She will be based in Misawa, Japan. She leaves in September and she is very nervous. She is a Medical Lab tech.
2006-08-15 07:24:45 · 11 answers · asked by brianjennyryan 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Japan is awesome, I was stationed there for four years, the culture is beautiful and the local people are friendly too. If she need more info try the afcrossroads.com web site of af.mil and look up Misawa under the sites section. It's great if she has a sponsor but you can learn a lot on your own if you do the research. I was a country girl from a little town in La and was terrified when I left for Japan. I don't know what it is about being over seas but everyone treats everone like family. It's very tight knit and everyone looks out for each other. She has nothing to worry about. Just tell her to stay smart about the decisions she makes. I made it a point to learn the language at first for shopping purposes, then I was better able to communicate with the local people and they were really impressed that an American was willing to learn the language rather than have everyone off base try to speak to you in English. About.com has some links to learn basic Japanese and BYKI.com (before you know it) has a great free down load that teaches you the language, greetings , etc. in Japanese and English. Another suggestion get a hold of a Japanese to English dictionary. Hope this helps and tell her Congrats, she's very lucky!
2006-08-15 08:22:13 · answer #1 · answered by sercycla 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
pack WARM clothes.. it snows a LOT in Misawa. she'll be able to experience a wonderful culture and some of the friendliest natives in the world. The Japanese are a great people.
Habu sake: it's the one with the rattlesnake in the bottle. avoid unless she is brave. doesn't taste that bad..
warm sake is better than cold sake.
Fugu(blowfish) is to avoided at all costs, even from a reputable vendor. It's the only seafood forbidden to be served to the Emperor of Japan.
yakitori (meat on a stick) mostly yummy, avoid the organ meat ones. and anything that still has legs attached.
Tako yaki: if she's brave and doesn't mind chewy octopus tentacles, this is quite yummers.. fried balls of octopus tentacle serves with pickled ginger.
she will attend an introductory seminar meant to get her situated and teach her how to use the train system as well as some basic survival japanese.
She will get a much better reception from the locals if she makes an effort to TRY and speak the language
2006-08-15 09:10:27 · answer #2 · answered by Mrsjvb 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Japan is quite safe, if a little crowded in places. My advice would be to remember that Japanese people, as a generasl rule, are a very respectful people. Generally they prefer bowing to shaking hands (this is not a stereotype), though they have acclimated to this western custom. There are a great many things to see and do there. Go out and have some fun. Be respectful, do your job, and enjoy the once in a lifetime opportunity to be immersed in the culture. I'm jealous!!!
2006-08-15 07:38:09 · answer #3 · answered by steele_feher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was at Misawa! cool! Tell her to learn Kanji, watch out for benjo ditches, get used to her parka and mukluks, she will need them. She is lucky, Misawa is a great base, although a little far from everything. She will also get to see the true Japanese and she will love Lake Tawada. A must see destination. Tell her to get a good camera, the scenery is gorgeous. I loved it there.
2006-08-15 07:36:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
fair play to the lady.Id say all will be fine .Japan very friendly towards the west ,wouldnt be too worried about the north koreans its all puff puff with them,a few friends of mine were over in Japan a year ago .saw all their videos/photos etc wouldnt mind going there myself a,a beautiful country ....go now
2006-08-15 07:42:00 · answer #5 · answered by SPEAK UP WAKE UP 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ramen noodles are better there than here. So eat up. And tell her to hook you up on the latest japanese gadgets.
Do not worry about not knowing how to get around. Most signs have english subtitles so she should have no problems
2006-08-15 07:30:54 · answer #6 · answered by NebCamp 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell her not to just stay on base but get out and see the country .. I know people who were deployed there and they loved it!! Tell her to have a good time!!
2006-08-15 08:21:45 · answer #7 · answered by bereal1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Misawa Air Base
http://www.misawa.af.mil/
location
http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=40.580585,141.047974&sspn=3.804689,9.7229&q=%E4%B8%89%E6%B2%A2%E7%A9%BA%E6%B8%AF+%E4%B8%89%E6%B2%A2%E7%A9%BA%E6%B8%AF%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB&ie=UTF8&ll=40.699121,141.39061&spn=0.474763,1.215363&t=k&om=1
Basically it safe.
Enjoy the tast of foods.
Try Okonomiyaki(Japanese pizza), Sukiyaki, and Tempra.
She should request Okinawa next. It is beautiful island.
2006-08-15 19:34:28 · answer #8 · answered by Joriental 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell her not to expect too much from Japanese males.
2006-08-15 07:30:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stay away from the blowfish sushi... drink hot saki... eat as much wasabi as you can get... don't forget to eat the shitake sushi....
2006-08-15 07:32:49 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋