Japan Opening Up? From April 8, 2022 | Now October 11, 2022 - Normal Tourism.

[qcryp]

In my experience it is groups of tourists who are the worst more than any specific nationality. Solo or couple travelers are way more often to be normal cool people.

Sometime I wonder we are giving out too much information to everyone.

Trust me giving info is better than not. Most people despite how some may feel do do their research before going, so having a good resource is better than them going off on their own and figuring it out themselves. I'd bet that the average person who has browsed TAG is much better at following the rules and customs than those who did not.

 

[TAG Manager]

In my experience it is groups of tourists who are the worst more than any specific nationality. Solo or couple travelers are way more often to be normal cool people.


Trust me giving info is better than not. Most people despite how some may feel do do their research before going, so having a good resource is better than them going off on their own and figuring it out themselves. I'd bet that the average person who has browsed TAG is much better at following the rules and customs than those who did not.

I'm sure that many have used TAG to its full extent and had a good time because of the information found here. There are some situations where people don't consider the YMMV aspect and their individual experience doesn't exactly match a previous review. Most people will just accept it and move on while others will rage at the provider or the shop because x, y or z didn't happen. 🙄

 

[Tabanico]

Honestly man. Fuck tourists. One of my few pleasures in life is being able to take a shit in a clean toilet at my local train station. But some cunt from Yorkshire managed to spoil even that.

Like. There is one cubicle. Three urinals. And this gaijin prick races off the train to the loo. Heads into the cubicle. Spends a minute pissing all over the seat and then heads out to meet his son who I guess lives here.

Like. If he wanted to piss all over the place he could have used a urinal. But no. He needed to express his freedom by destroying my safe space.

Sob.

 

[sewbed]

Excited to see things get back to normal and have friends visit. At the same time, kind of sad to see Japan ransacked by tourists again. It’s been nice to travel around Japan with cheap accommodations, not crowded with people obsessing on getting the ultimate Instagram shot or packing out every place I want to go.
While a crazy few years, there was some tranquil quality that we will likely never see again and I will remember it fondly. Well, some parts.

 

[requiemmorrow]

Excited to see things get back to normal and have friends visit. At the same time, kind of sad to see Japan ransacked by tourists again. It’s been nice to travel around Japan with cheap accommodations, not crowded with people obsessing on getting the ultimate Instagram shot or packing out every place I want to go.
While a crazy few years, there was some tranquil quality that we will likely never see again and I will remember it fondly. Well, some parts.

It may come back soon enough. Pandemics and wars tend to cause borders to close, and Japan is no exception here.

 

[JohnOsaka]

Bullshit, you accused us of being elitist gatekeepers for hating on tourists, fully implying that you are entitled to be here and that we are wrong to be potentially annoyed by your presence.

And who needs an excuse to be condescending to tourists? It takes effort not to be.

You can respect and even agree with Japan's decision to close it's borders to tourists while pushing back on assholes who want to rub it in and shame me for the audacity to wanting to visit there.

Too bad, so sad. Get reading comprehension.

 

[SugoiBoy]

I once heard of an American diplomat who joked that the US should require exit visas before Americans go abroad.

 

[Tabanico]

You can respect and even agree with Japan's decision to close it's borders to tourists while pushing back on assholes who want to rub it in and shame me for the audacity to wanting to visit there.

Too bad, so sad. Get reading comprehension.

Just don't piss on my loo seat.

 

[MrDuBois]

Where the fuck are you staying? Wakkanai?!

 

[Doggyfong]

Bought my tickets WAY early, its nearly tripled now.
Hotels booked somewhat early to avoid the price hike, normally that hotel cost about 10k yen a night
Got it for 5k yen a night.
Previous years I had to stay in hostels to cut cost, but with hotels nearly half price, I am willing to splurge just abit more.

 

[CharlieSimms]

True players of course require no hotel reservation. They find a lady to stay with or sleep outside. Performance improves dramatically without a safety net. Game up gentlemen.

 

[MrDuBois]

Cardboard box + park = free lodging anywhere you want!

 

[robinmask]

True players of course require no hotel reservation. They find a lady to stay with or sleep outside. Performance improves dramatically without a safety net. Game up gentlemen.

Unironically I knew of a guy in grad school 2 years ago who did this every time he went down to Tokyo

Tbf the guy was a slim fit white American, so I don't blame him for playing the gaijin card that way

 

[CharlieSimms]

Yes I also know folks who actually do this. And not because they don’t have the means for nice hotels.

 

[MrDuBois]

Ah, makes sense then. I'm nowhere near 200 a night money. I'm just hoping I can get to June next year on cheap-ass airbnb or hotels so I don't need to rent a small 12m³ apartment.

 

[Doggyfong]

Ah, makes sense then. I'm nowhere near 200 a night money. I'm just hoping I can get to June next year on cheap-ass airbnb or hotels so I don't need to rent a small 12m³ apartment.

Maybe u can try booking hotels now? free cancellation anyways for most places.
Helping a friend research for his trip during April, found quite afew reasonable hotels at around 50-60 a night

 

[Doggyfong]

True players of course require no hotel reservation. They find a lady to stay with or sleep outside. Performance improves dramatically without a safety net. Game up gentlemen.

The most I can do is to ask a friend if they are willing to let me crash...
worse case scenario, manga cafe or karaoke overnight

 

[Keihan]

Well, it's one week until reopening!! Yay!! How is everyone here planning to celebrate??

Some encouraging news for those of you less-than-thrilled to see the return of tourists...it looks like airfare is still relatively expensive, at least from the US. I was doing a quick search on Google Flights for November and it appears most flights from the West Coast and Honolulu are in the $900-$1300 range, whereas I used to book coach from HNL to HND for around $549 RT. Any other ports, from Central or Eastern US, are absolutely ridiculous in the $1800-$2700 range. That should provide some measurable relief from the problem groups (students, young people, hippies, shitkicking trash) for a while.

I was also curious to know, in case anyone here is a runner...what's the current masking etiquette for jogging outdoors? Are people wearing (or being hated for not wearing) their masks while out for a run? I still haven't decided if I'll fly in this Fall, but if I do then I've got a couple of jogging routes I might call-off if I have to wear my mask while running. That shit gives me insane sinus issues.

Anyhow, I hope you're all enjoying this last week of peace and serenity, the calm before the storm. I was in Honolulu when the state of Hawaii gave in to financial pressure from the tourism industry and reopened to tourists last year, and on the very first day, something like 30,000 tourists showed up, largely thanks to Southwest Airlines offering $200 RT flights and $500/night hotel rooms now going for $50/night. For months we'd enjoyed quiet, empty beaches and parks and trails and restaurants for locals to enjoy. That ended on Day One. Shirtless, maskless pieces of shit everywhere, getting into drunken brawls with restaurant and hotel staff because they didn't want to wear their masks or social distance or follow basically any rules. Waikiki looked like a combination of Burning Man and Mardi Gras.

Three Cheers for Comrade Vlad and Slow Joe, fucking up the world and keeping oil prices high and airfare expensive, but when I see the rooms I used to pay almost $300/night for in downtown Tokyo now going for $110, the writing is on the wall.

 

[NJTYO]

Well, it's one week until reopening!! Yay!! How is everyone here planning to celebrate??

Some encouraging news for those of you less-than-thrilled to see the return of tourists...it looks like airfare is still relatively expensive, at least from the US. I was doing a quick search on Google Flights for November and it appears most flights from the West Coast and Honolulu are in the $900-$1300 range, whereas I used to book coach from HNL to HND for around $549 RT. Any other ports, from Central or Eastern US, are absolutely ridiculous in the $1800-$2700 range. That should provide some measurable relief from the problem groups (students, young people, hippies, shitkicking trash) for a while.

I was also curious to know, in case anyone here is a runner...what's the current masking etiquette for jogging outdoors? Are people wearing (or being hated for not wearing) their masks while out for a run? I still haven't decided if I'll fly in this Fall, but if I do then I've got a couple of jogging routes I might call-off if I have to wear my mask while running. That shit gives me insane sinus issues.

Anyhow, I hope you're all enjoying this last week of peace and serenity, the calm before the storm. I was in Honolulu when the state of Hawaii gave in to financial pressure from the tourism industry and reopened to tourists last year, and on the very first day, something like 30,000 tourists showed up, largely thanks to Southwest Airlines offering $200 RT flights and $500/night hotel rooms now going for $50/night. For months we'd enjoyed quiet, empty beaches and parks and trails and restaurants for locals to enjoy. That ended on Day One. Shirtless, maskless pieces of shit everywhere, getting into drunken brawls with restaurant and hotel staff because they didn't want to wear their masks or social distance or follow basically any rules. Waikiki looked like a combination of Burning Man and Mardi Gras.

Three Cheers for Comrade Vlad and Slow Joe, fucking up the world and keeping oil prices high and airfare expensive, but when I see the rooms I used to pay almost $300/night for in downtown Tokyo now going for $110, the writing is on the wall.

You should be fine to jog without a mask. I see more and more people lately, both local and foreign, maskless when outdoors, especially if they’re jogging/biking, etc.

 

[Acid Burn]

most flights from the West Coast and Honolulu are in the $900-$1300 range, whereas I used to book coach from HNL to HND for around $549 RT.

but when I see the rooms I used to pay almost $300/night for in downtown Tokyo now going for $110, the writing is on the wall.

Stay a handful of days and the cheap rooms balance out the expensive airfare.

 

[MrDuBois]

I kind of doubt the majority of tourists are the ones spending 110 dollars a night in Tokyo anyway. In my book, that's rich folk prices and most people will go for cheap-ass hostels. That being said, the flight prices do seem to be too fucked and I think (or rather huff the copium) that at least until next year when all the airlines can get their slots on airports back, we won't see as many tourists as before COVID. Still, it's gonna suck. I've decided to go to Kyoto and Osaka until next Tuesday and damn, Inari was almost empty at around 7pm already. But, as I mentioned a few posts ago, I heard a group of Americans talking loud as hell. They stood right outside Inari station and I could hear them from the damn big torii gate...

The good thing is that most people will probably just stay on the Golden Route anyway. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, maybe Hiroshima will get fucked up but everything else the average tourist knows fuck all about so it'll be quiet...maybe...

 

[Goshogawara]

Well, it's one week until reopening!! Yay!! How is everyone here planning to celebrate??

With autumn foliage, Ichikawa Danjūro's Shūmei at the Kabukiza, the farewell performances at the national theatre and the annual kaomise Kabuki at the Minami-za in Kyoto.

 

[Keihan]

With autumn foliage, Ichikawa Danjūro's Shūmei at the Kabukiza, the farewell performances at the national theatre and the annual kaomise Kabuki at the Minami-za in Kyoto.

That sounds a bit rich for my blood. I was planning to get loaded on the roof of my condo with a nice Honduran cigar, maybe rub one out in the shower and then hit the sack with the TV on.