Visiting Japan with father who is a heart patient

I am planning on visiting Japan mid May 2009 with my father who has heart ailment. I do want to visit Kyoto for 2 days. Although my father is fit to travel I want to make sure that most of the spots in Kyoto do not require much of a trek uphill and there are not too many steps to climb up to the temples.

Once one you can tell me about this then I am sure I can take my father to Kyoto, I will have lots more questions to ask I am sure.

Thanks everyone

Visiting Japan with father who is a heart patient

I don%26#39;t want to discourage you but Kyoto is very unfriendly to handicapped, disabled, and patients with serious sickness. Though increasing number of public places such as train stations now are equipped with elevators and slopes or other facilities, still many older buildings and facilities only have steep stair ways and often you have to walk long way and uphills to get to the destinations.

Many temples unfortunately are located bit remote area from the center of the city and they are often located on the hill. Temples have least interest in investing facilities for handicaps and elderly.

Though I am sure your father will not have much difficulties getting around the city, you may want to take enough time to relax and rest when you move around the city. Climate in May should be quite pleasant. You may wanna search medical facilities around the city just for in case.

Just remember the number, 119 for fire rescue. Ambulance is free of charge here.

People here tend to move so fast, so don%26#39;t go with them, Take your time, relax, go easy. Enjoy your visit.

Visiting Japan with father who is a heart patient

If you%26#39;re in Tokyo, here%26#39;s an excellent hospital to keep in mind. ';Shin-ken'; in Nogizaka.

http://www.cvi.or.jp/english/index.html

In Kyoto, the #1 Red Cross hospital has a heart specialist. Kyoto Daichi Sekiju-ji Byouin.

Kiyomizu Temple has a long trek (not much of one for you and me, but might be a bit long and upwards for your father).

Compared to flatland LA, Japan in general will seem very hilly. Take your time.

All the best.

There are dozens of shrines, temples and gardens in Kyoto which require absolutely no uphill walking. Kyoto is surrounded by hills but most of the city itself is pancake flat. There are often a few wooden steps involved in visiting temples but rarely more than three or four in succession.

I am sure that you and your father will have a fantastic time.

Same thoughts here as LomdonBob%26#39;s. That said, you%26#39;d sometimes be tempted to wave down a cab. You may not pretty much facy getting a rickshaw in, say Kiyomizu/Arashiyama, but that%26#39;d be an option. Not sure if he%26#39;s still available, but I knew about an English speaking rickshawman by the name of Yasuei Fujiwara. Around here, rickshawmen are by and large a good tour guide for Japanese travelers. Besides, they are so energetic they don%26#39;t mind taking you down the steep cobble-stone stairs nearby Kiyomizu!

One place I recommend that has no steps or hills is the Kyoto Gosho,Imperial Palace with free English guided group tour that takes about one hour. You need to reserve.

sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/order/index_EN.html

Many temples %26amp; shrines including this Kyoto Imperial Palace, Tokyo Meiji Jingu, etc. have gravel walking surfaces. It is not easy even for me sometimes (slides)and I don%26#39;t think it is wheelchair friendly, either, if you are thinking about it(I am guessing the small front wheels could dig in). So walk slowly.

One more thing to keep with you. The emergency 24 hr nationwide toll free help line:

http://www.jhelp.com/en/jhlp.html

I would not be discouraged by the advice from the Golden Mango. True, it is hilly, but what would it look like if the historic stairs and walks were replaced with escalators? With more than 1,000 temples and shrines in Kyoto alone, you%26#39;ll find enough without a climb. Besides, a cab will drop you off as close to the entrance as you can get. From there, it%26#39;s all downhill.

Assume that your fathe%26#39;rs doctor has said OK for him to travel though with the United states penchant for suing, maybe the Doc said nothing as the safer option.

There are plenty of things worth seeing that don%26#39;t entail a lot of climbing. A few that have uphill climbs should still be OK providing he takes his time and moves at his own pace.

Suggest you ask your or his family doctor as to his ability to travel.

Cheers.

What you said here is true for tourists, but not true for those who live daily life here. I am sick%26#39;n tired of those temples and Buddhist monks who are nothing but money hungry.

If you plan to visit a castle, only castle I know with elevator is in Nagoya(rebuilt). It is still good.

One more thing is that you may try to avoid ryokan type tatami floor for futon bed. It is a struggle to get up sometimes especially in the middle of a night. Some places have western bed(s) with tatami floors and table.

train travel from tokyo to kyoto

I am planning on traveling on a Thursday morning from Tokyo to Kyoto by train.....can I book tickets that morning(either reserved or unreserved)or do I need to book a few days in advance?

train travel from tokyo to kyoto

You can book tickets from up to departure time. Though if you want a reserved ticket it is good to get one a bit earlier depending on the time.

Good news for train travelers

Here are some good ';local'; deals.

The Kamakura trip, including Eno-den streetcar, looks enticing!

You don%26#39;t have to be 18 years old to purchase the Seishun 18 (Youth 18) ticket either! :-)

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/index.html

Here%26#39;s the official Japan Rail Pass site. http://www.japanrailpass.net/

Happy traveling, surfing and reading!

Good news for train travelers

I noticed this story about discounts for Kodama trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen:

…mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090310p2a00m0na0…

Good news for train travelers

Don%26#39;t forget the Odakyu pass-it is good for a one day trip, but lot%26#39;s of people only want to go for the day, and it is cheaper

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_003.html

Kobe Rokkosan Pasture

We will be visiting Kobe on Mar 16-19 and would like to take our kids (6 and 9 years old) to some slow-paced places for a walk or a tour. Do you think the Kobe Rokkosan Pasture is worth visiting? How long should we plan to spend there? Could you recommend other parks or slow-paced places to visit in the area?

Kobe Rokkosan Pasture

I%26#39;ve been up Rokkosan, just out of curiosity really, as they have a cheese restaurant and make their own cheese there. Presumably this is the same as the Rokkosan pasture as I seem to remember there being some open land with a few cows. It was a bit of an odd place with not much going on (even the cheese restaurant was closed when I went!) but pleasant enough to walk around. There were pictures of Heidi all over the place, presumably to remind people of Swiss mountains??

A little further outside of Kobe, but far more interesting, is Nara park, which can be done at a relaxed pace. Also, in Osaka, you have the grounds around the castle and not far away is a fantastic aquarium that you take an elevator to the top of, then walk down. Again, this can be done at your own pace and is great for both kids and adults - it can get quite crowded on week ends and holidays though.

skin

Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

Hello,

I%26#39;m planning a holiday to Japan with my wife, and plan to spend 4 days in Kyoto (31st Mar check-in - 4Apr checkout). I%26#39;m looking for accommodation for around JPY 10000/night (for the two of us), but most places in that range seem to be full already (I couldn%26#39;t book earlier because of visa).

I therefore wanted to know if staying in Osaka is a doable option - we should have JR passes, and I see that the train takes around half an hour one way. So is this a workable option, or will we spend way too much time in travel?

This is our first time in Japan, and I%26#39;m at my wit%26#39;s end trying to figure it all out :) So any recommendations/suggestions on places in Kyoto/Osaka is more than welcome!

Regards,

- JK

Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

It%26#39;s not a problem to stay in Osaka and get to Kyoto. That%26#39;s what I did.

I stayed in the Umeda section of Osaka and Shin-Osaka station was two subway stops away. From Shin-Osaka, it was about 40 minutes to Kyoto Station, although total time depends on whether you take a local, express, or limited-express train. With a JR pass, I suppose you can take a Shinkansen, which I think only took about 15 minutes.

Osaka stay, Kyoto visit, doable?

Late March is the peak of the cherry blossom, so availability in Kyoto is close to zero. With the JR pass it is free to take the shinkansen, which takes only a few minutes, so no problem at all to stay in Osaka. Osaka Castle Park is a great place for viewing the blossom.

By staying at the Osaka/Umeda area, you give yourself the most convenient access to Kyoto, Nara and Himeji. You can take the JR Special Rapid Service from Osaka Station to Kyoto with no transfers involved. There is really no need to take the train or subway to Shinosaka to transfer to Shinkansen. Both methods take about the same amount of time (around 30 minutes).

Since you will be going to Kyoto daily, stick to Osaka and Umeda and not Shinsaibashi/Namba. You%26#39;d have to take the subway to transfer if you stay at Shinsaibashi/Namba, thus adding 20 minutes and a subway ticket to your daily ride.

Hello everyone,

Thanks very much for your replies, it%26#39;s really reassuring to know that a stay in Osaka will work!

Btw, I just learnt that The Palace Side Hotel in Kyoto has rooms available. Any thoughts on the place - location wise, is it close to the Kyoto attractions, or will I be better off staying in Osaka?

Another factor is that I%26#39;m in Japan for 10 days (first 6 days in Osaka/Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima etc, last 4 days in Tokyo)...and plan to buy a 7 day JR Pass. So should I save the JR pass for the latter part of the trip (will staying at Palace Side help me do that?

I apologize for these basic questions, but I%26#39;m still getting used to the maps and remembering Japanese names of places, so appreciate your help!

Regards,

-JK

I would use a regional pass for the first days; there are some good ones for the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) region. A good breakdown:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html

As another poster said, Osaka is good for day trips to other Kansai locations. Make sure to visit Himeji on your way to Hiroshima; you can take a half day if you only do the castle and Kokoen (gardens next to the castle); Mt. Shosha (Himeji) is also worthwhile and will require 2-3 hours longer. If you do go to Himeji, I suggest taking the local train. It%26#39;s marginally longer, but I like that route; it goes along the coast just past Kobe and very close to the Akashi Bridge.

Good luck!

John W.

Kyoto is not a large city and Palace Side is close to a subway station. If Kyoto is your main interest I would be inclined to stay there, although in my experience, hotels in Osaka are better value. Be sure to have a look at the hotel reviews on TA before you decide.

Hi there,

Thanks very much for your invaluable inputs! Based on these, I am now inclined to have my base in Osaka.

I reach Kansai Int%26#39;l airport on 30th, and am planning to buy

* the Kansai Thru Pass (Surutto Kansai) for Mar 30-Apr 1 and

* the JR Pass from Apr 2-8. I leave Narita on 9th morning.

* Does this make sense?

* Is the Surutto Kansai pass a good option, to go from Kansai airport to Osaka?

* Does this cover a good part of local travel in Osaka, Kyoto etc?

* And given that this is not valid on JR Trains, is staying in Osaka still a good idea?

* Finally how can I get schedules of trains that are covered by hte Surutto Kansai trains? I believe www.hyperdia.com gives schedules only for JR trains. Am I right?

Once again, I really appreciate your help folks; these multiple train lines are driving me insane, and your help is what is still keeping me sane :)

-JK

The only real downside of the Surutto pass is that if you%26#39;re not staying in the Namba area of Osaka it%26#39;s not that convenient for trains. However, you can usually take a bus rather than train from the airport; I%26#39;d ask your hotel. I personally feel that Namba is a bit inefficient to get to Kyoto when compared to Osaka (called Umeda on the subways)/Shin Osaka. Otherwise it%26#39;s a great deal and I think you should go for it.

John W.

Thanks for all the useful information! Any thoughts on the Weekly Mansion Osaka at Otemae?

The address says:

1-3-2 Tokui-Cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-Shi, Osaka 540-0025 Japan

and when I check a map, I see a subway station nearby. Is this a good area/place to stay at? The reviews are pretty good and the rate is reasonable. So if the location is convenient (couldn%26#39;t get a clear idea on that from the reviews), I%26#39;ll seriously consider this!

Thanks,

JK

You can also try http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english for your train schedules. Of course, the best thing to do is double check with tourist info office when you get into Osaka

dog

Onsen water - how hygienic is it?

This may be a silly question but how hygienic is the water in onsens/baths? Is the water constantly replaced or is it chlorinated in some way? Does the governement have any regulations in place for Ryokans?

Some of the Ryokans we have booked have large baths that are seperated by gender and some have family baths which are smaller that you book for private use.

The idea of sharing hot still water with a number of people just does not appeal. In Australia any still water is chlorinated to keep the germs or bugs at bay. Individual baths are emptied after the user and the next person runs a fresh bath.

Thanks

Pam

Onsen water - how hygienic is it?

Hi, Pamies,

Maybe it%26#39;s the mindset. Maybe it%26#39;s always been a ';given'; and I had never thought of it. There%26#39;s a saying that one achieves a different sort of relationship when we bathe together.

Yes, the government has regulations. An onsen has different categories and an owner has to state the quality of the water (what minerals on in it) and if any additives are in there. There should be sign at the entrance to the tubs (written in Japanese).

I%26#39;ve never been in any ';chorinated'; baths. The onsens are usually not very friendly to floaty and sinky wormy things, except I have seen a moth or two follow the light and come in for a soak in an outside tub. Onsen baths aren%26#39;t very ';still.'; There%26#39;s hot water running in constantly and flowing out as people come and go.

Whether it%26#39;s a large (communal) or small (individual size) bath, one is always supposed to wash OUTSIDE the tub BEFORE one enters the tub, so technically, everyone is clean. You%26#39;ll find a washing area with a stool, wash pan and individual showers. Come to think of it, we share the stools and pans, too. It%26#39;s good manners to shower off the equipment after you use it, but we, the guests, don%26#39;t use a cleaning fluid to sponge them off after each use. The hotel or onsen owner would do that at cleaning time.

Maybe you could go when the onsen opens. The place will be squeaky clean then!

Onsen water - how hygienic is it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen#Infections

There are possibilities but still rare.

There are many types of onsens. Most in well known onsen towns have abundant continuous flow of hot spring underground water(mixed with cold tap water for temp. control). Some other places, i.e. sento public baths recirculate %26amp; may use partial or full tap water w/ chlorine(cheap but outdating method) or other types of germ killing. The faucet water (hot %26amp; cold) in washing area is city tap water.

So in general, you don%26#39;t have to worry about if you stay at a decent onsen ryokan/hotel.

Just soak %26amp; relax.

All I can say is remember you are not travelling to a 3rd world country. Japan is not a place where I have worried about things like this.

I have never thought about it as the Japanese are obsessive about cleanliness. If there was a hint of a problem they would know about it.

The water is exceeding Hot in Japan compared to Oz..starting at 40degree C plus plus .... hot enough to kill anything scarey.. and hot enough to simmer a lobster ...depending on how hot your like your baths, a 5 to 10 min soak may be more than enough before you start getting %26#39;light headed%26#39;. Some baths had temperature regulators where some of the temps reach 90 degrees...

The only thing I was really concerned about was sitting on the little wooden wash stool ... wasn%26#39;t sure how many little %26#39;bot bots%26#39; had been there so would put my small wash cloth on the seat prior to sitting...

We found the tap water hot enough to leave burns so be cautious

Have fun :-)

I went to a Ryokan with outdoor onsen (rotemburo) in Nasu, Tochigi and they all had a constant flow of water in and out of them.

The tolerable temperature for bathing water is probably lower than you%26#39;d imagine and within the limits that some bacteria could survive.

I think the main concern should be dealing with the temperature of the water. I had to keep getting out every so often and the high temperature certainly made me fell rather light-headed.

One of them was too hot to stand. I was starting to cook!

Generally speaking, there is nothing to worry about. I have soaked many times and never had any problems. It%26#39;s just like going to the swimming pool. The scalding temperature takes some getting used to but you will naturally adjust to it after a while.

Regarding the small stool, most Japanese put some soap on it and rinse it with a burst from the shower.

%26lt;Regarding the small stool, most Japanese put some soap on it and rinse it with a burst from the shower.%26gt;

Ah, so??????!!! Boys or girls?

I%26#39;ve been to a LOT of baths (onsen, non-onsen, sento, etc.) and have yet to see anyone put soap on the little stool. Squirt with water -- always -- but never soap!

Darn! I%26#39;ll have to try it! That%26#39;ll really get the locals watching me! LOL

Shampoo should work, too, right?

Thanks, Sammy! :-)

I recently read an article where 7 people died of some bacteria that were in natural hotsprings in California (entered through the nose)over the past several years but I%26#39;ve never heard of anything like that occurring in Japan. I%26#39;ve been to hotsprings (natural %26amp; pumped in water) numerous times here over the past 24 years and have never had any problems. And like one of the other posters, you just take cleanliness as a given. I wouldn%26#39;t worry about it.

Thanks everyone for your feedback and tips.

Sounds like they have the water really hot, now that is going to take a bit of getting use to. Maybe I will come home looking like a lobster, well done of course. LOL.

Transport

Hello. I am a Jet and recently moved to Japan. A relative is visiting me and has bought a rail pass. I would like to travel with her to Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima. I presently live in Toyama City. Is there some way to make the trip cheaper as the trains are very expensive and I don%26#39;t want to be separated from my visitor by catching a bus.

Transport

I am fairly certain that there is no way to avoid paying the full fare. My niece was on the jet programme and when her parents visited they had rail passes but had to pay full fare for her.

Transport

I suggest you hit the travel agents / JTB/HIS etc for packaged deals if you can find anything, also finding ticket discount shops near the major station, though its usually a small discount.

There are discount shops near stations and you probably should check with them. The discount is not substantial (like a JR Pass) but it helps.