[valiumcheepval]

I'm off to Nihon on the 17th March for a couple of weeks and I'm peeing myself in excitement! I've spent 6 months in private language lessons to make things a bit easier while I'm over there but I'm sure there are many things that seasoned visitors know that could help me further.

So, I know this is a vague request, but does anyone have any tips for making my time over there smoother and more enjoyable? Any advice at all, would be appreciated.

[TornadoPD]

Buy a JR pass, though you may not have time for that now. If you don't get a JR pass, get a Suica card; even though it's not going to save you money, it's a lot faster and less hassle than getting a ticket every time.

Eat cheaply at Yoshinoya. Try lots of different foods for dinner. Go to a sento at least once.

If you find someone who speaks English decently, don't constantly try to use your Japanese on them. Speak English.

Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared for a lot of walking and standing.

Bring some kind of small bag (or buy one) so you can carry your wallet, camera, DS -- whatever -- around with you and not lose them.

If you have a small, collapsible umbrella that you like, bring it. Otherwise buy one as soon as you get here. A raincoat would be nice too.

It would help to know which part of Japan you'll be in.

[Adimos]

Depends where you are going.

My tip is to research on the web first.

If you are travelling a bit then a JR pass may be OK, but if you aren't moving around a lot, forget that, they are not value for the Yen.

However, if you are in Tokyo or other big city, you'll use public transport, so get the local smartcard pass, in Tokyo its Suica. That makes life so easy, coz you don't have to figure out in advance what a correct fare is, then you don't get caught up in the hassle of adjusting your fare at the destination.

Last tip - practice saying "sumimasen" a lot. Say that and all your mistakes will be forgiven.

Have a great time, it will be easier than you think!

[pKgGpUlF]

I'm off to Nihon on the 17th March for a couple of weeks and I'm peeing myself in excitement! I've spent 6 months in private language lessons to make things a bit easier while I'm over there but I'm sure there are many things that seasoned visitors know that could help me further.

So, I know this is a vague request, but does anyone have any tips for making my time over there smoother and more enjoyable? Any advice at all, would be appreciated.

Where are you going to?

[23InetrySypekek]

Unless you are planning to go to a nice restaurant, you can save a ton of money from the food side of your budget. Breakfast can be stuff like onigiri and a drink from convenience stores. Many family restaurants have cheap lunches. Cheap meals can also be bento bought at just about any grocery store, frequently also a microwave on site to heat it up for you.

This way you can save your money for souvenirs and actually doing things or going places and not burn it on food.

If you are comfortable with Japanese maps (their addresses can be very confusing) and you are in a specific city for sometime, think about renting a bicycle and exploring that way (some hotel even provide bikes for free to lodgers). You can see lots of interesting small neighborhoods that you may not otherwise see since they are between train or bus stations. Kyoto is an excellent example of a city that can be explored by bike really easily, see lots of stuff, and save massive amounts of money on subway and bus rides from one place to another.

[enteltcheft]

Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared for a lot of walking and standing.

My advice would be bring shoes that don't require laces, as you are always taking them on and off.

[FateHostera]

On the shoe front, laces are fine. Put your shoe on most of the way, with your heel slightly over the back of the shoe; lace it up tightly and tie it. Then it's not too loose to walk in and it's perfect for pulling off easily.

If you're not really going anywhere special (say, dojo, houses, schools), then by and large, the only time you'll have to take your shoes off is when you're leaving/coming back home.

www.hyperdia.com is a great resource for figuring out how to get from Station A to Station B.

[voksveta]

If you're not really going anywhere special (say, dojo, houses, schools), then by and large, the only time you'll have to take your shoes off is when you're leaving/coming back home.
B.

You haven't been a tourist/gone out much in Japan, I reckon.
Almost every time you visit a shrine/temple, some castles and a lot of restaurants (depending on where you sit), you'll have to take your shoes off.

Sorry, shoes that you can easily take off/put on are a must.

[Seasmillets]

Yes, I have. I came here for two weeks as a tourist and have lived here for three years. You generally don't have to take off your shoes at temples or shrines. As a tourist who didn't have time to waste standing in line for a five-minute look inside a building, I tended to just walk around temple/shrine grounds rather than actually going inside. Ditto for castles.

I never ate a restaurant where I had to take off my shoes since I prefer to sit on a chair; you generally only have to take off your shoes for really nice (i.e., expensive) restaurants or if you're going to sit on the raised floor.

And like I said, it's perfectly possible to tie laced shoes such that you can take them off and put them back on easily.

[Gozmand]

Dude, I've been to cheap & dirty student izakayas that had raised floor...it's not really limited to expensive restaurants...and maybe *you* don't want to go inside the buildings, but I reckon most people would want to.

[Vitoethiche]

I never said they didn't, said I preferred to sit on a chair. And yes, he may decide he wants to go inside temples and castles, but again, like I said, it's perfectly possible to tie shoes so that they fit comfortably AND are easy to put on/take off quickly. I don't see why you're getting so riled up over this, it's just advice.

[occallExtet]

I'm generally avoiding the large cities (Tokyo) for too long as I want to see the smaller places this time and Kyoto in particular. So my itinerary is:

1. Tokyo 2 nights
2. Nikko 2 nights
3. Kyoto (Nara) 4 nights
4. Mt Koya 2 night
5. Kanazawa 2 nights
6. Shirakawa-go 1night
7. Tokyo 1 night

All my travel passes, hotels, transfers etc have been organised for me. I'm a strict vegetarian so I realise that may be a problem but I have a plethora of phrases I can use for this situation but if I end up eating fish stock then I'll have to grin and bear it. I'm not fussy when it comes to food to as long as it keeps me going.

The shoes thing is something that has been worrying me. I have some comfy Clarks boots that are great for walking in and have just bought some of those 'self-tying' elasticated laces so I can slip them on and off easily and quickly.

I thought people would appreciate me trying to speak in Japanese to them (We monoglot Brits are always told that our European cousins can get a little sniffy if we don't at least try and speak in their language, which is understandable) so I will ask 'Sumimasen, Eigo ga wakarimaska' at first-I'm aware some people want to practise their English.

I'm told that Japan is a cash society and I should take plenty with me. Will I be able to use my debit cards/credit cards to get money out in the bigger places? I don't want to carry large amounts of cash with me although I'm aware that Japan is very very safe in this regard. Any advice on this?
.

[Jeffery]

Yeah, the vegetarian thing may be a problem but can be gotten around. Soups will almost always have a fish/meat stock here -- that includes ramen/soba/udon as well. One thing you can try looking for is tsukemen; there are types of tsukemen that have a miso/veggie broth that you dip your noodles in.

Boots are a definite must if you're planning on any hiking at all -- especially if it's raining a lot. Sneakers would probably be a good idea to bring along too; just tie them up like I suggested and you can pull them on/off easily without touching the laces. Speaking of the rain, a waterproof backpack might be a nice idea for when you're out and about.

People will definitely appreciate you trying to speak Japanese. It's just a pet peeve of mine; I know plenty of foreigners here who insist on using Japanese even when it's obvious that the person they're talking to has better English.

Definitely a cash society. You can't use credit cards, really, except for getting cash out of machines; check with your banks as well and make sure they know you're going abroad. Check your withdrawal limits; one of my friends from England came over and had problems pulling out cash because his bank had locked down his account after a withdrawal one day. It was pretty embarrassing for him at the time. You can get money from any 7-11 or post office; they both have ATMs that have English interfaces and will allow you to access overseas accounts. Again, though, make sure you check with your banks about fees, limits, and exchange rates. It's perfectly safe to carry lots of cash except for the fact that you may lose it.

If you're uncomfortable carrying around a lot of cash, a money belt may be a good idea.

[bpejjssoe]

For shoes, travel or otherwise, I would recommend these:

http://www.brasher.co.uk/catalogue/p...soli-atbomn021

They are as light, if not lighter, than trainers. Very comfortable and hard-wearing.

Or if doing anything more strenuous:

http://www.brasher.co.uk/catalogue/p...-xcr-kamatixcr

[GDRussiayear]

You can get money from any 7-11 or post office; they both have ATMs that have English interfaces and will allow you to access overseas accounts.

Actually this is a really good point. In my experience so far, 7/11 is the ONLY convenience store which allows you to withdraw money from a UK account. And only in multiples of 10,000 Yen...

[CxofxJFm]

People will definitely appreciate you trying to speak Japanese. It's just a pet peeve of mine; I know plenty of foreigners here who insist on using Japanese even when it's obvious that the person they're talking to has better English.

This goes anywhere you travel, if you speak perfect english and so do they, they may be insulted if you try your crappy broken Japanese on them, I know a few Japanese sensei that have this attitude (I speak english dude, why are you trying to talk to me in japanese?), and most of the Chinese I know over here hate it when someone trys to speak chinese to them, when they speak perfect english. Additionally if you were hoping to practice Japanese, most people you talk to will be trying to practice their english on you :-P. I've struggled with Japanese in restaurants before, to blank on a work (like atataka for my noodle soup) to have them just say, 'do you want it hot or cold?' in English

Definitely a cash society. You can't use credit cards, really

Last time I was there this seemed to become less true, most of the shops in the malls seemed to be taking VISA, and I saw quite a few promotional commercials about how visa was easier than cash, though this could be tokyo area only as I didnt get to go too far from my hotel in ikebukuro. That being said I would become uncomfortable with less than niman en in my pocket. And not every ATM will take a western bank card, but if you can find one that does, withdrawing yen directly will get you the best exchange rate.

[Alina20100]

For shoes, travel or otherwise, I would recommend these:

http://www.brasher.co.uk/catalogue/p...soli-atbomn021

They are as light, if not lighter, than trainers. Very comfortable and hard-wearing.

Or if doing anything more strenuous:

http://www.brasher.co.uk/catalogue/p...-xcr-kamatixcr

Don't want to insult anyone here but I don't think those shoes are nice looking. In fact I would say they're ugly. But I assume they are kind to the feet and have a nice fit?

[Auzuigcx]

Don't want to insult anyone here but I don't think those shoes are nice looking. In fact I would say they're ugly. But I assume they are kind to the feet and have a nice fit?

Haha. They look better on than in the photo, but they are NOT a "fashion shoe" either. They are designed to be very lightweight and very comfortable.

[lXvtm0ox]

In my experience so far, 7/11 is the ONLY convenience store which allows you to withdraw money from a UK account. And only in multiples of 10,000 Yen...

Daily Yamazaki and the Post Office also has machines that allow you to withdraw money from a UK account.

[soitlyobserty]

Daily Yamazaki...

Oh OK cool, I have only ever seen one of those in Kyoto though and it closed down about 3 months ago... Though I know of one in Fukuoka, though I'd be impressed if it has a cash machine... I'm not sure it even has electricity...