frootstik 0 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Hey guys Im new to the forum, but have been reading for a while. Im heading to Niseko at the end of Feb and staying in the Hirafu area. Cant wait. Been very busy buying all our gear for snowboarding, as we have always had a massive interest in it. Got some great gera and just can't wait to get out there and use it now. What are some things i should look at doing while I'm there? We are staying for about 12 days. So we have a fair bit of time. Ive heard that there are not a lot of ATM and places where i can get money out. Or use a card also. Just wondering how true this is. I just need to know how much money to take with me thats all. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites
anything 6 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hi! Aside from overpriced restaurants n stuff? fyi, smoking is allowed in many restaurants from 9pm ish, my burning eyes really puts me off my appetite. youll need to book if you want to eat at peak time, your accom can probably help you book. I hope your accommodation is already all organized, its very busy this year The deep powder will work your legs hard, so you're going to be dead tired, and maybe not up to doing much anyway. There are a few onsens around town, all of which have magical super powers for fixing your legs up for the next day. However from about 4pm to 7pm it can get very busy. Please brush up on onsen etiquette. Sick of swimming around in other Gaijin's ass sweat. It is true, what of you have heard (matrix quote?). Theres only one ATM in Hirafu, at Shiki. It accepts some international cards, but about half the people I talk to haven't been able to use it. I haven't tested mine yet, but considering the number of Aussies here we must be the primary market. Credit card is becoming lots more accepted these days, but i'd say still a majority is cash only. I got a heap of cash out before I came. Suggest talking to your bank, theyll get you better rates than the ripoff stuff at the airports, and takes only a day or two to organize. Theres an ATM at the Kutchan post office that accepts everything, and is in english. Ive never heard of anyone having problems with any card there. Tho, once I forgot my pin number, because they lay the keypad out differently Kutchan is the local town, about 15mins away via bus. Itll cost about 310-380 yen to get there, depending on where you get on the bus. Don't panic, you can't go wrong, the last stop is the train station & coop (supermarket) in town, but you might try to plan your first stop near the post office instead. Don't look like a tourist noob - When you get on, you take a ticket from a machine with a number. You pay when you get off. A board above the driver has the price you pay for your ticket number. You throw exact money and the ticket into the same hole and it auto counts it. There is also a change machine on the bus that accepts coins and up to a 1000yen note, but its best to have coins beforehand. I'd suggest going there to look around a rural Japanese town on a day off perhaps, there are some museums n stuff too. At least buy some things from the supermarket that you have no idea what you're getting There are some nice restaurants and bars in Kutchan also, however the night buses have reduced their schedule this year. A taxi will cost about 2500yen (about $25) each way, you can get away with ordering one on the phone in english, otherwise they usually hang around the train station. You can buy your lift ticket with a credit card, but you still need 1000yen cash for the deposit. I'd definitely recommend investigating the internet hourly lift ticket (its sometimes difficult to find info on), or maybe the 30 or 50 hourly pass. IMO the daily passes (eg, a 12 day pass) are a huge ripoff in comparison. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Please brush up on onsen etiquette. Sick of swimming around in other Gaijin's ass sweat. Ew. That's.....disgusting. Link to post Share on other sites
Zaphod222 1 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Please brush up on onsen etiquette. Sick of swimming around in other Gaijin's ass sweat. Ew. That's.....disgusting. Just back from Niseko, and I might add you might also want to brush up on bus etiquette. Niseko is in the countryside, and the local bus uses an old-style pay system. It is pretty simply actually... you get in and draw a number ticket. Up front in the bus is a display panel which shows the fare for each number (the number counts up at each stop). So say you have ticket No. 7, and up front it shows 7 as 300 yen, then PLEASE HAVE 300 Yen READY when getting off! It is really rude to expect the bus driver to make change for every single one of you. We almost missed our train back to Sapporo, because a bus load of Australians lined up to get off, each with a 1000 or even 10000 Yen note. That way, a supposed 10 minute bus ride to the train station turned into half an hour. Is there no way you can explain the system to your Australian "mates"? Thanks! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Tachypsychia 13 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Thats a good bit of time to stay out and enjoy a lot of what Japan has to offer. As for money, I've been going to the nearest JP Post office and using their ATMs. Apart from 7-Eleven, they are the only country wide ATM service that accepts international. Depending on your bank they may charge a small converstion fee, plus the ATM itself. My bank doesn't charge me a dime (which is why I use it) and when I take out 20K-30k yen, I get charged less than 200 yen. I read your post assuming you haven't been snowboarding or in japan. Definitely take your time starting off, and get lessons there if they offer them. Lessons from an instructor really helps when first starting out when you have no idea why you keep falling down or have questions. If you ride too hard, you'll be sore in new areas and not want to go out for a few days. Definitely go to onsen, as its an amazing experience and unique to Japan. If you have tattoos, understand you may be asked to leave. My wife has a tattoo and has been kicked out once out of the few dozen times she's gone but it was on New Years Day which is a big big holiday. Of course there's excellent seafood if you're into that, and great ramen shops. Other than that I can't offer anything area specific. But be safe and have fun. I am going to Hirafu here in the next few weeks myself, and can't wait to explore the area. Link to post Share on other sites
sapporo 8 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Please brush up on onsen etiquette. Sick of swimming around in other Gaijin's ass sweat. This REALLY annoys the hell out of me!! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Remind me not to go. Link to post Share on other sites
Tachypsychia 13 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm glad I go to onsen where I see no gaijin (unless I look in the mirror) cause dats gross! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 The Shiki ATM is really easy to use. I'm not sure why certain cards are not accepted, can't quite work out why they are being refused. One son has a same bank card that I am using and his isn't working. Immediately spat it back out - one of my credit cards did the same. It might have been a temporary thing. I'd just suggest of you have more than one card, bring them all. Bring cash also. It really is king. Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Snow board Onsen (wash before you go in) Drink Eat Sleep and do again 1 Link to post Share on other sites
frootstik 0 Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hey guys. Thanks for all the great responses. I have already brushed up a bit on the Onsen etiquette. thanks for the heads up. The bus information is great. I would hate to be the person holding everyone up. So that's a great tip. Lessons are going to be booked in for our first day there. But should me and my partner get a private lesson for a couple of hours, or do a few group lessons with others? Still undecided and heard mixed things. It sounds like I should take a fair bit of cash with me then. And when I've used it then suss out these ATMs. I can't wait for the trip! So exciting, to finally see snow and go to a different country, which is also a first. Link to post Share on other sites
sapporo 8 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Another tip. Avoid chair lifts and only take gondolas up to the top, at least until you have gained the slightest bit of confidence and balance on your board. First time to see snow? Wow! Wrap up warm! Link to post Share on other sites
jepk 0 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Exactly right about the shiki mamabear. This is my first trip to japan and I have taken plenty (well maybe not plenty but enough) of AUD over here. My thinking was to change money in japan mistakenly thinking they would give me a better rate. I held off at all airports thinking just wait one more! Got to new chitose airport and the exchange was 77 yen per dollar- what a rip! Perth airport was offering 88 yen! I think Tokyo was 88 also. I tried to get money at an atm at new chitose but domestic atms don't accept MasterCard. The japan post green atm stated no MasterCard after April 2013 nearly a year a go! Further reading from certain sites revealed that Asia pacific MasterCard which includes NZ and Australia are fine along with Canada but no other MasterCards from other nations will work. Quite relieved getting to the shiki and using English atm! I'm thinking maybe best getting yen back in oz at a good rate to avoid getting ripped. Anyhow Loving annupuri snow right now! Link to post Share on other sites
Tachypsychia 13 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Exactly right about the shiki mamabear. This is my first trip to japan and I have taken plenty (well maybe not plenty but enough) of AUD over here. My thinking was to change money in japan mistakenly thinking they would give me a better rate. I held off at all airports thinking just wait one more! Got to new chitose airport and the exchange was 77 yen per dollar- what a rip! Perth airport was offering 88 yen! I think Tokyo was 88 also. I tried to get money at an atm at new chitose but domestic atms don't accept MasterCard. The japan post green atm stated no MasterCard after April 2013 nearly a year a go! Further reading from certain sites revealed that Asia pacific MasterCard which includes NZ and Australia are fine along with Canada but no other MasterCards from other nations will work. Quite relieved getting to the shiki and using English atm! I'm thinking maybe best getting yen back in oz at a good rate to avoid getting ripped. Anyhow Loving annupuri snow right now! The mastercard issue is only related to the mastercards issued with the smartchip. I have a mastercard and thought the same thing, but closer reading shows regular cards (magnetic strip only) issued outside of japan are fine. Thank you very much for patronage with MasterCard. All Maestro-branded EMV cards issued outside of the Asia/Pacific region are able to withdraw currency only at AEON Bank’s ATMs at Narita International Airport, Kansai International Airport, and AEON Mall Makuhari-shintoshin However, Maestro-branded EMV cards issued in the following countries are able to withdraw currency at domestic ATMs.[/font] Netherlands Canada Maestro-branded EMV cards issued within the Asia/Pacific Region, Maestro-branded cards without EMV chip, MasterCard-branded cards, and Cirrus-branded cards are not affected by this temporary suspension of service. Cardholders can continue to be able to use these other MasterCard products at ATMs and merchants across Japan. I have used my US Mastercard branded debit card at JP Post ATMs without issue. Link to post Share on other sites
frootstik 0 Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 I was thinking of taking half my money over in yen and then getting the other half out there. The bank I'm with do travel cards with specific currency you choose. I'm going to look into that! What are some great places to eat? Is there so e great Japanese places to eat? Link to post Share on other sites
anything 6 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 The bank I'm with do travel cards with specific currency you choose. If theyre the travel cards Im thinking of, they dont work 90% of the atms & shops, and come with huge fees. Link to post Share on other sites
Tachypsychia 13 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 What are some great places to eat? Is there so e great Japanese places to eat? Anything with ラーメン on the sign. Link to post Share on other sites
Zaphod222 1 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Just fwiw, Japan is still a cash society, and cash works best here. Also, the crime rate for all practical purposes is zero here, so this one of the very few countries where you can walk around with large wads of cash without being worried (unless you are concerned about your fellow foreign tourists). As for exchange, in my experience you always get the best rate in exchange shops in the airport in your own country before you depart. The rate is always better than in the destination country. Don´t know why, but I suppose one reason is that they don´t want to sit on large amounts of foreign notes, so they try to have a fast turnover. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I was thinking of taking half my money over in yen and then getting the other half out there. The bank I'm with do travel cards with specific currency you choose. I'm going to look into that! What are some great places to eat? Is there so e great Japanese places to eat? For currency, it's a sellers market here. You will must likely find it impossible to get a reasonable rate. If it were me I'd estimate my budget (then add 10%), convert it all before coming and bring some back up cash that can be converted later if the budget is blown. Link to post Share on other sites
SGboarder 1 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Theres only one ATM in Hirafu, at Shiki. It accepts some international cards, but about half the people I talk to haven't been able to use it. Is the ATM at Yamashizen East (in the Hokkaido Tracks office) not around any longer? I have been using that one without problems for the last few years. I believe it was Seven Bank (same as the one at Shiki if I am not mistaken). I will be there again in a couple of weeks and can report then. Link to post Share on other sites
Zaphod222 1 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 One more thing about foreign tourists here: I noticed "tip jars" in some of the restaurants in Hirafu. Tipping is really really not done in Japan (except in some very special situations, usually involving erotic services), so this is obviously something introduced by the Aussie tourists. I find "tipping" is an absurd concept on so many levels, I am happy that Japan is free from this nuisance, and I really wish foreign visitors would not try to introduce it in Japan. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 so this is obviously something introduced by the Aussie tourists. Surelt it was introduced not by the tourists, but by the businesses doing it. Link to post Share on other sites
Zaphod222 1 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 so this is obviously something introduced by the Aussie tourists. Surelt it was introduced not by the tourists, but by the businesses doing it. Frankly, no way! A Japanese business would never think of that. If the shop is Aussie-owned, perhaps. Otherwise, no way. The way this developed must have surely been by tourists dropping tips on confused staff, the management asking what the h/&%&ck these foreigners are doing, and then dealing with the situation. You can travel all over Japan, and you will NEVER see a thing like a "tip jar". (Except around US military bases, which is another story). Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Revolutionary idea here... don't leave a tip! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 so this is obviously something introduced by the Aussie tourists. Surelt it was introduced not by the tourists, but by the businesses doing it. Frankly, no way! A Japanese business would never think of that. If the shop is Aussie-owned, perhaps. Otherwise, no way. The way this developed must have surely been by tourists dropping tips on confused staff, the management asking what the h/&%&ck these foreigners are doing, and then dealing with the situation. You can travel all over Japan, and you will NEVER see a thing like a "tip jar". (Except around US military bases, which is another story). It's business driven of course! You try leave a tip anywhere else in Japan and they will chase u down the street to give u it back....even if u leave 2¥ change, they'll look very confused and chase you down the street. So while it may be because they know that foreign tourists may leave tips, it's definitely business driven Link to post Share on other sites
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