Added: Pics on Page 2 - So i'm going to Japan...in 2 weeks

[worth]

So the story goes, our good friend here at CP, cmyden, posts the $350 return flight to Tokyo in his thread (thanks a lot by the way):

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=74271

And yours truly says, "wow, that is a really cheap flight. I should go to Tokyo."

So now I have a flight booked to Tokyo from June 13-26 and I am completely unprepared.

If you were to ask me 3 days ago "Worth, are you going to go to Japan in June?" I would have said "WTF dude? Umm, no." Now, I'm sitting here with 2 weeks to figure everything out I need to in order to have a good trip.

So details, if they matter:

• I'm male and 25.
• I speak no Japanese as of this moment other than "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto".
• One other point that I should make is i'm traveling solo on this one. I have a few other friends that were interested in coming with me, but schedules and money played into it along with the short notice. This was something I couldn't pass up. I want to be able to tell my kids when i'm 50 that when I was 25 I just picked up and left for Japan without a clue and it was the wickedest time ever.
• I've never gone solo on vacation before, especially to some palce as foreign as Japan. The most foreign i've been is Dominican and Mexico.

I think one major decision to make is:

It is better for me to travel as a "backpacker" staying in hostels and such, which will probably allow me to meet more people my age and a better chance of meeting english speaking people.

or

Stay in hotels which are much more expensive and travel as more of a family type tourist.

Is it better for me to carry a backpack, or a suitcase I guess is the question.

I'd probably like to travel around the country a bit. I basically have 11 days to travel around before I have to be back in Tokyo to go home. So i'd probably get a rail pass so I can get to a few different cities. Or as many as possible. I'm sure I could spent the whole time in Tokyo, but i'd rather tour a bit of the country.

So I guess I need to start reading guides to Japan and learn some basic Japanese and figure out what the hell i'm going to do there and where i'm going to go.

Anyone with advce or experience, by all means please let me hear it. Especially if you've been to Japan before.

[STeeLy]

Japanese English has improved quite a lot over the years. Even if you don't speak Japanese, buying stuff from shops in Tokyo should not be a problem. Most will speak communicable English.

I can't give you anything on other cities in Japan though... that's about the extent of my knowledge...

[MelBridgeman]

dye your hair blonde, if not already, it shall provide you with many a night of fantastic romance

[mykalberta]

My friend and his wife is there now. They love it and cannot speak a word a word of Japanese but they are having a blast.

[Bertuzzied]

Make sure you check out the Maid Cafe's hehe.

[Rhyme]

Make sure that you get the rail pass while in Canada. It cannot be purchased once you arrive in Japan. Also, if you're trying to save money you might want to get the one week pass and just plan it so that you leave Tokyo and arrive back once the pass expires. Otherwise, buy the two week pass because you can use it on the above ground rail system in Tokyo (you still have to pay for the subway because it's a different transit system).

I would suggest backpacking. I didn't have much trouble getting around and was able to leave my bags at the hostel most of the time. I found that, the comfort level between the hostels and the low-to-mid-level hotel was mostly the same.

So much more that I'd like to talk about. I spent 3 weeks there by myself and saw almost all of Honshu (the big island), but I travel pretty hard. Beyond Tokyo, definitely you should plan to see Kyoto and the nearby town of Nara, which is where Japan biggest temple is. Kyoto was my favourite city because you get a taste of urban life, but there are hundreds of beautiful temples on the outskirts of the city that rest serenely on the sides of mountains.

I'd also plan on going to Hiroshima. Beyond the Peace Memorial Museum (about the atom bomb), there's also a great temple at Miyajima (a little island in Hiroshima's suburbs) that is fantastic. One of the most beautiful spots I've encountered.

In the Lonely Planet guides there are a couple of itineraries that give you a good idea of what you can hit in 2 weeks.

I know there are some CPers here that can give you great ideas. Enjoy yourself. I was really jealous when I saw that discounted price in the Travel Junkie thread.

[BOSSY]

Nice... Let us know how it goes - if there was one place on earth I could choose to visit one time in my life it would be Japan.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

dye your hair blonde, if not already, it shall provide you with many a night of fantastic romance

This.

Worth, if you have any questions, PM me... I just got back from spending two months there.

[WesternCanadaKing]

Definitely stay in hostels. They're much much cheaper, more fun, and you meet the coolest people. Especially since this seems more like a spur of the moment 'adventure' than a relaxing vacation, staying hotels would probably inhibit your experience (and take money away that could be better spent on other things).

[mots]

You're in luck as i just came back a couple days ago from there.

We started off in Tokyo and went all the way down to Fukuoka and caught the ferry to South Korea from there.

Hostels. definately the way to go. Although i did not find them as much 'friendly' as i have in other countries. Japan is not really a place where a lot of young people go, as compared to Europe or Oz. Mostly due to how expensive it is.But hostels definatly cheaper then hotels.

Rail Pass - i would say DO NOT get it. Its super expense. I think for a week it was like +-$450. If you catch buses, although they take longer, are 1/3 of price of trains. For example we caught an overnight bus (fairly luxury compared to buses anywhere else in the world) from Tokyo to Osaka and it was 4000 Yen, (Train was 13000).

English - youre fine in major tourist places. if you go somewhere off the beaten path, very little english (this can be said for majority of places though), but i was fairly surprised of how little they actually speak English.

I was not a very big fan of Tokyo. You gotta see it and all, but just seemed it was lacking a little soul. Day trips to consider would be Nikko (as far as temples go, my favourite place in Japan), and going to Mr. Fuji.

Kyoto is really the cultural centre of the country with Temples and shrines everywhere you look. Out of anywhere, spend most time here.

Osaka is the 'urban culture' capital of the coutry. Loved it here. lots of expats living here also.

Hiroshima was cool, but besied the H-bomb museum, not much else impressed me there. Although like the previous poster said Myiajima is great (although after looking at shrines/temples for 2 weeks you might have enough of that).

Turned out not as expensive as we thougth. Tokyo was really expensive, others a little less. Accomodation is the worse. Food is cheap. You can get good healthy meals for $5 (outside of Tokyo).

[Ozy_Flame]

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.

[worth]

Great information guys. Really appreciated.

Do I need a visa to get into the country? I'm going to call the Consulate in Calgary after work. Their site says I do, but I read another one that said as of May 2009, people with valid Canadian passport staying for less than 3 months don't need a visa.

Rail pass is $450? Holy smokes. Will definetly need to look into that.

I will backpack it through Japan, and I will stay in Hostels. I think that's probably the best way to meet people and have the most fun.

Question when I get in to Narita...should I look for a hostel around the airport? Or go into Tokyo and find one there? Should I book ahead of time? How do I go about finding a hostel while i'm traveling within the country?

And what's with the dying your hair blonde? I'm not blonde and I don't think I would pass for a blonde...i've never tried. I guess there are no blonde people in japan and they go crazy for them?

[COGENT]

Great decision! I spent 3 weeks in Japan and absolutely loved it. Your right though, 2 weeks won't even scratch the surface of Tokyo.

Most of what I would say has been said already but I will add a few notes.

Embrace the train system in Tokyo (or in any city for that matter). It's cheap and it will get you anywhere you need to go.

Be prepared for the heat. No one thinks of Japan as hot but I went in August and it was the hottest weather I have ever experienced. Every day was around 37 degree and 95% humidity. However, I'm not sure what it's like in June.

I have been to many countries and I believe Japanese people are the kindest. I say this because just when you think your completely lost (a definite in Tokyo) a perfect english speaking person will come to you and offer their assistance. I witnessed this in every city I went to.

Every major city has it's trademark food. I wish I could tell you them but I am not even going to attempt to spell them out. I highly recommend Hiroshima's dish and Osaka's.

Just like the food, every city and town has it's own shochu... not sake... shochu. I personally think shochu is much better, plus it's cheap and strong.

Expereience the high speed trains... unexplainable. Try to avoid the smoking cabins though.

Expereince Kareoke prefferably with Japanese people. It doesn't matter how bad of a singer you are they will make you feel like a rock star.

Just as Ozy_Flame said, the Japanese women love white guys and they are very forward about it. I was on the trip with my wife but that didn't stop them from eye screwing the hell out of me.

[COGENT]

Do I need a visa to get into the country?
I didn't but that was a year ago

Question when I get in to Narita...should I look for a hostel around the airport? Or go into Tokyo and find one there? Should I book ahead of time? How do I go about finding a hostel while i'm traveling within the country?
Go to Tokyo for a hostel. You should book ahead of time. Use the internet to find hostels while on your trip or ask the front desk people at the current hostel and will usually help you make the arrangements for the next city.

And what's with the dying your hair blonde? I'm not blonde and I don't think I would pass for a blonde...i've never tried. I guess there are no blonde people in japan and they go crazy for them?
They love blonde white dudes! And by they I mean the women.

[mots]

Originally Posted by COGENT

I highly recommend Hiroshima's dish and Osaka's.

Hiroshima is onomiyaki (crape like with stuff inside folded in half), while Osaka is Takoyaki (squid balls)

[Ozy_Flame]

Best okonomiyaki (dinner pancake) is at a restaurant called Tombe in Osaka (the Dotonbori district). Very famous.

As for a Visa, you will be issued one once you arrive. It's good for three months.

Also, any restaurant that has a long line-up is usually a good one. With thousands (if not millions) of restaurants in Japan, line-ups are a good sign of high quality and freshness.

Go to the Asakusa district in Tokyo (Senso-ji Temple) and ask for the restaurant that serves Gyoza Tonkatsu. I forget the name of it, but the locals will all know it and it's VERY famous and VERY tasty.

[Rhyme]

You don't need a Visa if you are staying less than 3 months

See link:

http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/02.html

I would not suggest staying in Narita. This capsule hotel in Asakusa district in Japan was fairly easy to get to from the airport, is ~ $30 CDN/night, and accepts tourist (a few don't).

http://www.asakusa-capsule.jp/english/

Don't be put off by the capsule, it's more like a bunk bed than a coffin. And it's an experience that any young tourist should have in Tokyo. Asakusa a nice area to explore just off the plain. It's an older area and is a little quieter than some other areas in Tokyo.

There's also a famous site in the area, well two. There's the Sensoji temple, which is known for the giant latern at its gate, and there's the golden turd (you'll see what I mean if you go there) on the top of the Asaka beer building (it's supposed to be the froth of a pint).

It's also a short train ride to Ueno park, which is a nice park to walk through while your working off the jetlag. You can find the National Museum in park if you're into art and history. Between the park and the train station is a shopping district that I really like. All street vendors down narrow streets framed by signs and neon.

[Rhyme]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Go to the Asakusa district in Tokyo (Senso-ji Temple) and ask for the restaurant that serves Gyoza Tonkatsu. I forget the name of it, but the locals will all know it and it's VERY famous and VERY tasty.

Totally missed that when I was there. Now I have a reason to go back. Of all the things that I loved in Japan, I think the food was my favourite. If you can, hit the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo (closed on Sundays though). You have to be there early, like 6am at the very very latest, but it's a fantastic experience. You can get sushi right out of the sea there. When I went on Saturday, they sushi restaurants in the market had dozens of people lined up outside by 6:30.

[cmyden]

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623a.html

Awesome site for planning your Japan sights.

[worth]

What about things like wifi? Like if I bring a ipod touch, will I be able to use the wifi capabilities?

And I know Tokyo is 100v 50hz, so i'm gonna get less juice out of the receptacle. Will my cell phone charger and ipod charger even work? Need an adapter?