all about Japan

[NiCHoLO]

Ey guys. I'm gearing up for a three month working trip in Japan. Tokyo to be exact. I know squat about Japan. I might as well be in another planet. Its totally alien territory to me. I'd really appreciate it if u guys could give me some pointers about the culture, the people, and of course, the places to see. THIS IS IMPORTANT. I will be woking there for three months. I'd be grateful if you guys could help me make my stay less hellish than what i am imagining it to be.

Thanks a lot!

[okashira]

ohayou gozaimasu! [good morning!]

i'm off to tokyo in 3 weeks myself, as an exchange student. i've been to japan twice before, though.

if you're going to be working there for 3 months, i assure you that it'll be a great experience! japan is truly a wonderful country, with so many things to offer historically and culturally. it'll take some effort, though, to make sure you can have the best experience possible. for starters, you may have to pick up some basic japanese expressions, since not everyone speaks english there. i suggest purchasing a phrasebook first of all. a good one is the one published by berlitz. look for this at national bookstore or even powerbooks. the japanese appreciate efforts from foreigners to speak nihongo. :)

second, you need a good guidebook to give you an overview of japan, its modes of transportation, where to stay, places to visit, people to contact when you get in trouble, etc. for this, nothing beats the lonely planet series. you can get just the one dealing with tokyo, or the one that deals with the whole of japan. depends on you. i got the one about tokyo, since i'll be living there and will just go to other places to visit. powerbooks has this.

you might also want an in-depth explanation of what the japanese character really is. while they are extremely polite and helpful people, there are many things you should remember when dealing with them - especially since you're working in their country. for this purpose, i recommend purchasing etiquette guide to japan by boye de mente. i saw it once in powerbooks megamall. it explains a lot of everyday, yet very important customs in japanese life and culture.

there are so many things to remember about going there that i can't mention them all. but i'd suggest going to websites that talk about japanese culture and language. just type in "working in japan", "living in japan", etc. this is a helpful one!


http://www.japan-guide.com

lastly, if you've got other questions, you can PM Ebisu24. he's a pinoy who's working in tokyo now, and he's been very helpful! you can read his posts in "the working filipino" forum. just look for the one about japan.

i hope that helps somewhat. ja ne! [later!] :jap:

[seksi]

san ba may best site para sa japanese-english dictionary?

gusto ko kc mag aral. wala lang. parang ang sarap lang kasing matututo/magsalita ng japanese language.

[okashira]

seksi, you can just type "japanese language" or "studying japanese" in a search engine, i think you'll get lots of results...

but if you're truly serious about studying nihongo, you can enroll at the school i'm studying in NIHONGO CENTER MANILA, it's on r. papa st. in samaploc, near feu. you'll learn more if you're in a class because you have other people to interact with.

and YES, nihongo is FUN! in fact i'm seriously thinking about making it my lifelong career. :jap:

[snowykitty]

1. before u leave, get a japan rail pass through a travel agent (can't get this in japan).
2. there are a lot of nice places to see. if ur young at heart, visit universal studios (osaka) & tokyo disneyland
3. ppl there are mostly courteous but pushing to get into a train is an exception to them, so be warned
4. u can go to osaka from tokyo by bullet train (takes only a few hours). also, u should book in advance for reserved seating.
5. have coins handy, they have vending machines everywhere
6. if u can, join tour groups
7. try to learn their language as not many japanese know how to speak english
8. it's pretty safe to roam around tokyo even late at night
have fun!

[seksi]

okashira, thanks for the info. visit ko yang learning center one of these days. :cool:

[okashira]

no problem, seksi!

nicholo, here's an important piece of advice: bring some philippine-made, native souvenirs on your trip. japanese are big on gift-giving, and you're sure to score points with them when you offer them something. you MUST ALWAYS bring a gift with you when invited to visit a japanese person's house. it's a set tradition even among the japanese themselves, even with people they've known for years.

when you're invited out to eat by japanese [and i'm sure you will!], it's polite to give them a token of your appreciation. before eating, wait for the host to tell you to help yourself. when he/she does, you say, itadakimasu [it's their way of saying thanks for their food] and after the meal, you should say gochisousama deshita [thank you for the meal, it was delicious.]

OK gifts are: boxed sets of greeting cards featuring paintings by pinoy artists, small figurines, native placemats, coasters, handbags, wallets, even pinoy food that won't spoil easily [like pastillas, polvoron, etc. just be careful in packing them because they might get crushed! you can wrap them in your t-shirts or something, and don't put them under anything heavy.

it's nice also if you can wrap the gifts or put them in interesting bags, not just hand them over in a plastic bag. on my last trip, i brought CD copies of cynthia alexander's albums and put them in small abaca bags for my japanese friends.

[istarbaks]

Originally posted by okashira

nicholo, ...when you're invited out to eat by japanese [and i'm sure you will!], it's polite to give them a token of your appreciation. before eating, wait for the host to tell you to help yourself. when he/she does, you say, itadakimasu [it's their way of saying thanks for their food] and after the meal, you should say gochisousama deshita [thank you for the meal, it was delicious.]

the cue: the host will say, douzo (or, hai, douzo).

OK gifts are: boxed sets of greeting cards featuring paintings by pinoy artists, small figurines, native placemats, coasters, handbags, wallets, even pinoy food that won't spoil easily

japanese love dried mangoes. you can buy them at any major supermarkets in the phil. choose the brand: 7D. that's because after careful "tests" (i bought all brands available and tasted each), i found out that this brand of dried mangoes suits the japanese taste buds... :)

[okashira]

[i]japanese love dried mangoes. you can buy them at any major supermarkets in the phil. choose the brand: 7D. that's because after careful "tests" (i bought all brands available and tasted each), i found out that this brand of dried mangoes suits the japanese taste buds... :)

hey thanks istarbaks, i was wondering if they liked dried mangoes...i thought they weren't too fond of that. they're easier to pack than polvoron or pastillas, so maybe i'll buy some of those instead :)

[cr45h]

my cousin told me that hotel rooms runs around $200 per night too...better bring a sleeping bag :lol: j/k

[istarbaks]

Originally posted by okashira
hey thanks istarbaks, i was wondering if they liked dried mangoes...i thought they weren't too fond of that. they're easier to pack than polvoron or pastillas, so maybe i'll buy some of those instead :)

you're welcome... i tried polovoron b4 pero hindi nila alam kung paano kainin (medyo makalat ba) kaya hindi nila gaanong nagustuhan.

[BaLdoMarO]

Other inexpensive omiyage are Dried Cuttlefish/Squid and Danggit...I smuggled some in and gave them to my host family...They salivated when they opened up my bundled gift :drool2:

[rage_within]

one more suggestion... yung breaded (spicy) dilis na nabibili sa 7-Eleven. ynug may kasama nang suka sa package.

trip na trip ng mga hapon iyun.

[NiCHoLO]

whats the weather like? I'll be working as a singer, and I'm worried about my vocal chords freezing over. How far could I stretch 1,500 dollars in Japan? How high is the standard of living?

[istarbaks]

Originally posted by NiCHoLO
whats the weather like? I'll be working as a singer, and I'm worried about my vocal chords freezing over. How far could I stretch 1,500 dollars in Japan? How high is the standard of living?

well, summer is almost waving goodbye. the average daily temperature ranges 24-30 degrees. this will probably be the same for 3 more weeks. after that will be autumn and everything will be colder and dry but there are also some rainy days. when are you going?

[damulag]

i lived there for a few years. here are things that might be of help:

-if you get lost, the best people to ask for directions are the highschool kids, you will know them by their uniforms. they speak english. (not much but they do)
-learn the tokyo subway system before getting into one.


-meet some of our kababayans there, i am sure they will help you otu

[okashira]

you can also go to hyaku-en shops to buy a lot of things you need. they're discount stores where everything there is sold for Y100. there are lots of these stores around tokyo. *okay*

[BaLdoMarO]

Originally posted by NiCHoLO
whats the weather like? I'll be working as a singer, and I'm worried about my vocal chords freezing over. How far could I stretch 1,500 dollars in Japan? How high is the standard of living? The standard of living is HIGH, but there are bargains to be found in Tokyo if you're streetwise. Firstly, food should ideally be bought an hour or two before department stores close as they heavily discount it which makes it even more affordable. If you want the cheapest dine out place in Japan, nothing will beat the Ramen/noodle bars next to train stations. For Y300 you could score yourself a cheap, carb rich noodle concoction. They're even cheaper than McDonald's! As for clothes, accessories etc wait until the Sale months hit town. July and January are the best time to buy because retailers slash their prices by as much as 70%. If you want great quality mens clothes/accessories in 1 establishment, I dont think any shop will surpass Marui for men in Shinjuku! 8-9 levels full of men's stuff! :drool2:
The coldest days in Tokyo run from last week of January til February, so stockpile on quality winter gear. If you want to keep your voice to its prime level, stick to hot water and Salabat.

[BaLdoMarO]

Has any of you given 'Lambanog' as an omiyage?:glee:

[istarbaks]

Originally posted by BaLdoMarO
Has any of you given 'Lambanog' as an omiyage?:glee:

wala sa mga kakilala ko... but a friend brought balut. mahigit isang dosena ata.... hindi ko lang alam kung ipinamigay niya sa mga hapon o kinain niya lahat :D

[BaLdoMarO]

Originally posted by istarbaks


wala sa mga kakilala ko... but a friend brought balut. mahigit isang dosena ata.... 1 thing I love about the Japs is they have GUTS! They know how to socialise with different peers and try everything they see uncanny... I served dinuguan to my Jap friends, at least all of them tried it but my white friends *BLEH* they were too busy whining about the Blood Jelly...

[istarbaks]

Originally posted by damulag
-meet some of our kababayans there, i am sure they will help you otu

the best place to find them is the catholic church.

(esp for okashira,) go to st. ignatius church (yotsuya campus of sophia university) and attend the english mass at 12 noon... you'll meet lots of filipinos, students or professionals, atbp...

[Grace]

parang ang sarap naman pag aralan ng culture ng japanesse...hhmm dream ko rin mag visit sa country nila eh...

[okashira]

Originally posted by istarbaks


the best place to find them is the catholic church.

(esp for okashira,) go to st. ignatius church (yotsuya campus of sophia university) and attend the english mass at 12 noon... you'll meet lots of filipinos, students or professionals, atbp...

yup, i know st. ignatius church! we went to mass there last april. sobrang lapit lang sa new otani hotel, where we stayed. i'll be staying there for a week again with my mom while we fix up my apartment.

sobrang ganda ng st. ignatius church, really inspires you to pray and be holy! :bow: i know there are lots of pinoys there...one sunday last april, i was shocked to discover that my former professor in japn. relations was sitting in the pew right in front of me!!! :) siyempre chikahan kami!