Japan Summer Trip '08 (slideshow)

I was lucky enough to go to Japan and stay with my uncle and his girlfriend for a week. I can say without a doubt that this was the most amazing trip I've ever been on. The weather was perfect (well, it never got overcast, just really humid. But that's not a surprise since I went there in July). I was in time for my uncle's neighborhood matsuri (festival, where we're in ukatas).

All the pictures where I'm wearing a green shirt are from Otsu (I was only there for a day and a half). The pictures with the black shirt are from Kyoto. I will be glad to answer any questions that aren't stupid. Thanks for watching!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• japan
• summer
• july
• tokyo
• yokohama
• otsu
• kyoto
• tea
• ceremony
• matsuri

[Degenskonto]

If youre still up for questions; how good are the japanese at english?

Can you go to a random village and still be able to communicate with the clerks at the post offices and stuff?

[TheWolfBrigade]

It depends on the exposure to english the person gets. Japanese learn english in school, but it focuses more on writing, not spoken. In places where there are not many english speaking people/tourists, the quality of the english will be worse than say Tokyo. Hope that helps!

[Degenskonto]

Everything helps.

Well, exposed, thats true. But its the same here and yet the common man does speak pretty good english..

Would it be wise to bring a a little note of paper and a pen so you could write questions and whatnot if theyre really bad at speaking?

Thanks

[TheWolfBrigade]

It would definitely be wise to do that. I was lucky enough to travel there with two people who were fluent in Japanese, so this problem is difficult for me to answer from experience. Try to write some words in Japanese that you may need to know to ("excuse me, where is the bathroom?" that kind of stuff). The Japanese are very polite and will try to help you even if you don't speak each others language.

[shinyoure]

よかったよかった　日本にまた来てください

[chiyosita]

Ｉ'm realy happy to know that you enjyoyed staying in Japan :)

DId you eat some roast squid?How was it?

I hope you'll have a oppotunity to visit Japan again. from Japan

[ikayaki014]

日本は楽しめたようですね

娘さんはイカ焼きが好きなんですか？

-くコ:彡-

また機会があったらいらして下さい

どなたか英訳希望w

[Degenskonto]

Yeah, I am currently learning their fine language (though its on my own). I am hoping to get into a beginners japanese course at an university after the summer...

I am so going to japan in the near future :P

[mitsubishi777]

what a surreal squat toilet! LOL