Good and Bad everywhere you go!

[smoke]

Hi Guys,

Now i'm sure that everyone here wants to visit Japan (if they haven't already of course!). Personally i would love to go, but there are things that hold me back a little.
Money of course being the main one, who really has enough of it?
Also, where to go being another...to be honest i think Tokyo would be where i would start.
Another thing that would trouble me is offending somebody. i know there are a lot of traditions and cultural beliefs in Japan, and to be honest i'd be petrified of, well basically, p!ssing someone off.
Another would be the language barrier...most places have a basic understanding of english or speak english themselves, so you can get by! But japanese is such a complex language...just looking at little bits on the internet have pretty much baffled me!
There is another thing, and is basically what this post is about (finally, sorry!). Those of us that live in cities (and pretty much anywhere in the world) see things happen around us that are horrible, troubling and sometimes intimidating. Crime, poverty homelessness...all things that day to day we pretty much ignore because we are used to.
Things on our front door step that we glaze over.
These aren't really things we expect to see on holiday.
I visited Boston, MA a couple of years ago, and it was a fantastic city and i felt really at home there. But i did see things that felt slightly intimidating. Things that if i saw here in London i wouldn't have given a second thought. But because i was on 'holiday' i didn't expect it.
Obviously, crime and poverty and everthing else like that exists in every city all over the world...unfortunately that is not something that can be avoided.

I just wanted to ask people that had visited Japan, especially Tokyo, if they had experienced anything that they had found intimidating or un-nerving?
All my observations of Japan are through media so i have no idea what 'real life' is like in Japan.
I imagine that if you got in a difficult situation...the language barrier would make things even more difficult!

Any thoughts please,

Peace

(PS. I am going back to Boston at the end of this year and i can't wait!)

[Shooter452]

IMHO, the Japanese are at least as patient with tourists as are any people that I have ever met. Most of my time was spent on Okinawa, but I have traveled through the mainland and made a couple of "tourist" stops there. If you set your mind to it, you will always find a way to anger the locals, but in Japan you might need to work hard at it.

Best of luck to you, Smoke. Hope your trip to Beantown is a lot of fun.

[iwao]

Japan isn't that complicated you think.
Well, the language isn't easy to learn, but the basics can be done in a few weeks (at least you have to use audio tapes or CD for the pronaunciation or attend a language class)
Tokyo is a lovely megalopolis and its up to you what's interesting - if you are interested in avantgarde architecture Tokyo is the right place. If you look for traditional Japan, check the countryside an the former capitals Kyoto, Nara etc.
Tokyo - in my eyes - is much more western than you can imagine - so you only have to be afraid of the Yamanotesen at the morning rush hour (it's nearly the same like London, just a little bit more crowdy)

[gokarosama]

Learn some Japanese before you go. If you have a large budget and stay in nice hotels in Tokyo or Osaka or some other metropolitan center, you needn't worry about language problems. If you are on a more modest budget, you might have a bit of difficulty, but follow the guidebooks: most, if not all, recommended places are foreigner-friendly.

[smoke]

thanks for your advice guys.
Shooter: I imagined the japanese were tourist friendly (if not 'people friendly' in general) but as all my interpretation of japanese people were from the media, so i was wary of believeing stereotypes. by the way, feel free to call me dumb but what does IMHO mean?
'iwao' also feel free to call me stupid but what is 'Yamanotesen'? and as for morning rush hour...i know all about it, believe me, i'd stay in bed til at least 9.30am!
what is a good time of year to visit...i hear it gets really humid in summer!

[Shooter452]

Sorry...my fault. IMHO is Webspeak for "in my humble opinion." I find myself using these terms without referrence because I always assume that I was the last one to get the word.

[smoke]

Sorry...my fault. IMHO is Webspeak for "in my humble opinion." I find myself using these terms without referrence because I always assume that I was the last one to get the word.

No problem...i think i'm the last one to get web-speak! :souka:

[blade_bltz]

I'm glad you enjoyed coming to Boston! We love it here, and we're always glad to welcome visitors (despite what some people think).