Japan Travel

Cash - The Japanese mostly use cash for paying for things. Most stores in Japan don’t accept credit or debit cards so you should remember to bring plenty of cash with you. You can also bring traveller’s checks and exchange them into yen at a local bank. Moreover, big cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto are very expensive and they are full of things you want to buy as souvenirs. Only buy the most unique things and don’t make yourself broke right from the beginning of your trip. You should also be aware of pickpockets in crowded places such as train stations or some festivals.

Shoes and socks - Do remember to bring convenient shoes which are easy to slip on and off because you will visit lots of temples, traditional houses or even changing rooms in clothes shops in Japan. Those places always require you to take off your shoes at the entrance. You should also bring some pairs of clean socks along, especially if you are invited to visit a Japanese family. Clean socks will make you look more polite to them.

Luggage - Light and small luggage is recommended when travelling in Japan. You will have to travel to many places by bus or train and it is usually very crowded, especially in rush hours. Therefore, don’t bring much luggage along if you don’t want to your travel to be slowed down.

Medicine and rain coats - Bring all medicine which you may need during your stay in Japan, especially in the summer when it is intensely sunny in case you suffer from a fever or headache. Summer is the rainy season in Japan. Therefore, remember to bring a rain coat with you, an umbrella will not be enough to keep you from getting soaked by the rain.

Tissues and handkerchiefs - You may not believe it, but in many Japanese public bathrooms and restrooms there is no toilet paper! Thus bringing some pocket tissues along is essential when travelling in Japan. A handkerchief or a small towel will also be very handy because you may not find hand dryers or paper towels in some public restrooms.

Gifts - If you plan to visit a Japanese family, remember to bring a small gift with you. That’s one of the Japanese traditions. The gift should be wrapped carefully but not necessarily be expensive. You should bring something from your home country such as chocolate, postcards, key chains, etc.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Japan

[tags]Japan[/tags]

The main stay of the Japanese diet has traditionally been rice. Many people, until recent times, only ate rice, vegetable and pickles with an occasional piece of fish, chicken or other meat. Successful rice cultivation has been a major concern throughout Japanese history because rice provided most of the calories and a good portion of the vitamins and protein required for sustenance.

There are many different was to grown rice. Some ways require irrigation and others demand very little water. Some methods require little fertilizer and other require extensive application. Some methods can be left to themselves whilst others are very labor-intensive. Almost all varieties require some protection against rodents, birds and insects. However, the highest yield is produced from the variety that requires irrigation, huge amounts of fertilizer and a great deal of labor, as well as protection against predators, especially insects. The crop will be reduced if any of theses things are lessened.

The main variables to a successful crop of rice were labor, fertilizer and irrigation. Weather conditions had to be assumed as even a good government has little control over the weather. Also the variety of rice was important. Making sure the right strain for the local conditions was used to produce a larger crop.

Irrigated rice farming follows a cycle, which is unchanging. First of all the land must be prepared. A system of fields is built on a gradually descending slope with walls around the field so that water can be controlled and guided to the fields at the right time. This is a major task needing a large amount of capital and labor.

The rice plants would have been carefully raised in beds, which receive special attention. They are then transplanted into rice paddies with even spacing allowing each plant to grow quickly to its full potential. Weeding must be done and water and fertilizer applied at regular intervals. During fall the water is drained from the field which dries out as the plant ripens. The rice is then cut and hung out to dry until the grains are stripped from the stalks.

Nothing goes to waste and the stalks are used for many things ranging from rainproof cloaks and sandals to fuel. But today some of these uses have given way to modern devices.

The rice is then further processed. The chaff and the grain are separated and then the rice is polished to remove the hard case from the softer white grain. The major part of the nutrients are found in the case so in more traditional times poor people ate the casing as well as the white kernel. They in fact benefited more than the rich who preffered the more delicious white rice.

For centuries the labor input to agriculture in Japan has been very high leading to outputs per unit of land that rank amongst the highest in the world. A great deal of the labor was back-breaking with farmers having to bend over to plant seedlings, transplant the young seedlings, weed out the parasites and cut the stalks.

In recent times machinery has provided much of the labor required by growing rice. Technology has brought forward the development of machines that can harvest the rice and perform the most delicate of tasks.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Japan

[tags]Japan[/tags]

Fukuoka isn’t that small of a place. Actual numbers bring the population to about the 5 million mark, with the city having roughly 1.3 million people. With that amount of people around, you know there has got to be something to do. On any day of the week if you look you will be able to find something that interests you. There are often festivals in one area or another in Fukuoka city. With a little help from a friend or the domestic foreigner magizines and information centers you will be able to find out where the festivals are being held.

The center of Fukuoka city will have to be Tenjin (though others may argue it to be Hakata). It is the shoppers haven of the prefecture. Feel you need to do a little shopping for some nice named brands from Italy or France? head on over to Tenjin. Want to blow off some steam and hit a bar (including foreigner bars)? Tenjin is the place to be. want to meet some new friends? Rainbow Plaza in… you guessed it, Tenjin, is the place to do just that.

Right next door to Tenjin is Nakasu. Nakasu hosts nightlife entertainment but tends to cater to the more affluent individual. However, Nakasu also has a huge shopping complex named Canal City which has so many shops that you wouldn’t be able to count them all. The complex holds many restaurants, two hotels, a large cinema and in the center of Canal City is an area called Sun Plaza where it is common to find street performers doing their acts.

Of course Tenjin and Nakasu aren’t the only place you can have fun. I live about 10 minutes away from Tenjin by subway in a town called Nishijin and I can do nearly as many things here as I can in Tenjin. Bowling, swimming, soccer, billards, game centers, and even a movie theater are just a few of the things Nishijin and the nearby area has to offer.

Yahoo Dome (formerly Fukuoka Dome) is located in Momochi which boarders the sea. Yahoo Dome is home to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. The Hawks are a strong baseball team, beloved by the city and its residents. In fact, there are only two teams in Japan’s professional baseball league who attract more than one million fans to their home games per year, and the Hawks are one of them. When the Hawks don’t have a home game you can sometimes find other activities occuring in the Dome. Yahoo Dome hosts various flea markets and concerts throughout the year.

Food, food, food!

As far as I’m concerned, Fukuoka has the best food to offer in all of Japan (though I hear food in Sapporo is quite good). Fukuoka has its own well known dishes and of course the chefs here are well capable of recreating dishes found throughout the world.

Yatai

When night begins to fall on Fukuoka city you may suddenly notice many little street vendors (usually operating out of their vans) popping up all over the sidewalks. These vendors serve a variety of foods ranging from ramen to yakiniku to tempura. Yatais themselves are really a site to see.

Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka

On the occasions when I miss American and Mexican food, I always have the option to head on over to Hard Rock Cafe right next door to Fukuoka dome in Momochi. Momochi is adjacent to Nishijin so indeed I am in luck. Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka boasts the largest restaurant of its kind in Japan. The food is fantastic and of course the atmosphere is like all other Hard Rock Cafes out there. The staff is very friendly and since I frequent their establishment often I am treated extremely well with occasional benefits.

Izakaya

Though not only found in Fukuoka, Izakaya restaurants deserve a notable mention. Izakayas offer a wide variety of food and more importantly drinks at a low price. University students as well as business men can often be found in these restaurants chatting with colleagues and drinking up a storm. All Izakayas offer a different ambiance, and with some searching you will be able to find one that suits you.

Famous Fukuoka food

Fukuoka ramen

Have you ever had that cup O ramen or that freeze dried packaged ramen? bah! throw that out and try some “Tonkatsu ramen” (pork ramen) famous in Fukuoka and well know throughout all of Japan. First time I tried it I was instantly hooked and to this day try and eat it once every week or so.

Mentaiko

Another famous food which Fukuoka is renound for is mentaiko (very tiny fish eggs). To some people mentaiko may not seem very appatizing but please don’t knock it till you try it. Mentaiko spagetti, as an example, is a delicious treat around these parts. And there are of course many other recipes which have use for mentaiko.

Transportation

Unlike the nickname given to New York, Fukuoka does tend to get a little tired at night but usually not until quite late especially on weekends. One of the reasons for this in my humble opinion is the transportation shutdown at around midnight. Thats right, the subway, train, and bus system all but stops once you hit the AM. Which leaves the weary and, more often than not, drunk to either take a taxi home, walk, or I have even heard the “I will just stay up until the subway starts again at 6:00 before I go home” line used by those who just aren’t finished partying when its time for the transportation system’s last call. This isn’t just a Fukuoka special, for the shutdown happens throughout the whole of Japan.

Though the transportation system does shutdown at perhaps inconvenient times, it is a wonderful system. Perfectly clean trains, buses and subways (which are amazingly quiet) are the consequence of the shutdown for they are all cleaned during the wee hours of the morning.

Location

Fukuoka is found on the southernmost island of the four main islands in Japan. The name of the island is Kyushu. Fukuoka happens to be closer to Seoul, South Korea than it is to Tokyo. Fukuoka prefecture is located on the northern tip of Kyushu.

http://www.translators.jp/

[tags]fukuoka,japan,food,entertainment[/tags]

Tokyo is a location where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older customs. It’s feverish madness leavened by the most Zenic of calmnesses.

The sheer point of energy is the most striking expression of Japan’s capital city. Tokyo is a location where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older customs. It’s feverish madness leavened by the most Zenic of calmnesses.

While it’s true the exciting vibe has a somewhat depressing flip side - shoebox living accommodations estates & office blocks traversed by overhead freeways crowded with traffic - Tokyo remains a glittering example of the ‘miracle’ of post-WWII Japan.

What makes Tokyo intriguing is the tension between mammoth scale and meticulous detail. Sightseeing in its streets can be a neon assault that leaves you elated & breathless, or an encounter with the exquisite art of understatement. Jump aboard the subway & see how one city is actually many.

Feeding is half the fun of being in Japan, and the adventuresome foodie will be enjoyed to know that nihon ryori (Japanese food) is far more than the sushi, tempura and sukiyaki for which it is best known in other nations: there are over 20 different forms of Japanese cooking to sample.

It isn’t difficult to find many things to keep you out of trouble in Tokyo. Or take you into it. Whether it’s kabuki (traditional Japanese theater) or karaoke, izakaya (half eating place-half pub) or hot-spring hopping, the Big Umeboshi - the ‘Giant Sour Plum’ - has it all, all year around.

If you stay in Tokyo or additional major city for one week or longest, gaijin houses (also known as guesthouses) are an cheap accommodation option worth considering. The minimal fee term is commonly one month, but some houses likewise provide weekly or possibly daily rates.

Travel-world-tips Guide

[tags]tokyo,japan,tempura,japan capital,hotels in tokyo,tokio,travel tokyo,travel japan[/tags]

For such a tiny total landmass, Japan has left an undeniable stamp on human history. If you are considering Japan as a destination, here is an overview of the country.

Extending along the eastern coast of Asia, Japan is a country consisting of a collection of islands. The mainland, as we think of it, is the island of Honshu. There are three other large islands, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and roughly 3,000 much smaller islands comprising what we call Japan. Put together, the total land mass is slightly smaller than California. The geography throughout the islands is mountainous, best exemplified by Mt. Fuji at 12,385 feet. As you might expect, the island country is inherently recognition of a volcanic are and Japan experiences earthquakes fairly frequently, some on a large scale.

Japan is an extremely urbanized country with most people living in major cities. The two prominent religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. The belief systems are harmonious and often share the same temples.

Per legend, Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu around 600 BC. The current emperor is a descendent of the first.

The first interaction with the West was in 1542 when a lost Portuguese ship landed in Japan. Over the next century more Westerns came, but they were not trusted. The Japan shoguns eventually banned all foreigners and the country was isolated for over 200 years. Not until 1854 did Japan open its doors to the world under the Convention of Kanagawa with the United States. Once this occurred, Japan quickly evolved from a feudal state to a more modern approach.

World War I was a boon for Japan. Fighting on the side of the victorious Allies, Japan repeated new respect as an economic and military power following the defeat of the Axis. Alas, the emperor of Japan went in a different direction after the war, seeking dominance of China and Asia in general.

In 1937, Japan became an ally of Nazi German. This eventually led to its decision to pursue an attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Following four years of war, the loss of 3 million Japanese lives and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered to the United States on September 2, 1945. It was stripped of most of its territorial holdings and was ruled de facto by General Douglas MacArthur, designated the Supreme Commander.

Following World War II, Japan turned to a democratic system through reforms. The U.S. and allies returned complete control to Japan on April 28, 1952 via the Treaty of Peace. Although its days as a military power were over, Japan once again became an economic giant. Despite its relatively tiny land mass, Japan has the second biggest economy in the world.

Modern day Japan covers 145,902 square miles. The capital is Tokyo. The terrain is best described as rugged, mountainous islands with varying temperatures.

The people of Japan are called “Japanese.” The total population is just over 127.4 million people, but the population is decreasing slightly in size. Japanese is the primarily language spoken and literacy rates are 99 percent. Japanese males have a life expectancy of 77 years while women live to 84 on average.

With its mountainous island landscape, Japan is a hot destination spot for travelers. It is expensive, but a visit to Mount Fuji alone makes a trip worthwhile.

Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything. Visit us to read more about country facts and Facts about Japan.

[tags]japan, asia, japanese, emperor, world war I, world war II, allies, toyko,[/tags]

When you think of Japan, what comes up to your mind? There might be “Sony” and “Toyota” or “Samurai” and “Geisha.” You might consider that the former ones represent the modern Japan and the later ones represent the past. However, the real Japan is not such simple and contains the both aspects together through its historical stream. It is little bit hard for people to understand that the two different characters exist in one country.

There are some clues to glance at the real face of Japan. As you know, Japanese cars are becoming more and more popular in the US. The reasons explain the typical quality of the Japanese products. Practicability and Flavor. The reliability is that people can count on and the quality is that owners can be satisfied with for a long time. How about Japanese food. Sushi is one of favorite healthy food these days. Thirty years ago almost nobody was willing to eat raw fish in the US, however, recently there are so many sushi restaurants around urban cities like Los Angeles. People eat sushi because it is not just a efficient diet menu but also an cultural experience. They recognize color scheme of sushi dishes. Red, green, black, yellow, and white on the plate. It is a kind of artistic presentation with natural ingredients.

Any basic daily activities of people, food and craft, gradually grows to be the level of culture after many years. Japan has been organized as a nation for about 1500 years and developed the living style to the cultural value. Even though Japan obtained a lot of influence from the US after the WWII, her original essence remained and still exist everywhere in the country. TOYOTA and SONY could not happened as world famous companies without the soul and cultural background. When you really want to feel and realize what it is, it’s time for you to get on an airplane to Japan. You will start connecting the depth of the culture and spirit of the mysterious country from the very first day.

For more Japanese information, visit the author’s blog site, “TRAVEL TO JAPAN”, http://www.traveltojapanblog.blogspot.com.

Ryu Yuki, a Japanese journalist in Los Angeles, is a creator of a personal blog site, http://www.traveltojapanblog.blogspot.com which contains Japanese issues from a native point of view.

[tags]Japan, Travel Japan, Japanese culture, Samurai, Toyota, Sony,[/tags]

Are you cheap, lazy, and living in Japan? Good news: I’ll be writing a series of updates featuring tips on how to survive cheaply in Japan! I will be combining my first-hand experiences with tips I have learned about from other people in Japan, as well as stuff I may have seen on TV.

The first article in this 3-part series is the Japan Probe list of 11 Tips for Cheap Eating in Japan:

* Cook. Cooking your own meals can be far cheaper than buying pre-prepared foods or dining out. It will also allow you to practice a useful life skill that can impress members of the opposite sex.

* Buying vegetables: Compare prices between the local supermarket and the mom & pop grocers. Often the little old lady who sells vegetables out of a cardboard box is the best deal.

* Get a rice cooker. This is probably the most important item for cheap eating in Japan. Make the initial investment in a rice cooker and a giant bag of rice and see it feed you for months. Do not waste your money on microwavable rice packets.

* Don’t buy food at convenience stores. It may be much closer than the supermarket, but you are paying a mark-up for that convenience. A lot of people go to the nearby 7-11 and buy ready-to-eat meals there. This is an expensive habit that will see you wasting a lot of money on sub par food.

* Pasta is your friend. If you are tired of rice, you can always carb-up on pasta, which is cheap and readily available at all supermarkets in Japan. If you can’t make your own spaghetti sauce, you can buy packets/cans of instant sauce cheaply.

* Learn about discount times. Many super markets have certain times when food items are discounted. The most common time is the hour before closing every night, when perishable food items that haven’t been sold are marked down greatly. There may also be certain days of the week where supermarkets have special sales.

* Watch for supermarket discounts. When you go to a supermarket, scan perishable food items carefully. Occasionally there are items with small stickers on them marking down the price by 100 yen or more. The bread section usually has almost-expired bread that can be bought at a significant mark-down. You can also check out the sale bins in the fruits/vegetable section for soon-to-be-expired fruits and vegetables and bargain prices. Just don’t forget to eat them, or your apartment may end up smelling like rotting food a couple days later.

* Eat curry. Most Japanese supermarkets have a large selection of curry. Choose whatever curry you like and make a big batch of it. You can refrigerate and re-use the curry for a whole week of meals. It’s not exactly great for those who like variety, but very cheap.

* Don’t eat out. Many foreigners are too lazy to cook and don’t like ready-to-eat supermarket/convenience store food, so they eat out at restaurants almost every night. If you are trying to live cheaply, this is not a very good idea. If you absolutely must eat out, eat dinner at really cheap restaurants and eat lunch at restaurants with special lunchtime deals.

* Buy in bulk. While it is often difficult to find large size food items in Japan, buy in bulk whenever possible. Examples of food that can be bought in larger sizes for long-term savings include rice, soy sauce, ketchup, pasta and alcohol. Be sure to buy items you will actually consume, and not something you would rarely eat. You might also want to think about refrigerator size issues before buying larger items (since most gaijin do not have huge refrigerators).

* Instant noodles. Who could make such a list without remembering these? There is a huge selection of instant noodles in Japan for low prices. Many of them taste really great too! However, keep in mind that instant noodles are not exactly the healthiest option.

There are many other methods for eating cheaply in Japan, but these are the main tips that came to mind when I was making this list.

This article was originally written on http://www.japanprobe.com as a feature article. Check out Japan Probe for other similar articles!

[tags]Japan, japanese, frugal living, cheap, discounts, gaijin, tips,[/tags]

Geishas are one of the symbols of Japanese tradition. However, Geisha art only became well known worldwide after the Second World War. Some Geishas even became very famous and were admired as much as film stars nowadays. Nevertheless the Geisha life still remains a secret. Geishas seem to live in their own world which has its own principles and the Japanese give much respect to this. Though a Geisha is not prohibited from telling the outside world about her life, it seems to be an unspoken rule that a Geisha, after her retirement, will never tell anyone about her past and keep her life a secret until the day of her death.

Many people have a misconception that Geishas are prostitutes. This is completely wrong. The word “Geisha” is the combination of two parts: in Japanese, “Gei” means art, performance and “Sha” means a person. Therefore Geisha means a person who performs Japanese traditional arts. They are real artists who can play different kinds of musical instruments, sing and dance, perform the tea ceremony, arrange flowers, chant poems and especially be an expert in wearing traditional kimonos. Geishas also have very good conversation skills and many even can speak English in order to entertain foreign guests.

Geishas live in houses called okiyas. The leader of each okiya is called Okami, who used to be a Geisha. She has the duty of taking care of Geishas and trainees, doing the accounting work and getting connections with the teahouses where Geishas work or do their internship. Young girls who want to become Geishas are sent to a special school where they can learn essential skills. All living and studying expenses of these prospective Geishas are noted carefully by the Okami and they have to be paid back when the girls become professional Geishas. The training is very harsh and often takes about six years. After that, the trainee Geisha is called Maiko and will go with a head Geisha to teahouses to get familiar with the customers. A Maiko later has to choose whether she wishes to become a professional Geisha or not, because a Geisha cannot get married at any time of her life.

Nowadays there are still Geishas entertaining at hotels and restaurants in Japan. However, fewer and fewer girls want to become Geishas now due to the rigorous and time-consuming training. That’s a pity because Geishas are not only talented entertainers but also have been considered an important part of Japanese culture, to the outside world.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Japan

[tags]Japan[/tags]

The Japanese are very sensitive, especially middle-aged and older people. They will be annoyed if you ask them about their political life and religious perspectives. Questions about which party they support or what religion they follow should never be asked.

The Japanese King, the Mikado, and the Royal family are extremely respectable and sacred to the Japanese people. Therefore, the fastest way for you to be hated (or even beaten) in Japan is to do or say something which offends their Mikado and the Royal Family.

Moreover, you should never ask a Japanese about his income, which is considered very rude behaviour. Like in many other countries in the world, you shouldn’t ask a woman about her age and weight. You should also be aware that the Japanese are usually very reserved and they do not want to talk about their private lives. Although you may meet some exceptions, most Japanese people don’t like to start conversations with strangers.

It’s really great if you are invited to the home of a Japanese family for a meal. You should always take off your shoes before entering their house and when inside, avoid looking into their kitchen unless you are a really intimate friend of the family. You should also remember that Japanese people do not kiss or caress a child unless they are family members. Therefore, do not kiss or touch any Japanese child you meet, because it may annoy Japanese adults.

The Japanese are very superstitious. They always avoid anything related to the numbers 4 and 9 because in the Japanese language, “4″ is pronounced like “death” and “9″ is the same as “grief”. In Japanese hotels, they even don’t have rooms numbered 4 and 9. When dealing with Japanese people, avoid anything related to those numbers.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Japan

[tags]Japan[/tags]

Japanese symbols are broken down into three major categories; kanji, katakana and hiragana. Kanji symbols are the more intricate ones that you are probably used to seeing. Kanji is used to express words only in Japanese by representing sounds that make up a word. Japanese Kanji find their origins in Chinese kanji. Japanese Kanji can be used on their own or in conjunction with other kanji and can be a noun or verb or adjective. They can have multiple meanings and can be used alongside hiragana.

Hiragana is used primarily to express words native to the Japanese language. Hiragana can be used to express vowels.

Katakana is used to represent foreign words, which could not be expressed using kanji. Katakana can be used to express sounds. Since the Japanese pronunciation of foreign words is frequently different than their native pronunciation, the katakana can represent something that sounds very different to those outside Japan.

Taken together, Japanese and Chinese symbols have become very popular in western society as artwork, tattoos and decor on household articles. While most people in the west have no idea of their meaning, their intricate design, especially kanji, is fascinating and appealing. Accurate translation of Japanese characters becomes necessary though, since many an unsuspecting westerner has displayed their new kanji tattoo, only to later find out that it means something entirely different.

The author is an American married to a Japanese woman. They were married in Tokyo, Japan. The author and his wife spend a lot of time translating Japanese and English documents and websites. The author’s wife owns an on-line store that sells products displaying Japanese symbols
Examples of Japanese symbols can be found at Symbolic-symbols.com.

[tags]Japanese, symbols, Christian, Japan, Kanji, Japanese symbols, Japanese characters, faith, Jesus[/tags]