Just got back from a two-month backpacking trip there. Fantastic country, and the rail pass idea is good advice. I got it as well before I left, and it makes a HUGE difference. Please pick one up as soon as you can before you go, you won't regret it.
Also, if you want to avoid table charges and get in good, you HAVE to learn basic polite mannerisms.
Make sure to bow to men and women, and the older / more senior they get, the lower the bow.
Do NOT stick your chopsticks in your rice when you're eating; it's a sign of death.
If you want to get better service as usual, let them know you're Canadian. "watashi wa Canada-jin desu" works in most situations.
Do not tip. Do not TRY to tip. It's not common, and some may take it as an insult.
Always have cash on you wherever you go. Assume that no places take credit card / debit, and you're good to go. Also, it's good to carry about 50,000 yen at all times ($500 roughly) to ensure you have cash for cab rides, food, rentals, etc.
If you're backpacking and in hostels, always lock your stuff up. The most threatening people in Japan are other foreigners. You heard it here first.
Cab rides are bloody expensive. Avoid them like the plague. Most places can be accessed by train.
DO go see Kyoto, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Okinawa, Sapporo/Hokkaido, Yokohama, Nikko and Koya-san.
DON'T go see Nagoya, Osaka, or Fukuoka. Not much going in those towns.
Finally...Japanese women are ridiculously easy to pick up. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.
|