Basics

My wife and I spent 14 days in Japan in May 2023, our first time in Japan (or anywhere in Asia). We usually got between 8-12 miles daily, though some of that was somewhat by choice, as in places like Hiroshima the transit within the city takes nearly as long as walking, and walking is preferrable to see and experience the city.
All the tips on here and those answering questions on Discord really helped plan things.

What I learned

Pay attention to the square footage of your room. We got a room at an APA in Osaka where it was literally impossible for both of us to stand up simultaneously. Luckily all of our subsequent hotels had room for us both to get dressed at the same time.
Get hotels with onsens/spas. We booked exclusively hotels with onsens/spas. This was crucial. It’s such a great day-ender to go up there for a soak in the hot/cold pools and sauna. They give you robes/lounge clothes and slippers to wear up there. It’s just incredibly cozy. Made me wish it was winter.
Japan is super easy to travel, the easiest country I’ve been to. It seems the country as a whole and everyone in it is extremely detail oriented and considers every possible issue. I’ve never seen workers tasked with holding up a screen for pedestrian protection around a man trimming the lawn until Japan. I’ve never seen a tour bus driver feather-dusting his bus until Japan. Everyone is so calm. I think I heard one person yell in two weeks. Everybody was super patient with our lack of Japanese and general lack of knowledge of their culture.
Note: We’re not really foodies. When traveling we usually just eat whenever we get so hungry that we must, plus the Japanese cuisine doesn’t mesh with our tastes, so this will be light on food.

Day by day

Day 0: Arrived at Haneda in the afternoon, got PASMO cards and caught train to Shinagawa. Then we took the Nozomi to Osaka, purchasing tickets in advance via Smart-Ex. All went smoothly despite the jet lag.
Day 1: Osaka. Mini-pig café, Don Quijote, wandered the neighborhood to the northeast of Umeda Station checking out shops, finished the day in a small bar in Dotonbori.
Day 2: Osaka area. In the morning, we rode out to Nara to see Todai-Ji and the bowing deer. The temple was stunning. In the afternoon, we went to a Hanshin Tigers game, which was great, though we were baking in the sun. It’s crazy how many beer vendors Japanese baseball games have. I didn’t go 30 seconds without a beer girl passing by. We ended the day with dinner at Snow Lion, a Nepali restaurant that was extremely tasty.
Day 3: We activated our JR West Sanyo-San-in Area passes and headed west on the bullet train then a slow Sanyo Line train, bound for Onomichi. I rented a bike from Trek, took the ferry to Setoda and rode the Shimanami Kaido. I rode a bit south after I got off the ferry in Setoda, across the next big bridge. Then I turned around and biked back to Onomichi. It was a beautiful ride, but the parts near the Onomichi end could be skipped. Too much traffic and development. While I did this, my wife wandered around Onomichi, visiting Cat Alley and taking a ropeway ride. After that, we met up and headed for Ōkunoshima, aka Rabbit Island. This was a cool little side trip, but not sure it was worth the time expenditure. Finally, we ended the long day traveling to Hiroshima to check into our hotel. Family Mart was our main meal, because the restaurants in Tadano-Umi were all closed on Monday, and we had time to kill before the next train back to Mihara.
Day 4: We took a train and ferry trip to Miyajima and took the ropeway to the top, then walked the rest of the way to the top. It’s a beautiful island, but pretty tourist trap-ish. Later in the day we picked up Carp tickets for a future date, then checked out the Atomic Bomb Dome at night. The main meal, at Okonomiyaki Teppan-yaki Momiji-Tei, was extremely good Okonomiyaki.
Day 5: Day trip to Hakata, with a stop for the Hello Kitty exhibition at a hall near Shin-Yamaguchi Station. After Hello Kitty, we headed to Nanzoin, the reclining buddha statue and temple. It’s a wonderful place, the nice ladies at the train station will loan you some cover-up cloth if you have tattoos or your shorts are too short. After Nanzoin, we got some Hakata ramen at Ramen Stadium in the giant mall, then wandered the streets of Hakata a bit, stopping at Kushida-jinja Shrine. Back in Hiroshima that evening, we visited Sam’s Café, an American-themed bar with more memorabilia than you’d think possible. The proprietor is a wonderful older gentleman who loves America.
Day 6: We started the day at the Peace Museum. This is an extremely moving visit. A late breakfast here featured the fluffiest egg souffle I’ve ever seen. Later, we went to the Carp game.
Day 7: Shinkansen to Himeji Castle. We scheduled ourselves a four-hour layover, which was just about perfect to walk up there, see the castle and walk through it, check out the garden, and walk back without feeling rushed and with time to grab train snacks. Then we caught the Super Hakuto to Kurayoshi where we met a friend and ended the day with some onsen time at Izanro Iwasaki in Misasa Onsen.
Day 8: Tottori Sand Dunes, Sand Museum and a trip to Refresh park Yumura, which is a very nice onsen with the standard indoor, gender-separated areas, plus some cool outdoor spots for all genders, including a little cave. You wear a swimsuit for the outdoor parts.
Day 9: I wasn’t feeling great, so I did nothing while my wife and friends went to Lake Togo area near Kurayoshi for a waterfall hike. Then we boarded the Super Hakuto for Kyoto, where we stayed.
Day 10: We got an early start to see as many temples as possible in Kyoto before our 1pm train to Tokyo. We were able to get to Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkakuji and Shimogamo-jinja before time ran out. We used the city bus, which wasn’t that bad. They weren’t quite on time and we had to let a couple pass by at the very start of our day because they were too crowded. We added our PASMO card numbers into the Smart-Ex app so boarding the Shinkansen was super easy. In Tokyo, we stayed in Ueno, which was a great spot with good accessibility to the rest of the city and lots of action and places to eat and drink.
Day 11: We started with a trip to Sanrio Puroland, which took even longer than planned due to some train delays. Our train went out of service at some point on the trip. Puroland is kind of odd. But it wasn’t too expensive and my wife loved it. On the way back we stopped at Gotokuji Temple, the waving cat temple and later caught a glimpse of the waving cat train at the nearby Miyanosaka Station. For a nightcap, we checked out Asakusa Rockza.
Day 12: Shopping/sightseeing in Akihabara. Yodobashi Camera is absolutely massive. I preferred it over Bic Camera. After some other miscellaneous shopping near Tokyo Station, we later walked from our hotel over to this cat-themed bar.
Day 13: Near Nippori Station there’s a cat-centric neighborhood, Yanaka Cat Town. We stopped at a cat store or two as well as a cat art gallery. I got a great foot massage in this area, as well. This area was so cool we skipped out on our tickets to TeamLabs. For a nightcap, we went to one place in Golden Gai. That area is absolutely overrun with tourists.
Day 14: It was super rainy, and we didn’t have all that much time to kill before our flight, so we checked out the Tobu train museum. Definitely worth a visit if you like trains. Though kind of hard to figure out how to drive the trains if you don’t speak Japanese. Then we proceeded to Narita on the Skyliner. Note, there’s a slight discount for foreigners if you buy online.

I think kitsune masks are beautiful and I’d love to get a tattoo of one, but I don’t want to be disrespectful and I’m a little too shy to ask anyone in person..
So I’m hoping to get some insight on any cultural significance and if it would be alright for me to get one or if I shouldn’t bother
Advise very much appreciated and thank you for reading!
Edit:
For those wondering I have looked into what Kitsunes are in Japanese folklore and I really like the stories behind them, I’ve always found Japanese folklore to be very interesting and that’s the reason I’d like to get the tattoo, however because it’s folklore I’m still very unsure of wether or not a tattoo would be disrespectful and would appreciate the insight

About 10 years ago I was on a work trip and one night I had trouble sleeping. I ended up watching a heist movie that was really good, but for the life of me I haven't been able to figure out what the movie is called after all these years. At the time it seemed like the movies was recently made.
There was 4 or 5 main guys in the movie and the idea was for them to rob a high-end hotel's safe boxes. The robbery goes off almost without a hitch. During the robbery one of the hotel guests calls in for room service. The thieves have one of their guys make some food and bring it up to the hotel guest. However, when the thief gets to the room with the food he sees that the guest has a girl tied up in his room and she's under distress. The guest notices him looking into the room and tells the thief to go away, the guest at this point notices that the thief has a very identifiable tattoo on his forearm. (The tattoo thing actually might have been later in the movie)
I think the hotel guest comes down stairs and he sees them robbing the place and the thieves beat and tie him up. At this point they decide to help the girl. When they free the girl they find a kilo of cocaine in the room and one of the thieves takes it. They finish stealing the loot (mainly jewelry) and head home. Then, I remember something about them splitting the loot and heading to a strip club afterwards.
There's one really weird scene where I think they're trying to sell the jewels on the black market and they talk to a guy through a door who is in a sweatshop where there's a bunch of guys in tightly whities working.
One of the thieves ended up giving one of the stolen rings to his girlfriend, and later she's in line at a supermarket getting food. The clerk comments on how nice of a ring it is, she tries to blow off the comment and there is a cop behind her that hears that comment and starts thinking that she's connected to the heist.
One of the thieves takes the kilo of cocaine and attempts to sell it. In the process of selling it, he goes into the bathroom at the place he sells it and holds his arm up to brace himself against the wall as he uses the urinal. By pure chance the guy using the urinal next to him is the guy who they tied up at the hotel and he sees the tattoo on his forearm and beats him up. In the process he steals the thief's ID and finds his home address on it and tells the thief that he's going to kill his family. The thief goes home to his family and they bug out. One thing that I remember is this thief's wife swore a lot (lots of f--- words). I remember her telling her son "not talk to his f---ing father" in a disrespectable manner.
The movie ends with all the thieves getting caught and the final scene of the movies shows the ringleader thief sitting in a chair looking at the camara as the cops on beating on his door.
It's been driving me nuts trying to find out what this movie is called, so if anyone can help me out, I'd really appreciate it.

Any other moms and expecting moms out here like me with tattoos and piercings? I guess I just need some reassurance I'm not a "delinquent looking mother" per the words of an older gentleman. I have two medium sized tattoos, one on each forearm and a single septum piercing and it never crossed my mind that I might look weird to my twin boys once they arrive earth side. It doesn't help that I don't see a lot of moms who look like me either so I've been second guessing the septum and wearing a lot more long sleeved dresses and shirts :(

My daughter and I would like some designs to choose from for a matching tattoo. We would like the three sister goddess moons which would represent my late mum myself and my daughter. We like black line tattoo style, would like flowers (possibly our favourite flowers), quite a feminine look to it. It will be going on our forearm. I would possibly go for a bit more detail in mine or a bit bigger than my daughter would like. This is her first tattoo. Thankyou in advance for anyone taking on the challenge.

Hi there! I'm Ben. I'm 34 and reside in western Maryland. I'm looking for someone special out there to get to know, bond, and maybe one day spend my life with! But no rush. I've met plenty of people in person and used all the apps out there to date one time or another but I love in a pretty small area and its been difficult as of late so I figured I'd try here!
Me: I'm sweet, kind, compassionate, and affectionate. Friends and others would describe me as adorkable, funny, and genuine. I've always felt the world didn't have enough compassion in it and I try to be a better person each day. I'm also very emotionally intelligent. I'm not educated in the traditional sense, other than a semester of college, but I am pretty intelligent and can hold a conversation on most subjects and comprehend most things well above where I'm at knowledge wise. I'm also an atheist but grew up in a devout Christian home and spent my whole childhood and teens learning about the bible and some others later in life and Atheism is where I landed I suppose.
I've always been a pretty big nerd my whole life. I've been into most things nerdy at one point or another my whole life. Still to try DND one day though!! I'm not too involved in the different communities like I used to but I still play games some.
I had a series of traumatic events occur about 5 years ago and have been picking up the pieces of my life since but thanks to my doctors and therapist my is coming back together, and I'd love to find someone to share this new journey with.
I am absolutely obsessed with animals and learning new and interesting facts and care that surround them (especially reptiles). I currently have 4 crested geckos (who have enclosures of their own) and a colony of 6 mourning geckos living together. I'm incredibly passionate about cresties though! I love DIYing things myself and love working with my hands, though they're so soft you'd never guess :)
Physical description of me: I'm 6' and a big guy but I carry my weight well, and Im usually described as a big teddy bear to cuddle :p. Lost almost 40 lbs over the last few months! I usually have a pretty big beard but somethings happened and one thing led to another and I shaved it off (instant regret lmao). SO I will be growing it back over the next few months. My left arm is pretty tattooed up with two very large pieces, a small piece on my hand, a small piece on my right forearm, and a big piece on my left thigh. Also my ears are at a 00 gauge. I have hazel green eyes. Thick full brown hair, cut short currently. normally i do an undercut and push it back but it was hot and i got tired of my hair being everywhere. I added a few pictures of me and one of my favorite tattoo I have!
You: age Im not picky about, I've dated people much older than me and younger than me. So if you're 23-45 I'm fine and im fine making exceptions for people if they feel drawn to me. I'm such a kid at heart I connect well with most people and be a serious sally when I have to be :)
You: Be compassionate and understanding. I enjoy intelligence, but not a requirement. I love passion for the different things we have in life so some passion is always a plus! I strongly value honest open communication, boundaries, and creativity.
You: I generally prefer atheists but if you believe in something and can handle the fact I dont and wont try to convert me I'll happily accept that you are who you are.
You: left leaning politically. Sorry no room on this one.
I've always been monogamous but I am open to ENM after sufficient trust and love is established. i'm also 420 friendly just not often and I vape (in case its a problem)
Would prefer if you open with a picture but if you're not comfortable with that (since this is kinda the internet) just send a physical description and a blurb about yourself. Thanks for reading this far! Pictures of me: https://imgur.com/a/2FJAZo9

So, I have three anime tattoos on my right arm. Outside upper arm, inside upper arm, and my forearm. The latter two are black with the exception of red blood. The original concept was to make this an anime sleeve. I still like the idea and draw out my ideas, but sometimes I find myself thinking it’s a bit silly. Other times, I consider coverups (which seems like an impossible task). My biggest gripe is the tattoo in the picture. I love it, but I find myself becoming a more reserved and minimalistic person over the years and it’s a big and bold tattoo. I guess, I’m wondering if removal or a cover up would be too ambitious of a process or within the realm of possibility.

You can’t trust google translate to find words that’ll end up in ink on your skin. It’ll be for a life and death tattoo so if there’s something that fits better for that theme I would also appreciate the suggestion. The words just need to be separate.

I’ve recently thought about getting my first tattoo and Elliot smith means a lot to me. My favorite songs are Speed Trials, Roman Candle, and The Biggest Lie.
These songs are very significant to me because of battles with drug addiction and depression but I am recovering and recently sober so I thought it’d be cool to get a Elliot smith tattoo because of how much these songs mean to me.
I’ve thought about getting “Speed Trials” tattood on my forearm or ribs. I also thought about getting the two people falling from the Elliott Smith album tattood on my ribs
Anyone have any ideas or recommendations I’m all ears!
Thanks

Hey everyone hope all is well. Just curious for those who have Japanese symbols where did you find the most accurate direct translations. I’m planning on getting
知恵 - wisdom
節度 - moderation
勇気 - courage
正義 - justice
These could be completely wrong lol but any guidance would be appreciated! Cheers.

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I don’t have an extensive history of self-harm. I had one mental breakdown about 2 years ago that caused me to cut my entire left forearm to shreds with a house key. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. I kept my arm covered for quite a while & claimed that I injured myself at work (not technically a lie, my breakdown took place in a back room at my job at the time), but as the cuts healed, I saw how ugly the scars on my arm looked and realized they’d never go away. I never even wanted to cut again, it was a combination of the scars & my mom figuring out that I cut myself even though I’d been lying about it. I hated that.
I wear short sleeves most of the time & don’t really let my insecurity stop me, but whenever I look down at my arm I’m just reminded that I have all these horrible discolored scars that literally everyone can see. I’m reminded that my parents see them every time they see me. I often wonder how many people recognize them as self-harm scars. I’ve had a couple people ask about the scars, but most people never bring it up, and I feel like a lot of times it’s because they know. I can feel people staring at my arm & I hate that. I’m in a much better place now than I was then, and I don’t want people to perceive me as such a mentally ill person anymore. I just want my arm to look normal again. I’m probably going to cover it with tattoos eventually but I can’t afford that now. Like I said, I’m doing better now but I just needed to share how frustrated I am with the scars & how much I hate that I did that to myself.

I've wanted to get a nostril piercing since 2021, but since I'm close to graduating and starting work as a paralegal, I'm worried that I'll get turned down for jobs because of it.
I also have three tattoos. Two can be hidden easily, but the third is on my left forearm and can only be covered if I wear long-sleeved shirts.
Has anyone had trouble finding jobs because of piercings and tattoos?

# Character Basics
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Full Name:Imone
Race/Ethnic Group:Half-Drow
Class/Occupation:FighteMonk with Criminal Background
Character Genre:Heist game set in Waterdeep
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# Character Details
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Gender:Female
Age/appeared age:24 years old
Facial Features:Delicate elven ears adorned with silver and onyx earrings.
Hair:Long black hair that falls in sleek waves to her shoulders. She wears her hair loose and concealing her face. Will occasionally pin some strands back that reveal her elven ears.
Eyes:Black obsidian eyes framed by long, ebony eyelashes that almost seem hypnotic
Distinguishing Marks:Skin bears the typical husky hue of the drow, but has been softened by her surface time and half-drow nature. Her skin radiates a faint, ethereal glow.
Significant item:Has a battleaxe, but typically fights hand to hand. Also wears a number of silver rings that are etched with various arcane symbols. Finally, she has intricate tattoos that are reminiscent of shadowy wisps entwined with elven motifs. These are on her forearms beneath her arm wraps (which don't need to be in the art), but would typically just peak out from under the wraps
Body Type:5'8" lithe frame that reflects her elven nature and her agile presence
Color Scheme:Deep purples, rich blues, and black dominate her wardrobe accented by silver or amethyst details.
Gear:Battleaxe
Animal Companion:N/A
Action/Pose:None in mind
Others:
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# Character Persona
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Alignment:Chaotic-good
Personality Traits:Broody, intense and determined, but a hint of compassion and love
Ideals and Goals:Robinhood-esque character. Wants to use her criminal nature to help society out. Doesn't want people to face the same ridicule she has as a half-drow and wants the common person to be lifted up
Bonds and Flaws:Became "emo" due to having over bearing and loving parents
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# Other
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Visual concepts:N/A
Backstory: Imone, a half-Drow elf, was born and raised in the vibrant city of Waterdeep. Her parents, a Drow monk and a human fighter, settled there after finding love and acceptance within its diverse population. Growing up in this cosmopolitan hub, Imone experienced both the wonders and challenges of city life.
Imone's mother, a skilled monk within the Order of Shadows, recognized her daughter's innate talent and nurtured her abilities in the shadow arts. Under her guidance, Imone became adept at the elusive techniques of the shadow monk, blending stealth, agility, and combat prowess.
Meanwhile, her father, a seasoned fighter who belonged to a renowned mercenary guild, taught her the fundamentals of weapon-based combat. Imone's training under her parents' watchful eyes instilled in her a unique fighting style, combining the fluidity of a monk with the raw power of a fighter.
Despite her parents' unwavering support and love, Imone struggled with her own sense of self-worth. The brooding nature of her half-Drow heritage and her dark inner thoughts manifested in her "emo" personality. She often found solace in the shadows, where she felt most comfortable and understood.
As she matured, Imone's desire to challenge societal imbalances and make a difference led her to a life of covert thievery. Utilizing her shadow skills, she honed her abilities as a stealthy thief. Imone focused on stealing from the affluent and corrupt, viewing her actions as a means to provide for the less fortunate and address the inequalities she observed in Waterdeep.
Imone's motivations remained rooted in her belief that everyone deserves kindness, compassion, and love, even if she struggled to accept those sentiments for herself. Her dedication to bettering society from the shadows earned her a reputation as a modern-day Robin Hood among the city's poorer denizens.
When the opportunity arises for Imone to embark on a grand adventure, she sees it as a chance to further her cause and challenge the status quo. Her dual training as a fighter and shadow monk equips her with a unique skill set, allowing her to strike swiftly and silently against those who abuse their power.
Have fun with it and thank you so much to anyone that creates something!!!