Well cannot say no chance. I dont have perfect Japanese not even JLPT Level 1. My staff speak to me in English and when I go out to meet customers, I have them do translation for me.

I know a lot of foreigners here who cannot really speak good Japanese but have niche skills. I even know headhunter who cannot even speak Japanese but he looks after niche markets. Some companies like Rakuten have position that does no need Japanese. You can go to their homepage and look at the jobs available and some does not required Japanese. I know a few people working there as well who speaks very minimal Japanese. Finally get your company to transfer you to Japan.

So there is opportunity but of course not as much if you know Japanese.

I like how smooth it is compared to the likes of Glenfidditch 12 and Glenlivet 12, but yeah the price has been up recently.

Previously 4500yen duty free
Now 5700yen duty free, which will cease to sell
Next cheapest, 7000yen consumption tax free or 7580 after taxed, but hard to find due to its popularity
I've seen it being sold for close to 9000yen at certain shops. Crazy pricing.

On the other hand, I think Macallan 15 should be easy to find in Japan. Not as common as the 12, but the 12 is really cheap! Cheaper than what I can find in Langkawi

hahaha, go to distillery and drink FOC! two shots.

Supposed to, but I didn't make a reservation in advance!
So I didn't get to go on tour, but I did however get to go to the bar and sample the shots for cheap.

15ml shot of

Yamazaki/Hakushu ageless - 100yen
Yamazaki/Hakushu 12 - 200 yen
Yamazaki/Hakushu 18 - 500 yen
Yamazaki/Hakushu 21 - 2400 yen

Still cheap compared to what you can get from a bar

Oh and they have plenty of other choices such as Macallans, Glenfidditch, etc.

Didnt now there is free shots, now looking forward for it , part of my itinerary coming trip.

Make sure you call in advance to reserve a tour slot! It is very popular and you might not get a slot if you just walk it. I did that mistake and end up no FOC 2 shots

Yes we did~

For those going to Yamazaki Distillery, you can refer to to the menu below for the whiskys you can try in their bar (after the tour).

Plan your drinks carefully

Edit: Ah seems like the orientation is off. Feel free to download and rotate it in your PC

This post has been edited by daijoubu: Apr 1 2015, 05:57 PM


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Oh really? But then as you work and live there, normal daily simple conversation should have been easy for now.

But then I really wonder how is it, I mean the life of working there.

Looking at some cherry blossom reports, some of the popular spots have blue sheets while some (at maruyama park for example), have this red tables laid out nicely for hanami. Can we just go and still there (if they are not booked) or they belong to food selling shops?

About those blue sheets and tables you have to becareful. In Japan, normally people book a place there by putting the blue sheet or table early in the morning and then come back later. And no people will actually take it! But then of course you can ask around if its really ppl booked the place, or its free for all.

Normal conversation is fine now...no issue. Just that business Japanese is totally different. Working life totally different from tourist or student. People are much more competitive here, and sometimes its really to break through the walls. At least I managed to change some of the culture where all my staff have already left the office and I am here replying to you!

i see..the blue sheets may have been placed there by 'bookers' but the red tables are something like this, lookss very orderly

If thats the case, anyone can use......sad to say I seldom go hanami.

why not? by choice?

I cannot get the whole idea of hanami but if got such nice red tables void of people, I wanna give it a try

dont bring msia culture there...
u will destroy them

wanna ask, u alone there or with family?
i used to work alone oversea, really lonely

my life once a week after work, normally drink with collig there...
100bottles of heineken, imagine how big is the group
20-30gals... 3guyz oni... cannot even reject (not boasting, this is real )
and there is a period more than half of my salary gone... almost everyday drinking

really depress tat time...
work and drink... no life at all
i hope your life in japan is not this extreme

I heard of the competitiveness, sometimes just a thought of it and I definitely will label them lifeless. "Otsukaresama-deshita" and then drunk at road side lol.

Well to me it's good that you managed to made some sense into them, have a life lol.

This post has been edited by ZeroSP: Apr 1 2015, 10:46 PM

My family of 5 are visiting Tokyo this June for the 1st time.
Spending 5 days 4 nights and was wondering if we are to use Yamanote Line to explore , its sufficient enough to keep us busy. Thanks

You need the subways, Tokyo Metro and Toei.

hey guys, i have read v5 n v6, so i will be travelling to tokyo 16/9-24/9. I will be arriving at around 12am, so i plan to stay at hotel nearby airport, next day straight buy hakone 2day pass and travel down to hakone+mt fuji, then after two days in Hakone, I will back to tokyo, stay nearby tsukiji market to see the fish auction then the next day move to shinjuku and travel around the city then spend one day in Disneysea.

Basically, its airport-->hakone-->tsukiji market-->shinjuku-->disneysea, so i need to move to 4 different hotels, i feel thats abit troublesome.
Can give some opinion or comment on this itinerary?