Getting Lost in Japan

[@georgebenta3435]

I miss that Yodobashi jingle... "It's not getting lost, it's exploring" I like that. We did that at Meiji Jingu, we found ourselves on the other side of the park and we had to explore our way back to Harajuku through some residential areas.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Meji Jingu's surprisingly big! On my first trip we got lost in there for ages trying to find somewhere to eat our konbini lunch (not realising that Yoyogi Park next door was the perfect place), and happened upon a hippy festival for Earth Day.

[@nave2525]

Umeda's underground is the most complicated maze in Japan. I was born and raised in Osaka but I still get lost all the time. :D

[@cakeswithfaces]

There's so much to explore! I couldn't believe Japanese stations in general and how much there is underground.

[@rexypoooo]

When I was done playing KanColle for the night at the Namco arcade in Din-Din town, I purposely wander around Dontobori around 10pm at night, and it was a great experience. Lots of late 20’s early 30’s office workers were done with their day and just hanging out at tiny bars and restaurants, I adore just hopping from alley to alley just for the lovely sight and sound of nothing but local folks having a great time after work.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes! That's the perfect place to stroll around and soak up the atmosphere. Couldn't believe what it was like around Dotonbori - so much fun! Definitely a must if you're going to Osaka.

[@194DAG]

Great video. I used Ulmon City maps when I was in Tokyo. I did not have Wi-Fi but the GPS still worked on the offline maps which helped me find my way on several occasions. Getting lost is nothing to worry about. It's all good fun.

[@cakeswithfaces]

It's all about your attitude to getting lost! :-) Ulmon's great isn't it - so good the GPS works without data, and I like how you can pin lists of places you want to go as well.

[@watchhans]

There is one thing, I like about travelling within Japan: all subway systems in all cities use the same kind of ticket wending machines and the same type of information system. And if you bought a Suica Card or any other prepaid cards, you can use it in all cities for using public transport. This makes it very easy to travel within this fascinating country.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Certainly does! The Japanese train system is excellent (even if the Tokyo subway map looks a bit much at first!!) :-)

[@ajawang2401]

hiii..I really appreciate you mentioning about waiting for a while after you get off the train when the crowd is overwhelming. I went for my first solo trip back in 2018 and I was panicky and just walked out with the crowd. LOL. I shall use that tip for next time. thank uu.. the tip about going up to the street if you don't understand the map is true too. coz staying and trying to find your way when you still underground is what's gonna increase your panicky mode. I learned the hard way. xD

[@cakeswithfaces]

Ah you did well if you were on your own! Next time you'll know all the tips and be a pro! :-)

[@Watfordherts]

The wife is out with friends to night so that means one thing . Your playlist will get a hammering tonight lol as you have every bit of information i or we need . Thankyou

[@cakeswithfaces]

Haha hope you enjoyed the binge-watch! :-)

[@chriswong8659]

"Not all those who wander are lost" Gandalf

[@cakeswithfaces]

Wise words, very true! 🧙‍♂️

[@localdriver]

Some useful, helpful tips! Thanks.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful! :-)

[@Watfordherts]

Great video very helpful information. Hope things get better for you soon 👍

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thank you, that's very kind of you. It's been a tough time but gradually returning to normal life.

[@damienglynn]

Love it. These are really cool videos on topics that lots of people search for, but can't find straight answers. Really helpful to put people at ease re navigating in another country. I once got lazy and hopped on an New York subway train to save my legs... not realising I was on the express service that skipped loads of the stops! I ended up on one hundred and something street. :/ All part of the fun of exploration.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thank you! I really want to make helpful videos - because it can be a bit nerve-wracking when you don't know what to expect I know it was for me!). Haha, that sounds like an adventure! Here in London we don't really have that as almost all the underground trains stop at all the stations! :-) I've spent about 10 mins staring at signs in Japan trying to work out which service will stop at the station I want - they're very comprehensive with the signage, you just have to work it out sometimes!

[@damienglynn]

@@cakeswithfaces I had to be somewhere quickly, so I ended up flagging down a yellow cab to get to my destination. An authentic NYC experience! Yep London has a super efficient underground, great comfort knowing you're going to stop at every station in case you mess up and go the wrong direction.

[@cakeswithfaces]

And if you go wrong you can just get off, switch sides and go back :-) I hope you had a New York bagel after the yellow cab!!

[@TheAnnietwentythree]

I absolutely love watching your channel, extremely interesting and very informative 👍🏻

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yay, glad to hear it 💕 Thanks so much! 😊✨

[@Pebble3007]

My second day in Japan, I got lost but found a wonderful artist with a street stall and now we are friends. All through getting lost! I did get back on track and made the gig later, albeit it a bit late, but didn't miss the bands.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Wonderful things can happen by surprise if you're open to adventure! Sounds like a great night!

[@TieDef]

I get lost around Umeda more than anywhere else. In Shinjuku I can't tell whether I'm on street level half the time because it's so layered there, and I still get lost less than Umeda. So good choice of place for this video. Also awesome Dreamcast shirt.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks! Yes, absolutely agree about Umeda. It feels a lot like Tokyo there doesn't it? One time we wanted to just cross the road (a major road) but the route to get across was such a roundabout route!!

[@georgebenta3435]

10:05 Is like a scene in the bohemian rhapsody music video. Hahaha

[@cakeswithfaces]

😂😂

[@ArifGilgitiVlogs]

Beautiful

[@mitchellm1451]

hi there i can't get lost while i'm here in japan i'm with my big brother mitchell hehehe he travels around the world and never gets lost loving japan & i loved this video rachel m from queensland australia

[@cakeswithfaces]

Haha, having a big brother is better than Google Maps :-) Enjoy your time in Japan & have as much Fanta Grape as you can for me!

[@mitchellm1451]

@@cakeswithfaces i only have one brother i wouldn't trade him for anything in the world been here since the 4th it is totally awesome here already tried fanta grape in the pink can very nice you make great videos Cake rachel

[@francescabrooker-rao9534]

Really good video, as I can testify this is EXACTLY what it's like navigating cities in Japan! Just to add though that as I travel alone with my children, we found that the map app on the iPhone let us use it as a sort of walking sat nav (with pocket wifi) and that made the boys feel happier than just me looking around and trying to figure things out myself! In any case we never got lost (in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) and I personally found it fun to have to figure out where to go, like being in a giant video game :-)

[@cakeswithfaces]

Haha, a giant video game - that's a great way of looking at it! If you decided it's fun instead of getting stressed, it's all part of exploring somewhere new. They must have had a great time with the walking sat nav - hope you all had an amazing trip! :-)

[@francescabrooker-rao9534]

Yes it was wonderful, going back next year! Japan is addictive :-)

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@francescabrooker-rao9534 Too right, it certainly is! Last time I started my list for next time the day I got back!!

[@stephaniemckeever3943]

Hi amy, new video coming 2mrw?

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@stephaniemckeever3943 Yes! Just finishing it off now :-) It's about the shinkansen!

[@mathesb]

Nice video it will definitly help people to navigate when they come to Japan the first time! It's also true if you look like you got lost japanese people come to you and ask immediately if they can help - this is so amazing and really kind of them. In my country nobody would care about you for sure. When we travel through Japan the first thing we do after we arrive in a city is heading straight to a BIC Camera oder Yodabashi store and buy a 8GB "Japan Travel Sim" from manufactor IIJ for every of our smartphones. It cost around 40€ and you are not longer dependent from pocket- or free wifi. Even in the lowest floor you will have a strong signal. For navigation most the time we use google maps because it is sooooo convinient. It shows you reliable the fastest connection to your destiny by bus, train, subway or just by walking. Furthermore google maps shows you the color of the train line, the exact price and even the track where the train is departing. On many lines there are rapid and local trains use rapid whenever you can it does not cost more but often you are a lot faster if the rapid stops at your station. Where google maps totally failed was when I rented a car to drive from Tokyo to Gunma to explore the "intital D"-Culture. Google changed the way randomly every minute and we just reached our destination by driving in the approximate direction. After leaving the inner city it got a litte bit better but Mr. google was still confused as hell :D On the way back we used the built in navigation system of the car wich we only succeeded in doing this because of the "RETURN HOME" button the rest was in japanese... I was really shocked because of google failing so hard in car navigation over there. The last thing I want to say is that I totally agree getting lost in Japan is just the beginning of another adventure because there is so much to explore you can never get everything in one lifetime! Amy please keep up the great work I realy like your videos!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks for sharing the tips and your stories! I've never tried driving in Japan - I've heard a lot of people say it's fine but I'd be nervous, and prefer getting the train, although it has meant I've missed out on some places. Google Maps is usually great so yes that is a surprise! Hope you made it there anyway!! :-)

[@mathesb]

@@cakeswithfaces To make it short YES finaly we reached "D'z Racing Cafe Garage" and it was one of the best things I did in Japan so far! Since I got my driver license back when I was 18 I had the dream of driving through Japan in a 90s japanese sportscar. This dream came true this year when I rented a 680HP strong japanese super sportscar. But to be honest bevor that I was totally nervous. Since 2016 I book tours with "Maricar" (Mario Kart style gokart tours with a guide where you drive in the real traffic of Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto) but driving a real car is another level. The biggest challenge was the left-hand traffic which is common in Japan - Usualy I am used to drive on the right. After a short while of feeling strange about driving in "oncoming traffic" I got used to it very quickly and it also helped that japanese drivers are VERY considerate. After this experience traveling to the outside districts of Tokyo by car is really stressless because you find lots of parking and the there is only little traffic. I plan to do it again maybe next year but renting a car to drive through downtown Tokyo is in my opinion absolutely useless becaus of the massive traffic everywhere. I really don't know why google failed in car navigation in Japan but I guess it may be there are different versions for Europe and Asia... In my homecountry I use google carnavigation very often and it works great. Sorry for another long text ^-^'

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@mathesb That doesn't surprise me at all that drivers in Japan are considerate - the whole culture in general is very respectful of others and emphasises everyone getting along easily so it makes sense it'd be the same on the roads. That must have been a relief. Sounds like an amazing trip - thanks for sharing the story! Glad you could achieve your dream! There are some places I haven't been because it's difficult to get there on the train, but it would be possible to get there by car. However yes, in Tokyo the metro's so good that you don't need to drive!

[@mathesb]

@@cakeswithfaces Absolutely they are as respectful on the road as they are everywhere else even at the tollgates they were so nice to us the staff explained exactly what to do so we couldn't do anything wrong. What would be a highlight for you to go next? I did not expect that there is any place in Japan where no train goes :D

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@mathesb Yes the train network is excellent! It was mainly places around Kyushu, especially on the east side (the shiknansen runs down the west side) that would take a long time to get to on the train, and I don't want to spend the whole day travelling. Next I'm going to Hokkaido for the first time, to the Sapporo Snow Festival. I'd also love to visit Okinawa.... and Shikoku... but that's for another time!

[@yoshizen9267]

Yoshi Zen again . I hope you enjoyed staying in Osaka . And I assume you were there in early April because cherry blossom . I think you might know that I 'm Japanese and I'm from Osaka so your video makes me yearning Osaka subway or city landscape or ramen noodle . Getting lost in Japan is little bit thrilling experience and adventure but if you visit Japan again and if you lost, I want you to try to ask Japanese people ,even though they look busy and not speak English but they will tell you exactly where you are and how to get your destination where you want go . because they are Japanese .

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes you're right, it was April. I thought we'd be too late for the cherry blossoms - the week before I caught a few in Fukuoka so I was surprised to be able to see so many in Osaka! :-) I've always found Japanese people to be really friendly and welcoming - it's one of the nicest things about visiting Japan :-)

[@amardeepatwal2600]

Fantastic video Amy! You have Telepathic power 😊. I’m mostly abit worried of getting back on the plane back to U.K. ! One question. I’ve booked flight, got travel assurance, booked capsule hotel near akihabara (around £230 for 6 nights) but just not sure of how much spending money I need. Is £100 enough for a day? I’m happy with meals at small cheaper places. I’m going Tokyo in June.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks! You’ll just have to stay in Japan if you don’t make it back on the plane 😜 I think that’ll be more than enough. I usually budget £100 a day for the two of us, including spending money and it’s plenty. I usually spend a bit on card (mostly clothes shopping etc) and end up with a little cash left over. Food is cheaper than the UK & trains are a little cheaper than London. You probably won’t need much for admission tickets, because a lot of the entertainment is just walking around exploring - although it does depend on what you want to do.

[@amardeepatwal2600]

Cakes with Faces thanks 🙏

[@sapphire3107]

Can you do a video about love live stuff if you haven’t already? If not that’s ok!

[@cakeswithfaces]

Thanks for the suggestion! They've popped up in other things but I haven't done a video just about them (you can probably spot girls from both seasons in my Akihabara videos!)

[@lx7844]

Kind of a stupid question but I’m curios, the train pass you buy is there a english option on the machines or how do you get them without knowing any Japanese? I’m going next year and would appreciate the help❤️

[@cakeswithfaces]

Yes! You can switch the ticket machines to English :-) (Not a stupid question at all). I filmed how to do it in my Getting Around Tokyo video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKfUmqeoqdKtn7s

[@MonkieKatt]

I really want to someday live here...maybe its just from what I'm told from my mom or something but it feels like I cant....but I really would love to just seeing everything and do so much and even work and eat all kinds of food...I really want to live there later on in my life when I can be qualified for a job and really know if I can do this like iv been hoping for

[@cakeswithfaces]

If you really want to live in Japan you can make it happen, if you really want to and try hard enough! Have you ever been? The first step is to go for a visit first, to make sure you like it :-)

[@MonkieKatt]

@@cakeswithfaces I have not been there but what places whould you recommend for a first trip

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@MonkieKatt What sorts of things are you interested in, when it comes to Japan?

[@MonkieKatt]

@@cakeswithfaces to be honest everything the sights...the shops...the views..the food..i kinda do like anime a lot and I think there is a place in Tokyo that has that all that stuff I think its Akihabara?

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@MonkieKatt Yes, Akihabara is anime central! Also Nakano Broadway if you're buying figures. In Odaiba you can see the giant gundam. I'd visit all the main areas - Shibuya (where the famous crossing is), Shinjuku (when you imagine Tokyo, this is it), Harajuku if you want cute clothes shopping and hang out in Yoyogi Park, Senso-Ji in Asakusa is the main, oldest temple in Tokyo, and take a day trip to somewhere near Tokyo, like Kamakura/Enoshima or Kawagoe (older town), or Mount Takao if you like countryside adventures. Really there are so many things to do, I've spent 2 weeks just in Tokyo and not got bored. Videos about most of them on my channel!

[@MillennialTravelConfessions]

If anything we deliberately get lost in Japan half the time just so we can discover more hidden gems 😁

[@cakeswithfaces]

Definitely! That's when you get the really great stories! :-)

[@stephaniemckeever3943]

Hi guys.another great video..can I ask you a serious question about travelling to japan.you might not know the awnser or have any advice but any help would be most welcome, thanks stephanie.

[@cakeswithfaces]

stephanie mckeever I’ll always help if I can! What’s your question?

[@stephaniemckeever3943]

Hi amy, thanks for the reply......sorry if this is an odd question but how are the japanese people (the authorities in pacticular) with the lgbt community....I dont want to travel all that distance from dublin to tokyo (9600 kilometres) only to be told I cant enter because im transgender..,.I know some countries are like that.....again my appolagese if you find the question odd, thanks steph.

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@stephaniemckeever3943 There are no odd questions :-) As far as I know there are no rules against entering Japan if you're transgender. That's probably the only time you'll encounter the authorities (as long as you don't break the law!!). I'm no expert on the subject but I can say that in Japan, people tend to be quite reserved and polite. (Sometimes people stare at me for my bright coloured hair, but mostly people stay out of each others business). The only problem you might have is if you want to go to an onsen (hot springs) - you might need to book one with a private onsen rather than the public bath.

[@jwrappuhn71]

I don't why but the volume kept cutting out. Good vid ya'll.

[@cakeswithfaces]

Oh no, not sure what happened there! Thank you!

[@ZiKoN22]

Naruto or Dreamcast shirt?

[@cakeswithfaces]

Dreamcast :-) (I can see why you said Naruto too!!)

[@towada1066]

I just ask the police,... they should do something more than just hang around in their koban all day!

[@cakeswithfaces]

I've heard they're very helpful but I've never been to ask them anything yet!

[@towada1066]

@@cakeswithfaces the Tokyo metropolitan police hq is in Chiyoda ward near the Diet building,... when they're practicing kendo you can hear the screaming from outside (^_^) ... [um, wait, this is completely off topic ...]

[@marcduchamp5512]

Absolutely hate the metro system, complete chaos and can’t buy an easy pass to get around easily

[@cakeswithfaces]

Do you mean in Osaka or in Tokyo? There are a lot of lines and the stations are huge and busy, so it's a lot to get used to. I'd recommend an IC card like a Suica card, because it's valid for everything so you don't have to worry about which company runs each train lines. Just swipe in and out - easy! :-) If it helps - here's my video about getting around Tokyo, including the metro. It's an old video now but still valid - hope it helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKfUmqeoqdKtn7s

[@marcduchamp5512]

Yeah last week there the IC card was sold out in shortage. We had to buy each leg of the train ticket and get changes….;(

[@cakeswithfaces]

@@marcduchamp5512 Oh no, that must have been a pain. Obv too late for your trip, but for anyone else reading this: IC card availability's been it and miss because of the chip shortage, but there are alternatives: - Welcome Suica & Pasmo Passport, the temporary versions for tourists, have better availability. - Mobile Suica (iPhone only) on your phone via Apple Waller. - Suica cards from other regions of Japan are available, and are valid in the same areas as Suica. You can get Icoca at Tokyo Station. - If none of them are options, there are various day passes for the metro (most aren't valid for all the lines but easier than individual tickets).

[@かずなべ-o4b]

English beauty and nice guy tetsuota tetsuota is railway mania

[@ニャン吉先生だお]

Enjoy　planet　JAPAN？

[@cakeswithfaces]

I love Japan!

[@yvettenino1780]

I think people is afraid of getting lost in the train system 😵

[@cakeswithfaces]

That will definitely happen, but there are lots of signs. Some of the stations are huge, with lots of tunnels and whole shopping malls so it's certainly an adventure!