hey fellow nomads, I will be in Tokyo next month for a week and looking at the best travel options, is it good to buy a Japan rail pass for inter city travel or are there less expensive options?

JR pass is very likely your cheapest option

Depends on if you take the metro or jr. I ended up walking a bit extra to use JR and paying for metro here and there as needed

Thanks guys

Costs of which subway system you use are basically irrelevant. If you are travelling between cities by shinkansen while you're here a JR pass is likely worth it because a 7 day pass costs less than a single Tokyo Osaka round trip

that's really cool since it also considers all the bus passes, and the various regional JR passes

going to japan for the first time in october, pretty excited

hjxykxgfpfdvq What dates?

oct 23 - nov 1

lol, close, we are in disney sea from the 29th to the 1st then we are relocating to ginza.

ocbsbepfpbhbaqbghy I found this site for accommodation. Prices look ok (for Japan) and a lot more choice than Airbnb

I think I'll just look for cool coffee shops for a few days for working

Has anyone ever done a layover in Japan where your arrival flight is at NRT and the departure flight HND?

only for flights where one of the legs is domestic

Mine's international and I'm worried if they will make me carry around my luggage for 11 hours or not

so, I expect that there probably are flights where both legs are international

ouch

ha

They have a flight that cost slightly more but only a 1hr layover in HND worried that's not enough time

mznhqsbcvuz If you have a layover inside HND and you are switching from international to domestic they will also make you pick up your luggage and check it again 🤷‍♀️ But ofc it is not as much hassle because there is a transfer bus between terminals.

cosgqwshpgovakhsw just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

cxjnvgbylxs they have luggage lockers and/or secure baggage hold and luggage delivery services. Japan is all for tourists not taking huge luggage on trains and they make it easy.

Currently there (somehow) isn't a service that handles same-day transfers between haneda and narita

Yeah a friend tried to do that just a few weeks ago and was told they don't offer it.

I tried it. It doesn't work.

cxhzieupxdrlbclxcbcg just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

Anyone ever extended a tourist visa?

Thanks. It seems this deals mostly with foreigners that are residents in tokyo. I'll be traveling purely on a tourist visa.

☝️ Just in the nick of time too

Anyone else in Tokyo for the rainy weekend?

howdy! going to be in Tokyo from Sep 30 til Nov 9

Whew great question

sorry October lol

Well FYI, if you'd like, I can bring you as my guest at a few different WeWorks while you're here in Tokyo :)

oh yeah never tried WeWork, do they have daily?

Also look at Nagatacho GRID (free) and Yahoo Lodge (Free w/ signup) for coworking spaces

interesting, the two places you just named are close to each other

I gone through a few of the cafes here on this blogpost, which are OK shoin.wf/best-remote-work-cafes-free-co-working-spaces-tokyo/
The stand out ones are probably something like:
- Brooklyn Parlor
- TimeOut Tokyo Cafe
- Trunk Hotel

ahah yeah now that I think about it hotel lobbys sometimes can be a good spot

In terms of neighborhood, maybe stay around Ebisu/Daikanyama/Nakameguro

if you want I'll ping you while in town in case you'd like to catch up

Sure thing

I asked the same thing a few weeks ago. Someone mentioned that there's an Amazon coworking space that's free.

cool thanks there

I'm going to be there a bit before, oct 23-nov1

Japan has been one of the most difficult places for working from coffee shops in my experiences. There's usually a combination of any of 1. no space, 2. no wifi, 3. no outlets. If you have pocket wifi / data hotspot, you can mitigate the wifi problem, but still difficult to overcome the other two. Streamer Coffee has been the best for me, but still not ideal. If all else fails, there's also always Starbucks though 😅

🤫 don't talk about that aws space, don't want it becomes like yahoo loft 😂

yeah like a free coworking space run by a massive company is a secret lol 😂

hmm, doesn't seem like the tokyo Go or Prometheus meetups are very active 😞

Mericari hosts Go Meetups

I buy shit on mercari pretty regularly

yahoo loft bad?

i thing yahoo loft is fine, but it can definitely be busy

I see

i've never seen it be _full_

bgigedrwlbdwfz is that searchable at all? I only found the meetup.com group, they haven't had an event since feb

Seems like they prefer this other website over Meetup mercari.connpass.com/event/148913/

thanks

Ooooh thanks for the reminder; I also need to buy a bunch of souvenirs for people.

I like the tsuko-tegata

depends for who and cost - I gifted my colleagues with fake food sushi keychains bought in Kappabashi they loved it

qozxnsqmhhmmcdtlstqs just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan

Any Dutch guy planning to go to Hiroshima and travelling back to Holland? I forgot my Airpods in a hotel but they not able to send it my mail because it has a battery and that is not allowed(?) :disappointed_relieved:

qahpjkyxcm yahoo loft is great, I actually prefer it to aws for the vibe . And you'll always find a spot there. I kinda feel it's not aging well. might just be a personal taste

Thanks Eric, in the end I booked my hotel in Akasaka, it's nearby Yahoo, but also not that far from Shibuya, I'll see how it'll play out

it's actaully still free in 2019 , good job yahoo japan 👍

It's 2019 an Yahoo is still significant AND used, that's what surprises me

yahoo japan != yahoo

for myself or family members that I actually care about

pnrvnqxerj I lived in Akasaka for a month or so and if you don't mind the walk to the centre I found it to be one of the best locations in Tokyo, for "cheap"

Hey everyone 👋 I'll be heading to Tokyo for the Awwward Conference (23rd-25th Jan) I have an hotel for those days but I'm looking a for a nice area to stick around for a month or so. Any recommendations?

Do your research, I don't know if there is a month's worth of vegan restaurants in Tokyo

There is 😉

I was eating crackers on the flight to Japan and there was little fish mixed in too!

True, even the "vegetarian" ramens have a fish in them.
I always request a strict vegan meal on my flights, to avoid those issues fairly well. Happy Cow is also a good resource to find nice out of the way places.

pptqwikh Ebisu is highly recommended by almost everyone for being easy to commute to the centre (yamanote line yay) and not as crazy expensive as the actual centre. I also liked Akasaka if you'd rather walk to the centre and still save. Ueno is cheapest but also furthest out as it's on the other side of the line, which goes full circle. But Ueno and Ebisu are nice to hang around in while Akasaka I've found to be less lively.
It's gonna be really cold in January FYI! Like _really_ cold haha

I like Ueno

If you're into Awwwards designs you'll want to check out Trunk Hotel to work from and Cat Street for fashion hahaha

i spend time in the park whenever I'm in Tokyo

Yeah! Agreed, I like Ueno too, it's really chill

it has good memories from me because back in college my wife (then girlfriend) went to Japan for the first time and Ueno is where we stayed

I miss Japan 😢 can the airbnbs go back to what they were 2 years ago pls and ty

yeah it's a pain with airbnbs now

you mean the prices or the regulations or what?

the regulations caused the whole industry to be private, which made the prices triple on many cases. But yeah, mainly a price concern 😂

It's for the best. No one really benefits from unregulated Airbnb except smalltime landlords.

yeah, I feel not comfortable when seeing a neighbor in any (apartment) airbnb in the world

Thanks for your tips everyone! I'll definitely check Asakasa and Ueno for my stay after the conference. I liked both places when I visited last time

any suggestions for where to buy the JR rail pass and mobile wifi or sim card from? this site is saying shipping will be $44 even though I'm having the rail pass sent to my hotel in tokyo

I've been pleased with www.japanwifibuddy.com/

If I remember correctly the JR pass is bought through an agency based in your country and can be picked up from the shop at Narita or Haneda airports. 3 yrs ago there was no fee for this

I haven't come across one that has airport pickup as an option

You can buy one after arriving in the country for slightly more at Sapporo, Sendai, Niigata, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Takamatsu, and Hakata stations

Awesome, I'll buy one at Haneda then

Fyi in Japanese fashion Disney sea is Disney's best theme park. Head into Ginza tomorrow for tokyo activities.

I spent hours in the Ginza and Shibuya loft stores

ortcwacnbdjie are you going to be in Osaka at all?

I was there for about 24 hours, Monday until Tuesday morning

ah, damn

It was last minute, took the Shinkansen there Monday morning to see a friend who moved to Osaka in February, then Tuesday I took the train to Kyoto for the day. Back to Tokyo that evening.

anyone going to be in tokyo the weekend of December 1st-ish?

Next time I’ll skip the week my partner is here for work and we’ll just take a vacation after. I’d like to spend more time in Kansai.

I like kansai (good thing too, since I live here)

Kyoto is beautiful

ughhhhhh loook att thaaaaaaaaattttt

Arashiyama was definitely my favourite part of Kyoto. After the touristy experience of the bamboo forest and Tenrryuji Temple, I hiked up the forest and ended up finding a random temple with the most hospitable monk. We talked about Barcelona, it was great.

Man I thought Japan would be easy mode for English, doesn't seem to be the case at all.

Everyone is too shy to speak

I spent the night at a hotel close to Narita, first time in Japan and was shocked that the concierge didn’t understand a word of English. I’ll be spending a few months in Japan late next year so need to get practising my Japanese :/

they don’t mind if you bust out the google translate

Haha japan definitely not easy mode for English

I had an easier time in Shanghai, which I find a bit surprising since china has way stronger Visa restrictions.

I guess it's not about how many tourists are there but how they learn in school (or not). In Japan, English lessons seem to be predominantly writing and working with books. Yesterday a Japanese told me the teachers speak Japanese during class all the time. Zero talking practice. They seem to address this issue with assistant teachers (called ALT) which are English native speakers, but I have no idea how widespread this is...

ALTs are really more for "let's make sure the kids don't completely freak out when they see someone not ethnically Japanese" than for English teaching

Holy smoking batman?

Yep 😞

Hi. Can you recommend good place to work in Tokyo?

It took me some time to get that 'toto' meant 'turtle'

🤣 Didn't come across that one yet, but yeah...

Could someone explain to me why there seems to be more Chinese tourists in Osaka than Tokyo?

Maybe because tokyo is just a big city and Osaka feels more japanese?

I only ever made it to Osaka, and it was because the flight there was dirt cheap

rzczvovlj maybe that has something to do it with. Maybe there's something about the flights from Chinese cities to Osaka too.

Ginza and Shibuya are pretty full of Chinese tourists

All of Japan is

Chinese tourists are the worst

The consumerism here is next level.

Yoooooooo Tokyo nomads

Going to Tokyo Center this evening. We can grab a tea there or make a piublic dinner with nomads. There is amazing places around tokyo station!

Fun! Always interested in meeting new people

sadly i won't be in tokyo until the beginning of december

will you be in tokyo in january ?

Can someone recommend a nice neighbourhood in Osaka?

Things I do care about nice neighbourhood life/vibes, coffee places to work from, close proximity to a climbing wall, place to get groceries.

Things I do _not_ care about shopping, proximity to nightlife/bars, being in the centre of everything

Thaaanks 🙏

for those of you in Tokyo check out this yakitori place www.google.com/maps/place/Yakitori+Bunraku/@35.710439,139.774924,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x41c9509b4653869!8m2!3d35.710439!4d139.774924

That is in walking distance, will check it out

haven't seen many coffee shops to work here in osaka, the only one i've seen is in americamura

there are places all over town to work in

i knew about the familiymarts, use to go work there when i was in vietnam

no problem 😄

mwkkivtmfbw I was in Kansai over the weekend but now I'm back in Tokyo 🙂

YAAA!

Streamer Coffee is also not too bad. Not a lot of seating, but the wifi is good and they have a few outlets

I love these clean white pajamas my hotel leaves me but when I put them on I feel like I am about to address my commune.

Add a black belt to it and then go hit some furniture 😹

I would like to know this too. Did you figure out an answer?

I arrive next week and initially staying in Namba. Pretty central but not cozy/hipster enough I imagine.

xsyykwxng not yet. There are quite a lot of coffee shop recommendations on the channel but so far no neighbourhoods

fhsikijkygsnoib check out `Nakazakicho` ward. Seems to be a cool place

Thanks 😄

I am loving Tokyo but YIKES this place hurts my wallet

Haha

I am SCANDALIZED by how early the sun goes down here

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I was on the train to Kobe and I texted my wife laughing because it was 5:15pm and already basically completely black sky

In London sunset is currently at 4.21pm. Not that there’s _ever_ any sunshine but yeah 🤷

I went and enjoyed it for the goofiness and dancers. I avoided the food to cut costs.

I felt a bit the same about the Kawaii Monster Cafe, but I remember it being cheaper than the Robot Restaurant, so it can be a good alternative. We went there during burlesque night, but drag night should be fun too

oh, btw, AirBNB in Osaka has gotten extremely cheap lately

the chinese, ruining real estate all around the world

Yeah I heard there are tons and tons of Chinese tourists in Osaka and Tokyo

just wait until you see kyoto

I did the robot restaurant. Maybe expensive for what it is but nice to do once. I didn't eat there, glad I didn't.

Yeah that makes sense. It's sunset at about 3:30pm right now. This is brutal

I'll probably be around the Shinjuku area. Not sure how late I'll be out though.

This is random but I’m currently trying to score 2 tickets to one of Perfume’s tokyo dome shows next February. So far I haven’t been able to pull off getting tickets from outside Japan so if anybody has ideas on how I can get some I’d appreciate any help

You could try a credit card concierge if you've got a premium card. The CSR concierge (visa infinite) has a local partner for Japan bookings that can make local bookings.

Hmm interesting idea. I have sapphire reserve. I’ll give it a shot, thanks 😄

You all have to go to the Sailor Moon dinner

Hey, can anyone recommend some coworking spaces in Tokyo that 1) offer day passes, and 2) have booths for Skype calls (ideally that you don't have to pay extra for)?

TeamLabs is pretty crazy

damn x.x

Ooh thanks!

I have been in at least one cafe that had a no phone sign, but I am not sure that is universal.

You better go to a net cafe to take those calls.

A rule of thumb in Japan for me was that it's usually not appreciated to make any sounds in any public space at any time 😂

was working in a mc donalds once, and had to take my call outside because the entire restaurant was dead silent.

scoivfcqchddcta I stayed near Tenma last time, and while there’s not much in the immediate surroundings, I enjoyed the places along the river. And it was very quiet, extremely easy to cycle anywhere from there. A few hipster places along the river Brooklyn Roasting Company, North Shore, &ISLAND… just walk along and you’ll find a bunch.

And if it’s not too cold, thanks to my precious WiFi hotspot I sometimes worked from the stunning garden in the middle of the river. Man, do I miss Osaka haha

Any suggestions for a nice place to work in Kichijoji?

rctugveuy just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

The sun going down at 5pm here has messed with me the entire time I have been here

agkuygrkz welcome to Osaka 😄

Thanks xapjtjni I’ll add that to my list 👏

Last full day in Japan starting tomorrow morning 😭

why are so many airbnbs in japan just basically bunkhouses

too many tourists!

what's a bunkhouse?

There was laws passed which caused AirBNB costs to sky rocket, so if you are looking in a low price range the only thing you will find is shared housing because that is the only way a low nightly cost can be economical now.

in Osaka it's full of apartments for cheap now

yeah osaka definitely seems to be an exception

Unless you want to stay in Osaka, you can't really nomad here.

Thanks mjsjrgyrlkmkbgqzs 🙂 Where are you staying?

I live in Osaka 🙂

Nice! How long have you been here?

about 2.5 years now

Airbnbs in Osaka seem to be okay, but I'm trying to find short-term rentals (1-2 months) but there doesnt seem to be a market for that here

uchdhrfav check out abhousingosaka.com|abhousingosaka.com

Thanks for the tip buddy. Was looking for something like this. By head’s up do you mean longer than 1 week?

honestly 1 week might be enough

that’s true. I’ll give it a shot - thanks!

I totally do, lol

airbnb's in kyoto seem more expensive than the ones in osaka though

yjvbwbpmraosiasvcj just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

yeah, the cost of living in Japan is vastly overstated. The entire country doesn't live in Ginza

btw, if someone knows about any cheap apartments in kyoto please let me know (for 1 month)

For all your Mojito needs 🍹

heh

This particular sign is probably the Times car park

it is

technically it's it's own district

Hi everyone :wave:, just arrived in Osaka and will stay until next sunday if anyone is around and wanna go for coffee or drinks :raised_hands:.

Welcome to town 😄

Okay I've left the country a few times for work and personal events, but since April 1, 2019, I have stayed over 180 days (I think I counted 197 days).

as long as you didn't overstay any of your visas you're _probably_ fine

Oh man going from tokyo to beijing is a bit jarring.

On the topic of entering Japan, do I need a return/outbound flight to be allowed in?
I’m currently on a one way ticket, landing end of Jan and planning to stay till early April but don’t know where to go afterwards (yet).

It is up to the airline, when I was there I met someone who had to buy an onward. I think he bought a ticket to vietnam

depending on where you're from they probably won't ask you for proof of onward travel

Thanks guys. Yeah, I though it might be a bit 50/50

I might be going back to Japan in Feb ujxcebrwmuznwmd so we can grab some vegan food (currently transitioning) and talk about design! Interested to see what places you discover for vegan food. Had a hard time last time I was there.

yay! I’m def up for it 🌱 I already have a list for places for noms ayatkifn

I went full vegan while in Japan (2017) then a year in Spain made me almost quit so I decided to be more flexible about it. Like any healthy habit, better to do it often than not at all! I want vegan ramen every day pls 😂

Spain, apart from Barcelona, is utter rubbish for vegans.

Anyone watching the November sumo tournament?
(Link Hidden by Nomad List bot)

I’ll visit Fukuoka tonight/tomorrow! Anyone around?

omoofzd just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan

welcome!

Anyone in #osaka? Going to be there on Tuesday and would love to connect if anyone’s around

yep, I live here

flliwoj just arrived in Hakone, #japan

sjmnmiljgdt what part of town will you be in? We can meet up at one of the cafes I work at if you want. I always enjoy meeting people from nomadlist

aaybdzuldfsrtjwfg that would be great man. Staying near Shinsaibashi train station…

cool, i'm near that area a lot

Ah sweet, I land late in the eve tomorrow but I’ll let you know once I’m there 👌

Osaka coworking meetup! Let me know the plan and I'll join you guys too ☕️

unwnmpa just arrived in Kyoto, #japan

aoracpvmxcc just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

awesome man. where are you meeting up? i gotta run some errands now but will be free to join in a couple of hours

I'm still at home but I'll be heading over to the namba/shinsaibashi area in about an hour or so

cool, i'll send you a DM when I'm ready to head out

I think gaguwiibxxh and I are going to meet at Brooklyn Roasters in Namba

good shout. meet you there

On my way, daughter is sick so I had to help my wife with a couple things before I left

wanted to go as well, but have to do stuff today before leaving my airbnb 😑 , let me know if u guys are meeting another day, i'm staying in osaka until january

Will keep you posted xwnqcwdcpchts

thanks!

I live here and am in namba a couple times a week :)

cool!, i'll ping u one of these days then 😉

sounds good to me

any reccs for places to stay in the countryside for a ~6 week period? language barrier is surmountable, still need internet but i’m willing to get a car.

laqhmbl just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan

xyppmiiilzicy vudiocvlvch and I are meeting up tomorrow at Brooklyn Roasting Company in Namba

darn, im in kyoto 😅 .. im getting back on monday

haha

ccian just arrived in ⛩ Osaka, #japan

Loved Brooklyn Roasting Company. One of the few places to get some work done in Osaka. Plus you can buy their awesome coffee for home (always travel with my own moka pot)

Hi!
Any issues at immigration frequently visiting Japan for a few weeks at a time each year? Or is japan typically very welcoming to repeat solo travelers? <3 (British)

You should be fine, I've had multiple trips that long here in a year a few times

IME, the Japanese have a lot of rules and tend to follow them quite closely. So just make sure you’re following the rules for your given situation, and you’re good. Not like other countries where there are rules that are not written down, lots of discretion to the border officer, etc.

awesome thnx guys! been in thailand for many years and time to venture out a little more

so... Aeroflot yes or Aeroflot no? 😂

Seems like hit and miss with Aeroflot. Budget-wise they're good but you shouldn't expect much in terms of service. 🙂

hey qknezylpatawhtrdr aowrvtwepkt any plans to work from brooklyn roco this week? it would be great to meet up again

Went around with a friend a few days ago here in Osaka. Spent like 3h before we realised that the coworking scene here is kinda shit, at least for offices.

yeah brooklyn is well suited - spacious and plenty of plugs. i'm down to meet there this week

Ah nice. The one in Namba?

yep exactly

Never been, definitely up for a visit there.

great! i can do any day but let's give the other guys a chance to answer too

Of course. 👍

ufyegoopr yeah I expect to be at BRC on Wednesday

nice, i can do wednesday (<@UR6P454LR>?)

Sounds good for me. Around which time?

1pm? not really a morning person...

Sounds like a common theme with most people abroad 😛 Sounds good.

iuohchscgtsenzany im back in osaka!, jppzhljll i can join on Wednesday too

I’m heading to Kyoto… enjoy coworking and good music 🤙

I'll probably just be there most of the day anyway

gxcflqclubbsu just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan

By the way, how's the wifi situation at Brooklyn?

yes ^ it’s true, get kicked out every 30mins I though and have to rejoin but it was pretty annoying

Good for shorter visits then and meeting up with people rather than a place to work effectively

not very impressed with the internet situation in Japan at all tbh. I carry a pocket wifi at all times

My hotel has like 300 mbit which is a welcome surprise

ill be there at 14:00ish

Grabbed a long-table further in across the pizza area

great. be there in 20

ended up being up crazy late last night due to not feeling well so I'm just getting started for the day

I remember there were like 2 different public da-spot hotspots at Brooklyn, so you could do 2 x (4 x 30 minutes) = 4 hours total, which is pretty decent. Just receonnecting can be a pain. But generally spoofing your mac address gets around those kinds of limits as well so 🤷‍♂️

You can just choose another email every time but just annoying to reconnect every 15 min

ffgfquzkwts just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan

kioud just arrived in 🗼 Tokyo, #japan