(Closed) Japan

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

@Kimberley25:  Oh very nice =) She should check out Kyoto <3

I loved Kyoto.  I loved Tokyo too but Kyoto was extra awesome.

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

@simplicitea:  I wish I had discovered green tea/vanilla swirl icecream sooner so I could have ate more.  If you go make sure you get some, lol.  I know that’s probably not the tip you were expecting but MAN THAT STUFF WAS GOOD.  If you get just regular green tea type by itself it’s not as sweet (unless you get red bean paste with it which is some good stuff…although it may seem weird to eat beans and icecream just do it.  no regrets, lol!).  One thing that really helped us was writing down where we wanted to go or having our hotel’s card with the address so we could just show the cab driver.  Sometimes they understood us just fine and other times we were all sitting there like how do we figure this out…….lol!  The thing is though Japanese people are really polite and they DO want to help.  You just have to use what you can to help bridge the language barrier.  We’d point to the map and they’d show us on the map etc.  Um, one thing we did because we visited Tokyo and Kyoto was we had our luggage held in Tokyo at our hotel and just took a backpack on the train to Kyoto.  It was much easier to deal with and when we went back to our Tokyo hotel everything was there waiting for us.  =)  

I’d also say splurge and go stay at a Ryokan.  I know other people said that and I am extremely happy we listened.  We also decided we were both going to try a traditional kaseki dinner while we were there too.  Do we both like raw fish?  Nah but when in Japan….lol!  Heck, my hubby doesn’t even like cooked fish but we both tried everything and we giggled in between courses and it was just INTERESTING!  We didn’t eat everything.  Fish eggs?  No.  Our waiter was like no?  I was like yeah no that’s not happening LOL!!  But I tried shashimi and it wasn’t awful.  Was it my favorite?  Nah but heck it was a hell of a lot better there than it was in the USA!  It was so much fun to wear a yukata and eat downstairs.  <3 *sigh*  

 

@ConRtist:  Thanks!  We had an amazing time.  We went to Tokyo too but Kyoto was outstanding.  Our ryokan was amazing and challenging at the same time.  I’m so glad we splurged for a good one.  <3

 

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

@JenGirl:  Oh thanks!!  This was our one year trip ^_^!!  <3  We had such an amazing time.  Honestly, I don’t think I would have had the courage to go without my husband.  He speaks some Japanese thanks to classes in college which helped us a lot lol!  He’s by no means close to fluent though lol.  I just sat there like tralalala….how do we get to thiisssssssss….and he’d talk to the cab driver LOL!  But, I am so glad we went and we want to go again.  Maybe next time (way down the road because it’s not a cheap trip lol) we’ll check out some other areas.  <3

 

@simplicitea:  No problem!!  Green tea/vanilla swirl is the best.  We ate some at the airport before we left (well my husband did and they gave me just plain with the red beans and mochi….we ordered swirled with that stuff but eh…LOL ya win some and ya lose some).  Anyways, I wanted to cry into my cone because I wasn’t sure when I’d get one again haha.  You must!!  It’s delish.  <3  I’d write the addresses down because sometimes they may misjudge where you’re pointing lol.  Also, we’d look up on google maps at the hotel and take a picture on our phones so we’d have a map to where we needed to go.  That helped us a lot when we were on foot.  We didn’t have service to do a lot with our phones but that was great.  We just mainly used them as cameras.  Taking a picture of the computer screen w/the map helped lol.  I have no sense of direction either and I made it back to the USA lol!  It can be done!  XD  Course, my husband has a pretty decent sense of direction lol and when we were just super lost we found a cab.  =P  

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

@zumbaista:  Well, if you want to stay at an awesome Ryokan and you’re planning on going to Kyoto I HIGHLY suggest Yuzuya Ryokan.  But, I’m not gonna lie…..it’s not cheap.  We stayed for 2 nights and had traditional kaiseki dinner there (which is totally worth trying even if you don’t eat everything, lol).  It’s a 5 second walk to Yasaka Shrine, lol.  It’s literally next door which we had no idea until we got there.   http://www.yuzuyaryokan.com/eng/

 

Some people speak English at this Ryokan too which helps.  We had a waiter who explained each course for our dinner.  For the traditional Japanese breakfast we didn’t LOL so we were like okay lets try this at the same time!  Bottoms up!  It has a cute little garden they provide traditional shoes and yukatas to wear in the ryokan.  It was fun to dress up and submerge ourselves in Japanese culture when we stayed there.  You get a tea set in your room 🙂 and the beds are comfy

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

We went in the fall which I loved — the leaves were gorgeous.  Japan is stunning.  I think the NEXT time we go we’ll go during the spring for cherry blossoms =)!  The fall worked out better for our anniversary trip since we were married in October.  We left on Halloween and returned around the middle of November.  🙂

• SuperDuperBrit
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2012

@MissPurplePurl:  Japan is lovely.  I’ve never been to Europe (yet) but I’m sure it’s lovely too!  Good luck making a decision.  Japan is worth the long travel!