Hi, I'm new, American guy visiting Japan soon
 

Hi, I'm 26yr old American guy, living in Thailand, and planning on visiting Japan within 2-5 months

I've NEVER been there before (except for passing thru Narita Airport), so I have no knowledge about where to go, what to see, to do, to stay etc etc

It would be so nice to meet some friend(s) that can advise me, and/or show me and my friends around when we get there

Thanks a lot, JF looks like a great community :ywave:

Hmm... you're planning on visiting Japan? I can't give you much advise, seeing as how I've never been there either, but do you have any idea where you want to go and do when you get there? Those things may help other people know what advice to give you. But that's just a suggestion.

And this is just me, but if I went there, I would visit all the manga and anime stores I could find, and visit some tourist attractions like the ancient Buddhist shrines and other cool things. =P

thanks a lot for your suggestions

i have no real plans, just to get a hotel in Tokyo, since i've never been there before at all i'll probably just try to get comfortable in Tokyo this trip, not go anywhere else til next trip (maybe Okinawa, Osaka, Kyoto, etc etc on my next trips)

i'm just winging this trip, just looking for some "must do's" etc. :)

Here are some areas that you may want to cover.

Shinjuku - shopping, strolling, skyscrapers, bar-hopping... it has it all.

Shibuya - street fashion, arcades... many of the latest trends in Japanese fashion start here

Harajuku - cosplayers, cheap clothing/accessories, live street bands, dancers, the beautiful Meiji Shrine....weekends are best here

Ginza - high-end shopping, strolling, excellent dining,

Ueno - zoo, several good museums, inexpensive grocery stores on Ameyoko Street

Akihabara - home of the otaku (manga/anime), maid cafes, eletronics/aplliances

Asakusa - the Asakusa temple, old-time Tokyo atmosphere, popular among tourists (both Japanese and foreign)

Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Disneyland, Puroland (home of Hello Kitty), Roppongi (rows of bars), Tokyo Dome (pro-baseball games + rollercoasters), etc...