Where to find sunniest beach weather in late May?

mrcheez

I will be travelling to Japan for 3 weeks in May (my first time there). Apart from visiting places like Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Nara/Osaka, I also wanted some time to relax on a beach or go snorkelling for 5 days around 23 May onward.

I had planned to go to fly to Miyako-jima from Tokyo, but then spotted that it will be right smack in the middle of the rainy season. After experiencing 5 days of rain when I went to the Andaman Islands while touring India, I don't fancy facing that scenario again.

Is there anywhere where I can safely get some good beachy sunshine in May? Maybe Hiroshima?

putthekettleon

Would you consider Okinawa?

mrcheez

putthekettleon wrote: »

Would you consider Okinawa?

It's the same sort of weather as Miyakojima, but I've decided to take a gamble on Miyako.

Even if it's raining I can still go diving/snorkelling so not a total loss.

putthekettleon

Not a bad choice, not much nightlife though, if any. It's your first time in Japan, keep in mind that a lot of towns that have populations under 100,000 people are really like ghost towns, all the young people migrate to the big cities. That said, if you were on the main island of Okinawa, a lot of locals mightn't be so friendly as they'll assume you're US military.

mrcheez

putthekettleon wrote: »

Not a bad choice, not much nightlife though, if any.

Yeah pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, although they do apparently have a nice chilled laid-back nightlife with outdoor beach BBQs.

The other 2 weeks I'm in Japan will all be socialising and exploring, but the last week is chill out time before I head back to work

putthekettleon

Slightly unrelated, when you're in Tokyo, avoid the entertainment district in Roppongi at night, especially if you don't understand Japanese. There's a lot of scam bars and Nigerian touts looking to shake down the unsuspecting tourist and drunken salaryman alike. Some smaller bars have a "charm charge", another way to rip people off. In general most larger ground floor establishments are ok. I can't really recommend any places off the top of my head as I'm a middle aged family man living way up north, it's been Years since I was out and about in Tokyo or Osaka. I think you'll like Osaka best, the locals are very friendly and unlike the stereotypical idea of Japanese (party animals but not loutish). Kyoto can be a bit expensive and snobby, so it might be an idea to see Kyoto by day and stay in Osaka by night, they're very close by train. Best of luck and enjoy your trip, I came here in 2002 for a year long adventure on JET and never came back, it's a great country (except for the squat toilets in some older places)
Edit: Before I forget, a lot of places do a "nomi hodai" which is all you can drink within usually 90 minutes or 2 hours. This is a lot cheaper than buying individual drinks. A few minutes before your time is up the bartender/waiter will say "Nomi hodai last order" which is self explanatory, order your last drink. Keep in mind, Japan is still largely a cash based society, so ask if credit cards are ok first, show them your card and ask "card ok?" Usually they'll understand. Don't be fooled by the visa and master card stickers on taxi windows, this only means that you can setup a regular account with the taxi company and they'll withdraw the money from your account, I found out the hard way about this, luckily my wife was at home and had cash.

mrcheez

putthekettleon wrote: »

Slightly unrelated, when you're in Tokyo, avoid the entertainment district in Roppongi at night, especially if you don't understand Japanese. There's a lot of scam bars and Nigerian touts looking to shake down the unsuspecting tourist and drunken salaryman alike. Some smaller bars have a "charm charge", another way to rip people off. In general most larger ground floor establishments are ok. I can't really recommend any places off the top of my head as I'm a middle aged family man living way up north, it's been Years since I was out and about in Tokyo or Osaka. I think you'll like Osaka best, the locals are very friendly and unlike the stereotypical idea of Japanese (party animals but not loutish). Kyoto can be a bit expensive and snobby, so it might be an idea to see Kyoto by day and stay in Osaka by night, they're very close by train. Best of luck and enjoy your trip, I came here in 2002 for a year long adventure on JET and never came back, it's a great country (except for the squat toilets in some older places)
Edit: Before I forget, a lot of places do a "nomi hodai" which is all you can drink within usually 90 minutes or 2 hours. This is a lot cheaper than buying individual drinks. A few minutes before your time is up the bartender/waiter will say "Nomi hodai last order" which is self explanatory, order your last drink. Keep in mind, Japan is still largely a cash based society, so ask if credit cards are ok first, show them your card and ask "card ok?" Usually they'll understand. Don't be fooled by the visa and master card stickers on taxi windows, this only means that you can setup a regular account with the taxi company and they'll withdraw the money from your account, I found out the hard way about this, luckily my wife was at home and had cash.

Excellent thanks for the tips.. and welcome to boards.ie!

I am indeed going to be based in Osaka for about 4 nights (visiting Nara as a daytrip and prior to flight to Miyako) as I heard the food is best.. but best nightlife too is a bonus.

putthekettleon

I'll send you a few more tips over the next few days, I arrived over here with 2 or 3 words of Japanese, but you can get by easily if you know a few insider tips (I wish I had more information before I arrived, it was trial and error for me). I'll keep these public as others might find them helpful. If there is anything specific/off-topic or personal, send me a PM. I only have one lesson (secondary school/high school teacher) on Wednesday so I've a lot of time to kill until the end of the work day.

shindig-jp

I'm a middle-aged family man living way up north

Where about's are you ?

I'm an old man living 3~6 months of the year in Washinomiya Kuki City.

Okinawan Sweet Potatoes are a favourite

putthekettleon

北海道, it's a long bloody winter

shindig-jp

北海道

I'm off topic and somewhat hijacking the thread, are you familiar with Haikyo ?

I'm seeking out a reason to visit the abandoned up there, any tips .. leads ? Looking to put my new go-pro to use .

putthekettleon

Most of the rural towns are ghost towns, Yubari being a great example. Recently they were giving away a couple of houses for young families on condition that they stay there for life. It was a thriving coal mining town until about 20 years ago.

mrcheez

shindig-jp wrote: »

I'm off topic and somewhat hijacking the thread, are you familiar with Haikyo ?

I'm seeking out a reason to visit the abandoned up there, any tips .. leads ? Looking to put my new go-pro to use .

That's the urban-exploration hobby isn't it?

Are those areas publicly-accessibly or do you need to break in and dodge security etc?

putthekettleon

You can just stroll around town, the population is down 90%, it's really weird

mrcheez

Slightly off-topic... I'm going to be heading to Hakone for approx 1.5 days (leaving Tokyo in morn, staying overnight in Hakone, heading to Kyoto following day), and also Mt Koya for a similar stretch (heading there in morn, overnight in temple, heading back in afternoon).

Should I get the Hakone Freepass for the Hakone leg? I had planned to spend most of the time relaxing in a Ryokan, but obviously want to explore the area too.

And for Mt Koya, recommend any particular temple to stay in (max €130/night). I'm a solo traveller so there may be a supplement charge.

Recommend what to do in both Hakone and Mt Koya?

Thanks