Japan General

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There is now a /trv/Japan LINE group!
If you would like to join, email your LINE ID to:

trv4chan@gmail dot com

Should I get a portable wifi thing before I leave for Japan, or should I get it while I'm in Japan? Can I depend on free Wi-Fi to get me home when in Japan?

If I order it, I'm worried that by the time I'm at the airport the store will have closed, and I don't want to have to waste a few hours of the next day travelling back to the airport to pick up the portable wifi thing.

According to my ticket I should be arriving at Narita at 1800.

Also, what's a good website to get portable wifi things from? I need one that's got unlimited data, fairly fast speed, and preferably nothing over ~$100. I need it for a month.

What sites do the Japanese use to rate restaurants again?
Any other pointers for finding interesting/good restaurants near a location?

They use tabelog. The English version would be gurunavi, but it has no reviews.

>>1180186
their shit is all arcane and impenetrable, I doubt you'll find an english friendly site with japanse aggregated opinions

word of mouth or western reviews of places by people who can speak is your best bet

>>1180186
foursquare works alright as well

>>1180173
I'm curious about this as well. I'm going to Japan next March and my flight arrives at 20:30. So I'm in a similar situation

>>1180210
I know a few of their ancient runes so navigation usually works out for me. Google translate works for the rest. I mostly want it for inspiration, as I won't be dining high class anyway.
I thought it would be interesting to see what the Japanese actually like. I can't even tell bad Japanese food from good Japanese food, anyway - no idea what it's supposed to taste like, so everything I ate so far was tasty and exiting.

>>1180218
if I had to describe their taste, they prefer plain taste and high quality ingredients above all else

a lot of high class american food uses a little extra butter and the like the imrpove the appeal of high quality ingredients.

with japan, as the food quality improves, there's less of the flavorings

one of the most expensive things you can order is just a PLAIN plate of noodles with just a tiny amount of sauce and no broth or meat

they take this same approach with their high class western restauraunts to

I ride a motorcycle and I'm planning on moving to Japan in a couple years. How do drivers licenses work there? Would I be able to get a motorcycle license or whatever they have over there when I move?

>>1180243
Also I have a DUI on my record from way back. It wasn't a big deal but where I live the legal BAC limit is 0.0%, which I didn't know at the time and I had a little alcohol in my system and get fucked for it

Will Japanese people welcome President Donald J Trump?

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Anyone else going to Animax Yokohama? Travel partner isn't into anison so I'm going solo.

>>1180243
You can use an international drivers license for one year, but it expires after that. Then you need to go through the process of taking your road test which is a huge fucking pain. I would look into it if you're series about riding your bike over there.

does anyone know if a hotel will let me check my bags before i stay there? i got two weeks in tokyo and one in kyoto before hand, i wanna check my bigger bags in tokyo

>>1180246
when is it?

>>1180248
I'm a Japanese and live in Tokyo for 30 years since I was born.
Ordinary Japanese hotel would check your baggage only for half a day.
You should ask the hotel before you fix your reservation.

>>1180245
No, I don't think so.
Racism is this graceful thing in Japan.

>>1180245 #
No, I don't think so.
Racism is one of most disgraceful things in Japan.

>>1180253
>racism disgraceful
>japan
do you idiots come from a factory, or a hole in the ground, or do you drink lots of lead to get like this?

>>1180253
didnt japan invent racism?

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Winter isnt good for motorsports in general, but what few car related things are there to do /see in japan in dec/jan?


So far ive booked the museums and factory tours i want to go see. (komatsu car museum and mazda) and i know of a carpark in tokyo where there's often itasha.

Didn't see there was a new thread after I posted this so I'll just repost:

Can ¥250000 can last me 30 days for just transportation and food if I'm just exploring the Kanto region. I'm not planning on eating sushi dinners every night and where I will be staying has a kitchen and will be serving Japanese style breakfast daily. I was thinking a daily budget of ¥8000 (¥2000 for lunch and dinner a day then ¥3000 on daily activities plus another ¥3000 on transportation). Is that economically feasible or should I stop being a cheapskate and increase my budget. I don't mind fast food meals or cooking a couple times a week because that's really still part of the experience for me.


Also does anyone know what it's like to train martial arts while in Japan? I train Muay Thai mostly, but also dabble in Jiu-jitsu. I know a little about the SHOOTO fighting organization in Japan, so I don't know how most gyms will feel about someone who speaks Japanese worse than a first grader.

>>1180264
Your question was answered. Yes, it is sufficient.
> training must Thai
While you should be training katana daily, mlady.

I've got a similar question to the guy above me.

I'm going to Japan for a month, and don't know how much money I'll need. Accommodation, plane tickets, and JR Pass has been paid for already. I'll be in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and some other places.

Is $2000 AUD / ~¥161600 enough for the food, metro transport, and non-essentials enough?

I won't be spending anything over $100 on something like a souvenir, but I'll probably treat myself to a nice expensive dinner maybe once or twice.

going to japan next month , need advice on clubs n bars n stuff. Me and my friend are looking to put the benis in the bagina and im looking for advice, is it better to head to roppongi or kabukicho?
On another note , i found this 100yen per mug izakaya is it safe or okay for foreigners to approach such places

>>1180283
The only places you'll be allowed into in Kabukicho without speaking any Japanese will be hostess bars that may or may not be looking to outright scam you. All the fun stuff is mostly for Japanese but you'll sometimes get a pass with conversational Japanese

Stick to Roppongi. Scout out who goes into what clubs. All the places have touts, even the good ones, but the hard part is figuring out which ones aren't empty or sausage fests, although it usually becomes apparent if you just people watch for about 10 minutes outside of the clubs

>>1180283
Are you tall, blond, white males? If so, you may have a chance at getting some Japanese pussy. Even more so if you go to places with prostitutes. Although most are Japanese-only.

Just watch out for Gaijin hunters and the niggers. I'm serious about the niggers, they'll take all your money.

>>1180264
>>1180281
Fellow Aussie here, i'm going in two weeks but i've been before hopefully I can help you out:

500ml of beer is about 205 yen, 300 max at a combini, food is about 1000 yen a meal on average for something decent, of course if you want to eat western food it'll be more expensive. If you want luxury it'll be much more expensive.

Bars aren't much cheaper than here desu, you can get pints for about 500 yen ish, the HUB pubs (which are great fun) were up to 900 yen for some pints. Craft beer is about the same from what I remember. I usually budget about 5000 yen a day for food, trains and beer.

In Kyoto you can buy an all day bus pass for 500 yen, I find its usually pretty cost efficient.

>>1180289
Thanks.

I'm also leaving in two weeks, hopefully the weather isn't too cold there.

>>1180291
I recommend packing a scarf or buying one there. I its not really that 'cold' but the wind chill can be pretty killer if you aren't prepared

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Reposting once per thread:
Tokyo meetup
Dec 28th - dinner
Dec 29th - interest-based, 1 group - komiket/akiba, 2nd whatever route they choose

Drop me a line to stay in touch:
Kensamameetup (at) gmail.com

>>1180298
>leaving Tokyo on the 28th

Fuck.

>>1180286
>>1180285
thanks for the info guys , im not exactly tall but i will try roppongi with my friend

I'll be in Japan late Dec. to mid Jan. and am going to probably go to the arcades a lot. I'll mostly play claw games but I'm also going to look for the Gundam Pod and Gundam Maxi Boost On arcade machines. Does anyone know how hard it is to find those in arcades to play in Osaka and Tokyo? Mainly looking for Maxi Boost On since I loved Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost on the PS3 and really would like to play the updated version.

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>>1180302
> leaving before comiket

>>1180245
No, they don't think his "manners" work well with Japanese manners. Little do they realize his "manners" don't work with his own people either.

>>1180248
Ask the hotel, but if you're taking trains or subways there are normally lockers you can use. Larger stations usually have really big lockers available or even a luggage room.

Me and 2 bros will be in tokyo nov 23-27. this will be my 3rd visit, and i speak a little moon. anyone down to meetup?

>>1180312
FUCK.

I should have done some research before booking.

How do I find info about places that foot fetish stuff?

>>1180173
I also need info on this

>>1180245
No, no one here likes him

>>1180336
read the atmosphere, smart guy

>>1180281
Depending on how many places you'll be going everyday, but when I went it was one suburb/area per day and I walked the fuck everywhere.
Let's do some basic budgeting for all the other people who don't know how to. We're trying to over estimate because it's better to have money left over than to be stranded without a single dollar to cover your ass.

>Eating
Breakfast = ¥1000
Lunch = ¥2000
Dinner = ¥3000
Snacks (While you're sightseeing what not) = ¥1000
Total (For 1 day) = ¥7000
(14days) = ¥98000

>Transport
Basic fee of random shit like buses and subways (one way/averaged) = ¥350
Assuming there will be return trips being made and you took 2 different trains everyday = ¥19600

>End total of food and subway usage
= ¥117600 / Roughly $1176 AUD

So anything after that is your leisure spending money.

Reposting the spreadsheet for those who need inspiration of places to visit in Japan. Feel free to add anything you found interesting or seen as a must visit.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15aUdRKHxU_zq8-4_bkGwIEpSGT4dz-8cNqYJJCv6EYQ/edit?usp=sharing

So next week will be the 7-5-3 festival. Is there anything to see for tourists?

>>1180346
In my experience(three trips going on four now) I very rarely have spent over 2000 yen on a meal in japan, unless you're going to quite fancy places. Of course factoring in drinks/beer is probably a good idea.

I'd say thats a safe estimate but probably a bit much, he's there for a month and your budget is essentially double what he wanted.

>>1180281
Anon I'd say if you have a couple quieter nights in your month, go to places like Yoshinoya/Sukiya and get a cheap 700 yen dinner and you'll fit your $2k budget just fine. Lots of hole in the wall local places are cheap as hell and bloody good food.

If there is one point to take a way: you're in Japan, eat Japanese food unless you are really craving something since it'll be better than most other food there and cheaper.

Also take advantage of the Breakfast Sets, lots of places do it (Dotour, Becks, Pronto, Kohikan) all do pretty good breakfast sets that are around the 700 yen mark for a decent breakfast (think bacon and eggs, pancakes, that sort of stuff. always with a breakfast salad too!) and a coffee, which isn't bad at all. Note the expectation is that you buy a coffee with the breakfast set.

>>1180315
what do you wanna do, jerk off together?

So I'm looking at going to Japan in May and for my stay in Tokyo, I'm looking at the Hilton Tokyo Bay. How feasible is it to stay here if I'm not looking to go Disneyland? Here's a link:

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/japan/hilton-tokyo-bay-TYOTBTW/maps-directions/index.html

>>1180375
No reason why you should do that, you'll be extremely far away from central Tokyo

Any recommendations for a hostel with easy access to Tokyo or Ueno station? Walking distance would b preferable.

so, I will probably go to Tokyo in Dec/Jan on my own.
I know it's quite expensive and all.

How easy is it to pick up Japanese girls in clubs, bars, or wherever?

I'm tall, fairly attractive, white.

>>1180419
if you have to ask how easy it is, it's hard

>>1180419
>I'm tall, fairly attractive, white.
Really easy, just walk in and instantly girls will be all over you asking for you to buy them drinks. Hell some of them will even buy YOU drinks, that's how desperate they will be for your huge white wad. It's like this ALL OVER Japan, I would pray for your success, but I already know you won't be needing it.

>>1180346
>>1180351
Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

>>1180346
>>1180351
I had troubles blowing my ¥6000 daily budget on food, subway and bus fares, etc. I think I averaged around ¥4200 in the end.
Granted, breakfast came with the hotel room, I mostly ate cheap (¥1000-2000 per meal) stuff, drank beer and sake from the supermarket, and this doesn't include long distance fares.

>>1180121
Going to Japan later this month, want to stay a night in a capsule hotel for the experience.

Has anyone here stayed in one? (In Tokyo). How was it? I'm trying to pick one but wanted to ask you guys first.

>>1180456
Mind had free porno. I could hear the sound of the people to either side of mine. I could also hear them whacking it until I plugged in my headphones. The one I was at only had one set of outlets in the capsule room where but none in the actual capsule. The staff offered to charge your stuff behind the counter. I didn't take any luggage other than a small backpack that I could stuff inside a locker that was assigned to me, again the staff offered to store bags. I was told I had to change into their robes, it felt a little institutional. The shared bath was nice. Some people claim there is no door, I had a screen.

But if all you need to do is sleep and bath, it's not a terrible experience. I would do it just for the novelty of it, everyone is going to ask you if you did or not anyway.

>>1180458
I'm definitely going to do it. I would like a capsule room with a screen/door so I hope that's a common thing (I'm sure it is). Could you really hear people jerking off around you? Was it all male in the one you stayed in or was it mixed in terms of gender? I'm a little nervous to stay in a place surrounded by guys whacking it but for one night I think I could handle it...

Can you remember the name of the one you stayed at?

>>1180461
The one I was in was mixed gender, with floors specifically for women, and their bath. And yeah, the capsules are made of thin plastic-ish stuff so unless my three neighbors (above and both sides) were just using their hand turn rock polishers form 5~13 minutes I'm pretty sure they were whacking it. More to the point, the room where the capsules are is common, people come in and either are drunk or amazed at their super Japanese capsule hotel. I think having plugs or headphones in should be obvious anyway.

I couldn't tell you the name, it was one night for me while my friend was out.

>>1180463
Haha I see. Well, thank you very much, I feel like I'm more prepared for the overallexperience!

>>1180350

Anyone?

>>1180350
>>1180489
The 753 festivals.

>>1180264
Easily. I´ve been in Japan for a week now and on average I'm spending below 5000 yen, including transport and accommodation. That's total cheapskate budget, so with 3000 extra and excluding lodging, you should have enough to blow on fun things and decent food.

Hi, I have a question.
Someone gave me a cloth they were given for free at a Japanese airport when they travelled there.
It's printed, with cats and what I think are lanterns. Reminds me of the art on origami paper. It's thin, and printed on one side.

What is it used for? It looks too thin to be a face towel, too small for a placemat, and too easy to stain for a reusable napkin.

>>1180522
Screen/glass wipe ? Wasn't there a mobile phone accessory shop nearby?

>>1180173
>>1180216
>>1180322

Free wifi is hard to come by depending on where you'll be staying. Either get some offline map app that works solely with GPS (I think HERE Maps has this or you could download from google maps for some cities) or use every other convenience store to check your position.

Definitely order ir before going. One less thing to do instead of actually getting to know Japan. If you pick it up at the airport, you'll be able to use it immeadiately to not get lost on your way to the hotel...

Why don't you just have it delivered to your hotel/hostel etc if you don't want to pick it up at the airport?

Many portable wifi services will deliver to hotels and post offices. So if your hotel won't accept the package or you're using Airbnb, it could be easier to simply use the nearest post office for the pickup.

For instance GlobalAdvancedCommunications (GAC) delivers to Narita Post Office for Narita airport pickup.

Also some companies like GAC have "premium delivery" if you're willing to pay a bit more, and someone from the company will be there after business hours to deliver the pocket wifi to you in the airport.

GAC price for 30 days rental for the most basic portable wify is >11000 jpy, so going below $100 will be tough, but sure is worth it.

What is the chance of any rooms being open for ryokans or overnight onsens in the Hakone area near Christmas season, if I start looking now?

>>1180525
Thanks for the help.

Would you say this website is reliable? I'm looking at the second Wi-Fi device: 30 days, unlimited data, and 187Mbps for 12,450 JPY. That seems like a good deal.

http://japan-wireless.com/products

>>1180375

If you have a JR Pass, then the distance won't be costly, but the time spent on the train to go to and from everywhere worth going in Tokyo will be uselessly longer. Unless you have some pretty good deal room rate for hilton, don't do it

>>1180528
Sorry I can't really tell whether the website is reliable or not. Even for GAC, which is widely reviewed as a good option, has a somewhat sketchy website.

It looks like internet usage is unlimited and has no speed cap, but try to find more info on this as most companies do have some kind of cap, such as lowering the speed after 10gb usage or something along these lines.

The only advice I can give you is that many people recommend GAC and Pupuru, but I've seen lots of anons recommending other lesser known services so check the archives

>>1180525
Google offline maps works extremely well. I think with some good notes and plenty of cities downloaded someone could get by easily. I believe transit lines and places still show up. If you really plan well, you can login with your saved places and get around really easy. You can always seek out wifi I am sure.

I think I might retarded, guys.

I'm trying to figure out what time I'll be in Tokyo out. So my ticket says I leave Australia at 9:50AM, and I arrive in Tokyo at 6:00PM. That's a 9 hours and 10 minute flight. Now, is it 6:00PM in Australian time that I get there, or 6:00PM in Japan time?

>>1180538
Tickets will say when you arrive in the time you'll be in hence the time of Japan as that is where your body will be located. Yes it was a retarded question.

>>1180540
Can you word that a little simpler?

So, when I arrive in Japan, it'll be 6:00PM, not 4:00PM?

>>1180538
>>1180541
I assume you're leaving from Melbourne or Sydney, thats a 10-11 hour flight.

Its 9 hours from brisbane/gold coast.

That will be 6pm Japan time.

>>1180544
Yeah, I'm leaving Melb at 7:05, then arriving at Brisbane before leaving to Tokyo.

Thanks.

>>1180245
Most normal Japanese people are apprehensive about him because of his talk about removing US troops from Japan and minimizing the US-Japan relationship in the face of increased Chinese aggression.

However this same talk has also pleased those on the right who want Japan to be rid of the US and have its own stronger real army and potentially nuclear weapons.

Those on the left are also not displeased at the idea of US troops leaving Japan.

Alright bois I jus came back from a 3 week vacation from Japan. I loved every single second. And in my trip back I felt like I should've stayed, I still miss it now . What do /trv/ I'm only 19 and I live Ca, United States?

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>>1180555
Print your post, hide it in a drawer or something. In ten years read it again. You'll understand.

As for now, just check em

>>1180559
Ok anon!

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>>1180522
Does it looks like this? If so, they're called furoshiki. You use them to wrap up your bento.

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I'm planning my final day in Tokyo and we're hitting Shibuya. After shopping in the main district, walking around Yoyogi Park and visiting the Meiji Shrine, I'm contemplating hitting Harajuku. Is it worth it for a 24 year old a bit too old for the fashion there (but still dresses in lolita-lite like pic related) and a 28 year old gruff but artistic man?

>>1180351
Essentially if you read the post we're over estimating and he doesn't need to send exactly that much. He can adjust it whatever he wants it.

>>1180588
Id watch out, big crouds may bring out some social anxiety for the gruff autistic man.

>>1180588
Takeshita street is the meme gaudy/teenager fashion. Go to the end of Takeshita street and cross the road to Harajuku street. That is more normal boutiques.

>>1180609
I went through Takeshita Street on Google Maps and I was honestly surprised at how dirty it was, I think it's one of the dirtiest places I've seen in Tokyo. Might have to avoid that.

>>1180588
>(but still dresses in lolita-lite like pic related
Like the picture, you need to be thin.

>>1180588
Yo, make sure you visit Dog, 5% Dokidoki and Grimoire

>>1180613
I weigh 105lbs but I doubt you'll believe me anyway.

>>1180614
Thanks for the recommendations!

>>1180610
Right, I'm saying go to Harajuku street instead.

Does anyone know what's going on with the Shonan-Shinjuku line right now? Service seems to be suspended, think someone either died in the train or threw themselve on the track.

>>1180618
>think someone either died in the train or threw themselve on the track.
this literally happens every day in Tokyo. I forgot what the exact expression was, but whenever it says that a line is suspended due to "passenger illness", it means another person has jumped

Fun fact: families sometimes have to pay for the delays caused by their children/relatives' suicides

>>1180419
jesus christ i fucking hate white people

So I have the option of flying into Narita or Haneda for about $5 more. Only caveat is that flying into Haneda means I have a 7 hour layover in Shanghai as opposed to just a 3 hour one. I've been to PVG before, there's nothing to do there and the wifi sucks. But is the convenience of flying into Haneda worth it? If I can save some money getting into town I can manage it.

Would two hours be enough time to check in to Haneda Airport, go through customs and security and get to the boarding gate? I've only ever gone through domestic flights. It's an early-ish flight (9:45am) on a Wednesday if that makes any difference.

>>1180620
人身事故
Or Jinshinjiko is what you want to listen for. Literally means human accident and typically means suicide or that a train hit someone. In English I believe it's called human accident or personal accident but don't quote me on that.

>>1180628
Haneda is very convenient, but I don't think it's worth the extra stopover time. Unless you take advantage of the maglev and the temporary entry permit and check out Shanghai on the way.

>>1180642
Should be enough. But be sure to get at least 1.30 hour early, I lost my plane because the didn't let me check in (I arrived 40 minutes early)

Hey guys, first time poster in these generals:

I already booked an airbnb for a month in Tokyo and I plan on using that time to explore the area from Hakone to Tsukuba. Is $20/day reasonable for food and local metros? I have more money than that but I like to underbudget since I occasionally spend a lot more than what I budget for myself. I eat once a day for what it's worth. Let me know if I'm not providing enough details.

>>1180628
Depends on where youll stay. If youre staying near tokyo station or shinjuku station , the limousine bus and Nex both go directly to these stations.

>>1180642
Standard recommended time to arrive is 3 hours early for internatiomal flights

>>1180726
Youll spend at least 5bucks for each meal if you eat out cheap and drink free water.

So no

Is there any good way to experience the legendary kotatsu except staying in a private residence or creeping out furniture shop staff?

Going to Tokyo for a month next Spring, and I'm looking for a nice house share or cheap apartment somewhere in the metropolitan area. Any recommendations? So far I'm considering Oakhouse, Domo, and maybe Sakura House.

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I'd really like to visit Okinawa and Yakushima but I'm a little concerned about going to those places by myself. I'll only be in Japan for a few weeks so it might be difficult to find people to go with. I've been messaging a few people on line for 1-3 years now but we haven't met in person so it's probably premature to ask them. What do?

>>1180870
>but I'm a little concerned about going to those places by myself
Surely not because of fear for your safety because that should not be a worry.

>>1180879
Not at all, I just feel anxiety about going there alone along with fellow tourists who I'm guessing will be mostly travelling with others. That plus my Japanese is very poor, so I'm not super confident.

>>1180788
maybe try looking for airbnbs that have one?
>>1180802
I stayed with Sakura House for a month, can recommend (I had a private room in a shared house near Nishi-Nippori)
>>1180886
would you feel the same about going to Japan in general? Because there's really not much difference from Yakushima/Okinawa to mainland when it comes to travelling alone

I just bought somes clothes in a shop tax free. It took them pretty long top fill out the paperwork, they made me sign and gave me a copy of the receipt, Does anyone know how this works? Am I supposed to present this at the airport when I leave Japan and how would they know if I just don't?

Anything a young Scandi needs to know about Fukuoka? I'm landing in the region in January.

The people I'm staying with are already complaining about temperatures going below 20C, and I'm here in 3C not complaining, so I doubt weather will be a problem.

>>1180893
Did they take not of your passport number and/or made any entries in your passport?
Also, you probably fucked up if your local sales taxes are above 8% because you will have to pay it upon returning home.

>>1180896

I think they have a copy of the document with my passport number on it. They didn't make any entries in my passport though. Do you think they'lll have it registered somehow and will make me pay if I don't say anything? What kind of fuck up is this? I would have just paid the 8% if I knew this would be such a pain in the ass.

>>1180899
The "pay it after returning home" part may not be true though as I had it only once and it was probably due to some mishap with administration.
An important thing though that you're generally not allowed open/use tax-free articles still in Japan as you get the tax exemption because it's "for purpose of export".

>>1180901

Ok I didn't plan that anyway and left all the tags on the clothes. So should I declare that and show them the documents and receipts when I leave Japan or should I just not say anything and have the documents ready in case they ask?

>>1180902
Well, regulation is one thing and it not being enforced is an other. I'd say most of the time the customs officer won't care. Sometimes the counter is not even manned. And even if you declare it, they very likely won't check anything but collect the flip.
But I'm always reserved to say "nah, you don't need to declare anything" because devil never sleeps and you may be the first in ten million who gets fucked over because of it.

>>1180902
Probably this helps a bit
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294232-i525-k7900345-o20-Tax_Refund_for_Foreigners-Japan.html

>>1180905
>https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294232-i525-k7900345-o20-Tax_Refund_for_Foreigners-Japan.html

Thanks, but this is also pretty confusing. I guess I have two possibilites: Not saying anything or just giving them the documents. Oh well, next time I'll just pay the fucking taxes instead of having to deal with this crap.

>>1180908
A friend of mine got tax free shoes in Japan (out of necessity, it was snowing in Sapporo and his were shit and fell apart in the snow or something). He told the lady at Narita this and she told him off for not following the rules and let him off with a warning.

I have a question though, can we check tax free items in? I'm planning on buying stuff and itd be great to get tax free but theyre probably too large to fit in my carry on (weeb shit) has anyone had any experience with that?

>>1180888
No can do. The trip's an organized tour so staying at an AirBnB is out.

So I think I'm looking for something like a Kotatsu Café or restaurant - preferably either in Sapporo (near Susukino) or Tokyo (near Asakusa)...

>>1180888
>Nishi-Nippori
Man, I just love the Nippori area so much. Every night I go to the shrine overlooking Nishi-Nippori station and look at the passing trains with a coffee or beer. It puts me at ease.

I'm not the person who originally started the discussion about tax, but honestly all of this has me a bit confused.

Say I go to a department store and get clothes and a snack. I eat the snack on the day and that'll be recorded on the receipt. Am I honestly gonna get berated for eating a snack from Japan in Japan? I plan to keep all other bigger items unopened, but hey, I might get hungry.

>>1180924
There are 2 things:
Factual/legislation: you get a tax exemption because you buy it for "export". As in, not for consumption on Japanese grounds. The tax-free shopping is not enforced so if you buy a bag of candies with tax-exemption, you declare that you're not planning on eating it while in Japan. And you're an adult who's responsible in front of law for his actions.

Reality: likely no one will give a shit.

>>1180886
I think you'll be ok. I like to travel alone so I don't have to worry about a group of people suddenly getting tired or not having enough money for lunch or whatever. Very small groups in public places work the best for me. Though there are times I visit friends who live in rural mountain towns that are a solid 4 hours away. I check my train guide and the signs at the stations when I transfer. There have been many times that people suddenly start speaking to me to practice their English. As long as you can handle some occasional small talk, you'll be fine. You really just need to know how to ask for directions and provide a map; people can help you then. And of course please and thank you.

>>1180927
Thank you for your help! I just read a forum post that seems to suggest that I can bypass all of this hassle by keeping goods bought in Japan in the baggage that I'm checking in. Is this true? Seems a bit too convenient and cheeky.

>>1180726
Doable if you walk a lot and eat cheap or little. Every use of metro/yamanote is about 200 yen. Sweets, onigiri, or a bun for breakfast 120. Bowl of beef stripes and rice, cheap ramen or a 7 11 meal, 380-500. Add to that a 2l bottle of something drinkable for 170+ and you have your basic cheapskate budget to expand from.

>>1180628
Don't go to china. The airports Suck and the layover time isn't worth it.

I need some advice from someone who teaches english in Japan.

I'm enrolled in college for seven years, doing the full modern languages - english career (the usual career plus a couple more years to be able to teach), I'm barely on the 2nd semester but I'm rolling through because I've been self-learning for the past 5 years. Anyways, I was recently interested in teaching in S. Korea, went to the embassy here in Caracas (I'm Venezuelan) and got rejected because I'm not a native english speaker. Big hit for me because I was already learning Korean. I felt sad for a couple days then I thought about Japan; I've never been a die-hard Japan fan but it looks like an awesome place. I recently read about the 12-years English classes experience that non-native english speakers need to have to teach in Japan, and I was wondering if anyone here knows if its an absolute requeriment or if you can bypass it with a test or something, couldn't find info anywhere about it, and I need to know beforehand so I can start a separate english course to sum up 12 years of class. Learning Japanese won't be a problem, but those 12 years look extremely intimidating.

I'm planning on going over to Nipple in the summer or winter break. I am trying to go for 8-10 days, most likely 8. I made a list of places I want to go to, but it's a big ass clusterfuck and I don't know how to make everything easier. I need help! Also, any recommendations are helpful on places to visit. Google docs gave me a big ass link so it's on tinyurl /j6vrzf7

So my understanding is that Tokyo is going through a bit of a heatwave for this time of year? The temperature is projected to be 18 degrees celcius two days before I arrive there. I bought a winter coat to keep me warm for the trip, but I don't want to pack two coats and waste the space. Not sure what to do.

Who here have studied in Japan?
I hoovering between taking a year in USA, Australia or Japan.

>>1180999

I don't teach English in Japan, but I tried more or less and let me tell you, it's very very unlikely to work unless you're a native speaker with a passport from an English speaking country. I'm a German high school teacher for English including other subjects, had a valid Working Holiday Visa and I've been learning English for more than 20 years, have top grades and teaching experience in four countries on three continents and guess what? Even the worst English teaching schools didn't give a shit about my applications.

Of course, you could be very lucky and find a school that's desperate enough because they somehow haven't found a random native speaker. It could happen and I've even heard of German high school graduates with relatively bad English that landed a job like this, but again, it's very unlikely. So my advice to anyone who's not a native speaker and tries to find an English-teaching job in Japan: Don't. Focus on international schools (they pay much more anyway and you're a real teacher there) or just stay at home. Deal with it just like I did.

>>1181058
Oh well, I'm already taking the 120h TOEL course, and I'm gonna take the IBT test when I finish my career, I guess it's worth a shot regardless, if it doesn't work out I'll just settle teaching somewhere else (noooOooo...o..o). Hopefully it'll work out, if not I'll see what else I can find, 5 years is still a big time to find out where to go. Also sorry to hear about your bad luck, it really seems that Asians are very picky when it comes to foreign languages and teachers.

Thanks for the info.

>>1181071

Well, if they'd be picky, they would choose qualified people instead of random native speakers with a B.A. in house keeping from the University or Tennessee or something like that. The whole system is fucked and that's also one reason why the English level in Japan is still so awful after decades of bringing native speakers to the country. But that's the way it is and to be honest, I'd say your chances to make it work in Japan are like 1%. The same is true for South Korea and Taiwan, but it might be easier in other Asian countries, but the work and pay will be shittier, too. For my part, I'll just settle for German and international German schools. I worked for one in Asia for a couple of years and the pay was so much higher than anything an Eikaiwa teacher could hope for. That's also why I could fuck around with Japan, but in the end I was just burning like 10000 USD for nothing because I couldn't really find a job. Well I guess I'll just consider it a longer holiday and focus on something else now.

>>1181051
>Heatwave

Tokyo resident here, news to me. I can tell you that yesterday was nice and today looks nice, but the last few days were very cold. Like 9, 10 degrees.

Take your coat, or take a lighter coat. It's fall not winter. At any rate you will need a coat. It's looking like it's going to be kind of warm during the day, but you'll need something for when the sun goes down.

>>1181052
What are you studying? And where in the US, Australia and Japan?
Of those three Australia is absolutely the least interesting/uncultured (sorry Aussies).

>>1181071
They're not that picky really, it's just that native speakers willing to do it are a dime a dozen, so they don't really feel compelled to reach beyond that pool.

I've booked my plane ticket, accommodation, and JR pass. Everything is ready to go, but I've got one problem. I don't know what to do once I'm in Japan.

I don't have any kind of itinerary planned out other than: Tokyo > Osaka > Kyoto > Other > Tokyo.

So basically what I'm asking is, what should I check out while I'm in Japan?

It has been too hot for a coat much of this week in both osaka and hiroshima. Tokyo was hot when i left as well. For me it is the humidity not the heat.

The hottest place i have been was that bamboo grove in kyoto. Bamboo traps humidity (similar to corn sweat) and it was unbearavle in that grove.

I realize i wasted half my luggage space with a jacket and layered clothing that is too hot to wear.

>>1181078
Don't be this guy. Do some research, ask a specific question, etc.

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>>1181078

While in osaka do a day trip to nara.

My only regret with nara is that I was not filming when the deer head butted the kid and knocked him into the mud. It was exactly as the signs describe.

Protip: do not let small children carry the deer crackers.

>>1181079
For that particular guy's purposes, Tokyo is NOT humid right now, at all. It's fall.

>>1181080
Sorry, I'll do some research.

>>1181081
Thanks. I'll make sure to keep my camera ready in case a deer attacks a child.

I want to travel a lot, mostly to Japan a bunch. I'm also in a position to choose what city to live in/move to (in the us). What place to live would provide the opportunity for the cheapest flights? Bonus points if its close to the sea.

I was thinking LA

How suitable to solo travel is Japan?

Will I been seen as a weirdo if I go to restaurants and theme parks alone?

>>1181123
Yes they will lock you up immediately

>>1181124
fuck

>>1181110

yea, probably LA. daily non-stop round trip flights to Narita for $750-800 according to google flights calendar.

So what images do people from certain regions in Japan have about people from other regions? In the last thread, someone talked about how the people in Hokkaido were seen by the rest and I thought that was pretty interesting.

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Fuck.

Spice and wolf display at animate i syumbled into, event or whatever is is ends on 13th.

They had little paper tabs beside the items and i asked an employe what it was and what was for sale, but language barrier got us nowhere.

Are the paper tabs a contest entry or a sales slip or what? Also a lot if sketches and autographs on display.

Did i miss an event? Anyone familiar with this?

>>1180528
>http://japan-wireless.com/products
I used this site last time, was fine.

>>1181185
maybe post a good picture with what you want translated? i cant read this mess

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>>1181188

There was this one. It looked like a daki sale ad, but they said "not for sale". The daki thing had little paper slips too.

Sorry for the fuckhuge sideways phone pics.

>>1181190
limited edition daki for sale since its the 10 anniversary of the show. happened in october.

>>1181192
>S&W was 10 years ago

S3 never ;__;

They had promi material of the daughter and the spice and wolf sequel. Odds are good we will get a 3rd season of cute 14 year old wolf doing cute adventure things.

>>1181075
>What are you studying?
Something within biology

>And where in the US, Australia and Japan?
In US, South Dakota or California
In Japan, Tokyo

I will most likely go for US, since I don't speak Japanese and I don't like to live in huge overpopulated cities.

>>1181195
South Dakota is an empty, desolate state. Don't go there. Go to California, or Texas.

To anyone that's been to/is in Kyoto, where did you stay and for how long? Would you have stayed longer or at a different place?

>>1181232

Kyoto was hard to find a good hotel at a convenient location/rate. I just stayed in osaka and did day trips to kyoto as needed. It is like a 30 minute train ride between cities.

>>1181232
Airbnb, man. Kyoto has awesome flats, 30% cheaper than Tokyo.

>>1180121
gonna be in tokyo for new years whats fun to do NYE ?
something crazy /w a lot of drinking / drugs

Hi,

I'm going to Tokyo in the next few days - while visiting a few outside areas in Kanto, etc - and while I've prepped myself / researched a great deal there's one thing I'm still overly worried about.

- how difficult will it be for me to order food at restaurants given that I speak very little amount of Japanese?

- I've heard stories of rampant xenophobia, how true is this for a tourist who'll sometimes be clearly lost.

>>1181270
>how difficult will it be for me to order food at restaurants given that I speak very little amount of Japanese?
there are many restaurants that have a vending machine system where you have minimal interaction (keep in mind that at Ramen places they might ask you additional stuff such as noodle type, spiciness etc.). Other than that, most places have an English Menu if you ask. Oh and there's also plastic imitations of the food outside so you can always just point at that if necessary
>I've heard stories of rampant xenophobia, how true is this for a tourist who'll sometimes be clearly lost.
It's very unlikely that you will experience any

>>1181270
I'm going to Tokyo in two weeks, and I'm planning to eat my first meal in a place called Matsuya. Matsuya is a restaurant chain that mainly serves beef bowls. They have a touch screen ordering system completely in English, then it prints out a ticket with your order. Matsuyas are everywhere so at least that's a comfort to ease yourself in.

>>1181080
Hell before we changed our vacation destination, I already had a bunch of places set to go to in Japan. Its crazy someone could have arrangements to go somewhere and not know what they're doing.

>people posting in this thread who haven't lurked Japan General for the past 6 months

>>1181296
Hey how easy is it to pick up girls in Japan? I'm a white man if that makes a difference.

How hard is it to get hired to teach English in Japan?

I read on the JET website that they've hired 32000 Americans since like 1987 but how many people apply?

Also I've heard that JET kinda sucks now, so what else should I look into?

And how early should I apply? If I'm set to graduate university in Fall 2018, when should I apply to get a job?

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Guys, you are welcome to laugh at me but please also answer my question: where in Japan can I find some sort of a fortune teller or any kind of a guru? Which won't be a scam, obviously.
A little background: I am at the crossroads atm and need to have something to push my thoughts in any of the two directions. I understand it's me who should decide in the end, but still, I want to try. It worked wonders once in Nepal.
Money is not an issue, I am loaded. I just don't know where to start from and Google gave me nothing.
P.s. Wide for attention

>>1181303
Its extremely easy to get a teaching gig in Japan. JET is the hardest and pays the best but you will be put in the middle of nowhere. The eikaiwa places usually place you in better locations but they pay less.

Once you have the visa however you're free to quit and switch jobs

>>1181309
are you a middle-aged woman? Because there's no other reason why you should believe in fortune telling

That said, you could try at temples, they always sell those little paper notes that have a fortune written on them. Other than that, I know that the high school girls in Akihabara who do compensated dating also do fortune reading (you'd need to know Japanese for that though).

>>1180305
Be carefull in Roppongi, dont trust any niggers.

>>1181300
Do you pick up girls where you live now? No? Then there is your answer.

>>1181309
>fortune teller or any kind of a guru? Which won't be a scam

It doesn't exists, all of them are scams.

>>1181322
Hey how easy is it to pick up girls in Japan though? I'm a white man if that makes a difference.

>>1180258
http://fun2drive-japan.com

I'm going to be doing this in a few weeks!

My trip to Japan starts next week. What last minute essentials should I read up on before I go? Any phrases that will come in handy? Anything to definitely do/avoid?

Also what's the deal with the subway system? When I see Tokyo Metro and Toei, is that two different companies? Do I need different tickets for each? Also, if I buy a Pasmo or other preloaded card in Tokyo, will I be able to use the same one in Osaka?

>>1181316
Not the anon you're replying to but the highschool girls part interested me.

>>1181316
elaborate on the latter part

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>>1181335
>>1181341
vice did a documentary on it (take with a grain of salt since it's Vice, but it should give you an idea)

https://news.vice.com/video/schoolgirls-for-sale-in-japan

pic related was taken in Akihabara

>>1180173
just get a sim card at the airport, its 3000 yen for 2 weeks of unlimited data

>>1180186
yelp

If diarrhea is a problem when traveling to India, then I think constipation might be a problem for some in Japan.

I find the Japanese diet to be rather binding. Is that why these probiotic drinks are popular here, and all those supplement drinks too? There isnt really an American equivalent to yakult or something of that nature, except for real yogurt drinks.

All I know is that I was barely shitting for the first few days I was here, what with all the white rice, egg, noodles, meat, etc., but then I was given a yakult with breakfast by my hosts, which, followed by coffee later that day, precipitated an emergency, i.e., loose and gassy and voluminous feculence--the hardest kind to hold.

Thank god for convenience store bathrooms. I don;t even want to think of the consequences if I were in some place like New York, where it can be difficult to find a bathroom.

Also, I am impressed, bemused, and a little frustrated at the attitude toward jaywaking here. I have seen it done a couple times since being here, but there have been instances that I thought were ridiculous...Like, absolutely no car in sight, small road, but the do not walk sign was up, so everyone just stayed in place until the sign turned green. I wanted to cross so badly...but I couldnt. It felt a little disrespectful.

In most American cities people jump at the chance to cross the street.

Also, do any of you notice that things in Japan, or Tokyo at least, just smell different??

For instance, at Narita when I got off my plane and walked down the hallway to customs and beyond, I couldnt help but notice that the airport just kind of stank...Sort of like...farts or something. Not a heavy odor, just kind of lingered in the background. I have been to Asian supermarkets in the US, and this smell was similar to that in one of these grocery stores, but not exactly the same.

I have also noticed that the general city smells are different than say, New York City, which is the city I have spent the most time in in my life. The exhaust, the garbage, the food...

In Ueno near the Okachimachi station at night, when I was first arriving in Japan, this strange cooked odor just kind of hung in the air almost everywhere. I had no idea what it was. Does anyone have an idea of what I am talking about?

Hello, need some advice.
- I'm going to japan 7-16 December, Tokyo - Osaka area, any good spot for Snow sightseeing ?
- Does japanese laundry have ironing rental or service ? Or should I just buy Iron while in there ?

>>1181397
Funny enough when I went to India I only got the runs once (and i got them very very badly.) I got bad diarrhea pretty regularly in Japan, just a few hour thing usually.

>>1181400
I saw it often enough. They're not gonna go across big streets but they'll cross the little intersections.

Thinking about heading to Japan in december for the first time to experience Comiket and experience Japan.

Is the 2nd half of december a good time to go to japan?

>>1181409
Tokyo doesnt really have snow senpai.

>>1181330
They've got quite a few nice cars. I'd love to drive the z. Surprised that the min age is 26, damn I'm a year out.


I think I'll come back in summer and do the drift matsuri and go see a round of the super GT.

>>1181403
Not really, at least not for me. You occasionally get that raw sewage stank in some older parts; same as thailand but its fucking everywhere there.

Does anyone by chance know any romantic spots in Tokyo during the winter?

>>1181409
it doesnt snow that early in those areas, sorry dude

>>1181421
>>1180298

>>1181330
>tfw your shit third-world country driving license won't work
> tfw you're a D, but will never be the initial D

It's a long shot but can anyone recommend me good japanese whiskey? Is there "the one" whiskey which is considered the best or is a must try?
Need one as present.

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>>1181460

>>1181460

Nikka Whisky (the single malts, although some of the pricier blends are quite nice too).

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>>1181462

I want to travel to Japan only to learn how to cook Japanese food? Has anyone on /trv/ done something like this before? I really want to learn how to make some good ramen, maybe other dishes. I'm sure I can google it and find a program but just curious if any other autistic channer had the same idea. I love Japanese food.

>>1181473
Ramen is Chinese.

>>1180940
Thanks senpai, that's what I was hoping to hear.

>>1181482
>ramen is Chinese

False. The style of noodles themselves have origin in China, but if you think tonkotsu, miso, etc. soup with negi, nori, and all that is Chinese you're mistaken. In other words, everything but the noodles themselves is a Japanese culinary invention.

(not the guy you replied to btw).

>>1181438
love hotel of your choice

>>1180555
If you are lucky, you will experience this depressing feeling many times over. I never want to go back home, even though I'm perfectly happy at home.

>>1180894
Also interested in this. I'm coming to Fukuoka for 2 weeks in March, Belgian here.

>>1180999
Do a test that defines your CEF proficiency level in English.
Scores range as following:
-C2 academic or cognitively demanding (more advanced than native speaker)
-C1 pretty much like native speaker
-B2 Express yourself fluidly on a broad range of topics
-B1 Express yourself in familiar situations
-A2 bad
-A1 really bad(" Know you train how late is? ")

>>1181071
This course is a nice piece of paper to present in a 3rd world country like Thailand or vietnam(I'm going to try vietnam) but I don't think it will help you in japan. I did the online course, I took every exam without even opening the textbook a single time. Had overall 93%, and some questions I didn't even know what they were talking about.

>>1181397

When I first moved to Japan I had SERIOUS constipation for like the first week. (I had plenty of water, just no fibre in my foods) Some kanten and shredded cabbage soon fixed it though.

>>1181462
>>1181464
Thank you guys. Also found a few youtube reviews about japanese whiskeys thanks to you.

Went all over japan and finally made it to akihabara today. Not as many foreigners as i was expecting, but i did see some genuine otaku stereotypes.

The fat ones looked like orcs from eroge, but with glasses. Pig nose and everything and i instintively wanted to grind them for XP. I see them in anime but thought they were made up.

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Where can I get some good pizza in Japan?

I know there's Dominoes, but that shit is terrible in the states, and I'm sure it's terrible here too. I've heard of Pizza Yocker but I haven't tried it. I've even had people tell me to try CostCo's pizza

>>1181531
In august there were enough foreigners mate.

>>1181532
All bullshit.
Google Da Isa, Serinkan, L'antica pizzeria da Michele, pizzeria da peppe Napoli (sadfrog.jpg)

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>>1181533

All i am meeting on this trip are Australians and some turks. I nearly made one of the turks piss himself with laughter when i gave a deer some of my octopus.

>>1181532
Knowing the Japanese, there are probably pizza autists who flip dough for 10 years in a gruelling apprenticeship to their Pizza-sensei.

By which I mean there are probably many independent pizza places with methods straight out of Italy. I don't know any, but I'm sure they exist. It's not a coinflip situation like it is in other Asian countries.

Where is the best place to meet girls in Tokyo/Osaka? We're a couple mid-20s white guys from USA and France that are traveling together, and will primarily be in these two cities over the next few weeks.

>>1181557
remove all whites from japan

>>1181557
Tokyo: i dont know
Osaka: Nanba

>>1181512
>>1181514
Thanks, gonna look that up now. I have the means to get them all, I'm building up a nice resume so they know I'm worthy of hiring. Still gonna be weird to see a white Venezuelan with C2 rating, I guess they're gonna give me the weird face. But worth the shot.

>>1181532
>>1181538
All the Italian places become boring after a while. Most taste the same and are pretty boring

Its hard finding good American style. Theres a place in between Shibuya and Daikanyama that has NYC style and Devils Craft has decent enough deep dish pizza.

>>1181541
Best Italian pizza in the world was won by some guy with a restaurant in NakaMeguro for like 3-5 years straight during the late 2000s

>>1181557
British pub.

>>1181532
Not that guy, but I'm Italian myself, and I'm curious if there are any truly excellent Italian restaurants in Japan. I know there's some kind of Italian chain restaurant that's popular there, but I don't know if that would be any good.

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>tfw rented a car and drove from Tokyo to Kyoto
>mfw at the toll-booth.

>>1181379
>just get a sim card at the airport, its 3000 yen for 2 weeks of unlimited data
That works? I was told the only way was to get these pocket wifi things, because Japanese providers won't sell SIM cards to tourists.

>>1181497
Tonkatsu is Austrian.

>>1181624
of course they do sell it, but only data sims (you can't call because mah safety)

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>>1181623
Yeah, sure, try driving in France or Switzerland
> mfw toll from Paris to Bretagne was higher than lowest fare tgv ticket

>>1181627
Hmm, do you know what providers are offering this?

>>1181631
Just enter the nearest yodobashi and select any provider you want, sim stall is always located close to mobile phone covers (but good luck navigating in yodobashi anyway)

>>1181626
no it's not

t. Austrian

would 2.5k USD be a reasonable budget for a 2-3 week trip? I saw some other posts on peoples budget and that seems fair enough

I'd rather not take the risk of not having enough

>>1181666
I usually manage to get by from that much, INCLUDING plane tickets. Admittedly I use a private room in hostels (I only go there to sleep anyway) and don't get drunk every day but it's generally more than enough.

I'm trying to plan a trip to Tokyo for two weeks next spring (April/May) and I'm curious about the JR Pass. My friends say get it, but I have no real plans to leave Tokyo since I'm going by myself. Do I need it or can I just get a local pass if that exists?

>>1181669
It only worth it if you plan to use it on the shinkansen. Otherwise just get a suica.

>>1181673

Awesome, thank you.

>>1180121
>tfw poorfag college student
I just browse /trv/ to vicariously experience the hype of traveling.
I had always thought that Tokyo was a really expensive city to travel to outside of plane tickets, but anons saying they can survive on a couple hundred dollars in 3 weeks gives me some hope. The $1k+ tickets are killer though

>>1181676

I've wondered that as well. Like I was always told $4k+ was what I needed for a standard 2-week trip.. but if like $2k is all I need (outside of lodging and flight) sign me the fuck up

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>>1181676
it's possible to find pretty cheap flights

>>1181684

Hopper is good, but it's never good flight companies. But, I always check CHI > TYO because usually, flights are like 600-900 from there

>>1181684
>>1181689
I'm from Puerto Rico. The extra flight makes things a lot more expensive

>>1181691

Ah, yeah that's definitely more expensive lol

Can I party 24/7 in roppongi or is it open only on weekends?

>>1181531
Japan resident here. There are tons of foreigners in Akihabara whenever I go. I mean I don't know what you were expecting but there are lots. Still not as high of a concentration as like Asakusa.

Go to any Book Off anywhere you'll see carbon copies of a Japanese otaku--all with bent shitty posture reading manga in the aisles

>glasses
>mop top unstyled bowl hairstyle
>wearing a backpack

It's the most annoying thing because all the manga aisles of a Book Off will be not be navigable, because these fedoras stand in them en masse with their backpacks and fucking block everything.

>>1181532
Japanese Domino's is awesome. And expensive. But they have a good pick up deal. Buy one, get one free. You can get two large pizzas for about 3,500 yen.

>>1181557
Yeah, try a "HUB" chain bar. At least you cunts don't describe yourselves as "tall. and pretty good looking"... If I had a 100 yen for every time...

>>1181584
Can confirm. Actually Japan has lots and lots of Italian restaurants and they are pretty good quality--the pizza is always Neapolitan and is not unauthentic. It's just that they do get boring. They are all the same. Devil Craft is pretty good and authentic deep dish although the most noticeable thing is that they don't use enough cheese.

>>1181622
As for truly excellent, certainly there are--you'd have to just research the Michelin Guide or whatever.

Why are consumer goods/services so damn expensive? It's a wonder the nips can afford things with their peanut wages

>>1181755
Please give an example?
>the nips
Fuck off edgelord.

>>1181679
I would think $2K would involve some very budget heavy days. Flight plus $50 a day is still only $1.7K. If I go on vacation I'll do it for fun, not to live in another country like a bum.

>>1181746
all you have to say is "excuse me". But one aspie talking to another is too much to ask I guess.

>>1181763

I won't do a lot of clothing or accessory shopping, tbqh. My flight and lodging is roughly 1870 USD. 2k spending is more than enough for me if all I'm doing is food and maybe gifts. Although. stationary is my weakness.

>>1181765
>Stationary is my weakness
Don't go to Itoya in Ginza. Twelve floors of fountain pens, journals, memopads, cards, even has its own washi printing press with a whole wall of swatches. I bought a donut memopads for a friend there.

Call me weird, but what's the month that has the heaviest amounts of rain? I enjoy the rain and for some reason, I wanna experience rain in Tokyo.Also, is typhoon season an offseason for Japan or no?

Anyone buy shipping boxes in akihabara? There is a post office by the station (complete with ads for upcoming bunnygirl figures) but they charge a lot for boxes and bubblewrap.

Do 100 yen stores sell stuff like that, or office supply stores?

>>1181787
spring has the most rainfall. no, typhoon season is not especially offseason, as it runs through the nice parts of spring through fall. when it's worst it's definitely not peak season, though.

Is getting an airbnb in tokyo for the entire course of my trip and using capsule hotels for a few days during that time in the kansai area a good idea or should I just book separate airbnb's?

Do they care if I'm gone and not actually using the airbnb for a couple days?

>>1181794
they wouldn't care if you're paying them money. why would they? but why would you pay for that?

>>1181796
Mostly for the convince of not having to bring my bags with me since I can just leave them there, and I have to come back to tokyo anyways to get to the airport.

>>1181798
convenience* that is

also most of them have some kind of discount is you stay 30 consecutive days so that savings would probably cover the additional cost

>>1181799
I don't get why you would bring baggage that is essential enough to bring to tokyo, but not enough to bring to kyoto

I'm sure you've got it figured out, though. seems like a strange question, but it should work

>>1181787
June or July usually get the most rain.

>>1181787
the rain season lasts from early June to mid-July

Small, slightly ignorant question.

Will it be a big deal if I don't finish my meals in Japan? I'm small and have bowel problems so I'll probably eat as little as I can get away with during the trip to avoid having bad bowel days, but will that be seen as rude or as if I didn't enjoy my meal?

>>1181808
Also lurking for this, since not a big eater.

>>1181808
maybe if it's a homecooked meal as the portions are quite small in general

if it's a restauraunt, no one cares. you're giving them money

>>1181812
That's good then. I doubt we'll be in anyone's homes eating their food, but if they don't mind in restaurants then I'm happy about that.

Is it arrogant to assume that check-in desks for regional airlines will speak the language of that region? Will the British Airlines check-in desk at Haneda Airport speak English? Would Air France check-in desks be staffed by French-speaking employees?

>>1181764
Why are you mad. Wearing a big fucking backpack in a aisle is retarded and inconsiderate--(it's the same reason it's proper train etiquette to not wear your backpack but rather put it down next to you or in a compartment), and you shouldn't just fucking stand there and read a manga. Fucking pay the 200 yen for the damn thing and read it at home. I have no patience for these mouth breathers and their shitty etiquette.

I'm going to Tokyo from decemebr 27th - January 8th.

I have known a Japanese family for three years and we have been penpals but I'm not finally able to meet them. I talk to the mom (in her 40s) and her daughter (27) on LINE but the husband and son are usually always busy. The mom and daughter are going to show me around Shinjuku (museums, restaurants, shopping centers).

Besides that I am staying by myself in Pearl hotel Ryogoku (literally a two minute walk from Ryogoku station which will help a lot).

So far, on my "just me" days I am planning on visiting Aokigahara (Jukai) and the wind/ice caves.

I really just want to explore around Tokyo and go shopping, eat at local places, and visit arcades.

Is it easy to get lonely while traveling alone? I'll only be with family for a few days.

>>1181532
If you want proper NY style pizza, check out Rocco's in Ooji. Its a bit far, but definitely worth it, and they also sell pizza by the slice.

>>1181867
Do you know of any good Mexican restaurants?

Just had an amazing time in nakano.

Everything closes at 8pm except the kuroneko maid cafe ( catgirl themed maid cafe obviously).

1000 yen per 30 min unlimited alcohol while being meowed at by catgirls. Better value than akihabara.

I was drinking with some salarymen and we talked through google translate. One was a 40ish IT guy who loved girls und panzer but we also talked about strike witches and upotte. Another guy joined in and mentioned gundam and i think he worked for mazda. All grey haired men in suits.

Then they started talking american tv. 24 and game of thrones are what they were into. One never heard of GOT so u played youtube clip of a battle. Several guys and two catmaids gathered around to watch.

They asked what my favorite japanese food was and i answered "soba, and lawson store red chicken". One guy from the other end of the bar then came over and gave me a high five.

Most fucked up night in tokyo yet. Most memorable too. Otaku salarymen are great to hang out with.

>>1181835
No aspie, thats not a thing anywhere except on the train. The aisles of Book Off are not massively crowded so you just say すみません and the person will move

>>1181868
Only one worth a shit in Tokyo is Junkadelic

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>>1181868

I found a mexican buffet in shinjuku that was better than most of the mexican food i had in san diego. I cant remember the name but i cant imagine there were msny mexican places there.

>>1181874

Distegard that. The name was on the sign in the photo.

Dark basement restaurant with corona and reasonably authentic food.

>>1181866
>>1180298

>>1181869
I remember sitting at fireworks somewhere in downtown Tokyo. Across from me, a group of Salarymen and women set up after work. Around halfway in, one of the guy gets out his phone with some loli anime character as his phone background. One of the other guy sees this, looks at him and says "Tanaka-san, you're a lolicon too?" and they proceeded to talk about lolis for the rest of the fireworks

fucking Japanese salarymen

>>1181872
>The aisles of Book Off are not massively crowded

Says you. It always is that the book off in my neighborhood. Just don't get why you're defending obstructing neckbeards so much. Are you one?

God I'm tired of everyone bombarding my white ass with nipspeak and expecting me to understand it. Feels like playing Dota with Russians.

>>1181885
Cyka blyat

>>1181727
Yeah they close off the whole district so the residents can't leave it and filthy whites can't get in.

>>1181674
Yeah I've got the same thing. I'm going to Osaka from tokyo and back and I plan on using the metro a lot in tokyo but I'm not sure if it'll actually be worth it.

>>1181915
>>1181669

Ya know, I decided to do a study trip instead. 21 days in Tokyo while going to school. So I guess won't need the JR Pass anyway lol

APA Hotel chain. Yes? No?

>>1181986
They aren't bad, pretty standard Japanese business hotel

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>>1181986

APA in hiroshima was rather nice. Reasonably big room by japanese standards, 55" tv and a lawson store inside the hotel. Also the TV had a laundry status channel so you could watch when machines became avaialable and to see when it was done.

Also APA published their own manga and include a copy of it in each room. 180 pages of sucesscessful buisness people and the hotel history. Boring as fuck but neat at the same time.

>>1181792
Yes

>>1181631
GAC, which rents pocket wifi, also rents data only sim cards.

If you go to narita airport website and look for services, i think youll be able to find a softbank option to buy a prepaid data only sim

Ive heard that bmobile is also a good option

Btw check that your phone is unlocked and compatible with japanese frequency

I've always wanted to go to Japan when I retire (or maybe a part of me wants to see my japanese half-sisters out of curiosity). But the people over there who speak different language, tradition and feeling of being an outsider that I shouldn't belong there makes me want to get out the country once I step my foot in. I think my trip would be more enjoyable if I grasp their language to an extent and get connected to them instead of just enjoying the scenery. Thinking to visit Tokyo, Osaka, Beppu, Nikko, Nara, Kyoto, and obviously climb Mt. Fuji.

>>1182093
Thank you for your blog post

>>1182093
ok

Are there any Japan General approved translation apps? I know there's a lot out there, I'm just wondering if any of you highly recommend one due to few errors in translation.

Would you say Nagoya is worth a day trip from Osaka when you've seen everything touristy in Osaka. Kyoto and Nara?

>>1182120
no, go to Kobe or something

>>1182120

Been there already. So I guess I'll just stay in Osaka.

By the way, does anyone know the Space Station Video Game Bar in Osaka? Is it any good?

Are names in hiragana an oddity? I thought most of them were in characters but I had a server today with くろせ on her tag which I found odd since that doesn't sound like a name and I only know hiragana

Or does it mean something entirely else?

Thanks.

>>1182143
Names in hiragana exist. That being said, sometimes name tags use hiragana because of the multiple kanji readings.

>>1182143
What's so unusual in Kurose?

>>1182145

Didn't know it was a name, never heard of it before.

Is it a name?

>>1182127
haven't been there myself, but some people from my hostel ended up going and they told me it's pretty awesome

>>1182145
Not that guy, but I searched the name and was presented with an anime dude holding his shirt in his mouth and another one where it looks like he has the handle of a whip (???) in his mouth?

Fujoshis I swear to God.

>>1182155
>>1182162
It's a last name, not that uncommon. It's not popular though due to the fact it sounds similar to "kill"

Ooh, I remember that sign, photographed it too

>>1181460
On that note, the Yamazaki Distillery is a cool place to visit if you're in the kansai area

>>1181869
Amen.
Had one of my best nights in Japan at a Okonomiyaki place in Hiroshima with an otaku owner, so the clientele was pretty nerdy too, showed em pictures of my gunpla, his wife had better english though and was a qt.

>>1180121
whats the best place to eat kobe wagyu beef in tokyo? or which dept store can i buy some?

Does anyone have recommendations on good yakisoba restaurants or any restaurant with good beef or chicken dishes?

>>1182251
yakisoba is street food. there probably aren't many if any upscale yakisoba places

>>1182251
in Tokyo btw,

>>1182253
Awe, man. Thanks anyway.

>>1182187

Cool thanks

You can join the yakuza? tell me about this pls

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>>1181123
i did it, spoke very little to no Japanese, used google maps to get around on the subway system, everyone in tokyo and osaka spoke atleast a little english ,every is nice for the most part

>>1181627
they work for any phone that takes a sim card, i got mione from a vending machine soon as i landed turned my phone off/on and was set

>>1181006
>China trip

How are Airbnbs in Japan? I was interested in using them for my stay but I have heard things about them like that they can be illegal.

I don't have much experience with subways/trains aside from Hong Kong, and there the trains always run on time and never stop randomly.

Is it normal for subway/trains in Tokyo to just stop for a few minutes in the middle of the tunnel? It's happened twice so far in my trip and I've only taken the train maybe ten times so far.

>>1182335
Draw a dragon on your arm with pen and show it to the first guy in a suit you see. It's honor policy, they have to make you a member.

>>1182335
>>1182473
don't listen to this guy

you have to bump into a yakuza on the subway, REALLY hard. more force proves your dominance

then you exchange business cards and you're in.

New bread >>1182510

We're planning on buying some addidas NMD shoes in Japan and plan to sell it here in our 3rd world country. Are there any anons with this kind of experience?