Can you tell me stuff about Japan?

Question

My fiancee and I will probably be going to Japan soon. Do you have any experience visiting/living in Japan? What is the weather like? What social norms are different from the West? How do the Japanese people treat Americans? Any food dishes we should try...or avoid??

Answer 1

I lived there for about 12 yrs as a student and then work.

I'm guessing you're going to Tokyo....

Rainy season - June to July. Right about now actually. Skip it.
Summer - Hot and humid. Ever been to Washington DC during the summer? It's kinda like that. Temp is around the mid 80's but feels alot hotter because of the humidity.
And since transportation is usually on foot make sure to wear comfortable shoes / clothes.
If the heat is too much for you run into a cafe or convenience store or hotel lobby to cool down and recharge your energy.

Winter - Cold. Take a coat or a thick jacket. Not ski wear but not too far from it either. It snows even in Tokyo sometimes. Temps are probably down to the30's and 40's. Not sure though.
When you get too cold do as above for summer.

Japanese are not open people. THey won't come up to you and say hi or good morning. Some will probably look away if you smile at them but this doesn't mean they hate you. They're passive and shy. If you walk up to someone and ask directions, chances are some of them will go out of thier way to help you out.
Some will however ignore you. Not out of spite but out of lack of courage.

As for food, the portions maybe small but quality is fantastic. You should try Sukiyaki / Shabu-shabu / Yaki tori / Okonomiyaki / and of course sushi in Tsukiji (Around the Tsukiji Fish Market)
Don't know what you should avoid but I guess I never enjoyed pizza while I lived there. No pizza tastes better than the ones we have in the US.

Here's a couple of helpful sites.

http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/route/index_c.html

http://www.tokyoessentials.com/palace.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

Hope you have fun!!!

Answer 2

The weather can be quite chilly, and i'm pretty sure it doesnt get very hot over there in most places. Rain can be common. When you meat someone in Japan always be sure to bow. If in the morning say "Ohaiyo" (O-hi-O) that means good morning, the afternoon greating is gogo, and in the evening kobanwa is the greating. If you are speaking to someone but you are not sure if they understand your english or japanese you can say "wakarimasuka" (wa-ka-ree-ma-soo-ka) that means "do you understand. The japanese are very kind and wil help you out if they can, so they shall treat yoiu quit well. As for food while your in the land of oportunities, you need to try some sushi or sashimi and gyooza. Other foods you'll have to find on your own, you might want to try to avoid blowfish, that stuff is poisonous if not cooked exactly right, the japanese find this a delecasy but cooks must have a liscense before they can cook it and even then sickness has occured, so protect yourself and just dont take the risk of eating it. And in the cities if you cant find anything you like there is always an american place near by such as a McDonalds. I guess the last note i can give you would be that some places you stay may require you to remove your shoes, so just watch for that. I hope you have a great trip.

Answer 3

Japan is a varied and interesting place. I lived there for 3 years.

Tokyo - This is truly "The" Metropolitan city, it has everything. The main area of Tokyo is called Shinjuku, and it's train station is the busiest in the world. From Shinjuku station, you can get to almost anywhere in Japan. Roppongi is the strait club scene area, and if there was ever such a thing as a bad area of town, this would be it. It is where most Americans and other foreigners "Gaijin" hang out.Gaspanic is a good club. Ni-Chome (2nd Block) of Shinjuku is the gay district, if you are open minded, this is a fun place to visit as there are over 200 gay bars in once city block. The major western friendly ones are Arty Farty's, Dragon and GB. As for restraunts, try Istanbul in San-Chome in Shinjkuku for some geniune turkish food, or Tiki Tiki for a very nice Polyneasian resteraunt with hula dancers and a great polynesian theme.

Hakone is about an hour away from Tokyo by train/bus and there you will find natural hot springs (Onsen) to relax, and it sits at the base of Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji giving stunning views on a clear day. The prince hotel has western style rooms and you can get a package tour from IACE.co.jp/english for around $100

You should also visit the Great Buda statue at Kamikura, this is also in Tokyo.

Kyoto - There are many shrines and temples. I recommend the Golden Pavillion temple and the Nijo Castle, these can be done in 1 day but are best during the cherry blossom festival in April/May

The Japanese are very courteous and you will find that Americans are welcomed very warmly by the majority of the people of Japan. There are a few areas that will show hostility, but even that is mostly "pretending" not to understand you or giving a dirty look, but no violence of any kind.

As for Japanese food, Yakiniku is pretty good, this is where you cook your own meats/veg at your table, just beware of the horse meet which is very red. Also, try CoCo's curry restraunt which is all over the place. The Nan (flat bread) is very good.

Bow only once to be polite, not multiple times ... say arrigato gozaimasu to say thank you. wakarimasen to say I dont understand, and gomenasai to say I am sorry... and you should be just fine :)

Answer 4

I am an American here so I can answer your questions.

It is great. I have been here for over 2 years and have had a great experience. My biggest advice is to try to learn some Japanese before you come. Westerners have a reputation for only speaking English. While many people are kind and will speak to you in English, it is helpful to at least know some phrases that you'll need to use in everyday life. They treat Americans well. We have a good relationship as long as you don't do anything wrong. Morality is international. You know how to be a moral person. Lots of food here is seafood. You'll also have rice with every meal. There isn't really anything out of the ordinary.

Good luck. Have a great time!

Answer 5

Well, the Japanese culture is very different from the American one and you have to be careful in some cases especially if you are not in the city. If you plan on going to the countyside, then you better try learning a little Japanese since they do not speak English at all.
If you like trying new things, then you should deffinitely try the sashimi, which is raw fish and i love it. The food that you should stay away from is all the food that does not look good, believe me, if something does not look good, then do not try it, except for the fish, which especial in Japan and i dont know of a fish dish in Japan that is bad.

good luck.

Answer 6

I lived in Nagano prefecture in Japan for six years. I came back to the States a year ago.

The weather depends on what part of the country you're in. If you're in northern Japan, expect cold snowy winters. In southern Japan it won't get below 50 F very much. Summers are pretty much hot and humid everywhere except Hokkaido, the northernmost island.

People have written whole books on Japanese customs and social norms. Browse the Japan section in Amazon.com -- there are lots of good books out there on Japan.

Japanese people are almost always very polite to Americans and other Westerners, especially if you're white. You'll stick out like sore thumbs and get a lot of stares your way, especially if you're not in a major city.

I'm not white (as my pic shows), and at first a lot of people were kind of unsettled by my presence -- but once they got to know me (especially the people in the town where I lived), it was fine. I still have many friends over there, and leaving there to return to the States was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.

If you have any other ?s about Japan, feel free to PM me or email me at [e-mail]. -- Julia

Answer 7

I grew up there. It is a very nice place to live. I miss living there so much. It depends on what part of Japan you are going to live, but it's usually humid in summer. But you'll get to watch a lot of firework shows. They are so beautiful. Maybe you can wear "yukata" (kimono for summer). It's very cold in winter if you go to north.
Try any food dishes you come across, everything tastes good over there. And don't worry! Japanese people are very nice.
Have a good time in Japan.

Answer 8

What life in Japan is like depends on who you ask! It is
also largely related to what culture you are comparing
it with. Compared with the USA though, it is in many
ways totally opposite in many features. One piece of
advice though on sifting through many different views
on Japan. It is neither some paradise or candyland like
some kids who watch anime or read manga envision it; nor
is it some kind of hell on earth like some overly spoiled
college grads who just left a job at an English conversation
school often portry it. But there are some big differences.
People don't own guns. There are no gang-bangings,
carjackings, or kooks with rifles shooting up schools
or stores. You can wear your sexiest dress and
nicest high heels and never be bothered. This is not
to say you should throw away common sense and wave
your money around while walking down the street. But you
can walk around anywhere, anytime and still be safer
than in any big city in the US.
Likewise there are no religious zealots who try to
shove their value systems down your throat, with some
self-appointed and self-righteous ideology that God has
mandated them to.
On the other hand, Tokyo and Osaka are the most expensive
cities in the world. The government is loaded with corruption, bribes, and back door deals. The people are
kept in the dark about how deals are cut, and how their
taxes are abused. It takes miles of red tape to get anything
done, and the littlest issue has to turn into a looming crisis that costs a dozen times more before any action is taken, since nobody wants to take responsibility for anything. Japan has been in an economic coma for about 12
years now, lately getting a sickly 0.7% growth rate. And the government is paralyzed about making any meaningful reform, since things may be made worse before they get better, and the bureaucrats who run the show don't want to lose any power, jobs, budget, etc.
Being a foreigner in Japan can be quite different. You are an eternal outsider. Discrimination is common and not illegal. In Tokyo trying to get an apartment, don't be surprised if 4 out of 5 real estate agents turn you down.
At the same time, the Japanese people are often very warm and welcoming to westerners. Many will go far out of their way to help you or treat you if you are in need. Their hospitality is often generous, even lavish. However, Chinese, Korean, SE Asians, and others are often given the cold shoulder.
Tokyo is vastly overconcentrated, with about 25% of the Japanese population living in the vicinity, since Japan's government, big business, and nearly every industry leader is concentrated there. Daily commutes on a train are like seeing how many sardines you can squeeze into a can. Homes are cramped, taxes are high, homelessness is exploding, and business related suicides have skyrocketed.
For the young, school life is highly regimented and until
college gets more and more restrictive. Nearly all schools
require uniforms in styles that haven't changed in over a
hundred years, with military type rules on everything. Students are educated to cram and memorize mountains of trivial details to pass university entrance exams, after which most of what they memorized is discarded as worthless.
This could go on forever. You might get some books, or
read some Japanese newspapers in English if you want to get
a window in on Japanse life.

Answer 9

If you're non Asian, Japanese girls will love you no matter how you look. Japanese are all very friendly even if they don't understand you. and tampons in Japan leaks...
and all their food tastes great, even things from Family mark, 7Eleven, etc..

Answer 10

i simplest like tokyo however it is beautiful steeply-priced to stick. i love their inns cos they normally include unfastened broadband and heated bathroom seats with extra controls than my television far flung. now if simplest their motel partitions werent so skinny and the rooms so small. i like odaiba and the fuji television station constructing cos i love dorama (eastern drama). at night time, within the motel room, i will be able to watch probably the most present dorama. if you'll be able to get the bookings upfront (peers in tokyo or a specialized journey agent), you'll be able to trap a television shoot, speak exhibit and even live performance.