osaka on my own -
 

i be in osaka for 2 days but cant speak japanese or read asian characters. is geeting around going to be hard? its my first time travelling alone and before that it be with the tour group but i have to get jr rail from kyoto to osaka to catch flight back to canada.

i loook around oska on my own. is it hard

Interesting topic. I have an overnight in Tokyo (Haneda airport) this fall, and am wondering the same - I'm pretty comfortable in some parts of Asia, I've spent lots of time in Thailand, been to Hong Kong, Singapore, but Tokyo seems pretty overwhelming. Any recommendations for me either?

Joe make sure you try to bang a lot of Japanese chicks.

^
Shouldnt be too hard. Flash your passport and speak english haha. Dont ask me how I know =p

Depends on the person. Before I went to Osaka, the closest I came to speaking Japanese was ordering from sushi menus back home. After a day and a half in Osaka, I became fluent in Japanese.
Posted via RS Mobile

yamade
kimochi
iku

3 must know japanese words.

I think that OP lives in a sheltered kind of life.

I think for you to break out of your shell so to speak. Pick and random country on your next vacation and go. Not touristy, no 5 star resort type vacation.

Go out and breathe in the culture of another country. It really evolves your life, goals, feeling and perspectives. I'd think you'd grow as a person and really appreciate life.

That's my opinion anyways.

If you are already comfortable with traveling in Asia, Japan is really no different. Trains and subways have English signage which makes it easy to get around. Taxis are easier but most drivers speak zero English and they are super expensive. So stick to trains. If only there for 24 hours, best advice is pick one thing you really want to see and focus on doing that. Tokyo is massive and finding things can be challenging, which makes it difficult to see a lot of things in little time. Not many people speak English which sometimes makes things like eating out a challenge, but it's really not that much harder than any Asian other city. In fact, in a lot of ways it's easier since I found Japanese people are often more friendly/patient than say HK or Thailand. If you have specific questions, let me know.

no i never travel alone to asia but 2 days in osaka and rest be with tour guide. maybe if im too chicken i book tours with my hotel that day lol
is the train system easy to figure out . i want go see osaka aquriam or minami .

Thanks, that's great. I am getting in already at dinner time so I think really all I am hoping to do is go for some amazing sushi (I am prepared to pay pretty huge money if need be for an absolutely fantastic meal) and wander around a bit. I haven't done much homework yet, lots of places to go on that trip haha.

Mark

Actually you will be fine in osaka with only english. I visited osaka, narita, nagoya with only english and some people do understand. It just takes them more time to comprehend, and use simpler terms lol... I was told by someone that they do know english but not entirely true. Obviously try to seek younger ppl to assist, probably more up to date with where you wanna visit or eat.

Try to either write down simple questions like wheres the washroom? Wheres the train? How to get there ......? Restaurants? Hotels? Etc...
Perhaps use smartphone translation app, as backup.

Again, taxis are expensive and streets are not as easy to read, so learn about the trains/subways...
Always be prepared as you will never know what to expect.

Overall, jdm ppl are quite nice and always know tourist are around so most are helpful...

O yah... If you get a chance to go shopping at this converted old underground train station, you'll spot much crazy fashion dressed jdm girls... lol
Posted via RS Mobile

Best advice I have is to rent portable wifi. With google maps, it can pretty much take you anywhere you want to go. Sometimes google maps gets you pretty close, but not exact then you can ask someone on the street.

Majority of restaurants have English menus or one person that can semi speak English. I had the same fears, but it was actually pretty smooth.