You Speak Japanese, Why Are You Still Using the Lonely Planet?

Posted on June 6, 2007 by gaijinalisa

It happens to the best of us. You've got a three day weekend, and you decide to head out to somewhere a bit more "remote". You finally arrive and, to your dismay, the locale is full of tourists and the staff speaks English.

Luckily for us English speakers, there is an abundance of travel information available in our native tongue, often for free. However, the fact that the material is available in English also means there is a wider audience for it, and therefore more people will end up at your chosen destination. Searching for travel information in Japanese will give you a competitive edge in finding an off-the-track location, and better rates as well.

Of course, unless your Japanese is fluent, travel planning in Japanese can be very overwhelming, especially if your knowledge of Japanese geography and place names is limited to Tokyo and the names of the four main islands (doh!). Here are some tips and resources that should be helpful in planning your next tourist-free excursion.

Use Japanese Travel Agencies:

びゅう or other similar travel agencies offer lots of package deals to Japan's more beautiful places; just look for the pamphlets and posters in pretty much any JR station. These usually include shinkansen and hotel reservations, and often a nice meal or two. They often are arranged around a theme, such as berry-picking, hanamiJapanese tradition of celebrating sakuraRefers to both ornamental cherry trees and their blossoms. - cherry blossom trees - every April. People get together and drink sake while watching the sakura leaves and the newly arriving spring., swimming, hiking, or spa treatments. Particularly recommended are the onsenA hot spring, often used for bathing. Bathing facilities are often, but not always, communal. May be outdoor or indoor. packages, which usually include a night or two in a nice ryokanTraditional Japanese bed and breakfast style inn. and a kaiseki dinner. Just browse the pamphlets for the prettiest pictures, and then the nice lady at the counter will take care of the rest. Keep in mind however, that these are Japanese-sized vacations. A one night, two day stay is about par, and as far as I know the shinkansen tickets aren’t flexible enough to allow you to explore the area for a few extra days on your own. Also, like everything else, the prices spike on weekends and national holidays.

Use Japanese Travel websites:

For a little more freedom, try using sites like jalan.net or travel.yahoo.co.jp for hotel reservations or onsen searches. Jalan.net in particular has a really helpful search interface and a lot of out-of-the-way ryokan are registered on the site. Yahoo travel isn't as easy to navigate, but it does have some interesting features. For example, during hanami or koyo season, it lists all the top spots in a particular area, along with a report of how the blossoms or leaves are progressing, and has a space for user comments. Even if you don't decide to book using these sites, they're excellent resources for seeing what’s available in an area and how to get there.

Don't stop at the train:

Sometimes, the best places require a little extra effort- a boat or bus ride can mean the difference between being waiting in line for everything and having the rotenburo all to yourself. Just be careful about your timing, since buses run less frequently and reliably than trains, and their schedules drastically change on holidays and weekends. If your chosen hotel requires a bus to get there, Google the name of the bus stops and the word バス. A recent schedule should pop up. If not, call the train station or the ryokan and ask if they know when the bus comes. Some buses only run once or twice a day- so if you can't find any info at least make sure you get there early! Also, in certain prefectures, renting a car is highly recommended, if you have that ability.

Google, Google, Google:

Google image search is a great way to see what a place is like before you go. Or, pair the name of a town or prefecture you found in a travel agency pamphlet, with the word 温泉 or 旅館 (for towns in the mountains, try ヒュッテ as well) to find a hidden gem to stay in. Surprisingly, even really small establishments have websites, although they're usually quite simple and full of animated gifs.

Another handy Google find is the official town or prefecture homepage. It nearly always has some tourism information, as well as a limited English page you can peek at to get your bearings.

Call to confirm an online reservation, email to confirm a phone reservation:

Even if your Japanese is perfect, misunderstandings are common in these situations. You should follow up on your reservation to make sure you got the day, location, and directions correct. I know, talking on the phone is scary. Just introduce yourself at the beginning of every call "____to moushimasuga...", and end every call with "yoroshiku onegaishimas". Speak clearly and slowly, and maybe practice what you're going to say first. Before you call, make sure you have your address and phone number handy, as they'll probably be asking for it.

Once you get there, be flexible and curious:

So, you used your Japanese to get yourself a sweet suite in a lonely mountain town. Continue your adventure and your gambatte-ing by chatting up the locals or your ryokan hosts. Ask them what's fun to do and see in the area, what the meibutsu are, and what food you should try. If you see something odd, ask someone about it! You didn't come all this way to be shy.

And don't worry about that 3000 yen you spent on your lonely planet; it won't go to waste. A fellow traveler who took his lonely planet everywhere once told me his philosophy: "I pull out a map, close my eyes, and point my finger. I look up the name of the town where it lands in the lonely planet and, if it's not there, I go!"

Bon Voyage!