About "Top Places in Tokyo"

Hello Everyone,

(Kaminarimon, 雷門)

It has occurred to me that many people go to Tokyo, not realizing what exactly it has to offer. Granted, most people may know Tokyo Tower (東京タワー), Akihabara (秋葉原), or Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド) (which is actually in Chiba, the Prefecture adjacent to Tokyo) and some might know the Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館) , but that tends to be the extent of most people's knowledge.

Most people I meet who are not familiar with Tokyo will say to me, "Oh cool! You live close to Tokyo? What're some cool things to do there?" As I list off the many things to do, they become surprised by all of what there actually is in Tokyo.

I think this may be due to the fact that a lot of places have names that are difficult to pronounce, say or even remember if one is not familiar with Japanese. Furthermore, Tokyo is HUGE. So there are a lot of things to do, but with so many names, confusion can occur which leads to a lack of knowledge on sights to see in Tokyo.

So I wanted to compile a list of places that I believe are worth visiting within Tokyo. Each place is divided by area, has a description of said place, who I would in particular recommend should go see said place, and a personal rating (5 being the best).  Some will also include links to more detailed reviews of locations that I have been as well. But yes, anyway, that's what this section of my blog will be for. I will tag general areas to help everyone find what things are close to one another as well. Anyway, I hope that for some this helps you plan your trip to Tokyo!

Tactile Consideration

Hello once again,

This time a very short, basic post, but it's about the Tactile Paving system here in Japan. The Tactile Paving system is a series of slightly raised strips or bumps in the road meant to help the blind or visually impaired as the walk around cities and in town. And they are EVERYWHERE. In Tokyo, Kyoto, Saitama, Kumagaya, Okayama in train stations, in buildings, on almost every sidewalk. About the only place that I haven't seen them is on roads primarily for cars (not pedestrians). I mostly wanted to share this because it just blew my mind that they existed. What a considerate and smart thing to do!

(For when you possibly need to change direction)

(Along the sidewalk)

(Near the street)

(On the station platform)

I hope you can find a reason to smile today! :)

Taiyaki!

Small joys! I found this in my local supermarket one day. It’s pre-made Taiyaki (たい焼き) that you could buy and heat up at home. I used to eat Taiyaki in the Asian Culture Club in my College and I loved it. I knew you could buy it in Taiyaki shops over here, but pre-wrapped in the supermarket?!? Heck yes, I’m excited about that!

They’re a lot like pancakes or waffles, but with red bean paste inside them. They’re really delicious treats and I like them for breakfast or desserts especially.

Anyway, find a reason to smile today!

Shinkansen Travels

A bit of a shorter little post this time. Japan is known for its high-tech advancements in technologies. One of their greatest inventions and advancements is their train system. It is fast, efficient, and ON TIME. ALWAYS. (So much so that if it’s late by a minute, you complain even if you’re used to trains being thirty minutes late back in your homeland). At the pinnacle though of this achievement is the invention of the Shinkansen (新幹線), also known around the world as the Bullet Train. Reaching speeds of up to 320 km/hour (about 200 MPH) in transit and up to 581 km/hour at it's highest test speed, the Shinkansen is perhaps the best way to travel throughout Japan. 

The Shinkansen is pricey, yes (sadly), but it is worth every yen you pay. I’ve ridden on the Shinkansen now four times: once from Hakone Park to Tokyo, once from Okayama to Tokyo, once from Tokyo to Kyoto, and finally on a return from Kyoto to Tokyo. It is truly a luxury. Fast, on time, and efficient, they are well taken care of machines, both inside and out. You get to location so quickly you can hardly believe it!

You can get reserved or non-reserved seats for the Shinkansen. And while there is a smoking room, smoking is prohibited elsewhere in the train (thankfully for those of us who get sick around smoke).  The trains are also cleaned out at the end of their route every time. Their operation is so smooth that once the train begins to move, you don’t even notice that you’re moving, much like riding an airplane, but with a lot less turbulence in a storm. Oh and sometimes small bits of food service for those who forgot to buy a bento at a stand in the station before getting on the train! (Not generally food, but perhaps a snack or drink at least).

You can purchase tickets in advance or buy them the day of. Reserved seats are more expensive of course, but that’s the price of guaranteeing sitting with family or friends. Often there are rows of three or two. You really don’t need to speak Japanese to buy your ticket. I often use google maps to figure out where to pick up the train (Shinkansen included), then at the station the Shinkansen starts at, I go to the Shinkansen ticket counter and say ‘京都に行きたいです’ (‘Kyoto ni ikitai desu’), and they’ll proceed to help me get to Kyoto via the Shinkansen. Getting to the right platform is also a piece of cake as all of the signs have English subtext. Also, on the train, announcements are in both Japanese and English.

In short, the service on the Shinkansen and for the Shinkansen is fantastic. Riding the Shinkansen always makes me feel like royalty: important, valued, and at ease, knowing that I’m completely well taken care of on the train. If you can, use the Shinkansen while in Japan! It’s an experience you won’t regret!

07 Ghost Shelf

Hello once again!

Time to share a short little second in life over here in Japan. A while back in Ikebukuro (池袋), I ran into this shelf in the Animate Honmise (Main Store):

My favorite manga series is Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara's "07 Ghost", so needless to say, I was giddy inside. I have gone back a few times since and can attest that this shelf still exists as I've seen it in passing (I would buy from it if I didn't already have all the volumes in Japanese as it is). Similarly, there are many manga series with tons of shelves like this in these stores. I will write about further adventures in various Animate stores in the future, but for now, I'll just leave this here. Have a wonderful day!

Wrapping Courtesy

Hi everyone!

This is probably going to be that weird post that you never expected to see, but I had to post about it because I was so thoroughly floored by it. (Boys beware, this is a girl's thing). Often times in the US, you go to the supermarket/pharmacy and the cashier stuffs everything into bags, not caring what is seen and not seen. Now at this point, you're probably used to this, as was I. So I was completely taken aback when this happened.

Above is a photo of the bag given to me at the pharmacy. In comparison to the rest of the bags given to me, it was not see through and it didn't look like a bag that had come from that store. So why did they give it to me and use this bag? Because in addition to buying tissues, paper towels, etc., I also had to pick up some feminine hygiene supplies. So when I went to check out, they noticed the pack, set it aside, and neatly put it away inside this different bag so that no one would see my feminine hygiene products or realize it was from any store in particular. Talk about courtesy wrapping! It was (and continues to be whenever I happen to go in for the same item) such a nice gesture that I just had to share.

Do something courteous today!

About "Daily Life In Japan"

As a foreigner in Japan, or a Gaikokujin (外国人), there is so much to see and do. However, I often find it's the little things that are different that make life here a new adventure every day. In other words, it's one thing to be a tourist and another to be a resident (trust me, I've been both, I know!). 

So here you can find some of the things I experience as a current resident in Japan. From the food, to shopping, to getting around from place to place. 

More coming soon! :)

今日は！

Hello and Welcome to "Beautiful Japan"!

Japan has always been a place of interest for many people the world over. From the history, sights, people, culture, and language, Japan continues to capture our attention.

As a foreigner living in Japan, there is so much to see and do. There are so many places to go, things to experience, and things to learn about Japan!

It is my hope here that I can share my experiences of living in Nihon (Japan) with others through blog posts and my photography.

よろしくおねがいします。