What is the one thing that...

Think about it for a minute and choose the one thing (only one!) that intimidates you the MOST when thinking about traveling to Japan.

Post your answer below right now!

Competing with the "tripot ojisans" for good photo spots during festivals and fireworks.

yeah, it is. My japanese is bad at the best of times, mornings it is worse, and while I prefer staying at places with limited english it is nearly impossible ordering breakfast. Sometimes we get hung up on, other times we just hope for the best and take what we can get.

The customs are very different to a Western country and perhaps less well understood internationally than some other Asian cultures. I worry about unintentionally doing something offensive or saying something totally ridiculous with my very basic Japanese vocab.

getting completely lost would screw with my plans lol but it could be fun

The fact that I have to come home......

When I'm in a certain place like Japanese restaurant and I can't read the kanjis so I have to rely with pictures in the menu.

The stairs! I have to go to many smaller train stations when I visit Japan and there are stairs everywhere. Over the tracks and under the tracks. If you are carrying large luggage (even a few small ones), it gets very tiring.

Really interesting to hear what you guys have to say. Keep those answers coming!

If you have already been to Japan, think of the time before you first traveled there - what was most worrying/frightening for you?

Josh

I would say...
Getting lost in Japan's complicated rail system!!

When I was MUCH younger and backpacking: running out of money....

unlimited stuff that u want to buy... so little time & $$$$ !

Nothing intimidates me like the prospect of having to do some business over the phone in Japanese!

I had Japanese friends in Canada, where I live, years before I went to Japan for the first time so I had seen Japanese movies, my friends' home videos etc. and found out that many things they were doing where quite similar to what we were doing in Western Europe.

Right from the start I felt very much at home in Japan. Not like the huge cultural shock I felt during my first year in North America. ...
The Japanese trains and subways,the stations with lots of stairs etc. were just like the ones I was used to.
Same with the narrow residential streets, the homes right by the sidewalk, lots of bikes used by all sort of people, including very old ones, the instant hot water systems in the homes..
the list go on...heck, in my younger days we Europeans even used to bow to older adults or VIP!

The flight...I hate flying.

Well Japan is technologically advanced just like the Western world so I can see why that could help tourists adapt to the place, but the culture and the way of doing things is still very different.

I can totally relate to "too much to do in Japan and so little time" - I haven't thought of that and it's really true!

Josh

The trashbins...

It was so good to see that in Japan they collect the trash selectively. Akikan-bin-shinbun. But when I wanted to throw away a simple bag or a dirty clothes, it was really hard. I always had to go to a bigger city complex and find a moeru/moenai trashbin. I'm still confused with this.

As the japanese say: Gomo wa mochi-kaerimashou!

Most certainly that NORTH is not always up on the maps / guides.. That�Ls irratating and I can�Lt be arsed to always check it :P

Thanks everyone, feel free to keep posting answers!