Shopping Taking a Trip to Japan for Dollies? Info & Advice

Isn't the JR Pass available in 7, 14 and 21 days? I used a 14 day earlier this year.

I just have to add, if you are on a schedule or travel in a group at all, you could consider a Green pass. It costs significantly more, but this lets you use the "business class" cars. The real value in that is not the extra legroom (though that helps), its the lower passenger count--you are more likely to get all the seats you need for any route you need to take, especially helpful on the busier routes where even Green cars fill up decently. You can keep the group together and make tighter deadlines more reliably and on shorter notice. As another perk, your group will have a private car on the not-so-busy routes!

My friend/guide had a very aggressive schedule where we spent 1-2 days in any given city for 10 days. Lots and lots of train rides and walking without much time at a "home base" (hotel room). I was a pretty stereotypical tourist... didn't know how to do anything and lived and died with my guide. But crowd count is obvious. Greens let my group of 3 stick together easily throughout the trip and keep the schedule, no problem. Nobody gets lost and we can make visiting hours for whatever we planned for the day. Even had space to do some modest repacking in many cases. I can only imagine the nightmare of airport trains during a real holiday...

A traveling tip in general is to mail stuff back home periodically to keep your load down. Your body will thank you. Just make sure the post offices are open the day you plan to do that though. (Got burned on that once. NOT fun.) As a tourist mailing from a foreign country, I personally wouldn't settle for anything less than EMS or equivalent. I bought a doll on the last day of my trip to go with me on the plane. If it was before that day, I would definitely have mailed her back. Underpacking helps. Packing an empty backpack in your luggage can be a good idea. Though of course you could just buy a cheap backpack while there, which is probably an even better idea.

If you plan to hit multiple Tenshi no Sumika, I suggest you get ahold of an issue of Volks news, newer the better. The various locations are very helpfully listed in the back, with a little street map for each one. It makes asking for directions a lot easier. Oh, and do look up when searching for it. Japan is built quite vertical.

And repeating advice: bring money. Lots of money, more than you need. Traveling is the best time to "throw money at the problem," whatever problem you may end up having. Better to buy on site if you can rather than bring it with you.

Travel light, travel happy.

 

Take into account how much space a doll takes up in you luggage especially if you plan on hitting the shops. I got a separate carry case for my girl and used her box for extra packing space - the pillows are brilliant for breakables!!

 

A note on mailing stuff home: Rates for shipping from Japan are pretty high. If your box is under 2kg and not too big, you can send it "small packet" and it's a bit cheaper than EMS. It takes about a week to deliver in that case. If you decide you can live without your clothes for a while and want to mail some of them back, you could send them by seamail, which takes 1-2 months. It's sloooow and the box usually gets a little mangled, but everything makes it back in one piece. Usually. (In my experience so far, anyway.)

And make an itemized list of what's in the box and its value before you go to ship it. It speeds things up.

Oh, and remember that Japanese ATMs for the most part will not allow withdrawals from foreign cards. Citibank does as far as I know ... and some people have said 7-11 works for that. I have no idea on the latter. So bring lots of cash, basically. Japan is pretty safe for that. Most people carry huge wads of cash with them. I've walked around with $3500 in my wallet and I felt ... okay, about 89% safe.

 

While we're on the topic of ATMs...it's true that it's hard to find an international ATM in most places, but most post offices have a "Postal Savings" ATM that lets you withdraw from foreign debit cards and Visas, and there's a little button on them to do your transaction in English. Post offices in Japan are quite plentiful, so this just makes your life so much easier so you won't be stuck without cash. It took me three trips there to finally catch on to that trick, believe it or not. Just bear in mind that your bank might charge you dearly for doing so. I'd ask your bank ahead of time what the rates are so you won't get too shocked after your trip is all said and done.
EDIT: (okay someone beat me to this - but I'll keep it up, anyway)

Also, I second the "Tokyo City Atlas". You'll still get lost, but at least not as often as without it (the street layout there really makes no sense at all >.<)

 

7-11 machines do let you withdraw on foreign cards, they also have an English option which is nice.

I have also found the Volks stores seem to have much less Super dollfie stuff and more Dolfie stuff than previous years. The Akihabara showroom used to have lots of outfits but now the Dollfie section is taking up that space. Harajuku also seemed to have much less stock than the last two years I visited.

I can't praise the Suica card enough, it makes going through the metro barriers super quick. Just put it in your purse and swipe your purse, no need to get it out completely! You can also use it to pay quickly in busy station shops.

 

Thanks for all the tips! I pack pretty light in general, but I'll probably underpack for this trip since I'm certain I'll be doing tons of shopping. I didn't realize that getting cash would be so important though, I'm so used to running around everywhere in LA with just my debit card that I forget how it works overseas. I'm guessing that I'd probably be hit with a ton of foreign transaction fees if I do as I normally do.

I hope I get to bring back a doll~ It'd be so nice to finally have one.

 

If I were to recommend a trip to someone the first thing I would say is... don't spend all your time in Tokyo. Travel. Do things. Experience the diversity in Japan because it really is there (or here as the case may be). The ideal trip (in my mind) would be to spend a few days in Tokyo, go to Mount Fuji, make your way down to Kyoto and from there visit Nara and perhaps Kobe and Himeji. After that, go to Hiroshima and Miyajima (a World Heritage site) and then go back to Tokyo to fly back home. You can get to all these places using a rail pass. Plus, if you go during the off-season you can easily get a good hotel room price.

There are so many Sumika's in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima) and Tenshi No Sato and you can go to so many across the country if your main purpose is dolls. But, if you only have a couple of weeks try not to stick to one of the biggest cities in the world. You really aren't experiencing the true essence of Japan if you do, to be honest. I feel there are many cultures in Japan if one actually travels across the country and chooses to experience them. Dolls are a very small part of that. And, if you do visit Japan for a Dollpa I would recommend the Kyoto one in the spring since then you can go to a Dollpa and Tenshi No Sato to see the spring releases. So, it's win-win.

 

Post offices supposedly work for international withdrawals, but as someone said, find a BIG one. One with more than one ATM. Because every time I go to the local PO to do something, there's always a long line of old ladies at the ATM who have noooo clue what they're doing. Maybe it's that I don't go to the PO much, but I'm always glad I don't need to use the ATM for anything. (And then they get out of line and go up to the counter out of turn to ask a question and then refuse to get back in line to wait their turn again and ... yeah, find a big one.)

 

You should pack light and make sure that you do not have more than allowed, the Japanese are not very lenient on allowing that extra kilo or two. Trust me, we were repacking for an hour on our way back to the UK as our hand luggage were slightly overweight ><

The tokyo map book recommended is GOLD - do NOT go without!

If you are after getting a doll I can recommend that you head of to Nakano Broadway and visit Mandarake's doll department - think it was on the top floor in a far away corner - ask at one of the other Mandarake stores in there - just point at their doll displays and they will give you a map.

They had several 2nd hand Volks Super Dollfies, Dollfie Dreams, Unoas, Unoss, and others I did not recognise. Also loads of Momokos if you are into that and Living Dead Dolls, Pullips and Blythes.

As far as I could see you can only get Basic Dollfie Dreams in the Volks stores and the Soom store was not selling any dolls, only accessories, but as I do not read or speak any Japanese I could be wrong.

 

You can get any of the standard Super Dollfie and Super Dollfie 13 dolls at any of the Tenshi No Sumika's or Tenshi No Sato, provided they are in stock (sometimes they run out). Sometimes they will get a few limiteds leftover from Dolpas (Volks USA sometimes gets limited dolls too). You just have to ask.

It is possible to do Omukae or Welcoming ceremony at Tenshi No Sato. Just send an email to [email protected] and they will forward it to the right person. I visited Japan last February and I was able to do Omukae at Sato.

 

I know this is slightly a newb question: but what exactly is Dollpa? I've heard of it a couple times but don't know exactly what it is ._.;;;;

 

i have never been to japan, but i would like to suggest it to my BF for a possible honeymoon place, since my father will be paying for it. ^_^ good luck on your trip! my grandmother went to japan once and she told me (after much prying for me) that she went on a tour plan things, which costed less, i think she said $2500? but that didn't include food and stuff. but since you don't want to be going on a tour trip i imagine the cost would raise another $1000 or so. i would look into all the places and see where you want to stay and all that before hand, and also keep your eye out for any deals on plane tickets and stuff. you can also reduce the cost of you take a smaller plane company. sorry if i'm no help, i've only ever been to new york. good luck!

 

delfiea-Dolpa is short for Dolls Party. Its an event put on 4 times a year (March, May, August, December) in Japan by Volks where they sell limited dolls, have a dealers hall, have customization contests, charity auctions, and Bingo for prizes.
There is also a Dolpa held once a year in New York. And that event has a dinner, a dolly doctor, workshops, and dolls for sale.

 

Luts just announced that they're going to have a new Japanese site where things will ship from inside Japan, but it seems like that's just going to be an internet store.

DoD lists an address in Hiroshima, but I can't find anything about an actual store.

 

Wow this is an awesome thread! I'm definitely picking up that book, and I have the Japanese tutor for the DS (not the kanji-reading one linked earlier, but the "made for English-speakers" language learning program).

I am fishing around for Japan visit plans in a year or so, probably with a group or someone who knows what they're doing, as for me personally that would be best. Something where if I want to do what everyone else is doing I can, or if I want to skip a day and just walk out the hotel door and wander, I can do that too... but right now my main concern is food allergies. I have them bad, including dairy and wheat which means no ramen or noodles unless they're made of rice. Wheat contamination can also be a big problem, and most kinds of soy sauce also have a wheat ingredient (here in the US anyways). x_x I have the full range of migraine allergies as well, including onions, pork, MSG, chocolate, nuts, seeds, etc... so even ramen flavoring tends to be a no-no!

I figure what I'll have to do is make up cards that list my major allergies, or find a website that's already done that from which I can copy the kanji. I'm wondering if anyone else has travelled in Japan with severe food allergies, how you handled it or any tips you might have, and how it went in general. I'm very happy to see a post waaay back in this thread about someone with tummy troubles doing well in Japan.

I can at least eat rice. It's certainly not the only thing I can eat, but if I have to default to a lot of it just to keep from being awfully sick on what should be a fun trip, heck, I'll do it with gusto. Is plain white rice readily available at most food places, just in case everything else looks questionable?

 

It's probably best if you can find a native Japanese person to translate for you for your card, to make sure it's really clear and accurate.

The MSG may cause the biggest problem to be honest. It's added like salt in Japanese cooking. You should be able to get plain rice easily enough, for example in curry shops which are everywhere.

There's a lot of Korean BBQ restaurants in Japan, so you may be able to order plain rice and unseasoned meat and veg to cook up yourself. Because you cook it yourself it's possible the raw ingredient would be less likely to be contaminated with other items form the kitchen? But I'm not sure if the soy sauce/sesame seeds residue on the grills could cause a problem >_<

There's a McDonalds on every corner in Tokyo, so if there are things there you can eat then that's a last resort!

I'll be honest, it sounds tough. But if you don't mind living on plain rice a lot of the time I think you should be ok. If you are carrying around a piece of paper with all the items you are allergic to in Kanji AND Katakana you can use it to check the ingredients of foods in the convenience store. You can get a lot of nice food there! In Family Mart they serve hot Bao (filled savoury buns made with rice flour) 24 hours but I'm not sureof the MSG content of them.

 

actually, if you want to make a list of food (allergy or not) google translate can help you just fine~

 

@idrisfynn Yeah I am very aware of hidden/not-often-thought-of ingredients in stuff already from eating US food, it'll just be that much harder with the language barrier. I may have to include a line on the card (or learn to speak it or have someone along who can do so for me), something about not worrying about seeming impolite for telling me I can't eat something because the ingredients are uncertain. I'd rather be not-sick! XD

@babytarragon I was just thinking about that, I can basic-ingredient shop with the best of them, and I'm thinking I will plan for that. Perhaps I can manage a hotel room with a small kitchen or the like, depending on more finalized plans, and make meals and snacks ahead of time to take with me each day. I'm used to cooking from scratch, and having my allergy foods already translated in text would be a great resource for comparison to product ingredient lists! ^_^ (Edit: ah yeah, and contamination would be most a problem for wheat, I'll be taking Imitrex and Tylenol to help with migraine reactions.)

@OctoberAnna Great call, totally gonna use that, thanks! ^___^

Kinda sad, knowing I would love sooo much of the cuisine there but I'd rather play it safe. And if I'm lucky, I'll find some things that go over well anyways. ^_^

 

I agree, I am going to Japan next year May 11th to May 28th, and Prob will hunt down 1-2 shops if I have time. I prob won't buy anything more than doll clothes (Unless I fall in love with one...).

My flight is booked this week Hotels will be booked later on, my estimate budget for 17 days is $8200 Canadian because of the damn currency!

 

I did 37 days in Japan for about $6000 last summer. My first trip there a couple of years ago cost about the same amount except I was only there for less then half the time, it's because I wasted a lot of money on food I didn't like and because I didn't know where the cheap hotels and transportation were. Bringing a bunch of western snacks with me (such as granola bars, lipton cup-a-soup, popcorn, fruit to go, hotrods, and other small flat food items) really helped to save myself 100yen here 200yen there on vending machine snacking while on the go, it really adds up. The same goes with drinks, I swear half of all Japanese paychecks end up in street vending machines haha. Even just buying a 100yen 2litre bottle of water (or juice, ect) and transferring it into 500ml bottles to take with you on outings will save on spending 110-150yen per 500ml bottle a couple of times a day while you're out. Luckily since you're going in May it shouldn't be as hot and humid as the summer months so maybe you won't always be so dehydrated and thirsty like my group always was.

As for hotels, the first trip we took we stayed anywhere from 2300yen hostels to 15000yen ryokans. The Japanese Style hotel rooms always seem to be more expensive but they're really cool. During the second trip we saved a lot of money by staying in western style hotels, mostly Toyoko Inns. Some cities were more expensive, but generally it was only 4800yen-6200yen per night, included breakfast from 7:30am-9am, had a fridge in the room, and microwave access in the lobbies. Toyoko Inn also has a membership card you can buy for 1500yen which then gives you discounts on certain days, and you get one free night after every 10 nights you stay at their hotels. The rooms are really small though and I personally prefer the feel of the Japanese style hotels but my friends prefered sleeping in western beds and saving money instead of paying more to sleep on a tatami mat. If you're not going in the summer or during any big festivals then you'll probably have more options and can probably find cheaper western style or japanese style hotels than what we found. We used Rakuten Travel to book all of our hotels during the second trip http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/ I thought it was really helpful and easy to use.

If you're closer to the west coast of Canada then hopefully your plane tickets will be much cheaper than ours haha. We flew from New Brunswick so it was an $1800 plane ride (plus insurance), oy..

Anyways, hope you have fun and get to shop at lots of doll stores!!

 

Starend Your budget is generous and good assuming it's for 1 person. mistress_s, I won't be able to beat your C$6000 for 37 days! That's really cool. I was there this summer for 7 days and spent C$2700. I stayed in 4 star hotels in both Tokyo and Hakone. I focused on sight seeing, concentrated only on Tokyo museums, gardens and the Hakone hot springs. I shall return again next year (2011)to cover Kyoto and Nara. I did not buy any dolls although I bought a suit for my resin boys.

The cost depends on where you stay and what you do. If you want to buy resin dolls, the Yen is very strong. You need to budget C$1100 -C$1800 for an SD size FCS doll with Volks and you need a forwarding address in Japan to send the doll to. The FCS service takes about 1 month. I believe you can buy a standard model Volks doll on display from the Sumikas but I have never inquired about this, so I'm actually not sure (Ask to confirm). I carried a calculator with when I visit hobby shops.

The weather was so hot and humid this year, I had to cut short my visit to Harajuku Tokyo for fear of getting heat stroke. I gave up looking for SOOM store in Harajuku after getting lost in the heat. It's best to write the address of places/shops you want to visit in Japanese characters so that people can help you if you're lost. English translation of Japanese street names may not be helpful. I agree totally with mistress_s about the vending machines! Lots of money went into buying drinks and snacks. I really had a great time but I wished I had gone in Autumn or Spring when the colors are more interesting.

 

Can I recommend the Ikebukuro Metropolitan? It's across the road from the train station, next door to a conbini and a fantastic vegetarian restaurant, and only seven minutes from Shinjuku on the Yamanote. It's also the transport hub where the NEX stops (Narita Express, the train from the usual international airport into Tokyo), so you don't have too far to lug your cases when you're moving in or out.

 

I've stayed there and though it's not my favourite in Tokyo it is a lovely hotel. Even though it's right on the station the area is relatively quiet and there's very little seediness about. Good for families I think

But it is a luxury hotel, and well out of my budget personally!

Regarding the Narita Express train I would definitely not recommend it!! It's expensive, takes a long time, it's not very clean and you have to lug your bags about. I always take the Limousine bus (orange signs at arrivals in the airport) to the nearest hotel to where I'm staying (they go to every large hotel in Tokyo and many medium ones, but since I stay in budget hotels on dodgy alleys it doesn't stop there!) and it's no more expensive than the train, takes no longer, is much more comfortable and soooo much easier with suitcases!!

But never mind all the that, my favourite thing about Limousine Bus is that you get to see Tokyo. I'm very interested in post-war architecture in Tokyo and you get a good view when you take the overpass. And depending on where your hotel is you may drive over the bay which is very beautiful. On the train you see very little >_<

 

When we went in 2009, we took the Keisei Line train into town from Narita.... and we got a grand overview of all that postwar architecture! Plus a few glimpses of ricepaddies and one windmill. ^^ Having been hideously jetlagged and jellybrained, I remember meditating quite a lot on the architecture.
http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/airport_access.html

(According to the website now there's a 36-minute-train option! Yow!)

We nailed almost every single Volks shop in Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka in one two-week tactical blitz. It was fairly awesome. The yen was very strong last year, but it's even stronger this year, so I'm glad I went when I did! Saved up & brought a silly amount of money to spend, and easily spent silly amounts.

The view from our hotel in Minowa, with alla that architecture:


My SDC Arashi, Rowan, accompanied me the whole way! From airport to airport, town to town, shrine to shrine, he was a big hit with random bystanders everywhere he went.


If anybody wants to read Rowan's entire travelogue,it took six chapters here on DOA!

#1: Andon Ryokan in Minowa, Tokyo:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?365109
#2: Kamakura, Hase-dera Shrine & the Great Buddha:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?365164
#3: Shinjuku, & the bullet-train ride to Kyoto:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?365281
#4: Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Shrine:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?365582
#5, Kyoto, Volks Tenshi-no-Sato interior:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?366110
#6, Volks Tenshi-no-Sato gardens:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?366607

 

Depending on the hotels you're staying in, that's going to be MORE than enough for 17 days. I did a 16 day trip for just over $5000 a few years ago, hopping all around the country courtesy of the Rail Pass, but the yen was cheaper then. The thing that really stinks lately is the inability to find a flight under $1000 >.< I've known of people who have done it, but I've never, ever had luck finding anything cheaper.

I'm heading there again in late April, myself. I'm going to allow myself $6000, but that's because I'm going to do a side trip to either Seoul or Hong Kong (strongly leaning towards the former due to costs and time). I'm excited, since I had to miss it this year, due to financial reasons (caused partially by dolls, but I digress...)

Mistress_s suggested the Toyoko Inns, and that's the secret to cutting my costs back. I've never been a hostel person, but they're the next best thing. There's even one in Seoul. You pretty much know what to expect when you stay there - they all have pretty much the same decor, and they're clean. I recommend them to anyone who doesn't like hostels but can't afford big-budget hotels. I mentioned all this back on page 2, but in case people haven't read the entire thread >.< It's really long.

My sister stayed at a business hotel called the "Oak Hotel", which is one subway stop away from Ueno Station (Inaricho). It was even a little cheaper than the Toyoko Inn that I usually stay in, and pretty much the same thing. I was thinking I might stay at that one again when I'm in Tokyo.

I'm wondering, though - does anyone have experience with the Japan Air Pass? I'm looking for a cheap and fast way to Fukuoka/Hakata. I've gone that way by shinkansen before, but I'd prefer to do it in two hours rather than eight. My preliminary itinerary takes me from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto, then to Hakata to catch a ferry to Busan, then probably flying back to Tokyo from Fukuoka on my way out of the country. Anyone used it who can tell me how it works?

 

Jenny, I love that photo
I have to wonder which train I took, that one is much cheaper o.0

 

Yeah, we had a very reasonably priced train ride from the airport-- the Keisei train car had ample room for luggage-- and there was mad scenery. Took one transfer to the Ueno line, and then off in Minowa.

We stayed at the Andon Ryokan, walking-distance from Minowa station-- that's where I was when I took that picture! It's charming and cheap and caters to international travelers (speaks English & gives good directions), and also makes amazing French toast. That took about a six-dollar subway ride each way to get into Tokyo proper (for the shopping blitz!), but it was incredibly cheap, like thirty bucks a night. And Minowa was nice and quiet.

By contrast, our last couple nights in Tokyo we moved into Shinjuku, at the Prince Hotel, for a little respite from hostelry with mod-cons & private bathrooms. ^^ It was more expensive per night, but we saved on daily transport around town. We got those Suica cards, with the picture of the penguin on it? - Just kept dumping cash on it to keep it charged up for subway jaunts. In this way did we target alla those Volks stores one by one, like clay pigeons.... and in between doll-clothing triumphs, also found a li'l somethin H.Naoto-Blood-fabulous for myself in Closet Child....

 

I will be in Tokyo in December this year, and am staying in Shinjuku. That makes visiting Studio Alta easy, but I've been there before. My schedule is tight, but I was wondering if it was worth diverting some time to check out K-books dolls in ikebukuro? How big is the shop and what do they have?

 

K-Books is pretty small, it's not gonna take that long to look around. But it does have a lot of female clothes, which personally I have trouble finding online so I like the shop a lot.

I highly, highly recommend Namja Town on a weekday (I wrote about it on my blog here if you're interested: http://lattebunny.blogspot.com/2010/10/tokyo-day-seven-and-eight.html)
So K-books would be nice to visit on the way there or the way back

Or, if you happen to be into Japanese Gal fashion, there's a shopping centre for it on the ground floor of the Sunshine 60 complex (called Alta I think?)

But I would definitely plan the route in advance using GoogleMaps.
Here's the site, you can see it's in Higashi Ikebukuro http://www.k-books.co.jp/company/shop/dolls.html
You'll see a big depaato for the Manga section of K-books, it's not actually within that building. If come out of the main kbooks building and turn right, it's tucked away under another building.

From Higashi Ikebukuro station, you walk North along the Expressway until you get to the curvy Toyota building. You turn right just after it, you'll see a Libro books on the corner. A few steps down there you'll see a FamilyMart with an Ankh Cross hair salon on top of it, it's just after that! It's just next to AMPM.

 

When it comes to Otome Road, fujyoshi.jp has a nice map with the most interesting stores: http://fujyoshi.jp/fujyoshi_mapi

They have even the Ikebukuro Volks store in the map, in the same block as the Swallowtail butler cafe. But the super dollfie section in that store is really tiny. That said, I found plenty of yaoi in both Mandarake Shibuya and Akihabara, too.

 

That mandarake in Shibuya was absolutely nuts! Huge! I could've spent a week in there. Managed to restrict myself to artbooks & anything I couldn't find online. Oh, the temptation to come away with a steamer-trunk full.

Yes, I think Ikebukuro is totally worth an afternoon's trip, even if you're just bopping from store to store without seriously shopping. Lots to see in K-books, and the cosplay floors, and Animate... and the Closet Child where I saw a Volks Shiro v.1 fullset AND an Isao v.1 fullset, both going for some insane multi-thousand-dollar price (did not buy ;; )... as well as beautiful secondhand Black Peace Now jackets for less than half retail price (did buy). The Ikebukuro Volks store had a couple little must-have supplies I'd been scouting for, but yes, it was a little small.

However, my most very favoritest thing about Ikebukuro was stepping out of the subway and seeing a giant Ayano Yamane billboard, right out there as naturally as though it were a Calvin Klein ad:



And I thought to myself, "Where has this place been all my life?"
Right on the heels of that was "We're not in America anymore, Toto. We're not even in San Francisco anymore." =D

PS. Thank you sukeban for the link! Now THAT is a map of a tactical blitz.

 

For one of my Fall 2009 trips I got an air pass. I really wanted to see momiji and go to Hokkaido so I flew from Nagoya to Hakodate. (I then used my general pass to get to Aomori and when that expired a JR East pass to sightsee more in Honshu and get back to Tokyo.) The pass is easy to get, you just call JAL or ANA before you leave for Japan to book your flights and tell them you want to use pass. I used ANA and made sure they had flights that worked for me first by looking at their schedule. I paid about $150 including fees for my flight. (I had flown ANA into Japan) I would definitely get the pass again if I was going to someplace where it would be worth it. (Like Tokyo to Fukuoka or if I finally make it to Okinawa!) Right now JRWest is retiring its HikariRailStars so it looks like there will be fewer trains between ShinOsaka and Hakata someone with a rail pass could use.

I think ANA/JAL do most of their national flights out of Itami airport near Osaka vs. KIX and for Tokyo the flights will use Haneda probably and not NRT.

Re: The Narita Express

Since a lot of people are talking about it being expensive, and I'm too lazy to go back through all the previous pages... People are aware of the JR East Special for tourists only where for 3500 yen you get a NEX ticket and a 1000 yen Suica card right? The card can be turned in at any major JR East station for a 500 yen refund as well. Though I tend to keep mine for my next trip.

I tend to like to stay in the Tokyo/Nihombashi/Ginza area of Tokyo now. There are a lot of nice business class hotels there. But I do shop around, and for me convenience tends to be very important, I don't want to have to take my bags on a lot of subways once I get into Tokyo. I do splurge on takyuubin services sometimes. I've gotten some amazing deals on hotels, like 11,000 yen for a superior double at the Sunshine 60 Prince. (making it 5500 yen a person for a huge room)

Depending on when your flight gets in, the buses into Tokyo are not as fun because of the traffic. My flights from the US always seem to get you in so that you are trying to get to Tokyo around rush hour. I love taking the buses though to leave Tokyo for Narita, particularly since I like staying on Odaiba.

I've never been fond of the Keisi. It usually leaves with me too many transfers since I tend not to stay in the Ueno area.

I'm planning a trip back to Japan in 2011 hopefully. I couldn't enjoy any onsen last trip and I am dying to go back for that.

 

Thanks ladies and gents for the fabulous soom and volks guides. Ive hit up the volks kyoto and osaka locations, and now have the harajuku location under my belt xD I might stop by akihabara, but I admit I am afraid to since I bought so much already >.<"

As for reccs for others of you, I always stay in hostels when I visit other towns in japan. Right now I am staying in a very nice one for about 3,000 yen in asakusa called Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki. They have lockers for you to store valuables, and private rooms for more money if thats how you roll >.<
For those of you who like goth loli stuff in harajuku, lacarmina.com has a bunch of helpful store guides, including a feature on the famous lolita print fabric store, Odakakaya. I missed it today on my pillage of soom, volks, and all that is in and around harajuku. If anyone knows of other awesome fabric stores in Japan, please! Speak up! lol I have another pillage scheduled for tomorrow. I heard that the kinkado stores are closed now, so i dont know where else to go yet for my fab needs xD

I finished my day at the Alice in Wonderland theme restaurant in ginza with my soom glot in tow in her best Alice garb and me in my best egl. The place itself uis pretty pricey as it has a cover charge, but it was so much fun to bring my doll to. The waitresses are all dressed as alice's and they open up the menu from a gift box that turns into a mini BJD photo shoot box xD Well, its not meant for that but my yosd, Unmei, decided that she would take over and pose for pics.

 

I recently went to Tokyo but totally missed out on visiting the Volks store. ;; I didn't even know they had one there open for visits as I always assumed it was just an online business. Guh. -_- Hopefully I'll be heading over then again this year. I'm definitely going to visit the BJD stores and hopefully, make a purchase if I can afford it.

 

A very late thanks for the info on the Japan Air Pass. I decided I'm going to go the 'traditional' shinkansen route without a rail pass - for just the Tokyo/Kyoto round trip it's not really worth it, and I prefer the Metro to the local JR trains. But it'll be good to know when I finally decide to hit up Okinawa or anywhere else not easily accessed by train.

I don't believe I've been to Japan five times and NEVER been to Ikebukuro. I didn't realize that's where a bunch of the cool stuff is. Not missing it this time!

 

This is such a great thread. Thank you to everyone that has given advice! My own advice that my friends gave me before our trip:
Pack a suitcase full of food like cereal, granola bars, crackers, etc. It will save on food cost while you are there, and make things easier if you are picky. Then at the end of the trip when you finish the food, you will have a whole empty suitcase for your souveniers.

 

hi all. i have read tones here! Thanks so much for advises and tips. I bought the Tokyo Atlas book, 3ed, you guys recommended!
But still have a few questions.

I'll tell you my plan so you can have a better idea of my struggle.
I loveee manga and anime and dolls! like crazy. So i've been longing to go to japan for years. So we are finaly going this October? My husband is the sporty tipe loves a physical challenge but not very adventures with food and culture... something i have been working on him hauhauahau He it's totally the macho type and not into dolls, but is happy to take me to the dolls store as the whole trip is to please me tsss. We are spending 5 days in a hostel in Kyoto, and for 3 days going to Osaka during the day. then 7 days in Tokyo.

questions:
-is it cheaper if i have the jr rail pass? if so how many days pass? How much do u think i would spend in 2 weeks with trains?
-whta is there to do in Kyoto and Osaka, apart from volks sore? May be something cultural or that my hubby could enjoy as well?
- Is universal studios in Tokyo worth going to? have any one been there? is it hard to find?
-what are some fun things to do in tokyo?
-should i worry about this earthquakes?
-is 5 days enough to see majior things in kyoto and Osaka and 7 to Tokyo? i only 13 days in Japan...not sure how to best use my time...
-Any one for a meet up in Japan?
- how much money should i take if i want to buy a doll... msd/sd? (minimal amount)

Sorry for so many questions, but i have been researching for days and if someone could help me with this it would be great!

 

-is it cheaper if i have the jr rail pass? if so how many days pass? How much do u think i would spend in 2 weeks with trains

I have found that it is, but then again when I'm in Japan on vacation (and thus able to use the pass, as opposed to when I worked there and couldn't use the pass) I tend to go from one end of Honshu to the other -- yes literally. On my last trip there I went so far north that we ran out of shinkansen stops and had to take local trains to finish, then we went south and got within one or two shinkansen stops of the end of Honshu before getting off. Anyway, what you need to do is figure out how many trips you will actually be taking on JR trains. I'm going to assume you'll need at least two trips between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka and a few shorter day trips between Osaka and Tokyo. You can use Hyperdia to get an idea of how much your trips might cost. If you want to be able to use the pass for your entire trip you will probably want to get the 14-day option. Keep in mind that you can use the pass for local trains, boats, etc. that are JR-operated. For other transportation you will still have to pay. Also, I know it's quite expensive, but do consider paying the extra for the green car for your trip between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka. It's a long trip (3-4 hours usually) and the green cars are much more comfortable. They also tend to be less crowded and much quieter than the regular cars. The only time I have ever seen green cars packed is around New Year's.

-whta is there to do in Kyoto and Osaka, apart from volks sore? May be something cultural or that my hubby could enjoy as well?

No idea about Osaka. I haven't been there and there's usually more than enough to occupy me in Kyoto. Kyoto is kind of drowning in various historical sites and you pretty much can't go anywhere without tripping over something historical or cultural. Teramachi-dori and the street right next to it that I can't remember the name of are great for shopping. They both branch off of Shijo-dori which is also great for shopping. Some of the more famous sites include Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo-jo, Heian-jingu, Chion-in, Ryoan-ji, Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji, Arashiyama, Yasaka-jinja and the entire triple-geisha-district area around it of Gion, Miyagawa-cho, and Ponto-cho (and yes I can help you find those if you're at all interested in anything related to geisha), the Philosopher's Walk, the imperial villas, and a whole bunch of stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting. Oh, there are a couple of major shopping centers attached to the train station, which is itself a site to see. Make sure you go to the front entrance of the station, go just inside, and look up. It's quite a site.

- Is universal studios in Tokyo worth going to? have any one been there? is it hard to find?
I have no idea as I've never been there, sorry.

-what are some fun things to do in tokyo?

I also can't really help you with this as Tokyo isn't really my favorite place in Japan. I'm terribly biased in favor of Kyoto and all of the goings-on there. Shibuya is pretty lively and the Hachiko statue is right near the scramble crossing if you want to see that, and Shinjuku is pretty lively too. Actually, if you're trying to figure out where to stay in Tokyo, Shinjuku would be a pretty good place. The station there is quite central and if you can't get a train directly where you want to go from there, you can at least get a train that will bring you someplace that will connect you to where you want to go. I did go to Ueno a couple of times while living in Japan. The park is gorgeous and drowning in museums. Akihabara might be a good place to go too. Asakusa can be fun and has the giant Kaminari-mon, which is practically required tourist viewing. My students all gave Tokyo Tower rave reviews.

-should i worry about this earthquakes?
If you're going to Japan you have to come to grips with the fact that Japan gets 1000 or more earthquakes a year. There are only 365 days in a year. That means that someplace in Japan is getting an earthquake every day. That said, most of them can't be felt by people and of the ones that can, the vast majority are nowhere NEAR as bad as the one from March or the one that just happened. In addition, Kyoto and Osaka are nowhere near where those quakes are happening. I would be prepared for the fact that you might feel a quake, but don't stress about it.

-is 5 days enough to see majior things in kyoto and Osaka and 7 to Tokyo? i only 13 days in Japan...not sure how to best use my time...
In my opinion? No. I would skip Osaka and spend 7 days in Kyoto with 5 in Tokyo, but like I said above I'm terribly biased towards Kyoto. There's just so much to do there. I spent 3 solid weeks there once with only like two day trips out of the city (one to Nara and one to visit my host family in another city) and still didn't get to see and do everything there. But ultimately it comes down to what you want to see and do, and if you guys are more into big cities and modern activities than history and traditional things, you might prefer Osaka and Tokyo to Kyoto anyway.

-Any one for a meet up in Japan?
If I still lived there...

- how much money should i take if i want to buy a doll... msd/sd? (minimal amount)
I have no idea about that either since I never bought a doll at the physical stores, but I do remember seeing some in Hiroshima at the Volks shop in the Sunshine Mall and the prices seemed comparable to the website. If you're thinking of doing the Full Choice System though that might change it and I have no idea what kind of difference it would make.

 

-is it cheaper if i have the jr rail pass? if so how many days pass? How much do u think i would spend in 2 weeks with trains?
It depends on whether you are going to so many places or not in a day. Also, Metro tends to be cheaper and accessible sometimes so in my opinion, no the JR Rail pass isin`t worth that much. I would get a Suica to use throughout the whole trip. (It`s no pass, but it`s easy to get on JR and also metro)
Certain cities have so much stuff you can literally spend one whole day in that area and not move at all.
I spend about less than 10000yen per month living here, but since you are travelling you may spend more.

-what is there to do in Kyoto and Osaka, apart from volks sore? May be something cultural or that my hubby could enjoy as well?
The station where Tenshi no Sato is located, if you go further away from Sato, you will find temples and food. There`s a place that lets you pour your own matccha and do everything yourself, but I`m not sure if they can explain in english.
Osaka is known for food and just by browsing you`d enjoy it.&#12288;Also they have Spaworld, based on Spas around the world.

- Is universal studios in Tokyo worth going to? have any one been there? is it hard to find?
I personally did not enjoy it. I went during the summer and almost died from the heat. They have no overhangs to keep you away from the sunlight. It doesn`t have that much stuff also to go around, you kinda get tired.

-what are some fun things to do in tokyo?

-should i worry about this earthquakes?
people are going paranoid with it. There`s still some earthshakes going on time to time, but it`s really not as bad as March.

-is 5 days enough to see majior things in kyoto and Osaka and 7 to Tokyo? i only 13 days in Japan...not sure how to best use my time...
Probably. But then again I am not familiar with the way people think and view Japan as outside the country anymore.

-Any one for a meet up in Japan?
There`s a Tokyo meetup thread, you can try asking there.

- how much money should i take if i want to buy a doll... msd/sd? (minimal amount)
Used or brand new? I believe 30000yen will maybe hit some dolls, but the more fancy/pretty/cute/popular ones will of course cost more. Mandarake will carry most used dolls.
If you`re lucky, Dolk will have that Korean BJD you may want brand new available. Though many are "samples" and un-purchaseable
If it`s volks, you might as well look up the official prices as they never seem to mark down SD`s. You probably would not be able to do a FCS since you need a valid address to have the doll shipped in-country.

 

-is it cheaper if i have the jr rail pass? if so how many days pass? How much do u think i would spend in 2 weeks with trains?
On my recent trip, I originally thought I wouldn't need one. But when I added up the numbers, I realized the rail pass (the basic one - not the green pass) would save me about $75 Canadian. My trip had six legs - Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka-Tokyo (I stayed in Osaka, since the hotels in the chain I stay at were all booked up in Kyoto). The shinkansen is the fastest way between Kyoto and Osaka, but certainly not the only way. I'd map out a basic picture of your planned travel, then go to the JR website to check the fares. Add them up and see if the rail pass is cheaper. I used to use the green pass rail pass, and first class is quite nice. But now that I've traveled 'coach' - it's not so horrible. The train cars do have a bit of a interesting smell sometimes, though, that isn't found in the first class green cars.

-whta is there to do in Kyoto and Osaka, apart from volks sore? May be something cultural or that my hubby could enjoy as well?
One of the previous posters gave you some really good ideas about Kyoto, so I won't repeat it. Arashiyama was mentioned, too. This is the small suburb where Tenshi no Sato is. If you're going there to see that anyway, do most certainly look around the area. There are many beautiful temples and gardens there, and I seriously believe it's one of the most beautiful places in Japan that I've been to.
As for Osaka - admittedly, there isn't much in the way of sites. And it's going to be stuff mostly of interest to you and not your husband. Den Den Town is a anime/manga/techie haven and worth checking out. As is the Mandarake store in the area known as America-Mura. There's a second Mandarake store in a shopping arcade near Nakatsu station, but the arcade and area around it has become really skeevy over the years. It's a great location, but perhaps not worth it if you don't want to deal with that. I'm a single female traveller and I haven't encountered any problems there, but it's the overall feel of the place.

As for non-hobby things to do in Osaka - Shinsaibashi shopping arcade and Dotombori, which is a lively bridge with good views of the river. The further you go away from Dotombori in the shopping arcade, the more stark it becomes. I went from end-to-end, but don't find yourself caught at the opposite end too late into the night. The homeless and interesting start to convene there and the shops all close at 8pm, anyway. The closer you are to the bridge, the better it is. I have yet to find a really good, concise map of Osaka, so I don't normally go too far off the beaten path.

As for Kyoto, if you can get to the tourism bureau and pick up a map called "Kyoto Walking Map", then it's worth it. I've gone through two of those things. Kyoto is a very walkable city, and worth exploring on foot. The street layout even makes sense (unlike in Tokyo and Osaka).

- Is universal studios in Tokyo worth going to? have any one been there? is it hard to find?
I can't speak for it, but if it's anything like Tokyo Disneyland, it's probably not any different than the Florida versions. Of course, I'm not sure if you've been to the American ones. It might be a good day out that's not too 'culture shock'-ish. But it's probably expensive.

-what are some fun things to do in tokyo?
Since you're an anime/manga person, I'm going to suggest the Nakano Broadway shopping street. At the far end is a Mandarake and several other stores devoted to this sub-culture. Honestly, though - Nakano is out of the way, and aside from that shopping street, there really isn't anything exciting about it.

I highly recommend Asakusa. It's what's known as 'old Tokyo', and still has some of the charm. That area is always my home base when I go there. Kaminarion gate, Nakamise-dori shopping street (full of great souvenirs), and the temple that's name is escaping me now are all worth seeing. Ueno has a really nice park, worth strolling in, and the nearby Amaya-yokocho shopping area is interesting. Akihabara is good to check out for the electronics and geekery. Omote-Sando and Harajuku are worth checking out to see where the young and fashionable buy their clothes. Ginza is a more classy version of Harajuku, and probably not as riddled with the culture shock as the former. Ikebukuro has a western-style mall (along with really good second-hand doll stuff in the streets around it). In West Shinjuku, the city hall has an observation deck so you can check out the Tokyo skyline from high up. Some of the good parts have since been covered by a restaurant (which makes me mad, since the first time I went, it wasn't like that), but you can still see all other angles for free. While in Shinjuku, just head east and check out the contrast between its two sides.

As for culture shock - I just can't see your husband not suffering a little. But on the food end, there's always McDonalds, Starbucks and KFC that are pretty 'normal'. So he shouldn't starve. But I do recommend giving the local food a shot. I admit, I do get a bit sick of it after I eat it a few days in a row. A McD's meal usually cures me of that pretty fast.

-should i worry about this earthquakes?
I wouldn't. I went exactly one month after the one in March. When I was in Tokyo, I was woken up by one about a week and a half into my journey (a 6.3, apparently), but I didn't hear any mass panic outside and nothing was falling down, so I just went back to sleep. There was also one the first or second day I was there that was fairly noticeable, but I was in an underground walkway and didn't feel a thing. Big ones that cause mass damage and death aren't terribly common, fortunately. And you're going to be well out of the way of the clean-up going on in the north. The only thing that might be an issue (and I'm not sure what the status of this will be by October) is that they're on a campaign of saving electricity - for example, turning off two of three escalators, or dimming the lights after a certain time of night and such. It wasn't all that much of an inconvenience in April, and I perfectly understood why it was being done, so I didn't complain.

-is 5 days enough to see majior things in kyoto and Osaka and 7 to Tokyo? i only 13 days in Japan...not sure how to best use my time...
I'd say that 5 would be enough to see the best of things in Kyoto and the couple things in Osaka. Osaka could probably be one of those days, while the other 4 could be Kyoto. You might not feel as if you're completely finished Tokyo in 7 days, but you'll probably have seen the best things.

-Any one for a meet up in Japan?
The poster above me mentioned the Tokyo meet-up thread. They had one the weekend before I got to Japan, and it seems they had a ton of fun. I'd poke around there and ask.

- how much money should i take if i want to buy a doll... msd/sd? (minimal amount)
Usually second-hand dolls aren't marked down terribly much. Various Volks stores do have some dolls in boxes ready to go. I'd check the Volks website and then convert the yen prices into Australian dollars to get a good idea of how much you would need. As far as I know, Mandarake and Volks are the only ones selling dolls directly. There were lots of dolls on display at the Soom store, but I don't think any of them were for immediate sale. Also, you can't do Full Choice System unless you have a permanent Japanese address to have it sent to.

 

In Kyoto there is the Kyoto International Manga Museum which I really enjoyed.
You can also do maiko or geiko henshin where a studio dresses you up as a geisha.
Every visitor to Kyoto must visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is so beautiful and peaceful. Bring comfortable shoes as it requires a bit of walking.

Osaka is often referred to as the "kitchen of Japan" because it is known for its cuisine. However there is lots to do there. I recommend Osaka Castle. There is a hip section called America Mura. If you are into Japanese fashion (punk, lolita, goth) there are a lot of shops there.

I ate at Casa Nostra, which is above the Soom store-really good traditional pizza and a neat place. The Soom store is in Harajuku and is a few blocks away from the Volks Harajuku store and half a block away from LaForet (where you will find more lolita shops-Alice and the Pirates, Metamorphose, Angelic Pretty).

You will find most standard dolls from the Super Dollfie line in stock at any of the Volks stores. Dollfie Dreams go really fast once they arrive in the stores as they are incredibly popular now. However, at Mandarake and Closet Child you will find second hand limited Super Dollfie and Dollfie Dreams. Some of the less popular dolls will go for a great price but the more sought after dolls will sell for much higher prices. Sometimes you will find non-Volks dolls in the second hand stores but that is not common.
If you want to do a Full Choice System doll through Volks I recommend contacting them ahead of time as your doll once finished will need to be shipped to a shopping service that will forward the doll to you since they do not ship FCS dolls out of Japan currently.

Have Fun!

 

That's Sensou-ji. I timed my visit to Tokyo in '09 so I could catch the Sanja Matsuri, and it was a great experience! Festival food (takoyaki, taiyaki, okonomiyaki), taiko drums everywhere, neighbourhood associations parading mikoshi...

Some other interesting temples in Tokyo are the Meiji Shrine (right near Harajuku and Yoyogi Park) and (for those who like their history) Sengoku-ji, which is easily accessible by taking a metro line from Asakusa station and houses the graves of the 47 Ronin and a mini-museum about them. Also, Kamakura is a short trip from Tokyo, and from Shinjuku Station you can buy a combined Odakyu line/ Enoden ticket so you can use the Enoden railway to hop between stations for the whole day trip.

This year I intend to visit Kansai this October, and I'm so taking notes about Kyoto and Osaka!

 

I'll be there in October as well. we can meet if you would like. I'll be in Kyoto/Osaka from the 3rd to the 8th and the rest in Tokyo...

I also read on a site that the Radio Kaikan building in Akihabara (where Volks has a showroom) will be demolished to make space for a new building. so stores will be loses permanently in July 2011. t says about opening another one somewhere else.... anyone has any ideas about that?

 

In December it was decided that Radio Kaikan would be torn down and rebuilt to bring it up to earthquake code. In March the building was so heavily damaged from the earthquake it was shut down for 2 weeks. This is a video of the re-opened Radio Kaikan after the earthquake.

[video=youtube;DZKoB_SXOJE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZKoB_SXOJE[/video]

Madman also has a small article about the temporary closure:

http://www.madman.com.au/news/goodbye-radio-kaikan/

No Volks employees in Japan were injured in the earthquake although Sendai is still closed as it has not been inspected by the safety engineers yet. In Japan when there is a major earthquake engineers have to inspect the buildings before a business can re-open. All the business in Radio Kaikan will be temporarily relocated nearby while they rebuild. Volks is just on the other side of the train station:

http://www.volks.co.jp/jp/volks/sr/sr_akiba/index_sr_akiba.aspx#1

Volks has not translated this page yet, but they have had a lot to deal with post-earthquake.

I really do hope they rebuild Radio Kaikan to look the same. The yellow sign with the red lettering is such an icon of Akihabara that I just can't picture Akiba without it. I'll never forget the first time I stepped out of the train station to see that yellow sign having finally made it to the place I dreamed about for so long.

 

What did everyone do about the money situation in Japan? I've been reading blogs that say your exchange rate is the best when you pull money from the ATM or use international travelers checks. Opinions? Also, has anyone who banked at Bank of America used the ATM method?

 

I use Postal Savings (JP) ATMs pretty much exclusively, using just my debit card. Visa likes to whack me with stupid charges and weird exchange rates, while my bank is a bit kinder to me with that (except for that time they cut me off on day 18 of my trip, right before Doll Show, thinking I might be a fraud artist >.< Good that they tried, bad that they took so long to come to that 'conclusion').

I bought travellers cheques the first time I went, and I found they were a real pain to cash. Maybe I just didn't go to the right places, but I personally haven't bothered with them since.

 

Seconding the Postal Savings ATMs. I have used them with all kinds of foreign bank cards, as have my parents, and never had a problem beyond a kind of small limit on how much you can take out in a single transaction. But if you needed to you could do several transactions in a row and be fine. I'm pretty sure if worked fine with my Bank of America card, but I can't remember if I used that card or my other one during my first trip to Japan.

For folks who don't know, be aware that you can't always rely on credit cards in Japan. Lots of places don't take credit cards at all.

 

Thank you Edtel! Did the atm give you the current exchange rate on your yen, or their rate?

 

I just brought some 500€ in cash just in case, and then used the ATMs on the 7/11 shops and the airport. I've got an European Mastercard debit card, and had no trouble with it (apart from not using it a lot in shops, I usually paid in cash), I even used it in Volks Akihabara after asking if it was OK.

 

It's been my experience that the best exchange rates are actually found at the airports, not through the banks.

 

Hmm. Kim, did the bank give you a really bad exchange rate when you pulled money out of the ATM? I know changing money at the bank is bad, but I've heard foreign ATM's give you the market exchange rate (plus whatever fees your bank charges)

 

Airports usually have multiple exchange areas, so you can look and find the one who offers the best deal. I've done the same in Singapore.

If any of you get the chance, there's an amazing doll store in Nakano Broadway that's only 10 minutes away from my apartment. They have rare Volks for sale as well as artist made dolls.

 

Thank you idrisfynn! I'm actually flying into the Haneda airport which no one seems very familiar with yet. But I know they'll still have ATM's for me to use. I got my bank to change my daily ATM limit to $1500, so hopefully I won't have to worry about it too much. I've heard the same think about the ATMS, and since I am arriving at 5:00am I think my best bet is to go that way. I'm going to my very first Dolpa ever (Kobe), and I'm so excited!

 

Actually, yeah. Seconding the 7-11 ATMs. I think I got that tip earlier on in this thread, and it saved my hide at one point of my trip in April. Because it's a lot easier to find a 7-11 than a post office sometimes.

I always waved off suggestions to tell your bank that you're headed on a trip before I go, but since it happened to me last time, I have learned my lesson. It's always a good idea to let them no so they won't randomly freeze your account while you're overseas. It's not a huge disaster, but it is an incredibly annoying inconvenience.