Is it difficult for a English/Chinese literate to find his way around Japan(Kyoto) alone during a tour? -

I am a English/Chinese literate youth with hopes of touring Japan, preferably Kyoto and i was wondering if i would have much difficulty in finding my way around during the trip. If any such individual has any corresponding experience on such a vacation, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your experiences with me.

I did a similar kind of trip a long time ago, before I learned Japanese. After I graduated from university, I travelled to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan. I visited my friend in Osaka (he had just started teaching English there), and used his apartment as a base to visit places like Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. I wouldn t say it s easy, but it s easier when you can read and recognize Chinese characters. It s better than only knowing English, particularly when looking at maps. But there are many signs that are in Japanese script (katakana or hiragana) only, and many times you have to guess. I carried a phrase book with me, and one of the first katakana I learned was the word for quot;hotel,quot; for example. When I went to restaurants, I found it difficult to order, so I would go outside, look at the plastic food displays, and memorized what the writing (it s hit or miss whether Chinese characters are used for food on menus) was, then point at it on the printed menu inside. If you have an Asian appearance, most Japanese people will speak to you in Japanese first, so you might want to learn the phrase, quot;I don t know Japanese.quot; The simplest way to say it is probably quot;nihongo wakarimasenquot;. Helpful people will often either switch to English, or try to get someone who speaks English to help you, or use a lot of gestures. It was actually a relief for me to go to Kobe s Chinatown and hear Chinese spoken at the restaurants. :) But, it was a very interesting experience: the first time in my adult life where I went to a place I didn t understand the language at all, and it inspired me to learn Japanese.

There are dozens of gardens and museums in Kyoto. You can get an online map to help you find your way around. English is the official business language. You will have no trouble finding English speaking citizens happy to help you.

Japanese Kanji writing same as Chinese mostly, so you can read part of signs. They have Hiragana and Katakana too.

It should be no problem. You re underestimating yourself. If you can read Chinese, you ll be able to guess at a lot of Japanese. There is English all over the place too. Not only that, but most people in Japan, although poorly, do speak some English. Kyoto is a tourist haven, so there is abundant English pamphlets, maps, signs, etc. Some of that is in Chinese too. How do you say, quot;You worry too muchquot; in Chinese? Kyoto is a spiritual centre you don t want to miss. It s beyond language.

For transportation, your English will come in handy as there will be English (and Japanese) announcements made along the journey to inform you of the location. Chinese language can help you only to a certain extent to make sense of the meaning. Generally speaking, the Japanese s version of Chinese characters do correspond to a large extent similar meaning to that of the Chinese language (though pronounciation is different). You should be able to get by by interpreting the Japanese Kanji words.