Alone in Tokyo..some help needed

[AshVanguard]

Hi
basically because of all the volcanic ash problems the UK has been having the guy i was suposed to be coming to tokyo with isnt going to arrive till 3 days later i get there. and im bricking it!
im quite a social guy but have never been to japan before or stayed in a hostel etc
any advice/help?
thanks
Ash

 

[Chidoriashi]

More specifically, what kind of advice are you looking for?

 

[nice gaijin]

If you're staying in a hostel, chat up the other guests and maybe you'll make some new friends you can hang out with. Otherwise we're going to need more information before we can give you any advice.

 

[AshVanguard]

good point, well i bought a lonely planet guide so maybe i will just walk round reading that then sit in a bar on my own all night getting drunk
i guess i was hoping someone would say, 'hey man i'll show you round'

 

[nice gaijin]

Sorry it's a bit out of my way at the moment!

I recommend checking out the Hub, it's a western-style bar chain all over Tokyo. The one at Takadanobaba has the Waseda college crowd.

 

[supremo]

Westerners in Japan I have found are split into two equally sized groups.
The first group of people are people that are trying to immerse themselves into Japanese culture and generally look down on other westerners, because they are reminding them that they are not Japanese. I have come across some remarkably rude people since arriving in Japan and now I always ask Japanese people for advice on language and stuff even though often it would be easier to ask a native English person to explain things.
The second group of people feel some kind of comradery with westerners because I guess they remind them of home and will bend over backwards to help you out even if you ask for some ridiculous favours that someone you do not know at home would not dream of doing for you.
Some people fall more severely into one group than others. I fall slightly into the second group because I remember how lost I was when I got to Japan and I like helping people.
The point in this post is just to tell you not to worry if some people are rude!!! Others will be very helpful. Especially travellers, not residents (athough of course they will know less).
-Thomas