5 Tips That Will Help You When Traveling To Japan
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
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Who are these people saying she is rude? Honestly, you think the world owes you something. She is doing you a favour and is probably speaking loudly so that we can hear her clearly and because it is loud around her. Great vid. Handy tips.
Japanese people never speak loudly, they are not very fond of loud people.
for someone who is giving advice on travelling to japan, you should really be telling people that what you're doing is considered rude. talking loudly is not the japanese way and shouting in public (be it for a video or not) is considered rude and is probably why people kept looking at you.
Every freaking anime out there consists of girls yelling their lungs out.
J Jonah Jameson Anime isn't reality...
Japan is amazing and a huge learning curve when getting around.
Your Kanji was a little off 失礼 is actually SHITSUREI which means the same thing but SUMIMASEN is 済みません. MIZU KUDASAI is 水下さい while you wrote 水お願いします MIZU ONEGAISHIMASU (means the same thing but different words). You wrote WATASHI WA RIKAISHITE IMASEN 私は理解していません (not used very often) but you said 分かりません WAKARIMASEN. Otherwise great vid! just thought you ought to know it may be difficult for people who don't speak the language to tell the difference :)
So important to note that the walking on the left side vs the right of the side walk and standing on one side of the escalator and walking on the other occurs in other countries as well!
It's polite to speak to them in the stranger's own language first, and can often build up a positive relationship with them, as it shows you've at least made an effort to learn the language.
THANK YOU MEG!!! I'm going to Tokyo to visit in just over a month, ALONE, and was petrified about getting lost! Whereas that'll still probably happen, you've given me enough confidence that with just a little bit of pre-preparation I'll somehow be okay :)
Just booked my flights for Japan... It's an amazing place filled with wonder and adventure... A definite must!
I'm planning to go either at the end of this year, or early next year, and I can safely say that using Rosettas Stone almost daily for a half hour to an hour for 8 months has been extremely beneficial in prepping me. I realize you don't have that kind of time, but certainly learning to read the Hiragana and the Katakana would be a start and not terribly hard.
And as they said learning a few choice phrases will make all the difference in the world.
I already love Japan it just seems so organised and clean
Amazing how kind we are here. I live in Mississauga and I never have to ask people to move so I can walk around them. We make sure that there's always enough room to walk around.
Here in Vienna we also have the "rule" to stand on the right and go on the left side of the escalator if someone is in a hurry. Also it's encouraged for people with a stroller to use the elevator for safety reasons.
So when using the train system a little note is to get a pasmo or suica. They work like a train pass but also work for the bus system.
If you travel out side of tokyo use the Kekyui in which is the red trains.
If you use the train system look at what color they are, because they will be either red or black for local stops while green is limited express
Good thing I went with a bunch of other people and had guides who were familiar with traveling in Japan/ other countries. Plus being from Canada with a Canadian flag on your backpack helps.
Slow and steady. Never stop practicing writing Kanji. And there is a style of listening/speaking practice called "Shadowing" that many find useful when you are learning Japanese (and English, and well any language) while not able to regularly hear or speak it on a daily basis, that works with anything you are studying, all you need is a recording such as a cd and a written copy. You might find that useful. But language is something that you have to practice continuously to improve. Good luck!
The good thing is in America in a lot of major cities, I know Boston is one of them, they have wifi in the tunnels and underground stations. I know specifically for the Boston train system, locals call it "the T" because the logo is a big black capital T on a circular white field, the the purple/Commuter Rail line that goes out to the various suburbs of greater Boston has free wifi in their trains.
I have a cousin who worked in Paris for a few years a while back. He told me that trying to speak to the person in their native tongue makes a world of difference to how they will treat you. French are globally known for their lack of courtesy towards tourists, but he said that if he tried to communicate in French first, he rarely had issues. It's a sign of respect that you understand that you're in another culture and you wish to cater to the people of that culture as opposed to the opposite.
Thanks for the advice, Meg. My wife and I plan to go someday, so yours and the Japanese commenters' advice will help greatly.
It's also incredibly polite and shows effort on your part. Both go a long way to opening a person up for help =).
Well you don't have to say "Do you speak English?" In Japanese cuz if you say it in English and they don't understand you, it means they don't speak English.....
Sometimes people will ignore you if you're not speaking their language.
I went to Japan last two months and you upload this now.
stand on the left and walk on right? GENIUS!
Escalator thing was definitely always the right side when I spent my year in Germany.
Know what the best thing to have when you visit a place like this? A friend like me that been living there for 6 months. My Japanese is negligible, but knowing how to get around really easily, and some of the cultural things helps a lot. Hit me up if anyone's visiting within the next 2 years starting after new years, I really enjoy showing people around.
Meg you are Godsend!!! I'm doing a video for a friend leaving for Japan and I needed this info!!! Thanks!! Much love from Costa Rica!!
Sooooo sweaty. It was close to 100 degrees with 100% humidity!
You are so excited and bubbly - a small dose goes a long way.
omfg its the same with the escalators in england! i went to london a few months back and i feared for my life!! the people move VERY quickly and are not afraid to just shove and push you away if you're slowing down the crowd.
Also, be very aware that it is extremely hot, 24 hours a day. I had to take four times as many showers there as I did back home (Canada) Also, I`m very prone to sunburns, but I only needed to use sunscreen once on my two week trip to Tokyo. The sun is hidden behind the clouds most of the time, and thus I didn`t even burn a little. Also, Japanese people are usually very polite, until you get on the trains. Common courtesy pretty much goes out the window as soon as you step on the train.
Another Tip: Don't go to Tokyo. I mean take the train into the suburbs and just walk down the narrow streets. You will see AMAZING culture and get a real feel about how they live. It was fascinating for me to shop in a local grocery store. Everyone was so nice and tried to teach me things. I never wanted to come home. I also loved Osaka. It's not at busy or touristy as Tokyo. I am so jealous of you Meg, but you looked like you were having a blast!
When I was in Japan, I found that even without knowing any Japanese, the people there were very friendly and helpful and if you have a map it's not too hard to find your way around but yeah don't expect to see anything written using the latin alphabet. When getting a train from Tokyo to Kyoto I was just trying to match Kanji symbols! Luckily a kind man (one of many during my trip) came to my aid and pointed me in the right direction. Japan is awesome!!!
I just got back from Jp. Definitely worth seeing. Meg is showing pics from Akihabara, the ultimate place for nerds to get their fill.
Having traveled to Japan a few times these aren't bad tips. I'd add if you are traveling outside of Tokyo invest in a JRpass before you leave. the Shinkansen is the best way to travel around Japan and the pass makes it a lot cheaper for tourists. Don't worry about knowing much Japanese I've been there like 7 times in the last 5 years and it's really easy to get around Japan with only knowing the basic survival words. Don't travel during peak hour! Hostels in Japan are affordable and clean.
love this. your videos are going to be my go-to source for info about traveling in japan. thank you thank you thank you.
It's pretty common practice on the London tubes (though not all people do it). But for most countries standing on the right would be more natural, depending on traffic rules.
That lady is a personal hero
That writing useful phrases on a piece of paper is kinda smart, tnx for that. And lol at the "y'all" at the end, that's the Texan trying to jump out of you.
Another thing to note is that if your shopping in Tokyo (like in Akihabara for example), the buildings with escalators right at the entrance leading you to different stores on each floor, be sure not to go down to the basement floors as that is where the "ecchi" stores are most of the time. Made that mistake on my 8th grade trip to Japan. :P
Americans do have order on sidewalks. We walk on the right. But in Japan, they walk on the left side. So no matter what direction you're facing, walk on those sides depending on what location you're in.
When I was in Japan, I noticed that it's not always the left side to walk or stand. It varies in different places. In Nara, we would stand on the right side of the escalators.
I could have used this my first time in Japan; doko ended up being something I could not remember off the top of my head at first. Became invaluable with strangers. Point "doko?" *confused look*
Always got me where I needed to go.
Japan, due to its population density has WAY better coverage than america when it comes to telecommunications services.
In cities with tall building and narrow streets that are close together, gps devices can be less accurate however, and the streets are like old London, laid out more like a plate of spaghetti than a grid. Megs advice is sound, know where you are going and how you plan to get there. Take pictures of your station and remember the exit number as well as the station name.
So you guys know, if you're traveling in the southern part of the main island (such as Kyoto, Osaka or Kobe) you want to stand on the right/walk on the left. It's the opposite of the northern/central part of the island (Tokyo and the like). Though you still walk on the left side in hallways and streets. I've never been to the other islands so I don't know about places like Okinawa or Sapporo. Though I assume it's the same as Tokyo.
Great tips for Tokyo Meg! Just thought I'd point that out.
見てるだけで笑顔になれる。明るくて楽しい人ですね。良いキャラクターだ。
This is a good venue for Meg. It seems pretty natural for her to do this
The escalator thing, is mostly true about kanto region, in kansai region it's the opposite side(stand still on the right side and walk on the left(osaka, kyoto etc) as in tokyo it's as shown in this video :)
:O: It's weird you guys posted this and lucky because I've been studying Japanese because I want to go to Japan when I grow up. So far I've been learning for about a month now :D I'm so excited. I have a lot of years to go until I get to go to Japan, but by then I should master the Japanese language. I'm so excited! Thank you for this video :)
I recommend renting a hot spot, so that you can use your existing phone plus a tablet or laptop. Hyperdia is a website and mobile app that made planning transit less intimidating.
For the most part, it's pretty sound advice. I'd like to add that if you're not comfortable approaching a random Japanese person, you can always try approaching another foreigner and asking normally. If you're lucky, the person should be able to give you some assistance.
On a side note, I couldn't help but chuckle at the Japanese text. Most of the phrases didn't match what Meg was saying and/or were contextually incorrect. (The only 100% correct one was the word for 'where' ('doko').)
Ah! This was a very well put together video. Even though I probably won't be going to Japan any time in the future, it was nice to learn a bit about the culture.
I am flying out to Japan tomorrow for two weeks for a student exchange. So cool this video was posted today :-)
Here's a tip. You can get the train maps off of google before you go. I suggest getting other maps and saving it to your phone as image files.
My friend and I were room mares with a host family for a school music trip. Out house was about a mipe and a half from the train station. After the first trip our host mom just left us to do it by ourselves
Some good tips for visitors to Japan. Thanks for sharing.
The sides are switched, also the cards there are right hand drive which would make more sense to now drive on the left side of the road going the "right" way
I want to go there someday. The thing with standing on the left side of escalators and walking on the right side is something i wish could be implemented everywhere. Also, a similar thing with walking on a specific side when going in/out of doors so people can go in and out at the same time.
As well as the tip about looking up. My favorite restaurant to take my visiting friends to, The Lock Up (a prison themed restaurant that has "jail breaks" every 2 hours) it located right at the entrance of Kabukicho but on the 6th and 7th floors of a building.
they sent meg to japan to do these videos for geek week on youtube, that was the whole purpose of her going to japan
Is the whole of geek week gonna be meg in talking about Japan because I'm already really jealous
Meg needs her own TV sitcoms she's so awesome! =D
I know in Glasgow it is custom to stand on the left and walk on the right I always tend to follow the rule and so do most people, much like traffic on a road the ones going quicker are on the right!
In London England it's
drive on the left side of the road,
stand on the right side of the escalator,
walk on the left side of the escalator.
It makes it seem like you're willing to make an effort, and that makes all the difference.
I wish I had seen this video a month ago, it would've helped me on my trip to Japan, but I learned the heard way.
One of my best friends lives in Tokyo! I won't get to see her for another 2-3 years, but I've started practicing japanese now!
Being half Japanese and having my mom who can speak Japanese was helpful to me and my family but at times she isn't there. So my sister and i found out is to talk in the accent and slowly for some reason it worked while I was there.
My Japanese prof said it can roughly translate to "excuse me" in the sense that we know it, even though it's direct translation is an apology. For example, if we were to say "Excuse me, but.. " you could use sumimasen to mean "Sorry to bother you, but ..." which is essentially the same thing, and is still used to pardon a rudeness.
That's a common thing in many countries, especially in highly populated cities. It just gives space to people who are in a rush.
that standing on the left of the escalator thing applies to London too, but because it's Britain you'll probably just get tutted at if you forget
Yea that escalator thing is in the UK as well, you have to stay left on it and right is for people who want to walk up. It's kinda silly to me seeing as how there are sometimes separate steps on the right of the escalator, yea you might reach a bit faster walking up the escalator, but just walk on the steps in the first place if your in that much of a hurry
I've been compiling a pile of videos and reference websites and books so I can go to Japan and be well frwakin prepared when I'm old enough. As expected, I'm a big anime fan. .3. Thanks SourceFed.
the sidewalk and escalator stuff is the same in australia too. its courtesy since thats the way traffic flows on the road.
I'm so glad I have a guide when I travel to Tokyo in September. Exchange sisters
I just got back from backpacking japan and a good tool to use is google maps. It shows a rough price of how much it will cost to ride the train along with using kanji and English for place in Tokyo.
I have to go to Tokyo for a business trip in a few weeks - this is going to hopefully save my life.
Well I never said it was a rule, but it does happen, I was wrong in terms of sides it's the right side of the escalator and left is for people who want to go up in a hurry. I've been to king's cross many times and everyone basically is on the right hand side of the escalator and people use the left to rush up, basically the busy part. My friends even told me that and I have seen it. Maybe it's different in different parts of the uk?
Loving this meg turney geek week!!
My number one suggestion is to have a nice comfortable pair of walking shoes, because you are going to use them. Where did you stay while you were there?
Thanks for the tips, i really wanna go there one day so this will be very helpful
That escalator thing applies to the underground in London, except it's the opposite way round.
Arigato Meg :) trying to see if I can go on vacation there before summer ends
maybe its the other way round in scotland, london,leeds,manchester,nottingham, liverpool its definatly stand on the right walk on the left its easy to spot tourists in london when they stand on the wrong side on blocking anrgy comuters.
If you're in the Kansai region of Japan, it is customary I believe to stand on the RIGHT side of the escalators, but that's only in Kyoto? Osaka? I think.
I am thinking of travelling to Japan next year. This was very helpful :) Thanks Meg ^_^
Awesome, i'm heading to Japan 2morro morning, thanks for the tips Meg!
Everyone's going to Japan this year! Kalel and Anthony, Ryan Higa, Meg...
Dude, it is like SUPER humid in Japan. Of course she is sweaty.
I was really skeptical about watching this video, being that I have lived in Japan for 5 years (just started my 6th this week!) and I often find most of the Travel to Japan tips/Getting around Tokyo tips quite generic and unhelpful, but this video had great information!
The tips about the trains was right on. I live on the outskirts/suburbs of Tokyo and the JR lines do not stop in my part of the city. In fact the closest JR train is a 20 min bus ride away.
haha, i find kanji super useful when i read japanese because i also know chinese and thats where most of the kanji words comes from plus or minus a few strokes.
I miss Tokyo - it's such an amazing city. I love how there's vending machines just about everywhere :)
Oh man thank you Meg. My friends and I were planning on going to Japan.
Awesome, I am too.
I saw that a LOT in my recent Washington DC trip. Everywhere I went, you stood to the right, walked on the left when on an escalator. It felt very odd when returning home and NOT seeing that happen.
What?? When I was in Japan a couple of weeks ago, I found it SUPER easy to get around!
O boy I'm so glad I watched this.for my next trip to Japan...
yup.
yup
also, native speakers really appreciate you making the effort ^^
because they could go get someone who does speak english.... If someone asks you in broken english if you could help them in their language you are 1 more likely to feel compelled to help and 2 actually know what they need and can better direct them to someone who can help.
Most of the signs at train stations and shops do have English on them, and most locals do have a very (I do mean VERY) basic grasp of English, It's still fairly daunting at first, but I lived there for a year and managed it fine.