Help me live in Japan!!!

X · Jul 1, 2003

To all you members who live in Japan I need your help. In a few months I will be moving to Japan. I will be living in either Yokota AFB or Kadena AFB; it has not yet been decided.

Several questions.

1. Should I take my car (I know about the laws and the catalytic converter) or not? Is it worth it to have a car over there? Mind you that I will be living there for over 3 years and that I have an 18mo old child.

2. What is the quickest way to learn some Japanese? I know basic stupid things but, not enough to order a meal if I had to.

3. What area is best to dwell in Yokota (Near Tokyo) or Kadena (Okinawa)?

4. Where can I get some good games? buttrock Just kidding.

I will ask more questions when I think of some. I want to make sure that I am very prepared.

[ July 01, 2003, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: X ]

aria · Jul 1, 2003

Having spent 11 days in Tokyo, the answer to number one is a profound "NO!"

I'm from Southern California, the home of car culture. I refuse to use public transit in Minnesota and drive everywhere.

But if there are two places where you don't need a car at all, their cities in Japan and Europe.

You won't miss them.

With the Subway and the JR (the Railway), you'll never need to drive.

Ghost-Dog · Jul 1, 2003

Learning Japanese can be tough if you don't have someone to practice with. I recommend getting one of those conversational Japanese education books or CD-ROMS. Start learning basic conversational phrases and vocabulary. Once you know quite a few words, then you can focus on chaining them together in sentences.

Also, it might be a good idea to learn hiragana and katakana, it will give you a grip on the structure of the language.

SonGohan · Jul 1, 2003

X:
3. What area is best to dwell in Yokota (Near Tokyo) or Kadena (Okinawa)?

Living in Okinawa for 5 years, I can definitely direct you to the best places to find what you need. First of all, between the TLF and BX, there's a little place called The Tiki. It has 3 different resteraunts in the place, and a long string of arcade games. Great place to game, great place to take your family. If you go on from the BX and down to the Comissary, there's a full blown arcade where you'll find more gaming goodness, and around it a food court (has stuff like Robin Hood, Anthony's Pizza, etc..). Kadena is a well-rounded base, lots of stuff to do to keep you and your family busy.

There's also various camps (IE: Camp Butler, etc) around Okinawa, but I wouldn't really recommend going to any of them because they seemed more "only-military" to me, not much action going on, other than a place where you can study martial arts on Camp Foster (I think the name was).

Off base is another thing. Naha city is a bitchin' place to shop and game, but it's hella expensive. It's very, and I mean very busy. It's best that when you get there that you park somewhere far off and just spend the day walking around and see the various places.

A good place I went to get my gaming/anime needs was a store called Sun-Sea, and it was right out the gate where the recycling center was near. Make a right and you can't miss it (it's on your left).

Base housing is nice on Okinawa. I wish I could find some pics of the place me and my family lived in (family of 4). 2-story and very big. Before that though we lived off base and the housing there wasn't too shabby, right next to the seawall.

I can't speak much about mainland Japan because I've only been there several times and don't have much memories of it, but it's an all around cool place. Of course all of the above could change, and it be completely different

X · Jul 1, 2003

SonGohan:

X:
3. What area is best to dwell in Yokota (Near Tokyo) or Kadena (Okinawa)?

Click to expand...

Living in Okinawa for 5 years, I can definitely direct you to the best places to find what you need. First of all, between the TLF and BX, there's a little place called The Tiki. It has 3 different resteraunts in the place, and a long string of arcade games. Great place to game, great place to take your family. If you go on from the BX and down to the Comissary, there's a full blown arcade where you'll find more gaming goodness, and around it a food court (has stuff like Robin Hood, Anthony's Pizza, etc..). Kadena is a well-rounded base, lots of stuff to do to keep you and your family busy.

There's also various camps (IE: Camp Butler, etc) around Okinawa, but I wouldn't really recommend going to any of them because they seemed more "only-military" to me, not much action going on, other than a place where you can study martial arts on Camp Foster (I think the name was).

Off base is another thing. Naha city is a bitchin' place to shop and game, but it's hella expensive. It's very, and I mean very busy. It's best that when you get there that you park somewhere far off and just spend the day walking around and see the various places.

A good place I went to get my gaming/anime needs was a store called Sun-Sea, and it was right out the gate where the recycling center was near. Make a right and you can't miss it (it's on your left).

Base housing is nice on Okinawa. I wish I could find some pics of the place me and my family lived in (family of 4). 2-story and very big. Before that though we lived off base and the housing there wasn't too shabby, right next to the seawall.

I can't speak much about mainland Japan because I've only been there several times and don't have much memories of it, but it's an all around cool place. Of course all of the above could change, and it be completely different

Thanks for the info Gohan. By the way that Kim VS. Ryo match rocked buttrock

[ July 01, 2003, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: X ]

X · Jul 2, 2003

Beelzebubble, Honeyman, and Tsukaesugi give some more feeedback please.

[ July 02, 2003, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: X ]

beelzebubble · Jul 2, 2003

hey!

if you are serious about japanese and aware of how long it will realistically take you to master it and to what degree (i would say 3 years in country with regular study for semi perfect CONVERSATIONAL japanese)... then my tip would be to buy a book called the "dictionary of basic japanese grammar" published by the japan times.

first off spend 3 months getting little bits here and there (greetings and some basic nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc), maybe aim for a 500 hundred word vocab.

once youve done that pick up the book i suggested and spend a month reading it from cover to cover (try to limit the amount you do a day.. moderate it).

if you are going to read that book you will need to be able to speak japanese as well (at least 7+ hours a week). if you cant speak shit japanese at the start dont worry... that will pass at some point. try hanging out with ppl who cant speak english and have no interest in it.

by the time youve read the book and spent time trying to implement all the grammar (give it six to nine months) you should have racked up about a 2000 word vocab and have the basic conjunctions etc down (total time about 1 year).

this will put you at a point where you can do basic conversation relatively well.. now prepare for the next step which is good or semi perfect CONVERSATIONAL japanese (and will prolly take you another 2 years or so...)

GOOD LUCK

[ July 02, 2003, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: beelzebubble ]

X · Jul 2, 2003

beelzebubble:
hey!

if you are serious about japanese and aware of how long it will realistically take you to master it and to what degree (i would say 3 years in country with regular study for semi perfect CONVERSATIONAL japanese)... then my tip would be to buy a book called the "dictionary of basic japanese grammar" published by the japan times.

first off spend 3 months getting little bits here and there (greetings and some basic nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc), maybe aim for a 500 hundred word vocab.

once youve done that pick up the book i suggested and spend a month reading it from cover to cover (try to limit the amount you do a day.. moderate it).

if you are going to read that book you will need to be able to speak japanese as well (at least 7+ hours a week). if you cant speak shit japanese at the start dont worry... that will pass at some point. try hanging out with ppl who cant speak english and have no interest in it.

by the time youve read the book and spent time trying to implement all the grammar (give it six to nine months) you should have racked up about a 2000 word vocab and have the basic conjunctions etc down (total time about 1 year).

this will put you at a point where you can do basic conversation relatively well.. now prepare for the next step which is good or semi perfect CONVERSATIONAL japanese (and will prolly take you another 2 years or so...)

GOOD LUCK

How about living there will I be miserable for the first year because of lack of Japanese? By the way I just learned that they are courses on base that teach beginners Japanese.

beelzebubble · Jul 2, 2003

nah you wont be miserable at all....

where i work i am in a small minority of ppl who can actually have a proper conversation in japanese. the others have lived in japan for at least a year and have interesting lives..

if you didnt want to learn japanese you could easily have plenty of gaijin friends as well as english speaking japanese friends. getting stuff done (daily stuff) is never that difficult with systems set up to help english speakers in many situations (from buying tickets to paying bills etc).

japanese is indeed difficult but if you set your sights at something reasonably attainable you should be able to get there without too much frustration

do those basic classes and then try the book i suggested maybe..

leGionellz · Jul 2, 2003

Wow, sounds like quite an adventure man.

I have no idea, but maybe waching fansubbed anime in conjunction with the books and practise in your daily life could help a lot. I picked up quite a lot of words in the time I was hooked to anime.

Anyways, have fun, I'm sure it will be a great experience.

Do you mind sharing the reason why you're going there ? Just curious..

X · Jul 2, 2003

leGionellz:
Wow, sounds like quite an adventure man.

I have no idea, but maybe waching fansubbed anime in conjunction with the books and practise in your daily life could help a lot. I picked up quite a lot of words in the time I was hooked to anime.

Anyways, have fun, I'm sure it will be a great experience.

Do you mind sharing the reason why you're going there ? Just curious..

My family is going to PCS (Permanent Change of Station). It was either Germany or Japan. I understand that it will be easier for me because I will live on a U.S. military installation, which is like its own city that stretches for many miles. I will have the advantage of the Air Force, but I also want to do things myself.

Thanks to all those who helped.

[ July 02, 2003, 10:59 AM: Message edited by: X ]

beelzebubble · Jul 2, 2003

Thanks to all those who helped.

np hope it all goes well for you and your family

Help me live in Japan!!!

X

Y,

aria

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Ghost-Dog

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SonGohan

Made of Wood

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Y,

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Y,

beelzebubble

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beelzebubble

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leGionellz

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beelzebubble

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