KurtisW's Advice List

KurtisW United States 4 years in Japan

I like to ride my bike!

Radishes and such

Radishes are abundant; and one that especially comes to mind is the Daikon radish, also quite popular abroad. Daikon is a major staple of many Japanese dishes, the most prominent use being in soups, and as a topping called Daikon "oroshi".Miso soup, Japanese winter stews, and Oden will all make…(170 words)

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Restaurant Miso Fruits Miso soup Oden Summer Winter

Shinjuku South Exit

If you exit Shinjuku station out the south exit, or better yet the "new" south exit, you arrive in a promenade with Krispy Kreme donuts, Starbucks, Tokyu Hands, and other shops.This whole area is lit up with spectacular lights, and being right outside the station, is a great place for a stroll.…(114 words)

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Shinjuku Tokyo Shopping Takashimaya

Kagura, northern Honshuu

Last winter I went to a place called Kagura ski resort, located on Mt. Naeba. This area is in Niigata which is on the northern part of the main island in Japan; about a 3 hour drive from Tokyo. You can always take a bus in the early morning from Shinjuku on a snowboard day trip, but we took a car.…(140 words)

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Tokyo Shinjuku Bus Mountain Niigata Skiing Snow Snowboarding Trip Winter

UFO madness

You've seen the "crane games" the UFO catchers before I'm sure. As I remember when I was young at amusement parks and arcades and such, I would see stuffed animals and candy and try tirelessly to get what I wanted.Japan has taken the "UFO catcher" addiction to new heights with dedicated areas i…(202 words)

KurtisW

Tokyo Souvenir Amusement park

Anime shows also have Giant Monsters!

Giant monsters attacking cities is a pretty common science fiction or horror scenario in Japanese media. The reason being possibly that since people live pretty close together, the idea of a giant monster coming and wreaking havoc is particularly scary and destructive.I know a certain Anime sho…(128 words)

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Anime

Sunrise on the New Year's Morning

You will only get one chance a year at this, but if you happen to be in Japan during the new year, you can see literally the first sunrise on earth. Many people will either stay up all night or wake up especially early to see the first sun in "the land of the rising sun" no less.However, even i…(148 words)

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New year Tokyo River Tama River Winter

Matsuya, Speedy and Filling

It's a bit difficult to define "fast food" in Japan in my opinion. Is fast food a meal that is prepared really fast? Or is it take out? or does it generally refer to junk food? I would say that fast food is cheap, tasty, not necessarily the healthiest, and can either be take out or dine in.Mats…(191 words)

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Tokyo Miso Miso soup Fast food Beef Gyudon (Beef bowl)

Space Battleships

A bit different than the way many consider "nerd hobbies" in America, for example wizards and knight games, Star Wars collectibles, video games, etc, Japan's "Otaku" classification is a bit broader in scope. Otaku will sometimes be less concerned about the actual appearance or collection aspect of …(187 words)

KurtisW

Game Otaku Playing Television

Shio-Kara

When you start getting into what Japanese refer to as "O-tsumami", generally meaning snacks to have with alcohol, you start getting into some pretty strange food. But if you like these kinds of food, it isn't so strange at all.One notorious snack that turns many people away but others inhale, i…(126 words)

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Kara-age is the king of fried food

Kara-age is for the most part Japanese fried chicken, or perhaps Japanese chicken nuggets. Kara-age however in Japanese peoples' minds is separate from "fried chicken". Fried chicken in Japan always has the bone in, whereas kara-age is cut chunks of chicken thigh, seasoned in soy sauce, ginger and …(168 words)

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Restaurant Convenience store Soy sauce Karaage (Fried chicken)

Tokyu Store

And yes that's Tokyu, not Tokyo. The Tokyu is a train corporation which extends itself to many different economic areas, such as grocery stores and real estate.The Tokyu store is a high quality grocery store, but not entirely limited to expensive items. It is a typical store with all the regula…(145 words)

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Tokyo Train Soy sauce Beer Wine

Gold Can Chuu hai

There is a shochu (hard liquor) maker in Japan called "Takara". They have products such as the takara cup, which is a small serving of Shochu in a plastic bottle. This company is generally not associated with higher quality liquors, and is for all intents and purposes, just a cheap buzz.They ha…(158 words)

KurtisW

Shochu Juice

Mosquito Repellent

Katori-Senkou, sometimes referred to as Mosquito Coils, are in my opinion one unique smell that has stuck with me since I first came to Japan.These coils are like incense, and you light one end to have it burn around and around until it becomes ash. They are very cheap, and provide very good re…(141 words)

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Outdoor recreation Camping Summer

Can Coffee

Coffee, anywhere and everywhere, to get you through another day in Tokyo. It's very rare however to see someone walking around with a coffee cup with a lid, such as one you may get at a coffee shop. There is no shortage however of coffee in small aluminum cans that can be bought at basically an…(132 words)

KurtisW

Tokyo Train Coffee

Theft Prevention

Bike crime in Tokyo is certainly present, so locking up your bike is always a good choice. Because so many people ride bikes in Tokyo, the registration system is somewhat strict, and police will enforce the system by checking bike registration at random, to make sure that the bike belongs to you.…(201 words)

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Tokyo Police Bicycle

Fuji Soba

Fuji Soba, found all over downtown Tokyo, is a soba shop like many that have a relatively simple menu of either soba or udon, cold or in hot broth, with the option of a small rice bowl. This place has got to have some of the absolute fastest service I have ever seen, provided it isn't too busy.…(122 words)

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Soba noodles Tokyo Ticket Udon noodles Ticket machine

Conbini Trashcans

If you are a resident of Japan, throwing away your household garbage at a convenience store is somewhat scorned. You may ask, "why use a convenience store?". Many wards and cities in Tokyo require that you purchase special garbage bags for your household trash, with a large bag running about 100 ye…(187 words)

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Tokyo Convenience store

Fujino Art Walk

Fujino station, which is a bit far west from Tokyo, is a very cool starting point to some walking courses lined with modern art from local artists. Fujino has actually been considered an "artist town" since the end of WWII, and although is somewhat struggling in the modern day, the public art remai…(126 words)

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Art Tokyo Train

Ba-sashi

I think many have heard of "sashi-mi", or fine cuts of raw fish to be eaten straight, but the Japanese tend to eat other meats raw as well. Even chicken and beef will occasionally be eaten raw in very small quantities.One thing that was a kind of double surprise for me when I first came to Japa…(121 words)

KurtisW

Soy sauce Sashimi (Raw fish) Beef

Walking a Historical Path

Tokyo, as well as Japanese commerce in general, was structured largely along walking routes in the 16th to 18th centuries. Tokyo has done a good job of preserving its classic street structures, so when you walk down a road in downtown Tokyo, of course the shops have grown from small, one-merchant s…(171 words)

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Tokyo City Kyoto

Imperial Palace Loop

The Imperial Palace sits at the center of Tokyo, and just next to what has become the business epicenter of Tokyo, and moreover the world. Even though this is a very dense area with buildings and people, the area immediately around the Imperial Palace has been preserved and is well kept to look gre…(197 words)

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Tokyo

Just use your hands

I feel as though a lot of people who eat sushi treat it with a bit too much reverence. All though sushi is a misleadingly complex topic, both for the chef and the customer, in the modern day, it is just meant to be enjoyed rather than over-analyzed.If you have reservations or concerns that sush…(325 words)

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Sushi Soy sauce Fast food

Eggs Abound

You can guarantee that in Japan, they have exhausted the best ways to eat certain seafood at certain times of the year, and of course paired with other foods. Fall is the season that is likely most anticipated by the seafood-loving Japanese populace. Just as it is the time of major vegetable, a…(140 words)

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Sushi

Yokohama Bay Bridge

I took this picture as I was returning from one of the outer Tokyo islands, Oshima, on a large passenger ship. As you approach the Tokyo bay, nestled between the Miura peninsula, and the Chiba Peninsula, you can begin to feel the magnitude of the ocean commerce of this area of Japan. Cranes, power …(170 words)

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Yokohama Tokyo Chiba Kanagawa Autumn

Past and Present

A "historical" location is a bit of an open ended term, as basically anywhere in Tokyo that has existed for an amount of time is in its own right historical. if you are interested in the evolution of Tokyo through the Meiji and Showa periods, leading up to the current Heisei period which began in t…(113 words)

KurtisW

Tokyo

Deep Harajuku Feature

It's been covered on this site and many otehrs, but Harajuku is the absolute number one area for the typical Japanese fashion scene. Although mostly pertaining to girls' fashion, stylish menswear is also abundant.This site provides some fantastic first-hand, up-close and personal features of th…(78 words)

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Tokyo Harajuku Fashion

A Trek around Odaiba

If you are willing to take to the road and walk the distance, I highly recommend crossing from central Tokyo into the Odaiba area. You can get there across the rainbow bridge, which will provide an excellent view of the Tokyo bay and the surrounding industrial landscape, which is actually quite bea…(134 words)

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Odaiba Tokyo

Centered around the Imperial Palace

Roads in Tokyo can be a bit confusing to learn one by one, but fortunately there is a pretty cool system for generally figuring out your orientation. "Kan" means cycle, or in this case circle, so we have "Kan-ichi (one)" through 8.This refers to a series of roads circling the imperial palace, l…(138 words)

KurtisW

Tokyo

How To Eat Japanese Soba Noodles - The Sound Makes the Experience

Eating Soba in Japan is an all around sensory experience. The smells, sights, and feel of the soba are crucial to experience this most traditional Japanese dish. One sensory aspect however that is not always associated with a culinary experience is sound.The sound of soba is a result of the con…(381 words)

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Soba noodles

Signs to be Improved

Most signs in Tokyo, at least, all of the major ones crucial for navigating, have English transcriptions. However, sometimes it may be a bit confusing seeing just the transcriptions of the words, and not the actual meaning.For example: "yamate-'doori'", doori means street, but as of now only th…(140 words)

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Tokyo Park City

Classic and Compact, the Iwasaki-tei

The Iwasaki-tei garden is a very small yet classic garden located on the outskirts of the quite busy Ueno park area, which has a wealth of museums, plant life, and a zoo.Here is a great walk through of this antiquated garden, with some more information on how to get there.http://aroundtokyo…(56 words)

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Tokyo Park Ueno Ueno Park

Beach Adventure Time

Tokyo is relatively close to the beach, and there are a decent amount of beach parties and festivals. Many of the beach areas around the Shonan area attract huge amounts of young people who go and party, and occasionally there will be sponsored events by sports, music, or promotion agencies, making…(84 words)

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Tokyo Music Sport Beaches Outdoor recreation

Here's a nice list

There are hotels all over Tokyo, but it might be good to have an idea of where you want to go, or be situated in before you show up in downtown with all of your luggage. It can be quite frustrating to not have a hotel in mind. After all, who wants to wander around only to find a hotel in the area i…(144 words)

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Tokyo Hotel

Keep a seat for someone later!

You will notice that when you enter a train, in most of the train cars there will be a reserved area for people who need the seat: these are called "priority seats". Of course, you can just leave it up to logic in regard to who actually needs the seat, but there will be some symbols on the window n…(196 words)

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Train Etiquette

A Serious Tour

If you are like many, you have at least a mild fantasy about seeing the sights of a country while on a vehicle, whether it be a car, motorcycle, or bicycle. Japan is a country that makes it slightly difficult to be motorized, particularly in Tokyo, so the best option is the healthiest, and in my op…(190 words)

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Tokyo City Bicycle

Nozy Coffee in Sangenjaya

Sangenjaya is an area nestled just in between the more vibrant and busy area of Shibuya, and the western neighborhoods of Tokyo. It has many popular shops and restaurants, but still has a quiet and relaxed vibe overall.It is a great place for small and quaint bars, with a series of narrow windi…(132 words)

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Coffee Tokyo Yokohama Shibuya

Yamanote Area

If you come to Tokyo to do some sightseeing, you will most definitely be riding the yamanote train line, which loops around downtown Tokyo, stopping at all the most key entry points.The "Yamanote" area historically has been considered very upper class Tokyo, while Asakusa, Ueno, and those areas…(124 words)

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Tokyo Train Asakusa Ueno Ebisu

Convenience store solves all

If you find that at some point you have no more underwear in your luggage, or you forgot underwear altogether, never fear for there are easy solutions.My favorite convenience store, "Lawson 100" is a slightly different convenience store that can be likened more to an "all around" food store. Wi…(125 words)

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Convenience store Lawson

Leaving it alone may be best

Finding a lost item is an intersting situation. It all depends on where you "found" it. Seeing a phone, bag, laptop, or other valuable item placed ina train station with the owner clearly absent does not necessarily constitute a lost item in Japan. Although it may be difficult to leave alone, the …(131 words)

KurtisW

Train Train station

Always check your sound

Personally, when I use headphones in a crowded train, I triple check that the sound is not audible outside the headphones. Noise leakage from people's headphones can be a real pain in the morning on a crowded train, and for some reason, people are just oblivious to their own noise (and no one will …(97 words)

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Train Etiquette