Planning to go there in April (for Sakura) for 2 weeks if my boss allow me to take such a long leave... Going to meet some Japanese and Malaysian friends.. Priority is FOOD.. I meant to meet friends.. whoops.. Going to soak up as much as possible. I think I'm including Kyoto into my trip.

I definitely putting pics up, bringing digital camera and digital video cam.. Hours and Hours and Hours of JAPAN..

Language, hmmmm will finish my intermediate japanese by Jan 04 daijobu..

Do i sound like a nut??

me goin there next year..winter
a month
^^
YE prog.
but i wanna go there during next year's march!
hyde's first tour...
sighz...but my dad doesnt let

I heard the stuff there is really expensive... from what I heard, one bowl of ramen costs 9 singapore dollars?! hmm... but maybe that's just in the more urban areas.

I don't think i'll be doing any shopping, probably just doing some sightseeing.

velvet_ice wrote:

I heard the stuff there is really expensive... from what I heard, one bowl of ramen costs 9 singapore dollars?! hmm... but maybe that's just in the more urban areas.

Hehe! Dunno about SG's currency. A ramen bow costs under a 1000 yen which is twice the price of a soba bowl, hehe. Eating isn't that expensive in Japan, just gotta use your head and avoid the fancy restaurants. A teishoku (lunch set) under 1000 yen Bentos around 500 yen and up. A conveyor belt sushi 100-400 yen per plate.

If you into shopping, Winter and Summer are good seasons, sales seasons! HUGE sales everywhere, you even receive extra gifts for buyin specific goods

Btw there's been a similar thread earlier. I've written my Japan experience to it. Actually, the whole thread was weird and unclear, hehe.

Pemu wrote:

Btw there's been a similar thread earlier. I've written my Japan experience to it. Actually, the whole thread was weird and unclear, hehe.

if you remember the link to that thread, can you post here? otherwise i'll keep searchin.

thanks.

I'm going next year, probably around september. My sister's school is going and they're short on male adult so I get to go

I'll be staying with a japanese family so I better start getting serious about learning japanese.

ruroshin wrote:

I'm going next year, probably around september. My sister's school is going and they're short on male adult so I get to go I'll be staying with a japanese family so I better start getting serious about learning japanese.

woohoo!
me too...but i'm goin on dec2004
till jan2005
a month
staying with a jpnese family
wonder how it feels..
a little nervous

hakurey wrote:

if you remember the link to that thread, can you post here? otherwise i'll keep searchin. thanks.

Sure, will look for the thread and post the link to it.

Go there every year (since 1992) for couple of months.
_________________

TAKE ME WITH YOU NEXT TIME!!!!

my friend and i are planning for a trip to japan in dec 2004. currently having a loong break after our A's, therefore gonna work and save up enough for this trip. might sound ridiculous, but yes, we have already started planning.

we've even decided that if we couldnt spare to part with hotel $$, we would stay in our penpal's house for 2 weeks~! which means free lodging la. hahaz..

Japan is a great place. Things are pretty expensive up there though.
When I go to coffee shops, it costs about 800 En for a cup of coffee. And the coffee isn't that big either. Food portions are considerably smaller there considering the size you get here in America. (Maybe that's why Japanese are not heavily obese like Americans)
One thing I hate over there are the crows. (As Hawaii has none) Those little suckers are smart. There have been instances where they go to temples and pick up coins which people drop in for offerings. Then, they fly over to vending machines and insert the hyaku en coins and, viola, snack time. They also lay nuts on train tracks, so that when the train passes by and runs over the nut, it cracks the shell for them. Crows also rip up garbage bags for food, leaving a big mess. Even at my girfriend's house, a crow flew onto her balcony area and ripped open a garbage bag, and attacked her pet bird outside. Those little suckers are pesky I tell ya!

omg! i didnt know those crows are such smart pests.. hahaz

i'm keeping my fingers crossed... i wanna go there nxt yr...
got a fren working for a Japanese company here and he may be sent there for a working trip... hoping i can tag along cos' the lodgings will be free and i'll have pple to bring me around....

lovelessemotion wrote:

TAKE ME WITH YOU NEXT TIME!!!!

We can only take UP TO 70 lbs of cago with us (or is it 30 kg?) If you were to ally mcbeal to that size I might consider it! Besides, if you were that thin, maybe I can use you as a surfboard in Hawaii (man I hope we stop off over there again...)
Hey loveless, BTW did you recieve the stuff i send you about 2 wks ago? Pm me will ya?
_________________

Here's my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/kwan1?ref=profile

xuanie wrote:

omg! i didnt know those crows are such smart pests.. hahaz

Yeah, they even attack witch appentices that flies with brooms. Just ask Kiki...
_________________

Here's my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/kwan1?ref=profile

I would like to hear about wonderful things in Japan.. where did the crows come from .. Anyway i'm already planning to go there in April and I have been given a lot of tips on how to save money on food and transports.. Food, don't go during dinner time, if can wait.. go around 8.30 - 9pm at the 100yen restaurant, they said prices will be slash by half..

For transport, if you can use your bus 11 (your legs) use as much as possible.. My sis just came back from a vacation in Japan too, she said knowing me, I would permanently stay there if possible. Take a guess why??!!! hehehehehe

Is it worth going to Kyoto?? I will be in Tokyo, now transport cost by bullet train is about USD125 a trip to Kyoto.. WOW!!!!! Thank God lodging is free...

Live Long Matsu Takako..... GO GET HER CD.. I think I should get some commission for promoting her album..

samurai_x wrote:

Is it worth going to Kyoto?? I will be in Tokyo, now transport cost by bullet train is about USD125 a trip to Kyoto.. WOW!!!!! Thank God lodging is free...

Definitely worth going to Kyoto. You're not going to get much better traditional Japanese scenery than in the Kyoto area. You should allow at least 3 days in Kyoto if you like to temple hop.

When in Japan, I recommend everyone just keep an open mind about things. You should also be respectful of cultural differences, as it is very easy to judge things from a more Western mentality (for those from the West). Also, eat all the food you can eat! If they serve it to you, eat it first, then ask. =)

If anyone wants a more detailed survey of the best Japanese sites, let me know. Whatever you do, don't just get kooked up in Tokyo. Japan is so much more.

samurai_x wrote:

Is anyone going to Japan next year?? If yes, what are your plans? Or for those who have been to Japan........... SHARE!!!!!

To keep things J-Drama related... After the drama "With Love" was shown in Japan...I had to go to Odaiba, Japan and take a picure with the smaller version of the "Statue of Liberty" in front of the Fuji TV Sankei biru. I figured since I was there in the morning with friends... why not go on the Fuji TV tour. We were there early and I could avoid the lines. Oh....I felt like I was in J-Drama heaven because there were large posters....I mean....large....poster of "Over Time", the "Odoru Daisousassen" (Bayside Shakedown) movie and others hanging around the building area. Then you get to see where the Bistro Smap for SMAPxSMAP is filmed and the other studios within the building, go to the circular area in the middle of the Fuji TV building to look out the Bay and there is a shopping section inside and then to the shopping area where they have merchandise for older drama and merchandise for Fuji TV shows. I think the short tour would be exciting of J-Drama and J-ENT fans but just remember to not chew gum when going inside

A little video of the Statue of Liberty in Odaiba when it was there.

http://www.nt2099.com/test/test.swf

kndy

Went to Tokyo back in September 2003 for a week.Free and Easy.Went there because Northwest is offering very very cheap air tickets. Paid $560 Singaporean dollars on a return air ticket.

Went there for a week. Did a lot research on transportation, accommodation and places of interest before the trip.

If you willbe travelling a lot, it is better to buy Japan Rail Pass. This will cover JR trains, most of the shinkansen except Nozomi. The pass can only be bought in your country not in Japan. There are many types of JR pass- whole of Japan, east of japan, west of japan... . Also it can further divided into the duration that you will be travelling. Four days, five consecutive days,etc.There is an official website on JR Pass and the locations on where you can get your JR pass in your home country.

As for accommodation, I stayed in International youth hostel. Roughly S$50 per night. However you will be locked out if you came back at 11pm. As the security guard will locked the whole building. Therefore if you are staying in youth hostel, it is very important to check out whether there are curfew.

As for shopping, most of the shops are closed at 9pm. However music stores close much later.

As for food, I think the prices are quite okay. If you are on tight budget, the best places to buy bentos,ramen and sushi are train stations, convenient stores or eat at those road sides stores. Prices usually cost below 1000 yen.

Enjoyed my trip. thinking to go Kyoto this year or in 2005.