Japan 09 - I Need Your Help

[gimmy]

Hey,

I need some help planning a trip to Japan for my boyfriend for an xmas pressie. What im thinking is heading over early Jan for the auto salon then a week at the snow then a week travelling around etc. Problem is that time of year is overly expensive and i only have around 6grand to play with.

It is alot cheaper to fly over in Feb but there are no real events on, not that there are in Jan either but the auto salon was going to be a good thing he would want to go to.

So my question is.... is it worth paying a extra to go to the auto salon in Jan or save money and go in Feb but with limited things to see?

Or should i just blow the suprise and discuss it with him so he can help plan it?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Beer Baron]

tough call. TAS is great and if he's never been before he will love it.

on the other hand if you hold off a bit you could consider going to a D1 drift event or perhaps a super GT race later in the year when it's not peak season.

it may be a good idea to see what he rates as most important. TAS or savings.

to be honest I've found with JAL flighs in peak season usually around $1800 and off peak only falls to $1500 or $1600 so not a huge difference in price. but some hotels may charge higher rates in peak time.

[elrodeo666]

You maybe able to hookup cheaper flights with a ski/snow package deal then but ya flipside to that is accomo is premium price in Jan and hard to find if your hitting Niseko (Hokkaido) region.

Keep in mind the aussie $ has been sliding down against the yen recently.

Edited September 26, 2008 by elrodeo666

[HOSTILE]

What an awesome girlfriend!!!

I have been twice in january for TAS and once in february(next yr) for Automesse and on all occasions airfare has been between $1500 and $1800.

As far as the shows go... if you haven't been to a TAS then that is the one you want to see.

So.... jan!

[gimmy]

Thanks heaps for your replies...

I know he would like to go snow boarding as well as TAS but i know he would also be very keen to go to a D1 drift event or something like that..

Its very hard planning this with out him knowing..

[Juz]

New years this year is expected to be very very busy(all the traveling of family on shinkansen etc etc), i would go February, there's always things to do in Nippon, Always good food, car shops, shops, Tokyo, Shinjuku/Akihabura So There's Always Stuff to do, It's just personal Preference. BUT WHAT A COOL GIRLFRIEND!!! !~LUCKY~!

[Juz]

Why not Jetstar, Sydney To Osaka way to go.

[knore]

Yeah Jetstar is pretty cheap, some combinations are around 400 each way. Usually some delay because it goes from cairns i think.

Remember the day going there and the day coming back to australia arent included in the holiday because you'll be in the air and in airports for 12hrs + each day, EG if your going for 7 days.. Then your actually going for 5.

I have to agree with everyone, your intended actions make for a great partner!

Although me being me, i wouldnt really like the idea of being sprung with a holiday out of nowhere. Its probably a good idea to find out if he can take time off work etc and hasnt already got anything planned.

Plus i think two minds are better than one, you will be able to plan.. brainstorm and allocate more funds and effort to enjoy Japan properly if both of you have preplanned and know exacly what you want to do.

And you should know how guys are.. We want to lead and make the decisions

Just for informational sake, ive estimated 6 weeks in Japan at around $32,000 total.. Although i plan on doing alot and living in luxury

Edited September 26, 2008 by knore

[elrodeo666]

As for Jetstar, your biggest hassle will be finding seats as its prime time for aussies coming for the snow season. Most of it is already booked. Also you want to be carefull if your thinking Japan domestic as first 2 weeks of Jan are top price and seats can be hard to find as its holiday time here. Try these guys http://www.skymark.co.jp/en/ always have last minute cheap flights plus a variety of pricing. If your thinking of hitting Hokkaido for the snow, then Tokyo for Auto salon, but accomo in Niseko is getting hard to find for that time of year.

Edited September 26, 2008 by elrodeo666

[m3gtr]

They could always crash at your place Mark.

[m3gtr]

Sweetheart, if youre going to do this, you should tell him about the trip.

Itll be fun to organize the trip together plus you can slash away a heap of stress getting things organized.

If you are looking to do something outside of the normal "travel tour" route, youll need him to help you sort things out before you get here.

Remember, Niseko is not the be all and end all of skiing in Japan. Last year we had some of the powder of the season in Nagano which is a couple of hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo. Thigh deep and blue skies.

You will be able to source accomodation easily - i know many locals up there and can help you out with some very nice lodging for $40 a night, breakfast included..for example. Lift passes for happo and hakuba are around $35 for the day which is peanuts when you think about it.

Try not to get stuck on the "tour Japan to find the cars" thing because to be honest, youll be selling yourself short.

Trust me. His mates may go "Phwoargh" when he says how sick the autosalon was but i guarantee he'll remember you and the experience more if you did something a little more...closer to the heart. Temples and shrines are a good place to start, for example.

But if youve made the choice, who am i to deny you.

Two things - get a lonely planet guide.

And buy the Japan Rail pass.

Dont come here without one.

Drop me a line if you need some more advice.

[m3gtr]

By the way, you dont have to bust a nut to try and get him over here for the salon - even the guys that have been bitch and moan about how boring and samey the other ones theyve been to are... hmmm, who on here have i heard that from??

[elrodeo666]

I agree with ya M3..Niseko is far from the be all and end all, I actually hate the place now , but early Jan, its the pick in Japan. I lived there for 4 1/2 years before it went nuts, then got out but I do have a lovely house up there anyone can stay in for $500 aussie a night !..except it pretty much booked from mid Dec onwards. As for Hakuba the place rocks when its on, gotta heap of mates there as well, some even sane! Plus Hokkaido in winter is a freezing hell , but does make for some interesting drifting,some unintentionally.

If it was me, I`d tell him ya plans and base a snow trip around Nagano like M3gtr said. You can access Tokyo easy enough, plus any snow up there will kill any best season in Oz. The only reason I said Niseko is that you might be able to score decent price on air ticket by buying a package deal..But whatever you do, organise it soon cause early Jan is peak season!!

[knore]

By the way, you dont have to bust a nut to try and get him over here for the salon - even the guys that have been bitch and moan about how boring and samey the other ones theyve been to are... hmmm, who on here have i heard that from??

Yeah i think Japan will be most enjoyable if you go at a time where both of you can soak up the culture and surroundings without a million tourists in the way.

I really want to see Autosalon, but im probably just going to make that a seperate and specific holiday for it.

Strolling around Kyoto together will be much more romantic and memerable than waiting in lines with heaps of americans yapping etc lol

Plus like everyone has said, there is plenty of car stuff to see in Japan if you cant go for Autosalon anyway.

[m3gtr]

Yeah i think Japan will be most enjoyable if you go at a time where both of you can soak up the culture and surroundings without a million tourists in the way.

I really want to see Autosalon, but im probably just going to make that a seperate and specific holiday for it.

Strolling around Kyoto together will be much more romantic and memerable than waiting in lines with heaps of americans yapping etc lol

Plus like everyone has said, there is plenty of car stuff to see in Japan if you cant go for Autosalon anyway.

Maybe OP is a car fan gurl. Who knows. If thats true then it will be romantic... i suppose in that sort of way.

Kyoto is magic.

The biggest single piece of advice i can give you on that place ( I know it very very well ) is to get into the Government listed villas and imperial palaces.

You must register i advance on all of these and you must do a number of other things once you have but when you get there youll instantly forget any hassle you had in signing up for them.

Trust me - PM for details.

[knore]

Maybe OP is a car fan gurl. Who knows. If thats true then it will be romantic... i suppose in that sort of way.

Kyoto is magic.

The biggest single piece of advice i can give you on that place ( I know it very very well ) is to get into the Government listed villas and imperial palaces.

You must register i advance on all of these and you must do a number of other things once you have but when you get there youll instantly forget any hassle you had in signing up for them.

Trust me - PM for details.

Great advice, i was wondering if you could go in historical places etc

Ill pm you about that sometime at the end of the year.

Maybe when im over there we can catch up and have an argument, whos better... Alonso or Hamilton haha

[m3gtr]

Great advice, i was wondering if you could go in historical places etc

Ill pm you about that sometime at the end of the year.

Maybe when im over there we can catch up and have an argument, whos better... Alonso or Hamilton haha

I'd be more than happy to help. Drop me a line when youre ready.

I still have every little shred of info i collected while i was there and only just the other day was i going through it toying with the idea of going back in December...

Kyoto is pure magic if youre open to it..yes its touristy in parts but the experiences i had there, while a little exhausting in some ways, were definitely worth the effort and ive never forgotten them.

On to other topics, FA vs LH...its a bit like The Highlander - there can be only one!

And we all know where FA ended up, lol.

[m3gtr]

Oh and Kyoto is super cold in Dec/Jan.

I was there in May when Spring was at its best but i want to return to see it snow covered. Its a 4 seasons kind of place - accessible all year round.

It literally sits in a bowl of mountains so when its cold its bloody cold and vice versa in summer...

The station is worth a visit alone some would argue... amazing for a place that only caters for trains and passengers.

[elrodeo666]

Kyoto without doubt is a wicked place to check out and seeing it with some snow would look spectacular its a pretty amazing place. Ninja castle up in the mountains is a good day trip and pretty good fun, I thoroughly reccommend it..

If your after snow accomo in hokkaido, drop me a line as I do alot of booking for crew.

[Streeter]

man the way you guys are pushing kyoto so much it makes me want to go back for the 9th -10th time and try and see what Ive missed everytime Ive been there so far LOL

maybe Im just not the temple/wabi sabi/touristy kinda guy? the place reminds me of Adelaide. Except replace the churches with temples (although I dont remember having to pay to get into any church in Adelaide). Everything seems to be 2 stories tall and its boring as hell

Edited September 28, 2008 by Streeter