StevieB's Advice List

StevieB New Zealand 19 years in Japan

I would love to help you with any questions you have on Japan.

Energy Drinks For When Not Feeling Well

Japan has a great selection of energy drinks that are always changing with the times. However, there are two drinks that haven been round for the longest time and are still going strong. They are basically the same drink, in competition with each other, I suppose a little bit like Coke and Pepsi...…(243 words)

StevieB

Convenience store Drink Sport Playing Summer

Parking in Japan

Parking in Japan is actually quite complicated. You don't need to be in Japan very long to notice that there is not much street parking. There are some parking metered areas, but there are way more cars in commercial car parks than there are on the streets.In fact, it is basically illegal to park…(675 words)

StevieB

Tokyo Park Restaurant Yokohama Shopping Ticket Police Department store Coin

Earthquake Advice

Firstly, don't panic! Stay calm. If there is violent shaking you need to get under a table or bed, or something. If there is nothing, door frames are a strong part of any house, so stay under them, or otherwise slip into your toilet. Stay away from windows, cabinets, etc., as things will fly and fa…(307 words)

StevieB

Earthquake Tokyo City Transportation Government office

Serviced Apartments and Share Houses

For short stays in Tokyo, and indeed for the rest of Japan, hotels are very convenient. However, you should be aware that hotels in Japan typically charge per head, and not per room (there are exceptions), so hotels can become an expensive proposition.The alternative to hotels, are serviced or fu…(254 words)

StevieB

Tokyo Hotel Lodging

Aisatsu

The use of aisatsu is probably one of the best ways to strike up a relationship in Japan. "Aistatsu" are greetings such as "Konnichi wa" (Hello, used during the day). Try using aisatsu at a variety of places; eg. in the elevator, in the park, at ths supermarket or in the izakaya (as per the above e…(97 words)

StevieB

Park Izakaya Greeting