Question Tokyo in a day

Kapabashi Dori (kitchen ware area)

 

Yes!

 

I think kids would love a beach in the room

 

Cheers. I might just do that next year, i'm in the market for a fly rod and reel.

 

Not even accurate plastic meals? Rare Godzilla action figures? I take back what I said about shopping in Tokyo.

 

If you want Anime & all sorts of action figures, etc, go to Nakano Broadway for the one stop shop.

 

Kanda (ski shop area) ......has shops with ski gear on 1 floor in small shops to 4 floors in the biggies.
You should go there if your a snow enthusiast, but not if you only have one day in Tokyo.

 

I stocked up on bento bits and pieces when the kids were younger. Stuff they charge a premium for here, but not there.

 

Try to eat at lunch. Bargains for Michelin hatted restaurants.

Good sushi for dinner can be $$$

 

35 Steps Shibuya. Opens at 5pm, need to book.

 

Re Dinner suggestions ..I have none sorry. The best meals i've had in tokyo have been in low key places like Yurakucho.

 

They speak English

 

Last time I went to Ginza, I dropped in at Itoya, the biggest stationery shop in Japan and it's like a stationery theme park. There were a lot of tourists from abroad too, and I heard Japanese stationery are popular among foreigners these days.

 

It depends on the relationship. I mean, Sayonara sounds formal and polite, but it sounds like you'll never meet him / her again too if you say it to friends. If a girlfriend says "Sayonara" to her boyfriend, it sounds like "break up". Mata = again, and we often say "Matane" = "See you again / See ya" between friends. You are not a native Japanese speaker, so I think Sayonara is ok in all cases.

 

Honestly, most younger Japanese people I hear just say "Bye Bye".

 

"ohaiyo gozaimasu" for good morning, but "ohaiyo" would probably do. At work, most people say " 'zaimaas", which is what I tend to say.
Konichiwa is a good all day one.

 

Gozaimaisu

Use "Ohaiyo" for good morning.
It's a bit like this:
- Ohaiyo gozamasu = Good Morning
- Ohaiyo = 'morning
- 'zaimaas = hey

 

Events & festivals are held at Yoyogi Park every weekend. This weekend, Akita Prefecture Festival and Oedo Kotto-Ichi were held. Oedo Kotto-Ichi is one of the biggest antique markets in Japan. Yoyogi Park is walking distance from Meiji Shrine. Oedo Kotto-Ichi is held at Yoyogi Park next month as well.

About Oedo Kotto-Ichi
https://www.antique-market.jp/english/

 

I think you're referring to the Oedo antique market at the Tokyo International forum(not in Yoyogi Park), just near Yurakucho station. It says it's the biggest antique market in Japan, but there's no way that it is. It's a good market, although it's not as cheap as others, because it is central and well known to foreigners.

The Yamato Market is way bigger, biggest in the Kanto plain area. Here's a complete list of Tokyo antique markets:
http://yumemakura.travel.coocan.jp/Antique.html

 

Zaimaas, I have never used it. I think recent teenagers use it, though. Your kids use it?. Now I feel I've got old, I think I'm still very young compared to most people on this forum, though.

 

Actually, it's Japanese salarymen who use it!!!

 

Yep. I have never been to the Yamato Market, though.

 

What about ‘yo’ short for ohaiyo? Or was it just morning lift line greeting

Asking for something as in ordering?

Hitotsu (one) Kirin (beer brand) o Kudasai (please).

Futatsu (two) tansan mizu (sparkling waters) onegaishimasu.

Or point to a picture to select.
Kore o Kudasai (This please).

The simple version is both kudasai and onegaishimasu (don’t say the u) mean please in this context. It’s more complex than that, but they’ll both work. Onegaishimasu is more formal so I tend to fall back on that almost all the time. Except for in situations like asking someone to wait “chotto mate kudasai” when onegaishimasu wouldn’t work.

Hope that helps

 

You don't need to remember "Eigo Hanasemasu ka?". You just need to say "English?". Then the Japanese person will 99% understand you are asking if he / she can speak English or not. Westerners speaking Japanese surely makes majority of Japanese people feel a bit happier because Japanese is a local language only spoken in Japan but Westerners are trying to respect Japanese culture by speaking Japanese.

If I were you, I would try to memorize Japanese compliment words such as

"Oishii desune" = (It's) yummy / delicious!.
"Kawaii desune" = (You are / It's) cute!.

Adding "Totemo" = very, so "Totemo oishii desune!" =It's very yummy / delicious". You can omit desune / desu.

Using Japanese compliment words will make local Japanese people smile, and you smile too. Smile / Happy circulation

 

This opens up a whollleee different topic on the confusing Japanese numbering and counting systems haha

 

If a Japanese person tries to speak in English for you, you should say

Arigatou (gozaimasu), Eigo, totemo jouzu desune!

Eigo = English, totemo =very, jouzu = good at, so it means "You are very good at English!". And it will make 99% Japanese people feel happy and he / she will smile and you'll smile too

 

when I speak to a japanese person I haven't met before, I usually say:

Gomenasai, watashi wa nihon go tottemo heta desu.

And sometimes I add: watashi wa baka gaijin.

And they almost always reply in English telling me , no your Japanese is really good.

 

I printed off two A4 sheets of very small type charting the different numbering and descriptors used for flat things and round things etc etc. - blew my mind! I’ll never get it!

My biggest problem is that I can quickly get my point across using body language, gesture etc thanks to being a sign language interpreter, which means I think visually and am not inhibited in using my body to communicate. It’s too easy which makes it an effort to practice using Japanese, especially as I get “stage fright” and forget all the words when I need them.

I TRY to use Japanese where I can, but it’s really a trap because you rehearse the phrases you need to pick up your hire car and they respond in fluent Japanese complimenting your fluency and then you just stand there saying “ahhh, moichido itte Kudasai....yukkuri “ and end up apologising in English that you really only know a very limited amount of Japanese

 

English has just numbers.
Japan has numbers. And number of things. And number of things, depending on shape.... or size. Or if it's people, animals, cars, minutes.....

For food or drinks, it's:
1 beer = Hitotsu
2 beers = Futasu
3 beers = Mitsu

Small animals, you actually us the counting number, using "biki" for small animals:
two dogs = ni-biki no inu (2 counts of dog)
three cats =san-biki no neko (3 counts of cat)

 

Careful with pronunciation of romaji... don't forget that "desu" is pronounced "dess" so "desu ne" => dess ne.
Same with "masu" => mass "beeru" => beer

I'll find myself saying a lot of "ii-e wakarimasen", "nama beeru kudasai" , "nomi hodai" and a lot less of "hai wakarimashita" soon...

 

This champagne drinker got very used to starting every meal with “Toriaezu Nama onegaishimasu” - that cultural draft beer to start a meal.

 

Speaking of pronunciation, Japanese pronunciation is quite easy. So you don't need to worry at all. Japanese people will understand your Japanese. The simplicity of Japanese pronunciation makes it very difficult for Japanese people to speak foreign languages. Japanese language has a lot smaller number of vowels and consonants than most other languages, so they can't differentiate B & V, L & R, Shi & Si, and many others.

My ski group consist of native Japanese speakers and native English speakers. A few years ago, we were often talking about the US presidential election. But some of us kept saying "The US presidential eRection". In Japan, English is used for dog commands. But a friend of mine keeps saying to her dog "Shit down", I know she is trying to say "Sit down"

 

Hirarious!

 

I RoR'd.

 

I've met many Japanese people who try to say Qantas, but because there is no Q in the Japanese language, they pronounce it Kantas... I can't recall how many times I tried to explain to them what they are saying is a pretty harsh rude word in English

 

Some might think it's quite justified.