Travel to Japan?

[Smurfy5]

Hello everyone... I am interested in taking a trip to Japan next summer to learn tombo dama techniques from some of the artists there. I have found a big studio that is willing to bring in guest artists and he also has a friend who rents out a condo within walking distance. I was wondering if there is anyone else who has had the burning desire to travel there and would like to maybe take the trip together? It looks like airline tickets run about $2000 and then there would be the shared cost of the condo and studio time, which is dependent on if we ask for any special artists or just take the regular studio classes. We would be able to do some sight seeing in the evenings by train or car rental (if you are brave enough to drive there, I don't know that I am #-o )
Let me know if you have any questions, I know this will be a very exciting opportunity!

[lavendar420]

If I suddenly find myself with a bunch of money, that would be awesome! (((sigh)))

[Smurfy5]

I know it is a pretty expensive venture... I have been dreaming of this trip for a very long time and I figure if I don't work towards doing it I could be dreaming about it for ever and never do it! If anyone here has visited Japan... do you have any tips? places I should go? advice? etc...
Best wishes to you all!

[Smurfy5]

Yeah, I was worried about the language part... the good thing is that the studio owner speaks pretty good Japanese and he said that English speaking visitors have been able to do quite well there... but I do worry about any sight seeing! I think I better start learning some Japanese pretty quickly ;)

[Smurfy5]

ha ha! Yeah, that would be difficult... that's why I don't want to go alone... I would be much braver with a buddy :)

[Smurfy5]

Was it a beadmaking trip? Did you go to Glass Studio Ark for classes?

[GlassChick]

Hey, I think Corina speaks Japanese! She'd be fun to go with!!!

[KristiB]

Just a thought, but you know most of the Japanese artists are coming to the US to teach too :D

I loved Japan when I was there, but I'm with Kimberly. An interpreter is a must because most Japanese do NOT speak English well enough to give you any information that is accurate!! lol! It is quite an adventure.. I was in Tokyo so it might be different elsewhere.

I was traveling with a guy and BOTH our credit cards wouldn't work there in the cash machines and stuff.. we were really stressing out because we hardly had any Yen between us and were trying to figure out if it was enough to get us back to the hotel. There was nothing wrong with either one of our cards, but the cash machines rejected them even though they had the correct "symbols" on them and shops and restaurants were saying "decline". I was FREAKING OUT! A call to the card companies confirmed there was nothing wrong but still it was happening. To this day we still don't know why it happened, but it sure was scary!!

Good luck with your trip!!!

Kristi