Taxi in Japan

Taxi can be found everywhere in Japan. It is one of the common transportation use there. It may be expensive to ride one if you are going on a long journey, but to go around fast in the city it can be convenience especially late at night when all the other public transportation shut down. 

In Japan smaller cities, Taxi are more often use than the other public transportation and it can help you save time instead of waiting for a bus. Taxi fares typically start around 600-700 YEN for the first two kilometers and increase about 100 yen for every additional 500 meters traveled. The cost is also counted when the taxi is not moving for a prolonged time. Late in the evening the rates are raised by around 20 percent. I'm sure this is the same with other countries. Traveling in a group of four is advise to reduce the fare when it's break down to a person. Oh ya, you can pay the Taxi fare with a credit card, just ask the Taxi driver before you enter.

In Japan the Taxi's left rear door is opened and closed remotely by the Taxi driver. You do not need to open or close the door. For a foreigner who can't speak Japanese well, communication with the Taxi driver can be a problem. Taxi drivers there don't really know how to speak English. So it is advice to give your driver the address of your destination on a piece of paper or point it out on a map, or have the telephone no. of the place you are going for the Taxi driver. Sometimes places in Japan can be confusing even for a Japanese.   

Visit here to learn some  Japanese language for calling a Taxi

 http://japanese-phrases.sakura.ne.jp/page11j.html

A typical Japanese Taxi GPS Device

Japan Postcards

Want to get a souvenir in Japan for your friends? Get them a nice Japan postcard. 

You can collect the entire postcards from places you visit in Japan. It can be fun and interesting searching and browsing for a nice Japanese postcard. You can get Japanese Postcards at almost anywhere in Japan. In souvenir shops, book shops, department store, temples, shrines, subways and even on some shops on the streets of Japan. There are also free postcards you can collect from hotels and sometimes from restaurants. 

Japanese postcards can be a good collection from your trip to Japan. For example in Kyoto you can buy unique postcards of Maiko & Geisha for collection (you can see some above). Japanese postcards are not that expensive, and the photo printing quality is very good. One thing you can do when you are in Japan is you can buy a nice Japanese postcard, and then mail it to your friends or even to yourself for fun. Try it :-)

Big G-Shock Watch

Can you spot the G-Shock watch below?

Casio G-Shock Watch is one of the most popular watch in the world. It's common to see Outdoor enthusiastic, Travelers, Athletes, Photographers, Campers and even the Army to have a G-Shock watch on their wrist. It is one of the toughest watch around.

If you ever visit Ginza, Japan i'm sure you ever saw this big G-Shock watch on top of the building. If you have not seen it then try to look for it when you visit Ginza, but i'm not sure if it's still there :-)

Ganbatte to all the Children of Japan :-)

A project done by Cikgu Lim Han with his Year 5 students in his school in the Brunei Water Village (Kampung Ayer). His students is sending their caring messages to all the Children of Japan working hard recovering from last year tragic incident of Tsunami, Earthquake and Nuclear crisis. Ganbatte to all the Children :-)

#If you have similar project please do share with us at our Facebook page, thanks.

Japanese Green Tea Kit Kat

Have a Break, Have a Japanese Green Tea Kit Kat........ 

Japanese Green Tea Kit Kat or Matcha Kit Kat can be found in most convenience store in Japan. This green tea flavour Kit Kat is very delicious and it's nice to buy back as gift for your friends and family, a unique souvenir from Japan. Can't say much about it, try it yourself. It taste like eating a Kit Kat and drinking Japanese green tea at the same time.

Walk around Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle or Osaka-Jo (in Japanese), is a famous landmark, a popular sightseeing spot in Japan. This castle is the symbol of Osaka and its famous around the world. The sheer height of the walls and the wide channels make for a grand sight that can be matched by no other castle in Japan. 

The Osaka Castle was built in the end of the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a well-known warlord who brought the whole country under his rule in the late 16th century. Unfortunately, it was burned down in a series of battles in the 17th century, and reconstructed later. But later again it was destroyed by fire and was reconstructed at last early in the 20th century. 

Another interesting thing about the castle is there are eight roof dolphins, and the decorative roof tiles and reliefs are carved in the shape of tigers, all of which are gilded with gold. There is a museum inside the castle with a large variety of historical materials and screen displays, and also the miniature figures depicting the Summer War of Osaka.

The steep walls of Osaka Castle is about 30 meters high are made of huge blocks of stone that were transported to Osaka from quarries over 100 kilometers away. The top floor of the castle is an observation deck where you can enjoy panoramic views of Osaka Castle Park, part of the modern high-rise buildings, the Osaka plain, and mountains in the distance. It a good place for photography.

With waterways running around the castle, there is a water bus service that takes you out on a 1-hour cruise in the river that flows through the city. In summer, the Okawa River in the northwest of the Osaka Castle becomes the stage for the Osaka Tenjin-matsuri Festival. This festival is known as one of the three largest in Japan with sight of a fleet of about 100 ships going down the river. And at night there will be wonderful Japanese Hanabi (fireworks) show.

Osaka Castle is a good place to walk around for sightseeing or just for relaxing. Even children & students like to visit the castle for their school trips. Or just have a sit to enjoy your lunch. You can buy nice Japanese Bento at the castle's compound, and also you can get nice souvenir at the shops there.

 If you visit here you must try the train provided for your amusement. It will be fun.

If you just want to visit a beautiful park in Osaka, have a visit to the Osaka Castle Park outside the castle. It is offering a suitable trails and pleasant scenery to enjoy along the way.

For more information about Osaka Castle, please visit here:

http://www.osakacastle.net/english/

http://www.osakacastle.net/castle_en/index.htm

Photos courtesy of Forest Han Photography 

www.foresthantravel.blogspot.com

Daruma Doll

Daruma Doll is named after an ancient Zen Master, Bodidharma, who lost the use of his arms and legs after sitting nine years meditating in a cave (according to Japan story). The Daruma Doll is a symbol of his self-discipline and positive outlook in Japan.

Daruma Doll comes with both eyes blank. When you buy one or received one as a gift, you should paint one eye and make a wish or determine to do something. Then paint the other eye when your wish comes true or something you set out to do is completed. Daruma Doll have a weighted bottom and rounded shape that  forces it balance itself back after being knocked over. The lesson here is to never give up and get up from any misfortune. Daruma Doll can also be use for bringing in luck.

Daruma Doll is a great gift for friends and family from Japan. It is also good for decoration and you can buy it from any Temple or any Japanese gift shop all over Japan. It comes in different sizes, design and colours. Make sure you get the right one for yourself or your friends. I'm not sure what's the meaning, but you can always ask before you buy one.