Time to Start Japlanning
Credit to Dave for the witty title. Occasionally, he throws out a gem.
After a call with Dave to hammer out the dates and basics, it was time to dive deep into Japan research. It’s a monumental effort, partly because I’m unfamiliar with the country, but also because there’s so much to do and see. And the Japanese names for everything tend to run together, making it hard to keep things straight.
But that’s what TripAdvisor and ChatGPT are for. After banging around dates, must-do activities, and recommendations from friends, I’ve come up with a 2½-week itinerary that feels comprehensive and efficient without being rushed, the best kind of itinerary. It starts with a few days in Tokyo, where we’ll explore the sights and hopefully score some tickets to Game 3 or 4 of the Nippon Series.
It’s a gamble. Tickets are only released a few weeks in advance and are so in-demand that they’re distributed through a lottery system. Our best chance of getting tickets is through resale, where they will likely cost a fortune. Even then, the games might not be in Tokyo. If that happens, Dave and I will have to rework our itinerary to chase the game. A Japanese baseball game is a big bucket list item for both me and Dave, and we’ll do almost anything to make it happen.
And the math is not on our side. With some impressive number-crunching by ChatGPT, I was able to deduce that, given the current Nippon Series odds and the series format in 2025, there is a 17.7% chance that Games 3 and 4 will be held in the Tokyo area, either at the home of the Chiba Lotte Marines or the Saitama Seibu Lions. Unfortunately, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are the Series favorite, and there is a 49.2% chance, the most likely outcome, that Games 3 and 4 will be played in Fukuoka. That would be worst-case scenario, as Fukuoka is prohibitively far from Tokyo. Will have to keep an eye on this as the season progresses.
From Tokyo, we’ll bullet train our way southward to Hakone, Fuji Five Lakes, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Miyajima, ending in Hiroshima. Dave and I are both history nerds, and Hiroshima would be a fitting bookend after visiting Pearl Harbor last fall.
I hope Dave approves of all this. Next step is going to be getting flights, locking in hotels, and booking tickets for some of the excursions.
Now that the hard work of planning the itinerary is mostly done, it’s time to begin our cultural preparation. I’ve watched Lost in Translation several times, so that’s a good start. I’ve also started compiling a list of social tips and etiquette:
- 💳 Get a Suica card (digital or physical) – essential for trains and convenience stores
- 🧼 Bring a small hand towel – public bathrooms often lack dryers
- 🈶 Cash is king – many places still don’t accept credit cards.
- 🚷 Don’t tip – it’s considered rude in Japan
- 🥢 Expect “one person, one dish” and “one drink” rules in restaurants/izakayas
- 🛗 Follow escalator etiquette: stand left in Tokyo, right in Osaka
And then there’s the language. Dave boasts about a flair for languages and says that he’ll get Japanese down in a couple of months. Sure thing. In any case, the first Japanese phrase I’ve given him to learn is:
こんにちは!私の膝の上に座ってもらえませんか?
Kon’nichiwa! Watashi no hiza no ue ni suwatte moraemasen ka?
which translates to:
Hello! Would you please come over and sit on my lap?
This could be helpful in many places, such as a bar, sumo match, museum, or on the bus.
It’s happening!