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Failed the poo poo out of every section of the 通訳案内士 exam except the English one, AMA edit: I'll probably try again next year, just for the hell of it zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Dec 9, 2016 |
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Dec 9, 2016 07:11
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 16:13 |
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It's not just a thing, it's actually legally required if you want to get paid to take gaijins around Japan in some kind of tour guide capacity. But I think the law has never been enforced, ever. I didn't take the test in preparation for the Olympics though I imagine having it wouldn't hurt my chances. For the actual Olympics. I understand there will be two classes of volunteers (i.e. you don't get paid): Olympics volunteers and Tokyo Metropolitan volunteers. The Olympics volunteer recruitment starts in Summer 2018. The Tokyo Metropolitan volunteer thing is already underway, there are already programs where you can register to do this. I think they only take new registrations once a year. And it's not specific to the Olympics, since you'll probably be placed at the airport or whatever. They plan to take 80,000 Olympic volunteers. However there will presumably be a shitload of people willing to help out since Japan. I'm trying to not walk in empty-handed though -- I've already applied to be a 2017 Tokyo Marathon volunteer for example. So I'm hoping that by the time the application period rolls around, and assuming it isn't just a straight-up lottery, some combination of native English, good Japanese, living in Tokyo for a decade, and volunteer experience will get me in the door. My company is also like a Gold partner or whatever so that may help too. Internally we get regular updates about how to sign up and deadlines and poo poo too.
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Dec 9, 2016 08:47
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Abashiri and Shiretoko in February, anyone have recommendations? So far we are looking at: -Abashiri Prison -Frozen waterfall/ice flow snowshoe walk -Ice flow walk/swim -Ice fishing -Dog sledding Are the five lakes worth visiting in the winter? We won't have a car because lol at driving. I went up to Monbetsu a few years ago in February, so yes I know its cold af. Will probably be walking around in my snowboarding getup most of the time.
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Dec 17, 2016 09:47
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peanut posted:... how much can tourists see around Abashiri Prison? Apparently it's a still a real prison but yes the historical one is now just a museum. Also a different page on that same website is pretty  : http://keimusho.net/girl.html
zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Dec 17, 2016 |
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Dec 17, 2016 16:48
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Big B Gotanda
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Dec 27, 2016 05:56
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I'm specifically going to recommend Shiodome. You've got 4 high-rise hotel options (Villa Fontaine, Royal Park Hotel, Park Hotel, and Conrad) and you should be able to find a AirBnB there too. Even if your room itself doesn't have a good view, you can head up to any of the sky restaurants/bars which are perched on the high floors of buildings around there. There's even a free viewing area in Caretta Shiodome 42F if you don't want to spend anything at all. It's also right around the corner from Tsukiji and a 5 min walk to JR Shimbashi station. Also I had a quick look into the beef. Tsurugyu appears to specialize in Tajima-gyu which depending on the methods used in raising it (after purchase at auction) eventually turns into Kobe beef, Matsuzaka beef etc. So I don't think it's a question of whether the restaurant itself has paid for their registration or not... though I imagine this is required for those restaurants that do serve actual Kobe beef. My guess is the actual beef itself that hasn't been certified. The "Tajima Beef Certification System" has two different approval marks, one for Tajima Beef and one for Kobe Beef. So they probably serve the former. In any case I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference. Should be still be great, the place has excellent ratings on Tabelog. Please post cow trip report. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Dec 30, 2016 |
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Dec 30, 2016 01:37
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Mandalay posted:Osaka castle is open today (it isn't) Bullet: dodged
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Dec 30, 2016 06:38
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Moon Slayer posted:I've heard from people who have had to go through this that the Japanese seem to think that "food allergies" are the same thing as "I don't like it," so be prepared for locals to insist that you should just give something a try no matter how many times you explain that it will kill you. Any idea how this came to be? There are laws requiring allergen info to be listed on packaged food, so obviously even some Japanese people are allergic. It would be one thing if like only 1 in 1000 Japanese people had an allergy compared to 1 in 10 gaijins but afaik this isn't the case. Is it? Edit: definitely eat yakiniku for every meal zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Jan 11, 2017 |
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Jan 11, 2017 08:43
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I think my dog is mildly allergic to chicken so yeah I guess it's a thing. Anyway if you can eat seafood you'll be fine. Japan is basically the mecca of seafood, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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Jan 12, 2017 00:58
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http://www.isomaru.jp/shoplist/ 24hr seafood izakaya Also a good option if you want to start drinking at 6am For most Japanese people though eating breakfast out = getting a couple onigiri from the combini
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Jan 12, 2017 01:15
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If you're only going to Tokyo and Kyoto I don't see any issues with either option. Both are regular cities with streets/sidewalks and no cobblestone so that's not a problem. Likewise the shinkansen has space to store luggage so you should be golden either way. Or did you have some other concern? In general I try to reduce number of suitcases to as few as possible, but that's not specific to Japan/shinkansen.
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Feb 28, 2017 07:53
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Piano Maniac posted:Are there any common gaijin pitfalls you would definitely like to warn about 100%? Don't: -Follow Nigerians anywhere, even for "just a look" -Bother with Chinese massage in Roppongi (go to Kanda instead) -Try to bang your students and/or their mothers. classic gaijin blunder -Ride a bicycle while drunk, you can get a DUI -Hesitate to get a Hub members card -Hang out with Aredna if you want to avoid any of the above
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Mar 2, 2017 04:54
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photomikey posted:Sunday Mar 26 - Tokyo If you're taking Yurikamome from Odaiba back into the city, consider instead getting off at Shiodome and walking to Hamarikyu from there. Then do Ginza and Yurakucho after. Geographically this makes a bit more sense.
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Mar 5, 2017 11:21
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Qwazes posted:How dumb is this idea? My main concern is that it would be socially isolating, but other than that it honestly sounds like a lot of fun. Do you want to work in Japan after graduation? Have you ever been here before? Off the cuff I'd say signing up for grad school in a foreign country that you have basically no connection to could end up being a dumb decision. Yes UTokyo is a good school in Japan/Asia. And Tokyo itself is awesome even if you don't speak Japanese. But American employers will probably look at it and just say "hmm okay, I bet that was an adventure!" So think about your long term plans and how going to grad school in Japan would fit in there. You said you applied 40% as a joke, so is that 60% serious?
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Mar 6, 2017 04:18
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There's also a Shibaura Institute of Technology but sadly it's SIT instead of poo poo
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Mar 7, 2017 02:11
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Looking at your itinerary again, you're all over the map. I'd say stay in Ryumeikan just for the convenience, assuming you plan to use public transport. You've got all the major JR lines you'll need at Tokyo station, including the shinkansen for when you head down to Kyoto. And if you include Otemachi station you've also got 5 subway lines. Versus Nezu where you've got just the one subway line. You're also far more likely to pass nearby Tokyo station so if you need to pop into the hotel to drop off shopping bags or something, it's very doable. Also I noticed you a flea market listed. There's also one at Tokyo International Forum (at Yurakucho) two Sundays per month. Not sure the dates line up with your itinerary but maybe more convenient given the location instead of rushing through it on your last day prior to your flight. As for nightlife, between Yaesu and Marunouchi there's a shitload of options. And when I say options I mean bars and restaurants -- it's a more G-rated and upscale area than Ueno.
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Mar 13, 2017 15:34
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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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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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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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I agree it's sort of a hassle (even if you can read Japanese), but I wouldn't say you can't book online in advance: https://www.eki-net.com/pc/personal/yoyaku/wb/Common/ReserveTop/ReserveTop.aspx?src=ekinettop_f
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Apr 8, 2017 23:55
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poisonpill posted:If you were going to stay in a 5-star hotel in Tokyo for one night, which one would it be and why? Bonus points for the best 2-star hotel to crash in the next night after drinks. Hoshinoya Tokyo because I want to try the onsen. It's actually slightly cheaper than Aman. But yeah, for the same money you could pay for an entire trip to somewhere outside of Tokyo. At least that's how those of us who live in Tokyo feel. Hard to justify. For a cheap 2-star hotel I usually just do one of the APA properties. Just ignore the propaganda in the room. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Apr 16, 2017 |
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Apr 16, 2017 22:43
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fish and chips and dip posted:I'm going to Okinawa on Friday, I'm gonna be there for 6 days with my wife. First time ever in Japan. Except for beaches and snorkeling what should I fill my time with? The aquarium is pretty good, as are the ruins of the Nakagusuku Castle. There's also a pretty cool abandoned hotel project behind it, officially off-limits though. Otherwise, make sure you get off the main island at some point. Snorkeling in Zamami was some of the best in my life.
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Apr 17, 2017 07:07
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All good things come to an end http://news.livedoor.com/lite/article_detail/12945215/
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Apr 18, 2017 02:01
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PM me if you're interested in this and I'll put you in contact with the recruiter who sent it.quote:名刺管理アプリで有名な、サンサンのコピーライターのお仕事をご紹介いたします。 I'm a terrible writer but maybe other Japan goons aren't
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Apr 19, 2017 03:12
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Just buy Japanese whiskey at Bic Camera. Import taxes/duties are of no consequence to domestically produced whiskey. The domestic tax for liquor is like 400 yen per liter, and it's charged to the manufacturer, not the consumer (i.e. it's not a sin tax). So invisible to you. Duty Free in Japan is everywhere at the PoS these days, but it's not applicable to alcohol anyway.
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Apr 24, 2017 05:09
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Back when I "cooked" for myself yuzu kosho was a godsend. A little bit goes a really long way, especially for BSCBs. And it's basically zero calories.
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May 2, 2017 08:32
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Knuc U Kinte posted:Nikka is cooler. Which one? Either way, not exactly an easy day trip from Osaka though. Anyway the correct answer is Hakushu, not Yoichi.
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May 8, 2017 08:04
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For Beppu I'd say just get a regular hotel. When you want to do onsen just use a public one (there are some really cool ones like the mud one) or do a higaeri pack if you want more luxury. Osaka does bar food/street food pretty well if that's what you like. Lots of people completely ignore their regular diets or eating habits while on vacation, so if they want half of their daily calorie intake solely from brown sauces, Osaka is probably the best place in Japan! The whole "post office ATM" thing is simply outdated info, they used to be the go-to ATMs for many gaijin tourists but that was like over a decade ago. 7-11 ATMs are everywhere (many not even in 7-11s) and they're all 24 hours. Dunno why people even bother with post office ATMs anymore.
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May 8, 2017 09:53
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On the other hand do you really need to go to Japan with your concubine? There's no way it will end with just hotels/meals. I'd go into it assuming you'll also end up paying for all of her transport, activities, souvenirs, and anything else that comes up. I guess you're prepared for that scenario (financially), especially if you paying for hotels/meals was a condition of her buying the plane ticket. If her ticket is refundable and she isn't your wife I'd consider just coming solo, like you were already prepared to do. She'll probably call you cheap and you might find yourself using the phrase "but it's not about the money" but meh. We can hang out, you may end up having a better time than you would shelling out for her for everything. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 23:32 on May 8, 2017 |
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May 8, 2017 23:05
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I wouldn't be surprised if tattoo girl demands to stay at Park Hyatt, just so she can be alone there while he's in Osakantan1 posted:hey zmcnulty when you were talking about the mud bath in Beppu you were talking about Onsen Hoyo Land there right? Two questions: Had to Google it but yes that's the one I went to. As of 2011 it was fine, I didn't step on anything bizarre. If you've ever walked barefoot in mud, well, it's exactly like that. Some branches and stones etc but not like any glass bottles or such. For your second question, are you asking if there are wild crocodiles in or around the onsen? Though that would be pretty exhilarating, Japan doesn't have any wild crocodiles. The famous ones are at the Hells, in captivity, but honestly crocodiles in cages aren't so exciting to someone who used to visit family in FL every year as a kid... zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:25 on May 9, 2017 |
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May 9, 2017 04:20
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ntan1 posted:Oh sorry, by crocodiles I meant perverts. Oh  No I didn't have any issues but then again I'm not a woman either. There are some areas of that onsen that are completely segregated so she could stick to those if she's concerned.
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May 9, 2017 07:04
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How fat are we talking. Ayumi Hamasaki is really tubby these days and has a history of dating gaijins, recently divorced, checks quite a lot of boxes if you ask me
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May 16, 2017 07:15
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Came to post Kitaca as well, wife uses that exclusively because of the squirrel IIRC a condition of compliance with the NFC standard is support for FeliCa.
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May 23, 2017 08:05
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Sony and Philips jointly develop NFC starting in 2002. Nokia, Sony, and Philips launch the NFC Forum in 2004. Later Motorola joins. Sony goes off and makes the NFC Type F standard based on FeliCa technology they already had. These ones do require Sony chips to work, because Sony. Philips makes NFC Type A. Motorola makes NFC Type B. Japan eats up FeliCa because it's Sony's home turf. Helps because of players like Docomo and KDDI and Vodafone. JR East launches Suica in 2001 (like I said, FeliCa was Sony's existing tech). Then there's Edy, also used to be Sony. Now Rakuten. All kinds of railways launch their own cards based off FeliCa, blah blah Meanwhile, Type A and Type B lead happy lives. Oyster cards and poo poo. Type A even makes its way to Japan, that's your taspo. Type B finds its way to your passport. But compared to FeliCa adoption in Japan, the rest of the world wasn't really using NFC. Eventually TypeA and TypeB become compatible, so they just call it TypeA/B. Now here's where things start to get hosed up. Media and everyone start to call TypeA/B "NFC" and TypeF "FeliCa" because they needed to make a distinction between wireless technologies that weren't compatible with one another. Japan laughs it up because FeliCa is better (as a standard, it requires faster processing and can work from further away than Type A/B). That would have been fine, except now you've got foreign phones coming to Japan. They only support TypeA/B, so Japan decides to just call that "NFC." You have confused consumers because seemingly similar tech doesn't work together. Then magic happens and FeliCa announces in 2014 that they've made a single chip that can do TypeA/B, and TypeF. Apple finally gets off their rear end and the chip ends up in iPhone 7 that's sold in Japan. Notably, it doesn't end up in iPhone 7s sold outside of Japan. Apple is open about this. Japan iPhones are not god-like though, apparently you have to disable TypeF support to use TypeA/B. So now you've got foreign Droids which use "NFC" and don't support FeliCa. You've got Japan Droids which contain the aforementioned chip from Sony but they're also calling this NFC. You've got the exact same loving iPhone which may or may not support FeliCa, depending on where you buy it. Everyone is confused as hell. Apple sure as poo poo isn't helping because Apple Pay is TypeA/B. Sorry, they can't patch that poo poo. Apple Pay adoption in Japan is really drat low for a reason. In 2016, Sony says, this is a disaster. They go to the NFC Forum and say hey our TypeF is better, why don't we just all use that? Because it can handle more passengers faster, the NFC Forum agrees. The European Smart Ticketing Alliance and the American Public Transportation Association agrees. Apple regrets cheaping out on the chips in the non-Japan iPhones, since the NFC Forum agrees to use TypeF for anything new after April 2017. As you can see I'm a bit salty about NFC. Avoiding situations like the above are exactly why "Forums" like the NFC Forum are created. epic fail zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:09 on May 25, 2017 |
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May 25, 2017 04:03
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I remember reading somewhere that TypeF compatibility is, or at least Sony is trying to make, mandatory for a device to be NFC Forum compliant. I don't think that's happened just yet though, case in point non-Japan iPhone 7. However Apple just calls their poo poo Apple Pay rather than NFC, maybe they don't care? And yet they're a sponsor of the NFC Forum. Even NXT (formerly Philips) now sells chips that are TypeF compliant. So you don't necessarily have to buy from Sony. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 04:42 on May 25, 2017 |
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May 25, 2017 04:34
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So I've got mod permission to post about a new site I've launched: http://nomunication.jp It's all about drinking in Tokyo. Not eating, sorry, only drinking. Although the content should appeal to both residents and visitors, since this is the tourism thread I should give a special mention to the various guides I've written. The first is the bar FAQ which is a good place to start if you've never been in a stuffy cocktail bar, or drinking in Japan. There's also a bar genre guide to take you through the different you'll run across while here. I've also written a guide to the drinking laws (or the lack thereof) in Japan, and there's even a phrasebook for those with limited Japanese. Let me know if there's something specific you want me to cover!
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May 30, 2017 00:20
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Some years ago I lost my wallet, phone, wifebeater, and keys (alcohol and a pool party were involved). I was down in Zushi so walking home wasn't an option. Some guy who felt sorry for me gave me 1000 yen, and like an actual homeless, I spent it on booze. Then spent the night in the back of a girl's car in her driveway since she didn't trust me enough to invite me inside. The next morning I had the bright idea to call my own phone using a payphone, and the party venue had everything, cash still in wallet 
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Jun 5, 2017 01:49
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It's a bit tough to justify that price. You're really only getting hotels and trains, $400/night for two people. The itinerary says basically everyday is a free day, so I wonder how helpful your guide will really be. The guide section says they can recommend local guides as well, what's the point of that. As far as I can tell it doesn't include food or lots of activities either. Hotels and trains are usually simple as hell, you can do that on your own.
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Jun 6, 2017 02:25
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Poor Vladivostok, west of Tokyo but 2 hours ahead 
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Jun 18, 2017 23:34
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 16:13 |
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If the phone is unlocked and supports the proper LTE bands, you can use it with any of the MVNOs. Whether or not your company is willing to pay the bill is a different story.
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Jun 20, 2017 08:24
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