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For westerners traveling to Asia, is it better to vacation in China or Japan?

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Japan

Having been to both Japan and China, i would have to say that Japan does have the edge for Westerners assuming they want a comfortable middle-priced holiday. In August 2004, i travelled to China with a school based group and in September/October to Japan, with a different school based group. Both trips were great and i would recommend either (bearing in mind that i was no seasoned traveller by any stretch of the imagination)but for comfort, definitely Japan.

Despite finding myself quite well off in China, with the yuan being so low, and, consequently buying an excess of souveniers that took up most of both my friend and my own baggage limits, i found the facilities quite surprising. Our accommodation was sponsored by the Chinese Government(we were participating in an international high school students Beijing Olympics event) and we stayed in what appeared to be quite a decent hotel. The lobby was all gold, mirrored with those massive flower arrangements that shriek class, and a huge sweeping staircase, but the rooms! Naturally, we wouldn't have been staying in the most expensive rooms, but let's face it, when holidaying how many of us are first class the whole way? So we stayed twin share. Standard rooms, western style toilet thankfully but the fixtures were loose and our shower didn't work. All the larger department stores were heinously expensive and the back alley stalls ridiculously cheap. The bargaining was a great experience and the finds amazing but the stall holders can get very persistent and even abusive if you refuse their wares, and the smells are not what Westerners would be accustomed to.

Some might argue that it is all part of the experience, but as a vegetarian it was quite overpowering and almost all the food contained meat, a very different cuisine to the Chinese take-out we are used to. The sightseeing is good, but although we didn't take public transport there were no obvious signs for tourists and public toilets were disgraceful; filthy, pungent traditional style holes in the ground with no soap.The fruits were not to be trusted. While this account comes across as very negative, it was still great fun, just not what you sign up for when you are staying in a nations capital or even in one of the larger cities.

Which brings me to Japan, equally fun but a far easier experience. We stayed with host families, not a hotel obviously but we did go touring for a week or so where we stayed in both hotels and traditional style inns, complete with communal bathing. We had a JR travel pass which allowed us free access to most trains and bus stations were easy to find and relatively easy to decipher and use. Definately we were in no way as rich as when we went to China - at the time Yen was about 85 to the dollar. But there are shops, both street side and in the larger department stores which you could buy things quite cheaply. Hyakuen shops have practically everything and are the equivalent to the 2 dollar shops back home, you could definately find a bargain.

I did go mention the facilities in China and while the majority of toilets in Japan will have a panel of buttons on the side, i did in fact go to a public toilet at one of the temples which was in the traditional style, but there was soap and it was a whole lot cleaner. The food was not a problem and a great deal less likely to unsettle your stomach then the Chinese cuisine, many of the families took their host students to Barbecue Beef style restaurants, so there is food for the most finicky of Westerners.

People have mentioned politically-based fears and Japan definately escapes those while being a very westernised country. For those that want the authentic experience it's all there beside the westernised culture. My host sister and her friends took me to a traditional teahouse and temples, while other families took theirs to Disneyland and Disney sea -Yes folks, something that China doesn't have and westerners love to experience, it's all there to experience and you get the best of both worlds particularly if you or those you are travelling with find the experience beginning to pall. Language is no barrier, admittedly i spoke schoolgirl Japanese but everyone over there speaks English to some degree, even my host grandparents. While their English was not good even i understood their commands to eat more and their ok?

While a little off topic, that has to be the number one word i heard while i was over there. The Japanese love their Ok? They go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and have enough to eat or need anything else. This was something i experienced even as we toured, people were always interested in you getting the best experience. Everyone had suggestions as to what you should see or what you would enjoy.

In most places you will be able to find menus, tourist brochures and directions printed in English if you choose that option.But something i haven't mentioned which i feel really affects your experience is that the Japanese in general seem more accepting of foreigners and our whimsies, they even have ones of their own and are happy to share their culture, whereas the Chinese seem more reserved. Then again it could have been because they were thinking we were ignorant tourists -which admittedly we were. Westerners , while they like to experience different cultures are still very attached to their creature comforts.