A trip to Japan...PLEASE ANSWER~!!!

[Housetek]

Originally Posted by rayluber95

Hiya~!!! Okay, when I graduate from high school, I'm going to take a year off before going to college and take a trip to Japan~!!! I know a visa can only let me stay there for about 90 days-how much do those cost?-so I wanna know kewl places to visit and nice places to stay. Where can I find a guide? How much is one yen-I've heard it's like 2.8345 or whatever US dollars, but how much is that?! Is there some kinda weird customs that if I don't do, they'll execute me, or something?! That was really overdramatic... Any kinda food I need to stay away from? Like that sweat in a can thing, or whatever it's called... I plan on doing the whole tourist thingy and going to Tokyo, not because I wanna see God Zilla-which I look forward to seeing BTW-but because I wanna go to that anime museum. Can someon please help me?! I only have six years to get enough ,oney to plan my entire trip~!!! Ooo! This might be kinda random, but do they have see through phones in Japan??? Lol.

u do realize they are all right.
by the time you make your trip to japan so much will have changed.

but ill humor you.

Question 1: Visa
Doesn't cost you any thing to get a 90 day tourist visa.
just make sure you have a passport and you can enter for 90 days, and no more.

Question 2: Nice places to stay.
if your saving for that long you will probably have enuf money to stay at a nice hotel. if you plan on staying for full 90 days. i would recommend booking thru sakura House or another guest house or gaijin apartment plan place.
its alot cheaper to get a apartment for 3 months then a hotel for 3 months.

ive used Sakura house 6/8 of my trips to japan.

i recommend the apartments, i havent tried useing the guest houses or hostels

Average Month rent for a apartment is around 80k-160k a month pending on size.

Hotels can go from 10k-20k a day pending on what hotel
a Super nice one will cost ALOT around 30k a night

as you can see going thru Sakura house for any thing over 2 weeks is best.

For nice areas in Tokyo
i suggest Roppongi, Hiro, Shibuya, Harajuku, Azabajuban, Takanawa

Those all have near by train stations and are within 10-20 mins away from each others. those are hot spots to go to.

also good for gettin around for train transfers.

like switchin from Yamanote to Hibiya or to tokaido or Deotenshi line. etc etc

QUestion 3: Currency exchange rate

Right now its 1 dollar is around 120 yen
it goes up and down
in june it peaked at 126 i believe
in may it was about 113 i dont remember exactly

in 6 years or so who knows... a lot can happen.

Question 4: places to visit...
jeeze... well its Tokyo, every place is nice to visit pretty much.

Major places you wana roam around is the places i recommended hotels and apartments in.

You'll want to see Harajuku for the cosplayers, Shibuya for shopping, arcades and clubs, Roppongi for Roppongi HIlls and Tokyo midtown, and Tokyo tower, Akihabara for electronics and cool arcades *electric town*, Asakusa and sengakuji for temples.

just search around what your really into. theres so much i dont have time to list it all out.

Question 5: customs you should know about *im giving you tips, rules, and general useful information.
1: you dont tip
cept some bars
gratuity is included in bill, hence why tokyo is so frigen expensive when you eat out.

2: do not put your chop sticks in your rice sticking up *example stabbing your food and leaving it there to rest*

3: dont slam taxi doors, they open AND shut for you
walk to your left

4: if your on a escalator you stand on the left and walk on the right

5: be polite let elderly, disable, and pregnant have seats on trains

6: if you see vending machines try not to eat and walk
its not a RULE or any thing but its polite to drink or eat while at the machine
thats why they have trash cans there and thats why the drinks are so tiny most of the time and the portions are small.
they dont have trashcans around japan unless its near a vending machine

7: DONOT throw trash into bike baskets

8: if your hailing a taxi and some one is in front of you waiting. dont be a d bag and walk in front of them and take a taxi

9: dont start a fight, they can put you in jail with no questions asked for a very long time.
if you fight with a japanese person, cops will always take their side over you

10: drugs are super no no... i prolly dont have to tell you but, the punishment is very harsh here.

11: if any one offers you a massag on the street, they are a prostitute/hooker, you'll see this alot in roppongi at night

12: try avoid using Shi and useing Yon instead for some things.
just bad luck to use shi, *its word for death*

13: if you go out to buy electronics and stuff at duty free places, bring your passport you will not have to pay taxes

14: alot of people read stuff about Gaijin Smash and gaijin powers, basically saying since you are a Gaijin you can do what you want and not get in trouble for it. dont do any thing like cut in line or just generally jerk moves b.c. you read on outpost nine about this "gaijin Smash" nonsense.
be polite and enjoy the customs

15: when you get use to the train system take a picture of the English Subway line maps, you will see how much it cost to get to certain areas so you dont have to do fair adjustments which is a pain.
also you'l have it on your camera and you can zoom in and know where the transfer spots are.

16: DO NOT just take random pictures of japanese people. i know my japanese friends hate this. They are girls and they hate when Gaijins come and take snapshots of them with out permission or ask them to pose with them.

its pretty pathetic.

cosplayers like the attention so thats okay, but dont go up to any person and just start snapping away, its very rude.

17. do not ask for bootlegged games/ movies in stores
IE system hacks, and things like m3 and r4 for the ds.
Game stores HATE when people ask for these types of things.
trust me i know from experience =P

18. when eating out or buying things, please wait for your change, even if its just 1 yen.

they WILL run after you to give it to you.

its also polite to place the money on the table or plate they present to you instead of their hand. *was told this by my friends mom*

19: if you dont know japanese, please attempt to speak a little.
its just polite, and at least your ATTEMPTING to speak japanese. instad of jus barking orders in another language.

20: pour your friends drinks when you are having Saki or beer or somthing, its just polite.

21.if you cant figure a word out in japanese jus say it like a japanese person would, example Ice Cream - ASUKUREMU
it works very well

thats all for now

i hope this answered some of your questions, but within 6 years alot WILL change

[zenit]

And dot forget one very important thing... most of that about taking pics to people u dont know is rude in most countries, and dont get in front of the line and most of things u need to use common sense.

[RacerX]

I would suggest looking into a homestay program.

[Housetek]

i never liked the idea of homestay

my friends tried it, japanese families have strict rules.

also kinda rude to come home late drunk =P hehe

your gona definately want to party at night

[samokan]

simple : study well and save like hell .

[nippon]

if u go go to harajuku tokyo and then go to bowl-o-rama and tel rei i sai dhi that dude is awesome