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Reviews of Japan
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The best people to ask about a country you want to visit are people who have actually been there. The reviews below on various parts of Japan reflect the views of such people and as such should be very helpful.
Japan, my second home.
Unusual Cats You Will See in Japan
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Japan, my second home.
This is fairly long so I have split it up into sections for ease of reading. Your comments are appreciated as always.
Places
I have been to Japan now several times and each time I go, I am amazed by the people and culture of this very different country.
Japan is located about 100 miles off the coast of Korea and runs all the way up to Russia.
The country in made up of lots of islands, Around 2000 I?m told, but the main islands are (from top to bottom) Hokkaido, Honshu (the main island), Kyushu and Shikoku.
Hokkaido
Hokkaido is a group of islands at the far north of the Japanese islands and is on a parallel to Russia. The capital of Hokkaido is Sapporo. In winter Hokkaido is known for its skiing resorts and winter sports.
There is no bullet train to Hokkaido so travel has to be by normal train (Hokutosei Sleeper train is best) and this does take time 16 hours from Tokyo and passes through the Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest undersea tunnel (53.85 kilometres). The quickest way to get here is by plane but its not as cheap.
Sapporo is a fairly new city and does not have the temples and shrines usually found in other parts of Japan.
Honshu
Honshu is the main island of Japan and is home to most of the population. Honshu has the main cities of Japan, Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya and Yokohama.
This island is separated into several regions; these are Tohuku, of which Sendai is the main city, Kanto, where Tokyo and Yokohama are. Chubu region is home to Mt Fuji, Nagoya and Kanazawa. Kinki region contains Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe and the final Honshu region is Chugoku, which is home to Okayama and Hiroshima.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and as such has the highest population of any city in Japan at around 30 million. This is truly a huge city. If you go to Tokyo you have to go up Tokyo tower. It?s a large radio mast with an observation lounge half way up. Here you can see Tokyo in its entirety. On a clear day I am told you can see Mt Fuji. What you will see from the tower is city in every direction as far as you can see. Tokyo is a big city.
No visit to Tokyo would be complete without a visit the Akihabara (Electric City). If you want consumer electrical goods and don?t care if they have Japanese instruction manuals, this is the place for you. When you arrive here and leave the train station all you will see is electrical shops for 4 blocks in all directions. Here you can buy anything from a blank CD to an air conditioning unit. If you?re a foreign visitor then check out the Duty free shops such as Laox. as you?ll get the tax knocked off (5%), making for even cheaper deals. My advice is to go on a Saturday or Sunday, Its very, very, very busy but some shops will have special offers on for the weekend and there are also lots of street venders pedaling there wares as well.
If you want amusement parks then Disney Land Japan is close to Tokyo, but be warned its very expensive and there is always long queues.
Osaka is located about 2 and a half hours train journey from Tokyo. Osaka is famous as home of the Yakuza. The Japanese mafia, these gangsters are supposed to be able to be spotted by their lack of little fingertips, which are ceremoniously cut off as a sign of respect and loyalty.
One of the more unusual places to see in Osaka is Festival Gate, which is a shopping complex with an amusement park wrapped around the inside. This contains a variety of shops and amusement rides, such as roller coasters.
Osaka also has one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. Kansai International airport, I wont go into too much detail but this building is built on a man made island and is the largest one roomed building in the world and it just looks amazing from inside and out.
Just opened in Osaka is Universal Studios Japan. I managed to get tickets whilst I was in Japan last time, there is a waiting list for tickets and you cant just turn up on the day and expect to get in because this is a new attraction and very popular. It has some very good rides, although as its in Japan all the actors speak in Japanese. Never though I?d see Kurt Russell speaking Japanese. There are lots of good rides, such as Water World and Jurassic Park although most are copies of the Universal experience in the USA.
Kyushu
Is home to Fukuoka (Where the swimming championships was, Summer 2001) and Nagasaki. (The city where the second a-bomb was dropped)
Apart from Nagasaki, a good place to visit in Kyushu is Huis ten Bosch. (Sounds Dutch, it is). This is a replica of Amsterdam in Japan. Japan has links to Holland from the 16th century and Huis ten Bosch was built to celebrate these links and to let the Japanese people experience Holland without even leaving Japan. This has to be seen, to be believed, honestly.
Shikoku
If you want to be the only Western Person in sight, this is a good place to go. Kochi is the largest city in Shikoku and is quite small by Japanese standards. There are the usual temples and shrines here. Kochi castle is really nice. Most Japanese visit Kochi for another reason, there is a story of Kobo Daishi, a Buddhist priest who brought Buddhism to Japan and founded all 88 temples located in Shikoku, this leads pilgrims to visit all 88 temples on foot, this takes between 40 and 60 days.
The people
Japan has a population of some 126 million people and nearly all people are Japanese. There is a very small percentage of the population who are of foreign origins and most of these people live in the major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.
If you choose to live in Japan, then you will be classed as a second-class citizen as the Japanese find it hard to accept other races into their culture. This has nothing to do with racism but more to do with the culture and traditions of Japan. No matter how much Japanese you learn or culture you absorb you will always be seen as an outsider. This isn?t shown in the face of the Japanese people, but more in the way they accept you.
I have no problem with this as the Japanese ways are very old and the traditions very complex. Even walking into somebody?s house is a humbling experience.
The Japanese are a very proud race and everything must be done certain ways and with certain manners. These are steeped in the old ways of the country and even though Japan is a very modern, progressive society the old ways still come through into modern life. For example, the honor system is still widely in use in Japanese business. This means that you, as a worker are the lowest form of company life, but your supervisor is of a higher standard than you and so on? This leads to problems where the supervisor will work late and all the lower employees are expected to work at least until the supervisor goes home, if not longer.
Japanese home life is similar, the husband will go to work and his wife is expected to stay at home and look after the house and the children. If she does work she is still expected to be home before the husband and have a meal prepared for when he gets home. This is the norm, but things are changing as the country becomes more westernized.
The Japanese society has some very good points as well. There is a respect for the property of others and burglary is virtually nil, although car crime is higher in cities. Expect your house to be the same as you left it even if you leave doors and windows open. This too is changing as the country becomes more westernized; crime is on the rise in Japan. L
There are a few foe pars that should be avoided at all costs. The first is the hand shake, it is very rare that the Japanese will shake hands, even in a business situation. An out stretched hand will nearly always be looked upon distastefully. It is more polite to greet your friend, associate or colleague with a bow. How low you bow depends on the social standing of the other person. For example, when I first met me father in law, I had to bow very low, where he only bowed slightly. Even now I am his son in law, I still bow whenever I meet him, even if first thing in the morning. To be honest I prefer this system to ours as it show a mark of respect for others.
The way the Japanese live is also very different. Their houses are generally still in the Japanese style, even if you live in an apartment block. As you walk through the door there is usually an area where you remove your shoes before stepping inside the house. Shoes must be placed pointing out of the house indicating your intention to leave. The floors are usually wood, or tatami mats and it is very rare for the house to contain western style furniture. Most tables are very low and are to be sat at on the floor. Internal doors are usually made of traditional wood framing with rice paper screens and beds are usually futon beds, which are a soft mattress, which is covered by a quilt. Not the type we get in the western world, a wooden frame with a mattress covering. These beds are usually tidied away at the start of every day and put down again before bedtime as space is a premium in some houses.
So what do Japanese do for fun, Well, this is going to sound very corny but, Japanese women love to shop, (I know I?m married to one), do Karaoke and go out for meals. Japanese men like to play golf, watch baseball, football or horse racing. Another big pastime in Japan is Pachinko. I will do my best to explain the game but I don?t get it myself.
You start of by putting money in the Pachinko machine, which kind of looks like a vertical pinball machine. Once the money is in you turn the handle, this controls the flow of balls, which fall from the top of the screen to the bottom. On the way down the balls will bounce off little pins inside the machine which controls the way the ball will move, left or right. Also in the machine are little holes, where the balls will fall into and then a little mini game will start. Usually like a fruit machine. Depending on what comes up when the little fruit machine spins depends on if you win. However you aren?t financially rewarded immediately, you?re rewarded in balls. These are then collected and cashed in at the end of the session. Confused! Yep it?s a hard game to understand but the Japanese love it and there are Pachniko halls all over Japan. If you do venture inside, be prepared for two things, the first is the noise! Loud! And the second is cigarette smoke. If you don?t smoke its very uncomfortable.
Transportation
Transportation in Japan is just the best. The buses and trains all run on time and if they are late at your station, they won?t be at the next station. The local trains are always clean and punctual, if sometimes they get a bit crowded. Oh! Don?t expect to get a seat in rush hour in Toyko as on most local trains, the seats are folded away so that more people can get on the train during these busy periods.
The Long distance trains or Shinkansen (bullet trains) are just amazing. For a start they are cleaned at the end of each journey, then all the seats are turned around to face the direction of travel. Stepping inside the Shinkansen is like stepping inside a large plane. The seats are nice and roomy, there is loads of legroom and they recline back quite far.
This is the best way to see Japan, as you won?t be waiting for trains as they?re nearly always on time. Train Announcements are in Japanese and then in English so even if they are late you will be informed. If you can get tickets I would recommend the Hikari Super express. This train is very fast and looks like a rocket on wheels.
If you are traveling to Japan and intend to do a lot of traveling, it?s worth investing in a Japan Rail Pass, which you can purchase here. If you want the company name, who provide the tickets email me and I?ll get them. The pass allows unlimited travel on nearly all rail lines and all JR buses on the island of Honshu. You purchase the ticket here and its an open ticket, all you have to decide is how long you?ll need it for, 1 week, 2 weeks or a month. A 2-week pass is about £250. Believe me you would spend more than that on a return ticket, Tokyo to Hiroshima.
If you want to use buses, around town their 200 yen per journey, although some cities charge more or less. Buses however are subject to the traffic jams and can be late arriving and are usually crowded.
Taxis are good if you don?t know where you?re going. They have a flat rate of 660 yen and then a mileage charge on top of the price. If you hail a cab be aware that the taxis have automatic doors and the driver opens these. The driver will open them when you go to get out as well. If you can afford it Taxis are an excellent way of getting around cities.
If your in a major city such as Tokyo, they will have local train lines which run across the city on platforms above the streets. They will also have subways. These are just as reliable and clean as the long distance trains and are very rarely late.
Oh! Just a quick word about the train systems in Japan. Running for your train is generally frowned upon and usually unnecessary, (unless it?s a Shinkansen) as if you miss your train the most you will probably have to wait is 6 minutes. Most city trains run closer schedules than this.
If you don?t like crowds avoid the main train stations at rush hour. To give you some idea how busy the train stations get. Shinjuku station in Tokyo has 1 million people pass through every hour during service times.
What about driving in Japan. The Japanese drive on the left hand side of the road as we do, and you can drive in Japan on your UK license. However you will need to apply to the AA or the RAC to get an international drivers license. Ring them up and ask for an international drivers license application form. Send it back with a cheque for 4 pounds and a passport sized picture of yourself and in return they will send you an international drivers license, which allows you to drive in Japan for a period of 1 year. Insurance is a must as Japan has a higher accident rate, and funnily enough their speed limit is lower! Hmmm. If you are driving around smaller towns or suburbs of cities pay special attention to the road markings at junctions as some Japanese have a tendency not to stop at these smaller junctions.
Motorway driving is frustrating as there are nearly always traffic jams or the traffic will speed up and then very quickly slow back down again. The Japanese motorways are also tolled and if you travel a great distance the money will soon mount up. Average toll is 720 Yen. (£4 approx).
If you plan to live in Japan and want to buy a car then you will be limited by the amount of space you have to park it. You have to prove in Japan that you have a parking space otherwise you can only buy one of the mini cars which are limited to 660cc. If you have parking but only of a small size your local government still might only allow you a 660cc car.
Mopeds are very big in Japan as are bicycles and hundreds of these can be seen parked outside train stations all over Japan. Surprisingly, most of these aren?t locked or if they are aren?t locked to anything.
Food
What?s the food like in Japan? Well even if you don?t want to eat Japanese there are still plenty of alternatives. The usual fast food restaurants are in Japan, such as McDonalds and Burger King, as well as a few American fast food restaurants such as Wendys and Mr Doughnuts. If you don?t want fast foods then you will find Italian, Chinese or Indian restaurants in most cities.
The traditional foods in Japan have tastes and textures that some people find not to their liking. Lets pick Sushi, as it?s the most recognized of all Japanese food. Sushi is fish, wrapped in rice, which is steamed not boiled, then wrapped again in seaweed. It you get plain sushi, you may think Hmm, nice. However some of the sauces and dressing used taste very strange indeed. Take Wasabi, this is a very hot powder or sauce which is similar too mustard, but leaves a very bitter taste in your mouth and is quite hot.
Some foods however are similar to western food in taste only preparation is different. Another of my favorites is Shabu Shabu. This is cooked at the table you are eating from and a large boiling pot is placed in the center of the table and vegetables are added to the water in the pot. Also added is usually tofu, Looks like white rubber and is virtually tasteless, (its Soya bean curd). Now here?s the fun bit. The main part of the dish is meat; this is usually cut very thinly. This is picked up as required with your chopsticks and dipped into the boiling water. You then move the chopsticks around, the noise they make is shabba, shabba, and hence the name, then several seconds later you pull the meat out and its cooked. This is very health as the fat from the meat stays in the boiling pot.
One thing you will find in Japan is that they eat a lot of fish. This is due to most of the cities having grown up around the coast of Japan.
Sport
The biggest sport in Japan is Baseball. It?s always on TV and they have two leagues similar to the American series.
Another popular Japanese sport is Sumo. Now most of us westerners poke fun at Sumo with comments like its two fat blokes with no clothes on. Wrong. Wrong, Wrong. Sumo is one of the most honorable of the Japanese fighting arts. Legend has it that the Sumo fought to determine who was the strongest. This would guarantee the winning Sumo a good living in return. Having seen these wrestlers at first hand, be under no illusion that they are big, maybe there not so fast but they are strong and I wouldn?t want to get hit by them. I?m big and they?re bigger! Much bigger. Sumo is also a very rewarding sport for the competitors and it is usual for a wrestler to earn in excess of 1 million dollars per tournament at top level.
Visiting
This has to be one of the best times to visit Japan as at present the Yen is weak against the pound 175 yen to £1. This means that the exchange rate is good and things are a little cheaper than normal. If you intend to visit Japan, then the first thing you?ll have to endure is the 12 to 14 hours of flight. Eat well, drink lots and walk round even more. It?s quite a long flight so make sure your fit enough for it. Prices for the flights to Japan start at around £550 with KLM via Amsterdam, but prices fluctuate with the time of year.
Upon arrival you will have to fill in a visa, this is just to tell the customs who you are and where you?re staying. It will only allow you to stay for 3 months though, if your planning a longer trip then you will have to apply to the Japanese embassy before you leave.
If your taking money then I would suggest that you forget taking traveler?s cheques as these are accepted no where except banks and then there a real pain to get changed. Best thing I have found is to take your Visa or Mastercard with you, as this is accepted almost everywhere. (If you pay the money you would have spent on traveler?s cheques onto your card, then you?re in Credit). You?ll have to take some cash but a few hundred pounds worth is enough if you have your plastic. If you need more then banks have cash machines but these are generally inside the bank so must be used during banking hours, and generally have queues to use them.
If you?re traveling from place to place, then you will need a large bag. Note, though that on some of the trains the guard will ask you to put the bag in the luggage spaces in the guard?s room, if it?s a biggy, say a rucksack. This is perfectly safe, as the guard?s room will be locked when the guard is not inside.
If you don?t wish to stay in one of the western style hotels (which are expensive £100+ a night in Tokyo) then you can stay in a Ryokan. This is a traditional Japanese hotel. The main difference between this and a western style hotel is that everyone walks round in a kimono-like robe called a Yukata. This can be your nightwear but also it?s worn around the hotel. The floors are generally covered in Tatami and you are supplied with slippers for walking around the hotel.
Ryokan?s usually have large communal bathing areas. These comprise of showering and a shared bath. Oh! If you taking a bath in Japan and its already full when your about to get in, then you need to have a shower and wash yourself first as these baths are for soaking in only. Get in and wash yourself and your host will not be impressed. Oh, watch out because the temperature is usually quite hot. About 42 degrees C.
Breakfast in a Ryokan is usually a traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, miso (bean paste) soup and Japanese style pickles. Sometimes you might get raw egg to add to you rice.
To sum up, Japan is a very different country with very different customs and a unique culture, which has to be experienced and absorbed. The Japanese people in general are very polite and the Japanese society is a very ordered one, which is very easy to fit in to.
If you are going to visit try not to be a westerner for the duration of your stay. The Japanese will love you the more you try to be Japanese and this will make your stay more pleasant. Believe me. In the past 3 years I have spent nearly 10 months there and every time I go I feel more and more of the culture seeping into my body. Sometimes it?s hard to come home. It?s so nice to be somewhere, where you don?t have to worry about crime. It?s the only country I know where you can walk around a major city at 3am in relative safety.
So all that remains for me to say now is, ?When are you going to go??
Common Japanese phrases
Yes - Hai
No - Iie
Please / excuse me / thanks you - Sumimasen
Please (when asking) - o? Kudasai
Good morning - ohayo gozaimasu
Good afternoon - konnichi wa
Good evening - konban wa
How are you? - Ogenki desu ka?
I?m fine - Genki Desu
Nice to meet you - hajimemashite
What is your name? - Onamae wa nan desu ka?
My name is - watashi wa
Nice to meet you, I am It?s a pleasure - Hajimemashite, watashi wa san, dozo yoroshiku
I don't understand - wakarimasen
Good bye - sayonara
How much is this? - Kore wa ikura desu ka?
That's fine - kekko desu
Similar to saying Grace (say before a meal) - Itadakimasu
Said after meals, as a compliment. - gochisousamadeshita
Thanks - Arigato
Thank you very much - Arigato gozaimasu
Thank you, when given something. - Arigato gozaimashita
Very Sorry - Gomen nasai (said whilst bowing)
Sorry - Gomen
Bye for now, see you - Ja ne
What - Nani
Cheers - Kanpai
Do you speak English - Eigo hanashimasuka?
I am English - Igirisu jin desu
What is this - Kore wa nan desu ka?
Where is the - wa doko desu ka?
How far is on foot? - wa aruite dono gurai desku ka?
Zero - Zero
One - Ichi
Two - Ni
Three - San
Four - Yon / Shi (yon is more common)
Five - San
Six - Roku
Seven - Nana
Eight - Hachi
Nine - Kyu
Ten - Ju
Eleven - Ju ichi
Twelve - Ju ni
Twenty - Ni ju
Thirty - San ju
One Hundred - Hyaku
Two Hundred - Ni hyaku
Three Hundred - Sanbyaku
Thousand - Sen
Two Thousand - Nis-sen
Ten Thousand - Man
Twenty Thousand - Ni man
Hundred Thousand - Ju man
Million - Hyaku man
Billion - Ichi oku
© copyright 2001, Mike Porter.
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