Korean Job Discussion Forums

[machellebelle]

I have July 29th-August 3rd off at my Hagwon, and I want to make a trip to Japan. I've already planned on taking a night bus on the 28th to Busan and taking the hydrofoil, but other than that, I've got nothing.

Does anyone have any suggestions or websites that I can check out?

The search function is down.

Thanks!


Also, I don't need a visa for Japan right? I'm on a F-4 so it doesn't matter here, but I wasn't sure what their deal is.

[Enigma]

I lived in Japan for 2.5 years until last September. If you're a little more specific about what you like to do, I can give you several ideas.
You don't mention what country you're from, but most westerners get a 90 day tourist visa on arrival.
Here's a good site with quite a bit of info:

http://www.japan-guide.com/

[machellebelle]

Thanks for the link!
I'd like to see temples and the countryside mostly, I like cities, but I definitely want to see Mt Fuji and some temples. I'm really interested in traditional architecture. There are tours on that site, and elsewhere, but I'm trying to do it frugally, and was wondering if it'd be better to do it that way, or find hostels and make my own itinerary.

[Enigma]

Mt. Fuji is quite a ways from Fukuoka, about 5 hours on the bullet train and $200 one way just to get to the area where you can see the mountain, not actually at the mountain. If you don't take the bullet train you're looking at 18 to 20 hours and still $140 one way. Because you only have a few days, personally I would save Fuji for another trip, and focus on the island of Kyushu, and possibly Hiroshima if you're interested in the Peace Museum (which I really enjoyed and I usually hate museums).
On Kyushu you've got Beppu, which is a hot springs town famous throughout Japan, Nagasaki, which is a nice little city on the sea, Kumamoto, with one of Japan's top 3 castles, and Kagoshima, which is a nice city in the south. Kyushu's a really big island and I'm sure you could find tons of things to do to fill your 4 or 5 days.
Here's a link for Hyperdia, which has information on trains throughout Japan. You just enter the station you're leaving and the one you're going to and then the date and time, and it will show you some of the different options and their price in yen. The main station in Fukuoka is Hakata.

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

[qwerty]

I went to Japan in july last year and visited a friend in Sapporo then went to Kyushu to visit some cities alone. It was painfully HOT in Kyushu.
I used Kyushu Rail Pass. You can buy at Hakata station.
http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/