Some questions - travelling to Japan next Spring!

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the JREF forums and i have some questions about travelling to Japan - I have never been before but would like to go next Spring, for 4-5 weeks. Sorry in advance if they have been answered on the forums already,

1. This is an odd one, but i've read quite a bit about Japanese giant hornets (most of it is probably over-sensationalised), but as a serious question, how common/dangerous are they? I would potentially like to do some remote walking in rural areas.

2. I've picked Spring to travel because i'd really like to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom across the country - are there any amazing festivals that i must go to in particular during this time?

3. Is there by any chance a translated website (English) saying which Japanese music bands/artists are touring next Spring in Japan? I'd love to go and see a few if possible while i'm there.

4. How are clothes sizes? I'm just over 6' tall, slim build and would like to buy some clothes while i'm there, but i get the feeling i'll be considered very tall and wonder if regular shops would stock such a size?

5. Are there any particlar places of interest that you personally would recommend?

I know some of these questions are quite specific, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Alex

Can anyone help me with any of these questions? I'm interested in most aspects of Japanese culture, but am particularly interested to learn of nice places to visit in Japan, particularly those with nice scenery.

Many thanks

Welcome to JREF!

1. Japanese giant hornets
There's no need to worry about it unless you're going into the mountains and waking through bushes.

2. Sakura (Cherry blossoms)
I cannot think of big festivals related to sakura, but if you go to any parks famous for sakura, you'll see a lot of people having picnic under cherry trees.
In some place they put up lanterns so you can enjoy sakura after dark.
In some places you'll find many stalls selling drinks and food and souvenirs when cherry trees are in bloom. It is not exactly a festival but I'm sure you'll enjoy the festive atmosphere.

3.
I've picked Spring to travel because i'd really like to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom across the country - are there any amazing festivals that i must go to in particular during this time?

3. Is there by any chance a translated website (English) saying which Japanese music bands/artists are touring next Spring in Japan? I'd love to go and see a few if possible while i'm there.

4. Clothes size
http://www.usatourist.com/english/traveltips/shopping/shopping-womens-sizes.html
Women of 6' (= 180cm) tall is very tall in Japan.
You might want to got department stores where they have special corner called "size shop". They usually have clothing for tall women.
(Isetan department store in Shinjuku has rather a wide range of clothing of special size.)

5. Places of interest
It really depends on what kind of things you want to see in Japan, and the area you'll be travelling.
How many days are you going to stay, which are of Japan are you travelling?
What kind of things you prefer, something old and traditional? Modern and high-tech? etc.

Hi undrentide, thanks for your reply.

I'm going for 1 month to Japan. I'd like to see the modern and hi-tech aspects of Japan, but also natural beauty (landscapes, etc). I'll definately be going to the obvious places for technology, the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Do you have any recommendations for nice smaller cities (based on natural beauty, landscapes) that i may not have thought of?

I do not mind travelling big distances and all over the country but i would like to stay on the main island (Honshu) for the whole trip.

Also i'm a guy (sorry for the confusion, I just like Final Fantasy X) and i'm 6 foot 2, slim build. I guess i'll be very tall compared to the average male height, so was just wondering if any clothes sizes would fit me in regular department stores.

Thanks again

midnight rain

Ooops, it's really stupid of me to have missed the male mark just under the avatar!
I'm extremely sorry for such an embarrassing mistake!

midnight rain said:

I'm going for 1 month to Japan. I'd like to see the modern and hi-tech aspects of Japan, but also natural beauty (landscapes, etc). I'll definately be going to the obvious places for technology, the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Do you have any recommendations for nice smaller cities (based on natural beauty, landscapes) that i may not have thought of?

I do not mind travelling big distances and all over the country but i would like to stay on the main island (Honshu) for the whole trip.

Click to expand...

To enjoy nature, you can make a day trip from Tokyo to Hakone or Nikko, for example, and Nara is also my recommendation which can be visited easily from Kyoto/Osaka.
Shikoku island (one of the four main islands of Japan, and is the smallest among the four) would be nice. Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, or Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture.

Nikko
http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/sight/nikko_contents.html
Hakone
HAKONE | Your Guide to All Things Hakone

Nara
http://www.pref.nara.jp/nara_e/

Matsuyama
http://www.pref.ehime.jp/izanai/english/route/route1.htm
Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/sightseeing/spot/

midnight rain said:

Also i'm a guy (sorry for the confusion, I just like Final Fantasy X) and i'm 6 foot 2, slim build. I'd like to buy a lot of clothes out there but i know i'll be very tall compared to the average male height, so was just wondering if any clothes sizes would fit me in regular department stores?

Click to expand...

Sorry about that again - for male, 180cm is higher than average, still it is not so rare.
It depends on the length of your feet and arms, but you should be able to find the clothing within the regular size.
I hope male members residing in Japan give more detailed information.ﾂ

I hope you'll enjoy your visit next spring - should you have more questions, do come back and ask!

I'm 175 cm tall and find it sometimes hard to get clothes here. You said you were slim, so you'd better be very slim or you will have problems with shoulder fit. Sleeve length may be a problem, too. As for pants, the cut is often a bit snug in the crotch here. All of that advice applies to Japanese fashions; if you buy western brands here, it doesn't matter, of course.

Why stay on Honshu? You're planning to be here a whole month in spring. I spent 23 days traveling to Honshu and Shikoku. Shikoku and Hokkaido have nice views of nature, too, and less metropolitan spread. Far less.

As for cherry blossom times, go here.
Everything to Know About Japan's Cherry Blossom Festivals
You may find that as the season progresses to the north, you will need to know where to be or you might miss out on things. Coming in "spring" is pretty vague.

Hi undrentide,

No need to apologise, it was an easy mistake to make. After all, my avatar is a girl character from a videogame! Thank you very much for your detailed information about places of interest and clothes. I've decided to include visits to Nara, Nikko and Hakone in my itinerary. I've also now booked my flights so i'm very excited to go in Spring!

Hi Glenski,

Thanks for your information on clothing and cherry blossoms. I have imported an XL sized sweatshirt from Japan a couple of weeks ago and it fits quite well, maybe a little short in the arms but only slightly. I've now booked my flights and will be in Japan from the end of March til the end of April, so hopefully i will catch some cherry blossoms in full bloom (weather depending of course!).

We (i'm going with a group of friends) may stay on Honshu because there are a lot of places we would like to see on Honshu, but i also dont want to cram in as many places as possible in 30 days - i'd rather spend a few days in each city, taking my time, soaking up the atmosphere, etc. I'm sure the places you have suggested are very nice too though and if we're feeling adventurous, we may make a trip to one of the other islands you suggested.

Thanks again

Midnight Sun

Check this link for locations vs. cherry blossom viewing times.
Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) in Japan

midnight rain said:

Hi undrentide, thanks for your reply.
I'm going for 1 month to Japan. I'd like to see the modern and hi-tech aspects of Japan, but also natural beauty (landscapes, etc). I'll definately be going to the obvious places for technology, the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Do you have any recommendations for nice smaller cities (based on natural beauty, landscapes) that i may not have thought of?
I do not mind travelling big distances and all over the country but i would like to stay on the main island (Honshu) for the whole trip.
Also i'm a guy (sorry for the confusion, I just like Final Fantasy X) and i'm 6 foot 2, slim build. I guess i'll be very tall compared to the average male height, so was just wondering if any clothes sizes would fit me in regular department stores.
Thanks again
midnight rain

Click to expand...

For traditional sites, I'd go to cities like Kyoto, Nara, Kamakura, and Nikko. Also, the city of Narita next to the Airport is worth a side trip. For all the rest, Tokyo has it. Ueno Park in Tokyo is great for the cherry blossoms. Akihabara in Tokyo is a nerd's heaven.

Wow thanks for all the posts in this link - I'm also travelling to Japan this Spring and it was so helpful to read other people's questions and answers - thanks!