There are a couple things I have to prepare for, before I go
to Japan. First I will need to take a
couple months, before the trip, to indulge myself in as many Japanese speaking
shows, animes and films. Even though I
know a couple words here and there, it’s not enough for a country uses next to
no English. Through the large amounts of
Japanese dramas I’ve watched, Japanese people are extremely polite and
respectful in everyday interactions. To
be able to blend in with crowd, I need to at least know arigato (thank you),
sumimasen (excuse me), konnichiwa (hello), and onegai shimasu (please). These are very much the basic need to know
Japanese words that can get you by in many situations. Another way to be prepared for the language barrier
is to download a translator on my ipad.
These things are speedy and convient (since it’s so light), so we can
take it with us where we are. It’s a
great way to translate what others are telling you, but also to translate what you’re
saying to someone else who may not understand English very well.
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| Some Japanese phrases every Travellor needs to know, from A Geek in Japan (Hector Garcia) |
In the post before I touched on the fact that I’ll need to
bring a good amount of cash on me. The
smartest thing for me to do is to exchange the Canadian amount at Narita
airport, since the exchange is far better in Japan then outside of the
country. Another reason to bring cash,
is that fact that not a lot of places will take my debit or credit card. And while there are some places, like convenience
stores in Tokyo that do, I rather be save then sorry. Although I will bring a card with me in case my
money runs out (hopefully that doesn’t happen!)
The other part of the budget is coupled with accomdation,
airfaire and transportation in the country.
It’s best to buy a ticket between two to three months before the travel
date, and same goes for making reservations for hotels. Thankfully, I know when I would like to go to
Japan, making it easier reserve sports and book plane tickets. The time we would be going is early April,
and this coincides with Cherry Blossom season.
This time is the perfect time to see all the trees all abloom with pink
flowers, and its one of the only times in the year that isn’t coinciding with a
Japenese holiday season or a rainy season.
Cherry blossoms and good weather makes early April a perfect time to
travel around Japan.
The other part of the budget is transportation, which is one
of the most expensive things in Japan.
A good deal instead is to buy a 14 day Japan Rail Pass (45 100 Yen/534 CAD), which is really
beneficial to us due to the long distances we’ll be covering. The pass covers all Japanese Railway trains (JR trains), the shinkansen/bullet train, ferries and local JR buses. The railways are everywhere, and it’s one of
the easiest mode of transportation to get around, so the pass will absolutely be
worth it. The Pass will be apart of the
4000 budget, and (*a reminder to myself*) JR passes can’t be bought in
Japan. Rather it would be better to get
the pass when paying for my plane ticket.
In terms of what to pack, it would be better to pack
light. This is because of the numerous
times we will be hopping on train to another to get to another city. We will have to take our luggage with us each
time, and it won’t be fun to lug around a 50 pound suitcase. Another thing is cell phones, which before visitors
were only able to use a rented Japanese cell phone from the airport, but now
phones with 3G can be used in Japan!
Hopefully in five years, more cell phones can work there. Due to the fact that many hotels offer wi-fi,
I’ll be taking my laptop (or just the Ipad) and with other electronics, we’ll
need to bring a universal plug.
Basically to get by in Japan, or any country for that
matter, we need to learn about its customs and culture to be able to get the
most from that country when we actually visit it. With all of the Japanese themed things we
watch, we 4 girls feel like we already know a lot of the culture. However there is a difference, from virtually
going there through the television then actually going there. No matter how prepared I’ll try to be, there
will still be that culture shock; but at least this preparation will lessen the
shock, and not keep me from floundering.
Next we’ll get into the virtual trip days!! These days will be as detailed as possible, so that one day I'll look back and actually take this trip!
Source: A Geek in Japan by Hector Garcia Buy Here
10:24 PM |
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