Well, in all my years with the Bujinkan I've never been to a Tai Kai and by the looks of it this year won't be my first. On the other hand, it does look like I may finally make it to Japan. I hope this is the right place to ask these questions. If not, my apologies to the mods. Feel free to move the thread.

My journey won't happen until late November at the earliest (can't get the time off) but I'm hoping to spend quite a bit of time there (three weeks, finances permitting). Unfortunately I won't be going with my instructor -- he's going late August early September and there's no way for me to get the time off that close to the end of the Fiscal Year.

I have several goals for this trip, based on future plans. At some time in the "relatively near future" (I'm shooting for two years from now) I'm planning to move to Japan for a couple years (at least. We'll see how it goes). For personal reasons I'm interested in the Sendai area. I know, I know -- it's nowhere near Hombu but I have my reasons.

1) Train at Hombu No trip would be complete without it. But it's also my first trip to Japan, so it's not the only thing on my "to-do" list either.

2) Get a feel for Japan I'm not sure if I'm being smart or paranoid, but I kinda wanna get a taste for what I'd be getting myself into. Consequently I'm thinking of spending a few days in important places like Kyoto, Iga (I forget what it's called today, but I can find it on a map), Hiei, Hokkaido ... . Social activities would also be nice, but I honestly don't know where to start (I don't drink or smoke, so bars are out ...)

3) Get a feel for Sendai As above, but with less specifics. Does anyone know of a Bujinkan Dojo in the general Sendai area that would be willing to put up with a "baka gaijin" for a session or three? I don't speak much Japanese yet (I may be up to Pimsleur 3 by then) -- I suspect that would make a difference. If so, hints on ettiquette would also be appreciated ...

4) Onsen Okay, I'll admit it. I've watched one too many Anime' videos. Seriously though, the more I read about Japan's hot springs, the more I want to experience one of these for myself.

5) Ryokan Ditto number 4.

Any hints would be appreciated.

Thanks!

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I doubt you're going to get much of a feel for "living in Japan" by visiting these places. They're cool, and definitely worth visiting on their own right. But unless you are going to live in Kyoto, you're not going to get much of an idea of what living will be like "in Japan" from this visit, imo.

Each of Japan's cities actually has its own "personality." If you're planning on living in Sendai, spend some time there.

Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Sendai, Fukuoka--all are very different, imo.

>4) Onsen Okay, I'll admit it. I've watched one too many Anime' videos. Seriously though, the more I read about Japan's hot springs, the more I want to experience one of these for myself.<

You can take a Day trip from Tokyo to Hakone. Very convenient. No need to go WAY out of your way to experience this.

>5) Ryokan Ditto number 4.<

You can stay at a Ryokan in Hakone as well. Isseki nicho (one stone, two birds) and all that....

-ben

Well if are set on going to Sendai, you might as well make the extra effort and come accross to Yamagata! Kan Sensei has his dojo in Obanazawa Shi in Yamagata. He doesn't have any problems with letting some "baka gaikokoujin" train (be nice to have someone else to hit as well .)
If you want some more details on the dojo just pm ok.

P.

I'm with Ben Cole on this: If you want to "get the feel" of Sendai (versus "the feeling of Japan"), you definitely should spend some time there. It does have its own personality, as do other Japanese towns and cities. I was there for a couple weeks in '87 -- it was a military mission, working with some Japanese counterintelligence types, but my commander was kind enough to release me for a couple of days so I could grab a bullet-train down to Noda and train. *

I was billeted in officers' quarters at Camp Sendai, not out "on the economy"; but I did spend a fair amount of time wandering around, and I rather liked the place.

(*Well, no, the bullet train doesn't go to Noda, but you get the idea)

Well if your going in late November then you'll be able to make it to the Daikomyosai. Perfect.

I would recommend spending a good solid 10 days (minimum) training and then go on your siteseeing trip. If you are training there I think it is better to concentrate on that rather than trying to fit it in with site-seeing and partying. Seperating these things is best.

Hokkaido will probably be a bit too cold in November. As are a lot of Mountainous places such as Togakushi.

Kyoto is nice as are Onsen ryokan. I recommend doing that - may as well have a good time too since you've come all that way. A good travel agent should be able to help you with an itinery.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

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Actually, that's perfect! Hit the nail on the head! I'm a "country boy", so I'm looking for something in the rural area "around Sendai". Of course, until I looked at a map with miles on it (yesterday) I didn't realize that was pretty much most of Tohoku (?sp).

For context, I live in the mountains of Pennsylvania, about 10 or 15 miles away from the main interstate. I travel an hour each way too and from work, no big deal. So when I say "general vicinity" I was thinking within 30 or 40 miles ...

Splitting the time between Hombu (staying 'till Daikomyosai) and Obanazawa sounds exaclty like what I'm looking for. Maybe a day or two in other places, but this schedule would suit my goals quite well.

So I'll do my research with 10/10 in mind. Any hints would be greatly appreciated though ... (looks for the old "Noda City Accomodations thread ...)

Hakone - Don't miss the death-defying gondola ride over the 'pit of eternal stench'.

; )

I say do nothing but have fun and look around on your first trip. It's going to be a sensory overload on many of your mental channels, giving you a drastically different and more accurate impression of the 'omote' of life in Japan than you have now, but it won't produce a whole lot in the way of 'a real feel for the place'.

You're next trip after that one, might be longer, and the impressions will be increasingly more subtle, and so on and so on with each successive stay.

Some people go for two weeks and see and learn and feel a lot, while others go for two years and see and learn and feel nothing.

Have fun, and be as friendly and courteous as you know how to EVERYONE you meet, and you'll have a blast no matter what you do or where you stay or how long.

Well I was just given bad news -- there's no way they can let me outta here until Dec 20'th. Jan. - Feb. timeframe should be fine though (and I'm gonna lock one in before they can change their minds).

So I'm obviously gonna miss Daikomyosai this year.

Any new suggestions for the altered timeline?

Thanks