Japan Master Thread

[Dan]

Here is the weird part-cash booking for 3 is permitted. Bunch of jerks.

For the same room? Just call and add another guest afterward.

[PBaruch]

For the same room? Just call and add another guest afterward.

Now Andaz showing no points availability but Grand Hyatt does have points availability for 2.  Grand Hyatt worthwhile?  Its 25k per room per night.

I'd have to transfer UR to Hyatt - before I do, just wanna make sure it would work.

Park Hyatt does allow 3 per room - how does this compare to Grand Hyatt and Andaz?

[Dan]

Now Andaz showing no points availability but Grand Hyatt does have points availability for 2.  Grand Hyatt worthwhile?  Its 25k per room per night.

I'd have to transfer UR to Hyatt - before I do, just wanna make sure it would work.

Call the hotel?

[PBaruch]

Has anyone been to Hiroshima?  Recommendations for hotels?

[G11600]

Has anyone been to Hiroshima?  Recommendations for hotels?

I was there for a short night on my own. Stayed at a capsule hotel which had space to sit and daven. Was fun, short walk from station.
Memorial and museum is a must.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/capsule-hotel-cube-hiroshima.en-gb.html

[PBaruch]

I was there for a short night on my own. Stayed at a capsule hotel which had space to sit and daven. Was fun, short walk from station.
Memorial and museum is a must.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/capsule-hotel-cube-hiroshima.en-gb.html

Thanks but this would be a bit difficult for a family of 5 lol.  We would be open to trying a capsule hotel, but not when traveling with kids. 

[Yehoshua]

Thanks but this would be a bit difficult for a family of 5 lol.  We would be open to trying a capsule hotel, but not when traveling with kids.

You could get capsules for everyone, but your younger ones may not be able to be alone. Almost.

[moish]

Has anyone been to Hiroshima?  Recommendations for hotels?

I stayed at Sheraton Hiroshima back in 2015

[G11600]

I note that Hilton Hirishima recently opened.
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/hijshhi-hilton-hiroshima/

Walking distance to the sights

J

[PBaruch]

Ended up just booking an apartment.  It just doesnt make sense to book 2 rooms in terms of points value v. cash cost for booking an apartment.  Hopefully the numnuts in Tokyo will come through as they are only accepting bookings a few weeks before. 

[jnb1800]

Trip report:
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=132910.msg2703837#msg2703837

[Dan]

Sun-Tues, Hiroshima, Okinawa, or Hokkaido?

[Yehoshua]

Sun-Tues, Hiroshima, Okinawa, or Hokkaido?

Lucky for you, you have Sunday as a touring day and not quasi-שבת.

[ReadsTheT&C]

Sun-Tues, Hiroshima, Okinawa, or Hokkaido?

Hiroshima including spending the night on Miyajima Island and tickets to a Carp game if possible. Best stadium and fanbase in Japan which is saying something in such a baseball-crazy country.

The Rail Pass won't get you to Okinawa or Hokkaido (except Hakodate but that's not really worth it IMHO). It's true that JAL and ANA flights are dirt cheap with miles via AA and United respectively but the rail pass is by far the better deal. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of leaving Honshu where there are already so many beautiful places to see. If you were going to Niseko to ski in the winter that's a different story but in the summer, skip Hokkaido. Also it depends where you'll be coming from and going to.

[Dan]

Hiroshima including spending the night on Miyajima Island and tickets to a Carp game if possible. Best stadium and fanbase in Japan which is saying something in such a baseball-crazy country.

The Rail Pass won't get you to Okinawa or Hokkaido (except Hakodate but that's not really worth it IMHO). It's true that JAL and ANA flights are dirt cheap with miles via AA and United respectively but the rail pass is by far the better deal. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of leaving Honshu where there are already so many beautiful places to see. If you were going to Niseko to ski in the winter that's a different story but in the summer, skip Hokkaido. Also it depends where you'll be coming from and going to.

@hgeek23 with the counterpoint

[Dan]

Hiroshima including spending the night on Miyajima Island and tickets to a Carp game if possible. Best stadium and fanbase in Japan which is saying something in such a baseball-crazy country.

The Rail Pass won't get you to Okinawa or Hokkaido (except Hakodate but that's not really worth it IMHO). It's true that JAL and ANA flights are dirt cheap with miles via AA and United respectively but the rail pass is by far the better deal. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of leaving Honshu where there are already so many beautiful places to see. If you were going to Niseko to ski in the winter that's a different story but in the summer, skip Hokkaido. Also it depends where you'll be coming from and going to.

Sadly, no local carp games over the next several days
Any other good games to catch? Is Trevor Bauer playing in the majors yet?

What's the advantage of spending the night on Miyajima Island vs day tripping? Anything else worth doing around Hiroshima?

[stmark]

Years and Years ago I went to Japan with a friend for 5 days. we got back to NYC 2 weeks before the big tsunami.  (we had upgrades on aa that were expiring so we booked the longest flight we could find from nyc and got it in biz class)
we went to a baseball game - amazing!
there was a large spa that was huge and had different mens and womens areas and they give you robes and paper outfits and you go to treatment rooms and pay as you go via a bracelet then when you check out you pay for all the treatments. I dont remember what it was called but it was great.
great whisky & cigar bars.
spent a day on a touristy day trip and it was well worth it.

[G11600]

The Rail Pass won't get you to Okinawa or Hokkaido (except Hakodate but that's not really worth it IMHO).

Why is that? AFAIK JR Pass will go all the way to the north of Hokkaido. It's not Shinkansen but will certainly get there.

For Dan - I would also suggest to consider Takayama (+ overnight/day trip to Hiroshima from Kobe/Kyoto).
The train line to Takyama is beautiful and the town is very pretty and easy going, plenty to see in the area. There is also a chabad there with kosher meals.
I had a factory visit there and loved it. 
It's about 2.5 hours from Nagoya, which itself is around 1.5 hours from Tokyo. you can also return via Toyama and the ski resorts.

[ReadsTheT&C]

Chiba Lotte Marines play the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka Dome on Sunday at 1pm. The easiest way is to have concierge arrange the tickets. Japanese websites are notoriously bad and not English friendly. The train will get you closer to Hiroshima. There is no such thing as a bad baseball game in Japan. Most teams still allow BYOB except you have to pour it into cups at the entrance. That might have changed since COVID so have the concierge double check. You could also stop by Kobe after which is a great town that has a very international feel as one of the first cities that permitted foreigners to live there.

There is also the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery tour not too far away. https://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/

Miyajima is a picturesque island to spend the night with lots of ryokan/traditional style inns although I can't imagine any that take points. During the day, it's ok but feels very much like a tourist trap with lots of selfie-stick wielding people. At night, you have the whole island to yourself including stunning views of the floating Torii gate. There is a place where you can learn calligraphy, tea ceremony and kimono wearing that is surprisingly authentic/not kitschy. https://okeiko-japan.com/en

In Hiroshima, visiting the Atom Bomb Dome is a poignant experience you will never forget. A little further out, there is a nice day trip to a rabbit-filled island called Okunoshima. Its origins are also in WWII. https://voyapon.com/rabbit-island-hiroshima/

The shinkansen/bullet train gets you to the southernmost point in Hokkaido called Hakodate but there isn't much there. The rail pass covers the slow train from Hakodate to anywhere in Hokkaido worth going but it is a huge shlep that would eat up at least half a day. If you were going to Sapporo, flying is better but there's more to do in winter than summer. There is even an Israeli who owns a ski resort. Don't expect any discounts. 

The Chabad in Takayama (technically Chabads plural but that's been covered ad infinitum here so won't elaborate) are officially closed at the moment. Since they were solely tourist facing, during Covid it made no sense for shluchim to stick around. Occasionally one of the shluchim will send someone there but afaik there is no weekly presence. It's a nice town and not that it matters but for whatever reason, it seems to only attract Israelis and very few if any diaspora Jews.

[SSLPhD]

Is there anyone that could weigh in on halachic issues with the shrines/temples?