Are there any good websites that has a lot of information about Japan? -

I actually need some information about Japan, like what s their climate like, types of animals that they have, their traditional foods, traditional clothes types, amp; some issues that have been in the news recently. I need those informations so I need a website that has those informations that I need. If you found a website with the informations please type those websites in.

Wikipedia is always the way to go for such information... There is an article specially about; culture, sports, environmental issues, and much more. Few other websites that may become handy with regards to cultural amp; regional information are; http://www.jref.com/ http://www.nihongo.org/english/ http://www.japan-zone.com/ In terms of news, 1 thing you could start off is looking up quot;Japan OR Japanesequot; in Google News. It does pretty good job. Few good newsing websites are; http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ http://www.asahi.com/english/ http://www.japancorp.net/ http://www.japantoday.com/ http://www.newsonjapan.com/

Hi,BRN. If you want to know about japan, you had better find japanese friends who can help you. And i am a japanese in tokyo.If you want to know about something in japan, please e-mail me.I just want to chat with you.You will be able to know niche information via me.And if you can use skype, let s talk via skype. Best regards tsujino

How do I find English-speaking Japanese in Japan? -

I m doing some market research about fashion amp; attitudes in Japan and I am really struggling to find some English speaking, mid-20s Japanese women of whom to ask some questions about women s fashion, such as favorite place to buy jeans, what made the experience so great, etc. Do I need to find a quot;recruiterquot; of some sort?

Go to Sophia university, you can find students for your purpose easily.

i have lived in japan, and i noticed that there are a lot of japanese teachers who teaches english. you can talk to them to see if they know anyone who can help you. also, english is not that uncommon in japan, so you can talk in english. good luck! :)

Or you can, you know, learn a bit of japanese or something. It s not very difficult.

Where can I find stuff for jam making in Japan? -

Some friends have given me some huge bags of persimmons, and since it`s more than I can eat I want to try making some persimmon jam. Can things like pectin and lids and jars for canning be found easily in Japan? Where should I look?

Drop in any supermarket(a bit larger one) or shopping mall near you. There must be several retail pectin ペクチン(pekutin), lid and jar ふたつきびん(futa-tsuki-bin) available for hand-made fruit jam making there. You may try 100Yen shop for small glasses but there is no pectin in the shops.

Yes, There is all sorts of that stuff there!! You should try the 100yen shops first!

What is the best souvenir in Japan ? -

I m going to Japan next month and I m wondering what is the best souvenir that I can buy for my family and friends.

There are tons of souveirs in Japan. Bring them back some small keychain like gifts of the different sites. There are tons of things like that. T-shirts maybe. I don t know about your budget but the electronics there are also cool. Don t forget to take lots of pictures.

First in my list would be Japanese amulets from temples. When I came back from my Japan trip... I got the following for my relatives. Loads of Japanese sweet pastries, candies, cakes, biscuits all packaged in awesome Jap wrapping. Lovely oysters with pearl inside. Mount Fuji canisters of air. Kimono stuff too. watches, Funky T-shirts, accessories and bags... Anything Japanese.

try a old japanese luck charm to place on your house. or just get a wii or ps3. i heard there cheap over there.

Get a Hirohito bobblehead, those are the best. You put him up on your dashboard and you can take the Emperor with you wherever you go.

I don t think anyone can tell you here. Every city in JPN has their own quot;meibutsuquot;, something that they re known for. So depending on where you re visiting, that city will have something they re known for. The quot;omamoriquot; or amulets are from temples, but then again, different temples are known for different things, although there are basic omamori that can be purchased at all temples. Just have fun in JPN, and when you get there, look around, explore, ask your hotel concierge or tour guide what they suggest.

come to Japan, and worry about that stuff when u get here. There is no sense in asking until you ve actually seen how many MILLIONS of possible souveniers you can actually get your hands on!

I have been to Japan several times, and I have talked with many indiginous Japanese people about this. They all tell me that I need to go to Akaki Island, and buy a quot;Sumatami Doll.quot; These are made only by a small family that has lived on the island for centuries, and every doll is unique. The dolls represent a mythical clan composed entirely of women. These women ruled a place known as quot;Yaki-Yakiquot;, and were fierce and ruthless to any invaders. Myth has it that there were once invaders from China. The Sumitami chopped and burned the invaders to the last man, then crushed them under huge stones known as quot;Malikatiquot; stones. They then used the hair of the victims to weave coin purses. I hope this helps.

Kimonos from fairs are cheap and great even if you hang them on the wall. T-shirts with Kanji all over the (just so long as it is not 一番 but fortunately there are lots of great Tees out there now. You can buy a lot of great stuff at any 100 yen shops. Washi, Japanese paper - noren, doorframe curtains ( a favourite of mine) etc etc. How about a pair of wooden sandals. A shodo (calligraphy) set. Or how about just good old socks with toes, they really got my sister giggling!

Snow globe.

in temples you can buy quot;lucky catsquot; in different hues gudluck for business,love,family,health and so on. in theme parks you can buy keychain or tshirt.cookies in attractive container is a cute choice too. buy some miniature anime character in discount shop. and buy photoframe in every places you visited and dont forget to take pictures,thats the best souvenir you can get.goodluck and have fun shopping!!

How different members of the elite samurai, daimyo in Japan conceptualizedtransformation Japan underwent1850s? -

How different members of the elite (samurai, ex-samurai, daimyo) in Japan understood or conceptualizations of this transformation changed over that period. What did they mean by civilization and barbarism? How do such terms and thei change over time shape the way these elite understand theMeiji transformation?

Two compact messages from thirty thousand.

How do you make a Type R from Japan legit in the USA?? -

Im considering getting a Type R Civic from Japan, and i was wondering what do i need to do to make it legit? Also can I register and drive it legit? I know its gonna be alot of money but i dont care.

basically there is a $10000 inspection involved. once it is inspected you will probably have to replace the glass, the emissions system, and the bumpers to meet u.s. standards. i would recommend getting the u.s. integra type r. it will only cost about $25000 and is already street legal and has the exact same engine.

i doubt they allow it in the US but youd have to convert emission to the US standard which they dont have for the US. youd have to us a regular civic ones. then you might have to do the collision test which you would need like 6 of them =[

UMM ITS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY THE STATE REFF HAS TO APPROVE IT AND IF HE DOES THEN THE MONEY PART COMES IN

You don t.

First off are you in the military?

So, the big 3 admit that Battery technology leadership is held by Japan and Korea? -

Then why are the big three asking for billions of dollars to develop this technology? We should let Korea and Japan invest more of their money into battery technology. We could save 34 billion dollars ! Let the domestic auto industry go bankrupt and let them take Barney Frank with them.

You are right, let s hope Congress does the right thing for a change.

The problem with the Big 3 is also our government. In Japan and South Korea they have massive government backed and assisted techonology research centers and government paid health programs that allows for their industry to save more and create more efficient products. Here we have an unchecked capitalist system that allows the Big3 to create fat cats and slow developing vehicles compared to the Asians.

Battery tech wont solve the problem. There is not enough electricity in America because Democrats are against nuclear reactors. Solar and wind can never make enough electricity power this nation. If you want alternative energy for cars then support using natural gas in cars or support using hydrogen in cars.

Sure kets let the 3 million dudes and dudettes become unemployed as well as the associated industries? On the otherhand it is the federal gov t regulation and the UAW and the greenies that have caused it. The bailout is a procrastination of the inevitable.

There is no quot;battery technologyquot; yet. The US auto industry is thriving..... everywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. Lazy Yankees....

I know that is right. That just emphasizes how phucked up those old boys at GM really handle business. Always been that way. Prices too high for dumb road hogs with too many idiot lights, bells and whistles.

i rather buy from gm then from japan were i have to wait a week for the part to come in the mail

i myself would like to drive a vehicle made by an american company

Can a quot;japan mini lp cdquot; be played in a car or standard cd players? -

I bought a japan mini lp cd yesterday off Ebay, but heard from a friend that since it s vinyl it can t be used in my vehicle or any standard cd player. Seems to me it shouldn t be described as a cd item if it needed a unique machine to playback. Please help!! Did I throw $17 down the drain?

No, you haven t thrown $17 away. They re called mini-LPs as the packaging is designed to resemble a small-scale replica of the LP record. The CDs themselves are red book standard discs that will play anywhere any other proper CD will. Crank it and enjoy it!

Should Amtrak be nationalized and upgraded to along the lines of Japans Bullet train system? -

Currently the U.S. Government is looking for ways to provide stimulus to the economy. By nationalizing the public railway system and upgrading it we could help the economy and the country in many ways. A better faster railway system will help alleviate air traffic and be a more interesting way to travel and possibly use less enenrgy at the same time. Japan s railway system was nationalized for many years. After the system was developed it was then sold to the public.

Railfan states the issues pretty clearly... conflicts with freight traffic, conflicts with auto and pedestrian traffic, and equipment costs. I don t see how quot;Nationalizationquot; would solve ANYTHING... the USA hasn t been into Nationalization since WWII. A Nation-wide High Speed Rail would require acquisition of HUGE amounts of land to build the rail routes... The tracks have to be placed such that there are NO conflicts with other trains, cars, and people amp; animals. I personally would LOVE to see rail-travel become more effiecent and available... I commute by rail (CALTRAIN) and make a monthly trip of 80 miles by train (ACE, not Amtrak), and both systems are efficient, inexpensive and ON SCHEDULE

It isn t a question of should it be nationalized. It is a question of how will you upgrade the entire with the infrastructure all ready in place. First off, if AMTRAK is to ever be equal to Japan s Bullet Train System they should have done that starting in the 1970 s. Yes the economy was shaky, but the room was there for a high speed rail network. So what has happened to the room many ask? Answer is the government has found the roads and airlines to be more important than that of rail travel. Now, the country faces more roads, government bailing out airlines and no future for a HIGH SPEED Network. Why do I say this. Look at the current Freight railroads in place. CSX and NS eat up most of the east coast. Where on earth besides those tracks do you think you are going to pave room for a High Speed Network. CSX can t even keep up with track maintenance and NS has little to no Amtrak trains travel over its network. So you are looking at Huge Cost in Track/Signal/Switch Updgrades. Then what are you going to do about the Highway grade crossings? You maybe be able to build an overpass here and there, but many towns eat up the railroad scenery. Then you have to worry about Freight traffic. How would a 200mph passenger train be able to keep on schedule with a 60mph freight......it just doesn t happen. Since the Freight Railroads are Corporations, do you really think they are going to upgrade every piece of equipment, just so they can move trains at 200mph.....I don t think so. The only way to get CSX to upgrade and do maintenance projects is through government funding!!! So a NATIONAL HIGH SPEED RAIL NETWORK in the U.S will never exist because we missed our chance years ago. Even is it were to be nationalized and owned by the people, many won t buy into it because it is more money coming out of their pocket that a lot of people don t have, especially since our economy is falling into a recession.

What do you think about the recent killings in Japan? -

An automobile and a knife recently killed several people in Japan and injured several more. Should our Congress act to ban these items and prevent such a tragedy on our shores? Only the military and police should have them.

Kind of makes you think that murder is a people problem and can t be blamed on guns.

Ok let me get this straight. A knife and car killed someone. Who was holding the knife and who was driving the car. Those are the ones that should be banned. Send them to jail and throw away the key.

In America, as far as I know, knives with blades longer than 4quot; are illegal to carry in public. Hunting is one of the few exceptions, fishing knives are the other.

I thought, quot;damn, how d he get fourteen people, with a knife?quot; No, I found it very entertaining. I would have just shot him.

I say open the institutions for the mentally ill people,instead of on our streets to kill Innocent people. God Bless those who died .

Hehehe, I asked pretty much the same thing yesterday, my friend. The gun control people did not see the humor. I m with you 100%.

think about would have happened if he had a gun.

I see sarcasm in your post. Perhaps if people would leave your guns alone, you d feel better.

They must be watching too much American television!

they should find those guys and send them to Iran.

It s Bush s fault.

I think if Japan bans knifes the next killing spree will be done with Kung Fu

If we can save just one life ......

Japan..............? -

how do they say : 1) hello 2) bye 3)thank you 4) you re welcome 5)how are you doing? 6)yes 7) no in japan thanks please tell me soon! =) oh can you type it please i dont want the letter things they use in japan... please and thank you

1) hello - konnichiwa 2) bye - sayonara 3)thank you - arigato 4) you re welcome - dou itashimashite 5)how are you doing? - genki desuka? 6)yes - hai 7) no - iie I am confident about my answers because I am Japanese =] also, I CANNOT SPEAK JAPANESE = Nihongo wa hanasemasen. hope this helps =]

accually it s nihongo WO hanasemasen. when you use wa it ll become Japanese can t speak. Report Abuse

1) hello----quot;kon nichi waquot; 2) bye----quot;sa yo na raquot; BUT alot of people says quot;bai baiquot; 3)thank you----quot;a ri ga to u go za i ma suquot; BUT quot;a ri ga toquot; (friendly way) is fine 4) you re welcome----quot;do i ta shi ma shi tequot; (it sounds like dont touch my mustache) 5)how are you doing?----quot;o ge n ki de su ka?quot; (friendly way is quot;ge n ki?quot;) 6)yes----quot;ha iquot; 7) no---quot;i i equot; Bonus good---quot;i iquot; wrong----quot;chi ga uquot; hot----quot;a tsu iquot; cold----quot;sa mu iquot; tasty----quot;o i shi iquot; want----quot;ho shi iquot;

well hello is konnichi wa, but hello on the telephone is moshi moshi, it sounds like moshmoshi, said really fast bye is sayonara thankyou is arigato, and like the other person said, a more polite version is arigato gozaimasu. sounded as arigato gozaimas yes is hai. kind of like hi with a long i sound at the end as in the ea in the verb eat no is iie, you may be confused at first because it kind of sounds like an african american saying yeah, but it has the opposite meaning. Try to say ee-yeh really fast I hope this helps your welcome is usually a bow, however this is usually done by the person providing the service, such as a store clerk or a car salesman, and it is done right after you are done purchasing the item or after you are about to leave the store. Im not really sure about hows it going but you can run a google search on that

1. Kon ni chiwa 2. Sayonara 3. Arigatou 4. Dou itashi mashite 5. Genki? 6. Hai 7. Iie(Like E-e-ye)

this list is below :) follow this for what you need and more!

1) mushi mushi (basic telephone greeting 2) Siyanora 3) Arigato (more pollite=) Arigato-Gozaimas quot;Go-za-E-màsquot; 4) Not sure (just bow or something) 5) Conichiwa quot;co-nee-chee-waquot; 6) hai quot;Hiquot; 7) Nai quot;Niquot; These are quite common. You might want to know how to say quot;I do dot speak japanesequot; in Japanese... Ni Hongo O Hanasemasen quot;Nee-Hon-Go-Oh-Hana-Se-Ma-Sen quot;Sequot; is pronounced different. the E is pronounced like if you would say quot;enquot; but with just the E. Hope this helps

Is it mandatory to have a computer eyeglasses at each workplace in Japan, the US and EU? -

Is this statement true: quot;Since 2001 in Japan, the USA and many of the EU countries it is strictly mandatory to have a computer eyeglasses at each workplace [equipped with a computer] and this is regulated by the labour legislation.quot;?

my cousin works in Europe and he uses computer eyeglasses eyeglasses, in the US I ve never heard of such thing, I don t know about Japan.

Never heard of this, and I don t think that this is correct. What if you don t need corrective lenses?

What is something fun to do in Komatsu Japan? -

I am going to be spending quite a bit of time in Komatsu Japan soon. What should I check out?

The hot baths where sexes are not segregated.

Where can I find pictures of disabled acces in Japan? -

Help! I am trying to find some pictures that show the good disability access they have in Japan, can anyone help me? I am looking for ramps or anything that shows how well equipped they are over there.

I found some pictures too! I hope it helps and you can see these sites! This helps carry people up/down on stairs: http://www.bfhotel.net/archives/komerash... http://www.shimokawa.ne.jp/gomionsen/kan... A restroom designed to be easily accessible for disabled people: http://www.mahoron.fks.ed.jp/image1/shin... A handle attached for support in hot tubs: http://www.hontani.com/jpg/sisetu/sinyu.... An illustration that shows how blind people use the yellow panel that are on the road, to guide them: http://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/pref/s11216/h... A floor that is connected to the outside without any steps: http://www.mahoron.fks.ed.jp/image1/shin... A house designed for the disabled: http://www.sumitomo-rd.co.jp/sekai/techn... Wheelchair made accessible at train stations: http://www.kintetsu.jp/company/barrier/i... A flatter surface for easier access by wheelchair (ramps): http://www.otemae.ac.jp/campus/itami/shi... Inside of a car: http://welmadecar.jp/customize/img/p03_0... There are other pictures too. For your information, the disabled accessibility in Japan, is called バリアフリー(bariafuri-), taken from the English word quot;barrier freequot;. I think you ll be able to find more pictures and information when you type this in rather than words such as disability access, etc. I hope this helped:-)

Here is a page that has a few pictures and explanations in Japanese. http://www.jreast.co.jp/equipment/equipm...

When I went to Tokyo, I found very limited disability access. What was the most insane was that many of these stores had tons of stairs but very few elevators. I don t know, maybe it s different in the country-side.

What are some good career choices in Japan? -

My friend and I very badly want to move to Japan but we aren t quite sure what we want to do when it comes to a career. We are both currently learning Japanese and are very set on moving and would appreciate some help and opinions!

You have to have a college degree and sadly, the only real job available is teaching English (unless you know some other business that will sponsor you). The Jet program is nice...however after a year you are forced to go back to your home country.

I am a JET Program ALT, assistant language teacher, in Gifu, Japan. I moved to Japan about 4 months ago and its very easy to get into the JET Program and all you need is a bachlor s degree and a keen interest in Japan. If JET doesn t work out, there are countless private programs that does Assistant language teaching too.

What is the WWII movie with John Travolta as Jimmy Doolittle, flying the attack on Japan? -

John Travolta is the main actor, and he s trying to carry out Jimmy Doolittle s real plan from WWII. They have to fly all the bombers off of the carrier at sea, and fly over to drop the bombs on Japan. What s the movie?

Alec Baldwin played Doolittle in Michael Bay s 2001 movie Pearl Harbor. Is that who you re thinking of? There s an old documentary called Jimmy Doolittle: An American Hero (1988). http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Jimmy_Dooli... but it starred Jimmy Doolittle and James Stewart. P.S.--I looked at John Travolta s filmography on IMDb and I don t see one in which he played that role. Maybe I missed it...you can take a look at the link provided below.

The only movie I know of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo is quot;Thirty Seconds Over Tokyoquot; staring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson. It is an old film.

How different is the internet in Japan from the USA? -

I m going to be in Japan this December and I wanted to have a blog so my friends know what s up. Would that be possible?

check out this site

Dude! How do u expect ppl from USA to know . Ask someone in Japan.

Keep in mind that the Internet is global, so the Yahoo! Answers I m on now will be the same as the Yahoo! Answers in Japan, Brazil, Thailand, and the rest of the world. So don t worry, you can start a blog and it can be viewed in whatever location in the world. Just get a decent blog host.

it s the world wide web so it s pretty much the same

It is exactly the same. The web is the web...if you type in yahoo.com (and not yahoo.co.jp for example) it will come up the regular yahoo english site. Don t worry, I live in Japan and the only thing I suggest is try to bring a computer from the US. The ones here are Japanese keyboards and software...kind of difficult to navigate if you aren t familiar with the language. :)

What is the quickest and safest way to transfer money to someone in Japan? -

Hi, My brother is stuck in Japan, for some reason his Maestro card is not being accepted anywhere - only credit cards are accepted, which he doesn t have. I need to wire him some money asap so that he can get to Tokyo. What is the best method of doing this? Is Western Union a good idea? Any feedback greatly appreciated

Joriental is right. The japanese post office atm allow him to withdraw money from his U.S. bank account. so you would just need to deposit money into his U.S. account and he could withdraw it here.

Pay-pal

I think Western Union or Bank transfer are the two options you have... I heard Western Union is good and fast, try it...

Did he try the ATM at post office? http://www.yu-cho.japanpost.jp/e_a000000...

Try using paypal. That is very easy and fast.

western union is the very best way to send money.... it can be picked up in miniutes.... you can track on your computer to see that it has been picked up. very quick and easy service.... depending on how much you want to send.... you may need 1 or 2 items of I.D.

Western Union

I have used Western Union twice and had no problem. They aren t cheap though.

Money Orders: U.S. Postal Service amp; Banks The United States Postal Service issues international money orders: *Maximum allowed is $700 per money order. However, you can purchase multi money orders per day, up to a maximum of $10,000. *The processing fee ranges from $3 - $8.50 per money order. *U.S. Money Orders can be cashed in banks or post offices in most countries around the world. *All U.S. post offices provide this service. *You must fill out the recipient s name on the money order before mailing to the recipient. *Keep the numbered carbon copy receipt for your records. In case of problems, the money order is traceable by its unique number.

It ll be expensive. Try Lloyds. Tell your brother to do his homework next time.

try to use pay pal its the best way i think

As mentioned above, he needs to go to an ATM at the post. Or even an ATM at an international airport or hotel. For future reference, cards that best work overseas are Visa and Mastercard (it doesnt have to be a credit card, it can be atm as long as the logo is on it). I hope all goes well.

What are some great jobs in Tokyo Japan? -

I am looking for a job in Tokyo Japan that gets good pay, but I don t know any. So can you help me.

I think the best pay jobs for non-Japanese are management consultant, investment banker and IT professional, and it is not Japanese companies (McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Accenture etc for example). Other jobs are also available but the number is limited if it s not English teacher, and often need to speak Japanese fluently. http://www.gaijinpot.com/job_search.php http://www.tfemploy.go.jp/index_en.html http://www.tsubasainc.net/navi-kyujin.ht... http://www.j-job.jp/j-job_syuusyoku.html

idk.. i don t live there

If the Atomic bombs of Japan didnt stop rebuilding and repopulating why is Russia different? -

When Cherynoble blew up the whole area was contaminated for ever. why not Japan?

An A-bomb uses a small quantity of highly refined uranium or plutonium, and nearly all of that is instantly converted to far less dangerous elements in the blast. A breeder reactor like Chernobyl uses tons of much less refined uranium, and a meltdown slowly converts it to a witch s brew of nasty elements. Most of the damgage at Chernobyl is from radioactice iodine, which enters the food chain and hangs around from centuries. The blast at Chernobyl was a chemical explosion of non-radioactive hydrogen gas, not a thermonuclear explosion.

Believe it or not, the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where small compared to the Chernobyl meltdown. In the early day of nuclear weaponry, the explosive power was only a fraction of what is capable now.

Another aspect in 1945 was pure ignorance. The Japanese had very little knowledge of details such as the effects of radioactive contamination. Nobody had a secure understanding of the added dangers of these fairly experimental bombs.

Where to get Japan released Mizuno golf gear? -

I am looking for a few hats and golf balls and stuff like that. These items have only been released in Japan. Where might I find stuff like that here in the states?

Probably on Ebay......unless you can find an online retailer from the asian market

Golf Smith or Golf Galaxy

What was the major effect in japan after war world 2? -

Please help! intrigued by the modern society in japan as today! cheers!

the thought about politics and philosophy , i think. before the war , we were following the samurai ideas(busi－dou、武士道),even if that kind of ranks were dissapeared after we met the western cultures again 150 years ago. people were strictly required to be royal to the nation and the family of the emperor,to devote themselves to national polity,to have samurai spirit. the myth was still alive. but when we lost at the war,what we finally got was the devestation of our land and asia,numerous deaths. so, we extremely changed (or was forced to do so) our politics and mind. elderly people say,it was remarkable in education. we are not demanded to have ultranationalistic thought,to have extreme strong mind and tough body,but recommended only to be peaceful and to have cultural mind nowadays. we probably will never cut our berries (seppuku 切腹)and do Kamikaze atacks.rather we can t. on the other hand, there are some people who have the sense of impending crisis of loss of our traditional morality,and weakning mentality. a decade age ago ,it was a taboo only to talk about changing the constitution which prophibits to have armed forces, in the diet.but now we have the prime minister who positively mentions to it. some says japan is leaning to the political right... we have succeeded economically ,but are still losing the way of social,political policy.

Technically speaking, one could say that Douglas MacArthur was the last Emperor of Japan, such was his power. MacArthur s staff gave Japan the constitution they use today. A woman on MacArthur s staff quot;Beate Sirotaquot; had the idea of giving Japanese women rights, such as the right to vote. Up till then women in Japan had zero rights. The Japanese men freaked out ! But they had no choice in the matter because MacArthur used his power in totality as no emperor before him could have dreamed of.

The allies wrote the current constitution that Japan uses. It was not given a choice as the rules it has to follow because of its unconditional surrender.

The major effect in Japan after world war two was that a whole crap load of people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now, they re taking it out on us by building better cars than the US. Payback is truly a *****...

Peace and prosperity

Industrialization (western)

Anyone move from the US to Japan with Pets? -

My husband and I are planning to move to Japan in the next year or so, and we have 2 dogs. Does anyone have experience in doing this recently? I heard a rumor that it costs $3k per dog now to be imported into Japan. Is this true?? Apart from that what was the whole experience like? Was it a hassle? Was it complicated and painful? Thanks for your help.

Japanese Quarantine Office web page might be helpful. http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal... This is just technical issue and the air freight of your pets is different story. I think $3K is quite doubtful though.

We live in Okinawa, military, if you come with your pets they will first be boarded, and put in isolation so that no disease will follow them. All their shots need to be up to date and you will have to pay by weight for them to fly. Its anywhere from 100+ depending on weight. MSG me on yahoo babyd2626 if you need any more advice! Good luck!

Before you import, please look through the sites mentioned below. They contain information about bringing animals into the country.

Do you need a 4 year collage degree just to visit japan on vacation? -

how long can you stay in the country 4 please explane to me the rules in japan. thanks.

Why the hell would you need a college degree to visit a country. All you need is a passport and you can stay for 90 days.

The bachelor s degree requirement is only for those applying for a work visa. You can stay for 90 days as a tourist. You need a passport. If you are coming from a country that participates in the visa waiver program (most first world countries), you don t need to pre-apply for a visa. However, if you are from SE Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, etc. then you need to get a tourist visa from the Japanese embassy first. You cannot work in Japan on a tourist visa of course. They are very, VERY strict about checking up on visas. It is not like the USA where illegal immigrants can easily sneak in and find work. If the immigration officer suspects you might be thinking of working or overstaying your visa (for example, if you don t have a return plane ticket or you don t look like a tourist) then they can deny your entry to Japan.

you need not to have a 4 yr college degree in order for you to vist japan, what you need are the ff: - passport/VISA - travel papers/document - MONEY - someone you know that stays in JAPAN to help you out - and a bit of a knowlegde about the LANGUAGE GANBATTE!

You can stay 90 days on a tourist visa. You need a four year degree if you want to work there.

probably they dont want any dumb people there. so go to school.

you shouldn t I m 15 and I m going there on a trip with other people my age

How much money should i bring to my 1 month trip to Japan.? -

Buying Souvenirs are secondary but my primary focus is food and housing. How much money should i bring with me to Japan. Accordingly hostels are about $200-$300 a week. How much should i bring to my 1 month vacation.

I traveled to Japan (Kiryu and Tokyo) for 10 days in March 2007. I took $700 worth of yen (I had paid my room and board at an earlier time to the college I was traveling with, so I m not including that). At the end of the trip, I had to blow $100 worth of yen at the airport just to go through it. If you get $1500-$2500 turned to yen, you should be fine. I ate well and bought lots of souvenirs and then still had money... Good luck and have fun!

So you gonna stay hostels which are weekly costing around $250. One month would be $1000 plus minus. You should go to and fro by public transportation. Then I think in average you have to pay for$20 a day. This means $600/month. I don t know if you are big eater or not. Just presumably as average American, it would be $15/food one time. (for example, McDonald about $5 to amp;8, Lunch about $10 and casual dinner about $20 no tips necessary) Then $15 X 3 X 30 ＝　$1350(including extra snacks or drinks) In total, $3000 minimum would be necessary without insurance I think. (It is based on 100Yen equals to 1$ ) You must absolutely keep your credit cards just in case.

My fiance and I spent a combined total of about $1000 in food and items, and entrance fees and such . We went for 10 days. You would really need to take alot. Especially if you go to Tokyo.

How do I become a transfer student in japan? -

I m 14 years old just going into high school, and I wanted to be an exchange student in a school, in Japan but i have no idea where to start and what I need to know about it can anyone help??? Thank you very much

will your parents allow this?

How can I spend an academic year in Japan? -

I m a middle school student how would like to know of any exchange programs that would let me go to Japan.

Yes, most exchange programs work with Japan. However, your first issue is age. You must be between the ages of 15-18 to go. That s good though, it will give you plenty of time to prepare both financially (it IS expensive) and learning some of the language. You should make sure your program is CSIET listed (www.csiet.org). Reliable programs tend to be AFS, Aspect, Rotary, YFU but check with the counselor at your high school (when you get there) for recommendations. Since you already know you want to do this, try planning it for your junior year. That way it s easier to arrange your schedule and you can come back, enjoy your senior year with your friends and graduate on time. When you enroll as a freshman, be sure to tell them you plan this -- then they can start arranging your schedule to accommodate! For lots of info on becoming an exchange student, check out this site: http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/ Good luck!

do you have enough money?

Is it Possible to become an American Noodles Chef and move and work in Japan as a noodle Chef? -

Should i learn to becoema noodle chef in America or japan?

no

Why is christian population in Japan very low? What are the reasons behind it? -

It is said that Christian population in Japan is about 500000, which is less than 1% of the whole population of Japan. However, there are many Christians in Korea and China, which are all adjacent countries to Japan. Why is christian population in Japan is extremely low compared to other Asian countries? What are the reasons behind it? Is it because Japanese doesn t want to convert from Buddhism or Shintoism to Christianity or because of its distinct culture? Or is it just they think Christianity as a western foreign religion ? Thank You Very Much

Sorry to answer with a question, but why would it be important for people in Japan to be Christian? Does it matter? Just as long as you yourself believe in your religion. That s all that counts is it not?

The Japanese way of thinking is very different from the Western way of thinking, and not very compatible with Christianity. If you watch Japanese movies and TV shows and read Japanese stories, the plots, characters, motivations, and actions are all very different from standard Western fare, which is why so many Westerners find them so fascinating. If you have seen any Japanese entertainment, particularly anime, you ll realize that depictions of Christianity are slightly quot;offquot;. The facts are there, but they don t quite align in the right way. The way Christianity organizes the world is very foreign to the Japanese mindset. They also don t like that you can t practice Christianity with other religions. Shinto and Buddhism are both practiced by Japanese people at different times for different reasons, but Christianity forbids participating in other religious practices. I ve known quite a few Japanese people, but only one who converted to Christianity. Her parents were very upset, because she wouldn t be able to participate in the family religious events.

Only about a quarter of the Koreans in Korea are Christian. How do I know this? Because I m Korean. Surprising statistic considering how many Korean Christians you see, but it s true. China is a communist nation and I don t believe Christianity is very strongly embraced there. A lot of the Chinese-Christians in China are kept secret. Japan, because of their policy of isolation in the past which stood for a very long time. Another reason is the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki during World War II. The largest population of Japanese Christians were in Nagasaki. I believe that may have been a huge contributing factor.

japan wasn t as affected by european colonialism as the rest of asia. the british were especially hateful in china, fostering the opium industry to undermine chinese society. i imagine world war 2 also had an impact, since japan was strongly culturally united in the war effort. i doubt there was much tolerance for foreign religion there until after the war, whereas mainand asia was under the control of the european powers.

Ah, well i am a Christian in Japan. The reason is the same reason America has so many Christians, its hard to go against the crowd. It s just as if i went to america amp; said quot;Hey everyone, i love the devil.quot; Which i don t, but if i did say a thing like that i would be looked down by everyone else (besides the people who are like me.) thats the way i look at it.

The Japanese are entirely too smart, rational and well educated to go falling for such voodoo and nonsense

The japanese are very intelligent people.

They already had a religion that worked fine.

Have you noticed how smart the Japanese are?? enough said.

How much money would I need to enjoy a 1-month vacation in Japan? -

I m thinking of going to Japan for about a month, and I m not sure of how much money I d need to actually enjoy the trip and not worry about budgets and such.

Of course, this depends where you re traveling. However, assuming you re sticking to typical tourist places, like Tokyo or Kyoto (and assuming you re trying to save money), then I would say budget $70 or so per night at a hotel. You can look at a site like http://www.itcj.jp/ to see some example prices. There are, of course, cheaper options like youth hostels, but that would take pre-arranging on your part. Depending on what you like to eat, you might budget $20-$30 a day for a typical meal. Food prices are much the same as in America. If you re going to go to a grocery store, then you can figure it will be less, but if you re going to be eating out every meal, then it will be more. Travel costs will depend widely on where you want to go. There is excellent public transporation, and I imagine you ll be using the train for most travel. http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hype... is an excellent website that can help you figure out costs if you know the place of departure and the destination. (This site is also useful to help you see if a JR Pass is the right decision or not...a JR pass for a whole month is very expensive, and you migth find that it s cheaper not to get one...) I would say that budgeting $100 a day (plus additional transportation costs and entrance fees) would be a good idea.

I recommend that you get JR Pass before you come to Japan.

The suggestion for a JR Rail Pass is a good one, but you really need to have some long trips that will require using the bullet trains to justify the cost. You could probably find business hotels for around $100/night. I d add in at least $30/day in food, $50 would allow for some nicer dinners. Some of the organized tours are pretty good, at least people who have visited me seemed to have really enjoyed them. They can cost around $100 or less for a day trip, but my cousin took a trip to Mt. Fuji, traveling through Tokyo both going and coming and the cost of the trip was surprisingly cheap.

What are good sites about Typhoon Tips damages in Japan? -

What are good sites about Typhoon Tip s damages in Japan? No wikis please.

http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?requ... http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1... http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/t/t... http://ams.confex.com/ams/26HURR/techpro... You may have to go to some of the news archive services (which usually charge) or start with wikipedia and go to some of their references/links. I did not visit either archives or wiki to get this list. Science daily article says quot;go to Wikipedia for complete informationquot; or some similar statement.

If I bought a playstation from Japan will it play region 3 only dvds? -

I bought a Playstation 2 imported from Japan and I wanted to buy a dvd that says it s region 3 only. Will it play on the playstation?

Region 2, not region three and yes...it will only play region 2 DVD s and Games. There is a way to have it quot;unlockedquot; but you have to find someone who knows how to do it.

I assume your an American. I m not positive, but I m pretty sure it will only play Region 3.

Are piranhas and Barracudas legal in japan? -

I love japan and want to live there so i need the info.

YUP. COZ THEY EAT IT AS A DELICACY. CHECK YOU TUBE TO SEE.

Any difference in treatment between Asian and Westerner tourists in Japan? -

I want to know how Asian tourists are treated from Western tourists in Japan. Are Asian tourists treated differently? If so, how? Are the locals both helpful and understanding to both? Please, I want honest answers. The last answer I want are politically correct answers.

The question is weird. Asians should have more confidence. Lots of Asians enjoy staying in Japan. On the other hands, lost of westerners might have experienced bad treatment. It depends. BTW, your post quot;Are the locals both helpful and understanding to both?quot;. What do you mean helpful? and understanding ? Tourist is just a tourist. Who cares. And if you are from China or S.Korea, you will find the image of Japanese are very different from the education in your country. If Japanese were the same as written in the text book, or the war memorial hall, most Asians would stop to visit Japan. But actually tourists from Asia are increasing every year. And lots of Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Singaporeans, and Malays are coming to Japan. Especially Hokkaido area is very popular to them nowadays.

I know friendly japan girl and she wear skirt

If you are an asian who can pass for a Japanese, then people may automatically assume that you speak Japanese (you didn t say if you do?) and they will expect you to behave like Japanese, and if you don t they will be surprised! But for the most part, the Japanese will be able to tell that you re probably a tourist, just by the way you walk and dress, even if you look like them. I don t think you would get treated any better or worse than a western tourist.....you just may get some people speaking to you in Japanese because they ll assume you speak it as well....... Add on: Burado, I don t know if you were reacting to my post, but I guess they WILL speak japanese to you know matter what! Touché !!! But that s not the point I was trying to make.....My bad!

The customer is quot;godquot; regardless of what country they are from. You will be served and not treated rudely. But whether the shopclerk badmouths you to her coworkers after you walk away is another story. (but who cares!) I never felt that I was treated badly--what some may interpret as bad treatment is more likely embarassment--which is childish when you think about it, nevertheless it s true. Japanese people do have their own opinion of other Asians--it s true, and yeah right, not every person is the same, not everyone is prejudiced, etc etc. Japan does not consider itself part of Asia. Some Asians do suffer from discrimination when they come to Japan--although I think that those who move to Japan suffer more. Tourists come for a short time, are in a group, and spend most of their time enjoying themselves. They aren t trying to rent an apt or get a job or buy a car, so no worries there. I think if you are a patient, friendly and polite tourist you will be treated well. But losing your temper or trying to browbeat your hosts will get you nowhere.

For all practical purposes no. Once they understand that you are a tourist, they will treat you like any other tourist. Most of the time they can tell if you are a tourist or not by the way you act and dress. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that non-Japanese Asian locals are treated as second-class citizens. You can see this in subtle ways like not being waited on right away at a restuarant. Since I am a Japanese-American, everytime I visit Japan I will be mistaken for a local by someone and will end up giving this puzzled look as I am being spoken to in Japanese. Then as I explain to the local that I am an American in my broken Japanese, the local will profusley apologize and go on his/her way or offer to help me in some manner.

Unless you speaking japanese, you will really get annoying by the Uyoku member .But they seem to hate korean and Chinese more.

As a tradition, Japanese welcomes tourists. Don t worry. You will be most welcomed in Japan no matter how you look; Chinese, Koreans, Thai, Indian, Indonesian, whatever. You will enjoy every moment during your stay as all the other foreign tourists do. But if you come to Japan to work and live, it s a different story. You will face a very strong invisible border between you and Japanese.

People will speak to you in Japanese whether you are Asian or not because they speak (shock, horror) Japanese in Japan. It has nothing to do with race. From my experience it is easy to pick other Asians out from Japanese and it is not just appearance. This may sound a bit racist but other Asians are very noisy and lack manners, they push and shove through crowds and generally don t have any respect for anyone around them. This is also true in my own country also. This is not to say all are like this but a vast majority are. Take China for example, it s own government handed out fliers to teach people manners for the up coming Olympics, so if their own government admits it then there must be some truth in it. Now to really rub some salt in the wound I opened up and not to be singling out just Asians, Americans find it really hard to adjust to Japan also. Personally I don t think Americans should travel at all because 90% of the ones I have met have always complained about Japan or my own country when they ve been there.

Yes, there is a difference in treatment. But this is only true and very visible in the big cities. Westerners are treated with more respect than the Asians. Japanese have high regards for themselves and they look at themselves as westerners eventhough they are in the continent of Asia.

Of course they are treat differently, the Japanese know that a Westener is more likely to spend a lot of money and therefore they wiil treat him / her better. This rule applies in most countries. The more a local believes that Westeners are wealthy people, the more they will try to please the Western tourist. Asia tends to be associated with poor people and therefore will have to show their money before expecting decent service etc.

Can you get a working visa in Japan if you are already on a SOFA visa? -

I am wondering if it is possible to get a working visa in Japan if you are already on a SOFA visa? Do I need to leave the country and come in on another passport in order to get a Japanese working visa? Can I have both visas at the same time? I already have a company that I am working for that is willing to get me a working visa. Thanks for you help!

If you re working now then you re working illegally. You ll be caught and deported and SOFA stamp, or no SOFA stamp, you ll never be allowed back into Japan. A Japanese company can hire you if you re there on a SOFA stamp married to an American military member. They will have to sponsor you, and you ll have to qualify, just like any other foreign worker. In any case, it s the company that has to get the visa for you. They should consult with their legal adviser.

How Come iTunes Japan Barely Has Any Music? -

So, the other day I started browsing iTunes Japan and looked up a few of my favorite Japanese bands, but it didn t have any of them except for 2 and both were incomplete? Anyone know why iTunes Japan has such few music and if so how do they get music onto iPods there?

both me and my boyfriend find the music we want on iTunes japan just fine. Maybe you need to type the ones you re looking for in japanese and not in romaji?

There could be licensing issues. Apple worked hard with American companies for the USA version of iTunes store but they ve lost some contracts. I don t know the details of Apple s negotiations with Japanese record companies, only that you have to have a Japanese credit card with a Japanese address. Personally my taste in music makes all online sources look like bland places that I shouldn t bother with. I would buy but what I want just isn t there. Getting music onto iPods? The old-fashioned method of CD-gt;computer-gt;iPod. Japan has a huge music industry. I read some statistic like Japan does the most record shopping for it s population. (Look at worldwide CD sales records vs. population size and it s astounding.) The only country that buys more is America.

I think you can. Search form is in the upper right. http://www.apple.com/jp/itunes/ However, I don t think you can search all the songs on this page. You need iTunes Japanese software on your PC to display all.

if you type the songs you want in limewire, just wait a few minutes. they may not show up at first, but they will show up.

use limewire :]

What should i do to prepare to study in japan? -

im going to japan for a semester of high school (in 16 months) what should i do to make a smooth transition? what should i do to prepare and how can i be ready? what should i do?

I think you have enough time to learn Japanese so don t loose more time. -Learn about the culture, their manners so you wont get very shocked when you come. -Try to get maps and info from the city you are going to live. -If you are too tall or you need special size of shoes or clothes try to get them in home because here sizes are small. -Go to the doctor and dentist before coming. -Bring a little bag with medicines in case you get sick (for example a common cold, the medicine doses are different and you have to translate the labels). -Bring your portable computer from home, don t buy one here unless you want a headache. -Bring tons of little souvenirs or gifts (you will need them). -Just in case ... learn to ride a bike. -Be careful with money... you will spend a lot of it here. Read the links down there and enjoy

OMG, I had a foreign Exchange student from Japan that came here and couldn t cut it after only 2 weeks. You are in culture shock. There is no way to get over culture shock, other than to live it. Here s the thing though. You need to learn to speak and write in Japanese. Also, there are different dialects and pronounciations of words, just like there is in the US.

Downloading in Japan - How strict are their copyright laws? -

Do the Japanese have strict laws against the illegal downloading of copyrighted materials(ie: music, television shows, movies, etc, that may or may not be of Japanese origin.)? I d like to know the extent of action that may be/has been taken against illegal downloaders, as well as the nature of the copyrighted materials that the Japanese are keeping a close eye on. Do they keep track of downloads via p2p and direct-downloads? Do they keep a lookout for the illegal downloading of non-Japanese files(for eg: english music, korean dramas, etc)? I know piracy is probably illegal all over the globe, but I d like to know how it s combatted in Japan. Any insight on this is greatly appreciated!

dunno bout japan but piracy is fairly legal in most places like in canada you can download whatever you want.

Is there an age requirement to get piercings in japan? -

Like its 18 here in the US but do they have one in japan?

I think its 18 at Japan as well, but Im not 100% sure!

How can I change my visa in Japan? -

I am currently on a college visa in Japan but will be graduating soon,,but the problem is I would like a carreer in the music industry.I am an amature singer songwriter and am wondering what kind of visa I can apply for.Any comments will be very helpful.Thanks.

Apply for a working visa but you must first be employed by a Japanese company.

Why don t you ask your school? Most school has career counseling section and staff. If you are from eligible countries, you may apply for working holiday visa. Good luck!

What places to visit in Japan to experience Japanese culture to the fullest? -

I really want to travel to Japan, and since I am looking more to experience their culture I assume where I want to go, more specifically, is Old Japan . What places are the best to visit and to stay to experience their culture to the fullest (tea ceremonies, springs, etc.)?

As the guys above mentioned, Kyoto is the best place. What I recommend are, [Arashiyama] Recently we have discovered hot spring here. Then you can experience onsen in Arashiyama of Kyoto. Have you ever ridden in a jinrikisha or a rickshaw. You can ride in it here. But costs a lot, say, around 100$. [Kinkaku-ji temple] It s a golden temple and very beautiful. It must impress you! [Yasaka-jinjya shrine and Kiyomizu-dera temple] Most visited area in Kyoto. You should walk from Yasaka-jinjya to Kiyomizu-dera and you can feel ancient Japan. [Heian-jingu shrine] It s a very big shrine. You can see a Japanese garden here. And there are some museums around here. [My home lol] You could possibly visit my home. But I don t speak English very well.lol lt;lt;EDITgt;gt; I ve forgotten to write the great place to visit in Kyoto. quot;Gionquot; is the best area for you. You can see ancient valuable houses and stores here. Do you know Geisha or Maiko? Take a look at the link below if not. You can see them here in Gion. And you can also experience Japanese traditional cultures such as wearing kimonos, tea ceremonies and watching Buyo. Geisha - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiko Buyo - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyo

?You d want to go to Kyoto, in my opinion. You ll get the full experience of Japanese culture here, it s quite beautiful! You can attend a tea ceremony here and even dress in full kimono and have your picture taken! The scenery and everything in Kyoto will fill your senses with the quot;Old Japanquot; feeling. Hope this helps and have a great time! ? Kyoto: http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/ http://www.kyotoguide.com/ http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/ http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/histor... http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/en/03/02-09-01.... My hubby and I go onsen (hot spring) often! One of the greatest is Kusatsu, just the smell is unbelievable! http://www.kusatsu-onsen.ne.jp/eng/index... This is a great little onsen town and you can walk around in your yukata and getta, enjoy onsen manjuu, ride a rickshaw...! There are festivals held in June, July and August.

also go to Nara, it s near Kyoto. if you go to Kyoto, don t miss Nara. Also I love Kamakura...lots of temples and lots of neat things to see. We also went to visit Odawara Castle, but they have castles all over Japan...try and see one. They are amazing.

Maybe you should visit museums or the most famous places there...

Don t forget your thick, fat wallet! And dictionary! Try Japanese for Idiots! Have a good trip!

Yep what you are looking for is Kyoto alright. I was in Japan in the 1960s in the Navy and I would have never of seen Kyoto if my mother and grandmother hadn t come to Japan to save me from marrying a Japanese girl. That was weird! But, they took me on a trip to Kyoto and would not go to the places I knew nor meet my girl friend. (who actually I had not seen for a while before they arrived). We took a tour and saw everying. I mostly wanted to see the insides of bar back then but we saw temples and shrines and gardens and tea houses and springs and everything that you want to see. I don t know what I am trying to say here. My experience was different. I mean, if you saw all those cultural things you would be admired and respected for your interest in their culture. I guess that s the point and I don t have anything to say sorry.

I recommend Kyoto. There s still ancient culture that people still do there like tea ceremony. I think Kyoto would be nice. Or maybe you could go to Ninja Village. I don t know if it s real ninja or not.

Yes. Kyoto city (ancient capital of Japan). Old Japan still exists. go to http://japanwelcomesyou.com/cssweb/displ... and click quot;Interactive Mapquot;. You ll find a word quot;Kansaiquot; then click it.

Whats the cheapest way to go to Britain from Japan? -

I m going to go to Britain in this summer. Should I change planes? Please tell me what the cheapest way to go to Britain from Japan.

Check this Japanese airfare consolidator. They usually have the cheapest offers: http://www.no1-travel.com

Try quot;YTB Travel - Amazing Tours and Travelquot; http://www.ytbtravel.com/amazingtoursand... You will probably have change planes somewhere due to the plane needing to refuel. Good luck on your travels.

The cheapest way i know would be to swim.Since japan is an island the only way is to fly

Where can I buy Silly Putty in Japan for my nephew? -

I really want to get some Silly Putty here in Japan for my nephew but I can t seem to find it for the life of me. I think I saw it somewhere a year ago but the location escapes me. Does anyone have any good guesses?

Toys R Us sells it. There are locations at Ikebukuro Sunshine 60 and Kawasaki Route 246. I usually go to the Kawasaki location since they have free parking there. If I do not feel like driving, then I drag the kids to the Ikebukuro location. Either location stocks all kinds of kid s stuff.

I used to live in Japan, Tokyo to be exact. And i used to get sticky tack there. Its kind of like silly putty, but just a little different. The best place to find it is the 100 yen store (kind of like the dollar store in america)

how about a store?? maybe e-bay

is this a brand? i haven t heard of it.

I was also going to say Toys r us but if there s not one nearby, try Tokyu hands or Loft. They usually have lots of novelty items.

If you can t get it at Tokyu Hands or Toys R Us, then you probably can t get it in Japan.

How do I go on a foreign exchange to Japan for cheaper? -

I want to check out foreign exchange programs to Japan, but a lot of em are so expensive. What is a cheaper program that is still good? Or, how do I get a scholarship for one? if i go there, would a japanese kid come here? thanks

Rotary International will be the cheapest program you will find. http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYout... However, YFU has plenty of scholarships on their website that you can check out. http://www.yfu-usa.org/ For more info this site is a good resource for prospective exchange students: www.cultures-shocked.org And stay away from Two Worlds United, it s a scam.

talk to the person at your school that handles that. We have a counsellor. Anyway, talk to him/her and see what programs your school offers, if it offers any at all.

Is anyone or has anyone been stationed in Japan? How did you like it? -

I am on assignment to Camp Zama, Japan and just wanted to know other people s opinions about it. I have two kids and a husband, do you think it is a good place for families? I appreciate any real responses.

It should be fun. treat it as an adventure. Your kids will get a chance that most in the US will never have. They will get to see a different culture while still living with other Americans.

I was stationed there for 2 years on Okinawa. I loved every minute of it, mostly the time I got to spend on the other islands, including Honshu (main island). There are so many things to see and do. Enjoy the culture and learn about the country and its wonderful history. Your family should also love it, and being in another country can only benefit your children.

Your lucky as far as I m concerned. I was stationed at Yokota Air Base many years ago and loved it in Japan. I don t believe I ever heard any bad talks or storys from any one who has ever been there. Although I m not acquainted with Camp Zama but it should be a wonderful experience for both you and the children. The Japanese people are marvelous. Haven t you gotten any information from your camp family services office? They should have any information that you might like or need.

spent three years at Yokosuka. best time ever. it s a great opportunity to expose your children to another culture. Bring them to Ueno Park and the zoo and Museums. Kurihama Flower World has a kick butt jungle gym thingy and a Godzilla slide. Climb Fuji-san. Visit the Imperial palace. Kamakura has Daibutsu, the largest out door Buddha(check out his life size sandals!)

Well I was 10 and my brother was 11 years old when my dad got stationed to Misawa Japan. I loved every min of it. We went camping every weekend. I lived there for 1 year and plan to go back and visit soemday. It was experience I will never forget but there is now place like the united states.

Where can I find the distances and time it takes to get between cities in Japan? -

I ll be traveling to Tokyo, Japan and would like to know how far it is between cities so that I can decide where else to go. I m mostly interested in how long it takes to get from Tokyo to a given city by train since that seems to be the best way to travel in Japan. A link to a website that might tell me this would be appreciated.

?How about these sites? They might be useful. http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae... http://www.tokyo-subway.net/english/ Hope it helps!?

Map of Tokyo is the best reference material for you.

The time required to travel is affected by @ Different types of fare (=different type of trains service) @ Different routes @ Different waiting time/transit time @ Weekend/Weekday/Peak Hours/ Off-peak hours IF you can read Japanese, the site of ekikara can calculate all options and listed for you. It allows you to choose listing by cost/fare, by total time, by the times of changing train, etc. http://ekikara.jp/ http://ekikara.jp/cgi-bin/route/route.cg... eg. 2006 August 1 start from 4:27pm Tokyo - Kyoto 2 H 20 M 12,710 yen Nozomi 65 train 2 H 44 M 12,710 yen http://ekikara.jp/cgi-bin/route/route.cg... 7H43M 15,540 yen (GinKa sleep over night train from 11pm) http://ekikara.jp/cgi-bin/route/route.cg... 13H31M 12,920yen change 4 times at 4 different stations before reaching Kyoto. http://ekikara.jp/cgi-bin/route/route.cg... 13H32M 7,980yen change 5 times at 5 different stations before reaching Kyoto. train start at 16:36. etc etc By rail + flight+ rail: http://ekikara.jp/cgi-bin/route/route.cg... 3H56M 11,990yen 3H40M 22,320yen (because there is no airport in either Kyoto or Tokyo)

This website will give you the route, time, and cost between your points. It will also tell you if you need to transfer and how to do so. http://www.hyperdia.com/ In the upper left corner there is a banner which says quot;Englishquot; click on this and type then you can start planning your trip! Good luck

go to mapquest.com and use the international directions link

What services can I use Japan Rail Pass on? -

Hi. Im going to Japan in August and Ive bought a Japan Rail Pass. Id just like to know what services I can use them on. I know I can use it on all Shinkansen services EXCEPT for the Nozomi ones, but can I use it on the Japan Rail subway services for getting around the cities, or do I need to buy a ticket for those ones? Cheers!

It s called a JR Rail Pass and you can use it with Japan Railway trains. Subways in Osaka, no go. Though there are trains you can use it on though, such as the JR Loop Line. Buses and some ferries too. The JR Rail Pass becomes most cost effective when you are going to be doing some travel by bullet train.

You can t use the Rail Pass on the subway, but you can use it for the Yamanote line etc. to get around Tokyo. If you take a night train, the Rail Pass pays your basic fare but you have to pay extra for the berth.

only on the JR trains!! if it s a JR train withing the city, then yes you can use it. If it s not JR then you have to buy a ticket!

Check its web. http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.h... Subways in cities are NOT run by JR. So you cannot take subways with JRP.

All subways you cannot use the Rail pass, you must pay the fee. Which isn t much. I think I even used it on the Disney land monorail too.

What should I put on my wish list from Japan? -

My sisters are going to visit my brother in Japan in a few weeks and asked if I want them to bring anything back to the US for me. I have no idea what to ask for! I don t want it to be too expensive or anything, but something that would be worthwhile, maybe something that can t be obtained in the US. Suggestions please!

Any T-shirt with Japanese writing on it. A quot;furinquot; - it s one of those things you hang outside and it makes a noise when the wind blows... it s very Japanese. Rubber stamps... they re everywhere in Japan. Fancy mobile phone straps. Crazy nail art / stick on fake nails - they re 3D in Japan! All of these are cheap and easily fit into spare room in a suit case.

If you like tea this would be a good thing to bring back. Tea is a big commodity in the Asia countries. It is also very good for you and it is delicious. I also like the small satin bags(purses) they have they are very pretty. The perfume they have is also a nice treasure to have. The satin clothes would be nice, but do you have somewhere to wear it in the USA? It is to bad you can t go to Japan with your sisters.

a silk robe with a dragon on the back silk pajamas a dress those hair pretties a necklace shoes their money is beautiful. so a five dollar bill from there. a book with all their sites in it. a bible in Japanese. or a book to learn how they spell. gosh i could keep going. a tea set a sake glass there is so much to choose from. go on a site and see.

buget?? well doesnt matter.... Samurai sword.. not the real ones... the good knock offs!! Kimono.... the cell phone that s in a wrist watch!!! Hello Kitty stuff!! Pirated Playstation Games!! ITs CHEAP!! plus a chip modd... hmmm.... a good pair of the wooden sandals they wear... with the peg.... you can use it for decorative purposes... ART... the caligraphy... or the black on white drawings they have on paper.. thats cheep if you look for it.. ... hmm.... oh!! yeah.... a golden BUDDHA.... the ones that are made of brass or something... they are so kool.. no im not a buddist.. but i always wanted one... oh oh!! the original bonzai trees... that we see in the paintings... sorry couldnt think of anything else... good luck.. OH OH!!! i nearly forgot...!! the kitchen knives... they are sharper.. and the steel that they use... they hardly get blunt and its a ease to use... its of perfect balance.... and sheers ... scissors... u have to get that.... I got myself some scissors... like 6 years ago.... well the ones for cloth.. and its still sharp!!

A hot japanese boy! just kidding how about some real quality stuff to make sushi (not ingredients but like cook wear) and always clothes!!! oooohhhh and the PRADA phone!!! i want that so bad!!! it has a sim card so you can have just about any company with it, similar to an Iphone

latest Tohoshinki CD!!! absolutely love them!! Its a Japanese band made up of 5 HOT guys!! Originally korean, but debuted in Japan too! Definately get that!! i want it so badly, but i can t get it T_T coz i live on the other side of the world

some bape shoes ,or bape hoodies

Spa Oh - instant pasta Just 1min cooking. THe price is only US$2. http://www.spao.jp/product/meatsauce.htm...

how about a traditional Japanese outfit, just tell them some thing original for there that you can keep. like a painting etc.

納豆 will be a great suvenior.

A Kimono and Geta sandals http://www.japanesekimono.com/geta.htm

japanese food, and they have plenty of authentic stolen items as well lol

manga

A DVD player.

A time machine and a robot that can dance

fdfgdg

yes

sanrio hello kitty stuff, then send them to me ;P

I think that the US is the best, and I can t think of any thing I d want from anywhere else that you can t already get here - the only thing I can think of that is high on the import list is knock-off designer items, and I d rather have the real thing.

What is the best way to burn a WMV file to CD? Also will it open on a computer in Japan? -

I have tried a few times using my computer s internal burner (ie copy this file in video tasks). It appears to work successfully but when I open it - it plays for a while - then an error message comes up...it is not a large file - only 27.1 MB - photos amp; 1 song... Would I be better using Nero? If so what is the procedure? Most important is for it to work in Japan... Any thoughts...anyone?...much appreciated.

dear friend you can even use nero to make a music juke box using WMV files or you can use nero to burn a video cd for you. but you can put all your files in windows media player and click on burn files to cd. it will burn a cd that will be playable every where in world For more details on any problem related to computers contact: jaisingh1006@gmail.com http://www.jjnavsofs.we.bs

What drinks do people drink daily in Japan? -

Hello, I know that in Japan many people drink Green Tea and that there are also special drinks made in Japan that people drink every once in a while. But I was wondering what the sort of staple drinks are, or the drinks that most Japanese people drink nearly every day?

In the summer it s barely tea, it s very refreshing and easy to make. Ice coffee is popular too.

Aside from the green tea you mentioned Japanese drink much of the same drinks we drink in the USA. Coffee and the various product spin offs from Starbucks and other similar chains and brands are very popular Orange juice, apple juice and grapefruit juices are commonly found in vending machines and supermarkets Speaking of vending machines, you can find Coke and Pepsi brand soft drinks and also there are these lightly flavored drinks. Aquarius, Pocari Sweat and various extensions of the sports drink are often sold to battle the humid hot summer weather. Along the tea lines there are several different teas that are more like iced tea. For example milk tea, afternoon tea, and other brown teas drinks with and without sugar are commong daily drinks My younger son became a big fan of milk tea.

staple drinks are tea (oolong, jasmine, green), pop and beer. Energy drinks are also very popular.

I think the quot;staple drinksquot; are tea, and it s usually green tea. I remember my father-in-law drank green tea every day.

Tea and water and saki.

How much would it be to move from america to tokyo japan 2016? -

How much would it be to move from america to tokyo japan 2016?

lmao

Its really an impossiblity to answer that question. 2016 is 8 years away give or take a few months. That is nearly a decade and A LOT can change in that amount of time. Currently Japan has a very closed immigration policy. In order to just work there TEMPORARLY, you MUST have a visa and be sponsored by a Japanese based company or an American based company that posts you there. It is possible to be self-sponsored but it is VERY difficult to get approval for that outright. Normally, it takes living and working there for a few years before that happens. Then of course there is the possibility of the language barrier [I am not aware of your fluency or possible lack there of] You re only really going to get a lot of English speaking in the major cities and even then it can be a bit dodgy. There is A LOT to consider when moving to a completely new country, especially one as diverse and different as Japan [in comparison to America] However, if you re really interested the best thing to do is start researching ALL the different aspects of living in Japan. For example you would need to look into where you would live and find out the average price of rent there. You d also have to consider where you d even HOPE you could get a job and about how much you would make. Research into how the utilites, garbage disposal and living expenses would all be involved. And again in nearly 10 years it all could change and probably will. If you re not looking to move until 2016, I wouldn t really worry about the specifics until moving day is A LOT CLOSER.

This question can t be answered. You just can t move there, unless maybe if you have a 7 figure bank account.Japan has a very closed immigration policy. You need a four year degree to qualify for a work visa. And a job offer before you get there.

...................................

0 dollars since the world ends in 2012...

Where can I find out about the standard of living in Japan? -

I need to know the standard of living in Japan, where can I find that out?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_stan...

google Japan.

What is the cheapest Japanese auction service for Yahoo Japan Auctions? -

I m trying to buy an item that is only sold in Japan and I need to know the cheapest service.

Almost the same. There are mainly 3 big auction sites in Japan. quot;Yahooquot; quot;Rakutenquot; quot;Biddersquot;. Yahoo is the best scale and participants.

You may want to try using a proxy service like www.kuboten.com. They ll handle all the details and help you if you don t speak fluent Japanese. Report Abuse

How much money should I bring on vacation to japan for one week visit ? -

How much money should I bring on vacation to japan for one week visit ?and how much money dose hotels like hilton or els charge per day over there?and what there to see in japan?

I just got back from Japan. After the airfares, hotel and Japan Rail Pass was paid for I took 100,000 yen with me. I spent a week in Japan and returned with 20,000 yen so therefore spent 80,000 yen in one week. I did not hold back too much with the budget. Out of the 80,000 yen I paid for a night s accommodation in Tokyo. Most of the sights are free, or cost very little to visit. For example, Hiroshima Peace Museum only 50 yen, Kinkakaju temple in Kyoto 400 yen. Himeji-Jo castle, 600 yen. The bigger costs are places to eat, but only if you want to dine finely. You can get decent food for cheap at selected places. Another expense is travel, but I purchased a Japan Rail Pass for 28,300 yen. It sounds expensive, but is a great bargain if you are visiting at least 2 cities or more in Japan. Remembering you can only purchase this in your own country before you leave for Japan. You have to allow plenty of money if you re gonna buy a lot of souvenirs, although I bought stuff for about 5 or 6 people back home in my budget. The only other thing I can suggest is to not be put off by people wanking on about Japan being expensive. Sure, it can be expensive, but you can also go on a selected budget and have a great time. Just look on the net for the bargains. It took me a couple of days of exploring the net to eventually find a 4 star hotel for 600 dollars cheaper than the actual hotel site for example. Good luck and enjoy the trip. I also found the Lonely Planet:Japan book handy. The bananas in Japan are less than a dollar, and the spirits in Japan are very cheap. I bought a bottle of bourbon for 1800 yen which is about 20 bucks New Zealand dollars. If you re nor familiar to NZ bucks, it is almost equivalent to duty free prices. The beer however was a bit more expensivel.

Hotels can run into the hundreds per day ! You can find much cheaper places than the Hilton ! Bring as much as you can spare.

Well, Japan is a very expensive place. I heard that in Japan, a banana there is about a dollar. For one single banana. O: I m not sure how much the hotels are, ((Probably more expensive than a banana lt;_lt;)) but there s SO much to see in Japan. lt;3 I ve never been there, but I ve heard from other people. The sights are beautiful ((In a certain part of Japan,)) and the food is delicious... @w@ If I were you... I d bring lots of money... :3

depends are u going to tokyo? oosaka? kyoto? 5 stars hotels are more than $150 in tokyo. u better check city hotels. these hotels are located front of main train station. food is expencive in japan too. same as oosaka and kyoto. there is a lot of temple and shrine in kyoto and nara. the temples in kyoto and nara attract visitors from all over the world. is this ur first time trip? visit kyoto first and spend 3 days. and go back to tokyo is better i think. and u can try shinkansen too. u need more than 10,000yen(=$80-85) per day without hotel.

About $55,000.00 should cover everything.

What would be a great and cheap way to go to Japan? -

I want to go to japan man its expensive, any suggestions.

Plan in advanced. Flights are always cheaper if you plan at least a month or two ahead of time. Hotels can be as cheap as $50. Do some planning and it won t be too bad.

SWIM

try with yout travel agent or go to this website it can be a great help. http://www.iace-usa.com/index_us.htm Hope this helped ^_^

Get a job on a cargo ship that goes to Japan or on a Cruise ship (Princess Cruise for example)!

The cheapest way I can think of is with Airline miles and Hotel points. Last year, I went to Japan found a ticket for about $700 and stayed at a 4 star Hotel using Hotel points. I went to Korea 2 months ago using Airline miles all I had to pay was the tax. This year I m going to try and use Airline miles and Hotel points to go to Tokyo and maybe even Seoul also. You need to know how to work the system to get free flights and hotels. It s worth it.

see if you have relatives or friends that are living in japan. Crash at their place. And, eat with them.

How do i mail a pizza to japan? -

my friend in japan wants to experiance eating american pizza... i think i will go to round table or pizza hut and get a small pizza for her, but i dont know if this is even legal?? I m thinking using dry ice in a styrofoam container... it needs to arrive quickly too and cannont be too heavy because its pretty expensive to mail anything in a timely manner to japan... How much dry ice should i use??

Get a jet -k-

Domino s is in Japan. Pizza Hut is in Japan. etc... Pizza is good based on ingredients and how it is cooked. I applaud your effort, but I suspect at the end of the day, the pizza arrives and the toppings are not fresh and the oven is not right. Send them a gift certificate for Pizza Hut.

I think you would be better sending your friend a recipe. O.K. This isn t an easy recipe but It is the best pizza you have ever eaten. Norm’s Pizza To make about 10 - 12 pizzas Dough 2-1/4- Cups Water 2- Tsp Granulated Yeast 1-1/2- Tsp Salt 3- Tbs Vegetable Shortening 2- Beaten Eggs 6- Cups Flour - Will have to add some more Mix yeast in warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add balance of ingredients and work by hand adding extra flour until dough is no longer sticky. Form into ball and let stand at room temp for 1 hour. Sauce 2- Large Cans Tomato Paste (About 15 Oz Each) 1- 15 Oz Tomato Sauce 1/3- Cup Sugar 4- Tbs Fennel Seed 2- Tsp Salt 1/2- Tsp Black Pepper Sausage 3- Lb Pork Ground Very Lean – MUST be trimmed of all fat 2- Tbs Fennel Seed 1- Tbs Sugar 1- Tsp Salt 1/4- Tsp Black Pepper 1- Tsp Oregano Chop any other toppings you may want. (onions, green peppers, mushrooms pepperoni etc.) Roll out dough as round as you can. Roll very thin, about 1/4quot;. Turn your pizza pan upside down on your dough. Make sure it extends past the pan. With a pizza roller or knife trim the dough by cutting around the pan. Turn the pan right side up, sprinkle with bread crumbs amp; put the dough on the pan. With a large spoon put a generous layer of sauce on the dough. Dot very generously with your sausage and then add other toppings you want in any order. When done scatter about 1/3 cup of parmesan on top and spread enough shredded mozzarella amp; cheddar (1/2 amp; 1/2) to almost conceal your toppings. Bake at 475 degrees until cheese is browning well. About 25 minutes or more

Just tell to your friend to go to pizza place nearby. I m sure there are lots of american pizzas in Japan.

How about sending your friend all the ingredients and a recipe for a pizza?

I think you should buy a pizza and fly a jet over there lollololololol im kidding but i wqould say dont

Don t mail a pizza! Just get your friend to come over so she can try it! Then, you can take her to other good american places. *wink wink* And she can have lots of fun over here instead of in Japan!

don t get too much complicated.... there are good American style pizza in Japan.. even Shakey s pizza tastes good in Meguro area.. or where the foreigner s go to take a taste of pizza.. even Domino s Pizza If I could find a good sushi that taste like what they have in Japan, she would find good American pizza there.. I think she is just curious..so I think their ideas are helpful.. I have been to Gas Panic Roppongi.. I ve tasted the pizza there... but I don t think pizza there is horrible because I love Shakey s pizza.... ... well, I found a good pizza hut place for her... no need to send it by mail,,,she can go there,,, Directions From Tenmaya corner: Walk towards your home, go inside and find the phone. You ve arrived! From Rihga Royal Hotel: Walk towards your hotel room, go inside and find the phone. You ve arrived! Helpful Information Average price: 3000 yen English Menu: Part English English speaking employees: Maybe Seating: Delivery only Child seat: If you have one. Restroom style: Whatever you have. Atmosphere: Comfortable, familiar. Accepts Credit Card: No no worries,,,have a good day !!

send it through e-mail, but you have to make sure she has a printer or otherwise she wont be able to eat it.

Try one of the fast express or courier services. But it will cost you a lot and I wonder if it is worth it. There are American fast food (incl. pizza) outlets in Japan. So I think your friend could well get the same taste when visiting one of those. I would also check with Customs first about the legal aspects. A lot of countries do not allow the import of food at all. I send a smoked salmon to my mother from time to time. And even though we are only about 1500 km apart, the postage for airmail express delivery is more than twice as much as I pay for the salmon.

dude...i don t know if you d be able to get it there...no offense or anything

Fedex or DHL might be able to help you. I don t think you should do it by yourself.

ups

First do not send a pizza hut pizza!!!!! Nasty! My favorite pizza from home ships, we do that about 1 or 2x s a yr, when we get home sick. You might ask your fav local place, They cook it part way, freeze it, pack it and ship it fedex. It never hurts to ask! If they don t do it, call fedex and ask for the how to s.

What job other then teaching English can I do in Japan? -

Hi, I m currently living in Japan with a spouse visa and I m bored teaching English. I can speak a little of the language and write a very little amount. I really want to do a different job other then teach English but I don t know what I can do. I have looked for other types of work but without much joy. Any advice or information? Thank you in advance.

There s always exotic dancing or working at a host/hostess club.... lol :) But really you should check out the Tokyo Notice Board they always have jobs in there.

I worked part time at a fast food store (Subway) when I was in Japan. I could speak a fair amount but my Japanese got much better while working there. Why don t you try applying for a job where you can interact with Japanese people while using the Japanese language? It s bound to be a totally different experience ;)

My husband used to teach English, and then switched to English news paper company... (We are in the States now) It is very stressful to work at news paper company since there are so many jerks... But you can give it a try...

Try working at the US military base?

What things do i need to check out before i visit Japan? What websites will help me with this? -

I want to travel to Japan this summer but i don t know exactly what i need to go there. I don t want to go there and be on the streets or sick or something. I won t go this summer if there is too much to do. But i really really really wan to go this summer.

This is a copy and paste from answers I have given before. The links at the far bottom are for airlines in order of best possible deals. I suggest watching them and paying close attention because they often have sales and you can get good deals if you are paying attention. I haven t paid over $900 for a flight to Japan and that was during the peak time (explained below). I suggest not going in the summer as it s typhoon season and very hot and humid. The best time to visit Japan is in late October into November, which is explained below too. I hope you have a great trip to Japan and don t forget your passport. Well, to enjoy Japan, you have to see more than Tokyo. Honestly, I have only been to the airports in Tokyo and spent the rest of my time in Central Japan. Japan is a wonderful and beautiful place, but has even more value to me because that s where my fiancé is from. If you don t have a passport, you will need one before you go. I don t think you are dumb, but it s simple thing that some people don t think about. The best season to visit is autumn, especially October and November. It s still a bit warm in September and the typhoon season may not be over. You can also try April, for the Cherry Blossom viewing, but things can be wicked busy then and it can give you a bad taste for Japan if you have to fight people to get to everything. It s very beautiful that time of year, but it s also beautiful in autumn. Whatever you do don t go during the holiday seasons (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html)... especially Golden Week, which is April 29 to May 3 and the end of the year to early January. Stuff is really busy at those times and it s just not good for foreign people. I have a really nasty memory of visiting Kaiyukan (Osaka Aquarium) during Golden Week. My information about Tokyo is limited. As for a total trip to Japan, you should take 3-4 weeks and love it. It s a great place. People in Japan love foreign people. They don t hate to speak English, but they are afraid to do so. Many people seek out foreigner so they can quot;practice.quot; I have been someone s home work for their conversation school several times. Things to understand. When you are in Tokyo and on an escalator, stand on the left and walk on the right. It s the opposite of the US (I don t know where you are from, sorry). The rest of the Japan is the same as here stand on the right and walk fast on the left. Be sure and follow that because people will try to bump you out of the way. quot;Sumimasenquot; means quot;Excuse mequot; so you may want to practice this. Also, they often say it after they have bumped you. Remember that Japan is a crowded country and people are used to bumping into one another. It may seem rude to you, but it s normal to them. A really good guide book for Japan is Lonely Planet Japan (link below), or you can go to Barnes and Noble, they have a really good group of books on Japan. Outside of Tokyo you should visit Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Okayama/Kurashiki, Fukuoka (shopping), Beppu (stinky), Mt. Aso (beautiful Active volcano) and Shikoku Island (many volcanoes). Doing this should take the amount of time I said above. You can visit Hokkaido and the city Sapporo too, but I haven t been there nor studied the north island all that much. One thing you must do is visit at least one Onsen. Check the second link below. It s beautiful and wonderful. You will live in the lap of luxury, have a wonderful hot spring bath, some have massages and they serve your food in your room, give you a special room to eat in alone or some actually cook in your room for you. It s expensive, but it s really wonderful. Some have a buffet for breakfast or dinner. Breakfast buffets are nice, but having breakfast in your room is really, though most have buffet for breakfast. I would avoid any that have buffet for dinner. Normally it s crowded, hard to get your food and sometimes the food is bad. A good English language service is at the third link below. This is run by an American man and his Japanese wife s family. They live in Hyogo Prefecture (state) near Osaka. They are really nice and been very helpful. Make your Onsen reservations as far in advance as possible. The fourth link below is a Japanese site that has many great places, but most of the links are in Japanese only, but they have many more places than the one in the third link. You have to make your own reservations by contacting the Onsen (hotel) yourself. If this is your only trip to Japan, then visit as many as you can. Beppu is a volcanic town that has many Onsen and that s why people go there, but the town smells strong from the sulfur, so some people can t stand it. They have many special baths with great healing qualities. It s really worth it and you do feel really great after spending your time in the hot spring baths. If you find one with cedar baths, that s really great too. If you are shy, try to find a place with a Private or quot;Familyquot; bath since most of them have only public baths. The people will look at you since you are a foreigner and they aren t afraid to look at your quot;private partsquot; either. Don t be offended. Many of the really good onsen are in small towns and they don t see many foreigners. Just ignore them and enjoy yourself. The public baths have more to choose from, including outdoor baths, which are really great, especially in autumn or winter because you can have the cool air outside and the very hot water (normally around 41-44 degrees Celsius. Whatever that is in Fahrenheit). It s really a great experience, and don t worry, they have fences to block people from seeing you or something natural, like many trees or the side of a mountain. Regular hotels around Japan. I have stayed at Tokyu hotels several times while in Japan. They are always nice, clean and have great service. They are very reasonable, you can make reservations in English and you can join their frequent visitor club, but that would be only if you are going back to Japan, because it takes a while to earn enough points for a voucher. Link #10 below. Tokyo , I don t know allot about Tokyo since my fiancé is from Osaka and hates Tokyo , so other than a few flights with layovers in Haneda and Narita, I haven t spent much time there. It s a huge city with many tall buildings. It s had a very good, but convoluted train system. Japan has the best public transportation system in the world (I live in Silicon Valley, what we have here is a joke. Then, after spending much time in Japan, I say we don t even have public transportation, but that s another story for another day). I bought a book called Japan Three Cities Tokyo, Kyoto and Ancient Nara by Cadogan (ISBN 1860119174). This has some good info about Kyoto and Nara, but I didn t go through the Tokyo part. Seems there s some good stuff too, though it may be redundant compared to the Lonely Planet book. It was helpful for Kyoto and Nara though. Oh, the Lonely Planet books come out every year in October, so if you are going to Japan after that, then wait to get the new book as it will be updated. Even with that, sometimes the information is out of date for restaurant names and addresses or phone numbers or other things. It s not perfect, but it s the best guide I have used. I hope you can enjoy Tokyo and the whole metropolitan area. Kyoto. Places you need to visit are the Golden Temple (link 7), Gion (Geisha District, link 8), Kokedera (Saiho-ji, Moss Temple in English, you have to make a reservation in advance by post card. I can have my fiancé get one for you if needed. My email is my name here at Yahoo; link five below is this place. It s beautiful), Byoudou-in which is in Uji (near Kyoto, link 6) and Fushimi Inari-taisha (link 9), which is a temple full of torii, literally thousands, take your walking shoes for this one, it s quite a hike, but worth it. The city of Kyoto itself is ugly. It s just too compact, too much traffic, dirty and not that great, but the temples, as you can see, are great. Also, I suggest visiting Onsen in the area. There are some nice ones north of Kyoto and to the west. Nara, after visiting Kyoto, I suggest vesting Nara. This was the original capital of Japan a few thousand years ago and they have some of the original historical artifacts. You may want to find a tour guide, because some of the stuff doesn t have information in English. You should plan 1-2 days there. Maybe, leave Kyoto in the morning one day, spend the day there, stay in a Japanese style hotel in Nara and then spend the next half day or so there and then go to Osaka or a place with Onsen in Wakayama prefecture. Osaka has kind of become like a second home to me and it s hard to say a visitor will really like there. I think the best thing are Osaka-jo (Osaka Castle, 11), Den Den Town (shopping district, mostly for men like electronics and such, 12), Universal Studios Japan (everything s pretty much in Japanese, but it s fun and interesting to see an American amusement park in another country, 13), Kaiyukan (Osaka Aquarium, 14), Suntory Museum (right next to the aquarium, 15) and the Imax, which is right there too, but everything is in Japanese, so you may feel lost. While in Osaka, I suggest stay in Arima Onsen. This is one of the most famous and popular hot spring resorts in the world. The problem for me is that my fiancé grew up minutes from there, so it s not interesting to her, so I haven t been able to visit one of the hot springs there yet. :-( Please check link 3 or 4 (part of Kinki) for information about this area. Wakayama prefecture. There s a lot to do there, but it s not necessary. There is an amusement park in Wakayama city (16) that s okay, but there is an adventure park near Shirahama called Adventure World that s nice (17). That s where Mei Mei is, she s the best mother Panda around, or so they say. It was nice to see them. It s a nice place to visit. Shirahama has some great Onsen too. Also, Katsuura has a couple island onsen that are magnificent, but have buffet dinners, well; I know one has buffet dinners. Link 18 is one of them. You may want to visit Shirahama and Katsuura, if you are going to, before going to Osaka, since you will be headed back that way if you follow the order I say. There s not much to do in Kobe, but in Himeji they do just Himeji-jo (Himeji Castle), which is one of the most popular places people visit in Japan. It really is nice. There s also a nice garden next to the castle. It s quite nice. Link 19. There is a really nice onsen, with a really nice Private Onsen near there in the small town of Yumesaki. You have to take a taxi to get there (don t worry; they aren t as bad as that moron that s never been to Japan says. Oh, the houses are made of the same materials as they are here. The homeless people don t even live in cardboard). It s link 20 and try to navigate through the Japanese page to find the photos of the Onsen. It s quite beautiful and they are very nice. Be fair warned, though, the private onsen is very hot, like 51 degrees Celsius. If you are driving, then you should visit the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. This goes to Awaji Island. There are some nice Onsen on the island. The Akashi Bridge is famous for two reasons; one is that it s the longest suspension bridge in the world. The other is that the bridge was being built during the Great Kobe Earthquake (as they call it) in 1995. The bridge was almost unaffected. It s really beautiful, but it has tolls both ways that run 3200 yen ($29 US), I think. Link 23. I don t suggest driving in Japan on your trip there. It can be a bit nerve racking, but since I have been many times, I love driving in Japan and prefer driving there than here in California. Okayama/Kurashiki. There s not a lot here, but there is a great theme park in Kurashiki. Okayama is the bigger city and you will find better hotels there. The theme park in Kurashiki is called Tivoli. It s link 21. It s an old style European theme park. It s quite fun, but no great rides. Sorry. Okayama is famous for their noodles. Really great Soba noodles. Hiroshima. I haven t been here. Not sure what to see other than the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (also known as the A Bomb Dome, 22). I haven t been here because I feel guilty as an American with conscience. I am sure there are other things to see, but I am not sure I can be okay going there. Shikoku Island is the Island just sound of the main island of Japan (Honshu). There are some nice places to visit and I have only been once. There are so volcanoes on this island. I don t know how many are active, but it s neat to see them. There are also several onsen here. One highlight is the Kotohira Shrine. This is really a great place to visit, but, once again, bring your walking shoes. Its 1368 steps to the top, but the shrines are nice (there are two) and the view is magnificent. They have horses up there too. Must have been a nasty trek for them. One interesting thing is that they have people that will carry you up the steps if you can t make it. So, I saw some older folks being carried by these people up the steps, but I would have sworn the people carrying them were actually older. All the people doing the carrying were old. Interesting. Link 24. Also, there s shops all the way up to the top and some really great noodle shops. If you really want to experience Japanese Udon noodles, this is the place to do it. Fukuoka and Kyushu. Kyushu Island is the south Island of Japan (not including Okinawa). It s a very lush and vibrant area. Fukuoka is a decent sized city with nice shopping areas (most big cities have good shopping areas since the women in Japan are literally nuts about shopping. This isn t a man s complaint, it s reality). I haven t been to Fukuoka either, but it s one of the places I really want to go. Check the Lonely Planet book for hot spots. I can t remember off the top of my head. Two places you really need to see on Kyushu are Mt Aso and Beppu. Aso is a beautiful mountain, but it s also an active volcano. There are some interesting places to visit around there. There is a small town not too far away called Yufuin that has some amazing Onsen, but it s small and English isn t spoken much, though they do welcome foreigners. Check link 3 and 4 for information about Yufuin (Kyushu, Oita Prefecture). You can make the trek to Nagasaki. There s some history there other than being the other bomb dropped by US to quot;end the war,quot; it actually had nothing to do with ending the war, but that s another story. Almost done here, sorta. Beppu is a place I think all people in the world should visit. It s an amazing place, but one has to get past the smell of sulfur. If that will be impossible skip it. If it s possible, then you must go!! There are many great onsen and many great things to see, though it s just a small city. Links 25, 26 and 3 amp; 4. If you are only to visit two places other than Tokyo, go to Kyoto and Beppu. After here, it s a short train ride to Oita Airport and fly back to Tokyo. I think commuter plane tickets run around $170-210. It s much cheaper and faster than taking the train. Getting around Japan. Japan has a great train system. Really magnificent. One thing that you should experience is Shinkansen (bullet train). The fastest trains are called Nozomi (Hope) and run at over 160 MPH. Really, it s not that exciting after a while, because it s so smooth. It s kind of like riding in an airplane on the ground. You can t really look at things because you are going too fast. This is the way to get to Kyoto from Tokyo. A big city on the way is Nagoya, but there s not much to see there. Just blink and you ll miss it, well, on the Shinkansen anyway (links 27 and 28). You can get a Japan rail pass that will come in very handy and makes things so much easier for you if you are going to spend many days in Japan. The negative to the JR Rail Pass is that it doesn t cover Nozomi trains, but it does cover all other trains and it s only good for JR trains. Some local trains are owned by other companies, mainly Hanshin and Hankyu. Please go through link 29. If you have any questions, my email is hidden in this answer. Most of the stations have some signs in English a station/city names in Romaji (western characters). Also, don t be afraid to ask people. Japanese people are very friendly (except old people) and like to help foreigners, even if it s difficult for them. I have had many great experiences traveling in Japan, with my fiancé and her family and without, in a car and in a train. Sometimes trains are packed, but don t worry about that, it s not normally too bad. Avoid trains in the bid cities; especially the subways during commuter times (07:00-09:30 and 17:00-20:00) and you should be fine. Don t take any uncomfortable shoes and probably bring a small variety. You will be doing a lot of walking, no matter where you go. Japan is very beautiful. I hope you have a great time. If you have any questions or want to know about any other little hidden places (there are many), then let me know. I have only given you some of the highlights, but there is so much to do in Japan. I almost moved there, but she s coming here. Sorry for any typos. There s too much here for me to edit now. Please smile and have a great day.

WOW! That is a lot of information. One thing I do not believe was mentioned is travel medical insurance. Even if people do not get ill from food, they may get ill from other causes and may suffer an injury. It is very important for you to provide the means to get good medical care no matter where you are from or where you are going. The industry leader in travel medical is TravelGuard. Go to http://www.wavehelp.com/travel-medical/i... and click on the little red phone booth. Then read about quot;Worldwide Healthquot; insurance. It should be all you need to have total medical security. You can buy it on-line at that site. Best wishes.

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ I hope this link help.. Japan National Tourist Organization

check out this websites http://www.japan-guide.com/ http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/englis... http://www.japantravelinfo.com/ http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/d... http://www.japanrail.com/ This is Japan, so trust me when I say you won t get sick. The food is good. I have never gotten sick off of the food and I ve lived here for over 2 years. You ll have fun. I recommend that you buy a basic phrase book to help you along the way. Good luck and have fun!

Things to know before departure The immigration officials are quite careful not to let anyone in the country on a tourist visa who might be intending not to leave. The way they check this is by asking you to show a ticket for return or onward travel. This should not be a problem, as you and [...] already have round-trip tickets. However, since many college students come to Japan on tourist visas to look for a job, expect a bit of grilling on this issue. Another thing the officials watch out for is that anyone coming into the country has sufficient funds to survive without public assistance. For this reason I have forwarded an advance check for [...] to [...] which you should carry in cash and/or travellers checks to flash at the inspector if he asks how you will live while you are here. It will also help to tell them you already have housing arrangements. I m sure this will not be a problem for you, but there are three things that are definately not welcome in Japan: weapons, drugs, and porno. Also agricultural products like fruits and such might be siezed.

The summer in Japan is the traditional festival season. Please not only check about the sight seeing spot but about also the festival calenders on the travel guide websites. http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/histor... It is not necessary to climb Mt. Fuji if you don t have much time because the mountain doesn t have tree, and it is not much exciting event if we actually climb, However, If you go to see Mt Fuji from Toyo, view from Yamanaka Lake, the closest lake to Mt. Fuji among 5 lakes near there, is one of the famous place, you can get great panorama view amp; may be much cooler than city area in the morning during hot summer. http://members.aol.com/prisoner6birkin/i... Travel Guides in Japan: http://web-japan.org/ http://www.japan-guide.com/ http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/... Regional Travel Guides: Hokkaido area http://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/ http://www.hokkaidoguide.com/ Tohoku area http://travel.japan-tohoku.com/enarea.ht... Tokyo http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/index_en.htm Kyoto http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/i... Okinawa is populer south island is famous in tourism, beautiful beach and etc. But I just heard during mid summer it is so hot and strong sun shine that local people tend to stay inside of house. http://www.ocvb.or.jp/index.php?current=...

Check a book called quot;Tokyo for free!quot;.