Japan blog entries

By houstongal on Jun 22, 2009, 06:55.

I've been in Japan (Kawasaki) for the past week and have another week and a half to go. I've been regularly posting in my travel blog about my observations and experiences since I've arrived. Hope to continue..... http://honhi96825.blogspot.com

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Nagoya city from the Gaijin perspective (at least my perspective)

By Goye on Jul 27, 2008, 09:16.

Hi post! I started at the Colombia post, but, now I'm living in Japan. In Nagoya, to be more precise. So far, there are mixed impressions about living in Japan, but definitely, will try to focus my attention in posting about my traveling experiences in Japan and more precisely in the Nagoya - Aichi area. I arrived here on a spousal visa the 26th of April of 2008. Been here for exactly 3 months and one day (as today, 27th, the posting date of this post). I arrived in Kansai, Osaka. The airport as such is a wonderful piece of architecture. But, the language barrier is daunting. I had to take a tram (Airport Train) from the arrival gate to the immigration gate. The problem is that it took me 45 minutes to figure out the symbols and many attempts to speak with bilingual staff and / or travelers that knew the airport better than me. In that sense, and in many I should say, Japan doesn’t follow international conventions about signs. Screw me! Once I got there, I had to make a rather lengthy line, since the flight that I came in (Air France from Paris to Osaka) was packed. Most of the French and Europeans passed though like a breeze. Since they hold European passports and most Europeans don’t require a visa for entering the country, well, you might guess that they did their immigration process fast. Of course, all of us gaijin had our fingers scanned. When it was my turn, the immigration officer took my passport and saw that I had a spousal visa stamped on it. He asked me in a pretty much lame English if I was traveling with my wife. I answered: “no, I’m not". That made the immigration officer raise one of his eyebrows and asked me if there was any possibility to call my wife by phone. “Of course there is. This is the number“ and I just gave it to him. Actually, he called to the number, and after verifying that my wife was waiting for me at the exit of the customs section, he proceeded to stamp a Landing Permit, scribble some kanji on a form and throw back (yes, throw and not pass me) to me my burgundy Colombian passport. I think that he didn’t understand the “Yokoso Japan!" (Welcome to Japan) campaign that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had pulled out. Crossing though customs wasn’t easier, either. Many women and men with dogs passed sniffing passengers. I must say that they did it in a rather democratic way: Everyone got sniffed, both nihon-jin (Japanese folk) and us the foreigners. My luggage came at last, when most of the passengers claimed theirs. Since I came all the way from Bogotá to Osaka, making only one stop at Paris, I guess that my luggage got stranded in the middle of the transfer process. Still, it arrived intact and in perfect conditions. Then, I had to cross the customs booth. I actually liked the officer that attended me. He asked me in a funny English “Where are you from?", which I said “Colombia". Then he made the typical question “Do you carry narcotics or illegal drugs with you?". I just laughed inside of me. Just wonder: Do you think that if I were trying to smuggle narcotics, I would declare it? See? That’s the Japanese essence in it’s deepest perception: They are always assuming that people might confess or accept responsibilities of issues even when they are innocent. But that is another story and I’ll post it in another thread. The officer asked me if I minded to have a close inspection of my stuff. Which meant: Open your entire luggage and let me see it. “Of course not. Let’s do it." I had to unpack both of my luggages and show in detail all what I carried. Maybe for most of you folks what I’m telling is rather abusing and even discriminating. But, let me tell you this: I’m Colombian. A third class citizen of the world. Thanks to the stereotypes and the bad reputation, this is what most Colombians have to stand in most airports around the world. Did you know that in order to do transit though France, I had to apply for a Transit Visa? Geesh ! Of course, America is out of the question since I don’t have an American visa. You might ask why, but, again, that is another, rather personal, story. I said “most" because there are still some lucky guys and chicks that are treated with respect. But, that rule usually doesn’t stand for all us Colombians. If you are European or US citizen or Canadian, chances that what I’m telling might not happen to you because you guys come from “Developed" countries. Still, there are some chances that you might get spotted and get at through checkout. The customs officer found my smallest piece of luggage some sort of suspicious and also some western cowboy boots that I had their heels fixed suspicious, so he proceeded to inspect it using a scanner and another sophisticated piece of device to detect if I brought some stash with me. After proving that the “koronbia-jin" was not representing a threat for the public health of this country of “Wa" (harmony) and that I wasn’t bringing anything illegal, I got frank pass to the country. Please understand that I’m not speaking with resentment. I’m just speaking with the fistful truth and the enduring patience that most of us assholes Colombians have to bare around the world’s airports. Then I got picked up by my wife an head to the train station inside Kansai. Yes ! The train station. I hoped to hop on into a shinkansen, but my wife decided to go on the low budget and picked up a Kintetsu line train from Osaka to Nagoya. I forgot to say, though, that we had to commute using the local train system and get to Osaka’s main station. I must say that, in general senses, I feel that Japan is quite organized and strict in following some rules, compared to other countries. Perhaps that’s what makes it chic to visit. After we departed from Osaka, I tried to catch up with the repetitive scenery of the industrialized side of Japan (the side at the Pacific Ocean, where most industrialized spots are): hordes or small dimension houses, tiny streets but still enchanting because it is so coupled. It remind me of lego pieces to do-your-own-Japan-spot kit. Just like anime. I can understand now how smart asses are those buggers that make those cartoons so connected with reality. The flaw about Japan is that since everything is so cramped, you have to start to get used to feel some sort of claustrophobia and agoraphobia going on. If you have problem with tight spots or crowds, well sweetie, Nihon land is not your joint. My two cents: Cute is not so cute. Cramped is over cramped and tight is tight. Clean walls are not so clean. Most stuff is interesting to see, but, avoid the typical pitfall of doing what tourists do: Going to Parco, Takashimaya or sticking to Sakae district. Nagoya has more to offer. But I’ll tell it later. Enough for today.

Japanese travel site

By Peter on Jun 24, 2008, 11:32.

http://www.japan-guide.com/ seems to have decent travel info - anyone know them? They have a newsletter too, not sure if it's any good. Any other good Japan travel sites out there?

Things to do in Japanese springtime?

By Peter on Jun 24, 2008, 11:30.

So the guidebooks say springtime is the time to go (with the blossoming trees and all).. does it really make a big difference which season you go to Japan?

How much Japanese should I speak when traveling to Japan?

By Peter on Jun 4, 2008, 04:29.