I'm going to Japan!

kagamiwaseda

Hey Ben! I'm a big fan, and I've been living in Japan for the past five years, so it'd be awesome if I could have the chance to meet up with you and other Easy Allies fans while you're here!

As far as recommendations go, it definitely depends on what you want to see. But if you're an otaku like me, I could definitely come up with a huge list of places that you might like, haha

Anyways, I can't wait to hear more from you! As far as getting in contact goes, I think twitter might be the best way? My twitter handle is @kagamiwaseda. Also, if you have LINE, my user ID there is hiiragikagami77.

kagamiwaseda

@Lotias Obviously that depends on where you're flying from! From the west coast of the US, I think you can expect around $1000 or so.

Sieghardt

Stuff you could consider doing:

Go to a classic SEGA arcade or a joypolis if possible, there's one in odaiba last time I looked and the life size gundam is there too

If you want to go to a maid cafe, go to a tsundere cafe, they insult you and treat you like crap, it's hilarious

Visit a shrine, they're beautiful places even completely non religious people can enjoy

Tearju Engi

Odaiba is a great place to visit. You can get there by a waterbuss that is futuristic looking or by the Train that is quite nice.
It has Joypolis(SEGA Arcade place and has Initial D playable in car!!!) and the mall next to it or in that place has a ramen area that has ramen style from different areas.Near there is DiverCity that has that big Gundam beside it.

Nakano Shopping District might be familiar from Digimonstory: Cybersleuth and that place has a good selection of reasonable prised stuffs if Akibahara is too pricey for you.
Akihabara also have arcades and I recommend trying to find a game where you bash the table and flip it in the end and other awesome arcade games. Also pachinko but those areas are quite smoke filled.

You can go to the sightseeing floor in Government Building free of charge and Square Enix Cafe is quite a nice place but getting there might take too much time if you don't know where it is.
Tokyo Sky Tree is a good place to see the city but to get on the upper point costs extra. Ueno Park is great and has multiple museums near each other.

Foods I recommend are: Gyoza, ramen, okonomiyaki, omurice(omelette with a rice within), curry, crepé(there are lots of selections), katsudon sandwitch,
yakitori and they sell bento(boxed lunch) that heats themselves by pulling a string and giving it few minutes to warm up in Tokyo Station.
Beware that flavor is quite strong and accomodates the ingredients if you are not used to it and they give miso soup as an extra in the morning at some places.
Also. Many places have food ticket machine outside of the restaurant that you buy before going in (no english usually though but some have pictures and you can always check the display if you want certain food in there).
Displayed food looks so real and can be helpful.

Always have cash with you and it's OK to have part of them as dollars in case you don't use all the money and currency exchange is easy in big stations.
Learn the value of the money by hearing(1-9, jyu=10, hyaku=100, sen=1000 and man=10000) and you can rate them nearly as 1 yen=1 cent.
Depending the duration of your trip, focus only on one or two areas for a day unless there was nothing there and some places are good only during certain times.
Shops closes early and they play the song when they close it, so waking up early and going early to sleep is good unless you want to hit the bar or hostess club.
Avoid rush hours when using public transportations. They can get really packed. Buss is cheap but only use them if you know the destination exactly.

Don't bring useless things that hotel provides like a towel, tootbrush and other stuffs.
I recommend having a japanese language app on your phone if you need to ask something specific.
Explore and let your instinct take the lead sometimes.
And lastly. Remember to promote your group by wearing an Easy Allies shirt.
And if you meet an ally please take a photo in those special booths found in arcades or other places.Would love to see it.

Silverogre

I'm so happy for you, Ben.

Have a safe trip and soak in what you can; however, don't stress if you can't do everything. This is not necessarily a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Olf_Himself

Crane Games in Akihabara has really cool stuff but if you're going to try them don't make the same mistake as me. You literally can't lift anything with the claws, they're designed so you have to push the items instead so they fall into the hole.

TheHashtag0nist

I just realized that I was in Japan 17 years ago and that none of my advice would be remotely useful

Yoyogi Park is probably still hilarious though.

Also, go eat where the locals eat

Olf_Himself

@TheHashtag0nist said in I'm going to Japan!:

Also, go eat where the locals eat

Chikara Meshi in Ningyochou was my favorite restaurant when I was in Japan last year and that was just a regular diner where regular folks came to eat. Walking distance from Akihabara so it's not difficult to find.

Oscillator

I hope to go to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and visit the Nintendo theme park when it opens then as well. Other, already existing places that I also have my eye on:

Ritsurin Garden
Himeji Castle
Nintendo's headquarters + new R&D building
Various historic villages
Shinjuku business district
Tokyo Metro :astonished:

And it very likely won't still be around in 2020, but if you get the chance, the Kirby Cafe! ^_^

tokeeffe9

@Lotias If you honestly wanted to go North to South, I'd say give yourself at least a month. I covered most of the south as far as (between Hiroshima to Tokyo) in 2 weeks and I could have totally done with more time in places like Kobe and Nara so definitely a month.

matt

I don't know too much about Japan. But my wife is Japanese and I've been there twice with her. I was there recently this summer and here are a few things I enjoyed and my personal tips. I'm not even going to list the obvious (sushi, izakaya, ramen, etc.).

Ate at Shibuya Niku Yokocho (more info http://tokyoing.net/shibuya-niku-yokocho/)
This was like a food court that took place on a couple of floors. It's pretty much all BBQ restaurants and they all coexist and just blend together. So you can hop from vendor to vendor. We met up with a friend there and enjoyed some apps and drinks at one spot then moved on to grilled meat and drinks at another.
My most used phrases and how I pronounced them. Not sure how authentic but people understood what I was saying. Pardon my poor or ignorant pronunciations =P
Yes - Hai (HAI!)
Please (yes, please) - onegaishimasu (oh-nay-GUY SHE-mahs)
No - Iie (E-yet)
Excuse me - Suimasen ( soo-E ma-SEN)
Thank you - Arigato (ah-DEE GOT-toe) or Domo
Thank you (more polite) - Arigatou gozaimasu (ah-DEE-GOT-toe o-ZY-E-mahs)
This, please. - (I used this to purchase items or menu items when paired with pointing.) - Kore, onegaishimasu (cor-ET oh-nay-GUY SHE-mahs)
Please (Please, after you; Please, I insist) - Dozo (DO-zo)
I'm, fine/ok. (I used this as a polite no) - Daijoubou (DYE-jo-boo)
Check out all of the Japanese food. Check out the convenience stores and get yourself a nikuman (steam bun). Even 7-11 has them! Also, check out Japanese versions of other cuisines. That's interesting and different as well. The last time I was there I had taco meat, cheese and a fried egg on rice that was not Mexican, nor Tex-Mex. Japanese Italian is a thing as well.

If you manage to find a thrift store. Check out the electronics. I've found games may be region locked but most accessories are not. I found a really nice Book Off Super Bazaar and they had cheap electronics and games. I don't think the people there care about it as much as we do. I picked up an OG Gameboy for $1, dreamcast VMUs, light guns, Taiko drums, various controllers.

Just take it all in. The culture shock is great. Enjoy all of the little things. The wet naps, vending machine coffee, public toilets, convenience/grocery stores, etc.

I'm excited for you Ben. Hope you have a blast!

Abdul M

Really pleased for you. Couldn't imagine a better representative to send to Japan. Can't wait to hear the many stories you come back with

Armitaco

Hi Ben!

I haven't really posted on here but I'm a big fan of you guys and watch most of your videos.

I'm studying in a city near Osaka for the next year.

I'm not sure if you plan on travelling around much while you're here, but if you are going anywhere within a few hours of Osaka, or Osaka itself I would love the chance to meet you.

Cheers!

Cole

Lotias

@tokeeffe9 Interesting! yeah Im just thinking of the terms and living cost. having a month would prolly be quite expensive, but I guess if I save enough? haha

marcatalyst

Hey Ben,
Here are some day to day tips for japan.

if you dont already have these get google maps and google translate for you phone.
Google translate app will allow you to take photos japanese text it will scan the txt and translate to broken english.
Google maps is your best friend, it will show you what train you need to get onto and how many stops until you get off.

If you want to buy something e.g food i would take a photo of it and show them and say 'Kore Kudasai' (this please).

Get a JR card (suica card i think the name is) that you can just load heaps of money onto and you can catch any public transport all around japan.
image of the card ( http://youinjapan.net/moving/foto/suica.jpg )

Below is a dump of my phones note pad i used for day to day terms

Suminasen
すみません
Excuse me/sorry

Do you speak English
えいごははなせますか
Eigo ha hanasemasu ka

Doko
どこ
Where

Kore
これ
This

Kudasai
ください
Please

Wakarimasen
わかりません
I DONT understand

I understand
わかりました
Wakarimashita

Sorry I don't speak Japanese very well
すみなせんにほんごわかりません
Sumimasen nihongo wakarimasen

Okane
おかね
Money

Motto
もっと
More

Kurin
くりん
Less

Ohari kudasai
おはりください
Please come in

Im sorry
ごめんなさい
Gomen nasai

No
iie
いいえ

Where is the station
えきわどこですか
Eki wa doko desu ka

Please treat me well/ nice to meet you
よろしくおねがいします
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu

How much is this
これわいくらでsか
Kore wa ikura des ka

Ticket
ちけっと
Chiketto

One please
いちまいください
Ichi Mai kudasai

Goodnight
おやすみなさい
Oyasumi nasai

How old are you
なんさいですか
Nan sai desu ka

After you
どぞ
Dozo

See you soon
Ja mata

Thanks. Hello. Goodbye
Domo
どうも

How are you
おげんきですか？
Ogenki desu ka

Hai genki desu anata wa
I am fine and you

What is this?
これわなですか
Kore wa na desu ka

Good evening
こんばわ
Konbanwa

Good after noon
Konnichiwa
きんいちわ

What's your name
おなまえわですか
O namae wa desuka

Water please
むざおねがいします
Muzu onegaishimasu

Help
たすけてください
Tasukete kudasai

Goodbye
さよなら
Sayonara

Today
きょう
Kyou

Tomorrow
Asu
あす

Next week
Raishuu
らいしゅう

Before you eat
いたたきまっ
Itatakimas

After you eat
ぎちそさまでっだ
Gochisosamadeshda

Power adapter
でんげんあだぷた
Dengen adaputa
電源アダプタ

Hope you have a great trip.

Carmichael

This is awesome Ben. I hope you have a ton of fun in Japan, I hope I get to go myself one day.

Japesland

Messaged you on Twitter and a friend told me that there was a thread here on the forum. I live in Nerima, about 45 minutes from Akihabara, about 15 minutes from the Tokyo Metro Government building. Hope we get to meet up!

BenMoore

I'm sorry I haven't been replying to this thread! The trip has been very hectic (and also wonderful). I'll have some big updates in the next couple of days if time allows. Thank you so much for the advice! It's very informative and I'm taking as many notes as I can. L&R

kagamiwaseda

@BenMoore Haha, no problem! Definitely savor every moment of the trip while you can. And yeah, definitely keep us updated on what your plans are if you've got the time!

naltmank

@BenMoore Congrats on surviving your first 24 hours! This trip is all about you, man, so do what you need to do!