Japan General

For anons who have nice places to hike at home, did you find it worth it hike in Japan? Just looking at the different mountains in central Japan and especially the kurobe Alpine route, it seems like hiking there would be amazing. But at the want time, with limited time and budget I feel like I should spend more time in the cities and doing other things. What are your thoughts?

>>1240816
**want=same

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>>1240816
I went hiking several times in Japan and they've all been great. If you find yourself in Kobe, definitely hike Mt. Rokko. Pic related.

>>1240834
look it up beforehand or just get google maps. No not many people speak English, though hotel staff and such will certainly be able to

>>1240834
Tons of people speak English in the city. Most of the important signs are in English, especially when you're in an airport or train station.

Look up whatever station is closest to your hotel and you can find your way there on a map. The lines are color coded so you can figure it out pretty easily.

Traveling cheap is pretty simple as well. Just walk places rather than take the subway, eat convenience store food rather than yakiniku every night, and don't bother with places that charge admission to get in. For instance, go to Osaka Castle but don't waste your time on the museum inside.

>>1240832
Looks beautiful anon, thanks

>>1240846
Very much so. Stick to hostels so you can meet people, but you won't have trouble finding things to do by yourself.

Can anyone detail some places I might go to get a good experience of everyday life in Japan without being surrounded by tourists? Either in Toyko, Osaka or Kyoto?

Doesn't have to be some amazing monument or attraction, just a simple glimpse into everyday life.

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If I hired a car and drove from Tokyo, how far could I get into the Fukushima containment zones?

Anyone ever tried a Ryokans while traveling alone? Any good ones that allow it in Miyajima, Amanoshidate, or Nikko?

>>1240881
Stare at Microsoft Excel for 12 hours. Then get drunk

My Japanese lover keeps threatening to kill himself but I can't help him because I'm here in America and I'm too poor to go to Japan these days. What can I do? I need a super cheap flight asap, I don't want my friend to die.

I am coming from /a/, was just in a thread about how awful Japan was. You would think people on that board would like Japan but no, they all hate it indiscriminately.

They kept bringing up the following
>Incredibly corrupt
>Extremely high but covered up rate of suicide, rape, theft, murder
>Worst justice system in the world
>Everybody is racist, hates all foreigners
>Not only that, but they are all completely fake to everybody they know
>Cities have all gone to shit, they are dirty and full of foreigners
>Work culture is worst in the entire world
>Food is shit
>Negative aspects of the country far outweigh any positive ones
>One of the worst countries in the entire world

Thing is, I don't believe any of these people have ever been to Japan, so I was wondering, what do the people of /trv/ think of these statements

>>1240902
Having been to Japan a few times, I would have to disagree with pretty well all of those. Most of those points describe China fine though.

>>1240902
A lot of those are just grossly exaggerated, but kinda true.
The food is great though.

>>1240902
>Work culture is worst in the entire world
Pretty accurate isn't it? What other country has people working themselves to death in office jobs?

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>>1240902
At least they are very much their own country and haven't diluted what it means to be Japanese. In a few decades time most European countries, especially the major cities will be largely indecipherable; but Japan and its cities will still be Japanese. They might be going through shit times right now but with homogeneity comes strength and they will pull through.

How long would it take for someone with no prior Japanese knowledge to speak fluently once moving to Japan?

>>1240924
Years of daily study and practicing in a rural environment with little English to fall back on.

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Repeating my question from the last thread

Do anyone have experience hitchhiking in Japan? I'm about to do a round trip in Kyushu by so.

>>1240929
No
Im not poor

>>1240881
Literally go anywhere that isn't Asakusa or Harajuku and just walk around and do shit. Those two places are basically the only places you'll find yourself "surrounded" by tourists.

I had a friend come here to visit and he got like incredulous when I suggest hopping over to Saizeriya.

>>1240902
These are all laughably exaggerated or otherwise straight up false.
>coming from /a/

Bunch of flustered virgins who were butt-mad Japan in reality didn't live up to their fantasies of their Burmese Magna Doodle arts and AKB tier girls fucking them just for being white.

>>1240924
>How long would it take for someone with no prior Japanese knowledge to speak fluently once moving to Japan?

Completely depends on you and your effort.

>>1240902
>Caring what paedophiles think

>>1240902
>>Incredibly corrupt
Yes but it will not affect you as a traveller. If you're trying to open up a club or bar that's another story.
>>Extremely high but covered up rate of suicide, rape, theft, murder
I think they cover up the crimes of gangs.
>>Worst justice system in the world
Never been in their courts so I have no idea.
>>Everybody is racist, hates all foreigners
Not everybody, they are incredibly fake to foreigners, we are not appreciated there by a majority of the people.
>>Not only that, but they are all completely fake to everybody they know
Yes
>>Cities have all gone to shit, they are dirty and full of foreigners
Pockets of the cities sure. To be fair Japan should be much dirtier since they seem to have no discovered what bins are yet.
>>Work culture is worst in the entire world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8IPh64rVM
Yes
>>Food is shit
Absolutely not. The food is good, unfortunately like all of asia, they don't have much meat, and the meat they do have is expensive.
>>Negative aspects of the country far outweigh any positive ones
That is personal opinion, I didn't love Japan, but I didn't hate it either. It just isn't an exciting country.
>>One of the worst countries in the entire world
I think there are a few african and middle eastern countries that are probably worse.

>>1240902
>Incredibly corrupt
Where isn't. I would not call Japan's level of corruption "incredible".
>Extremely high but covered up rate of suicide, rape, theft, murder
Japan unequivocally has a low murder rate. Suicide and rape are certainly a problem, but again "extremely high" is an exaggeration. The rape thing is nothing compared to the likes of like India or the Arab world.
>Worst justice system in the world
Japan's justice system is not great because of the insistence on confessions and prisons that are psychologically taxing, but come on. Muzzie shitholes and elsewhere in the third world have the worst justice systems. It's like these /a/ babbies have never been to South America even.
>Everybody is racist, hates all foreigners
Blah blah blah. Just not true. Especially among women and all younger people.
>Not only that, but they are all completely fake to everybody they know
Japanese people are very polite, and of course politeness in any degree is some amount of fake. I don't know what you want. If they weren't polite you'd call them "rude" etc. If they are polite you call them "fake" it's a no-win thing.
>Cities have all gone to shit, they are dirty and full of foreigners
Cities are clean and are not full of foreigners. Japan does not easily let go of old things including old technology and buildings. You will find many areas/neighborhoods to be a bit shabby and worn out--but immaculately maintained and clean. That's a good way to describe it. Old but well preserved.
>>Work culture is worst in the entire world
It's pretty bad.
>>Food is shit
That's just like their opinion man. I do actually find Japanese food overrated but it's still good.
>>Negative aspects of the country far outweigh any positive ones
OK bro.
>>One of the worst countries in the entire world
OK bro.

>>1240960
>bad justice system
>low murder rate
>very high suicide rate
Hmmmmmmm. Makes you think.

>>1240902
/trv/ can be just as awful as /a/ sometimes. Don't listen to anything you read on 4chan. Look at the thread "Countries that are blown out of the water by their neighbors" if you want to experience to how shitty /trv/ can really be.

>>1240962
It doesn't. The suicide rate is largely attributable to the poor work culture and such.

>>1240960
>The rape thing is nothing compared to the likes of like India or the Arab world.
That's nothing to be proud of m8. Those are developing nations with a long history of mistreatment of women

>>1240899
>Im one of the contrarian shits who thinks Osaka is better than Tokyo.

Insistent Osakaboos are truly a cancer.

There's like literally nothing you can do in Osaka that you can't do in Tokyo. Dotonbori/Shinsaibashi is cool but it's still crowded as fuck. Other than that there's just objectively less interesting shit to do and see.

>B-but the people are so nice/amazing/chill/whatever

>implying you actually know this and you're not just parroting memes about Kansai

>>1240968
I'm not saying be proud of it. Jesus, where did I say that. I'm just saying that poster is speaking about these issues as they apply to Japan in superlatives, and I'm merely saying these things are exaggerated or not as high as elsewhere.

>>1240816
Mt Tsukuba had an amazing view from the peaks, but the trail was hell. Almost nothing but stairs the entire way up, and when it wasn't stairs it was climbing over boulders and tree roots.

Takao was pretty nice as well, so long as you don't do the main path. I took the Biwataki falls path up, main path down.

Was planning to do Bandai in Aizu as well, but looked too snowy/icy to hike right now.

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first time posting here and sorry for the blog post.
I've been taking care of my aunt and bouncing back between uni and her business, and finally got a bit of a break period this summer. She offered to send me to Japan or Korea but i decided japan would be better since i've never been.
Problem is that i have no experience traveling alone and the only foreign country experience i have is afghanistan and iraq (which dont even count really) and Korea for a bit.
What's a good traveling route for a baka gaijin who speaks no japanese and want to go visit hotsprings for a month

>tl;dr Aunt wants to send me to japan as a thank for taking care of her business and idk which city i should start, money is not an issue

What do you guys think about traveling to Japan with the current unrest in SEA? My parents, and even my extended family have expressed or even condoned me even considering a trip to Tokyo.

>>1240989
*for even

Is there a /trv/ or /a/ LINE group?

>>1240992
The /trv/ LINE group is full of normalfags and manlets blogging about their lives outside Japan.

>>1240989
What unrest in SEA?

>my extended family have expressed or even condoned me even considering a trip to Tokyo.

You mean condemned?

>>1240989
All places carry a danger, war is an unlikely one. You're more likely to get raped and killed by a nigger in Europe or America.

>>1240971
When I went there I found it had a better atmosphere than Tokyo. Tokyo feels very international and is either empty as fuck or so crowded you don't even want to be there. The people in Tokyo were much less friendly than in Osaka too, probably because they're used to gaijin. Tons of Nigerian shits too.

I'd much rather live in Osaka, I find Tokyo to be a bit... dare I say... overrated?

>>1240974
Thanks. Why not take the main path?

>>1240894
Where does he live?

>>1240889
I have a friend who drove up there. Had to go around barriers and shit, but literally drove up the road that goes to the plant. Some guards were there and were like, "wtf dude get out of here". Just said he was lost and got out of there quick.

>>1240989
What the fuck am I reading ? What unrest in SEA ? Then why would any unrest in SEA make Japan unsafe? What the fuck...

>>1241064
Main path on Mt Takao is the easiest, and is paved the entire way. It's also the path that nearly everyone going to the temple takes, if they aren't taking the chairlift/railway. The natural trails are less congested and more pleasant to hike.

>>1241077
Oh nice I'll definitely be taking a natural train then

Here's a stupid question for people hiking.
I want to hike in my trip and was wondering if you need to bring another pair of hiking shoes, a dedicated or stuff like that.

>>1241081
You should bring a pair of hiking boots, you're feet will thank you. Make sure you break them in at home though

If I had to choose between the two, should I go to Amanohashidate or Nikko? Which has the most things to do or the nicest scenery [spoiler]or the best food?[spoiler]

Wew lad. Is ikebukuro fujo-central or something?
Just went into the Animate store and was the only guy amongst dozens of girls. They don't have female only days or anything right?

>>1241100
Its all men is a meme, a lot of stuff there is just as if not more popular with girls

>>1241091
Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen areas are easily accessible from Nikko and have about 8~ day hike courses covering all difficulties. Nikko itself was pretty nice as well, but less hiking and a ton of tourists in the Toshugu/Rinnoji Temple and Futarasan Shrine area.

>>1241081
I'm wearing a pair of merrel hiking shoes that double as my everyday shoes, so that I'd only need one shoe pair. I've only done Takao and Tsukuba, but I wish I'd had actual boots for Tsukuba.

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Has anyone been to Wakayama?
Thinking about doing a work exchange with a hostel there.
Do you think it would stay interesting for 5-6 months?

>>1240985
You can do the standard Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima trip and look for onsen in the nearby areas.

Reposting from last thread:

As a day trip from Tokyo, I want to go Hiking one day. I am currently tossed up between Mt. Nokogiri and Mt. Mitake. Has anybody done both or either of these and can weigh in on which one is better/good?

Is Sendai (area) worth a visit for like 2(3) days? Yamadera and Matsushima look nice on paper.

So, i was thinking about studying Japanese in Japan for a few months. Honestly i'm just kinda lost in my life right now. I'm 21, my family has money and i've been to Japan before so i figured that the "travel the world to find inspiration" shit may be worth looking into, getting some experience and all. Anyway, anyone here has any experience with it? Maybe a company to recommend?

>>1241146
If you can travel the world because your family has money why the fuck would you spend so much time learning a language only one country uses ? Japanese as a language has very little practical use, it is not necessary in business, it is only used in one country, why learn Japanese out of any language ?

If you want to go on a holiday sure, but learning Japanese is somewhat a waste of time. Japanese is inherently less valuable of a language than some of the other hard languages, like Arabic or Chinese.

If you're going to be devoting 2000+ hours to a language make sure it's worthwhile. It's just a lot of time to dedicate to something, you probably want it to have some use.

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Easy ways to move to Japan? Halp plz

PS: Yes, I'm a filthy weeb

SOME1 FREAKING ANSWER

Are Japanese people genuinely nice to foreigners or is it just fakeness? I had an old man give me his umbrella after i got completely soaked in Akibahara, and most people seemed very genuinely happy to have me in their shops and stuff (maybe because i was part of a school group) but I've heard that all japanese hate foreigners so I was questioning whether this was actually genuine or not.

>>1241160
Of course there are exceptions, but I believe some people are genuinely nice to foreigners. I've been to Akiba a lot on several trips and this one time while in Electric Town I was digging my wallet for some coins to buy a coke from a vending machine. I was standing on the side not to the block the way and some middle aged guy got his own drink and then inserted extra coins after getting his can and gave me a free drink. I had no lack of money, but he was just being nice. I thanked him and then he went on his way. So nice people exist I believe

>>1241150
airplane

>>1241143
I used it as a base to go to Hiraizumi and Aizu. I tried to do Matsushima on the day I left for Kyoto, and it was nice, but it's at least a half-day thing. I pretty much only had time to get there, walk around on Oshima, then go back. I think a bay cruise would have been a great way to see more if I'd had the time.

Sendai itself was a little disappointing food-wise though. It felt like a mini-Tokyo, rather than anything different. Gyutan places are everywhere but I only found one shop selling taiyaki, and one place selling hyotan-age. Zunda was all over the place in the station, but not so mich elsewhere.

>>1241164
waow thx m8

>>1240929
You might have decent luck at various Michi no Eki stops - roadside markets and convenience stores and whatnot for people travelling long distances. People will be more willing to take you to them since they're on the way to most places, and you're more likely to find people travelling all which-a-way there.

>>1241148

Thisis a pretty shit post desu. The importance of a language is determined not just with its use internationally, but also in relation to the people of the country it comes from. Japan has the lowest English scores of any country in Asia. Learning the language is good business wise since it can get you jobs in the country. Chinese, in comparison, is less useful as Chinese businessmen have far better fluency on average than Japanese ones.

>>1241167
Thanks for your answer. Matsushima would complete my scenic sights collection so a bay cruise sounds like a great idea.

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I highly recommend going fishing in Japan.

A simple rod, hook, and floater set would only cost around 2000 yen.

Anyone have any recommendations on places to visit in Osaka ? So far all of the places I've found from Google are the same few,Dotonburi,Namba,Shinsaibashi,Tenjinbashi & Umeda. Are there any hidden away gems ?

>>1241100
>Wew lad. Is ikebukuro fujo-central or something?

How the hell do you end up in ikebukuro without knowing this? The kbooks, toranoana and even animate have whole sections dedicated to BL.

>>1241189
>whole sections dedicated to BL.
This is actually standard even for normal bookstores like Kinokuniya, but yeah Ikebukuro is girls' Akihabara.

>>1241160
>but I've heard that all japanese hate foreigners so I was questioning whether this was actually genuine or not.

Why don't you step back and think for just a moment about if that is in any way an even halfway reasonable statement...

>>1241194
You know what I mean, man. Not section like "bookshelf", but as in "the BL part of the store begins with a shrine to X character and a reminder to buy porn of him."

>>1241060
>The people in Tokyo were much less friendly than in Osaka too, probably because they're used to gaijin.

According to the last census data, Tokyo has 3.34 foreign residents per 100 people, Osaka has 2.35 per 100 (within a significantly smaller population). Osaka has plenty of gaijin. And "probably because they're used gaijin?" What does that even mean. 99% of Tokyoites will not deal with gaijin in any way shape or form in their daily lives.

>Tons of Nigerian shits too.

A few shits trolling around Roppongi and Kabukicho between 9pm-3am does not = "tons" of Nigerians shits in the god damn city of 11 million. Fuck off with this sensationalist misinformation you know exactly what you're doing.

Not like I didn't already know Osakaboos were cancer.

I don't even hate Osaka. I like Osaka. But you all parrot the same incantatory bullshit. Annoying as fuck

>>1241183
Where would be a good place for that?

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I posted a thread over on >>>/r9k/36512854 asking for advice on how to survive in japan.And some other anon suggested posting here. so I'll be attending uni in japan thanks to a scholarship program and will learn japanese for a year there. So I was just asking what are some basic things i should know. such as places to eat cheap food. or when the rush hours occur or how reliable is using trains to transport or other taboo like things i should avoid
I have a very basic understanding of the social encounters there and it's to be as respectful as possible anything other than that I don't have much info about

>>1240958
Yeesh, Salarymen don't get Saturdays off?

I mean, I rarely get Saturdays off cause I work retail. But, I figured an office job like that would be different.

>>1240966
That thread is fine, it just isn't the hugbox the Japan general is.

I am going to do a volunteering workcamp in Shimane Prefecture.
The task will be in a wild forst.

What Vaccines should I take before departure?


Thanks

>>1241201
I liked Osaka more than Tokyo, only by a hair though. Osaka is just much more similar to the Asia I am used to. Street food, it's more socially acceptable to smoke in public, drinking in public isn't as frowned upon, there are actually bins in osaka, and if you can't find a bin you will definitely find a pile of rubbish somewhere.

I basically liked it because I could be more of a social degenerate and the food was better, in my experience.

>>1241205
Where are you going to be living ? Tokyo ? Or somewhere else ?

>>1241216
Tokyo or osaka it still hasn't been decided

>>1241214
The one country kids get their assholes inspected for. I forget the disease but thought it was a massive lie when I first heard about that being a regular thing for elementary school kids in the country.

>>1241218
Okay both are great see my comment above about why I prefer Osaka.

>>1241175
If you've decided to move to Japan and work there, sure. If you just enjoy the culture and want to vacation there, it's useless.

And it takes a certain level of weeb to actually want to live and work in Japan.

>>1241204
Fishing or buying?

Pretty much any fishing store. And pretty much any pier.

>>1241175
It is, relatively, useless. Sorry to ruin your dreams. If you're doing business with a Japanese country they already have people who can speak both English and Japanese fluently, they're mostly Japanese natives that have studied in western schools, because Japanese universities are comparatively garbage. So now you are in a job market where you are competing against someone who speaks better Japanese than you ( your only marketable skill ) and has a degree.

I don't know how far your head is up your ass, but Chinese is so much more useful than Japanese it isn't funny. It is 10x the size of Japan, it has twice the GDP of Japan, and the most important thing, it has a developing economy. Not to mention Chinese businessmen are shady as fuck so you want to bring someone who can understand exactly what they are saying. You could not have picked a worse language to compare Japanese to. Fuck you people in this general are retarded sometimes.

>>1241251
Also to be completely honest, if your only skills are speaking English and an Asian language your chances of getting a job outside of english teaching a fucking slim.

Two questions regarding trains

1. Is there any way to find out at what time trains for a specific city run until that doesn't involve punching random itineraries on hyperdia? Do trains follow the standard Tokyo '1AM time country-wide?

2. Traveling through Hiroshima, Himeji, Osaka by train, will the train schedules at the station be provided in both English and japanese?

>>1241257
Trains run fairly often, if you have a rail pass just go to the station and wait for the train. Worst case scenario you might have to wait an hour.

>>1241258
I've got a schedule built up, what I am trying to find out is at what time trains stop running completely.

>>1241205
sukiya and yoshinoya (as well as mcdonalds and shit like that) are cheap fast food joints. Though in my experience cheap food is pretty easy to find. Trains are really reliable, and they come pretty frequently

>>1241218
Memes aside, Tokyo has actually so much more to do and see of interest than Osaka. Osaka has its charms and I can see preferring to live in Osaka to Tokyo but like to visit (if you could only visit one) it's not even close...

>>1241253
Pretty true. I did know one N1-sama turbo weeb who worked for Nissan (and not in a technical capacity or translation) but that's all I know.

In Osaka for the next four nights, any reccomendations on bars/clubs?

>>1241267
Cherry Bomb
Murphys Pub
Zerro
Fusion
Down
Rock Rock

How much is enough to spend on a rucksack for travelling, it'll either be a £20 90L Amazon one or osprey farpoint 40. I'm traveling for 2 weeks in Japan

>>1241273
I'd spend up to $100.

>>1241242
Do you need some kind of license for fishing in Japan?

Where can I become friends with some japs? idc if its a girl or dude, just want a jap friend I can talk to and maybe help me visit the country???

>>1240892
lol

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How long can I make $2500 last in Japan? I plan on staying in hostels, doing a lot of hiking, museums, etc. Maybe some fugu fish if I find it.

I don't really care about weeb shit, so I have $0 budgeted towards things like that.

Thanks.

>>1241282
First stop using the word Jap

>>1241348
What's the problem, weeb?

>>1240891
Wait you can't usually go to one alone? Any anon want a friend May 2018?

>LE EPIC JAPANESE IS USELESS MEME NOBODY SHOULD LEARN IT
God forbid if somebody does something because they want to or find it interesting. Okay, obviously, everybody wants to have money and be successful, whatever.

That doesn't mean that everybody needs to be a STEM or business major (though all of the autists on 4chan will say otherwise) and it doesn't mean you can't learn a language because you are interested it and the country that speaks it, or even just the media that the country produces! If you have the time and the will it is never NOT worth it too have another language, it is good for your brain anyway.

>>1241100
>>1241189
I wonder if they all thought you were gay, wew. Were the girls eyeing you at all?

>>1241285
Assuming you already have your plane tickets and yout want to travel the country and not just staying in one place I'd budget about 20$ food and 20$ for the cheapest hostel or manga kissa a day. Ofc you'd have to book the hostel in advance. $136 for a Willer 7 day bus pass. Add about $15 for public transport and admission fees.
You could stay there for about 38 and you still have $275 for an emergency.
If your main objective is just staying in japan for the maximum time, you could do a workaway in a rural hostel. Some of them even provide food. Your only expense would be renewing your visa every 3 months in taiwan. (about $160 for flights and bus rides)
In this case you could theoretically stay for 3 years and 9 months.

>>1241354
not him but if you want to use a derogatory/racist term to describe people, chances are slim you're gonna make friends with them friendo

>>1241371
>tfw majored in CS and minored in Japanese

>>1241260
It depends on the starting station and the destination. You might check JR's websites for the timetables for each station you're particularly worried about.

>>1241277
Nope. That's the best part.

For all those interested in learning Japanese here are a few reasons to do so.

1. It is an interesting language. As far as I know, it's the only language in the world written in three different distinct looking sets of "letters"/characters. The way it handles implication and tense is also interesting among many other interesting points.

2. It is very easy to pronounce for an English speaker. You basically do not have to worry about learning pronunciation. There are only 5 vowel sounds in Japanese (around 20 in English depending on the area). Except for the tapped L/R all the sounds in Japanese are already basically in English. You can begin speaking right away without sounding like an idiot.

(Face it, you're not going to fucking learn Mandarin and you will always pronounce wrong and sound retarded.)

3. Japanese has a ton of very interesting primary sources from which to learn.

No, it is definitely not 'useful', but I'm kind of baffled at all the people who only bring up usefulness or necessity--which is very often relative anyway.

I'd really go as far as to say the only language that's really universally useful is English. Mandarin isn't particularly useful at all in a normal context. When would it be really useful to know Mandarin? If you lived in China and or did a lot of business in China? And if it's the latter case almost assuredly you will not need it then anyway as any Chinese firm/individual(s) doing business with foreigners will almost assuredly have someone who can speak English way better than your bumbling white ass would ever speak Mandarin.. The Mandarin is useful meme is so tiring.

The only "useful" language universally is English.

>>1241439
>It is very easy to pronounce for an English speaker.

Haha, no. It's easy for latin languages, germanic languages have a whole different accent.

Is Fuji worth hiking or is it overhyped shit?

Planning on hiking Mt. Takao and maybe Tenranzan.

>>1241439
Most useful languages in the world are English, Spanish and Mandarin. I mean it's nice you want to encourage the turbo weebs into learning their anime language, it is however completely useless. Unless you marry a Japanese woman the chances of you moving and living in Japan long term are slim, then again marrying a Japanese woman is the dream of 90% of people in this general.

>When would it be really useful to know Mandarin?

Well the highest population country in the world speaks it. It has the second highest gdp, which is only trending upwards. It has the fastest growing middle class the world has ever seen, this means whatever your field of work, soon you will be dealing with Chinese clients.

I agree the most useful language is English, but to try and say Mandarin and Japanese are as useful as each other is completely wrong.

As for never being able to learn Mandarin or always pronouncing it wrong, found this video in about 5 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQh1_zyig1M

>>1241451
>Most useful languages in the world are English, Spanish and Mandarin
I do not disagree--I didn't actually say they're not. Spanish and Mandarin are just both not even close to the same level of useful as English. Not even close. And Spanish is somewhat more useful than Mandarin.

>I agree the most useful language is English, but to try and say Mandarin and Japanese are as useful as each other is completely wrong.

Except I didn't say that.

Show me where I said they're as useful as each other. I said they're both not that useful, that's not implying Mandarin isn't more useful when it comes down to it. They're just both not that particularly useful.

You're not going to convince me Mandarin (or even Spanish for that matter) is particularly useful in most cases.

The only truly universally useful language (that is not dependent on "I'm in such and such a situation") is English.

>>1241445
You are very misinformed if you think Japanese is not easy to pronounce for English speakers. It just is.

All of the sounds in Japanese except for basically tapped L/R are in English.

Certainly there are going to be issues with intonation and inflection and things like that, but not to the extent that they will inhibit understanding.

And again, you're immediately defaulting and framing your rebuttal in terms of "muh usefulness" when my original post was not about "usefulness". I literally said Japanese is not useful in my post (I'm just arguing that Mandarin is not particularly useful either).

Mandarin is not the language of the future, it is nothing really but a language spoken natively by an ass-ton of people that you won't encounter if you don't go to China. The diaspora speaks English, the guys with whom you would do business will almost certainly speak English better than you do.

>>1241461
***the guys with whom you would do business will almost certainly speak English better than you do Mandarin

>>1241451
>Dude learn Chinese think of all the shekels you could make!

Are you American, Jewish, or both?

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gonna be taking a solo trip to nipland in mid june ish for a month. Is airbnb my best bet for cheap housing? Also will i get shit on for being half nip/worst korean but cant speak any nip?

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>>1241464
>DON'T MAKE FUN OF ANIMELAND OR MY DREAMS OF BEING UBEROTAKU

>>1241377

It is only derogatory in America, you stupid yank. Actual Japs dont give a shit.

>>1241473
Airbnb or a hostel.

You won't get much, if any shit for not knowing japanese but learning some will help greatly. At least know enough to order food

>>1241451
Learning a language is a life time endeavor.

Choosing a language based on whats most useful at the time instead of a language where you have an interest in the culture is pretty much a guaranteed setup for failure. All the language people thought were useful a couple decades ago (like French and Italian) are worthless to learn now for business reason, who knows how useful the recommended languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic) will be in another 10 years.

Languages should be chosen based on interest in the culture or because you have to learn the native language of a country you're moving to/live in.

>>1241479
>shit racists white people actually believe
Jap is extremely famous in the country as being the term Americans used during WWII and is used constantly in any period movie, especially if it has Japanese internment camps.

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>Hotels paid for
>Airfare paid for
>Got JR pass
You guys think I could slip by on $50 (~5500 Yen) a day for one person? I'll be traveling to a bunch of the southern cities and around Tokyo.
This daily budget would go to things like food, activities, and maybe a couple souvenirs.

>>1241510
I met a lot of locals that referred to themselves as jap ? I don't think it is racist.

A, B ir C /trv/ ?

A:
>3 days Tokyo
>3 days Kyoto

B:
>3 days Tokyo
>2 days Kyoto
>1 day Osaka

C:
>2 days Tokyo
>2 days Kyoto
>2 days Osaka

>>1241546
D
>6 days Tokyo
>day trip of your choice

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What are some cool things to do in Nara over a few days?
Are there any infographs that have useful info for traveling in japan in general?

What's up with all the chalk writing on the streets? It's goddamn everywhere, often in a billion colors.

Why is Japan so popular and fashionable? Is it just another trend of this age?

>>1241451
>marrying a Japanese woman is the dream of 90% of people in this general
speak for yourself unbearable cuck

>>1241576
If you go you'll immediately understand why

>>1241513
Yea you're lying, or you met one weirdo that did.

They almost exclusively use term Japanese which sounds a little odd at first because normally in English we always include the word people after "-ese" languages (e.g. Chinese people), but they never do.

>>1241588
Sorry you are correct anon, the handful of girls I heard say they were Jap were just a bunch of weirdos.

>>1241212
Yeah, I genuinely feel sorry for them. That's not human, it's fucking evil.

Anyone ever hiked up Fujisan in May/June?

>>1241587
t. OP

>>1240799
>Getting your weeb fantasies crushed
Examples? :(

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>>1241550
I would have said Nara dreamland, but it got demolished ;(

Pic related, march 2016

If I want to teach English in Tokyo, where would I work and also how much would I be getting paid?

>>1241671
There currently are 26.415 people teaching English in Tokyo. Nobody wants you, lazy ass.

>>1241588

Do you even live in Japan? Because I do and I had to explain to my native friend why his big JAP he stamped on all of his art was considered offensive in the States.

Is Omoide Yochko a good place for food, or would I be better off at other restaurants in Shinjuku?

Also, those 3 most scenic sights of Japan, are they all just tourist traps?

>>1241546
C for maximum Osaka time.

>>1241546
D.
3 days Tokyo
3 days Osaka

>>1241160
>fake kindness
Why do I keep hearing this meme? Is it better to just be rude? I've had a lot more fake friends in America than in Japan, so I'm confused by what these people mean.

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Hey guys, I found out today that I will be transferred to Nagoya for work for at the very least 1-2 years. Has anyone stayed in Nagoya or worked there before? I've been reading online that most people find it boring because there is little to no night life and that the weather is shitty. I have no problem with this since I currently live in a rather small town in NW USA. Any input from you guys would be appreciated.

>>1241766
I live in Koto-Ku

I'm pussying out lads. I'm so afraid of North Korea striking or a war happening while I'm over there that I've completely cancelled my trip at the end of May.

>>1241820
You really have that little faith that anything that does manage to get several hundred feet off the launch pad without crashing won't get intercepted by the USN and JMSDF? Even assuming the norks were dumb enough to push the button?

>>1241820
North Korea is broke son, they aren't starting any wars. Their game is rattle swords until somebody bribes them to stop rattling swords. If they did start a war, it'd be Seoul that got rekt not Japan anyway.

>>1241820
I'm going in mid may and like daydreaming about NK doing something while I'm over there

What's staying at a hostel like?
I've realised I've left it too late to get cheap private rooms so now I have to stay in a dorm or pay out the ass for a mediocre hotel room. I've never stayed in a hostel and to be honest I am scared of having to socialise with strangers and having my stuff nicked

>>1241859
What do you have that is worth stealing ? Hostels usually have a lock up area for your shit anyway.

It's like a big room with a ton of bunk beds and people sleeping in them.

>tfw just got back
I miss Japan so much

>>1241862
Probably nothing but whats stopping someone from nicking your phone while your sleeping or something
And I just dont like the idea of being around people all the time. I'd much rather have some space to myself

>>1241869
Why the fuck would anyone steal your phone ? Lock it up too if you must ? Sleep with it under your pillow ? Japan hostels are a lot like capsule hotels, so you will have your own space. Like nobody is going to jump into your bed randomly with you. What the fuck do you think happens in a hostel ?

>>1241885
>What the fuck do you think happens in a hostel ?
Lots of normies talking to each other and doing normie things

I have too much shit, are there any places to buy cheap luggage that won't collapse and destroy all my weeb junk if I check the bag? I'm in Tokyo right now.

>>1241892
Yeah but remember you will be in Japan, so normies are rare and asspie weebs are abundant. That and Japanese hostels are fairly quiet and boring, relative to hostels in other countries.

I'm heading to Japan in just over two weeks. It's suddenly dawned on me that my connecting flight might not give me enough time to get off the plane, collect my bags and check in again. Flying back from Osaka to Cairns, stopover is 1 hour and then flight to Melbourne. I didn't really choose the flight times. How fucked am i? Just got off the phone with Jetstar and they weren't very reassuring. They said to just mention it to the staff. I have heard Cairns is a relatively small airport, I just know getting off the actual plane and security takes fucking forever. I've never done a stopover flight like this before so i'm shitting myself a bit, the last thing i want coming home is to miss my connecting flight.

>>1241896
Ok that makes me feel a bit better about it

>>1241902
If you miss it they will get you on another flight.

>>1241902
I take it you got those cheap Jetstar flights like me
I'm going to have to bum around Cairns airport for 5 hours though.
From the few stopover flights I've done it doesn't take long. You just stay inside the terminals and they transfer your luggage. You don't have to go through security again. Plus being a small airport there probably won't be much to hold you up. Anyway the only time I've taken more than an hour to get out of an airport is waiting for my luggage to come through at Melbourne. But this is just my experience. I don't know what will happen if your flight gets delayed though.

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I'm arriving in japan 2 weeks before I start work. I have a working visa, so I won't be able to get a JR pass. I want to explore the big cities in kansai and kanto, and possibly some of the southern prefectures too (I'll be working in hokkaido, so can explore it when I live there). What's my next best option? Flights? busses? hitchhiking? Please kill me if this question is dumb or has been asked a million times before.

>>1241907
Flights are hacks level. They're cheaper than shinkansen and domestic air travel in Japan barely even feels like an airport, more like a station ha.

What's the weather like in May?
Can I get away with t-shirt and shorts? Will I be sweating like a seeing eye dog at a Korean bbq? Should I bring a jumper just in case?

>>1241895
As someone who will probably have to do the same thing in a couple of months, this is relevant to my interest.

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There must be some kind of catch
Am I going to get raped?

>>1241907
what's up with the idols on crosses? Where's this from?

>>1241911
>>1241895
No idea about buying bags but it might be easier and cheaper to post it home especially if you're over your luggage allowance

>>1241902
You have an hour ? How the fuck is that not enough time ?

>>1241687
I know this a late reply but what you are is that my chances of becoming an english teacher in japan are quite slim? Also how am i lazy if i wanna teach english in foreign land where i also have to learn its language??

>>1241917
*saying

>>1241917
You wouldn't be working in the JET program so it isn't worth doing. English teaching in Japan outside of the JET program is complete dog shit and worse than teaching in a third world shit hole.

Wait for the non JET program TEFL turbo weebs try and say otherwise.

>>1241908
Thanks, that's awesome. I know I'll make use of the world-famous Hokkaido<->Tokyo route. I heard rumours of the efficiency of their airports but dismissed it as a meme.
>>1241913
BabyMetal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq9SEFwJ9ZQ
not sure where that pic was taken. They're a kawaii death-metal group.
>>1241917
Search of GaijinPot. You can get a job as long as you can hold yourself in a skype interview. You will be working shit hours for shit pay if you don't have a degree though. It can be done though.

>>1241160

Holy that exactly happened to me ! I was walking trough akihabra without an umberella about a year ago and some guy just speeds up and walks next to me with his umberella covering me, 10 minutes of walking and suddenly he turns into a street.. i said thank you in my most broken japanese and was genuinly astonished by how nice the people were

Fak I wish I knew hotels got booked out weeks before in Japan. The only ryokans left in Miyajima are $300+ ;_;

>>1241912
I saw that hotel when I was in Hikone yesterday. Close to the JR station ande Hikone castle, but I thought it was a love hotel. That's not the rest rate is it?

>>1241939
Does it make a difference if its a love hotel?
There was one room option where it said you have to check in 9am everyday or something so maybe. but there also seems to be normal rooms around that price

>>1241909
Iirc the weather doesn't turn into rainy humid swamp ass until June. That's part of the reason I'm going in may too.

What famous restaurants should I visit in Tokyo and Kyoto?

I'm thinking of travelling to Japan at the end of the year, probably around November. I'm thinking of going alone and spending like 10-14 days. Is this a good idea to do alone considering it'll be my first time overseas and I have 0 experience in the language?

>>1241134
I went to Mt. Mitake and Mt. Otake last September. It was one of the top highlights of my trip, but that may have been because I'm not a regular hiker, and I really liked the change of pace it gave me.

I only planned to go to Mt. Mitake, but the path there was mostly paved (I walked from Mitake station; you can also take a bus, and then a cable car), so I continued to Mt. Otake, and then came back via the rock garden.

As I said, I thought it was super, but again, I have no frame of reference.

>>1241969
I'm doing the exact same thing. I'm staying 15 days. Maybe we'll see each other there.

>>1241920
Could you explain to me what that program is if you have the time to do so?
>>1241921
It makes sense that I would have shit pay and shit hours without a degree but let's say I have a degree in English and I can speak Japanese,would the hours and pay be better?

>>1241920
As a former Eikaiwa teacher. Im extremely happy I didn't do JET. My friends that did JET got maybe a 100,000 more yen a year but they got put in the middle of nowhere where as I got to live in Tokyo. None of the major cities participate in the JET program anymore.

In either situation teaching English is NOT a smart career choice. There is a hard ceiling on salary. But its a great way to live in the country for a few years. You see the 40+ year old people that got stuck in it and it should serve as a warning. Most of the time its obvious they're fuck ups because they can barely speak the langauge despite living in the country for more than a decade

There are Eikaiwas that are better than others, but in all of them you usually get put in a big city or atleast near one

>>1241996
What I would like to do is live in Japan for a certain amount of time(months maybe even years)
And then return to my country,the more I look into it the more it seems that I'm asking too much

I've hit a brick wall in my life and need some time alone and far away from Athens, Georgia to get my mind right. I'm a uni student and I will come into about 1500-2000 this summer and I want to spend at least a week in Japan. Is this going to be possible with airfare and all? Is kayak still the best place to look at for plane tickets?

>>1241892
>REEEEEEEEE

Anyone have any expirence in some of the western coastal cities or northern cities in japan? Places like Sapporo or Niijata. I want to travel a bit outside of tokyo and some of the most eastern cities.

>>1241940
Scratch everything I said about location, drunk me misremembered. Just looked it up and the building is familiar, but its not where I thought it was.

>>1241896
Then how come every picture I've seen of the hostels has a bunch of normals sitting around with their girlfriends and such?

>>1241895
Just mail your shit home, that's what I did, although if you go with the cheapest option you might not see your shit again for 5 weeks.

>>1241902
Cairns airport is tiny so you should have enough time, plus you have a 99% chance of being delayed anyway because Jetstar is shit.

>>1241896
>Yeah but remember you will be in Japan, so normies are rare and asspie weebs are abundant

What a crock of shit. Normie tourists in Japan definitely outnumber weebs given that well, normies outnumber weebs.

You literally can't go to Akihabara without seeing some fuqqboi 6'4 Scandi dude with an undercut and his tall gf.

>>1241796
Take it you work for Nissan?

Nagoya is, like almost all of Japan, a nice comfortable place. It is boring compared to the likes of Tokyo and Osaka but it's not a bad place to live.

Basically, there's no reason to visit Nagoya if you come to Japan on vacation but it's not a bad place to live.

>>1242056
I have a free checked bag though, postage I'm sure would cost more than a suitcase.

>>1242070
not him but it can also depend how much you bought, and what your are shipping. And no not just talking about porn

>>1242069
>Basically, there's no reason to visit Nagoya if you come to Japan on vacation

But Nagashima Spa Land is fun as fuck

>>1242069
The fact you got salty at that comment and then brought up akihabara tells me you are probably one of the weebs mentioned.

When I went the hostels are filled with anti social otaku types, as someone who isn't into otaku culture this made hostels quite boring. Found a few other Australians that were fun, a kiwi and an Irish guy, but that's 4 normies out of possibly the 200 people I saw in the hostels.

Maybe the hotels have a lot of non otaku clientele, because well they are more likely to be older and have more disposable income to spend on their trip.

Tldr hostels are filled with otaku, don't be intimidated by the word hostel in Japan.

>>1242007
I've been to both. I can't speak much for Niigata since I was only there for a day. It doesn't seem to have a bunch going for it aside from location. It's kind of close to Tokyo, close to some ski resorts, and the biggest city in the area so it occasionally gets good events.

Sapporo is alright. It feels different compared to other Japanese cities, more humble people but also still pretty large. Likewise with Niigata though most of it's appeal comes from location. Skiing, wilderness, and a handful of cool day trip cities.

>>1241999
You can do that, but if you want to live in Tokyo I hope you have a lot of savings because if you want to enjoy yourself English teaching wages aren't going to be enough.

JET program is really the only one that lets you save money, or earn more than you will spend. It's mostly work in rural areas, but you can still get flights or trains to anywhere else.

English teachers are just paid quite poorly relative to the high cost of living in the cities. JET teachers are paid the most with all the perks and because they're in rural areas they also save more money so they can take trips to Tokyo or Osaka or Hokkaido.

Travelling is a lot different to living in when it comes to Japan.

>>1242088

Are you shit a budgeting, anon?
I make 25万 a month at my Eikaiwa and am able to save around 500 USD each month, in addition to regular living expenses.

Didn't get to ask really in the last thread so hope no one minds me asking here but what is the "Japan is expensive meme?"

From the research I've done everything, minus authentic weebshit, is fairly cheap. Flights inner country seem a bit expensive but it looks like that is a normal spike in the summer, and the train pass and speed seems like a decent alternative for the cost.

Is there something I am not taking into account in what I am researching? Or is it just based off travel agencies selling people into the "american experience" for japan.

>>1242091
So you think $500 usd a month isn't scraping by ? Interesting.

That's $16 a day you can save to put towards any unexpected expenses, travel, or leisure activities. Living the dream.

Also JET is like $3000-$3500 per month, with lower expenses.

So as I said, unless you get employment at JET, money is going to be an issue, make sure you have a bit of savings banked up if you're going to work over there as an English teacher.

>>1242104
>Also JET is like $3000-$3500 per month, with lower expenses.

JET pays 300k a month which at the current exchange rate works out to about 2700 dollars a month. Definitely not 3500 lol.

>So you think $500 usd a month isn't scraping by ? Interesting.

He said $500 in addition to living expenses.

$500 a month of disposable income is pretty OK for a single with no dependents.

>>1242097
For me it's the flight from Canada and the weeb stuff that makes a trip there expensive

>>1242088

>JET teachers are paid the most with all the perks and because they're in rural areas

False. They're paid the most because it's a direct government hire, and there is not middle man dispatch company that takes a huge chunk of the pay. And the number of urban placements in JET has gone up considerably, especially because of the Olympics.

>JET program is really the only one that lets you save money, or earn more than you will spend.

>but if you want to live in Tokyo I hope you have a lot of savings because if you want to enjoy yourself English teaching wages aren't going to be enough.

Are you talking 23 special wards? Or metro Tokyo. My first year teaching English I made 270k a month and lived in Mitaka (western Tokyo on the Chuo line about 15mins from Shinjuku). My apartment was 50k a month and I was fine. Apartments in the special wards for singles are usually like 70,000k to 80,000k. Generally speaking ESLfags who work in Tokyo do not live in fucking Roppongi or something. Western burbs, south Saitama, or even eastern 23 wards like Adachi (Adachi is Tokyo proper but its sucks though--there's nothing in eastern Tokyo really). Single apartments in Adachi are like 45,000-55,000.

However, there are hacks. Apartment prices in Tokyo are very very dependent on how close it is to a station. It's pretty much the biggest factor. Even apartments that are like 10 minutes on foot to the station can be *significantly* cheaper than apartments that are 5 minutes away. And if you're 15 minutes from a station on foot that can be rock bottom, even in a desirable area like Ikebukuro.

Living in Tokyo directly and comfortably as an English teacher actually is possible. It will never be a job for people who need to club every weekend, but for most people it's comfortable. You can live a comfortable middle class kind of lifestyle for yourself, you just basically don't make enough money to do adult shit like really put into an IRA or buy a house or something.

Going to be In Matsuyama for 2 weeks next month. will have lots of free time. any tips on what to do in the area(not too far out of the city, it's a school trip)?

I'll be in Japan doing some video work and would like to hire an interpreter to be with me for a few interviews. Any recommendations on where I could find a cheap interpreter?

What's the difference between
https://www.japan-rail-pass.com
and
http://www.japanrailpass.net

The first link seems to offer a national pass? Would that mean I could pretty much ride anywhere in the country?

Sorry, I was reading the sticky for the link that points to the .net site but found the .com one to offer more

>>1242173
The non hyphenated one is the actual Japan Rail site. Tells you where to buy the pass if you're going to Japan.

Other site is one to buy an order from to get your JR pass when you get into Japan. I personally bought from this site, since it had the cheapest shipping for a pass overall.

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I'll be in Tokyo next Tuesday-Friday. Anyone want to meet up who might be out there?

Or, any solid places I should check out while I'm there?

>>1242175
Ah thanks for the info! So using the first one I could actually buy my JR pass while I am there or would I still need to order it prior to traveling regardless.

Would like to go to Hiroshima, Kyoto, Takyama, and try to hit up mount fuji. Still trying to find an idiots guide to getting a rail pass in japan.

>>1242180
The first one directs you to travel agencies that sell the JR pass in the US. Second will just ship the JR pass to you at the normal rate plus shipping.

You can buy it in Japan, but an increased rate. Definitely buy it before coming.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html
is going to pretty much be your idiots guide. Or go to reddit.com/r/japantravel and check out their faq, because they actually explain the JR pass pretty well

I'm looking doing a course at my university in which me and 10 others or so go to Japan for two weeks and do a course there. It sounds really good, the main thing I like about it is that it's a credit point for my degree done really quickly and in an interesting place, but it'd also be a lot more expensive than just traveling there.
It'd cost roughly $4000 (USD) for the two weeks with everything paid for, is that way too much?

>>1242179
Join the line group

I'm the guy that was asking about being an English teacher in Tokyo and the people that answered my questions have helped me decide if I really wanna do this so, thank you so much for helping me

>>1242213
you doing it or nah

>>1242216
If everything goes well,I'll definitely do it

The most important question in the thread:

Why Japan General Threads are always filled with unbearable arrogant white cucks dissatisfied with life?

A million dollars for the one who can answer.

What's the best way to get from Matsuyama to Tokyo?
Because my time is limited and it's a fairly long trip. I'd like to go overnight, but at the same time I'm probably going to be spending the day I arrive in Tokyo with my friend so I'd rather not be completely knackered. Is there something that goes overnight and that you could doze off comfortably in?
Preferably something covered by the JR Pass since I've blown the money on that.

>>1242223
Theres a significant number of people that went to Japan to teach English and got stuck. Their Japanese isn't good and being an English teacher is a great way to live in the country for a few years but isn't a real career due to the hard salary cap.

>>1242236
How do people get stuck exactly? Like do they have nowhere else to go and they stay there being miserable?

>>1242235
Is a sleeper train a good option? How much would it cost?

>>1242236
How easy is it to find a labour job, like building, carpentry, even artisanal works?

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I'm going in July, I can't wait to go. I'm so excited. It's my first time traveling by my own choice. I'll be going to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka for 2 weeks.

What are the top things you liked about going to Japan? Any places you would recommend to go in general ?

I'm planning a 16 day trip starting in Tokyo w/ sidetrips for the first week, stopping in Hakone for one night, continuing to Kyoto w/ sidetrips for the second week, then backtracking to Tokyo for a flight out. I want to stay in Koyasan for 1 night during the second week, but I don't want to split up my reservations in Kyoto. Is it feasible to stay in Koyasan the last night of my trip, then somehow get back to Tokyo by 6pm the next day? Ive' heard that bringing more than an overnight bag with you to Koyasan is a bad idea, is there a way I can send my luggage somewhere to be waiting for me in Tokyo?

>>1242223
>Why Japan General Threads are always filled with unbearable arrogant white cucks dissatisfied with life?

You're on 4chan, pay up.

>>1242235
>>1242244
Nobinobi seats covered by the JR Pass is extremely popular so you need to reserve once you are there asap or pay extra for a more comfortable compartment. A last ditched way would be to plan your trip to board from Okayama so you get the chance on both Sunrise Seto and Izumo.
Overnight bus isn't that bad.

Traveling on the cheapish here and only want to go to about 4-5 places all along the same route, minus 1 out of the way place that I need a bus regardless

Anyone here do busses in Japan? Gist of my plan
>take overnight busses to X
>sleep on bus instead of hotel/hostel
>spend day in X
>(optional) do Airbnb stay/hostel till next bus if needed
>after day is done hop on bus to Y
>sleep/rest
>repeat To Z
>head back hit any way on the way back I may have missed or want to go back to

Figured if I do it via busses I am spending about the same-ish as a JR pass for everwhere I want to visit, minus the price of an airbnb/hostel overnight I can sleep on a bus. I've also noted that some of the more out of the way places I want to visit I need to take a bus regardless.

>>1242302
I was typing this when I posted, do you have any expirence? looks like booking buses isn't the same like in the US with greyhoud or megabus.

Anyone ever travel in Japan solo? Did you get lonely? Did you make friends? Where did you go?

>>1242259
Where are you from and how much did airfare cost you?

>>1242344
Netherlands, around 750

>>1240799
Could anyone recommend the best place to buy Otaku shit in Tokyo?
I'll be there for 5 days in about a week. Also any general touristy spots for photos in and around the city?

>>1242370
Akihabara

>>1242398
Cheers

>>1242323
Traveling there solo next week. I'll let you know how it is.

I'm going this July and I want to find a pretty nice hostel. I'm debating doing a deluxe private room at this place

> https://grids-hostel.com/hostels/akihabara/room.html

Has anyone stayed here before?

>>1242323
Been travelling solo last 3 weeks. Japan is actually a destination with lots of solo travellers as its so safe, so if you stay at hostels you will naturally meet lots of people.

Hostels are a mixed bag to be honest though. There's a lot of 'otaku' type tourists, who have little to no social skills and are either very quiet or sperge out at any given moment.

Also, I found the 'larger' hostels, such as 'K's house' to be pretty difficult to meet people, as its full of larger groups/ couples who have no interest. In general, (and this rule applies universally when travelling) do your research on the hostel and try and get a smaller place where the owner is more involved - these tend to be the best places to interact and meet others.

Also, tinder is your friend in Japan.

>>1242223
Why are white people still alive desu...

Where do all of the autistic travelers go in Japan

>>1242426
I haven't stayed there but I've heard Akihbara is a great place, I hope you're a weeaboo though

I'm trying to find the coolest themed love hotels to stay in, but a lot aren't foreigner friendly, and I don't know shit for Japanese.

I was pretty set on this one, but checking their obvious forigner unfriendly websites, seems like the dream is dead.

http://www.towers-hotel.com/

Anyone here know of some cool themed foreigner friendly love hotels that aren't in the middle of nowhere?

>>1242429
>Also, tinder is your friend in Japan.

I thought tinder was basically non existent in japan. Or is that just because fat otaku's go there and don't realize why azn's don't flock to their dick

>>1242444
I'm actually not a weeaboo but i plan to splerg into all the otaku stuff while I'm there to get the experience

>>1242452
>>1242452
You will not find too many old school themed love hotels in Tokyo anymore. Don't know about other places. I don't know what you're looking for in terms of "themed" because that one you posted just looks like a normal one to me.

Also, I don't think love hotels refusing service to foreigners is really that much of a thing. Basically you will go there and if it's not a fully automated one, there will just be an oba-san behind some tinted glass or whatever and just hand her enough money. I doubt you'd get refused.


>>1242453
Tinder is very much a thing, there are tons of cute girls on it and most of the them speak English at least passably.

>>1242442
Depends, where are you planning on going?

Does anybody actually live in Japan? Come June I'll be living in Misawa for a couple of years. Any useful info I should know?

What is the best data sim I can get that will work with 4G in both Japan and S.Korea?

>>1242463
The basic big cities I'm going to wander around a lot

But it would be nice to find some fellow loner losers to enjoy things with and to lessen the stress factor

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>>1242461
>Also, I don't think love hotels refusing service to foreigners is really that much of a thing.
seems like I was just overly worried by the fact that the website information was done in such a way you couldn't use google translate over it.

I have faith in you anon. I'll try for this room.

>>1242461
>Also, I don't think love hotels refusing service to foreigners is really that much of a thing.

I'm pretty sure that is mostly that a bunch, if not all, operate on cash only.

>>1242474
Check with your provider, some providers like T-Mobile actually will include data on your overseas(depends on your plan) and only charge you for voice. I can use my 4G in most major cities but 3G everywhere else

>>1242483
Already have and its far too expensive, I always opt for a local sim unless I'm visiting New Zealand where my provider is also based (I'm Aussie).
I used a sim card by China Unicom for a trip to HK and the mainland, they also offer sims for S.Korea and Japan but not in a single sim for both countries.

>>1242467
I live in Japan. I know nothing about Misawa but feel free to ask me anything you want in general.

>>1242302
>>1242235
I found another option. Fly to Osaka for about 5000 yen and catch the JR train to Tokyo. That would cut time roughly in half. Is it a good idea?

Trying to reserve hotels in Aomori for the Nebuta festival and I am already seeing fully booked places. AirBnB is suggesting a place a prefecture away. Help.

Any good site to use for events in and around tokyo? going in the summer, would love to go see some fireworks or other festivals

>>1242486
Is living and working in Japan truly as horrific and awful as people say? How many Japanese people you know have killed themselves? How many have been raped/molested? How many hours so tou work a week? I would imagine at least 100 with 70 of them being unpayed overtime based on what 4chan has told me.... You poor thing...

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What's the difference between a capsule and a sleeping pod and is it worth $7?

>>1242515
I think a pod has a window/door that closes, while a capsule just has a pull down sheet.

Going to come down to what acceptable noise levels you like

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>>1242323
>>1242424
I'm traveling solo in a little over a week, right after visiting NYC with a girl who it feels like my relationship is falling apart with. I hope I don't ruin my trip with bad feelings. I'm gonna be in Japan for 3 weeks so I hope that's enough time to cleanse my palette.

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>>1242522
You need to get your dick wet, son. If you really want that palette cleansed that is. Dog one of those slutty backpacker girls if the Nip ladies ain't biting.

>>1242517
Right, thanks.

>>1242486
How easy was setting up a Japanese bank account? Do you think I could find an affordable way to have weekend trips to Tokyo, or is that unrealistic?

What is the cost of living in Hokkaido ? How different is Hokkaido to say Tokyo and Osaka ? If I want to learn to snowboard am I better off buying or renting a snowboard?

Sorry guys another hotel question...
Is Ecodogo for Matsuyama any good? Because from the photos it looks kinda crap.
My other choice is a small nice looking hostel 25 mins from town.

>>1242536
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Japan&country2=Japan&city1=Tokyo&city2=Sapporo
According to that rental is way cheaper and most other things are roughly the same
Generally if you want to snowboard more than once or twice you're probably better off buying

>>1242524
You're probably right, I'm hoping there will be some backpackers staying where I'm staying since it's basically a hostel for travellers with private rooms

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>mfw when the Japan withdrawal hits

Goddamn it I have nothing left to do there until I get a shit ton more money or a constructive hobby. Why the fuck do I feel the compulsion to waste all my savings again to do fuck all like a weeb every 2 years when I don't even have any friends or connections to associate with.

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>>1240915
Good god, this bait. Imagine having your entire worldview simplistically being boiled down to race like this guy over here.

>>1242553
>Imagine having your entire worldview simplistically being boiled down to race

you mean like like all liberal and "progressive" politics? You know he could be black for all you know, I think on the progressive stack you have to shut up and listen if you are white

>>1242557
None of this has to do with what that post said.

>>1242557
If he's black then he's black and has a shallow as fuck worldview, great job.

But besides, frankly I can't see anyone but a white dude straight over from /pol/ holding homogeneity > everything worldview.

I am thinking of flying to narita next week. I am a poor lowly airline worker who gets cheap flights but has little money once I arrive. Hotels look cheap there. I keep hearing about how expensive it is in Japan but at first glance it seems fine, cheaper than the US even. How expensive is it there, and what are some cool cheap/free things to do? Places near narita by train worth seeing?

Curiously, if I was to travel between Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo areas for ~3 weeks, have you guys tried any of the gyms in those cities? I read there's public gyms where you pay a small one-time fee/use, but the quality ranges quite a bit.

Anyone have any advice on using gyms while traveling? Particularly weightlifting as I figure I can get my cardio walking everywhere.

This is where I read about gyms: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/09/03/finding-a-half-decent-gym-in-japan-a-survival-guide/


Thanks

>>1242592
On a side note, what are recommended objective sites for researching destinations in Japan? Like...is rocketnews good or delusional weeb-haven?

>>1242593
I was on rocketnews earlier, they were good as for "what you should do to not look like a weeaboo asshole in japan" but not big on showing you places to go- outside of catering bullshit that is. (eg: WACKY JAPAN!!!)

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Is there such a thing as fake goods in Akihabara? I'm just wondering if I should exercise caution in weeb figures.

>>1242537
I stayed at Sens Guesthouse. I can recommend that - it's a 20 min tram ride away from the station, but is right by Dogo Onsen (which is 50% of the reason to visit Matsuyama anyway).

Also had a nice vibe a about the place.

>>1242644
No, Japan does not have any knock-off/bootleg culture like Korea and China. There is no fake shit in Akihabara.

>>1242547
What did you do while you were there?

>>1242592
Depends on how serious you are about weightlifting. You can find city gyms all over the place, but they are mostly filled with machines with only a small amount of free weights. I don't think the private gyms offer one day passes

>>1242242
They have a liberal arts degree typically and had no plan for after college. Japanese companies don't like hiring people who aren't right out of college for the most part unless they are really talented/have a skill thats extremely in demand (like programming)

Combine this with the fact that a good chunk of teachers treat Japanese like its some piss easy language they'll just pick up like Spanish and in about 5-8 years you end up with 30 year old English teachers making about 3,500,000 a year with no prospects back home or in Japan to ever make much more than that.

Have any of you stayed at the juyoh hotel before?

>>1242573
someone post the pol meetup pics

Hello I was asking about travelling from Matsuyama to Tokyo before, and after looking through anything the sleeper train seems the best option otherwise I have to sleep at an airport, (not) sleep on a bus or spend half a day on the shinkasen (and miss out on more time in Matsuyama which I've already had to cut short)
But how likely am I to be able to get a seat, given it's a Sunday night in May and I won't activate my JR Pass until a week before

>>1242652
Unfortunately it's booked out then

>>1242662
Honestly, this is more attitude than anything. A lot of guys never get out of ESL because they're comfortably numb doing it and/or they think (falsely) as you do, that there's no other option and they'd be doomed so they don't change and keep their defeatist attitude.

It's not the recession circa 2007/08 when jobs were like impossible to find, and obviously not everyone can be a programmer. The STEM meme has become so strong it's like people forget there are actually people doing shit that's not programming.

I laugh that you think a guy at 30 with a bachelor's degree doing ESL is necessarily past the point of no return. 30? Jesus, maybe if you said 40...

3 of my best ESL buddies who have returned have jobs. One became a 911 dispatcher, one works for the state government in the dept of corrections, one is going to trade school for welding. These are all random dudes with random BAs.

I reminded everyday how oblivious and unworldly and painfully young 4chan is..

>>1242664
I have, it's perfect if all you want is a cheap place to sleep and an internet connection. It's a bit of a walk to the next station, though.

>>1242686
>3 friends came back from ESL as a call centre operator, admin assistant and one had to go to trade school

Anon I don't know if you were trying to prove him right but you're doing a pretty good job at it

>>1242692
Why do you think everyone makes 300k starting doing STEM shit?

>>1242692
>911 dispatcher = call centre operator
Not really the same, he gets like 30 dollars an hour which modest, but still double ESL and double some call center for like a credit card company or something

Can anyone recommend any foreigner friendly places in kabukicho? Doesnt matter what kind. I wanna check them out for the fuck of it.

Also, I heard yakuza control the place. Ive been told its fairly safe walk around but should make an effort to stay out of trouble.

Id be interested in hearing stories about peoples experience with yakuza. Ive had plenty of run ins with criminals in eastern europe trying to shake me down in shady establishments. But fuck me my curiosity gets the better of me everytime.

>>1242644
The reason everything costs so much in Akihabara is because like what >>1242654 said. You get authentic shit there

>>1242751
What are you trying to do in Kabukicho?

>>1242797
>kabukicho
It's got that robot restaurant so I'll be going there too.

>>1242751
You mean like deri health and soaplands and that? There aren't many. Not into that scene myself so I'm not super aware but I think for foreigner friendly establishments you'd be better off checking out Yoshiwara, which I've been told has them. What does "check them out for the fuck of it" even mean? They're not going to let you come in and just take pictures and gawk dude. And if you're looking use the services I'd still say you're nuts--why drop 2-5man on some pro that 10,000 overweight salarymen have had their hairy dicks in? There are literally hundreds of cute girls on Tinder man. Obviously not a sure thing, but...

>Also, I heard yakuza control the place. Ive been told its fairly safe walk around but should make an effort to stay out of trouble.

All that will happen if you walk around Kabukicho at night is you will be solicited by touts. As a foreigner, mainly African touts, but I've been solicited by Japanese guys before too. Just ignore them and walk right past. Some people here have tried to claim that the "niggers" have followed them and been persistent and aggressive--to which I can only say they are sensationalizing for stormfag reasons and/or they *showed what looked like some tinge of interest*. If you make eye contact or say anything that's not "no thank you" yes, they will smell blood and they may try to pursue you further. If you ignore them they will not be persistent. Period.

>I'd be interested in hearing stories about peoples experience with yakuza. Ive had plenty of run ins with criminals in eastern europe trying to shake me down in shady establishments. But fuck me my curiosity gets the better of me everytime.

Basically foreigners aren't going to have experiences with the yakuza, and if you happened to, it wouldn't be super obvious. Yakuza aren't rocking full body tattoos and rockabilly pompadours like the movies at this point. They will look like normal people. Being inconspicuous is an advantage.

>>1242690
Yeah I think I read it's like a 10 minute walk but there's a bus that stops right out front. It's where I booked my stay because it's super cheap and I'm staying a while and I really want to have a private room. I was wondering if a place like that which is basically half hostel would be a good place for meeting other travellers though. I'm going solo

Anyone have any ramen shop recommendations in Tokyo? I'm here for a week

>>1242877
Yes, Koisaimen Inosho and Gottsu in Nerima are both really good. Gottsu is in the Michelin guide so you'll probably have to wait. There is always a line at Koisaimen too.

>>1242664
Hopefully they have taken all the scaffold down by now.

>>1242702
Because they do? STEM is the official career of 4chan, the only career that makes sense in the current year. I got out of my BA in STEM and was instantly offered a job paying over 100k. And that is a shit job for this major!!!

>>1242884
Tsuta is also a Michelin restaurant, right? How's that one?
And are the famous ones like Taishoken and Inoue still worth trying?

Can anyone recommend some places in the Kanto region that are worth spending a couple of days?

I'm planning on traveling back between Matsumoto and Tokyo and I was thinking of spending a few days in Shizouka, maybe visit the Numazu, the five lakes, ect using the 2 day transport pass.

Is this a good idea or is my time better spent elsewhere?

>>1242877
>>1242884
I can't speak to Michellin starred but I was taken to a number of places recommended on TV and in guides. A lot had unique taste but easily the best was the most surprising. Taken by some drunk Chinese girl in the middle of Roppongi's club district. Must have passed the place thousands of time.

It was fucking amazing.
http://www.menshou-taketora.com/

Went back a bunch of times sober, took coworkers, and other friends during the day. Everyone loved it. Easily the best ramen i had in all of Honshu

>>1242899
I think you misunderstand. I think he meant "it's as if you think literally everyone is or has to be in STEM jobs."

>the only career that makes sense in the current year.

Can you imagine if this were actually true? The world like wouldn't function.

>>1240902

I've been to Japan a lot. Beautiful place and the food is fucking awesome. Go to fish markets on the coasts.

Lots of exaggerations but plenty of truth in what you heard, anon. I sound like an SJW, except with rational definitions: the Japanese are racist, homophobic, xenophobic and super fake to each other.

On the street in small town Japan it is still super fucking clean everywhere and service workers do better work than in America, all though I sort of prefer laid back dgaf American service workers. Things are usually clean in the States too, minus all the bowing and other posturing, because that's what it is.

I spend most of my time in rural, resort-town Japan so I never see crime at all and can't report on that. Hate the people though lol

>>1242899
>2017
>STEMbaiting

It's like I'm back in 2013-2014 4chan.
What's next, are we going to go to '08 and bring back circumcision baiting?

Kind of bored today so I think I'm gonna head to Tokyo for the day. Can't really decide what I want to do though. Any ideas?

>>1242938
>Japanese are racist, homophobic, xenophobic and super fake to each other.

I just don't think it's that bad.

And idk I don't think there's honestly as much venomous homophobia in Japan as there is in America. Even though America has gay marriage and stuff. While in America the overt and public support for LGBT is more vocal and strong than in Japan I also think the opposition to same is stronger in America.

-A fat drag queen (who is indeed actually gay) is literally the most ubiquitous television personality in Japan.

-The native religion of Japan, Shinto, has no codified sexual morality (no shit like Leviticus in the Bible) which dictates that homosexuality is immoral, so that shit just isn't programmed into society.

Tell me how you think Japan is super duper homophobic because I don't really see it. I really seems like a live and let live kind of deal. Japan is not very SJW, so yeah, they're not going to go out of their way to like "fight the gay fight" but they're also not shouting that fags are immoral, blah blah.

Japanese racism (except that by far right people towards other east asians) is not really venomous in nature either, it's just kind of cringey and clueless borne out of their homogeneity and isolation.

When Americans used to put on blackface in minstrel shows and stuff (like Amos and Andy) these acts highlighted stereotypes about black unintelligence and social unrefinement. When Japanese guys on TV wear black face and put on rasta hats and pretend they're Jamaican--they're just kind of pretending to be Jamaican. There's no venom behind what they're doing and that's a difference. It's crass and cringey, but they're not being "racist". The message of what they're doing is not anything about how Jamaicans are subhuman or stupid or anything. They're just...pretending to be Jamaicans.

>>1242945
Plz tell me theres a videolink to japanese people pretending to be jamaicans

Going to JPN on exchange (Akita international university) Wondering if theres anything cool to do nearby? Also, how are my "weekend trip" prospects living in a place like that? Does it take a long time to get around and see the country?

Finally: does anyone know what the cheapest warm place (in feb) to fly to from Japan? Think i might backpack a bit around with a buddy or alone after the exchange semester.

>>1242980
Might be. I don't know. There's also a Japanese guy who loves Louis Armstrong and can do his voice perfectly so he dresses in blackface and sings like him.

i have a question for people who made it to Japan

how much money do you ACTUALLY NEED to start in Japan? Im at $10,500 and from my understanding you need about $26,000 to prove to the government that you can financially support yourself for one year

>>1242547
itf lad. been back since late jan. planning my next trip desu.

had massive reservations about going, since im not a weeb etc but honestly japan is amazing

>>1242997
Start what? Your own business?

>>1242982
The best warm place in Asia is objectively Singapore

Are the ATM's in in the 7/11 in Japan connected to the internet? My bank says you can only withdraw from ATM's that are online.

>>1243028
Yes

>>1242938
>the people don't want me there and I hate he people there but fuck it lol they're just racist

People like you belong on Reddit

Freaking white people, just because a store has tax free on cat sized letters and bright lights and colours does not mean you should shop there.

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>>1243063
SO KAWAII THOUGH!!!!

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>>1243063
>Complains about White people
>Uses freaking

>>1242885
Scaffold? How long ago was that

>>1242938
> Japanese are racist, homophobic, xenophobic and super fake to each other
agreed. But good luck getting people to agree with you on 4chan

>>1243198
>Prioritize citizens of your own country over others
>DAS RAYSIS

New Japan general here:
>>1243188

>>1241122
I traveled there to take the ferry to tokushima for the matsuri in august. Spend a couple of hours around the central station. To be honest it kinda feels like a boring city.(at least compared to Tokyo and Kyoto etc) but I didn't spend enough time there to be able to give you more of an impression than the feeling it left me with.

>>1243291
Please post in the new Japan General anon, this one is past bump limit.

How's the sex life over there?