In this video I spend a day exploring around the small town of Sounkyo on Hokkaido island in northern Japan and talk about everything you need to know in order to travel in Japan, from hotels and hostels to eating out at restaurants, getting around the country on trains and buses, wifi access, Japanese etiquette and much more.
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Gabriel is a world traveler and travel writer who has been adventuring around the world off and on since his first trip to Europe in the summer of 1990 when he was 18 years old. He is author of “Gabe’s Guide to Budget Travel”, “Following My Thumb” and several other books available on Amazon.com and elsewhere.
Thanks a lot for watching and safe journeys!
30 Comments
Contact me when you get back to Tokyo.
Seems that you couldn’t find a restaurant😭
BTW I hope you didn’t drink the water of that waterfall, because it might lead echinococcus into your body. I guess it is generally dangerous to drink untreated natural water wherever you are, but please let me mention for the people watching your channel that you should never think about drinking water of a river in Hokkaido.
The current Yen conversion is 138 yen to 1 dollar, took a drop in the last week.
Avoiding tourist areas is nice, but no local interaction is a bummer.
my best bro looking really handsome thank you for your huge respect against cpec friendship countries lot of love from your best bro viki 💙
Loved those shrines..they show a deep religious feeling and respect…the whole series were super interesting and informative!! exquisite nature!!
Hi Gabe, hope you're doing well.
Bullet trains, long distance buses, if they have trays/desk tables, Eating, is not an issue. But throw out your garbage when done. On the trains, do it there, but if a bus, wait to throw it out.
No idea about the effectiveness of it, but Japanese people attach bells to their bags to scare away the bears (bears are all over the country, not only Hokkaido). If you find yourself around a busy'ish hiking trail you'll definitely hear those bells jingling away, it's very common.
Free Wifi in Japan is not very secure. In the hotel rooms, it is much more secure. You also rent a wifi from a number of companies, which for around 1000 yen a day, is not really expensive and covers the entire country. Some may have data usage charges, but others don’t.
Japan Rail pass is now available inside of Japan (didn’t used to be), it does cost a little more than buying outside of Japan. Also many regional rail passes are available if you are only looking at traveling in one region for a few days.
Hi Gabriel, Beautiful location to bad there isn't any snow you have to do a downhill helmet cam video that would be crazy exciting. Sounkyo in the summer must be very lush greenery. Even a snowmobile would be crazy exciting to ride around in the winter wonderland.
why don't you stay in airbnbs? seems like a waste paying for hotels everywhere, although some of these countryside hotels are definitely reasonable
Gab you should invest in a nice pair of binoculars… small and very practical
Hi Gabriel! My son is visiting Japan right now! He love it ❤❤❤😍😍 I like your videos! What happen to your friend ? Did you find it?
👍👍- another informative vid. Muchos gracias, Gabe.
"Yoshi, did you see the American tourist walking around talking into his camera?" "Of course I did, there's only 20 of us in this village, you know!"
Nice Video! ❤😍
Seventy percent of Japan's land area is mountainous. Therefore, urban areas with few plains are populated and overcrowded. I live in the Kyushu area in the south of Japan, and I love the fresh green season in May. The driving course from Oita to Aso is refreshing with its rich grasslands and clean air. If you have a chance someday, I recommend a driving course in the mountains during that season. Lush greens and fresh air are pleasant. There are also hiking trails on Mt. Aso.
Since you are more an beginner of japanese culture i will give you the ultimative hint. Japanese people always travel for food. Food is the number one in the world. Highes quality you can get and every little village in japan is famous for a certain food so you should always look up on the internet which food is a must try in this region. For hokkaido its seafood and also a dish called "Dschingis Khan" or "Zangi" Hokkaido style fried chicken. In Tokyo its Monjayaki in osaka Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki. In aomori its apples in Niigata its rice and sake and i could go on and on.
The first place I ever had Sushi in my life was at one of the fish markets in Tokyo… I was kind of forced to try it and I am so glad I did… Nowadays I order Sushi all the time and enjoy it…I also love Japanese Curry with Chicken or Pork Katsu…Absolutely Delicious!!… Enjoy your trip and the food!
Nice relaxing walk
Sir – I like the simplicity with which your videos are made!
This vlog is very instructiv, so mysterously beautiful. for us, trying to understand this completely different culture..with other rules or social codes…
An amazing Japan series , Gabriel.
Still looks to me like a next level country..
Congratulations for your skills of adaptation and also your hard work !
Best wishes from Paris 🖐👍😍
Throwing rocks at a bear is only going to make your beating worst.
How do you cope with jet lag so seemingly easily?
You are only authentic traveller. I have been following you from, the time you had 50k subscribers. Love from India
12:57
It says "層雲峡神社(Sounkyo Shrine)" on the rock.
13:01
The symbol is called "巴 (Tomoe)", and the exact name is "左三つ巴紋 (Hidari-Mitsudomoe)"
This symbol is very old, dating back to the Tang Dynasty in China.
In Japan, it is a symbol that is connected not only to military commanders but also to the Ryukyu Kingdom of Okinawa
Eating and drinking while sitting on the ground or walking, eating and drinking on buses and trains
Although none of these are explicitly prohibited by law, in most cases there are places where they are allowed and places where they are prohibited.
The borderline between these two areas varies from region to region, so it is basically recommended to avoid them.
Only cigarettes are clearly prohibited in some areas, so you may be fined.
That hike was worth every step for sure with a gorgeous waterfall as the payoff. This looks so similar to a lot of Oregon here esp. up the Columbia River gorge. Loving this Japan trek in the mountains in the off season. 👍