This book is for you if you...
- have never gone to Japan, and
- are considering going to Japan, either solo or with your partner and/or your kids, and you
- either haven't started or aren't done planning your trip.
This book tries to be helpful, both in preparing for your trip and in the trip itself.
In preparing for your trip, it focuses on the big questions, as it tries to help you...
- Decide whether to go, by reducing the amount of uncertainty.
- Plan an itinerary, whether you're travelling alone, with your partner and/or with your family.
- Pack, whether you're taking a backpack (preferred) or a suitcase, if you're travelling in the summer.
- Book hotels, both in the major destinations (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa) and in the more remote areas.
- Decide whether you need a JR pass, and for how long. (*Hint: it might not be for the whole trip.*)
- Get a rough idea of costs, so you can decide whether the trip you're planning fits your budget.
- Get inspired (or get your partner and/or kids inspired) with movies, video games and (gasp!) even other books.
During your trip itself, it tries to help you with some of the basics of daily life, including how to...
- Pay for things. (Hint: usually with cash, and without ever tipping. Really.)
- Get places, taking trains (JR and non-JR), the metro (which you should use in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), buses (it's different than in Canada or the US) and taxis.
- Avoid a number of the basic etiquette mistakes you might make while eating or visiting cultural sites.
- How to communicate effectively enough, even if you don't speak essentially any Japanese.
- How to pronounce the romanized Japanese (with the same alphabet that is used for English) that you read.
- Get cash from bank machines.
- Do laundry.
