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Go to Japan with ANN and PacSet Travel! [2023-05-06]


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Ashen Phoenix



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 2910
PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2023 11:52 pm Reply with quote
This sounds fun and I'm so glad to hear PacSet is still going strong. I'm planning on their Animated Spring tour most likely in 2025.
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koinosuke



Joined: 24 Sep 2005
Posts: 271
Location: Fukushima, Japan
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 12:18 am Reply with quote
ChirashiD wrote:

BTW, if you're not travelling with a tour group, you really want to invest in those Rail Passes for foreign tourists (saved me $hundreds).



Unfortunately, JR is raising the price of the all-inclusive pass by a good 69% shortly. Going to be a bit harder to make economically viable for many travelers: https://unseenjapan.com/incoming-jr-pass-price-hike-brings-consternation/
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casenumber00



Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Posts: 155
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 4:36 am Reply with quote
Just make it a contest and have a winner(s) do some blog or news coverage of their vacation.
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ChirashiD



Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 104
Location: WA
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 8:32 am Reply with quote
koinosuke wrote:
Unfortunately, JR is raising the price of the all-inclusive pass by a good 69% shortly. Going to be a bit harder to make economically viable for many travelers: https://unseenjapan.com/incoming-jr-pass-price-hike-brings-consternation/
Oh man that sucks. Maybe it has something to do with trying to control Covid outbreaks by limiting how much most foreigners can travel around Japan.
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Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10420
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PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:06 pm Reply with quote
NeverConvex wrote:
Is the ANN trip in summer? I was digging around for min/max monthly temperatures in late October-early November, and it looked to me like (before heat index) the forecasted max was never above 76F. EDIT: Oh, but maybe that's fall, i.e., expensive tourism season?


This is considered early autumn in Japan.
Temperatures will be much more reasonable, and even a little chilly in the evening (bring a light coat). Most days it will be in the low 20s.

-t
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4426
PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2023 9:04 am Reply with quote
ChirashiD wrote:
koinosuke wrote:
Unfortunately, JR is raising the price of the all-inclusive pass by a good 69% shortly. Going to be a bit harder to make economically viable for many travelers: https://unseenjapan.com/incoming-jr-pass-price-hike-brings-consternation/
Oh man that sucks. Maybe it has something to do with trying to control Covid outbreaks by limiting how much most foreigners can travel around Japan.


I suppose it could be considering the different short-lived policies that were implemented, like the whole thing where travelers could go on their own, but still had to book through an agency.

That said, the timing of it seems less as a reaction to any Covid surge and more to trying to take advantage of the big boom in tourism lately to make up for prior years. It's a big price hike, but if it ends up still being cheaper than other options, then they'll still sell well.
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ChirashiD



Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 104
Location: WA
PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2023 10:17 am Reply with quote
Greed1914 wrote:
That said, the timing of it seems less as a reaction to any Covid surge and more to trying to take advantage of the big boom in tourism lately to make up for prior years. It's a big price hike, but if it ends up still being cheaper than other options, then they'll still sell well.
There's a slight error in your reasoning here, if I may point out. The only people who profit from this price hike is JR execs. Businesses in small cities and rural Japan are pissed that it will force all but the extremely adventurous tourists to stay in the biggest metro areas. Right when they are starting to see business improve again because of lighter restrictions on Covid control, now this price hike is just going to continue driving those tourists away.
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Greboruri



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 376
Location: QBN, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2023 2:03 am Reply with quote
ChirashiD wrote:
Businesses in small cities and rural Japan are pissed that it will force all but the extremely adventurous tourists to stay in the biggest metro areas. Right when they are starting to see business improve again because of lighter restrictions on Covid control, now this price hike is just going to continue driving those tourists away.

Doing the sums, there just is no real reason to buy the pass anymore. I've seen people online say that the new cost of a seven day pass is equivalent to a return trip from Tokyo to Fukuoka, but that just ignores how people were using the pass before and the reality of how people travel. No one is going to waste a good part of two whole days on various shinkansen to make that return trip. You might as well just go to the midori no madoguchi and buy shinkansen tickets separately.

The good thing about the pass before the hike in prices is that you could just go wherever you liked on a whim. On my last trip I did just that and went to Nikko, Sukagawa, Odawra, Kumagaya to go to Nagatoro and also to Okutama when I realised that was JR lines all the way there. I probably wouldn't have gone to those places without the pass and wanting to abuse it as much as possible to get maximum value. It's a really terrible move by JR.
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Swissman



Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 768
Location: Switzerland
PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2023 12:50 pm Reply with quote
Greboruri wrote:
Doing the sums, there just is no real reason to buy the pass anymore. I've seen people online say that the new cost of a seven day pass is equivalent to a return trip from Tokyo to Fukuoka, but that just ignores how people were using the pass before and the reality of how people travel. No one is going to waste a good part of two whole days on various shinkansen to make that return trip.

Don't underestimate shinkansen enthusiasts. A friend of mine is one. We did the return trips Osaka to Fukuoka and Osaka to Hiroshima two days in a row this April and a day trip to Aomori from Tokyo a few days later. Not my ideal way to enjoy a 12 day vacation in Japan, but at least we made good use of the 7 days shinkansen ticket.
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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3650
PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2023 11:51 pm Reply with quote
Love traveling with Pac-Set, so great to see new trips starting to be announced. The San-in extension sounds great, so hopefully it (or parts of it) can be added to future tours Smile

Have fun everyone who goes Anime smile
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wmderemer
It...it's not like I post for you or anything!



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 302
Location: Stroudsburg, PA
PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2023 6:42 pm Reply with quote
I was on Animated Spring this year (first time in Japan) and had a lot of fun. I would love to take part in this trip (even if I only did the main 8-day part of the itinerary without any of the extensions), but sadly for me, it's far too soon financially and PTO-wise for me to go at the end of October...

I am planning to spend the next 2 years saving up and go again in 2025, though whether that is with PacSet again or just with some close friends is yet to be determined...

To all those going, have a wonderful time!!
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