anyone been to japan?

[miralas]

i just found out that i should be goin to japan for 3 months. anyone been there? i'm 20, goin solo, very scared. show some pics if u been there and tell where there from!

[dazzlebea]

I spent a few days in Japan in 2006! One of my favorite vacations despite the fact that I had to go with a Chinese travel group (hubby's company trip).

Japan is very green and they plant trees whereever they can, which is very nice.

This shot is from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine & Park, Kamakura
http://UBSeng.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p1012563476-4.jpg

More pics of many places (shrines, Ginza, Odawara castle, national palace,...) between Tokyo and Atami here (http://UBSeng.zenfolio.com/p646605122/)

[Ziffle]

sure ... i spent time in the lower island and the city of Okinawa and Naha (sp?). Around Tokyo and up north by Mount Fuji and Yokota AB. This all in part to Uncle Same and your tax dollars - thank you very much. :cool:

Plus - I travel thru Narita Airport (Tokyo) for work now.

Cool place - Japan. Good food and very nice people, high technology .....
I love the humility and pride the Japanese people have. It helps keep me humble.

Given the exchange rate - Japan is expensive.
Don't be surprised on the room size for hotels - they can be very small.

Have a good trip..... :cool:
Mark

[Shameless Productions]

Good luck man. I'd love to go their one day

[SwingBopper]

I'm living there now. Why are you going? Where will you be living? I think you will have a great time at your age and given where you are from (Montana) you are a cowboy. Don't forget your hat & boots. Western wear is popular over here, especially among the females.

[miralas]

haha more of a ski bum than a cowboy but ive done my fair share as a ranch hand! i will be at yokota AB doing some welding. it was a once in a lifetime deployment for someone in the air national guard so i had to jump on this(hopefully i still get this)! if western wear is what they want maybe i'll have to go in some of my work clothes lol. i'll most likely just stay in something comfortable the whole trip. and already looking at some of the prices for traveling fees to and from some of the mountains, it will be expensive for me.

[heycow]

Japan is easily one of the neatest places I've visited (I don't travel much however). The people and culture are so different in good and bad ways. I was in Tokyo and it was the safest and cleanest place I've ever been.

Not really a "photo spot", but you have to check out Akihabara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara). TONS of gadgets, electronics, etc that will never make it to the US.

My advice is to be adventurous with what you eat, but make sure you FULLY understand what it is before you eat it. :D Also, I think you'd be out of place without a camera strapped to your face. Take photos of everything. :)

Also, be sure you always have a map on you and the name of where you're staying WRITTEN DOWN so you can just show it to a taxi driver (saved my butt a couple times).

[JmprSteve]

I was there a couple of years ago, my mom wanted to visit family and my father was unable to go so I went in his place. If I were in your shoes I'd contact some members in the following thread: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=149388 and let them take you where ever they thought was interesting.
It's a beautiful country and an experience you won't forget.
Don't forget to pack a lot of memory cards! :)

[miralas]

also quick question. even thought the exchange rate is higher, is camera equipment cheaper there than in usa? only have about 3 weeks to get a good kit together!

[SwingBopper]

also quick question. even thought the exchange rate is higher, is camera equipment cheaper there than in usa? only have about 3 weeks to get a good kit together!

I find USA prices are cheaper, in some cases MUCH cheaper. Buy USA. You will be pretty close to Tokyo and you should be able to get in some really nice sightseeing traveling by train if you have the time. Having names written down to show taxi drivers and train-ticket clerks is a good idea. English is widely understood (to a limited level) but rarely spoken except in areas adjacent to military bases and in clubs catering to foreigners. Learn a few basic phrases before you come especially Sumi-masen Nihon-go wakara-nai [sue-mee mah-sen wah-kah-rah-nahee] (sorry or excuse me, I don't understand Japanese language). You will hear and use "sumi-masen" a lot. Japanese will be very helpful if you ask for help anywhere.

[wyntrsnyte]

Never been but I have to say... I. Am. So. Jealous. :lol:

Downtown Tokyo is like Times Square in NY but bigger, I think. Night shots in the heart of the city should make for some killer images. If I were there I would be tempted to jump on a bus and see where it takes me! (Would do some research into where the lines go, though. I'm adventurous but still stay "street smart")

Try not to be scared. I went 3000 miles away from home for 3 months at your age and it was the best time of my life! You MUST post pics when you get back.

[dryfire]

I was just outside of Nagoya for 3 weeks in August 07 (19 at the time), and I loved it. I kind of cheated a little as I spent the first 2 weeks with a friend at another university for a workshop, and we had about 15 students from that uni to guide us around town. All of them were very nice, but some were a bit shy.

There is a bit of a culture difference, but do some reading and you should know what to expect. Food portions were adequate just about everywhere I went. If you drink a lot of soda, be prepared to pay for it :P.

You may get a few weird looks in more rural regions, but almost nothing in Nagoya. The funniest thing was the look on waitresses faces when they saw me walk into the restaurant--that horrified look of "O god, will I need to speak English?"

[showngo]

I am jealous, I have been to Japan twice. Every time I leave I can't wait to go back. It is a really cool place, and I would highly recommend spending some time in Kyoto if you can, very cool.

The great part about Japan is that they love photography, and they will not look at you funny if you have a big camera, they may even come and check out your gear.

Camera gear there really is not cheaper than in the US, but go to BIC Camera if you get a chance (in Tokyo), it has like 3 stories of camera gear, very cool.

Here are some of my pics from when I went. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/showngo/sets/72157602561661866/)

[McBride61]

Went in 2007, I would move in a second if I could find a job lol My advice is to go and travel around as much as possible. Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo were my fav. Things I found odd were not many people spoke English in Tokyo, but everyone spoke a little English in Kyoto(most popular tourist spot). Japanese natives don't really like military, they wont say it or be be rude to your face... Just enjoy and travel around.

[miralas]

i was just told i wasn't going to get the trip. i was pretty upset but i took a 5 day ski trip to kind of numb the pain. regardless, still very bummed. glad to see people love the place though, my best friend has family in Thailand and we had planned to make a trip there but we might have to go to japan instead. unless there's same recommendations for there...lol

[shutterbugcrazy]

I loved those restaurants where you pick your meat and veggies from the coolers around the joint and then take them to your table where you cook them on the little hibachi grill that is in the middle of every table.. Like the person above I lived at yakota AFB located near fussa city, japan thanks to uncle sam

[yugenm]

Definitely check out Nara, it's a beautiful place. Last time I went was a year before I really got into photography, so I don't have any photos to share :p

I loved those restaurants where you pick your meat and veggies from the coolers around the joint and then take them to your table where you cook them on the little hibachi grill that is in the middle of every table.. Like the person above I lived at yakota AFB located near fussa city, japan thanks to uncle sam

Apart from Yakiniku, another fun simple thing is Sukiyaki, where it's a similar deal except you cook meat and veggies in a pot with water, soy sauce, and sugar.