Clueless about Japan

cmason

Ordering food in Japan is probably the easiest thing to do, language or not. Most restaraunts have samples of food (some real, most fake) in a window outside the restaraunt. I have usually invited the server to the window, indicated what I wanted and gave a finger count of how many, then enjoyed my meal.

A smile and a 'Arigatou" is really all you need

Japanese are extremely polite...return the gesture, smile and remember, never point (use your hand, not your finger to identify things or people).

Enjoy!

schmoo

Thanks again for all the advice guys! I'm glad to know that a quick trip to Home Depot to get a 3-to-2 prong adapter is probably all we'll need.

Oh, and no fingers. Got it.

dkoyanagi

schmoo wrote:

Thanks again for all the advice guys! I'm glad to know that a quick trip to Home Depot to get a 3-to-2 prong adapter is probably all we'll need.

Oh, and no fingers. Got it.

Always helps to be prepared. However, as a last resort, I always rely on the patented "dkoyanagi electrical compatibility rule"

If your electronic gizmo says "Made in Japan", chances are really good that it will actually work in Japan.

This rule has kept me out of the burn ward, so far (knock on wood).

schmoo

dkoyanagi wrote:

Always helps to be prepared. However, as a last resort, I always rely on the patented "dkoyanagi electrical compatibility rule"

If your electronic gizmo says "Made in Japan", chances are really good that it will actually work in Japan.

This rule has kept me out of the burn ward, so far (knock on wood).

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Moni

Don't know if you've gone yet but there are three places that you may miss from avoiding the usual tourist things but I think they are well worth it. Not only are they good for pics, they are an experience to visit.
One is the Temple (Ginkakuji Temple) at the top of Philosophers' Path where the silver pavillion is. The gardens are amazing.



The other is on the east side called Fushimi Inari Shrine that has all those orange gates:


Oh, and don't miss the bamboo grove on the west side.
Sorry, no pics up of that...

Don't forget that Kyoto Temples cost about 500 yen each for admission.

schmoo

Moni wrote:

Don't know if you've gone yet but there are three places that you may miss from avoiding the usual tourist things but I think they are well worth it. Not only are they good for pics, they are an experience to visit.
One is the Temple (Ginkakuji Temple) at the top of Philosophers' Path where the silver pavillion is. The gardens are amazing.

The other is on the east side called Fushimi Inari Shrine that has all those orange gates:

Oh, and don't miss the bamboo grove on the west side.
Sorry, no pics up of that...

Don't forget that Kyoto Temples cost about 500 yen each for admission.

Thanks Monica! Actually that's great timing as I just arrived in Kyoto yesterday afternoon and today I plan on wandering around and hitting up some spots. The bamboo grove sounds lovely. Does it have a name or will they understand when I ask about it?

I'm liking Kyoto a bit more than Tokyo so far.

Moni

schmoo wrote:

Thanks Monica! Actually that's great timing as I just arrived in Kyoto yesterday afternoon and today I plan on wandering around and hitting up some spots. The bamboo grove sounds lovely. Does it have a name or will they understand when I ask about it?

I'm liking Kyoto a bit more than Tokyo so far.

The grove is in Arashiyama. I took the Keifuku railway to Arashiyama station which is a rather nice old-fashioned train...I found it more efficient than the bus. But you'll have to ask how to get to the station...I can't remember.
I think from the station there are signs...it isn't very far but it is basically a right from the station, up the street a block or two, a left along a road that is really just a path and then a 5-10 min walk at most.

jdryan3

schmoo wrote:

Thanks Monica! Actually that's great timing as I just arrived in Kyoto yesterday afternoon and today I plan on wandering around and hitting up some spots.

OK it's 1:30 in the morning there on Wednesday already. So where are the pictures?

schmoo

jdryan3 wrote:

OK it's 1:30 in the morning there on Wednesday already. So where are the pictures?

I have a few that I've been putting up in my blog but I'm trying not to do too much processing while I'm here because I only have my laptop (pretty crappy screen).

I'll put up a few of my street shots in a bit.

ETA: Here you go!