Posted in: Is Japan still a retro gamer’s paradise? See in context
So sad that the "small retro gaming bar in Nagoya" just closed down. Been there before and it was on my Nagoya itinerary for this very month. Such a hospitable place, and there's nothing lovelier than having a few beers, playing SNES classics, and getting into impromptu conversations with like-minded people from around the world.
Game Bar A-Button in Tokyo might still be around but it's quite cramped, quiet, and not particularly suited for foreign tourists.
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Posted in: Kyoto losing its luster as a school trip destination as tourist crowds continue to swell See in context
After twelve trips to Japan, I only once visited Kyoto and it left a very stark "not again" vibe, much thanks to (us) tourists. It really is mostly about temples and shrines, anyhow, and there are plenty of those all around. It's admittedly silly to criticize a city while contributing to the problem but that one visit taught Kyoto overtourism is real.
Of the big cities, Nagoya always feels like a fresh breeze; big city vibe but not (yet) an influx of (other) tourists to make it uncomfortable.
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Posted in: Foreign tourist angers locals for doing pull-ups on torii gate at shrine in Japan See in context
Stand up the first one here who did not do dumb and stupid things in the name of fun as a youth.
Abroad? Never. Home? To warrant an article written about my stupidity? Never. Next person to stand up, please, I would imagine there are plenty?
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Posted in: Better train etiquette in Japan: Tips for tourists to ride like a local See in context
why would these announcements be running on endless loops? How to hold your bag, how to sit, how to get off the train, how to avoid noise, how to use your phone, not to rush onto the train, what to do if you see a chikan, what to do if you see a bag and god knows how many more. Does nobody hear them except me.
Have to admit, your experience sounds rather unique. The only announcements I've regularly heard on trains are the ones telling you about the next stop and whether the exit will be on the left or right side of the train. Perhaps a regional thing of some sort?
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Posted in: Town to block Mount Fuji view from troublesome tourists See in context
Proof that they are not Japanese?
Was there last November and that was exactly what caught my eye as well. Unruly tourists hopping in the middle of the street to take selfies of each other with car traffic actually having to honk their horns to get them to move aside. Won't go into shaming individual nationalities but let's just say they sure didn't speak Japanese.
I can very much understand the vexation of tourism in Kawaguchiko, Kyoto, and Osaka in particular. Even as a tourist myself, the stuff I've seen others do is often just plain embarrassing and totally disrespectful.
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Posted in: Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? See in context
Still don't understand how it was ever feasible in the first place. Last time, I had a jolly two week vacation traveling from Osaka to Tokyo (with a few side-trips) and spent about ¥17,000 on Shinkansen (and a few thousand more on local lines). JR Pass for 14 days would've been ¥80,000. Even before the price hike, JR Pass only seemed of value when on a looooong vacation, really going hither and thither across Japan, always keeping in mind where the pass is valid, and generally spending lots of the vacation in public transport. Much easier to just have a regular IC card.
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Posted in: Japan business delegation to make 6-day visit to China from Sunday
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Posted in: Japanese foreign minister asks Rubio for exemption from Trump tariffs
Posted in: Man dies after falling into river while clearing snow from bridge in Niigata