maybe this is Vickyās firsthand experience.
No.
Donāt expect to be able to communicate with most people there, if you donāt speak Japanese.
Expect to pay around US prices for food.
Iām spoiled, I admit it. My wife just told me sheās seen Scoot tickets round trip for 6k NT.
i dont expect it will be cheaper, but maybe you can take a boat to china, then to korea, then to japan.
hold on now! just wait a little bit and see if this actually goes through: āTaiwan prepares for new ferry route launch between Japanās Yonaguni Island and Yilan Countyā
We buy groceries at Fukuhara. Itās a little more expensive than Safeway or Fred Meyers in Oregon, with similar quality. Ito Yokado grocery store is comparable to Whole Foods in price but without the extra quality and unique selection.
Ok but weāre not airlines. Weāre forumosans.
Airlines have the prices not us.
How did you find that, Tando, is Vicky your friend?
American prices is what Iām trying to avoid.
But I also read/heard that some Japanese businesses will not serve foreigners at all, probably more likely in the non touristy areas. How likely is that?
Oddly enough the only place Iāve ever been refused service in Japan after fourteen years of living there part time is this place:
Itās odd because the owner has a cowboy fetish and goes by his English name, Jack. He insists on Japanese only because he claims heās hard of hearing and that makes safety an issue when riding in mountains. Even foreigners who speak fluent Japanese complain about him turning them away though.
Other than that zero issue and Iāve been all over Japan.
Itās odd if they are refusing foreigners why even have an English page?
No idea. If I try to communicate with him in English he gets huffy and insists on Japanese only. Strange bird.
Maybe they cater to Japanese Americans? I donāt know. I known one Japanese American and he said that they do not like him in Japan at all, even if they have the same politeness they show everyone. I mean I seen folks in Taiwan who only talks to foreigners, and does not like talking to Taiwanese Americans at all.
Iām planning a trip over the holidays staying in the Kansai region and what frustrates me is how complicated the rail systems are. The more I research the less I know what to do.
If you stay just in Kansai and base in Osaka with day trips, is there a rail pass that makes sense? Like Kansai thru pass? Or is it better to just add money to an ICOCA card?
what is the difference between information posted online before and after you asked some general thing. eventually google may tell you.
where is there?
urban area you may have everything in the neighborhood or can go anywhere with public transportation, or rural area with nothing around and few or no public transportation.
Some great interview content here from a thoughtful Japanese youtuber who asks residents of Tokyo: Why is Japan so cheap right now?
Guy
I didnāt know there was anything wrong with Japanās economy. I always thought the Japanese are only āpoorerā now because the yen is weak. And the yen is only weak because the Japanese central bank decided against the liberal fiscal interventions that other countries are implementing to combat inflation.