Recommendations for visiting Japan

Kugayama

Kugayama

Moderator
Hi, as I've mentioned in my introduction thread, I visited Japan for 5 days last August (2011) for Animelo Summer Live and had the time of my life, even though my understanding of the Japanese language was absolutely minimal.

Would forum members be interested in discussing how to make the most out of a trip to Japan, such as what sources of information are helpful, places to visit, things to bring with you, being well prepared...?
 
It will be kind of you if you tell us about your experience :sparkleguy:
First, how long did it take you to get a visa there?
 
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Alphard Sokaina said:
It will be kind of you if you tell us about your experience :sparkleguy:
First, how long did it take you to get a visa there?
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No visa is required for Australians visiting Japan on holidays for up to 90 days. A complete list of countries with agreements with Japan for visa-free holiday visits is at http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/visa.html

My story starts at http://blog.animeinstrumentality.net/20 ... ravelogue/

Feel free to keep asking questions, but a good internet connection and time to browse lots of sites and feed a few things through Google translate helped, as did picking a travel agent that specialised in travel to Japan.
 
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Kugayama said:
No visa is required for Australians visiting Japan on holidays for up to 90 days.
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Lucky people :cry: I'm reading your story atm, thanks
 
^ Greece is in the list of countries that dont need visa for 3 months period :shy: I wish there wasnt that f*cking Fukushima accident, otheriwise I would have visited Japan last summer probably. :uh..:
 
Hmmm...me myself haven't gone to japan yet, but my mom did on summer 4 years ago. At that time, she gone for temple visit, and visit SADO island. It is said to be a very cold yet very beautiful island with mountain~

but the weather in summer time is quite unbearable for her. and she said that almost every girl on the road wear very short skirt or dress, she even said they seemed like they were wearing bikini~

and she also so lucky that she have chance to join the summer festival (matsuri). Everyone wear yukata and there's fireworks too. She said that it's one of a good thing if we go there on summer.

I want to visit japan someday! *need to collect money first...:cheer: *
 
Have lotsa money for shopping $$$ :stars:...and probably learn a bit of the language? Just enough to help get you around...
 
Summer festivals in general are celebrated all over Japan in the sense that you'll see things like yatai set up in designated areas (shrines for example) and fireworks during the peak of the season. However there are regional ones as well such as the Gion Matsuri which is held only in Kyoto.

By the way, if you plan on using the train a lot in Japan (which is VERY likely the case), I suggest bookmarking sites such as Hyperdia (or get its application) into your portable device as you travel around. It could save you a lot of headache if you don't feel like looking up train/subway maps and timetables everytime you're at a station.
 
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george1234 said:
^ Greece is in the list of countries that dont need visa for 3 months period :shy: I wish there wasnt that f*cking Fukushima accident, otheriwise I would have visited Japan last summer probably. :uh..:
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Tokyo itself was fine except for reduced airconditioning in large buildings and reduced express train services. (Although I later found out that a concert hall in Yokohama was damaged in the earthquake and will take more than a year to fix).
 
Google maps was very good for planning train trips in metropolitan Tokyo also - I took some print-outs from home for the journeys I was planning to make.
 
Had a lengthy discussion on chat about this. :XD:

Yeah, I would definitely love to go. But it's still a little out of reach for now. :psst:
 
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Kugayama said:
Google maps was very good for planning train trips in metropolitan Tokyo also - I took some print-outs from home for the journeys I was planning to make.
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Did you travel alone?
If I wouldn't speak the language, I would travel with a partner. I could imagine that it's quite hard to manage some things without the knowledge (especially in those outlying places etc.).
 
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Kei said:
Kugayama said:
Google maps was very good for planning train trips in metropolitan Tokyo also - I took some print-outs from home for the journeys I was planning to make.
Click to expand...

Did you travel alone?
If I wouldn't speak the language, I would travel with a partner. I could imagine that it's quite hard to manage some things without the knowledge (especially in those outlying places etc.).
Click to expand...

Yes, I travelled alone and I think that meant that I ended up observing far more of my surroundings that if I had travelled with someone else (or if I had taken any electronic gadgets with me beyond a camera). It might seem crazy but there was almost no need to say anything beyond "ARIGATÔ GOZAIMASU" during the day.

Essentially I was in metropolitan Tokyo or more accurately within the area covered by the Suica smartcard ticketing system. The furthest out I went was to Washinomiya Shrine in Saitama prefecture.

Anyway, I start a Japanese language course this coming week and hopefully I'll be more prepared to travel further afield next time.
 
here a good question cuz i get confused.

so wanna go to japan for 1 month. been saving money.
others say go for less. to me, it take longer than a week to adapt to another language surrounding.
is there a limit one can stay in japan as a visitor?
i would need a visa since i'm in america..

any advice on how to sort my budget;
i have
Where to stay
Food
Transport
spare change...

thanks
 
Re:

arqnohikari said:
here a good question cuz i get confused.

so wanna go to japan for 1 month. been saving money.
others say go for less. to me, it take longer than a week to adapt to another language surrounding.
is there a limit one can stay in japan as a visitor?
i would need a visa since i'm in america..

any advice on how to sort my budget;
i have
Where to stay
Food
Transport
spare change...

thanks
Click to expand...

According to http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/visa.html you wouldn't need a visa for a stay of 90 days or less, providing you are not earning money, so you could maybe look at a short intensive Japanese language course if you want to learn it more in Japan, and figure what sorts of places you want to visit and what sorts of accomodation you'd be comfortable with.
 
OK, starting to plan my next trip for August 2012 - targeting two Nana Mizuki concerts in northern Honshu, Animelo Summer Live 2012 - Infinity, and Yuki Kajiura Live #9.
 
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