Japan General

>potential for first post
>can't...Help...It...
>reposting unanswered cry for help from previous thread

I'll be the lame boring typical /trv/ newb and ask (I actually lurk the board everywhere except Japan generals so sorry ahead of time)

I'm probably gonna go with a couple of friends to the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto) to visit a couple of other friends who just moved there. We'll be staying for 2 weeks

I'm the only single one out of all, and was wondering if it's worth the trouble to try and get to know some girl over there.
I've had girlfriends before but they've all been friends for a few months before we went the relationship way, if that's of any importance to the topic.
Basically I have no idea how any of this works in Japan, if it's any different to western places etc.

Thanks in advance, and any suggestions on actual nice tourism is more than welcome!

>>1199649
When is the best time to go? I don't have loads of money but I've wanted to go for years. I'm from the UK and needs the cheapest flights and hotel times during the year. Some recommendations as to where I should visit would be great too.

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Hey folks. Didn't want to bother anyone until I exhausted all of my options, so this is my last hope.

I fell in love with sake when I was in Japan, so I'm considering importing a bottle. I drank a lot of it there, but my favourite brand ended up being a cheap bottle I picked up in 7/11? I guess I'm not very classy. I took a picture of the bottle.

I've tried translating the brand, but it's been a mess so far. The gold lettering is too dim to pick up, but the lettering to the right of that is 'cloth sea' according to Google, yet the lettering on the top right is apparently 'mist wall' in Chinese? I've tried searching for it based on the exact shape of the bottle, but I'm having no luck.

I hate to ask, but could someone please translate the brand for me? I would appreciate it so much.

>>1199684
>The gold lettering is too dim to pick up, but the lettering to the right of that is 'cloth sea' according to Google

Sorry, this should read 'to the left of it'.

>>1199649
I posted this in the last thread and I took everyone's advice but I still don't know so I'll repost please help if you can
I train in MMA where I live, and it has always been my dream to take my karate training to the next level and temporarily join a dojo in a forest or on a mountain or something of that nature. Do those things even still exist? Is there a place I can go? If so, how do I contact them from abroad? Or do I have to go there first?

>>1199681
Fair enough ;__;

>>1199684
Pretty sure you can find this in any large supermarket in western countries

>>1199684
It's Hakkaisan (Mt. Hakkai) sake.

>>1199716
No
>>1199684
Sea is "umi". That Namibian rune to the left means mountain, "Yama". It's Jun Umiyama brand. Google it to see the same bottles.
If you want to do me a favor in return, please cut your fucking nails, it's disgusting

>>1199723
Don't listen to this guy. He's an idiot.

You're exact bottle is here: http://food-log.jugem.jp/?eid=2258

>>1199725
Your*

>>1199645
Anon, how far is Aokigahara from Tokyo? Workable for a day trip?

>>1199729
Not that anon but it is a day trip indeed. I'm pretty sure there was a bus that gets you there. Remember in aokigahara you have an awesome ice cave. Pretty sure that If you search on Google it will come out fairly quickly a guide to take the bus that gets you there.

>>1199716
>>1199725
That's the one! Thank you so much!

>>1199714
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any sake where I live. If it's not beer, cider, whiskey, vodka or wine, you're generally out of luck here.

>>1199723
You tried your best autism-kun. Since you got it wrong, the nails stay.

So I told a friend of mine I was planning on going to Tokyo in April and now he wants to come along.

Only problem is, he's a fitness type and he wants to climb Fuji. I am the exact opposite of that and I'm pretty sure I'd die if I tried to climb Fuji.

>>1199735
So tell him that you're too much of a fat fuck to climb the mountain and let him do it alone while you stuff your face with Japanese food you fat fuck.

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>>1199741

>>1199743
Not bait, if you can't climb Fuji you should probably just kill yourself.

>>1199684

The left character looks like a dick.

>>1199735
Mt. Fuji' climbing season is from early July to mid-September. It's pretty much closed off-season because it's too dangerous to climb it then. Seems like you're in luck.

If I go on holiday to Japan for two weeks would I need only less than $100 USD a day to pay living expenses as >>1199630 says?

>>1199784
You can go most places for 100 USD a day, it just comes down to what you want to do. You could easily say, go to Tokyo and have your train pass paid for and just scoot along the railways which should get you to most of japan

>>1199670
Just realize that japanese girls and the culture of japanese people are generally different. So some of your jokes may be taken offensively.

Just lurk the threads for people talking about their expirences

>>1199784
That anon here. I'm using airbnb and taking advantage of weekly and monthly discounts. I also got a sweet deal and booked three months in advance though. You can do anything if you plan right.

>>1199810
This, my Airbnb is about 34 a night for 3 weeks in/around downtown.

If you're on a butdget airbnb is by far the best option

>>1199784
Decent but cheap meals are like 500-1000 yen, local transportation depends on how many places you want to go and how far they are, but generally maybe 300-1500 yen for a day, and AirBnB/hostel/buisiness hotel run like 3000-6500 yen or so. Should be doable.

>>1199794
Yeah, but keep in mind the rail pass is like 25-35 bucks extra per day - mostly worth it if you travel major distances multiple times during the same week.

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>>1199729
I went to aokigahara yesterday. Here is what you do.

1) Go to Shinjuku bus terminal and get ticket for a bus ride to Kawaguchiko Station (you'll have to reserve tickets in advance because they usually sell out the day of). My ticket was 3500 yen for a round trip.
2) Once you're at Kawaguchiko Station, go inside and get a ticket for the Green Line Retro Bus (it will be 1200 yen for two days).
3) Ride the bus for about 30 - 40 minutes until you reach Fugaku Fuketsu (Wind Cave). From there you will find the entrance to Aokigahara.

There are some beautiful spots to look at Mount Fuji as well. I just rode the bus until I got to a spot with a good view and then pushed my button to have the bus stop so i could get off.

Here is a photo that I took in Aokigahara.

>>1199822
Forgot to add that the bus ride from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko is about an hour and 20 minutes.

>>1199822
Find any bodies?

>>1199820
Yeah the railpass is a bit expensive but worth it if you want to see/do more than tokyo.

With my trip to japan I didn't include the JR pass in my daily budget, more or less balled it in with my air/buss/tranpsoration budget instead.

And yeah Airbnb/hostel is a must for going on 100/day. Personally I would say if you are including JR pass, hotel, and food in the ~100 dollars a day I would hold off till I could save more. I mean yeah it would be doable depending how good you are with sticking to a strict budget, but personally when I go to japan the last thing I want to be doing is counting my pennies.

>>1199820
Am I the only one who can get by with a kare/melonpan or two for breakfast, 1-2 onigiri and a few coffee during day and a dinner at Coco/tendon tenya/Yoshinoya? That's in the ballpark of 1500-1700 yen a day on food. That's of course is only when I'm just wandering around. Gotta have normal lunch on workdays.

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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

>>1199840
Food budgets are always impossible to budget for without knowing the person. Also depends what activities they are doing, for me I am going to be doing quite a bit of walking in Japan to cut down on cab fares and such

Peoples height, weight, and physical activites determines a lot. I have about 170 USD budgeted per day for my Japan trip, doesn't mean I will use it all unless I bar everynight.

>>1199846
>unless I bar everynight

This stuff I never understood. Maybe I'm getting old nearing 30, but after clubbing for 1 night, I don't have the drive to go again for like a month. Coffee? Sure! The wine place? Sign me up. That damn sushi restaurant where booking is impossible for months? Fuck yes! But clubbing/bar every night? Jesus, how.

I agree on food budget being heavily dependent on person. For me, the above "menu" us also for walking around a lot, roughly 20km a day. I'm 198cm tall and 90kg so my calorie requirement is on the higher end.

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>>1199831
No. There were signs that that blocked entrances to other trails but I didn't go down any of them due to time. I didn't want to be in the forest at dusk.

>>1199850
The deeper you go, the higher your chance of running into a body is.

You also increase your chance of getting lost and it's too cold at night to risk that.

>>1199848
Sorry, "Bar everynight" I don't mean getting shitfaced day after day but maybe grabbing some pints after a day out. I also have a pretty high tolerance so drinking out is bit pricier for me than most.

I've just looked up prices for things at bars and seen that in japan prices are a bit higher than where I live. I am also meeting up with various friends each night so chances are they will also want to grab a pint.

>>1199852
Oh ok, then I misunderstood. A beer or two after a long day is a great way to chill.

>>1199853
Yeah just hate how expensive drinks appear to be in japan compared to the states(though I could be looking in the wrong places), raises a good question thought.


For people who have been to japan any advice for drinking on the cheapish? I have a private room but would like to avoid drinking in it as much as possible. Prices seem to vary wildly from place to place with some places being ~500 for a liquor mix to 700+ yen for a pint.

>>1199850
I see. If I were to go I'd like to go during early summer and go corpse hunting, aokigahara is fascinating.

>>1199860
>buy a bunch of alcohol from donki
>sit in a park and people watch while you drink

>>1199864
Yeah looking up the laws and some posts now, apparently people give less of a shit than Vegas does about drinking in public.

>>1199867
yep, there's no law about it so have fun

>>1199794
>>1199810
>>1199820

Thanks, this has clarified it for me so much better as I thought it'd be way more expensive.

>>1199867
Japan does not have open alcohol laws. You can drink open alcohol on the trains even. I don't condone it, and I've only seen redneck Japanese men do it, but you can still.

>>1199875
Sure you know this but if you are doing 100/USD including hotel+transportation+food you'll really need to keep a strict eye on what you spend. That's dangerously low per day in my opinion.

>>1199881
I'm not planning to walk around Tokyo with a bottle of sake in the open walking the streets but it am glad I looked it up.

>>1199882
Actually I just meant on the train specifically. But yeah, although you can drink anywhere I don't see anyone with open alcohol outside of parks and stuff.

>>1199863
to each their own ahahah

>>1199670
I annoyed at this post simply because I do not understand why it is asked.

You're single, so what? Why do you need to find a girlfriend in the short time period during a holiday to fit in with your friends who are going with a couple?

At most you'll never see a girl again after you leave. Why is this even a question in the first place, how does a travel board answer this for you?

>>1199909
I guess he is assuming that because he is a traveling person all Japanese people will fawn over them because they never saw a foreigner.

>At most you'll never see a girl again after you leave.

This, if you ever expect to see the person after a meetup then you have some really odd expectations. I mean it can happen but usually if you are visiting another country? Pretty damn unlikely.

>>1199848
> Jesus, how
If you ever had a really good company, you wouldn't ask this question, anon.
One night ends, few hours of sleep, get in touch with someone from the crew who's already awake, lazy hangover breakfast and then shits starting again...And it's not even "haha bro getting wasted in Tokyo" tier, that's just fun. Age doesn't matter, it only puts some limits on how much you can drink each night.
Not that there's something bad in staying sober.

>>1199867
>>1199881
>>1199882
drinking in public in Japan is so much fun, I missed it a lot when I got home. just drinking a beer while walking through Shibuya or Osaka or some other place with bright lights and crowds is chill as fuck.

>>1199950
That's all fun and dandy so long you don't have to maintain a job, anon.

I do have good company and we meet quite often (4-5 times a week) but do other stuff (hiking if it's weekend, izakaya, coffee, onsen, etc). Save for the few special occasions, I hate the getting wasted every day coupled with crappy "dancing" and generally shit music. Especially when someone decides that "he's gonna hit on that cutie".
But to each his own I guess. I was never a party animal, not even during university.

Hey guys, I'm looking to find a cheap suit in Tokyo. Anyone know of some second hand stores that might have gaijin sized suits? I checked my local Mode Off and some other local shops but everything seems to be too small. If it comes down to it, I can buy new shit too but I'm on somewhat of a budget.

>>1199840
Well, of course that kind of frugal spending may be possible, especially if you work or stay a long time.
But when I'm vacationing there for 2-3 weeks, I'd rather splurge a bit and experience all the delicious food I haven't tried before.

I'll make my question brief, /trv/


Spending a year in Japan for abroad study.

Nagasaki, Kyoto, or Tokyo for 10 months?

>>1199683
Depends what you want to do. The worst times, in my opinion, are mid August and the New Year. August because it's summer vacation, it's hotter than hell, and all the tourist places are ten times busier, New Year because every place is closed and all the hotel prices are jacked up.

October is pretty great because of the weather. But if you want to catch a baseball game, maybe do the spring instead. Or maybe you want to go skiing, which is pretty cheap in Japan.

>>1199990

Whoops, meant Hirosaki, not Nagasaki

>>1199990
Nigga how is this even a question? Kyoto and Hirosaki are fucking tiny compared to Tokyo.

Obviously go with Tokyo.

I can't wait to go back to Japan just to fuck those prostitutes in Tobita Shinchi to be quite honest.

There was this one girl that was really fucking good at it, pretty much gave me the full treatment. I went twice to her in one night, next time I'm there I'm gonna go for a full hour. Don't give a fuck as to how much it'll cost.

>>1199990
>>1199993
not sure if it's supposed to be a wordplay joke between Hiro and Naga, but in that case I would probably choose Tokyo or Kyoto. Kyoto is more laid back, but can be a lot more condensed with tourists, while Tokyo is a lot more hectic. I still prefer Tokyo over any other city in the country though

>>1199990
Tokyo. Best fucking city in the world. Though I may be fucked in the head since I also enjoy rush-hour commute.

>>1199850
Bus? Wouldn't a train ride be cheaper?

>>1199997
>I also enjoy rush-hour commute.

I refuse to believe that you ever actually needed to ride the rush-hour trains more than a couple times and still feel this way.

>>1200042
"Stop liking what I don't like."

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I'll be in Japan for a few months on a tourist visa and I understand I have to carry my passport on me at all times right? I'm kind of concerned about carrying both my passport and large amounts of cash on me, especially if I'm going to be going out drinking or anything like that. What would be a good way to securely carry those things?

>>1200089
>I'll be in Japan
That's the only answer you need. You will not get mugged and even if you lose it, chances are it'll be in the next 交番

>>1200092
Yeah I'm not too concerned with being mugged because it is Japan, but I am a little uncomfortable just in case I lose it or something.

>>1200093
Keep your passport in a pocket you don't use much (e.g. if you're right handed, your front left trouser pocket). I got a small clear plastic sleeve for mine as I went in the wet season. If you're planning on getting blackout drunk, do the same with enough Yen to grab a cab back to where you're staying in case you get lost. As long as you aren't an idiot and following Nigerian touts in Roppongi, you're all good. I probably had around 20-25,000 yen on me for a night out, and it was more than enough for drinking in bars from about 10pm-5am. If you don't lose your wallet when you're partying back home, don't sweat it.
Are you travelling alone, or with friends?

>>1200099
That's a good idea, I'll do that, thank you. I'll be travelling alone but I plan on meeting some friends there too. And yeah I'm definitely not going to be following any Nigerian touts, rest assured.

>>1200101
No problem man. I went with a friend in the summer, so when we were both really drunk we kept each other right.
Is this your first trip to Japan? Next month will be my second.

>>1200102
I'll be without a wingman so I'll just have to put my faith into the good nature of the Japanese I suppose! This'll be my third, although this time will be for much longer than my first two trips (couple weeks and like 8 days respectively).

>>1200035
There are no other options.

>>1200108
Nice! I'm sure you'll have a blast! Any recommendations for food or drinking in Tokyo? I'm working out a vague itinerary just now.

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>>1200111
Hmm, I've heard Ameya Yokocho is a good place for candy and sweets and stuff if that's your thing. And West Aoyama Garden for pic related, holy shit.

>>1200116
I'm looking for some neat/interesting places to eat.

Got any suggestions?

>>1199995
Fucking mongers man. I'll never get it.

>>1200111
>>1200134
Besides the places I've suggested I'm afraid I don't really know any good restaurants or anything, so I'm all ears if anyone else has any decent recommendations too.

>>1200138
You're replying to a different guy now, guess he didn't read the linked post. I'm not big on sweets but I'm pretty curious about those big Japanese rice cooker pancakes, might check that out!

To the other guy asking, I loved the weird isolated ramen places with the private boothes, you can find several near any main station, my favourites being near Harajuku.

Found some spare days in Kyoto. On my way now. Didn't really do much research on the cify cause my friends didn't want to go so I had to give it up in order to go to Hiroshima.

What are the most important to see sites there?

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>>1200099
>I probably had around 20-25,000 yen
Wow you were partying hard with only 2 coins?
What can you even buy with 20 yen? One lollipop maybe?

>>1200143
Ginkakuji
Kinkakuji
Kiyomizu
Fushimi Inari
Nijo Castle

Good Tokyo breweries?

So is the heat and humidity really that bad at the end of July? It's the only time I can go but I don't want it to be unbearable.

>>1200175
Devil Craft has good beers

>>1200191
Going to almost 100% depend where you grew up and live currently.

>>1200194
Netherlands.

>>1200198
you're fucked

>>1200198
Probably going to be a bit shitty ~27C is average, and looking up the Netherlands it is usually much lower than that.

Dress lightly

I'm trying to buy fake designer clothing.

Will I just find some stands in Harajuku and Shinjuku with hawkers?

At what time are the trains in Tokyo packed to the point where 2 guys with heavy luggage can't fit in? Need to get to Nippori from Sugamo and have a tight schedule.

>>1200198
You are death. You will sweat your ass off and every single drop of sweat will get accumulated because of the high humidity that prevents it from naturally evaporating.

>>1200210
Dead* missclicked on suggested word

>>1200207
If you are on a tight schedule why not take a taxi? It might prove easier around your schedule

>>1200212

Taxis hella expensive ain't it?

>>1200214
It is, but you might take in account the cost of opportunity.

>>1200210
Fuck. I hate that it's the only time of the year i can go. I guess I'll just have to deal with it.

>>1200214
If I am reading this right from station to station it is like 4.3km.

According to google that is going to be ~3,000 yen. Might be worth it depending on your schedule, not to mention you said you have heavy luggage.

>>1200216
Just wear some light short sleeve shirts, there are some good workout ones that look passable as t-shirts that breath very well. I'd avoid anything cottony and dark in color.

>>1200219
This. Get some ice cream, a few cold beers and you should be fine though the day. Jump from a/c to a/c on those places that you are wishing to visit. Also I recommend leaving those delicious hot ramens for dinner.
Have a nice stay! Also check if a trip to Okinawa isn't worth it for you.

>>1200220
I'd say avoid ice cream actually, while it does cool you down immediately the sugar can have more adverse effects in a hot and humid client. I'd recommend the idea about dipping in and out of AC places or direct sun though.

I'd say stick to water or unsweet tea's if you want flavor.

>>1200210
>>1200191
Fuck you, stupid cunts, stop littering this thread with either "omg is it safe" or "omg can't bear the weather" posts. What's fucking wrong with you? Yes, it is hot and humid. But how are you different from anyone else who's travelling just fine? Dress lightly, drink water, lose weight, you fatass weebs. Get in fucking shape. I don't know, it triggers me so fucking much. Unbearable...You fuckers don't even know what "unbearable weather" means. Fuck off

>>1200221
Didn't know that little fact about ice cream. Thanks for it.

>>1200224
Cool down anon, The dude said he is from where the average temp is 55F(in July). Going to somewhere that is 90F (average in July)is almost double what he is use to, doesn't matter if he is fat or not that is still unusually warm for him.

>You fuckers don't even know what "unbearable weather" means.
So you live somewhere that it hits 50C too eh?

>>1200227
Talking about high temperatures.
>Cool down anon
Kek'd

>>1200224
I'm in better shape than you'll ever be you little twink. Nothing wrong with asking. Stop being triggered so fast.

Does Rock West in Shibuya still exist?

>>1200224
>Dress lightly, drink water, lose weight, you fatass weebs
I'm in shape, dress lightly and drink lots of water, I still sweat a ton where I live (it's hot all the fucking time with high humidity) sometimes it just can't be helped

>>1200072
"I know you are, but what am I?" tier response.

Will US customs get all pissed if I bring back lewd doujins and DVDs?

>>1200334
You need to declare them. It may be hard at first, but make sure to write the full names of each piece of material. That way, when they find it, they'll know you declared them.

>>1200347

But I don't know their English names and the kanji is hard to write.

>>1200352
You're the worst kind of weeaboo. I hope you know that.

How to convince my Korean girlfriend the Japanese people in Osaka won't try at every chance they get to poison and/or assault her so I can actually visit Japan?

>>1199909
sorry to be of annoyance, but that's why I asked "is it worth to [...]"
I've had a long-distance thing once and it worked out for quite a while, and she even moved nearby (where there was an opportunity)

so that's why I was asking, in some cultures they're more willing to move if they see some future together, if that makes any sense

other than that I fully agree, it's mostly pointless, and I'm not into hooking up or w/e
and no, I'm not some tall western dude that think all asians will bow at my feet when I get off the plane

>goes back to lurking quietly hoping something will be posted about Osaka and/or Kyoto

>>1200355
Every sign here is in korean now. Japanese are fighting for korean tourist money for some reason.

>>1200355
>Never got a chance to visit Korea or even visit the western shore of Japan because my girlfriend in Japan was convinced the Koreans were going to kidnap her

>>1200334
Is there any reason you can't ship them separately to your house or rip/scan them to your PC

Hey, so my friends and I are planning a week stay in Japan over mid-March. We already have our flights booked and everything. Around the last 3 days or so, I plan on ditching their asses and exploring some of the countryside by myself (want some solo experience, plus they only want to stay in Tokyo). What are some great rural places to visit? Preferably around small, quiet seaside towns.

>>1200390
So how long is your trip in Japan? You a week trip, but you also mentioned 3 days. Which is it?

Also where are you going to be staying? Tokyo region or some other place?

FYI you and everyone else posting in this thread need to give a better description on their interests and stuff they want to do in Japan so people can help you better or just you to just fucking google it.

>>1200397
>mfw this Faggot didn't read the post he's replying to

>>1200402
It's been 24 hours since I last ate, caught the deadly Japanese cold when I left so my reading comprehension is shit out the window.

>>1199723
>please cut your fucking nails, it's disgusting
Any shorter than that pic and it's farmer-tier to be quite honest mate.

>>1200405
This honestly

>>1200404
Then you better recover before you start shitting on other people with legitimate questions

Im going to japan from the 22nd of jan to the 22nd of april, all ive booked is the flights and im not sure what to do at all or where to stay. i was thinking about going skiing for a week and trying to find a month long intensive language course. how fucked am i

>>1200390
I'm not sure how long you're going to be staying in Japan or what you like but if you want a rural place then I suggest you go to Aokigahara and try what it's known for.

>>1200408
I'm the anon that posted >>1200390, just wanted to thank you for that nice gesture.

But yeah, if you guys need anymore info, we'll be staying at an acquaintance's place at Tokyo. After the first four days, I'll be leaving in the morning and take the train to find some nice rural areas by the sea. I just want some recommendations of comfy, scenic rural places to spend my last 2 or 3 days in Japan at, and also information on hotels, inns, restaurants, hotspots, etc. that I can visit while I'm there.

Thank you.

>>1200451
Thanks, I'll look into Aokigahara.

In my research for my first trip to Japan. I noticed that I haven't really seen any information on any night markets.

I'm mostly interested in night markets just for food.

The closest I've seen to what I'm looking for, is Piss Alley.
Does anyone have any experiences with night markets or any similar places?

Thanks in advance

>>1200411
That's a pretty long time anon, if you're in tokyo around the end of March let's hang out

I've been reading up on the possibility of making a trip to Japan with a friend (the sticky is very helpful), but something I've found very little of substance on is how bad the language barrier is for someone who knows no Japanese whatsoever. My friend is a first generation chinese immigrant with solid mandarin, so if I'm not mistaken that'll at least be a bit helpful sometimes reading some of the shared symbols, but apart from that we wouldn't have anything better than phrasebook-level japanese.

How much would that screw us? How much if we go out of the cities/touristy areas?

>>1200470
doesent sound like a bad idea to me at all, what are you planning on doing over there?

>>1200489
You'll be able to do pretty much any common touristy thing with zero Japanese.

You won't be able to have a real conversation with most people, but it will not be hard to find someone that speaks some limited amount of English or is atleast willing to put up with signing.

>>1200533
That includes hotels, restaurants, etc, even outside cities/common tourist venues? Alright, that's good to know. Is the mandarin likely to be of any use reading signs?

Another thing - I know people ask a lot, but how is the weather across the year? I know it's meant to be pretty hot and humid in the summer. I'm from scotland, I don't like going outside of the 10-15C range if I can avoid it. That said, I visit family in LA and Houston in the summers where it goes past 35C (and in the latter case is also extremely humid) and I get by as long as I can return to somewhere with AC and get a wash and a change of clothes.

I'd still rather not have to deal with the heat though. How does it vary by season and region? I could plan my trip for pretty much any time of year. Also, I'm kinda interested in seeing Hokkaido in the winter.

>>1200539
Hotels maybe.
Restaurants are completely dependent on if they are famous. You will almost never be able to speak to staff unless they are a college aged person with an interest in English or its a world famous restaurant. But most chains and decently popular with foreigner places will have a point menu similar to the blind people menu

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I'm going to Japan for a month, between mid-April and mid-May. I'm planning on buying the 21-day railpass and journeying through the country, then spending the last week in Tokyo. So far I've worked up the following itinerary, without specifying dates (pic related):

immediately leave for Takayama
Kanazawa
Okayama
Beppu
Hiroshima
Kyoto (probably a longer stay)
back to Tokyo

Do you think this is a bit much? Also, a Japanese person told me she would drop Beppu for Nagasaki. I'm not sure. Beppu seems nice, what with all the onsen and lava boiling up. Is Nagasaki that great?

>>1200089
Never carried my passport on me while in Japan, then again I always have my wife with me to talk to police if ever the occasion arises.

>>1200493
I don't really have plans to be honest, it's my sixth or seventh time there. Just going to see the cherry blossoms and some friends.

I have two weeks in Japan (in early April) and I was considering spending the better of one week in Nara (since it looked pretty cool with all the deer)?

Is this a good idea though? Or is it one of those cities (like Brussels) that gets boring after two days?

>>1200593
Opt for Kyoto instead, nara is 40 mins by train

>>1200577
what did you use to make that image? IT looks useful? Is it just google something?

Have any of you anons have tried using airbnb? If so, what prefectures would you recommend when I stay over there? Seems like Tokyo and Shibuya are the highly recommended places since BAKA gaijins are much more welcomed than staying at a local suburb in nippon.

>>1200637
Used Shinjuku and Dotonbori

>>1200637
Yeah, stayed at a dotonbori airbnb this november, close to namba and easy to get to umeda

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>>1200134
A kebab vendor in Akihabara. They have delicious food.

Find Mandarake Complex in Akihabara (it's only a 3 minute walk from Akihabara Station. Go down the road that Mandarake is on and make sure Mandarake is on your right. Continue going down the road until you see the vendor on your left. The same two guys work there and one of them is tall and looks italian. Pic related

>>1200352
Just say you forgot about them. Customs won't really care about DVDs.

How is Akihabara on sundays?
I'm thinking about going there tomorrow but I also could go on monday.
Are the shops all open on sunday? I heard they close the street for the traffic, is this true?

>>1200638
>>1200640
Thanks senpai, I'll give dontonbori a shot since you two have used it.

>>1199683
My last trip was during October, and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect, nice and cool, and I only got rained on maybe twice. My next trip will be in February, so there are winter temperatures to be concerned with.

I've heard March is nice, there's the cherry blossom season, but I'd expect shit to be crowded, and hotel prices to be a little higher than average. I would stay away during the summer, it gets hot and humid as fuck, unless you're heading up to the Hokkaido region. Sapporo is nice and temperate during that time of year. Not too rainy, either.

>>1200577
It's not much imho. I was backpacking for littel over 2 weeks and used a 2 week pass which I could use in Tokyo as well for the JR lines (walked the rest so I didnt even buy metro tickets).
Arrived at Narirta and spent the night in the capsule hostel to save a day on the pass and then:
Mastumoto (half a day to see the castle and the soba festival) arriving to Nagano for the night and left for the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route (if you take it you'll see some sick snow I believe since the route opens in april only cuz of snow) and arrive to Kanazawa for the nigtht.
Kanazawa is awsome imho, biggest surprise city for me and had an awsome stay near the station in a small, friendly hostel. Guest house Pongyi if interested.
Next day in Takayama, it's a nice town and very quiet. Check out when the spring festival is there since it will be packed for those days and you wont find a place to stay.
Then headed for Kyoto for 4 days with a day sidetrip to Nara. Kyoto is fine but its full of annoying tourists (mostly the SEA ones) and you'll only see temples and shrines basically...
Nara is fun with the huge ass buddha statue and deers), though still very touristy.
Koyasan is nice, though its really very tiny and you'll need a local ticket to get there (you can buy a 2 day combined ticket for cheaper).
I liked Hiroshima, clean and less packed than Kyoto or Tokyo and you can visit Miyajima (ferry covered by JR pass), worth a day or a night over there. Haven't gone souther from there, so my way back I spent a few hours in Himeji since you'll spend a shitload of time traveling anyway might as well stop and check the castle.
As for Tokyo.....it was too much for me personally. Spent about 4 days in Tokyo and it was okay, but I wouldn't do that again and rather check some smaller places instead.

All in all, your plan looks okay. Smaller towns can be toured in a day or two, cities you can spend a bit more on if you like them.

>>1200645
Was there on a sunday without really knowing what the fuck was going on. Suddenly people walked all over the street and no car was in sight. It became extremly crowded.

And yes, the shops are all open on sunday.

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>>1200676
>>1200645
Looks like that.

>>1200602
I'd stay in Osaka and make Nara and Kyoto day trips

>>1200539
>Is the mandarin likely to be of any use
Not really. Maybe for really simple things knowing the meaning of the individual characters could give you an idea.

>>1199683
Spring during cherry blossom season or Fall in my opinion. Or winter. Any time other than summer honestly

>>1200721
The best events in Japan are hanami, hanabi, and halloween.

Summer is totally fine and the best time of the year to go out at night.
If you've ever experienced even slight humidity you'll realize its overblown by the Japanese and the tourist who come from winter wasteland countries. The only unbearable part is if you work for a jerk Japanese company that still makes you wear a suit and tie with long sleeves during the summer

>>1200620
Google MyMaps. I discovered it yesterday, it's pretty useful.

>>1200658
Thanks, this is really helpful. I actually planned to see the Takayama festival (April 14-15). Maybe I can reserve some accommodation in advance, I'll see.

Hostel in tokyo or a private Airbnb room with a common area?

>>1200803
I generally go hostel because I only need it for sleep and internet anyway and splurge the money I save on something else.

My weeby best friend wants to take a hotspring tour of Japan with me, and while it sounds nice I'm afraid of getting rejected because I have tattoos on my thigh, arm, and chest.

Is there a certain leeway with the type of tattoos places may allow? I don't know enough Japanese to explain that they are not voluntary tattoos and I'm not sure it would make a difference.

>>1200812
>not voluntary tattoos
What do you mean? Were you drunk or something?

>>1200812
Were you tattoo'd in the army/prison? How else can a tattoo be not voluntary?
There are onsen which will allow you in if you can cover it. Some will deny you anyway. It really depends on the onsen but there's a current shit to be more "forgiving"

>>1200813
They showed who I belonged to when I was a kid. It's mostly poorly drawn faded numbers/letter plus a very shitty outline of what I think is supposed to be a crown on my arm.

>>1200818
>They showed who I belonged to when I was a kid.
w-what

>tfw only a few weeks until i'm in japan

My friend I'm travelling with really wants to see Roppongi night life this time. Can you guys recommend anywhere? I've heard there are some cool bars in Roppongi Hills. I'm struggling to find any clubs that interest me. I'm not huge into the club scene as I'm more of a rock music fan. Any tips appreciated.

>>1200838
All the clubs right past the FamilyMart in the cul de sac with bathrooms can all be fun but they are completely dependent on the night. My favorite is LINE because its usually free, but its definitely not as good as it was when it was 99. Greenland or whatever its called now is more consistent. The clubs around Jumanji down a different alley can be fun too, but once again its dependent on the night and I found people watching there more difficult. Use the site meetup to look for English language meetups at a club, they usually pack people in if the meetup is in a club because they typically offer nomihoudai.

People watching is a must in Roppongi. Just sit outside places you're thinking of checking out and drink.

Despite what a lot of the pussies on here say the Nigerian touts can actually be pretty nice and helpful in this regard. The entire area has been completely cleaned up due to the large number of Girl's bars opening so most of the remaining touts are hawking legitimate clubs.

Talk to them, listen to their pitch, and have them show you their club. Just be straight up and say that you want to check out a few other places or have some more drinks first but you might check it out later. If you're actually nice to them and aren't obviously shitfaced often times they'll tell you if its still dead inside and to come back later.

There are still shady places though so don't follow anybody offering you pussy or girls, especially if they are a man. Theres far less prostitutes in Roppongi than there used to be. 35-45 year old women are far less attractive, even drunk, when theres tons 18 year old teases hawking girl's bar, so they've kinda cleared out. But if its late enough and you're curious there are still some, they will give you a good massage and usually a handjob.

If you pay a lot extra you can get blown or even fuck but the prices seemed pretty outrageous and my friends that went all the way said it definitely wasn't worth it

>>1200850
Thanks a lot man, this is good info. I just told all the touts that approached me last time around Shinjuku I wasn't interest and after some hassle they left me alone so no big deal.

I'm not really looking for prostitution but a strip club would be cool if you could suggest anywhere.

My friend was looking for us to do the bars and clubs, see the night life Roppongi is famous for. The only one I've really been suggested is Jumangi55, which I think changed it's name recently. I heard it has an open bar for a while on week days? I'll add Greenland to the list on your recommendation. Any bars that you liked in the area? Anywhere you know of that plays rock music?

>>1200857
The only bar I ever frequented that wasn't hosting a language exchange was Coins Bar in Shibuya. I just found them less fun, even once my Japanese good enough to have a regular conversation. Theres a bar crawl monthly in Roppongi that will take you to all of the decent ones though.

Strip clubs don't exist in Japan, pretty much all the sexual fun that isn't paying for pussy is off limits if you don't speak a decent level of Japanese. There are some fun places in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku if you do tho.

Hostess bars/Girl's bars are usually good the first time just for the story, similar to a Maid cafe, but I honestly grew to hate them since they are so boring for what you get but Japanese people love them.

I don't like rock so I dunno.

>>1200347
>E-excuse me, sir, I need to verify this comic you bought. The, er, one titled "I bukkake'd my little sister the succubus"

>>1200658
Any other useful info about the alpine route? That's on my itinerary for my trip in July. Do you think it's worth it over staying extra days in Tokyo or Kyoto?

Few friends and I are going in Oct. What are some good unspoken Akihabara shops or any cool unspoken spots?

>>1200885
Just go into every shop you see. Mostly the same products but adventuring is part of the point at Akibahara.

>>1200723
Idk, I live where the humidity rarely drops below 65% year round and I'd still rather not go during the summer. Might do it in 2020 though since the Tokyo olympics may be the only one I go to in my lifetime

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>>1200930
I live in arizona where humidity rarely goes above 20%. I went to Japan in July and it was BRUTAL. I'd go on my morning run and come back COVERED in sweat. I'd have to shower afterwards. I'll be going again in a few weeks for about a month and it's going to be cold and rainy.

A guy on the street (ginza) randomly ask me my information for a model shooting. not handsome. seems kind of fishy. hear something about this?

>>1200969
Its pretty common

>>1200970
so whats the deal?

>>1200973
You're probably not going to be famous and those guys hang out on the street looking for anyone who looks halfway decent. Thats the deal

>>1200637
Staying in Osaki and it's pretty sweet. It's a quiet suburb though.

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>>1200879
Well, I was in this October. Had an amazing weather going up and on the top, however the bus that goes down didn't even stop at 2 intermediate stops cuz it was that foggy and rainy (started from Nagano, not the other way around). July should be fine imho.
Weather was chilly on top, had my soft shell only though and it was enough.
One thing is that I messed up is that since I backpacked throughout my trip I had my backpack on me all time I was taking the route, only about 12 kgs, but I suffered a lot up there.
I am not used to heights and you dont get acclimated in such a short time to 2300-ish meters, plus the vulcanic fumes (sulfur) so I had to stop periodically to breathe....
There are some parts you cannot go cuz of the fumes and some places you are advised to use a wet napkin over your face to proceed.
You can go up to the Murodo top at about 3000m height though if you are okay.
I would suggest 3 things:
- Check the waiting times, on their website somewhere you can find a calendar that displays the expected wait times for the different vehicles that take you up; the route consists of several stops where you use buses, cable cars and others so you have to wait the queue each time;
- in connection to the previous point make a rough estimation how much time you want to spend on the different stops, cuz you have to catch the last bus down if you don't want to spend the night in the hotel there;
- and further in connection to previous two points, catch the first bus that heads up to have as much time as possible. For this however you have to buy your tickets the day before, cause the opening hours for the shop where they sell it is later than the first bus departure. Also there is a possibility to forward your luggage to the end destination, however again the time for that is later than the first bus so you'll have to catch the second one.
Oh, also have GOOD shoes, paths are bumpy.
This is about everything I can think of, ask away if you have questions.

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>>1200879
>>1201029
About Kyoto and Tokyo:
This was my first self organized, lone backpacking trips so I did leave 3-4 days for both cities respectively. In retrospect now I know I hate tourists and groups, consequently the touristy places. I loved calm and quiet towns more personally more and you could actually take the less packed routes in Kyoto's temple areas (frankly not even routes, paths made of mud and planks really) but admittedly they are harder to climb. All in all I would now spend a bit less time in Kyoto and Tokyo and rather check up on a few smaller towns or even sidetrips from either cities. Altough I have to mention that I had planned for a Nikko sidetrip from Tokyo which I didn't take since I was rather tired by the end of that 2 weeks of touring and traveling around.
Kyoto is basically: shrines/temples on top of each other with ridiculous amount of annoying and obnoxious SEA tourists who will rent kimonos and act like total retards.
Tokyo is different, most people rush to work and the rest packed in the shopping streets and other popular areas. At night tho the city just doesn't sleep, fuckton of places are open to enjoy. And what struck me is that the city is not clouded by smog, barely any cars on the roads. I visited the Tokyo Skytree though, 4000 yen, so not cheap but being a civil engineer I was curious enough to cough up the money for it.
Can't emphasise enough, have a very good pair of shoes.

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>>1201035
Good old sky-tree

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I also love Tokyo Tower

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Hey who else saw the emperor today?? He came to the Sumo Tournament in Tokyo...

Crazy seeing grown men cry for this guy, can't say I wouldn't if I were them.

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>>1201040

>>1201035
What was going up the skytree like? I visited the empire state building once, it was absolutely miserable, at least an hour of standing in massive lines queueing to get up, and when I finally reached the top it was crowded as hell and I was ordered to stand up after I tried to take a seat. All in all, I was in no mood to take in the view by the time I got to it. Is the skytree better in that regard?

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>>1201075
There are 2 ways to go up.
3000 yen for regular and 4000 for a priority queue, I paid the priority one, but the regular one didn't seem bad from where I was standing. Up in the tower it was fine, there were plenty of people, but I believe they manage the numbers to be below a certain number.
I don't remember seats though, there might have been but I never sat down myself.

>>1201086
How long did you go without being able to sit down or use a toilet?

Also, how's the view? Only thing I remember from ESB was seeing ground zero.

>>1201090
Not him but there are actually 2 "stops", the tenbou deck and then the top level. I don't remember seeing seats or toilet on the top floor but it's of course there on the lower floor. My suggestion is to go late evening to see the city in sunshine and hang around as the sun goes down and the city shifts to night view. It's glorious.

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>>1201093
Forgot my picture

>>1201094
Alright, thanks, I'll remember that.

>>1201093
Damn, don't drink and post, guys. Or if you do, don't reread your own post. Those grammatical fallacies are shamefur dispray.

>>1200818
Dude what the fuck?

>>1200818
Holy shit
Care to elaborate?

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>>1201090
You should be fine not sitting for a while, no?
I mean you could always lean onto the railing if necessary, but why would you need it...
I was around noon or so and it was quite nice, mindblowing how huge Tokyo is. As far as you can see it's houses and buildings. Sadly I couldn't see Mt. Fuji cause of either humidity or light smog in the air but apparently you can see it as well given the weather is good enough.

>>1201094
fuck that is a gorgeous photo,

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BTW if you want to see Tokyo from up high for free, go to the Tokyo metropolitan governement building. They have free entry to a rather high floor, entrance at the underground tho, took me a while to find it.

>>1201162
Thanks, anon. I still regret that I did not have a DSLR at hand, only my phone.

>>1199649
Right, so, i'm 19 years old, living , in NY and will do literally anything to go anywhere that is not the east coast of the US. Ive got enough money for a plain ticket and a months rent in a dirt cheap apartment, and i was considering teaching English in japan. the problem is, i don't have a bachelors degree, so i cant get a teaching visa, is there any way around this?

>>1201037
>>1201035
Skytree looks pretty cool, maybe I'll make an effort to actually go inside it this time I go

>>1201190
china instead

>>1200958
>humidity rarely goes above 20%
Fuck that, I'd probably shrivel up and die living there. I've been to arizona before and the dry heat dehydrates me like crazy

>>1201157
I was a kid then so maybe my endurance wasn't as good. Also, it was a layover between flying from the UK to newark and from newark to the west coast. Maybe I was just tired, but I have a strong recollection of being very annoyed by my trip up the ESB and I'm just keen to check this wouldn't go the same way.

>>1201029
>>1201035
Thank you for the info. Since I'll be taking the alpine route between two longer stays in cities, I'll have my luggage with me (I'm only taking a backpack, though), so maybe it would be best to send it on ahead.

>>1200455
He basically told you to be an hero, faggot.

>>1201269
Someone is sore, why be so hostile to someone asking a genuine question about Japan in the Japan general? If anyone here is the faggot, it is you.

>>1201282
Sleep?

>>1200958
>I live in arizona where humidity rarely goes above 20%


haha you fucking nromie I am from NC and 120F feels great

Does naruto offer an accurate depiction of japan

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What's some of the basic etiquette I must follow in Japan to not be seen as some baka gaijin? I know I should control my inner weeb but should I try to say some Japanese phrases or learn enough for basic understanding?

>>1201421
Do not:
-Rent a yukata
-Be loud, especially in cafes/on trains
-Eat on the go, or simply in the streets. You can eat near the yatai/stalls, in parks (find a bench) or in Shinkansen.
-Take fucking selfies
-Wear anime shirts
Simple, huh? Common sense, huh? Well you would be surprised...
About the phrases, up to you

>>1201423
This guy sums it up perfectly. As for phrases, at least in Tokyo, even the simplest will do. This dude working the register at a 7-11 was impressed I knew the word "hashi," and the cafe maids were all like "oh, your Japanese is so good!"

Yes, I know they were probably a little patronizing, however, I do know they appreciate that people make the effort to know at least a little bit of the language.

>>1200812
Google search to see which ones allow it. Then google translate how to ask if they allow tattoos and just ask when you go to double check. Some do and some don't. I don't know why your friend wants to do a hot springs tour when you're going to be rejected from most of them. I think you should have a back up plan for other things to do in the area so you're not too disappointed if they turn you away.

>>1201421
Of course! Consider the Japanese you learn to be a souvenir. Learn how to say, please, excuse me, I'm sorry, thank you, my name is..., I'm from..., where is..., left,right,straight, and how to order food. That's really not that much vocab and even though I'm not the best at speaking Japanese people seem really happy that I try.

Besides that, be patient, stand in lines, stand on the left side of the escalator in Kanto (Tokyo area) and right side in Kansai (Osaka area), obey the crosswalks, ask people if you can take a picture of them, and use cash when you're out in the town.

On the public transportation don't manspread, don't talk on the phone, don't eat (this is the same when walking around town, but it's ok to drink coffee and stuff), don't talk loudly either. That's all I can think of! Kudos to you for trying to learn some basics.

Is it easy to find places to play mahjong?

>>1201426
>>1201423
>Don't eat on the go
Weird. Even some snacks bought on a the street?

Looking for a hot spring for a day trip near Tokyo. Reading up about Hakone but apparently parts of it are closed off due to volcanic gases.

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I really want to go to Japan someday but I don't have a lot of money because I'm currently a broke student. What are the ways to make an eventual trip to Japan the least expensive possible? Which periods of the year are the least expensive for plane tickets (from France to Japan), for example? Is it worth going there for just a week or is it not enough to see everything? I'm pretty sure at least two weeks are enough to visit a bunch of cities at a decent pace, but I want some confirmation. And as someone who studies Japanese in a shitty university, will my Japanese improve fast if I go to Japan and try to talk to Japanese people, or will people really try to speak in English to me or even avoid me because I obviously look like a foreigner? By the way, how often do weebs get disappointed when they go to Japan? All my weeb friends who went to Japan told me this was the best trip they ever had in their life or something, so I wonder if it's just disappointing for people who don't know how to behave and not weaboos in general.

>>1201470
Do keep in mind that Hakone has more than 1 hot spring before you go.

>>1201471
I would try to stay for longer if you can, flights to the other side of the world aren't cheap so you'd want to make the most of it. Avoid school and Japan holidays for cheaper flights or try to risk it and go during June, the rainy season.

As a weeb, Japan definitely over delivered on all my expectations, me and my friends spent almost a week in Akiba alone. Seeing and hearing all those anime background details we had been subconsciously absorbing for years come to life filled us with warmth.

People were very friendly, some even approached us to chat. You won't have to worry too much about them trying to speak to you in english, they're probably worse at it than you are at Japanese.

>>1201474
June is one of these months when I can't leave my city because of exams and other things related to college, but Ill keep that in mind for later, when I'll be done with college. I've been told that the winter is pretty nice, especially in Hokkaido because they celebrate several things during that season.

I checked on google and found flights for June anyway, I found the lowest price for two weeks was 490€, from my city to Tokyo. Now I guess I have to find good hotels or cheap ways to stay somewhere, like with airbnb for example.

>>1201469
Eat them directly near the place you bought them.

Actually, if you want to go super strict, same applies for vending machines: you buy a coffee, you either drink it right near the machine or you drink some and put the rest in your backpack or whatever. However, as I mentioned, it's optional: just try no to eat on the go.

I'm interested in visiting hokkaido as part of a trip to japan, what should I know about it?

>>1201423
I wore an anime shirt in Tokyo once. Felt like a complete idiot.

>>1201477
Airbnb is the way to go. 2 weeks aren't nearly enough, though. Unless you're fine with just getting a glimpse of everything.

Is there a list of notable comic/doujin markets? I'd like to attend one someday but Comiket sounds too hardcore for me.

Has anyone used Takkyubin or other Takuhaibin services as a temporary luggage storage solution? Appearantly you can specify delivery dates up to a week later or something.

I'm thinking of a good solution for storing a second suitcase (mostly full of souvenirs) while I'm spending a week in Okinawa. The domestic flight only allows one suitcase while my international flight home allows for two.

What to do in Japan for 30 more days in May after 30 days in Tokyo and 21 days of railway pass? I'm thinking of just flying to Seoul.

>>1199735
Don't climb Mt. Fuji in winter unless you are an experienced climber. You might actually die and I am not exaggerating. There isn't any coverage there off-season so you can't call for help if you get into trouble.
It is covered in thick snow so you will have a hard time seeing the trails, and you may also be caught in an avalanche.
If you really wanted to go, then you could do it with the proper gear, but since you don't want to, it is not worth risking your life for.

>>1201396
If you are talking about the series, not really because it is set in a different time. But if you were talking about the city called Naruto, then I would say that it is quite accurate.

>>1201480

If you are traveling around Hokkaido by train, be prepared to switch lines a lot. Also, getting the most out of Hokkaido requires a lot of time, since the distance between destinations is so large.

So I am going to Tokyo in 2 days. Whats something I can bring from America that is of value over there? Going to be staying in a hostel. Also what is something that is must bring for this time of year?

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>>1201471
Never go for less than a week. But you sound like this would be the only time you'd ever go to Japan.
My first trip was around 11 days and my second around 14. If you are a weeb because you feel like you don't fit in your own country's culture and hope that Japan will welcome you to stay forever with a complimentary meido you will be disapointed. If you think "I'll only pack my best anime shirts" or thinkingthat your tee with "looking for a japanese girlfriend" will get you anything but scorn, you will be disapointed.
If you are a decent self respecting person who can appriciate and cherish cultural differences you will be fine. The signage for public transportation in the major cities are always in english and if you've even studied japanese you are ahead of the curve.

I'd recommend something like Kyoto and Tokyo to get the cultural and big city vibes with maybe a hotpring visit if you have a travel companion. If you are alone finding foreginers and gaijin hunters to talk to is not hard.

But you won't be a snowflake in the major cities. If you want girls or guys to give you the "wow a foreigner" or "you're so tall" reaction visit a "smaller" city with less international tourists.
Hiroshima was a good example for me in this case. They probably get a lot less chinese, korean and american tourists than the other hotsptos on honshu. Me and a friend becoming the guests of honor at a nerd friendly okonomiyaki restaraunt in Hiroshima is one of my fondest memories in Japan.

tl;dr. If you think Akihabara is what's missing from your life you'll be disapointed.
If you like culture and people you'll love it.

i'm planning a trip to japan around mid january to mid febuary (2018). im going with a couple of friends one of whom speaks fairly decent Japanese. my vague itinery atm is kyoto, tokyo, sapporo. so basically temples, night life, snowboarding. there are just so many places to see though, what would be your most recommended destinations around these areas? my budgets around 4k USD thanks in advance.

>>1201602
Good post, but I disagree on Akiba part: not sure why it's considered overrated. It's exactly what expected: noisy, random and funny district where you can hang out and never get bored. For rare weeb stuff you'd go to an online auction or at least to your pic related

>>1201579
If it's quite short trip should I probably not bother with hokkaido then, maybe save it for another time?

>>1199735
>>1199750
Even old japanese grannies can climb mt fuji, fat kun.

>>1201644
I would definetly not call it overrated, I just meant that for the extreme weeb types that use anime as a sort of identity subculture wouldn't find acceptence and salvation there.
I love the place and appriciate the depravity, maids handing out flyers, PC Gaming shops, top floor of stores being just loli doujinshi, finding out of print plamo in a basement store, the few chinese that still go there for the duty free electronics at LAOX like it's 1998 and I could go on.It's a great place full of energy, but I just meant that it might not be the salvation some people are looking for.

>>1201673
tfw going to buy some duty free cameras/lenses because they are 30% to 50% cheaper than where I'm now.

>>1201648

It really depends on where in Hokkaido you want to go. Even with only a few days to travel, you can check out some places relatively near Shin-Chitose (which is where people usually come in from plane) such as Noboribestu, Sapporo, or even Otaru.

If you're coming from the tunnel, there's Hakodate, Onuma park, and Lake Toya.

Places any further than the center of Hokkaido will take an inordinate amount of time to travel to by train, though. A train from Shin-Chitose to Asahikawa, for example, will take around 3 hours.

>>1201602
Hiroshima was probably the most foreigner-ridden place I saw while I was on my trip, at least as far as white people are concerned. Kyoto and Tokyo had a lot more Asians and domestic tourists in the mix. There even were some predominantly white foreign school classes.
They heavily center around the tourist hotspots (Atom Dome, Peace Memorial, etc), though. Go a bit off the beaten track (the castle or Shukkeien for example) and suddenly you're on your own.

>>1201644
>>1201673
Akiba has mostly been turned into an overpriced tourist trap. It's nice to go and take in the sights just for the experience. However, it's extremely hard to find a proper bargain unless you know where to look and have a good idea of market prices, so it's not a good place to shop weeb stuff or electronics.

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What was your favourite bar in Tokyo, /trv/?

hey, can anyone who lives in japan help me out with something?

i want to call bandai japan for a replacement part and have it shipped to the US. i'd be incredibly grateful

>>1201531
A few of them are listed here https://portal.circle.ms/Event/.

Whether you consider them notable or not is up to you.

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Going in summer, would a 2 day trip to a Mt. Fuji place be worth it

Debating these two, not sure if anyone here has ever done any of these but it includes bus ride from Tokyo(where I am staying) and some other stuff like a day pass to a theme park.

Honestly just not sure if I just just use my JR pass to get there then hop on a buss from an outlying city

>>1201093
Confirming there is a toilet on the top most level. It's right before the roundabout to the highest point in the level.

>>1201834
Great, thanks, that sets my mind at ease a lot.

I haven't seen Autismo-kun here lately.
Did he really spill that much spaghetti at the meetup? If he did, I wanna hear about it.

>>1201848
No, he's actually quite a good guy, although much more weird compared with the other guys

>>1201599
>what is something that is must bring for this time of year?
do you mean clothing? i just left tokyo and am in kyoto. weather's chilly, but not intolerably so. i've been fine in a pair of jeans, polar fleece or light down jacket, and warm hat.

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Has anyone here experience with WWOOF in Japan? If yes, what regions are best? Kind of considering it but i read that it's literal slavery camps in a post on reddit. I don't mind working hard but i don't want to be taken advantage of and pay for it.

Spent the whole day at Akiba today, so tired, so happy.
The tax-free counter clerk over at Mandarake was the best store clerk I've ever encuntered.

Where should I go tomorrow, /trv/?
Chiyoda or Ueno/Asakusa?

>>1199892
Would people look at me wrong if I open a beer on the top of Mt fuji?

>>1201985
Go to the nearest station and lay on the tracks.

I'll not go, because 99% of the girls are ugly, while the cute ones wear a mask like in >>>/jp/16389805 to avoid being stalked and then raped

and I don't even think about going clubbing: too much horror stories

tourist traps are full of murrikan tourist, in the countryside nobody speak English... really, I can't think anything to justify the high costs

Is there anywhere that will show the Trump inauguration in Tokyo?

>>1202005
Pretty sure they sell beer at the top. I know they have beer at a good number of the stations on the way to the top

>>1201984
Is it worth it bothering with tax-free? You have to do a lot of crap at the airport right?

>>1201830
You can reach Fuji Q in Fujikawaguchigo by Train, all but the last leg is covered by JR, me and a friend went straight from Haneda (where we bought the Kanto JR pass) directly to Fujikawaguchigo after dumping our big luggage in a hotell we were staying in later in Tokyo,

>>1200818
>They showed who I belonged to when I was a kid.
Do you come from some gang-ruled dystopian city or what?

>>1201944
I meant like something of value that they dont get as easily there. Like say Jack Daniels or something

>>1202014
A computer with Internet access.

>>1202039
If it's a gift for someone Japanese then go with something local or alcohol if you know their tastes

>>1202014
It will definitely be on TV everywhere.
The Japanese treat Trump exactly like they do one of their own TV comedians, except that this one has the reins of a world power.

>>1202098
Staying at a hostel, wanted to bring something fancy

>>1202039
Jack Daniels isn't only an American thing, you know.
You can buy it in a lot of places, and thinking that it's unique will probably get you regarded as kind of provincial.
Get something really local, or just a box of good chocolates so that even non-drinkers can enjoy it (and share it with their kids if they have them).

>>1202180
Also, you're not expected to bring anything at a hostel.
As a rule of thumb, if the place has staff that are paid for doing their thing, you don't gift and you don't tip - doing so is seen as an implication that they're not doing their job well enough in the first place and thus need something to grease the wheels.
If you're staying with a family, a friend or someone who doesn't get paid to take care of you, that's when you bring gifts.

>>1202166
Everyone treats Trump like a TV comedian.

>>1202182
Was just using Jack as an example

>>1202180
>>1202183
I meant as in to share with the other guests. Not really for the staff.

>>1202028
hmm might do that then, going to come down to what value(if any) there is for opting into the package deal

>>1202028
Pretty sure the bus is the quickest and easiest way to reach Fuji-Q if that's all you're going for. There's a shuttle that goes directly there from Shinjuku station included with buying park tickets.

So Airbnb would be the best way to stay in relative comfort in Tokyo on a budget? Anything to know, specifically? Never used it before.

>>1202248
>>1191400

check that thread. Airbnb is fine, just read the reviews and read the description of what you are getting. Sometimes you are just booking a room in someones house, othertimes maybe the whole apartment.

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I want to stay with a guest family in Tokyo.

Currently I'm in a shitty, dirty sharehouse in Koto-ku with 30 german faggots between 18 and 30 who can't clean up after themselve. There are even cockroaches here.

My language school COULD recommend me to a guest family but they want like 98,000yen per month for that. I could rent two apartments for that price.

Any alternatives for me?

Should be using this link in the op instead: http://rockitrisingsun.com. There are more articles.

>>1202263
tfw want a gf like that I could do all the cleaning for

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>>1202269
>(1) /trv/ - Japan General -...
>!
>Oh shit somebody replied, maybe he knows a way out of my shit situation
>your post

>>1202263
couchsurfing, airbnb
nojuku?

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>going to Japan at the end of the month
>can't exchange currency until the 22nd
>pound plummeting again

why

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Can anyone recommend some places not too well known?

On my last trip I visited Okunoshima the "rabbit isle". There were barely any other tourists and no westerners at all. I'm looking for similiar places to visit on my next trip in april. I'll get a rail pass so getting to rural places won't be an issue.

>>1202166
do japanese like piss fetish too?

>>1202263
you can stay with me for free, how good are you at giving head?

>>1202248
yes, book well in advance, the good ones get booked up quickly and you'll want to coordinate with your host

>>1202369
Yeah for any airbnb if you are booking anymore than 3 months out then you want to communicate with your host first. Overall it is something you should do before booking even if it is an "instant book", and you definately should do it if you are booking for more than a week.

Getting somewhere or booking only a week before you get there the host tells you he is got to cancel your 3 week vacation because some days he is gone is no fun.

>>1202362
I was totally astonished by Yomomiya, a hidden gem near Sendai. Everyone knows Yamadera but Yomomiya is even bigger, I was on top of it and it's simply amazing. It's also super cheap - reachable by a jr line from Sendai. Overall a great day trip. Highly recommended

>>1201830
We did Fuji Q and like another anon said you can get there quite easily from Tokyo with the JR Pass. We then stayed in the Fujiyoshida mountains in a nice cabin, was pretty awesome and definitely an experience. Could easily explore Mt Fuji area from there by bus.

Worth noting though, if you are like us and wanted to go to Osaka/Kyoto afterwards it is a ball ache and requires you to pretty much go back to Tokyo, there is no cut through, at least by train... But if you don't mind 4/5 hours of travel it's cool

>>1202397
Where is this Yomomiya? Google doesn't seem to know it. are you sure you've got the correct name?

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planning my next japan trip in mid march specifically for hanami and going to rock shows.

i'm thinking of staying in tokyo the whole time (3-4 weeks) just because i want to get to know the city more intimately.
i've been to japan four times before but never more than 5 days at once in tokyo.
to be honest i want to make myself sick of it so i can stop missing it so bad when i'm not there.

>>1202418
>>1202028

Thanks for the info, still on the fence about it. Looking up some of the prices and tours around some outlying cities. Worst is I do the bus tour but might do some maths to see about getting the cheapest deals

>>1202263
I know a Christmas cake who was asking if i had any foreign friends interested in Japanese girls. She would probably stay with you if youre white and not a fat ass. But seeing that you posted tohou twice. Im not too sure.

>>1201712
BarFlat
Jumanji 55
Green land
Hub - ALL OF THEM
GAS PANIC - im not sure if its still in business the Nigerians are running that show

What are Japanese stance on Arabs?

i'm about to travel to Hokkaido, Kyoto, Tokyo and some northern places.

and i'm a bit worried that my appearance might hinder my travel experience

>>1202485
Gas Panic sucks but LINE owned by the same company is good

>>1202490
They have their own news show here. Youll get the standard gaijin treatment.

Are beer vending machines a real thing in japan?

>>1202499
There are places that have vending machines exclusively for alcohol.

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>>1202499
Yes

>>1202502
Don't you have to insert an ID to use it?

>>1202507
only time I bought it was in Womb they have a beer / smokes vending machine inside the club

>>1202508
Isn't womb a meme bar or is it actually decent?

>>1202509
its pretty cool
My top 5 clubs/bar

best place for any major event is Ageha

>>1202497

what does that mean ?

no one would bat an eye on me?

>>1202291
>>1202291
Shit is too expensive.

>>1202482
Where does she live?
Posting anime girls isn't exclusive to fatass nerds.

>>1202509
Its only worth it if you're really into the DJ. If not you're basically paying double for the same experience you could get at nearly any of the Shibuya big clubs.

But with less music variety and a lot more girls who come in groups to dance in their groups to leave in their groups.

>>1202435
Which bands do you want to see?

>>1202516
Shinkoiwa in Tokyo

I really want to go to japan in the next few years (I believe someone said that you should try and travel and see the world before settling down) but I also really need to go back to school as well, but I really want to get to Japan before the 2020 Olympics, which is when the country will probably be crawling with other tourists.I really want to see a bit of all aspects of japan (well rounded) anyone know some places that usually get passed up but are also really great places to visit? I am really interested in Osaka and Sendai,

>>1202502
Maybe it's because I live in australia, but why is that beer so cheap?

Maybe that's normal for the rest of the world

>>1202587
>Maybe that's normal for the rest of the world

it is, those prices are still pretty high for me (coming from Austria, the true Australia)

>>1202552
Ehh, my travel cost would go up for school and work but I guess paying less or no rent would easily make up for it.

Does she speak english well? Or only nihon-go?

>>1202587
no import tax on booze

Just finished high school gaijin 4 months worth of japanese learning. How likely am i going to be accepted for arubaito?

New bread >>1202602

>>1202587
>>1202590
>>1202598
All the tall boys under 200 yen aren't legally beer

>>1202507
I think they usually have them in places where underage aren't really expected or allowed to be.

Some of the hostels I've stayed at had beer vending machines for example

>>1199735
If you're a beginner (assuming) then you will need to check in or practice hiking before heading there. Its once in a life time experience to reach the summit and see the sunrise there. Words can hardly describe it.

I mean, it will take about 1 day total to get up and get down at least. You will feel like shit upon reaching 7th station and worse at 8 if you don't rest or you're just not capable. By the time you finish and climb down, you will be drained of life and you will want to sleep at literally anywhere.

So is it worth the struggle?

Yes. Always.