How I did it: I'd been wanting to go forever, and finally had enough money to do it. It's completely worth it if you already have a love and appreciation of Japanese culture; if you don't, you may find Japan to be a very alien country.

Lessons & tips: The country at first seems very cold and impersonal, but it grows on you quickly-- it is wonderfully, fiercely beautiful, ancient in a way that few other places in the world can claim. You may have week-old apartment structures next to stone altars that have stood for thousands of years. And you will see very few other non-Asian tourists around if you are not in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Resources: American Airlines and a phrasebook I picked up at Barnes & Nobles for $10. (Oh! Learn some simple phrases, like 'thank you' and 'I would like ____' and 'Sorry.' They will come in handy very quickly if you go somewhere where English is not readily spoken, although most Japanese are very happy to communicate via notepad doodles or hand signals!)

Jul 02, 08:52PM PDT | 0 comments | 5 cheers