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I'm going to Japan!

Vipera Magnifica

Vipera Magnifica

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This December, on the way back from visiting relatives in Australia, I will be flying into Tokyo and staying there for five days! I've always wanted to go to Japan, so this is pretty awesome!

I want to do as much as I can in those five days, so please tell me TCoD... what are the must-go-to attractions in Tokyo?

I am trying to learn a bit of the language before I go there, too. I don't want to be totally lost, haha.
 
Zero Moment said:
Since this is TCoD, I'm gonna have to suggest one of the Pokemon Centers.
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This is definitely true! I've been to the Pokemon Center in Tokyo and I think it's worth a visit, even if you don't want to buy anything. There's probably going to be a lot of kids and teenagers there, though, and the staff don't speak much English from what I remember. But since you'll be there in December, there'll probably be some Christmas-themed apparel, stationery, and decorations, though, which could be cool.

If you're a fan of TWEWY, you could check out Shibuya, I guess? I'm not that well-versed in Tokyo tourist destinations, but you still have three months before your trip so you could skim a travel guide or something to see what you really want to do. Other than that, maybe check out the travel tips in Negrek's thread about a similar topic? Many of them might not be applicable, though, since you're visiting Japan in the winter - speaking of which, it's usually around 40-50 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the daytime, so make sure to bring layers, and an adaptor plug so you can charge/use electronics while you're there.

I also speak a small amount of Japanese, so if you want to practice basic phrases or something you could talk to me, I guess? There's probably someone on this forum who speaks it more fluently, though, and iirc pretty much everyone you'll interact with as a tourist speaks some English (and if you look obviously like a foreigner most people will also try to start with English rather than Japanese.)
 
If you can spare a day, go to Nikko. Tokugawa's tomb is my favourite place in Japan.

In Tokyo, I recommend Meiji-jingu - start in Shibuya and make your way up to it, I would say. It's also right next to Harajuku if you like that sort of thing. I also highly recommend the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills, which has the benefit of being on the 52nd floor of Mori Tower so you also get the city view.

Where will you be staying? What sort of things are you into? Historical sites, shopping, etc? (Are you vegetarian? :P) PM me if you like and I can recommend more things!
 
So it turns out I'm actually going to be in Japan for eight days, rather than five. Now I'll have more of a chance to explore other cities and parts of Japan! So if anyone has suggestions not pertaining to Tokyo, I'd love to hear those as well.

Altissimo said:
u already know what i think but

get me souvenirs fucker
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Wailord plushies for everyone

Zero Moment said:
Since this is TCoD, I'm gonna have to suggest one of the Pokemon Centers.
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Believe me, it's pretty high on my priorities.

Keldeo said:
I also speak a small amount of Japanese, so if you want to practice basic phrases or something you could talk to me, I guess? There's probably someone on this forum who speaks it more fluently, though, and iirc pretty much everyone you'll interact with as a tourist speaks some English (and if you look obviously like a foreigner most people will also try to start with English rather than Japanese.)
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Thanks! I'm using Rosetta Stone to learn Japanese, and it's quite helpful. I don't know much Kanji though, and I'm guessing that will be pretty difficult to learn. How far can I get just knowing Hiragana and some basic Kanji?

opaltiger said:
If you can spare a day, go to Nikko. Tokugawa's tomb is my favourite place in Japan.

In Tokyo, I recommend Meiji-jingu - start in Shibuya and make your way up to it, I would say. It's also right next to Harajuku if you like that sort of thing. I also highly recommend the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills, which has the benefit of being on the 52nd floor of Mori Tower so you also get the city view.

Where will you be staying? What sort of things are you into? Historical sites, shopping, etc? (Are you vegetarian? :P) PM me if you like and I can recommend more things!
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I was hoping you'd see this thread.

We haven't chosen a place to stay yet. I'm interested in quite a few things. Food is definitely one of them. If you have a favorite cafe or bar that has good food but isn't too expensive, I'd like to hear about it.

I'm also interested in shopping around in Akihabara. I could easily spend a whole day there, maybe more. Going to gardens, temples, and historical sites is something that sounds pretty interesting and is also something my mother would be interested in, so I'll plan to go to some of those.

I also think it would be pretty neat to go to a hot spring, especially given the weather in December. That's not more of a Hokkaido thing, is it? I'd like to go to a hot spring that is outdoors, and surrounded by trees and "traditional" Japanese buildings. I'm all about that aesthetic.
 
I guess I should just bump this thread, because pretty soon I will be starting a six-month internship in Tokyo. That's right, I'm going to be in Tokyo for SIX WHOLE MONTHS, living and working in Meguro. This could be as early as March, if I can get my visa processed in time. I'll be working in the HR department of a company that makes bar codes, rfid chips, and other information technology. The HR director is a friend of a friend of someone I worked with before, so while I was in Japan in December he scheduled an interview with me, and that's how I've now got this internship.

Thanks for all the suggestions the first time around! I really, really enjoyed my trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. I managed to do/see a LOT in eight days, thanks to opaltiger and everyone else who helped me plan it out. This time I'll be sure to see anything I didn't get a chance to see before (like cherry blossoms akasjdlfjasl;f) but if anyone has some tips on how to not die while living in an apartment in the largest city in the world for half a year, I'd love to hear them.

For the record, my Japanese is still... extremely basic. I know Hiragana and Katakana, I recognize a few Kanji, and I can speak a few basic phrases. But for the most part, I can't speak Japanese. So this could be an interesting experience indeed. Either way, I'm super excited about it!
 
Congratulations! I hope you have a good time working there. (Now you can describe yourself as VM from HR, I guess!)
 
buy me more shit HAVE FUN MAN i already knew but still, that's gonna be friggin awesome, have a good time!!!!
 
That sounds incredible. Enjoy yourself!

And seeing as you'll be in the Asia-Pacific region, if you have spare time and money at any point, you could stop over here and spend a week or so in Malaysia :P
 
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