Please help, the desaster of travelling to Japan ^^"

[Lava_Golem]

Hi guys,

I am a 20-years old maths-student from Germany (so please foregive my bad English ^^") and I always wanted to travel to Japan. One of my friends is ther for an exchange (he is one year younger and will do his A-Levels next year), so I thought it would be quite the time to visit him. ^^ Together it will be funnier, I hope ^^".

But due to some bizarre circumstances, I hat to book the flight quite spontanious and so I will take my flight from 20 Aug until 10 Sept.
This is definatly NOT what I wanted, because now I won't have enough time to learn some Japanese. The travel itself is very spontanious, too, I don't know what to do, so far ... ^^"


I hope that this is the right place for this questions, so please: Can somebody help me, so that this spontanious adventure comes to a good end? Have you some tipps for me? Like "You definately have to see ..." or "Don't forget your ..." or "You definetly are nuts...".
Well, the last one won't help much, I assume, but I am looking forward to your answers. ^^" Please help me ...


Step 1: I immediatly start to lern some Hiragaga (are Katakana that important for me concerning the lack of time?).


What else can I do?

Kind regards,
Henning
Germany

[richvh]

Considering your lack of time, katakana is probably going to be more useful - you may be able to recognize some katakana loan words.

Before we do the "You must see..." thing, how about telling us what area you'll be in?

It is perfectly possible to have a good time in Japan without knowing a word of Japanese. It isn't all that hard to find someone with passable English, especially in touristy areas. (Finding someone with passable German is probably harder, of course.)

[Lava_Golem]

I will be In Japan from 20 Aug til 9/10 Sept. The airport will be near Tokio, but I at least knew something about the "Japan Rail Pass", so I will be (somehow) able to travel from A to B ...
But unfotunatly I don't have any idea how to use the JRP. Can I use ANY train? (including subways?). And can I use busses?
Are there Areas, where I cannot use it?

I want to go to Tokio, Kyoto, Nara. (I don't have any idea how much time to spend on each, or where else to go ... xD).

I hope this helps at least a bit ^^".

Henning

[BrianM]

The rail line is a bit confusing but the announcements on the train are in english and japanese(at least the tokyo ones). If I was you I would buy a Japanese phrase book, it really helps. There are some out there and not very expensive.

Aufweidersehen!

[chikara]

I will be In Japan from 20 Aug til 9/10 Sept. The airport will be near Tokio, but I at least knew something about the "Japan Rail Pass", so I will be (somehow) able to travel from A to B ...
But unfotunatly I don't have any idea how to use the JRP. Can I use ANY train? (including subways?). And can I use busses?
Are there Areas, where I cannot use it?

I want to go to Tokio, Kyoto, Nara. (I don't have any idea how much time to spend on each, or where else to go ...

The Japan Rail Pass is explained here. You will be able to use it on trains between Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara. You will not be able to use it on the subway system in Tokyo or Kyoto. I suspect you will also not be able to use it within Nara but I have not been to Nara so I don't know.

[Lava_Golem]

Thank you two ^^.

Does someone of you have some recomandations for the travel? For example further day-trip places? ^^" Or what kind of food I have to try? ^^"
Up to now, I don't have any idea, what to do first, when I arrive at Japan xD.

Henning



PS: Nice German ^^ (But indeed it is "Auf Wiedersehen" ^^")

[clay]

You will not be able to use it on the subway system in Tokyo or Kyoto.

You can use it with JR subways. (It HAS to be JR)

Does someone of you have some recomandations for the travel? For example further day-trip places? ^^" Or what kind of food I have to try? ^^"
Up to now, I don't have any idea, what to do first, when I arrive at Japan xD.

If you are going to get the JR pass, you definitely want to take 2+ major trips (travel to Kyoto, Fukuoka, etc). Otherwise the cost of the Pass isn't worth it.

Of course you could spend all your time in Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, and that area and still have sites there you'd like to see.

I personally like Kyoto the best -- I guess because of the history.

Tchuss! (how about that?)

[Lava_Golem]

Quite it ^^"
Tschüss (or Tschuess because ü = ue ^^).

I definatly want to go to Kyoto and travel back to Tokio. Like I said one of my friends is near Nara, so I planes to travel ther first and oplace my bagage there so that I can travel with one backbag (I don't know the word, I hope you understand what I meam xD) and travel back to Tokio ... Than when he has time back to Kyoto and NAra....
I wantet to go to Mt. Fuji, is it worth it? Or don't you travel there but take Fotos from the train?
And I also want to take the shinkansen
And I wnat to take a look at the Go-Institut ... because I like Hikaru No Go and so startet to learn playing
And I also want to find cool souveniers. And I want to go to a Zen-Temple and maybe stay a night there.. I don't know if this is possible ....

Henning


PS: Kyoto is DEFINATLY cool ^^

[clay]

Quite it ^^"
Tschüss (or Tschuess because ü = ue ^^).

And I was considering changing the name of this site to The German Page. Oh well...

Kyoto and Nara would be a nice trip certainly. And if you have a friend and a place to stay, that is a great reason to go.

I wantet to go to Mt. Fuji, is it worth it? Or don't you travel there but take Fotos from the train?

You will probably miss Fuji from the train, but it is possible. It would make a good memory if you were to climb some of Mount Fuji.

And I also want to take the shinkansen

With the JR Pass, you can ride *some* shinkansen. Be sure to read the JR Railpass website.

Tokio

A note: In English the usual spelling is Tokyo. The Japanese is 東京　【とうきょう】 toukyou

[becki_kanou]

You asked yesterday about drinking sake in Japan, and I don't know if you saw the response before the server crash, but the answer is: At 20 you are an adult in Japan and you can drink all the sake, beer, wine, etc. that you like. I recommend trying Umeshu (plum wine) it's very yummy.

[chikara]

.... I wantet to go to Mt. Fuji, is it worth it? Or don't you travel there but take Fotos from the train? .....

You get a good view of Mt Fuji from the Shinkansen. I can't recall the exact point on the line but we were traveling from Odawara to Nagoya. I tried taking some pics from the train but there always seemed to be something flashing past in the foreground. This you tube video will give you some idea.

We spent a couple of days in Hakone which has good views of Mt. Fuji.

[clay]

I recommend trying Umeshu (plum wine) it's very yummy.

Yum.

If you don't know much about sake, you may want to check out Timothy Sullivan's site here. I'm a sake newbie, but I'm enjoying learning (and tasting).

[Lava_Golem]

OK, I have heard a rumour about a place where there are quite a lot of HOT SPRINGS ^^
And the exact rumour is, that there is a place, where I can see wild monkeys visiting the visitors xD

Do you know, what I mean? And is thgere a place, where I can find snow? xD

[Harisenbon]

Do you know, what I mean? And is thgere a place, where I can find snow? xD

There are quite a few places with famous hot springs throughout Japan. Some are famous with monkeys, some not. I know Gero (in GIfu) is one that is very famous, and is in the middle of Japan.

And you're not going to find snow in the summer, sorry.
Maybe you should go during January. Then there will be snow almost everywhere.

[Lava_Golem]

The snow-idea was not supposed to be taken serious ^^"

Thank you for your help ^^