Originally Posted By Malin So I'm looking into my next possible trip to Japan, but instead of Tokyo, I'm considering Osaka instead. Part of the reason for going is that I finally want to see Universal Studios, but also other places of interest in Japan like Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. I'm thinking Osaka because of its position would be the most easiest to navigate around for a Brit who speaks very little Japanese. My first question is do you think Osaka is the right choice to stay in?
Originally Posted By Roger55 If it was me, I would choose to stay in Kyoto. Besides USJ, Osaka Castle and Umeda undergtound, there isn't that much to see in Osaka. Kyoto on the other hand has many more things to experience, especially if you enjoy visiting the historical temples. Kyoto is centrally located between Nara an Osaka. It is a little bit further to Hiroshima, but not significantly enough different from Osaka to justify staying in Osaka versus Kyoto. Just my opinion. Others here may have a differing opinion.
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi For a more centrally-located location, I would choose Osaka. Nara is directly east of the city, Kyoto is north-north-east of it, and Hiroshima is (way, way) to the west. All the other cities, could easily be one-day trips from Osaka. Other points of interest in the city include the Tenjinbashi-suji Arcade, Namba (Dotonbori), bunraku and comedy theaters, Osaka Dome and the Osaka Aquarium. -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Besides USJ, Osaka Castle and Umeda undergtound, there isn't that much to see in Osaka.*** While I certainly won't argue that Osaka is a better choice than Kyoto as far as uniquely "Japan" tourist attractions, saying the above is kind of like saying "Besides TDR, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Tower, there isn't that much to see in Tokyo". It's true on the surface, but like most major cities (Osaka is, after all, bigger than Chicago) there is a TON to offer the intrepid traveller though of course most of it is of a more simple, local flavor. If you like seafood, Osaka is YOUR town. I could eat their okonomiyani all day long. It is a rather drab place though. But the people seem much friendlier than in Tokyo I thought. In any case, I don't think staying in Kyoto would really screw up your travel plans all that much (so long as you're reasonably close to Kyoto station), unless you planned to spend a lot of time in Osaka (then, what would be the point anyway right?). I do agree with Nezumi that Osaka is more central. You might consider a flight to Hiroshima though, it really is pretty far away even by high speed rail.
Originally Posted By leemac Osaka is an absolute hole - very little for a tourist to see and do considering its size. If you want a central location then I'd choose Osaka - it is an easy commuter train ride to Nara and Kyoto and the shinkansen access to Hiroshima (and Nagaski if you wish). It also has some decent western hotels (the Hilton is fine although not as good as any of the others in Japan). I really don't like Osaka - it is still Matsushita-Town and immensely industrial. It just has very little charm and little history. It is a great location though for seeing Kansai. But if you want to see the real Kansai then I'd definitely choose either Nara or Kyoto as a base - it is only about an hour to Osaka from either if I recall.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Sounds like my opinion of Osaka is closer to Lee's opinion and not the others. >>saying the above is kind of like saying "Besides TDR, Asakusa Temple and Tokyo Tower, there isn't that much to see in Tokyo"<< I wasn't trying to list everything there is to do in Osaka, but was trying to make the same point Lee made..."Osaka is an absolute hole - very little for a tourist to see and do considering its size".
Originally Posted By Malin I can't thank you guys enough for the advice. I am kind of favouring Osaka more due to its location. I can appreciate Kyoto offers more in the way of Tourist traps, but to be honest the distance between both cities is very small and I don't mind commuting to and from each day. I won't be making any concrete decisions until after returning back from the D23 Expo later in the year. Osaka may not be a popular recommendation by some but it does cater more to my interest than what I think Kyoto would. I'm kind of looking at putting a schedule together now and working out how many days I would need. Osaka 3-4 days Kyoto 3-4 days Nara 1 day Hiroshima 1-2 days Any other places I should add to my list, how about Kobe?
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ Wow - that is a lot of time in Kyoto. I'm not sure I'd spend that amount of time there - it is a day or so at best. Nara and Hiroshima are about right though.
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi ^^ Agreed. Unless you really really really like temples and all their intricacies, 3-4 days in Kyoto is way too long. One, maybe two days are enough. I'd also do a one-day for the Hiroshima trip. Actually, I'm going there next month. -- MagicalNezumi PS: Don't forget to include nearby Kobe while you're in Osaka.
Originally Posted By Mr X I disagree that Kyoto is a day trip, although 4 days might be a bit much. We went there for 2 days and still didn't see everything we wanted to see (there are many unique kinds of places like the 33 Buddas place and the golden and silver temples and the emperors palace and the 3 rivers shrine etc...all are quite different from each other so you don't want to miss any of it)...personally I would say 2-3 days should do it (leave your schedule fairly flexible so if you're done in 2, you can move on to someplace else on the 3rd...I would suggest Nara Dreamland but sadly...).
Originally Posted By Anatole69 I can't recommend Himeji castle strongly enough. If you want to see the only original, unreconstructed, majestic old school-japanese castle still standing in one piece, you have got to see Himeji-jo. Himeji Garden next door is well worth a looksie too. I did Kobe and Himeji in one day and it was as much a highlight of my trip as my 2 week stay in Tokyo. - Anatole
Originally Posted By leemac X - I think the problem can be "temple fatigue" - I can happily spend a few days wandering around temples and other historical sites but spending a week or more doing that at multiple sites can be exhausting and mentally tedious. Just going to one location for a few days is very different to one trip. After TDS opened in '01 we took some time off to travel around to Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima etc. and it was a wonderful trip (the highlight was unquestionably the Itsukushima Shrine with that wonderful floating torii that just appears out of the early morning mist as you arrive on the ferry) but it can get repetitive. Malin - I'd stick with 2 days tops in Kyoto unless you are going to say at a Ryokan - which would require more time. There are some wonderful ryokans in Kyoto.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***X - I think the problem can be "temple fatigue" - I can happily spend a few days wandering around temples and other historical sites but spending a week or more doing that at multiple sites can be exhausting and mentally tedious.*** I can certainly agree with this. My trips are of the 2-3 day variety then back home to my own bed. When I *actually* vacation, it's on a beach somewhere (or DisneyWorld lol).
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Can a Gaijin visit a geisha in Kyoto? If so, I wonder how much it would be. - Anatole
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 <<Planning Osaka trip, need advice?>> No, but thanks so much for asking.
Originally Posted By SuperDry I too think Osaka is a pit. It's the only place in Japan that I have not really enjoyed visiting, and makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason that I can't quite identify. But, I would not want to discourage someone else from visiting it at least once, especially for someone that's been to Tokyo several times. Just expect a very different vibe. <<< It is a rather drab place though. But the people seem much friendlier than in Tokyo I thought. >>> I agree on the drabness, but I also thought the people were very noticeably UNfriendly and harsher than Tokyo. Malin, you mentioned the cities that you want to visit: Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima, but interestingly the only specific thing you mention about the whole trip is wanting to visit USJ. We're left to guess about the rest. I'll make an educated guess that Kyoto and Nara are for the temples and shrines, and Hiroshima is for the atomic museum and grounds. But I have no idea what you want to do in Osaka other than USJ. Having said all of that, I would actually recommend that you consider Kyoto as your base. Specifically, the Hotel Granvia, which is located directly above Kyoto Station. You'll be local to Kyoto, and have direct train access to Nara and Hiroshima. Also, consider that the train trip from Kyoto Station to USJ is about 49 minutes: almost exactly the travel time from Shinjuku to TDR. Since the only thing you mention for Osaka itself is USJ, I think this might best serve your trip. Also, for other things to do in Osaka, it's not as if you'd be a long way away. Travel time from Kyoto Station to Shin-Osaka station is just 14 minutes via Shinkansen. The biggest thing you lose by staying in Kyoto is being able to stay out in Osaka past "last train" and being able to walk or take a reasonable cab ride back to your hotel. <<< Can a Gaijin visit a geisha in Kyoto? >>> The Hotel Granvia Kyoto actually has a special program just for this purpose. <<< If so, I wonder how much it would be. >>> From their website, it looks like its JPY16,000 per person, including dinner, Geisha entertainment, and a night at their associated guest house.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***<<< It is a rather drab place though. But the people seem much friendlier than in Tokyo I thought. >>> I agree on the drabness, but I also thought the people were very noticeably UNfriendly and harsher than Tokyo.*** Interesting. It has always seemed to me that the Tokyo folks are some of the least approachable, most stressed out types I've encountered. Even in neighboring Yokohama, the vibe is quite different I think (someone from California once compared it to the difference between L.A. and Orange County). I certainly can't speak with great knowledge about Osaka, having only been there just the once, but I do have some friends who hail from there and they seem nice enough (though with a bit of a sarcastic streak..every one of em..which I personally enjoy but others may not). One interesting thing happened that made me think Osaka was more friendly (perhaps laid-back is a better way to put it). A group of us entered a train station but then realized that we were in the right location after all (after having bought tickets and entered, duh). When we brought the tickets back to the train guy, we were given refunds with a smile. I can't imagine such a thing happening in Tokyo. Quite the opposite, in fact. The train folks seem quite stubborn and adamant, and even if you lose your ticket they'll make you pay all over again. Once, I lost my train pass at Maihama station. The JR folks actually called me to tell me it was found. I went to Maihama station, and they informed me that for some unknown reason the pass had been taken to the Shin-Urayasu office (it was a Maihama to Shin-Urayasu pass). So I tried to go catch a train and was stopped. "You must PAY for a ticket!" (knowing full well that I was a passholder and that my pass was sitting right there at the other end) Jerks. Anyway, it's funny how different experiences can color the way you look at things (and naturally having lived around Tokyo I've had more opportunities for negative AND positive ones).
Originally Posted By Mr X None of that was meant to discourage you from considering SD's Kyoto advice, by the way. That sounds like a very reasonable suggestion (assuming as he says that you aren't looking for a crazy nightlife scene, as I believe Kyoto offers little compared to Osaka in that department but I could be wrong).
Originally Posted By Anatole69 I found the people of Tokyo to be quite nice and pleasant and was very shocked by how approachable I found them. By contrast, the people of Hong Kong were difficult to stop and talk to and much colder. I was very similar to New York and they had a New York walk. I was expecting this in Tokyo and didn't find it there at all. - Anatole
