“I’ve got a file on you”. That’s what you want a family member or close friend to be able to say while you are visiting Japan. Maintaining a contact in your home country is important, but often not the first thing we think of as we prepare to go abroad. When I say “contact“, I’m not just talking about those random calls home you might make to family and friends. I’m talking about someone who can handle business in your home country if something should go awry while you are away.
So, break out your Japan Trip File, flip to a new section and let’s start making (yet another) list of what we need to keep in our contact file. read more…
Pssst … I maintain a security clearance for my job so pull in close to your screen and listen (okay, read) carefully. My suitcase has a secret and I’m going to share it with you. What I’m about to tell you should go no further than here, okay? I’m about to teach you how to smuggle out of Japan. Ssshhhh!!! Click the “more” link at the end of this sentence and … tell no one! read more…
No, but you might be hard pressed at times to find some when using public restrooms. Why? I have no idea. Somewhere along the line I was warned about this. I can’t remember the why’s, the how’s or the who’s of the conversation but it was sure handy to know when I was packing my bag for my trip last year. Take heed, my friends, toilet tissue can be scarce in some public Japanese restrooms so PLEASE PACK SOMETHING YOU CAN USE TO WIPE YOUR BUMS!
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Some time ago we talked about “Riding the Rail” in Japan, meaning –>get a Japan Rail Pass if you want to travel around and see more than just Tokyo!! Remember, we visted hyperdia.com to see examples of travel routes we could take and how much those trips would cost? And remember how shocked we were to discover the average cost of a jaunt from Tokyo to somewhere like Nara or Kyoto could cost around $300.00 roundtrip? Yep. But then, remember how relieved we were when we discovered the Japan Rail Pass that can only be purchased outside Japan by non-nationals (citizens who are not nationals of Japan) and can be used on a majority of the trains, shinkansen, subways, metros, buses (and even some ferries) run by the Japan Rail Group? Yeah, you remember … the Japan Rail Pass that saves us a significant amount of travel dollars because it’s a discounted pass for unlimited travel on covered Japan Rail transportation?
Yeah, that Japan Rail Pass. You remember now? Well, I bought mine!!! Sure did. Bought it through STA Travel and if you click on the “read more” link at the end of this sentence, I’ll lay out the process for you step-by-step. read more…
A few days ago we talked about riding the rail and purchasing a Japan Rail Pass to parlay some of our travel costs. After reading the article, Jamie of Frugalista Japan posted this:
So, I’m confused. Can this be used on Shinkansen? Or are you limited to only using standard trains? Also, I’m not sure about Tokyo, but within Kyoto city there are no JR lines, just the ones going to Kyoto station - after that you would have to pay separate costs for city subways etc. It sounds worth it if you plan to travel several different cities mind you, but only if it *can* be used on Shinkansen too…
I’m not sure I’ll answer all Jamie’s questions, but here’s some additional information I hope will be helpful to you. read more…
Before we get started, let’s clarify. I said chunk, folks. As in “small-to-medium pieces of something”. I did NOT say CHUCK as in “to throw away”. Now that we’ve got that straight, let’s talk about what I mean when I say “chunk your budget”. [Of course you know we're talking about our budget for our trip to Japan, right? Right.]
Budgeting and saving for Japan can be a tricky business so we want to give ourselves as much time as we can. This isn’t always possible but the more time we give ourselves, the more efficient we can be in putting away funds for our awesome adventure. Prime saving time: 6 months to a year. Average time we give ourselves: 6 weeks - 3 months. Keep this is mind.
Now, let’s talk about chunking. When we sit down to eat a meal, how many of us dump the enitre plate down our throats and call it a day? I have to admit there have been times when I wanted to do that, but it’s impossible, right? Instead, we take several small bites at a time and we keep doing that until the deed is done. Same concept with your budget! Instead of thinking in terms of the entire amount of money we’ll need, breaking it down into smaller pieces makes it easier to digest. (Unless you’re Bill Gates or P.Diddy or somebody like that who has money to throw around like water). read more…
Take a look at this picture I snapped of a side-street in downtown Asakusa. If you stare at it long enough, you’ll probably become just a little disconcerted without really knowing why you feel that way. Look a little harder. Still don’t know why the picture seems a little strange? Because there’s not one iota of trash on the street!!! Go ahead, cut and paste it into your computer’s photo viewer and blow it up, like a thousand times. You still won’t find any trash on the street. Not a cigarette, not an advertisement or a balled up tissue. Not even a gum wrapper. The Japanese are fanatic about keeping public areas clean and also about their recycling program. Be prepared. read more…
“These Boots Are Made For Walking”, an infamous country-pop song first recorded by Nancy Sinatra in 1966 is an apt title for today’s entry.
One would be surprised at the amount of walking you will do while in Japan. Don’t let the metro system, trains, rails and numerous buses fool you. While Japan is infamous for its most efficient handling of the traffic resultant of its millions of citizens, visitors to the “Land of the Rising Sun” often find themselves walking more than they ever thought possible.
So what to do? Why, go shoe shopping of course! read more…
My mother says I rode a train at a really young age. Obviously I was too young to remember because I don’t recall a train ride until my brother’s wedding about 3 years ago. I’m not doubting her but she also says I’ve been on the subway and I don’t remember that, either. My first recollection of a subway/metro infrastructure is when I lived in the northern part of Virginia about 3 years ago… although there is that one time on the metro in Canada with fellow members of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. That particular memory, however, is probably better left unexpressed (smile).
So why do I wax on (and on, and on) about rail systems? Because it’s probably one of the first things an experienced Japan traveler will tell you about. For a country boasting a population of 127,288,416 and spread out over approximately 140,000 square miles, transportation in Japan is “key”! Check out this excerpt I borrowed from Wikipedia:
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands[5] making it an archipelago. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan’s land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Japan is huge and it does an awesome job with it’s multitudes of transportation systems. While they have many buses, subways, metro trains and metro rails, the focus we want to take today is the Japan Rail System, more specifically the JAPAN RAIL PASS. read more…
Recently, Naomi B posed this question on Yahoo Answers.Com:
I will be in Japan for 2 weeks in July. How much money (roughly) will I need? I have the rail pass. So its really to eat, sleep (some drinking!) and to get into places.
Ms. Naomi received some pretty good replies from people who obviously have some experience traveling in Japan so it was pretty cool to see the figures. Of course, her question brought on a bit of nostalgia and also got me a little curious as to how much I had spent during my own 2-week excursion to Japan. As a result, I pulled out my “Japan Trip File” from 2008 and took a look at the finances. read more…
