
me tooo im so excited
I have just come back from Japan, and the trip was just amazing, Japan is very authentic, and at the same time living in 2050.
When I was there with my partner in May, we drove by car from Tokyo --> fukuoka and stopped in smaller regional cities, much nicer. I loved the drive up Chuugoku, we visited Matsue and Tottori which were lovely.
I was over in April and went to Asakusa at about 10pm. Near empty and lit up lovely - a definite contrast to during the day! Heading over again next week but Hokkaido first then Tokyo can't wait...
We spent time in both Kyoto and Tokyo this spring, and although I was stunned at how many tourists there were in central Kyoto, if you go to lesser known shrines, temples, parks, gardens, etc, and other places on the edges of Kyoto, there are few people, and these sights are just as wonderful. Same with Tokyo, it is such a huge city, we have visited a different area each time, and always find interesting things to see and do, that again have very few tourists.
Hello Allison,
I visited Japan in November of 2023 thanks to you and your videos warning us of the JR Pass increase.
So I got to visit Japan for 14 days taking advantage of the now-old JR Pass price.
I did not go to Mount Fuji, and I did not go to Kyoto.
I arrived by plane to Korea first in Seoul, then I went to Pusan by bus and I took the Ferry to Fukuoka.
I bought the Fukuoka IC card so I did not get to confront the shortage of SUICA or PASMO cards they have in Tokyo.
From Fukuoka where I exchanged my JR voucher for the JR Pass and went to Hiroshima.
From there to Onomichi I stayed in the Guesthouse "Onomichi Mochilero " which belongs to a Peruvian of Japanese descent.
Of course, I followed your advice of not coming in the summer or during the golden week. November of 2023 was just great I had superb weather.
Thanks again for all the advice you provide us.
"Lonely Planet" watch out.
Regards
Sounds like an amazing trip!!
We visited Japan for thr first time in Oct 2023. Loved it all but our favorite area was Nikko /Kinnagawa Onsen. Highly recommend and beautiful on the fall. Some other tourist but not over crowded.
I’m glad I got most of my travelling out of my system twenty years ago, everywhere is like this now. That said I did the golden route and that made me want to see the more rural Japan as well, so good to know my business will be welcome!
What I would give to experience Kyoto and such 20 years ago 🥹
@@AllisoninTokyoI rarely saw another foreigner in 95 when I was a uni student in Itami. Kyoto was beautiful!
Great video Allison and super relevant info. Was in Japan in may and agree - so busy in the main areas. We went to Hokkaido and absolutely loved it. A bit slower paced, excellent food and beautiful scenery. Btw tax free minimum spending is now 5500 yen. Thanks!
I am 53, solo travelling next feb. not to Tokyo, Osaka but a ramen pilgrimage lol to fukuoka. Train travel and not to the usual hotspots. Keeping it simple, stress free and to appreciate the culture.
I'm 53 too went solo, did Fukuoka as part of my trip in April and loved it...Toto Toilet Museum sorta nearby was a random interesting gem!
@@psprog thats awesome!!!! It looks fun and more my speed than Tokyo lol. Did you go to kyoto?
@@pinksugarcookies71 Yeah did Kyoto on my first trip last year. Walked for ages to the Nintendo buildings I had no idea they were based there until a barman told me!
I visited Japan in Nov 2023 after previously visiting in 2015, and everything you said was true. No regrets though, we had a great trip and plan on going back in Nov 2025. I hope for your sake the yen is doing better by then, but doing things like staying at a ryokan for "garbage money" prices was great :)
Funny cause I'm planning to Morioka. My reasons are probably more on the unusual side though:
- Riding the Hayabusa since it's the fastest Shinkansen service (I'm a railfan/train enthusiast)
- The Bakery store which I saw in a video that sells very unique and apparently super delicious sandwiches.
So spot on in many ways except 1, Asakusa is an amazing area. Yes, the station and tourist area is insane but just a few blocks away in any direction is a beautiful neighborhood filled with friendly people and shops near the sumida river and sky tree. Don’t be afraid to come to Asakusa. Thank you for all your advice over the years, it led us here at this time because it’s a unique time to see this beautiful country!
I did the Golden Route back in February and it was great. There were plenty of tourists, but I live in NYC and there are always lots of tourists. So it wasn't a problem. :)
Great video! Thanx for sharing! You need a “don’t get me wrong meter”! LOL 😘👍❤😜✌
in 2023 i stayed in japan for around 7 weeks, most i paid for a hotel was around 25-30e a night. we stayed in many hotels around the entire country.
in my opinion you shouldnt get a expensive hotel as you wont spend time there unless you get sick and need to lay down.
stayed in business hotels, capsule hotels and some weird hotels (henna)
yen was 150-1 eur when i was there and im planning a trip for next summer. it was an unforgettable trip and i plan on visiting many more times and maybe even moving there (if i could find a job that pays well as currently yen is so weak.)
Hey Allison!
Thank you for taking us somewhere new 🙏🏻. Loved the dress you got at Uniqlo and totally agree on those collab anime shirts there. I get them and wear them to the gym since they’re baggy 😅
Give AOT another chance 😁
Came back from a week in Kyushu end of May ... I saw really few Western tourists and hardly any places were very busy in general, so the suggestion to stay of the beaten track is spot on.
I was in Japan in May and June. It was perfect weather: 25-30c all the time with only a few raining days. The Yen is so low now that Japan is cheap for Europeans. I went to all the usually spots (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki). Kyoto was amazing but so crowded with tourists. But I also went to places like Kagoshima, Kinosakionsen, Izumo and Toyama. At those places there were almost no people. So the take away: by all means: gooooo but also go off the ‘Golden route’.
i went to the okutama trail that you only mentioned in passing and it was really nice. i got off at hatonotsu and there was nobody out there. also overcast days in july are not that bad if you are from east coast america.
When visiting Japan, you don't have to stick to the famous tourist spots. There are countless amazing places in the countryside that aren't as well-known, and they stretch from the north to the south of Japan. I realized this during my fifth trip to Japan. The key is to always stay at an onsen ryokan. Almost every tourist spot in Japan has one, and each place also offers incredibly delicious local cuisine!
Was in Roppongi a week ago. Hardly any tourists. Big secret - Okinawa. Hotel staff had not met Australians before.
We are going, period, dot, end-of-story in early December. Expecting cool/cold weather and we'll be dressed appropriately. Hopefully it won't be as crowded and the excitement to visit Japan will be a little less. :)
I've just come back from visiting Japan, and I can really see what Allison is saying. When I compare it to my last trips pre-covid, the tourists are strangling the main attractions. What I did though, was use Tokyo as a base and do day trips out of the city (admittedly Lake Kawaguchiko was very very crowded, so I did Lake Saiko instead). And I went to Fukushima Precture to Aizuwakamatsu - that was the best part of my trip. Onsen, beautiful nature, homely hospitality and no crowds. Ah bliss!
which onset in Aizuwakamatsu, please?
@@meghanschwanke1133 There are a few in Higashiyama area. I stayed at Shousuke no Yado Takinoyu.
I just love your videos. I had hesitated visiting because so many people are going but I finally am later in this year and I will be off the golden route. I feel much better going now after hearing your thoughts. You rock!
I visited in April 24 for 3 weeks! Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya! AMAZING! I can not wait to return. I stayed in Ota city and never saw any tourists ( other than in the mirror ).
Hahaha 😂😂 The beauty of getting off the path!
There’s even a term for it, inbound-don, meaning charging inbound tourists exhorbitant prices for a bowl of rice. To be fair I don’t think most places are charging different prices based on whether you’re a tourist or not, it’s just the more touristed places charge more for the same thing kind of like you should expect to pay more for food if you go to Disneyworld in Orlando. Ironically Disney Tokyo has some really good reasonably priced food so you may just want to go spend the day eating there. 😊
I hate crowds, but I went to Tokyo last year and earlier this year and it wasn't too bad. Especially the second trip where we avoided the more touristy spots that we got out of the way on the first trip and only travelled on public transport when it wasn't the peak times.
Aiming to get Osaka and Kyoto off the list next year, and although I know it will be crowded, it feels like a race at this point. I think it's only going to get worse, at least for the major cities, so I'm trying to get ahead of that. I'm already kicking myself for waiting too long and having the pandemic ruin my first trip when I finally made plans to visit, I don't want to repeat that mistake.
After that though, I'll have visited the big three and I'll plan future visits to less popular regions.
I visited in 2022 right as it was opening back up and I regret not doing more of the bigger touristy things when it was still really empty, since I think if we were to try again soon the places would be super packed. But I do want to try some non-golden route places next time!
I’ve been telling everyone I know that it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Japan with the exchange rates. Family loved it so much last July that they wanted to come again this summer.
Yes!! Nothing will ever be this cheap again (I hope 😅)
Yes it was overwhelming crowded. Came there for spring break. I Would love to visit less crowded town next time
I'm really really over the super tourist places as I get over. I will hopefully plan my trip to Japan in the Fall this year, (or of not, Spring 2025 and summer 2025) but as I get older I'm more interested in countryside and hiking and hiking trails of Japan.
the countryside of Japan is really great 🤗 nature, culture, everything you could want!
I had visited Japan this year and last year.
I went to Nagano, Gifu and Hokkaido so no problem with overtourism.
Thanks for the super honest insights! I have a trip planned for October, Tokyo will be the base but def looking for “off the beaten path” neighborhoods or day trips. I was considering Kawagoe and Shibamata but I’d love to hear your recommendations!
I went ahead and visited Japan in the peak of hot summer. Was there for a few weeks and got back early September. Allison was not joking about the heat. It was like a sauna. Showering a couple times a day and enjoying frozen treats helped! As a former resident with a Japanese spouse, we did a few of the 'Golden Route' things, but also several not so common ones. We enjoyed a good mix of both.
I’ve wanted to visit for years (was supposed to go in March 2022) and I’m finally going late October. I’ll be staying in the Tokyo area and don’t really care much for the super touristy things, but my brother has other ideas so that could be fun 😅
I came to Tokyo towards the end of 2023 and it was the absolutely best time to visit! There was hardly any tourists, most probably because many other countries was still in lockdown, hotels were halla cheap! I can't imagine what it'll be like when I relocate to sometime next year. I'm from the UK, back in 2008-9 it was the UK pound was strong for a while, 1 GBP to 256 JPY, currently the yen for us brits isn't as low as it was, but having said that the GBP is weak. UK economy has so many problems.
As someone who frequents Japan because of work (20 or so years now), i've noticed that over the years it's been getting worse, it's ruining the awe that Japan has. Most tourists thesedays don't respect the culture of the country they're visiting and it's terrible. Noise and extra rubbish are the most noticeable.
I’m hopefully coming in May 2025! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the tips Allison! I wish the public transport infrastructure was better in places like Tohoku, but it seems that without a car, you will have a hard time reaching nice spots to visit there
Thank you very much for your posting!
Summer season in Japan is very hot & humidity, so please be careful the heat stroke.(June, July, August, September🌞)
You can buy cold drink or frozen drink convenience stores & vending machines to avoid the heat stroke.🥤
My wife and I are planning on coming next year but during October and November. I've been to Japan several times. My wife, no. She's never left the states.
We more than likely will stay away from Tokyo and travel to see smaller towns and look for the best places to eat along the way. Food > Her experiencing the food and culture > Video Games (Since we both love video games) > Anime (For me, but my Anime taste is old school, Golgo 13, Crying Freeman, and anything Studio Ghibli). In that order of importance.
I wish more thought like you (in avoiding Tokyo).
@@georgeinjapan6583 we live in a major tourist city and can’t do anything here during the summer months. So we understand if it’s a place tourist frequent during certain times just seek out other places.
Really good update about visiting Japan this time of year.👍🥰
Wow your channel has really grown well done! I remember seeing your channel a while back
I’m coming next week, yen is so cheap. Already pulled 1.1k usd. Hoping to find cool crafts specific things like old companies making products you can watch and buy (tea, ceramics, chopsticks, knives). Would be cool to see a vid on that, you see foodie tours, but harder to find videos on yt of craft tours
Agreed with the golden route. Tourists are like sheep, plus follow whatever the algorithm will make what becomes popular. Even venture off the stations in between, take the local trains outwards. Explore Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka City, Nagoya, Hamamatsu.
The Tohoku region does deserve more tourists. Barely 1% of tourists head this far north. Chris Broad always promotes this area. Probably one thing he's beloved by Japanese citizens according to The Japan Reporter.
My wife and I are leaving for Japan on Friday… two week tour… Tokyo, Harkone, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and some other areas. We will be there during rainy season, so maybe the numbers will be down.
Everything you said is spot on. Thank you
Great information! Gero sounds really interesting. I will have to check it out 👍
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Holy cats! That's a lot of tourists. I will definitely not be coming in summer. I missed an opportunity to visit in '84 and it's been on my list ever since. Thanks for the insightful video.
I visited for a month this year in winter and it was awesome! Everything was so affordable. Not too many tourists.
I was just there for 15 days 3 weeks ago my best advice is to plan all major sites on the weekdays. I went from may 19 till June 3 and any major tourist areas I went from Disney, to universal and everything else wasn't super crowded there were still people there but not like the chaos you see. but I did go to Kyoto on a Sunday nd that was crowded especially the bamboo forest. it may of helped that I went right after the golden week holiday ended t. but if you go on weekends not only are you dealing with tourist but locals that aren't at work to.
Touching on the golden route, I went in August/September 2023 and the golden route was "nice" but it was far too crowded. I loved Hokkaido region and Okinawa way more than the golden route. Sure Okinawa was 30+'c at night but it was so much more pleasant to be around than being in Mount Fuji which felt more like Sydney Australia than Japan. Personally, I am quiet so seeing loud people whether tourists or not is a lot for me.
EDIT: When in Kyoto I kinda felt sorry for the locals, I was on a bus and there were school kids BUT IT WAS RAMMED WITH PEOPLE, and the queues were cooked. Not what I'd want when going home from work or school.
I was in japan last month from mid may to end of the month. Took the golden route, it's not as bad as one expected, yes it's bit crowded in asakusa afternoon, and sannenzaka i kyoto. But most of time it's quite chill. If people avoid travel during peak of sakura and golden week, it's totally fine.
Just got back from Japan last week. Tokyo and Kyoto were as busy as expected. People want to go now as it's so affordable right now
Just go to 2nd and 3rd tier cities in Japan or the countryside. My last trip I went to Karatsu, Saga, Kumamoto, Beppu, Izumo, Matsue, Tottori, Kobe, Matsumoto, Saitama, and Naha. Only a few of those destinations were crowded.
On one hand I'd love to go given the weak yen, on the other hand the post covid rush still seems to be going on so strongly.
That moment when your own currency is weak and plane costs have trippled since my first trip in 2016. It is just absurd how much a flight is now compared to what it used to be. That said since I will visit Nagasaki, Okinawa, Fukuyama and Fukuoka I hope for less tourists than I usually see. Considering it is my 6th trip I will stay in the Asakusa area because I know my way around. The pro tip would be to go to Sensoji at around 10pm. Few people and since the buildings are lit up it looks very pretty.
Flights are so expensive now! I last went to Japan 2018 and it was about $400 - $500 cheaper then, without any sales 😭 and accommodation.. also tripled 😬
@@frangipanisandgirl As a Japanese person, my personal opinion is: have airline tickets really increased that much? Japan's inflation rate is more moderate compared to Western countries, and with the yen's depreciation, prices are relatively affordable. In conclusion, isn't it the foreign airlines that are profiting the most from the current Japan boom? Even with JAL and ANA's price hikes, the increase seems to be around 30%.
@@gotakazawa408 sorry, I didn’t mean specifically Japanese airlines flight prices had increased, flights all over the world have increased (I don’t want to even look at Europe prices!), but that flight to Japan was my last trip, and now that I’m wanting to visit Japan again, the prices are very different post pandemic. In my mind I was actually thinking of Singapore airlines, as that is my preferred airline with the best connections coming from Australia and who I travelled with last time. They’re definitely profiting right now 😅
@@gotakazawa408 My first place tickets to Japan for a round trip were around 300€ if I convert my currency to €. I knew back then I had already scored a good price. In 2017 it had gone up to around 500€. Still very reasonable. For my trip this year I am paying 1240€ for my flights to Japan. That is a very steep increase. The domestic flight to Okinawa and Nagasaki are a lot cheaper than I am used to compared to domestic flights in Europe.
@@frangipanisandgirl Acommodation might have increased but considering how expensive a hotel night is in my country I think those are quite cheap in Japan. My co-workers laughed about the hostel in Okinawa because that kind of a deal is impossible in my country. For me it is mostly the plane ticket to Japan and from Japan where I feel the increase. It is more than half of my salary for just the plane ticket. 🙁There were a few cheaper options but then it was impossible to get to the airport at those times, so in the end a night near the airport would have amounted to the same cost anyways.
We tried to go to Tokyo, cause its funny to fly into tokyo and not see the place but an hour in shinjuku and akihabara was enough to turn us off. We both moved out from larger cities in the US, no need to travel accross the world to vacation in one lol. Sapporo off season was great and went to random towns between kobe and yokohama. Lovely people all around, great food and wished we did more thrift shopping
I went in May and it was packed with tourists, especially Kyoto. Gion area was a madhouse
Starting in 2015 I'd go to Japan at least once a year (pausing during covid) and it has like quadrupled in busy-ness since 2015! I went last year and it was so unbelivably croweded in Tokyo/Kyoto.
I'm so glad I went last year in April for a month. Wasnt crowded at all. A 15 Year dream came true. I'm just sad i didnt visit the more rural parts. Next trip in a few years then maybe. But i would definetely visit in one of the least crowded months. Tokyo was packed enough, even without many tourists.
hahaha almost feel personally attacked booked my flights and hotels for Tokyo and Osaka couple of weeks ago for later this year and I was planning on popping over to Nara and Kyoto🤣🤣Is there anywhere you would recommendations for day trips out or lesser known must see spots?
Allison, your vid was great - just back home last night after 10 days in Tokyo (I live in Australia) and also had a couple of wks in April in Tokyo + Kyoto. Used to visit a few times per yr and really noticed the affordability shift this year. Agree that hotels are expensive and sell out relative to past years, but transport is inexpensive (digital-wallet Suica worked fine) & Tokyo especially is best when walking (all the lovely surprises). This past week or so though was HOT! phew! so later in summer will need some planning if you are visiting. Food is super affordable - and like you, didn't strike the "tourist-premium". Highly recommend "decentralising" your location in Tokyo etc - you can train where you need then chill in "local" spots near your accommodation and actually chat/ engage with people (why I love Japan)... and as many have said, the regional areas are wonderful. Stay cool this summer!!
I loved Gero Onsen and would also highly recommend a visit.
We rushed and planned a trip in March 2023 (so fun!) mostly because we knew it would get crazy with tourists the following year, plus when the country opened up tourism from China!! It already felt so crowded at the time but I cannot imagine what it’s like now!
From what I am experiencing, super crowded with Chinese tourists…only based on languages I am hearing.
@@ronica2623 That makes sense! I think I read that 30% of all tourists in Japan come from China alone, which is a huge chunk. So for them to be held off on coming to Japan makes sense folks from China are FLOODING in now!!
we just returned yesterday fr 2 wks of Osaka Tokyo and the weather was near perfect w a slight drizzle and mostly cloudy days
I stayed at the ANA Crowne Hotel's top-floor super rooms two weeks ago. Cost money but I have money. ¥50,000 a night. 50 meters squared.
We can only go in summer due to our school holidays. Last time was 2018 and already very crowded in the touristy spots. But to put things into perspective: The bigger European countries have way way more annual tourists and Singapore as a single small city state has about half as many annual tourists. So the numbers per se aren't that high. One problem is people concentrating on Tokyo and Kansai. Maybe the rest of Japan should be promoted more!
I’m planning on coming next summer to visit my son. Coming from South Florida I think I can handle the heat 🤞
Im in Japan right now. I love it so far. Im here visiting my brother who lives here.
Thinking about going to Tokyo and Hokkaido in august. I know it’s hot, but it’s the only chance I have this year!!
Unfortunately, as a teacher, the most reliable time for us to travel is the summer. I've done a lot of research -- many of it coming from your videos (thank you, btw!), so hopefully we can make it work. Two weeks starting in mid July. (Eek!). Super excited to be visiting my first country in Asia . One of my life goals is to visit all Disney parks -- here we go! Thanks for your videos and frankness!
Went to Japan a year ago for the first time, and this year in March for the second time, and lowkey I want to go again this autumn. The flight tickets are so expensive though 😭😭 but weak yen in Japan is so tempting!
My favorite part of my trip to Japan last year was visiting my language tutor in Isahaya, It was beautiful, and rural Japan is absolutely beautiful.
i am coming to japan in the september 16th and yeah at almost 200 yen to the pound its a good time at the moment.
one year ago I was in Japan for the first time in my life. We tried to add more out of paths destinations while also doing the golden route. Kyoto was VERY VERY VERY PACKED. LIKE, VERY! But only the main attractions! So while we decided to skip some places because it was too overwhelming, we visited other temples where it was super quite. And yes, for you to get that picture you have to wake up SUPER early. Also, we decided to do a day trip to Onomichi, a cute small town and it was very nice, and we also went to some places that are part from the "Kumano Kodo", which I totally recommend! it was also very nice!!! We could enjoy a good onsen bath, eat good food without doing queues... etc... I still dream about that tuna we ate in Kii Katsuura :'))) so yeah
@AllisoninTokyo Do you have a video on off the beaten path tour spots or itinerary for second time visitors?
can you do a video showing off your japanese level. I am a computer science major with two minors in asian studies and tesol. so im basically taking all japanese courses for my asian studies minor. I would like to see your progress :)
Sister, you’re a blast!🎉❤
I am visiting end of September to beginning of October. Hope it’s not as hot and not as crowded (marginally)
I haven’t been to Osaka since 2002. I’m in for a surprise.
Visiting in August:)
You're not lying about the hotels. I was in Japan this past May. I didn't have all of my hotels booked in advance.
personally i do agree with the pokemon generation having adult money now correlates to the increase of tourist in japan 😂
because A LOTT of my friends have been visiting japan this year, including me for later in autumn.
we just graduated last year and is on our first year into the workforce, and obviously the first thing we do was to save up for a japan trip, duh. it's our childhood dream!!! 🤤✨
Pokémon, sailormoon, dbz and card captors gen :)
I have been staying in the Nara area and studying the Japanese language since April 2nd this year. Now at my last week of school and leaving back to the Netherlands next Saturday. Had a good time here. But indeed it is way more crowded than when I visited in 2017 and 2019. And I miss the cheap JR railpass. It is now not really worth in anymore. But I did manged to get a Icoca card which makes traveling a lot easier than figuring out the cost of your ticket every time :)
Arigatou gozaimashita! Good to know the pro's and con's! I'm also interested in the more out of the way places especially in the southwest and southeast which are where the ancestral homes are. Just watched Life Where I'm From where he and his sister-in-law took local trains which were very scenic, but not always conveniently connected to buses/taxis. Good and bad that the yen is down. Hopefully the overtourism will help a bit! Gambatte!
My husband and I did Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto last year during summer and NEVER AGAIN. I nearly ended up in hospital with heat stroke and the crowds were hell. We’re going back april next year and we’re going to go to Sendai, Iwate and Aomori.
Thanks Allie be coming back on October in Central Region done with the Trifecta Route. Cheers
went to Japan 3 weeks ago and i was off the Golden route, i barely saw tourists to the cities i was visiting like Fukui or Hikone in Shiga. Next year Im going again and also going cities like Aizu-wakamatsu, Magome, Gifu City etc..i prefer the cities where i barely see tourists
I'm moving to Tokyo in a week for language school (no the summer term was not my first choice) and I'm super worried about the heat and the crowds 😭
Get off the "golden route'. I travelled around Shikoku in May and it was nowhere near as over-run as Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka. My next trip is to eastern Hokkaido
I am from Texas visiting Japan soon, we are hot and humid here so it won’t be much of a bother to me with the heat and humidity
Interesting. I like to venture off the beaten path. Love Japan ❤️
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