fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3490 ]

[ SECRET POST #3490 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3490 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

__________________________________________________

06.

__________________________________________________

07.

__________________________________________________

08.

__________________________________________________

09.

__________________________________________________

10.

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 52 secrets from Secret Submission Post #499.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 1 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

For someone who had never been on a trip outside of the US or to many big cities, would Japan be too chaotic for a not big traveler?

Japan has big cities, but there are more rural areas too.

The rural areas will not be accessible to foreigners though. They like it that way.

Stop.

In a country that has one of the best public transit systems around? Please. I've been to Japan a couple of times and I was able to access rural areas just fine.

Ah, but clearly those must not be the REAL Japanese rural areas...

If you're not a big traveler then Japan will annihilate you. The culture difference is too vast, and do not underestimate how disorientating it is to not even recognize the alphabet on advisory signs. Take some time to try Europe first, France, Italy, or Germany, where you'll be able to ease into not recognizing what is going on without it being a whole completely different culture with virtually no shared cultural components.

I really don't see why people say Japan has such a "vast" culture difference. It's practically considered the most "Western" country of Asia. It's really not as exotic as all that except maybe if you go very rural. Tokyo is not really that much different from, say, London (I've lived in both).

Language is a big difference. Pretty sure I'd have a harder time in Tokyo than in London.

Sure. But you'll also get that in Italy, or France, or Germany.

(especially Italy, in my experience)

Re: Advice

(Anonymous) - 2016-07-24 21:43 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Advice

(Anonymous) - 2016-07-25 03:23 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Advice

(Anonymous) - 2016-07-25 04:47 (UTC) - Expand

Even if it is the most "western" country in Asia, that's still a relative term. I'm Asian but have lived in the U.S. for most of my life, and I can tell you that going back "home" is a pretty damned foreign experience to me, so I'm pretty sure that it's going to look exotic and have lots of culture shock value for someone who doesn't have my background.

I'm also not sure how you could say that a city where the main language is English is "not really that much different" from a city where the main language is Japanese, including a large portion of the signage.

I have no idea why you would think that of Japan. Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Phillipines are all considerably friendlier to new travelers. One thing I haven't seen anyone in this thread address is the metro system in Tokyo, which is unique in that not only is it vast (I lived in New York for years and was still overwhelmed upon first arrival), it also consists of about a thousand different lines *run by different companies* whereas almost all other metro systems in other cities only have different lines.

STOP.

nayrt but it's sensible advice to consider and I don't see any reason why ayrt should be silenced.

I would actually say Japan - particularly Tokyo - would be one of the EASIEST foreign countries to visit (that isn't English-speaking).

Tokyo is, for one, very safe - especially if you look like a foreigner, the chance of you stumbling into an unsafe situation is extremely low. Tokyo also has some of the best, most convenient, and most logical public transportation you'll find in a big city.

Furthermore, Tokyo is extremely English-friendly. While not many people are GOOD at English, all major signs will be bilingual and there are a lot of people who can at least communicate in basic English, and people are generally very helpful.

That being said, it is a big city, and if you aren't used to big cities, there's definitely a different pace to things. Japan certainly has many lovely rural areas with gorgeous castles and shrines - or you could try a city like Kyoto instead, which is a little more "gentle" than Tokyo (if slightly less English-accessible). But if you don't speak Japanese, you probably want to be more cautious in rural areas because the further you get from the biggest tourist cities, the less English signage and guidance there will be.

The equivalent to Tokyo that I have been to is NYC. I imagine Tokyo is probably much safer and less annoying than that.

I;d probably stick to tourist-y areas (even the more rural ones).

By New York do you just mean Manhattan? I think really think Manhattan is one of the most navigable metropolitan areas in the world. It's tiny and everything's laid out in city blocks. Tokyo? Not so much. When I was looking for my Airbnb last year, the policeman I appealed to for assistance had to consult an address book the size of an old fashioned phonebook and still got nowhere. Ended up following a nice local with Googlemaps on a walking tour. Would you be willing to do the same in my situation?

Also, while the NYC subway system might be huge and gross, you're fine once you grasp the uptown/downtown system. Tokyo has a vast metro system with a thousand lines run by a hundred different companies. Definitely the most complicated systems I've ever encountered, and I've traveled to nearly 20 countries.

I think it will be if you're not used to big cities OR speak Japanese.

The rural areas are beautiful but there is a bit of a language barrier and if you're not used to the big cities, Tokyo will overwhelm you. I spend so much time in and out of NYC, that Tokyo was like a breath of fresh air compared to how smooth everything ran.

That said, if you plan on doing a tour, go for it. Honestly, my recommendation would be to either explore big cities in the US and see how you handle that or do a tour group to Europe. If you want suggestions, feel free to reply. I've been to several countries in Europe and have traveled fairly extensively in the US and spent a summer in Japan.

I've been to NYC and survived so maybe I could survive Tokyo!

how adventurous are you in eating? That's definitely a concern if you have allergies because the Japanese are not the best with this, or if you're a vegetarian that's a major issue if you don't speak Japanese.

Best of luck!

I am not a vegetarian. Not a huge fan of fish though, which could be a problem.

Re: op

shortysc22 - 2016-07-25 00:52 (UTC) - Expand

Re: op

(Anonymous) - 2016-07-25 06:51 (UTC) - Expand

Haha nayrt but having lived as a vegetarian for several years in Japan, I can attest, people have very little concept of vegetarianism. Questions such as "does this have meat in it? I don't eat meat" tends to be interpreted as, "are there big chunks of meat?" and small bits of bacon or meat broth are rarely thought of. My Japan life hack ended up being telling restaurant staff I have a meat allergy.

I've been to NYC, DC, and Dallas. Not sure how much more chaotic Tokyo would be than those? I expect the people can't be any more rude than the people of NYC.

It's not just rudeness, though. Try to imagine navigating NYC except that most of the street signs aren't in English, you cannot understand what people are saying, nor can you make yourself understood easily. Also keep in mind that public etiquette is very different in Japan than it is in the U.S., and if you know nothing about it, you'll be misinterpreting other peoples' actions as well as being unaware of your own mistakes.

I don't wish to discourage you. Traveling in Asia can be a very rich and rewarding experience, but going in blind assuming you'll be fine in a big city in Asia because you've been to NYC is... perhaps a little naive. It's alarming to me because you don't appear to understand that cultural differences make a huge difference and the mental expectations you have might not match up with reality. If you go, I strongly encourage you to read up on guidebooks, watch some documentaries, google tips about Japanese culture, things like that.

Depends on where you go, how comfortable you are in an unfamiliar environment and how much familiarity you have with the language, I'd guess. I haven't been to Japan, but I've traveled internationally and I will say there is a certain amount of challenge to navigating a city where you don't speak the language well. Everything is a little harder, including things you take for granted at home or in a place that uses your native language like checking into a hotel or ordering at a restaurant. That can throw a lot of people and be very stressful.

If it were me, I'd want a little more experience under my belt first. But you have to decide what's best for you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only