Cybsled
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The flashy trains are always uncrowded, though, which is why I liked them. The rail pass you get put in first class on the bullet trains and there would always end up being like half a dozen or less people in our car, so you could stretch out. That saved our butt one time...there was some family from China and this woman was sick as fuck and kept hacking and spitting into a fricking cup. She got into our car, then the train conductor dude going through to check tickets told them their ticket was for the economy class and moved them. It was going to be like a 2 hour trip, so I was so relieved we were saved from having to deal with that shit. Although I feel bad for the people in economy who had to put up with that.
If you go to Nara, one thing to remember is vendors sell deer snacks. The deer know this, so if they know you have the snacks (or think you have them), they will swarm you like zombies if there are a lot nearby. I remember one kid getting surrounded by like 20 deer when he brought the snacks out in a spot with tons of deer chilling out.
Oh ya Tokyo word of warning: Shinjuku can get ULTRA crowded. When I went back in May a number of years back, I was exploring the different districts. I made the mistake of ending up on the street that dealt with all the fashion stuff. Holy fucking shit, I have never felt more claustrophobic in all my life. I was trapped in a literal river of people that was barely moving and just wanted to get the fuck out, so I tried to very slowly make my way to the edge of the river of people. What was funny is after I was able to escape and go over one street through the side streets/alleys, it was empty lol. Also, most of the department stores in Tokyo center are the "higher end", so to speak. You need to get away from the center to find the middle class (ie, less expensive) stuff.
Kyoto word of warning: Kyoto isn't really know for it's restaurants. Local we knew from there even told us as such after we revealed a couple disappointing meals (Tripadvisor reviews were fucking lies....4-5 stars my ass for some of these places, always remember to check the 'recent' reviews, although I suppose that is something you need to do for any restaurant in general). Also, beware the Geisha tourist traps. They overcharge and while they are educational to a degree, they're fairly boring shows. We only saw 1 possible legit Geisha and they were getting into a car from some establishment at like midnight. Most of the "geisha" you see walking around are just cosplay.
Kyoto tip: There are a few streets that have a huge food market, among other things. Definitely worth a look. That was the first time I ever tasted fermented black garlic...was surprised how good it was, it was like a sweet garlic. Kyoto area is also known for a certain type of clay pot rice cooker/hot pot vessel (Donabe). My mom liked it, since they look nice and are also functional.
Oh ya, one more tip. Tokyo and Kyoto have very extensive subway systems, which you'll be using constantly to get around the city. If you are going to be spending any time at all there, I highly highly recommend getting the subway card vs. buying the tickets individually from the kiosks. The card was like $10 ($5 deposit for the card and $5 for fares loaded onto the card) and you could charge up the card. It removes all the guesswork about train/station transfers in terms of ticket prices/transfer credit/etc. I wasted a chunk of change doing the individual ticket shit because I didn't understand how their station transfer system worked/etc, until I figured out the card simplified the whole thing by a large factor.
If you go to Nara, one thing to remember is vendors sell deer snacks. The deer know this, so if they know you have the snacks (or think you have them), they will swarm you like zombies if there are a lot nearby. I remember one kid getting surrounded by like 20 deer when he brought the snacks out in a spot with tons of deer chilling out.
Oh ya Tokyo word of warning: Shinjuku can get ULTRA crowded. When I went back in May a number of years back, I was exploring the different districts. I made the mistake of ending up on the street that dealt with all the fashion stuff. Holy fucking shit, I have never felt more claustrophobic in all my life. I was trapped in a literal river of people that was barely moving and just wanted to get the fuck out, so I tried to very slowly make my way to the edge of the river of people. What was funny is after I was able to escape and go over one street through the side streets/alleys, it was empty lol. Also, most of the department stores in Tokyo center are the "higher end", so to speak. You need to get away from the center to find the middle class (ie, less expensive) stuff.
Kyoto word of warning: Kyoto isn't really know for it's restaurants. Local we knew from there even told us as such after we revealed a couple disappointing meals (Tripadvisor reviews were fucking lies....4-5 stars my ass for some of these places, always remember to check the 'recent' reviews, although I suppose that is something you need to do for any restaurant in general). Also, beware the Geisha tourist traps. They overcharge and while they are educational to a degree, they're fairly boring shows. We only saw 1 possible legit Geisha and they were getting into a car from some establishment at like midnight. Most of the "geisha" you see walking around are just cosplay.
Kyoto tip: There are a few streets that have a huge food market, among other things. Definitely worth a look. That was the first time I ever tasted fermented black garlic...was surprised how good it was, it was like a sweet garlic. Kyoto area is also known for a certain type of clay pot rice cooker/hot pot vessel (Donabe). My mom liked it, since they look nice and are also functional.
Oh ya, one more tip. Tokyo and Kyoto have very extensive subway systems, which you'll be using constantly to get around the city. If you are going to be spending any time at all there, I highly highly recommend getting the subway card vs. buying the tickets individually from the kiosks. The card was like $10 ($5 deposit for the card and $5 for fares loaded onto the card) and you could charge up the card. It removes all the guesswork about train/station transfers in terms of ticket prices/transfer credit/etc. I wasted a chunk of change doing the individual ticket shit because I didn't understand how their station transfer system worked/etc, until I figured out the card simplified the whole thing by a large factor.
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