Any other tips for us? Or do you like crowds..? 😂

It's great to see Emma again doing well!, one of the best ways to avoid crowds is to go to the parks since they are so big and spaced out and have beautiful scenery especially if you want to have that quiet sunrise experience

My Wife and I went from osaka all the way up to Aomori in October last year and I cannot overstate how great October was for travelling. Little to no crowds and beautiful weather for the most part at 21C every day except in the north where admittedly it was near freezing but the fall colors were coming in the trees. Our stay in Matsushima with a private onsen was absolutely worth it.

Thank you very much for your posting🌸 Please avoid rush hour (about 7 am - 9 am) from Monday to Friday when taking the train because rush hour in major metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya) can be chaotic🚃🚉

I don’t mind Tokyo crowds. I keep perspective in mind. So, I see it as part of the cultural experience. + it is organized chaos.

omg 12:45 is just adorable. Sarah/Emma are an S-tier pairing ✨

Great tips! I would recommend everyone to visit the countryside even on their first visit to Japan. Don't cheat yourself out of the experience! Also, Sarah breaking out her gloves made me lol so hard and then they reappeared in the bloopers - I died! 😂

Agreed on temples and shrines in smaller places.... here's my experience... I booked my week in Tokyo at the APA Minami in Asakusa... literally 6 blocks away from the Kengo Kuma tourist center and Senso-Ji... I did visit Senso-Ji three days... it was always full even during winter few months after the reopening ( January 2023 ).... I study temple architecture and was never quite able to walk anywhere and see everything... later on the same trip, one day I had a free day in Toyama and escaped to Kanazawa and just started walking around after leaving the station... the only spot I wanted to visit was the contemporary art museum so I had some time to roam around, and I came across a very local shrine, snow covered, extremely beautiful and all to myself. And a few of the local residents, kids playing in the snow, parents with them, nobody bothering about a foreign architect walking around taking lots of photos, doing sketches, and looking at construction details... so... yeah :) Also, for tourists on a budget... many places do charge for you to walk in certain areas, including, and that is non intuitive if you come from a country in which even some museums are free... it is not expensive, but it will add up... 500 yen here... 1500 yen there... for a two week travel, paying those small fares multiple times a day, you can add maybe 10.000 to 20.000 yen to your budget only on small fares. For me, on a very tight research budget I did not expect it and it did eat on part of the emergency funds. In smaller cities, some of the same kind of areas either might be a lot cheaper or not charge you at all.

I have been in Japan longer than these girls have been alive, but 100% completely agree with everything they are say. The best point it wake up early, especially in the summer. 3 am wake up, 4 am taxi to the place . 9 am leave the shrine or whatever and head back to your hotel to get the tail end of breakfast, and then 10 am to 3 pm take a long nap. It will be a vastly better experience.

I'm from a small town in the US so I got out of Tokyo pretty fast. The massive city isn't really my thing. I really loved spending my time in Aomori and Niigata.

Love the energy Emma and Sara 😀 Great recommendations. During our last couple of trips, we did from time to time try to get up at around 5 am to see the cities in a new light. It is so interesting and peacuful, and some of our best pictures were taking during that time! I recommend it to everyone to at least try it once.

As someone living in Japan and needs to corral 10 friends through the streets of Tokyo, this was A LIFESAVER LOL

Comming from a country with lots of rains and cold ones at that, I actually didn't mind travelling during rainy season. Yes, you'd get wet, but it is warm/hot, so rain can be even nice. And during rather heavy rain I had such places as Meiji jingu and Nikko temple complex nearly to myself. And Japanese forests/parks/temple grounds are just magical with all the water in the air.

Thanks for the tips! I think one thing that my boyfriend and I wanted to add about Suica card is that we both have Android phones (purchased in the US), and because the specs are different compared to Japanese Android phones, we were unable to reload our cards through our phones and had to do it through kiosks. But it can still be used to check your balance on the go! EDIT: If you're an iOS/Apple user, this shouldn't be a problem!

I went to a random temple outside Nara and it was the most amazing experience i've ever had in Japan, with a large lantern laden path to the temple and 16th century art exposed for public viewing, and absolutly no one there. Its amazing the change in space once you get out of the big cities. Ill update the comment with the temple name.

Glad Emma has recovered. Good to see the Dynamic Duo again. Good info, considering a trip to Japan next year

Yes!!! Emma and Sarah together again ❤

Me and my family visited Harajuku and Takeshita Street in March. We didn't follow the steady stream of tourists on their way from Harajuku Station to Takeshita Street. Across from the station there is a very small and narrow alley, which you will not spot unless you walk straight into it. We walked almost alone down the alley towards Takeshita Street. On our way we found a nice restaurant and had dinner before continuing to Takeshita street. TS was crowdy, but bearable, we returned to our newfound alley and headed back to the station 🙂 I totally agree on going a few streets away, and sometimes one street away is enough to bypass the huge crowds on your way to your destination. You'll never know what you will find going down random streets outside the tourist attactions 🙂 We visited the shrine as well, only a few people present, calm and quiet.

My favorite duo. Thank you for all of your tips.😊

Always love seeing Emma and Sarah 😊 Great info too

This is probably ridiculous to say, but I've been genuinely concerned for Emma's mental well-being. I know she had a rough time living in Japan away from family in the past, and judging by the last 6 or so months, it looks like something's really been getting to her. Emma, if you see this, please just look after yourself. Do what you have to and put yourself before others if necessary ❤

I actually did that on Takeshita Street. It was super useful.

Hahaha, the music at 12:52. Julian's idea? You guys are so funny... 😁

Thank you for great tips!

Thank you sooo much for your tips ❤❤

We just came back from a two week holiday travelling around Japan, and I wish I would've seen this video before our trip!! 😅 While we were there there was one Japanese bank holiday and also a school holiday I think: and everywhere we went was crazy busy 😱 especially Kyoto was a bit much, which was a shame as it's my favourite city in Japan! ❤ I visited 7 years ago around the same time of the year, and it was so much quieter..

Thank you for such solid and genuinely helpful advice! ❤ Love this channel and all the presenters!!

Omg I love your Godzilla shirt!

Aloha from Maui🌈 Thanks for the valuable information. I'll be visiting Fukuoka in May and June for three weeks and attending the Meiji Academy to continue my journey of learning Japanese. I'm a big fan of your videos. I appreciate all your hard work. Mahalo 🙂

January's a pretty chilled time to visit Japan. Provided you are not adverse to the chilling cold from the height of winter.. ☃ 😅 From my current personal visit recently.

This was easily the most helpful video for our upcoming trip to Japan. 😊 Thank you so much, guys!

i'm so hyped to visit Japan...

Very helpful information, thanks. Would I be able to pick up the Tokyo Cafe Guide at the Maruzen bookstore in Marunoichi?

Great vid! fantastic ideas. I so wish I could visit Japan. Over the last 10 + years watching you, Sharmeleon, Chris, Trash taste, Pete, CDawg and others .. I have come to love it. Unfortunately I am older (70) and crippled and I do not think that I would do well as there seems to be an so much walking/bike riding once you get to places via the great trains. Seeing Japan through your eyes has been an amazing experience and I hope to continue it. 💘

The temple/shrine Emma mentioned in Harajuku is beautiful. It’s especially serene early in the mornings. 10/10 would also recommend. Also, where did you get that shirt Emma??? I’m obsessed!! 😍

I tend to go out on the weekdays after rush hour. Also i live in the countryside so i try to just go to local areas. I dont see many tourists here in general, though.

Yeah, i didn't know it was golden week when I booked my visit 😅Luckily my visit to Disneyland is before golden week.

Visiting in 10 days, thanks for the tips :) golden week gonna be mad crowded, good for street photography.

There's crowds in every country if you go somewhere that is popular or go to something that everyone else wants to go to at the same time. I generally don't go to bigger shows where I live but make an exception if it is something special.

That Godzilla shirt is 💯🔥

When I was in Tokyo it all felt a bit quiet really, it was just after golden week. I say that as someone who thinks cities like London are a bit hectic and tiresome. If you're not in the hottest tourist hotspots in Tokyo it's really not that bad, at night most of it feels like a ghost town. Of course akiba is crowded, kabukicho is crowded, sensoji is crowded, but Tokyo tower wasn't even crowded. If you want to avoid crowds at all costs take the little bus rides instead of the subway. If you want to enjoy Sensoji and asakusa, do it past 10pm. Almost completely quiet.

Omg emma you're tshirt is amazing! Where is it from pls!!!

We're going to Tokyo and Kyoto during Golden Week in a few weeks, thinking they'll be a few things going on etc. Hope it's not too busy but being from London we're used to crowds. 😬

Im looking to visit Japan next year for a month. I will be solo and it's my first time. Originally I planned April 15- May 15 because of the weather and hopes I might still see a few sakura trees in bloom. Do you have a better suggestion? It seems planning for a month runs into issues with weather or holidays.

Back in the day when the JR pass was cheap I had Fuji-facing shinkansen seats each trip and it was cloudy every time 😢

I have been to Tokyo two times and will be back in June. I’m from a Swedish town with under half a million inhabitants. I actually never find Tokyo that crowded. Like you are saying. Just walk two streets away from a tourist spot and it’s not crowded at all. I’m 190 cm tall tho. Easy to breathe through the crowd of short Japanese people 😅.

THERE she is. Missed you for a minute Emma.

I hope that Americans will develop Hachinohe in the same way that Australians developed Niseko. Hachinohe is close to the US military base in Misawa, and has a cool climate with little snowfall. It would be a perfect place for elderly American retirees to move to.

With a limited express ticket, I noticed you need to purchase a reservation for the train in addition to using the IC Card or purchasing a base fare. However, I can't find anywhere if this is the same for the Shinkansen via the SmartEX app. Do you know?

Im only using the shinkansen once, from Hiroshima to Kokura. Is it worth getting the app to use only once?

Hi Girls, could you please give us the link for booking online for Shinkansen. Thank you.

Miss you girls. Where were you.

It actually better to go to immigration later in the day. Most people go in the morning and theres usually a queue before the place opens. Honestly, if you want to go somewhere not crowded, don't go to Japan right now. Also, in the smaller cities and towns, the English level is very low. Unless you speak some Japanese, then these areas will be difficult to navigate.

EMMAcute

App links? Android phone works or iPhone only?

How much of a 'problem' is Obon?

I was in Tokyo during the Vernal Equinox and I’ve never seen so many people all over the place just piss DRUNK out their minds! lol

Stay inside hotel. That's the best way. Or go somewhere where you can only reach by driving for at least 1 hour.

Sadly if you have an Android phone from outside Japan you can't put a Suica on your phone...I would if I could :(

not a fan of crowds .. love the godzilla shirt whaooooo represent!!!!!

SmartEX: Not available in your region

I wake up extremely early or go at night for less people

Missed one at 12:15

It's spelled "numble"

We have to remember to give Emma probs for not using the C-word every 3 words. As a native Australian this is wery hard for her :)

as an autistic person i REALLY appreciate this.

People coming to Japan should be aware that the natural environment in Japan is very different from the natural environment on the continents that make up much of the world. You should not try to bring your own common sense of life to Japan by assuming that Japan's natural environment is almost the same as that of their own country. This is the very reason why Japanese people avoid foreigners. On the continent, it is racial discrimination, but on the island of Japan, treatment is determined "not by race", but by the Japanese way of thinking and whether or not you follow "the Japanese rules of life". Although the environment has changed significantly from what it was 150 years ago due to the spread of modern science, fundamentally, Japan's unique natural environment remains basically the same today. That is why within Japan, Japanese or non-Japanese, must behave in the Japanese way, and they will draw the line with foreigners unless foreigners understand the differences in the environment on which Japanese culture is based, not on the surface. This is not racial discrimination, but a reaction to the Japanese not understanding the basic tenets of why they behave the way they do. Japan is a country of abundant nature, but at the same time it is a very dangerous and troublesome natural environment. Their unique behavioral culture is an accumulation of a history of adaptation to it. Those who enter Japan should first understand that it is a harsh natural environment, land of a paradise and a hell sametime, where security and danger exist side by side. From the begining It is not the same of stable life of a continent! Why are they trained to act with each other in public so as not to bother others, and to try to help each other when they see someone in trouble, even if they don't know each other? It is because they live in a natural environment where it is impossible to prevent such disasters in advance, and it is not unusual for peaceful daily life to be destroyed in an instant by the fury of nature that human power cannot handle. They are not overconfident of human power beyond our capabilities. Therefore, they believe that it is necessary to help each other equally if something happens in order to maintain their own lives and communities safely. If there are people in Japan who do not share this view, everyone else will be in trouble. The point of discrimination in Japan is not actually race, but rather whether or not one shares this Japanese way of thinking while in this land. The reason is that one person's free and unrestrained behavior in public may increase the risk of death for everyone else in the vicinity. The negative aspects of Japan's natural environment are so violent and dangerous that those who fail to recognize them will never be able to comprehend them. Those who cannot recognize this will never understand their Japanese actions. Do you know why a horror movie like Godzilla was born in Japan? Although Godzilla is the form of a monster, it is actually a metaphor that materializes the Japanese people's latent fear of natural disasters that suddenly and rampantly strike. Godzilla is not manipulated by anyone with the intent or purpose of invading, but rather appears out of nowhere and irrationally destroys peaceful life overnight. Like a major earthquake, tsunami, volcanic explosion, typhoon, heavy snowfall, or an invisible epidemic, Godzilla appears suddenly and without a mastermind. The same is true of the monsters in Ultraman and the apostles in Evangelion: they are not manipulated by an invader behind the scenes. This is exactly the kind of idea and analogy that can only be applied to the Japanese archipelago, where the fury of nature strikes suddenly and without reason.

or How to Japan for Introverts 💛

Tokyo isn’t even in the top 50 most densely populated cities in the world. 125,000,000 people is barely a 3rd of the population of the US which isn’t even close to the billions of India and China.

They didn't disclose the name of the "popular cafe" they go to. Perhaps to keep all of us tourists away! 🤣

EMMASOPRETTY