|
Grand Fromage posted:Yep, that's right. Major cities clear out during those sorts of holidays in Asia. People also tend to all go to the exact same small set of tourist destinations, so if you avoid those you're okay too. Okay, so this is basically how it'd go: April 28th to May 6th is Golden Week, which means Tokyo and other residential(-ish) areas are less crowded since everyone's gone to Kyoto, Okinawa, etc. for the tourist spots. Travel will be moving out of the cities and residential areas and towards western Japan. That means it's a good time to see the sights in Tokyo and the surrounding area, since it's less packed than usual. After May 6th, people have left the touristy areas and gone back to work and school - Tokyo fills back up, while Kyoto's crowds die down. This makes it the perfect time to go west towards Kyoto, Himeji, etc. since everyone else just left and it'll be less busy than usual until May 12th. So our travel itinerary would be nearly identical - first half Tokyo while everyone's gone, second half Kyoto while everyone's gone. That works out quite nicely, actually - I don't see many problems with this, although a quiet Tokyo would be really really weird. The only question is how to spend 4/28~5/6 in Tokyo, which is to say I still need to figure out what we'll actually do. 
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2017 15:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:48 |
|
|
I recommend drinking.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2017 15:33
|
|
|
Stringent posted:I recommend drinking tallboy Strong Zeroes.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2017 15:45
|
|
|
I'm thinking of visiting Japan during CNY. I know travelling to and from the island nation I currently inhabit to that island nation might be a bitch, but I think most of my fellow travelers are going to Disneyland, and I have no plans to do so. Beyond that, how much of a hassle is getting around during CNY?
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2017 15:56
|
|
|
Strong Zero is for plebs. Strong Hyoketsu or Mogitate. Getting around during CNY is fine, just avoid Ginza for shopping and you should be alright.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2017 22:58
|
|
|
Do prices go up during CNY? I know due to Korea troubles, during golden week Japan got a lot of extra Chinese tourists so CNY would be the same.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2017 01:45
|
|
|
Planning a trip to Osaka and Nagoya with my wife in the second half of february, does anyone know of any good (though not super expensive) ryokan onsen places around either area we could stay for a night? preferably with an open air onsen or a shared bath.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2017 01:14
|
|
|
How difficult is it to convert my US drivers license to a Japanese one? I heard that I have to get my driving record from the states, a AAA international license, and then go to the Japanese DOL. Is it that simple and can I do it while I'm already in Japan?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 03:16
|
|
|
Busy Bee posted:How difficult is it to convert my US drivers license to a Japanese one? I heard that I have to get my driving record from the states, a AAA international license, and then go to the Japanese DOL. Is it that simple and can I do it while I'm already in Japan? You can't. You have to take the written test and then pass the driving test. Might take you anywhere between 1-12 times. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 03:24
|
|
|
I think you can get it converted but only if you're from Maryland.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 03:34
|
|
|
Busy Bee posted:How difficult is it to convert my US drivers license to a Japanese one? I heard that I have to get my driving record from the states, a AAA international license, and then go to the Japanese DOL. Is it that simple and can I do it while I'm already in Japan? I just did this recently, and yeah you gotta take a driving test. There's companies that'll give you an hour long lesson on how to take the driving test, runs about 10k yen. I did one of those and passed the test first time. I'm 99% certain I would not have passed the first time without it, there's lots of little nitpicky stuff they can fail you for that has nothing to do with whether you can drive or not.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:06
|
|
|
You need a US driver's license that was issued at least 6 months before you came to Japan, or some other proof that you had at least 6 months of driving experience in the US.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:10
|
|
|
Oh yeah, about that, check your DMV's website and see if they don't offer license records. I got an electronic copy off the NC DMV's site for like $10 that showed the dates of all my licenses and renewals, and the guys at the Japanese office were really happy to get it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:20
|
|
|
A friend of mine told me that if you have 10 years of driving in the US, have an address in Japan and you are a Japanese citizen that you can convert it to a Japanese drivers license.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:42
|
|
|
You can convert it, you just need to take a test or two. If you've got a Washington State or Maryland driver's license, you just need to take a really easy written true/false test. Everyone else has to take a Kafkaesque driving test in addition to the written test. Def go to a driving school to practice it. I ended up taking the non-conversion route and went through driving school over here. I failed the driving test too many times and didn't want to burn holiday going in to fail again. Driving school wasn't so bad, but it's awfully pricey.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:12
|
|
|
The thing is there was a trend 20 years ago to go get a US license while on vacation, since the US fees are cheaper and the test much more practical (and your picture on a card that says California so cool wow) then just convert it in Japan and skip the long, expensive driving schools here. So they need/want proof you didn't one-day it between Disneyland and Disneyworld. Didn't Caberham's mom do this or something.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 07:28
|
|
|
What are the suggestions for short term SIM providers with voice? I know some were posted, but can’t find them.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 12:14
|
|
|
A friend of mine who is going to Japan in a week, would like to visit a soccer game in or around Tokyo. Does anyone know where one can look up available games? Is it difficult to get tickets and if you have to where can you buy them in advance? My Japanese is good enough to order a ticket online but finding the necessary information on my own is still a bit difficult.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 12:25
|
|
|
.Z. posted:What are the suggestions for short term SIM providers with voice? I know some were posted, but can’t find them. Try klook.com It’s a travel app with deals and and offers for all over the world. Bus tickets, SIM card rentals etc. price wise pretty competitive and great for different countries USE MY FRIEND CODE AND GET CREDIT 9SGAS
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 12:34
|
|
|
Being able to waltz in and convert my licence in one day ftw.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 12:42
|
|
|
Stringent posted:I'm 99% certain I would not have passed the first time without it, there's lots of little nitpicky stuff they can fail you for that has nothing to do with whether you can drive or not. Curious to hear what the nitpicky things that have nothing to do with driving are...
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 15:53
|
|
|
caberham posted:Try klook.com Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately doesn't look like there are any voice sim cards there. Anyhow, found the posts I was referring to on my 3rd attempt at scanning through the thread. Sharing here incase anyone else was interested. The suggestions were for: https://www.genkimobile.com/simcard.php - data only http://asolutions.co.jp/service/details/sonixnet-sim.html - Same provider as Genki, but allows for voice options. Requires a 3 month commitment, doesn't have an online checkout process.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 19:54
|
|
|
Sand Monster posted:Curious to hear what the nitpicky things that have nothing to do with driving are... I didn't drive in Japan so this is all 2nd hand, but for example, did you look under and around your car before getting in? No? Automatic fail. Did you make a conscious effort to adjust all the mirrors before your test drive, even if it's your own car? No? Automatic fail. Did you turn your head far enough, but not too far, to check your blind spots? No? Automatic fail. Maybe some of these aren't quite on the mark but if you walk in unprepared, you will NOT pass.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 19:58
|
|
|
.Z. posted:Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately doesn't look like there are any voice sim cards there. There's also https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/ which apparently have voice but I have no experience with them myself, I found the link by accident on another forum some time ago.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 22:07
|
|
|
.Z. posted:What are the suggestions for short term SIM providers with voice? I know some were posted, but can’t find them. Why do you need voice? Most people get by with LINE chat app calls or maybe even a convenience store/post office phone. Edit: Ahh, that's frustrating. We have a few local teachers just using hotspots with their US phones and there have been a few times that work wanted to call them but couldn't. But it's always been obvious or non-urgent things like typhoons or getting a Santa to visit a kindergarten. peanut fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Nov 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 23:07
|
|
|
peanut posted:Why do you need voice? Most people get by with LINE chat app calls or maybe even a convenience store/post office phone. The language school I'm going to attend is asking for one, though I'm not really sure how necessary it is. Waiting for a response on that. But exploring the options while I wait.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 23:29
|
|
|
peanut posted:Why do you need voice? Most people get by with LINE chat app calls or maybe even a convenience store/post office phone. The older school the business manager, the more they insist on phones. Hell, at my old eikaiwa 6 years ago, my boss was incredulous that an applicant didn't have a phone of any kind. Nowadays it makes more sense to use LINE but my manager still gets annoyed when our employees with phone numbers don't return calls.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 00:04
|
|
|
.Z. posted:Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately doesn't look like there are any voice sim cards there. I set mine up all via e-mail with them. They were super responsive and great to work with. Haven't had any problems at all. They are just for foreigners though and required proof of being a non-citizen of Japan for me to get setup. I don't see that on their site anymore though so perhaps they let anyone join now.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 02:41
|
|
|
.Z. posted:The language school I'm going to attend is asking for one, though I'm not really sure how necessary it is. Waiting for a response on that. I know Japanese can be pretty strict handing out Japanese numbers but I wonder if you can get a Japanese number through Skype or Google Voice?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 03:42
|
|
|
Busy Bee posted:I know Japanese can be pretty strict handing out Japanese numbers but I wonder if you can get a Japanese number through Skype or Google Voice? Skype yes, Google Voice no. That said, so far the best option and price for a 3 month period is the Sonixnet Voice/Data Plan. Even their more expensive unlimited data/voice plan is cheaper than everything else I've seen. Including the registration fee, it comes to ~$32 monthly. Nothing else seems to get close except Genki+Skype which is ~$50 a month. Even then, Sonixnet Data only + Skype would still be cheaper. edit: Just noticed Sonix waves the first billing month, so updated my price for their data/voice plan. .Z. fucked around with this message at 05:21 on Nov 7, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 04:57
|
|
|
.Z. posted:Skype yes, Google Voice no. What are your prices for a Skype Japanese number? I just checked on my end and I can get 3 months for a total of 1150 yen and 12 months for a total of 3250 yen. Seems fairly cheap to me... thats only a couple hundred yen a month.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 05:10
|
|
|
Busy Bee posted:What are your prices for a Skype Japanese number? I just checked on my end and I can get 3 months for a total of 1150 yen and 12 months for a total of 3250 yen. Seems fairly cheap to me... thats only a couple hundred yen a month. Most of that $50 is coming from the data plan. Skype is $6.18 a month at current conversion rate. The cost per month, factoring in the activations fees, and skype for the data only plans: ¥2884 - Sonix 5gb plan w/ Skype ¥3552 - Sakura Mobile 5gb plan w/ Skype ¥3800 - Sonix 5gb plan w/ Voice ¥4584 - Sonix Unlimited w/ Skype ¥4900 - Sonix Unlimited w/ Voice ¥5402 - Genki Unlimited w/ Skype ¥5500 - Mobal 7GB w/ Voice ¥5551 - CD Japan 350mb/day w/ Skype I'm leary of the 5gb plans as I'm likely going to be tethering to my phone. So I have concerns about burning through my data. edit: Bah I'm bad at reading the fine print. My earlier Sonix estimates were right and my new ones are wrong. Fixing it now. edit2: fixed .Z. fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Nov 7, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 05:47
|
|
|
Sand Monster posted:Curious to hear what the nitpicky things that have nothing to do with driving are... This is an excellent writeup of the whole process that someone posted in here: https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/1mf554/fuchuu_gaimen_kirikae_driving_course_maps_and/
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 06:44
|
|
|
So...I'm at the part where I need to come up with explicit things to do during our time in Tokyo and in Kyoto. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure. I get the idea that Tokyo is for the cool city stuff and Kyoto is great for shrines and temples and castles 'n poo poo, but exactly what there is to do I'm not sure. I want to put together a trip that's better than me just googling "what to do in Tokyo/Kyoto" and being done with it. What're the good sights around the city of Tokyo itself? I personally want to walk around Shibuya crossing, maybe visit Nichome cuz gently caress yeah, but aside from that I don't know what's unique about it. Maybe catch a soccer or baseball game? We're not much into sports, but I can pick up some merch for friends. (Stuff to do in Kyoto will be more obvious and easier to pick out once I get to that part.) Relative to that, what's something cool and enjoyable you'd want to do if you had the time? We're not interested in doing Tokyo Disneyland or anything like that, we can get that in the states (parents live 2 hours from WDW) - we're looking for things that are unique to the area, even if it's walking around a particularly cool garden or shrine or something. I want to make the trip as memorable as possible, and that usually involves doing something out of the ordinary. EDIT: poo poo, forgot the Ghibli museum. That's gotta happen! Oh, and food will definitely be a thing, even if only I am excited for it. I feel like we could walk around a bit when we get hungry and walk in anywhere and it'd be great, but I do know we need to get at least one of each of these at some point: - Ramen - Curry - Real good sushi - Street food ala takoyaki or sth And I want to hit up a good izakaya at some point, too.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 18:43
|
|
|
There's hundreds of shrines, parks, gardens, etc to do and see in Kyoto. From Kyoto station, go north and east to find all of the things to do. As for Tokyo, check out the Metropolitan Government Building?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 18:53
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:So...I'm at the part where I need to come up with explicit things to do during our time in Tokyo and in Kyoto. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure. I get the idea that Tokyo is for the cool city stuff and Kyoto is great for shrines and temples and castles 'n poo poo, but exactly what there is to do I'm not sure. I want to put together a trip that's better than me just googling "what to do in Tokyo/Kyoto" and being done with it. For Tokyo, quoting some of my past posts: .Z. posted:As a starting point for research you could do something like: .Z. posted:Other stuff: For additional suggestions: -Saiseisakaba for grilled parts of the animal you don't usually eat: https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/bars-and-pubs/nihon-saisei-sakaba They've got english menus. -If you are willing to spend the money, try to book a reservation at Den http://www.jimbochoden.com/en/ -I loved Yousuke Ramen, and they have english instructions for ordering : http://www.ramenadventures.com/2017/07/yosuke-in-nakano.html -If you really want the quintessential Japanese experience of waiting in line for long periods of time, you can try for either of the Michelin starred ramen resturants: http://www.ramenadventures.com/2016/12/michelin-starred-ramen-2017-tsuta-and.html -I'm looking to try out Ueda ramen next time I'm in Tokyo: http://www.ramenadventures.com/2014/03/ueda-in-shiki.html Kyoto: You could go check out internet famous KichiKichi? Honestly I don't have any suggestions of value here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu5zGHjRaMo
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 20:03
|
|
|
HOw well does Google Translate work for english -> japanese these days? Can I enter a simple phrase and get something that is not gibberish back?
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2017 17:27
|
|
|
netcat posted:HOw well does Google Translate work for english -> japanese these days? Can I enter a simple phrase and get something that is not gibberish back? "Can I enter a simple phrase and get a sensible result?" translates to " 簡単なフレーズを入力して賢明な結果を得ることはできますか？ ", which translates back to "Can you input a simple phrase and get a wise result?" So, yes and no. I've found in my dealings with Japanese customers that my best results come from radically simplifying sentences, putting them into Translate, and then putting them back to English to see if they still make sense. You might need to massage the input a little.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2017 19:57
|
|
|
ALFbrot posted:"Can I enter a simple phrase and get a sensible result?" translates to " 簡単なフレーズを入力して賢明な結果を得ることはできますか？ ", which translates back to "Can you input a simple phrase and get a wise result?" Alright, thanks. So if I get something that makes sense when I translate back it -should- makes sense in Japanese as well.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2017 21:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:48 |
|
|
netcat posted:Alright, thanks. So if I get something that makes sense when I translate back it -should- makes sense in Japanese as well. I don't know for certain, but my experience is that there was a lot less miscommunication between offices when I would do that, vs when my coworkers would just cut and paste whatever it spat out.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2017 21:40
|
|