Every time there is a full moon everyone always look up in the sky and say "Wow! Look at the full moon". Some would ask can you see the Rabbit on the moon? And one time a Japanese Friend of mine she say, "Hey, you know the Rabbit is making rice cake on the moon" :-) Hmm.... Interesting, tell me about it from Her Japanese point of view. Oh ya the Full moon photo below was taken this year during the Moon eclipse at December 10, 2011 using my SLR Camera with a 400mm Telescopic lens zoom. Can you see a Rabbit?
Back to what my Japanese friend's version of the rabbit on the moon, She say just look at the moon and you can see a Rabbit pounding rice cake, it's a Japanese Folks Tale (not sure about story, Google it up :-p). After that she told me if she can go to the moon she want to find the rabbit (Just like she wanted to ride a Giant Turtle). Well if you observe the moon photo below, you can see a Rabbit pounding a rice cake.
For some people, this is how the Rabbit look like below during the full moon.
Anyone know the full story, Japanese version? Share with us at our Facebook page, Thank you :-)
If you stay in a typical Japan Hotel, don't expect the washroom to be big & spacey. But it is very well equipped and comes with a very advance technology toilet. At some Hotel you can even hear what's on your TV through the washroom speaker, and you have a telephone in there. My advice test out everything in the washroom first before you do your business in there, make sure of that. I almost embarrassed myself by calling the hotel staff for not knowing how to use the toilet, but luckily i figured it out :-)
Here are some things you can find in a washroom, well just leave your shampoo, body wash at home. Good products and good Hotel Souvenir :-)
Here we are, the modern toilet, or called the "Super Toilet". The feature set commonly found on this type of toilet sit or wash-lets are Anuswashing, bidet washing, seat warming, blow dryer, massage options, water jet adjustments, automatic lid opening, wireless control panel, automatic flushing and and deodorisation. Well not on all model, it depends. When your in Japan check out it's function, it should be fun for anyone who are going to use it for the first time :-)
Watch the video below from Youtube
Do you have any pictures, videos or Japan toilet experiences to share? Please share with us in our Facebook page. Thank you.
Japan Drugstore is a common store found in the streets of Japan featuring pharmacy products (Not Harmful Drugs). Drugstores sell not only medicines, but also things such as candy, cosmetics, and magazines, as well as light refreshments. (Like Guardian in Brunei).
For those who are interested in Japan cosmetic items, this place is a must visit, because you can get all the good Japan cosmetic stuffs in here cheaper. Or you can simply buy some of the cosmetic items for your friends and family who are into cosmetic as a souvenir.
Don't worry if you are going Japan, you do not necessary need to bring along all your sanitary things, you can just buy some there, it is cheaper. But only if you are planning to stay there for more than 5 days.
The drugstore shown in my picture are the most common one found in Japan. It's open until late at night so no worries for some people or is it open 24 Hours (Not sure), never stay up that late to find out? Anybody have an answer, share with us at our Facebook Page, Thank you.
Oh ya before i forget, to one of my friend, i strongly advice you to buy some cosmetic items there next time we visit Japan. Yeah... you know who you are, i'm talking to you from here :-p
This QB House is found in a subway station in Tokyo
Want to have a haircut in Tokyo, but you do not want to wait too long just to get your hair done. Visit any QB House quick hair cut shop in Tokyo. It can be done in 10 MINUTES for the price of 1000 Yen(about B$16.00 Brunei Dollars). You will see at the top left-hand side of the photos something like a traffic light, that is the waiting time or to see if any seats are available. To find out how can you have a quick haircut, look at their instruction below:
Oh ya, want your Hair Stylist to cut your hair to the style you want, bring a picture, it will be much easier than trying to communicate with them on how you want it. If i'm not mistaken you can keep the comb that is is to style your hair as a souvenir. Anybody have any experience getting their hair done here? Share with us at our Facebook Page. Thank you.
Convenience store or Japanese like to call "Konbini" are found everywhere in Japan. Sometimes you can find the same store in the same street just in the opposite side. They are even at subway station, inside a hotel, almost every corner of the streets. Convenience indeed :-)
I remember when i was in Japan in 2009, one of my friend, Miss F, want to go to Lawson Convenience Store close by the hotel, but she told my other friend, Mr. V, she want to go 7 Eleven and when Mr. V bring her to find a 7 Eleven store, and after walking a long way & found one she say "no not this one". Apparently she calls all convenience store in Japan 7 Eleven. Mr. V goes "get your convenience store name correct".
What can you buy at the store? Let's see i bought food & drinks mostly, an Umbrella. Well food & drinks is the main reason i go to the convenience store. What i know is the store mostly sell different type of meals, snacks and sweets, such as Onigiri(rice balls), sandwiches, bread, Obento(lunch boxes), instant noodles and hot foods like fried chicken and Corn dog, and many more. You can also request the staff to heat up your food using a microwave oven, and hot water is available for your instant noodles too.
The stores also sell all kinds of hot and cold beverages including soda, sport drinks, coffee, tea, water, juice, milk & vitamin drinks. They also sell alcoholic beverages including beer, Chuhai, Sake and Wine. Every time i visit Japan i always buy my favourite "Kirin Afternoon Milk Tea". Look for it, it's very nice.
The convenience store also sell other things such as household products, batteries, blank CDs, Disposable cameras, Toys, body care products, cosmetics, stationery, newspapers, magazines and comics (to name a few). Oh ya want to look for a rubbish bin, just go to any convenience store, you can always find one there.
Convenience stores in Japan also offer different services, but not in all. This is what i know from personal experience during my visit there in Japan. They have:
-Photocopyingservice.
-Courier and postal service. -Fax service. -Automated teller machines (ATM).
-Payment service for utilities & other bills and taxes. -Pre-paid cards for cellular phones. -Ticket service for concerts, theme parks, airlines.
-Digital Camera print
-Toilets (FOC)
Most of my Convenience Store photos are taken at night, why? Because it's the only shop i can find open late in Japan to buy some stuffs, well it's 24 hours, so very convenience. Any of you can't sleep after midnight in Japan, go have a walk and visit the closest convenience store. It is easy to find one, the sign board are always brightly lid. I've so far visited Lawson, FamilyMart,Circle K Sunkus, & Am/Pm. Any photos of Japan Convenience Store you have, share with us at our Facebook page.
Watch the video below link from Youtube about inside a Japan Convenience Store.
100 Yen shop can be found almost anywhere in Japan like in an arcade, on the streets, subway stations, on a corner or in large shopping complexes. You can buy cheap things in there but very good quality. For tourist the 100 yen shop can be a great place to buy souvenir, or batteries for your camera or mp3 player. You can also buy Hello Kitty, Doraemon and Pokemon stuffs for 100 yen.
100 Yen shop called "Seria", funny in Brunei there is a town called Seria
Many of the 100 Yen shop looks like a regular convenience store but in some city you can find them with multi-storey and as big as a department store. Just remember not everything in there is 100 Yen, and there is a 5% consumer tax, but still you get a pretty good deal there. Any other 100 Yen shop i don't know about, please share with us at our Facebook page.
Want to get a nice souvenir from Japan for your all your friends? Afraid too expensive or too heavy to bring back to your country. Well just find any capsule machine in Japan and get a nice souvenir from it.
Here is the samples of souvenir lapel pins you can get from Asakusa, Tokyo.
If you are lucky you can get a mystery lapel pin.
This capsule machine sell Japan train lapel pins
The lady there, my friend, it's her first time visiting Japan
& everywhere she go in Japan she will look for a capsule machine.
The capsule machine in Japan can be found almost everywhere especially in the streets of Tokyo. Outside some convenience store you can find also variety of capsule machine selling capsule of Gundam, Doraemon, Hello Kitty, and Mario Brothers. At some castle or museum in Japan you can also find capsule machine selling it's souvenir. Whether you buy it for your friends or you buy for yourself, it's a nice collection from Japan. Most of the capsule machine sells it's capsule for 100 Yen (about B$1.60 Brunei Dollars). Look for it in Japan, and you must try the machines.
When you are in Japan, don't just look around, or look up at all the sky rise buildings, LOOK DOWN. You will find something interesting to see also. In most country a manhole cover is usually something you don't even bother to look, but in Japan they turn it to an attractive art. The manhole covers in Japan have many designs and it attracted many tourists. Next time you’re in Japan, look down and look for it, but watch where you are going :-)
Anybody have any photos of different design manhole covers? Please share with us at our Facebook page. Thanks.
You will never go thirsty in Japan. Drinks' vending machine are everywhere, trust me it's everywhere, you can find them at every street corners, every train stations, every shopping centers and so on. The drinks in the vending machine can be paid with coins, cash, and even possible with mobile phones. It can even give you back your change. After buying your drinks the vending machine usually display a cute message saying “thank you”.
There are also a next-generation Japan's vending machines on the street with hopes of increasing sales through better advertising. There is a camera with sensors embedded on the vending machine which will recognise your gender and age. This will allow the vending machine to recommend a suitable beverage depending on the buyer profile. For example if the machine detects you are a male user, it will recommend sports drink, and if it detects you are a female user it will recommend tea. You can even click on the screen and interact with the drink that you’re about to buy.
The vending machine also has a system to display advertising when it is not in use. It also can provide recommendations appropriate to the time of day, temperature and season. For example, if it's a hot day, it will recommend you a cold drink and if it’s a cold day, it will recommend a hot drink. Or you can be like most user, just buy the drinks you want or looks attractive. Next time when your in Japan look for any Vending machines and test it's functions, it will be fun.
