Alexander Quist

DISCLAIMER
First let me state that I’m nowhere near any kind of expert in any way what so ever, I only lived in Japan for around 40 days.
But I hope that this will be of at least some kind of use to someone.
And secondly, I’m sorry but I won’t go chasing around for the 100% correct answer on Google, I’ll just answer anything from my own experience. Because I’m too lazy to work for others, it’s just as much work for me to do it as for you, sorry

You mention that you ask the Japanese Police a lot, do they speak English?
Yes and no, mostly no. Their speaking is very limited, but they usually understand what you are trying to say.
Body language is the key word.

Are the people in Japan helpful when asking for directions?
Yes, very. But then again, when you’re asking someone for the way you usually try to pick someone who looks friendly.
People may seem a bit grumpy, but they really open up when you talk to them.
And the police are always glad to help at least.

Have you had much difficulty finding maps when you arrive at a new Station/City? What do they typically cost?
I must admit that I never really went chasing for maps. But I had a hard time finding maps whenever I got somewhere so buying one beforehand is probably a good idea.
I only found maps in Hiroshima and Miyajima actually…
It’s pretty common to find one of those boards with a “You are here”-kind of map, but they are rarely insanely helpful.
Getting a around in Tokyo is pretty easy though, since there are so many train/subway stations.

When you got to Tokyo, were there any Tourist Centers you could go to for help (such as maps and things)
See above. I bet there is at least one, but I never found one. But I can’t say that I really tried either.

Hows the criminality in Japan, can you go anywhere without worrying about getting robbed or something?
Japan is without a doubt one of the safest country on this planet, I felt much safer in Japan than in Sweden and I see Sweden as a pretty safe country, it being my home country and all too.

How easy is to get to another island in japan?
I was mostly on the mainland so I’m not really sure, but I think there are Shinkansen going to Kyushu, the most western island.
Hokkaido is probably easiest to get to by air though.
I think Shikoku is also reachable by train.
Sorry, I’m no expert in this subject…

How much money can one expect to spend in a trip to japan? (tickets, hotel, transportation, food, etc)
As always, it often depends on how much you want to spend.
Japan is pretty expensive, but still not that expensive.

If you’re going to go traveling around the country a Japan Rail Pass is a must have, it costs around 28.000¥ and grants you more or less unlimited travel on JR lines.
Then, what are the JR lines?
Like, more or less everything in Japan, apart from the Subway.
It doesn’t work on the fastest Shinkansen sadly, but it’s not a big deal.
The subway isn’t usually that expensive, usually it’s around 100-500¥, depending on how far you go.
(Side note, the tram in Hiroshima is 150¥ as long as you stay within the city boundaries)

Finding an hotel between is 2000-4000¥ a night shouldn’t really be a problem, so it’s not so expensive to spend the night in Japan.
I wouldn’t count on anything too fancy though…

And about food, it’s usually not very expensive either. If you stay away from the somewhat more expensive stuff you usually pay 500-1000¥ for a meal. Getting a beer with your meal might costs as much as your food though.

What is not to forget to take with you when going on a trip there?
Hm… first of all you’re forced to bring your passport, since the police might stop you at anytime… I never carried it with my, and neither did my friends and no police ever stopped us. But now you know…
If you’re going to be doing some traveling a Rail pass is a must have! It saves a shit load of money, and it can ony be purchased outside of Japan and by foreigners. So if you enter Japan without it, you’re screwed.
Hm… don’t forget to bring a camera
If you’re going there on the summer, make sure you bring a lot of cloths that will let you survive in the insane heat.
Buying a guidebook might not be a bad idea… something that I missed, but hey, I surived.
Hm, I can’t really come up with anything…

What is the best time of the year to visit japan?
I went there in the summer because I didn’t really have any choice. It was really fun since there are a lot of festivals and such on the summer.
But I really wouldn’t advice anyone to go there i the summer, it’s too god damn hot… I’m not kidding, it’s insane.
So I guess spring or autumn would be better, if you go there in the spring (around the end of March or the beginning of April) you’ll be able to see the Sakura tress in blossom.

What is a great place to stay?
I lived in a town called Matsudo that’s 20-40min away from Tokyo, depending on where you’re going.
And I must say that I really liked it there. It was a bit of a travel everyday, but it got so much more quiet when you got away from the core of Tokyo.
One big question when going to Japan is of course if you’re going to stay in Tokyo or not.
Tokyo is of course a bit more expensive than the rest of the country (but I never really visited the rest of the country so I don’t know…), but it’s not that expensive. Sweden is more expensive.
Tokyo also means that you have to travel a lot, a lot of subway and such.
But all in all, I really liked Tokyo and I’m glad that I ended up there. I’ll probably live in Tokyo if I ever come back.

What food i should try?
Err, that’s a pretty hard question… I think all the Japanese food is delicous so… dig in!

What cultural event from japan should one see at least once in their lives?
Hm… I’m not sure, sorry.
But Kyoto is really cool if you’re into temples and Japanese gardens.

What do Japanese girls like, how hard is to get one, what should i do?
I failed to make any real contact with a Japanese girl, they are overall very shy and not so good in English so they are a bit afraid of talking English.
If you want to get one I’d suggest that you go to Roppongi, that’s where most foreigners hang out, and that’s no secret to the Japanese people either so there are always some Japanese people there who’s goal is to hook up with a foreigner.

Before you left, did you go to anyplace online to find info on how to deal with some normal everyday customs.
Not so much, but Wikipedia has helped me a big deal with everything.
Watching a shit load of anime is also one way

For instance… when out at a bar or restaurant, how much is a person expected to tip the watier/bartender? Over here in the US, it’s 15%. I think I heard in Asia, you don’t tip but I don’t know if that’s true.
I really like this… you pay 0%!
I guess it’s below Japanese dignity to accept it, they are pretty strict about giving and taking.

You gave some good details about using the subway, did you find any of that info online before you went over or just when you got there?
I did some minor research on Wikipedia and such before going to I knew the basics with Suica and so at least.
But when I finally stood there on the station I had no idea how to actually buy my ticket, but luckily a guard came up to us and helped out.
It’s not very hard, but when you have no idea on how to do it… it’s pretty hard.
There are usually plenty of police officers and such near the stations that can help you out.

What places are worth visiting?
Wow, I can spend my whole day just answering this one…

Just walking around in Tokyo is usually interesting
But hmm, what kind of places are worth to visit in Tokyo…
Yoyogi park is pretty cool, a very thick forest in the middle Tokyo, also houses a temple where you can pray.
If you go to the “other side of the park” (it’s divided in 2) on Sundays, you can find loads of interesting people…

If you want to get a good overview of Tokyo, then Tokyo tower is the natural place to be.
But I’d also like to give some attention to Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro, in my opinion a bit easier to get to and much cheaper. And it’s not really that much shorter.

Visiting the famous crossing in Shibuya might be fun if you want to see a lot of people at once, if you take the correct exit from the station you’ll end up next to it.

Akihabara has anything if you’re into electronics or anime.

The Asakusa shrine and the Tsukiji fish market are also famous places… that I sadly didn’t visit…

Anyway, as you know I also visited Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima.

Kyoto is super famous for its temple and Japanese gardens, and not without a reason…

I can’t say much about Osaka sadly, I wasn’t there for too long…

I really liked Hiroshima though, it wasn’t insanely big so walking wasn’t really a problem, and they also had their tram.
The Peace museum in Hiroshima is a real life changing experience, take my word for it…
There is also the Hiroshima castle and the Shukkeien garden to name a few things.
Personally I really liked the Shukkeien garden, it was really really beautiful.

Miyajima wasn’t that far off from Hiroshima, so it might be worth to spend half a day on it if you’re staying in Hiroshima.
Beautiful untouched nature and a lot of small shrines.

How much weight can you carry with you in and out of japan?

I was allowed to carry 20kg, in Denmark I was charged 25€ for each kilo of overweight that I had, but for some reason I didn’t have to on my way back.
I guess it depends on what company you chose.

…and are they very picky about what you can and can not take with you when going back home from japan, like electronics and stuff?

I’m not sure what you’re allowed to take with with, but I think it’s illegal to bring those “Japanese swords” with you, I doubt you’ll have any problems with electrics.
I hope that this F.A.Q was able to answer atleast a few questions, and feel free to mail me if you have any questions of your own that you’d like to add.