The Japan trip resource thread 2.

[teddymeow]

[MENTION=3144]Dogg Thang[/MENTION] Japanese For Busy People is a good book too.

[Dogg Thang]

Thanks Teddy! I’ll look into that one too.

[kryss]

This will take care of your grammar questions.

[randombs]

Schmooze away! Hope you can make it!

DT: Like saif, I also thought you were talking about an actual app(especially the foot/shoe struggle) and had to read a few more times before I got it

No textbook recommendations(I’ve used both Minna and JBP, and listened to some Japanesepod101) but I think you might have more luck just learning some choice phrases and spending your free time on side jobs to pay for the ticket.

[Dogg Thang]

Schmooze away! Hope you can make it!

DT: Like saif, I also thought you were talking about an actual app(especially the foot/shoe struggle) and had to read a few more times before I got it

No textbook recommendations(I’ve used both Minna and JBP, and listened to some Japanesepod101) but I think you might have more luck just learning some choice phrases and spending your free time on side jobs to pay for the ticket.

Ha! Yeah, I meant the language itself isn’t quite finished yet. I know some ruler in Korea some centuries ago decided to sort out their writing and created his own system and it’s superb. But the mix of hiragana, katakana and kanji is a massive obstacle and I’m guessing everyone struggles with that.

Randombs, you’re right that I’d probably be better spending that time making money! It makes no real sense to spend a lot of time learning a language for a single short trip. This isn’t something I’d normally do and I’m not even sure why. I think part of it is a challenge for the year. It’s an idea that took hold at the end of last year and then didn’t go away. Part of it might be that I have had a bunch of new twitter art followers from Japan too and other pixel artists and, if I did go, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to communicate at least on some very basic level. But yeah, it’s probably not the best course of action!

Kryss, thanks for that recommendationa and I appreciate all the advice guys!

[randombs]

I’m just being facetious

But I'm also not being facetious. If you're learning it just because, then by all means go for it. I'm sure it'll be fun and you'll be much more independent if/when you visit. But I didn't want for you to put a lot of effort in for this event in particular and then get disheartened when these guys inevitably just start speaking English with you. Mind you, whatever you learn can be used to spruce up your own pixel art!

[Dogg Thang]

[MENTION=9333]kryss[/MENTION] I picked up that grammar and verb book. Yep, right now this is exactly what I need and it's nicely concise. Thanks!

[Dogg Thang]

Okay, a whole other Japan question. Or more of an open topic. Talk to me about Shibuya. Even having never been there, I know the obvious vibe and the crossing scramble but, for people who have been there and know it a bit better, what else is there? Anyone been to Nabeshima Shoto Park?

Here's why I'm asking - there is a Shibuya Pixel Art contest and I'm thinking of doing an entry for it (it's international). The themes aside from Shibuya itself are: age, human, monster or festival. I have no firm idea what I want to do yet but I wanted to look beyond the obvious image that we all have of Shibuya to see if there is something else. I was half thinking of doing something like an image of that Shoto Park (age...?) looking really peaceful to contrast with the glowing cityscape (human...?) above it... even though in reality I reckon you wouldn't see the cityscape.

Any suggestions of anything you've seen that people who have been there will know but maybe aren't so obvious?

[randombs]

How about nonbei yokocho? It’s not like typical Shibuya.

Narrow, tiny bars, lanterns, stuff like that. I’m getting a bit giddy imagining you GIFing up scenes like these(ideally in your underwear):





There’s a lot of ojisans so that covers both human and old

[Dogg Thang]

Ha! Yeah, those are gorgeous and definitely contrast with the familiar crossing image. They look much more lived-in and that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. I might take a google street view tour of those. Thank you!

[randombs]

Enjoy!

Otherwise, Meiji Jingu is in Shibuya as well if you want to get fancy.

[Dogg Thang]

Enjoy!

Otherwise, Meiji Jingu is in Shibuya as well if you want to get fancy.

Oh yeah, that's pretty nice! Are there any cultural considerations with that? Like should it be off-limits as a subject for a foreigner given that it's a shrine?

[randombs]

Considering my recipe for success in Japan so far has been adopting a devil-may-cry attotude to everything, I’m probably not be best person to answer that.

But the sheer number of prats with selfie sticks hanging around there tells me it’s fine

[briareos_kerensky]

Oh yeah, that's pretty nice! Are there any cultural considerations with that? Like should it be off-limits as a subject for a foreigner given that it's a shrine?

Not really, in fact I've seen instructions how to proper use water fountains in many shrines last year. It's like entering a church, as long as you respect the rules, no one will object to you being there. And maybe you'll be mistaken for a wedding photographer like it happened to me in Hiroshima last year :P

[QualityChimp]

Considering my recipe for success in Japan so far has been adopting a devil-may-cry attotude to everything, I’m probably not be best person to answer that.

Boss: "Hi, we're having a small meeting and we'd really value your input. Do you think you'd be able to attend?"
randombs:

->Open Spoiler<-