So… Let’s talk about food ramen! We are back at JR Tokyo Station to explore the highly-praised Ramen Street! So pretty much it’s a section of Tokyo Station which features different types of ramen from all over Japan! Though there is no English Guide Map to locating the street, it’s very easy to find! Take Yaesu Central Exit Walk straight till you see the stairs going down to “First Avenue Tokyo Station” Take the stairs down and turn right Follow the signs And there we are! Ramen street features ramen from different parts of Japan and you can choose the one you like from the menu/map located by the entrance!…
Cherry Blossom Viewing (Hanami) in Tokyo
Famous all around the world, cherry blossom viewing or hanami (in Japanese) is the highlight of the spring season here in Japan. Usually cherry trees start blooming around the end of March and through April, with myriad spots all around Tokyo. For Japanese people, cherry blossom viewing (hanami) signifies the beginning of Spring and is great cause for celebration. There are many types of hanami including the traditional picnic-style, walk-style, restaurant-style, temple/shrine style and etc. I will introduce you to each type, but mainly, for the purpose of this blog, I will focus on the walk-style hanami at the famous local spot Meguro River. Walk-style Hanami To get to Meguro…
Exploring Japan: FUJI-Q HIGHLAND
The summer is finally here! The season of fun in the sun, at the beach, in the mountains, at the theme parks, beneath the night skies lit up by fireworks and pretty much anything and everything that Japan has to offer. This summer we decided to start out with the theme parks! Due to the high popularity of the large theme parks like Universal Studios and Disney Land, the local parks are often forgotten or even unknown to many visitors of Japan. We thought it would be great to introduce you to some of the local theme parks of Japan, starting with Fuji Q Highland, located at the famous Japanese…
Tokyo Train Station Ekiben
What is ekiben? Ekiben comes from two Japanese words “eki” which means “train station” and “bentou” which means “boxed lunch”. Ekiben is an essential item during travel by bullet trains in Japan. They were born in the late 1800s when the first slow coal-powered trains started running in Japan, taking hours to reach their destinations and their restaurant carts being too expensive for common folk to afford. At first ekiben consisted of the simple two sesame rice balls meal but eventually the shops selling ekibens opened at the train stations providing a wider variety of lunches. Of course now, there are thousands of types of ekibens to choose from and…
Traditional Japanese Crafts of NIPPON-ICHI
As the summer in Tokyo starts heating up the streets, we decided to introduce you to more cool things inside the JR Tokyo train station, a perfect place to pass through or just enjoy on the hot summer day. Tokyo train station is the busiest train station in eastern Japan and boasts an amazing architectural design and the greatest history. When you pass through the magnificent dome gates, you can find a large shopping area where you can discover a ton of fun things and delicious foods. This time we would like to introduce you to the souvenir shop inside the Tokyo station’s Southern Terrace, called NIPPON-ICHI. Originally based in…
Music of Japan: VAMPS
As a part of entertainment industry in Japan, I would like to introduce you to its music and all of its amazing musicians that many of you might not be aware of. This time I would like to start with a Japanese rock band that is active both in Japan and all around the world – VAMPS! VAMPS are a rock duo consisting of HYDE (vocal) and K.A.Z.(guitar), formed in 2008 and aggressively rising in popularity all across Japan and Asia, Europe and the US. This spring, as well as performing at various rock festivals across the US, VAMPS went on the US tour with the legendary American rocker Nikki…
Convenience and Ease of IC Cards
As I mentioned in the ATM entry, Japan is mainly operating on cash-system payment methods. However, there are other options that have become widely and conveniently available in the recent years. IC cards: SUICA IC cards (Integrated-chip cards) are a type of a pre-paid card that is shaped just like a regular credit card but it can be purchased and charged at the train stations only. Having an IC card eliminates an inconvenience of constantly having to carry around cash and trying to figure out how much your ticket to a certain train station would cost. After you got your cash from the ATM just transfer it to your IC…
ATM Machines in Japan
Every time a traveler visits a different country the question of currency and how to pay for what in what way arises. Whether to use cash or a credit card, which stores will accept which type of payment, will the international fees on the credit card be high, if we decide to use cash which ATM will work? Each country has its own rules and systems when it comes to the ways to pay or accept payments. Unlike USA where people rarely use cash at all, in Japan it’s more common to use cash or IC cards and even though recently credit cards are being accepted at some businesses, not…