Hi everyone! I've been lurking on this sub for a couple months now, to prepare for my upcoming trip and it's been super helpful. But I was hoping to get a little more specific advice from anyone with time and insight. We will be spending time in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka over the course of two weeks.
- I would really love to buy a new chef's knife while there, does anyone have any recommendations for where I should go for that? I'd prefer a smaller/family business rather than commercial, if possible.
- Is there anything I should do ahead of time relating to customs either entering or leaving?
- Do we need to book trains between cities ahead of time?
- My partner is vegan. Any advice or recommendations for eating vegan while in Japan? I've heard it's rude to ask for modifications on dishes, so maybe we will just use the Happy Cow app to find vegan places.
- Anything we absolutely shouldn't miss out on in one of those five cities?
- How hard is it to find tattoo friendly onsens and what's the best way to do so? Also, should tattoos be covered in public? I have neck and hand tattoos, so was curious about that.
- And finally, we love nature, history, traditional experiences, music, and interactive experiences, so if there's any recommendations in those areas, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks in advance for any help or information! 🙏
by CVPR434