Research before Arrival

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Isabela Ameglio
June 2, 2023

Arriving in Tokyo is the first step to our journey in Japan and it is a big deal. There is a lot of new things we want to try and many things we can learn and I am sure none of us want to miss out on the fun. After all, we don’t always get a chance to travel and study in Japan. Thus, a few weeks before my departure I started doing some research about places I would like to visit and seasonal events. I included museums, parks, restaurants, and shopping centers and made sure to add a side note with their opening and closing times as well as directions in case I needed them. Also, do not forget there may be festivals taking place nearby! Now, you may be wondering how I went about making my list and the following sites really helped me creating it:

  1. Scout

This website helped me plan some of my outings and it allows you to create an itinerary to keep things organized and plan ahead. You can even look up trips made by other people and consider their comments and reviews when selecting a location to visit. The website offers you the option to organize your planning with a day to day schedule or you can pin the location that you wish to visit and place them in lists with labels such as "Food", "Shopping" and so on.

  1. YouTube

This one may be obvious, but I actually found it useful to watch videos of people traveling through Tokyo. You can find anything you are curious about such as the metro system and hidden gems that probably will not pop up on Google maps nor any tourist guide. If you are a visual learning and want to see what awaits you through someone else's eyes then YouTube is a great tool.

  1. Japan Travel

The Japan National Tourism Organization website was insightful because it offered details about activities and took into consideration the seasons as well as my interests. Some of the contents on the website were missed or omitted on other places which is why I highly encourage you to take a look if you get a chance. It also has some guides for first-timers and transportation information which I saved for future use. 

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Isabela Ameglio

I was born in Venezuela and moved when I was a teen to another country and now I am a first-generation college student in her sophomore year majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I really enjoying learning languages and I have two cats!

Program:
Destination:
Home University:
Florida International University
Hometown:
Miami, FL
Major:
Engineering - Biomedical/Medical
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