Saturday, 26 November 2011

Quick Hair Cut in Japan

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.

Friday, 18 November 2011

Japan Convenience Store

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:
-Photocopying service.
-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 concertstheme parksairlines.
-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.


Friday, 11 November 2011

100 Yen Shop

Japan most famous 100 Yen shop "Daiso"
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.

Monday, 7 November 2011

Visit Japan Video 2

Another of my favourite Yokoso Japan Video. 
The music is very Cool, feel fun watching it.

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Visit Japan Video 1

One of my favourite Yokoso Japan Video. 
The music is very touching, brings back memories of Japan.

Japan Capsule Machine

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.

Friday, 4 November 2011

Japan Manhole Cover Art

 I found this two manhole cover at Ginza, Tokyo



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. 

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Vending Machine everywhere in Japan



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.