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Moon Slayer posted:How much of a pain is it to get around in smaller cities without a car? I'm applying to schools in places like Kanazawa and Yamaguchi, and I'm seeing a lot of listings that say a driver's licence is preferred. Thing is, I hated driving in the U.S., and while I have a valid U.S. driver's licence, I have no idea how or if it's even possible to convert it to an international one. Scooter should work but it really depends on the specific area. Also places can get cold and snowy and scootering around that would suck and or be quite dangerous. Scooter licenses can be had with just a cheap paper test, for cars a US license can be used for a year with an international licence but you'll need to take a practical test at some point to convert it to a Japanese one.
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Mar 14, 2017 13:32
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Grand Fromage posted:don't sign your posts So is this an official mod warning of rule breaking or?...
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Mar 14, 2017 13:33
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LimburgLimbo posted:So is this an official mod warning of rule breaking or?... Nah just shitposting
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Mar 14, 2017 13:37
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Sefal posted:Oh. The guide im reading is recomending to 1st learn hiragana and then katakana. I can skip hiragana? If you're actually trying to learn Japanese, sure, hiragana is the way to go. Most textbooks use hiragana to phonetically spell out words until you start to learn some kanji, and it's an essential part of grammar. However, in real, non-textbook Japanese, knowing hiragana isn't going to be much use unless you also know a fair number of kanji. There aren't a lot of words (let alone full sentences) that are written in all hiragana, most of it is a mix of kanji and hiragana. Katakana, by contrast, is mainly used to phonetically spell out words borrowed from English and other languages. If you can recognize and read katakana, you can at least decipher some signs and menu items, which seems to be what you are after?
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Mar 14, 2017 13:55
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Most English teachers just use bicycles unless their school/company provides a car (buying a car on your own is a lot of stupid paperwork.) Inaka life is much better with a car, but you can survive without.
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Mar 14, 2017 14:18
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Araki posted:If you're actually trying to learn Japanese, sure, hiragana is the way to go. Most textbooks use hiragana to phonetically spell out words until you start to learn some kanji, and it's an essential part of grammar. However, in real, non-textbook Japanese, knowing hiragana isn't going to be much use unless you also know a fair number of kanji. There aren't a lot of words (let alone full sentences) that are written in all hiragana, most of it is a mix of kanji and hiragana. Katakana, by contrast, is mainly used to phonetically spell out words borrowed from English and other languages. If you can recognize and read katakana, you can at least decipher some signs and menu items, which seems to be what you are after? Katakana it is then. Thank you!
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Mar 14, 2017 14:29
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Grand Fromage posted:poo poo posting don't define your posts
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Mar 14, 2017 15:22
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Hello Japangoons. My wife and I are visiting Japan in May - I've read most of this thread, thanks for providing such a useful resource. I had a few dumb questions: - We're going to be in Kyoto and Tokyo. Should I get a JR pass for the week? I've had mixed answers here from friends. Convenience is far and away my #1 priority, so if it's just more expensive to get a JR pass then I'm 100% fine with that. I'd like to be taking the fast train whenever possible, as I understand it some of the shinkansen aren't covered by it? Help me I am terrible at this. - I've visited a few foreign countries and actually never had to change money (I just used my credit card). My understanding is lots of places in Japan are still weird and cash-only. How much 円 should I get for the week? Can I use my debit card to get cash, or should I bring USD to change? - My wife would really like to go to an onsen but a public one where we're separated by gender is non-ideal for us. A goon earlier posted a pretty slick hotel with private hot springs attached to the rooms, but it's totally booked up. Are there any other recommendations you might have in that vein? Can I pretty much pick one that's got good reviews on Google and fits our schedule/location decently? Ideally we'd go not too far off the beaten path, but I think I could get us there if I had to speak Japanese (I studied a bunch in college and have been putting myself through a refresher for the past few months). I'm more anxious than I should be about being a dumb foreign shithead, is all. - Should I learn some Kanji, or take my dictionary? It's excruciatingly slow for me to look them up, and I imagine I won't need to actually know what they mean most of the time, but if there's anything like "oh yeah totally memorize this set/be able to look them up for [this specific activity]" I'd do that. Saikonate fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Mar 14, 2017 |
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Mar 14, 2017 15:52
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Saikonate posted:Hello Japangoons. My wife and I are visiting Japan in May - I've read most of this thread, thanks for providing such a useful resource. I had a few dumb questions: I'm studying this now: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-katakana/ It's going to be useful as Araki said. To read signs and the menu's in restaurants
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Mar 14, 2017 15:55
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Rail pass, use something like this to figure out if it'll be worth it or not: http://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ You can't ride the Nozomi between Tokyo and Kyoto. Use hyperdia to check schedules (they have an option to exclude nozomi): http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ Also remember that there are multiple train systems and only some of them (i.e. JR ones) are covered by the rail pass. Especially if convenience is your biggest concern, buy a suica card when you get to Tokyo and put some money on it. Then you can just scan in/out of stations instead of buying tickets. It works for all systems, not just JR (for which you can use your rail pass). Worst case scenario, the gate doesn't let you go out and you take your card to the station attendant who will type out how much you owe on the calculator and show you. 2000 yen for 1500 credit. Again, number one convenient way to get money is bring traveler's checks and exchange at the airport. Rates are reasonable. Other people can probably better guide how much you should bring depending on what you want to do. Don't bother bringing a dictionary for kanji - a phrasebook or something is infinitely more useful if you're going to be there a week. If you actually speak some Japanese then maybe, but even then my money is on you never using it. Learning katakana will be better than not knowing it, but I'm skeptical on the effort/reward ratio. Report back with your experience 
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Mar 14, 2017 16:11
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totalnewbie posted:Also remember that there are multiple train systems and only some of them (i.e. JR ones) are covered by the rail pass. This is precisely why I was unsure - a friend mentioned this, when before I'd thought it was a "buy it and you're good wherever" type thing. A suica card sounds perfect, and I'll figure out if the JR pass is worth it independently of that. quote:Don't bother bringing a dictionary for kanji - a phrasebook or something is infinitely more useful if you're going to be there a week. If you actually speak some Japanese then maybe, but even then my money is on you never using it. I already know katakana and hiragana, so the question really was about kanji specifically. I figured a dictionary was unlikely to be useful, but wanted to be sure. Thanks!
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Mar 14, 2017 16:15
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I mean, you can just download a Japanese dictionary app on your phone and have that with you. You should then be able to look up kanji pretty easily. There's some apps out there that probably do auto translation, too.
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Mar 14, 2017 16:18
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Hmmm.totalnewbie posted:You can't ride the Nozomi between Tokyo and Kyoto. Use hyperdia to check schedules (they have an option to exclude nozomi): http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ I'm really confused about this part. Both Google and hyperdia seem to indicate that the Nozomi goes between Shinagawa (in Tokyo) and Kyoto. Did you mean "you can't ride it with a JR pass"? (e: that seems likely, given my original post, I think I just misinterpreted you) quote:I mean, you can just download a Japanese dictionary app on your phone and have that with you. You should then be able to look up kanji pretty easily. There's some apps out there that probably do auto translation, too. Yeah, I plan on at least that. Kanji are just harder to look up or translate-by-image, especially if they're written in anything but a dead simple font.
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Mar 14, 2017 16:26
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Saikonate posted:- I've visited a few foreign countries and actually never had to change money (I just used my credit card). My understanding is lots of places in Japan are still weird and cash-only. How much 円 should I get for the week? Can I use my debit card to get cash, or should I bring USD to change? About 4-50,000yen in cash to start with should be okay if you don't want to carry large amounts. That'll cover daily expenses for a while (unless you immediately splash out on expensive meals) and then you can take money out from atms as needed (just remember to contact your bank first). 7-11 is best/most reliable but just look out for the visa (or whatever) sign. Also, I'd say most 'modern' places are fine with card payments these days, but smaller, more independent and more traditional places are more likely to be cash-only. quote:- My wife would really like to go to an onsen but a public one where we're separated by gender is non-ideal for us. A goon earlier posted a pretty slick hotel with private hot springs attached to the rooms, but it's totally booked up. Are there any other recommendations you might have in that vein? Can I pretty much pick one that's got good reviews on Google and fits our schedule/location decently? Ideally we'd go not too far off the beaten path, but I think I could get us there if I had to speak Japanese (I studied a bunch in college and have been putting myself through a refresher for the past few months). I'm more anxious than I should be about being a dumb foreign shithead, is all There are many onsen which offer bookable private baths not connected with specific rooms (so you don't necessarily need to be staying there overnight to book). I can't give specific recommendations for the route between Tokyo and Kyoto, but the option does exist. If searching in Japanese, include 'かしきり’(貸し切り) to find places with private baths.
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Mar 14, 2017 16:41
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Saikonate posted:Hmmm. Yeah, I did mean you can't take the Nozomi on the JR pass. As for kanji, if you learn radicals and/or proper stroke count/order, it's a lot easier to look up kanji. Really depends on your Japanese level, obviously. But I think it shouldn't come to that. If you have questions that can be answered quickly (i.e. what is this food) then the staff should just be able to tell you what the reading is and let you type it in to look it up (or they can look it up for you).
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Mar 14, 2017 17:17
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Saikonate posted:Hmmm. In my experience being restricted to JR is no big deal if you're mostly traveling along main lines like Tokyo-Kyoto and eg. Kyoto-Nara, even in Tokyo you can get to most places important to first-time tourists from the Yamanote loop, and the Narita Express train is included too. You'll have to pay separately if you need to take the Tokyo Metro or other private lines (eg. if your hotel isn't right next to a JR station) for which case I'd still get a SUICA or PASMO card anyway, you can get it refunded minus a service fee at the end if you don't need it, or keep it for your next Japan vacation. Rail pass isn't entirely care-free because, yeah, you have to plan your trips ahead to make sure you use JR lines, also you have to pass through the manned gates to show your rail pass instead of going through the automatic ticket gates, which occasionally takes longer. And for Shinkansen trips, you should still get a seat reservation, it's free with the rail pass but takes some more time at the station, so plan for that.
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Mar 14, 2017 18:02
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DiscoJ posted:There are many onsen which offer bookable private baths not connected with specific rooms (so you don't necessarily need to be staying there overnight to book). I can't give specific recommendations for the route between Tokyo and Kyoto, but the option does exist. If searching in Japanese, include 'かしきり’(貸し切り) to find places with private baths. Yeah this. Such baths are sometimes called 家族風呂 (kazokuburo) so that's another keyword. If you want your own private bath attached to your room, that's typically called 露天風呂付き客室 (rotenburo tsuki kyakushitsu) and will likely run at least 20,000 yen per person for the night, including meals. For specific recommendations I offer up Nagahamaen: http://www.nagahamaen.com/ This is down a little bit past Atami so not too far out of your way for your Tokyo-Kyoto route. It overlooks the ocean and has 3 private baths you can use any time between 6AM and 11PM. The baths don't require reservations either, basically if it's unlocked you just go in, lock the door behind you, and use it. There's also Hakone Yuryo if you want to go through Hakone. There are public baths but you can also pay a bit of extra $$$ to rent a private room with a private bath, charged hourly. http://www.hakoneyuryo.jp/english/hotsprings/ As DiscoJ said you don't necessarily need to stay overnight -- these are usually called 日帰り (higaeri) plans. Some places offer them, some don't. Nagahamaen and Hakone Yuryo both do! Lots of onsen down in the Atami/Hakone area, so you should be fine. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Mar 14, 2017 |
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Mar 14, 2017 22:34
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I'm a big onsen nerd and strongly prefer onsen that are 源泉掛け流し (Gensen kakenagashi). This guarantees: 1) no chlorine 2) spring water comes directly from the source, through flow 3) spring water is not heated or boiled, and other normal water is not added. Basically, chlorine is the absolute killer and I very strongly would not want to stay at a place with baths that have chlorine. The other two are preferences. Also, sometimes I personally like spring water that certain types of minerals (and not simple springs). Both of the places zmcnulty suggested are not gensen. But keep in mind that most people do not give any fucks about the quality of their water, at long as there isn't chlorine. PS: In my experience private onsen connected to your room are absolutely not worth it for the price tag. Usually it's like at least 5000 yen extra per person, and the private baths tend to be somewhat small. Private rental onsen can be worth it, but really only if you are with somebody of the opposite sex. Japanese people tend to be pretty quiet when using the onsen (especially on the mens side, where everybody just wants to soak and relax) and most people dont really talk that much. If they do, it's usually pretty quiet. However, certain cultures of foreigners are legitimately the worst. Specifically, foreigners who are loud/dont clean/talk in the baths/insert towels into water/spit/etc. The tour groups are the most terrible, and I hate staying in places with large foreign tour groups from other countries. ntan1 fucked around with this message at 00:51 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 00:45
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Yeah you'll notice none of that unless you too are an onsen nerd. Being anal about gensen kakenagashi drastically reduces your options, it's fairly rare even within onsen towns. Also "certain cultures of foreigners," lol just say Chinese
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Mar 15, 2017 01:27
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Rail Passes are for long-distance travel so if you're going Tokyo-3 Days Kyoto-Tokyo then you only need a pass that covers your Kyoto travel dates (possibly cheaper and shorter than a all-Japan 1 week pass). There are also only a few stations that will exchange the voucher, but you can exchange in advance and write the valid dates for a few days later.
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Mar 15, 2017 04:31
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The JR Pass pays for itself if you're going to use the shinkansen 3+ times. Riding the Hikari (fastest non-Nozumi) is 13600円 one way from Tokyo to Kyoto... you'll be straddling the line for if it'll be cost effective.
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Mar 15, 2017 04:55
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japan is good
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Mar 15, 2017 08:58
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Seems good to weigh also that in addition to Shinkansen stuff, the JR Pass lets you get on any local train any time you want without buying tickets or keeping a IC card charged. It is very convenient and could be the difference between making your train or not. The convenience alone makes it worth it to me even if the cost of trains doesn't quite meet the price of the pass.
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Mar 15, 2017 11:18
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I thought it was any local JR train, not just any local train. During my trip we took quite a few non JR trains. Odakyu, Keikyu, etc.
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Mar 15, 2017 11:23
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That's right. Outside of Tokyo and Osaka I've never dealt with many non-JR trains. Depends on your itinerary.
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Mar 15, 2017 11:49
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Fair enough. We ended up taking enough non-JR trains in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka to make the JR pass not worthwhile. This in spite of taking shinkansen from Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Fukuoka.
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Mar 15, 2017 13:58
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In summary, plan efficiently and get a jr pass with the shortest validity that fits your schedule, and right those trains like (sex metaphor)
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Mar 15, 2017 14:11
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zmcnulty posted:Yeah you'll notice none of that unless you too are an onsen nerd. Being anal about gensen kakenagashi drastically reduces your options, it's fairly rare even within onsen towns. There are surprisingly a ridiculous number of them, although the large ones less so because they need to pump so much water. quote:Also "certain cultures of foreigners," lol just say Chinese hey sometimes Koreans can be annoying too.
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Mar 16, 2017 00:17
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sale on Banksy art posted:That's right. Outside of Tokyo and Osaka I've never dealt with many non-JR trains. Depends on your itinerary. I was curious so I looked it up. Of the major private railways listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Japan I basically took Tokyo Metro Area to be the whole Yokohama/Chiba/Saitama region + whatever is to the west. Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Tobu Railway Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Seibu Railway Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Keisei Electric Railway Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Keio Corporation Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Odakyu Electric Railway Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Tokyu Corporation Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Keikyu Corporation Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Tokyo Metro Kanagawa - Sagami Railway Nagoya Metroplitan Area - Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Nagoya/Tsu/Ise/Yoshino - Kintetsu Railway Osaka/Wakayama - Nankai Electric Railway Osaka/Kyoto/Shiga - Keihan Electric Railway Osaka/North Kansai - Hankyu Corporation Osaka/Kobe - Hanshin Electric Railway Fukuoka - Nishi-Nippon Railroad Basically, outside of local travel in Osaka/Tokyo/Nagoya metro area, there are a few tourist destinations where you might take a private rail. For example, Ise is accessed by the Kintetsu line. totalnewbie fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Mar 16, 2017 |
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Mar 16, 2017 01:03
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Thanks for all the input! That helps a ton. e: oh no I have avatars blocked at work and apparently totalnewbie is wrong all the drat time now I have to replan everything 
Saikonate fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Mar 16, 2017 |
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Mar 16, 2017 01:54
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It's ok autists are good wrt trains
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Mar 16, 2017 04:58
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I managed to get some heavily discounted tix to japan, but it's a thing where I land in Osaka then leave from Tokyo. My question is how much is there actually to see/do in osaka and kyoto (both i have never been to) compared to tokyo (where i have been and would happily spend time again). Discounting flying in/out have 7~ days and assume will lose about a day going to Tokyo from the south. I am most interested in eating foods and just wandering around. I was thinking splitting 4 days between osaka and kyoto then heading to tokyo for a couple more days before leaving. Is there anything cool in the middle I'm missing?
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Mar 16, 2017 07:06
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The best thing to see in Osaka is the shinkansen to Tokyo pulling in.
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Mar 16, 2017 07:12
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Stringent posted:The best thing to see in Osaka is the shinkansen to Tokyo pulling in. pinging caberham
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Mar 16, 2017 07:25
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Magna Kaser posted:I managed to get some heavily discounted tix to japan, but it's a thing where I land in Osaka then leave from Tokyo. What are you doing for places to stay? If you have someplace you can cancel without charge etc you could just see how much you like Osaka/Kyoto and bounce on a Shino the moment you stopped caring, as long as you can arrange a place to stay in Tokyo. All that's in between there is like Nagoya which doesn't really offer much for tourists imo. It's fine and there are some attractions and all but nothing big.
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Mar 16, 2017 08:57
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Haven't really planned out specific accommodation yet. Last time I used air bnb which was great + way cheaper than hotels so I was probably gonna go that way again, but being more flexible like you suggest might be better.
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Mar 16, 2017 09:45
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Go straight to Kyoto from KIX, with a daytrip to Nara.
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Mar 16, 2017 10:25
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Magna Kaser posted:Haven't really planned out specific accommodation yet. Last time I used air bnb which was great + way cheaper than hotels so I was probably gonna go that way again, but being more flexible like you suggest might be better. When are you going? If depending on season cheap accommodations can fill fast
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Mar 16, 2017 10:49
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In terms of accommodation, what's the cheapest way for someone to travel solo (mostly in Tokyo) without sharing a bedroom with strangers like in youth hostels? Capsule hotels? Odds are people will be travelling with me but I just wanna check my options in case they flake out!
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Mar 16, 2017 11:28
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Cheapest? Internet cafes are cheaper than capsule hotels and have semi-private booths with fully reclining chairs or mats. However the ceiling is usually open, so in a sense you're sharing a bedroom. They often want you to become a member or some poo poo too. There are also "DVD viewing" places like Kintaro: http://kin-v.jp/pc/top/, you'll definitely be the only gaijin at one of these. Similar price as an internet cafe but you'll get a private room and almost too much porn to handle.
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Mar 16, 2017 11:42
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