Get around via train. Public transport is some of the most efficient in the world. Attractions can be booked online eg through Klook.abbby wrote: ↑Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:48 amI had been researching for a few weeks on travels to Tokyo and was trying to work out the cost of having a guide and driver who can take us around rather than having to figure the train system. I am rather surprised to know a driver is costing around 65,000 Yen a day ($550+??) Excluding guide's fees.
That's very expensive!
Anyone been to Tokyo with family? How do you get around the trains, booking of tickets for places of interests? Still trying to figure out...
I actually find that Japan is pretty English friendly. Most locals speak very poor English but are very willing to help.x9200 wrote: ↑Thu, 21 Dec 2023 8:34 pmI visited Tokyo longer time ago (15y++) and had no problem using the trains, taxis etc. And it was still pre-smartphone Internet popularity era. Actually our mobiles didn't work with the Japan gsm bands if I remember correctly. And as my Japanese vocabulary extends not much beyond harakiri and sayonara, I believe it was still possible to get around using English.
I had the same impression. And their English was also interesting in a way, sort of mixed with Esperanto or something. E.g. we asked some staff at the train station what platform the train was going to depart and he told us "trakko eleven". Like they added sometimes [-o] suffixes to some words"Lisafuller wrote: ↑Fri, 22 Dec 2023 2:19 pmI actually find that Japan is pretty English friendly. Most locals speak very poor English but are very willing to help.x9200 wrote: ↑Thu, 21 Dec 2023 8:34 pmI visited Tokyo longer time ago (15y++) and had no problem using the trains, taxis etc. And it was still pre-smartphone Internet popularity era. Actually our mobiles didn't work with the Japan gsm bands if I remember correctly. And as my Japanese vocabulary extends not much beyond harakiri and sayonara, I believe it was still possible to get around using English.
You are in much better position now than myself 15yo
Yeah, for a country with as many English speaking tourists/such an advanced population, they sure are poor at English.x9200 wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 1:08 pmI had the same impression. And their English was also interesting in a way, sort of mixed with Esperanto or something. E.g. we asked some staff at the train station what platform the train was going to depart and he told us "trakko eleven". Like they added sometimes [-o] suffixes to some words"Lisafuller wrote: ↑Fri, 22 Dec 2023 2:19 pmI actually find that Japan is pretty English friendly. Most locals speak very poor English but are very willing to help.x9200 wrote: ↑Thu, 21 Dec 2023 8:34 pmI visited Tokyo longer time ago (15y++) and had no problem using the trains, taxis etc. And it was still pre-smartphone Internet popularity era. Actually our mobiles didn't work with the Japan gsm bands if I remember correctly. And as my Japanese vocabulary extends not much beyond harakiri and sayonara, I believe it was still possible to get around using English.
There are also some apps that are voice powered - you can speak into them and they will translate and say what you just said in the foreign language. Makes for easier conversations.x9200 wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 1:25 pmYou are in much better position now than myself 15yoThere is this google translator ("Translate") application and it has a camera option. Install it, point you phone camera at the Japanese text and enjoy. You can check how it works even on your laptop screen. Just google some images, "Japanese text", anything to see how it works.
We spent earlier this year a week in Mainland China and I am equally skilled in all Chinese dialects as I am in Japanese. We relied on the Translate and had no problems nowhere. It also works well translating speech form and to. Try it too, you will be surprised how well it actually works.
Having said that, I am very sure there must be maps in both English and Japanese.
https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/station/index.html
This is the "speech" option I mentioned. The Translate app can do it too.Lisafuller wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 2:11 pmThere are also some apps that are voice powered - you can speak into them and they will translate and say what you just said in the foreign language. Makes for easier conversations.x9200 wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 1:25 pmYou are in much better position now than myself 15yoThere is this google translator ("Translate") application and it has a camera option. Install it, point you phone camera at the Japanese text and enjoy. You can check how it works even on your laptop screen. Just google some images, "Japanese text", anything to see how it works.
We spent earlier this year a week in Mainland China and I am equally skilled in all Chinese dialects as I am in Japanese. We relied on the Translate and had no problems nowhere. It also works well translating speech form and to. Try it too, you will be surprised how well it actually works.
Having said that, I am very sure there must be maps in both English and Japanese.
https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/station/index.html
Have you tried the one on the iPhone? Much better than Google imo.x9200 wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 2:14 pmThis is the "speech" option I mentioned. The Translate app can do it too.Lisafuller wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 2:11 pmThere are also some apps that are voice powered - you can speak into them and they will translate and say what you just said in the foreign language. Makes for easier conversations.x9200 wrote: ↑Sat, 23 Dec 2023 1:25 pm
You are in much better position now than myself 15yoThere is this google translator ("Translate") application and it has a camera option. Install it, point you phone camera at the Japanese text and enjoy. You can check how it works even on your laptop screen. Just google some images, "Japanese text", anything to see how it works.
We spent earlier this year a week in Mainland China and I am equally skilled in all Chinese dialects as I am in Japanese. We relied on the Translate and had no problems nowhere. It also works well translating speech form and to. Try it too, you will be surprised how well it actually works.
Having said that, I am very sure there must be maps in both English and Japanese.
https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/station/index.html
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