this worries me

thanks y'all for your input.

It's a very welcomed holiday from the drudgery that my job is, so I'll try to maximize the temple visiting/ weird food eating

Make sure you wear one of those face masks over your nose and mouth, otherwise they'll think you're a foreigner.

Some more hints :

- Manga / Hentai is NOT real.
- Japanese are normal too. Not like the weird commercials.
- They don't have orange juice over there.

Hope its not been mentioned before in this thread as I've not read it all but you're going to the home of the "Shōgun (TV miniseries)". Nuff said from me. Have an awesome time.

I'm jealous. I've never been, but it's high on my list of places to visit. I want to see Tokyo, Kyoto, and to eat continuously. Or until the money runs out; I've been told it's expensive.

Well, I hope you found that useful.

like always... so no.



say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Well, they DO have English language lessons in school - I remember the teens in our neighborhood loving to speak with my sister and I so they could practice their English.

The "problem" is that, much like many of the rest of us who took language lessons in school, most of them don't actually use it on a daily basis and it gets forgotten over time.

Of course, just like here, there will likely be many who do speak English due to employment and hobbies.

Ouchie, a few more tips for you:

- the most economical way of eating is to buy bento boxes they sell at the train stations or even on the trains. For about 10EUR, you can get a lunchbox set - all packed beautifully, with either sushi, rice, chicken/beef/prawns



Also, ramen chains (yes, its a chain but very popular with the locals) like Menya Musashi have decent ramen for about 10Euros again. So whilst Japan is expensive, its possible to eat economically and good all over.

- Another tip is to look out for blue signs on the platforms or above the train doors. This means that airconditioning in that particular carriage is very low - avoid it all summer

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As long as there is rice I'm happy. .. 10 EUR that's like errmm... a like 11 CHF actually .. not that bad.

Not bad at all, when you consider how much the Japanese restaurants in Zurich charges for those.

And regarding train rides..they can be a bit awkward if you miss these signs.

your country is a beautiful place...

*Ducks for cover, crawls to nuclear shelter...

I was twice in Japan and loved every single day. Don't worry about the English. They are extremely helpful and very friendly. The international sign language usually is enough.

I personally found that time is always a bit short. So thinking about the itinerary helps a lot. I would also think about some highlights before you go. Otherwise chance is that you can't make the best out of your trip or will miss something you really wanted to see.

E.g. if in Tokyo, decide if you want to include Nikko etc.

If you really want to have an insight to people or culture, you can try to organise locals to show you around or you can arrange a home stay.

As already mentioned: a Ryokan is a must, find one with a spa.

Oh wow - I'm so jealous.

Thanks for that. I'm staying with a friend of mine, but I'll be on my own everyday except for the weekend.

So I'll go around on my own.

The important things on my list.

-Sight seeing.
-Gi buying.
-Judo lessons
-Mecha Fighting.

I see you already have your plans organised

I think the Japan Rail Pass must be bought before going there, as it's either not possible to buy it there or it's was cheaper from outside of Japan. I don't remember exactly what it was, but there was something about the train pass.


http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en002.html

that thing is expensive. :O

I mean it costs pretty much the same as the pass for tourists here... for a month.

Japan IS expensive, everything. There is no cheap way around

But then again you are used to this from Switzerland.

True, plus i guess it makes up with the free lodging I'll be getting...

Lucky you. Free lodging in Japan. Wow !!!

My trips nearly ruined me. But I loved the experience - and cancelled about 3 holidays in the future after I came back.

There are so many great places to visit, but if you don't want to go too far from Osaka you can explore the Kinki region (cities Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto; countriside/ocean Shiga, Mie, Nara, Wakayama Prefectures)
Easily forgotten here in Switzerland, but it's summer.

This is (the artificial) shirahama beach in Wakayama Prefecture (cheap 4 hour bus ride from Osaka). Ogigahama Beach has a festival with fireworks and taiko drums in August.
Wakayama Prefecture also has some nice hot springs both at the ocean (eg. Katsuura Onsen, hot spring overlooking the pacific) and in the countryside (eg. Kawayu Onsen, where you can dig your own onsen).
For further info or picture gazing have a look at the website from Tanabe Cty Tourism.
http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/index.html

I have to stop now

trains: If you are staying in and around Osaka you can also buy a regional train pass (eg. Kansai).

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