Digital Nightfall on 10/5/2007 at 07:27

---

Yup, 54 days in Japan starting early next month.

I'll be involved with what my school calls "Design C" which is the broadest-scope of the advanced design courses, focusing on architecture of the "city planning" scale. And my class is <i>doing it</i> in Japan.

This will be my first time going to a foreign nation. I don't speak Japanese. The closest I've come to going to another country has been Miami. (Oh yeah, and Canada).

<b>excited as hell</b>

I'll be staying in Kyoto, though we'll be doing short-day trips around the area, and longer trips on the weekends (free reign, the weekend trips are not part of the course, and completely up to the student's will.) This isn't just a sight seeing tour though - we'll have an assignment to work on while we're there, though it's going to be heavily based in research and fieldwork. I'm told we're going to be spending as much time in ancient temples as we will poking around Ando's houses.

So, what should I do?

Come on Japan/travel experts, what should a 26 year old Florida boy know/be told about spending close to eight weeks - two whole months - in Japan? Tell me how to stay safe and then get myself in loads of trouble - and then back out again. I want to hear it all.

I leave in 23 days, as of this post.

demagogue on 10/5/2007 at 08:53

---

Hopefully Briareos H sees this thread, since he was in Kyoto for a while (but "not kyoto anymore").

Well, I spent, all added up, a little over a year-and-1/2 in Japan and there abouts (Korea).

Lonely Planet puts out a tiny pocket guide that has maps and useful phrases that I recommend. They also put out city guides, so you might get one just for Kyoto.

From my time in Kyoto (2 weeks), expect to see more temples than you can shake a shakujo at, (just to hit the essentials we had to hit like 3-5 a day for 6 days), and people sometimes complain of getting "templed out" ... although in your case it might be better because you'll probably be looking at them more with an architect's eye and more varied architecture (e.g., the central train station is quite interesting, as are some of the old city ryokan (traditional apartments)).

You will see so much beauty packed into the experience that you might become desensitized to it if you aren't careful. One thing that helped me a lot was to be sure I really read about, and had an idea of, the history and significance of a site, and the historical context in which it was built, before I visited it, so that sites don't just blend into each other.

Japanese generally are artists of the indirect, maintaining interpersonal harmony, and group-think, and look down on what they perceive as typically-American arrogance, directness, demanding to be pleased, insisting too loudly that you are in the right (even if you are), individuality, etc. I'm not really worried about you, but think about whether your actions might appear arrogant or brash.

All that said, Japanese are incredibly exceptional hosts, friendly, generous, helpful. They really like it when foreigners are genuinely curious about their culture, and forgive a lot when you come in with enthusiasm and an open mind ... (e.g., you are happy to try the food, use chopsticks, visit sites, etc, and don't complain about things). So try to go in with that kind of mindset.

Laundry list of essential do's/don'ts:
- Never stick your chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice; you only do that to honor the dead
- Similarly, never take food from someone else's chopsticks with your own (you only do that to pass the bones of relatives at a funeral!). Let them put it down on the plate and take it from there.
- Don't point obnoxiously at things. Better to just generally gesture towards the direction. You can point, but keep it small when you do. Just don't make it a big thing, for some reason it looks arrogant.
- Similarly, careful about how you touch things so that it doesn't look disrespectful (I got in trouble by touching a lantern with an umbrella to point it out; I should have touched it with my hand or gestured towards it).
- Very important, hand money, business cards, credit cards, etc, over respectfully, if it's a card with two hands, like you were presenting them with a gift. Don't throw it on the counter dismissively.
- There's some weird thing against feet there. Don't push things around with your feet, or point with them, etc.
- Of course, don't wear shoes inside a house, temple or apartment.
- Bow when bowed to. If you keep bowing, expect others to keep bowing with you. :D

I guess those are the big ones. Oh, don't sit on somebody's face; they don't like that.

Essential phrases:
- Arigato - thanks
- ohaiyo - good morning
- konnichi wa - good day, "hello"
- sumimasen - excuse me
- gomen nasai - sorry
- tore wa doko? - where's the shitcan?
- kudasai - please (when asking for a thing: biru o kudasai = "beer, please" (be sure to hold up one finger so they know it's "one" beer, or "two", etc) or a direct command, "please, do X": shashin o kudasai "please take my picture" or tasukete kudasai "help, please")
- dozo - (addressed to another person) please, go ahead (You'll hear this a lot when someone else is telling you to go ahead and go inside, or sit down, or start eating or drinking, etc)
- onagaishimasu - please do me the favor of X'ing (less like a direct command, more like a query or answering a query); like if someone offers you food or a drink or something and asks if you want it; you say hai, onagaishimasu "yes, please". Other important phrase: yoroshiku onagaishimasu - "please, look out for me." said when you meet someone that is in a position to help you (social hierarchy means a lot there). (Learn the other two "please's" before you worry about this one, though, and don't worry if you find it hard to remember; it's not used as much. I found this (http://www.e-budo.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-30929.html) thread that tries to explain the plethora of "please" that Jpnse has).
- kampai - cheers!
- itadakimasu (sounds a little like "eat a ducky moss") - bon appitite / "I'm going to eat now." (formal/polite thing said before you start eating)
- ii (pronounced "ee") desu ka? - is this ok (to do this)? (then gesture what you want to do) ... hai = yes; iie (ee-ay) = no
- nan desu ka? / kore wa nani? - what is this? (point to the thing)
- kore - this (kore wa ... = this is)
- hajimemashite - nice to meet you (when you meet someone the first time; tricky I know, but you'll get big bonus points, and lots of bows!, if you can say it).

Man, sounds like a great trip. Have fun. :thumb:

Firefreak on 10/5/2007 at 10:37

---

I forgot - something important:
Don't clean your nose in public. It is better just to pull it up if it's running. As far as I understood it, blowing the nose is one of the most unpolite things to do ("Bad Idea" sign blinking). If nothing helps, try to evade into a lone place.

(It is funny then in said quick-restaurants to constantly hear from other guests a silent hissing sound when they pull up :p )

And: If you are a smoker - on most paveyards smoking is prohibited. According to our guide, there are some smoking isles somewhere and then, but on my trip I only saw one of these (crowded with smokers) - and that was in Tokyo.

The streets are a very clean place, you won't even find litter boxes since everyone takes their litter home (one is expected to do so).
What you will find very often are machines with drinking bottles - very convenient.

driver on 10/5/2007 at 11:59

---

Avoid the food at your peril, eat at McD's and I will hunt you down. Japan has some of the finest cuisine in the world. Some one's you must try are:

Ramen: Bowl of stock with noodles, meat and seaweed (Comes in several varieties). Don't forget to get a side order of Gyoza with it.

Tempura: Various types of vegetables and fish lightly battered and fried. Can be missed if your budget is tight as it's expensive, but delicious!

Yakinikku: DIY BBQ. Can be a touch pricy, but great 'social dining' as you can chat away freely as the food cooks at your table.

Ramen is the easiest if you're unsure with your Japanese as most restaurants use the ticket machine method Firefreak mentioned. You can also try 'Yoshinoya' (Look for the orange and white sign with 'Yoshinoya' in Japanese and English), they also use ticket machines and do a wide range of cheap and simple Japanese dishes.

If you're looking for more bonus points, being able to use chopsticks (Hashi) goes down very well, though don't worry if you can't, most restaurants can furnish you with cuterly if you require it (Just expect to be either frowned at, or looked at like a simpleton. Politely, of course). Also, being able to say 'Gochisosamadeshita' (Or just 'Gochisosama'. Not as polite, but appeciated if you can't manage he tongue twister. Translates as 'It was a feast') at the end of the meal goes down a storm. Address it to the waiter\waitress when the plates are being cleared, and if someone else is paying you can say it to them after you've left the restaurant. If you're dining at someone's house, say it to the cook.

Don't worry about memorising as much Japanese as you can before you go, most Japanese understand more than a smattering of English and they're very accomodating to foreigners.

demagogue on 10/5/2007 at 12:52

---

"Tore (toilet) wa (subject marker) doko (where)" is technically a fragment without a verb, equivalent to "toilet ... where".

"Tore (toilet) wa (subj) doko (where) ni (at) arimasu (is, in this context) ka (question marker)?" is a complete sentence, "At where is the toilet?" More polite, to be sure. Japanese is on a sliding scale between politeness and easiness to remember; I didn't want Digi's brain (or bladder) to explode before he just gets the basics. Politeness builds off those basic forms, so he can fill that stuff in as he learns them, and everyone will just be happy that he's making an effort ... and it can help to throw in a kudasai or onagaishimasu at the end for good measure.



It's true that 4 sounds like death, so much so they sometimes use a different word for it, and I could imagine the 4th floor being left out of buildings, but don't recall seeing it just now. I do remember the 13th floor being left out of some buildings, though, something that I've also seen in the US. (Chinese astrology/superstition is still somewhat of a big deal there.) That makes your claim seem all the more likely.