New french member

Hi all I am Xavier, french, 29, working in a laboratory of research in UCSF, San Francisco.
I love Asia and wait eagerly to make new friends who share that passion, and mostly japanese. I love Manga/Anime, not crazy about japanese cuisine, but in love with all that has any relation to traditions and culture. Well of course girls are cute too
I would love to visit this country and I hope to hear more about it in these wonderful forums
Xavier

Welcome to the forum Xavier! You've certainly come to the right place to discuss any and all things Japan!

Thanks for the greeting!
Hey what do you think is the best place to visit for first time visitors to Japan?
I heard about Kyoto cause there are some nice things there related to the past and it is a beautiful city, I heard about the famous water springs of japan, Mount fuji. I don't really like big cities and wouldn't go so far for beaches since we have plenty in europe, I would be more into the traditions/culture/and landscape.
But maybe I can ask this in another category ;-)

Dear Xavier,

I highly recommend Kyoto even though it is a city, because it is surrounded by beautiful mountains, and has many different temples and shrines. If you go to the Gion section you may be able to see some Geisha or Maiko. There are also many universities in Kyoto so there are much more young people than you would expect for the old capital of Japan.

There are also some beautiful nature things to see close to Kyoto. To the west, there is Arashiyama where the autumn leaves are really beautiful. To the east is Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. To the south is Nara, the ancient capital of Japan. To the far north, there is Amanohashidate which is one of the 3 most beautiful places in Japan.

Cheers,

David in San Francisco