Replacing the historical drama "Mito Komon" in its Monday evening slot is a much different type of series, a "humorous mystery" called "Stepfather Step" (TBS, 8 p.m.), based on a novel by Miyuki Miyabe. A professional thief (Takaya Kamikawa) steals only from people who have come by their wealth unethically. While breaking into a house he gets into a difficult situation and is saved by a pair of elementary school-age twins who live next door. The brothers, it turns out, live alone, their parents having just run off with their respective lovers, and they talk the thief into pretending to be their stepfather.
Carolina Kostner halted the Russian march at the European Figure Skating Championships on Friday by grabbing a narrow lead in the women's competition in her bid to capture a fourth continental gold. The 24-year-old Italian justified her tag as favorite by scoring 63.22 points in a graceful routine set to Dmitri Shostakovich's "Allegretto."
Police have opened an investigation after Queens Park Rangers reportedly received a package in the mail addressed to defender Anton Ferdinand that contained a bullet. QPR contacted police on Friday, a day before the team plays Chelsea for the first time since Blues captain John Terry was charged with racially abusing Ferdinand in a Premier League match in October.
Did you watch on TV that news conference last week introducing Yu Darvish as a member of the Texas Rangers? Team president Nolan Ryan, one of the greatest pitchers in major league history, had a previous commitment and could not attend, but it will be interesting to see if Ryan will take a hands-on role in the development of the young right-hander as an American Leaguer.
Fuji TV's Sunday afternoon documentary series "The Non-Fiction" usually covers individuals over long periods of time. "The Old Man and Radiation," aired in two parts on Jan. 15 and 22, was about Toshihiko Kawamoto, an 80-year-old former carpenter who moved from Tokyo to the wilds of Fukushima Prefecture about 12 years ago. A video crew started visiting him in the spring of 2010 for the purpose of recording his self-sufficient existence during the course of a year. On the show's website, the producer says he was initially less interested in Kawamoto than in the passing of the seasons, which is just as well because Kawamoto was reluctant to talk about himself. The documentary would be observational, a view of a life lived in harmony with nature, and the fact that the subject was in his twilight years would add a bittersweet flavor to the production. But as crew and subject got to know each other, Kawamoto's history came to the fore, and the tone of the coverage shifted from the impressionistic to the specific. Disillusioned by his experience as a teenage soldier in World War II, Kawamoto devoted his life to "working for people" rather than abstractions such as the Emperor, and spent the 1950s telling stories to children with the aid of illustrated filmstrips (gento). When he married, he started his own carpentry workshop, but never abandoned his philanthropic mission. After his children were grown, his wife left him, saying she could no longer remain with a "saint."
An active fault around 200 km long that is believed to have been a source of huge quakes in the past has been found off Honshu's Kii Peninsula, according to researchers at the University of Tokyo. If the fault on the Nankai Trough moves, it could trigger a magnitude 8.0 earthquake, the researchers said, adding they have found a seabed cliff several hundred meters high that was created by the fault's past movements.
The Akita Northern Happinets' fourth-quarter comeback fell short in a 72-69 defeat to the host Yokohama B-Corsairs on Saturday in the bj-league. The Happinets trailed 70-60 with 1:36 remaining, but 3-pointers by Ryosuke Mizumachi and Kazuhiro Shoji gave them a shot to pull off remarkable rally. Yokohama's Masayuki Kabaya, however, scored the game's final points on two free throws with 12 seconds left.
Victoria Azarenka routed Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open women's title and secure the No. 1 ranking on Saturday night, all in her first Grand Slam final. The 22-year-old Belarusian dropped her opening service game and was down 2-0 after a nervous start before winning 12 of the next 13 games to take the match away from Sharapova, a three-time major winner and the 2008 Australian champion.
Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe said Saturday his party hopes to make substantial gains in the next general election by working with Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's regional party. "I will support the moves of Osaka Ishin no kai (One Osaka) to redress the principal defects of Japan's governing structure — bureaucratic control and centralization of power," Watanabe told his party's general meeting in Tokyo. "We share the same political agenda with Osaka Ishin no kai."
Former Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian is joining SiriusXM radio as a regular host. Polian will make his debut on the satellite network's NFL Radio channel on Monday night, and also will host a show on Wednesday and next Friday. He will be joined by former NFL quarterback Jim Miller as his co-host.
Hiring a new coach has become almost commonplace for the Raiders, who will have their seventh coach in the past 10 seasons in 2012. As the first coach hired in the post-Al Davis era in Oakland, Dennis Allen will have a much different task than his predecessors. The Raiders officially announced Allen's hiring on Friday, three days after reports initially emerged that he was new general manager Reggie McKenzie's choice to lead the franchise. Allen will be officially introduced at a news conference Monday but has likely already started the process of putting together his first staff as a head coach at any level.
I find the Jan. 24 front-page Kyodo brief "New 'Big One' forecast: four years" very disturbing. This topic would appear to be a very serious matter as the story states that Japan could experience a catastrophe much greater and much more deadly than the tragedy experienced in the Tohoku-Pacific region on March 11. So, why is there not more information in this story? If Indian scientists predicted that a major earthquake would strike the nation's capital, the story would be very detailed indeed. If not, the general public might panic and chaos would rule.
Lindsey Vonn won a World Cup super-combined event on Friday to extend her lead in the overall standings against second-place Tina Maze. The American defended her lead from the morning downhill with a solid slalom leg to clock a combined two-run time of 2 minutes, 28.35 seconds.
Maybe those swing changes are paying off for Tiger Woods. Woods moved into contention with a 3-under 69 Friday after three birdies over five holes on the back nine in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, finishing two shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (67).
The health ministry is drawing up a plan to halve the smoking rate in Japan from 23.4 percent in 2009 to 10 percent. Unfortunately, the plan is tucked into a long-range health promotion plan from 2013 to 2022. Considering that the percentage of smokers stood at 38.2 percent among men and 10.9 percent among women in 2009, according to the health ministry's own statistics, one wonders what the slow, cautious approach is all about?
There must be a better word to apply to some male adherents of Buddhism than "monk," as used, for example, in the Jan. 19 Kyodo article "Matchmaking service gives Buddhist monks a boost in dating market." If there isn't, then perhaps we ought to make one because, in English, "monk" denotes a man living in a separated religious community and abiding by vows — especially of poverty, obedience, chastity, humility — in pursuit of spiritual purification through the self-discipline of study, worship and service. Instead, Japanese Buddhist monks seem to live a life of wanton indulgence, which does not earn my respect. Matchmaking for monks sounds more than ridiculous. What kind of spiritual self-discipline are they showing me? Publicly enduring a frigid New Year's purification bath doesn't recommend anything to me.
Japan striker Mike Havenaar was on target Friday for his first goal in the Dutch first division, but his Vitesse Arnhem side came unraveled in a 3-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, who went top of the table. Tim Matavz grabbed the first for PSV Eindhoven after 30 minutes, netting a rebound after keeper Piet Velthuizen parried a powerful drive by Zakaria Labyad, and Dries Mertens made it 2-0 with a fierce blast into the top corner.
Regarding the Jan. 26 letter "Hospitals shouldn't get breaks" (on the consumption tax and the electricity rate): My large hospital has no doctor's parking lot and not a single Maserati can be found on our lot — lots of bicycles, though. After six years of expensive education and huge debt, physicians get paid about ¥4.2 million a year for the next two years of mandatory internship, working very long hours to hone their skills. This is often followed by a three- to five-year specialty residency in which salary starts at about ¥6 million a year, less than half of what a Maserati costs but a bit more than a C-Class Mercedes. Living in luxury? Hardly. Nurses start at about ¥245,000 a month after graduation, working shifts, and get small annual raises. Clerical staff start lower. Hospital fees are fixed by the government — not on the free market. Air conditioning was off in all administrative areas in 2011 and salaries were capped, with some reduced.
There are outstanding tourist attractions throughout Tamil Nadu, and visitors to the gorgeous coastline can boost the local economy and enjoy themselves while learning a lot from locals about their post-tsunami experiences. Mahabalipuram, right on the Bay of Bengal, is one place it's especially easy to linger while exploring the temples, carvings and caves at this alluring UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In a bid to win support for its contentious plan to raise the sales tax in 2014, the government could introduce cash benefits for those on lower incomes, including senior citizens, part-time workers and the disabled, Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Saturday. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan is mulling a plan to provide annual payments of ¥10,000 for people on low incomes, Azumi said during a visit to the city of Fukuoka.
One person was killed and 21 others were injured when a Ground Self-Defense Force truck and a tour bus collided Saturday morning in an expressway tunnel in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, police and fire authorities said. The accident occurred at around 8:35 a.m. on the Kyushu Expressway, the police said, killing a 39-year-old tour conductor and injuring 21 of the tourists, one seriously, the fire department said.
Regarding Japan's education system as discussed in Jason Pierre's Jan. 15 letter, "Lack of motivation for studying": I believe that the destiny of many younger students depends too much on the results of academic tests that they take at grade schools, cram schools and college preparatory schools. For example, they must score high on tests to enter prestigious high schools. If they don't succeed, they are prodded by their teachers to forget about these high schools as well as the universities they had originally planned on going to. Many younger people are forced to abandon dreams early on. This is a miserable outcome and contributes to a lack of motivation among them.
On Dec. 26, 2004, a massive tsunami blasted across the Indian Ocean, cutting a swath of destruction through communities in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India that claimed a staggering 230,000 lives. As Japan approaches the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, are there any lessons to be learned from the 2004 catastrophe?
Amen to Willie Taylor's Jan. 26 letter, "Can't defend a broken system." What of stressed out teachers who dread entering a classroom? It's sort of like the First World War soldier in the British trenches going "over the top" to face the enemy! A modern teacher has to be something of a lion tamer, a drill instructor and a counselor all at once, and a censor. At Waseda's Honjo high school, I spent a few minutes of each class period collecting manga from students who could not resist reading their weekly comic while ignoring the classroom lesson. I also provided a wakeup service for students who fell asleep during an ESL video so that they wouldn't miss their next class.
Yubari, Hokkaido, claims several distinctions, few of them enviable. It is Japan's only bankrupt city, and also its most elderly. Forty-one percent of its sagging population of 13,000 (down from 117,000 50 years ago) is aged 65 or over. That's of nationwide significance because within 40 years, Japan, demographically if not economically, will be one big Yubari. By 2050, barring a massive influx of young immigrants, not at present foreseeable, or a sudden baby boom, equally unlikely, 40 percent of Japan's shrinking population too will be 65 or over. One asset Yubari has that Japan lacks is youthful leadership. The country's most elderly city boasts its youngest mayor. Naomichi Suzuki is 30 and an outsider. He's from Saitama originally, and began his working life as a career bureaucrat with the Tokyo prefectural government. When Yubari declared bankruptcy in 2007, the call went out for volunteer administrators to help set the debt-ridden city back on its feet. Suzuki's hand went up. It was to have been a two-year posting. But Suzuki took to Yubari, and Yubari to him. Municipal elections loomed in 2011 and he was persuaded to run. Give up vibrant Tokyo for a dwindling rural backwater? Give up a ¥5 million salary for a ¥3 million one? Crazy — or maybe the better word is unconventional, and if ever unconventional thinking is called for, Yubari provides a classic example.
Streets are bathed in indigo hues when I emerge from the Hibiya subway line's Tsukiji Station, heading for Tsukiji Oroshiuri Shijo which, though its name translates simply as "Tsukiji Wholesale Market," is actually the world's largest fish market. At 6 a.m., it's too late to catch the famed tuna or melon auctions, but I've got scaled-back ambitions. Fish stories and a filet or two will do. Heading south on Shin Ohashi avenue, with Tsukiji's Jogai Shijo (outer market) on my left, I pass through clouds of steam from sidewalk ramen shops. What changes there must have been in this area, I muse, since it first began to rise as landfill from Tokyo Bay in the Edo Period (1603-1867). By the mid-1600s, fishermen living on both the new mudflats of Tsukiji and raised islands across the Sumida River were netting the primary source of protein for the estimated half a million residents of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
A.J. Foyt has been hospitalized in Houston for complications from knee surgery and will skip the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The 77-year-old Foyt had knee surgery two weeks ago, and an infection sent him to the hospital Wednesday.
This is a nation of gaps. When the term kakusa shakai came into vogue in 2006 — a fairly self-explanatory expression given that kakusa means "gap" or "disparity," and shakai means "society" — it was a clear sign of Japanese people having finally recognized that the notion of theirs being a hope-filled nation of upwardly mobile middle-class people was a myth.
Regarding the Jan. 23 article, "More crucial than English" (by Takamitsu Sawa): The question of why Japanese students' intellectual capacities are not developed has not been adequately addressed. When it comes to the humanities, Japanese students are discouraged from developing critical thinking skills. Unlike many of their peers overseas, they don't do much independent study. They are kept busy most of the day listening to lectures. They take at least triple the amount of classes that most university students in other countries take and have much less time alone to read books. Then, in their third year, their "education" basically ends as their time is taken up with job-hunting.
The Minnesota Twins will retire former manager Tom Kelly's uniform number. President Dave St. Peter revealed the decision late Thursday at an annual awards banquet at Target Field, where the 61-year-old Kelly became emotional after the announcement. Kelly's No. 10 will be formally retired during a ceremony before a game against Cleveland on Sept. 8.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the recession has helped build TV audiences for NFL games. Speaking on CBS' "60 Minutes," to be aired Sunday, Goodell said the nearly 60 million people tuning in to watch last Sunday's conference championships show that.
It is pleasing to note that among the growing number of Asian-Americans producing works of fiction are authors who specialize in stories of crime and detection. Wisconsin-born Milton K. Ozaki (1913-89), credited as the first of these, published more than two dozen works set mostly in the U.S. Midwest. Living writers who have contributed to this genre include Dale Furutani — the first Asian-American to win a major mystery writing award — Laura Joh Rowland, Sujata Massey, Leonard Chang, Don Lee, Naomi Hirahara, Ed Lin, and the author of the work under review, Henry Chang. Chang's two earlier works, "Chinatown Beat" and "Year of the Dog," combine the genres of police procedural and ethnic detective. While they conveyed life, and occasionally violent death, in New York's Chinatown in a convincing manner, Chang's series character, NYPD Detective Jack Yu, spent too much of his time wallowing in feelings of guilt and self-pity over his dysfunctional family situation.
Voters in Otsu, Shiga elected Japan's youngest-ever female mayor last week. Congratulations go out to Ms. Naomi Koshi, who is only 36, almost half the age of the outgoing mayor, Mr. Makoto Mekata, 70. Mr. Mekata held the post for two terms supported by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. Ms. Koshi ran as an independent supported by the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party. The previous record holder for youngest female mayor was Ms. Kazumi Imamura, who won the race in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture in 2010 at the age of 38. At this rate, a female mayors may be elected in their 20s soon enough!
Derrick Rose got motivated, got aggressive, and got the Chicago Bulls another win over the Milwaukee Bucks before a big road trip. Rose scored a season-high 34 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 107-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
The ongoing nuclear disaster in Fukushima has quashed once ambitious plans for the construction of new reactors in Japan. The government does, however, remain committed to promoting exports of nuclear reactors and technology as it sees huge potential in overseas markets. Nuclear energy will fuel the roaring economies of China and India, although in the latter, popular protests are slowing expansion. In Tamil Nadu, civic groups such as the National Alliance of People's Movements and the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy have opposed commissioning the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) that was built with Russian assistance.
The Chunichi Dragons said Saturday they have reached an agreement on the reacquisition of right-hander Kenshin Kawakami, who spent his final year of a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves playing in the minor leagues. Kawakami's one-year contract will be worth ¥30 million plus performance incentives.
Regarding the Jan. 19 Kyodo article "Todai panel recommends fall enrollment (within five years)": I think this reform will have good effects on Japan. The movement toward fall enrollment by one of Japan's most prestigious universities will influence other institutions and motivate them to offer classes that can compete worldwide. The system will also encourage the mutual exchange of students. I do have concern about education quality, though. In 2001, English education was introduced into Japanese elementary schools as part of globalization. I think this decision by the education ministry was premature. My mother, a teacher at the time, said many elementary schools could not adequately prepare for introducing the program because many Japanese teachers could not speak enough English to teach their classes, and were not able to gather assistant language teachers, especially in the countryside.
Japan and Russia agreed Saturday to strengthen bilateral economic and security cooperation, despite the lack of progress in resolving a long-standing territorial dispute. "With the security environment in the Asia-Pacific region experiencing significant change, Japan-Russia relations are taking on growing importance," Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, after their meeting in Tokyo.
The government will not pay for free medical care to be provided for people aged 18 and younger in Fukushima Prefecture, reconstruction minister Tatsuo Hirano said Saturday. Free medical care in the nuclear crisis-hit prefecture would raise issues about the role of the national medical care system, and providing fresh funding would thus be "difficult," Hirano said in a meeting with Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato.
Film on immigrants from Brazil to be shown The Kansai branch of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research will host a film screening Feb. 12 in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture.
Commissioner Bud Selig expects baseball to expand its playoffs this season. Players and owners have already agreed to add an additional wild card team in each league, but are still deciding whether it would take effect this year or in 2013. Selig said there are scheduling issues to be worked out — once they are, the new 10-team format would begin with a one-game playoff.
Debate on the how, when and why of mankind's creation brims over mere academic study. Sabine Fruhstuck and Anne Walthall, professors of Modern Japanese Culture and History in the University of California system, playfully yet soundly consider something more practically important: how society recreates the image of man. Each essay in their collection, "Recreating Japanese Men," traces the shifting parameters of manhood throughout Japanese society and history: how guns became a symbol of status while the true warrior kept his sword; controversial personality and acclaimed writer Yukio Mishima's devotion to both bushido and "manly beauty"; rock climbing in Japan as equally an androgynous sport and an enclave of machismo; the tangle of techno-geeks, animation and "pure" obsessions in the modern two-dimensional love revolution; and men asserting their manliness by rejecting society and living on the street in Japan's growing homeless concern.
A charity established by a talent agency to support reconstruction in the northeast expects to shoulder several billion yen of the cost of leasing giant pandas from China for a zoo in Sendai. Singer Masahiko Kondo, 47, who represents the Marching J charity set up by Johnny & Associates Inc., said it will cover the expenses estimated for the initial five-year period.
A government survey released Saturday found that more than 80 percent of respondents were largely unaware of details about an envisioned system that would number citizens to centralize control of tax payments and other personal data. In total, 83.3 percent of those polled said they are mostly ignorant of the system. Of this total, 41.8 percent responded that they are aware of the plan but not its specific details and 41.5 percent replied that they have never heard of the system.
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has admitted it overcharged on defense- and space-projects ordered by the Defense Ministry, the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The ministry and the center said they will not in principle sign project contracts with the electrical machinery manufacturer until the situation is fully investigated and the company repays the amounts it overcharged them.
Amere 10-minute walk across busy Route 58 from the polyglot sidewalks, hotels and souvenir shops of Kokusai-dori, the faintly grubby, undulating Chinese boundary walls of a green enclosure announce the presence of a garden known as Fukushu-en. Somehow it doesn't feel in the slightest bit incongruous to be visiting a Chinese garden in the city of Naha. Okinawan emissaries sent from the Kingdom of Ryukyu to pay tribute to the court of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), of which it was a tributary state, would have been exposed to Chinese gardens on many occasions.
An 11th-place finish last season suggests Kawasaki Frontale's days as a J. League championship contender are over, but playmaker Kengo Nakamura is refusing to go quietly as the club prepares for another tilt at a first-ever title. Frontale went into last year's campaign having finished each of the previous five seasons in the top five, claiming the runnerup spot three times to establish themselves firmly among the division's heavyweights. But a rash of high-profile departures and the arrival of rookie manager Naoki Soma hinted that 2011 would be a year of transition, and so it proved as a run of eight straight defeats over the summer derailed the Kanagawa club's title challenge.
Japan
Mont Fuji Japon
Japan is known equally as a hard working, hi-tech company obsessed with miniaturising everything and as a land of ancient temples, martial arts and origami. Whichever definition appeals to you more, you will find plenty to satisfy you, from the bustling neon capital of Tokyo to the ancient temples and shrines of Kyoto. All set against spectacular natural scenery such as Mount Fiji and bubbling volcanic hot springs. On top of all this, the Japanese people are famous for being friendly and gracious hosts, especially to hotel ists who can expect a warm welcome to one of the most interesting countries in the Far-east.
Currency: Japanese Yen. (¥)
Time Zone: GMT + 9
Language: Japanese
Telephone Services: Country code +81, International access code 001
Emergency Numbers: Tokyo English Life Line 3403 7106, Japan Helpline 0120 461 997
Climate
In general Japan benefits from a temperate climate with cool sunny winters and very hot summers. The most pleasant time to visit is the milder Autumn and Spring seasons. Rain can fall throughout the year but is not generally too heavy. Typhoons can occur during September or October but generally don't last for longer than a day. Okinawa has a sub-tropical climate and Hoikkaido boasts a climate similar to that of Washington with Siberian blasts blowing in during the winter providing great skiing spots. Winter can get very cold with temperatures as low as 2 degrees C and in the North temperatures can drop to below freezing.
BASIC DO'S AND DON'T'S ( adapted from Japan Made Easy, by De Mente as featured in the Travel Japan Bookstore)
DON'T:
Eat food while walking down the street.
Blow your nose in public. Sniffling is okay.
Wear shoes or slippers on tatami mats!
Give someone 4 of anything( or any number that is
"even").The Japanese word for "4" is similar to the word for death.
Smile in formal pictures.
Stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice.
Wear shorts to temples or shrines.
Point your feet at anyone when sitting on the
floor. Its insulting.
Be direct.
Laugh with your mouth wide open.
Do:
Slurp while eating noodles.
Give a slight bow when meeting someone who is your peer.
Give a lower bow if they are your elder or boss.
Say "susimasen" after everything you say. It is the
all-in-one politeness word, meaning "excuse me",
"thank you," "hello" etc.
Give your business card, with a slight bow, immediately
when meeting a business colleage.
Give your seat up for children on trains.
Wear skirts or long pants, especially when visiting
temples or shrines.
Give a gift when visiting a Japanese home.
Listen to what is NOT said.
Wash before you get into the tub, and save the bath water
for others.
For more basic tips, go to:
Good Manners.
GIFT GIVING:
Unless you are not meeting with anyone in Japan, be prepared to give gifts. Gifts from your home area are especially appreciated. If there is a number to the items, like candy, try to avoid even numbers, especially "4." If you are meeting with a group, bring a consumable gift so everyone can enjoy it equally and no one is left out. Tee shirts with sayings in English are very popular in Japan. Pencils or pens with company or school name would be admired and plentiful to have enough for an entire group.
GREETINGS:
While some Japanese have become somewhat accustomed to shaking hands, it is still awkward for most. It is best to bow slightly when greeting someone. The lower the bow the more respect. If you are meeting someone for work-related business purposes, it's important to have a business card, preferably with a Japanese translation on one side. After bowing, with respect, extend an immaculate business card from a business card holder, preferably in a breast pocket or purse. When receiving a business card, admire it for a moment and keep it out to refer to. Don't fold it, write on it, or stuff it in a pocket. See this site for further information:
Bowing.
Visitors bowing before entering a temple.
SHRINES: Just a reminder: when visiting these beautiful shrines, please remember they are sacred--be respectful and wear long pants or a conservative skirt (no sleeveless tops or shorts).
VISITING IN THE JAPANESE HOME:
The Japanese will expect that you will be from another culture, but keeping these tips in mind will help the visit go more smoothly. The host family will want to "spoil" you, basically. They will want to have thought of your every need. If they realize you need something not already provided by them, they will be disappointed. Its best to graciously make do with what is provided and be thankful. If anything inconveniences your host, be apologetic. Before entering the house, you will leave your shoes where the others have left them outside the door. Then you will wear slippers provided or just your socks. Before entering a room with tatami mats on the floor(likely to be the main, multi-purpose room), its important to remove your slippers so as not to damage the mats.
For more information, see:
Customs in the Home.
A room at a Ryokan, a Japanese inn. Notice the tatami mats on the floor.
Golden Pavillion
Things to see and do
Unlike most cities, Tokyo is not a city littered with interesting or ancient architecture. Having been almost completely rebuilt after the heavy damage sustained during the Second World War the skyline is dominated by modern hi-rise skyscrapers. While in the suburbs some tradition clings on by its fingertips, certainly central Tokyo can be described as nothing short of a modern metropolis. Most visitors spend a lot of there time in the Ginza shopping district which contains boutiques, shops and galleries of all kinds. Its fashionable status does make Ginza somewhat expensive so unless you want to blow your whole trip's budget in one day it is best to take it easy here. Some of Japans finest museums and galleries are located around the Ueno-Koen park including the Tokyo National Museum and the National Science Museum.
After experiencing the new Japan in Tokyo there is no better place to discover a taste of old Japan than Kyoto. The city boasts literally hundreds of temples, shrines and gardens and was even the nations capital for over a thousand years. Although even here, modern buildings have started to encroach on the tiled roves and pebbled gardens of the temples there is still plenty left to see. There are a number of suberb temples including the Kinkaku-ji temple and the Sanjunsangen temple which houses 1001 statues of Kannon the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Also worth a look is the Imperial Palace in central Kyoto and the Himeji-jo Castle located just outside the city itself.
Those with a penchant for modern history often visit Nagasaki, the city decimated by the second nuclear bomb dropped on Japan during Worl War Two. The city has now been rebuilt as a prosperous example of Japanese urban life but its grisly past is recorded in the A-bomb museum situated at Urakami, the centre of the explosion. Also of interest in the city is the Fukusai-ji Zen Temple, Glover Garden and the Hypocentre Park which has a monument to mark the exact centre of the blast which decimated Nagaski.
Travel
When travelling in the mainland of Japan, it is dubious if the distances warrant air travel, however when travelling throughout the Islands it does become a viable possibility. Several airlines offer domestic flights throughout Japan and its islands including Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines and Japan Air Systems. Tickets can be bought from hotel operators, or at the airports from both airline counters and automatic ticketing machines in the larger airports.
Japan Railways Group is the rail operator throughout Japan. The service is one of the best in the world with some of the most hi-tech trains in existence. Many travellers will be familiar with the famous "bullet trains" which reach speeds in excess of 300km/h, which serve the busiest lines on the Japanese network with some routes offering as many as six trains per hour. Other lines run limited express, express or local services, generally each type of train ryokanries a different supplement with a further supplement being charged for travel in the first class "green" ryokans, seats on which must usually be reserved in advance. Tickets can be bought from stations, most commonly from automated vending machines. For some short distance, local trains, this is the only way to obtain a ticket.
A "Japan Rail Pass" is available, which is usually purchased through Japan Airlines or a hotel operator which is only available to foreign hotel ists. This pass allows unlimited travel on Japan Rail trains, buses and ferries. Passes start from £150 for a 7 day pass and are without a doubt one of the most economical ways to get around in Japan.
Bus travel is highly developed in Japan, but in most cities has been superseded by the underground metro system for local travel, similarly the rail network has mostly replaced the inter-city bus network. Services do still exist in appreciable numbers but the fare system are confusing and almost always highly automated so for most travellers it is wisest to just stick to the train.
Taxis are plentiful but they can be veery expensive, especially at night but if you are travelling in a group and can share the cost they could be a good transport option.
hostel, guesthouses in Japan are sub-divided between Western and Japanese style hostel, guesthouses. While the Western style hostel, guesthouses are much the same as those found in Western Europe the Japanese style ones are a unique experience. On arrival guests are given kimonos and rooms are decked out in traditional Japanese style complete with paper sliding doors and Japanese bathtubs. These Japanese style hostel, guesthouses are known as "ryokan and the Japan Ryokan Association can be contacted for more information. For general information on all kinds of hostel, guesthouses the Japan hostel, guesthouse Association can provide further information.
There are over 400 youth hostels in Japan which are regulated by Japan Youth Hostels Inc. In general guests must be a member of the International Youth Hostel Association although guest passes can be obtained from Japan Youth Hostels Inc's headquarters in Tokyo or from some hotel operators.
Health
The provision of healthcare in Japan is excellent, easily on par with the standards of the US or western Europe. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers will provide English speaking doctors where appropriate and all western medications are widely available. Treatment costs can be extremely high in Japan so it is essential that you have adequate insurance cover when planning a visit to Japan.
There are no special precautions or vaccination recommended before visiting Japan, food and drink is considered safe and normal everyday precautions should be observed when buying food from street traders.
A valid passport and a return ticket is required by all visitors to Japan. Visas are not required by US or EU nationals for a stay of up to three months. Further visas and visas for other nationalities are issued at the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate and their exact validity and price varies widely with nationality.
Addresses
Visa and immigration related enquiries should be directed to the nearest Japanese Embassy of Consulate;
Embassy of Japan
101 Piccadilly
London
W1V 9FN
Tel: (020) 7 465 6500
Fax: (020) 7 491 9348
If you require UK representation while in Japan you should contact the British Embassy;
British Embassy
No 1 Ichiban-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-8381
Tel: + [81] (3) 5211 1100
Fax: + [81] (3) 5275 0346
embassy@tokyo.mail.fco.gov.uk
