Recommendations for trip

Hello everyone!

So I'm really glad for the advice on travel plans and period pads that was given last year in relation to my 3rd visit to Japan, thanks again!

So of course, I will be travelling again for the 4th time in June for two weeks lol but this time it will be me (22y), my brother (20y) a close friend (30y) and another friend (24y). For background info about us:

My close friend is Chinese and she is a lot more mature than both me and my brother. She says she will not do a lot of walking i.e. climbing the whole of Fushimi Inari and other mountains we intended to go to. She also likes the nightlife like clubbing and partying in Japan (this will also be her 4th time).

Me and my brother are British African and Muslim which means we, of course, have to avoid the whole partying and clubbing aspect of this travel and she is totally ok with this.

The last friend is a British Jew and this will be her first time, she wants to see if there are any Jewish communities in Japan, but I am struggling to look for them....

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The first issue is that my friend says she wants to stay with us throughout the whole trip, but I feel bad for her not being able to climb the whole of Fushimi Inari with us (me and my brother did this last like and enjoyed it a lot). Is there anything else for her to look at around the area or any nearby tourist attractions while the rest of us walk up Inari? Or should I just leave it and stay with her as the best option?

The second issue is booking accommodation. We will be planning to stay in mixed gender hostels - Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto which is no issue for me but I do wear a headscarf or sometimes just a simple head tie like this http://bit.do/eP3ZZ I wanted to know whether the beds will have curtains that can allow privacy when I don't cover my hair and prayer etc. I have no idea how hostels work so if anyone could explain that would be great.

The third issue is eating for the Jewish friend. This is one of the biggest problems because my Chinese friend made a full list of all the places we could go and eat and as you know, we Muslims and I think Jews (?) cannot eat pork and chicken and other meats have to be halal or kosher certified(?). She knows about this but loves the pork meals in Japan. I feel so bad for her changing the list to find halal/kosher places as I know it can be hard and she isn't familiar with religious requirements. Can any Jewish person recommend kosher places that we can maybe try out? Something that would be good for all of us since I can also eat kosher. Also, can I get some advice on what I should tell my Chinese friend that won't sound too rude (reaaaaaally scared of offending her or making her upset!)

Final issue - My brother is being a pain again because he would like to stay in Tokyo for the whole two weeks since he finds "traditional" Japan "boring" and prefers city life as usual, but my mother doesn't trust him to be on his own because he got lost the last time we went (and it took us hours to find him lol). What would you guys say be the best option for him as even though he is 20, he still doesn't act very mature.....

Thank you for all the replies in advance! and sorry if I get some information wrong about the Jewish meal requirements!

Wow, I hope someone can help you. I went to Tokyo once with a friend and that was the last time. Been to Japan 11 times alone and am quite content with not having to deal with other people's issues. Is there any reason all of you have to stay together all the time? I think it would be best to go your separate ways and meet up at different places, even cities, to view a few things together. If this is your first time with others, it may turn out to be a nightmare and your last time doing so. Good luck!

You got too many people with too different of needs/interests. If you try to accommodate everyone's wants, nobody will be happy. You can stay in the same hotel/hostel, and perhaps get together for one meal/drink per day, but rest of the time may be better spent not all together (2&2, 3&1, all solo, etc.). When I travel with a large group, we tend to roam independently by day and just meet up for dinner.

Agree with PPs.

I think the 4 of you need to come together prior to your trip and everyone needs to put on the table a list of places, things he/she wants to do and then TOGETHER you can work out where you can compromise and where it will be better to split for a few hours so everyone can get her/his own bucket list. You guys are all friends, so you should be able to figure something out. If you can�ft , that doesn�ft bad well for the entire trip.

You are not a travel guide, who does this professional (and this needs to follow the wishes of your guests) but one of the 4 traveling. So your responsibility is 25%.

Regarding your brother getting lost, ask your mother to pay him and you a Japanese SIM card for his phone so he can use google maps wherever he is. (This won�ft stop him from �ggetting lost�h if he wants to, but it prevents you needing to search for him for hours.)

Regarding eating, what did you do last time and wouldn�ft those places work for your Jewish friend as well? Your Chinese friend probably at some places will need to have her own lunch, which however if you split up, is perfectly doable without it sounding strange.

Regarding Jews in Japan there simply aren�ft many: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Japan

There is a synagogue in Tokyo where you need to make an appointment: http://www.jccjapan.or.jp/

Here more: http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/JP
I can�ft help with the hostel question. Being 4 you could look into hotel rooms that fit 4 or minshukus though.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

It sounds like a good premise for a reality TV series.

For the first question (what can your mature friend do while you walk to the top of Fushimi Inari (a bit of a waste of time really if you are wanting views because you cant see anything from up there), I'd suggest going on to Uji which is a nice compact town with a green tea theme. Fushimi Inari town itself is madness these days so there is no point hanging around there.

You are traveling with the wrong people. I'd cancel the current trip and start again with people of similar interests.

Hi!

I have a slightly different perspective than other posters.

There is a small synagogue in Kobe and there is an active Jewish community in Tokyo, but most of the community is gone during the Summer. You would have to see what the hours were. I know when my husband wanted to go to services in August in '00, not much was happening in August. You might have better luck in June.

If you have the time there is a search for Sugihara tour in Gifu-ken. I thought it looked amazing, but my daughter is just not going to enjoy it. Sugihara is known as the "Japanese Schindler."

I think there are some sake places in Fushimi and your Chinese friend could look into visiting those.

I have no idea about hostels. I always stay in hotels or ryokan. I also now travel with my daughter.

In terms of food, I would look at places in Happy Cow that have vegan options but also serve meat. (It's a specific search option.) I think outside of alcohol, you shouldn't have to worry about anything that is vegan and I expect anywhere catering to vegans will be able to handle that additional condition. Vegan will also work for your Jewish friend. (And yes, depending on how observant your Jewish friend is, they can't eat: Pork, shellfish, gelatin, and mix milk and meat.) Honestly, even though it's vegan I would totally check out T's TanTan Ramen. My daughter would eat there every day we are in Tokyo if she could. It's amazing. I believe the Yokohama Ramen Museum also offers vegetarian ramen, which should be completely pork free. It would work for you and your friend and your omnivore friend could eat anything.

Honestly, if your Chinese friend is truly your friend, she will respect your dietary restrictions. My daughter and I are vegetarian and while none of my friends in Japan follow my dietary requirements, they all respect them and know when we are together I need a place where there is something I can eat.

Good luck!

I just wanted to add, you should also possibly ask your Jewish friend how observant they are. Some Jews keep kosher but some Jews do not. Tonight is the first night of Passover and Shabbat, my husband would never use a computer during a Jewish holiday, while I do. Traditionally, kosher keeping Jews follow some of the same restrictions as Muslims, see the restrictions I posted above.

In terms of your brother, I love Tokyo and big cities but I could never spend 2 weeks just there unless I was taking an awful lot of day trips. But I also tend to be a medium to fast tourer. Kyoto isn't just traditional. It has a Manga Museum and a Rail Museum as well as lots of shopping. I had a friend who once got sick of temples so we went to Toei Eigamura. Kyoto is also super close to Osaka which is a big city like Tokyo and heck, maybe your brother would enjoy USJ. While I have a good sense of direction, both Osaka and Kyoto tend to be easier to navigate because both of them have more of a grid system of streets vs. Tokyo. I agree with @LikeBike, get your brother a cell phone with Google Maps and one that works in Japan. It can really help to be able to text or call each other if you are separated. Your brother could also see if Kobe has anything that appeals to him.

I love Uji. It's a great small city and since you're specifically talking about visiting in June, Mimurotoji is exceptionally pretty during hydrangea season, and when we went in June 2017 while it was crowded, we were the only obvious foreigners there. We might go back this June.

Kyoto has so many rooms for 11,000 yen or less per night, I'm not sure why you don't just stay in a hotel vs. a hostel there.

Good luck!

A big thank you to everyone who responded!!!

For the general answer to 'John B digs Japan's' question on why we have to travel together - because it's more of a "girl/female" thing? lol I don't know how to explain this but both of my girlfriends said they prefer for all us to stick together as girls since it would be better and of course safer. My brother is just tagging along because he wants to use the Shinkansen to go to Tokyo and that's it XD. Thank you for your comment though because I personally do prefer to travel on my own (did this once and many times in other countries). Pray for me to get through this group trip in June lol. However, yabaissu's recommendation is what we might end up doing regarding food because I know it won't be possible for us to all eat together.

Thank you LikeBike for your comment because I really feel like this trip would be an issue if we don't decide on choices together. It's mainly me making the sightseeing picks etc. and the rest just follow me. We will have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the current travel plans and what can be done to accommodate all of our needs. The issue with the halal food in Japan that I tried last time was this number one it was expensive and number two - it's mostly food from south east asia i.e. pakistani or indonesia which does include halal meat but I don't eat meat (pescatarian) and my brother generally does prefer kosher food back home in the UK. So yes we may have to end up splitting up, will definitely discuss this asap with them! Also regarding my brother, my mum has trusted him again so I will buy him the sim card and we will rework the plan together!

Hi Lazy Pious! lol your comment made me laugh because I was thinking about how crazy and diverse our group actually is ahahaha. Yes I was actually researching into Uji and Kibune as replacements since we have never been there before, just slightly worried about my brother because I know he will be bored. But if it involves a lot of walking he wouldn't mind since he does sports and enjoys exercise. Also hakata14 we are planning to meet some of my other Japanese friends while in Kyoto, in the end, I think we will end up splitting up to suit our own interests which will make the trip easier.

Thank you so much @ rkold for your suggestions and advice!!!! I need to write you a separate reply because you provided some information that I have questions about but please answer in your own time:

For the synagogue, is it only open to Jews? I do wear a headscarf or sometimes a head wrap and of course as you know I know it can get a bit awkward if I just walk in there as a muslim lol I definitely don�ft want to offend or cause trouble

See the Sugihara tour in Gifu-ken seems exactly what I and the rest of the girls would enjoy because we like photography as well but my brother just loves Tokyo life a bit too much lol

Thank you so SO much for the food advice! As you mentioned, my friend is very observant and she also wears a head wrap similar to myself (not a full headscarf and still shows her neck). I feel so bad because I should really be asking her about these things instead of online but I am genuinely scared of offending her in any type of way. In regards to my Chinese friend, she does understand BUT she still thinks we can eat any other meat as long as I pray on it which is not how it works lol and I didn�ft want to explain to her again as I knew it would be awkward. I cannot thank you enough for those food places, this time I will definitely focus on just finding anything vegan and I know my Jewish friend won�ft mind either!

In regards to my brother, my mum is seriously doubting him to stay on his own because while he is old enough he still relies on me for everything especially for help as his elder sister. You are like me, I also find Osaka and Kyoto easier to navigate around and Tokyo more overwhelming. I think my brother prefers Tokyo because he made a lot of Japanese and other foreign friends by himself last time which improved his confidence. I think me and my mum are a little too overprotective of him because he�fs the only male in our family lol. Once I give him the sim card I think I will feel calmer. For the hostel, the girls wanted to stay in these to essentially �gmeet new people�h and also because they were cheaper.

If might will be going to Uji in June we might see each other there! I keep hearing everyone recommend the place to me so definitely I will visit this time. Thank you again for your suggestions rkold, I also remember when you helped me find a way to get to Koyasan from Osaka and I am forever grateful, if there is anything else you want to let me know about please feel free to comment on here!

I think one of the first suggestions works best - go together to places you all are reasonably happy with, and go your own way for those you aren't. Have everyone do their research and come up with some ideas of where to go - browse this website, as well as the JNTO page (www.jnto.go.jp) as well as the official city websites with their own tourist guides.
Japan offers something for everyone - there are many places you could go together, if you all are flexible enough. Two weeks only in Tokyo would be such a waste. There are many good day trips you can take, and even in the "Concrete Jungle" of Tokyo, there are a dozen beautiful historical gardens you can visit.
https://goo.gl/tAECfM
For times you are not together, I highly suggest you find ways to communicate (get SIM cards or pocket wifi while in Japan) to keep in touch. Or find a 7-11 or Starbucks etc to use their wi-fi if you need to contact each other (you may need to register ahead of time). There is also some free wi-fi provided by some cities but many are dissatisfied with the connections.
http://wi2.co.jp/tjw/english.html
https://www.sej.co.jp/in/en.html
http://kanko.city.kyoto.lg.jp/wifi/en/
If one of you doesn't want to climb Fushimi Inari, then either you all can go partway up, or she can go partway up and wait, or she can go somewhere else (Tofukuji is nearby, and is extremely nice). Nobody can impose anything on all of you - you need to compromise or find an independent route everyone is happy with.
For food, as well as the religious aspects, it's up to each person to decide what to do. The more rigid you are, the more difficult things are going to get. You could browse Tabelog or Bento for example for some databases on places to eat.
https://tabelog.com/en/
https://www.bento.com
Or go to a vegetarian place, or get your food at a convenience store, supermarket, etc. I wouldn't go running all over the city for a specific place unless it was something special.
I can understand your brother's viewpoint given his age. Kyoto may be less his thing, but there are still many places that he might like (the Railway Museum, the Sagano Railway & Hozugawa River Cruise, Toei Studios, Murin-an Garden, Iwatayama Monkey Park, Nishiki Market, etc). For anyone really, if you just go see temples and shrines, and temples and shrines, and then more temples and shrines, you are going to get "templed out" and your eyes will just glaze over. Adding enough variety is the key.
https://goo.gl/knQtMg

The same can be said for Nara (which you should not miss either).
https://goo.gl/LfvWnL
Aside from the Todaiji Temple which is killer, there are other things like feeding the deer, seeing the Isuien & Yoshikien Gardens, etc.
For a successful trip, all of you need to do your research and cooperate for a satisfactory itinerary.

Hi, actually I was thinking of Uji for the chinese character in the series, while the rest of you are at Fushimi Inari. They arent that far apart!

Hi!

Finally got my Passover cooking and seder done for today.

I am glad I could help you previously! I think for me, I feel like while traveling alone is nice, sometimes there are reasons you are stuck traveling with people with different interests and requirements than you. I've traveled with my mother who has very different interests than me as well as with my in-laws. I'm not going to just not travel with them because we have different values as long as they can respect mine. And I get trying to make a trip work for everyone.

As far as I know anyone can visit the synagogue? I personally didn't go, I'm a not super observant Jew, but my husband who is more observant is the one who went. He said there were some Japanese there just checking the whole thing out who were not Jewish. The majority of members are expats living in Japan, so lots of Americans like me. Summer is the slow time because many Ex-pats go home much like the Japanese ex-pats in the US go back to Japan for the Summer. I suspect if you walk in with someone Jewish, it won't be a big deal. Not to get too political, but while in Israel there might be huge issues between Jews and Muslims, it's not been as big a thing within the USA. I'm not saying there isn't a Muslim bias here. But it's not a particularly Jewish thing, if that makes sense?

It's still the first two days of Passover which are considered holidays, so on Monday I would contact my Jewish friend and sort of ask what her dietary restrictions and requirements are. She is not going to be offended if you ask politely and make it clear you are just asking to make this trip work. It makes sense that you're not completely knowledgeable, you're not Jewish and honestly it really can vary. I have an Orthodox cousin who will eat vegetarian at non-Kosher restaurants I have other Orthodox cousins who will not. They're all Orthodox, they just have different rules.

In terms of the Sugihara tour, you could stay overnight in Nagoya and your brother could stay in Nagoya while you do the tour. I am sure he could find interesting things to do in Nagoya. It's a big modern city.

As a mother, I get how you and your mother feel about your brother, but I also think no matter how hard it is, sometimes you need to give someone some space to mature. And overall, Japan is a relatively safe spot to do so. Osaka is very friendly and so is Nagoya, I think Osaka might be even friendlier than Tokyo. I personally love going to theme parks alone because you're not beholden to anyone. They also sometimes have single rider lines. XD; Your brother could definitely look to find some other people to chat with while he is there if you wanted to do something else in Kyoto. I think that is a good way to balance interests. Another idea, you and your brother and your Jewish friend could hike Kurama to Kibune and your Chinese friend can onsen in Kurama and can meet you in Kibune.

Unless you are really heading out from big cities to pretty rural areas, there are lots of vegan places and vegan friendly places in cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. I have been places where it is hard to find food (Takamatsu and Kamikochi come to mind, but lots of other places are much much easier. )

I have no idea of hostel prices in Kyoto, but I can say hotels are just not as expensive in Kyoto as one would think. I also find lots of people in hotels and just around can be friendly.

We're going to be in Kyoto from I think the 18th-23. We're hoping to go to the hydrangea festival in Nagaokakyo. My daughter hasn't been to Fushimi Inari yet and she wants to see the deer in Nara again. We're debating Ohara to see their hydrangea. My daughter is very into photography. We are staying in a hotel, I've just honestly been surprised by how good the rates are.

Good luck!

UPDATE -

So thank you to everyone that has replied!!!!! We sat down and discussed our travel plans after days of talking lol, it seems that my Chinese friend will go with my brother to Tokyo while me and my Jewish friend will stay in Kansai and focus on finding only vegan places. There was no way we could all stay together and we are much happy with our current changes! Thank you to Lazy Pious for the really good suggestions :D

for Ken - I literally copied and printed out your comment and everyone else and then handed the advice out to everyone lol. My mother still didn't trust my brother in the end so that's why my Chinese friend offered to go with him since she likes Tokyo life as well. We will also be meeting together in Kyoto halfway through the trip to visit the railway museum since he loves trains. I cannot thank you enough for the links you gave me!!! I actually recently stopped eating meat and chicken which means anything vegan will definitely be the best option for me to go down :D

For rkold - I hope you enjoyed and had a blessed Passover and want to pray for my fellow Jewish brothers and sisters affected by the attack recently, I hope you are doing ok!

My friend emailed one synagogue and they said that they would be happy for me to visit! She will also be visiting Kobe Mosque with me during the trip and we emailed them beforehand. This will be my first time so I'm researching about the do's and do not's for the visit, super excited! For her dietary guidelines, she says that she is very strict and cannot eat any pork etc, so basically similar to Islamic laws. We also booked the kosher meal together on our ANA flight since I don't like the halal one due to really hot spices. Essentially we will be sticking the vegan side of things which makes all of us happy. Thank you so sooo much for the places you mentioned, I've noted them down and will most definitely be visiting them this time because I want to explore new places and not the same ones as before.

Yeah lol, my mother really wasn't convinced about my brother travelling by himself, she is actually a lot more strict towards him than me (he can be very clumsy and tends to lose a lot of things even at this age). I know he may find it annoying but this was the only option we could come up with. I just hope that he won't get too upset but he did say it's fine because he would prefer to at least go with someone just in case he gets lost again.

I hope you and daughter have a great time in Japan! Me and my friend will be in Kyoto from the 18th and 21st and will maybe go to the hydrangea festival in Nagaokakyo if we have nothing else to do. I think we might be going back to Arashiyama for photography because I also love taking pictures!!!! I wish you all the best with your trip and thank you again for helping me plan things out again!!!!!!

I must admit that I'm not willing to read everything on this long thread, so bear me if someone already mentioned this, but you can get away with a lot of things by informing in advance.

For example, ask hostels in advance about privacy policies and praying facilities. Ask restaurants in advance for dishes without certain ingredients, and make reservations. If you have a serious language barrier (which hostel staff or automatic translators cannot solve), that's where you spend your money on interpreters or concierges.

I've helped host a group of foreign visitors that included Hindu vegans as well as Chinese and Western people. Although it was difficult to arrange things on the spot, it worked wonders by talking to the chef/owner in advance. And when most of the group went out for a specific restaurant, a couple of people went to an Indian restaurant.

Facilities and hosts in Japan are increasingly aware of Muslim and other specific customs/policies. Update yourselves by asking directly to the places you actually intend to use.