Japan Trip 2012, Day 11 - Takayama, Nagoya (Traveling)

There's not a whole lot to say about what happened after I took my bus out, just that I missed the Miboro Dam since I fell asleep on the bus to Takayama. So, for those of you looking to see it, know that you'll have to go from or to Takayama to pass by it.

Pictures: http://caelk.shutterfly.com/pictures/754

For future reference, there are other real world places that other manga and anime model. If you want to do something similar with another show, Google for that show and 巡礼 (or 聖地巡礼), and you should get something - this literally translates to pilgrimage.

Once at Takayama Station, I noted that the bentou place was about to close. Once again, everywhere in Japan needs to have some sort of unique food, and that also goes for train stations. The one here which I wanted to have but was sold out was... uhm... Showdown Bentou: Miso-Cooked Pork Vs. Hida Beef. I was pretty baffled, but as they didn't have anymore, I just settled for a Katsu Sandwich. I don't think it was nearly as good as having dueling farm animals in my mouth, but eh.

I was taking the Hida Limited Express to Nagoya and it was due to arrive at 18:45... though due to weather, it would arrive about an hour late. Suffice to say, this really doesn't happen very often. They ran the train fast though, and I ended up in Nagoya at around 21:30. I was also able to see a cool car when I arrived.

I walked around and found my hotel, the Dai-Ichi Star Nagoya, and checked in. It was about what I expected - kind of a small room, with a small bathroom, but the soap and shampoo came in packets. One of each. A little cheap, and slightly unwieldy, but at least it got the job done. After getting a Kirin Cola from the vending machine and stuffing down some cup noodle, I was off to sleep.

Perhaps for the benefit of those who haven't been to Japan or really don't know how to get started, maybe I should mention a few things about how me and my friends set things up. If you've already had a once-around Japan, it's very likely you already know all of this.

First off, for those of you who don't know about the Japan Rail Pass, it's a really good tourist deal. The all-inclusive pass, once paid for, lets you use pretty much any train (with the exception of the faster Shinkansen lines) that's operated by Japan Railways without having to get tickets or anything extra for a week or two (or three).

A web search will get you everything you need to know about this one so I won't go into much detail, but if all you're doing is hanging out in the same city, it might not be worth your while. For example, a 7-day pass costs 28300 yen, and I'm not sure I can spend that much in transportation if all I'm doing is hanging out in Tokyo. However, with two Shinkansen tickets from Tokyo to Kyoto and back, a 7-day pass has pretty much paid for itself.

Just two things to note: there are regional variations of the Japan Rail Pass that can be bought from both outside and inside Japan (the all-inclusive pass for everywhere in Japan must be purchased abroad), which confine your free rides to one particular sub-company of JR: East, West, Central, Shikoku, Kyuushuu, Hokkaido. They tend to be more restrictive than the all-inclusive pass in terms of time as well. For example, the Kyushuu pass only comes in 3 or 5 day variants, and of course you can't use it to hop over to Chuugoku. Unlike the everything-in-Japan pass, these passes can be bought from within Japan, though I'm having trouble finding one for Shikoku.

I think I talked about Suica passes in a previous post - it's the little magnetic card that you can put money on to get around within Tokyo, whether it's a JR train or the local metro. You can get it at the bottom floor of Narita Airport in a combo bonus with a ticket on the Narita Express to Tokyo, but be advised that while you can use the Suica pretty much everywhere in Tokyo, there are places outside of Tokyo where it's not accepted.

The second thing we made sure of was that we'd be able to stay in contact via phone. I'm just going to say that coordinating plans with multiple people when nobody has a phone is quite a bit more trouble than it's worth, and unless you're really strapped for cash (why are you going to Japan if you're that poor?), rent a phone. I personally used Rentaphone Japan, whose standard package gives you phone, texting, and e-mail - all you'll need to just stay in contact. They also provide a small envelope for you, so you can mail the phone back to them when you're done.

Alternatively, some phone companies might allow you to take your phone overseas with you and use the network in Japan if you ask (don't know the details, but one among us did this). However, for anyone else in the party that decides not to do that... communication by e-mail will likely be the only way to get in touch, because calling would get you international rates despite the fact that they could be standing right next to you when they call.

There's also the issue of how you're going to bring your money from overseas into Japan. The main source of money withdrawal in Japan, at least for those with a foreign (non-Japanese) bank, is probably going to be the local post office. Every post office I've been to has an ATM that accepts foreign debit cards and will let you withdraw from your account overseas. Be mindful of your bank's policy when doing this, though - many banks will charge you for an out-of-network ATM, then charge you for an international transaction. If you don't want to pay those fees too often, you'll probably be withdrawing a bunch of money at once. Japan's crime rate is really low though, and honestly for me, I'm more concerned about misplacing my wallet than having it stolen. Just remember that the post office closes in the evening... around 5 or 6 on the weekdays. On weekends, ATMs are usually open for a few hours on Saturday, closing at noon. Anywhere you go, be sure to look up the location and hours of post offices in the area, since that's where you'll be getting your cash from.

In a pinch you can get a cash advance on a credit card, but not all ATMs will let you do that with a foreign card. I found the ones in Seven-Elevens pretty much guaranteed you'd be able to do this, though they wouldn't recognize international debit cards. This means that when the postal offices close and you need money, chances are you'll have to find a Seven-Eleven and get a cash advance. Be sure to pay that as soon as you get back home.

Finally, as a personal preference, I seem to always be carrying around a bowl or two of instant noodles with me where ever I go in Japan, just in case I'm hungry in the dead of night and can't find anywhere that's open. Hotels have sinks, which means they have hot water, though some have water heaters. The hotel we stayed at, the Tsukuba Hotel, had a water heater... on the fourth floor, if I remember correctly.

Pictures: http://caelk.shutterfly.com/pictures/754