Hey folks, have you been to Japan? What's it like?
You staying in Tokyo, Jack? I was just there for 11 days on vacation last August. I'll list some general tips but PM if you want some more specific ones.
1. Rent an iphone or rent a sim card for your unlocked smart phone from Softbank from a Narita kiosk if you can afford it. Data is expensive per day but it's super useful to be able to use GPS when wandering if you can't read Kanji, hiragana, katakana. Seriously just getting to certain restaurants you look up online can be a pain in the ass w/o GPS if you decided to do some foodie things
2. Don't use cabs. No pt if you are in Tokyo. Trains will take you anywhere and if you are caught out when the trains stop running its usually better to simply stay out drinking or clubbing until 5 am to catch the first trains running.
3. Keep some cash on you. Higher end or more popular places will take card but a good amt of smaller places only take cash.
4. Certain areas such as Roppongi are good to find expats or Japanese girls that are into expats. Problem is if you are Asian you're not as attractive to those girls because you don't look as foreign. This all depends on your game.
5. Plenty of places have English menus or pictures that can help you order food if you don't know Japanese. Worse comes to worse though you can hit fastfood joints, Yoshinoya (fastfood beef bowls), or ramen joints (because many have vending machines in the front where you can simply put in money, hit a button with the appropriate picture for the ramen you want to eat, it will pop out a ticket that you simply give to the cook).
6. Use your hotel front desk to get you reservations or tickets to things. They speak perfect English and can get you things that you would be hard pressed to do without knowing the language.
7. I have never seen a place that denied white entry. However some hot springs will deny entry if you have any tattoos. I am told its a rule to keep Yakuza out. You should go to a hot spring though. It's pretty relaxing if you can ignore the fact that everyone is naked.
