Japan Travel

Many foreign tourists may often find traveling in Japan, because only a few people in Japan can speak English. However, Japan is a great country, and the Japanese are wonderful people.

Before you buy your ticket to Japan, you should know that Japan is an expensive place to travel. The cost of living is very high. You should have at least 5,000 yen per day for your pocket money. If you do not have a lot of money, you should use Japan Rail Pass. It is very cheap way to travel.

Food is one of the best things in Japan. Japanese food is incredibly delicious. Since Japan is an island, seafood is the most popular food in this country. When you think about Japanese food, you probably think about sushi. Sushi consists of raw fish and rice.

If you have a chance, you must visit Japanese hot bath. It is not something that you will see in other countries. The Japanese hot bath is called, ” Onsen “. In some area, people take a bath together in the open area. This is often known as “open sky bath”.

Housing is very expensive in Japan. There are too many people in Japan, and there are not enough apartments. Most Japanese can not afford to own a home. However, travelers may camp at various places in Japan. The camp site is usually safe and cheap. The Capsule hotel is one of these many cheap camp sites.

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[tags]travel, airfare, trips, vacation, hotel, beach, mountain, air, plane[/tags]

In May of 2005, Kurokoboshi took time out of his Tokyo hustle to film a movie in Bang Pong, Thailand. The following is an excerpt from the American-ex-patriate-Tokyo-dweller’s thoughts on making movies in the hinterlands of Thailand.

Pre-quel
I had the opportunity to act in a Japanese film entitled Habu to Genkotsu that was being shot in the Thailand countryside. It all started with a phone call from my friend Schon. He got an offer to do a movie in Thailand, but couldn’t take it. He wanted to know if I was interested. Always ready to add another chapter to my life’s story, I agreed. I had never been to Thailand. I had heard many stories about Thailand and experienced many situations vicariously through friends, and now it was time for me to share my experiences.

Before leaving I met the directors, producers, and writers of the film I was going to appear in. I was impressed by what I heard. The film is based on a true story about an Okinawan sansen (3 stringed guitar) player named Ryo and his experiences growing up in Okinawa in 1968. Ryo meets an American military solider named George, and they discover that they have more similarities than differences. The atmosphere of the film is heavily charged with discrimination and prejudice- Okinawans and Japanese (yes there is a difference-big difference in fact), US military and Japanese/Okinawans, officers and enlisted soldiers- and takes place with echoes of the civil rights movement lingering in the backdrop. I finished my gig on the Joint One Radio Show on Monday as the Kurokobushi and had three days before shooting to discover who this George was and time warp to 1968.

Day 1
I left my home at 7am for Narita Airport, just before the morning rush. I grabbed my last bite of Japanese food for two weeks, boarded Thai Airlines Flight #647 and arrived in Thailand. Airports can be very deceiving. They make you think everything is okay and then you enter the real world. Outside the airport I saw my first glimpse of Japanese capitalism, a Family Mart (convenience store) and add it to the American capitalism glimpse (KFC) I noted earlier. Paul (our driver) rolled up in a mega van and it was off to the hotel in Bang Pong, our filming location. Paul spoke a little English so I drilled him for some heads up Thai. We arrived at the hotel about two hours later and I had dinner with the actors. Everyone was great especially Shogen (who is playing the part of Ryo) and Mitsuki. The hotel room had HBO Asia, but I needed internet access to see if the Spurs won game 7.

Day 2
Got up early and went for a morning walk. Traffic in Thailand is like a free for all, with few lights and tons of scooters. I had breakfast in the hotel and in the afternoon went to one of the locations were the actors Mitsuki, Shogen, Ishida Eri, and Sai were filming. I couldn’t believe how much rural Thailand reminded me of my Grandma’s farm in South Carolina. Time has actually stopped in some places. I did the traditional aisatsu (Japanese greeting, bow and small talk) with the directors, and entire staff. Greetings are so important in Japan because it communicates humbleness and respect. Things are on a hierarchy scale so I had to give props to the big fish. I took care of my responsibilities.

Day 3
One of the film locations had really bad karma. In one room of the house, the owner kept helmets from dead soldiers of the Vietnam War. Needless to say, everyone filming in that room felt sick and kanashibari (feeling of being bound or held down, but you can’t see what’s holding you). I met our police protection, a definite necessity when you’re in rural Thailand. He was very helpful and even let cast members ride his motorcycle. Kai showed me where the internet caf

I don’t know about you, but when I hear about Sapporo, the first thing that comes to mind is beer. I’m a long time Sushi eater and Sapporo is my beer of choice when eating. What you might have not known is that there’s an actual city in Japan called Sapporo. In fact, that’s where the beer comes from. Sapporo is a perfect place for making beer. The hops are excellent and it’s cold.

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido Islandlocated in the West. It’s the fastest growing city in Japan. At last check, there were more than two million living in Sapporo. It is the 5th largest city in Japan.

When many think of Japan, they think of the over crowded life in Tokyo. Life in Sapporo is much different. First of all, the island of Hokkaido is covered with forests. Many Japanese escape to the island and Hokkaido attracts millions of visitors annually. The summer is the peak time.

Earlier I mentioned the beer they make here. Sapporo has been making beer since 1891. If you visit Sapporo, you can take a tour of the facility. It’s one of those must-see attractions. There’s nothing like a fresh Sapporo beer.

Sapporo is also famous for its snow festival, Yuki Matsuri. It takes place for one week each year in February. It continues to grow each year. It started out as a couple of snow sculptures and has now grown to a main event held at multiple sites. Many come for the international snow sculpture competition.

Perhaps the most interest aspect of the Yuki Matsuri is the community effort given to one giant statue each year. If you arrive in Sapporo just before the festival, you can participate in the creating of this statue. It’s advised that you book your stay ahead too. More than two million tourists flood into Sapporo for the Yuki Matsuri.

Another aspect I find interesting about Sapporo, as someone that doesn’t speak fluent Japanese, is the fact that the tourist information centers are English-friendly. They are always staffed with personnel that speak English well. At the International Information Corner, they have maps and information handouts in English. This makes any English-speaking travelerthat doesn’t speak Japaneseat home.

Another great first stop is the Sapporo International Communications Plaza. It’s just across the street from the Tokeidai Clocktower and right by City Hall. It has more literature in English, including newspapers and magazines. You are bound to meet Japanese people there who know English as well. There is so much more to talk about, but this article was meant to wet your whistle for Sapporo, Japan.

Author is the owner of TourismJunction.com, a travel & vacation articles and websites portal. You can find more Japan Travel articles by clicking the link. Read an article about Tokyo travel by clicking the link.

[tags]japan, asia, travel, vacation, sapporo[/tags]

Getaways are meant to take a person away from all the hurly and burly of life to perfect peace and tranquility. An ideal getaway vacation can thus be at a place where you embrace the beauty of nature in complete serenity. The paradigm example of this is Japan where visitors themselves have discovered countless beautiful getaways. So lets take a look at some of the popular and ideal getaways in the land of rising sun.

Some frequently visited getaways in the Japan are as follows: