Japan Travel

Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa, Japan’s smallest prefecture. The city’s harbor used to be the main entry point to Shikoku Island until the Seto Ohashi Bridge opened in 1988, providing a land connection to Honshu Island.

The Matsudaira Clan, relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun, controlled Takamatsu’s former castle town and surrounding area, then known as the Sanuki Province, during most of the Edo Period.

Today, Takamatsu’s attractions include Ritsurin Koen, arguably one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens; Shikoku Mura, an open air museum; and Yashima, a mountain battle site during the Gempei War. Nearby Kotohira can also be visited in an easy side trip from Takamatsu.

Takamatsu Castle, also known as Tamamo Castle, was built in 1590 adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea. It is one of the few Japanese castles built along a waterfront, and features saltwater moats that draw directly from the sea. The Ikoma Clan ruled from the castle for 54 years before their fief was given to the Matsudaira Clan, relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun, who kept the region for the remainder of the Edo Period.

Takamatsu Castle’s keep was destroyed during the Meiji Period, but is currently being reconstructed. Archaeological excavation began in 2006 and construction of the five story castle tower is scheduled to begin in 2010. It will be opened to the public when finished.

Castle Tower Foundation in 2003

Castle Tower during current excavation

Few of the castle’s original buildings remain in the castle park today. Besides moats and walls, only the Asahimon Gate and two turrets, the Ushitora Yagura and the Tsukimi Yagura, are still standing. Inside the castle walls, visitors can enjoy well kept gardens.

At the center of the castle park is the Hiunkaku building with large tatami rooms. Constructed in 1917 as a residence and governmental office, it is used today as an exhibition space and a community hall where tea ceremony and flower arrangement classes are held.

Hiunkaku

Tsukimi Yagura “Moon Viewing” Turret

Information by http://www.japan-guide.com

Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea that is known for its modern art museums, architecture and sculpture. Belonging to Kagawa Prefecture, the island, with its Mediterranean atmosphere, sandy beaches and sunny weather, combined with a laid back country feel is a relaxing getaway from Japan’s large urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka.

Much of Naoshima’s art was installed by the Benesse Corporation, which oversees art museums, installations, and sculpture throughout the island. Benesse’s museums were designed by the well known Japanese architect, Ando Tadao, and include all the buildings of the Benesse House and Chichu Art Museum. In addition, Naoshima’s municipal buildings and schools were designed by the modern architect, Ishii Kazuhiro.

Benesse House – Museum

The Benesse House is a modern art museum/resort hotel in southern Naoshima. The complex is the centerpiece of the Benesse Corporation’s art facilities on the island and consists of four buildings: Museum, Oval, Park and Beach, designed by the architect, Ando Tadao. Each building has its own unique artwork and guest rooms where visitors can stay.

The main attraction of the Benesse House is its modern art museum located on a hill overlooking the sea. This museum displays work created by many different artists, from both Japan and abroad, that was inspired by the natural surroundings of Naoshima and the architecture on the island.

Naoshima’s iconic Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama, a symbol of the island

In addition to the art displayed in the museum and guest rooms, there are nearly twenty art pieces located throughout the lawns and beaches around the Benesse House. Many of these can be found along the shore and cliffs below the museum, and have been specifically designed to integrate into the natural surroundings in which they are placed.

The Benesse House has other facilities including restaurants, cafes, shops and a spa that are open to guests as well as day visitors. Hotel guests have the added privileges of exclusive restaurants and after hours access to the museum. The Benesse House is the top level accomodation on the island, and rooms start at around 27,000 yen per night.

Cultural Melting Bath by Cai Guo Qiang

Beaches beside the Benesse House

A new heritage site just registered in 2005 The area features an ecological system with few equals in the world

Places:Shari-cho, Shari-gun / Rausu-cho, Menashi-gun, Hokkaido

Shiretoko, a new natural heritage site registered only in July 2005, is considered to be the last pristine wilderness remaining in Japan. Shiretoko is a long narrow peninsula located in northeastern Hokkaido. The volcanic Shiretoko mountain range runs down the center of the peninsula and includes the highest peak of the range, Rausu-dake (1,661 m above sea level) and the active volcano Iouyama. The Sea of Okhotsk lies on the western side of the range and the Nemuro Straits on the eastern side. The coastline cliffs facing the Sea of Okhotsk rise up more than 100 m high, and you can glimpse waterfalls large and small cascading directly into the sea, and colonies of seabirds.

The salmon and trout that breed in the sea off Shiretoko are an important food resource supporting the terrestrial ecosystem with rare birds such as Blakiston’s fish owl, Steller’s sea eagle and the white-tailed sea eagle, as well as brown bears. The Shiretoko ecosystem is a dramatically clear example of the linkage between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and it is considered an important wildlife reserve, with unique features unlike any other in the world.

Shiretoko, blessed with mountains, lakes and an abundance of plants and animals, offers many places of interest throughout the seasons. A good example is the Shiretoko Goko or Shiretoko Five Lakes, situated on a lava plateau surrounded by old-growth forest. The five lakes don’t have individual names; they are referred to by number from Lake No. 1 to Lake No. 5. If you take a stroll along the walking trail (takes approximately 1 hour), you may see wild animals and will certainly enjoy the beauty of the changing seasons.

In the fall, when the mountains are adorned in red and yellow, the hoards of salmon and trout swarming up river to spawn are an incredible sight. In winter, there is also beautiful scenery as the drifting ice changes the Sea of Okhotsk into a white snowfield. There are various nature experience programs available at the site such as night tours for animal watching under wonderful starlit skies, daytime treks for alpine plant spotting while surrounded by birds singing, or nature watching enjoying waterfalls and wild animals while walking along the trail. It is highly recommended to contact Shiretoko Nature Center before departing.

Information by http://www.jnto.go.jp

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]

Driving in Japan legally has recently afforded new challenges to foreigners from China, Brazil and the United States. Released in November 2002 and updated in February 2003, Traffic Act Article 107-2, has begun to create many problems for foreigners.

Until June 2002, Foreigners driving in Japan (who held a valid drivers license from their home country) could apply for an international driving permit (IDP) and drive in Japan permanently. Since that time however, IDPs are only valid for one year. If a foreigner stays in Japan for more than one year and decides to reapply for an IDP, they would have to leave Japan for at least 90 days in order for the IDP to be legal upon their return.

Those visiting Japan for a short time, of course IDPs are the way to go. They are quite cheap (around $10-20). Beware however, there are many sites on the internet that offer IDPs for several hundred dollars. These are scam sites and are to be avoided at all costs.

Quite a few countries have a much easier time in obtaining a valid Japanese drivers license when compared to the United States. Citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Switzerland, Canada or Germany can simply have their license translated and officiated after a minimal fee and an eye check.

Why are American citizens screwed over? You may check this link found on the US Embassy in Japan website http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-drive.html and find out why. If you take the time to read the reasons why as well as the requirements Japan is asking for in order to overturn this new law you may very well cry, or laugh. If you don’t want to take the time to read the reasons and requirements; in short, it’s a better idea to try and take the actual Japanese driving test instead of waiting for this law to be overturned.

Let us rewind to an actual experience of mine.

Blissfully unaware that my IDP was considered invalid, (I had been living in Japan for three years at the time) I parked for a few minutes in a no parking zone (I drive a 50cc scooter, for its sheer convenience). BIG MISTAKE. I come back to find I have a parking ticket. “Oh darn, I have a parking ticket. Oh well, I may as well go pay the small fine and bite the bullet on this one”. I take my scooter to a police station and show them my passport and IDP. After much difficulty in communication it turns out that I cannot legally drive and I must go to the city’s main police office a few days later so they can have a translator explain to me exactly what needs to be done.

I return home to find out why they said I am unable to drive in Japan, and hop on the net to do some research. After a short time I come to find out that I can be fined up to 300,000 yen (about $2,800) or spend up to a year in prison. Needless to say, my eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

A few days later, I go to this police station. I am sweating bullets and to make matters worse they do NOT have a translator to explain the situation. Fortunately, I have a more then basic understanding of Japanese so I am able to understand that I cannot drive legally in Japan with an IDP. Luckily this fairly new law, that has been such a pain for foreigners, is far from being well known. I am let off with a warning and told I cannot drive until I get an actual Japanese drivers license.

Fast forward about a month.

Discovering that there is only one book in Japan that has been translated into English regarding the laws of the road in Japan, I am forced to buy it. This book is about 90% useless. There was a whole two pages about driving motorcycles/scooters in Japan. I am fortunate enough to have some Japanese friends sit me down with a Japanese language motorcycle practice test book and ask me some questions that may be on the test I was preparing for. In less than a week, I was ready to tackle this test. Or so I thought.

The Japanese scooter test is made up of 48 questions. 45 questions or more must be correct in order to pass with a time limit of 30 minutes. Let me remind you that Japan has been required to have this test in English since the changing of the law so at least that was one thing in my favor. “Piece of cake, done in 15 minutes”! Or so I thought again.

Not since Shakespeare’s time where double negatives considered a proper grammatical form for English! This test took me for so many twists and turns with its EXTREMELY poor translation and its “no” + “no” = “yes” terminology that I felt I was going to vomit. I took the entire 30 minutes to complete this test with a certainty that I was going to fail. At least I got that part right.

So, to all the American citizens living in Japan and wanting to drive or currently driving illegally, I would suggest taking the driving test in Japanese instead of English. You will likely score higher. S.B.

I work for a translation company in Fukuoka, Japan. I work under http://www.translators.jp/ and I manage http://www.samurai-translators.com/

[tags]driving in japan,translated,license,driving,legal[/tags]

Six thousand miles separate Japan and Cabo San Lucas. The two countries and cultures could not be more different. Yet, here in the coastal desert at the tip of Baja you’ll find a little piece of Japan that even the Japanese would envy… Nick San Japanese restaurant.

Eleven years after it’s opening, Nick San still remains the most popular Japanese
restaurant in Los Cabos, and with good reason. Owned by Angel Carbajal and
Masayuki Nikura, the restaurant produces one of the most creative menus you’re
likely to find anywhere. From Sushi to Tempura, this place has it all when it comes
to Japanese cuisine. But it’s the special touches influenced by Angel’s devotion to
traditional Mexican cooking that make it unique. When was the last time you saw a
Jalapeno Chile at a Japanese restaurant?

Located in Cabo San Lucas, Nick San faces Marina Blvd. from Plaza de la Danza next
to Costa Real Cabo Hotel. The d

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.

Check Out More Articles:

Advice For Japan Travel ,
historical hokkaido earthquakes ,
Italy Kyoto Protocol

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