ProjectJapan

Reader: What is “ProjectJapan”?
Jamila: It’s our dream trip in pictures + other useful info. And it’s as “easy as 123!” This is similar to another post by shiira, a fellow japan-enthusiast and eduFirean.

One thing that makes this post unique is that it is geared toward ALL of US.

Another thing that make it unique is that we’ll also be posting links to pictures in addition to the names of interesting places!

The process is easy.

Step 1: find a place we REALLY want to go.
Step 2: find a picture of that place.
Step 3: post a link to the picture of that place, the actual picture, or a link to the info. simple!

Ready, Set, POST!

side note: for notes from past * golden * japanese classes, click here

if anyone would like links to travel & hiragana-focused flashcards from * golden * japanese classes, just post a request for them on this thread or at the link above!

While I was once enthusiastic about visiting Japan, I’ve got my eyes set on China, haha. It’s my one goal right now, and if it’s okay with you, I’d like to post a picture of where in China I’d like to go to. ^^

I’d LOVE to live in Xi’an (西安). Here’s the beautiful bell tower I definitely wanna see:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/32827.jpg

And a street that I’ll be crossing over someday. :D
http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/ChinaVietnamCambodia/China/Xian/IMG_8754.jpg

I’ve actually been lucky enough to go to Japan once with my school. :x It was an amazing experience. However, I still have a dream place in Japan that I want to go to!

Odaiba, in Tokyo. There are plenty of things I want to see there, but the main attraction for me is the fuji tv building:
http://photos.igougo.com/images/p255824-Tokyo-Fuji_TV_Building_Odaiba.jpg

Craziness.

I went to Japan last year for the 1st time despite all the reasons why a trip like that was totally asinine!!! It made no sense to any of my family or friends, but I wanted it like I’d never wanted anything in my life so I made up my mind that despite all, I was going!! And I did!!!

@Scott I’m going to Japan again in August and taking my 15-year old son with me. I’ve put Odaiba on our itinerary especially for him to see the amuement park/ferris wheel but also because I, too, want to see the FujiTV building.

Shiira!!! I hope you guys have a BLAST. There’s some pretty cool stuff in Odaiba.

I really really want to go to Japan.

I want to visit every temple and….well….just do everything . I don’t really want to go to Japan for the big cities i just want to go for the country side and to learn about their customs and learn about the Shinto religion and history of Japan.

BUT I AM DEFO GOING TO GO!! i don’t know how are when but hey im gunna go

Hi all,
I just came back from Japan visiting family. One big thing I noticed both in Tokyo and in Fukuoka, was that the air conditioner temperatures are set way up higher than my last visit (probably around 78-79F/25-26C?) for conservation purposes. I used to take a light sweater because I’d freeze. This time, I smirked a lot while taking off clothes in department stores (to the bare minimum) and thinking how it’s considered more “virtuous” to suffer and conserve than to be comfortable and energy-consuming in Japan :) So for those who are traveling to Japan this summer, be ware of the hot & humid temperatures, both in and out, and look for interesting Eco-friendly, cool (literally) products!

@Wren….good to know! Really! i used to freeze in department stores! lol. i have heard on some news programs that ppl are becoming more eco-conscious….even carrying around and using their personal chopsticks at restaurants….which i used to do ‘back in the day’…and got made fun of. lol. that’s the price of being a visionary.

@Su-Te-Fu-Aa-N good deal, brah (brother)! i see all as family and considering ur apparent age, i doubt ur old enough to be my uncle or father. ;-}

@Scott I think i might’ve gone there….but as we were rushing around like two tourists to catch that boat, i didn’t really take in the scenery. haha!

@Shiira….glad u’ve gotten ideas that u like!

@Adrian….i am planning to do china, too. one of these days i’ll create a separate post for ‘places anywhere in the world we want to go’ and we can put ur china post there.

glad to see some links going up. Keep ’em comin!

what do you mean by my apparent age?

@Wren so much thanks for the heads up on the heat. I’ve been concerned about going in August which is probably a little weird coming from me, considering I live in Florida where the heat indext climbs to its 2nd highest around 9am!!! (Highest heat index usually occurs around 12pm). I’ve heard that some places are setting the t-stats a bit higher so I will make sure to drink plenty of water and look for “cool” (in both senses of the word) places. Arrigatou ne!

@Su-Te-Fu-Aa-N ooo, did that strike a chord? all that was meant was that you look less than 50 or 60 years old. generally i’m all about respect so feel free to relax if you wondered if the intent was offensive.

ah, yeah and @Shiira…your son, if he’s into game shows and sports, you 2 may want to check out Muscle Park. if you do a search and can’t find it, shoot me a message. cheers…

Looking for a place to study in Japan? this college has various programs. i know 2 people who participated in one of the summer programs & did a homestay during the duration of the course….they absolutely loved it. the link is below.

http://osaka.ywca.or.jp/college_eng/

@Jamila, thanks for the info on Osaka YWCA. I’m adding it to my list of Japanese study options. I have the distinct feeling this 2nd trip to Japan will still not be enough for me. I need to spend some extended time in the “Land of the Rising Sun” : )

@everybody …. my son and I have 12 full days to spend in Japan this time. Here are the things on my “want to do/go/see” list:

• Akihabara (especially Yodabashi Camera Store)
• Jinbocho bookseller’s district
• Tokyo International Forum
• Tokyo Tower
• Wako Department Store
• Sa’nai Building
• Sony showroom
• Ginza yon-shome street crossing
• Tsukiji Fish Market
• Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa Kannon)
• Ameyoko market
• Tokyo Metropolitan Building
• Meiji
• Yoyogi Park
• Harajuku
• Sunshine City
• Fuji TV Headquarters
• Odaiba
• Mt. Fuji
• Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Beppu, Hiroshima

….It’s a LOT!!! I know we won’t be able to do it all but this is my wish list. Unfortunately, the list keeps getting longer and longer : )

As part of one of my capstone courses, I’m keeping a blog on my Japanese escapades at www.gisuru.com. If anyone has advice for first-time visitors to Japan, let me know and we can include it there.

Thanks!

lolol yes i deeply insulted lol….no i just didt understand what you ment…thanks

@Su-Te-Fu-Aa-N good. phew….glad u have a sense of humor; it’s refreshing. and that’s all i’ma say….for now.

now….New Links & Pictures! it’s a re-post of a response i posted to Marzia’s post “Going to Japan? A nice dream”
http://edufire.com/forums/1-the-fireside-chat/topics/2827-going-to-japan-a-nice-dream

hey, marzia. below are more ideas for ur future trip. 1 of them is “hot off the press” since i just heard of this place yesterday. it is the first one on this list.

Joyopolis
with a name like that, i’d click on the link w/o seeing a description. so, enjoy the sites!
http://sega.jp/joypolis/tokyo/home_e.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joypolis

Muscle Park, Odaiba, Tokyo
heard of the show “ninja warriors”? even if ur not the athletic type, maybe one of ur friends is. spectating is free and there’s a general info site & youtube video below for our viewing pleasure. feel free to skip to the site before reading the ‘other notes’.

other notes about Muscle Park
1) no one will fall into a moat of water if they fall off of course element because…
2) it’s indoors…w/ no muddy moat in sight…at least, not that i’ve seen in any video footage. but,…
3) it seems to have a few of the ninja warriors course features. and,
4) most games there seem to test/hone motor skills? that may help one succeed on the real ninja warriors course.
attractions (including park number 5, ‘Sasuke Park’, w/ ninja warrior challenges)
http://www.musclepark.jp/english/attraction.html
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-viUOpWzsM

Kenroku Park, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture・兼六園、石川県、金沢
Site for the Park:
http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/season.html
on the above site, clicking on the kanji for the different seasons 「春・夏・秋・冬」will bring up pictures of the park in those seasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDitHqkaG4Y&NR=1

General info about Kanazawa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanazawa,Ishikawa
apparently samurai, geisha, gold leaf, used in food and was used to make Kinkaku Temple….and soo many other things are there. and to think, i only came to do research on ishikawa because a student/brother randomly picked it out on a map during our ‘Imagination Station’ part of the session where we do ‘virtual travel’. and, after doing this little bit of reasearch for this post, i’m putting kanazawa on my list of places to go!

Newest site to peak my interest….
tateyama kurobe alpine route
on the route is ‘kurobe dam’ which was built to produce hydryo-electric power to support japan’s recovery after world war II. imagine being involved in the revival of an entire nation hit by an atomic bomb….imagine being on the site that helped re-build that nation. wow….

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html
has a plethora(a lot) of colorful pictures + info on the route & on how to get there from places like tokyo.

http://www.alpen-route.com/english/#
official english website for the tateyama kurobe alpine route

http://www.alpen-route.com/
official japanese website for the tateyama kurobe alpine route

2nd place of the day….

though zoos have yet to be ‘my thing’ for various reasons, in this one, the animals seems to roam (somewhat) freely. every been up close w/ a kangaroo? well, at this zoo, it seems that it’s possible every day.

sapporo maruyama zoo ・札幌市円山動物園
japanese: http://www.city.sapporo.jp/zoo/
for other languages, look at the top right hand corner. the 1st two may be mandarin/chinese, english is the 3rd choice, and korean is the 4th.

I’ve been and this really makes me wan to go again!!

@Ollie Ahhhh….then we’re doing a good job. hahaha. good stuff! glad you posted that. arigatou!

Haha…..Jamila….this is a wonderful topic….

It seems as though I was in the same position and attitude as you and everyone else here as well!

My family thought I was insane (being the typical stubborn Italian family that I have) that I wanted to go to Japan. I had juggled the idea of Japan or China many times, but about 2 years ago had settled on finally going to japan after I graduated college. The time came where I graduated, and I would come to the point where I didn’t care what anyone told me anymore, I was going to go to japan whether someone liked it or not!

And so, here I am now, 19 days away from staying in downtown tokyo for 3 nights at a hotel, then 3 more weeks in a Sakura house in the Shinjuku District!!

And to top that off, I will be doing the JET Programme in July of 2010! My family thinks I’m being an idiot, and I don’t care!! =)

Jamila is right people…..you need to act like it’s already a done deal. You’re doing it. You’re going there. You already know you’re going to go. It’s that simple.

It’s easier than you think.

@Antonio NICE!

reading that ur 19 days away from staying in that hotel, ….i smiled….and i’m still smiling. =)

and now that i know that, i’m feeling even more excited about the next update to this post. it’s all about the “fresh & airy side” of tokyo. intrigued? grin

the notes are right here in front of the computer ready to be typed up. and….i’ll be lettin’ my (and anyone else’s) excitement continue to build till my next ‘scheduled’ time for loggin’ in to edufire. (weeee, for being disciplined!)

@ Jamila – I can’t wait….the fact that it is inevitable, and that it’s something a lot of people wish to do in their lives but don’t usually take the chance on doing…..but I AM doing it…..is pretty enthralling. Can’t wait to see your post…..they give everything more atmosphere.

I am wondering if anyone has ever dealt with the process of getting a Credit Card before going to Japan? Is it better to bring a Credit Card for big purchases in Japan (Whenever that may be), and also bring sort of a “Checking Card” that pulls money right out of your checking account at whatever bank or ATM?

I want to avoid International Fees as much as possible, and I want to avoid currency conversion fees too!

Does anyone have any slick advice?

I’m planning on visiting CHASE Bank tomorrow morning to apply for a Credit Card, if everyone thinks that a good idea…. =)

-Antonio

Tokushima man….i wanna see those whirlpools and then dance the bon odori haha
http://www.kippo.or.jp/COLLECTION/PICTURE/000422-02.jpg

@Antonio ~ yes, the ‘inevitability factor’….exciting! and i can relate to the ‘everyone says they want to go….and i’m actually about to’ feeling….in a retrospective sense. it was after i got back from a trip that my uncle reminded me that everyone says they wanna go, and i actually just got back.

as for the credit card thing….i’d ask someone who’s been there recently, like Wren or Brett. (side note: now, i hear, people pay for things using some chip in their mobiles….buying anything from clothes at a fashion show to soda from a vending machine.)

@Nathan ~ i’ll be checkin out that link in a sec.! simply bcuz ur description is so intriguing. and, btw, dancing at bon odori was fun for me. hope it will be for u, too! maybe i’ll see u there….hahaha

@Antonio and All….the wait is over. and now, i’m even giving this a title out of respect, to honor the source from whence it came. grin

And the title is…

「News from the News: The Fresh & Airy side of Tokyo, Part 1」

The information below is a summary of the Tokyo Bay Area episode of「Tokyo Eye」on NHK World TV (http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/tokyoeye/).

where it all begins, for this post, at least…
hinode pier
hinode pier is where we take a water bus to our other destinations….which i’ll post about 1 by 1. and the suspense continues….

good-to-know info
~1 company, tokyo cruise, has ticket machines that are in, or are able to be switched into english.
~bikes are supposedly welcomed on the water bus…for a fee. how much of a fee? that will require some inquiry. see the link to the tokyo cruise site below.
~there’s an upper deck!….for those of us who may be into panoramic views….panoramic views of the tokyo skyline and rainbow bridge.
~here’s what some other people think about seeing tokyo and it’s “fresh & airy side” by waterbus and ferry:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Japan/Tokyo_to/Tokyo-969164/Transportation-Tokyo-Waterbus_Ferry-BR-1.html

rainbow bridge links
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS317US317&q=rainbow+bridge+in+tokyo&aq=1&oq=rainbow+bridge+in+&aqi=g10

tokyo cruise water bus
official page: http://www.suijobus.co.jp/index.html
enjoy the Beautiful Pictures that appear on the tokyo cruise page.

info in english about the company’s routes and prices: http://gojapan.about.com/cs/tokyosightseeing/a/tokyocruise.htm
Advice: check the info w/ the official sites just in case anything changes. how? read the side note below.

Side Note
there is a way to translate japanese pages to english while still seeing the japanese. below are instructions copy, pasted, and revised by what was posted on ">http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1013&message=25671609._

1. go to: http://excite.co.jp/world/english/web and paste the URL of the Japanese page into the box
2. click the 2nd radio button (日→英) beneath the long box where the url goes.
3. in the menu of the box on the left, choose the 1st option for only the translation. choose the 2nd option for the Japanese text to be displayed along with the translated text.
4. then, click the (orange bordered) Translation button.

Let me know if this is clear. if it’s not, respectfully & kindly offer ideas for revisions. All the best and happy (internet) surfing!