I've never been to Japan, yet I feel like I’m so familiar with its culture from all the Japanese novels I’ve read, all the TV shows I’ve watch and all the Japanese folk and pop songs I’ve listened to. And so many scenes are taken from real scenes, like the famous romantic anime 5 Centimeters Per Second
and evergreen family show Totoro
These are all real places near Tokyo. One of the best experiences in Japan would therefore be immersing in and reliving the scenes I’ve seen on screen and have read in books, which are so familiar that I almost feel like I've been there before.
Biggest preparation for this trip
The rule of thumb of surviving alone in a foreign country is to speak the same language as them. Unfortunately, with a 99% literacy rate, Japanese education system in English is surprisingly disappointing. In places other than big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, it is of little chance to find an English-speaking person for help. Knowing this fact, I have started taking Japanese lessons about 2 years ago. And by the end of this school year I will be at the intermediate level of Japanese and use common expressions with no effort!
I will leave for Tokyo from Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 29th, 2014, and arrive Tokyo later the day of April 30th. I will spend the first night relaxing from the long flight and try to adjust from jetlag.
How Will I Get Around in Japan
Japan has one of the most advanced railway system covering nearly the entire country. The shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) travels between the major cities with speed up to 199 mph.
I will be getting around the cities mainly by Shinkansen. With the purchase of a biweekly rail pass for $470, I will also be able to travel by bus and ferry.
