The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Lifelong dream of going to Japan. Help me achieve it!
Killgrimage
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Okay, the title is pretty self explanatory, so I'll try to keep this short and sweet. I've wanted to go to this country since first grade. Unfortunately, my family was poor and it was never even a dream option for me. Now I'm 25 and live on my own and I've slowly been building up my ability to travel.
Things I've got:
A passport that I acquired earlier this year.
Since I got my taxes back and what I've added to them, I have around 2 grand squirreled away for the plane tix.
25,000 Delta sky miles (with a card I got for this express purpose).
Couchsurfing.com. Best site ever, since the last thing I want to do is see Japan from a stuffy westernized hotel room.
I know SOME Japanese. Not enough to be fluent, but I figure I'll be able to get by because most Japanese know some English (and certainly the person who's house I'll crash in will).
Things I need to know:
I’ve never been out of the U.S. I know, I know, blame poverty. Also, I live in Mass. What do I need to know about overseas travel?
The train system looks hella confusing, especially for someone who is not fluent in the language. I don't really want to go to too many cities and I want my base of operations to be in Kyoto while I explore surrounding rural areas. Visiting some islands would be cool too. Should I get some kind of train pass anyway and if so, would it be cheaper to buy it there or here?
What do I need to bring other than stuff like clothes, toiletries, and an English>Japanese dictionary?
I just got a great job, but don't get vacation time for some months yet. I'm very flexible about when to go, and I want to go at the cheapest possible times. Thing is, when are those?
Yeah, money is tight, but I figure it's only going to get worse the longer I wait, so I want to push to do this in the near future. Any suggestions on how to cheaply fly there would be great, as that is probably going to be the biggest expense.
Aaaaaand go!
Things I've got:
A passport that I acquired earlier this year.
Since I got my taxes back and what I've added to them, I have around 2 grand squirreled away for the plane tix.
25,000 Delta sky miles (with a card I got for this express purpose).
Couchsurfing.com. Best site ever, since the last thing I want to do is see Japan from a stuffy westernized hotel room.
I know SOME Japanese. Not enough to be fluent, but I figure I'll be able to get by because most Japanese know some English (and certainly the person who's house I'll crash in will).
Things I need to know:
I’ve never been out of the U.S. I know, I know, blame poverty. Also, I live in Mass. What do I need to know about overseas travel?
The train system looks hella confusing, especially for someone who is not fluent in the language. I don't really want to go to too many cities and I want my base of operations to be in Kyoto while I explore surrounding rural areas. Visiting some islands would be cool too. Should I get some kind of train pass anyway and if so, would it be cheaper to buy it there or here?
What do I need to bring other than stuff like clothes, toiletries, and an English>Japanese dictionary?
I just got a great job, but don't get vacation time for some months yet. I'm very flexible about when to go, and I want to go at the cheapest possible times. Thing is, when are those?
Yeah, money is tight, but I figure it's only going to get worse the longer I wait, so I want to push to do this in the near future. Any suggestions on how to cheaply fly there would be great, as that is probably going to be the biggest expense.
Aaaaaand go!
Killgrimage on
0
Posts
A JR Rail Pass is a godsend for the train system. (http://www.japanrailpass.net/) You buy it in the states and activate it at select stations. This means you can either activate it at Osaka/Tokyo Station when you arrive or wait till you get to Kyoto if you wish to save time on it. Once activated, the date for expiration is stamped on the back usually. You buy this in the United States. This gets you unlimited travel on the Hikari Shinkansen, most JR local lines and JR ferries. Most large stations have bilingual help and English signs, but out in the country it can be a hassle if your not good with Japanese.
Bring toiletries if you like a specific brand especially, because you might not be able to find what you want over there. Same for clothing, due to the fact that it can be difficult for some to find clothing that fits in Japan. An 英和辞典 is useful for looking up a word if you forget it, but don't expect to be translating much using it. Most aren't conducive to looking up Kanji.
Having only traveled for extended periods of time for school, I can't really remember when the cheapest flights are. I'd look around during the rainy season and see if you can't find reduced airfare then. 梅雨 is usually June and July in the Kanto area.
Hope that helped somewhat, Japan is fantastic and I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip. If you want any specific recommendations in Kyoto, I lived there for awhile studying and there is tons of interesting stuff to do.
How many people are you staying with? If its just the one guy you might look into some hostels. I stayed in some hostels in Japan and it was some of the most fun I've ever had. All those hostels have common rooms and you'll meet people from all over the world. I've partied with people from across the globe and I'll never forget it. You can save a ton of money and stay pretty comfortable in hostels.
Buy your train passes/tickets when you get to Japan. Your best bet is probably when you land at the airport. According to your flight it may say you land in Tokyo but the actual airport where you land is like 40 minutes from Tokyo.
Do not bother with credit/debit cards outside of getting cash out. This was the biggest shocker for me. Japan is almost entirely a cash country. Very, very few shops I found accept plastic. Even higher-end stores sometimes do not take cards. Be prepared with cash.
Get a Frommer's or Lonely Planet guidebook. Study it religiously until you leave.
Finally if you like to party and go to clubs and whatnot be prepared to drop some major cash in Tokyo. Most clubs there are at least $30-50 cover charge. Japan is an absurd amount of fun but know what you're getting yourself into and do as much research as possible. Chance favors the prepared.
Shogun Streams Vidya
The trains are pretty daunting but aren't in actuality that bad if you follow the colors. It sucks ass though if you're taking them late at night and end up stuck in the boonies cuz for some reason the train stops there and there aren't any more coming until the morning.
The airfare shouldn't be too bad if you buy the tickets a few months early. Your biggest expese will probably be food and a place to stay. There are youth hostels, but from my experience they have curfews and shared bathrooms and I'd never stay at one again.
If you wanna use any electronics, then bring an adaptor.
** don't fly during Golden Week. It's expensive... but I can't remember when it is and Google is too far away to check.
Youth hostels? Ehhh, couch surfing is free, so it wins with that. I don't want to be stuck with some crazy Dutch teens or something.
Not a huge party person. In fact, I want to avoid Tokyo like the plague. I'm really not interested in the cities except for Kyoto because they have Geisha (I know more than one city has Geisha, but I like Kyoto's "older" feel) .
That's another thing. Will ATMs work over there for me? What about cell phones? I don't plan on using a lot of electronics, but I would want to be able to use the cell phone for emergencies.
Looks like Golden Week is in April/May. Dodged a bullet on that!
I will definitely be picking up a lonely planet book in the near future.
On the ATM thing: most regular ATMs won't work. For the most part, you'll have to find major banks and use their ATMs, which will usually have some kind of sign saying that they are international. There is a pretty hefty withdrawal fee (something like 5% of the value of the withdrawal?) so be aware of that. Your best bet is probably to bring a buttload of cash and have it converted at the airport and only use the ATMs if forced to.
Cell phones will only work if they are quadband, to my knowledge, but somebody else might know more.
While I never had that experience, using cash is a pretty good idea in general. Be aware though, the transaction process in Japan is a little different than it is here. It kind of surprised me when I first got there so I figured I'd warn you about it due to the fact that not many people mention it. There is usually a little tray on the counter; you put your money in that. The person at the register then takes the money from the tray and puts your change in said tray. Then you take your change from that. If there is no tray, proceed as normal, but there almost always will be one, in my experience.
I'm not sure about cheapest times or anything. As far as stuff to bring, the big thing for me was shoes that can be put on and taken off easily and quickly - for the most part this will mean elastic shoes with no laces, or laced ones tied loosely. There are a pretty huge number of places that you have to take your shoes off to go into (not major shops usually, but many nice restaurants and most homes). Something to be aware of there.
Something else you're never warned about is that it is generally considered rude to eat while walking around, and for that reason there are almost no trash cans on the streets in Japan. So, if possible, avoid eating while walking around, and just be aware in general that you might have to pocket tissues,etc.
That's everything I can think of at the moment.
Yes, if the entranceway is at a lower level than the rest of the building, i.e. you have to take a step up before you go inside, and you see a lot of shoes lying around, take yours off before you enter.
Note that this goes for temples too! The outer walkway of a temple is at a lower level than the inside, and the inside is all tatami mats that you shouldn't walk on with your outdoor shoes. Trust me on this one, I forgot and got shoo'd (also, de-shoed) by a monk. :oops: He was very polite about it, but I still felt like an ignorant foreign barbarian.
If the older / more historical aspects of Japan and its culture are what interest you, you might want to consider finding temple lodging for a night or two as a break from couch-surfing. Generally much cheaper than hotels in the area, and you really can't beat the surroundings for tranquility and historical value. There are some trade-offs of course, you can't stumble in drunk and loud at 3am, and you're expected to respect the traditional religious ceremonies that take place in the temple. It's definitely a unique experience though, one that sounds like it might appeal to you, so I figured I'd mention it.
I think you'll definitely like Kyoto, it has a fantastic old-world vibe to it.
As for rural areas, I was hoping there were some around Kyoto, basically places where they have lots of farmland and their own traditions and festivals, but this isn't a thing I absolutely need, I just thought it would be fun.
Side note: I really want to see a taiko drum show. Any good places for that? Also, hot springs? Anyone know where those are?
There is Japanese my aunt has trouble with, in different areas, and there are actually very few people that speak English, according to my Grandma and Grandpa who had nobody to talk to except my uncle the whole time. They tried to communicate to people, and met and made friends, but still could not actually understand the words.
I really hope you pull it off. I recommend going with a friend with similar interest in order to have a friend to talk to.
Go for it. Hope you get lost and start a new life!!!!!!!!! XD
Couch surfing should be fine if it works for you. Ryokans can be cheap and fun, even in the big cities, and give you an authentic no frills place to stay.
ATMs sometimes have an English option on them, as do the ticket machines at the station. If you have a mastercard or other big name card you might be in luck at certain convenient stores, and there are convenient stores everywhere.
Hot springs are everywhere too, at least in my experience. By that I mean you won't have to travel across the country to find one.
I don't know much about the Kyoto region but I've been to the city a couple of times. It's beautiful in places and kinda plain/ugly everywhere else.
As for travel times I would recommend April/May for the cheapest flights. People have said Golden Week is an expensive time to travel but I can't confirm that. When I was looking for flights out of Japan they were half as much in May as they are in July/August. Also the weather starts to warm up in April and Cherry Blossom season is in April so that is something to consider, especially in Kyoto
I actually met more Spanish speaking Japanese than English speakers! Though even in ultra-crowded Tokyo the busy locals are super nice and willing to help. I'm sure you'll be able to manage.
Yeah, don't forget your deodorant. I spent 3 days looking for one, in the end I had to buy one that had the equivalent potency of a potpuri leaf.
Quite common, you will see post offices, and every post office has an ATM in it. These ATMs accept international cards with no trouble at all. They even have an Engrish menu.
Here's the kicker, I left LA at 12:00, had a 14 hour flight, and arrived in Japan at 17:00. You're flying in the same direction as the earth is turning, so basically about 7 hours into the flight, we were directed to close all of our window shades, because it was officially "night time" so the plane had to be dark, so passengers could take a nap. It was constantly day outside, and I wasn't allowed to open the shade again
I think some planes have a bar...
I think most will just have movies you can play on those little screens. That's if you're lucky. On my return flight I didn't get them. In terms of jetlag, the trip back will probably hit you harder than the trip there, since you're crossing the international date line. You'll leave, take a 20 hour flight, and get back on the same day you left.
Freaky! I hadn't thought of this. It'll be weird because I'll wake up in the middle of the "night" and it'll still be light outside. I think that's going to mess with my sleep schedule more than the time zone difference will.
I'm really excited about this even though it's still months away from happening. Thank you guys so much for the tips!
Post office ATMs are good for international cards, and recently 7-11 ATMs have improved a lot, but I only know about people using UK stuff in Japan. You'd expect the US stuff to work the same, but you never know. As people have said, you should expect to carry cash much more than back home.
What month are you coming in? Japanese seasonal weather variation is pretty huge, so you'll need really different stuff depending.
My Mum (Irish) has been to visit me several times and has gone travelling with precisely zero knowledge of Japanese. She's coped just fine. Don't worry about that.
I know Kyoto tourist spots quite well, but you might want to choose your own itinerary instead of me telling you what I reckon. I do really really recommend Himeji Castle (Himeji-jou). It's an hour or so from Kyoto, and an amazing old castle.
Edit: Yes, I know Providence is in RI. It was cheaper than Boston.
Shogun Streams Vidya
My experience with the language there was many people can read and write english, few can speak it and even fewer were comfortable to speak it. I remember I was trying to go to this old movie studio in Kyoto and I asked a friendly Cop on the beat which direction it was in. I was about a kilometer from it and this is a really famous place He was very happy to help only problem was instead of admitting he didn't understand where I was heading, he pointed me in the wrong direction. Sometimes people will just up and turn around and leave. It seemed to me, they didn't want to loose face by admitting they didn't know or couldn't speak English?
If you can, try and stay at a Ryokan (sp). They are these Japanese hotels that are bloody fantastic. Couch surfing is cool and all, but I doubt they will have a full size Japanese bath with attendants. The rooms are excellent and the whole experience made me go "Wow, I am in a westerners fantasy Japan." They can be expensive but how many times are you gonna be in Japan?
Also, given the 13 hour time difference, jet lag can be pretty nasty. I've known people who take a week to get over it, but this is also because they don't really do anything to account for it.. It only takes me one day to beat the jet lag, and here's my strategy to minimize it.
1: Stay up all night the night before you fly (this part gets a lot harder if you're not flying out in the morning). Make yourself stay awake until you're on the plane.
2: As soon as your on the plane, change your watch to Japan time, and go by that. That means it's probably already the middle of the night. Since you stayed up all night, you shouldn't have any trouble getting a good, long, sleep in.
3: Before sleeping, take a melatonin pill.
4: Try to get a full sleep cycle in, or at least try not to be awake and active until morning.
5: Try to keep yourself awake and going until 7 or 8 pm at night. Take another melatonin pill, and get a good night's sleep.
That's the routine I followed whenever I flew between Japan and that states, and it had my circadian rhythms tuned to the correct time within 24 hours of getting off the plane.
Don't worry about the plane. They make you cover the windows for much of the flight so it will be mostly dark inside the cabin.
Yes, younger Japanese will have quite a bit of English under their belt from school. The problem is that most of what they learn isn't conversation, or vocabulary, it's grammar. They can generally read the letters of written English, but will have no idea how to pronounce it. They will probably understand the general idea of what you're asking, if your accent is American enough for them to understand (as an Australian, the differences in pronounciation between our countries can be an issue at times).
Of course, if they don't understand what you're saying, they'll poltely skirt around the fact that they don't know how to respond. More often than not, they'll start speaking in Japanese to you as their answer - often because they know the answer in their language, but not English.
On other matters:
Tokyo is a nice place, but depending on the area you go to, you'll feel a little... odd. At least, that's my experience. I live in a relatively small town where being a gaijin is something that gets noticed by the locals. In Tokyo, gaijin are often seen as money farms. Depending on the district, of course.
In my opinion? The best things to see in Japan are in areas that aren't the major cities.
It's a 13 hour time difference from the east coast, so it essentially puts you on the exact opposite schedule of what you were on before. Some people have a real hard time adjusting to that. It's also exactly the same problem coming back, because, shock and surprise, you're once more changing to a schedule directly opposite the one you were on.
That's how it worked for me. I left in the morning around 5 AM, arrived there close to 11PM. Checked into my hostel, then woke up about 6AM. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
This is a good point. The first time I lived in Japan was in the apartment of an acquaintance's aunt (who happened to not even really live there), but it was strongly implied that I should bring lots of little gifts (omiyage) so I made sure to pack some Maple Candy and miscellaneous odds and ends. They really dig gifts that demonstrate where you're from. I remember they would always ask why I didn't bring them Clam Chowder, as though that was the most logical thing for a dude from Boston to give as a gift.
OMG I completely forgot this from when I took Japanese culture in college. They LOVE little presents wrapped really nicely. Thanks for reminding me, I'll definitely be doing this!
Yes, as someone who has lived in Japan for years and has passports full of stamps between the two countries, I have quite a good idea what I'm talking about. I have rarely had a problem going to Japan besides waking up too early and getting sleepy earlier in the evening. The jet lag coming back to the US has always been a bigger problem. It works like this for every single person I know who travels between Japan and the US.
It seems like it can go either way depending on the person.
Also, I've noticed that people who have the most trouble on the return trip are generally going to the west coast, where it's a 9 hour difference. Shifting your circadian rhythms 13-14 hours going and coming from the west coast seems to screw up people equally either way.