Training in Japan: Making the most of your stay
Getting by in Japanese
Travelling to another country can be great fun, more so if you give the local language a go. Remember to take your phrase book and make it obvious you're trying the language out (which won't be hard!) and your efforts normally go a long way.
If you can, you should prepare a few simple phrases that you might expect to use most regularly. Good examples are simple greetings, asking how much things cost and that you don't speak Japanese.
If the person doesn't understand what you are saying, be prepared to point at the phrase in your guidebook. So ensure that it is written in Japanese as well as English and that its reasonably polite.
Smiling will help smooth any bumps along the way.
Learning Japanese more seriously
If you are more serious about learning Japanese then you'll need to take a course. This is an excellent way of meeting new people but this can take a long period of time. If you are generally busy, finding the time to for a course can be difficult. Instead, taking a course online or buying software that allows you to dip in when you can may be a better solution.
One such software product is Rosetta Stone Language Software
. With
a six month money back guarantee you should feel greater confidence in buying their
language products. More specifically, Rosetta Stone Japanese
should help give you greater confidence in travelling to and training in Japan.
Getting around
If you expect to do a lot of travelling or if you're going to be using the Japan Railway lines a lot (this includes the Tokyo subway) then consider a Japan Railway pass. This is only available to foreign visitors and must be purchased prior to arrival in Japan. It can also be used on any Japan Railway (JR) affiliated buses and ferries (but do check first).
Many signs on the JR lines are in English as well as Japanese and the Tokyo subway also has English announcements for each stop.
If you plan to travel through the main Tokyo train station, be sure to keep a close eye on your location as many signs only apply to your local area. The station is quite large so be prepared to approach a help desk and show the person your ticket. They may not be able to speak English but can point you towards the area and platform you need.
Uf you are travelling to Hombu from Tokyo (or Kashiwa) then you may be using a line not operated by the JR company. In these cases you will have to pay your fare as normal.
Guidebooks will have more information as does the Japan Rail Pass website.
Recommended guidebooks
Staying in Chiba Prefecture
Hombu is based in Chiba Prefecture which is a large area with connections to the coastline. If you'd like to explore the local area, the Chiba Prefectual government have a tourist website.