Topic: So, I'm about to go to Japan (in a few weeks)

I'd suggest Snowboarding (that's why I intend to go) but you might break your dancing feet, we can't have that. D:

While you are there, would you mind picking me up a nice Japanese lady? _{i so want one}

Have a great time, ya lucky bar steward.

EDIT: btw, why are you going? Business or pleasure?

You lucky dog! I've been wanting to go there for years, but couldn't due to the lack of money for the trip. Oh well, enjoy the trip. Just to ask out of curiosity, how fluent are you in the Japanese language?

I think he's basic to intermediate. I remember he said he was studying the My Japanese Coach for DS, his partner is Japanese.

We were thinking of spending a couple of days at Nagano, but alas, not this time, 2 1/2 weeks isn't very long

While you are there, would you mind picking me up a nice Japanese lady? _{i so want one}

:3

EDIT: btw, why are you going? Business or pleasure?

Work - meeting the parents is always work <_<

Seriously though, pleasure, but I'm hoping to make some money back from doing some travel writing and photography.

Just to ask out of curiosity, how fluent are you in the Japanese language?

I'm reasonable. I can have a friendly chat about basic topics, but I'm not going to be able to going into an in-depth political debate. I also suffer from very big gaps in knowledge. The good thing about having a partner from a different language is that you have someone to practice conversation on, but without a formal education, it's like jumping straight to college without doing school.

Make sure you get some cool pics to share with us all when you get back, oh and spend a night in a capsule hotel (I've always wanted to stay in one of these for some strange reason)

Oh, you may know the answer to this already with your profession, but i hear that in Japan journalists write their headlines so as not to attract attention, which is the complete opposite of our sensationalist western journalism.

Yup!

@Stevie: I assume it has a communal toilet, at least i hope. :/

Check out the arcades and the tech! Japan is so advanced these days.

Have an awesome trip!

(Trust me, Nintendo's Kyoto office is near untouchable, so I won't suggest that. )

That made my day. Thank you.

These are starting to show up at big international airports. I'm pretty sure Schipol has one, and man had I known that the last time I went through there I really would have used it because I was dead tired with a multi-hour layover and there's no benches to stretch out on in that place.

I'm prone to bouts of claustrophobia, so capsule hotels are out.

I'm rather intrigued by these maid cafes.

So, the itinerary so far reads like this:

Day #1 - arrive from flight
Day #2 - Harajuku (it's a Sunday), followed by a trip to a cat cafe and Shibuya. Possibly also Shinjuku
Day #3 - Ghibli Museum. Tokyo Dome in the evening.
Day #4 - Imperial Garden, followed by Tokyo Tower
Day #5 - Ueno for its museums and then Asakusa to visit the oldest theme park in Japan
Day #6 - Odaiba and ADMT - Museum for Japanese advertising. Venus fort shopping mall in the afternoon, and then Jicoo floating bar in Tokyo harbour in the evening.
Day #7 - Akihabera tour
Day #8 - Yokohama
Day #9 - Kamakura (Beach area)
Day #10 - Disney Land
Day #11 - Disney Sea
Day #12 - Sapporo beer factory tour, then Ginza shopping in afternoon
Day #13 - Kyoto
Day #14 -
Day #15 -
Day #16 -
Day #17 - Flight home

Day #14 - #16 I'll be by myself, while my partner catches up with her family and friends in Japan. Not sure what to do with those days yet.

if you're gonna be in Kyoto anyway, i'd recommend Himeji (and specifically, Himeji Castle). If you want some absolutely breathtaking photos of a Japanese castle that's never had to be rebuilt after fire or attack, that's the place you want to go. There's also a very nice garden next to it where you can get some good photos too.

there is a mega mac at burger king in japan...

Yes, the one thing I will NOT be doing is eating fast food in Japan. There's more than enough amazing, proper food there you can't get in Australia, and I can get crap fast food perfectly fine here.

I've been to Europe a couple of times, and it's an absolute rule I have - why go somewhere different when you're just going to eat the same old crap?

if you're gonna be in Kyoto anyway, i'd recommend Himeji (and specifically, Himeji Castle). If you want some absolutely breathtaking photos of a Japanese castle that's never had to be rebuilt after fire or attack, that's the place you want to go. There's also a very nice garden next to it where you can get some good photos too.

That sounds awesome! Thank you!

@moomoo No problem

Enjoy your trip dude, and bring me back some Ramen.

There is something interesting about seeing what's different in MacDonald's in different countries though like the Big Turk and doner burger in Istanbul (I actually couldn't eat anything in the McDonald's in Istanbul other than salad -- no Filet-o-Fish to be seen).

I've heard Shinjuku described as the only dangerous place in Japan (from a crime perspective) -- apparently that's where the gangsters hang out.

I'm hoping to make a trip in the fall, should be fun. I keep going back-and-forth on getting a DSi LL there...

I'm hoping to make a trip in the fall, should be fun. I keep going back-and-forth on getting a DSi LL there...

If I have the money I know I will be. I want to get some of the Japanese DSiWare

Well, this news just gave me something else to do!

http://www.qj.net/qjnet/nintendo-ds/square-enix-brings-ludias...

It actually looks like an awesome bar.

I've been checking out video on the DSi set-up; doesn't look any more difficult than doing it on a Japanese Wii. The only thing really holding me back is the liklihood of having an iPhone in my future. The DSi probably won't get as much use. If the DSi was also a phone then that would simplify things!