Has anyone ever been to Japan. I am moving to Okinawa, Japan. Need Advice

y2jrevolution

y2jrevolution

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I have been tring to find out about the culture, food, weather, and anything that I can find out about it. Does anyone know anything about Okinawa. The whole Tsunami thing has me kinda scared now, along with the threat of Typhoons. I am also worried about not being able to watch Football and Basketball. I would be gone for 5 years.
 
[quote name='y2jrevolution']I have been tring to find out about the culture, food, weather, and anything that I can find out about it. Does anyone know anything about Okinawa. The whole Tsunami thing has me kinda scared now, along with the threat of Typhoons. I am also worried about not being able to watch Football and Basketball. I would be gone for 5 years.[/quote]

I lived in Japan for a year. Just got back in Aug actually.

What island are you moving to? There are different ways to get football and basketball games - the biggest problem is the time difference as you will probably be sleeping/working when they are on.

I ran across this blog when I was over there and it has some good info on Japan so you might want to check it out. The guy that did it lives in Okinawa now.

http://www.jetanuki.com/
 
I am not sure which island it is? My mom got a job offer for a bank overthere and I forgot what island. I need to find out where I can go to grad school overthere.
 
[quote name='lostgames'][quote name='y2jrevolution']I have been tring to find out about the culture, food, weather, and anything that I can find out about it. Does anyone know anything about Okinawa. The whole Tsunami thing has me kinda scared now, along with the threat of Typhoons. I am also worried about not being able to watch Football and Basketball. I would be gone for 5 years.[/quote]

I lived in Japan for a year. Just got back in Aug actually.

What island are you moving to? There are different ways to get football and basketball games - the biggest problem is the time difference as you will probably be sleeping/working when they are on.

I ran across this blog when I was over there and it has some good info on Japan so you might want to check it out. The guy that did it lives in Okinawa now.

http://www.jetanuki.com/[/quote]

Thanks for the link, I have been checking out the blog for about 10 mins and it seems like a great one
 
[quote name='StealthySeal']advice:

still visit CAG often.... and give us cheap ass import deals! ;)[/quote]

Agreed! :D:D:D

Good luck on moving!
 
Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.[/quote]
Don't forget to paint the fence and wax the car.

And watch out for those tsunamis/earthquakes/Godzilla attacks.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.[/quote]

lol always look eye. Good stuff.
 
[quote name='shadow9689'][quote name='JimmieMac']Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.[/quote]
Don't forget to paint the fence and wax the car.

And watch out for those tsunamis/earthquakes/Godzilla attacks.[/quote] :roll:
 
[quote name='Mind_n_Soul']never been there, but i heard it was expensive and earthquakes

but i would love to go there[/quote]

Hmm. Sounds like California. :)
 
[quote name='JSweeney'][quote name='Mind_n_Soul']never been there, but i heard it was expensive and earthquakes

but i would love to go there[/quote]

Hmm. Sounds like California. :)[/quote]

:lol:
 
[quote name='y2jrevolution']Has anyone ever been in a typhoon?[/quote]

Yes, we spent our honeymoon in Okinawa.
There was a typhoon for the first 3 days we were there.
It's windy.
 
[quote name='shadow9689'][quote name='JimmieMac']Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.[/quote]
Don't forget to paint the fence and wax the car.

And watch out for those tsunamis/earthquakes/Godzilla attacks.[/quote]

godzilla1if.jpg
 
You are moving to a part with a fairly large amount of foreigners? Near a military base? If so they should lots of
stuff that caters to westerners.
 
[quote name='Zenithian Legend'][quote name='shadow9689'][quote name='JimmieMac']Rent Karate Kid II. That should give you an idea of what you're up against. Left hand circle, right hand circle and always look eye. That's about all I got for ya.[/quote]
Don't forget to paint the fence and wax the car.

And watch out for those tsunamis/earthquakes/Godzilla attacks.[/quote]

godzilla1if.jpg
[/quote]

:rofl:
 
I've been to Japan and can give you a few pointers.

1. Okinawa is beautiful island country - you can reach the other side of the island in about 1 1/2 hours

2. Japanese people take alot of pride in all they do and are very practical - example--I went to the local Dunkin' Donuts to pick up a bag o' donuts thinking the employee would just throw them in a bag and off I'd go. WRONG. My man had them stacked ever so neatly and when he handed me the bag it was like he was giving his life's work to me.

3. Learn the language. You need to or otherwise you'll be like all the other Baka Gaijin who have a girl/boyfriend who they can't even hold a simple conversation with.

4. Japanese lifestyle is very different, so expect to get a little homesick. I missed convenient stores like 7-11 and being able to hop in my car and drive myself (not take the train) and get there in a few minutes.

5. Believe it or not, you will feel discriminated against...albeit subtly. Japanese people are used to seeing gaijin (foreigners) who don't seem to know or appreciate the culture much less their language. It will surface in subtle ways such as when someone is handing out promotion flyers on the street corners. They'll hand them to everyone except you based on the assumption you can't read Japanese.

Hell, I'm fluent in Japanese (and 2 dialects) and it happened to me regularly. Of course I'd check them and they'd feel real bad because they realized how it came off.

6. Since you're a CAG I'll give you a good tip. Go to Tokyo Bay one weekend you can make the trip north. A place called SEGA JOYPOLIS awaits you. It's a great time.

7. And did I mention LEARN THE LANGUAGE?

Brian P
 
It has been a long time, but I lived there when I grew up for four years while my dad was in the AF.

Typhoons seem to be no big problem, b/c they happen all the time, so they're really prepared for them. Tsunami is possible I guess, but you can't really do anything about that one.

Oh, and DO NOT judge the place by Karate Kid II. That movie was filmed in Hawaii, which I hate to tell you is a much prettier place.

Also, bring an old pair of sneakers with you. You'll need them to go to the beach. Worst... beaches... EVER... although the beach caves are pretty fun!

One more thing: the island you're going to is Okinawa.
 
[quote name='The-Bavis']Also, bring an old pair of sneakers with you. You'll need them to go to the beach. Worst... beaches... EVER... although the beach caves are pretty fun![/quote]

Fantastic advice! The beaches are littered with God knows what (glass, wood, etc), it's quite shocking to see what such neat people do to such nice beaches.

-Brian P
 
I was stationed in Okinawa for a year when I was in the Marines. The advice that others have already given is excellent.

In addition to learning some Japanese, I highly, highly recommend learning some Hogan (the ancient Okinawan language they were forced to abandon once the Japanese "forced" their language on them). I'll leave you to review the history of Okinawa on your own.

To get you started, remember and use "Nee Hay De Ba Ru" It means thank-you in Hogan. It is especially usefully with dealing with elderly Okinawas. I've seriously received a few hugs from different old ladies because I knew some of the language.

I wish you the best of luck. It's a great, beautiful area. There is a pretty cool Peace Park and various battlefields tours you can take. In addition you can tour the Orion Beer Factory (the local beer brewed on the island). I could also let you know some of the "seedier" elements, but I'm not sure how old you are. Let me know if you do.
 
[quote name='The Gifuto']I was stationed in Okinawa for a year when I was in the Marines. The advice that others have already given is excellent.

In addition to learning some Japanese, I highly, highly recommend learning some Hogan (the ancient Okinawan language they were forced to abandon once the Japanese "forced" their language on them). I'll leave you to review the history of Okinawa on your own.

To get you started, remember and use "Nee Hay De Ba Ru" It means thank-you in Hogan. It is especially usefully with dealing with elderly Okinawas. I've seriously received a few hugs from different old ladies because I knew some of the language.

I wish you the best of luck. It's a great, beautiful area. There is a pretty cool Peace Park and various battlefields tours you can take. In addition you can tour the Orion Beer Factory (the local beer brewed on the island). I could also let you know some of the "seedier" elements, but I'm not sure how old you are. Let me know if you do.[/quote]
This is all great advice and I appreciate it. By the way I'm 24. Onw more thing, how is the nightlife? What is there to do?
 
[quote name='Senaz28'][quote name='The-Bavis']Also, bring an old pair of sneakers with you. You'll need them to go to the beach. Worst... beaches... EVER... although the beach caves are pretty fun![/quote]

Fantastic advice! The beaches are littered with God knows what (glass, wood, etc), it's quite shocking to see what such neat people do to such nice beaches.

-Brian P[/quote]

Lots of man-made junk and the natural stuff is horrible too! Sea urchins, sea cucumbers and probably other horrible things that begin with "sea".

Since I was a kid when I was there, I also remember going to the largest toy store in Japan when on the main island. OK, so it was three floors, but each floor was smaller than a Quiznos. Just get ready for things to be a little different.
 
I've always wanted to visit japan during cherry blossom season, so I can go sit under a bunch of cherry trees and watch all the pink petals falling all around me. My university just planted cherry trees last year, same as in japan, but they're all between 3-6 feet tall at the moment and there isn't enough anyway to have the same effect. Though as much as I'd like to visit, I'd have a hard time living there. For one I love multicultural cities (this is the reason I went to toronto), and once japanese culture became the norm I would likely get fed up with it, I like variation. I'd also start crying like a baby the first time an earthquake hit. I've never even experienced the tiniest tremor, I can only imagine how I'd react if the ground started to really move. Though if anyone has seen fresh prince and saw how Will reacted when the earthquake hit, I'd probably be like that.
 
Since you are 24, I highly recommend getting a car as soon as possible. The cabs are expensive and will limit where you can go (or at least how you'll get home). I picked up a Mazada Capella for around $600.00 and it suited me just fine. Just as a warning, you'll pay out the ass for parking.

As far as the nightlife goes, I'd recommend (for the most part) staying away from places where a high volume of Americans frequent. I liked the clubs/bars the most down in Naha (the captial). For me, the Clubs was always the best place to meet females, but I guess it'll depend on your personality. It was pretty easy though.

If you like to get smashed before going clubbing, I recommend the "Buy me drinkee" bars first. The drinks are cheaper than the clubs (at the time they were around $3.00 a drink compared to the clubs $8.00). Just don't buy them a "Drinkee" though...it'll cost you and you won't get shit out of it. Although, the non-American "Drinkee" bars can be quite fun and should not be discounted. Great places to get your pre-drink on.

Definitely check out The Banana Show and Whisper Alley, both in the area of Gate 2, Kadena Air Force Base. With Whisper Alley, just walk down as listen to the "whispers".

Down in Naha, the is a place called The Stage. It's a strip club with a twist. Great place to go every once in awhile. It'll be hard to find, but hopefully you'll be able to meet someone who can give you could directions (it's been about 4 years since I was there).

Let me know if you have any more questions.
 
Going to Kadena, eh??

My friend just got orders there.

I got orders to Misawa, which is farther north than Kadena,... and I'll be there in June.

So far,.. I found out that there is a daily trip to Korea for cheap shopping. It's a few hours away from Tokyo,... but I'm not sure if there's a bullet train in between.

Anyways,... I'll PM you my .mil address if you'd like, so we could maybe meet up or something. It'd be cool to have a fellow CAG to talk to.

:)
 
[quote name='The Gifuto']Since you are 24, I highly recommend getting a car as soon as possible. The cabs are expensive and will limit where you can go (or at least how you'll get home). I picked up a Mazada Capella for around $600.00 and it suited me just fine. Just as a warning, you'll pay out the ass for parking.[/quote]

Wait, there's no train on Okinawa?

I've mostly had experience with mainland Japan, so I can't really give you advice regarding Okinawa.
 
[quote name='The Gifuto'] In addition to learning some Japanese, I highly, highly recommend learning some Hogan (the ancient Okinawan language they were forced to abandon once the Japanese "forced" their language on them). I'll leave you to review the history of Okinawa on your own.[/quote]

The Hougen is just dialect. China gave a name to the Okinawan people a very long time ago which translated to "A country known for it's hospitality". Okinawa did alot of trading with China.

[quote name='The Gifuto']To get you started, remember and use "Nee Hay De Ba Ru" It means thank-you in Hogan. It is especially usefully with dealing with elderly Okinawas. I've seriously received a few hugs from different old ladies because I knew some of the language.[/quote]

Actually it's "Ippei-Ni-Hei-Dei-Biru". But you are right on the money with how far a little Nihongo (Japanese Lang.) goes. People were amazed when I went to Osaka and after a few days I was able to pick up their dialect (Osakaben) and begin using it amongst my peers (not to elders-that would be disrespectful). Same when I went to Kyoto...by the way, I love Kyotoben. People would want me to come to dinner at their houses after meeting me in the streets! Not to mention it is GREAT with the ladies.


-Brian P
 
[quote name='The Gifuto']As far as the nightlife goes, I'd recommend (for the most part) staying away from places where a high volume of Americans frequent.[/quote]

Good advice. Japan, the mainland, is much better for nightlife IMO. But be sure to stay away from any of the bars in Roppongi. And I mean it, hell, just don't even go there. It's a haven for scams from Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

Izakayas are the shit. Wood floors, wood bench seating, cheap food, cheap booze, so take a few friends and see what I mean. Yokohama, Urayamashi, Osaka, are all good places, but I prefer the south country like Nara due the low volume of Americans.

-Brian P
 
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