Basic travel hints?

[Gai-jin]

I'm looking for a few basic travel hints for planning a trip to japan.

For example, what time of year is cheapest to go?

Where should I watch for cheap tickets?

Etc.


Here's my situation:
I was a foreign exchange student to Japan in 95/96 and miss it dearly. From the time I was there, my goal was to come back some day, and bring family with to share the sights/experiences I had. Now that I'm married and have a child, that goal has changed from bringing my parents, to bringing my wife and son. I would love to get back and visit my host families, see the old sights, etc. I think I'd spend most of my time in Saitama, where I lived, and in Tokyo. I don't want to do a lot of planning, mainly just wing it, visiting people day by day, and settting aside a few days for distant sights/locations if we decided to do such.

I would like to go for about 2 weeks. (Really, I'd love to go for months, or years, but I don't think more than 2 weeks would sit well with my wife.)

If I could, I'd also like to take them to Hiroshima or Nagasaki, but it's not a priority.

One other thing... my host father owns a Japanese style hotel across the street from his house. Would it be rude to ask if he can offer us a discounted stay while we visit?

Also, I don't remember many of my classmates from when I was in Japan. There are a few I would like to look up, but I don't think I could remember their names... I'd have to look at a photo and name (like a yearbook or something) to remember then, and then finding out where to contact them could be hard. Do you think the school I went to might be able to help?

Gai-jin

[Bueller_007]

I'm looking for a few basic travel hints for planning a trip to japan.

For example, what time of year is cheapest to go?

Where should I watch for cheap tickets?

Try Japan Guide. They have info about everything.
http://www.japan-guide.com

To answer your first question, there is no "cheapest" time of year. Japan doesn't have a peak season and an off-season like south-east Asia. Just avoid Golden Week, New Year's, O-Bon and any local festivals.

As for cheap tickets, I'm not sure.

One other thing... my host father owns a Japanese style hotel across the street from his house. Would it be rude to ask if he can offer us a discounted stay while we visit?

I wouldn't. But that's not a Japanese culture thing. I just wouldn't.

Also, I don't remember many of my classmates from when I was in Japan. There are a few I would like to look up, but I don't think I could remember their names... I'd have to look at a photo and name (like a yearbook or something) to remember then, and then finding out where to contact them could be hard. Do you think the school I went to might be able to help?

I'd say there's virtually no chance of this. Privacy is a major concern in Japanese schools. One of my co-workers has student report cards stored on a USB flash card. One of the computers in the teachers' room has internet access. It is forbidden for her flash card to be connected to that computer for even one second.

When I worked for an eikaiwa, every file that had a student's name on it, even if it was just something that they wrote in class, had to be shredded before we threw it out. Despite the fact that it was a pain in the ass for the teachers, student files had to be put away and locked up in the cabinet at night, even though the doors to both the school and the room that the files were in were deadbolted.

That's how cautious they are with student information.

Try looking on Mixi or something.

[Liz21]

Gai-jin san,
Were you an AFS student to Japan? I was! Let's get in touch.