Hey guys, I know some of you have visited Japan before, and I'd love your input on this... I'm aiming to spend two weeks in Japan. The plan is to leave the USA on Monday Oct 21 and return home on Monday Nov 4.
I'm going solo, and I'm wondering if I should book a tour like EF Ultimate Break or if I should just explore the country by myself. I've traveled alone before through Northern Ireland and various US cities, but obviously those didn't have a language barrier. Is Japan easy enough to navigate?
I've been watching travel videos on YouTube, and I've got the basic idea down: Fly into Haneda airport, take a bus to your Tokyo hotel, carry around $200 in yen each day, keep your passport on you at all times, use Google Maps/Translate, bring your own deodorant, etc.
I do have some concerns:
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Hotels... Where in Tokyo and Kyoto should I be booking hotels? Are there certain types I should be wary of (I heard a story of someone who booked a love hotel by accident)?
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The whole Pocket Wi-Fi situation confuses me. Which should I get? Where should I buy it...the airport? Or get it before I leave the States? (I have an iPhone 12 with AT&T, in case that's relevant.)
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I've heard that you shouldn't bring a large suitcase. Is this true? Should I opt for smaller carry-on-sized suitcases instead?
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JR Pass worth it? Supposedly, it was a great deal until they jacked up the prices by 70%.
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I heard somewhere that Visa credit cards aren't accepted in many places, or that I can't reload a Suica card with a Visa card. Any truth to this?
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Where can I get hearty dinners? I usually eat big dinners, and I hear the portions are smaller in Japan.
Places I want to hit:
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Tokyo, particularly Shibuya, Akihabara, Roppongi. Not that I'm looking for trouble, but I'd like to check out areas where the yakuza have historically operated
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Mount Fuji. Supposedly it's too dangerous to summit it in late October, but I'd like hike part of it if possible.
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Kyoto. Bamboo Forest, Golden Pavilion, temples, shrines, castles, etc. I hear it's worth spending at least 4 days here.
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ANY cool hiking/nature areas. I love hiking. If there's something you'd recommend for late October, let me know.
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Osaka. Dotonbori. Maybe Universal Studios... Is Super Nintendo World worth it?
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Hiroshima
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Totally open to other suggestions
Beyond that... Any other recommendations, warnings, or input? Also, anything I should book in advance (like how the Pokemon Cafe usually has a month wait)?