Visiting Japan

[Azuma Denton]

Originally Posted by fsior

Was wondering if anyone could tell me how difficult it is to get a visa to visit Japan? I've always wanted to goto Japan ever since I was a little boy. I fell in love with the culture from my 4th grade teacher's assistant who was a foriegn exchange student from Japan. Anyways off point, I have to say I've had a bumpy past, made mistakes, but have changed my life around. I don't want to give up on this dream that I have held in my heart since I was a child. Would a record shatter that?

The standard one:
1. Submit a copy of your plane/ship ticket...
2. Submit a copy of your hotel reservation...
3. Write a general plan of your visiting town...
4. Submit three month copy of your bank account (in my country, you need at least Rp. 30million)
5. A copy of your passport


And may i know what record of that? Is that a heavy crime??
You may have to consult with Japan embassy in your country to find out the answer...

Be careful when submitting though...
If it is rejected, you can not apply for VISA for another 6 months...
So it is a waste for your travel ticket...

[Nerroth]

Originally Posted by TAN00KI

May I recommend a place in Japan?

Please Visit Aomori... It is beautiful and the apples are delicious. It is also home to the tsugaru-style of shamisen ^^

Aomori also has the Sannai-Maruyama site; one of the most prominent Jomon-era archaeological sites in the country.

(Has anyone here been to see it?)

[sneaker]

Originally Posted by Azuma Denton

The standard one:
1. Submit a copy of your plane/ship ticket...
2. Submit a copy of your hotel reservation...
3. Write a general plan of your visiting town...
4. Submit three month copy of your bank account (in my country, you need at least Rp. 30million)
5. A copy of your passport


And may i know what record of that? Is that a heavy crime??
You may have to consult with Japan embassy in your country to find out the answer...

Be careful when submitting though...
If it is rejected, you can not apply for VISA for another 6 months...
So it is a waste for your travel ticket...

He's from one of those countries where you don't have to apply for a tourist visa.

[Solafighter]

If you are from europe or other listed countries, you have an easy life, visiting Japan legaly for 90 days. I actually wonder, if you leave Japan on the 89th day and then fly into it 2 days later. Can you then stay another 90 days?..

[fsior]

Yes I am a US resident. Thanks for the info everyone. Trying to plan this out, cause for me this is like a spiritual journey for me. =)

[Yu Ominae]

Canadians don't need a visa for 6 months if you're just visiting/having a holiday.

But if you're there to study, that's another story.

[Azuma Denton]

@fsior
receive ur message and done some googling...
you can find more information here...
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1148.html

hope this help, and hope you can visit Japan soon...
it is worthy to visit Japan...

[word sux]

I am thinking about going back to school for TESL (teach english as a second language) so I can travel around asia and africa. Seems like there are jobs for those with this sort of degree in japan.

[andyjay729]

I'm finally gonna make that trip with a guided tour. Unfortunately my previous choices had indefinitely postponed their Japan tours, so I searched around and found these British-based guys.

I'll be going in the last week of October and first week of November, since that's supposed to be the nicest time to visit climate-wise.

[KyriaL]

Traveling in Japan without following a tour or knowing much of the language can be very tricky, but it is possible. I have known of people who have done it and enjoyed it immensely, mostly through a little bit of luck, and passion on their side.

[Autumn Demon]

I will be in Sapporo for 2 months starting next week, but before that I have a 20 hour layover in Osaka. Anyone know any cheap net cafes I could spend the night at, or capsule hotels in Osaka?

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

I'm finally gonna make that trip with a guided tour. Unfortunately my previous choices had indefinitely postponed their Japan tours, so I searched around and found these British-based guys.

I'll be going in the last week of October and first week of November, since that's supposed to be the nicest time to visit climate-wise.

Depending on where you are, that period is a great time for koyo viewing. See my pictures from my holidays a few years back.

I find Japan an incredibly easy place to travel solo, though that may be because I understand many of the kanji signs. Safety is rarely an issue, though there are, of course, places that you should avoid. That said, guided tours may help you learn much more about places of interest. Enjoy yourself.

[LeoXiao]

Originally Posted by Autumn Demon

I will be in Sapporo for 2 months starting next week, but before that I have a 20 hour layover in Osaka. Anyone know any cheap net cafes I could spend the night at, or capsule hotels in Osaka?

Gahh I'm really jealous. I've been told great things about Hokkaido in general.

Just stay in the airport, it'll be a hardcore experience.

[Dhomochevsky]

For the guided tours, I can't help but picture a bunch of very old people who would do that. Being the only one below 60 in a group for a week or so...

Is it really like that?

[andyjay729]

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

For the guided tours, I can't help but picture a bunch of very old people who would do that. Being the only one below 60 in a group for a week or so...

Is it really like that?

Well, just because it is a very different culture and I don't know much of the language, I thought I'd get more out of a guided tour. And there are certainly tours aimed more at younger people, like Con-Tiki.

[Heibi]

Originally Posted by fsior

Was wondering if anyone could tell me how difficult it is to get a visa to visit Japan? I've always wanted to goto Japan ever since I was a little boy. I fell in love with the culture from my 4th grade teacher's assistant who was a foriegn exchange student from Japan. Anyways off point, I have to say I've had a bumpy past, made mistakes, but have changed my life around. I don't want to give up on this dream that I have held in my heart since I was a child. Would a record shatter that?

If you're an American all you need is your passport to enter Japan. They'll have you fill out 2 small forms on the plane ride over or you can fill them out in the terminal upon arrival. Visited Japan around 16 times or more and it hasn't really changed. The forms have the basic questions about how long you're staying, where, and how much money you're carrying. And the usual questions on "Are you a criminal", "Any drugs", "Ever been denied entry to Japan".

I just came back from a visit 2 months ago. Had a great time.

[LeoXiao]

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

For the guided tours, I can't help but picture a bunch of very old people who would do that. Being the only one below 60 in a group for a week or so...

Is it really like that?

When I traveled to Russia, it was with a tour group and yes, nearly everyone there was old. I was the youngest. But it wasn't a bad experience.

[Azuma Denton]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

Well, just because it is a very different culture and I don't know much of the language, I thought I'd get more out of a guided tour. And there are certainly tours aimed more at younger people, like Con-Tiki.

Just make sure you pick the right tour...
Some tour just cramp all the location into one single tour so basically you wont enjoy it because you may only spend about half and hour to one hour in one place...

But if you are unfamiliar to Japan's culture or language, the best bet is to get a tour on your first time, and for the second visit, well, you can explore Japan yourself...

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Azuma Denton

But if you are unfamiliar to Japan's culture or language, the best bet is to get a tour on your first time, and for the second visit, well, you can explore Japan yourself...

This is what I did/am doing. Did my tour in 2008, didn't enjoy it that much because the tour guide was an idiot and the tour leader kept harping on us to give like 20% tips to the tour guide and bus driver, but didn't start asking us until 4 days into the tour as opposed to any of the 6 meetings we had about the tour in the year leading up to it...

Anyway, doing it myself this time. It's also going to be about 25% cheaper than my friends who are doing another guided tour (the same tour... I don't really see the point to doing the same tour two or three times).

[Heibi]

Originally Posted by GDB

This is what I did/am doing. Did my tour in 2008, didn't enjoy it that much because the tour guide was an idiot and the tour leader kept harping on us to give like 20% tips to the tour guide and bus driver, but didn't start asking us until 4 days into the tour as opposed to any of the 6 meetings we had about the tour in the year leading up to it...

Anyway, doing it myself this time. It's also going to be about 25% cheaper than my friends who are doing another guided tour (the same tour... I don't really see the point to doing the same tour two or three times).

I do all my own sightseeing these days. I know how to get around and who to ask for directions. I even used Google Earth once to find the location via satellite. I memorized the building roofs and the crosswalk bridges and found what I was looking for. (The Japanese Sword Museum in Shinjuku). The original directions the hotel tried to give us were - take this train, then this one. I knew it was nearby and within walking distance(10-15 minutes), so I ignored the hotel advice and saved money in the process. The guy meant well though.