02
Os x Japan. What to do?
So, it’s finally happening. You know how when you start to REALLY get into this anime stuffs and in a wave of passion you declare that you’re going to Japan only to have the reality of life smack you down? Yeah. Suck it, reality. For two weeks (may 14/15-28), I am gonna EFF UP JAPAN.
Now I’ve been out of country before (England) but I was a wee lad and I was with my family. This time, I’m all by myself. Problem with going by myself -and considering that it’s me- is that I’m pretty noobish to this traveling abroad thing. I have no idea what to do. So here I am, asking the community I once considered as close as a brother/sister -now you guys are more like a cousin- for some help.
What do I bring? Practical things like a plug adapter? Impractical things like my Aya Hirano photobook in case I randomly run into her? Do you have tips? Keep one of those lame ass traveler’s packs? Bring a credit card? I need to look up what traveler’s checks are. Where should I go? If you’ve been to Japan already, tell me things I should know!
I still have 6 weeks or so to prepare but right now, I am TOTALLY unprepared. Once again, I turn to the ani-blogosphere. Dont let me down.
I’ve already created a list of places to go/things to do. Here it is thus far:
- Go to Harajuku
- Go to Shibuya
- Go to a Don Quijote
- Hit on every girl I see
- Go to an Onsen
- Feel at home in Akiba
- Ride a ferris wheel
- See a festival/fireworks
- Visit Hokkaido’s northern-most post and cry, thinking of Takemoto.
- Walk the riverbank/countryside
- Eat mayo-based foods
- Sakura viewing
- Visit a temple
- Sing my heart out at Karaoke
- Buy a ridiculous costume
That’s it thus far. Help me out.
Also, finally caved in and got a twitter: GreatoSenseiVu. Get it? Cos I’m a teacher and it has “Os” in the middle. Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I still got it.
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Friday, April 2nd 2010 at 11:43 am
hmm…
there are free travel brochures so you shouldn’t spend too much on travel guides…
>>Visit Hokkaido’s northern-most post and cry, thinking of Takemoto.
wouldn’t this cost you in fares? (not to mention the time since you’ll only be there for 2 weeks) i haven’t been there but, i’m just imagining…
make a list of the merchandise you want to buy, it might help you from overspending. when i was there i bought things sometimes on a whim and now wished i hadn’t
>>Ride a ferris wheel
it should be the ferris wheel at yokohoma cosmoworld, for the honey and clover feel (if you don’t get to hokkaido hehehe)
Friday, April 2nd 2010 at 12:10 pm
Fool. Why didn’t you ask me? First, the plugs are the same in Japan as in America, but the voltage is 220 instead of 110. Most technical devices will tell you what voltage range they support on the transformer. My cell phone and laptop both do 100-240.
Japan is practically the safest country on Earth no matter where you are, and although communication will be tough in further out areas like Hokkaido, you’ll manage just fine. Some hotels make you show your passport, so always keep it with you, and having two or three sources / locations of storing money is a good idea. There is also a foreigner’s high speed rail pass you can buy only while still in the United States, then you exchange it at a “green window” in any JR station for an unlimited shinkansen (except some of the super expresses, I think) pass.
Relative to your list of things, here is where I weigh in on them:
» Go to Harajuku
Yes
» Go to Shibuya
Yes
» Go to a Don Quijote
No
» Hit on every girl I see
No, unless you wear that hat.
» Go to an Onsen
I HIGHLY suggest going to Kyoto / the surrounding area for this. You can get there in almost no time from Tokyo on the shinkansen, and Kyoto has many amazingly beautiful areas. I recommend Arashiyama and some of the other outlying areas especially.
» Feel at home in Akiba
I almost didn’t make it out of Akiba because it was so much fun! There is a western translated map / index of the stores somewhere online I used when I went.
» Ride a ferris wheel
» See a festival/fireworks
I saw the Tokyo fireworks festival. The show was over an hour long — amazing.
» Visit Hokkaido’s northern-most post and cry, thinking of Takemoto.
Will be expensive, but if you must.
» Walk the riverbank/countryside
Do it in Kyoto!
» Eat mayo-based foods
You will be so disappointed.
» Sakura viewing
Once again, Kyoto is famous for this.
» Visit a temple
Its so easy.
» Sing my heart out at Karaoke
Alone? Maybe you should pick up some Japanese girl!
» Buy a ridiculous costume
Shouldn’t this be under Akiba?
My god… there is so much else to do. Sleeping in a net cafe is a fun experience and cheap, but I recommend Ryokans for your primary lodging if you can afford it. There are many amazing buildings and museums in Tokyo, so if you have an interest, definitely check them out. If you do go to Kyoto, consider making the whole round trip to Nara, Takamatsu, Naoshima, and Hiroshima. It’d be packing it in, but if you’re doing the shinkansen thing, there is no reason not to necessarily.
Finally, buy a good guide book to Tokyo and Japan as a whole. The entire investment might run you 40-50 dollars, but you’ll end up seeing lots more than the anime stuff, and really, you can’t do that stuff for two weeks straight.
A
Saturday, April 17th 2010 at 6:27 pm
Make sure you check their teeth before hitting on them.
Saturday, May 8th 2010 at 7:03 pm
im just enter cuz i like the cat in the poster
thanx for the post
Sunday, May 9th 2010 at 9:56 am
Hi, sorry for randomly posting out of nowhere. I just found this on google while browsing. Anyhow, Pip-san pretty much said everything and I’d agree completely. I personally am living in Tokyo right now and those are the places I suggest to friends when they come and visit too
As for hitting on girls… Um… well, I guess that depends on where you are in Tokyo and the girls. Some people might get offended or even give you the “wtf” kind of look, but I think in general most Japanese girls like Western guys. Again, some girls are more outgoing than others… good luck :\
Thursday, August 19th 2010 at 1:17 pm
hey what’s this i hear about don quixote and hitting girls, Don quixote would never condem something like that shame on you all . i cant believe someone whould post something like that. I can agree with the karaoke thing but i dought you’ll be getting too many girls in a karaoke now that you said you like to beat them up.
Wednesday, June 1st 2011 at 4:41 pm
meet all girls you can…that’s all that matters.
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