Traveling to Kyoto - Into the World of VOLKS and Super Dollfie . . .

I'm really enjoying reading all the suggestions. Thanks everyone and Bruce, thank you for starting this thread. It would be such a shame to come home and find out we missed something incredible just around the corner. Now how to squeeze in as much as possible!

 

Just try...all the food you can. I love their fresh made treats and bentos. =3=

I have a question! "Can I go with you?"

New to the doll scene, so I had no idea Volks and Dolphie and other BJD companies were out there. Would of been more fun to see than shrines.

 

I'm another one recommending Kiyomizu-dera. I also like Yasaka Jinja. I in fact took a few surreptitious pics of my SD Mark there . Arashiyama is a beautiful place as well. I actually did maiko henshin there instead of in Kyoto, because it was cheaper - but the photo ops were great. If you go to Osaka, Den-den Town is an electronics district well worth checking out.

As for requests . . . I'm a complete One-Off junkie. Any info about the One-Offs available while you're there would be lovely. I don't think you're allowed to take pics in that room, though.

Tenshi-no-Sato is awesome. The garden is gorgeous, and the museum with all the models ever released is great. There are a lot of photo spots and it's all enclosed and private and full of BJDs and doll owners. You may be able to see an omukae ceremony when you're there (I did one for my FCS boy - that was an experience, I tell ya). Just heaven *sigh*.

*L* I'm jealous. It'll be a couple of years before I expect I can make it back to Japan, and Tenshi-no-Sato is one of my favourite places there.

 

To be polite you need "Konichiwa" in the day and "Konbanwa" in the evening.

To buy something bow and say "Kore wa O kudasai!" and point to the item, its not strictly correct but they will appreciate the attempt (Kor-eh)

Thank you should be " arigato gozaimasu" (go-zai-ee mas) for an immediate thanks, and "arigato gozaimashita" for when you are leaving after a purchase/trip or somesuch.

To attract attention you say "sumimasen" (excuse me) For excuse me as in I am sorry it is "gomen na sai"

Bowing is essential at all times and you will be doing it when you come home too! even in macdonalds they do it!

All the restaurants have pictures on the menus and fake food in the window! point and hold up your fingers!! They are happy to go out and look at the fakes to see your choices....

They are lovely people and yes they love blue eyed blondes! but be prepared for staring anyway.

If you find the department store "SOGO" spend some time in there they sell everything! and I do mean everything. They have great fabric stores and in Kyoto I found second hand Kimono stores too.

The Japanese love it if you try to communicate even a bit and bowing shows respect. Not too low though thats for royalty...

I have to wait till next year before we even think about going back....sigh

Take loads to do on the plane, even if you don't use it, too much is better than too little. Don't drink alcohol...you will feel terrible on arrival.

Try all the food they won't mind if you politely say this is not for you. I am really fussy and I loved most of it.

Sushi can be veggie as well as fishy (not vegan though) Sashimi IS just rawfish... Shabu shabu is paper thin beef which you cook by wafting it in a pot of hot stock and then dip it in a sauce, Tempura can be a mix of fish and veg or just veggies(Yasai).

Teppanyaki is a meal cooked fresh on a hotplate, Okonomiyaki is an omelete-y thing also cooked on hotplate and full of veg/meat/onions etc.......fab-u-lous.

You are going to have the trip of a lifetime!!!

 

I just wanted to correct this a little. It is just "kore o kudasai!" or "kore o onegaishimasu!" no "wa" should be in there. ^^

 

Oh thanks for the mini Japanese lesson. Those little things really help. And now I'm hungry from all the food description. LOL I can't wait to try all the food. I just love trying different foods and am willing to eat almost anything.

 

Technically speaking, sumimasen is a catch-all phrase for excuse me and I'm sorry, so if you can only remember sumimasen or gomennasai, I would choose sumimasen. It's not always the most proper but it is the more versatile of the two.

If you have the chance to meet someone (as in a formal introduction, not just running into someone on the street and starting up a random conversation), you could say something like, "hajimemashite. (name) to moushimasu. Douzo yoroshiki onegaishimasu." It roughly means. "Pleased to meet you. My name is (name). Please be kind to me in the future."

The morning greeting is ohayo or ohayo gozaimasu.

You probably want to know how much something costs before you buy it, so if you can't find the price yourself you can go with the point-and-ask method and ask "Kore wa ikura desuka?"

Should someone happen to ask where you're from and you want to try answering in Japanese, you say "(country) kara kimashita." Countries you might need: Amerika (USA), Kanada (Canada), Igirisu (England), Airurando (Ireland), Itaria (Italy), Doitsu (Germany), Mekushiko (Mexico), Chuugoku (China), Kankoku (Korea).

Yes is hai, No is iie.

For bowing, don't worry too terribly much about the rules. You're tourists and foreigners aren't really expected to know the details anyway. But if you want to try, the typical angles for a bow are 15, 45, and 90 degrees. You'll probably only ever needs the 15 and 45 degree bows, since 90 is for very formal situations (like meeting royalty as demented pea said) or apologizing for something horrible.

And probably the most useful phrase of all when you get really stuck..."Wakarimasen" means both "I don't know" and "I don't understand" (there is another phrase for "I don't know" as well, but you can get by with your basic wakarimasen).

 

I just found this thread, I'm so happy for those who are going ! I also lived a year in Japan and I'm planning to go back next year, so I'm quite excited for you !

I guess I don't have more suggestions, most have been said already. There are so many beautiful places to see, you won't have enough time ! I hope to see pictures of Tenshi-no-Sato, because I've never been there ! (I actually spent only 3 days in Kyoto)

October is a perfect time to go ! The crazy heat and humidity should be over already, and you'll get to see lovely colors.

I would say something... don't assume that people understand English... many will say they do, but they actually don't... As a part-time job I taught English and French to Japanese students, and I often had a hard time because they wouldn't tell me when they didn't understand something... It's just my opinion, but I think that trying to use at least a few words is not only respectful, but it can create great exchanges and meetings. Japanese people are happy when you try to speak Japanese, just like I'm happy when people make the effort to speak French in my city, I guess. At the time (oh boy... that was a while ago...), I was fluent in Japanese and people were impressed when I was only saying arigatou.

But again, Kyoto is very "tourist-friendly", so I'm sure there won't be any language issues.

I agree about sumimasen. It's really a multiple-use word, not only to apologize, but to ask something (in a store or a restaurant, for example)... it can even mean "thank you" when you're really thankful, it carries the I'm-sorry-you-had-to-do-that-for-me kind of feeling.

As for food, I love all japanese food... I miss all the green tea sweets they had... especially ice cream. For some reason, Haagen Dazs had the best green tea ice cream I've never tasted, but it's only available in Japan.

Sorry for this long post, I can't stop when it's about Japan...

 

I haven't been there but good luck and God Bless you on your trip and hope that you'll get what you go there for and more. :3

Hmm... Can you please ask them if they are going to release SeiRei Tenshis in the future? Thanks a bunchies~

 

One week from now we will be somewhere over the Pacific, hopefully half way there. I'm so excited. I'm re-reading this thread and thankful for all the great posts and info. I get more comfortable with each post so I thank you all!! I have questions that are technology, not doll, questions but it is all part of getting to the Mother Land of Super Dollfie

Someone brought up bringing lots to do on the plane. Is there a way to charge my gadgets and gizmos? I have USB's and car chargers but don't know what, if any, to bring. Also, I know some planes have internet. How do you find out if yours does?

And one more technology question....I'm freaked out about being so far away from my kids without my cell phone working. Has anyone had experience they want to share with the prepaid phones you can buy there?

Doll related......I'm having so much trouble deciding who to bring and who to order! I thought I knew the answer to both but then my first FCS looked at me a little pleadingly, so that decision went on hold. Then the darn new FCS heads came out along with that graffiti body. What's a girl to do?

 

There's no need to buy an entire set of different types of adapters, you can buy single multi-adapters that will work in most any place in the world.

 

Thank you for this info! I am traveling to Tenshi-no-Sato for Christmas, and this info was quite helpful!