Japan (2 Viewers)

[pLuvia]

I'm starting my japanese language course in february. at uni. i hope to get High Destictions so i can get a scholarship to go to japan, so all i have to worry about it saving up my own money for souvaniers and they will pay for the rest.

hahaha well that's a good way to think lol

Japan is heaps fun, I'm not sure if I will continue it in uni though

 

[Minai]

Dude its really cheap for you to call her from here, your better off buying a phone card and calling her if possible. It cost me a fortue when I called my GF when i was tokyo.

Thanks man, yeah I went out and bought a phone cards, $10 for 400 or so minutes not bad

 

[Salima]

So has anyone been to harajuku?

 

[pLuvia]

When I went, I stayed in Akashi near Osaka and Kyoto

 

[Shaking Paper]

I'm starting my japanese language course in february. at uni. i hope to get High Destictions so i can get a scholarship to go to japan, so all i have to worry about it saving up my own money for souvaniers and they will pay for the rest.

I'm starting Japanese next month and can't wait to start! I also am going through my first couple of years at uni with the goal of getting to study in Japan for a year or more!

So has anyone been to Harajuku?

Yes. I came back from Japan last monday, I was there for three weeks and travelled from Tokyo to Ibusuki and back. Kyoto was the best though. I had a blast and didnt want to come home. Now, yeah, i'm completely focused on getting back there.

 

[disko]

oh yeah, they have zebra crossings on the road. they're not pedestrial crossings like here.
wait for the lights before crossing

I learnt this the hard way :\

 

[k8tus]

hmm, saw that no one had posted anything on here for a month and thought why not...
i went to japan with my school...totally awesome experience...only thing that freaked me out was the whole shower scene...a little warning would have been nice....(((shudders))) but yea.

we went to Tokyo and did a tour thing on a midget bus and then we went to disneyland....it was boring but weird becasue their were all these Japanese men going on rollarcoasters and other rides while wearing very expensive suits...werid site but funny...also seeing business ladies wearing nice suits with skirts only to be wearing knee high multi coloured socks..WHAT... but yea...we also went to electronic city...must go just the atmosphere is sweet with all their massive lights and buildings and the stuff you can buy duty free is AWESOME....

we had a home stay in Osaka...that was the best experince of my life...they are soo welcoming and friendly...and although it may sound uncomfortable...futon beds are soo comfortable...i stayed in their 'traditional room' with a tatani mat and the rice paper wall...and they had a big dolls festival stand in the room and that was kind of freaky waking up and having stacks of dolls looking at you...we went to a palace i think it was with a nighting gale floor...a total must it was excellent walikng through a castle that samuri soldiers and commanders and what not lived and the floor makes a noise like a nightingale hence the name...

we went to a kimono factory and i bought this really nice silk scarf for my mum...we also went to Kyoto and went to the castle, and Nara and went to the biggest buddha in Japan(15m i think it was) and we had to walk through this park it was soo feral because it was raining and there were deer everywhere and lets just say it wasnt only mud on the foot path....we also went to the osaka aquarium...it wasnt that fantastic and they had a sunfish in this shower curtain and i thought that the fish and whale shark werent in the best of conditions...but hey thats my opinion....

but overall i would totally recommend going to Japan it is something that you will NEVER forget....and i shall stop blabbering on now...

go to nihon you'll have a top time...

 

[totallybord]

hi!
planning on going soon!!
how expensive is shopping in tokyo for clothes? is it better to shop at osaka or sth?

 

[MathsIsWeird]

Just a question about the japanese language, does anyone know how hard it really is to learn Japanese (reading and writing), ive been thinking of taking a Japanese language course because i want to go and study there for a year or so, and if it suits me to become a resident there (dreaming i know).

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

reading and writing is harder than speaking, especially reading, imo. but if you work at it hard enough you should be ok to go over there in a few months, just don't count on being able to read/write like a native...baby steps lol. speaking will come easier, well it did for me. although i've basically forgotten everything i ever learned of it lol. take a dictionary, you'll need it.

 

[zehurricane]

Japan have a reknown for hott school girls xD

 

[CieL]

Just a question about the japanese language, does anyone know how hard it really is to learn Japanese (reading and writing), ive been thinking of taking a Japanese language course because i want to go and study there for a year or so, and if it suits me to become a resident there (dreaming i know).

Depends on what level you want to learn to, and the amount of time devoted to the course.

Reading/writing hiragana and katakana is the easiest thing you'll learn in the course. Shouldnt take long to learn.
However, it's when it gets to kanji [chinese symbols] that it becomes a bitch if you're not asian.

If you take a Japanese course in Australia, the problem is that they dont teach you much kanji.. just the very basics [mainly verbs] for everyday use.. but when you go to Japan you'll realise that you can't read jackshit because they use so much kanji everywhere..

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

^ that's very true, i was doing so well in my class when it was just the hiragana and katakana and then we started learning kanji and i was like and all the asian students in the class already knew half of them so i felt pretty dumb. we didn't even learn that many, just like days of the week and left/right etc and some objects.

 

[boydie11]

I went to Japan when I finsihed Uni
easy to get a job on a working holiday visa which you get berfore you leave OZ
I learnt Japanese from zero to basic survival level in 3 months
I stayed for 18 months and became quite capable (not totally fluent though)
and saved enough money to backpack round Europe for 7 months (tight budget)
i worked in Japan teaching English (just like playing games in English...like Duck duck goose etc then writning the words down. My adult students took me skiing, drinking, holidaying and paid for everything. !!! Pretty easy work and I studied in my spare time and got to this level but mates of mine studied harder and did well in the Japanese proficiency test.
Oh and there are free classes in every city if you know where to look
I can also hook people up with a place to work I know several good contacts but not on this board so email me privately if you are keen to travel and get a job there

 

[L-esky]

I've been to japan twice now. Once when I was in year 10 and again the next year and both times I went with my town's sister city program.
It was so great. I just love it over there. We spent the entire time staying with host families, one for 6 days and the other for a bit over a week and I can't get over how kind each of the host families I stayed with were. Admittedly my second host family the first time I went were a bit frightening and I didn't have as greater time with them as my friends had with their families but they were really nice and did make an effort.
I went to disney sea the first time I went there which was really good, but so tiring. I went to disneyland the second time and somehow didn't end up as tired as I had at disney sea even though we were there from something like 8 in the morning until like 10:30 that night. But it was great. Yeah the rides aren't as scary as some here but I'm not really into that and they're just better designed I reckon.
I also went to USJ (Universal studios) which is also good.
We went shopping in Tokyo at a traditional area called Asakusa. I had a great time there just buying heaps of random Japanese stuff.
and Nara park was also amazing.
I really want to go there again!
Even though in many ways the best part of my trips was the people I met there. The families I stayed with, the families some of the other kids stayed with, our guides and the kids we met at the schools we visited. They're so nice and hospitable.
Oh, another thing...karaoke is heaps fun. Do it!

 

[born2bkinggg]

I Wanna Go Real Bad Now Becuz Of U Guys!

 

[chicky_pie]

Eat whales when you get there, then you'll realise why the Japanese won't listen to the rest of the world when it comes to hunting whales. YUMMEEE

 

[mushroom_head]

hi!
planning on going soon!!
how expensive is shopping in tokyo for clothes? is it better to shop at osaka or sth?

I was in Tokyo just last month and shopping is not expensive at all because shops are absolutely EVERYWHERE!
If you're looking for teenage-early20's casual fashion, HARAJUKU's the place to be.
The 109 building in Shibuya also has multi levels of trendy fashion for very reasonable prices. It's quite an overwhelming experience just to venture through the levels with pumping music and immaculately dressed girls strutting from floor to floor
There is also extremely cheap clothing at a station called Ueno. Initially as you walk through the streets, all you'll see are old men clothing shops, but keep walking and eventually you'll find a shopping centre called ABAB full of cheap fashion with decent quality!
If you're looking for shoes, you can easily get a cute pair of flats for $20. Boots are about $50
If you're the type who like to buy shoes from Hype-DC, then Japan would be heaven for you guys because their prices are like half of what it is in Australia!

Ahhh...makes me wanna go back to Japan for more shopping!

 

[L-esky]

yeah, shopping over there really isn't that expensive. Before I went for the first time everyone told me it was really expensive but it really wasn't. And they have the coolest stuff.
I wanna go back!

 

[shinji]

i'm planning on going when i graduate from uni! =]

any advice on where I should go? and what I should do?

should I be looking at going with a tour? or roam around by myself? haha.
anybody else want to come with? XD