I'm Going To Japan

Hi,
I must first apologize if some of what I'm about to ask has been said before (as I'm unable to read the 300 or so pages)

I come in need of some good advice, ideas, suggestions, and guidance. I have decided this summer will be it, I'm going to Japan. (Is my only opportunity before I enter medical school and begin 4 years of what many consider hell hehe) so I want this to be a great experience that will keep me going through my hard med school days :) Another reason why this summer is my one and only chance to go is my friend (whom I've met while helping him out with his English, as he is Japanese, and only has 3 years here in the states) has decided I have to go with him and he will let me stay over at his house which is in Tokyo. Not only will this allow me to save a lot of money I would be spending on hotels, but I have my own personal guide and friend :)
I plan on staying for about 2 weeks.

Now here is where you can give me a helping hand.
Since summer is just around the corner, and I really haven't made any arrangements, I sort of need a list of things to do before heading to Japan.
So far only thing I know I would need is the JRPass which I have heard so much about (as it saves a lot of money and you can ride trains non stop without having to worry about money right?). Other than that, I'm pretty much at a lost. Also I should mention that while I speak English and Spanish fluently, I don't know much Japanese but thankfully thats where my friend comes into play.

So getting back to the original questions, overall I just need sort of a checklist/planner of things to do here before my arrival at Japan (from simple things such as taking a camera, type of clothing, allergy pills, amount of money, what kind of gifts to bring for the family/friends etc. etc., anything you would take/do before heading there).

If you could help me out by writing a consicive list/review of things referring to what was mentioned above, I would forever be grateful.
arigatou gozaimashita :bow:

Note: I will later post a what places I should visit type thing but I want to keep that separate from this post/question.

well, I will give you a list of what things I have already done and will do for my trip this summer. it should be complete I hope..

- Maybe stupid to say but you need to have a passport for travelling. It can take a few months before you receive it so you may consider to go for it asap.

- You may take traveller cheques with you in place of cash money (this is what I will do). traveller cheques are on name so if you lose them or you get stolen (which shouldnt happen while being in Japan but you never know), the new owner cant do anything with them. Also, if you lose them you have a code that you can use to get new travellers cheques with the same value that you lost. The only downside maybe is that you will have to exchange them at a bank for money but its not really time consuming is it ? So I suggest you get yourself informed with this if you are interested, cause my dad took care of this. Btw, I will take 800 euros with me for 4 weeks, so I can spend about 25 euros (34 US dollars) a day. But I wont have to pay for breakfast and diner during weekdays..

- I will also take some gifts with me, especially things for which my country is known of. I suggest you take quite some small presents too for people that may help you out while being in Japan. Cause I have heard many nice stories about tourists being helped out by Japanese people, and Japanese people appreciate it so much to receive a small foreign present.

- I suggest you take clothes for either very hot weather but you also have to be prepared for heavy showers, so a thin jacket would be usefull to. Knowing that during July-August, rain season is quite active..

- If you have any allergies and you need medications for it, well definetly take them with you. Maybe you could also take medicins for stomach ache or diareya (hmm how do you write this ??) cause you may eat things in Japan that you arent used to and your body may react in a different way. And its always nice to have medications with you, then having to go look for a pharmacy and all..

- Definetly take your camera with you. See if you have a good pocket for it, cause it may get overhit. And ofcourse dont forget the uploader, and maybe buy a bigger memory card if you feel it may be not sufficient or a storage thingy or whatever it is called. Or maybe you can use your friends computer and put things there..

- Take some things with you for on the airplane cause it will be a long flight (mine will be about 12 hours). iPod, laptop, books, ... anything that should kill time..

- Ofcourse dont forget any important documents when checking-in at the airport !

- Try not to overpack things as you will definetly take things from Japan to here so you should be prepared to have space left.

- If you have time for it, maybe learn just a few basic japanese phrases or expressions if you havent yet. Japanese people are known to appreciate it a lot when foreigners try to speak their language..

Well I think these pointers are more or less the most important ones. Indeed the JRpass seems very usefull to me. I was planning to buy one too at first, when my trip to japan was ment to be 2 weeks to and doing some travelling between cities. But things have changed for me :hehe:

For Rail pass info: http://www.japanrailpass.net


Also, make sure to buy light luggage (with wheels) if you want to buy lots of stuff. Most airline limit weight to 40lbs. Buy something to identify it. A big yellow tag or strap might look weird at first, but when your trying to find yours and realize everybody has the same black model like yours, you'll be happy you had one. Buy small locks too. Just to be on the safe side, no one put drugs or something else while you're not looking. ;)

Headphones if you want to watch the movie in the plane, because they'll charge you $10 for a cheap pair. :)

If you are a AAA member, they have all sorts of free guides and brochures.

Thanks a lot for the info so far, allready added some of the stuff mentioned to my check list :).

As for the amount of money, I'm thinking something in the 2000+ dollar for 2 weeks (I hope thats enough). About the gifts, thats a bit harder, I once tried to ask about what should I bring and all I got was a bit odd response, from stuff like chocolate (I'm from new york so chocolate doesn't really represent us, other than godiva and thats not even american) to hermes scarfs....
anyone got other ideas of stuff I could bring (imagine you were Japanese, and met someone from new york) as gifts?

Oh and yes, I got a passport :).
I don't need to apply for any visas right? (cause I'm travelling from USA, I am a US citizen, and I'm staying for less than 90 days), let me know if I'm wrong.

Finally as for the luggage, Im thinking of brings 2 at most, one halfway empty for the stuff I buy. Also I always tag mines when I travel hehe, so hehe we think alike :)

thank you very much, and keep the ideas, suggestions, list, etc. coming

That's one question I've been trying to answer for months. So far, the only thing people came up with was maple syrup and smoked salmon. Both kind of suck IMHO, specially salmon. Unless you want to smell like a fish during the whole trip. :bleh:
Possibly Time Square stuff or gimmicks from TV studios... :headscratch:

Good thing you have a passport, because you can't enter the US without one. If you don't mind being deported to Japan, you know what to do before your plane lands at JFK. :hehe:

Indeed, no need for visa..

Hehe funny, indeed godiva is not american but Belgian (my country). I am planning to take lots of belgian chocolate with me, cause I have heard its pretty expensive in Japan as they import it from here. I only have to figure out how to prevent it from melting..

If the japanese family is quite sportive, you may buy a baseball shirt of any famous New York baseball team. I even know the red socks by name allthough I dont know anything about baseball, and you may know that baseball is THE sport in Japan. There may even be a Japanese baseball player in the team, or any other famous player allthough I cant say whether Japanese baseball lovers also know foreign players..

If you want to be shure, you may go for the ordinary souvenir gifts from New York. As its hard to find any typicall New York product, the family wont have anything particular in their mind either so they will definetly appreciate it too..

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused with the gifts and stuff hehe.
Since we talking about gifts all ready, I should point out that is more the wrapping thats important... (I know thats odd, but that's what I've been told...) the way the gift is wrapped makes a huge difference lol.

Thanks for the idea of the baseball shirts and stuff, I can get some of those.(Ichiro the japanese Seattle player might be famous in Japan? but yeah thats not from New York hehe)

I'm the type that totally hate the time square souvenirs.. (there are literally over 200 shops in times sq. and they all identical, so damn generic) then again I see random people buying crap from there, so I guess foreigners and visitors actually like this stuff (lol I bet in tokyo is the same... I might end up being one of those visitors buying the crap generic products lol)
But really in those store there so many I love new york type products, and times sq., big apple, statue of liberty crap I have no idea what someone would like as I myself don't like any of it and don't even own any of it.

Since ya guys are also looking for gift ideas and whatnot, let me know what you come up with. It would really help.

TaintedWisdom wrote:I'm glad I'm not the only one confused with the gifts and stuff hehe.
Since we talking about gifts all ready, I should point out that is more the wrapping thats important... (I know thats odd, but that's what I've been told...) the way the gift is wrapped makes a huge difference lol.

This is VERY true, and if you receive a gift from a Japanese person, when you unwrap it (if they're standing there watching) don't just tear it all apart, CAREFULLY unwrap the package. Huge point of etiquette. :sweat: [/list:u]

Decided to look around the net and stuff and see what others had to say about this topic.

They claim, small specialty teas, soaps, jams, liquor, candies, and stuff from your hometown etc. are good, and yes all of them very nicely wrapped.
Note: at least thats better than some that recommended to bring hermes scarfs... (like if I have 600+ dollar per scarf to throw away..)

Now to find out what type of soaps, candies, etc. to bring...


ideas, bring them on guys :)

TaintedWisdom wrote:Thanks a lot for the info so far, allready added some of the stuff mentioned to my check list :).

As for the amount of money, I'm thinking something in the 2000+ dollar for 2 weeks (I hope thats enough). About the gifts, thats a bit harder, I once tried to ask about what should I bring and all I got was a bit odd response, from stuff like chocolate (I'm from new york so chocolate doesn't really represent us, other than godiva and thats not even american) to hermes scarfs....
anyone got other ideas of stuff I could bring (imagine you were Japanese, and met someone from new york) as gifts?

Oh and yes, I got a passport :).
I don't need to apply for any visas right? (cause I'm travelling from USA, I am a US citizen, and I'm staying for less than 90 days), let me know if I'm wrong.

Finally as for the luggage, Im thinking of brings 2 at most, one halfway empty for the stuff I buy. Also I always tag mines when I travel hehe, so hehe we think alike :)

thank you very much, and keep the ideas, suggestions, list, etc. coming

For Japan,

good walking shoes, because you will be doing A LOT of walking in Japan. Maps and destinations planned out ahead of time, where you will be sightseeing, visiting, and staying at in Japan. Prepare to get lost in the train stations, Shinjuku is quite huge, and there are a lot of people that will not understand english. There are some, but mainly at the hotels, airport, and few at the train stations. I brought a handy waist pouch for access to my camera, etc....just be sure to know where it is at all times. As mentioned before, July-Aug, is rainy season, and i bought an umbrella at one of the convenience stores in Japan, for about 500 yen. The amount of money sounds about right, for about 2 weeks, give or take....

I will be going to Japan about the time of rainy season, and this will be my third time going. Also a good idea to bring a small phrase book and dictionary, and brush up on some basic Japanese converation skills, incase you have questions, or need to ask for something. JR-pass is extremely useful, and in-addition, you will avoid the confusion at the trainstation when deciding how much a destination fare cost, when it is written all in Kanji...Just flash the pass to the train station attendant and proceed. Keep in mind the JR-pass works for that time frame only (7day, 14day, 21 day), depending on what you have. It will NOT work for "subway" trains, as i found out, when i went to Roppongi by subway, i had to pay the fare. But the Shinkansen(bullet trains), and most other JR-trains can be used with the JR-pass. I hope that helps out a little.

qilver wrote:

For Japan,

good walking shoes, because you will be doing A LOT of walking in Japan. Maps and destinations planned out ahead of time, where you will be sightseeing, visiting, and staying at in Japan. Prepare to get lost in the train stations, Shinjuku is quite huge, and there are a lot of people that will not understand english. There are some, but mainly at the hotels, airport, and few at the train stations. I brought a handy waist pouch for access to my camera, etc....just be sure to know where it is at all times. As mentioned before, July-Aug, is rainy season, and i bought an umbrella at one of the convenience stores in Japan, for about 500 yen. The amount of money sounds about right, for about 2 weeks, give or take....

I will be going to Japan about the time of rainy season, and this will be my third time going. Also a good idea to bring a small phrase book and dictionary, and brush up on some basic Japanese converation skills, incase you have questions, or need to ask for something. JR-pass is extremely useful, and in-addition, you will avoid the confusion at the trainstation when deciding how much a destination fare cost, when it is written all in Kanji...Just flash the pass to the train station attendant and proceed. Keep in mind the JR-pass works for that time frame only (7day, 14day, 21 day), depending on what you have. It will NOT work for "subway" trains, as i found out, when i went to Roppongi by subway, i had to pay the fare. But the Shinkansen(bullet trains), and most other JR-trains can be used with the JR-pass. I hope that helps out a little.

Hehe, thanks for the reply but I guess you missed my previous post on that page (307) which started my original question hehe. I'm going with a Japanese friend, so the language thing shouldn't be a problem :)

However, I'm really glad you cleared the JRPass thing, I thought it meant a pass for all types of train including subway type stuff.... (like our new york metro). So in other words this is only useful from when going to osaka, hokkaido etc. etc.? and not inside of tokyo itself? Is it really worth it then? is about $380 dollars for 2 weeks. What is the normal fair for these trains if one was to buy them for 1 single pass/ride (example tokyo to osaka/kyoto etc.) Maybe someone could elaborate more on the railroad system and JR (Not to familiar with it).

Thank you so much, really appreciate the response, and looking forward to other ideas, suggestions, etc. :bow:

The JRpass only counts for railways owned by JR, so no other private railways. It also doesnt cover the new super express Nozomi shinkansen, but thats not something to worry about. You will also have to pay an extra fee for overnight sleepers..

a one-way reserved ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto (almost Osaka) costs about 13.220 yen, so if you only have to travel Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo, a seven-day pass would already pay off.

In order to get a pass, you have to get an exchange order in your own country (you can get these with your travel agency). And when you arrive in Japan, you have to exchange it at any JR travel service centre (they should be situated at Narita airport and any major JR stations). Mind that once you have done the exchangement, your days are ticking. Anyway you may already now this..

I think the pass definetly pays off, as I already said I wouldnt doubt buying it if I would do travelling inside Japan.

4Qbmr wrote: This is VERY true, and if you receive a gift from a Japanese person, when you unwrap it (if they're standing there watching) don't just tear it all apart, CAREFULLY unwrap the package. Huge point of etiquette. :sweat: [/list:u]

That's really good to know. Thanks. :D

TaintedWisdom wrote:

I'm the type that totally hate the time square souvenirs.. (there are literally over 200 shops in times sq. and they all identical, so damn generic) then again I see random people buying crap from there, so I guess foreigners and visitors actually like this stuff (lol I bet in tokyo is the same... I might end up being one of those visitors buying the crap generic products lol)...

We have a few of those too. They all have sweater with a picture of a moose and Canada written under it. :bleh:

If it's for your friend's parents, you should ask him/her what they like. If they are tea lovers you could buy that. Stuff that are relatively cheap around here can be expansive (like ice wine).

A rail pass is very useful for long distance (typically Shinkansen-based) travels, like Tokyo-Osaka-Tokyo. Unless you plan to take the Shinkansen during the entire 2 weeks, I think it might make sense to only buy a 1 week pass. It all depends on your plans. If you have a better idea where you want to go and for how long, we could provide better suggestions. For travel within Tokyo, I recently used the Suica (and now Pasmo) smart card. It's basically a prepaid fare card that removes the need to read the bewildering transit maps and calculating fares. The introduction of Pasmo now means that you can use the same card on JR and most subways and bus lines.

More pictures:
Odaiba panorama (weird coloring from the lens edges)
[image]

View of Statue of Liberty replica on Odaiba (I stood on the circular bridge towards the left when I took those Rainbow Bridge night shots).
[image]

Wow. The panorama is really awesome. :thumbsup:

Much less traffic that I would've expected. The bridge is almost deserted.

dochira wrote:A rail pass is very useful for long distance (typically Shinkansen-based) travels, like Tokyo-Osaka-Tokyo. Unless you plan to take the Shinkansen during the entire 2 weeks, I think it might make sense to only buy a 1 week pass. It all depends on your plans. If you have a better idea where you want to go and for how long, we could provide better suggestions. For travel within Tokyo, I recently used the Suica (and now Pasmo) smart card. It's basically a prepaid fare card that removes the need to read the bewildering transit maps and calculating fares. The introduction of Pasmo now means that you can use the same card on JR and most subways and bus lines.

More pictures:
Odaiba panorama (weird coloring from the lens edges)
[image]

View of Statue of Liberty replica on Odaiba (I stood on the circular bridge towards the left when I took those Rainbow Bridge night shots).
[image]

Thanks for the info on the newly...Pasmo card...i had no idea it was good for buses as well. Is that only for Tokyo? or does it cover most of Japan, Kyoto included. I remember i had a heck of a time, figuring out the bus route systems, and getting around in Kyoto, but somehow my friend and i managed. Nice to know you can get a pass, flash it, and get on the bus/train without any fare hassles...Now, the hard part, avoid getting lost in Japan...

nice pix, thanks for posting it..got any more to post?

Sugoi ne! :victory: Wicked viewpoint there, Doc. :D

wow sounds to me like these people in/near that city would like statue of liberty souvenirs lol.

I will post my travel idea plans and where I would like to go to see if ya can help with that later on. Just got home (is morning already) and need to get some sleep before heading to school.

thanks in advance :)

qilver wrote:
Thanks for the info on the newly...Pasmo card...i had no idea it was good for buses as well. Is that only for Tokyo? or does it cover most of Japan

The subway/bus part is only in Tokyo, and it does not cover all subways. For example, the Disney Resort Line (Maihama) is not covered. Now outside of Tokyo, the Pasmo card works on where Suica works. Check the Suica Wiki for more details.

Edit: Looking at the Wiki, it looks like there are some compatibility issues using Suica on other systems. Suica works on ICOCA (JR Osaka) but not on PiTaPa (Kansai) or Toica (Nagoya).

qilver wrote:
nice pix, thanks for posting it..got any more to post?

I've got more pics in store.

dochira wrote:
I've got more pics in store.

>>waits patiently<< :victory: I can't wait, really, to see them. :mrgreen: