Excuse me, I'm trying to get to ...

[khiemtran]

Sumimasen, Kyoto ni ikitai n'desu ga...
Sumimasen, Hoteru New Miyako ni ikitai n'desu ga...
Sumimasen, Sagano Line ni ikitai n'desu ga...
Sumimasen, Tambaguchi ni ikitai n'desu ga...

Amazingly, it hasn't failed once yet. In Japan, you can have all the maps, all the guidebooks, all the written instructions you want. Even a GPS or a location enabled phone. But the best tool of all is being able to harness people-power.

Comments

[zeborah]

I had *very* little Japanese when I was there, but "Watashi wa doku desuka?" or something thereabouts, while waving a map forlornly, worked at getting someone to get her English-speaking son over to help me.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Japan seems to be made for getting lost, but just importantly, it's also made for getting unlost again. Maps everywhere, helpful populace, police boxes and convenience stores where they'll pull out a map to help you. It's all just part of the process of getting somewhere.