i visiting Japan, any advice n recommendations?

Answer 1

Kyoto and Nara.

both are amazing and easily accessible from Osaka or by bullet train rom Tokyo.

Kyoto was the ancient capital for over 1,000 years, never bombed in WWII (because of its PROFOUND cultural significance, US brass wisely decided to spare it). Cobblestoned streets, secret gardens, thousands of temples and shrines, the serene meandering Kamogawa River, the surrounding mountains, The Gion (Geisha district, movie "Memoirs.." couldn't even come CLOSE to replicating the magic and beauty of the area..), great shopping, food, crafts, arts, renowned for their pickles - you can wander from shop to shop and have a complete meal just sampling free pickles.

Kyoto, IMO is the quintessential traditional Japanese experience, I cannot reccomend it highly enough. Its not a huge intimidating metropolis like Tokyo or Osaka and people are VERY friendly here. Most speak some English - and if you make a rudimentary attempt to speak Japanese, they will often open right up (otherwise reseved and shy about their "engrish").

Nearby Nara, is an even more ancient capital and is a beautiful collection of pagodas and temples winding around a small mountain. The largest Buddha in Japan is here as well there are tame deer that wander the streets of the town.. iNara is a day trip from Kyoto and well worth it.

Also, if you find youself with time to kill around Narita airport, the actual town of Narita is pretty impressive - there is a lovely hill park with gardens and temples .. quite surprising really as I though it would be sort of a next-to-the-airport "strip mall" kind of environment.

Answer 2

Try explore the Yamanote Line. Go to Akihabara, Shibuya, Harajuku. Also went to Hokkaido, Nara, Tokyo Disneyland, Osaka Universal Studio, Kyoto, Meiji Shrine, Tsukiji Market, and more

Answer 3

Don't be surprised if your hotel room is not much bigger than a bus station locker. Also if you are female be prepared for groping and sharking to be a possibility when on the subway or in the street. It seems to be a growing trend with Japanese male teens as women have little value in Japanese society.

Sharking occurs when a woman is walking and someone comes up from behind and pulls down their pants or top and runs away. It is a growing trend and tourists are no exception to this. Generally it is also being video taped.

Answer 4

Right now I am currently living in japan. The Japanese are so nice and there is so much to see! Anyway here are some tips that can help you in saying japanese words and phrases. and i suggest you find this book because it has helped me and my husband so much with the language. the book is called "Japanese The Rough Guide Dictionary and Phrasebook" The great thing about this book is it shows you how to pronounce the words, just not the Japanese characters.

Pronouncation:
a as in rAther
e as in bEd; e is always pronounced even at the end of a word
i like the EE in fEEt, but slightly shorter
o as in nOt
u as in pUt
ae seprate A followed by E, pronounced AH-EH
ai as in thai (thAI)
ei as in weight (wEIght)
ie seprate EE followed by E, pronounced EE-EH
ue seprate U followed by E, Pronounced OO-EH
g hard G as in Girl
s always as in maSS (never Z)
y as in Yet

also the ing in japanese is pronounced more strongly that in english

Here are some useful words you might want to know.

bowl: chawan
chopsticks: hashi
dessert: dezato
ketchup: kechapp
fried chicken (not breaded) : kroggy
rice: gohan AND rais
cheesebuger: chizbaga
french fries: potetofrai
water: mizu
Coke: cora or Cola

yes: hai
no: ie
ok: oke
Hello: konnichiwa
hello (on phone): moshi moshi
good morning: ohayo gozaimas
good evening: komban wa
good night : osaki ni
goodbye : sayonara
see you later: ja, mata
please: onegai shimas
thank you: arigato
i dont understand: wakarimasen
do you speak english: eigo o hanasemas ka
i dont speak japanese: nihongo wa hanasemasen

I also suggest when you get to japan go eat at the curry house Coco Ichibanya that stuff is addictive, I just started eating it and I want it every night almost! I suggest stick to the regular spice, because by the time you get in the middle of it you are going to drink the entire pitcher of water.

Also over here they drive on the other side of the road and they bow to say hello, i'm sorry and goodbye. the deeper the bow the more respect.

OH!!! DO NOT PUT YOUR CHOPSTICKS STANDING UP THE BOWL OF RICE! Huge No-No! The Japanese do that out of mourning and don't use your chopsticks as tools to eat, like draging a bowl of shushi closer to you. also don't be afraid to pick up the bowl with both hands and eat to shovel it in. If you go into a Japanese home, take your shoes off inside and step right up onto the next step.

Here are some websites i found that might help
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e638.html...
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/cult...
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e622.html...
http://www.geocities.com/japanfaq/faq-ma... (Very good site)
http://www.japan-zone.com/new/etiquette....

Anyway I hope that was a lot of help, if you want to do some more searching on your own i would suggest searching yahoo with "Japanese Etiquette"

You are going to love Japan, I have only been over here since April and I love it. I can't wait to get out more and see Japan. Oh some places I would suggest going to around Tokyo is Kamakura, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Roppongi Hills - Mori Tower, and The Tokyo Tower.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Answer 5

Don't let anyone scare you , Japan is a nice place to be.
Weather you opt for the "Hustle-Bustle" of the big cities or the serenity of the countryside , it is an enjoyable experience to have visited "The Land Of The Rising Sun"......... Japan.

Answer 6

visit kanazawa and also go to tokyo disneyland.Japan is a very nice place, try and explore more go to different regions like Osaka,Hokkaido and take pilikular pictures.Have fun.

Answer 7

you have to go to the Tsukiji fish market if you like sushi. even if you don't, it is really fascinating. but you have to go there at like 5 in the morning. the sushi is really good though. it is almost transparent. you also have to go to kyoto. this city has beautiful buddhist temples and palaces.

Answer 8

try tokyo disneyland!

but most hotels there are so small,your room looks just like a capsule!its also fun when its night already...

Answer 9

Stay in a ryokan at least one night.