re: Tokyo, Japan

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Never been outside of the airport but I've heard it is a city that is nearly impossible to get around without getting lost unless you've been there a while.

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I have a nephew who lives in Japan as well as a girl cousin (she's the Tokyo correspondent for the WSJ). Both of them are fluent and read & write Japanese. You need a minder like them if you go anywhere other than Downtown Tokyo. The Mikasa in Yokosuka was for me a must-see. Kyoto is beautiful, riding the primo Shinkansen (bullet trains) is OT-boss worthy. I got down to Hiroshima (numbing), Kagoshima (cool) and Yakushima (stupefyingly beautiful).

Japan is a nation of about 99.99% Type A folks. Even most of the Elvis impersonators are Type As. Errybody plays by what they think are the rules. All cars are new and clean. Cab drivers are no help unless you speak Japanese. The subways must be seen and experienced during rush hour to be believed. Downtown Tokyo is very walkable, most Japanese women are very wary of a single Western male.

Sorry for the shotgun blast, I love it there.

Oh yeah, bring plenty plenty money. Go to a KFC there, they have items not on the menu in Iowa. Kabuki theater in Tokyo.