Japan General

I'm have Coeliac disease so I can't eat gluten. How fucked would I be in Japan? I think it will mean missing an integral part of the culture, but there are still lots of other things to enjoy.

On the other hand i'm considering just eating gluten while I'm there, but I'll get quite sick and it might ruin the experience.

What's a good club to go to on a Sunday in Tokyo?

I have two specific questions about Kyoto:

1) I'd like to go to free Japanese classes by volunteers. I'd say my level is between beginner and intermediate and I have found this list:

http://www.kpic.or.jp/english/learning_japanese/japanese_class.html

Does anyone have experience with this and can recommend a certain class?

2) I would like to know where in Kyoto the university departments for English, French and German studies are, but I can't really navigate the sites. Can someone help me with this?

>>1162429
there's probably some gluten in everything because of sauces, but you can get by on eating just rice. you'll miss out on noodles and tempura though which is a pretty big deal

Thank you Japan. You are the nicest fucking country in the world. I just got blackout drunk last night and passed out on a JR platform. When I woke up at 3am I was incredibly surprised and grateful that none of my shit was stolen. The walk home of one station stop was incredibly shameful. I'm so thankful that I was able to get back to my hotel safe and sound. I don't deserve such kindness. I wish I had the resolve to kill myself after the shameful display of last night.
NIPPON ICHIBAN!!
I'm such an asshole for disrespecting such a beautiful country.

>>1162544
Please take it easy and be kind to yourself

Booked a trip to Tokyo on a whim a few days ago. Flights and housing are already taken care of but I haven't planned any activities yet. What would you guys recommend? Today is the first real chance I've had to look at things so I'll be planning my own, but I just wanted to hear from you guys. Staying for 6 days, not really on a budget and I'm open to touristy shit.

>>1162583
Chill at Tokyo, visit key areas such as Akihabara, Shinjuku/Kabukicho, Shibuya/Harajuku, Ginza/Tsukiji. Give it last 3 days.
For the first 3 days, go to Kyoto and Osaka.

That's a basic but no-regret option, you'll like at least 1 out of 3 places and it will also shape your next trip.

If you want to relax/swim, fly to Yakushima for 3-4 days. It is also very, very scenic and beautiful there.
If you want to visit a truly unique place, go ahead and visit Okunoshima. It's an island overrun by rabbits. This shit is something else.
Finally, if you want to carpe diem, go climb Fuji, it's still possible in Sep.

Guys, I want to know some places/clubs in Tokyo where they play either:
- Vaporwave/trap/chillwave and whatever the fuck it is named
- Anime mixes

Last time I went to Dear Stage and it was kinda cool, but re-watching K-On is better

>>1162450
Most classes aren't free but are extremely cheap. Like 500 yen a class or 2000 or less per month.

They're all pretty much better than the classes you can take in the US, although if you get a teacher you don't like feel free to switch to another class since theres tons.

>>1162613
Club Mogra?

I'm in tokyo for two weeks and i know most people will call me an idiot for attempting to do so but i do wanna pick up atleast one chick do you think its doable with 0 japanese knowledge?

>>1162642
Don't know if this is important but im white, tall and attractive.

>>1162419
>erolin has section on new-halfs
>no new-half links
Lame.

>>1162645
Only one of those is true

whats the cheapest, but still comfortable way to fly from germany (Frankfurt) to Tokyo ?

Emirates gets you there and back again for ca. 800€ with a stop in Dubai. Something even cheaper with a good airline ? (cheapest found was Alitalia...)

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https://www.rt.com/news/359631-japanese-virgins-study-demographics/

>>1162660
I've seen prices from £350 from the UK via Dusseldorf with Lufthansa this week.

I've been wanting to travel there, but i'd be going solo, and i'm wondering; is it easy to get around in Japan, specifically Tokyo? What is it like there? and How much money would you roughly need for 2 weeks in a hotel?

>>1162670
Hell yeah, going through dusseldorf in december as well, super cheap

>>1162544
>boring faggot with no life and no friends makes some bullshit story about how he was drunk because thats the most asinine boring thing a single person does when hes alone and sad and pathetic and needy

fug I live here and completely forgot about TGS this weekend.

I guess I don't mind too much since I went the last two years but it is still pretty cool even though it is super crowded.

>>1162419
Is it impossible to teach english in Japan without a degree? I'd be willing to earn wages that are just above living expenses in a big city. Ideally I'd like to live in Tokyo or Osaka, maybe Sapporo if they get the faster train connection done.

>>1162429
Honestly the Japanese food with gluten in it is awesome but at the same time you probably don't want to live of it on your trip anyway cause most of it's fired junk food like katsu and tempura, my girlfriend gets sick from eating gluten so we mostly at sashimi onigiri inari and tofu dishes which I recon is better anyway, in other words you'll be fine

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Hi guys, what are the chances of it snowing in Tokyo in November this year?

>>1162727
Slim to none.

>>1162731
Dang, it would be pretty

What is the best data sim card to get for Japan?

>>1162725

what alcohol does she drink in japan?

Going WWOOF'ing in Japan for a year. Never been there before.

What should I expect? I'm not a fat weeb, nor American.

>>1162746
Expect to do farm work without being paid

>>1162747
Yeah, I already know that.

Have any of you guys had any luck connecting with locals on a short trip? (say 5-14 days?)

I want to meet natives.

Going to Tokyo in a couple weeks. What are my chances of getting laid? I'm white, pretty decent, i'd say a 7.5. Tall too, if that helps.

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>>1162661
>Russia Today

>>1162754
If you pay, %100.

If not, what the fuck are we to say? We don't know how charming you are as a person.

>>1162757
nah, don't want to pay.

Just curious, some places it is easier to get laid as a white guy because of the novelty and it being a bit more "exotic"

>>1162751
I spent 2 years there and it's the same shit as staying 2 weeks. They pretend to be friends, but you're the token "gaijin" that they use to show off/practice English. Don't expect to make connections because that country is full of bullshit when it comes to being genuine.

Is March a good time to visit Japan?

>>1162751
the locals don't connect with each other so fat chance

>>1162670
>tfw it's 270£ right now no stops from where I am but can't go now.

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-- posted in last thread without reading 'new thread' post --
Hey /trv/ Aussie here Looking to go in late jan for the first time and with a group of around 6-7 whats your opinion if any on these types of tours, reading through it makes it look rushed to me, I'm thinking of booking a few free days in between but dont know where, Tokyo or Osaka?
http://www.flightcentre.com.au/tours/japan/discover-japan/3786773
then a week skiing
http://www.flightcentre.com.au/accommodation/hakuba/4232051

>>1162772
Sure. It's chilly but not full-blown winter, you won't have to deal with summer crowds or Golden Week crowds, and if you're lucky, you might catch some cherry blossoms down south.

>>1162743
Campari is fucking everywhere and cheap, some gins are gluten free, brandy ect

>>1162786
Not him, but I'm looking at going at a similar time of the year. Would you say it's worth paying $130 or so more to go at the start of April for the blossom season?

Thinking of visiting for a week in Tokyo.
New to Japan, but I'd like to think I'm decent at travel.

1-A) Thoughts on 'organized tours' in Japan?
1-B) Is it better to sign-up for an organized tour of Japan in Japan, or from my 'home country'

2) Is there a place for foreign currency exchange?
Is there any place where there's a lot of competition from smaller shops (similar to Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong)?

3) Any information on accommodations?
I'm okay with paying a bit more money for a 'fancier' place - Will a search on something similar to Expedia, but are there better aggregate websites for Japan?
(Airbnb doesn't have a lot of nicer places for my budget...)

Just booked my next trip, and i want to do some different shit this time instead of just staying in Osaka and Tokyo. Planning on getting a cheap peach flight over to Okinawa for a couple days, and i saw someone post awhile ago about Ine and i really want to go there and check it out, but how the fuck do i get there? Theres fuck all info on google apart from things that say bus but not much more than that. Any recommendations for shit to do in Okinawa/Hiroshima and southern/more northern parts much appreciated, planning on getting a 14 day JR pass this time around. I'll be going in may-june.

>>1162751
Yep. Was in Osaka for 6 days and met a bunch of awesome guys in a bar who barely spoke a word of english and i don't speak jp either. We ended up organizing to meet a day before we left and we got drunk as fuck, had a great night and exchanged contact info, still keep in contact and planning to meet them again when i go back next.

>>1162794
If it's not something that you've seen before and you're really into that kind of thing, I'd say it's worth it.

>>1162806

How'd you meet them?

I'm planning on going to Japan in March for 10 days and probably going to go again later when it is Autumn. Should I just spend the entirety of the first trip in Tokyo? I don't want to feel rushed.

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>>1162800
onomichi hiroshima looks nice
never been but it has those old timey buildings with sloping cobblestone streets and a nice view of the sea

>>1162832
have you been to japan before? if not, then you could definitely take your time exploring tokyo and the surrounding area for 10 days.
it really depends on the person. some people say you can do everything in tokyo in 2 weeks, some people wish they had more time to get to know the city. since you want to take your time, nothing wrong with just doing tokyo. yokohama is a 30 min train away or you could day trip out to nikko or hakone.

however a 2-3 day trip to osaka/kyoto isnt too bad either

>>1162838

This will be my first time going to Japan. I'm not very well travelled but after going to 3 countries in 2.5 weeks in Europe I felt quite rushed.. I'll check out those places you posted thanks

>>1162827
Well it was an animu themed bar, we were the only white people there, they got excited that we knew about the place and we went from there. I'm not crazy social but these guys were pretty outgoing for Japanese people. We bonded over a common interest and even though there was a language barrier it didn't matter, we just communicated through translate and gestures.

>>1162835
Looks great, I'll add that to the map for sure, thanks!

>>1162660
Just search with skyscanner or google flights. I recommend flying straith to Tokyo without any stops inbetween, even if it costs you 1-200€ more.

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>>1162419
>Traveling to Japan
What's a good method to get there that ISN'T a plane?
Are they're ships that will shuttle you from West Coast, USA to Japan?

>Living in Japan
How to pick up a LOT of vocabulary fast, such that it's used in day to day life?
HARD MODE: My hearing is NOT that wonderful.
>Gimme the closest equivalent to CC in real life (because even in English, I use CC when available (and reliable ... so NOT on YouTube)).
(Will sitting in a mall work at all for this? Also, do Japanese copies of anime DVDs regularly come with Japanese CC? How bout loitering near stores and listening in to conversations?)
>I still remember I thought "able" was "avle" for the first couple years I knew how to talk. Difficulty telling apart B/P, B/V, F/V, M/N, and a few others

What's a good place to live? I like cities, but preferably a reasonable amount of land (so, suburban-urban). I do NOT wanna be on well water... Favorite season Fall, and I sometimes like snow. I WILL want to do construction on any house I get, specifically solar panels, backup generators, and possibly even a wind turbine (off the grid). Want HIGH Internet speed.

>Teaching in Japan
DESU: I'm not sure I'm interested in this. Is there anything of interest, though?
Alternatively, how might I get acquainted with a high level of scientific jargon in Japanese pretty quick, because if I left here, I'd still wanna continue my education there, probably in Natural and Applied Sciences
(Also, do Japanese Universities offer the same thing as Major/Minor they have here? Or, in my online college's case Area of Study + Concentration?)

>Joining the Yakuza
I'm curious what you have to say on this. I'm guessing it's bullshit, but I wanna hear it anyway, in case it's not, and there's actually cool shit

>Getting your weeb fantasies crushed
Crush my soul, daddy! I already know the REAL Japan is pretty much just as bad as any Western country. What minute bullshit that I was looking forward to, though, doesn't actually real?

>>1162854
sorry. fucking kill me...
>are they're
are THERE...

Hope I didn't miss anything else

>>1162854
Oh, one other thing:
Do they sell BIG portions of things like shampoo?
I buy several liters of shampoo a week, and I wanna know if there's bulk, like our 30oz (887ml) bottles there.
(Well, to be precise, I buy TENS of liters in bulk and it lasts a few months... so not necessarily EVERY week)

I'll be in Japan over christmas and new year. I've heard new years is one of the biggest vacation times and trains will be crowded as fuck so I'd rather use my Railpass before that.

I have no clue how to plan out my trip. I want to
>spent two days in a rural onsen
>visit Sapporo
>visit Osaka
>spend New Years eve in Kyoto and visit shrines at night
>spend the last few days of my trip in Tokyo shopping

Sapporo really fucks me over. Maybe I should ditch it? But I want to see something new, already saw Kyoto/Osaka/Tokyo/Hiroshima on my last trip. I've heard the nord is especially beautiful during winter.

I'll arrive in Tokyo on 23th december and depart from there on january 4th.
Send help pls, /trv/

>>1162854
If you're coming from America, there aren't really any good methods to get to Japan other than by plane. There is the occasional repositioning cruise, or segment of an around-the-world cruise that will cross the Pacific, and a few passenger cabins on freighters. These are substantially more expensive and much less convenient than flying.

But if you are starting in Korea, or a few parts of China, sure, there is a ferry. I suppose a determined European could take the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok, and then ferries to Korea and Japan, or the branch line into China, and then a ferry direct to Japan. But, as before, more expensive and less convenient than flying.

>>1162866
>There is the occasional repositioning cruise, or segment of an around-the-world cruise that will cross the Pacific, and a few passenger cabins on freighters
I'll look into these

>>1162782
>Every single person has the personality of someone from Kantou
>The people are weird for not connecting with someone that doesn't speak their language

>>1162866
>>1162869
Come to think of it... HOW does one look into passenger cabins on freighters..?

Does anything advertise that at all, or do you gotta be "in the know"? OR, do you have to camp out at a hotel and check the docks for days at a time and buy your way in..?

Following the "meeting the natives" discussion. I see that it's a bit hard to get to know new people directly during your stay (not impossible, more like not highly probable).
But is there any homework one could do? Like, language exchange sites or whatever? The point is to hook up with someone before the flight. I have 3 months ahead of me.

>>1162869
I did a little searching, and found for the Volendam:
>2016 – September 28 – 14-day from Vancouver to Yokohama, visiting Ketchikan (30), Juneau (Oct 01), Glacier Bay (02), Dutch Harbor Site (05), Kushiro (11) – from $1700 pp.

>>1162881
Goto Language exchange meetups from meetup.com. Theres a range of pretty serious to just straight up clubbing

They used to be pretty in that they were all typically 70 percent Japanese girls, 25% foreigners, and another 5% Japanese guys. But someone let the secret out and nearly all but the ones that were not just club promotions had the ratios all fucked up and ended up being like 75% guys.

The club promotions were hit or miss, most of the time they were just what the club would have been like anyway except earlier in the night, but usually they atleast had something like nomihoudai.

>>1162876
There are a few specialist travel agents like https://www.freightercruises.com/ which have connections with the shipping lines.

(Hoping this isn't a duplicate message)

>>1162886
Thank you, anon, really appreciated

>>1162881
Yeah, study some Japanese and hit up language exchange sites. Despite what a lot of people complain about the biggest x factor is whether you can actually hold an interesting conversation with people or not.

The story behind a lot of these "japanese people hate me!" and "nobody communicates!" and "foreigners are just a novelty!" people are the typical boring dudes that were looking for attention (and probably cheeks) for being white without knowing much japanese.

Just think about what it would take in your country if their level of [your native language] was that same as yours in Japanese. What would you recommend?

>>1162613
just look up places your favorite artists have played in Japan.

>>1162713

If you can get a spouse or other type of visa, you're fine.
However, if you need a work visa, you need either a bachelor's or 5 years full time experience in that field. Even then, sometimes 5 years still wont get you the visa.

>>1162946
>5 years full time experience in that field
not the guy you're replying to,, but what exactly does this mean?
i'm a plasterer and was wondering if it would be possible for me to get in when i have enough experience under my belt, or are specialised trades a no-no?

>>1162850
Normally I would go for a direct flight too but theres nothing that I enjoy more than flying so two longer flight with a little stop in Dubai wouldnt bother me

Has anyone bought a Hakone Free Pass before? I'm doing research into it and I've come across this line:

>A surcharge of 890 yen (one way from Shinjuku) and seat reservations are required when using a "Romance Car" limited express train.

I understand there's three main ways to get to Hakone from Shinjuku: Romance Car, jumping from train to train for two hours until you're there, or by bus. We're looking to use the Romance Car for speed and convenience, so do I specify that we want to use the Romance Car when we're buying our Hakone Free Pass?

>>1162863
Since your time there is tight, consider flying to or from Sapporo domestically. You could connect to either airport in Tokyo, or KIX. It's significantly faster and cheaper than rail (though if you have a railpass, cost probably isn't an issue).

>>1162956
If you can find a company that's willing to sponsor your work visa (which is very unlikely considering there are plenty of plasterers readily available in Japan that don't require the extra work), it's theoretically possible.

>>1162713
>Is it impossible to teach english in Japan without a degree?

Unless you marry a Japanese national, your chances are effectively zero.

>maybe Sapporo if they get the faster train connection done.

Don't hold your breath. Sapporo won't have the shinkansen for another ~15 years.

>>1162863
>Sapporo really fucks me over. Maybe I should ditch it?

As another anon mentioned, if you want to go to Sapporo flying is the only way if your time is tight. But Sapporo is a large-ish city, so winter here isn't so beautiful -- dirty snow piled on the sides of the streets, sidewalks covered in ice, etc. Beautiful winter is in the countryside outside the city, so you need to adjust your schedule for that.

>>1162997
>though if you have a railpass, cost probably isn't an issue

To add to this, anons should be aware the shinkansen only goes to Hakodate; from there you have to take a regular train to anywhere else in Hokkaido. It's slow and a PITA.

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Go to Japan for the first time Oct1-16, and I already am stressing that I am going to forget something, and show up missing some crucial item.

Fuck, travel anxiety.

>>1163064
Good news is, you can buy items in Japan: they have a lot of them.

How much should I budget for 3 weeks in Japan (not including flights/accomodation)? I'll probably spend like one and a half weeks in Tokyo and then split the rest up between Kyoto, Osaka and maybe some more rural places for a day.

>>1163073
I went and gave myself ten-thousand yen a day, that included accomodation and got by well

>>1162746
some sites are super shitty/exploitative and basically cycle through dozens of you in months

heard smaller places were nice - work but interact with family and stuff

Are there any Japanese cities that you would describe as having an "open" feel where one can take it easy whilst still being able to visit attractions and enjoy a night out? I'm interested in spending time in Tokyo but I think it might be too high pace for me

>>1163095
Tokyo

Guys, anyone in Tokyo during 27-31 dec? I want to visit Mogra, comiket etc and it would be cool to have other weebs around, as my travel company is too grown up for this kind of stuff ( I am 29)

>>1162995
The Romance car surcharge is the seat reservation fee. They'll likely ask if you want to book it when you pick up the pass (They did when I got my pass at the tourist information booth at Shinjuku station)

>>1162772
Mid-March to mid-April is spring break for most Japanese schools so everywhere is going to be more crowded. On top of that, countries like the USA have spring break vacation around that time and visit Japan. It really depends on what other country's vacation schedules are like too. You can always tell when a country has a holiday break because suddenly there are a lot of French tourists, Chinese tourists, or American tourists.

Spring time especially with the cherry blossoms, summer time, and winter vacation time are always very crowded imo.

>>1163064
Don't worry. All you need is your passport, print out of your itinerary, credit card you can use overseas to withdraw money from a Japan Bank or 7-11, and....GPS on your phone. Everything else you can buy. Pack only a couple outfits and use a laundry mat to wash your stuff so you can bring back more souvenirs.

>>1163095
I would highly recommend Osaka but i'm sure others would disagree. I found Osaka much more chill, Tokyo was too crazy

>>1163123


Why would they disagree? I've been reading about it and it seems like the kinda place for me.

>>1163107
I'll be there, senpai. 25yo and first time Comiket. Keep lurking the thread and let's meet up in late december.

>>1163131
Deal. I ll also come up with a spare email for coordination later on

>>1163130
idk man, some people on here seem to have a vendetta against Osaka for some reason (say it's ugly, nothing to do etc.) but i enjoyed it so much more than Tokyo, felt like a home away from home for me, honestly i'd live there if i had the chance. Shinsaibashi/Namba area has some great nightlife but still very relaxed and if you are staying in the area everything is within walking distance and you can spend all night out if you want and the locals are very friendly. Theres a great fried chicken stand thats open late too for drunk feeds 10/10 would recommend.

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Sup /trv/, /out/ here.

I'm heading to Japan in a couple of months, and I was wondering about their blade laws. Can I bring a hatchet and a bowie knife with me? Or a multitool with a lockable blade?

A site with their laws in English would be greatly appreciated.

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Heading to Japan this November with my buddy. We're mainly there to fuck around and be baka gaijins. We were considering couch surfing but he wants to get laid.

The only thing we have on our itinerary is seeing Kyoto and hitting up the bars.

Any recommendations?

>>1163161
Oh fuck, guess it isn't given to you guys.

I'll be a backpacking hiker doing WWOOF. As far as I can understand, I can carry knives over 6cm in length if I have a "justifiable reason". Is being a scruffy European hiker that, or should I expect the Japanese police to be super racist and arrest me anyway?

It would really suck not being able to bring at least and Hultafors hatchet and and Leatherman Wave.

>>1162956

Specialized trades are acceptable, but the problem is finding a company that would be willing to sponsor a plasterer who doesn't speak Japanese. Even if you do speak Japanese, why would they hire you over someone already in the country?

But yes, if you do have the experience, finding someone to hire you is more of an issue than the visa.

>>1163163
yes

>>1162997
>>1163062
Looks like I'm ditching Sapporo for now. But without Sapporo, the Railpass seems like a waste. On the other hand is the shinkansen from Toyko to Osaka/Kyoto quite expensive and if I travel one way and back again it's almost as much as a 7 days Railpass. Bus is not an option, but I'll look into flights. Will probably be expensive considering it's the most intense vacation time.

Didn't even considered >>1163107 comiket, I'd like to visit that one as well.

>23-25th Tokyo
>25-27th Onsen, probably Fukushima area
>27-30th Tokyo and comiket
>30-03th Osaka/Kyoto/Otsu/Nara
I'll probably stay in Osaka because the hotels in Kyoto are ridiculousy expensive
>03-04th Tokyo and flight home

>>1163151
If you can speak Japanese, people in Osaka are way more friendly and fun to talk to. Osaka is still a massive city with a lot of similar things as Tokyo but you might need people to show you the good spots, something you can't do without the language.

If you can't speak to anyone except in English, Tokyo and especially Kyoto provide a lot more for you to gawk at in silence and there will be more people that can speak English since Tokyo is so large and Kyoto is a tourists town

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So, for those of you who are going to be in Tokyo from 27 to 30 December and are looking forward to meet up for a major weeb trip - comiket, Mogra, maid cafe - drop me a line
Kensamameetup (at) gmail
I want to organize a mailing list to schedule stuff in December and to keep this topic free. I'll repost this message from time to time.

How is employability for gaijins in Japan? I have a very wide skill set but would not like to struggle with employment.

I spent some time in Norway and at that time I spoke very basic Norsk and was unable to find steady work.

>>1163199
read the thread

thinking about staying at a ryokan for 4 days to see stuff in tokyo. have never traveled on my own, much less in a non-western hotel.

andon ryokan in taito
http://www.andon.co.jp/

1. what's it like staying in a traditional japanese hotel?
2. is this style of hotel going to be jarring for a filthy gaijin?
3. is the duration of the trip too long/too short? i'm mostly interested in akihabara, but wouldn't mind seeing museums and other stuff
4. i will be traveling with a big/medium box of weeb shit, is that something i can store in my room or at the front desk?

>>1163208
>1. what's it like staying in a traditional japanese hotel?

that doesn't really look traditional, at best it's a modern art interpretation at it. Normal hotel rules should apply, on top of Japanese common rules like taking your shoes of inside etc.

>2. is this style of hotel going to be jarring for a filthy gaijin?

no, especially not the one you linked

>3. is the duration of the trip too long/too short? i'm mostly interested in akihabara, but wouldn't mind seeing museums and other stuff

there's no "too short", it's all depending on what you want to see. I personally wouldn't fly to Japan for less than a week, but it depends on where you from/how many holidays you can take I guess

>4. i will be traveling with a big/medium box of weeb shit, is that something i can store in my room or at the front desk?

I would suggest putting it in your suitcase but otherwise yeah just leave it in the room or at the front desk if you have to check out earlier and still have some time until your flight

>>1163201

I just saw the work visa posts. So again, I need an edge to put me as a clear contender for job positions.

>>1163211
thanks for the response! it's looking like 8,810/night for a single bed room.

is that approximately what someone would expect to pay, or is it higher?

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What do you guys recommended for packing clothing and/or buying most of it in Japan?
I'll be leaving for Japan for several weeks soon and have shit clothes back here at home and would hate to pack a bunch of ratty t-shirts, old jeans and stuff like that. I'll be an obvious tourist for sure but I'd like to at least look OK while traveling.

I've been thinking maybe I can just pack really light and pick up a few shirts and such while there. I don't care about major brands which I'm sure could be pretty expensive. I'm pretty petite and have a hard enough time finding clothes that fit me in my home country.

Where if possible can I find some decent basic clothes that won't be expensive? I am open to secondhand items too!
Any shoe recommendations--will I be okay walking around Tokyo in shoes like Sambas or Vans or will that kill my feet?
Thanks guys

>>1163217
If you are short on money, uniqlo ginza last floor (that's important) is your choice. They have limited t shirt, hoodies etc there, good quality and design all under 2-3 yen most of the time.
If you have slightly more dough, go ahead and visit Shibuya 109 men. Design there is pretty insane, good quality, expect 3-4 k per shirt and stuff. Also, there are tons of vintage clothing in the area.

My brother on a whim booked a 5 day side trip to Tokyo as he got ridiculously cheap plane tickets to go to Japan. It'll be him, me, and our parents.

Pretty much all we've got on our list to go see is the fish market, the Imperial Palace, and I want to experience Akihabara. Maybe the national museum?

Should I even take my parents to Akihabara? I'm not particularly worried about the weeb stuff but I dunno if it's gonna be porn everywhere or something.

We are all dreadfully boring as the plan outside from that is just to walk around and take in sights. Is there anything else we should be considering for such a short trip?

Thanks.

>>1163221
seconding because i'm gonna be in a similar circumstance

>>1163219
Not the asking anon but 2-3 yen? Is it 200-300?

>>1163221
>>1163223
You'll only see porn if you want to. Unless your parents want to see Japan subculture Akihabara is not for them.

I'd suggest going by yourself if you can. But if you want to go with your parents there's nothing to worry about (unless they think maid cafes are creepy)

>>1163169
>>1163161
Bump for help.

>>1163228
K yen, so 2000-3000
Sorry for confusion

I'm trying to find a ryokan in Hakone, but several places don't seem to be offering traditional type rooms to single travellers.

Anyone got any recommendations for a place to stay?

>>1163230

Thank you

>>1163234
As far as I know Japan has really strict laws regarding fire guns, bladed weapons and things like that.

Sadly that's all I can say about this.

>>1162544
feel the same. Was there a few months ago, forgot my wallet on an game cabinet in a crowded-ass arcade in tokyo and when I realized I just asked a guy who worked there and in a fucking second he went somewhere and came back with my wallet wrapped in a paper band with the amount of money inside the wallet written on it. I really felt ashamed to be such an idiot forgetting my shit around and making people work for me, i really felt I didn't deserve that level of honesty and kindness. I thanked the guy as profusely as possible making a hundred bows and nods and addressing him as "my friend". I could see he was somehow taken aback. Damn I'm such an idiot sometimes.

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Just a short questions. I have this hotplate in my apartment and can't read the kanji within the yellow boxes. Can anybody help me?

>>1163331
>Fried Foods
>Heat

Ok thanks so to boil water or make scrambled eggs, I use the one on the right? What would I use the one on the left for?

>>1163338
That's correct. The one on the left is for deep-frying, probably controls the temperature better.

>>1163217
I'm assuming you're a woman. As long as you're under 5'3" and under a US size 4-6, you should fit a L(arge) fine. Maybe a M(edium) is you are very petite. If you're larger than that the armpit or waist length may not fit great.

You can check out Kinji around Harajuku for secondhand casual clothes the cool kids don't want anymore. Prices are around 700-3,000 yen. It's down the stairs and across from a restaurant. They had a great selection of muumuus I gawked at last time I was there. Uniqlo is a cheap option for new clothes too and you can see their website.

Maybe pack a dark, nice pair of jeans, slacks, button down top, scarf, cardigan, and undershirts. You may need a light jacket and a hat too. Vans are fine as long as they aren't beat up. Neutral colors and plaid patterns look nice.

Can you buy green tea ice cream in the winter?

I'll be landing in Fukuoka at like 21:15, which means most hostels are closed for check in. Can anyone recommend a CHEAP hotel (perhaps capsule? No idea how those work) that I can check in to late in the evening?

>>1162733
bump on this question please

>>1162419
Hey,

I was hoping another person in japan could help answer some questions I had on dating a Japanese girl. Memes aside...

1. Would it be weird to give a small gift like chocolate on a second date?

2. How long should you wait to ask a girl to be your gf?

Thanks.

>>1163384
>1. Depends on the feel you get from the girl
>2. see 1

really m8, people are different. Go with the flow.

>>1163385
True, I am just so used to dating in the US which is way different than my experience in Japan.

>>1163371
Yes, if you want to.

>>1163380
http://techjapan.tumblr.com/post/100879919781/4-prepaid-sim-cards-in-tokyo-japan-for-tourist

>>1163390
Thank you :)

>>1162691
Getting around is super easy. The train/subway system will take you within walking distance of anywhere you need to go.

>>1163161
>>1163169

Don't know about import restrictions, however, you could easily purchase a hatchet and bowie knife while in Japan. I saw quite a few places selling both in Tokyo and Kyoto.

>>1163161

I actually know a guy who got randomly searched by the cops, they found a knife on him, and he was deported to his country the next day. Mind you, he looked like a hippie doofus. That's probably why he got checked in the first place.

So yeah, if you do bring a knife, be very careful.

>>1163161
Patrick...is this a raincoat?

>>1163161
What will you be doing in Japan that you need these tools?

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>two weeks into my 5 week trip to japan
>already getting burnt out

So far I've been to Tokyo (first two days)
Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nachi falls.
Going to Nagoya, Kanazawa, Shirakawa then possibly up somewhere in hokkaido for my last fewe days on my 3 week rail pass.
The day my railpass expires I'm headed back to Tokyo where I'll spend the last 2 weeks of the trip.

Not sure why I'm feeling so burned out already. Maybe because it's been rainy every single day I've been in Japan so far.

>>1163437

kek. was he blacklisted from japan?

Anything i need to know when visiting the Tokyo Skytree?

>>1163485
It is in Tokyo

>>1163379
doesn't Khaosan have 24 hour check in?

i found a list of stuff to do in tokyo and picked ones that seemed interesting.

which of these are definitely worth checking out? are there any that i should immediately delete, due to being overcrowded/overpriced/etc?

1. akihabara
2. tsukiji fish market
3. gundam front tokyo - odaiba
4. tokyo station - ramen st
5. uniqlo - ginza
6. yakitori stand - yurakucho
7. river boat - tsukishima, hamamatsucho, asakusa (meal plan w/ sashimi)
8. fuji television - odaiba
9. imperial palace
10. k town - shin okubo station
11. rikugien garden
12. sensoji temple - asakusa
13. nakamise st - asakusa
14. tempura don (tendon) - asakusa
15. chanko nabe (sumo meal) - ryugoku kokugikan
16. homeikan - hongo
17. edo-tokyo museum
18. tokyo skytree
19. kinshicho daiso - near skytree
20. ameyoko - ueno
21. ueno park
22. tokyo tower
23. roppongi hills, tokyo mid town
24. tsurutontan (udon) - roppongi
25. ichigaya fish center
26. tokyo zen center - zen cafe
27. meguro gajoen (art)
28. meiji jingu and yoyogi park
29. harajuku - takeshita dori
30. shibuya crossing
31. shibuya 109
32. center street - shibuya
33. shinjuku - goldengai
34. kappabashi -dougai
35. awaodori restaurant - shinjuku
36. cat cafe kyariko - shinjuku
37. mandarake - nakano broadway
38. vaudeville - shinjuku suehirotei
39. yansen - between bunkyo and taito
40. ginza hakuhinkan
41. sannou inari shrine -
42. nagatacho kurosawa (restaurant)
43. tokyo kotsukaikan - tokyo station

>>1163448
it's probably because you're zipping from place to place like a tool

Gonna bet 100 bucks that you'll enjoy the last two weeks in Tokyo the most
>>1163485
it's like super high
>>1163500
>5. uniqlo - ginza
Uniqlos aren't really that different
>29. harajuku - takeshita dori
would skip personally unless you're a 14 year old middle school girl. Backstreets of Shibuya are pretty cool though
>31. shibuya 109
AFAIK that's a huge shopping mall themed towards girl's stuff so keep that in mind

Rest looks fine, depending on how much time you have

>>1163502
thanks, i think i can safely take 29 and 31 off while keeping shibuya's backstreets in mind

do you have any personal favorites, either on this list or not?

>>1163504
Not the same anon, but you didn't list shinjuku gyoen. If you like parks I'd recommend hibiya park too, it's really underrated.

Also whether you are a weeb or not I would recommend you going to a maid cafe, it's a cool experience.

And something about tsukiji, don't be afraid to go to the "warehouse" part. It's not something you see in pictures (because it's not pretty) and if you're lucky you may see how they cut the tuna.

Oh and something people don't usually know about harajuku is the design festa gallery. It's a gallery for the under artists, some are really cool and they are almost always willing to talk with you.

>>1163514
that's awesome, thanks for the tips!

i have 4 days in december, i'm planning everything out now and i just hope i don't waste them.

question about transportation: if i rent a bike and about as fit as the average person, would i be able to get to most things? or would someone get tired as fuck going to and fro? i'm down to ride subways and buses if those are better options.

>>1163516
you might want to cut down if you only have 4 days...jesus christ.

Those things could be done in 10 days to 2 weeks and you'd still be kind of rushing

As for the bike:
1. no these places are quiet far apart, you'd probably lose a lot of time if you don't take trains or subways

2. It's December so it's pretty cold. I wouldn't recommend biking then

>>1163518
yeah, it seems impossible to hit everything in that span of time, so i'm gonna whittle the list down to the just the best parts but also have backup plans.

if i want to use public transit, can i pay with physical cash? are there NFC cards i can use and fill up at convenience stores?

>>1162854
Go hit up the Daily Japanese Thread guide at /a/ for learning Jap

>>1163519
you can, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Get a Suica NFC card (they sell them at the Kiosk at the airport and at any train station) and just charge it up as you go

Is it a good idea to do a 2 week trip with just a daybag and maybe a small suitcase? I plan on doing some day trips for hiking, but I don't know if I want to bring a small suitcase, or a small duffle bag with me for my clothes/souvenirs.

>>1163485
Check visibility reports and shit in the weather. It should be obvious but I wasn't really thinking when I went on an overcast day and ended up not getting to go on that trip at all because it would have been 0 visibility up top for the most part.

I will be spending two weeks in Japan in March. My girlfriend and I would like to spend the last two nights of our trip at a nice hotel in Tokyo. At the moment we are leaning towards the Tokyo Station Hotel.

Any recommendations for 5-star hotels in Tokyo?

>>1163574
I can't recommend anything because the one I stayed in for business goes for a retarded price. But it's likely the same for all 5-star hotels in Tokyo. Hardly any better vs 4-start but for triple price.

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Im going to be in Japan for a little over a month in Feb - March for the first time. Any thoughts on what i have planned so far would be greatly appreciated.

Is Hakone a good base to explore the Mt Fuji Region?
For the Chubu region would it be best to stay in one place and venture off from there each day to the places listed?

As i am there for a decent amount of time i probably dont have to rush around each place as much, but im not really sure what places constitute a day trip or say an over night stay.

Thanks

>>1163576
you don't need 5 days in Kyoto and Osaka each. 5 days for each would be enough, maybe a week if you really want to stretch it.

Hiroshima should be an overnight stay, perhaps even two

Hakone is nice in itself, but probably not the best place to see Fuji (would still recommend going there though)

Is the two weeks gap supposed to encompass all those things listed on the 15th or are those just possibilities of things you'd like to do?

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Returning to Tokyo for the second time (had a short trip there earlier this year). Only back for 5 days. Didn't do anything overly "touristy" first time round.
What were the highlights in Tokyo? Should I do Ghibli? Robot Restaurant? Joypolis? Nakano Broadway? Square Enix cafe/store? Roppongi at night? Any tips appreciated.

Do they still sell green tea ice cream in the winter?

>>1163219
Cool, thanks :) How's the vintage stuff? Secondhand I assume?

>>1163348
Kinji looks pretty cool so I'll be sure to check that out.
I'm 5'3'' and size 00 or 0 in some clothes so I guess I'll be okay for sizes then. How do big Japanese girls even find clothes over there?
I've got some black jeans, a light jacket and a few button down shirts already so that's good.
Thanks for your help!

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Hey guys, posting as I'm going to sleep, but I've not been able to find a good, consistent answer to my question.
Not that there is one.

I'm going to teach English in Japan in about 2 or 3 years. I want to go to Japan to visit on my own time before that, ideally this summer.
>inb4 I'm going into teaching without knowing anything

Yeah, maybe a hasty decision, but whatever.

Anyway, I'm going to visit for two weeks. Landing at Narita.

About how much would it cost for two weeks in Japan considering:

>I'll be mostly in Tokyo the whole time, maybe a bit of rural for the experience

>I'll be trying all kinds of food and eating out pretty much every meal

>I'll be staying in a hostel

>Of course, buying things in Akihabara and the like

How much to comfortably be in Japan for two weeks?
I would say around $5000, including flight cost.

>>1163608
Yes. It's a popular flavor all year round.

>>1163628
Should be enough if we're talking USD.

Someone suggested Saitama to me as a relaxing rural-like reprieve from Tokyo, but my research of Saitama leads me to believe it's just another city. Any place in particular in Saitama that I should be looking at? Any cheap hotel suggestions?

Does anyone know about a gig guide for Kyoto? I've been trying to find one for a while but can't

>>1163514
Not the same anon but on the topic of Maid cafes, i'm going to Japan in december with five friends. We're all in the 20 to 21 year old range with varying degrees of weebness. Is there any maid cafe you'd recommend specifically?

>>1163644

There's literally nothing in Saitama. It actually has a reputation for being uncool.

I have two questions concering learning Japanese because I'm here for several months.

1) What's a good free app for learning? My level is very basic, more or less at the lowest level of the JLPT.

2) What's a good and easy to read manga to learn. Probably one that is set more in less in everyday life. I thought of Doraemon or Sazae-san. What do you think?

>>1163448
Did you factor in rest days? Where you just relax in your hotel, maybe go out and get dinner at a local place and nothing else?

>>1163576
Kyoto
>Spend 3-4 days in Kyoto if you love temples and shrines
>100% visit Arashiyama, Kyoto.
There is a monkey center you can check out after you hike up the mountain. The view is nice too.

Osaka
>I love Osaka, but 4 days tops.

Hiroshima
>This requires a lot of travel time by bullet trains.
>Beautiful water
>But it will be too cold to enjoy it.

Kinosaki
>My friend went here with his family and won't shut up about it.
>Nice onsens which you may enjoy in the cold weather.
>A little far, but you can try.

Mt. Koya
>It's a bit of a side trip, but very doable, more doable than Kinosaki or Hiroshima.
>Beautiful trip through Wakayama prefecture (rural mountains).
>Great for Buddhists
>Famous cemetery. You can even see the future plots for big time CEOs that run Toyota or Nintendo.
>Beautiful lanterns at the temple, very other-worldly.
>will be cooler just because it's waaaay up in the mountains.

What ever you do make sure you have some free time to change plans around or just relax at your hotel.

>>1163621
No problem. I think you'll be in between a M or a L, just height-wise. You can try on the clothes too. Uniqlo normally has the measurements in centimeters on the tag. Most clothes have elastic bands or they're free-size. Many style here are flowy too as opposed to the US's style for form fitting clothes.

how much should i expect to pay for a small single room in a hotel in tokyo? or a single room in a hostel?

can you get put in a room just you and one other person you don't know? i really disliked having no personal spaces in bigger hostel rooms last time i used one.

Really sorry if this looks like I'm asking for spoonfeeding, I'm not very well-travelled and I'm seeing conflicting things from research and from anecdotes from relatives. I thought it would be best to ask people who live in Japan or who have gone recently.

In a nutshell, what is the best way to get my spending money for Japan? I was happy to get traveller's cheques according to research, then relatives told me they're 'not a thing' anymore and hard to exchange. I thought maybe hotel exchanges would be a good idea, but again, anecdotal stories of hotels not wanting to exchange currency. It sounded like I'd have to take a big wad of money in my suitcase, then online research advised against it due to both safety and a poor exchange rate at home.

Does anyone have any advice? My partner and I both have Visa debits for what it's worth.

>>1163692
Definitely no on the traveler's checks. They aren't accepted hardly anywhere. Cash is by far the most common way of payment, so either bring cash with you or withdraw it from ATMs around the country (but be sure to check your bank's international withdrawal rates).

>>1163692

I live in Japan. Don't bother with traveler's cheques; they're not widely accepted and, as Japan is quite safe, not worth the extra trouble. You can bring cash no problem; I'd exchange it here (but never in a hotel, always at a bank) as you'll get a better rate. If carrying a lot of cash worries you, then withdraw money as you need it from ATMs. These are all over the place, including post offices.

>>1163694
>>1163697
Thank you so much for your responses.

My bank's withdrawal rates are on the upper ranges, but unfortunately my boyfriend's bank has the single highest withdrawal rate in the country and he remembers reading that there's a withdrawal limit abroad. I'm not sure if this limit is applied to both banks and ATMs or just ATMs.

We'll be spending our trip in Tokyo. Would the language barrier hinder us at a bank or is Tokyo quite equipped for this?

>>1163702

I'd very much presume the withdrawal limit equally applies to banks and ATMs. Perhaps you can speak with the bank prior to departure to have them raise/waive the limit? And if both banks overcharge for foreign transactions, I'd certainly recommend opening an account elsewhere if you have time. I don't know about you, but I hate paying fees to organisations that do nothing for them.

Oh, and any bank in Tokyo that you're likely to change money in is well accustomed to foreigners. I'd be very much surprised if you were to have any language problems.

>>1163514
Isn't the "warehouse" section of tsukiji closed off from tourists? 'Cept for the morning guided tours that is.

>>1163437
I'm in no way a hippie doofus. It'll be pretty obvious that I'm a camper/hiker.

>>1163442
Do WWOOF and camp/hike.

>>1163499
Nope, they close at 21:00.

>>1163649
I went to Maidreaming. It's really wonderful. All the maids are pretty and have different characters (one talked with nya, other talked with a lisp and so).

Plus, there is a combo that gets you a drink, a main dish, a dessert, a gift, and a picture. I suggest you pick this one.

About the location the one I went and plan to keep on going is in front of the station. Besides a Sega ufo catcher building.

>>1163709
>I don't know about you, but I hate paying fees to organisations that do nothing for them.

They seem to be doing a little something -- transferring the money you need and all. Which is in no way to disregard the advisability of setting things up to pay the minimum you can.

>>1163654
Doraemon for sure.

Which of my travel options is most suited for my itinerary?

Options:
A: 14-day JR pass, pasmo/suica
B: 7-day JR pass, pasmo/suica

Itinerary:
Day 1: Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Hakone
Day 5: Kyoto
Day 6: Kyoto
Day 7: Kyoto
Day 8: Miyajima
Day 9: Tokyo
Day 10: Fly to USA

Option A would liberate me from logistics; but is a 14-day pass overkill $$$ since I would rely on pasmo/suica on Days 1-3? Option B would be activated ~on or after Day 4; this is the more prudent $$$ option, right?

>>1163717
I had no problem at all getting inside, so I honestly don't know.

>>1163717
>>1163750

My memory is that you can't get in first thing in the morning without a guide, and really early not even with one unless you have a ticket to watch the tuna auction, but that things get more relaxed later in the day.

>>1163644
I lived in Saitama, specifically in Shin Tokorozawa. It may seem like a city if you look near the station, but if you walk a bit you'll find a lot of places with crops.

Perhaps you're looking for an even more rural place, but I totally recommend Saitama (or Shin Tokorozawa), it's a quiet place but you have a lot to see there (mostly parks).

>>1163762
Living in Shinjuku now but looking for a far cheaper place so I'm looking into Saitama, is it cheaper than Chiba.

>>1163760
You are probably right, since I went at around 10/11 am.

>>1163770
It will definitively be cheaper. There are lots of traditional houses, so if you like them perhaps you should make a little search.

>>1163737
ah, looks like they changed management last year.
>>1163749
you don't need a JR pass for Tokyo so option B. If you skipped Miyajima, you wouldn't need one at all

>>1163702
find a good money exchange place in your home town and get the majority of what you want to spend exchanged there. DO NOT put your cash into checked luggage. DO carry your cash on your person for the duration of the flight (there have been instances of criminals stealing from overhead luggage compartments on long haul flights). Hotels will accept credit card for payment, but you may need to advise your bank that you'll be travelling before you leave (most banks will lock out international transactions as a security measure).
In terms of getting money from ATMs, you'll likely be limited to the 7-11 ATMs and the post office ATMs, as most other bank ATMs in Japan don't seem to like foreign cards

Having a hard time deciding whether or not JR is worth it for us. Two people, we'll be there from the 2nd to the 20th, roughly, so we'd want to get the 21 day pass probably. We're going from Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Hiroshima and back, Kyoto to Nagoya and back, then Kyoto back to Tokyo. We figured this out to be roughly $360 or so, what's the chances of us making up another $200+ in train passes via JR over that time span?

>>1163918
will you be making any side trips that would require riding the shinkansen?
If not, then I personally wouldn't bother with JR pass

Quick question. My AirBnB has a portable Wifi. I don't much about those things, but I need reliable Internet to do work, watch Youtube and Skype, sometimes for several hours a day. Here are the stats the landlord sent me:

Communication speed (reception)
WiMAX2 + corresponding area: up to 220Mbps
WiMAX compatible area: up to 13.3Mbps

Communication speed (transmission)
WiMAX2 + corresponding area: up to 10Mbps
WiMAX compatible area: up to 10Mbps

Do you think I'll be fine?

>>1163692
You have a lot of options. First, talk with your bank in person to let them know what you need to do to lift travel restrictions on your card. For most people it means going into their online account and marking where you are going. You can also ask about transaction fees and rates, but do not get a credit card! Your visa debit will be fine.

Second, see if your bank will exchange funds for you there before you leave. You may not want all of your funds in yen at this point, but there is no harm having enough to pay for a cab or hotel room for the night. You can carry the rest in your nation's currency in a traveler's pouch you wear under your shirt. Never leave large amounts of money unattended. Even if security makes you take off your money pouch, you can request to stand near your money to keep an eye on it.

Third, look up where a 7-11 or Japan Bank (normally in Japan Post offices) is near your arrival airport. Most airports have 7-11s. The hours for Japan Bank atms can be crappy, but near the airport their hours should be longer. It's good to use your visa debit card here to double check that it works (which it will) and withdraw the maximum amount you can since the rates are high. 7-11 and Japan Bank will have English options.

Fourth, there are currency exchange locations at all international airports, exchange whatever you have left and enjoy your trip. All their rates are similar, so don't stress about which one to pick.

Fifth, if you need more money, get it from a Japan Bank or 7-11 atm the next day as you're site-seeing. Just be mindful and don't wait until the atms are closed and you're out of money to withdraw. Carrying large sums of money isn't a problem in Japan.

>>1163968
that's decent speeds for mobile wifi, you'll be fine. Only problem would be a data cap if your landlord has one.

>>1163968
these speed are theoretical values.
My WIMAX speed is as below.
RX 905.67Kbps (112.47KB/sec)
TX 3.45Mbps (431.27kB/sec)

I checked it on below site.
http://www.musen-lan.com/speed/

>>1163221
This would not happen to be on a China Eastern Airlines flight would it?

>>1163918
virtually 0 if you plan on taking the train inside cities. Maybe if you did a side trip so Nagasaki or Fukuoka or something

>>1163991

There is a data cap of 3GB in three days. Do you think I'll be fine with that? It's just that the Internet is really important for me for work and for keeping in touch with friends.

>>1163918
You could get a shorter pass and make sure your trip is bookended by longer stays in Tokyo. Or get the 21 day pass and add in more cities, you could easily fit more stuff in. If you're going to Kyoto why wouldn't you go to Osaka, Nara, Kobe too?

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>>1163621
>I'm 5'3'' and size 00 or 0 in some clothes so I guess I'll be okay for sizes then
Assuming you're a girl, try to find a Book Off Super Bazaar. There are Book Offs everywhere, but the super bazaar stores have a big secondhand clothing section. I spent 96000 yen on a recent trip, got ~13 cute jfashion-ish items and could've got a lot more if I wasn't concerned about the weight.

Since I'm talking about cute girly stuff, I'll throw in an unrelated recommendation just to blogpost a bit. I went to Okunoshima (Rabbit Island near Hiroshima) last week and it was fucking awesome. The rabbits are so friendly and have no fear at all, you just get surrounded by them. Anyone who likes cute animals or has a sister/gf to entertain, definitely consider it (though admittedly the island is a bit inconvenient). Sorry for the awkward crop job in pic related but most photos we took were were of us just buried in bunnies.

>>1164028
> I spent 96000 yen
Oops, meant to say 9600 yen.

>>1164028
Sorry to add more fashion questions to the thread, but I'm curious about something myself. I'm a US size 0 when buying shirts and usually when buying dresses, but I have ungodly gaijin hips so my bottom is a US size 4. Would this make clothes shopping in Japan a pain?

>>1164033
At your height, it shouldn't be an issue.

>>1164033
Flared skirts and skorts as well as pleated skirts are popular so you'll probably be fine. Just don't be surprised if you need to buy an L(arge) or LL(extra large). US sizes don't really mean anything since vanity sizing is so rampant. You can measure yourself in centimeters and check clothing websites if you need to make sure things will fit.

>>1164028
They're so cute! Were there places to buy rabbit food in the area?

>>1164033
You're fine, worst case scenario you'll have to get M sized pants. Japanese girls aren't all uniformly tiny, there's variety in sizing and style and in my experience dresses mostly just need to fit your height and bust.

>>1164037
There's a shop selling pellets (1 bag is 100 yen) at Tadanoumi Port where you catch the ferry. If I went again I'd buy a cabbage beforehand though, you wanna feed every single rabbit that runs up to you.

My sister laid on the ground in this area and we poured pellets on her, the bunnies came running and she was covered in them, it was so cute.

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>>1164039
Dropped pic

>>1164022
We are going to Osaka and Nara, but that's only like $2-5 either way from Kyoto.

Just how racist are Japanese cops?

>>1164052
What myths have you bought into? Do you perchance know people who're coincidentally named "Kim" or "Park"?
There's nothing to fear. Most Japanese street cops are お巡りさん types who're varying kinds of milquetoast, and the Japanese are generally suckers for rules and regulations, especially so when you get into the police.
The police won't seek you out or actively come to bother you unless they have a reason for it, and they don't "keep an eye out" for foreigners - on top of that, while there are some racist Japanese people, there's no way it would fly in the police force.
Japan is a face culture in which someone, especially someone with as much authority as a police officer, would completely smear their name if they were caught giving such a negative impression of their country to a foreigner. There are many Japanese people who don't even want to talk to foreigners because the culture makes it their fault that the tourists can't speak Japanese - and a police officer would be inconcievably unlikely to be "racist" towards you because of how much of a mess it would cause.
On top of that, the Japanese are famous for leaving good enough alone. If you don't do anything obviously illegal, you massively reduce the risk of even being approached by police. Japan isn't Laos or Cambodia - the police aren't corrupt or racist, and you'll really have to cherrypick like no tomorrow to find even one example of a police beating story.
If you do break the law, however, the Japanese are as said suckers for procedure, and no cop is going to embarrass themselves by failing to do their job.

Do anyone have ANY idea if an axe counts as a blade (knife) under Japanese law, or if it's a tool?

Going camping in Glorious Nippon next year, and while I can find plenty laws about knives (as I gather, I'm allowed to have my intended multitool with me if it's in my backpack along with my camping gear), I can't find shit on axes.

>>1164053
I'm >>1164054 and the issue here is the Japanese knife laws and minor offense law.

if a police officer deems me to not have justifiable reason for carrying my camping tools, despite having a backpack full of camping gear, then I'm fucked and will go to jail.

So I will be hitting up Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. should i get a JR pass?

and im confused about suica/passmo, are they tokyo only or is it nationwide as well?

what exactly is the difference?

>>1164057
That will have nothing to do with how "racist" the Japanese are, it will have to do with whether you're breaking the law or not.
From a bit of Googling, I can tell you that it's shit-easy to find - it's under the knife laws and thus covered by the same justifiable reasons as knives. If you're in the woods and doing something that requires it, you're not going to get punished. The greatest risk in this case might be Japanese cops' occasional prejudice towards campers - a lot of Japanese campers are freeters, homeless people, drifters and flakes, and Japan hasn't had any shortage of crimes committed by them. In the end, if the situation is suspicious from the outside, you'll get in trouble - but you saying "I'm fucked and will go to jail" is in itself fairly racist. If you're assuming the worst of the Japanese, you're not going to be able to mediate the situation well and will in fact go to jail.
If you buy the axe in Japan and are actually camping, you can contact your embassy instead of making a fuss over it and racking up a charge of interfering with law enforcement personnel on duty.

>>1164058
>should i get a JR pass?

if you plan on taking the train, yes

>and im confused about suica/passmo, are they tokyo only or is it nationwide as well?

Nationwide

>what exactly is the difference?

Suica masterrace, don't listen to the Pasmo plebs

But seriously, both are the same and have the same functions mostly, it doesn't matter which one you get

>>1164059
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I hadn't been able to find anything about axes despite furious googling. Both tools will be securely kept inside my backpack until I need them.

I always prepare for the worst.

>>1164061
Learn Japanese, google it in Japanese.
I really don't think this should be said. If you go to another country, show respect by bothering to learn their language so that you can communicate with them. Treat the natives as people, not just obstacles in your way, and realize that no one invited you there or asked for your presence.
Just like the Japanese are minding their manners because they need to give a good impression of their country, mind your manners even more to give a good impression of yours - face cultures don't do telling people off to their face very well, and chances are that things that you think that the Japanese tolerate might very well be frustrating them or making them seethingly furious about foreigners.
By going to another country, you invite yourself into the only territory that another culture has for itself and its own ways of life, pump money only into the tourism industry and pressure the country to conform to your culture's ways (especially obvious with Japan after modern-day feminism and globalism).
The very least you can do is be completely conversational in the language before you cross the border, reading up on the culture, manners and history of the country, and we're not just talking a quick read-up. The Japanese literally don't have anywhere else than Japan, and if their culture is under siege in their own country, you really don't and can't have the "right" to go there.
You didn't have to apply to the Japanese embassy five years in advance. You didn't have to show a university diploma in Japanese culture and language. You didn't have to be accompanied by a guide. You didn't have to make obligatory donations to the state to patch up the damage every single tourist does to the culture and industry (tourism overcentralizes business and facilitates crime of every stripe, while giving little business to everyday facilities that natives use).
You got off easy, now try a little bit.

>>1164065
I'd like to see you apply the same fucking thing to my country. I'm from Denmark.

But despite your salt, I am actually trying to learn a bit of Japanese before I go there.

>>1164068
Det er noget af en tilfældighed, men det viser, at der kan være spassere i ethvert land. Det er præcis på grund af, at jeg bor i en af de mest turistplagede byer i landet, at jeg tænker sådan, og nok til din store overraskelse har jeg rent faktisk selv gjort, hvad jeg skrev.
Det var kun nok til at få mig til at fatte, præcis hvor meget arbejde der stadig var tilbage for mig, og præcis hvor meget stress og problemer man kan skabe på en enkelt dag.

And if I don't get back to English, I might just get b&.

Question. Would it be worth it to book a ryokan in Nikko or wait until Miyajima? I'm going to be in Japan for 3 weeks in April next year and wanted to stay at a ryokan, but I'm planning to do a good bit of hiking in Nikko. I've been reading that traditional ryokans are more places to kick back and bathe or stroll around the gardens/town rather than a hiking base camp. Any advice?

>>1164070
Trods tilfældigheden, så er du stadig mega ubehagelig over for mig. Hvis du er Japaner, så hjælper din attitude ikke til at afkræfte mine mistanker om måden de behandler udlændinge på.

>hurr durr you need to learn everything about a culture and their language before entering

What's with this fucking autistic attitude?

>>1164074
Jeg er ubehagelig, fordi jeg har haft det hertil med den afsindigt forkælede attitude, som de fleste backpacker-unger har når de går på rov i udlandet.
Kan du forklare mig præcis hvorfor du har "retten" til at tage til en anden kulturs land uden at sporge, uden at give noget tilbage og uden at respektere dem? Du begynder med at kalde dem "racistiske" og nægter at sætte dig ordentligt ind i kulturen, og du har kun brok til overs når der bliver krævet noget af dig. Stemmer du Liberal Alliance? Hvis ikke, vil de nok gerne have dig - forudindtagelsen omkring at du fortjener bedre behandling drypper af dig.
Kan du komme med nogle bedre argumenter end "autisme", eller er vi tilbage i skolegården i femte klasse? Hvis du ikke kan argumentere, vil jeg ikke blive modbydelig, hvis du bare ærligt kan indromme, at du ikke kan forsvare dit argument.
Lige nu er jeg modbydelig, fordi du ser det som en Guds-given ret at tage til et andet folks land og jokke dem over tæerne, mens du konstant spytter gift omkring deres "racisme".
Jeg håber at din hjemby bliver oversvommet af kinesiske tourgrupper og nassende franske backpackere, så du kan forstå hvad jeg taler om. Og hvis du ikke har fanget det endnu, er jeg dansker - bare fordi du giver omverdenen et dårligt indtryk af os, betyder det ikke, at jeg ikke kan kompensere.

>>1164077
I'm gonna go back to English as to not get banned.

So you're basically saying that since I want to take precautions against getting arrested in a culture that's incredibly famous for being shitheads towards foreigners, that I'm being the racist prick? And that the right to travel as a tourist to another country shouldn't be a given, but should rather be granted to people who dedicate themselves to know MORE about a country's culture than many of the residents, on top of learning the language so you can converse with them? Do you even know how important regular tourism is for the economies of countries around the world?

For your information, I won't be a touristy prick when I get over there. I'm entering on a 1 year working holiday visa to go WWOOF'ing and camping. I won't be one of those drunk assholes you see in Shibuya hitting on scared Japanese women, I'll be up in the mountains working my ass off on a farm owned by a nice old Japanese couple. Whenever I travel I'm humble and respectful towards the local population, since that opens up so many possibilities for learning about the culture.

I do not expect to get treated any better. I expect to get treated as I deserve, but sadly racism doesn't work that way. It wasn't many years ago that the Japanese police threw a 74 year old tourist in jail for carrying a knife, one they only found because they targeted him for a random search BECAUSE HE WAS A FOREIGNER. If that can happen to a nice old man, then why shouldn't I expect it to happen to a young Scandinavian like me?

You sound so fucking bitter in your posts. You seem to expect everyone who travels to Japan to be an entitled cunt. I sincerely hope you'll have some good experiences that will one day change that attitude.

And for the record, I don't vote. Politics are retarded.

>>1164081
Do you know how big a factor tourism is in crime and unrest around the world? It's much the same as just printing money to get out of economical problems - sure, the money is great, but you're shooting yourself in the foot by not caring about where it comes from. You undermine your culture and your country by doing it, betraying your people and your history for quick cash. You not voting is not a surprise, because it's obvious that you care nothing for the rest of society and only see it as a target for your own laziness.
You say you'll be learning, but so many people say they will and just postpone it. If you can get better now, you have a duty to do it now. The fact that the owners are "a nice old Japanese couple", as you say, just makes it more pressing - if you consider these people respectable, you should be working your ass off right now on learning Japanese and showing them proper respect instead of using them as a cheap argument in order to excuse yourself from working.
You're desperately cherrypicking and presenting stories without details in order to make the country you're going to seem as vile and racist as possible. You don't even try to understand what a face culture is, what Korean/American joint propaganda is or why "Japanese racism" is a myth that's caused by intentional or lazy misinterpretations of face culture. You buy into the easiest solutions, interpreting things in only the way that'll get you out on the other end the easiest.
You show a repulsive disregard for other people's well-being as well as having a bloated image of "what you deserve". What you deserve for going to another country with that attitude is two months in Japanese prison and permanent deportation - maybe that'll teach you that entire countries, cultures, languages and histories aren't toys and consumer goods that you can use for status and throw away.
It baffles me how you have the gall required to call me "entitled", you walking STX student stereotype.

>>1164082
Holy fuck, I've never seen such reading into words before. All that shit you claim about me have no basis in reality, nor can be concluded from my posts.

I've told you I'm learning already. I've told you I won't be slacking around, I'll be working on a farm, learning even more Japanese from the elder couple. Why you still think I'm a narcissistic lazy asshole I can only fathom about, but your mental health probably factors into that conclusion.

And you don't get it, do you? I don't WANT to think the Japanese are racists. I want everyone to be nice to everyone Hell, I've only met nice Japanese persons. But at the same time I've never been in the country, and can only take stories I hear from people who've been there. And they've told me that xenophobia is rampant over there. And with the stuff I'll be bringing in order to camp and properly work on the farm, it's going to be gamble for me whether I meet nice cops or shitty cops.

Show me some of those statistics that directly links tourism to crime and unrest.

>>1164071
Let's see...

A comfy day of basking in Miyajima's beauty that's followed by kaiseki, which is guaranteed to include bombass Miyajima oysters, beautiful view of floating Torii at sunset, and a soak in bath or onsen before bed.

vs.

A rewarding hike in splendid nature of Nikko that's followed by rejuvenating kaiseki + rejuvenating soak in bath or onsen before one of the best sleeps ever.

Both sound good.

>>1164065
>>1164070
>>1164077
>>1164082
>anon wants to move to Japan
>he learns the language and reads everything about their history and their culture
>finally moves there
>realizes that this changes nothing and that he always will be the gaijin
>now he vents his anger on random people on the internet

>>1164083
Stop believing that xenophobia crap. And the police only searches you if they have motifs. I'm pretty sure you read the english or danish (or wherever language you speak) version of the story. Try reading the japanese one.

>>1164099
Got a link?

>>1164089
Thanks, you make a tough argument. I may have to do both.

>>1164103
I don't, and I don't care enough to search it. You should do it yourself.

If you are that paranoid about that you should reconsider the trip.

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>>1164089
Huh, my memories of Miyajima aren't so comfy.
More like being shoved through shrines in throng of tourists, a grueling hike up to the top of Mt. Misen through rough terrain, and finding myself in a toilet that was just a hole in the ground with no toilet paper while, being heckled by annoying deer out to lap up pee.

Totally worth it, though. Impressive vistas and awesome shrines and temples (Daisho-in especially is fantastic; all those things to discover, plus they have free tea).

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>>1164028
>>1164040
Did you go up to the observation post? The view was quite nice from up there.

>>1164115
We hiked the Momijidani route up in close to 40 degree weather this August. The feeling I had when we got to where your pic was taken from was amazing. Top 3 experience that trip.

>>1164060
If only ICOCA could be recharged on JR East machines. IMO it has the more appropriate pun for it's name ;)

Question, if you get a normal hotel room in Japan for one person, are you allowed to have overnight guests? Not hookers, normal Japanese girls.

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Hi thereeeee

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>>1164189
Rattigan!

>>1164188
It's like most hotels, you have to check if guests are allowed. If they are you also have to check if they are allowed at certain time of the day.
Although you can always sneak someone in.

>>1164033
bby, listen. It don't matter, because when I find you in Japan, I'm gonna fuck you. You won't need clothes.

WHEN I CATCH YOU, I'M GONNA FUG YOU.

I'm 5'9 and an American size 10. Should I even bother looking in any clothing stores in Tokyo, or am I too Amerifat for every single store?

>>1164265
It depends on what you like to wear. If you like wearing suits it would be easy, since they have a lot of variety.

>>1164265
This. Where do fat Japanese men shop for clothing?
I need XXXL (EU) or XXL (US).

>>1164276
I found a lot of big and tall and similar shops around Tokyo.

>>1164265
>>1164276
I was going to save even size 10 in girls would be pushing it, but if you're legit man fat, you're stuck wearing basically drapes. They make better fat people fashion in America.

>>1164276

In specialized "big sizes" stores. For example, "Sakazen" in Shibuya. That's your only option.
(that and of course losing weight, you fat fuck)

I have a question that desperately needs an answer, I'm living and japan and am asked to provide "My Number". Where can I find that ?

>>1164276
Big M One

About how much is food and lodging going to cost me per week assuming I stay at hostels and eat as cheaply as possible? I've saved enough for a plane ticket, so I wantt to know how close I am to being able to actually go.

>>1164286
You should have been issued a "My Number" card in the mail. If you didn't get one, go to your local city hall and tell them that you haven't received one.

>>1164297
Somewhere between a million dollars and all the hundreds of answers in this thread

>>1164312

Isn't that a bit much?

>>1164314
>Isn't that a bit much?

Absolutely, but people keep asking the same questions, over and over and over....

>>1164297
Don't you think the reason you are on s tight budget is, among other things, because you can't do a simple fucking search?

I'm heading over in April next year and my singular weeb fantasy is to pay some host club fuccboi to be my senpai and buy me drinks with my own money.

Are host clubs even still a thing? Any in/between Shibuya and Shinjuku?

I'm going with a group of four male friends and while I'm comfortable with going around without them (only one who speaks any Japanese anyway, hueh.) I don't want to be a complete dick and want to stay somewhere where we can just split up and meet again later in the night.

>>1164033
POST WESTERN ASS

>>1164339
you mean like a butler cafe?

>>1164339
>>1164379
Host clubs are not butler cafes, but butler cafes are more socially acceptable, just like maid cafes are more socially acceptable than hostess bars

But if you're a guy the host clubs will probably just turn you down.

>>1164094
I never understood this

Of course you won't really be accepted

Even hardcore weebs should understand this, yet they have this arrogant delusion that they're going to be the first to fully integrate or something and win the hearts and minds of the glorious nippon

Live in a country because you enjoy what it is, not because you suddenly want to be japanese.

I'm a little intimidated booking accommodations for my 2 week trip. Should I book everything beforehand? Or leave a few nights flexible? Airbnb seems inexpensive, but is it worth spending more for a hotel for the experience? Are sites like Agoda reliable?

Also looking for any recommendations of places for a couple to stay in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Miyajima. Open to hotels, hostels, and ryokan. Preferably less than USD $200/night.

Any advice?

>>1164476
depends on when you are going? During high seasons (Golden week, Obon etc.) you should definitely book in advance, otherwise I usually got a place everywhere I went reserving 2 days in advance

In Hakone, I would recommend Hakone Tent. Probably one of the best accommodations I stayed at in Japan (except for one on Ishigaki which was 10/10). Fairly cheap (less than $30/night), good location (straight in Gora, starting point for the 5 transportation round course), really friendly staff and good mix of travelers from around the world (at least when I was there) and they have their own Onsen in the basement, which is free for guests

>>1164483
I will be there March 6-22. Hakone Tent looks awesome but they seem to already be booked up.

>>1164495
march 2017? It might just be that they don't accept reservations that far in advance, check back later

Travelling from Europe with 230v 50hz to Japan I just need an adapter for the electric outlet?

Every charger I have says 100-230v 50/60hz, except for my camera charger which says 110-230v which is kind of strange since the product is made in Japan, but it will still work yes?

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>>1164516
Japan has 100V, and 50Hz in the eastern part (Tokyo to Hokkaido), 60Hz in the western part of the country.

Generally most things you'll want when traveling should work with an adapter. Make sure it has no ground contact (pic related), because most sockets don't have them. I'd be skeptical about that 110V charger.

For travel I mostly need to charge my phone, camera and tablet, so I just got a multi USB travel charger with the right plug.

Speaking of plugging things in, some hotels still have LAN cables for internet. I found my USB/RJ45 adapter quite useful whenever the wifi choked because there were too many guests in my buisiness hotel.

montreal to tokyo 8/900$ return
montreal to sapporo fucking 1400$ AT LEAST REEE

I just wanna go to sapporo/hokkaido in the dead of winter

>>1164552
Fly internationally to Tokyo and then get a budget domestic airline to Sapporo. That's what I'm doing in Winter, and it's much cheaper than booking it all with my international airline (it was going to transfer through Tokyo anyway).

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What's a good amount of time to be in Japan for a 22yo who just wants to experience life there, take photos, have good food, and really get a "feel" for it (no touristy things)?

>>1164552
I just booked a tour to the Sapporo Snow festival. I'm SO looking forward to it.

>>1164556
a nice stopover in Haneda should be fine if you don't want to do touristy things there.

>>1164379
>>1164380
Butler Cafes are much less seedy. ngl, host clubs are a bit sad because they're full of poor bumpkins who went to Tokyo, got a bunch of plastic surgery and started whoring themselves out.

I kind of mentioned it to a Japnational friend after posting and now she wants to take me to one when I get there, haha.
Apparently it'll be easy to get me in (as a foreigner) because I know the language and am attractive enough, but I shouldn't go by myself because they'll definitely try to get the gaijin extra drunk and hound her for paid sex.
>Just reporting back because The More You Know!

On that note, does anybody have any personal favourite bars in Tokyo to get pissed at before we leave?

>>1164585
Do you really need to go to a bar?

>Shokai (初回): The first time a girl goes to a club. The price for the first time is always very cheap, usually 60 minutes for 1,000 yen, nomihoudai. During a shokai, various hosts will come sit you for about ten minutes each, and at the end of your time you can pick which one you liked the most.

>>1164585
how seedy are hosts/hostesses?

is it actually paying for eventual sex? or just a hot person doting on you for your non-sexual wants and needs?

Need recommendations of places to go/things to see.
I was in Japan in January/February this year and went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Furano, Sapporo, Aomori, Biei and a few other smaller places.
Thinking about going back in summer and heading further south, good or bad idea? Feel like I saw the north in it's prime (winter) so the south in summer makes sense to me.

>>1164588
>how seedy are hosts/hostesses?
Very.
>is it actually paying for eventual sex?
In most cases, no. People looking for prostitution go to a soapland.
>just a hot person doting on you for your non-sexual wants and needs?
Hate to burst your bubble, but the hosts/hostesses I've seen are not all that attractive. Nor are they going to especially dote on you unless you're a regular customer and/or spending a lot of $$$$$$$. All they do (pretty much) is pour drinks and engage in chit-chat.

>>1164555
fuck man I don't think it would be that cheaper but ya I did think of this that or train'n'ferry if it runs in the winter
>>1164560
looks pretty boring compared to quebec carnival desu senpai how much is this trip costing/for

>>1164587
Yeah, the guys want to spend at least one night just drinking and hanging out together.

>>1164604
Man, it really hit me earlier looking at club sites how awful the 'Japanese male ideal' is these days. So many over-plucked bleached eyebrows.

Gimme dat ulzzang k-pop shit any day.

>>1164606
>how awful the 'Japanese male ideal' is these days

The 15- to 30-year old generation in Japan is pathetic, both girls and especially guys. It's really no surprise that almost half of them are kissless virgins.

How easy is it to make acquaintances as a white European?

I'm used to be able to meet people through copious drinking and good times, but I'm unsure if I'll be taken seriously or just be the token gaijin. I'm looking to make contacts that might get me a foot in the door for some job.

>>1164629
Unlikely if you don't already know someone or speak Japanese

>>1164605
I think the ferries have to run in the winter, as the rail tunnel doesn't transport cars and trucks. And there is that Enka song about the Tsugaru strait in wintertime.

>>1164461
I'm the guy who wrote that original rant, and my opinion is exactly that.
You won't be accepted, you shouldn't expect to be, and you have no right to. You're intruding into the one place that another culture has for itself, without asking or properly making sure that your visit won't hurt the country or the culture in any way - the very least you can do is to spend literally every ounce of effort you can put in on the trip and then still not expect anything.
Other people don't owe you anything for going to their country, picking the choicest bits and then fucking off home after feeding some money into the pockets of hotels (predatory businesses, especially in Japan), touts and souvenir shops (hotbeds for fraud and sources of misinformation about the culture, as well as even more tourists when you bring the souvenirs home) and local cultural spots (which feel the obligation to cut up important national pride and cultural history into bite-sized pieces for the tourists and let the groups run wild over temples and shrines with no obligations whatsoever).
The modern world is unfortunately at the point where a few major world powers and influential cultures have grown so entitled that their form of tourism has become universally accepted. Treating other people's foundations of life and personal values, as well as the environment in which they live their entire lives, as a product that you can buy and run around in as long as you keep feeding coins in is despicable, and in fact I'd say that it's a selfish thing that I want to go to Japan again. I've been there, found out that I'd done enough research to understand the country well, and then admitted that it wasn't a place for foreigners anyway. Japan is a special case because of WWII, and its culture has gotten a horrible work-over by the US - but I still apply this philosophy to anywhere else.

>>1164648
wait neat as fuck the madmen built a god damn tunnel this I got to see

>>1164672
No problem with you applying your arbitrary philosophy whenever you travel, but quit trying to appear better than us because of it. Because you're not.

Also, still waiting for those statistics that links tourism to crime and civil unrest.

>>1164676
Thank you for proving that you're the kind of shithead who needs to exploit other people's problems and errors in order to feel like they're right. I was writing up another post, and right in the middle of it my computer BSOD'd - but considering the influence of US and modern European culture in the world, it would be impossible to come out with any statistics on the topic without being hung out and butchered as a horrible murderous racist.
Maybe you should just travel? It's clear that you've never done it before. Like, never. If you have, your denseness is truly amazing. It should be obvious to you that scammers, muggers, thieves, drug dealers and more or less any imaginable kind of criminal flocks to tourist spots if you've been outside your door before. You don't need a scientific paper proving that apples grow on trees if you have an apple tree in your backyard. You can see it with your own eyes, hear it with your own ears and hopefully feel it in your own wallet if you're too naïve to believe one of the most obvious facts I have had to state to any retard on the Internet before.
You're the one who's going to be muttered about between friends after you leave. You're the kind of foreigner that the Japanese take the piss out of on television. You're the kind of person who feeds the Japanese extreme right more and more every day by confirming their stereotypes. You're the kind of person who gets people to put up "no foreigners allowed" signs in their shops after your entitled whimpering embarrassed them in front of the entire shop when they had to play along and not just throw you out.

>>1164672
>>1164678
I'm not even sure if you're an Ultra weeb or just have a weird hatred for japan, but kys either way :)

>>1164678
Actually, anon, that's you. Since you seem incapable of even being a little bit polite and attractive.

And criminals flock to tourist spots, yes, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be there in the first place if there weren't any tourists. Again, show me some solid statistics on those claims.

You seem so dead set on hating any kind of traveler, so why are you even here on this board?

You in Copenhagen? Wanna meet up and discuss this over a beer?

>>1164676
As a thought experiment, just to prove that it should be bafflingly self-evident why you should feel ashamed for "just going" to a country, what would happen if a country (any country - Japan is more extreme in that it had its national spirit and pride completely stamped down and tabooized after WWII, with history rewritten by the American victors and their Korean allies) decided to shut off its borders to everyone except for actual diplomats, high-ranking businessmen and people who'd actually shown proper interest and engagement in the country's culture, history, people and well-being before?
The country would be butchered in the international community as well as being hit by sanctions strong enough to cripple its infrastructure and starve its people, is what it would. The postmodern entitlement of modern Western culture has turned tourism into a commodity and a good that you have a right to get, despite you both in action and in spirit stomping all over the things you claim to be going there to see.
If you really thought a country and its culture seemed interesting and you didn't just want to snap a few photos, laugh at a few foreigners and go home with more student cred, would it be too much to take two years of intensive cultural and linguistic courses, take a personal interview at the local embassy, pay out of your own pocket for a guided solo trip with a few obligatory donations to the state coffers to compensate for the hassle you'll bring and then be able to go?
It would filter out the gaijin smashers who expect Japan to be Laos and who rape Japanese women and make the streets unsafe. It would filter out the suspiciously well-funded social justice warriors who for some reason manage to get dozens of places in expensive and connection-riddled Shinjuku 2-chome (can you say "please, Mr. Kim"?) It would increase public safety, remove predatory hotel chains and scammers, and in general streamline and centralize the national government's duties.

>>1164682
>who expect Japan to be Laos and who rape Japanese women and make the streets unsafe

not OP but this seems fishy as fuck unless its welfare queens/Nigerians

>>1164682
>If you really thought a country and its culture seemed interesting and you didn't just want to snap a few photos, laugh at a few foreigners and go home with more student cred, would it be too much to take two years of intensive cultural and linguistic courses, take a personal interview at the local embassy, pay out of your own pocket for a guided solo trip with a few obligatory donations to the state coffers to compensate for the hassle you'll bring and then be able to go?
Yes. Yes it would. Because the point of a holiday is to relax for a majority of the traveling population, and they generally don't have time to dedicate in order to do all that stuff. They have jobs that makes the economy go around, and pay taxes that provides the welfare that feeds NEETS like you so you can spend your time doing fuck all for the economy and develop strange, hateful philosophies on, as an example, traveling and then go rant about it on a Malaysian Telephone Collectors forum.

>>1164681
If this had been a few hours earlier, I could have been in Copenhagen.
I know perfectly well that I'm being rude, yes, but that's because I'm pretty fed up with being called a racist and compared to the Nazis (or just silently glared at) as soon as I don't offer the proper sacrificial gifts of nubile Danish women and welfare money to everyone or everything that comes from the outside. I'm tired of the tabooization of national identity and tourist/immigrant crime, I'm tired of the equation of nationalism with jingoism, I'm tired of tourist groups overrunning my town and causing a massive bother, I'm tired of half of the rapes in town being committed by day trippers from A Certain Country, I'm tired of the only governmental representation people who don't want to worship the Great Non-Dane get being DF (great in practice, not so much in effect), and I'm tired of people not being able to realize when something is a global taboo and it's not just that easy to dig up "sources".
I can promise you I'd be a lot more polite if I met you in real life - I go on the Internet to blow my top like this because I would lose friends and likely invite beatings in real life if I was honest about what I saw with my own eyes.
I'm not dead-set on hating any kind of traveler. You want to go somewhere in your own country, go ahead. You want to do some proper preparation for going to another country, be my fucking guest. If you're going to treat people's lives and worldviews like toys you can buy and throw away, I won't shut up about it because at least on 4chan I can say it.

Jeg er ikke sådan en spade i virkeligheden, bare rolig. Jeg har bare fået nok af at skulle holde kæft, og når jeg endelig har et tastatur kommer hele lortet ud på en gang. Hvis du virkelig har det godt med at mode tilfældige spassere fra Internettet, er der et sted med god ramen på Norrebro. Jeg er ikke bange for at dele mine meninger, men jeg må sige nej tak hvis hele det lokale STX ser på.

>>1164686
Or maybe the reason why there is a shortage of jobs is the prioritization of immigrants and minorities in unqualified jobs? The quotas and priorities exist, and the businesses are legally obliged to take an immigrant instead of a native if both have qualifications (regardless of the quality of them).
And it's easy to call people NEETs over the Internet. I've just finished brushing up on my own education in order to provide a better effort than the average entitled college student, and currently I'm searching for a job where I don't have to use contacts, minority cards or obsessive bullheaded entitlement to get in. It's surprisingly hard, if not impossible, to be able to get a job without outright lying about your competences or using the back door here.
Claim that I'm just lying as much as you would, but the reason I go on the Internet is to tell the truth because I'm expected to lie about my opinions and competences in real life.

Remind me how is this all related to traveling to Japan.

And meanwhile I generally don't agree with the anon above, he does have a point about learning a tiny bit of the language when you go an other country. Learning a level to be able to "naturally" converse with locals is bullshit though. It took me more than a year to get on a semi-good level of Japanese WHILE living here and I had some basics already.
Learning a bit of the language is politeness and good impression. Learning a language fully just to travel is bullshit. Unless you want to relocate, then it's a must.

I also on with the "when in Rome..." part. When you're going to an other country, you should be very much aware that you're a guest and act so. You're not some global lord who graces the peasants with his presence. Be polite. Follow the rules. Don't be the Italian tourist who gets the stares for taking grimace selfies with the genbaku dome or the American dude talking loudly on his phone on the fucking shinkansen of all places.

This, of course, applies to all countries, nit just Japan.

>>1164687
Jeg er altid frisk på god ramen. Jeg er ledig de fleste eftermiddage i næste uge efter kl. 15. Grunden til at jeg undrer mig over dine holdninger til turisme (du får nærmest turister til at virke som igle-lignende immigranter) er at jeg selv er hotel receptionist og har rejst siden jeg var spæd, og på ingen måde deler dine opfattelser. Og jeg vil gerne prove at vende dem så at du kan finde ro med din nuværende arrighed.

Og bare rolig, går sgu ikke på STX. Eller noget som helst.

>>1164693
Ikke alle turister er så fæle. Problemet er, at dem, der ikke er, efterhånden er blevet næsten umulige at finde, fordi det er blevet så accepteret at behandle andre lande som samlinger af legetoj, som man kan behandle som man vil.
Jeg er vokset op med tre forskellige kulturer og har også rejst siden jeg var to måneder gammel, og jeg har fået det her indtryk naturligt. Det kan udmærket godt være, at der er ting, du har ret i (og nu skal jeg lige sige, at jeg bruger meget pebrede ord på Internettet for at slå igennem), men jeg har ikke kunnet lide turister på noget punkt i mit liv.
Ramen to Biiru på Griffenfeldtsgade er nok det eneste ramen-sted i byen, der ikke er ejet af en thai-kok.

>>1164694
(English for no b&hammer)

Isn't it about time to differentiate between retarded leech-like consumer tourists and regular travelers, then? I too have met so fucking many of the former through my job, especially Americans, but I've also met a good deal of the latter. The way you went in to this conversation to begin with made it seem like you thought no one but you could be the latter.

Skal vi sige mandag kl. 15:30 der, så? Jeg giver. Jeg er en hoj gut ifort sort skjorte og jeans.

>>1164696
I go on the Internet to blow my lid, and once in a while nuances get lost in the storm. The main problem, I'd say, is that the bad kind of traveler is getting more and more supported by the postmodern culture around them, the hipsterism spreading around the world that disguises racism-lite as progressive anti-racism and the idea that the individual is inherently entitled to a steadily larger swath of things at other people's expense through no effort or work of their own.

Det er sgu fint (men jeg har stadig selv penge, hvis det er det - det er lidt på den krydrede ende af prislisten). Jeg er en nusset-udseende fyr med briller og langt hår.
Det er dejligt at vide, at Internettet en gang imellem kan forbinde folk i stedet for bare at lade dem skændes på længere afstand.

>>1164699
I get the feeling that modern tourists are so ingrained in their own little image of the world that nothing can shake it, and anything that doesn't confirm it whenever they actually travel will be shrugged off instead of being part of a new perspective.

Og jeg er helt enig. Tager forbi den de har åbnet på Vesterbrogade her i aften for at prove det af.

>>1164699
hipsterism
>denmark

unless you live in NYC montreal sanfran london berlin you can't say shit about hipsters you know nothing of the plague

Anyone know of motorsports things to do in december/january? Like races or go-karting?

>>1164702
Please come here sometime.
I really mean it. We're especially badly hit - London has nothing on us. I was in London recently, and even in hipster backpacker central, and I saw about half the hipsters I usually do in Copenhagen.
We're a very educated country with a lot of money and social safety nets, as well as liking to consider ourselves "cosmopolitan" - that means that a lot of young people go doing nothing, photographing, traveling, doing charity or whatever in their two to three gap years, and on top of that we have a towering Internet usage statistic which people mostly use for Instagram and similar hipsterism.
We're flooded in Airbnb, Instagram, Amnesty representatives, Tumblr feminism, toothless charities, "ethnic" shops, health trends, Western post-Buddhism and everything else you'd ever want. The most common style for men between 18 and 40 is the full beard/man-bun/clunky glasses/sweater combo, and there are enough Icelandic sweaters and partisan scarves on the women in Copenhagen to smother the hipster population of an entire American state.
I mean it. We've got it really bad.

>>1164702
Not that guy, but I just went to that ramen place, and every second person here is a Grade S hipster.

At least the chef looks authentic and competent.

>>1164706
look a hipster and your typical neo-marxist antifa guy are not the samething

money is the factor and I mean a lot money like hedgefund baby most these people are left but the retarded I know nothing of politics kind

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What a nice thread this was until the pseudo-intellectual, nordic wankery started

>>1164716
And it can be a nice thread now that it's ended.
Instead of complaining about something that's already over and didn't involve you, get it back on topic instead of posting smug anime images.

Any suggestions for places to go snowshoeing in January?

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Oi, Denjin, that places was pretty fucking good.

>>1164605
4000€ from Germany
one week in Sapporo, a week split between Tokyo and Nagano, plus a week in Okinawa
includes flights and fees (feeder flight + direct flight to Japan), hotels, breakfast, all entrance fees (snow monkey park, some temples, gardens and museums, churaumi), all transportation except local traffic, a couple nights in a ryokan with kaiseki meals, and a chill old Japanese guy as your guide
group size is 12 people

>>1164720
Looks like the shitty ramen I had at the airport before flying home.

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>>1164717
no u

>>1164720
It's a little bit iffy price-wise, but you do get the real thing. It's pretty much the only place in Denmark you can get ramen, because a lot of that is home recipes and store secrets, and we barely get any Japanese immigrants.
>>1164735, that place is a good example of why looks can be deceiving. It's all in the stock and the balance between the ingredients.

Would it be a bad idea to go to Japan alone if you're kind of a social fuckup?
I can't interact well with people in my own country so I don't now how I would fare in a place on the other side of the planet but I have wanted to go to Japan ever since I was a young weeb.

>>1164758
The fact that you even ask this question means that you have a bit of self-awareness, and that's a good first step.
No, it's not going to be easy.
No, you're likely not going to get along better with the Japanese.
No, you're likely not going to have a good time.
But yes, it is a good idea to go there in spite of this. Get away from your support structures and defense mechanisms and force yourself to talk to people. Polish up on your Japanese, find a place that's not advertised on being English-speaking and stay there for a week or two, if not more.
Speaking as someone else who's a bit of a social fuck-up, most of the time, what you need is a slap in the face. Having the choice to avoid embarrassment by staying down in your room just makes you less and less used to interacting with people and more and more sensitive to embarrassment, and the longer you stay down there, the worse you'll get with people.
If you really fuck up, you can also lean on the one lesson that more social fuck-ups should learn - that when you've fucked off, these people won't ever meet you again. They're not going to track you down and send messages to your family in perfect English telling them how you embarrassed yourself, and they're not going to be knocking on your door and asking you to explain yourself.
At least in my case, a lot of social awkwardness is caused by fearing that embarrassment or social failure will stick with you for years and be maliciously spread by people for whatever reason, but if you go to a completely different country, that isn't the case.

>>1164758
If you don't expect to make new friends and don't mind making a total ass of yourself in a place where they don't know you and will never remember you, do it. You may make friends, you may have great experiences, but if you live in your head too much to step out of your comfort zone or expect it to be an animu paradise, you'll be disappointed and leave even more broken.

>>1164761
Yeah, I didn't expect any miracles. I'm mainly scared of getting lost or something and being unable to ask someone or getting yelled at in another language for doing something wrong. The fact I'm 6' 230lbs and lift weights 5+ days a week might make it harder.
I've barely been out of my state much less in another country.

>>1164763
>but if you live in your head too much to step out of your comfort zone
Yeah I'm this one

>>1164765
If you're that big, don't dress like a stereotypical gaijin smasher. Avoid wifebeaters, sunglasses, cameras around your neck, cargo shorts and generally stuff that makes you look like a goon.
Dress down in for example a dress shirt, a T-shirt and a pair of jeans - it's what a lot of Japanese men wear, so it doesn't stand out.

Planning to stay on Shirakawago for one night in January as a smelly third worlder who's never experienced winter or sub zero temps in his life. How dead am I?

Is it possible to find a place that same day, or do you have to book in advance? If it's the latter, how can I book a minshuku online?

>>1163064
Same as you except 6th through the 16th. I just died a little inside thinking that they won't accept my passport because it expires in less than a year

Is travelling to Japan in May/June any good?

I heard thats the monsoon season?

>>1164837
all summer is monsoon season desu

>>1164837
Rainy season used to be consistently in June but now its been occurring during random months in and around summer

Plus rainy season is a lot of light rain most days, not ridiculous amounts of heavy rain

Walking in Tokyo under the rain reflecting all the lights, it would be some great vibes...

>>1164871
>Walking in Tokyo under the rain reflecting all the lights, it would be some great vibes...

Unless you're a retard like me and didn't bring an umbrella rushing to a combini all soaked to buy an umbrella and look at the store clerk with a smile while dripping wet.

>>1164873
kek, I feel you dude

Where (apart from Hey in Akihabara) I can find beatmania arcades in Tokyo?

Sup, can someone recommend a izakaya in tokyo which can be fun for a couple who doesnt speak japanese? Best if near shinjuku

New bread >>1164928

>>1164018
you'll burn through 3GB if all you plan on doing with the internet is watching youtube videos and using skype (text chat only you might be fine).

>>1164735
>>1164744
Ramen overall was pretty damn disappointing. Not a huge step over instant ramen, only with dry meat and a few other toppings. Soba was much better.