photo by HAMED MASOUMI

One of the reasons for many ex-pats in Japan to take up or continue smoking is their relative low-cost to cigarettes back home.  Currency exchange is one thing but also the fact that the Japanese Government has resisted temptation to whack high taxes on tobacco unlike most other governments throughout the world.

The cost can be as much as 60% cheaper than other developed countries with a box of “Marlboro Lights costing a mere 320 yen, compared with around 600 yen to 800 yen in the European Union.” (Wall Street Journal)

It’s an interesting problem for the new government.  On the one hand they need to rapidly increase funds available for their political reforms and an increase in tax on cigarettes would generate a pool of cash to start with.  But the cigarettes tax issue has been a delicate problem for a while.

Whilst most minsters admit that there is a health problem associated with smoking and an increase in tax would deter some smokers from lighting up and lighten the load on smoke-related health problems and expenditure in hospitals, others would argue that an increase in tax wouldn’t raise that much cash as a sales decrease would negate any possibility of a significant fund raiser and affect current tax revenues on cigarettes.

At the same time, there is a well known relationship between the Japanese Government and Japan Tobacco – Japan’s biggest tobacco company.  The Japanese Government owns about a 50% stake in the business so this would affect any decisions made.

But with the US and many countries in Europe leading the way with smoke-free zones and outdoor bans, it is only a matter of time before the government in Japan is pressured into addressing this burning issue also.

Higher tobacco taxes would be a start.

Photo by w00kie

Although Japan never recognized Christmas as a national holiday, it is catching on more as many people travel to the area to see the beautiful Christmas trees and the stores that go all out with Christmas lights and decorations. In Japan, the traditional Christmas gift for buying ladies is diamonds and other superb pieces of jewelry. In Japan, Christmas has become an event that was never celebrated as in the West, but with the overwhelming attendance of Americans and other foreigners for Christmas holidays, the area has taken hold of the holiday excitement and now you will see many celebrations of Christmas, not only at the stores, but all around the area.

Although Christmas is through the New Year, Japan removes Christmas decoration on the 26th and start preparing for the Japanese New Year, which you must stay and enjoy. It is something that you can only see on television, but being there and feeling the excitement can only enhance your thrill of celebrating a new year. Since you are going to want to see different areas of Japan leading up the New Year, you should invest in a rail pass to take you to other areas of Japan. This is just another way to accommodate your cheap holidays to Japan.

Something you may never think about doing in Japan is camping. They have some nice campgrounds and the weather is perfect for that night out under the stars. You can do this for one night or two and then move on to another area of Japan. You are going to fine the flea markets fun to shop at as well as the restaurants with all their different cuisine. They have more than just Japanese food, you can find a fast food restaurant that the kids will enjoy called McDonald’s!

New Year’s is a great time to visit the ski resorts and treat the family to a New Year’s weekend with ski and warm, crackling fires at night by the fireplace. Make sure you enjoy a warm Japanese drink before bed to warm you and help you have a peaceful sleep. You will not forget this Christmas and New Year’s adventure, but you may want to try another experience next year. With all the available travel options and cheap holiday packages, you can enjoy a week or two weeks visiting the area and experience how other cultures celebrate the holidays.

When you book your cheap holidays to Japan, ask for other specials such as rail passes, meal passes, day passes and do not forget about the special ski packages. You will enjoy your travels and when you plan early or even find a late deal, you will have even more savings than you could have expected. When you arrive in Japan, find your hotel and take a day to explore the area before heading out on your Christmas and New Year’s tours of the areas.

Do not miss the fun that Japan has to offer during the holidays.

Photo by Michel Filion

Unlike their Japanese counterparts JAL, ANA seem more financially stable.  But like all companies at the moment, they are going to extreme measures to cut costs.

In this latest development, ANA have announced a month-long trial of asking all passengers to empty their bladders before boarding their flight reports post-gazette.  The idea being that less weight equals less fuel needed and in turn saving costs and carbon emissions.

If successful, this could no doubt set a trend among other airlines.  Whatever next?  They may ask us to wear lighter clothes or even lose weight.  Now, a tiered ticket pricing system based on the weight of a customer would certainly get some left groups rattled.  For others, it would encourage a healthier lifestyle with money as a big motivator.

We’ll be watching the results of this study with interest.

photo by digicla

Japan’s First Lady Miyuki Hatoyama has won the Best Jeanist Award for 2009.  Organisers Japan Jeans Association described how the wife of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama wears her jeans in “a classy but revolutionary style” that “projects a positive spirit representing true denim” (Taragana breaking news)

“This is the prize I have long wished to win. I’m a jeans lover. I’m always putting on jeans as they’re easy to wear,” Sky News quoted Mrs Hatoyama as saying. (Taragana breaking news).

Ride on Miyuki, keep up the modern fashion and hope you can keep the title next year!

Tokyo just might be the largest city in the world, comprised of 23 individual wards, all with their own unique characteristics. Foreigners are easily intimidated by the sheer expanse of Japan’s capital city and its 17 million inhabitants (5 million are commuters); however, due to this volume alone Tokyo has developed an unmatched public transportation system and an intricate network of visitor friendly information resources.

The best way to travel Tokyo’s frantic bustle is to allow the subway to lead the way. A loose itinerary will draw you into true Japanese life through unexpected encounters and more intimate experiences.

Tokyo: A Consumer Capital

It may be ironic that one of the most expensive cities in the world also has one of the most rampant and flamboyant consumer cultures. Tourist attractions in Tokyo consist of many gargantuan shopping complexes in addition to the cultural favorites. The Ginza shopping district reigns supreme for ostentatious spending habits, with thousands of mega-stores, boutiques and an excessive array of non-functional novelty stores for the easily amused within us all. For a dose of New York in Tokyo, visit Shibuya, which is rife with higher-end shops, shrines, King-Kong-sized plasma TV screens and the busiest pedestrian street crossing in the world.  Very different to the “cultural capital” of Japan: Kyoto.

A Culture of Retrospect and Reflection

There is a tendency to become inundated and desensitized by the neon lights that line the city streets like masts in Japan’s ocean of technology. While these electric temples serve to extol a hyper-modern age, Tokyo also possesses some of the most idyllic and serene shrines and pagodas in the country. Meiji-jingu is the most impressive of Tokyo’s Shinto shrines, built with Japanese cypress and copper plates for the roof. Even though the shrine was destroyed during World War II, the reconstruction has not lost any of the grandeur.

Just north of the city, Bonsai Park treats visitors to the zen-like art of cultivating these meticulously placed miniature trees and experiencing the calming of the mind. An essential experience for anyone traveling to Tokyo is the view of Mount Fuji in the early hours of dawn. This is possible from within the city, atop one of the massive skyscrapers such as the Government Building in Shinjuku. Directly in the center of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is an inner-city sanctuary that is home to the Imperial Family. The public can visit the surrounding East Gardens and walk along the double bridge over the tranquil moats of the palace grounds, but the palace buildings and inner courtyard are closed to visitors.

Travel to Tokyo with a willingness to get lost among the hustle and perhaps find yourself again in the silence of a shrine. The expansive city and system of subways make it nearly impossible to make a wrong turn.

What is it about Britons and big cons in Japan in October?  There’s been two big ones in the news this month and we’re waiting for the third (as things always come in threes!)

The first was a British man who won 16 million yen betting on horse races and then escaped Tokyo tax officials by transferring all his booty (and himself) out of the country and back to Hong Kong, where he currently resides.  Sounds like a James Bond film?

The story, announced by the Asahi Shinbun, takes even further twists as it has become apparent that the man used a complicated predictive software system to “guess” the winners of races, and when the tax authorities closed in on him and confiscated his passport; he reported it as lost to the British Embassy and immediately got another one that he used to flee Japan.

Although he is wanted for a payback in taxes and penalties by the Japanese tax authorities, there is a tax agreement in place between Japan and Britain.  UK tax authorities may share information with Japanese authorities, but the Japanese authorities are in no position to take a British national into custody overseas over a case in Japan.   Looks like things are turning his way…

And just when this story is dying down, another erupts about a British lady conning a Japanese Bank (where she works in London) out of millions of dollars.  She persuaded colleagues to ignore rules and make huge money transfers to help a friend’s airline that was going bust (Indonesian Air Efata).  In return, she gained around £1.95million in pay-offs and used the money to pay for breast implants, earrings and her mortgage on her luxury London townhouse.

October has been a busy month for news on British cons in Japan and with 3 days to go, there could be time for one more!

Unknown to a lot of nations and people, Japan does donate a lot of money (often granted by the Japanese Government) to groups of other nations who are in need or less fortunate than themselves. Earlier this month, the Japanese Government extended this generosity to some of Jamaica’s poor.

In some rural parts of Jamaica, sub-standard “pit latrines are used instead of flush toilets and children do not have basins to wash their hands”.  According to Food for the Poor, the donation from the Japanese Government will ensure that modern day restrooms are constructed on several school grounds, which will benefit more than 1,600 school children and staff from 10 different schools.

The grant of almost $100,000 marks the “first time Japan’s Embassy has partnered with Food for the Poor and their mission to help the poorest of the poor”.  Visit the Food for the Poor website for more details.

We hope that this is only the beginning to this relationship of working together for an excellent cause and hard working charity group.

Photo by Chi King

When people first consider the idea of a holiday in Japan, their thoughts usually turn to Tokyo. Now, there’s nothing wrong with Tokyo and its soaring skyscrapers perfectly contrasting with its somber temples, but there is a lot more to Japan than the bright lights of its world famous capital.

Take Kyoto, for example. The city is the historical and cultural capital of Japan and a fine mix of urban sprawl and cultural gems. Indeed, Kyoto was home to the Japanese Imperial family from 794 all the way up to 1868 when the Emperor decided to relocate to Tokyo. Kyoto is one of the few major Japanese cities to avoid the destruction of aerial raids during World War 2, and aside from anything else that makes it a fascinating part of any holiday in Japan.

How much time you wish to spend in this amazing city is mainly down to your tastes in sightseeing. Outside of the shopping and purely commercial aspects of the town the main sights are almost entirely made up of by cultural sights such as Buddhist temples and Zen gardens. Because of the quantity of historical and cultural sights, it is very easy to overdo Kyoto sightseeing if done too quickly. Thankfully, walking from sight to sight through the marvelous city tempers this nicely and allows visitors to enjoy the rich contrasts a Japanese holiday in this region can offer. Still, if you only have the time or energy to visit 9 of Kyoto’s cultural and historical treasures, these are what we’d recommend (in no particular order):

Heian Jungu

This Shinto shrine is famous for having the largest torii in the whole of Japan. The shrine was built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of Kyoto (formerly Heiankyo), and is dedicated to Emperor Kammu and Emperor Komei. If you happen to be on holiday in Japan on October 22nd (today), you will have the chance to see the Festival of Ages (Jidai Matsuri) which takes place here and celebrates the day when Kyoto became Japan’s capital. The festival includes a huge procession of around 2,000 people which stretches for several kilometers.

Gion

Gion is the district of Kyoto renowned for its geisha houses and is the best area of the city to see geisha and maiko going about their everyday business. Gion was built in the middle ages, but due in part to some areas being declared a national historical preservation district, some of the architecture and entertainment remains similar to how it was when first established.

To clarify a popular misconception, geishas are not prostitutes, and Gion has never been a red light district.

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion Temple)

The most striking feature of Kinkakuji (and where it gets its name) is from the gold leaf that entirely covers the top two tiers of the pavilion. It is a stunning site and one that Japanese holiday makers cannot help but associate with Kyoto. The temple is placed next to a pond, allowing a shimmering mirror image of the structure to be viewed by all who visit, creating a powerful image of a connection between heaven and earth. Although the gold leaf covering makes the temple extremely valuable, its value is not entirely monitory, but also spiritual: within its walls it houses relics of the Buddha.

Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion Temple)

Listing this directly below the Golden Pavilion Temple is slightly misleading, because while the aforementioned temple’s golden covering makes it something of an ostentatious monument, this temple is comparatively minimalist. This is because while the original plan was to make this temple a silver accompaniment to its golden cousin, the plan was never carried out and it remains a delightful example of minimalism and restraint.

The temple itself is a simple two-story building, but its beautiful appeal is found in the surrounding serenity of the two gardens. The first is a pond garden composed of rocks and plants with the aim being to grant a different perspective from every angle. The second garden includes two carefully sculpted sand mounts which offer a sense of perfect serenity.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Kyoto’s Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) was once the home of Japan’s Imperial family, but when the capital shifted to Tokyo in 1868, the rulers followed. The structure has burned down on many occasions and the present reconstruction was only built in 1855.

The complex itself is encased in a long wall and is made up of several halls, gardens and gates. Although the enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa were held within this palace’s main hall, the current Emperor was inaugurated in the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Kiyomizudera

Kiyomizudera (or Pure Water Temple) is one of the most famous temples in Japan with both tourists and locals. Founded in 780 by one of the oldest sects in Japanese Buddhism (the Hosso), the temple is a UNESCO world heritage site. Located in the wooded hills in eastern Kyoto, the temple offers a fabulous view over the city from its wooden terrace. The spring below is said to have water with healing properties and is the reason the temple has its name.

Fushimi Inari

Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are supposed to be his messengers. For that reason, the Fuhimi Inari shrine is dotted with many fox statues. The many tori gates make for an unforgettable experience, but if you can manage it, visiting the shrine in the evening is a must with the dim lights and sounds of the wildlife make for a delightfully atmospheric walk through the shrine’s tori gates.

Tenryuji Temple

Tenryuji Temple is considered the most important Zen Temple in Kyoto, and the literal translation of its name is “heavenly dragon temple”. The building started out its life as a private villa of Emperor Go Daigo, and was later converted after his death to a temple in his memory. Legend has it that a Buddhist priest had an uneasy dream where a dragon rose from a nearby river, making him believe that Go Daigo’s spirit was uneasy and that a temple should be built to appease him.

The temple has been damaged by fires an unlikely eight times, though the last instance was over 150 years ago. As a result, the current incarnation of the building is only 100 years old, but the garden is one of the oldest in the country, dating from the 14th century.

Ryoanji Temple

The Ryoanji temple has been designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The name means “temple of the peaceful dragon” and it belongs to the Myoshinki school of the Rinzai branch of the Zen sect. The garden itself is regarded as one of the most pure examples of Japanese culture. Perfect in its simplicity, the garden consists of clay walls, raked sand and 15 rocks.

We hope you enjoy your tour of Kyoto and the 9 wonders of the city and be sure to let us know if you have discovered any other amazing wonders of Kyoto and want to share those with us below.

Happy sightseeing…

Less than a month to go until the deadline for the Intel Core Challenge, which is accepting entrants from Japan.

According to the Intel Core Challenge site “We’re challenging enthusiasts like you to create an incredible desktop that will envision the possibilities of tomorrow’s technology – from awesome gaming PCs to outstanding platforms for home automation.”.

The competition coincides (and celebrates) the launch of a new family of processors, including the Intel® Core™ i7 and Core™ i5.

Submissions will not be accepted after (11:59 p.m. PDT) on November 16, 2009.

Entries from Japan can be in English or Japanese and video (optional) and imagery should be used when entering.  With more than $10,000 USD in prizes for the winners, there is also a prize for the winner of Japan in a country-specific category of a 160GB Intel® Solid State Drive.

Categories

You will be required to select from the one of categories below and can enter both if preferred, but can only win in one of them:

Mod Creativity: Who can build the world’s most creatively futuristic mod desktop for powering extra-intense gaming – a desktop that showcases innovations in lighting, cooling, liquid emersion, cut case creativity, and more?

Lifestyle Innovation: Who will develop the world’s best and most futuristic home automation platform – making their lives better through wireless media centers, lighting automation, security integration, and more? – Show us how you incorporate and improve your everyday life with your mod. What can it do to make your life easier, and how does it fit in to your lifestyle? Would anyone know it was a desktop if they didn’t know it was a desktop?

For more information on the competition, go and check out the Intel Core Challenge website.

Best of luck and let us know of your entry and post links of your mods in the comments below!

photo: Intel Core Challenge

Minoru Mori had a vision of building a city within the city of Tokyo, and after seventeen years with the help of some four hundred of Tokyo’s individual landowners, his vision was realized in 2003.

Roppongi Hills is an eleven-hectare vertical city, and its centerpiece, the fifty-four story Mori Tower, can be seen from all over Tokyo.

Divided into eight distinctly themed areas, Roppongi Hills has something for everyone from everywhere. Yet all of the areas seamlessly meld together, providing a wide variety of experiences in a somewhat restricted space.

The Mori Tower houses the Tokyo offices of many international conglomerates, and the ultra-exclusive Roppongi Hills Club. Its 52nd floor observation area has seating areas, and its Mori Art Museum has nine galleries spreading over two floors.

The Roppongi Hills Mori Garden, with its seventeenth-century design, including a path circling a river-fed pond, is the perfect escape for those seeking quiet space in the heart of the Tokyo megalopolis. The atrium of the TV Asahi Studio is open to the public, and has a small cafe looking out onto the Mori Garden.

Roppongi Hills’ West Walk, Hill Side, and MetroHat/Hollwood Plaza are what draw shoppers from around the globe. The West Walk, in the four-story Mori Tower Galleria, is the location of such upscale establishments as Anne Fontaine, Byblos, and Mandarina Duck.  The West Walk features Japanese restaurants, and Hill Side, international ones.

The boutique-lined Hill Side faces the Mori Garden and is where shops like Michael Negrin and Anna Sui will be found.  And the MetroHat/Hollywood Plaza, as its name suggests, has stores to appeal to the younger trendier shopper.

Finally, with its Keyakizaka Doori, Roppongi Hills has an answer to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, and its Virgin Cinema complex boasts the largest screen in Japan. For an extra charge, Premiere Screen reclining seats with tables on which to place popcorn, candy, and soda are available.

Just a three minute walk from Roppongi Hills, the reasonably-priced, clean and friendly B Roppongi Hotel is very popular among both business travelers and tourists.

Please let us know your comments and thoughts on Tokyo and Roppongi Hills below.