Comments on: What NOT to do in Japan http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/ travel culture worldwide Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: zentotoro http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-98571 zentotoro Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:17:00 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-98571 Not only did my wife and I drink at the "Lost in Translation" bar we stayed at that hotel for two and a half weeks. I was our first trip to Japan and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don't let someone tell you what to do or not to do on your trip... Make it yours.... Not only did my wife and I drink at the “Lost in Translation” bar we stayed at that hotel for two and a half weeks. I was our first trip to Japan and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don’t let someone tell you what to do or not to do on your trip… Make it yours….

]]> By: zentotoro http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-98572 zentotoro Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:17:00 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-98572 Not only did my wife and I drink at the "Lost in Translation" bar we stayed at that hotel for two and a half weeks. I was our first trip to Japan and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don't let someone tell you what to do or not to do on your trip... Make it yours.... Not only did my wife and I drink at the “Lost in Translation” bar we stayed at that hotel for two and a half weeks. I was our first trip to Japan and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don’t let someone tell you what to do or not to do on your trip… Make it yours….

]]> By: Ken Aston http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-85843 Ken Aston Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:59:00 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-85843 You are not addressing the risks sufficiently and in the context of your advice "DO...." it still encourages some adventurous hikers to try it in the off-season. E. g. rain is NOT was makes climbing in May or June risky. It's the snow and ice near the top, especially so in May. Over the I have collected several articles of people dying on Fuji in May or June. See for example this report of a serious accident in the middle of June last year: http://www.fujisan-net.jp/news/2010/06/14/23.html Or this one, early November: http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2010-11-04/5192/Vienna_Philharmonic_star_dies_in_Japan_hike You are not addressing the risks sufficiently and in the context of your advice “DO….” it still encourages some adventurous hikers to try it in the off-season. E. g. rain is NOT was makes climbing in May or June risky. It’s the snow and ice near the top, especially so in May. Over the I have collected several articles of people dying on Fuji in May or June. See for example this report of a serious accident in the middle of June last year:
http://www.fujisan-net.jp/news/2010/06/14/23.html
Or this one, early November:
http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2010-11-04/5192/Vienna_Philharmonic_star_dies_in_Japan_hike

]]> By: Ken Aston http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-85844 Ken Aston Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:59:00 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-85844 You are not addressing the risks sufficiently and in the context of your advice "DO...." it still encourages some adventurous hikers to try it in the off-season. E. g. rain is NOT was makes climbing in May or June risky. It's the snow and ice near the top, especially so in May. Over the I have collected several articles of people dying on Fuji in May or June. See for example this report of a serious accident in the middle of June last year: http://www.fujisan-net.jp/news/2010/06/14/23.html Or this one, early November: http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2010-11-04/5192/Vienna_Philharmonic_star_dies_in_Japan_hike You are not addressing the risks sufficiently and in the context of your advice “DO….” it still encourages some adventurous hikers to try it in the off-season. E. g. rain is NOT was makes climbing in May or June risky. It’s the snow and ice near the top, especially so in May. Over the I have collected several articles of people dying on Fuji in May or June. See for example this report of a serious accident in the middle of June last year:
http://www.fujisan-net.jp/news/2010/06/14/23.html
Or this one, early November:
http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2010-11-04/5192/Vienna_Philharmonic_star_dies_in_Japan_hike

]]> By: Marek http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-7301 Marek Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:28:03 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-7301 I would agree with some of your points, but being a foreigner living in Tokyo for 4 years some of the points you list that you recommend NOT to do I think depends on the person. 1. DO CLIMB MT. FUJI. It will be one of the best things (but still difficult) things you'll ever do. There are many ways to avoid the crowds even during the hiking season. Just do a bit of research... find the right trails... and talk with people who have done it before. I just recently climbed Mt. Fuji and I would recommend taking the Subashiri trail and then cross over to the Yoshida trail around the 6th or 7th station up. Better yet... start your climb at lunch time... book a hut at the 7th station (a few weeks before)... see the sun set with some beers... sleep early... wake up at 2am and continue the climb on the yoshida trail to the summit to see the sun rise. 2. Try Pachinko... it's weird and nothing like a casino... yes... it's load... yes it's smokey... but most bars, and drinking holes in this country will be anyway. 3. DO DRINK at the LOST IN TRANSLATION BAR... why not... if you have the money to spend and that movie is special to you... you'll make a great memory for yourself. I would agree with some of your points, but being a foreigner living in Tokyo for 4 years some of the points you list that you recommend NOT to do I think depends on the person.

1. DO CLIMB MT. FUJI. It will be one of the best things (but still difficult) things you’ll ever do. There are many ways to avoid the crowds even during the hiking season. Just do a bit of research… find the right trails… and talk with people who have done it before. I just recently climbed Mt. Fuji and I would recommend taking the Subashiri trail and then cross over to the Yoshida trail around the 6th or 7th station up. Better yet… start your climb at lunch time… book a hut at the 7th station (a few weeks before)… see the sun set with some beers… sleep early… wake up at 2am and continue the climb on the yoshida trail to the summit to see the sun rise.

2. Try Pachinko… it’s weird and nothing like a casino… yes… it’s load… yes it’s smokey… but most bars, and drinking holes in this country will be anyway.

3. DO DRINK at the LOST IN TRANSLATION BAR… why not… if you have the money to spend and that movie is special to you… you’ll make a great memory for yourself.

]]> By: Kerala Tourism Packages http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-6929 Kerala Tourism Packages Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:17:24 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-6929 Excellent article! And the karaoke looks very intresting Thanks for the post Excellent article! And the karaoke looks very intresting

Thanks for the post

]]> By: samuel welsh http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-6033 samuel welsh Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:27:53 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-6033 good artical but dressing like a geshia, climbing fuji san and traveling to see cherry blossoms are a must good artical but dressing like a geshia, climbing fuji san and traveling to see cherry blossoms are a must

]]> By: Dina VagabondQuest http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-5824 Dina VagabondQuest Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:17:09 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-5824 If it's my list, I will add this: Don't jump to the onsen without shower first. Those ladies/guys are not staring at you because they admire your body, but rather, they are annoyed that you jump without washing your body first. Do shower first prior to enter the onsen. :) If it’s my list, I will add this:

Don’t jump to the onsen without shower first. Those ladies/guys are not staring at you because they admire your body, but rather, they are annoyed that you jump without washing your body first.

Do shower first prior to enter the onsen.

:)

]]> By: Puff Puff http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-4957 Puff Puff Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:56:18 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-4957 Excellent article! And the karaoke booth looks especially intriguing. Thanks for publishing this! Excellent article! And the karaoke booth looks especially intriguing.

Thanks for publishing this!

]]> By: Yonatan http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what-not-to-do-in-japan/#comment-170 Yonatan Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:35:39 +0000 http://matadortrips.com/?p=4352#comment-170 Definitely would recommend looking to other mountains in addition to Mt. Fuji. Japan has a LOT of mountains, and even though it's not that big of a country, an hour in any direction often shows completely different landscapes. I'll probably spend the rest of my life climbing mountains here, and I still may never climb them all. Fuji's the tallest, but representative of all the others in (mistaken) idea only. Come to Kyushu and you'll see a completely different world. And for people interested in backpacking- it's possible, but think about making use of the trains on your treks. You can travel the entire country this way and see Japan at its heart (and I'm not talking about going via shinkansen either- it's the local trains that wind around and around steep mountains, long rocky ocean cliffs, and green rice paddies. The shinkansen spend most of their journeys underground in tunnels...) Either invest in the all-you-can ride JR passes before coming, or time you treks for the Seishun 18 Ticket travel periods in winter, spring, and summer (where you can ride the local trains for an unlimited amount up to 5 days, split those 5 days between multiple partners, etc.) Most importantly, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are important, but they are not all Japan is. Kyushu, Shikoku, the islands between Kyushuu and Okinawa, Hokkaido, etc. all seem like different worlds. If most of your trip is confined to those 3 above-mentioned cities and the shinkansen tunnel connecting them, you will go home never seeing 90% of this place. Get out into the inaka (countryside) and explore. Definitely would recommend looking to other mountains in addition to Mt. Fuji. Japan has a LOT of mountains, and even though it’s not that big of a country, an hour in any direction often shows completely different landscapes. I’ll probably spend the rest of my life climbing mountains here, and I still may never climb them all. Fuji’s the tallest, but representative of all the others in (mistaken) idea only. Come to Kyushu and you’ll see a completely different world.

And for people interested in backpacking- it’s possible, but think about making use of the trains on your treks. You can travel the entire country this way and see Japan at its heart (and I’m not talking about going via shinkansen either- it’s the local trains that wind around and around steep mountains, long rocky ocean cliffs, and green rice paddies. The shinkansen spend most of their journeys underground in tunnels…) Either invest in the all-you-can ride JR passes before coming, or time you treks for the Seishun 18 Ticket travel periods in winter, spring, and summer (where you can ride the local trains for an unlimited amount up to 5 days, split those 5 days between multiple partners, etc.)

Most importantly, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are important, but they are not all Japan is. Kyushu, Shikoku, the islands between Kyushuu and Okinawa, Hokkaido, etc. all seem like different worlds. If most of your trip is confined to those 3 above-mentioned cities and the shinkansen tunnel connecting them, you will go home never seeing 90% of this place. Get out into the inaka (countryside) and explore.

]]>