Saturday, October 1, 2011

JAF

Japan Automobile Federation (JAF)
JAF offers road services such as locked out, flat battery and towing etc with certain fees. JAF members are applicable to get free of charge for certain services while non-members can't.

JAF :
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/index.htm

Logo

Tow truck

Castle

Castle
One of the famous place (besides the temple) to visit in Japan is their castle.
For some castle, we can enter and there are also exhibition of the previous empire etc.

Castles

Castle's gate

At castle compound

Temple

Temple
Kyoto has a large number of temple such as kinkaku-ji, ginkaku-ji, kyomizudera etc.
Others are in Nara (World heritage) etc.
It is a one time must visit place in Japan.

Temples

Parking

Parking
There are private parking space and
public parking space.

Private parking space either you have your own or rented monthly.
The rent varies by area. For example monthly parking rent in Shibuya, Tokyo can cost around 30,000yen (almost half of a house rent) and in rural area in Yokohama
(where we stayed before) cost around 7000yen.

Lift type parking space

For public parking space, you have to pay per hour or per day. For example 20minutes=100yen (day) and 60minutes=100yen (night) etc. Usually every parking space have the maximum charges on that day for example 24hrs=1200yen. Famous company in charge of the parking is TIMES.

Times Parking Map: http://www.times-info.net/map/

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Public transport

Public transport: Train, Bus etc.
Train and bus are used widely in Japan. There are bullet train, express train, local train, subway etc. You can check the details at the JR website (divided into JR east, JR west etc). There are private company running the railway too.

Japan Rail Pass http://www.japanrailpass.net/
JR East http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html
JR West http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/global.html
Tokyo Metro http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/index.html

Osaka public transport information http://www.kotsu.city.osaka.jp/foreign/english/index.html

Anyway, if you are traveling a lot using train e.g in Tokyo area, check out the 1-day pass ticket. Cheaper but valid only for certain distance and depends on the railway company.
I remember taking JR train using the 1-day pass ticket from Yokohama to Tokyo, and then make a stop at Tokyo St., Akihabara St., Ueno St., Shinjyuku St., Shibuya St., Harajyuku St., Shinagawa St and lots more. It costs around 1350yen. Usually, one short ride will cost around 150yen and above.
Bus and subway also have the 1-day pass ticket. For example, subway in Osaka, 1-day pass costs around 800yen during weekdays and 600yen during weekends and public holidays.

JR train

City Bus

If you like to travel using train e,g travel from Tokyo to Kyusyu, I suggest you to buy seishun 18 kippu. You get 5 tickets, price around 12000yen. 1 ticket can be used per day. You can travel as far as you like using the ticket.

If you are a visitor, you can buy unlimited-shinkansen-ride ticket and can ride the shinkansen all over Japan for a certain period of time. Price is below 30,000yen per person.

Bullet train@shinkansen

You can check the train time table by buying the time table book or check below websites.
http://transit.loco.yahoo.co.jp/ (time table in Japanese)
http://www.hyperdia.com/ (time table in English)
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/ (time table in English) 

Tokyo JR train map

Tokyo Subway train map

Osaka Subway train map

Friday, June 17, 2011

Electrical and Electronic store

Shopping electrical/electronic items.
There are plenty of shopping complexes that specially selling electrical and electronic items.
Mostly, we don"t bargain but some electronic store do allow customer to bargain (you have to show prove such as picture,pamphlet etc that can show that other store is selling at cheaper price).

Some of the famous places are
Akihabara
Electric town (Tokyo)
Nippon bashi Den-Den Town (Osaka)

Some of the famous stores are
Yodobashi (http://www.yodobashi.com/)
Yamada denki (http://www.yamada-denki.jp/)
Bic Camera (http://www.biccamera.com/)
Denkodo (http://www.denkodo.co.jp/)
Joshin (kansai) (http://joshinweb.jp/top.html)

The famous online stores are
kakaku.com (http://kakaku.com/)
*You can compare the cheapest price in the market.
Yahoo auction (http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/)

Souvenirs

Gifts and Souvenirs
Some of the famous places to buy souvenirs are in Asakusa@Tokyo and Akihabara@Tokyo.
Some major shopping complex such as Yodobashi also sell souvenirs.