Going to Japan for 2 1/2 weeks in late Sept-Early Oct

[FM Arouet666]

I have been to Okinawa, briefly, not much of an experience. My wife has been to Tokyo twice, staying with a friend for a month at one point. Both of us do not speak Japanese, she is Asian, Taiwanese and can interpret Kanji characters.

Any ideas. I just bought a few books on Japanese, a very daunting task to learn in five months. I want to see the whole country, travel by train and not spend an arm and a leg. Any suggestions?

[Inland]

1. Yes, Lydia Leftcoast.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=368x479

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. You rang?

1) Get a Japan Rail Pass, like a Eurailpass for Japan. Second class is just fine and so much cheaper than single tickets that Japanese people nearly weep with envy when they hear about it. Like a Eurailpass, it must be purchased here.

2) Stay away from big Western-style hotels and concentrate on so-called business hotels, which almost are small and furnished like a college dorm but invariably clean and safe with a private bath. Expect to pay about $100 or less for a double. One of the most economical nationwide chains is the Toyoko Inn at http://www.toyoko-inn.com, but there are others as well.

3) For more traditional accommodations, try a minshuku, or Japanese-style bed and breakfast (only with dinner included). These are mostly in smaller towns and cities.

4) Some business hotels supply a buffet breakfast, but otherwise, you can get a light breakfast called "morning service" or "morning set" in most coffee shops. These usually include coffee or black tea, toast or rolls, a hard-boiled egg, and maybe a tossed salad with vinaigrette dressing. For other meals, just walk around looking at the plastic or photographic displays of the menu items. If the prices are not listed, you can't afford it. If you need a mid-day caffeine fix, get it from a vending machine, a fast food joint, or a Dotour coffee bar and save a couple of dollars.

5) If you to do a lot of subway riding or travel on the private rail lines (neither of which is covered by the Japan Rail pass), get the local debit card (Passnet in Tokyo, Surutto Kansai in Kyoto-Osaka). There's no cost saving, but it's very convenient and doesn't expire.

[FM Arouet666]

3. Thanks Lydia

I may email you with some more questions as my trip gets closer. My wife was reading through the travel books when I got home tonight, she is the organized traveler, I wonder around aimlessly.

How much of a language barrier can I expect? Neither of us speaks Japanese save for a few words. I have begun studying, but my skills are exceedingly poor. My wife is much better, she speaks three languages fluently, an additional two languages with enough competency to order, ask directions etc.

How are Americans viewed in Japan, some have suggested that the Japanese are cold toward Americans? Similarly, I was always told that the French hate Americans, especially Parisians. Yet, I never experienced a negative interaction with the French, for the most part, I experienced the opposite. I guess being a Francophile helped out, or altered my perception, or perhaps it was the wine.

Can you think of any place that should be avoided? Travel books tend to exaggerate the importance of what one should experience. I particularly hate tourist locations.

Thanks again.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Answers

Since I had already studied Japanese the first time I went, I'm not the best expert on what it's like for a non-Japanese-speaking traveler, but I can tell you this:

1) Signs in stations and street signs in major cities are bilingual, Japanese and English. If you arrive at a subway or train stop and want to see a certain museum, for example, you look at the signs on the platform and on the walls near the exits that tell you which exit to take for your destination.

2) Tourist information centers usually have bilingual or English-language maps.

3) If you get lost or need some information, ask a young person. All high school students are required to take English, which doesn't necessarily mean that they speak it, but in a group of high school students (identifiable by their uniforms), you're likely to find at least one who isn't scared to talk to you and is actually into English. This high school requirement has been in place since the end of WWII, so in a pinch, you can try writing down your question in block letters and showing it around till you find someone who understands. Furthermore, there are a lot more foreigners living in Japan today than there were when I first went 29 years ago, and on my trips back, I've had tourists stop me and ask for help.

4) Well, there are assholes in every country, but I've never had any problems with hostility toward Americans per se. The last time I was there, people kept asking me which presidential candidate I supported, and when I said "Kerry," they smiled and relaxed. (Nothing like this had ever happened before.) I've seen Ugly American Tourists from Central Casting get the cold shoulder, but you sound like an experienced traveler and unlikely to walk around looking sloppy, talking loudly, making dumb jokes about everything you see, and wanting everything to be just like back home in Middle Suburbia.

5) Places to avoid: I can't think of any obvious tourist traps that you might wander into accidentally. The tourist traps that exist usually scream "tourist trap" from their descriptions. For some reason, tourists want to go to places they've heard of, especially the Ginza and Mount Fuji. There's nothing wrong with either of these places, but the Ginza is just a street lined with expensive stores, looking like similar streets all over the world. Mount Fuji is hidden in the haze for much of the humid summer months and is most visible in midwinter, although it's open for climbing only during July and August. If it's visible, you can see it for several minutes from the north side of the train running between Tokyo and Kyoto, so you don't need to make a special trip.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. One thing I forgot

I went in late September in 2004, and it was still as hot as summer.

Be sure to check the weather online before you decide what clothes to bring. I actually had to wait for a sale on European shoes to buy sandals, because my feet were swelling up and getting chafed in regular shoes.

[FM Arouet666]

6. Thanks for the info

As I always do, my enthusiasm has driven me to purchase a load of books on culture and language. I have to admit, Japanese is a daunting language, forget about reading the language. Three different character sets? I admire your ability to learn such a wonderfully complex language. I hope I can order a few pieces of sushi and a box of saki, arigato.

Oh, and you are absolutely right about the weather. Never assume anything. I check the weather channel web page two week forecast before I leave. I have been stuck in rain, cold and un-bearing heat too many times. Shoes are always a concern, NEVER bring a new pair on a trip. I buy new shoes several months before I travel and break them in with an evening walk with my wife.

Thanks for the reply. ~FM