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Maybe I've missed some YouTube video or post but I can't really find what "I've had conversations with Japanese people about this" is referring to. LyonsLions posted:So to answer your question, the thing that bothers me when those sorts of things pop up is that it makes me regret the work I've put toward being fluent in Japanese and living in Japan. It's like, after all I've accomplished, this is the kind of bullshit it comes down to. What bullshit?
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Jan 8, 2016 04:53
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Never been there myself but this place looks super hipster (double word score because it's in TOKYO JAPAN) http://backpackersjapan.co.jp/nui_en/ If you plan on spending heaps of time in Shibuya/xjuku probably not very convenient though.
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Jan 9, 2016 00:59
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Yeah I was gonna say the same thing. If you want to live in Tochigi for a year then move to flyover country it sounds like it could be a decent position.
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Jan 27, 2016 00:37
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Actually it's been really mild this winter so you may end up getting lucky on the cherry blossoms. Kinda hard to tell until it's like a week or two before, unfortunately.
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Feb 17, 2016 01:32
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Well captain chair force you have two weeks in Yokosuka so just come to Tokyo a few nights and see if it's still overwhelming. Don't tell girls you live in Yokosuka, they may not like that unless they're pinoy I found Osaka to be a lot more gritty but good luck there without Japanese FUK is pretty awesome so definitely get down there at some stage In other news I'll be around Ginza in May, like every month ever
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Mar 2, 2016 09:41
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Specifically in the case of Netflix, it's also in Japan now. So you don't need a VPN anymore. I don't know how the catalogs compare but at the very least I've been watching Better Call Saul, House of Cards, Marco Polo, Spartacus, Daredevil, and Narcos using Netflix Japan. Also that weird super Florida one. There doesn't seem to be any delay in them putting up the content either, I'm halfway through HoC S4 now. If you want a VPN for other reasons though. I used StrongVPN for a few years and experienced no issues/downtime/etc. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Mar 15, 2016 |
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Mar 15, 2016 23:03
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Deltasquid posted:Hey everyone, me and two friends are going to China and Japan in late June to late July. We're spending three weeks in Japan, and while all our flights are booked and I'm currently looking at hotels, I've had some difficulty estimating how much time we'll spend in each city, and what to actually do there. If anyone has recommendations or some form of "you really do not need four days to see Kyoto if you're sick of temples after your first day" then I'd appreciate it! We'll be using a Japan Railpass so I think sidetrips are really easy to throw in here and there on the fly. Just a general overview here, I didn't count your last day listed for each since I assume you devote that morning to travel to the next: Tokyo: 7 days Hakone: 2 days Kawaguchi-ko: 1 day Kyoto/Nara/Kobe: 4 days Onomichi: 2 days Hiroshima: 1 day Osaka: 3 days So total 20 days? I would revise as follows: Tokyo: 7 days Hakone: 2 days Kawaguchi-ko: 2 days Kyoto/Nara: 3 days Osaka/Kobe/Himeji: 3 days Onomichi: 1 day Hiroshima: 2 days Just some recommendations from me: -Make your side trip to Kobe from Osaka, rather than Kyoto. -Spend a bit more time in Kawaguchi-ko, it has more to offer besides FujiQ (and besides the suicide forest) -Forget the bus, unless your B&B in Kawaguchi-ko is super far, just take a cab from your hotel to FujiQ. Everything there is fairly close by, assuming it's somewhere near/around the actual Kawaguchi lake. -While in Kobe, go here after dark. -Spend three days in Kyoto, tops, where one of those days is a sidetrip to Nara. Unless you make a point of finding what's unique about every temple/shrine, they will all start to look the same. It's a completely legit concern and the reason that when my family came we only spent 1 day in Kyoto and 1 day in Nara (of course we also did Kamakura so yeah). -I don't know anything about biking but two days in Onomichi seems like too much. There isn't much to do there besides maybe walking up some of the hills and a few temples which don't really compare to anything you will have already seen in Kyoto/Nara. (I lived right next to Onomichi for a year) -If Osaka Castle was in your plans, cut that poo poo out and go to a real castle instead. I gave you a day for Himeji in the above itinerary. Consider spending the night in Himeji since it's on the way to Onomichi anyway. -Go to Osaka immediately after Kyoto/Nara because you'll probably be desperate for an actual city with tall buildings and neon lights and stuff Have fun! zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Mar 18, 2016 |
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Mar 18, 2016 23:01
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Busy Bee posted:The new Hokkaido Shinkansen (Shin Aomori station to Shin Hakodate station) debuts on this Saturday March 26th and I was wondering if there is going to be an event at one of the train stations for the new opening line? I always see on the news a lot of densha otaku hanging out on the platform during events like that. I'm sure there will be one for this opening but I tried looking online but there were no results in English. Just shoot for the first train leaving from Shin Aomori on that day. That station will be a zoo so you should get your fill on way or another. http://hokkaido-shinkansen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/timetable.pdf Looks like the first train leaves at 6:28AM. Good luck!
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Mar 23, 2016 21:00
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Whoops, you're correct, it's Hakodate not Shin Aomori. Yes if you can get there before 6:28 and get yourself a 入場券 then you should be able to see the first train depart, along with all the other densha otakus zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Mar 25, 2016 |
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Mar 25, 2016 01:20
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In my experience you do one of the following: A) Get your company to pay for space in a container, and end up having to throw away half the poo poo anyway when it arrives months later since you've already bought something local B) Throw poo poo away A kotatsu? In Merica? Just turn on the drat heater, they work better there.
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Mar 25, 2016 08:32
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I'm probably way overthinking this but the Robot Restaurant is a pretty interesting case study as far I'm concerned. The management must have really done their homework. They latched directly onto the "crazy Japan" aspect that so many Western tourists who come to Tokyo actively seek out, had extensive English-language media coverage when they opened, and I suppose the website/staff has at least passable English. Or maybe they use Engrish on purpose. I've never been so no idea. But presumably they deliver enough zaniness that people aren't disappointed when they walk out of there. I think a lot of the Tokyo resident gaijins look down on that kind of thing because it's just too... manufactured? At least when I think about crazy things in Japan it's typically a person (random drunk salaryman), a situation (unsolicited umm propositions from lonely girls/women), an event (nomihodai at... a theme park), or something that's slightly more non-intentionally crazy. Not a restaurant in Shinjuku that apparently spent $100mio specifically to make their place crazy.
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Mar 29, 2016 23:41
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Tequila Sunrise posted:Lol at foreigners living in one of the biggest, most modern metropolitan areas in the world trying to shame people for not having an "authentic Japanese experience" when visiting. You use airquotes as though it's something I said. Nowhere in that post did I use the word authentic. If people want to go to the Robot Restaurant go for it, I even tried to take my family when they visited a couple years ago, but it was full. I'd put it in the same category as Gonpachi, in terms of authenticity (which was my second choice, also full). Not everyone is after some hyper local experience when they travel, given the language barrier they often want something that's close enough yet still relatively accessible for foreigners. No shame in that. My point was just that the place seems pretty... blatant. Like Osaka Castle blatant. Spa World is pretty awesome though. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Mar 30, 2016 |
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Mar 30, 2016 04:00
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http://www.linear-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp Has a calendar when they run, in American too
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Mar 30, 2016 11:34
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Freaksaus posted:Do you have any ryokan you'd recommend in Nikko? I was looking at going there for a day or 2 later this year. This place is the tits, stay there every year and always recommend it to friends. http://www.bankyu.co.jp/en/
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Apr 1, 2016 00:19
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Oh a gaijin who speaks no Japanese yet demands a high salary because he is director-level biz dev/branding/PR/made up bullshit? You're hired!
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Apr 5, 2016 02:14
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Anyone know which chain of karaoke has the most western songs? Some coworkers are visiting and this is of course an item on their list
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Apr 11, 2016 03:21
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The best brewery is actually a distillery, sorry. Yamazaki station.
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Apr 13, 2016 09:45
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Typical Japanese hop in the bathtub immediately after showering. So unless you want to bathe in your own filth you should shower outside the tub. Otherwise you'll need to wait for the tub to fill after your shower, like a barbarian. Most newer apartments have the toilet separate from the bath/shower room.
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Jun 3, 2016 02:56
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I guess if you are a connoisseur of brown sauces, yeah, Osaka has better food.
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Jun 10, 2016 21:56
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I'd say that grittiness is probably the only thing Osaka has going for it. It's a big city but still has a local feel to it, which you certainly don't get in many parts of Tokyo. Old men get rip-roaring drunk by 1pm everywhere in Japan but I think Osaka is a magnet for these types. It's like Ueno/Okachimachi but an entire city. Feels much more like "Asia" than anywhere else I've been in Japan. ...but yeah none of that will be readily apparent to a tourist, unless you've already spent quite a lot of time in Tokyo and/or Asia. For a tourist 1 day there should be plenty.
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Jun 14, 2016 00:55
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I've always just done one night, most nicer ryokans I've been to tend to be in towns/villages which are either dying or already dead.
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Jun 23, 2016 04:11
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IdealFlaws posted:I arrived in Narita yesterday and it's my first time here... any suggestions as to which spot of Tokyo I should take a bus to? Does downtown Tokyo have its own name on the map? So after spending the night at the airport, unable to figure out how to get to Tokyo, you've finally broken down and posted this question on the somethingawful dot com forums. Are you still there now? To answer your question though. Downtown Tokyo is kind of huge. For starters try taking a bus to Shinjuku then ask someone how to get to 2-chome. That should put you smack dab in the middle of the "action" zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Jun 25, 2016 |
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Jun 25, 2016 22:22
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In a somewhat drunken stupor I purchased a washlet for my dad in the US. I did so without any idea how to actually install it, considering most American bathrooms don't feature conveniently located sockets and I assume the water supplies are also different. I've found a few results on google, but has anyone had experience with anything like this? Or should I ask in the plumbing thread?
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Jul 5, 2016 01:29
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Ethanol-based sanitizer is like 65% ethanol. Shochu is like 20-25%. That's like buy 1 get 2 free in terms of drunkenness. Sounds like a new nomihodai option just waiting to happen. When the story first broke I thought someone used isopropyl instead, that could have been much worse (it's poisonous past like 200ml, so 5 drinks?)
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Aug 16, 2016 08:00
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Depends on who is playing but I'd lean towards Tokyo Dome.
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Aug 25, 2016 23:04
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Sorry to burst your bubble but Japan fell behind the curve in regards to consumer electronics like 15 years ago. Sony is basically just Playstation and NEX, Sharp is owned by Foxconn, and Panasonic is essentially a crappier Samsung. These days Akihabara stores all have the same stuff as your local Fry's. Edit: I did, however, take a washlet back with me to murika as a present for my dad. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Aug 29, 2016 |
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Aug 29, 2016 03:56
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Punyo in the chimpo
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Aug 31, 2016 09:01
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For my mom I took some varieties of green tea For dad I took a washlet For brother 1 I took one of those "party goods" which was some underwear with a faucet where the cock should be For brother 2 I took some Pilot Frixon pen
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Aug 31, 2016 10:11
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The fact that days must be consecutive is actually a pretty valid criticism of the JR Rail Pass. I'm surprised they haven't introduced a version that lets you do non-consecutive days, like the Eurail pass does. Of course this would require the station staff to actually look at the Rail Pass rather than just wave through every gaijin who has something resembling a Rail Pass in his/her hand  That said, I think 60,000 yen for unlimited shinkansen for 3 weeks is pretty reasonable... certainly not absurdly priced. It lets your schedule be as super flexible (there are trains like every 10 minutes between FUK and TKY) or super rigid (since they leave exactly on time, every time, and won't be stuck in traffic). Since you're taking 3 weeks to get from Fukuoka to Tokyo I assume you'll be doing several side trips. Rail Pass should cover transport for these side trips too, unless you're going somewhere inaccessible by train. Notably though it won't cover any subways in any cities. I guess you already know all this though (mods knew?) Realistically highway buses are pretty much the only other option. Have fun sitting in traffic in the middle of Okayama while your bladder is about to burst at 4AM!
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Sep 2, 2016 22:55
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I've got a daytime party on November 23, I've rented one of the suites in my building. Are you a goon or are you goony? Because there may or may not be girls there. Edit: And you may find some of them accommodating zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Sep 14, 2016 |
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Sep 14, 2016 06:45
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FWIW I've never had any problems. Landlords in Tokyo seem more concerned with whether or not you'll be able to pay rent, your company name, and your guarantor. Not whether or not you're a gaijin. And if you're working for some embassy it should look stable enough. Most places you'd actually want to live in will have a management company that handles all of the rental applications etc. on behalf of the owner of the room anyway. You'll likely have zero direct interaction with the landlord. The management company is unlikely to turn you down for being a gaijin due to the reputational risk, especially if it's a decent-sized company. However most contracts do permit the landlord to have the final say. So, worst case scenario, you'll have wasted your time. Pro tip: If you are even remotely interested in a place, put in an application immediately (like fill it out on the spot, when you go to see it). The market for decent places is competitive and putting in an application commits you to nothing, so you may as well.
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Oct 17, 2016 02:40
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Yeah now that you mention it, I'm surprised the program doesn't have a dorm or homestay option? Thought those were pretty standard for study abroad/intern abroad programs.
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Oct 17, 2016 05:05
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How you want to define city center here. -Tall buildings: this would probably make Makuhari a city center -Lots of restaurants/bars: where's Kagurazaka -a shitload of people live there: Setagaya and Nerima yay -pop culture influence: Harajuku and Akihabara? There's a concept of the Central Five Wards in commercial real estate which is your Chuo, Minato, Chiyoda, Shinjuku, and Shibuya kus. But obviously that leaves out the entirety of Shinagawa and Bunkyo. Sorry Haneda airport, Rakuten, Sony, Todai, and Ueno, you're not central. Chiyoda-ku for example is home to Marunouchi, Akihabara, and of course all the government stuff in Kasumigaseki/Nagatacho. But it's also got the lowest population of all 23 wards. Anyway that list given by peak debt is pretty dumb considering he said there's supposedly "sprawl between them." Sprawl between Shimbashi and Ginza, wtf, are 3 meter wide one-way roads considered sprawl now? You could easily look to the Yamanote line as being central (and it's even in the center of JR's maps) but then you would be including places like Sugamo or Uguisudani that few people care about, ever. And it leaves out everything inside the loop.
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Oct 22, 2016 08:28
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Stringent posted:Buses are the undiscovered gem in Tokyo transport imo. Only ppl who know about them are olds and some commuters because they're a zillion times harder to figure out than trains. But they go pretty much everywhere, take about the same time as trains and you can see the city while you ride. I agree with this, I commute by bus daily now. Buses will rarely be faster than subway/train along the same route (especially considering traffic) but buses usually don't compete there. Instead you should use them when taking the subway and trains would require multiple transfers or just getting to the platform is a huge hassle (looking at you, Oedo-sen). But they can be quite confusing. I think one of the main issues is you have buses that use similar routes yet they have the exact same route number. For example if you want to go from Tokyo station to my place you ride 都05 but be careful since within 都05 there are actually four routes, two of which don't go to my place at all. Would it really be so difficult to name them 都05, 都06, or at least 都05-A, 都05-B...
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Oct 28, 2016 02:34
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This page is now about posting jokes related to holes in Fukuoka. FUK that's a big hole Find a hole and FUK it Holy FUK
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Nov 8, 2016 03:51
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username and post combo?
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Nov 8, 2016 04:04
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If you are going to put in any kind of theater performance, make sure it's far enough into the itinerary that everyone is long over the jet lag. We did kabuki on the second evening during my first trip to Japan and I think everyone was asleep within 10 minutes. It's really easy to fall asleep when you have no idea wtf is going on.
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Nov 28, 2016 22:49
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Having just been to Kanazawa for the first time this past weekend, I'd say don't bother going if you'll be in Kyoto anyway. Unless you're really really into sushi or sake. Everyone there is so depressed too, even for Japanese Some other ideas that should be an easy day trip from Kyoto: Himeji Yamazaki distillery Shirakawa-go
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Nov 30, 2016 02:23
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Yes we went to the art museum too, was lame af We ended up drinking at the train station from 2pm before our 6:30pm flight Now who's the depressed one, makes u think
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Nov 30, 2016 09:02
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 18:56 |
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I'm guessing you will have to either shell out for trains, or sit on lots of buses. Flights are plentiful but depending on when you're coming it may already be too late. There's another pass called Tokyo Wide Pass which you can get if you have any foreign passport, but it's a far more limited area and goes to none of the places you mentioned so perhaps completely useless. Also your post makes me wonder. Visas are no longer stickers in your passport, now they take the form of the zairyu card. The JR people just look for the sticker in your passport. So let's say I leave Japan in March 2017, with the intention of coming back one day, so obviously I hold on to my zairyu card. I visit family in the US in March and come back to Japan the next month. But when I come, I tell them I'm a tourist. So I get a temporary visitor one-time stamp in my passport. After traveling in Japan I once again leave the country and once again come back, but this time just using my zairyu card to get in again. This raises some questions... 1. Would trying to enter as a tourist despite the fact that I legally already live in Japan be a no-no? Could I tell the immigration guy to just please ignore the re-entry card that you fill out when leaving the country, and give me a tourist stamp instead? 2. I have a valid work visa so would it be legal for me to work despite that I entered as a tourist? I'm not really sure it would be worth the hassle but I do plan on leaving Japan twice next year so could be doable. Edit: on further reflection this is probably a terrible idea since it likely implies lying to immigration at some stage. I've never seen the JR guys actually check that the name on the Rail Pass is the name as the person using it, just FYI. They'll check the validity dates but I've never seen any of them say "are you REALLY John Doe?" and demand to see your passport. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Dec 5, 2016 |
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Dec 5, 2016 05:49
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