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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Japan Megathread V: It's not hot it's just humid.
«‹›166 »
 
  • Locked thread
Ned
May 23, 2002

by Hand Knit
Made a new thread. Keep local discussion and general Japan chat in the LAN thread. If you need anything PM me.

* Some questions don't belong in this thread. Mash the links below for these topics:
Anime, manga and figurine-collecting | Japanese language, studying Japanese and electronic dictionaries | English teaching or the JET Program | Cellphones and cellphone use

First megathread -- Second megathread -- Third megathread --Fouth megathread


This FAQ (not the thread, just the first few posts) is generally aimed at people coming to Japan on holiday or who are thinking about moving here and want to know about daily life. Please give it a look-over before you post a travel- or moving-related question. Otherwise, fire away. We do chitchat a lot in the thread, but don't hesitate to post a question any time.


:d: Goons in Japan, by location
Aomori: Capsaicin Coffee
Miyagi: Omgz
Gunma: leather fedora
Chiba: Comrade Bender, Kaleidoscope, plaidboat
Tokyo: Ara, The Atomic Man-Boy, Carfax Report, DiscoJ, elec, hikikomori, LimburgLimbo, Maddog11, Reverend Cheddar, Spaceguns, Stringent, tarepanda, TrueClash, zmcnulty
Kanagawa: Rekka, Waffle Ho, Weatherman
Aichi: Andry, Ferdinand the Bull, Savings Clown, teddust
Shiga: EasternBronze, Lon Lon Rabbit
Kyoto: Teddles
Osaka/Hyogo: Nozomu
Ishikawa: Original_Z, UnclePlasticBitch
Okayama/Hiroshima: Lemmi Caution
Ehime: peanut
Fukuoka: Ned
Nagasaki: harperdc
Saga: Pompous Rhombus
Oita: OMG LOL BUTSEKZ, Sheep
Okinawa: Fluffy Bunnies, skyydude

Goon meets occur from time to time. You may find discussion in this thread, or you may find them in the Goon Meets Forum.


:d: General Bullshit Questions

1) in re freaky-deaky manga, anime, pervert vending machines, chikan

A: Just as for any country outside your own, what you read in the media is not necessarily a complete reflection of the reality in that country. Yes, this kind of vending machine exists. No, they are not common. No, you are not likely to encounter one during your holiday, unless you specifically set out to do so.

2) in re otaku who want to move to GLORIOUS NIPPON

A: For the fourth incarnation of this thread, I'm going to steal a quote from Nessa who was replying to a wonderful E/N thread.

Nessa posted:

Japan is a mecca for nerds and outcasts. It's a crazy country where everything is topsy turvy, so people like him think that it's a place where he would become immediately accepted because he acts like one of their cartoon characters.

It's true that Japan is weird, but no country is perfect. Japan's culture can seem pretty fascinating because it's so vastly different from our own. (...)

Japan is not some magical land of sunshine and rainbows and lolicon girls. There are negative attitudes there that are deeply rooted into their culture, just like you would find in North America. There are disagreeable conservatives, and people who hate immigrants too. Probably even people who hate anime and video games!

It's like someone coming to America and expecting everyone to regularly watch Disney cartoons and behave like popular Disney characters. "OMG I love Mickey Mouse! I want to marry Minnie Mouse/Ariel/Jasmine when I grow up!"


:d: Plane fares


2) I’m in some city in Japan. How can I find a cheap domestic flight?

A: If you don’t speak Japanese and have no-one to help you out then No.1 Travel is pretty much your only choice. But be aware that they charge more than travel agencies that cater to everyone do. Otherwise, you have a few choices: HIS Travel, JTB, buying the ticket directly from the airline’s web site, or going to one of those little ticket-dealing places you find near train stations (you can get some cheap flight and shinkansen vouchers there).


:d: Planning your trip

1) What should I pack/take? (for people moving here)

A: Let's ask Sheep:

Sheep posted:

Bring: clothes, shoes, at least one proper black suit, preferably a few extra suits and/or a blazer*, your favorite deodorant/antiperspirant combo, condoms**, a laptop?

Leave behind: everything else. Japan is the second largest economy in the world, and we have internet here.

There is one caveat: anything you buy here, from clothes (except Uniqlo) to electronics to computer poo poo to dog food will generally be anywhere from 50-100% more expensive than it is in America, even on things made in Japan. Thus, if you don't already have a laptop, I'd recommend buying one and bringing it over instead of paying the "being in Japan" charge for the exact same thing that just happens to cost twice as much.

* Clothes are hit or miss. If you're a big person (like 6' tall or so), most long sleeve shirts will not fit you well here, as the sleeves will probably be too short, as may the shoulders. This goes for stuff like the 6000 yen Uniqlo blazers as well, so, while you can definitely find stuff that will fit, it can be a bit of a chore. Thus I'd suggest you bring at least one blazer, or just have someone post it to you after you get here.
** Also it's possible to find condoms that won't cut off circulation, but it's just easier (and a poo poo ton cheaper) to buy a 48 pack of Trojans and throw them in your luggage. You'll save close to $50 doing that, as well.

If you're trying to figure out what style of clothes to take, go have a look at http://tokyofashion.com/. This is how everyone in the country dresses. Locals love to see white people dressing like this too, so you'll get lots of people smiling at and trying to talk to you.

2) Where should I go in Japan?

A: This depends on a number of factors, including: How long do you have? In which season are you visiting? What interests do you have in the country/culture, or in general? How much money do you want to spend? Do you want to move to different places or stay in one area?
The most basic recommendations that often come up for "I have X days in Japan and don’t know what to do at all" are: (suggestions welcome)
2 days/1 night: Go to Tokyo. You won’t scratch the surface of what it has to offer, but at least you can experience Shibuya, go shopping in Shinjuku, see the Imperial Palace, climb the Tokyo Tower and walk around Yokohama.
3 days/2 nights: Go to Tokyo. Add Meiji-jingu, Ginza and Tsukiji to the first point.
4 days/3 nights: Spend two nights in Tokyo and one in Nikko or Hakone. If the weather is likely to be bad, go to Nikko instead of Hakone.
7 days/6 nights: Split your time between Tokyo and Kyoto/Nara.
One to two weeks: Get a Japan Rail pass. Start in Tokyo and work your way west to Nagasaki, visiting the main centres along the way. Fly to Busan then home, or catch the train back to Narita and then fly out.
Two weeks or more: Why are you planning to come for two weeks if you have no idea what to do? Get a guidebook, cheapo.

2a) What do you think about this itinerary that includes Tokyo, Sapporo, Kyoto and Okinawa in 4 days?

A: :laffo:

3) What should I do while I’m there?

A: Spend as much time reading the forums as possible. When you return to your home country you won't have many memories of Japan and you'll think of it as kind of like being back home but with smaller rooms and high tech toilets. Do not try to talk to the locals - their language is complex and their mannerisms can seem offensive.

Surviving is the hardest part of visiting Japan.

4) Clubs! I want to go clubbing, so tell me where to go.

A: Japan has many clubs but they have cracked down on dancing in clubs recently. If a club operates past 1 AM they are not allowed to have any dancing at all and the cops will raid the club and arrest the owners and shut it down. Clubs that have the proper license and close at 1 can reopen around 5 in the morning so you'll have to find a place to go between then. Some smaller clubs are open all night and let you dance but they are skirting the law. Either way, ask in the thread about where to go.

And don't ever let anyone from the street take you to their club. You'll get ripped off hardcore. Go into a place that has people waiting in line to get in, at least that means there are people there.

:d: Visas


1) What kind of visa do I need to visit Japan?

A: If you’re coming for a vacation of less than ninety days and are from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK or most EU countries, you don’t need to apply for a visa in advance. You can get a 90-day or three-month landing permission when you arrive in Japan. You are prohibited from working AT ALL with tourist status. For all other visits, you will need to apply for a visa at a Japanese consulate before you leave.

When you land at the airport in Japan, you will go through immigration and be issued with a Landing Permission. This is a stamp or pre-printed sticker which is placed in your passport and lists the date by which you must leave Japan or have your stay extended, and the status of residence you fall under -- this governs the activities you may and may not do while in the country.

Note the difference between "visa" and "landing permission", as some people have been burned before. For immigration to Japan, the "visa" (usually single-use) is the document that an embassy or consulate issues you in your native country. It is a recommendation to the immigration inspectors in Japan that you be issued with a "landing permission". Once you are given this landing permission at the airport in Japan, your visa becomes invalid and irrelevant. The landing permission, and only the landing permission, governs your status of stay in Japan from there on out.

People between the ages of 18 and 25 from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Korea and New Zealand are eligible for Working Holiday visas. There will be restrictions on the length of time you can work, both per-week and as a proportion of your trip, and most regular Japanese companies will not consider hiring people on a WHV.

If you want to work in Japan, you will need a working visa or other non-restricted visa, without exception. For the majority of English speakers this will be a Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa which allows you to work as an English teacher, translator or editor. It does not cover anything outside this field -- it is illegal to do other kinds of work without changing your status of residence. However, it is a straightforward process to do that.

Spouses and children of Japanese citizens can get visas that have no restriction on employment. Permanent residents also enjoy unlimited employment options, as well as much higher chances of having their mortgage applications accepted.

1a) in re ID

A:Tourists must carry their passports at all times. This is a legal requirement. You will be asked to present it when checking into accommodation, and you may be asked by police on the street to produce your passport. Most anecdotes by people who were stopped without their passport end in "and so I had to wait in the police station for six hours while someone went back to the hotel to get my passport and bring it in." If you're going to be on a working/familial status of residence, see "What's a gaijin card?" below. If you're in the US military and are covered by SOFA, I believe you are required to carry your military ID at all times when off your base.

2) My landing permission/SOR is valid for three months and expires tomorrow but I really want to go to Nikko/try a soapland/drink in the park for one more week! Is this OK?

A: Short answer: No. If you get stopped by the police and asked to show your passport, or if you stay at a hotel and are asked to show your passport, you will be detained, deported and prohibited from entering Japan again for five years. Don’t risk it. Go to an immigration office and have your status of residence extended, if that's possible, or else leave and come back again later.

3) My landing permission/SOR says I'm a tourist but I really want to teach English in Nikko/work in a soapland/moonlight at this bar near the park where I live! Is this OK?

A: Short answer: Again, no. OK, one of your friends did it and didn't get caught. Bully for him/her; there are also stories (and TV shows even) about people who DID get caught. The number of illegal immigrants here dropped by like 25% over the last couple of years and that's mostly due to a police crackdown. They know what industries are likely to employ valid SOR-less foreigners and they are more than happy to stake a place (or your place) out for a while, catch you out and then ship you out, the consequences of which are described above.

4) I live in Japan and I want to take a short overseas trip. Should I --

A: Hold up, wait, hang on just a second. If you leave the country without first getting a re-entry permit, your SOR will be cancelled as you leave the country. Cancelled. Completely. No take-backs, no "sorry can you just". Not only your SOR is cancelled, but if you've been waiting for your five-year or ten-year mark to roll around before applying for permanent residency, guess what just reset to zero?

Go to the immigration office NOW and get a re-entry permit if you think there is the slightest chance you will need to make a temporary trip overseas. I'm not exaggerating -- your entire stay in Japan comes to a crashing halt if you go without one. You will be reduced to a "temporary visitor" with all the restrictions that entail should you come back to Japan, even if you are within the (no longer) validity period of your old SOR. You can get a single-use permit for 3000 yen, or a multi-use (it lasts until the end of your current SOR) one for 6000 yen. This system will be abolished in the next few years, but it is very much in force now.

Lemmi Caution writes to Penthouse on this topic in this post.


:d: Communication


1) Can I use my cellphone in Japan? (Short answer: maybe)
2) Can I get a prepaid cellphone for my holiday? (Short answer: no)
3) So what other choices do I have?

For the answers to all cellphone-related questions, go and post them in zmcnulty's awesome Cellphone Galapagos thread. We're all sick and tired of the cellphone questions coming up every half a page in this one.

4) Can I get Internet access in Japan?

A: Yes, but there aren't many free open wi-fi spots anymore. Japan (Tokyo at least) went the way of "get the telcos to roll out access points and let them charge 900 yen a month to use them". Otherwise, internet/manga cafes are quite common, especially near train stations. Some places require that you sign up first (around 300 yen), others just charge so much per hour. The quality of the cafe itself varies quite a bit, too, so if you're here for a longer time and are using net cafes a lot, shop around.


:d: Transport


1) Japan Rail Pass -- to buy or not to buy?

A: Probably not. You should think carefully about where you want to go in Japan before you buy a Japan Rail Pass. The seven-day pass is only good value (ie. you will just about break even) if you use the shinkansen to travel more than one round-trip between Tokyo-Kyoto (ie. one longer trip or more shorter trips). If you’re going to travel more than that on the shinkansen or mostly on JR lines in a seven-day period then yeah, go for it. If you only want to take the shinkansen for one round-trip, just buy regular tickets.

If you’re considering buying the 14- or 28-day ticket then you’re probably planning to travel around a lot more, so it becomes better value.

Note that within major cities, JR is not the only train network. If you're in central Tokyo, you will use Tokyo Metro much more than you would JR. If you're in Kansai then you can use that private line (Kintetsu?) between Kyoto and Osaka which is cheaper than the JR line.

In any case, if you’re trying to maximize value, note that there is NO shinkansen between Narita Airport and Tokyo, so you don’t have to actually convert the voucher to a train pass until later in your trip.

2) How do I get to wherever from Narita Airport?

A: You have four choices.
  • Limousine buses run from the airport to all over the city and suburbs. Seriously, I live on the west side of Tokyo and I can get a direct bus to the next suburb from where I live. As far as I remember, there are two major companies at Narita Airport - Keisei, linked above, and Kanachu, whose website is in Japanese only. Most of the bus counter staff can speak English though, the departure times/fare information is displayed in English, and they’re not pricey. Your best choice.
  • The Keisei train line runs a reserved-seat service (the Skyliner) from the airport to Ueno station, from where you can transfer to the different lines. If you don’t want a reserved seat you can take a regular Keisei line train for 1,200 yen less (and 15 minutes more, no big deal.)
  • The JR line is slightly more expensive and runs to Tokyo, then usually continues down towards Yokohama. The special all-reserved-seat Narita Express is spectacularly expensive for outbound trips, but as one of these "foreigners" you can get the special Narita Express + Suica deal! Note, if you are staying in the centre of Tokyo then the Narita Express is overkill – take the Keisei Skyliner instead.
  • Comedy "taking a taxi for 30,000 yen" option

:d: Getting around


1) Can I get around only speaking English?

A: In major metropolitan areas, probably. Please be aware that English is NOT an official language of Japan, and the fact that some people understand English is not a reason for you to expect everyone else to understand you. Many Japanese people study lots of English grammar and vocabulary in school but can’t necessarily speak it. In any case, basic traveller's courtesy dictates that you learn at least the Hello/Excuse me/I'm-sorry-I-don't-speak-Japanese-Do-you-speak-English phrases in Japanese before your visit.

In smaller towns you will probably have more trouble. Lonely Planet’s articles for certain towns suggest that even the tourist information centre staff don’t speak English, so if you’re not confident in your inter-cultural communication ability then you might want to take a package tour.

2) Should I drive?

A: In Tokyo, not unless you have a specific reason to be driving. The city was never meant for cars. The roads are crowded and expressway tolls will have you dry-retching. Anyway, the trains are much easier and comfortable and the network covers the whole metropolis.

If you do want to drive, you will need an international driving licence. When you get it, make sure it conforms exactly to the official specification! Japanese administration staff can be very particular about paperwork: my friend was refused service from a car rental agency because there wasn't one of those crimp stamps on the edge of the photo. You can find a car rental agency near almost every train station. Rates usually include unlimited mileage. Most sedans have car navigation systems (in Japanese).

You can also get yourself a Japanese driver's licence. Nationals of most EU member countries, the UK, Australia and New Zealand can simply convert their driver's licence to a Japanese one by filling out the forms, taking an eye test and paying the fee. Everyone else has to go through the system the same way Japanese do. :australia::smug: If you do qualify for the conversion, I highly recommend you do so. Even if you don't drive, the licence is great to use as ID instead of your gaijin card, which contains a lot more personal information that maybe you don't want to show your local video store.

3) So you say the trains are pretty good?

A: Yep. Reliable, clean, quiet and much safer than anywhere else. There are many different railway companies, but if you have a Suica/Toica/Icoca/Kitaca or Pasmo rechargeable stored-value card, you can transfer between them without worrying about if you have the right ticket or not. Seriously, get one of these. Charge it when it runs low at the ticket machine, then all you have to do is touch it to the reader at the wicket when you enter the station, then again when you leave at your destination. Simple.
Suica and Pasmo cards keep their validity and hold value for 10 years after you last use them, so you can take them home with you and use them on your next trip.
In any case, all (I think) JR ticket machines and the vast majority of the private railways' ticket machines outside the deep boonies have a button that you can press to switch the display to English, so don't worry about accidentally buying a ticket to the moon or anything like that.

The trains stop running at night, but only between roughly 1am and 5am. If you’re out after 1am you might as well stay out all night and catch the first train home. (Hey, millions of Taro Salarymen can’t be wrong!)

Hyperdia* and Jorudan** are sites where you can check your route, fare and timetable.
* Be sure to click "Search Details" and turn off all but Express, Walk and Ordinary Train if you want a cheap option.
** Watch out for Jorudan! The English site will refuse to give you a local train option if a shinkansen runs the same way, so you may end up paying thousands more yen for a trip that only takes 15 minutes more than a local train.

Stupid stuff that shouldn't need to be said but it does: (More applicable to crowded trains but that's most of them) Take off your backpack when you're on the train. It's really annoying to be bumped by someone's backpack every three seconds, especially when the owner is three feet in front of the thing and oblivious to the people behind them. Also, keep your voice down. A lot of commuters like to sleep or otherwise relax on the train, and since in general English speakers talk louder than Japanese, your voice is carrying through the whole carriage and everyone is wishing you would shut the hell up. One more thing is when you sit on the train, make sure you're only taking up one seat. Long seats usually fit seven and you can bet your bottom dollar yen that six other tired people want to sit on the same bench as you. And turn down your loving headphones. Nobody else is impressed by your phat beatz, in fact they wish you would die.


:d: Short-term Accommodation

Japanese Inn Group should be your first stop if you don't read Japanese. You can plug in all your criteria and find a place that matches.

  • Ryokan
    The traditional Japanese style inn. A list of ryokan which accept and can handle non-Japanese speaking tourists can be found using Welcome Inn. In the countryside, if you don’t speak Japanese, you may be turned away by some of the more gun-shy ryokan.

  • Western style (high-class) hotel
    You know how they say Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world? That’s because of people who think they HAVE to say at the Hilton or Prince Hotel or Keio Inn and eat steak and roast chicken stuffed with foie gras or whatever. I remember one goon in the last thread who stayed in a five-star place because his company was paying for it. He enjoyed it, and you probably will too, but be prepared to pay.

  • Business hotel/Weekly mansion
    These cater to people on business trips. Much more reasonable than the four-star hotels, but just basic amenities (almost all have private bathroom/toilets.) The Toyoko Inn chain has places all over the country – they are unremarkable but always clean and serve breakfast. I’ve stayed at a bunch on business before and use them for quick social trips too.
    Weekly Mansion Tokyo is a good option that my parents always use when they visit. It's basically a long-term business hotel, but the rooms are slightly bigger, there is a real hotplate and microwave in the room, and there are discounts for stays of more than 7 nights. One drawbacks is that the linen and towels aren't changed every day, but I'm sure we can all live with that. The staff don't always speak English but they do provide information sheets and stuff in English.

  • Hostel
    Most goons talk about Sakura Hostel in Tokyo. Cheap and ready for tourists. I found this place on another guy's web site. Rates and facilities look good. edit: Sakura Hostel sucks, I think K's House is the new recommendation? I forget

  • Love hotel
    "Love hotels" often litter the major towns and offer an inexpensive stay with many amenities: clean showers and baths, complimentary soap, shampoo and conditioner, mini-fridges (often perfect for travelers looking to store onigiri for the next day's breakfast), a clean bed and a locked door. The only requirements (not in all hotels) are that you stay with someone of the opposite sex.
    Love hotels will usually have three displayed prices: Rest (3 hours), 30 minutes and Stay. Stay is usually a set period for couples to spend the evening (starting times range from 10:00pm to 12:00am until 10 or 11 the next morning. At most places it costs about 6,000 to 8,000 yen for a stay and at some of the more expensive hotels it will cost you 10,000 to 14,000 yen a night. Just a small warning: If you do not speak Japanese, many, if not most hotels will kick you out. Brought to you by BambooTelegraph.

  • Comedy capsule hotel/internet café option
    Capsule hotels are basically an emergency option for businessmen who have missed their last train home after drinking with the boss. You get a shower, a place to put your briefcase/duffel bag (notice I specifically didn't say "suitcases/huge backpacks") and a coffin to sleep in.
    Internet cafes are for unemployed people and kids running away from home. Most of them have bottomless drink machines, manga to read and comfy seats. Some have showers. Do it once for fun if you really need to, but it won’t be comfortable. People don’t WANT to stay at these places.

  • Couch Surfing
    CouchSurfing is a good way to experience Japan if you are traveling alone or as a couple. Many Japanese people and foreigners are willing to put you up in their apartments for a couple of nights if you have a proper profile and some references. I(Ned), have hosted about 50 people or so over the last year and a half and it has really been a blast. The accommodation is going to be free but take out your hosts for dinner and drinks and let them show you their favorite spots. You'll save money and meet interesting people.
:d: Longer-term Accommodation

  • Guest houses. This section brought to you by the esteemed TrueClash!

    TrueClash posted:

    I said I'd write you some stuff up on guest houses like a month ago but got busy / lazy. I'll add it now. Anybody who wants to add or edit what I've got please do. I haven't been to Oakhouse or Borderless house so I'm working on what others have told me.

    Guest houses are a decent alternative to apartments in bigger cities. A guest house can range from a house of six people to a dormitory of one hundred. They have single or shared rooms and the price tends to be less than an equivalent apartment in the area, often including utilities. Rent and leases are usually by the month, deposits are small and there is no key money. You also get a mix of nationalities and occupations (teachers, students, working folk and part timers.) A good option if you want a social place to live, and the managers sometimes organize house events.

    A quick google search of gaijin house and the city name you are looking in will general be enough to start from. Additionally, you can find listings in the housing section of GaijinPot and at GaijinHouseJapan.com

    The following is a list of some Tokyo based guest houses goons have solicited. YMMV

    Sakura House is one of the best know and most advertised. They operate 200 houses in the Tokyo area. Small houses or bigger dorms, Sakura houses vary pretty widely. It also has the worst reputation of guest houses. Known for attracting some of the louder, more obnoxious partiers on working holiday visas, you won't find it a place of much rest. It is not suggested if you are working the 9 to 5. If you're coming on extended holiday you may enjoy it. Many goons suggest to avoid them.

    OakHouse is a little on the pricier side but the buildings tend to be modern and centrally located. They operate over 100 houses in the Tokyo area with anything from 5 to 20 rooms. Rooms are primarily single occupancy. The website lists demographics about each house should you wish to know what kind of people you will be living with.

    Borderless House gives more of the at home feel as their buildings are actual houses. Well maintained and varying in style, Borderless house is especially popular with students. They operate 40 houses in the Tokyo area primarily with shared rooms, though some single rooms are available.

    DK House has modern dormitory style living in spades. They operate five houses in Tokyo and one in Sapporo, all in the range of 100 rooms. Rooms are all single or double occupancy. The dorms tend to have large kitchens / dining rooms and one or two small game rooms. An excellent place for socializing if you want to and being a hermit in your room when you peopled out. The management company also has professionals clean the common areas five times a week.

  • Monthly apartments
    Leo Palace is one company that rents furnished one-room apartments to people who perhaps don’t have a guarantor for a regular place. They don’t require huge deposits or long contracts and can be found all over the place, but you do pay a little more than regular market rates for the service, and the apartments are not fabulously fabulous.

  • Regular apartments
    Only if you have Japanese family or a Japanese boss willing to be your guarantor. You’ll need up to six months’ rent up front in total for the deposit, customary (mandatory) gift to the landlord, real estate agency service charge, and the first month’s rent payment. This is not an option for tourists even if you are planning to stay six months.

  • Comedy "buying a house" option
    It can be done but if you're looking to do so then you need more help than this FAQ can provide.

:d: Carrying money


1) How do I bring money to Japan? needs updating

A: Japan is still mostly a cash-based society. It’s not uncommon for people to be carrying around wads of notes in their wallets. Department stores, other major stores, chain supermarkets and major clothing stores accept credit cards, but not everybody. Do NOT come to Japan with no cash, expecting to charge everything. Also, some people have reported that stores will turn down Visa and Mastercards issued by international banks because "we don’t accept foreign credit cards". It’s not supposed to work like that, but what are you going to do?

Travellers’ cheques can be tricky outside major centres. Not all banks can handle them. If you must use travellers’ cheques, make sure you know where they can be converted before you come.

It's not all bad news though. Japan Post ATMs, which are linked to the Plus network, accept most ATM cards (see if yours has a Plus logo on the back). ATMs are not open 24 hours a day! There may be daily withdrawal limits! You shouldn’t run into too many problems though.

spacebard says "I always forget where the Citibank ATM is in Ikebukuro, but if you need to get more than the post office's daily limit, it's available. It's worth mentioning because it's been around for at least 10 years. It's at Ikebukuro station's Metropolitan Plaza Exit, at the end of a long corridor."

BambooTelegraph says "There is a Citibank ATM on the first floor of the Narita Airport, next to a small 10min/100yen internet cafe. There is also a Citibank near the Imperial Palace. The bank itself shares the building with a Microsoft Center."

LimburgLimbo adds "Actually, now that 7/11s have ATMs which let you use foreign cards*, it's not all that hard to get cash if you need it, at least in major cities. However, if you don't know where ATMs are, etc. you should always have enough cash to get around. I frequently get by with only putting what I'll need for a day (a couple thousand yen) in my wallet, but then I know the locations of ATMs I can withdraw from in pretty much every part of Tokyo I go to, and have a train pass which always has enough money on it to get me home, etc. But a tourist should ALWAYS have cash on hand.
* 7/11 ATMs (including ATMs in 7/11 affiliated stores like Ito-Yokado) take foreign cards, but you can only withdraw in denominations of 10,000 yen, and they have a 210 yen service charge."

In short, carry lots of cash, and charge up your Suica card (you bought one, right?) which can be used at convenience stores and even some restaurants so you don’t have to fumble for change.


:d: Food

  • Eat local food, save yen. It bears repeating that Japan is not a Western country, imports 60% 70% of its food, and is used to catering to Japanese people who (mostly) eat Japanese food. You can get Western food but you will pay a premium for it.

    Leaving issues of cost aside for a second, the variety, range and quality of food here is top-notch. Japanese snigger at what we call "sushi" and "teppanyaki" in Western countries because it's so far removed from the real thing. If there's a particular kind of J food you want to try while you're here, post with your request and budget -- you'll probably find that someone can recommend a good place.

    If you're on a tight budget, there are lots of great ramen (not the instant-noodle thing you might have thought of -- big bowls of REAL noodles, meat, vegetables and spices), tempura, udon/soba noodle and other restaurants all over the place. If you do need a fix of Western-style food on the cheap, try a chain like Denny's, Jonathan's or Saizeriya (the so-called family restaurants.) I've never visited one outside Japan but American friends of mine say they're a drat sight better than the US equivalents.

    Dmoz recommends Tabelog for restaurant information. "It`s by far the most comprehensive restaurant review site in Japan, and is especially good for Tokyo." The site is only in Japanese, though.

    CronoGamer says: "Budget travelers [shouldn't forget about] the special price-cuts at supermarkets in the evening. The way it works is (at least from what I saw in Tokyo) after a certain time in the evening, they start putting out big red stickers on the bento boxes advertising 25/50/75% off (better deals the later in the day it is) because they aren't allowed to sell the food the next day thanks to the rigorous health restrictions."
    Dmoz adds "This is a good point - it's called Time Service and is best at the major department store foodhalls (depachika) about 10-15 min before closing. I'd also make another point - LUNCH SETS. Jojoen's lunch set (a pretty nice yakiniku) is about 15-20% of the dinner price, for example. Set menus are god."
    Sushi shops (as opposed to restaurants) also do this. Every night when I pass the sushi shop near my station, around 8pm, they are selling everything at 30% off.

  • Convenience stores sell worthwhile food. It is possible to eat three meals a day from a convenience store, with a level of variety even!
  • Vegetarians beware, Japan is not a vegetarian country, and many people, let alone restaurants, don’t understand the different levels of vegetarianism and what constitutes "meat". Search the previous threads with "vegetarian" to see some stories. Here's one.
  • English menus aren’t always available, but point and gesture picture menus are more common. A lot of not-top-tier restaurants have the plastic molded food display outside their shop so you can see exactly what you are getting (and drag the waiter outside to point, if you need to.)
  • 郷に入っては郷に従え。 (When in Rome, do as the Romans do.) It's considered impolite to eat while walking and odd to eat while standing. It's quite rude to eat on the train (except for non-crunchy sweets and stuff.) If you buy take-away food, be aware that rubbish bins are few and far between on the street, so be prepared to carry your rubbish around with you.

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May 23, 2002

by Hand Knit
:d: General questions about Employment/Studies


1) I’ve just finished high school. Can I work in Japan?

A: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sugar_daddy

2) I’ve just finished university. Can I work in Japan?

A: Welcome to the world of English teaching! Please consult the JET program megathread.

Other lines of work: See the second post for much more detailed information.
The original thread suggests Daijob. GaijinPot is another site but be careful if you enter the forums: they are populated by trolls, fat depressos and whiners. Also, the mods delete any content that’s critical of GP advertisers.

Unless you are particularly skilled in your niche field, then you have zero chance of finding a job unless you’re working for a multinational and getting hired outside Japan, or fluent in Japanese. (Sorry, but it’s the national language after all.) Even then, you will probably find it much harder to get a job than a native fresh out of university.

Are you American? Welp, you have to pay taxes in the US too. But Lemmi Caution says: "Step 1: Don't file taxes until you've been abroad for an entire year. Americans abroad get an automatic extension to June and you can extend beyond that. Unless you have some fancy-rear end financial poo poo in your personal affairs, 1040 and 2055 should be all the forms you need."







3) I want to study in Japan! What choices do I have?

A: Jossos directs you to the Japanese government's page on studying in Japan which contains a lot of information. Are you over 30, though? According to Andry you might be out of luck finding a school that will accept you.

:d: Health
  • Japan has an awesome socialised medical system (sorry for your angst republitards) which covers basically everything at a reasonable cost. 30% of actual bill up to a max of 80,000 yen a month, subsidies available for people on high-cost long-term care. If you work in Japan, you are obliged by law to enrol in either Kokumin Kenkou Hoken (for self-employed) or Kenkou Hoken (done through your employer).

    Q: Can I avoid enrolling in the national scheme for now, and enrol later?
    A: Of course! The government won't come chasing you for premiums while you're not enrolled. HOWEVER - when you do finally enrol, they will hit you up for TWO YEARS of back-payments in one lump. Hmm... two years' worth of premiums in one go, or spread over the previous two years? You decide.

  • :420: Don’t plan to do drugs in Japan. If you really must, well ... I don’t know what to say. You’re taking a stupid chance (legally I mean, not morally). In contrast to what you may have read on blogs about Japan, police don’t specifically target foreigners, but if you as a foreigner are caught using, possessing or socialising with users/possessors you will have the proverbial book thrown at you (the heavy one, the one with the chapters on deportation). Japanese society has zero tolerance of drugs.

  • :siren: Be careful with prescription medicines, Vicks inhalers and Sudafed – for the first one, you need to bring the actual prescription with you to prove they’re legitimate. Additionally, some American prescription medicines are not allowed in Japan. Vicks inhalers and Sudafed are illegal because they contain some chemical that can be used to make some other drug's chemical (I’m not sure what). This site is handy reference as to what is and isn't allowed. Also, if you're taking some kind of mental health prescription medicine, check with your doctor if it's available in Japan. A mate of mine had to resort to buying stuff (a well-known medicine) off the Internet because it wasn't approved for use in Japan.

  • Get travel insurance before you go and make sure you have a phrasebook with all the usual "I have diarrhoea/I broke my ankle/What's this rash/I caught the AIDS" translations. Check if your travel insurance requires you to pay cash up front, because if you’re not in the national health insurance system, that’s what you’ll be doing.


Some news sites and blogs you may find useful are
  • Japan Times – an independent English-language newspaper, on the verge of folding :haw: because nobody buys it anymore.
  • Japan Today - Hikari Ichijou says "The comments section at Japan Today is like a car accident: You shouldn't look but you can't help it. I've also never seen more miserable and depressed people on that site than anywhere else on the internet."
    LyonsLions follows up with "Japan Today is hilariously awful. Their translations are terrible, their columnists are some of the gooniest goons that ever gooned, and the commenters on the site are the biggest bundle of crazy anywhere on the internet." They do update their site more than once a day though, unlike Japan Times.
  • Japan Probe – More of an RSS than a news site but one of my favourites.


Part 2: Studying in Japan

  • Japanese language schools (AKA Getting Along With Korean and Taiwanese People 101)

  • High level language schools (IUC, Yamasa)

  • Language senmongakkou/shingaku oriented schools (日本語予備校)

  • Low level language schools (short-term or less-intensive schools)

  • College
    LimburgLimbo says these include:

    quote:

    Study abroad (the most ESID; probably just tell people to talk to their college to see if they have any programs)
    English language undergrad programs (Sophia FLA, Waseda SILS, APU. This is where I ended up)
    Regular undergrad (I actually did all the preparation to apply for these, including going to some college fairs and taking the ryuugakushiken a couple of times, so I can write a bit about this, though application procedures vary enough between schools that I can't be too specific)
    Graduate studies (no idea about this)
    let's flesh this out a bit more
You could also check out Hello Work, your one-stop shop for employment help and unemployment advice/paperwork in Japan.

Reverend Cheddar posted:

Japanese Language Prep School (日本語予備校)

I think the main point to drive with this way of learning Japanese is that yes, it's very effective -- you are totally immersed in the language, except maybe for absolute beginners who need things like basic verbs and nouns explained -- but oh my god it was one of the worst and most boring years of my life.

If you are thinking about studying full-time at a Japanese school, you will need to either attend one of these schools and graduate, or have a Japanese qualification like JLPT 1 or 2 (at least 2); might depend on the school and if you're going to be in a major taught in English, but this is almost certainly standard. Not that it's particularly difficult in these schools -- as long as your attendance is above 90% or so, your grades don't matter. You'll have to pay attention in class in order to pass tests, but even if you fail they just give you the easiest test possible to say that you 'passed'. So basically pay your tuition, show up to class and you're golden. That's the easy part.

The hard part... getting used to Japanese teaching.
There's little to no discussion, almost nothing intellectually stimulating, your primarily Asian classmates will get mad at you for asking your teacher a question that can't be answered with a yes or no, and you basically just beat JLPT stuff into your head for ten months until the test; after that they just sort of shrug off, it feels like. So be prepared for a long haul in a curriculum that fails to encourage critical thinking of any sort. You literally do just beat what you need to know into your head. Some people might like it, others, like me, hated just about every day of it.

Vocational Schools (専門学校)

Ahh, vocational school; semi-playground for the urchins of Japanese society. And I go to one.

One thing to note right away is that most of the students around you will be fresh out of high school, and also that while it's secondary education, the environment is quite different than that of a university, especially in the maturity level of students. Not that Japanese university students fare any better at that age but vocational students have a penchant for immaturity that might be hard to deal with if you aren't around the same age (18 or so). Not all of them, but many.

The class style is, predictably, the stereotypical Japanese style: you stand, bow to your teacher, sit down, and listen to them and the lecture. No questions, no discussions, just listen and take down notes. There won't be homework, really (although I dunno about engineering senmongakkou, you might have it there), but you will end up with midterms and finals full of stuff you were supposed to memorize from notes -- even, sometimes, the ones they didn't tell you about! Bleh.

I will also point out that senmongakkou coursework is very much actual work, or at least most of it is -- so the curriculum does end up being geared for things like pointless licenses (I had to take four license tests just in my first year, at 5000 yen a pop -- no matter how hard I tried to convince my teachers that I did not have the money for that, that Japanese is a second language and it wasn't fair to make difficult tests like that mandatory, and that the US doesn't hold any stake in those, they forced me to take them anyway) and 'skills' you need for the profession you want a job in. As my teacher snapped at us one day (after having the gall to be offended that 18-year-olds didn't know what job they wanted for the 'rest of their lives'), if you want to play and dick around in school in Japan, go to university. If you want to learn things actually relevant, even if mostly insignificant, to the profession you want to enter, go to senmongakkou.

I sound pretty critical of it, but mostly just of the Japanese teaching style; I do a lot better when I have the chance to discuss and think critically about things, instead of just pure rote memorization. ESID but at least in my school, a fashion school, we have so many chances to be creative that it doesn't quite cancel out the teaching style, but makes it a lot more bearable...

Monbusho Scholarships (文部科学書による国費留学生)

pros: Free tuition, entrance fees waived, fat chunka money every month, getting Japanese people to think you are smart by telling them you are 国費留学生

cons: That 'fat chunka money' every month ain't nearly enough if you're in Tokyo -- maybe Osaka, I dunno, but I don't get the impression from my peers there that it's much better. Plus you're basically at the mercy of the Japanese government as to how much exactly you're getting (and they don't exactly communicate with you about it either). The money is also not totally guaranteed -- you still have to keep up your attendance rates and grades or else they'll deport you, which has happened to a few sempai of mine. And you have to remember to sign up for your money every month Textbooks, etc are not directly covered; you'll have to save up your monthly stipend for that. If you end up like I did in an expensive fashion school, look at a bill of around 200,000 yen for fees that you have to cover. It sucked to try and save up so much like that, especially when I had to pay rent, bills, food etc with that monthly stipend; barely made it.
One thing that I accepted from the beginning but still feel a little anguish over, is that I had no say in where I go to school -- not that I don't like my current school, but dangit, Bunka is the fashion school that I thought I would be going to and I get the impression that they are much more flexible with their Monbusho scholars than my school is. Sigh. So you're also very much at the mercy of whatever school you end up at as well.

That said... there's definitely a lot going for you if you're picked as a Monbusho scholar. I wouldn't call it on par with being a Rhodes scholar or something but there's definitely prestige with it, especially if you want to work in Japan-related or Asia-related fields someday. You get at least two years (in my case three) of free tuition, including a year of language study, so you get to learn a whole new language for free, live in a foreign country for free, go to school for free... not a bad deal at all.

The hard part is winning it

You start off by sending in your application, which includes the application form, transcripts from high school and/or university, certificate of graduation from each (or forecasted graduation), recommendation letters, and a crazy-rear end Japanese style health exam where you have to get x-rays and blood tests. gently caress blood tests.
Anyway, send that all in by the proper date, you're almost certain to pass that stage. Next comes the entrance exam... study as much math as you can for that cause you'll need it. Some people find it easy but they are genius Asian kids and deal with that sort of buffoonery better, you must study your rear end off. I've taken math through college and I was still baffled by most of what I saw on that test (to the point where I'm still not sure HOW I passed it).

If you pass that, then you get to the interview stage -- for me it was formal business code; I came in a dressy blouse and skirt. You do have to take this part seriously too -- even if it's just a formality by that point you can still be dropped; case in point, one guy who passed the entrance exam along with me was dropped at that stage cause he came in wearing his Abercrombie uniform and reeked of Lucky Strikes. Don't be that guy.
As for what to say in your interview, do as much as you can to convince them that you know what you're doing in your field, that you have career goals in your home country, and that you aren't a fat anime neckbeard who can't socialize with anything other than a bag of Doritos. Convey that you have a purpose for studying what you want to study, and confirm that you know what you'll be doing with that education even if you don't know (hell I didn't know then and still don't know now :p). If all goes well, you should have passed!

And then you wait. This is by far the hardest part cause it's so nerve-wracking; results won't come for around six months or so. Me, I had my interview in early August 2007 and I found out like... two days before New Years' that I had won. Most of the time it isn't so early though; I've had sempai who didn't get their results until late February, even. Once you're picked, your consulate will take care of most stuff for you, but you still have to fork over a passport for the visa you get. I'm not sure if it's standard, but as a Monbusho scholar we get a multiple-use two-year college student visa -- so you will have to renew it near the end of your second year here (and they don't reimburse that either... grrrrr).

Also -- if you want to try for the scholarship, note that graduate school scholarships are MUCH easier to earn; they give you more money too, plus I don't think there's any age limit...

LimburgLimbo posted:

Low level language schools

These are Japanese language schools which offer Japanese instruction at a less intense pace than what I term the higher-level Japanese language schools. Each school is different, but class hours will usually be around 3 or 4 hours a day, with minimal homework. In most schools the students will be 90% or more Korean, Taiwanese or Chinese, though there are some schools which have a more diverse student base. Chances are, if you're a westerner, you'll end up going to one of the latter. Schools will generally offer courses from total beginner all the way up to JLPT 1 level or greater. Each school is different, but often lower-level classes will have many students, a lot of those students will not be studying seriously, and instruction quality will class atmosphere will often suffer as a result. However, mid to upper level classes will usually have significantly fewer students, which will allow for more individualized instruction (for example, for two of the three-month semesters I spent in my school, I was in a class of four or five people).

Pros: Gets you a visa. Lower class hours and less homework gives flexibility compared to more intensive schools.

A Japanese language school can get you a pre-college (就学) visa, which will let you stay in Japan for from six months to two years (this will require extending the visa at least once). With said visa, and after having done the paperwork to get a part-time job permit (資格外活動許可), you can even work a part-time job for up to 20 hours a week and 4 hours a day. It is theoretically possible to come to Japan, attend one of these schools, and support oneself financially in this way. HOWEVER, there are a couple of huge caveats to that. First, in order to get the visa in the first place, you must prove that you have enough money (or, if your parents are footing the bill, that they do) to support yourself for the period of time you'll be in Japan, and to pay for school fees. This means that you need to have enough money to get yourself started. Basically, the Japanese government doesn't want Chinesepeople just using these schools as a way get into Japan and work a bunch in an economy where they can get paid many times what they could at home, for doing simple manual labor (even though a significant of students will be doing exactly that). Second, the only way you could reasonably support yourself without going over the 20 hours-a-week limit is probably by getting work doing individual language lessons, which will give you the most money you're going to get without a proper work visa, and living cheap, cheap, cheap. However, I strongly recommend against trying to do this.

The low class hours can be a disadvantage in some senses, but at the same time, it can allow you to work a part-time job (as mentioned above), and can allow you to actually get out and interact with Japanese people and culture, or potentially explore other interests.

Cons: Quality of teaching varies. Somewhat expensive. Less intensive compare to high level language schools.

The quality of classes in lower-level Japanese language schools can vary wildly, not only from school to school, but depending on the season as well. For example, at the school I attended, which had an abnormally large number of western students, the summer season saw a very large increase in the number of students. This means that class sizes increased, and often meant the hiring of teachers specifically for the summer season. Sometimes those seasonal teachers aren't very good.

Japanese language schools can be quite expensive, not only in terms of tuition, but simply because you'll be living in Japan, and what's more almost certainly in a major city, which can obviously be very expensive.

LimburgLimbo posted:

[The above wasn't] based on my friends remarks, but from my personal experiences with schools like that. I think ARC is a legitimate school in the sense that it's not a con, but because of what I outlined before I can't really comment on how good the classes will be, because there are so many variables. I know people who've seemed to enjoy the Shibuya branch, but I can't really say anything about the Osaka branch.

The school I went to is not a chain, it's just a single school. It used to be technically associated with GEOs, but turned independent shortly before GEOs went under.

There are lots of schools all over the place, especially in the major cities. You can look around at others, and I would suggest you do so. The best language schools in the academic sense are probably Yamasa and the Inter University Center (I don't have any personal experience with them, but they have a good reputation), but depending on what type of learner you are, you might find it better to go to a less academically intensive school and do more interacting with Japanese people and immersing yourself, etc.

If you look around at other schools, you might want to ask about what the student makeup is. Most language school tend to be either 90% Korean (this will probably be the case with a lot of places in Osaka, as I believe it has a large Korean population) or 90% Chinese/Taiwanese. Some schools, such as ARC Academy and the school I went to, have a more varied student makeup, and a lot more Western students. There are pros and cons to both.

Places which have mostly Asian student populations are probably going to be focused on hardcore JPLT study, because the purpose of most of the students will be there for that purpose. Everyone will just be studying grammar and vocab for the test, and will all speak their native language during breaks etc. The classes also might be paced very quickly, because Koreans and Chinese have a bit of an advantage when it comes to learning Japanese. Depending on your goals, these things could be good or bad, but I'm guessing you want to focus more on learning conversational Japanese which you can actually use.

Places which have a more Western population will often focus more on conversational stuff, and have less straight-up JLPT study (though there are of course exceptions). The school will probably have a rule of only using Japanese during school hours, and if you get enough people together who don't speak a common language, there's more chance of people actually speaking in Japanese, so that's another advantage of having a more diverse student base. The disadvantage might be that a lot of Westerners come for vacation and to have fun, and don't take classes all that seriously, which can be annoying during class time.

Basically, I'd say give ARC a shot if you want learn Japanese and also have some free time to see the city and learn about Japan in general, in addition to classes. If you really want to just sit at home everyday and study kanji and reading comprehension, you might want to look into Yamasa or the IUC.

zmcnulty posted:

Studying Japanese in high school

Seems like more and more high school kids are becoming interested in learning Japanese, and more and more high schools are offering classes. So as someone who studied Japanese throughout high school I thought I'd post a few words.

Taking classes at your school
Quite obvious, but if your school offers Japanese classes, take them! If there is an international or international studies magnet school of some kind in your county, it might offer classes. Where I come from, we were required 2 years of foreign language to graduate from high school as in the College Prep track. Most schools offered the standard Spanish and French, but the magnet school also had Russian, Chinese, Hebrew, and some other languages. So, especially if you're in middle school right now, look around at the programs offered in your area and see if any interest you. My school was the only public school in my county (which contains downtown Atlanta) to offer Japanese classes, so good luck finding one.

Taking classes not at your school
Depending on where you live, you may have difficulty finding classes offered to high school students. However, those aren't the only classes to take. Community colleges frequently have night classes, which as far as I know have no age requirements. Community multicultural centers and similar venues may have some classes, or at the very least be able to refer you to a tutor. The Japanese Language Megathread is obviously a good resource too.

Studying yourself
Thanks to the internet there is now an absurd amount of learn Japanese content online, plenty of it for free (like all of the Japanese videos on YouTube). Personally, one of the biggest obstacles for me in my early days was kanji -- there's no getting around the fact that you need to learn as many as possible as quickly as possible. By studying kanji you'll learn heaps of words and have a fantastic tool to approach words you've not already been exposed to. I guess people in this thread will talk about such online resources all the time, but the dictionary I personally use is WWWJDIC.

Study abroad
Most people associate study abroad with college, but you can definitely go in high school as well. Needless to say it's the best way to learn a lot of Japanese in a relatively short time. That said, high school study abroad takes significantly more courage than college study abroad since there's much less hand-holding. Especially if you start from zero Japanese. I'll list out some advantages and disadvantages of doing it now versus doing it in college:

Pros:
-You will probably be sent into the middle of nowhere in Japan, to a town where there's only 2 other foreigners within 30 miles. You will most likely be the only foreigner at your school, except maybe some JET teacher, and your host family probably won't speak much English at all. This level of immersion is unmatched by any college program I know of. In college study abroad you're usually part of some specialized program, meaning you take classes with other foreigners, live in the foreigner dorm (have a host family if you're lucky), and drink with other foreigners. You often have to make an effort for true immersion... but in high school it's forced on you all day everyday. And immersion is what you're going to Japan for, right?
-You go to high school in Japan as a student. There are plenty of English teachers who can tell you about how this and that and this happens Japanese high schools, but they see everything from the teachers' perspective. Most Japanese people look back on their high school years with a certain fondness, so you can share such experiences with them later on.
-You'll learn craploads of Japanese before you even get to college, so you can probably get into ~300 level classes in your freshman year depending on how hard you study and placement test results. At a lot of colleges, only 300-level or above classes count towards majors/minors, so you'll be that much closer to graduation. If you want, you can attempt JLPT after you study abroad for a certification.
-Depending on how your class credits work out, you may not have to worry about tests, homework, reports, or other such busy work.
-You live with a host family, which can be truly awesome or truly lovely. The quality of your relationship with your host family impacts the quality of your study abroad experience by 150%, no doubt about it.

Cons:
-As I said, it's much more immersive than most college programs I'm aware of. The downside here is the culture shock will be that much stronger, so you need to be ready for it. You'll probably hear about people in your program changing host families multiple times, going home without telling anyone except their parents, getting arrested, getting sick, running away, or never leaving their host family's house. Yes, all of this happened during my year. In college programs your culture shock is muzzled since you will probably be spending a lot of time around people in your exact same situation.
-Depending on how your class credits work out, you may not have to worry about tests, homework, reports, or other such busy work. I literally delayed my high school graduation by a year, since I received zero credit for the classes I took in Japan. Nor should I have -- the highest grade I ever got on a math test was like a 13 / 100. One guy on my program received several credits for his year in Japan, but his mom was the vice principal so he definitely had connections. It's really up to you and your school, which is to say unlike college programs, high school study abroad programs tend to not care about class credits. So they won't, for example, translate a syllabus or transcript into English for you.
-You live with a host family, which can be truly awesome or truly lovely. The quality of your relationship with your host family impacts the quality of your study abroad experience by 150%, no doubt about it.
-It can be expensive. There are literally millions of dollars available in scholarships for college study abroad programs, but high school, far far less. I think the program alone cost my parents $7000, nevermind the cost of the plane ticket to LAX, any shopping or any sidetrips. Your host family will likely be generous and take you various places, but don't count on it.

I would definitely suggest a year-long program instead of a semester-long program, since you really start absorbing more rapidly right at the 4-6 month mark. In a semester program you'd be getting on your flight home right around this point.

High school programs I know of: AFS, Youth for Understanding (YFU), and Rotary. Anyone know any others? I was on AFS, apparently the biggest program, so I can offer further information about it if requested. Both year-long and semester programs are available.

Bonus... Japan Bowl
http://www.us-japan.org/dc/japanbowl.php
This is a national competition for high school kids focusing on Japan topics. Team-based (3 per team) at various levels, and you're asked generic questions about Japanese, Japanese culture, daily life, etc.. You have to qualify at regionals, then you can goto the national competition in Washington DC. I think you have to actually attend a program of some kind to participate in Japan Bowl though -- you can't just show up to the event having studied Japanese on your own. My school has a pretty good record, we got 3rd place in nationals the year I went, so if you have further questions about Japan Bowl please just post them. 1st place in nationals won a free trip to Japan or something. Also, you can't participate in this competition if you've lived in Japan longer than six months, if I remember correctly. Maybe the rules have changed since then.

edit: some potential future posts, if you have any preferences please say so. I consider myself knowledgable about all of the below, but of course anyone is welcome to disagree.
-Finding a non-teaching job + Boston CareerForum
-overview of various establishments catering to various needs, most likely those needs that occur after 6PM
-medal games
-good places for seeing Tokyo the way it's meant to be seen (with the right company), most likely in Chiyoda-ku or Chuo-ku





zmcnulty posted:

Boston CareerForum

I attended twice. In 2006 I got an internship, and in 2007 3 full-time job offers + a few leads.

For those not familiar, BCF is a big career fair held in Boston every year in November for bilinguals looking mostly for entry-level jobs in Japan. Lots of finance/accounting/consulting, but plenty of other stuff as well. There are other CareerForums, I think London, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, but the Boston one is definitely the biggest and therefore has the most job opportunities. 2009 company list is here.

Why go to Boston for an entry-level job in Japan
Yes, BCF is a job fair mostly for people studying abroad in the US and Canada. Yes, Boston CareerForum is primarily for JAPANESE students. No, plane tickets from Tokyo to Boston aren't cheap. But if you're looking for an entry-level job and you're bilingual, it's probably the single best opportunity if you don't have other special connections or introductions. The Tokyo CareerForum and all other Tokyo career fairs I've been to just don't compare in size or quality of employers.

Reason being, think about why they hold the fair in the US. It's because companies are looking for bilingual people with solid academic backgrounds (they're already studying abroad, so they must be relatively smart...right?), and the easiest way to get such students is by going to them. So if you are bilingual and at the fair, they will be interested.

Speed
It's worth noting that BCF is a sort of "fast pass" for hiring at a lot of companies. Most companies in Japan, even foreign ones, start their new grad hiring process FAR in advance of the actual hire date. Back in April of this year we started looking for our 2011 new graduate hires. But BCF is an exception, enabling you to get into the hiring cycle very late in the game. In my case, I was graduating in December (a month after BCF ended), so they had me start in March of the following year.

How much Japanese do I need
You're looking for an entry-level job in Japan's thrilling "business world," so you'll be expected to understand at least business-level Japanese. Sorry, at the entry-level, nobody has enough experience to make up for insufficient language skills. In terms of JLPT, I'd put the requirement slightly above JLPT2, with the slightly above consisting mainly of business/technical words you can pick up reading the Nikkei or keigo you can pick up in several other places. Neither of which JLPT tests on. If you're below this level, you'll have an extremely difficult time finding anything at all. As I said, companies goto Boston to find bilingual people, not people with native English and only conversational Japanese. I don't know of any company that actually required JLPT Level X though; most Japanese people, and thus recruiters at the fair, aren't familiar with the test.

Instead, your bilingual-ity (or lack thereof) will come through during the screening and interviewing. So all of the preparation beforehand and proceedings during the fair will be adequate for the company to determine if you're up to par. Both reading and speaking are important, because you'll have both written tests and interviews in Japanese.

I'm not a "new grad," and I've already worked in Japan
That may be, but if you're looking for an entry-level job, you should consider yourself one. If you've lived in Japan already, definitely put that on your resume since it shows you already know what it's like. No telling if what you did is applicable to the position, but it's probably better than having a blank piece of paper.

Pre-fair
Depending on when you visit the BCF website (careerforum.net), you'll find a big list of all the companies to attend. As the date gets closer, say 8 weeks prior, companies will start opening up their online applications. Luckily, most of them require only the BCF application itself and supplement with some short essay questions. I've only known a few that ask you to do other stuff, like register in the global system or whatever.

Whether or not this is worth your time is up to you, but it's quite easy to spam your application and see what happens. Some companies won't respond at all, some companies will want to setup phone interviews, some companies will want to schedule interview time during the fair, some companies will want you to come to Boston a day or two early for interviews/dinner, and other companies will immediately fly you to their NY office for a superday. So it's really up to them. Every big company literally receives thousands of applications, so there's not much of a chance to stand out, but it doesn't hurt to try. I don't even know what becomes of the applications at my company...

Either way, don't be discouraged if you don't get any bites. Some companies don't take online applications at all, like Dentsu. As a result there's a "Dentsu rush" on the first day of the fair when people literally RUN to the booth of Dentsu.

Personally, I didn't really find it necessary to make up a rirekisho. My English resume and a version translated into Japanese was enough. If you're applying to more traditional companies though, they might want one.

There's not much else to say about the weeks leading into the fair; all basic career fair preparation work applies. That means keeping up with the news, practicing interview skills, or whatever else you've done in the past. If it's your first career fair, you're probably regretting never going to any in college!

At the fair
Since you can go from nothing to a job offer in literally 2 days or less at the fair, it's very fast-paced and you'll be busy the whole weekend. Don't bother trying to meet your buddy in Boston from college; meet him on Sunday instead.

The general flow for any given company is: visit booth -> screening -> interviews -> tests -> interview -> dinner invitation -> interview -> job offer. It obviously depends, but you will be doing a lot of interviews. Make sure you take your phone, since this will be the primary way companies reach you during the fair. To go into each phase in more detail:

Visit booth & screening: All of the American career fairs I've been to were mostly informational, with a couple people answering questions while standing around some big board with pictures of employees. "Apply to our company, here's our website," they say. But booths at the Boston CareerForum are more for actually applying to the companies. You'll see reps from the company sitting behind a table; maybe at a bigger booth they'll be sitting by department. In front of each rep there will be a column of chairs, so just sit and wait your turn. Once it's your turn, you'll be subject to a mini-interview, more like a screening, asking you some basic questions about your background and interest in the company. Shouldn't be too many tough questions at this point (hearing the interviewer over the background noise is the hard part). But sometimes screeners can be punks, so just answer as best you can. Depending on the results of your screening, you may be asked to come back to the booth at a certain time, or better yet asked when you're available for an interview in the interview area.

If you aren't quite sure which department to apply for, or just have some generic questions, you'll probably see a few reps floating around so just ask them. A lot of companies also put on presentations at their booths, which can be useful as well.

Interviews: There will be at least two of these per company before you're given a job offer. Usually each successive interview has you talking with a person higher up in the food chain. So, if you're on interview #5, you are probably talking to the Global Head of HR or something. The interviews are held in a much quieter part of the convention center.
There isn't much to say about the actual interviews that isn't said in any interview coaching guide. As for English or Japanese, for foreign companies you'll likely get a mix, for Japanese companies probably just Japanese. I tend to follow the interviewer; if they start speaking in English, I speak in English.

Tests: Some companies want you to take tests, which could be anything from English essay case study defenses to kotowaza-based Japanese logic puzzles. Just do your best. You will probably do poorly on some of the Japanese tests depending on content, but companies should recognize you're not a native speaker and might let you slide.

Dinner: If your interviews and tests go well, and it's Friday or Saturday, you'll probably be invited to dinner that night. Congratulations, you are now extremely close to getting a job offer. But be VERY careful about these dinner invitations though, because for more competitive companies, you will literally not receive an offer if you do not attend their dinner. Do NOT attempt to double-book thinking you can run from one dinner to the next; a friend of mine got his previous job offer rescinded attempting to do this, and didn't get an offer from the other company anyway. If you want to make a gamble and hold out for a particular company's dinner invitation, it's your choice. Personally I didn't really feel comfortable with that risk, especially since I was graduating in less than a month, so I just accepted dinners as I received them. After that point, I declined about 3 other dinner invitations. The result: one company gave me a job offer anyway, one company followed up with me after the fair was over, and the last company, I never heard from again.

I guess if you're truly a dipshit, you could accept every single dinner invitation and make your decision later, standing up all of the other companies you accepted. Just remember that there's only a limited number of dinner invitations, so by doing so, you're probably screwing someone else out of one. Of course, you're a douchebag, so you probably don't care.

The dinners, and the afterparties, are a lot of fun and a chance to talk on a more personal level with the employees. So relax and be yourself. If being yourself means getting trashed and throwing shoes at marine life, maybe you should stay away from the bottle. Back when the economy was good companies spent a ton of money to try and impress candidates; champagne parties in 5-star hotel suites, limo rides back to whatever hotel you're staying at, free iPods for everyone etc.. No idea what it's like now though.

Job offer: If all goes well, you'll get what you've gone for. Job offers depend on the company as well. Some companies call and say "please stop by the booth," and when you go they give you the job offer. At one Japanese company I interviewed at, the person apparently had full control over the offers, so he immediately gave me a job offer at the conclusion of the interview. Another company, the one I work at now, didn't make an offer until 2 weeks after the fair. For entry-level positions, there isn't really room for negotiation about terms, so feel free to waste your time trying to haggle if you so desire.

A word about work visas
Bottom line: if the company wants you to work for them, they'll figure it out. For a lot of people who want to work in Japan, it seems this is one of the conditions they use to search for a job -- whether or not the job advertisement says "visa sponsorship available." But at BCF all of the companies are of a decent size, so chances are you wouldn't be the first gaijin hire.

Ned fucked around with this message at 08:54 on May 22, 2012

* # ? May 22, 2012 08:49
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Ned
May 23, 2002

by Hand Knit
What should I do in Japan?

Some generic things to do are eat real Japanese food (common consensus is that it shits all over "Japanese" food in other countries), visit shrines and temples, go shopping (fashion, electronics and housewares are all good), try a bath in an onsen, party till dawn, go hiking or skiing, etc. etc.

uinfuirudo recommends trying a homestay for a more personal experience.

Some more specific things to do as recommended by goons and broken down by location are: (please send your information in!)
  • Hokkaido
    • In summer, Sapporo’s climate hands-down beats Tokyo’s. Rent a bicycle and spend a week exploring the city and surrounds.
  • Tochigi
    • Utsunomiya is nice and not touristy. Tochigi City is tiny, but worth half a day. Oku-Nikko is really nice.
  • Tokyo megalolapalooza
    • Visit the Tsukiji Fish Market (behave yourself!)
    • Climb Mt Fuji (generally summer only) READ THIS POST FIRST
    • go to the Ghibli Museum, then buy a bento lunch and eat in Inokashira Park
    • Edo Tokyo Museum near Ryogoku is pretty cool, and most of the exhibits have English notations. They let you take pictures inside, too.
    • Ebisu Brewery and Beer Museum off the Ebisu stop. It's pretty much all in Japanese but most of it is fairly visual. Plus, beer.
    • Meiji Shrine near Harajuku station.
    • Senso-ji in Asakusa (arguably the most photographed shrine in all Japan.) A good place to pick up cheesy souvenirs for your friends back in gaikoku.
    • Consider taking a day trip to Kamakura and going to the Kotoku-in temple to see the daibustu (big buddha.) There are a ton of other really good temples around Kamakura as well.
  • Kanazawa
    • Original_Z extols the virtues of a trip to Kanazawa, and offers up some helpful links, in this post. I agree with them -- Kanazawa is very relaxing and the park is beautiful. A++ Would go again.
  • Kansai
    • Gekkikan Brewery Museum in Kyoto. I forget what train station it's near. Some English notations, and an interesting and exploratory look at the history of sake. Small, but hey free sake with admittance.
    • Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Not exactly a museum but they've kept the old castle pretty much exactly as it was ages ago, and you can walk the grounds. They give English tours (I think for free) but you have to call ahead and reserve them.
    • In Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple) simply because it's shiny. Kiyomizu, as it's always gorgeous. Fushimi-inari shrine, because there's nothing like walking through a tunnel of tori gates.
    • Also consider taking a day trip to Oku-No-In, way up in the mountains in Kii-Hanto. There are a number of fairly unique temples and a massive, ancient graveyard. Especially cool at night when the stone lanterns are all lit.
    • Himeji Castle in Himeji, as well. Massive and impressive. Not too far from Kyoto.
  • Hiroshima
    • Gee I think the Peace Dome might be on the list
  • Shikoku
    • peanut gives you the lowdown here!
  • Go see (and swim in) the Shimanto River in summer.
  • Spend a day and night in Kotohira and climb up to Konpira-san.
  • Drive through the Iya Valley (Alex Kerr’s hangout). See the Peeing Boy statue.
  • Western Honshu
  • Kyushu
    • Ned has written a most excellent description here.
  • Okinawa
    Fluffy Bunnies complained that Okinawa's entry was empty two months ago and I never read the PM. Sorry, FB. They say "I mean, I know we're a lovely little island, but what."
    • Peace Prayer Park
    • Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
    • Pineapple Park
    • Snorkeling, most of the year 'round
    • http://www.okinawahai.com is basically a stupid rear end military spouse blog, but there's a TON of places on Okinawa listed on there and it'd be a fantastic resource for just about anyone visiting. Lots of food joints and reviews, too.
    • Fluffy Bunnies also gives a couple of warnings about where (not) to go here.
* # ? May 22, 2012 08:49
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Benchmark
Jun 27, 2004

 I'm heading over in about six weeks, and i was hoping someone could tell me the cheapest place online they have found to buy a Japan rail pass.

* # ? May 23, 2012 12:07
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Eifert Posting
Apr 1, 2007

Most of the time he catches it every time.
Grimey Drawer
Man, Japan's visa process is even more byzantine than Koreas...

* # ? May 23, 2012 14:10
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LimburgLimbo
Feb 10, 2008

Toussaint Louverture posted:

Man, Japan's visa process is even more byzantine than Koreas...

In what way? You get a job with a company/sign up with a school, and they give you a visa, most of the time. Sometimes you have to go to immigration once or twice, but most of the time it's simple. Also the visa is tied to you, so even if you leave your company you still have a visa and can find other word relatively easy, which also makes it hard for a company to screw you over, since they have very little hold on you. It seems much better than the Korean system, though I admit I don't know too much about it.

* # ? May 23, 2012 14:18
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Ned
May 23, 2002

by Hand Knit

Benchmark posted:

I'm heading over in about six weeks, and i was hoping someone could tell me the cheapest place online they have found to buy a Japan rail pass.

They should all be the same price as far as I know.

* # ? May 23, 2012 14:50
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Sheep
Jul 24, 2003
 The only things I dislike about the Japanese visa system are the silly permanent residency requirements and the re-entry permit system (which is soon to be gone, hooray).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Korea, your employer owns your visa, right? And you have to submit apostilled documents (which is pointless), have mandatory AIDS checks for specific visas (notably E-2 and E-6, both classes of visas where no bodily fluids should be being exchanged so what the gently caress?), not to mention that immigrations can deport you at any time if you are found to have AIDS. Then you get stuff like employers holding onto diplomas and refusing to provide letters of release and so on and so forth. And weren't the regulations recently changed so that a bunch of people had to get FBI background checks done again just to renew their visas in-country? At least they don't have to get them apostilled if they're already in Korea, I guess. If the Japanese system strikes you as byzantine then I would very much like to know how you would describe that of Korea.

There's a lot of valid stuff in Japan to complain about, but in my opinion the visa system is not one of those things. It could hardly be more straightforward, really.

Sheep fucked around with this message at 15:37 on May 23, 2012

* # ? May 23, 2012 15:33
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Teikanmi
Dec 16, 2006

by R. Guyovich

Toussaint Louverture posted:

Man, Japan's visa process is even more byzantine than Koreas...

But it's made up for by your employer not being able to subdue complaints by threatening to get you deported.

Also, I googled for it, but couldn't find an answer. What's the deal with salarymen getting drunk and doing that thing with their ties on their heads? What is the cultural reference?

* # ? May 25, 2012 11:12
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Pierat
Mar 29, 2008
ASK ME ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE THE BNP
Hi. I'm American and I'm studying in Japan this semester. My school is Akita International University, in Akita.


Being a gaijin is fun, so I'll try and answer any questions I can.

* # ? May 27, 2012 13:44
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Grand Fromage
Jan 30, 2006

L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?


 I am going to be a cheapass in Tokyo but I would like to blow money on good sushi once. What's a good place that's high class, maybe max ~$200 for omakase? Also needs to accept credit cards or I'm going to need to flee the country right afterward.

* # ? May 27, 2012 14:45
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Vanilla
Feb 24, 2002

Hay guys what's going on in th
Edit: Ignore!

* # ? May 28, 2012 15:34
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Eifert Posting
Apr 1, 2007

Most of the time he catches it every time.
Grimey Drawer

Grand Fromage posted:

I am going to be a cheapass in Tokyo but I would like to blow money on good sushi once. What's a good place that's high class, maybe max ~$200 for omakase? Also needs to accept credit cards or I'm going to need to flee the country right afterward.

I wouldn't mind an answer to this either.

* # ? May 28, 2012 16:12
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hitension
Feb 14, 2005


Hey guys, I learned Chinese so that I can write shame in another language
Honestly the best sushi I ever had in Tokyo was at the tsukiji fish market in the morning, it was the freshest I'd ever tasted. I'm drooling just thinking about it now. It didn't even break the bank.
I am a mere tourist though, maybe the long term residents in this thread have other suggestions.

* # ? May 28, 2012 16:22
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spankminister
Apr 11, 2012
 I'm also interested in finding the answer to that one. The only sushi I had during my last trip to Japan was at a random kaitenzushi in a mall in Narita, and I still thought it was pretty drat good compared to regular restaurants in the US. I'd imagine a legit sushi place is even better.

* # ? May 29, 2012 05:16
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Reverend Cheddar
Nov 6, 2005

wriggle cat is happy

Grand Fromage posted:

I am going to be a cheapass in Tokyo but I would like to blow money on good sushi once. What's a good place that's high class, maybe max ~$200 for omakase? Also needs to accept credit cards or I'm going to need to flee the country right afterward.

http://www.rps-tower.co.jp/en/restaurants/kurumaya/index.htm

* # ? May 29, 2012 08:41
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lol internet.
Sep 4, 2007
the internet makes you stupid
Awesome informative thread. I'm curious about the groping situation in Japan. Do people just grope breasts and butt? Or are they using their fingers and going deeper?

Also how come bystanders don't help? Do the victim's resist or anything? I always hear about the groping problems, but most places just say be careful and don't really explain into detail.

I'd like to visit with my wife eventually, but I'd like to know what I should be on the look out for.

Also, how much days in Tokyo to see most of what it has to offer.

lol internet. fucked around with this message at 23:17 on May 31, 2012

* # ? May 31, 2012 23:06
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GTGastby
Dec 28, 2006

lol internet. posted:

Awesome informative thread. I'm curious about the groping situation in Japan. Do people just grope breasts and butt? Or are they using their fingers and going deeper?

Also how come bystanders don't help? Do the victim's resist or anything? I always hear about the groping problems, but most places just say be careful and don't really explain into detail.

I'd like to visit with my wife eventually, but I'd like to know what I should be on the look out for.

Also, how much days in Tokyo to see most of what it has to offer.

I would not be worried at all about someone groping your wife while you are on vacation. It's not like people are wandering around groping girls willy-nilly. From what I've heard/seen, they tend to target high school girls on the trains, and girls in clubs. I've heard various things about the groping, but it's generally grabbing tits or crotch. I'd guess bystanders don't help because it's either not noticed, or the girl doesn't say anything - and Japanese in general do their best to avoid confrontation.

The cases I've heard about - a girl was on the train, and a guy reached up her skirt and grabbed her crotch. She screamed, he ran. Another girl was in a club (I was dancing with her!) and a guy came up from behind and grabbed her boob. I asked her if she knew him, she said no - I asked if she wanted me to do anything, she said no - so I just ignored it. I've also heard lots of stories of girls being groped when they were in highschool. It's invariably "I was on the train, this guy reached up my skirt and I screamed, then he ran off".

Sometimes the girls or someone else manages to grab the guy and he gets taken away by the police, but generally it's a grab and dash from what I've heard. It's not like the train-groping porn where girls just stand around getting molested.

So yeah, don't worry about your wife being groped. I'd say 2 days for Tokyo, but as always, it depends what you like. I'd rather visit smaller places when on vacation than big cities.

* # ? Jun 1, 2012 02:41
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Teikanmi
Dec 16, 2006

by R. Guyovich
Damnit, someone answer my ties-on-the-head question already!

* # ? Jun 2, 2012 21:15
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USMC503
Jan 15, 2012

For satisfactory performance while under the effects of hostile enemy alcohol.
I am going to Singapore but have a stop in Narita. Sadly, I don't have enough time in Japan to go through customs and chill for a little while, so I wanted to know what you guys recommend to do in the airport (never been in Narita before)? Any restaurants worth mentioning there?

* # ? Jun 2, 2012 21:29
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Beef Of Ages
Jan 11, 2003

Your dumb is leaking.

USMC503 posted:

I am going to Singapore but have a stop in Narita. Sadly, I don't have enough time in Japan to go through customs and chill for a little while, so I wanted to know what you guys recommend to do in the airport (never been in Narita before)? Any restaurants worth mentioning there?

What airline? If you're in Terminal 1, $50USD day pass to the United Club gives you free wifi and booze. I don't know if the ANA clubs do a day pass, but the ANA club in Terminal 1 and the United Club aren't terribly different.

* # ? Jun 3, 2012 00:52
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USMC503
Jan 15, 2012

For satisfactory performance while under the effects of hostile enemy alcohol.

Mackieman posted:

What airline? If you're in Terminal 1, $50USD day pass to the United Club gives you free wifi and booze. I don't know if the ANA clubs do a day pass, but the ANA club in Terminal 1 and the United Club aren't terribly different.

I'll be coming in on ANA.

* # ? Jun 3, 2012 04:21
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GTGastby
Dec 28, 2006

Cameron posted:

Damnit, someone answer my ties-on-the-head question already!

As someone whose current FB profile picture is of them wearing a tie on their head while drunk, I feel like I have the expertise necessary to comment on this.

There is no cultural reference. It looks funny, and they are drunk.

* # ? Jun 4, 2012 05:04
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Virtue
Jan 7, 2009

 I'm planning to spend about a month in Japan around July and had a question about shipping. I'm going to be moving around a bit (home -> Osaka -> Kanazawa -> Tokyo -> Osaka -> home) and so if possible I'd like to only have to carry around one bag with me that can hold my laptop, some clothes, and basic necessities. If I feel the need to buy ridiculous amounts of junk that I don't need (which I probably will), is there a "cheap" way to ship it from Japan to Hawaii? The information that I could pull up off google is aimed at Japanese tourists and quotes 39,000 yen for a 25kg package. Is there any cheaper option or am I just going to have to lug around suitcases everywhere?

* # ? Jun 4, 2012 23:37
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Fryhtaning
Jul 21, 2010

Virtue posted:

I'm planning to spend about a month in Japan around July and had a question about shipping. I'm going to be moving around a bit (home -> Osaka -> Kanazawa -> Tokyo -> Osaka -> home) and so if possible I'd like to only have to carry around one bag with me that can hold my laptop, some clothes, and basic necessities. If I feel the need to buy ridiculous amounts of junk that I don't need (which I probably will), is there a "cheap" way to ship it from Japan to Hawaii? The information that I could pull up off google is aimed at Japanese tourists and quotes 39,000 yen for a 25kg package. Is there any cheaper option or am I just going to have to lug around suitcases everywhere?

Shipping is shipping - you can go to a post office and ship things to your home in Hawaii like anything else. However, if you're moving around a couple of large suitcases between cities every few days, and staying in populated areas, and don't mind spending a little extra, there is always takkyuubin. I used that to ship my stuff from Tokyo to Kobe when I went on a couple-day trek through Matsumoto and Kiso Valley.

* # ? Jun 5, 2012 00:07
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lol internet.
Sep 4, 2007
the internet makes you stupid

USMC503 posted:

I am going to Singapore but have a stop in Narita. Sadly, I don't have enough time in Japan to go through customs and chill for a little while, so I wanted to know what you guys recommend to do in the airport (never been in Narita before)? Any restaurants worth mentioning there?

I took a shower for like 5 bucks.

* # ? Jun 5, 2012 01:04
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Virtue
Jan 7, 2009

Fryhtaning posted:

Shipping is shipping - you can go to a post office and ship things to your home in Hawaii like anything else. However, if you're moving around a couple of large suitcases between cities every few days, and staying in populated areas, and don't mind spending a little extra, there is always takkyuubin. I used that to ship my stuff from Tokyo to Kobe when I went on a couple-day trek through Matsumoto and Kiso Valley.

Yeah, it looks like shipping will be very expensive no matter what. I think what I'll do is ask a friend if I can leave a suitcase or two at his house and pick them up on the way to the airport. I wasn't planning on bringing more than one over but since two checked + one carry on are free I might as well.

* # ? Jun 5, 2012 02:48
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Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

 I just wanna toss out: I'm still happy to help with Okinawa even though I'm not there anymore. So if anyone's heading that way and I don't have an answer, I can try to get you one. :)

* # ? Jun 7, 2012 23:19
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Piano Maniac
Oct 10, 2011
 Hello! So I have put my documents into the consulate and I'm going for the ace. If god wills it, I will get the Monbusho scholarship for my undergraduate studies... right after I ace all 5 exams and then be able to make sense during the interview next Friday. Wish me luck! :nyoron:

* # ? Jun 8, 2012 17:39
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LimburgLimbo
Feb 10, 2008

Piano Maniac posted:

Hello! So I have put my documents into the consulate and I'm going for the ace. If god wills it, I will get the Monbusho scholarship for my undergraduate studies... right after I ace all 5 exams and then be able to make sense during the interview next Friday. Wish me luck! :nyoron:

Applying for the undergraduate Monbusho? That's pretty uncommon. What are you trying to study?

* # ? Jun 8, 2012 17:42
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spankminister
Apr 11, 2012
 Planning the second trip to Japan with the wife, the first was as part of a tour group, so lodging and food was taken care of. It's a little daunting, but my Japanese is passable, so I hope I can manage. Has anyone stayed at a temple before? I'm mostly wondering if this is a thing more for singles than couples, or if they'll be able to accommodate someone with a nut allergy. I've always wanted to see Eiheiji, and it sounds like it's not too far from Kanazawa, where I plan to spend some time due to Original_Z's excellent post and the linked websites.

Virtue posted:

I'm planning to spend about a month in Japan around July and had a question about shipping. I'm going to be moving around a bit (home -> Osaka -> Kanazawa -> Tokyo -> Osaka -> home)

I'm thinking of a similar trip for September with Kyoto in between Osaka and Kanazawa, by all means post here about how it goes, and if you have any recommendations! I was hoping to stay at the Sumiyoshi-ya in Kanazawa, but it seems like they're booked solid for the time I'm there.

* # ? Jun 8, 2012 18:05
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Piano Maniac
Oct 10, 2011

LimburgLimbo posted:

Applying for the undergraduate Monbusho? That's pretty uncommon. What are you trying to study?

I was thinking about going to study either literature, biology or simply Japanese language in Japan. Right now I'm studying biology at my current uni (just finished my first year), but I don't know if I could handle it in Japanese (unless I would have to study it in English there, in which case it would be a cinch!)

Since I heard the exams for the undergrad Monbusho are monstrous and I'm not really that great with maths, chemistry or even biology (even though I love all things living), I have a long, long way to go.

* # ? Jun 8, 2012 18:20
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Morton Salt Grrl
Sep 2, 2011

D&D: HASBARA SQUAD
FRESH BLOOD

May their memory be a justification for genocide
Sign me up as a Kyoto goon - but only until August. And yes, everyone should go to Kanazawa - it's my favourite place in Japan.

Morton Salt Grrl fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Jun 9, 2012

* # ? Jun 9, 2012 06:20
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Inertiatic
Apr 9, 2004
 Just got to Tokyo for a 7 week internship/study program! This place is amazing, but I wish I had learned some Japanese before I got here. Oh well, hopefully I'll be able to pick some up.

Are there any recommendation for restaurants, preferably around Akasaka/Roppongi? I'm willing/able to go anywhere really, but closer is definitely more convenient. I'm on the lookout for a really good udon place, but my true goal is to find the best Tonkotsu Ramen available.

* # ? Jun 11, 2012 00:05
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LimburgLimbo
Feb 10, 2008

Inertiatic posted:

Just got to Tokyo for a 7 week internship/study program! This place is amazing, but I wish I had learned some Japanese before I got here. Oh well, hopefully I'll be able to pick some up.

Are there any recommendation for restaurants, preferably around Akasaka/Roppongi? I'm willing/able to go anywhere really, but closer is definitely more convenient. I'm on the lookout for a really good udon place, but my true goal is to find the best Tonkotsu Ramen available.

Can you narrow it down more than just 'restaurants'? Like maybe what type of food you're looking for? There are a lot of restaurants in the area. I live in Akasaka, by the way.

* # ? Jun 11, 2012 00:23
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Inertiatic
Apr 9, 2004
 Hmm, I would definitely like to find a really nice place for sushi around here, as I'm not sure when I'll be able to head to Tsukiji. Besides that, I'd prefer Japanese food recommendations, like the udon and tonkotsu ramen I'd mentioned, since I don't know when I'll be able to get the real deal again. I'd also prefer a sit down as opposed to a counter restaurant, but I'm really seeking quality over anything else. I appreciate the help!

* # ? Jun 11, 2012 02:01
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LimburgLimbo
Feb 10, 2008

Inertiatic posted:

Hmm, I would definitely like to find a really nice place for sushi around here, as I'm not sure when I'll be able to head to Tsukiji. Besides that, I'd prefer Japanese food recommendations, like the udon and tonkotsu ramen I'd mentioned, since I don't know when I'll be able to get the real deal again. I'd also prefer a sit down as opposed to a counter restaurant, but I'm really seeking quality over anything else. I appreciate the help!

There's not too much in the way of good ramen in the area apparently (from what I've been told), but a search showed up this tonkotsu ramen place, which is pretty well reviewed. http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13004950/

These are also the 3 best reviewed Japanese restaurants in the Akasaka area.
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13002772/

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13116523/

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13002514/

Note however, that traditional Japanese food is often extremely expensive. The first restaurant there has an expected meal price of over 30,000 yen, and none of them are less than 10,000. If you just want cheap Japanese home cooking, just go to Ootoya for my money, haha.

For sushi I'd say just make it out to Tsukiji at some point. It's all of six stops from Roppongi, which is something like 15 minutes in transit, and it's best to go early in the morning anyway, so just go to bed early one day, get up early, and go there.

LimburgLimbo fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Jun 11, 2012

* # ? Jun 11, 2012 03:22
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ntan1
Apr 29, 2009

sempai noticed me

LimburgLimbo posted:

For sushi I'd say just make it out to Tsukiji at some point. It's all of six stops from Roppongi, which is something like 15 minutes in transit, and it's best to go early in the morning anyway, so just go to bed early one day, get up early, and go there.

Basically, there are only two places that you should be waiting for, and they are Daiwa and Sushi Dai. The both cost about 5500, and have ridiculous lines.

* # ? Jun 12, 2012 04:50
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Grand Fromage
Jan 30, 2006

L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

ntan1 posted:

Basically, there are only two places that you should be waiting for, and they are Daiwa and Sushi Dai. The both cost about 5500, and have ridiculous lines.

I'll be going to one of these. Are the lines actual lines or are they Korean "lines"? Like am I going to have to elbow old women in the face or can I stand there with a book for a couple hours?

* # ? Jun 12, 2012 04:56
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# ? Apr 25, 2024 01:35
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Inertiatic
Apr 9, 2004

LimburgLimbo posted:

There's not too much in the way of good ramen in the area apparently (from what I've been told), but a search showed up this tonkotsu ramen place, which is pretty well reviewed. http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13004950/

These are also the 3 best reviewed Japanese restaurants in the Akasaka area.
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13002772/

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13116523/

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13002514/

Note however, that traditional Japanese food is often extremely expensive. The first restaurant there has an expected meal price of over 30,000 yen, and none of them are less than 10,000. If you just want cheap Japanese home cooking, just go to Ootoya for my money, haha.

For sushi I'd say just make it out to Tsukiji at some point. It's all of six stops from Roppongi, which is something like 15 minutes in transit, and it's best to go early in the morning anyway, so just go to bed early one day, get up early, and go there.

drat, 30,000 is pretty steep, but I'll definitely be able to do 10. Thanks a lot for the recommendations! I'll let you know how it goes.

* # ? Jun 12, 2012 06:17
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