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Topic: Moving back to the UK  (Read 6691 times)

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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #30 on: August 16, 2019, 09:31:24 AM »
Saw my name mentioned :) welcome back! It is ne who's going to japan for trip 2 (absolutely love it there).

Also, just read the blurb about you and think we'd definitely get along! :) definitely let us know when you're in the Wokingham area as I'm only right next door.

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« Last Edit: August 16, 2019, 09:54:55 AM by x0Kiss0fDeath »
My, how time flies....

* Married in the US and applied for first spousal visa August 2013
* Moved to the UK on said visa October 2013
* FLR(M) applied for  May 2016. Biometrics requested June 2016. Approval given July 2016.
* ILR applied for January 2019 (using priority processing). Approved February 2019.
* Citizenship applied for May  2019
* Citizenship approved on July 4th 2019
* Ceremony conducted on August 28th 2019

'Mommy, Wow! I'm a legit Brit now!'


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #31 on: August 16, 2019, 05:08:00 PM »

What?! Me post cat pictures? Huh?!


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #32 on: August 16, 2019, 11:50:26 PM »
Saw my name mentioned :) welcome back! It is ne who's going to japan for trip 2 (absolutely love it there).

Also, just read the blurb about you and think we'd definitely get along! :) definitely let us know when you're in the Wokingham area as I'm only right next door.

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Nice to meet you! I look forward to getting to know you.

And please tell me all about what you are planning on doing during your next Japan trip. Where are you going? When are you traveling? We were hoping to go In late sept/oct for the rugby World Cup and looking forward to seeing autumn time there (we have been in all the other seasons but autumn). But alas our unexpected move has cancelled those plans.


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #33 on: August 16, 2019, 11:51:21 PM »

What?! Me post cat pictures? Huh?!


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This made me laugh more than it should. I mean the stuff WAS in the way.


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #34 on: August 17, 2019, 11:11:23 PM »
Welcome back!

My chonk... Pedro Felix.

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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #35 on: August 18, 2019, 09:59:59 AM »
Welcome back!

My chonk... Pedro Felix.

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He’s home!


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #36 on: August 18, 2019, 11:35:55 AM »
Nice to meet you! I look forward to getting to know you.

And please tell me all about what you are planning on doing during your next Japan trip. Where are you going? When are you traveling? We were hoping to go In late sept/oct for the rugby World Cup and looking forward to seeing autumn time there (we have been in all the other seasons but autumn). But alas our unexpected move has cancelled those plans.

We went to Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka/Nara last trip and we're doing similar but taking more daytrips from those locations and also doing a night in Hiroshima and a 2 nights at this lovely place with a private onsen in Hakone too. We're going for my 30th birthday and had to skip DisneySea and few other places last year but this year we're going to do the few places we had to skip and do DisneySea on my birthday. I've heard it's actually really good for adults and that they have really good cocktails there lol. We're going at the end of November. We are part of a cheap flight club thing and found flights at the beginning of the year for like £400-ish roung trip each and my birthday gave us the perfect reason to revisit! haha We nearly booked a flight back before we even left the first time because we loved it!  I'm sure we won't stop at 2 trips either but we know it'll be hard to go back next year because of the Olympics and everything.

We went last year in very late september/beginning of October and i loved it because it was still hot and light out for later into the evening but not the overbearing heat and humidity of proper summer and we barely got any rain because it was the very tail end of typhoon season. Honestly, I feel I recommend Japan to everybody as a place to visit now haha
My, how time flies....

* Married in the US and applied for first spousal visa August 2013
* Moved to the UK on said visa October 2013
* FLR(M) applied for  May 2016. Biometrics requested June 2016. Approval given July 2016.
* ILR applied for January 2019 (using priority processing). Approved February 2019.
* Citizenship applied for May  2019
* Citizenship approved on July 4th 2019
* Ceremony conducted on August 28th 2019

'Mommy, Wow! I'm a legit Brit now!'


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #37 on: August 18, 2019, 12:09:20 PM »
We went to Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka/Nara last trip and we're doing similar but taking more daytrips from those locations and also doing a night in Hiroshima and a 2 nights at this lovely place with a private onsen in Hakone too. We're going for my 30th birthday and had to skip DisneySea and few other places last year but this year we're going to do the few places we had to skip and do DisneySea on my birthday. I've heard it's actually really good for adults and that they have really good cocktails there lol. We're going at the end of November. We are part of a cheap flight club thing and found flights at the beginning of the year for like £400-ish roung trip each and my birthday gave us the perfect reason to revisit! haha We nearly booked a flight back before we even left the first time because we loved it!  I'm sure we won't stop at 2 trips either but we know it'll be hard to go back next year because of the Olympics and everything.

We went last year in very late september/beginning of October and i loved it because it was still hot and light out for later into the evening but not the overbearing heat and humidity of proper summer and we barely got any rain because it was the very tail end of typhoon season. Honestly, I feel I recommend Japan to everybody as a place to visit now haha

Firstly, what is this cheap flight club you speak of?

We went to Japan for the first time for my birthday and, like you were inclined to do, booked our next trip as soon as we got back!  Our first trip was 2.5 weeks and we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kyosan, Takayama and Kanazawa.  Since then, we have been to Tokyo twice more, did a driving tour of the whole of Kyushu and went last winter during winter festival time to Hakodate, Sapporo and Asahiyama.  We do actually have flights booked for the Olympics and managed to get some tickets in the US lottery, though I have no idea if we can get a hotel or anywhere to sleep.  It is going to be nerve wrecking to find something.  Worst case scenario is that we get a refund on our flights (we managed to book with air miles) and forfeit our tickets.  We are also planning on going back next February but are still making plans.  I REALLY want to go back to Takayama and Kanazawa since we spent so little time there the first trip so I think we might try to concentrate over that way. 

Like you, I cannot stop recommending it to people.  I love it so, so much.  We have convinced several of DHs colleagues to visit there!  I am actually helping a colleague plan a trip there now!   ;D  I would love the opportunity to live there and I am actually trying to get into a university course in Tokyo, though it's a total long shot.

I am super envious you are going to Hiroshima.  We considered it on our first trip and it just stretched us too much. And we tried to fit it in again when we went to Kyushu but it was again too much of a stretch.  I also really want to go during autumn and see the leaves change in the mountains.  I just think the countryside is so stunning.


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #38 on: August 18, 2019, 01:04:36 PM »
Firstly, what is this cheap flight club you speak of?

Jack's Flight Club (https://jacksflightclub.com/). I think there's also a US-based cheap flight club called Scott's Cheap Flights or something like that.

We went to Japan for the first time for my birthday and, like you were inclined to do, booked our next trip as soon as we got back! 

We almost booked right after we got back as well when we were feeling depressed about being home haha. We didn't only because the cheaper deals at the time were too close to the time we were having my parents visit from the US and then my sister is coming this week as well. Then there were flights during sakura season but, as I imagine you know, prices and crowds are at peak so we decided to skip. When the October/November flights came up we were like ummYES.

Our first trip was 2.5 weeks and we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kyosan, Takayama and Kanazawa.  Since then, we have been to Tokyo twice more, did a driving tour of the whole of Kyushu and went last winter during winter festival time to Hakodate, Sapporo and Asahiyama. 

Ah that's amazing! covered a lot of ground it seems! we are only able to do 2 weeks at a time because we have a dog we need my in-laws to watch for us and it never feels like it's enough time haha. We did 16 days (2 weeks + 2 days each end for travel) and this time we're doing 2 weeks including travel and we already feel like we've lost so much time haha. We're renting a car for a day or 2 (husband's request) this time to drive in Hakone, but that's because he's a car nut. I do love a good road trip but we end up just using public transport because it's so good and we just want to get to each place immediately so we don't lose time.

We do actually have flights booked for the Olympics and managed to get some tickets in the US lottery, though I have no idea if we can get a hotel or anywhere to sleep.  It is going to be nerve wrecking to find something.  Worst case scenario is that we get a refund on our flights (we managed to book with air miles) and forfeit our tickets.  We are also planning on going back next February but are still making plans.  I REALLY want to go back to Takayama and Kanazawa since we spent so little time there the first trip so I think we might try to concentrate over that way. 

I'm not a massive olympics fan normally anyways (we don't really watch the olympics, for example, unless it's on at somebody else's house) so we just knew we weren't even going to TRY to go for the Olympics. I totally get why some people want to do it, but we just don't care enough normally to warrant higher prices and big crowds (their crowds are already insane in some areas that I can't imagine adding even MORE people! That's my nightmare! hah).

Like you, I cannot stop recommending it to people.  I love it so, so much.  We have convinced several of DHs colleagues to visit there!  I am actually helping a colleague plan a trip there now!   ;D  I would love the opportunity to live there and I am actually trying to get into a university course in Tokyo, though it's a total long shot.

Yes we have totally convinced others to go as well and I've just become a mod on Reddit.com/r/japantravel as I love talking about it and giving people advice. Always willing to share my experience and recommendations with people so totally the same as you. My husband and I both want to live there for a bit as well to experience life there, but one thing we are a bit nervous about is work/life balance. Now that I finally have my UK citizenship (ceremony next week), we can realistically have that as an option in the future if we want it without having to go back through all the UK immigration woes again. We're just closing on a house so we wouldn't do it now, but I could definitely see it as a strong option in the future for us. I definitely wish you luck with the application to the uni course!

I am super envious you are going to Hiroshima.  We considered it on our first trip and it just stretched us too much. And we tried to fit it in again when we went to Kyushu but it was again too much of a stretch.  I also really want to go during autumn and see the leaves change in the mountains.  I just think the countryside is so stunning.

We figure we'll land around noon and then we'll make moves to go to Hiroshima ASAP on the Shinkansen so that way we can more or less waste the time travelling on our jet lag day. If we can get there before it's too late, we can walk around the area see a few things but means we can start early-ish the next day before heading to Osaka. Agree that it kind of stretches you thin when you're on a limited period for travel but I think it'll fit in okay with what we're planning this time around (we're not hitting as many places as you hit this time around so it shouldn't be too bad).Will definitely let you know how it is. Tough planning at the moment as I don't think we're fully considering sunset time at this time of year compared to the last time we were there and we could fit SO much in because of all the daylight lol. The country overall is just absolutely gorgeous. I've never seen a country mix tradition and culture so flawlessly with modern society and technology and their attention to detail is impeccable. There's also just so much nature and everybody is very hospitable. I love it.

I'm sure everybody else is bored stiff with our Japan talk but I could talk about it for ages! hahaha

My, how time flies....

* Married in the US and applied for first spousal visa August 2013
* Moved to the UK on said visa October 2013
* FLR(M) applied for  May 2016. Biometrics requested June 2016. Approval given July 2016.
* ILR applied for January 2019 (using priority processing). Approved February 2019.
* Citizenship applied for May  2019
* Citizenship approved on July 4th 2019
* Ceremony conducted on August 28th 2019

'Mommy, Wow! I'm a legit Brit now!'


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #39 on: August 18, 2019, 01:44:37 PM »
Firstly, what is this cheap flight club you speak of?

We went to Japan for the first time for my birthday and, like you were inclined to do, booked our next trip as soon as we got back!  Our first trip was 2.5 weeks and we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kyosan, Takayama and Kanazawa.  Since then, we have been to Tokyo twice more, did a driving tour of the whole of Kyushu and went last winter during winter festival time to Hakodate, Sapporo and Asahiyama.  We do actually have flights booked for the Olympics and managed to get some tickets in the US lottery, though I have no idea if we can get a hotel or anywhere to sleep.  It is going to be nerve wrecking to find something.  Worst case scenario is that we get a refund on our flights (we managed to book with air miles) and forfeit our tickets.  We are also planning on going back next February but are still making plans.  I REALLY want to go back to Takayama and Kanazawa since we spent so little time there the first trip so I think we might try to concentrate over that way. 

Like you, I cannot stop recommending it to people.  I love it so, so much.  We have convinced several of DHs colleagues to visit there!  I am actually helping a colleague plan a trip there now!   ;D  I would love the opportunity to live there and I am actually trying to get into a university course in Tokyo, though it's a total long shot.

I am super envious you are going to Hiroshima.  We considered it on our first trip and it just stretched us too much. And we tried to fit it in again when we went to Kyushu but it was again too much of a stretch.  I also really want to go during autumn and see the leaves change in the mountains.  I just think the countryside is so stunning.

I have been to three Olympic Games.  Always managed to find a hotel.  It’s getting the tickets that’s tough!  What events are you seeing?


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #40 on: August 18, 2019, 01:51:42 PM »
I've never seen a country mix tradition and culture so flawlessly with modern society and technology and their attention to detail is impeccable. There's also just so much nature and everybody is very hospitable. I love it.

I had to reply to this bit immediately.  This!!! This is what I love about Japan.  I haven't found another place that has so much respect for tradition but also is so keen on modernization.  It is such a delicate balance and they manage it perfectly.  I also love the respect for detail and the respect for just things overall.  A silly example but I know people who like to make fun of Marie Kondo and how she thanks her clothes when she throws them out but I actually really like that.  It's about not taking things for granted and appreciating the beauty or utility in everything no matter how big/small/mundane.  I think it shows a real respect for life.  And then it is such a weird contrast to like the overworking culture and not valuing the individual. I don't quite know how to make sense of it sometimes but it makes me even more keen to figure it out.


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #41 on: August 18, 2019, 01:57:41 PM »
I have been to three Olympic Games.  Always managed to find a hotel.  It’s getting the tickets that’s tough!  What events are you seeing?

We went to the Games in London and it was so much fun.  We actually both really like the Olympics anyway but actually going was even better than expected.  We really lucked out and managed four events in the UK lottery at the time.  It's why we are so keen to go to the Tokyo Games. 

For Tokyo we got Athletics tickets for one of the really good medal event nights.  Maybe the 100m or 200m?  But I would have to double check.  It's my DH that really is keen on Athletics so I am not sure off the top of my head.  Our loose plan was to go during the first week, soak in the spirit and queue for additional tickets.  I know for the London games they resold tickets that people turned in or sold tickets on the day that weren't going to be used by all the official games people so we were hoping the same might happen here.  And if not, we will just hop the Shinkansen and go visit another part of the country.

Which games have you been to?
« Last Edit: August 18, 2019, 02:04:24 PM by Sara Smile »


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #42 on: August 18, 2019, 02:21:18 PM »
I have been to three Olympic Games.  Always managed to find a hotel.  It’s getting the tickets that’s tough!  What events are you seeing?

yeah, honestly, from the japan travel forum I'm on, it's getting the tickets that are hard. it's not finding the hotel per se, but finding an affordable hotel if you're on a smaller budget as the prices get absolutely jacked up. There won't be a shortage, just higher prices potentially. I also read that this olympics is one of the most popular they've had in terms of ticket demands.

I had to reply to this bit immediately.  This!!! This is what I love about Japan.  I haven't found another place that has so much respect for tradition but also is so keen on modernization.  It is such a delicate balance and they manage it perfectly.  I also love the respect for detail and the respect for just things overall.  A silly example but I know people who like to make fun of Marie Kondo and how she thanks her clothes when she throws them out but I actually really like that.  It's about not taking things for granted and appreciating the beauty or utility in everything no matter how big/small/mundane.  I think it shows a real respect for life.  And then it is such a weird contrast to like the overworking culture and not valuing the individual. I don't quite know how to make sense of it sometimes but it makes me even more keen to figure it out.

Apparently the working days are starting to see a shift. There's a bit more push-back now than there use to be to the ridiculous working hours but it's still hard for them to shake (just from what I've read). Apparently more places are starting to put western hours in place but it's hard to break the whole "don't leave until the boss is gone" mentality that isn't even resulting in productivity. Give it a few more years and we might see more flexibility and less judgement in that space (but obviously they have a culture with such a focus on reputation as well that is what I think is largely making it so hard).

But yeah their attention to detail is insane (go in a HUB and see how actually similar - minus the food - it is to an actual British pub! They literally had Tottenham Hotspurs posters up! Or even the attention they put into Anata No Warehouse - an arcade - or the Ramen Museum!) . It was so crazy walking down the road to see some hundred+ year old shrine sitting in front of a bunch of sky scrapers like it belonged..

My, how time flies....

* Married in the US and applied for first spousal visa August 2013
* Moved to the UK on said visa October 2013
* FLR(M) applied for  May 2016. Biometrics requested June 2016. Approval given July 2016.
* ILR applied for January 2019 (using priority processing). Approved February 2019.
* Citizenship applied for May  2019
* Citizenship approved on July 4th 2019
* Ceremony conducted on August 28th 2019

'Mommy, Wow! I'm a legit Brit now!'


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #43 on: August 19, 2019, 07:53:52 AM »
What about the Paralympics?  During 2012 our family went to the paralympics and it was absolutely amazing.  All of the infrastructure was still there from the Olympics, but there were plenty of tickets, things weren’t too crowded and the hype was dialed way down. And the events were far more interesting.


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Re: Moving back to the UK
« Reply #44 on: August 19, 2019, 03:33:09 PM »
What about the Paralympics?  During 2012 our family went to the paralympics and it was absolutely amazing.  All of the infrastructure was still there from the Olympics, but there were plenty of tickets, things weren’t too crowded and the hype was dialed way down. And the events were far more interesting.
You may want to do some reading on how Japan has been treating the paralympic aspect of these games. So far, its not looking good. :(

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