Hello everyone! I am going on a solo trip to Japan next December and would like to hear any
recommendations on learning some basic Japanese to hold a decent conversation while I am
there. I will be there for about 3 weeks.

I have read about the different methods and reviews on them but would much rather hear how
some of you learned. Keep in mind, I have about 2 years till the trip, so I have the time to study.
Also, any tips or suggestions on what I should visit, besides the obvious shops.

I have searched through the Japan trips posted on here, so any other suggestions are greatly
appreciated. Thanks again in advanced.

Parasite Museum in Meguro, its on the Yamanote line and a little walk but a nice hour of bugs that live in people watching. And you can buy a key ring with a tapeworm in it!!!!!!!

But really, there is so much to do it depends on what you like. Akihabara is still fun to look at all the shops but its been cleaned up so much in the last few years, most of the toy shops are gone but the sheer amount of other stuff makes it worth going to check out. There are so many stops where you could spend half a day just looking around, Ueno, Koenji, Meguro, Shibuya, Harajuku, its endless. Also many of the small stops have very old shopping streets and you can get some great food while walking around and find shops (not just toys) that you will never hear about but may like anyway. But there is so much more than shopping too! Id recommend Osaka for sure if you get a train pass and you should, you can go anywhere just about with it. Osaka is the best, and its close to Kyoto which is a tourist must for obvious reasons, its beautiful.

As for learning Japanese, I have no idea as my ability to study is non existent at best. i have lived here long enough that its just kinda got shoved into my head.

Haha the learning it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info. How about the bars out there?

I am actually trying to put something together to get myself to Japan for the first time very soon as well. Hoping to go this fall or next.

this is the most honest and seems best way to learn if you're self teaching, http://www.textfugu.com/
the first lesson is free and thats a pretty meaty free lesson and after that you can decide if you would like to pay, worth working through the free stuff for sure to see how you get on with it.

It depends where you are planning to stay. I spent a few days in Tokyo (Shinjuku) then moved on to Kyoto. If you get a rail pass then the Shinkansen is an amazing way to travel . . . the pass makes it a breeze. Whilst staying in Kyoto I visited Osaka, Himeji, Nara and Hiroshima . . . all on the Shinkansen and i loved every minute.

Where are you gonna be staying?

Why in december? its going to be somewhat miserable. lol


If you are going to the kanto region, you might not want to stay in tokyo the whole time, there are tons of other things around it and at cheaper prices. Tokyo is quite pricey, but a lot of fun.

As for Kansai, I'd hub in Osaka and then travel from there to other places, be prepared to spend a lot, and I mean a lot, for transportation. Once you are there, you can tackle kobe, nara and kyoto in a week easily. Tiny deer FTW!

I hope you have fun, its good times.

Moog- Still not sure about where Im staying. Im thinking a hostel, some female co-workers went together and stayed in some, said it was cheap and safe.
So I need to scope out where would be the best one to act as a hub and go everywhere else from there. I know for sure their Disneyland is a major stop,
I work at the California one so I gotta compare them.

gatiio- December is the only time that fits in with my school and work schedule. I enjoy snow and the cold so Im ready for it! And yes Tokyo is not the main attraction,
but I will be there a couple days. I do plan on visiting Osaka and everything around it. Besides the main paths to entertaining diversions, I would enjoy visiting
temples and anything that takes me out into their wilderness. The Aokigahara forest is another stop, but I need to find out if the weather will permit it.
Creepy stop I know, but its one of those places I feel older people should visit.

Thanks guys for your input. Its really helping me sort out my plans.

Since I will be there for Christmas and New Year's, do you guys have any suggestions on where to be?

I was thinking there would be people my age out drinking at bars.

Thanks for this too! I will check it out after work. I took Japanese at my community college. I got busy with my G.E.'s the first month. I missed
the second class and I was screwed. Everyone had gotten so far ahead they were having conversations and all I could say was "what?".

I have heard it said before and still think it makes the most sense but start dating a Japanese speaker. I know so many people who have learned that way. May be time restrictive, but super effective.

I dated a couple of Japanese girls demo mada jouzu ja arimasen.

^ the real lessons don't start until you marry one!

I'm in the middle of a 4week trip.
I speak only a few words (evaporated learning capabilities) and still get my way around.
The japanese people are friendly and helpfull.
It occured to me that in Tokyo shopworkers start in japanese and in Osaka they start in english.

Enjoy your trip!

You might look into Hakone, which is a mountain area near Fuji. It has nice onsen, some good museums, and even a boat ride across a lake. There's also a very decent, affordable backpacker style inn - with your own room + private outdoor onsen. (You book the time you want to use it with the front desk.)

Fuji Hakone Guest House: http://fujihakone.com/

For travel around Kansai there are a bunch of different money-saving transport package deals: http://www.kaakix.co.jp/travel/travel_en.html

There are a ton more transport deals, JR rail passes, etc. out there in the Googlesphere.

^ Thanks a lot Andy, thats very helpful. Im hoping to maybe meet some of the board members that reside in Japan.
Im thinking itll be a fun meet up. Anyone else want to chime in that lives in Japan so I can pm you guys later?

The girlfriend idea is awesome! Im getting a bit more fit because of Japan, Id like to at least try to hit on some
Japanese ladies!

If you're going to Osaka i can recommend the Kaiyukan Aquarium . . . . it is amazing. You enter by riding huge escalators to the top of the building and then the Aquarium spirals down around a massive central tank to the bottom. Blew my mind!


http://www.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/index.htm


Kaiyukan English Guide by The Moog Image Dump, on Flickr

That's scheduled for tuesday!

It was impressive!!!

One tip: bring your earplugs if you cannot stand the noise produced by these kawai schoolkids turning into kaiju when they see big animals of the see.

Heaven forbid anyone should be depressed in that museum...

i highly recommend the ramen museum in shinyokohama, but not if you don't like happy kids.