Teaching English in Japan
Resources for the Tourist
The Japanese Language
Japanese Food
I taught English in the city of Ichihara, in Chiba Prefecture, about an hour south of Tokyo in the school year 1997-1998. For anyone out there thinking of doing such a thing, all I can do is recommend it as an unforgettable life experience. As many times as I had been to Japan as a tourist, it simply didn’t compare to living there on a day-to-day basis. Showing up speaking only English and carrying two suitcases, I experienced fear, joy, surprise, boredom, anger, happiness, and anything else I can’t think of right now. Experiencing another culture opens the mind. And that's an understatement.
Mr. Takahashi works for City Hall in Ichihara. Besides being a wonderful conversationalist, he is someone who is truly interested in International Affairs. Take a look at his personal web site.
BIG TIP: Buy a JR (Japan Rail) Pass. It can only be purchased in your country of origin. This will save you so much money that if I were to tell you how much, you wouldn't believe me. Unlimited travel on all Japan Rail passes in the country for 1,2, or 3 week periods also includes bullet trains (shinkansen).
One of the best resources I used in planning a trip to Japan was the Japan National Tourist Organization. It's informative, educational, and thorough.
Lonely Planet has been my tour guide through many parts of Japan. They stray slightly from the mainstream, pinpoint the tourist traps, and tell you what's really worth seeing. Buy a book or two for your journey.
After a year of living there, I can only speak enough to get by. It's still years in the making.
If you’re interested in writing Japanese, here’s a very brief breakdown:
Hiragana: 46 characters total. A more biomorphic form than katakana, it's the first alphabet children learn in Japan. Each character corresponds to an equivalent character in katakana.
Katakana: 46 characters total. A more angular form than hiragana, it is used mainly for words of foreign origin. Each character corresponds to an equivalent character in hiragana.
Kanji: More than 2000 characters total. The most complex alphabet used, it was adapted from the Chinese alphabet. Each character can represent words or concepts.
I found hiragana to be the easiest to learn. Katakana characters, although easy to learn as well, seem to be so similar to each other. There are many web sites out there to teach you either one, but as a foreigner in Japan, I found very few things as useful as being able to recognize all characters of hiragana and katakana. Learning both alphabets is only a matter of a short afternoon lesson. I recommend the following books:
Katakana; Introduction to Written Japanese, by Jim
Gleeson.
Hiragana; Introduction to Written Japanese, by Jim Gleeson.
These books can be ordered directly from the publisher, NetStore USA, amazon.com, or the bookseller of your choice.
There are many websites out there to assist you in learning how to write Japanese. Click here for a good one.
Good luck! (Gambatte kudasai!)
Mmmmmm! As far as sushi is concerned, the best tip I can give you is NOT to go to any $1 sushi places. Make your experience (particularly your first experience) a good one by spending the extra money and going to a reputable restaurant. It’s very much worth it. In Atlanta, try Hashiguchi on Windy Hill Rd. or their location Around Lenox near the Tower Records.
There are a multitude of sites out there that will show you pictures and names of Japanese food, or even give you recipes.
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