Japan trip

[Derfel]

Hey guys, I'm taking a trip to Japan because my friends brother made the Canadian National rowing team and the world championships are in Japan this year, and I was wondering if theres anything I should have to know or do.

We're staying in Nagoya, I think its like 3 hours from Tokyo so I dont know if we will visit unless everyone says its reallllllllly worth it, and other than that I was wondering if anyone knew of cool stuff to do in Japan that I wouldnt ever think of hah

[Meister]

Listen to panel six. (http://www.8easybits.com/misc/cubepat5.png) Panel six is your friend.

[Staizer]

visit as many temples as possible. they are awe inspiring. go to Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka at least once, walking through the middle of one of the worlds most electronically connected countries in the world is awe inspiring. Most of the stuff I did on my trip was visit temples, and if you want to do that, Kyoto is the place to go.

[sarukun]

Kyoto is good advice.

It really depends on what you want to see/do in Japan. "I'm In Japan, what are the 'must see' things in Japan?" is a question best answered by a Tour Guide Book, available at book retailers across the world in a multitude of langauges. If you want to know something specific about an area people are living in, that's a horse of a different color. For example, I can tell you where to get good Mexican Food in the middle of Gifu.

Edit: I thought of some real things you can see/do in Nagoya.

See, thing about Japan is they have some foods that are universal throughout the four major islands and the myriad of itty-bitty ones, and then there are regional variations. In Nagoya, the big one is "hitsumabushi", a variation on unagidon, or "grilled freshwater eel over rice".

If you do not have grilled freshwater eel over rice before leaving Japan, you will have failed at Japan; so for God's sake, at least have some unagidon *somewhere*. There will be shops at which all you can order is some variety of grilled eel. Go to these. The people are professionally trained to cook eel, and only eel. These people know what they are doing. There is a reason you cannot buy freshwater eel at the supermarket in Japan; it's because you have to know what the fuck you are doing, and most people don't. This is an epic culinary experience. I am not fucking with you.

Hitsumabushi is a slight variation on unagidon; you will be given a small tray of chopped green onions (negi), shaved nori seaweed, wasabi (hopefully not synthetic), and a small bottle/teapot of dashi (broth). You will also be given a smaller bowl in addition to your large bowl of unagi and rice. First, enjoy your unagi and rice by itself. It's good plain. There is teriyaki sauce. Then, using your smaller bowl, put some unagi and rice in there, and sprinkle some of your green onions and seaweed on top of that. Delicious, no? Finally, put whatever's left into the bowl (you may want to save about half of your food for this part), and pour the dashi on top of that for a little stew/soup experience. Repeat final step as quantity allows.

This is only to be had in Nagoya/the surrounding Nagoya area. "Hitsumabushi". Don't forget.

[Derfel]

hahaha thanks guys that at least now I know 2 things. I have to eat grilled freshwater eel, and I have to use bukkake as a pick up line.
Whats that mean anyway?

[Meister]

"Bukkake is when mommy and daddy and daddy and daddy and daddy and daddy and daddy decide that mommy needs some special face moisturizer."

For other definitions check wikipedia or Google. In the case of the latter I advise against using image search.

[CHICAGO¤lollie]

EDIT: QUOTE ALREADY POSTED BY MEISTER. NOTE TO SELF, POST LESS SLOW.
That's the most obscurely PG13 way I've ever seen it put. Trust me on this, it's better for your mind that it stays obscure. Obscure like a rock.

With a mustache.

[Lockeownzj00]

Hm. Was never my cup of tea, but I honestly don't see any egregious problem with it--as long as it's consensual. Bukkake, that is.

Otherwise, Sarukun's advice is doubleplusgood.

[Meister]

Of course, but imagine the poor sucker just googling for it. Anyway, back to actual helpful advice. :) (Mea culpa.)

[Derfel]

I have returned! The trip was great, I loved almost everything about it.

We took some tours of Kyoto and Gifu, saw a shinto shrine, an old shogun castle, a newer shogun castle, a giant buddhist temple, some sweet gardens, the golden pavillion, and a 45 foot tall buddha.

Some things I noticed:
-There really is rice everywhere, except for tokyo I saw rice paddies at least every 2 minutes when I was walking, just inbetween houses and such, it was wild how much rice I saw.
-I figured maybe a tenth of the people would speak english, what with people feeding me info about it being the international business language and such, but I guess Japan doesnt care, because I found 4 people that could speak english on the whole trip, and one wasnt japanese he was german.
-Bullet trains are sweet.