Question How to successfully use a one-way ticket as a tourist + more

[Haruto Uzumaki]

For some reason, I feel bad for asking this question, so I'm sorry in case I am asking something obvious or something tedious to help with.
I did read up on the most relevant threads available on J-Ref, but I'd still like to ask:
Since a one-way ticket to Japan is cheaper than a round-trip, and I am highly considering going to a different (probably Asian) country instead of returning "home" to the US, and I know people can sometimes get sent back for coming on one-way tickets, what is the best way to successfully travel to Japan with a one-way ticket?

Something I took note of: It seems if I buy a ticket to the next country before coming to Japan, then all will be fine. I would like someone's experience on this, to know if buying the ticket to the next country before-hand would be a good idea. For example, I'm thinking of going to the Philippines after my 89-90 days in Japan. If I buy a one-way ticket from Japan to the Philippines at the same time as I buy the one-way ticket from the US to Japan, should that work out okay? Will it depend on the next country I intend to go to? I know it could potentially cause trouble with the next country, where the denied access would just get pushed back to the Philippines for example. This is more of a "last resort" before buying a round-trip ticket, because... ↓

Something else I took note of: That's not my most desirable method, since I still am not sure which country I'd like to go to next. I just know it most likely isn't going to be back to the US unless I have to go there for some reason. I'm currently considering countries such as the Philippines, Korea, maybe India, maybe even China (if that's even possible, but I haven't yet checked). It may seem "not well thought out" or something, but I promise, it's not a decision that I should or even could set in stone now. The best choice will depend on whatever events take place during my time in Japan, and if I decided the next destination now, I would most surely end up refunding the ticket, or even worse, just having to miss the flight and waste money (which is one of the last things I ever want to do). That's also why I don't want to get a round-trip ticket, since there's a good chance I might not go back to the US (I reiterate, to go to another country instead, not to overstay in Japan).

Just a few other related questions: Say I get a one-way flight with Spirit Airlines (I know, probably going to be a horrible experience, it's all worth it), which doesn't include luggage at all. Is there a way to add luggage "add-ons" later in these cases? I'm guessing it might be depending on the airline, so I'm not expecting answers if it depends. I think my luggage is also going to turn out heavier than the limits, and will probably have more bags than standard (don't question it, I have many gifts to bring to the land of Japan ) . It looks like I'm going to have 2 backpacks, 2 duffel bags (one of them is definitely oversized), 1 suitcase, and a shoulder bag thingy. I know I was answered before by @mdchachi on this, but is it really better to let the excess luggage fees hit me, rather than shipping them? This kind of stuff is so hard to calculate before really going to the airport and being hit by the fee, but...
Anyway, I'd also like to know about some post arrival things. I'm planning on taking the limousine bus to Tokyo, from one of the airports. It's cheapest to come from the Haneda Airport, at just under $10, and just under $20 for Narita Airport, but I don't know A. whether my extra luggage would fit; B. what any important differences are between Haneda and Narita Airports (other than distance). I'll be researching this as I post this thread (and I have before), but nothing beats first hand experience from people I know who have been to either or both, so I'd like to hear from someone on that too. Also, if the limousine bus is a no-go, what are some other affordable options? Something to note is that I don't care if it takes an hour or 10 to get from the airport to Tokyo, as long as it's cheap and I can get all my stuff there. I don't need any luxuries (not even food) so keep that in mind if you can provide suggestions.

Though I'm sure I'm missing something I need to ask, for now, that's all I can think of, so I patiently await your replies! Thanks in advance, for your help everyone! Hopefully, my plans won't be picked apart this time 草

 

[nice gaijin]

I too like to travel a little more freely and let the wind blow me where it wants, which is tough when you have a suspicious immigration officer scrutinizing your vague itinerary.

I recommend getting an ongoing flight that you can modify or cancel at no charge, or simply commit to the next step of your journey, and take it from there. You can repeat this and keep your itinerary one step ahead of your travels, so you'll at least have an idea of where and when you're headed next. This also means you'll probably get the best price for your flights as you're buying them far enough in advance.

Just don't leave Japan at 90 days and then come back after a couple weeks for another long stay, or you'll probably get grilled at some point.

Narita is the bigger airport but I've always thought it was false advertising to say it's in Tokyo, the bus or slower trains will take you 1-2 hours to get into the city proper. I've always preferred the keisei train which deposits you at Ueno, but if you aren't staying in that quadrant. A bus might be slightly cheaper or about the same, I just like the convenience of hopping on a train. Haneda is much closer to the southwest part of Tokyo, but it'll depend who you're flying with.

Check out zipair, they're a new budget airlines (or at least new to me), I'm going to try them out my next trip coming up.

 

[mdchachi]

Check out this article especially the part about onwardticket.com. It's interesting that the main problem with the one-way tickets is mainly the airlines, not immigration, because they don't want to get stuck holding the bag.

Flying on a One-Way Ticket [How to Avoid Problems] • Indie Traveller

Find out why flying on a one-way ticket can be problematic - and several tips on how to avoid these problems

www.indietraveller.co

Regarding the buses, I think it's the best option for you as they are relatively affordable and easy. You definitely don't have more luggage than the bus can handle.
I suppose it's possible they might charge extra though I've never heard of that. For the airplane, in general try to max out luggage sizes and weight limits without going over. For example stuff the two backpacks into one duffel bag to convert two bags into one. But I highly recommend cutting down what you're planning to bring and not bring more than you can carry/roll. Also consider getting an airline credit card if you can as it will often expand the baggage allowances for you.

As nice gajin said, trains can be marginally cheaper. But it all depends on where you're going. Plus trains are a pain in the *** if you're carrying a bunch of luggage and have to change trains one or more times.

P.S. Spirit doesn't fly to Japan.

 

[mdchachi]

This says you only get two bags free but it doesn't say what happens if you go over. I suggest calling the number on this page and asking. They should be able to provide an English speaker to help you. Note to dial from the U.S. drop the leading zero and add whatever international prefix you need plus the country code.
So typically it would be: 011-81-3-3665-7220

How to Use | Airport Limousine Bus

Airport Limousine Bus is the leading operator of the airport transportation in Tokyo. Smooth Direct Access to and from Central Tokyo and Narita and Haneda Airport. Bus timetables, maps, travelling time and fares information are all listed in this website.

www.limousinebus.co.jp

 

[johnnyG]

There's a name for it (that I can't remember), where you buy a ticket with a stopover, get off, and then don't use the final leg. It's a way to get cheaper tickets.

Eg, a ticket to japan is $100. But a ticket to seoul on KAL/asiana, with a stop in tokyo, is $85. The customer buys the longer but cheaper ticket, uses the stop to get off, and never finishes the 'trip'. (Airlines don't like this.)

Or, since you are thinking of onward travel, why not go ahead and choose a next place, and get a ticket there with a stopover in tokyo (leave the next leg 'open', or up to 90 days later)?

And, not sure if this still works or not, but pretty long ago one way around the one-way ticket problem was to say that you were leaving japan by ferry to Busan (so no onward air ticket). Not sure what an actual ferry ticket costs, or maybe you could book it to have some reservation/confirmation paperwork to show, then cancel the booking later.

 

[nice gaijin]

There's a name for it (that I can't remember), where you buy a ticket with a stopover, get off, and then don't use the final leg. It's a way to get cheaper tickets.

Eg, a ticket to japan is $100. But a ticket to seoul on KAL/asiana, with a stop in tokyo, is $85. The customer buys the longer but cheaper ticket, uses the stop to get off, and never finishes the 'trip'. (Airlines don't like this.)

Or, since you are thinking of onward travel, why not go ahead and choose a next place, and get a ticket there with a stopover in tokyo (leave the next leg 'open', or up to 90 days later)?

And, not sure if this still works or not, but pretty long ago one way around the one-way ticket problem was to say that you were leaving japan by ferry to Busan (so no onward air ticket). Not sure what an actual ferry ticket costs, or maybe you could book it to have some reservation/confirmation paperwork to show, then cancel the booking later.

It's called skiplagging: Flyers are 'skiplagging' to try and save money on flight tickets. Airlines hate it.

When I did an overnight ferry from Osaka to Busan (way back in 2010), i think it was somewhere around 12-14,000 yen, and I got my ticket right at the port before departure. I felt lucky because it was my only option and my last day I could be in Japan, but it all worked out and the cruise was a great way to get to Korea (and included one night's accommodation, as it's an 18-hour overnight cruise, with beautiful sunset views)

Panstar runs the ferry, here's one account of using the cruise to get to Korea: Taking the Ferry from Japan to Korea

 

[johnnyG]

I was thinking Shimonoseki, but Osaka would be perfectly okay, too.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Thanks for the good info everyone!

I recommend getting an ongoing flight that you can modify or cancel at no charge, or simply commit to the next step of your journey, and take it from there. You can repeat this and keep your itinerary one step ahead of your travels, so you'll at least have an idea of where and when you're headed next. This also means you'll probably get the best price for your flights as you're buying them far enough in advance.

Just don't leave Japan at 90 days and then come back after a couple weeks for another long stay, or you'll probably get grilled at some point.

Hmm... it's probably a type of ticket I'd have to search for directly on each carrier site rather than sites that find the best prices automatically then, I assume... and I'm expecting it to cost a lot more than normal tickets, but I'll still look into it and consider it for sure
And yeah, I'm not going to come back for at least three months unless I end up getting a work visa or something, in which I assume it's excusable in that case.

Narita is the bigger airport but I've always thought it was false advertising to say it's in Tokyo, the bus or slower trains will take you 1-2 hours to get into the city proper. I've always preferred the keisei train which deposits you at Ueno, but if you aren't staying in that quadrant. A bus might be slightly cheaper or about the same, I just like the convenience of hopping on a train. Haneda is much closer to the southwest part of Tokyo, but it'll depend who you're flying with.

Yeah I find that pretty weird too, it's apparently in rural fields yet somehow still "Tokyo"
I'm most likely not going to be in Ueno, most likely picking the share house next to Harajuku, or if that's taken then one in Ogikubo. Nippori station is over 20 km away from both of those, while the bus would take me to "downtown tokyo" which I assume is the Shibuya area? If not then I guess both options might not be the best unless there's another cheap way to get there from wherever I'm dropped off at.

Check out zipair, they're a new budget airlines (or at least new to me), I'm going to try them out my next trip coming up.

I've heard about them, but unfortunately, they're not available in my state, it seems... I was wondering how these people from California were getting like $500 trips, turns out some parts of the US are lucky and get those kinds of deals, while I'm gonna have to spend a minimum of $1.1K if it's round trip (that being the lowest price to date; until recently, it was way higher, like ~$1.6K).

Check out this article especially the part about onwardticket.com. It's interesting that the main problem with the one-way tickets is mainly the airlines, not immigration, because they don't want to get stuck holding the bag.

Thanks for the article! I read a bit about this in some of the old threads on here, that it's mainly the airlines with the strict ruling. I can't help but wonder, if they'd rather deny someone entry and cause them to need a refund, they must believe getting no money is better than "giving away" a return trip... or maybe they're feeding off the cancelation fees anyway, that onwardticket site should be a lifesaver!! That might be my best option, a cheap disposable ticket I can instantly get in the event that I do end up being stopped, and if I don't get stopped - yippee

Regarding the buses, I think it's the best option for you as they are relatively affordable and easy. You definitely don't have more luggage than the bus can handle.

ふぅ、that's good to know

I suppose it's possible they might charge extra though I've never heard of that. For the airplane, in general try to max out luggage sizes and weight limits without going over. For example stuff the two backpacks into one duffel bag to convert two bags into one. But I highly recommend cutting down what you're planning to bring and not bring more than you can carry/roll. Also consider getting an airline credit card if you can as it will often expand the baggage allowances for you.

I'll be okay as long as it's not outrageous, since I can understand there being limited space. As for the flight, I don't think I can avoid going over, at least for my suitcase it's on the smaller side but I packed it extremely densely, plus, it has... well, a small desktop computer I'm planning to use and give away, so that doesn't help the weight either (I'll check the weights soon)... Anyway, I could probably fit my backpacks into the bigger duffel bag, so I might put them in there, though I'd like to have at least one as carry-on (since it would have my snacks and my laptop). So basically, my suitcase has my clothes and stuff like toothbrushes, toothpaste, dehydrated laundry detergent, etc.so the necessities for my own self, and then the small duffel bag has my audio equipment and various electronic supplies. My first backpack is stuffed to the brim with gifts, as well as the bigger duffel bag will be. The second backpack would ideally be the one I keep with me as a carry-on as it contains my small snack stash and some official documents, and I should be able to put my computer in it. It also has enough space where I could put the small satchel(?) style bag in it, which also contains gifts and more personal documents. I might put it in there so the smaller duffel bag can be a carry-on, but I'm not sure about that... Due to the nature of my being, even if they are big, leaving the gifts behind is a no-go, as someone who wants to bring something to Japan and not take away. Plus this is all stuff I won't be coming back to if I don't take it with me, so it would kinda be a waste. Even for me, I'll admit carrying everything is gonna be a daunting task, but as my mule-like self I'll definitely manage this.
As it stands now, I don't think I can get a credit card even if I wanted to, since I have virtually no credit (and unfortunately, due to some terrible, seriously unlucky events, I may actually be in debt to the IRS right now...)

As nice gajin said, trains can be marginally cheaper. But it all depends on where you're going. Plus trains are a pain in the *** if you're carrying a bunch of luggage and have to change trains one or more times.

Yeah, I think it might be a bad idea for me, since I might get directionally lost trying to go to the next train as someone new to Japan. The bus seems that it'll take me directly to the area I'll be staying in.

P.S. Spirit doesn't fly to Japan.

Ah, is that so... I did think they were a US only carrier, but I could've sworn I saw a Spirit flight to Japan two nights ago... I'll have to check again and send proof if I find any

This says you only get two bags free but it doesn't say what happens if you go over. I suggest calling the number on this page and asking. They should be able to provide an English speaker to help you. Note to dial from the U.S. drop the leading zero and add whatever international prefix you need plus the country code.
So typically it would be: 011-81-3-3665-7220

Thanks for catching that oversight I only saw the information from another website where I was able to pay for the reservation, so I didn't think there was a "main" website where this information would be. I also had no clue about having to change the number up a bit in order to call it from overseas, I always assumed it just wasn't possible thank you for telling me! I'll have to call them in a bit!

Eg, a ticket to japan is $100. But a ticket to seoul on KAL/asiana, with a stop in tokyo, is $85. The customer buys the longer but cheaper ticket, uses the stop to get off, and never finishes the 'trip'. (Airlines don't like this.)

Hmm, I've seen that someone did something similar to this, and like you said, the airline hated it, and they eventually gave him a warning after doing it quite a few times I'm just confused how it's possible to choose where the "stop" is, isn't it hard to predict or track? I mean that you would have to choose random tickets until you find one that has a stop in your destination, wouldn't you? Unless I'm misunderstanding, which is most likely had to read this like 10 times, my English comprehension...

Or, since you are thinking of onward travel, why not go ahead and choose a next place, and get a ticket there with a stopover in tokyo (leave the next leg 'open', or up to 90 days later)?

Well, as I mentioned in the post, it's in my best interest that I don't decide on a next place before I've spent a month or two in Japan. I don't want to end up buying a ticket to a country that I realize isn't the best option to travel to next. For example, the off-chance I get a job lined up, where I'd most likely need to go back to the US, or, if some circumstances makes one Asian country more suitable to live in than another (maybe I find a Korean friend who can help me through Korea, or maybe I find that I can save money or even make money back by going to a different country instead, and so on).

And, not sure if this still works or not, but pretty long ago one way around the one-way ticket problem was to say that you were leaving japan by ferry to Busan (so no onward air ticket). Not sure what an actual ferry ticket costs, or maybe you could book it to have some reservation/confirmation paperwork to show, then cancel the booking later.

It seems interesting, if it still works, I'll keep it in mind, though it seems the best option for me right now is still the cheap return flight reservation. This way, I will only have to book if I get stopped, and only $16 at that and no need to deal with trying to contact companies to get them to cancel something or refund me

It's called skiplagging: Flyers are 'skiplagging' to try and save money on flight tickets. Airlines hate it.

Ahh, that website gave all the insight I need, thanks... Since I'll definitely have checked luggage, it's definitely a no-go for me, and I also don't wanna potentially get banned from any airlines

When I did an overnight ferry from Osaka to Busan (way back in 2010), i think it was somewhere around 12-14,000 yen, and I got my ticket right at the port before departure. I felt lucky because it was my only option and my last day I could be in Japan, but it all worked out and the cruise was a great way to get to Korea (and included one night's accommodation, as it's an 18-hour overnight cruise, with beautiful sunset views)

That sounds so nice I'm glad you made it right on time, must've felt like a movie plot

Thanks again everyone, for all the insight! I'm much more prepared now thanks to you guys!

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Welp, turns out my scale is dead, so I can't even check the weight of my luggage right now

 

[mdchachi]

while the bus would take me to "downtown tokyo" which I assume is the Shibuya area?

There are several buses and each has multiple destinations so you can select from a number of "downtown" including Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Then you'll need to figure out how to get from the bus drop off to the lodging. It's relatively expensive but taxi is worth considering due to all the luggage you'll have.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

There are several buses and each has multiple destinations so you can select from a number of "downtown" including Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Ahh okay, thanks for telling me, that's perfect then!

Then you'll need to figure out how to get from the bus drop off to the lodging. It's relatively expensive but taxi is worth considering due to all the luggage you'll have.

I was assuming I could walk since I thought the outskirts of Harajuku are close to Shibuya (well literally in it, but you know what I mean)
Just under 2 km it seems, right? I can walk that no problem, and might even be more like 1 km since I won't be living directly in Harajuku, but a 15 minute walk away (although it could work against me if it's in the opposite direction, but 3 km is still fine to me).

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

So typically it would be: 011-81-3-3665-7220

How to Use | Airport Limousine Bus

Airport Limousine Bus is the leading operator of the airport transportation in Tokyo. Smooth Direct Access to and from Central Tokyo and Narita and Haneda Airport. Bus timetables, maps, travelling time and fares information are all listed in this website.

www.limousinebus.co.jp

Also, I called the number just now, and after promptly sweating from seeing there was a fee for each minute on the line, I got prerecorded messages. It started in Japanese, but luckily I could understand so I pressed two for english, and then more prerecorded english messages, 1 for reservations bla bla, 2 for blabla bla, 3 for general inquiries, and I was waiting for it to repeat cause I didn't hear what 2 was, but it just sent me to a line anyway, rung for a while, then said it was busy, and that I could use the website for inquiries or keep waiting. Didn't wanna incur any fees so after waiting a bit longer and hung up, so I'm just gonna find the inquiry box on the website instead, if it's actually there.

 

[mdchachi]

Also, I called the number just now, and after promptly sweating from seeing there was a fee for each minute on the line, I got prerecorded messages. It started in Japanese, but luckily I could understand so I pressed two for english, and then more prerecorded english messages, 1 for reservations bla bla, 2 for blabla bla, 3 for general inquiries, and I was waiting for it to repeat cause I didn't hear what 2 was, but it just sent me to a line anyway, rung for a while, then said it was busy, and that I could use the website for inquiries or keep waiting. Didn't wanna incur any fees so after waiting a bit longer and hung up, so I'm just gonna find the inquiry box on the website instead, if it's actually there.

Avoid fees by calling over VOIP using Line or Whatsapp or something.

More food for thought, the bus from Narita is about $30 vs about $10 for buses from Haneda. However it looks like Haneda doesn't have a bus to Shibuya.
Regardless you'll want to find the cheapest air fare you can and once you decide your flight then we can help with the transportation logistics.

 

[Majestic]

There's a Tokyu bus that goes from Haneda to Shibuya, but their site isn't particularly English-user friendly

羽田空港連絡バスの運行時刻を変更いたします | お知らせ | 東急バス

東急バスのお知らせについてご案内します。

www.tokyubus.co.jp

@Haruto Uzumaki bear in mind if you are traveling in summer, the temperature and the humidity will sap your strength pretty quickly. And, if you get rainy weather, it will be no fun dragging a lot of luggage full of delicate electronic equipment in-between Harajuku and Shibuya. Also, is your electronic gear set up to handle Japanese voltage?

Shibuya is one of the main wards/sections of Tokyo, with its own mayor etc., while Harajuku is considered a small-ish neighborhood. So Shibuya is like a city within a city. And the Shibuya station is now probably the most confusing station in all of Japan, due to the never-ending construction going on. Also it has many levels, including underground levels, so it can be very disorienting. Also, not many streets have names, so it can be very, very tough to find addresses - Google maps can help, but if you are unfamiliar with the locations you can still be easily confused. You have the name of the place you intend to stay?

Harajuku station is close enough to Shibuya so that you can easily walk in between the two. But I wouldn't want to do it in sweltering heat or pouring rain (although I have done it before).

Another data point that might be helpful in deciding between Haneda or Narita (and apologies if this has been mentioned before): the taxi from Narita to Tokyo/Shibuya will cost roughly $200 and take well over an hour. Maybe two hours if you hit heavy traffic. However the taxi from Haneda to Tokyo/Shibuya will only be $70-80, and will take maybe 45 minutes.

 

[mdchachi]

There's a Tokyu bus that goes from Haneda to Shibuya, but their site isn't particularly English-user friendly

羽田空港連絡バスの運行時刻を変更いたします | お知らせ | 東急バス

東急バスのお知らせについてご案内します。

www.tokyubus.co.jp

@Haruto Uzumaki bear in mind if you are traveling in summer, the temperature and the humidity will sap your strength pretty quickly. And, if you get rainy weather, it will be no fun dragging a lot of luggage full of delicate electronic equipment in-between Harajuku and Shibuya. Also, is your electronic gear set up to handle Japanese voltage?

Shibuya is one of the main wards/sections of Tokyo, with its own mayor etc., while Harajuku is considered a small-ish neighborhood. So Shibuya is like a city within a city. And the Shibuya station is now probably the most confusing station in all of Japan, due to the never-ending construction going on. Also it has many levels, including underground levels, so it can be very disorienting. Also, not many streets have names, so it can be very, very tough to find addresses - Google maps can help, but if you are unfamiliar with the locations you can still be easily confused. You have the name of the place you intend to stay?

Harajuku station is close enough to Shibuya so that you can easily walk in between the two. But I wouldn't want to do it in sweltering heat or pouring rain (although I have done it before).

Another data point that might be helpful in deciding between Haneda or Narita (and apologies if this has been mentioned before): the taxi from Narita to Tokyo/Shibuya will cost roughly $200 and take well over an hour. Maybe two hours if you hit heavy traffic. However the taxi from Haneda to Tokyo/Shibuya will only be $70-80, and will take maybe 45 minutes.

I was wondering why there was no limo bus to Shibuya. Now it makes sense.
I think taxi from the airport is out of the question given everything he's said about his plan and budget. But I think he should consider a taxi from the bus drop off to the share house. If he has a smart phone, navigating from Shibuya to Harajuku should be doable. But it sounds like he'll have more luggage than he can actually carry which is my primary concern.

That reminds me, though, there are luggage delivery services in Japan that are quite reasonable at less than $20/bag. So it's another thing you should consider especially if you're going to be over the bus luggage limit and will have to pay extra anyway.

Luggage Delivery in Japan: Best Forwarding Services | Tokyo Cheapo

Travel with less stress! Here's the lowdown on the best luggage-delivery services in Japan, including airport and hotel luggage forwarding.

tokyocheapo.com

 

[johnnyG]

It looks like I'm going to have 2 backpacks, 2 duffel bags (one of them is definitely oversized), 1 suitcase, and a shoulder bag thingy.

When looking at this, vs your other comments about being on a budget, and talking about walking from one place to another...

...I think I'm seeing a huge disconnect.

Even walking thru a single station will be near impossible, in my opinion (stations do not have luggage carts). And a busy station just that much more so. (eg, getting off the skyliner and then to regular JR lines and/or the shinkansen at Ueno; Tokyo station itself, from getting off the bus, and then into the station and to the platform you need; anything to do with Shibuya station, and even walking in that area). And then getting on/off a busy line like Yamanote with this much stuff!?!? Yikes.

My suggestion would be to seriously re-evaluate what you're bringing, and cut it back to one big backpack and a sling bag (or a small backpack that you can wear on front, while wearing the big one on your back). You need to be able to carry/move everything at once, all the time, and everywhere.

While you might make it thru japan with all that stuff, consider your onward travel possibilities. I think what I'm saying is true for japan, but for korea and anyplace in SE asia, even more so.

 

[mdchachi]

When looking at this, vs your other comments about being on a budget, and talking about walking from one place to another...

...I think I'm seeing a huge disconnect.

Even walking thru a single station will be near impossible, in my opinion (stations do not have luggage carts). And a busy station just that much more so. (eg, getting off the skyliner and then to regular JR lines and/or the shinkansen at Ueno; Tokyo station itself, from getting off the bus, and then into the station and to the platform you need; anything to do with Shibuya station, and even walking in that area). And then getting on/off a busy line like Yamanote with this much stuff!?!? Yikes.

My suggestion would be to seriously re-evaluate what you're bringing, and cut it back to one big backpack and a sling bag (or a small backpack that you can wear on front, while wearing the big one on your back). You need to be able to carry/move everything at once, all the time, and everywhere.

While you might make it thru japan with all that stuff, consider your onward travel possibilities. I think what I'm saying is true for japan, but for korea and anyplace in SE asia, even more so.

I think he plans to divest himself of much of the luggage (gifts etc) after he gets there. So he doesn't plan to have so much luggage long term.
Also he's thinking to avoid trains which I think is a good plan unless he follows my advice and ships a bag or two from the airport and is able to carry the rest.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Sorry about this guys, I forgot to mention my fifth and sixth pieces of luggage (maybe they can be wrapped together) I already thought about it of course but I forgot to say here that I'm also bringing an electric guitar and bass guitar... they can't really fit in any other bag either but they both have gig bags. The bass guitar is inside of a regular guitar-sized gig bag, so the head sticks out a little although I'm going to wrap it. This might make things a little more complicated, although I'm still confident I can carry it all... Just not sure how they treat fragile instruments

Avoid fees by calling over VOIP using Line or Whatsapp or something.

Actually, I don't even have a real phone number I was using TextNow, but it apparently has fees for certain international calls (though it didn't seem to charge me for the call so far?) I'll see if I can get Whatsapp again, but I think it also requires a real number I luckily have a LINE account, didn't know it can do calls like that, so I'll use it next time, just gotta get the app again (hopefully I can sign in without number verification)

More food for thought, the bus from Narita is about $30 vs about $10 for buses from Haneda. However it looks like Haneda doesn't have a bus to Shibuya.
Regardless you'll want to find the cheapest air fare you can and once you decide your flight then we can help with the transportation logistics.

I see... on the website where I was gonna reserve it, it was only $21 for the Narita bus. But yeah, I'm gonna have to solidify my flight plan first, and then I'll come back for help with the next steps This should be completed within the next 20 days.

There's a Tokyu bus that goes from Haneda to Shibuya, but their site isn't particularly English-user friendly

羽田空港連絡バスの運行時刻を変更いたします | お知らせ | 東急バス

東急バスのお知らせについてご案内します。

www.tokyubus.co.jp

Thank you for the site; it's funny cause usually just google translating the site is good enough (and DeepL whatever needs accuracy) but the format to me is what's less user friendly Japanese webpages are very peculiar compared to the average modern webpage. I should be fine though let me take a look for a bit!

@Haruto Uzumaki bear in mind if you are traveling in summer, the temperature and the humidity will sap your strength pretty quickly. And, if you get rainy weather, it will be no fun dragging a lot of luggage full of delicate electronic equipment in-between Harajuku and Shibuya. Also, is your electronic gear set up to handle Japanese voltage?

I live in Florida, so I believe the temperature (and usually humidity) is quite comparable to Japan, although I admit, at times Japan seems to be seriously humid even at night, as I've seen 100% humidity levels there before. Florida isn't far off either though. Also, I guess the following is a good thing in a way, since it prepares me: my room is consistently 88-92 degrees Farenheit (30ish to 34ish degrees Celsius I believe), and being in a confined space at that temperature vs out in the open, I believe, is considerably worse, especially with no breeze. So in a way, I've been training for the past year or two just by being in my room cooking away anyway, I'm sure I'll be alright, I summon great amounts of physical strength when required of me Rain could be a problem but it should be okay, my backpack which will have my computer usually protects my electronics pretty well (and it rains crazy here in Florida, like tropical storms where the rain can even sting sometimes from how fast it flies). My other electronics are either sealed or inactive wires that won't be damaged from getting wet.

However, you raised an important point that I nearly forgot about. I knew about how half of Japan followed the standards of Europe or something, while the other half followed the standards of the US, and my old Japanese friend also told me about the A and B sockets, so I did research about how I could still plug in my electronics. I did find a solution for being able to plug in electronics that have a ground pin, but had not looked for ways to match up the voltage. I just did some research on it, and it seems to be confirming my initial thoughts: the 100 volt sockets are only 20 volts lower than the US voltage, so it shouldn't be a big deal, as long as I don't plug into the 200v ones, (I don't think I can even plug into those anyway) correct?
The thing is, I've never had the notion that the voltage has to be matched up exactly, just that you shouldn't provide too much voltage (because electronics not properly rated for that voltage can't handle it and may melt, catch on fire, or blow up), and as long as the voltage isn't too low, the electronic should work fine (although it could be insufficient power). At least for me, all that matters is that I can charge my laptop, and everything else will be fine (as I can power everything else from it). If I can't use the desktop, that's alright because it's going to be given away anyway and the wire is detachable as well as the port on the desktop being universal, so most people should have easy access to a wire for it. Looks like the voltage matters most for things that don't have batteries to run off of, such as trying to plug in a blender or can opener, then maybe it might underperform. My computer might charge slower but shouldn't be too much of an issue. Anyway, if for some reason I have to match up the voltage exactly (even though I'm almost certain that isn't the case as I use 110 volts in the car), there are apparently voltage adapters which should fix everything in that case. And as for the frequency, I believe Tokyo is on the side of Japan that uses 60 Hz, so we should be good there too. Well, all of what I just said doesn't matter anyway, as my computer's charging adapter supports anything from 100-240 volts, so I will be perfectly fine in Japan as long as I get the socket adapter that allows you to plug in with a ground pin. So in short, I'll be completely fine as long as I buy that adapter. Which I am going to do right now.

Shibuya is one of the main wards/sections of Tokyo, with its own mayor etc., while Harajuku is considered a small-ish neighborhood. So Shibuya is like a city within a city. And the Shibuya station is now probably the most confusing station in all of Japan, due to the never-ending construction going on. Also it has many levels, including underground levels, so it can be very disorienting. Also, not many streets have names, so it can be very, very tough to find addresses - Google maps can help, but if you are unfamiliar with the locations you can still be easily confused. You have the name of the place you intend to stay?

I see, and yeah I can tell from all the videos I've seen that it's definitely a confusing and ever-changing place. That's also something I like about it, that you can go outside a week later and find your old favorite place is no longer in there or in business, feel a bittersweet moment, and promptly discover a brand new opening location that may just become your new favorite place. Anyway, to get back on topic, I have the exact address (I don't even know how someone can call it that) and coordinates of the place available on Google Maps: SAKURA HOUSE YOYOGI KOEN B (thanks again for sharing SAKURA HOUSE @mdchachi )
Keep in mind though that I haven't fully decided on it, and I'm aware of the possibility of it getting booked by the time I fully decide. I'm going to wait until the last 2-3 weeks away from the trip before I make a reservation, as well as one month away before I buy the plane ticket. Don't want any unforeseen circumstances causing me a loss of a few thousand dollars, so I have to wait to solidify it. But anyway, I think I should be alright with Google Maps, as long as I have the coordinates and some contextual images of the place and area around it. Hopefully I get lost only after I put my luggage down

Harajuku station is close enough to Shibuya so that you can easily walk in between the two. But I wouldn't want to do it in sweltering heat or pouring rain (although I have done it before).

On this trip, I'm prepared to do a lot of things that I otherwise wouldn't want to do* I'll stride forward with reinforced footing, rain or shine!
*now don't take what I just said the wrong way, okay guys?!

Another data point that might be helpful in deciding between Haneda or Narita (and apologies if this has been mentioned before): the taxi from Narita to Tokyo/Shibuya will cost roughly $200 and take well over an hour. Maybe two hours if you hit heavy traffic. However the taxi from Haneda to Tokyo/Shibuya will only be $70-80, and will take maybe 45 minutes.

Yeah, I wanted to avoid the taxi at all costs honestly because it seems to be one of the most expensive options, and many people have said it's mainly for those who come at an early or late time when other transportation isn't in service. I'm fine with waiting a few hours in the airport until transportation starts running again, if that happens to me. Otherwise, I'm going to choose the most affordable option (assuming my luggage doesn't cause it to be less affordable than another option). Also, the time it takes to get there isn't a problem for me. If it goes well, I'll have up to 89 other days to myself so I can work on everything necessary, which means a few hours more of transportation to get there isn't a big deal. I could just use it as sightseeing and studying time. Last time I went on a trip, it took like... 5-6 hours to get to the place we were staying anyway.

But it sounds like he'll have more luggage than he can actually carry which is my primary concern.

That reminds me, though, there are luggage delivery services in Japan that are quite reasonable at less than $20/bag. So it's another thing you should consider especially if you're going to be over the bus luggage limit and will have to pay extra anyway.

Please rest assured I can carry it, although it's definitely not going to be easy. The only things I need to worry about honestly are things such as getting it all on me, and taking it off quickly when I need to. When it comes to carrying a lot of things over a medium distance, I usually fare well. Even quite a while back as a 16 year old kid, I demonstrated unreal stamina as I did things such as carry a giant box TV by myself down an entire street and a half, and subsequently carried it up to the second floor of my house. Just because it had a DVD player I wanted to use

Although, in this case, regardless of my strength I am interested in luggage delivery services, especially for my bass and electric guitar. I'll definitely consider it, although if I can bring my luggage as far as to the airports, then I might as well bring them the rest of the way too. Even if a 15 minute walk becomes a 30 minute walk, I think I'll be okay, though I think I might have to eat a lot of food after I'm done I think a luggage delivery would make most sense for me if it made it so I just don't have to carry them at all, because if I have to carry them for all the other parts of the trip, my thinking is that I might as well follow through while my stamina is activated.
At any rate, if at any point the projected price of the extra luggage would potentially exceed shipping the luggage from the US directly, and anyone has knowledge of that, let me know, because that would solve all the issues including the ones Mr. @johnnyG has below with my plan:

When looking at this, vs your other comments about being on a budget, and talking about walking from one place to another...

...I think I'm seeing a huge disconnect.

Even walking thru a single station will be near impossible, in my opinion (stations do not have luggage carts). And a busy station just that much more so. (eg, getting off the skyliner and then to regular JR lines and/or the shinkansen at Ueno; Tokyo station itself, from getting off the bus, and then into the station and to the platform you need; anything to do with Shibuya station, and even walking in that area). And then getting on/off a busy line like Yamanote with this much stuff!?!? Yikes.

My suggestion would be to seriously re-evaluate what you're bringing, and cut it back to one big backpack and a sling bag (or a small backpack that you can wear on front, while wearing the big one on your back). You need to be able to carry/move everything at once, all the time, and everywhere.

While you might make it thru japan with all that stuff, consider your onward travel possibilities. I think what I'm saying is true for japan, but for korea and anyplace in SE asia, even more so.

I understand your concern and had a feeling someone might say something like this. But I just want to remind you of something I pointed out earlier: 80% of this stuff isn't even for me, and it wouldn't come with me to any future trips. In fact, all I would leave Japan with is my computer with its accessories (backpack), the audio equipment (small duffel) and my clothes and hygenics (suitcase). All the rest is staying in Japan whether I get to come back or not. Most of the stuff is gifts, and I'm letting my friends hold onto and borrow my guitars until I come back (if I do). I'll only have around 20%-30% of the original mass I started with by the time I near the end of my stay. As for the budget thing, yes my priority is budget, but I am also going to do my best (within a reasonable range) to bring all my gifts to Japan. If I leave them here, it's kind of a waste either way because it's hundreds of dollars (maybe over $1K) worth of stuff that I'll never get back again, and I know my parents are most likely going to throw it all away after a while. There's also already hundreds of dollars worth of stuff I'm going to have to leave behind regardless (I know my limits, and I know what won't be worth bringing, even if it's of value). Rather than let all these things go to waste (I don't want to have too much of a もったいない situation), I would like to bring with me tokens of appreciation to Japan. That is one of my unconditionals. I'll do anything that gets me a lower price while still being able to bring all the stuff to give. I don't expect you to understand why I'm this way, but I hope you can at least realize that I did put a lot of thought (nearly two years of it) into these decisions... I'll address your other points: for one, I do not intend to bring everything around with me at all times, everywhere. Just a certain set of things, and by the first month I should have decreased the amount of stuff I have by around 50% or so. I won't be bringing all the stuff at once, just some things at a time so it disappears little by little. The airport/station when coming in for the first time would be the only time it's going to be all with me at once. With that said, I also completely understand your concern about walking through a station and you made a valid point there. However, I assumed so far that if I took the limousine bus or any bus that could drop me off in Shibuya, I wouldn't have to get on a train or go through a station. Is that incorrect? I wanted to avoid the train in the first place for this very reason, because it might not have enough space, and along with an increased possibility of getting lost in the stations, I would have to walk around a lot more with my stuff to get to the destination. If my choice on the bus is inaccurate (as well as the bus sent by @Majestic ), I'm definitely open to any other methods to avoid the train, except a taxi of course which might turn out to be the most expensive option. Also, ↓

I think he plans to divest himself of much of the luggage (gifts etc) after he gets there. So he doesn't plan to have so much luggage long term.
Also he's thinking to avoid trains which I think is a good plan unless he follows my advice and ships a bag or two from the airport and is able to carry the rest.

その通り Thank you for your understanding!! The hardest part will be the beginning, but by the first day the load will be significantly decreased, and I am definitely not keeping the luggage long term. I might even be able to live out of just a backpack and the small duffel when going to my next destination. I am considering the shipment thing if it turns out there's really no way to pass through successfully in order to carry them the rest of the way myself. But even a 30 minute walk with a distance of 2 km even under increased pressure from being loaded up with weights isn't going to really deter me from still going for it. I'm pretty determined I'll be able to handle it, but I'll of course listen to my body on that particular day.

And I know the guitars I've just mentioned in this reply definitely don't help my argument @johnnyG , but I'm going to ensure a way to make it work. Not sure if you've ever had to leave behind a lot of valuables (which you could never come back to) before, but if you have, I'm sure you can find some understanding in your heart to try and support my wishes. As well as if you have as much love for Japan as I do, to the point that you could cry just about how much you love the land and everything it gave birth to, it would just be impossible for one to not try to give back. Killing two birds with one stone because the stuff I want to bring is perfect for this situation. So if you've ever experienced at all something like this, I kindly ask you to find the empathy in your heart to understand this particular situation.

 

[johnnyG]

Okay, good luck with it all.

And I'll keep an eye out for the eventual report on how it went.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Okay, good luck with it all.

And I'll keep an eye out for the eventual report on how it went.

Thank you for your support it means a lot to me!

 

[mdchachi]

Have you given any thought to selling the guitars or audio equipment and just converting them to cash? The more cash you have the better plus if you still need a guitar, given the exchange rate, you may be able to find decent values in Japan. Depending on how many bags you have, it will likely get very costly in extra airline baggage fees alone.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Have you given any thought to selling the guitars or audio equipment and just converting them to cash? The more cash you have the better plus if you still need a guitar, given the exchange rate, you may be able to find decent values in Japan. Depending on how many bags you have, it will likely get very costly in extra airline baggage fees alone.

Yeah, if I could sell them and get a decent value back then I would, but because they're not name brand (just budget brands) they don't have a resale value that would make it worth selling. I got the electric guitar along with its amp and some other accessories that I don't use, for $110, and the bass for about $110-$120 or so as well. They're probably not going to sell for more than $50 each... Not that there's anything wrong with them, because they're amazing for the price, but for just a bit more money someone can just buy new, so the few postings you see of these guitars take a long time to get sold if they ever do... Not to mention I'd have to pay shipping for them too, so at best I estimate I might make $60 total (that's best case, because people who are selling the bass have the shipping prices alone at $50-$65 and their listings have been there for months). Actually just checked and you can get an even better electric guitar (and gig bag) than the one I have, from the same brand for $100 now (just no amp)...

If they were brand names then I could definitely get back some resale value, and also the fact that they would've cost more means that I could sell it for a decent price even if not near the original price I paid for it, but I don't know if $60 is worth selling them especially since I already told my friend I would let them use the electric guitar to learn guitar, and was going to pick someone who wanted to learn bass as well to let them use the bass guitar as well. My audio equipment as well is budget or even free stuff that can't really be sold, like a few mics that add up to $150 altogether (if brand new) and some audio cables and such... I have a small brand name audio interface that's $100 but I need that (and use it every day) so...
I'll check something though. If I find new guitars any cheaper than the ones I bought, available in Japan, then I'll (very regrettably) leave these ones behind.

 

[mdchachi]

Yeah, if I could sell them and get a decent value back then I would, but because they're not name brand (just budget brands) they don't have a resale value that would make it worth selling. I got the electric guitar along with its amp and some other accessories that I don't use, for $110, and the bass for about $110-$120 or so as well. They're probably not going to sell for more than $50 each... Not that there's anything wrong with them, because they're amazing for the price, but for just a bit more money someone can just buy new, so the few postings you see of these guitars take a long time to get sold if they ever do... Not to mention I'd have to pay shipping for them too, so at best I estimate I might make $60 total (that's best case, because people who are selling the bass have the shipping prices alone at $50-$65 and their listings have been there for months). Actually just checked and you can get an even better electric guitar (and gig bag) than the one I have, from the same brand for $100 now (just no amp)...

If they were brand names then I could definitely get back some resale value, and also the fact that they would've cost more means that I could sell it for a decent price even if not near the original price I paid for it, but I don't know if $60 is worth selling them especially since I already told my friend I would let them use the electric guitar to learn guitar, and was going to pick someone who wanted to learn bass as well to let them use the bass guitar as well. My audio equipment as well is budget or even free stuff that can't really be sold, like a few mics that add up to $150 altogether (if brand new) and some audio cables and such... I have a small brand name audio interface that's $100 but I need that (and use it every day) so...
I'll check something though. If I find new guitars any cheaper than the ones I bought, available in Japan, then I'll (very regrettably) leave these ones behind.

Ok, well, I guess the first thing is to decide your flight arrangements and see what makes sense. If you fly Delta for example, you only get one checked bag. The second is $100 and any additional bags are $200 each. I'm sure your friends will understand if you tell them the guitars are only worth $100 and it would have cost you $200 to bring them. You would have other options if you had the ability to get a credit card since you could get an airline card that has benefits such as larger baggage allowance and then cancel it a year later when they try to charge a fee.

 

[Haruto Uzumaki]

Ok, well, I guess the first thing is to decide your flight arrangements and see what makes sense. If you fly Delta for example, you only get one checked bag. The second is $100 and any additional bags are $200 each. I'm sure your friends will understand if you tell them the guitars are only worth $100 and it would have cost you $200 to bring them. You would have other options if you had the ability to get a credit card since you could get an airline card that has benefits such as larger baggage allowance and then cancel it a year later when they try to charge a fee.

I see, $200 huh... I'll see if any other airlines have better deals on luggage, but I'll let my friend know that I may not be able to bring the guitar after all... That would be unfortunate, and yeah even I wouldn't pay $200 to bring over a $100 guitar (or both as one)
And also unfortunate that I won't have a guitar to come back to if I do get to come back, but oh well... Let's see what can be done about this

 

[nice gaijin]

I would try to travel as lightly as possible, especially if you are visiting more than one country. A week's worth of clothes, basic toiletries, and whatever electronics or hobby tools you absolutely must have. Everything else is going to weigh you down and slow you down, and you can get practically anything you need where you're going.

This guy takes it to the extreme (going a little overboard IMO): Gear Post 2023 – Tynan.com

I've got a 55L with a daypack, and that's all I'm going with. I wish I could pare it down even more, to be honest