Wahey, I'm off to Japan in mid-June - hopefully for two weeks as I'm planning to change my flights and stuff, but I've got a bit of a dilemma on my hands... in that my Japan Lonely Planet guide is about 700 pages and lists all sorts of interesting places to go and things to do, but I don't know where to start! @_@ I've been picking the brains of various people about Tokyo e.g. Spiky and Rai, but the rest of Japan is just a complete wilderness for me. I know there's a lot of people on here who've been to Japan before - I'd really love some hints and tips on what's unmissable and what's totally not worth the money ('cause I seriously don't have much of it - this trip's totally budget and I'm probably gonna end up living on ramen for breakfast-lunch-and-dinner XD)

I'm mainly interested in the history/culture of the places I go to, the landscapes, the wildlife, the people and the shopping XD So anything you think might fit that (landscapes, natural places and good Japanese gardens/temples especially as I'm into amateur photography) is probably a place that I'd enjoy visiting ^_^

Also hints/tips on travelling/food/transport are appreciated too - I&#39;m thinking a Japan Rail pass is the way to go for transport but all the best places are usually off the beaten track and so are less accessible. My Japanese is hideously limited also which makes reading signs difficult >.<

Here are the suggestions for places to visit that I have so far:

Tokyo (Shinjuku, Akihabara are the ones I keep hearing are good for discounted stuff like electronics etc and Uedo is recommended because of all the museums)
Kyoto (for temples, gardens etc - Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji (Golden and Silver Pavillions))
One of the nuclear cities (Hiroshima or Nagasaki - I&#39;m not sure how to decide between the two but I&#39;m really after the history of them so whichever has the most interesting museums/artifacts etc)
Okinawa (supposed to be a really nice island)
Fujiyoshida (for Mt Fuji, yay)
Shinto Shrine (Yumi and Kagura demonstration)
Japanese castle
Museum specializing in the Sengoku-jidai (Warring States-era)

And here&#39;s the avoid-like-the-plague list:

Tokyo Disneyland XD
Anywhere upstairs in Akihabara/Shinjuku (urgh, hentai X_X)

Thanks in advance for the help&#33;

WHOA, just today I was thinking of making a topic like this&#33; Get out of my head, mazda XD &#33; I am planning on visiting in Spring 2006 or 2007, depending on 1) money and 2) knowning enough of the language to get around.

I&#39;m interested in what people have to recommend ^_^

Heehee, I seem to be freaking you out on regular occasions, Gand XD In terms of budget accomodations, you can&#39;t go wrong with a youth hostel, though in Japan they insist on sleeping sheets so better to buy one before you go rather than getting charged between Y100-200 per stay to hire them. And even better, the Japan YHA website has a nice little key indicating which hostels let you make your reservation in English :lol:

Do as I suggested in the "<^>" thread: A "&#39;Life&#39; and Times of Inuyasha" tour. Visit some of the places that Inuyasha, Kagome and Co. might have seen during their search for the Shikon no Tama. (i.e. A Shinto Shrine -- watch a Yumi (Japanese-style Archery) demonstration/ceremony, watch a performance of the Kagura (Ceremonial dance), etc.; one of the ancient castles that a feudal Baron [Daimyo] lived in; a village that Miroku might have charmed a few ladies [and gotten himself slapped by Sango] in.) Find and visit a museum specializing in the Sengoku-jidai (Warring States-era) and learn a bit about the culture. Try some of the food from the era. (Assuming that you can find someone who can cook an authentic meal.) I&#39;m probably just scratching the surface here. Maybe you can do better. Hope you have a good time, whatever you choose to do&#33; B)

Well, I haven&#39;t actually seen InuYasha, but no matter, those are some good suggestions - thankyou&#33; ^_^

Hmm... upstairs of Akihabara :think: To my knowledge, that the hentai/porn section

I went to Kyoto last summer ~ You&#39;ve got to go see Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji (Golden and Silver Pavillions). They look even better in the summer when the skys are clear ~
There were some other places.. like.. this *massive* temple with a humungous Buddha statue in it.. forgot what that&#39;s called.. X_X And then there&#39;s the bamboo forest on this hill.. with monkeys&#33;
Oh, and then there&#39;s the marine festival in the summer, although I think that&#39;s in early July, not mid-june, ah well ~ you should probably research a bit about the festivals, there could be lots happening then ~
Oh, also, in the summer.. it gets incredibly hot and humid.. X_X There are loads of drink machines everywhere which is good, but they can drain you of money, so keep a few empty bottles which you can fill up with water ~ And bring insect repellent because of the mosquitos.. although you probably know about this since you&#39;re in Australia and all.

I wanna go to Japan&#33; It&#39;s so ancient yet modern&#33; I can&#39;t explain&#33; I stopped at Kyoto, but not loong enough to site see. Mmm... Hot asian girls... ^_^

it&#39;s really not worth it shopping for electronics at akiba - unless you can find some technology that haven&#39;t reached whereever you live yet (which will be amazingly expensive), most of the hardware are the same, except more expensive and you&#39;ll have to pay duties on your return. the only things worth buying at akiba are games and manga.

make sure to visit osaka-kyoto july or thereabouts to catch the firework festivals. much more fun than those old museums that all look the same.

eat at oshou (their fried gyoza rock) in cities, while ramen&#39;s a very economical choice on the highway (you can stuff yourself on ~400 yen). you can find it at most gas/rest stations.

and visit takatsuki to say hi to my friends :)

Hmmm, Definately visit the Kinkakujin it&#39;s really beautiful.

Museum wise I think the best museums to visit would be The Peace Park Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. Nagasaki doesn&#39;t have that much to do with the bombings so Hiroshima&#39;s probably the place to go...
In Tokyo there&#39;s also another museum (sorry I forgot it&#39;s name) that&#39;s dedicated to the Edo period of Japan (which in my theory is one of the most interesting eras of Japan.)

In Tokyo there&#39;s a really good youth hostel right next to Tokyo Station, so transport is really easy. There&#39;s also a Youth Hostel in Hiroshima that you should try and AVOID. It&#39;s ontop of this reeeeaaaally high hill and lugging your 20 kilo suitcase up it is painful.

Be careful of the youth hostel communal bathing. Some Japanese people are really funny about it....they get really insulted if you wear bathers (try and bath before dinner coz most Japanese don&#39;t bathe before then)

Also, for food, lots of department stores in Japan have free taste testing stuff...I suggest you go there and taste test all the free food for lunch XD Onigiri is also really cheap if you buy it for convinience stores and it only takes one to fill your stomach.

Hmm, Japanese phrases you should learn are definately to ask for directions. It&#39;s really easy to get lost in Japan. Other phrases you might like to learn are "How much is this?" and "What does this mean."

What else *thinking hard* For shopping the best place is Fukuoka and Harajuku. Fukuoka has lots of cool shopping malls and unlike Shinjuku it&#39;s not really expensive. Harajuku is an interesting place to shop but you have to be careful coz some of the venders are a bit dodge (If they say oh this is tax shoot them. There is a Japanese tax but well...they tend to change how much tax gets put on stuff -_-)

*still thinking* The best transport is definately the rail pass. It&#39;s cheap and good for foreigners plus you&#39;re allowed to take any JR form of transport. Take the Shinkansen at least once. It&#39;s a cool experiance (although the travel was so smooth I feel asleep :sweatdrop:)

That&#39;s all I can really think of at the moment. I&#39;ll get back to ya&#33;

read "Cruising the Anime City".

I&#39;m spending some time in Japan myself, for several weeks this summer. It will be a nice vacation, which I need.

Originally posted by Riku@Apr 9 2005, 02:42 AM
Mmm... Hot asian girls... ^_^
Perv <_<

Originally posted by madmazda86@Mar 11 2005, 05:30 AM

I&#39;m mainly interested in the history/culture of the places I go to, the landscapes, the wildlife, the people and the shopping XD So anything you think might fit that (landscapes, natural places and good Japanese gardens/temples especially as I&#39;m into amateur photography) is probably a place that I&#39;d enjoy visiting ^_^

Also hints/tips on travelling/food/transport are appreciated too - I&#39;m thinking a Japan Rail pass is the way to go for transport but all the best places are usually off the beaten track and so are less accessible. My Japanese is hideously limited also which makes reading signs difficult >.<

Well here is a most realiable guide that I will use myself when I travel to Japan in the near future of 2018, the movie, "Lost In Translation". Heh, that movie is quite useful in showing you a great place to stay, places to visit/eat, some sites and also a cool bar&#33;&#33; Hope my guide helps you as it will for me in the future&#33;&#33;&#33; :D

You have to visit the Kodansha building....

WAI&#33; My itinerary is done :D 4 action-packed days&#33; I&#39;ll tidy it up a bit and post it tomorrow ^_^

YAY Mazzy&#33;&#33; WAI&#33; BTW, you have to post piccies and make us all jealous, okies??

OMG&#33; :D :D

My Japanese exchange student friend&#39;s letting me stay at her house&#33;&#33; :D Wow, this is really exciting, I haven&#39;t seen her for over a year&#33; *bounces around the room*

Originally posted by madmazda86@May 11 2005, 12:51 AM
OMG&#33; :D :D

My Japanese exchange student friend&#39;s letting me stay at her house&#33;&#33; :D Wow, this is really exciting, I haven&#39;t seen her for over a year&#33; *bounces around the room*
Yay&#33; It will be great Maz&#33;&#33;&#33; Have a really great time&#33;&#33; ^_^

The itinerary is heeere&#33; Okay, it&#39;s a bit excessively detailed but for those planning a trip some time soon I thought it might be good to share my route and the costings (and the rounding up I&#39;ve done to allow myself emergency/spending money - we&#39;ll see if it&#39;s enough or not XD). I&#39;ve removed the actual costings from the individual activities but you can see the overall costs below. As you can see, transport is the biggest outlay but surprisingly enough it was actually cheaper for me to do all the individual fares than it was to buy a 7-day Japan Rail Pass, so there y&#39;go - I would defo recommend the Rail Pass for longer trips, though, because I was only under it by 2000 yen just for a 4 day trip&#33;


THE JAPAN TRIP 2005

DAY ONE | 16th June 2005
Tokyo Narita International Airport
JL762 (JAL) * A4:45pm, Terminal Two
-JNTO Tourist Office, Terminal Two, First Floor (9am-8pm)
--Get every useful leaflet/timetable I can get my hands on XD
JR Airport Narita Express Line * Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station
-Left Luggage Office
--Dump suitcase (<----It has a huge hole in it, dunno what I&#39;m gonna do about that&#33;)
-Explore station shops
JR Chuo Line, Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku Station
JR Seisyun New Dream Night Bus, Kyoto Station

DAY TWO | 17th June 2005
Kyoto Station
-Arrive 5.30am&#33; :yawn:
Kyoto
-Nishi Hogan-ji [Temple headquarters of the Jodo-Shin-Shu School of Buddhism] (O5:30am - yay&#33;)
Tour Club Guesthouse (O8:00am)
--Dump backpack
Kyoto Station
-Buy Kyoto Sightseeing Pass
-Kyoto Tourist Office
--Get maps and things
-Sanjusangen-do [Temple of the 1000-armed Kannon Buddha statues]
-Tetsugaku no Michi [Path of Philosophy] (Sakura-lined canal towpath to Ginkakuji)
-Ginkakuji [Silver Temple] (Photos only)
-Kinkakuji [Golden Temple] (Photos only)
-Ryoanji [Zen Temple]
-Marayuma-koen [Weeping sakura lit up in the evening]
Tour Club Guesthouse
--Stay overnight

DAY THREE | 18th June 2005
Kyoto
-Nijo Jinya
Kyoto Station
JR Nara Line, Inari Station
Inari
-Fushimi-Inari Taisha [Sake/Rice shrine with lots of fox statues around]
JR Nara Line, Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station
JR Shinkansen Kodama, Hamamatsu Station
Hamamatsu
-Meet up with Shiori (my friend who came to my school on exchange last year)
--Shopping
--Hamamatsu Castle
--Stay at Shiori&#39;s

DAY FOUR | 19th June 2005
Hamamatsu Station
-JR Shinkansen Kodama, Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station
--Buy Tokunai Pass (all day pass)
JR Chuo & Sobu Chuo, Suidobashi Station (via Ochanomizu)
Suidobashi
-Shonen Jump Shop&#33; Bleach galore&#33; :D
-JR Sobu Chuo, Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku
-Shopping&#33; (Heh, I&#39;m after soundtracks and this is apparently one of the cheaper places to get them :P)
-JR Yamanote (Outbound), Harajuku Station
Harajuku
-Meiji-jingu [Shrine and Garden - Irises bloom in June]
-Cosplay-Zoku [Heehee, seen photos of this and the cosplayers look pretty cool, worth some pics&#33;]
-JR Yamanote (Outbound), Tokyo Station (via Osaki)
[If time: -JR Yamanote (Outbound), Ueno Station
Ueno
-Ueno-koen [Saigo Takamori Statue]
-Ameya-yokocho Arcade [Markets]]
-JR Sobu & Chiba, Narita Station (via Chiba)
Narita
-Kirinoya Ryokan [Near Narita-san-koen]
--Stay overnight

DAY FOUR | 19th June 2005
Narita Station
-JR Rapid Line Narita, Narita Airport
Narita Airport
JL401 (JAL) * D12:00pm, Terminal Two | A16:25 London Heathrow Terminal Three


[b]COSTINGS
Food: Y1500 per day (x3 + Y1000 = Y5500, round up = Y6000)
Sightseeing: Y2750>Y3000
Accommodation: Y7565>Y7600
Transport: Y26780>Y27000
Train (Tokyo): (Y20580)
Day One (Y3110 inc left luggage)
Day Two (Y0)
Day Three (Y7840)
Day Four (Y9400)
Day Five (Y230)
Bus (Kyoto): (Y6200)
Day One: (Y5000 [Night Bus])
Day Two: (Y1200 [KSC])
Day Three: (Y0)
Day Four: (Y0)
Day Five: (Y0)

GRAND TOTAL: Y43800>Y45000 = &#036;551>&#036;600

Day 2 is waaaaay too busy. XD You&#39;re definitely not going to get all that done.

Excellent, it&#39;s now my mission to prove you wrong XD Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji I&#39;m just stopping by for photos, I&#39;m not actually going inside them - also I&#39;m using the Kyoto subway as much as possible because the traffic jams in Kyoto are pretty bad first thing in the morning and late afternoon&#33; I know I&#39;ll be absolutely knackering myself out by the end of that day but there&#39;s soooo much I want to see and I&#39;ll have a nice bed to collapse into at the end of the day so that&#39;s okay :P I want to try Kyoto sweeties, they&#39;re supposed to be the finest&#33;

Ah, okay then ~ You can&#39;t go into the temples anyway, only around them ~

Maz, don&#39;t get lost at the stations&#33; I found them tricky to navigate through =P

OH&#33;&#33;&#33; STALK ALL THE FAMOUS ANIME AND MANGA PEOPLES&#33;&#33;&#33; *__* Maul one and steal their shirt or something. Stealing from Japanese people...mmm...You could get some fancy things outa that&#33;&#33;&#33;

Originally posted by Spoonpuppet@May 21 2005, 01:46 AM
Ah, okay then ~ You can&#39;t go into the temples anyway, only around them ~
Really? They charge 500 yen according to the Lonely Planet guide - might be for entry into the gardens. I&#39;ll have to sneak over the fence ~ XD

Laeluu - erm, anime and manga people aren&#39;t real. They&#39;re cartoons :huh:

Originally posted by madmazda86@May 21 2005, 04:49 AM
Really? They charge 500 yen according to the Lonely Planet guide - might be for entry into the gardens. I&#39;ll have to sneak over the fence ~ XD

Laeluu - erm, anime and manga people aren&#39;t real. They&#39;re cartoons :huh:
=_= I meant the artists.

LOL, they&#39;d be a little hard to find XD Their manga is sure to be cheap though ^_^

wow&#33; &#036;600 tops... *bows to the master planner* :china: looks like a lot of fun&#33;

Originally posted by Al@May 21 2005, 02:35 AM
Maz, don&#39;t get lost at the stations&#33; I found them tricky to navigate through =P
*hugs JR website which has printable maps of the stations IN ENGLISH* XD

Wheee, I&#39;m a master planner :D *bows*

Originally posted by madmazda86@May 21 2005, 05:28 AM
LOL, they&#39;d be a little hard to find XD Their manga is sure to be cheap though ^_^
Hard to find? Psh...Amature stalkers. <_<

Wheee, it&#39;s a week to go&#33; When I get Internet access in Japan I&#39;ll post in here with a little travelogue so you can see what I&#39;ve been up to, hopefully it&#39;ll help give any other potential visitors an insight into what it&#39;s like to travel there ^_^

We&#39;ll expect daily reports and updates; don&#39;t forget to post adresses of best restaurants you find&#33;&#33;&#33;

Originally posted by Laeluu@May 21 2005, 09:34 AM
Hard to find? Psh...Amature stalkers. <_<
Stalkers are the ultimate lifeless people =P

Originally posted by Angelic@Jun 9 2005, 05:49 PM
Stalkers are the ultimate lifeless people =P
POOONNYYY&#33;&#33;&#33;

Sorry... couldn&#39;t resist :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Roy Mustang@Jun 9 2005, 11:38 AM
POOONNYYY&#33;&#33;&#33;

Sorry... couldn&#39;t resist :rolleyes:
Fumo fumo Fumoffu&#33;

Ahem.. translation please?&#33; A warning for you Angie. Joke. I have no power. :(

It has no translation, lol.

Anyway, let&#39;s get back on topic here :whistle:

I&#39;ll be heading out on Thursday as well. I have 3 weeks of intensive training, and then I&#39;ll be on vacation for 4 weeks :D

training?

Language training, yes.

man i wish i could got to japan but i need money. also i need to work on the languge more.

Originally posted by Nightmare@Jun 10 2005, 02:35 PM
I&#39;ll be heading out on Thursday as well. I have 3 weeks of intensive training, and then I&#39;ll be on vacation for 4 weeks :D
Wow, maybe we might bump into each other at the airport XD I get in at about 4.45pm Tokyo time - doubt we&#39;d even notice each other though, considering how busy the place is :P

Maz, what level is your japanese?

She knows "baka" XD

huh? wth is "baka"

*hollers* MAZZZZZZZ&#33;&#33;&#33;

Baka = idiot ;) I also know how to call someone a thief, how to shout for help, all that useful kinda stuff :P Heehee, I&#39;ve broken my trip up into parts and written down phrases that I&#39;ll need to use for each part, e.g. at the airport, how to ask for directions to baggage claim etc, at the station, what time the train leaves and so forth. Here&#39;s hoping I&#39;ll remember everything XD The most important one is "takaii" (expensive, courtesy of Spiky) - should be able to get some good bargains at the markets with judicious overuse of that one&#33; :P

Yikes&#33; Talk about extreme... so basically, if something really unexpected happens, you&#39;ll be at a loss.

e.g. "Hello, room service? I have a strange man sleeping on my bed, he looks drunk and he has dynamite sticks all over him. There&#39;s a note saying &#39;this world is too cruel&#39; and that he plans to blow everything up. I think he means business. I recomend that you evacuate everyone, but, since you can&#39;t unjderstand me, Tough Luck. Ouch"

LOL, if I get really stuck I&#39;ll phone Spiky or Des up XD

Japan -> Australia... expensive ^_^ I suggest you use 1-800-COLLECT (thats where the guy you&#39;re calling has to pay the telephone bill. too bad the operator always asks "will you accept a collect call?"

Heh....try phoning Des and you&#39;d be wating a loooooooong time.

a) She NEVER has her phone
B) I think she lost it...

Spiky&#39;s the better bet XD

Lol... why am i imagining accidental insultyness of people XD

It&#39;s not that bad... :huh:

But you should buy a charge card from Telstra before you go :) It could come in handy in a dire situation&#33;

Yarr, zat is ze plan for tomozzow - don&#39;t you have to link them to a bank account tho? :/ I was just gonna get some boring old international phone card as I&#39;m only really gonna use it in Japan and nowhere else...

I didn&#39;t need a bank account :think: It was just an international charge card with Telstra.

UWAAII&#33;&#33; I&#39;m going to Japan this summer&#33; XD *uber excited*

That&#39;s all I have to say ^^;;

OMG OMG OMG~&#33;&#33;&#33; You HAVE to post pics~&#33;&#33;&#33; And have a good time and... just call Spiky or Des if you get stuck on the language ^_^ :D

Thinｇｓ　ａｉｎ；t　ｂｅｅｎ　ｓｏ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｈｅｒｅ　 :( Ｔｈｅ　ｈｅａｔ　ｉｓ　ａｂｓｏｌｕｔｅｌｙ　ｕｎｂｅａｒａｂｌｅ，　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｏｋａｙ　ｔｈｉ ｓ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　ｂｕｔ　Ｉｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｓｐｅｎｄｉｎｇ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｉｓ　ａｆｔｅｒ ｎｏｏｎ　ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ　ｌｉｋｅ　Ｉ　ａｍ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｏ　ｆａｉｎｔ　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｓｕｃｋｓ ．　Ⅰ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｓｌｅｅｐ　ｉｓ　ｐａｒｔ　ｏｆ　ｉｔ，　ｔｈｅ　ｎｉｇ ｈｔ　ｂｕｓ　ｄｒｉｖｅｒ　ｗａｓ　ａｎ　ａｂｓｏｌｕｔｅ　ｍａｎｉａｃ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄｎｔ 　ｓｌｅｅｐ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｈｅ　ｗａｓ　ｄｒｉｖｉｎｇ　ｓｏ　ｈｉｄｅｏｕｓ ｌｙ．　Ｉ　ｓｅｅｍ　to　ｆｅｅｌ　ａ　ｂｉｔ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ　ｎｏｗ　Ｉ；ｍ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｃａ ｆｅ　ａｓ　ｉｔｓ　ａｉｒｃｏｎｄｉｔｉｉｏｎｅｄ　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ；ｓ　ｌｏｔｓ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｓｉ ｇｈｔｓｅｅｉｎｇ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｄｏ　ｈｅｒｅ　ｉｎ　Ｋｙｏｔｏ　＝　ｉｔｄ　ｂｅ　ｒｅａｌ ｌｙ　ｎｉｃｅ　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｈａｖｅ　ａ　ｓｌｅｅｐ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｇｏ　ｏｕｔ　ａｆ ｔｅｒ　ｔｈａｔ　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｓｔｅｌ　Ｉ；ｍ　ｓｔａｙｉｎｇ　ａｔ　ｗｏｎ：ｔ　ｅｖｅｎ　 ｃｈｅｃｋｍｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｉｌｌ　４ｐｍ　ｓｏ　ｔｈａｔ　ｍｅａｎｓ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｐｅｎｄ　 ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　５　ｈｏｕｒｓ　ｏｕｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｈｅａｔ　ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ　ｈａｖｉｎｇ　ｓｈ ｏｗｅｒｅｄ　ｆｏｒ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａ　ｄａｙ．　Ｆｅｅｌ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｃｒａｐ　 :( Ａｍ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｔｅｍｐｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｃｈａｎｇｅ　ｍｙ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　ａｎｄ　ｃｏｍｅ　ｈｏｍｅ　 ｅａｒｌｙ　ｂｕｔ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｍｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　Ｉ；ｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒｗａ ｒｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｔｒｉｐ　ｌｏａｄｓ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ；ｔ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｍｉｓｓ　ｏｕｔ 　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｕｆｆ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｐｌａｎｎｅｄ．．．　Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　ｔｈａｔ　ａ ｓｉｄｅ，　Ｋｙｏｔｏ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｎｉｃｅ　ａｎｄ　ｐｅａｃｅｆｕｌ．　Ｉ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　Ｈ ｉｇａｓｈｉ　Ｈｏｇａｎ－Ｊｉ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　（Ｂｕｄｄｈｉｓｔ　ｔｅｍｐｌｅ，　ｖ ｅｒｙ　ｉｍｐｒｅｓｓｉｖｅ！）　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｏ　Ｓａｎｊｕｓａｎｇｅｎｄｏ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｈ ａｓ　１０３２　ｃａｒｖｅｄ　ｂｕｄｄｈａ　ｓｔａｔｕｅｓ　in　ａ　ｖａｒｉｅｔｙ　ｏｆ　ｆｅａｒ ｓｏｍｅ／ｂｉｚａｒｒｅ　ｅｘｐｒｅｓｓｉｏｎｓ．　Ｗａｓ　ｐｌａｎｎｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｇｏ　ｔｏ　Ｇｉ ｎｋａｋｕｊｉ　ａｎｄ　Ｒｙｏａｎｊｉ　ｔｏｄａｙ　ａｓ　ｗｅｌｌ　ｂｕｔ　Ｉ：ｍ　ｎｏｔ　ｓｕｒｅ 　ｉｆ　Ｉ＠ｌｌ　ｂｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｃｏｐｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｂａｃｋ　ｏｕｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈ ａｔ　ｈｅａｔ　ａｇａｉｎ　 X_X Ｍａｙ　ｓｐｅｎｄ　ａ　ｗｈｉｌｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｈｏｐｓ　ｏｎ　Ｔｅｒａｍａｃｈｉ　Ｓｔｒｅｅｔ 　ｉｎｓｔｅａｄ　ｔｏ　ｃｏｏｌ　ｏｆｆ　ａｎｄ　ｓｅｅ　ｈｏｗ　Ｉ　ｆｅｅｌ　ｗｈｅｎ　Ｉ；ｖｅ　 ｃｈｅｃｋｅｄ　ｉｎ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｓｔｅｌ　ａｎｄ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｎａｐ，　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ　ｔｈｅ ｙ　ｃｌｏｓｅ　ａｔ　５ｐｍ　＞．＜
Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　ａｐｏｌｏｇｉｅｓ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｄｄｌｙ　ｐｕｎｃｔｕａｔｅｄ　ｗｏｒｄｓ　ｅ ｔｃ，　ｔｈｉｓ　ｋｅｙｂｏａｒｄ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｏｄｄ．　Ｔａｋｅ　ｃａｒｅ，　Ｉ　ｄｏｕｂｔ　 Ｉ；ｌｌ　ｂｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｗｒｉｔｅ　ａｇａｉｎ　ｔｉｌｌ　ａｆｔｅｒ　Ｉ　ｒｅｔｕｒｎ　ｈｏ ｍｅ，　ｂｕｔ　ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｄｏ　ｈｅａｒ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｍｅ　ｉｔ：ｌｌ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｎｉｃｅ　ｓｕｒ ｐｒｉｓｅ　ＸＤ

ＳＷＩＺＷ

Originally posted by madmazda86@Jun 16 2005, 10:11 PM
Thinｇｓ 　ａｉｎ&#39;t 　ｂｅｅｎ 　ｓｏ 　ｇｏｏｄ 　ｈｅｒｅ　 :( Ｔｈｅ 　ｈｅａｔ 　ｉｓ 　ａｂｓｏｌｕｔｅｌy ｕｎｂｅａｒａｂｌｅ， 　ｉｔ 　ｗａｓ 　ｏｋａｙ 　ｔｈｉｓ 　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　 ｂｕｔ 　Ｉ&#39;ｖｅ 　ｂｅｅｎ 　ｓｐｅｎｄｉｎｇ　 ｍｏｓｔ 　ｏｆ 　ｔｈｉｓ 　ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ　 ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ 　ｌｉｋｅ 　Ｉ 　ａｍ 　ａｂｏｕｔ 　ｔｏ 　ｆａｉｎｔ 　ａｎｄ 　ｉｔ 　ｓｕｃｋｓ．　 Ⅰ　 ｔｈｉｎｋ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｌａｃｋ 　ｏｆ 　ｓｌｅｅｐ 　ｉｓ 　ｐａｒｔ 　ｏｆ 　ｉｔ， 　ｔｈｅ　 ｎｉｇｈｔ　 ｂｕｓ 　ｄｒｉｖｅｒ 　ｗａｓ 　ａｎ 　ａｂｓｏｌｕｔｅ 　ｍａｎｉａｃ 　ａｎｄ 　Ｉ 　ｃｏｕｌｄｎ&#39;ｔ　 ｓｌｅｅｐ 　ｖｅｒｙ 　ｍｕｃｈ 　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ 　ｈｅ 　ｗａｓ 　ｄｒｉｖｉｎｇ 　ｓｏ 　ｈｉｄｅｏｕｓｌｙ．　 Ｉ　 ｓｅｅｍ　 to 　ｆｅｅｌ 　ａ 　ｂｉｔ 　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ 　ｎｏｗ 　Ｉ&#39;ｍ　 ｉｎ　 ｔｈｉｓ　 ｃａｆｅ　 ａｓ 　ｉｔ&#39;ｓ 　ａｉｒ ｃｏｎｄｉｔｉｉｏｎｅｄ　 ｂｕｔ 　ｔｈｅｒｅ&#39;ｓ　 ｌｏｔｓ 　ｍｏｒｅ ｓｉｇｈｔｓｅｅｉｎｇ　 Ｉ 　ｗａｎｔ　 ｔｏ 　ｄｏ 　ｈｅｒｅ　 ｉｎ 　Ｋｙｏｔｏ. Iｔ&#39;ｄ 　ｂｅ 　ｒｅａｌｌｙ 　ｎｉｃｅ 　ｉｆ 　Ｉ 　ｃｏｕｌｄ 　ｈａｖｅ 　ａ 　ｓｌｅｅｐ 　ａｎｄ　 ｔｈｅｎ　 ｇｏ 　ｏｕｔ 　ａｆｔｅｒ　 ｔｈａｔ 　ｂｕｔ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｈｏｓｔｅｌ 　Ｉ&#39;ｍ　 ｓｔａｙｉｎｇ　 ａｔ　 ｗｏｎ&#39;ｔ 　ｅｖｅｎ 　ｃｈｅｃｋ ｍｅ 　ｉｎ　 ｔｉｌｌ 　４ｐｍ 　ｓｏ 　ｔｈａｔ　 ｍｅａｎｓ 　Ｉ 　ｈａｖｅ 　ｔｏ 　ｓｐｅｎｄ　 ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ 　５ 　ｈｏｕｒｓ 　ｏｕｔ 　ｉｎ 　ｔｈｉｓ 　ｈｅａｔ 　ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ 　ｈａｖｉｎｇ ｓｈｏｗｅｒｅｄ 　ｆｏｒ 　ｏｖｅｒ 　ａ 　ｄａｙ．　 Ｆｅｅｌ　 ｌｉｋｅ 　ｃｒａｐ　 :( Ａｍ　 ｖｅｒｙ 　ｔｅｍｐｔｅｄ 　ｔｏ　 ｃｈａｎｇｅ 　ｍｙ 　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　 ａｎｄ　 ｃｏｍｅ 　ｈｏｍｅ 　ｅａｒｌｙ　 ｂｕｔ　 ａｔ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｓａｍｅ 　ｔｉｍｅ 　Ｉ&#39;ｖｅ 　ｂｅｅｎ 　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ 　ｆｏｒｗａｒｄ　 ｔｏ 　ｔｈｉｓ　 ｔｒｉｐ 　ｌｏａｄｓ ａｎｄ 　Ｉ　 ｄｏｎ&#39;ｔ　 ｗａｎｔ　 ｔｏ　 ｍｉｓｓ ｏｕｔ　 ｏｎ 　ｔｈｅ　 ｓｔｕｆｆ ｔｈａｔ　 Ｉ　 ｈａｄ 　ｐｌａｎｎｅｄ．．．　Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　 ｔｈａｔ 　ａｓｉｄｅ， 　Ｋｙｏｔｏ ｉｓ 　ｖｅｒｙ　 ｎｉｃｅ　 ａｎｄ　 ｐｅａｃｅｆｕｌ．　 I 　ｗｅｎｔ 　ｔｏ　 Ｈｉｇａｓｈｉ　 Ｈｏｇａｎ－Ｊｉ 　ｉｎ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ 　（Ｂｕｄｄｈｉｓｔ ｔｅｍｐｌｅ，　 ｖｅｒｙ 　ｉｍｐｒｅｓｓｉｖｅ！）　 ａｎｄ　 tｈｅｎ　 ｔｏ 　Ｓａｎｊｕｓａｎｇｅｎｄｏ 　ｗｈｉｃｈ ｈａｓ　 １０３２　 ｃａｒｖｅｄ 　ｂｕｄｄｈａ 　ｓｔａｔｕｅｓ　 in　 ａ 　ｖａｒｉｅｔｙ　 ｏｆ 　fｅａｒｓｏｍｅ／ｂｉｚａｒｒｅ　 ｅｘｐｒｅｓｓｉｏｎｓ．　 Ｗａｓ 　ｐｌａｎｎｉｎｇ 　ｔｏ 　ｇｏ 　ｔｏ　 Ｇｉｎｋａｋｕｊｉ　 ａｎｄ 　Ｒｙｏａｎｊｉ tｏｄａｙ 　ａｓ 　ｗｅｌｌ　 ｂｕｔ 　Ｉ&#39;ｍ　 ｎｏｔ ｓｕｒｅ iｆ 　Ｉ&#39;ｌｌ 　ｂｅ 　ａｂｌｅ 　ｔｏ 　ｃｏｐｅ 　ｗｉｔｈ 　ｇｏｉｎｇ　 ｂａｃｋ ｏｕｔ　 iｎ 　ｔｈａｔ 　ｈｅａｔ　 ａｇａｉｎ　 X_X Ｍａｙ 　ｓｐｅｎｄ　 ａ 　ｗｈｉｌｅ 　ｉｎ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｓｈｏｐｓ　 ｏｎ　 Ｔｅｒａｍａｃｈｉ　 Ｓｔｒｅｅｔ ｉｎｓｔｅａｄ　 ｔｏ 　ｃｏｏｌ　 ｏｆｆ　 ａｎｄ 　ｓｅｅ 　ｈｏｗ 　Ｉ 　ｆｅｅｌ 　ｗｈｅｎ　 Ｉ&#39;ｖｅ 　ｃｈｅｃｋｅｄ　 ｉｎ　ｔｏ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｈｏｓｔｅｌ 　ａｎｄ 　ｈａｄ　 ａ 　ｎａｐ， 　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ　 ｔｈｅｙ　 ｃｌｏｓｅ 　ａｔ 　５ ｐｍ　 ＞．＜
Ａｎｙｗａｙ， 　ａｐｏｌｏｇｉｅｓ 　ｆｏｒ 　ｔｈｅ 　ｏｄｄｌｙ 　ｐｕｎｃｔｕａｔｅｄ　 ｗｏｒｄｓ 　ｅｔｃ， 　ｔｈｉｓ 　ｋｅｙｂｏａｒｄ　 ｉｓ　 ｖｅｒｙ 　ｏｄｄ．　 Ｔａｋｅ　 ｃａｒｅ，　 Ｉ 　ｄｏｕｂｔ 　Ｉ&#39;ｌｌ 　ｂｅ 　ａｂｌｅ　 ｔｏ 　ｗｒｉｔｅ　 ａｇａｉｎ 　ｔｉｌｌ 　ａｆｔｅｒ 　Ｉ　 ｒｅｔｕｒｎ 　ｈｏｍｅ，　 ｂｕｔ 　ｉｆ 　ｙｏｕ 　ｄｏ 　ｈｅａｒ 　ｆｒｏｍ 　ｍｅ 　ｉｔ&#39;ｌｌ 　ｂｅ 　ａ　 ｎｉｃｅ 　ｓｕｒｐｒｉｓｅ　 ＸＤ
ＳＷＩＺＷ
Okay, I&#39;ve fixed it up as best as I could . . and I&#39;m sorry to hear that maz =( Hope you make the best of it . .

I don:t want to go back out there again... I don:t want to faint :(

Yeah, the heat can kind of get to you. It&#39;s really humid over there. Just wait till it rains :) You&#39;ll be complaining about that soon enough XD

:comfort:

don&#39;t worry Maz, you can do it :D

Have fun sightseeing&#33;&#33;&#33;

If you go to another Temple or shrine, would you offer a prayer of thanks to the Anime and Manga gods for me? ^_^

*hugs Maz*

Well... in a few days you&#39;ll be back in your nice, cold england at least&#33; Hope you have a better time for the rest of the trip :( Not that you&#39;ll read this til you get back, but hey&#33;

I would pray, except it costs 500 yen for a candle XD Hello from my accommodation in Kyoto&#33; After my last post on here I realised I was whinging to no avail so I forced myself to go out and do some more sightseeing :P Went to Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji, then went back to the guesthouse and slept for 13 hours ;) Spiky, I found gashapon at last&#33; There&#39;s practically none here in Kyoto and the ones that are aren&#39;t anime, but I&#39;m sure there&#39;ll be more in Tokyo. Still very hot here but I just have to live with it I guess - I&#39;m going to Ryoanji, Nijojinja and Teramachi street today, in theory ;)

Anyway, time&#39;s about to run out so toodles&#33;

Oh, and I got surveyed by this random Japanese student and then he took his photo with me :P

P.S. Spiky, you have a Roy phone hanger and I couldn&#39;t resist getting Talon a Maes one, at no extra charge :P Inu, I found some Neji phone hangers but they weren&#39;t that great so I&#39;ll wait till I get to Jump shop ^_^

Originally posted by madmazda86@Jun 18 2005, 09:44 AM
I would pray, except it costs 500 yen for a candle XD Hello from my accommodation in Kyoto&#33; After my last post on here I realised I was whinging to no avail so I forced myself to go out and do some more sightseeing :P Went to Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji, then went back to the guesthouse and slept for 13 hours ;) Spiky, I found gashapon at last&#33; There&#39;s practically none here in Kyoto and the ones that are aren&#39;t anime, but I&#39;m sure there&#39;ll be more in Tokyo. Still very hot here but I just have to live with it I guess - I&#39;m going to Ryoanji, Nijojinja and Teramachi street today, in theory ;)

Anyway, time&#39;s about to run out so toodles&#33;

Oh, and I got surveyed by this random Japanese student and then he took his photo with me :P

P.S. Spiky, you have a Roy phone hanger and I couldn&#39;t resist getting Talon a Maes one, at no extra charge :P Inu, I found some Neji phone hangers but they weren&#39;t that great so I&#39;ll wait till I get to Jump shop ^_^
There are plenty of gashapon&#39;s in Tokyo XD Specially at train stations and near bookstores. I think there is a department store in Tokyo too that had a whole wall of them XD

And YAY :D Thankyou very much ^_^ I have informed Talon and he is overjoyed. Enjoy the rest of your trip Maz and keep us posted XD

:crybaby: I just missed my train :( I&#39;m such a retard when it comes to public transport, and it&#39;s really annoying me now X_X This bloody guesthouse is so hard to find, the problems caused by there being dozens of different bus stops on each side of the road wouldn&#39;t&#39;ve made me late were it not for the fact that in my infinite wisdom I decided to leave the bulk of my luggage here at the guesthouse to pick up later X_X Considering that I spent an hour wandering around the backstreets trying to find this place yesterday you would&#39;ve thought I&#39;d&#39;ve known better >.< Fortunately there&#39;s another train in 20 minutes so I won&#39;t get to Hamamatsu too late - gotta phone my friend now. Toodles&#33;

Japan is freakin hot, and the computer is weird. I paid nearly &#036;15 U.S. dollars for a fucking pocket dictionary. Other than that, Japan is awesome. My training starts Monday, so I can just tour Japan for all of tommorow (today for thsoe of you living in the U.S.)

Good luck Nightmare&#33; Yeah, everything is really expensive over here X_X

Spiky and Inu - here&#39;s what you&#39;ve got:

Spiky

Ichigo/Bleach A4 clearfile (manga art)
Ichigo sticker
Ichigo gashapon keyring
Roy phone hanger
I think I got you something else as well but I can&#39;t remember what XD

Inu

Neji phone hanger
Totoro keyring
(there was seriously buggerall at Jump Shop in terms of Plushies/phone hangesr and the keyrings weren&#39;t all that great - sorry&#33;)

I also have up for grabs a Renji gashapon keyring - as I have one already. Dammit, I wanted a Rukia one but then I figured that the price of one gashapon would buy me two bars of chocolate or a sandwich, so I got over it ;)

FMA wise, I was planning to get all that kinda thing in Shinjuku but I couldn&#39;t find any of the shops I had listed >.< Sorry peeps

Gotta go&#33;

I&#39;ll have Renji keyring :D He rocks&#33;&#33; He&#39;s my second favourite character now&#33; ^_^

I&#39;ll fight you for it&#33; XD

thanks so much Maz&#33; Hope you had fun&#33; *huggles*

next, when Des goes, she&#39;s going to be taking money and shopping list too XD

and thank you thank you thank you again&#33; ^__________^ *feels a little better now*

Originally posted by Inu&#045;chan@Jun 20 2005, 11:32 AM
next, when Des goes, she&#39;s going to be taking money and shopping list too XD
yeah, probably from everyone here XD

Originally posted by Alone@Jun 20 2005, 08:54 AM
yeah, probably from everyone here XD
You&#39;re probably right XD

I took the wrong train today, and for that mistake I was 3 hours late being home. It was very amusing trying to talk to Japanese people and get directions.

Oh I know, it sucks - I tried to get this pharmacy lady to show me where I was on this map I had and how to get back to the main street but she rattled off a whole load of stuff pointing left right up down and I was like @_@ Hope you&#39;re having better luck now&#33;

pictures&#33;&#33; XD

Originally posted by Gand@Jun 26 2005, 08:48 PM
pictures&#33;&#33; XD
Oooh, yes~&#33;&#33;&#33; Pictures~&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; Any bishie worthy pics???? :D :D

Sadly not, but I got no scanner anyway :( Unless I go to the library&#33;

Originally posted by madmazda86@Jun 29 2005, 05:32 PM
Sadly not, but I got no scanner anyway :( Unless I go to the library&#33;
Oh well, if you can&#39;t do it, it&#39;s OK ~ :)