Off to Japan Mar/Apr

[Polar]

Greetings

I'm Japan bound for three weeks just need to hammer the dates down.

Basically I got laid off from work, has nothing to do with the economy it was because we were bought out. My severance package was very, very generious. There's still a lot of jobs here for what I do (IT) so I'm not worried. Figured I'd take some time off and maybe indulge and make one my dreams come true.

I've been lurking these forums for the past couple of months reading and reading. Kudos to housetek and others for things I hadn't even thought about. I've cut and pasted a bunch of posts into a sort of "bible" and it's running 22 pages.

I will be using Shinjuku as a base staying at a hotel and using the rails to make trips east of Tokyo for a day or so or maybe two depending.

This is more for piece of mind as cost at this point really isn't a issue, yeah I could do it cheaper and longer thanks to all the excellent advice here. but at this point it's just focusing on Honshu and no farther then Kobe but hitting those places to break up each week and enjoying it rather then dealing with so to speak and having fun

The one thing I am curious about ... I have red hair and freckles so I gather that's bound to attract some attention so do I expect the usual gaijin stuff or it going to be different ?

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Polar

Greetings

I'm Japan bound for three weeks just need to hammer the dates down.

Basically I got laid off from work, has nothing to do with the economy it was because we were bought out. My severance package was very, very generious. There's still a lot of jobs here for what I do (IT) so I'm not worried. Figured I'd take some time off and maybe indulge and make one my dreams come true.

I've been lurking these forums for the past couple of months reading and reading. Kudos to housetek and others for things I hadn't even thought about. I've cut and pasted a bunch of posts into a sort of "bible" and it's running 22 pages.

I will be using Shinjuku as a base staying at a hotel and using the rails to make trips east of Tokyo for a day or so or maybe two depending.

This is more for piece of mind as cost at this point really isn't a issue, yeah I could do it cheaper and longer thanks to all the excellent advice here. but at this point it's just focusing on Honshu and no farther then Kobe but hitting those places to break up each week and enjoying it rather then dealing with so to speak and having fun

The one thing I am curious about ... I have red hair and freckles so I gather that's bound to attract some attention so do I expect the usual gaijin stuff or it going to be different ?

3 weeks is quite a bit of time. You probably want to see more than just Tokyo. But then, of course that depends on what you are interested to see

I don't know what you meant by the "usual gaijin stuff", but I won't exppect you to be treated differently than other non oriental people

[Polar]

Indeed I don't plan on spending it all in Tokyo. That's just home base for my stuff, internet access etc

Plan on making trips to Osaka, Nara, etc... each time coming back and dropping off what ever I picked up there. Just keeping it kinda loose for now rather then attempting to do the whole thing at once

It's not like a one off trip more like getting my feet wet and stomping around in a certain area then next trip hit a different area.

Much like Cuba I just worked myself through every province over a few years.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Polar

Indeed I don't plan on spending it all in Tokyo. That's just home base for my stuff, internet access etc

Plan on making trips to Osaka, Nara, etc... each time coming back and dropping off what ever I picked up there. Just keeping it kinda loose for now rather then attempting to do the whole thing at once

It's not like a one off trip more like getting my feet wet and stomping around in a certain area then next trip hit a different area.

Much like Cuba I just worked myself through every province over a few years.

Osaka and Nara is about 2-3 hours away from Tokyo on the Shinkansen, and they are not really day trips from Tokyo. That is something to consider.

[Polar]

I'm sorry I don't understand ?

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by Polar

I'm sorry I don't understand ?

It means that you'll have to commute 6 or more hours to get back and forth from Kyoto and Nara from Tokyo, so if you want to have time to see everything (and there is lots to see), you will probably want to spend the night, or maybe even 2 nights.

[alexlovesrock]

awesome have fun in japan!!!!

[Polar]

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

It means that you'll have to commute 6 or more hours to get back and forth from Kyoto and Nara from Tokyo, so if you want to have time to see everything (and there is lots to see), you will probably want to spend the night, or maybe even 2 nights.

Ah gotcha

That's the plan spend a night or a two where ever depending.

Again it's not so much to see everything I can possibly fit in, it's just to get a taste.

I know it's not terribly efficient but it's loose enough that if I want to stay for few days elsewhere that's an option.

[miyavirocks]

That is so cool! I really want to go in March/April but I'm not sure if I will be able to get the money. You're so lucky you will be able to go.

[spicytuna]

Polar, I take it you bought yourself a JR Rail Pass?

Tokyo would be a nice "base camp" for your travels if you ride the bullet train.