Is it worth going on my own and hoping things will work out?
I am always amused by this sort of statement. Who can really, truly say whether it is "worth it"? Everyone is different. You will know only after you have experienced it. It's a vacation, not a job. Different situation to be "worth it" or not.
My current thinking is go in July 2007, i know it's not the best weather, but that's the only time i got
Why not the best weather? Depends on where you go. Up here in
Hokkaido, that's perfect timing.
I so want to do this more than anything, but i worry that i might get there, be lonely and not enjoy it. I have a pretty basic language understanding. i was studdying but after sacking off the trip for a few years i lost intrest. i want to get this booked to give me the motivation to studdy again.
If study is your motivation, why do you want to study Japanese?
I'm confident that i could get by if i need to, i was always best and languages in school. What do you people with experience think?
If you're here just for a vacation, you can get by in the major cities without a whisper of Japanese. It won't be smooth as silk, but you can do it. So, with a little knowledge, things will be easier. The important thing is to realize that speaking LOUDLY and clearly doesn't communicate. Be aware of the Japanese people's limitations, go with their friendliness and politeness, and do your best to adapt. Just enjoy the experience. I'm a planner, so if I were to go to the post office, I would look up a few words and phrased beforehand, write them out, and THEN go...prepared. You also have to understand that most people here have gone through 6 years of English education, but that didn't really afford them an opportunity to practice oral communication. So, they may be able to understand more of what is written than spoken. Keep a friendly attitude, don't use lots of slang, and enjoy.
also i got a few more basic qustions if someone could help me out:
how good are my chances of meeting an english speaking people out there to hang about with?
Depends where you go. You really sound like someone who is dependent on others for companionship, or really fearful about traveling alone even in your home country. Don't be either of these. You'll have more fun. If you happen to run into someone traveling your way, so be it. (Look up
www.lonelyplanet.com and the link to the Thorn Tree discussion group if you want to talk more about traveling. Perhaps others there will be on a similar route as you and wouldn't mind hooking up.)
If i walk into say a museum will all the exibits be labeled in english too?
Flip a coin. Fifty-fifty.
Is a week too long in tokyo?
Ask yourself if a week is too long to spend as a tourist in New York City or London. Depends on you, your traveling experience, and what you want to see/do.
Anybody have or is facing the same situation as me?
Probably at least half of the travelers you will run into.
FWIW, I worked in Tokyo for 5 months when my American office was setting up a branch office there. Got to see almost nothing of the city. Ten years later, I returned and really didn't see the point in touring Tokyo, but I spent 3 weeks on Honshu and
Shikoku... alone. Here's a small account of people I ran into:
A German couple I met at a ryokan later bumped into me in a different city.
A French woman on a train offered some advice about where she had just been.
A pushy Chinese woman thought I was lost (I wasn't) and wanted to help me order food at a vendor (I didn't need help) and later wanted to exchange email addresses (we didn't; weird pushy person).
A Swedish commercial photographer I met in
Kyoto on the streets noticed that we had been staying at the same ryokan, so we spent the afternoon together at a festival in Kyoto, then later we bumped into each other in Tokyo.
I met a young Mormon missionary on a ferry boat to Matsuyama. It was his 18th month there, and he was changing locations. I was the first foreigner he had spoken to in that time.
At a guest house with a sitting room, I met an Australian businessman who makes regular trips to Japan to sell various things. Ok, those are the foreigners. Here are the notable Japanese I ran into.
At the guest house with the Australian, I also met a Japanese woman with home we exchanged letters a few times before she got married (I sent a gift, much to her surprise.).
A woman came to me in Shinjuku station, tried to help me find my way, then asked me to go to her Christian church that evening (I didn't).
An old man, a famous person, I was told later, greeted me as I sat waiting for a festival parade, offered me some of his convenience store food, and asked me to sign his journal and have a picture taken with him.
Two young guys asked me if they could pray for me while I waited for a bus. They also wanted me to pray WITH them (I declined).
Kids on a train getting ready to pull out shouted hellos for 10 minutes across the tracks.
I met a Japanese housewife sharing a cable car. Her husband was on a business trip and had brought her along, but deserted her to do his business. We spent a few hours touring around, then she bought me coffee.
On another cable car, I chatted with 3 older women. All it took to start the conversation was someone yelling "kowai!" as the car shook a little.
In a Tokyo restaurant I noticed a man at the next table wearing a cowboy hat and boots. He eventually came to my table and chatted.
Can you see? You're not going to be lonely.
Was such a trip "worth it"?
I met several people.
I saw 21 cities in 23 days. Castles, shrines, festivals.
I took 400 pictures (no digital camera then!).
Here's a snippet of luck that developed:
I became a travel columnist for an online magazine for the next year, writing all about this one trip. Unpaid writing, but who cares? Someone who read my stories wrote to me for further traveling advice. We maintained an email relationship for a few years. Then, after I moved to Japan, he announced that he was going to come to my city and wanted to meet for the first time. His traveling companion was researching a new book. Ever hear of Raymond Benson? James Bond writer for a while. That was the traveling companion, and I got to show him around the city a little, and when he finished his book The Man with the Red Tattoo, I got an autographed copy as thanks.
Was the trip worth it?