I'm going to be in Japan most of the month of July. I will be visiting my wife's family for a month. How many RTK'ers are actually in Japan? Could we arrange a way to have a get together? Is there someone with some internet savvy that could figure out a way to coordinate a place in Tokyo to get together? I don't know Tokyo or even Japanese well. I'm taking the backwards approach to learning Japanese. Kanji first. Grammar and spoken Japanese later. I wish we could send Fuaburisu a plane ticket because of all of his good work in creating this site.

ADMIN Note

I closed this topic as it was getting old, but by all means, feel free to create a new topic if you'd like to organize a RtK Get Together in Japan or elsewhere!

Im not even close to Japan, being in Denmark. So what ever you do in Tokyo, send us a post card

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Quote:How many RTK'ers are actually in Japan?

A bunch, actually. According to Google Analytics there are 82 unique visitors from Tokyo alone. That's the big orange dot on the asia map below. Note that does not mean 82 people who actively use the website, neither does it mean 82 people who have registered. But I'm willing to bet at least 20 of them are. I've noticed at least one school of Japanese learning in Tokyo which linked to RevTk in their blog.

It surprised me very early on when I saw many hits from Japan, but then it's really obvious. A lot of westerners living in Japan, and particularly students going abroad are giving RTK a go.

Here's some cool maps from Google Analytics '"Geo Map Overlay" :

Europe :
Big dots : Sweden/Goteborg (39), Belgium Oud-Heverlee (37) (probably around Brussels), UK Arnold (38), UK Southend-on-sea (27), Italy Rome (23), ..


Us :
Big dots : "oceanside" (what's that?) (37), Caldwell (41), Montreal (33),


Asia :
Big dots: Tokyo (a whopping 82!), Kodaira (42), Wako (36), Nishinomiya (26), Oita (21), Yoka (15), .. it's difficult to read the dots because they are all stacked on top of each other


Full map :
This one is cropped, but there are no orange dots outside, except for Honolulu, which is in the middle of the ocean outside on the left (2 visitors ).



Most of the small dots in other places are ~5-15 people.

I think those are the locations of the servers or routers, they are not the exact places where people connect from but pretty close.

Enjoy

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ps : so all Tokyo'ites may follow taijuando's proposition and feel free (and anyone else from that big map) to organize your get together in this thread.

Also, remember that while there is no "private messaging" feature on the website as of now, it is possible to contact members through email.

Interesting that so many are from G?teborg. Perhaps the japanese students up there have seen the light.

Well I'll be in tokyo for 9days from the 10th of jully (edit). First time in Japan, I am really looking forward to it ! And then I go in a language school in okazaki (http://www.yamasa.org) for 6weeks.
[EDIT: sorry it's 10jully; I am in tokyo from the 10jully morning to 18jully; the on 19th I am going to okazaki and my language course start on the 20th. It guess I was too tired yesterday night]

If you organize somethinge while I am in tokyo, I'll come, otherwise it would need to be in switzerland Wandering how ppl coming from switzerland are using this site.

Okay ... Well it looks like at least we have a potential date. Should we give the Marshal a day to enjoy his jet lag? I leave Japan on the 27th, so maybe the weekend either the 22nd or 23rd. We would need someone who knows Tokyo to suggest a place.

Just edited my message, it's 10th Jully not 20th, sorry.
I guess we should see who is interesed and then see if we can choose a date convenient for everybody if possible. We'll see how many ppl are interested in coming actually.

Okay....around the 10th it is... I might be in Tokyo that weekend anyway....Fuaburisu....those maps are really cool...it makes our mission (RTK to the fullest!) seem so techno-cool.....thanks for keeping up with little additions to the website...it keeps my interest level up....checking the forum also keeps me on the site when my brain is resisting kanji study ... and then I go back for more

It would also be interesting if the Europeans, Californians, US East Coasters etc in some central areascould get together. But still I'm targeting a get together in Tokyo around the 10th. Even if it's just four people it might be interesting to compare notes and take a break from kanji studies.

taijuando Wrote:It would also be interesting if the Europeans, Californians, US East Coasters etc in some central areascould get together.

That is indeed a very interesting idea!

i guess no one in africa likes studying kanji

Im rather confident you can study japanese on Witwatersrand University, Jo-burg

not a single hit from the middle east either

i'm severely disappointed.

It doesn't look like there is enough ppl interested for a meeting in tokyo... or maybe a lot of them don't come to check the forum. ?!

Marshal, taijuando, anyone else. I live in Kamakura, which is close to Tokyo (It's in your guidebook). So I could come in or you come come out here. I highly recommend you coming to Kamakura whether to meet up or not. It is a peaceful town with many many old temples and shrines (though it gets pretty crowded with tourists on the weekends...but everyplace in Japan is crowded on the weekends ). It's one of the most historical cities in the country. Also, during the months of July and August bars and restaurants open up all along the beach in Kamakura. It's a very nice way to spend an evening.

I have a new baby and my mom is in town, so I can't make any promises. But I live just a few minutes from the Kamakura beach, so if you guys can agree on a day and time, I can probably be there. I work during the day, and I'm busy on the 18th. Other than that, I'm pretty free.

July 17 is a national holiday and Kamakura will be even more crowded (but the bars will be more fun!).

You can email me through my profile on this site.

I am actually going to be in Tokyo on the 10th but Kamakura sounds good. The Marshal, I guess you:ll be coming in that day. I have to consult with the general, I mean my wife.

I live in Tokyo and I would like to meet up with people but unfortunately I'm quite busy this month. You see, I've lived in Japan for over a year now and at the end of July I'm going to be travelling to the UK to start working in London from September. I'm therefore spending a lot of time saying goodbye to all of the friends I've made out here. Weekdays are definitely better than weekends but I'm busy on the 10th. Even if I can't meet up with people, I can give advice about places to meet in Tokyo if you'd like. Let me know what date you decide on.

I'm actually close to Kamakura myself. I would love to meet up with some fellow RTK folks. My schedule is rather free, just let me know what's the plan

I was planning to go to kamakura and nikko, it seems they are the most popular place to visit around tokyo.. so a meeting in Kamakura would work for me. I will probably go there for a whole day. Visiting and then having a drink with RTK fellow sounds nice. For the date... I am arriving the 10th, I'll probably be tired when I arrive, so between the 11th and the 18th would be fine for me. Wakela isn't available on the 18 so it think it should be between the 11th and 17th.
I am travelling alone, so I am pretty flexible, choosing a date and a place relatively quickly would be good through.

BTW, I still can't believe I am going to Japan tomorrow. I had that planned for a long time and have everything packed now, can't believe tomorow will be the big day (first time in Japan !)
I'll try to frequently check the forum and my email when I am in tokyo. Shouldn't be too a problem with a PDA for connecting to free hotspot, internet cafe and a computer I can use where I am staying !

The 16th doesn:t work for me, but I am flexible on other dates. I think the 17th would be great but maybe other dates could work, too. Keep in touch. I am in Shizuoka Japan.

Juan

I'm tied up on the 16th and 17th... Other than that I'm free. Just let me know

Date:
Monday, the 17th is a national holiday (though I still have to work). So that Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday are going to be really crowded in Kamakura. Since you guys are on vacation, and can come whenever you want, I recommend coming the Thursday, the 13th. There will be fewer people at the temples and shrines.

Place:
Kamakura seems agreeable to everyone (especially me ). If we stay close to the station it will be easier for everyone to leave on time to make the last train (around midnight. Japan is not a late night kind of place). But the beach is only a fifteen minute walk from the station. Near the station = more time to hang out. Beach = beach (including bikinis and small fireworks).

I did some research on the beach bars this afternoon (which means I went down and had a few beers ). Mtv has an Mtv Beach Party bar there. This is probably not the Japanese experience you guys are looking for, but it is easy to find. We could meet there, and then if we like we can go somewhere else. Or we could skip the beach and go to a bar/restaurant closer to the station. There is a McDonald's visible from the East exit of the station (the exit with the busses). Again, we could meet there and then go elsewhere.

Japanese people know the English "beach" and "Mtv." So you can ask where the beach is from the station, and once on the beach you could ask which way Mtv is. McDonald's is harder to pronounce, so you should go with "Macu."

In a nutshell my recommendation is 6:00 (I'll be a little late) Thursday, June 13th, at the Mtv Beach Party on the beach or the McDonald's near the station in Kamakura.

What do you guys brains-over-heart?

The 13th Thursday sounds good. I will probably come in sometime in the morning and check out some of the sites and try to find a manga cafe or something if I get too tired. 6 pm sounds good. It would be good to eat somewhere, maybe near the Beach Party but maybe the Mcdonalds is an easier landmark to find. Sounds like a plan. The Marshal are you jetlagged?

Well, I finish up work at 6:30 about 30 min away so the earliest I could get down there would be 7:00 (if I'm lucky). If you're willing to wait around on me, I can make it I agree with taijuando, Macu would be much easier to find...