Japan in September
Discussion
BlackTails said:
Just been doing some reading about how Japan in August is oppressively humid. Is it materially better in September?
I gather it s typhoon season but is that just torrential rain or also winds so high that you have to stay indoors and things grind to halt.
We are going in October, it suggested weather likely to be better than September.I gather it s typhoon season but is that just torrential rain or also winds so high that you have to stay indoors and things grind to halt.
The further into Sept the nicer it will be but still expect 80-90% RH and high 20s or even low 30s.
Towards end of Sept there is a big change and temps will fall off around that time.
But as with everything it varies year by year and you are in the wetter part of the summer.
As you are going south then it will be warmer and more humid the further south you go.
Towards end of Sept there is a big change and temps will fall off around that time.
But as with everything it varies year by year and you are in the wetter part of the summer.
As you are going south then it will be warmer and more humid the further south you go.
Arrived in Tokyo around 4 hrs ago after a 9 hrs delay at Madrid Airport. It's warm, humid and raining.
Highlights so far, a 5 minute chat with Boris at Madrid Airport. Wagu steak and snake shots in Tokyo, also the toilets. The wife wants us to buy one.
Snake shots
Highlights so far, a 5 minute chat with Boris at Madrid Airport. Wagu steak and snake shots in Tokyo, also the toilets. The wife wants us to buy one.
Snake shots
Edited by mart 63 on Tuesday 8th September 16:22
Just back from 2 weeks in Japan. It is an amazing place.
Our experience is 37C and very humid in Tokyo. Never took a coat and glad I didn't. T shirts, shorts, loose fitting trousers needed.
Take an opaque umbrella. Good for shade on sunny days as well as dealing with heavy intermittent rain.
Kyoto and Osaka was much the same. Hiroshima was not so humid and far more comfortable.
At no stage was I ever cold.
Top tip. Pack super light, leave as much space in your case, take cash (many places such as izakayas dont use card), take advantage of fantastic exchange rate and 10% discount for tax free shopping when you show the code in your passport.
Mosquitos are amazingly ninja. I wore shorts in the humidity and thet nearly took my leg off. Take some DEET insect repellent as you won't feel a thing.
First purchase, get a Suioco IC card at a station and top up. You will use public transport a lot.
Install Klook app. It is handy for booking tickets, including the Shinkensen bullet train...that runs on time, about every 6 minutes. Its bloody brilliant.
Google Maps...essential for navigating public transport. Shinjinku station has 200 exits. Its complicated. Google Maps will show you the name of the exit, floor levels, which line to get.
Any more questions do ask away. It is a fantastic place. Kyoto is a must. Hiroshima and Miyajima are fab. Osaka is a bit meh. Tokyo is bonkers, with the best shopping ever.
Our experience is 37C and very humid in Tokyo. Never took a coat and glad I didn't. T shirts, shorts, loose fitting trousers needed.
Take an opaque umbrella. Good for shade on sunny days as well as dealing with heavy intermittent rain.
Kyoto and Osaka was much the same. Hiroshima was not so humid and far more comfortable.
At no stage was I ever cold.
Top tip. Pack super light, leave as much space in your case, take cash (many places such as izakayas dont use card), take advantage of fantastic exchange rate and 10% discount for tax free shopping when you show the code in your passport.
Mosquitos are amazingly ninja. I wore shorts in the humidity and thet nearly took my leg off. Take some DEET insect repellent as you won't feel a thing.
First purchase, get a Suioco IC card at a station and top up. You will use public transport a lot.
Install Klook app. It is handy for booking tickets, including the Shinkensen bullet train...that runs on time, about every 6 minutes. Its bloody brilliant.
Google Maps...essential for navigating public transport. Shinjinku station has 200 exits. Its complicated. Google Maps will show you the name of the exit, floor levels, which line to get.
Any more questions do ask away. It is a fantastic place. Kyoto is a must. Hiroshima and Miyajima are fab. Osaka is a bit meh. Tokyo is bonkers, with the best shopping ever.
//j17 said:
mart 63 said:
...also the toilets. The wife wants us to buy one.
Yea, you'll feel like such an animal when you come home and find yourself using paper to smear things over your backside again!
TUS373 said:
Top tip. Pack super light, leave as much space in your case, take cash (many places such as izakayas dont use card), take advantage of fantastic exchange rate and 10% discount for tax free shopping when you show the code in your passport.
The tax free process is/has changed from 'tax free at point of sale' to the 'pay full price/claim back later' model you see in most of the world - but still an odd mix of amazing savings and "Even with tax off that's expensive!". I saved over £100 on an Insta 360 camera - but could almost get 2 for the price of 1 back in the UK when looking at the price of memoery cards for it.My last trip I managed to get everything outbound into either hold or under the seat - including a soft bag that went out empty/came back as my overhead carry-on.
TUS373 said:
First purchase, get a Suioco IC card at a station and top up. You will use public transport a lot.
Install Klook app. It is handy for booking tickets, including the Shinkensen bullet train...that runs on time, about every 6 minutes. Its bloody brilliant.
Google Maps...essential for navigating public transport. Shinjinku station has 200 exits. Its complicated. Google Maps will show you the name of the exit, floor levels, which line to get.
There are actually 7 IC cards to pick from (or 8 if you own an iPhone as you can use that), mainly depending where in the country you pick one up - but they all work the same way and are completely interchangable so doesn't matter if it's a Suica, Pasmo, etc. If you're on a "one in a lifetime" trip just grab the tourist card, in Tokyo that would be the "Welcome Suica" card and load it up (with cash). There's no deposit - but also no refund for unused cash (but loads of shops and vending machines accept them so you should be able get down to just a few hundred Yen/£1 left) and the card only lasts something liek 21 days. If you think you'll want to go back it's worth getting a 'proper', non-Welcome card. These do have a deposit but don't expire so any left over cash on the card will be there for your next trip.Install Klook app. It is handy for booking tickets, including the Shinkensen bullet train...that runs on time, about every 6 minutes. Its bloody brilliant.
Google Maps...essential for navigating public transport. Shinjinku station has 200 exits. Its complicated. Google Maps will show you the name of the exit, floor levels, which line to get.
I also found the NAVITIME app the best all arounder. Quite a brisk walking pace but you can buy your Shinkansen tickets, get public transport and walking directions, and even get told which carrage to get on so your opposite the correct steps at the next station.
TUS373 said:
Kyoto is a must. Hiroshima and Miyajima are fab. Osaka is a bit meh. Tokyo is bonkers, with the best shopping ever.
Interesting, I actually really liked Osaka as it was big enough to have a lot going on (though limited tourist attractions) but not quite so intimidating as Tokyo, where there were a couple of times I started to feel a little overwhelmed (something I quickly found could be solved by walking up a back alley, where half the time you'd come across the pool of tranquility around a tiny shrine and able to let out a breath you didn't realise you were holding).Kept it to Suica card as that is what you are likely to get in Tokyo. I lost mine half way through trip so picked up an Inuoco card in Kyoto. Lesson learned, dont load huge amounts of cash onto IC card, just top up every so often.
Google Maps told us the finer details of best carriage to get i.e..the most convenient way around. We down loaded Navitimer but never bothered with it once. Each to their own. Great thing about Japan is....stuff just works. Shinjuko station must be the most complex station in the world. Like an underground city. The footfall is 3.5 million people per day. Mind boggling...but it works so well.
Japanese toilet paper is rubbish. I assume that with so many millions of people in Toyko (34 million in the wider city) that they have designed bog roll that dissolves whilst pulling it off the roll. Andrea is somewhat more robust.
I agree that the high tide mark in a Japanese loo can get concerning with dipping of the plums quite possible!
Google Maps told us the finer details of best carriage to get i.e..the most convenient way around. We down loaded Navitimer but never bothered with it once. Each to their own. Great thing about Japan is....stuff just works. Shinjuko station must be the most complex station in the world. Like an underground city. The footfall is 3.5 million people per day. Mind boggling...but it works so well.
Japanese toilet paper is rubbish. I assume that with so many millions of people in Toyko (34 million in the wider city) that they have designed bog roll that dissolves whilst pulling it off the roll. Andrea is somewhat more robust.
I agree that the high tide mark in a Japanese loo can get concerning with dipping of the plums quite possible!
Edited by TUS373 on Wednesday 9th September 18:02
Edited by TUS373 on Wednesday 9th September 18:02
The tax free process for us was most of the time show passport and 10% knocked off there and then. The system is changing though so it is down to the retailer how they do it right now.
I bought a kitchen knife in Osaka and you give your details and passport at point of purchase, then receive an email 3 or 4 days later to enter how you want to receive the refund (7% rather than 10%), then it gets paid whenever.
Other shops it can be buy in the shop but collect goods at the airport.
Cameras can be a tricky purchase as they mostly come only with a Japanese language menu, but some retailers sell "overseas" models with English etc. Camera lenses.....utter bargain. I picked up a Sigma for £299 that is £470 in UK. No warranty...but massive savings.
I bought a kitchen knife in Osaka and you give your details and passport at point of purchase, then receive an email 3 or 4 days later to enter how you want to receive the refund (7% rather than 10%), then it gets paid whenever.
Other shops it can be buy in the shop but collect goods at the airport.
Cameras can be a tricky purchase as they mostly come only with a Japanese language menu, but some retailers sell "overseas" models with English etc. Camera lenses.....utter bargain. I picked up a Sigma for £299 that is £470 in UK. No warranty...but massive savings.
New tax free system starts 1st November. Will be QR code system I expect, with re-claim at the airport.
I wont bother for 10% tbh unless its something very expensive.
In fact even with the in store it was often not worth going to the duty free department to claim it back as its half an hour at least - more if its busy and then they charge a commission of 1-2% also.
Smaller shops are better as they just take it off literally at point of sale, 10 second, scan your passport and done.
On IC cards, I would get one to keep (not Welcome Suica) because once you have been to Japan its somewhere you will want to visit again and again. Having that IC in your wallet is so much easier on your second visit - esp if you arrive at HND as you can just get straight on the monorail (whats it called..).
If you are worried about losing the card then take a small sticky label with your email address on it and stick it to the card - if you lose it I 100% guarantee someone will email you!! I lost my phone twice (don't ask!) in Japan and both times its been returned to me.
I wont bother for 10% tbh unless its something very expensive.
In fact even with the in store it was often not worth going to the duty free department to claim it back as its half an hour at least - more if its busy and then they charge a commission of 1-2% also.
Smaller shops are better as they just take it off literally at point of sale, 10 second, scan your passport and done.
On IC cards, I would get one to keep (not Welcome Suica) because once you have been to Japan its somewhere you will want to visit again and again. Having that IC in your wallet is so much easier on your second visit - esp if you arrive at HND as you can just get straight on the monorail (whats it called..).
If you are worried about losing the card then take a small sticky label with your email address on it and stick it to the card - if you lose it I 100% guarantee someone will email you!! I lost my phone twice (don't ask!) in Japan and both times its been returned to me.
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