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Old 2007-02-01, 21:14   Link #221
Ewok
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarkboy View Post
So, I'm going to be coming to Japan for 2 years on a JSPS Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tokyo, Komaba (Researching string theory with the physics department).

So, for 382,000 yen a month, where should I live?
Get onto Chintai (www.chintai.net)

If you can't work it out, drop me a PM

If you are receiving 382,000en/mth and living alone I'd get a nice 1DK/1DLK (1 bedroom, Dining Living and Kitchen), no more than 100,000 a month. Maybe if you get a 70,000en place and get parking (30,000mth) then you can buy a car and get about on weekends and during holidays.

Don't forget Japanese apartments are unfurnished - buying second hand is cheap though.

Oops - Location - You will be around Shinjuku, so Shinjuku-ku, Shibuya-ku, maybe even out towards Roppongi. Expensive areas, but convenient for you. Takadanobaba is alright too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarkboy View Post
I wonder how long it'd really take to find an apartment in tokyo... I'd hope not more than a few weeks.
Month at least. Find a place, check it out, sign the papers, wait for the landlord to prep it. 2 weeks at shortest if you found a room on day one.
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Old 2007-02-01, 22:59   Link #222
kitto-chan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ewok View Post
Get onto Chintai (www.chintai.net)

Oops - Location - You will be around Shinjuku, so Shinjuku-ku, Shibuya-ku, maybe even out towards Roppongi. Expensive areas, but convenient for you. Takadanobaba is alright too.
if you planning on Shinjuku, you won't need a car, that's a major hub for the trains. ie.. that's where they park it at night.
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Old 2007-02-02, 00:12   Link #223
Ewok
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kitto-chan View Post
if you planning on Shinjuku, you won't need a car, that's a major hub for the trains. ie.. that's where they park it at night.
Thats not where they park the trains at night - Higashi-jujo, Oku, Ueno are 3 places I know where trains are stationed overnight.

Shinjuku is a large train station, but it does not have access to Shinkansens (they are 30mins away at Shinagawa), and you can't take a train to everywhere.

What I was getting at is if on weekends and holidays he wants to go out into the country or see something specific it will be of use to him.
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Old 2007-02-02, 03:20   Link #224
Quarkboy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ewok View Post
Thats not where they park the trains at night - Higashi-jujo, Oku, Ueno are 3 places I know where trains are stationed overnight.

Shinjuku is a large train station, but it does not have access to Shinkansens (they are 30mins away at Shinagawa), and you can't take a train to everywhere.

What I was getting at is if on weekends and holidays he wants to go out into the country or see something specific it will be of use to him.
I'm not sure that the expense of keeping a car in Tokyo is worth it if I'm alone. I'm the kind of guy that'd be happy to take local trains around the county. Plus I'm totally scared of driving on the other side of the road.... that'd freak me out!
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Old 2007-02-02, 05:22   Link #225
Navel
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I wonder how did this custom of driving and driver on the right side caught in Japan. I though only England was like that ! ^^

Have a pleasant stay in Japan, Quarkboy !
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Old 2007-02-02, 20:13   Link #226
Gaiarth
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Rather off topic I'm afraid, but you'll find that rather a lot of countries drive on the correct (as opposed to right ) side of the road. Most of them were British colonies, but Japan were on the right tracks themselves before we made up their minds for sure..

Road side stuff

To try and get back on subject:

As for having a car, it might be easier to just rent one on those occasions you feel like going out into the middle of nowhere. No need to worry about parking, and you could pick it up near the area you want to explore rather than drive all the way there as well.
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Old 2007-02-02, 21:22   Link #227
Scifience
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Originally Posted by Gaiarth View Post
As for having a car, it might be easier to just rent one on those occasions you feel like going out into the middle of nowhere. No need to worry about parking, and you could pick it up near the area you want to explore rather than drive all the way there as well.
I agree fully with this. You really don't want to mess with a car unless you have to - the constant and expensive inspections, the parking charges, the high cost of gas (at least if you are coming from America), and the fact that, if you are living in a major urban area, you don't need one, are all reasons not to get a car.

You'd be much better off just renting if you decide you need one. Of course, you'll still have to go to the trouble of getting a driver's license, which isn't an especially fun and easy process in Japan.
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Old 2007-02-03, 14:44   Link #228
Gaiarth
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Well, as a stop-gap measure an international driving permit would be acceptable and valid for a year. After that you would need to take a test though. The UK is one of those countries that has an agreement meaning that you can get a Japanese license with only minimal work. The US, unfortunately, isn't and you'll need to pass a full test.
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Old 2007-02-03, 22:23   Link #229
Vexx
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But again.. there's very few places in Japan that lack public transportation so the expense of leasing/renting, driving, and finding somewhere to put it become questionable. I never use a car in San Francisco or New York and as little as possible in other cities (Portland, OR - Vancouver, BC, Victoria, etc) and avoid it in Europe so in a country like Japan with such an extensive public system I'm not really sure why one would need one. Cars are really a pain in the ass in some places.

Part of exploring and visiting a country is to see and experience how the locals live - not bunk up in a HoJo's, spend all your time looking for McDs/Pizza, and driving everywhere alone in a car.
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Old 2007-02-05, 23:10   Link #230
Ewok
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There are many places where I would say having a car is almost essential if you want to explore - Tokyo is not really one of them, but if you have the time and money I recommend it purely for the fact that 90% of the interesting, non-tourist-trap locations are far from stations, and trains don't run 24hours a day.
(Those teaching English, or on wages below 4mil/yr should not even bother).

Saying that the trains and buses will get you to just about anywhere you need to go.
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Old 2007-02-28, 23:29   Link #231
retardation
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i have some questions. sorry i haven't read the entire thread so i don't know if these have already been addressed:

1. how good of a vacation is going to japan all by yourself. i've never traveled anywhere alone before but i really would like to visit japan and don't know anyone who wants to go with me/can afford it. is it easy to say make travel friends with random people or anything like that. one guy i know told me that people are really friendly but then another japanese-canadian friend of mine said that most people are actually annoyed by foreigners and are just being polite. is it easy to make friends with other tourists... any situation i could put myself in to make friends with other tourists?

2. is there anything especially bad about being of east indian origin? i hear that blacks and whites get looked up to and other east asians like filipinos are looked down upon so where do indian guys fit?

3. what you think about the strategy of booking a known/major hotel for 2-3 days before i go and then trying to find a hostel/cheap hotel for the remainder of my trip? note: i don't speak japanese.
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Old 2007-03-01, 05:11   Link #232
Gaiarth
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The first time I visited Japan was by myself. I had fun, but it can also be a bit overwhelming if you have nobody to share the experience with. Especially if you have little or no Japanese.

If you stick to places like Tokyo and Kyoto you'll have no trouble just surviving and seeing the sights. As for making friends with other tourists, it really just depends on who you meet. Most places I've stayed where there have been other tourists we've at least chatted; you have the shared thing of being outsiders so it's easy to start a conversation just by asking where they have been/planning to go. A couple of times I've gone on with some to visit places, and once on an all-night bender in Roppongi. (Which was interesting, but not something I'd do more than once...)

As for the Japanese, it really depends on the person. Some of them may just be acting polite, some really are friendly. I've had some nice chats with Japanese on long train journies and such, been taken for a drink completely at random by some old guy in Kagoshima who wanted to chat about the time he'd spent in England. On the whole, I'd say I've had more positive experiences than negative.

As for where to stay, you can do it quite easily the way you suggested. But if you know where you plan on going and how long you plan to stay in each place, it can be much simpler to book all your accomodation in advance. I always recommend the Japanese Inn Group to people who are visiting for their first time. http://www.jpinn.com The ones I have stayed at have all been very friendly, they are geared towards foreign visitors and you get a taste of sleeping on a futon in a tatami room.

One other place I would recommend in Tokyo is the Kimi Ryokan. http://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/ They are very popular amongst foreign visitors, located quite handily near a major station, reasonablt priced and very easy-going in their rules. Because it is so popular, and because you have no TV in your room and people tend to congregate in the lounge area, it is also a good place to meet other tourists.


Afraid can't be of any help at all with the second question...
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Old 2007-03-11, 21:42   Link #233
Shiokaze
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I am visiting Japan this summer with my school exchange program. I will be staying with a host family and I was wondering what would be a good gift for them? Some gift I could probably give to the family as a whole. I don't know if there is a daughter or son in the family yet, so I don't know what I should bring for them. I was thinking something America themed, however, even that is hard. I don't know... hmm maybe some baseball caps?
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Old 2007-03-12, 02:14   Link #234
Syaoran
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They know baseball very well in Japan. I'd look for something different

No idea what would be a typical American product. Don't you've some traditional/artisanal stuff? For Belgians it's easy: chocolates. We know they're fond of it
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Old 2007-03-12, 02:56   Link #235
Vexx
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Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
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From the US, I'm afraid hotdogs or lawyers don't store well in backpacks

Wine is a big fad there... wine from oregon or some unusual place in the US might be a hit (e.g. Texas wine) ... but then you're probably not 21+.... (also not sure what you can actually import so check customs rules)

The chocolate idea isn't bad as there are some excellent "micro-brew" chocolatemakers in America.

The more you find out about your host family the better, but you might look for something that your home town or region is known for ...
that would be an icebreaking measure as they will be curious about your home area. Obviously you'll have to decide how much to spend, but something that implies thoughtfulness and uniqueness rather than a "gift card" is the direction you want to go here...

The more I think about it, the harder it gets.... mostly food items come to mind and they're either hard to transport or possibly against the rules. Here in Oregon, we have a store called "Made in Oregon" that sells locally made items, perfect for such a situation. Your state may have something like that.
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Old 2007-03-12, 09:42   Link #236
poptart
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shiokaze View Post
I am visiting Japan this summer with my school exchange program. I will be staying with a host family and I was wondering what would be a good gift for them? Some gift I could probably give to the family as a whole. I don't know if there is a daughter or son in the family yet, so I don't know what I should bring for them. I was thinking something America themed, however, even that is hard. I don't know... hmm maybe some baseball caps?
for something about where you are from, maybe this could help.

for christmas me and my roommate got each other photo books of our home towns. we were both from big cities so it was pretty cool. i'm from chicago so there were tons of books with some awesome photos taken by some of the worlds best photographers. she was from boston and i was suprised by how beautiful some of those old buildings are.

so maybe like a book on architecture or famous spots. so that way they could literally see where you're from and it a cool ice breaker.
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Old 2007-03-14, 22:00   Link #237
silverwolf
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Well iv been in japan and honestly speaking i didnt like it its crowed the dudes over their are all perverted (and i a dude btw)theirs panty machines that the dudes go to.This is stupid but i shall say it non the least in the train i took, (its F ing expensive btw) i saw a dude going in sum girl skirt the weird part was she didnt scream or anything im not bull sh ing u! + the takeout is so expensive the hotels are expensive ...

well if I may, if u want to travel the world take a look at ROME its so beautiful and the landmarks too and its like u feel that u are always welcome everywhere u go

anyway this is my experience in those countries maybe u will have it totally different from me
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Old 2007-03-16, 20:07   Link #238
sorvani
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I've been to japan two times and my third trip starts on Thursday.

I can not say I have had those kind of problems. Staying in Tokyo is no more or less expensive than staying in New York City.
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Old 2007-03-20, 03:24   Link #239
Ewok
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Quote:
Originally Posted by silverwolf View Post
theirs panty machines that the dudes go to
I'm not going to correct your hideous grammar, but there are no more used panty vending machines in Japan. Zero. Zilch.

Quote:
i saw a dude going in sum girl skirt the weird part was she didnt scream or anything im not bull sh ing u!
Oh no! And if they were a couple? Or married? Hmmm?

Quote:
+ the takeout is so expensive
Matter of opinion. Average meal price is 600-1200 yen - thats $5-11.

Quote:
the hotels are expensive ...
~$80 for a twin share per night at the cheaper end (queenbed, ensuit)
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Old 2007-03-20, 04:29   Link #240
Syaoran
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Lol Silverwolf... where have you been hanging around in Japan XD
And Italy is certainly not cheap either O.o
Move your ass the to the Dolomites and your money will melt away as well.
Japan isn't that expensive when don't spent money on the first thing you see. The only really expensive things were the flight tickets.
You get a good meal for around 5€ where in my country you'll easily pay 10-15 € and that doesn't include the drinks you get for free in Japan and as much as you want: water or tea
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