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That is very reassuring to hear lol. I am trying to learn just enough so I do not seem very rude lol.The one time I visited China I was also the only white woman I saw the whole trip haha.
I wanted to go to Fox Village too but from what I read, its not very accessiable unless you can drive in Japan. From Tokyo, a shinkansen ticket to whatever village is closest was $200 and then its like 30 miles by taxi. The cheapest would be a bus to Fukushima, spend the night somewhere and then take a train to the closest village, and then take a taxi. QuoteThat is very reassuring to hear lol. I am trying to learn just enough so I do not seem very rude lol.The one time I visited China I was also the only white woman I saw the whole trip haha. I went solo to both China and Japan not knowing either langauge. I never really felt threatened being a female by myself in either country either. To me, it seemed like the Chinese are way more blunt and can be mistaken for being rude by westerners but they also seemed more sincere and curious about westerners ( i can't tell you the amount of times I was asked "why are you so fat"). Im guessing its cause we are a novelty there. Whereas in Japan, they are very friendly as well, but I kinda got the feeling that it was just a cover act for a lot of people. Once my eldery dog passes away, I plan on returning to Asia (hopefully to Japan this time. Although I wouldnt mind a larger city in China)
I had the weirdest/great experiences in china being a western woman lol. In Shenzen a group of older Chinese women just suddenly surrounded me in excited speaking and when I said "Hello" they all started giggling. And a lot of people also did the peace sign to me, and when I did it back what excitement hahaha. I was also told by one woman at a theme park "You are..beautiful" which was very sweet and also totally unexpected. I was called sir once though hahah. But in general everyone was very friendly, so I am hoping in Japan they will not turn us away because we're americans
This whole thread is really making me want to go back. Only the thought that Kyoto is apparently horrible in summer is keeping me at bay.One other thing I should mention. Kyoto gets a lot (and I mean a lot) of Chinese tourists. During cherry blossom season they were so numerous that I heard more mandarin than Japanese on the streets of some of the more popular areas (like Gion) and the place was packed. I suspect it will be true in the summer too.Another reason I tried to get to places tourists didn't go to so much, because it was just less crowded that way.Ohara is a good (direct bus from the main station, bus 17) trip from Kyoto. It is very pretty. There are still tourists, especially at the big temple on the more populated side, but if you keep walking you can find temples where there are fewer visitors and which are just as pretty. Not having Japanese there is also not a problem so long as you can pay the (about) 500yen entry fees. Another good tip for this is Sagano (Randen from Shijou Omiya, or bus, or the Hankyuu may go there too I think). Although a lot of people go through the bamboo forests around Sagano and Arashiyama, if you keep walkiing you find yourself in Sagano proper, and there are a lot of more hidden temples in this area where you might escape the tourist hordes. Sagano's tourist shops often have local crafts and will frequently offer you a free cup of green tea while you browse.There is also a really stunning view from the top of Takao at Jingoji temple, but that is trickier to get to. It's one of the Keihan buses to Takao Jingoji, but if it's hot you don't want to be climbing all around it.