Welcome to the Japan Travel Planning fortnightly newsletter for 21 October 2018, which includes information to help you plan your trip to Japan, top travel deals and articles about Japan.
Our South Korea and Hong Kong Trip in October 2018
We had a lovely trip to Hong Kong and South Korea during October, and would highly rate both as great destinations to visit. If you love Japan then you will also have a great time in South Korea – many similarities but also many differences. We loved the street food and other market options in Seoul and the history of the country is fascinating. And we had a lot of fun going on our first ever zipline experience at Nami Island to the east of Seoul (there is nothing like starting with a massive zipline!) – there are quite a few ziplines in South Korea where there are no major ones that we are aware of in Japan. Check out our short video below to see what the experience is like…
Another popular option in South Korea are rail bikes – we had a lot of fun with our first experience (and were relieved to find that they have a system in place to give you a boost up the hills…). below is a very short video to get a taste of the rail bike experience.
If you are also interested in travelling to South Korea then I suggest you also join our South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group 🙂
Our Upcoming Japan and Singapore Trip in April 2019
We also have our flights booked to return to Japan for a four week trip (via Singapore) in April 2019 – so are looking forward to our first Sakura experience as well as getting a hefty dose of theme parks – at latest count we are planning to visit six… Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Japan, Disneyland Tokyo, Disneysea Tokyo, Fuji Q and Edo Wonderland in Nikko. I am not quite sure how my husband has convinced me that we need to go to all of them – noting that we have already been to both Disneysea and USJ previously…
This weekend we are going to work together to lock down our final itinerary so that we can start to book accommodation – as a family of two adults and three children we need to start early to find our preferred options 🙂 .
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Key Japan Planning Information
Japanese Baseball Season Finals Tickets
- The Nippon Series, where the winners of the Climax Finals Series play against each other, is conducted over 27 October to 11 November 2018. The main option remaining for visitors to Japan is to purchase reseller tickets through viaGoGo at this link. Ensure you click on the option to sort by date to see the Nippon series matches.
Major Upcoming Events in Japan
For those of you planning to visit Japan from now to mid December you are almost definitely planning to try to see some of the glorious autumn foliage colours throughout Japan. Click here to check out a comprehensive fall foliage map and schedule for Japan to incorporate these dates into your itinerary planning.
Click on this page for Tokyo and this page for Japan to see the upcoming events.
Voyagin Halloween Sale Promotion
Voyagin is currently running their the Halloween Sale until 31 October 2018 with the following coupon code discounts, note that this deal does not include discounts on Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disneysea or Japan Rail Passes:
- Spend $US 100, Save $US 7, use coupon code`SPOOKY7`
- Spend $US 250, Save $US 20, use coupon code `SPOOKY20`
- Spend $US 400, Save $US 30, use coupon code `SPOOKY30`
To see a great range of popular purchase options through Voyagin to take advantage of this sale I suggest you check out our Voyagin Tours and Tickets page at this link.
Everything Sumo!
Upcoming sumo tournaments:
- 11- 25 November 2018 in Fukuoka. Official ticket sales commenced on 6 October 2018 – click here to see the official ticket sales site to see if any tickets are still available. You can still order tickets through other sources such as Voyagin. Click here to order tickets through Voyagin.
- 13-27 January 2019 in Tokyo. Official ticket sales commence on 8 December 2018. Click here to pre-order tickets through Voyagin. Ensure you place your order early to ensure that you have the best chance of getting the tickets you want.
- 10 – 24 March 2019 in Osaka. Official ticket sales commence on 3 February 2018. Click here to pre-order tickets through Voyagin. Ensure you place your order early to ensure that you have the best chance of getting the tickets you want.
For more information about how to purchase your sumo wrestling tickets check out my article on How To Buy Sumo Wrestling Online Tickets In 2018 and 2019.
Top Japan Travel Deals This Week
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals for Japan
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales are coming on 29 November and 2 December 2019! Last year there were a great range of deals available for travellers to Japan – which included significant discounts on:
- flights
- accommodation
- package tours,
- cruises,
- day tours,
- guide books, and
- travel products
Last year we published a dedicated article which included all of the available deals, and we plan to do similar this year. Keep an eye out and be ready to book quickly when the deals are released!
Tours 4 Fun – Japan Autumn Foliage Tours
Tours 4 Fun has a great range of Autumn Foliage Tours on sale for Japan at up to 15% off the normal price.
Click here to see the Autumn Foliage tours on offer from Tours 4 Fun
Tours 4 Fun – Get up to 20% off Multi Day and One Day Tours!
Tours 4 Fun also have on offer a great range of multi day package tours and one day tours during October! You have to scroll down quite a way on the page to see the Asian options, click on ‘Japan’ to see the options on offer.
Click here to check out the multi day package tours on offer from Tours 4 Fun
Skyscanner – Cheap flights from Australia to Tokyo
Skyscanner Australia has a great deal to help you find cheap flights from Australia to Tokyo. Click here to check out the deals available!
Top Articles This Week From the Facebook Group
Lunch at the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo by Reflections Enroute
Tokyo is well-known for its eclectic eateries and cafes. We make an effort to try a new one each time we go into the city, and we’ve loved the animal cafes and the themed restaurants so much that we could just not wait to visit the Pokemon Cafe right next to the Pokemon Center. Popular Japanese restaurants can get filled up pretty quickly, and we were afraid we wouldn’t get in. As it turns out, we were lucky and all we had to do was wait for 45 minutes, perfect time to go Pokemon shopping across the hall. Click here to read more…
Types of Toilets and Their Usage in Japan by Nippon Utsukushi Toilets
There are basically 3 types of toilets, the Japanese-style toilet, Western-style toilet, and the multi-function toilet and the type installed will vary depending on the location. The Japanese-type toilet is most common at sight-seeing locations and adjusting to the needs of the people, these are currently being converted to Western-style toilets. Click here to see exactly how to use each kind of toilet…
34 Best Restaurants in Tokyo by Conde Nast Traveler
Pulsating with energy and dripping with Michelin stars, Tokyo is the place to be for food lovers right now. From humble yakitori joints serving skewered grilled chicken, to multi-course traditional kaiseki feasts, dishes are prepared with care and respect for seasonal ingredients. But the city’s culinary greatness isn’t limited to Japanese cuisine: There’s phenomenal Italian, refined Chinese, and a genre-defying style of French that deserves a category of its own. “It’s getting hard to eat anywhere else, because Tokyo has it all and does everything better,” a world-weary Brazilian gastronaut confessed recently. We agree completely. Read on for our picks for some of the best places to eat when you’re in Tokyo. Click here to read more…
If you are interested in booking one of these restaurants, we suggest you check out the Voyagin restaurant booking service. They offer options to either pay a fee to book a restaurant, and there are also restaurants where they have set menu arrangements at different levels. After you click through you can use the filter option on the left hand side to search for the particular cuisine, location and number of Michelin stars. Click here to check out the Voyagin restaurant booking service.
Thanks Anne and Tony.
PS. If you have any questions you are welcome to ask questions in the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group
Other Facebook Groups – Rugby World Cup 2019 and Olympics 2020
If you are planning to visit Japan for either (or both!) of these events you are invited to join the groups with details below
- Japan Travel Planning – Rugby World Cup Facebook Group
- Japan Travel Planning – Olympics 2020 Facebook Group
We are just getting started in putting together the content for each of these groups and look forward to having a dedicated area where group members can interact without overloading the main group!
Join the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group
You are also welcome to join our Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group – it is a great resource to enable you be inspired and to ask questions about your upcoming trip to Japan!
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
