Anonymous wrote:i enjoyed kyoto and osaka a lot more than tokyo - but different strokes. kyoto is really beautiful place i could probably spend awhile there. definitely eat a lot of ramen and drink a lot of sake and whiskey

CosmicFlower wrote:I think of myself as a nerd, and because of this, I have much love for Akihabara with all its electronics, anime, and otaku culture. I may have dressed as an Anime character in one of my visits, but I can’t remember! Make sure you also go see Harajuku, a stylish area famous for its unique street fashion. Yet, walking beside the Meguro River when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom is my most memorable experience.

Anonymous wrote:Do be careful if traveling alone as a woman in rural Japan. That was still not super recommended. Japan is so safe that that came as a shock and I think it’s unfair but there had been a couple of cases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are traveling to Japan in March without the kids. We will be staying in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kawaguchiko. This is my first time traveling to that side of the world and I'm both excited and nervous. Can you tell me about the best/worst aspects of your trips to these places? Any other general tips?

Japan is wonderful. The people are friendly. The food is great and it has a great deal of natural beauty. You will have a great trip. Just expect some moments where you feel off balance.

The culture shock is a completely different level if you are used to travel in Western Europe. There is a learning curve to use their trains/subways. Expect it to be a bit bewildering at times. English is also not nearly as widely spoken as in the west. (But there are plenty of English speakers in Tokyo and Kyoto)







They

Are you kidding? The trains are INCREDIBLY easy to use in Japan. They're so logical and easy to understand.

NP

They are easy once you get the hang of it, but, for instance, the Tokyo subway map is huge. It can be overwhelming at first. Especially when the crowds of riders come sweeping past you as you’re trying to figure it all out.

Japan is one of my favorite countries in the world. The worst thing that ever happened to me there during about 6 or 7 total visits, was when a man pinched my rear end one time in a department store. But even then, I was more bemused than anything. Groping is a thing though, and that’s why there are female-only train cars. But even with that said, I always marveled at how safe it felt there. People would trip over themselves to return a stuffy or baby toy that would fall out of the stroller. Or anything else you might drop!

Are you 60+ years old?

Google maps works everywhere in Japan. Tokyo had the easiest subway system in the world. You just find you color line and figure out which letter and number you're going towards. That's it.

Oh you mean I need the red line for stop A15 or whatever. Ok, follow the sign for the red line where the numbers go up if I'm at red A02.


Come on now, it isn't Astro physics. Doesn't matter how big the system is. Use Google maps.

NP. I’ve traveled a lot and routinely use subway systems abroad (as well as in NYC, where I live). I agree with the PP who said the Tokyo subway system can be overwhelming, even with Google Maps. There are English translations, but obviously Japanese is the primary language on the maps/announcements/signage, there are different entrances and tokens depending on which line you’re going to, and some lines are operated by different companies so you need a different type of ticket. And foreign credit cards aren’t accepted at the ticket booths so you have to use cash. It is doable and learnable of course, but I’ve never been so confused on a transportation system as I was on my first few days in Tokyo.

That said, Japan itself is amazing. I loved it.

It is not overwhelming. All the machines have English translations. You don't need to know the Japanese names of the stops, because they all are numbered with Roman letters and a number plus color. It's so, soooo easy. Exits are easy, Google maps will tell you which exit to take. You just follow the yellow signs with the exit number to get to the street you want.

Not hard. You all sound like Americans not used to major city public transportation. Tokyo is even easier than NYC.

Wow you’re really triggered by anyone expressing their feelings and experiences from navigating the largest city in the world. And you just sound insufferable. You have zero idea of where anyone on this forum has lived/visited. Seriously, this is DCUM. A lot of people travel a lot and to many places. But it’s clearly very important for you to think you’re just a superior traveler and the rest of us are just peasants!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do be careful if traveling alone as a woman in rural Japan. That was still not super recommended. Japan is so safe that that came as a shock and I think it’s unfair but there had been a couple of cases.

Yes, it does happen. I recall an incident about a local man that killed a young woman and stuffed her body in a cave. It was picked up by the foreign news because the victim was white. Typically Japan is good at keeping it out of public eyes. Big reason: 8-10% of tourism contributes to their GDP.

Anonymous wrote:One thing that was shocking to see was how some businessmen read pornographic manga openly on the train. They don't bother hiding it and it's all for the world to see.