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RE: China visa Yes, get an agency to do it. I had no problems doing it myself in Singapore, but I walked in to the Chinese embassy in Japan and it was a mad-house. Chinese people everywhere. No lines. Everyone was screaming. I think I saw a chicken running around on the ground.
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Feb 6, 2013 13:53
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So my friend is in Sapporo and something happened with her travel group. Anyone here in Sapporo willing to show my friend around? PM please.
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Feb 6, 2013 14:52
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BTW Americans can get a 72 hour "transit visa" on arrival at Shanghai and Beijing airports. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/transit.htm All you need is proof of a return flight within 72 hours, and hotel reservations. You're not supposed to leave the city limits. Anything longer than that you'll need to apply at the consulate. Not every travel agency will require you to book everything through them just for the visa service. I've gone to travel agencies and just gotten a visa service (visa daikou) or travel insurance. Lately I've found that surprisingly often, if you try asking, people will say Yes!
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Feb 7, 2013 06:34
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That's cool. Do you know if you have to have flights to another country or can you just pop over for a weekend? My next job will probably have terrible vacation time, I want to visit Shanghai but blowing that much money on a visa for a short visit just makes no sense. But if I can pop in for three days without it then that's doable.
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Feb 7, 2013 07:11
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I wondered that too. When we went through, they seemed to care more about where we were going next than where we were coming from. I'd probably call up Pudong Airport directly, pretty sure the Consulate will say Noooo You Must Apply and spend Money!!!
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Feb 7, 2013 10:01
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I must have been really lucky - I don't really remember getting my China visa at all. Just went to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, walked in, filled out some form, and was told to come back like 3 days later or whatever. Came back at that time, picked it up. Total time spent in the embassy both days was an hour max - total. No lines, no problems - just fill out the forms, pay the money, get the visa. Of course, I had a similar experience getting my Japanese driver's license, so maybe I'm just lucky with things like that.
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Feb 7, 2013 10:26
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It's not difficult, it's just really expensive if you're American. I wonder if I could fly from Busan and back to Incheon or something to pretend like it's a transit flight. 
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Feb 7, 2013 10:29
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He doesn't remember anything that costs less than 10man. Unless it involves Shimbashi
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Feb 7, 2013 10:50
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GTGastby posted:I must have been really lucky - I don't really remember getting my China visa at all. Just went to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, walked in, filled out some form, and was told to come back like 3 days later or whatever. Came back at that time, picked it up. Total time spent in the embassy both days was an hour max - total. No lines, no problems - just fill out the forms, pay the money, get the visa. That was my experience in 2007 as well.
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Feb 8, 2013 03:06
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Anyone know of some good "Mom-and-pop" video game stores in Yokohama?
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Feb 10, 2013 03:15
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Living in Shikoku now, need to get to Yokohama for the After JET Conference later this month. Is there a Japanese version of Orbitz/Expedia/whatever where I can book hotels and possibly (domestic) plane tickets online? Anyone have any experience with that? Sounds dumb but I've never had to do that in Japan.
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Feb 11, 2013 12:16
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Rakuten or Skygate, maybe.
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Feb 11, 2013 12:23
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Where in Shikoku? There's no one in your town you can ask for advice? JR has some specials for Shikoku residents, like the Hanshin Free Kippu 16,000 to Osaka (10,000 for kodama shinkansen only) and 30,000 for a week roundtrip ticket to Tokyo. Other English teachers in your area can probably tell you about overnight buses. For airlines just go directly to the airline homepage. ANA and JAL both have English pages and/or smartphone apps. If you don't have a credit card then just go to a travel agency. You can search for hotels on Expedia or the Japanese site jalan, or just do the usual google search for cheap hostels. I'd probably just look up the conference spot on google maps, then add "hostel near" and start my search from there. Toyoko Inn or Holiday Inn Express is a no-brainer. peanut fucked around with this message at 12:53 on Feb 11, 2013 |
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Feb 11, 2013 12:50
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App13 posted:Anyone know of some good "Mom-and-pop" video game stores in Yokohama? There's one in Yokohama Station by the Sotetsu exit, past the beauty product store on the left. They used to have a ton of retro-poo poo, but they seem to be phasing it out for their ever growing porn section. That store is the only one I have come across in the last 5 years in Yokohama. Everyone usually just goes up to Akihabara.
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Feb 12, 2013 04:12
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neuralyzer posted:Living in Shikoku now, need to get to Yokohama for the After JET Conference later this month. Is there a Japanese version of Orbitz/Expedia/whatever where I can book hotels and possibly (domestic) plane tickets online? Anyone have any experience with that? Sounds dumb but I've never had to do that in Japan. Since it's Yokohama, there are probably tons of English reviews of hotels online. Then just check their Japanese websites/Rakuten to see if they have a cheaper rate and reserve on the web or the phone. You don't need a credit card. You could also try taking the ferry- it's fun! Kenishi posted:I had just got done a few weeks ago getting advice on grad school in Japan, over in the LAN>Japan thread. I noticed you didn't mention if you are ultimately aiming for a Ph.D, or what your degree will be. I'll look through that thread. I'm looking at IR- master's only, hoping it will help with my career and also be a good experience. I'd only go in Japan if I could get that free ride. I really want to study how the events in Fukushima have affected U.S.-Japan relations, which is actually related to my job right now. What are you looking at? LimburgLimbo- how do you feel about the courses you took at Sophia? Were the professors good? Did they make time for their students outside of class? Mrs. Mahler fucked around with this message at 06:09 on Feb 13, 2013 |
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Feb 13, 2013 05:43
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Mrs. Mahler posted:LimburgLimbo- how do you feel about the courses you took at Sophia? Were the professors good? Did they make time for their students outside of class? The classes I took were far and above the standard of most Japanese colleges, I can say for sure. It's harder for me to put it in a global context. I was also very picky, and mostly only took classes of teachers that I liked and were good, however. I think the graduate program of the FLA seems pretty good, but it's really hard for me to give and sort of objective rating. Also I've never taken graduate courses. I have taken classes by the same teachers that teach in the grad program, and a lot of them I really like and are pretty respected insofar as I know. They definitely seemed good about making time for students outside of their classes, or at least the ones that could.
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Feb 13, 2013 10:33
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Japan is probably a good choice for STEM stuff but for something like international relations I'd probably go elsewhere unless you're getting into Tokyo/Waseda/Keio or something on a free ride. I did a year at Hiroshima university and really could not have been less impressed at the quality (or lack thereof) of non-STEM university education here. The professors were around if you needed to speak to them at least, but I don't have much of anything good to say for the rest of the experience. The only decent classes were the ones specifically for foreigners, which tended to be generally up to par with academia back home - only took three such classes though, the rest were all regular classes for Japanese students. LimburgLimbo posted:I was also very picky, and mostly only took classes of teachers that I liked and were good, however. This is definitely going to be key to making it work. Sheep fucked around with this message at 10:54 on Feb 13, 2013 |
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Feb 13, 2013 10:50
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It should be noted that I think all the graduate teachers are pretty good insofar as I know. The most complaints about teachers in my department seem to be for the business classes, because a lot of them are kinda bullshit, which is why I'm not taking them.
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Feb 13, 2013 11:49
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neuralyzer posted:Living in Shikoku now, need to get to Yokohama for the After JET Conference later this month. Is there a Japanese version of Orbitz/Expedia/whatever where I can book hotels and possibly (domestic) plane tickets online? Anyone have any experience with that? Sounds dumb but I've never had to do that in Japan. I'm going to that conference too and I booked my hotel with Japanese expedia. Check out skymark for cheap plane tickets, but I don't know if they fly to Shikoku.
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Feb 19, 2013 02:30
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I am going to Okinawa for a conference. I will do an extended layover (couple of nights) in Tokyo since I need to layover there anyways. I know pretty much nothing about Japan (aside from what I've learned reading about WWII.) Not really an animé fan - I'm interested in things like museums, parks, music/art scene... What would goons reccomend as good stuff to do in Tokyo? Food recommendations, places/districts to see... I'm pretty open to suggestions. Free/cheap is great since I'm a poor grad student  Also, any recommendations on cheap places to stay would be welcome - my employer isn't reimbursing the hotel costs during the extended layover. Also, I'd like to bring back some duty-free sake, if anyone has recommendations on good brands, I'd appreciate opinions.
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Feb 20, 2013 21:47
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Go to the Meiji Shrine/Yoyogi Park area. I have traveled a decent amount and I can't think of a park I enjoyed more than that one. Doesn't feel like you're in the middle of a metropolis at all. Actually, from what I recall most of the temples in the Tokyo area are free to the public; you just might be socially coerced into donating money to get "fortunes" or the like (less so if you're not Japanese) If you want a great view of Tokyo on a budget, skip the Tokyo Tower and go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Building ("tochou"), which is free (although they will try to push souvenirs on you) and has an equally good view. For cheap eats, try any hole in the wall Izakaya (look for this sign:居酒屋). You will have to do a lot of pointing if you don't know any Japanese but the prices are pretty reasonable in my experience. hitension fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 22:09
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Also is it true I need to have my passport on my 24/7? A photocopy + driver's liscense won't be sufficient? I've heard conflicting stories. I'll be in Tokyo and Naha.
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Feb 20, 2013 23:56
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GregNorc posted:Also is it true I need to have my passport on my 24/7? A photocopy + driver's liscense won't be sufficient? I've heard conflicting stories. I'll be in Tokyo and Naha. In theory yes, but most people don't bother, I think. A photocopy will probably be fine, on the off chance you get stopped by the police.
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Feb 21, 2013 00:01
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If you're white and not doing anything the chances you'll be stopped by the police are close to zero. Not zero, but close. I didn't even know you were supposed to carry it when I was there, the only place I've ever actually kept it with me was China.
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Feb 21, 2013 00:05
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The Edo/Tokyo museum in Ryogoku is awesome as well. It's like 400yen to get in. It takes about 2.5 hours to get through all the exhibits. They have a lot of WW2 stuff, but it goes from almost prehistory. The Yebisu beer museum in Ebisu is worth a look if you like beer, too.
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Feb 21, 2013 00:19
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Jacobobb posted:The Edo/Tokyo museum in Ryogoku is awesome as well. It's like 400yen to get in. It takes about 2.5 hours to get through all the exhibits. They have a lot of WW2 stuff, but it goes from almost prehistory. The Yebisu beer museum in Ebisu is worth a look if you like beer, too. My mother was absolutely fascinated by the fact that they had a bridge inside.
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Feb 21, 2013 00:24
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GregNorc posted:I'm interested in things like museums, parks, music/art scene... Inokashira Park and the surrounding Kichijoji area sounds like the place for you. If you're there on a sunday it's full of performers and artists selling their stuff, but it's a really nice area any day you go. The Studio Ghibli museum is near there, too, if you're into that. Koenji is one stop away on the express train and is a really good place to get something to eat. The staff are generally way more friendly and chill than in the tourist hubs like Shinjuku, the food's cheaper, and I never ate anywhere around the station that wasn't amazing. But you're also much less likely to get English on menus so you have to be comfortable pointing at pictures or learning to ask for the staff's recommendations.
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Feb 21, 2013 01:05
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The main Tokyo museum is okay but very small. Don't plan a day around it like you would expect from a capital city museum, make it part of other things. I was afraid it was so small because we blew up everything but my Japanese professor friend said in Japan they spread out the artifacts between a lot of city museums, rather than having a huge one in the capital like the Beijing museum. That's why the Tokyo one is so tiny.
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Feb 21, 2013 01:27
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Which Tokyo museum are you talking about, because the Tokyo/Edo museum is pretty huge...
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Feb 21, 2013 01:38
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Edo/Tokyo Tatemono-en is pretty boss too, but I'd put it about 100 spots down the list of "must-see" things in the Tokyo area
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Feb 21, 2013 01:50
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It's the one in Ueno park, it was just called the Tokyo Museum I thought. It's not like a closet or anything but it's tiny compared to any other capital city museum I've been to. The ancient Japan section was like two rooms. It's worth going to but it's more of a two hour trip than a whole day like the Beijing museum.
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Feb 21, 2013 01:54
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Grand Fromage posted:It's the one in Ueno park, it was just called the Tokyo Museum I thought. It's not like a closet or anything but it's tiny compared to any other capital city museum I've been to. The ancient Japan section was like two rooms. It's worth going to but it's more of a two hour trip than a whole day like the Beijing museum. That's the Tokyo National Museum; definitely smaller than the Edo-Tokyo Museum which isn't really anywhere near there
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Feb 21, 2013 02:04
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Grand Fromage posted:It's the one in Ueno park, it was just called the Tokyo Museum I thought. It's not like a closet or anything but it's tiny compared to any other capital city museum I've been to. The ancient Japan section was like two rooms. It's worth going to but it's more of a two hour trip than a whole day like the Beijing museum. Oh, I forgot that one even existed. Yeah, that one blows. Skip it. There's a parasite museum somewhere in Tokyo, too. I forget where, though.
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Feb 21, 2013 02:04
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GregNorc posted:Also is it true I need to have my passport on my 24/7? A photocopy + driver's liscense won't be sufficient? I've heard conflicting stories. I'll be in Tokyo and Naha. If you have no alien registration card or resident's card and are not a citizen, you are required by law to have your passport on you at all times - the fine for not presenting your passport when asked by the authorities is $2000 USD assuming 100yen:1 dollar. Will a photocopy suffice? *Probably. Is it a good idea? No. This is Japan. Don't try to use logic or reason, just follow the rules. * Depends entirely on the attending official's mood. They may not care, they may immediately detain you and make you take them to wherever your passport is (as happened to a friend of mine), or in a worst case scenario they may actually suspect you of being an illegal immigrant and decide to do the whole "oh it's just an interview... that you can't end" detention thing until you convince someone to bring your passport to wherever you are. The police have scary powers here and it's best to not give them any reason whatsoever to mess with you, ie not having your passport on you. Sheep fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Feb 21, 2013 |
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Feb 21, 2013 02:07
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I've never seen the big deal about it. I'd want to carry my passport with me everywhere in a foreign country just in case, but whatever. If you go to Ryogoku for the Edo Museum, there's also the Fukagawa Shiryokan, which is worth a peek. It has a life-size recreation of an Edo-era neighborhood with maybe half a dozen buildings. You can go into a few of them and touch the props and go up the stairs etc. It's pretty neat, worth an hour or so.
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Feb 21, 2013 02:12
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It's a lovely rule but it's also way better to just carry it than possibly ruin your day. It's not like the chances of anyone actually stealing it here aren't incredibly small, and less people getting stopped without passports means less reason for the police to stop the rest of us, which is always a good thing. Also: The State Department posted:http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1148.html
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Feb 21, 2013 02:17
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What's everyone's favorite places in Tohoku? I'm thinking of doing the JR east pass for about a 5 day stretch in early June
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Feb 21, 2013 03:39
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Riptor posted:What's everyone's favorite places in Tohoku? I'm thinking of doing the JR east pass for about a 5 day stretch in early June Aomori is great. I went from Aomori City through Mt. Hakkoda to Oirase and Lake Towada, highly recommended if you're into nature or hiking at all.
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Feb 21, 2013 04:05
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I'm a beginner hiker, how intense is it? also what kind of time commitment?
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Feb 21, 2013 04:08
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Riptor posted:I'm a beginner hiker, how intense is it? also what kind of time commitment? I only had a few days so I didn't do any hiking on Mt. hakkoda, just took the lift up to the top. If I had more time I would have spent more time hiking there, as it is very beautiful. Oirase is just a walk along a river so not challenging at all. This was all along a bus route where you can get on and off at any point so it was really easy to do in a short period of time. Here's what I did: Day 1: bus from Aomori city (was already there for a conference) -got off at Mt. Hakkoda, took ropeway up and back down -got back on the bus, got off again at Oirase and walked down to lake harbor -took lake cruise boat to lake Towada City, spent the night there Day 2: bus from Lake Towada City to Towada City (different places) -got off at art museum. The museum there is really unique, worth a visit if you have a chance. -got back on bus to Hachinohe, caught the train back to Tokyo from there. This was all one bus system, so I bought a ticket from Aomori to Lake Towada, and then from Lake Towada to Hachinohe, and you could get on or off as many times as you wanted to. The only probably was the buses were pretty infrequent.
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Feb 21, 2013 04:28
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