I'm not sure about westerners, but being an Asian, Japanese hot spring is something the majority of Asians would love to try, at least once. Onsen are among the most popular tourist sites in Japan.
The Japanese take hygiene seriously. You will hardly see any rubbish on the roadsides - even the trains are clean!! In Japan, not only they are clean, everything is in perfect order and neat as well - well trimmed trees, for example.
Beautiful ancient Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan is one good reason that you should visit and see them yourself. Shrines which are located up the mountains will not disappoint in term of beautiful scenery. Japan has about 5. Not only the country has high number of vending machines, but the vending machines give you almost everything too.
So, whats about this hour convenience store that is worth mentioning here? Firstly, you will find one hr convenience store within meters or less if you are in big streets. When I was in Tokyo, there are about four convenient stores within walking distance from my hotel - so, they are really everywhere.
Second, it is a one-stop "shopping center". Meaning to say, you can get almost everything and anything there. And finally, the fast food served is really not that bad. Having picked up some lovely seasonal items, along with a bottle of sake from snowy Niigata Prefecture, I began walking towards the charming Naka-Meguro neighborhood.
A reasonably short walk from hyperactive Shibuya, there is perhaps nowhere more magical in hanami cherry blossom viewing season than the tree-lined canal in the trendy yet laid-back Naka-Meguro. During the cherry blossom season — the duration of which varies from year to year — the streets along the canal exist in an almost-constant state of celebration.
The majestic cherry blossom trees sway luxuriously sway over the canal, and small groups of friends gather to eat and drink amid the sea of pink. I found my friends under the trees with all the requisite hanami supplies: tarp, grill, beer, snacks, guitar. We joined hundreds of other revelers in relaxing with friends and family on this perfect Saturday, eating and drinking under the sakura.
As night fell and the early spring chill began to envelop us, we packed up and retreated to a cozy neighborhood izakaya to warm up over sake and small dishes of vegetables, seafood and grilled meats. Experiences like this first led me to fall in love with Japan, and thrill me to this day, even after all these years. Planning to stay a year, I ended up staying several, and now spend several months of every year traveling through Japan. Read my story. I never planned on dedicating my life to Japan.
On my very first visit to Japan, I arrived in Tokyo on a stormy August night. I was exhausted following the flight from New York, and a little overwhelmed by my new surroundings.
After the flight and a train ride from the airport into the city, I hopped into a taxi from the station for the last leg of my journey.
Not realizing that taxi doors open automatically in Japan, I committed my first etiquette faux pas — a very common one indeed, and typically laughed at. On the left are people moving forward with you, and on the right will be people moving toward you.
First , always try to take a seat when eating. Second , always carry a small plastic bag with you to dispose of trash items. You will see a lot of things regarding daily interactions that you might not be accustomed to.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and any order might fall apart more during peak commute times. Although throughout the day, people will walk on the correct side of the sidewalk, stand on the proper side while riding escalators, fall into marked zones, and wait in orderly lines for trains.
Every worker throughout the city, from Starbucks employees to scientists, shows pride in their work through unmatched efficiency and order. Japan is unique because the integrate technology into their society faster than almost anywhere else. There might not be a place on this planet that oozes technology like Japan. At least in the cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
You can see technology in every corner from the buttons of a toilet to the streets glowing with neon signs. While it can take hours to traverse a city in the United States via a train, the rail system in Japan can shoot you outside of the city and into neighboring regions with speed and efficiency.
Robotic street sweepers , huge vending machines that serve you anything from soup to coffee, to futuristic capsule hotels run almost entirely without humans; not only do you see the technology and efficiency everywhere, but you almost feel like they are literally automating every facet of human interaction out of daily life.
Robots have been making their way around Japan for some time, and some of these robotics are for show. The Robot Restaurant show in Tokyo is a mixture of showmanship with robotics, lights, and Broadway dance routines. With all the glitz and glam of the robots and street lights, there are many places in rural Japan where things are more simple.
Many rural prefectures still have operating Minshuku or Ryokan , and far away from the busy city, you can often enjoy the tranquility of nature and outdoor springs in many places. Minshuku: Is much considered a budget continuous bed-and-breakfast. Ryokan: is often a higher end traditional Japanese bed-and-breakfast. Often these will either have outdoor or indoor onsens hot spring baths. One could almost live on the vending machines alone.
Not only are vending machines everywhere, but they offer both hot and cold foods. You can get anything in a vending machine there. From an ice cream cone to a latte, nothing spells convenience more than these machines. Japan is unique because even glamourous neighborhoods in Tokyo have affordable options. Great question. And a 1DK would mean one bedroom with a kitchen and den. There is quite a bit of terminology that separates the classifications for apartments in Japan, so you should do a bit of research before diving into the rental market.
A ward is a subdivision of the cities that are of a large enough region to be designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to section the city into various boroughs. Shinjuku is one of the trendy spots in the city. So you see, Tokyo and its surrounding regions can actually be reasonable. And if you move further out to a more rural ward, like Hachioji , you can get a larger place for potentially cheaper.
Cheap is all relative though, and like many popular large cities, the living quarters will typically be very small. For a complete understanding of what it would cost you to live in Japan, visit Numbeo.
The diversity of the landscape will inevitably bring peace to you. And the mindset of locals in a small town will definitely be more open to bringing you into their community. While the cities of Japan are fast-paced and technologically impressive, the rural regions of the country are still rooted in the traditional ways.
From afar, you may have thought of just sushi. But really some of the best beefs in the world come from Japan. Time and time again, I have been blown away by the food from what at the time seemed like a nondescript little restaurant. Like any big city, there is a melting pot of world-class restaurants and foods available. From the fast-food chains like Sukiya to the little alleyway havens where you can eat with Japanese salarymen , the diversity of dining options in major cities is vast.
There are many options, and often lunchtime specials in little restaurants tucked into corners of the cities will be very reasonable. On my way to the convenience store, I ducked into a thin alleyway full of people to see what was back there. After squeezing through the buildings, it opened to a plethora of walkways full of small markets and eateries. From sushi houses to ramen shops , it was an onslaught to my senses, and the smell pulled me into the small Korean restaurant called Koriyan Table.
The next half an hour, I sat with Japanese salarymen sipping beer and having a few laughs. So remember to have some cold hard cash on hand all the time. Japan is unique because they place a real effort on being healthy. Overall, you will see the retired population far more active in Japan, and therefore you will see the older generation socializing and exercising regularly alongside young people in the parks. From tai chi to katana , they not only exercise with a routine, but they work their culture into their exercise.
The Japanese katana is a sword that is slightly curved with a single-edged blade, and it is typically wielded with two hands.
Both young and old will be socializing together in activities that keep the body healthy over a long period of time. Not only do they value and find time for exercise, but the Japanese food o ptions are also typically far more healthy.
Like us Westerners, they do enjoy sweats as well, and you can find amazing candies and bake goods everywhere. Although the traditional Japanese diet with staples, like rice and fish, is much more natural and easier for the digestive system.
Traditional fashions such as kimono are unique to Japan and one thing that sets it apart from other cultures. Many locals still enjoy wearing traditional clothes for special occasions, including graduation, weddings, and festivals. Geisha are professional female entertainers, although historians believe the first geisha were male. These women entertain anyone who can afford their services with conversation, dance performances, and games at high-class restaurants and private parties.
Geisha are the precursor to another uniquely Japanese phenomenon: hostess clubs. Japan reports more earthquakes than any other country in the world. It can experience dozens of small earthquakes each month. Larger earthquakes, which cause infrastructural damage or tsunami, are much more rare, but devastating when they do happen. Aside from favorites loved around the world, such as edamame soybeans , sushi , and miso, there are a lot of uniquely Japanese dishes even the most adventurous foodie might need coaxing to try.
Natto, anyone? Sumo wrestling began in Japan hundreds of years ago, during the Edo Period, but its roots may go back even further to ancient Shinto rituals. Tatami flooring originated as small, mobile seating for the nobility during the Heian Period.
By the early Edo Period, the lower classes even started using tatami mats.
0コメント