I wish I could go back to Japan. I still remember the lavender-flavored soft serve I had while I was staying in Amagasaki.

And the ramen is so good there.

I went to Nagasaki and bawled my eyes out. I would have loved to go to Hiroshima as well, but alas, I was only in Fukuoka for a week and getting to Nagasaki alone was a bit touch and go. I think both would be worth it, though.

If you can make it to Tokyo, go to Akihabara (sp?), the "Electric Town" of the city. Virtually any electronic device can be purchased there.

If you watch too much G4 like I do, you could always try to see if you can attend the next Sasuke (Ninja Warrior) tournament. It's great fun watching those guys do what they do!

(My info might be flawed. Forgive me if it is.)

Hmm, yeah, Sapporo Snow Festival is definitely somewhere I'd like to go if I can... I wonder how soon you need to make lodging reservations in advance, though. It's pretty popular... But yes, Hokkaido or somewhere would be fun even if there's no specific event. Yay for nature...!

As for anti-nature, I think swinging by Akihabara is on the agenda for Tokyo... not that I have much of a budget for actually buying anything.

Almaser wrote:

Dallbun, I'm gonna be in Japan from December 4. If you're on holiday then, come to Hiroshima and Miyajima with me and my friends! It's an amazing place, and has deer on top of a small mountain.

Hey, thanks a lot for the offer! Actually, though, I'm off later, and Hiroshima and Miyajima is like the one place I have gotten to outside of Kyoto. It was fun, though - the atomic bomb museum was great, and I got to stay in a ryokan for a night in Miyajima. Miyajima is cool, but watch out for those deer. They live in a tourist spot, so they have no fear of humans, and they want nothing more than to consume any foodstuffs you have on your possession. One of them ate the ID tag off of my backpack after I wouldn't give it my shaved ice.

ShatteredMirror wrote:

Dallbun wrote:

One of them ate the ID tag off of my backpack after I wouldn't give it my shaved ice.

That... that is the best story ever. I'm sorry, it really is.

No, I'm pretty sure one of the little bastards almost biting me in the testicles tops that

Also, while I'm on suggestions - hit up Shikoku. That island is all sorts of different from the rest of Japan, and the southeast villages (especially Hiwasa, Yuki and Mugi in my opinion) have this strange charm to them. You'll have to be willing to go without much in the way of comforts though - a lot of places don't even have a conbini.

I don't want you to have your testicles bitten off, Almaser. That would hurt like hell. And then you'd be without them.

When you're in Tokyo you have to go to the Otaku mall to fulfill your inner nerd.  And then, Akihabara if you're a guy-porn/electronics nerd (many sights in Akihabara have scarred me for life... creepy freaking fetishes) or Ikebukuro if you're a female nerd.

Oh god... the pile of doujinshi I left with. 

Also the Daibutsu just outside of Tokyo makes for a nice visit.  There's some amazing Shinto and Buddhist temples within Tokyo.  Harajuku for an AMAZING Shinto temple, Asakusa for an amazing Buddhist temple with the craziest shopping bazaar area.