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japan for the first time!

thank goodness for this link! hello, i'm a 28yo female going to Japan by myself in april for 10 days. it's going to be my first time there so i have quite a few questions. i hope someone can help me! 1. is apr. 14 already too late to see cherry blooms? 2. is japan a safe place for a single woman to travel? what should i watch out for? 3. i think i'll be able to take a few day-trips and maybe two overnight-trips, leaving from tokyo. what are the must-see spots? what's the best way to travel? JR pass? 4. i want to stay overnight in kyoto and osaka. does anyone know any clean, safe, and relatively cheap (and close to transportation) ryokan or minsyuku or hostels? anyone heard of utano youth hostel? 5. i think i can afford only one night in a nice traditional logde with hot springs. which one should i go to? 6. is there any festivals between 4/14 and 4/21? any help will be very much appreciated!

Hi Savannah. I'm a 23yo female living in Japan so I have some advice! 1. April 14 shouldn't be too late to see cherry blossoms. A good place to see them is Inokashira Park in Kichi joji. It's on the Chuo Line (JR Train system). 2. Japan is very safe if you have common sense. Two places to stay away from at night: Roppongi and Kabukicho in Shinjuku. I never go there alone at night but everywhere else is OK. 3. The best way to travel is definitely public trans. and if you can get a pass in the U.S. it's usually cheaper. I would spend time in Tokyo--my favorite place is Harajuku. Great shopping and that's where Meiji Jingu is--the most famous shrine in Tokyo. Also Kichijoji (cherry blossoms at the top) is another favorite area. 4. I can't help you here--I've been to Kyoto and I love it but I stay with friends. You kind of have to stay overnight there because it is about a 4 hour trip from Tokyo by shinkansen (bullet train). I've written too much--I can help you with anything else you have questions about! Erin 5.

Hi Savannah, I'm a single female who's been travelling to Japan every year for the last 20 years, I can confirm it's safe, except for a very few areas no "honest" woman would go to, like Kabukicho in Shinjuku (if only for the smell - Japanese men have the nasty habit of peeing against the walls when they are drunk). The worst that can happen to you at night in all other areas is to meet a drunk who will shout "hallo", but you'll get rid of him by just saying a firm "no", and you might meet a groping hand in a crowded subway: a good slap does the trick and with a little luck you'll be treated to the spectacle of a very confused man and laughing women around. Get the books "Foot-loose in Tokyo, by Jean Pearce - isbn 0-8348-0123, "Day Walks Near Tokyo, by Gary Walters - isbn 4-7700-1620-4, "Tokyo for Free" by Susan Pompian - isbn 4-7700-2053-8, and "Kyoto, a contemplative guide" by Gouverneur Mosher - isbn 0-8048-1294-2. Lots of infos and ideas for small budgets. In Kyoto, you'll find plenty of cheap accomodation. My favorites, close to the train station, are Ryokan Hiraiwa and Ryokan Kyoka, both are Yen 4'500/night. Look them up and book a room at members.aol.com/jinngroup, or go to the TIC in Narita or downtown Tokyo where they'll handle the reservation for you (and for free). Ask them about the hot springs too. Check www.jnto.go.jp for festivals in April. Have fun planning, and more fun going there.

Hi Savannah, I too am female and have traveled by myself all around Japan and felt very safe. Last year I went with my son (16 yr) at the same time as you will be there (April 13-24) and we saw plenty of cherry blossoms in Toyko, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Different species bloom at different times, but overall there were a little past peak. Every year is different though and you will be able to see them. I remember taxiing on the runway at Narita staring at the pink haze of cherry blossoms not believing I was really in Japan (we had planned the trip for a year). My son and I stayed at a traditional Taiseiken Inn in Miyashita Hakone http://www.taiseikan.co.jp/eg-main.htm It was at the bottom of the valley and had outdoor and indoor hotspring baths, and the rooms faced a lovely rushing river. It was expensive. The rate was $200 US per night, but includes a wonderful 20 course dinner, and a similar breakfast. So considering that it is quite reasonable. There were lots of rooms and several groups that came to the Inn, so I imagine there would be someway to get a discount, but I am not sure. This Inn was very easy to get to from Tyoko. If you take the "Romance Train" you do not need to use the JR pass, but if you have it already you can use the JR pass. When you get to the Hakone region you can use the Hakone Free pass to travel by narrow gauge train, funiculaire, cable car, boat and bus to explore the Hakone region. If your lucky you will see Mt Fugi There was a recent article in the NYT (Christmas time) about a family that stayed at the Fugiyama Hotel (sorry if I have the name wrong), but I mean the very famous old hotel in Miyashita-Hakone. They often have a discount rate for foreigners( $120 US) per night, but the dinner in the beautiful dinning room can run an additional $100, not to mention breakfast. So the traditional inn are not too much above that. There is really no place else to eat dinner in the towns except at the hotel. In the article the family wrote about their take-out dinner from Lawsons (ie 7-11). My son and I did the Lawson's thing for our picnic lunch. April is the time of festivels, they will be everywhere you are. Check with the TIC office. If you make it to Kyoto, the night time temple illuminations are beautiful (bring a tripod if you have one ), also I saw the Mibu plays at the Mibu temple in Kyoto, they were pantomine so easy to follow. Have a wonderful trip, you will be sure to go back another day. My son and I are so envious, but we hope to go next spring.

thank you all for your replies! you girls are so kind....

You have received great information already. But I want to add a thought or 2. I went to Tokyo by myself for a business trip. Depending on where you go, you will stick out like a sore thumb. I am tall -- not only are most Japanese women and many men shorter then me (I am 5'10"), Japan is the most homogeneous society in the world. My height and light brown hair and fair skin made me conspicuous. You may stick out, but you are safe in most areas. (stay away from Kibukicho's red light district). I found it more difficult than I thought getting around by myself. Outside of the major train stations, most signs are in chinese characters. Many people do not speak English, and this is more true outside of Tokyo. Get a good dictionary and phrase book. I LOVED Japan. But it was much harder to conduct basic transactions than I thought. The good news is that train ticket machines, phones, and most other gadgets have an english button -- this will give you instructions in English. The Japanese people I met were very friendly, but you'll need to approach them for directions. If you stand at a street looking lost, not many people will approach you if any. Finally, Tokyo is crowded. People are racing in every direction and you are constantly getting bumped and shoved in the train stations and on crowded sidewalks and other places. Personal space does not exist as there is not much space relative to the population density. This was a bit overwhelming to me as I had not seen this before. I've never felt a stranger's breath on my cheek until I went on the Tokyo subway!

Standing out can be convenient at times. Confused-looking Gaijin (foreigners) are often approached by someone offering help (especially college students that want to practice their English). Having said that, keep in mind that the average Japanese does not speak English very well (although a fair number can read it). When you are in Tokyo, try to use the subways as much as possible. The subway system is much more gaijin-friendly than the train system. Your greatest challenge will be travelling outside of Tokyo. Before you start slapping your fellow mass transit passengers, be aware that the trains and subways can be very crowded and the Japanese (particularly Tokyoites) are used to being jammed together. It's one thing to see a picture of a subway attendant pushing people inside the car to get the door closed, it's another thing to experience it first hand. When the door opens people nearest the door sometimes literally spill out. A very accessible place to view cherry blossoms is Ueno Park. Ueno also has an excellent history museum, Shinobazu pond (where you can rent a boat), the Tokyo Zoo, a couple of shrines, and a pagoda.

I think you'll find Tokyo to be one of the safest cities anywhere. With a very few exceptions, maybe areas like Roppongi or Shinjuku, you can venture out alone at night and should be fine. Last year I saw cherry blossoms at peak in first week of April, so you have fairly good odds for them still being there around the 14th. If you're still in Tokyo at that time, try Ueno Park as a good place to view them. Subways are the way to get around. Much cheaper than taxis and you can usually find an English language map as well as blinigual station signs. The subways are clean, safe and an inexpensive way to get around.

hi savannah. i'm japanese male living in japan. you have good information/advices already, but i want to add one. cherry started blossoming on 23 March in tokyo this year. i'm afraid that it must be hard to keep it til 14 Apr. well, but don't worry, if you go to a colder place than tokyo like nagano or north-eastern part, you would see it ^^; (and the north-eastern part is famous about good hot springs also ;-) well, and it's not dangerous even in roppongi or kabukicho, if it's not very late. i think it's safe everywhere befor 21.00 or 22.00. (but, be careful...) bon voyage :>