There is one website I suggest registering with.  It’s called Couch Surfing and on it’s most basic level it’s a bit like a “dating site” for travelers (although it doesn’t mean real romance is included).  There’s a nominal fee to get your address verified and I recommend doing this if practical.

The idea is that you create a profile and browse the profile of other members.  Some members profiles will indicate that they are able to host you for free during your stay, others might not be able to host but may be available to meet up so you can meet new people and get some local insight.

The site works based on feedback so therefore if you host people or they host you then you both get an opportunity to leave feedback.  A series of good references on your profile makes it easy to attract the next host.

The Couch Surfing community is big in Japan however it’s not easy to get hosted by Japanese people.  They often find it difficult to host because

• their rooms are too small
• their housemates aren’t comfortable with strangers sharing
• many Japanese tend to work crazy hours and just aren’t available
• a lot of rental contracts forbid guests staying there

Couch Surfing

A lovely couple, Martin and his wife, registered with Couchsurfing back in December 2008 and hosted a lot of guests in their apartment in Thailand before flying to Japan in April.  If you can also host then it looks good to other members but if not then a sincere email to the potential host should be enough to encourage them to host you.

When they visited Japan they flew during the cherry blossom time and found that many hosts were booked out for months in advance. They got lucky and spent some time staying with westerners who lived there. They spent about 5 nights with one host close to Kyoto and attended a Couch Surfing picnic in Kyoto too.  During that picnic they were able to meet a lot of english-speaking Japanese friends who were happy to take them around the city in their spare time. In Tokyo they got to see some great parts of the city after meeting a Couch Surfer there.

They kept a detailed diary of our adventures here:
http://pavion.net/category/japan/

You’re going to love Japan.  Japan can be one of the best holiday’s you’ll ever have, and one of the most interesting. Doing some Couch Surfing will help broaden your experience when traveling internationally. To explore more about the country and culture it’s always a good idea to brush up on some Japanese language so you can get the full experience.

Recently my partner and I were traveling in Japan for 3 weeks. We flew in from the states to Tokyo and took trains and buses to Hakone, Takayama, Hiroshima and Kyoto. We’ve traveled internationally together before and enjoyed the mishaps that come with the territory, but this trip we were armed with a tablet. My mom gave me an HP coupon to get one and I thought, sure it’ll be nice to play with during down time, not have to lug around a heavy book to read and keep up with email so my family wouldn’t worry. Little did I know what an amazing and helpful tool it would be on our trip!

Never get lost again. Sure, a good guidebook has hundreds of maps. I usually rip out the ones of the town I’m in and carry them in my pocket for easy access, but inevitably I take a wrong turn somewhere. Try to navigate your way to Tokyo’s Kappabashi street from Asakusa with a map and then try using the map function on a tablet that shows you on the map, so you know exactly where you are and tell me which one is more effective.

Store and post pictures online immediately. You can do this with certain phones too, but data plans may apply. With a tablet, you just need to be in wifi range. We visited the Hakone open-aired museum and were able to snap shots of us in front of Rodin’s exquisite sculpture Drowning. It was my Facebook profile picture less than 5 minutes later.

Get up to date reviews fast. I’m a big lover of Lonely Planet Travel Guides, but they are super bulky and go out of date every year. Their website is the best way to have instant access for places to stay and eat, and everything else you might need to know. Book your hostel for the next town before it fills up. Book your Bullet train tickets, decide what you want to do next and find advice on nightlife all from something that weighs about a third of the guidebook.

Our entire trip was enchanting. We always said we never minded getting lost, as it was part of the journey, then we went our entire trip not getting lost once and realized that was just as fulfilling. The important thing is that you visit Japan, but if you grab an HP coupon to take advantage of a cheap tablet you’ll be glad you did that too.

Japan has an amazing and dynamic culture. It has fascinating buildings and architecture that date back thousands of years that simply ooze Japanese culture. This history sits along the much more modern elements of the shifting fashion trends and technological development that is constantly reinventing itself. This mix of old and new creates a country of stark contradictions which is one of the reasons Japan is a must visit destination. Before you go, here is a quick heads up on Japanese customs and how to get along if this is your first visit.

Table Etiquette
If you are eating out with the locals and you’re presented with a traditional Japanese dish, you may find it hard not to be a noisy eater and to slurp on the food you’re not so used to eating. Its commonplace in Japan and for everyone to do so and it’s seen a sign that you are enjoying your meal! If you find it hard to eat noodles or rice with chopsticks, it’s more than welcome that you are allowed to raise the bowl you’re eating from to chin level. This will reduce any chance of an accidental spillage. Before you even start to eat anything that has been offered to you, it’s polite to say “itadakimasu” which means I will receive. This is expected whether you are in the best five star restaurants or sampling a taste of food at the local market.

Tipping
In countries such as the US, Tipping is expected and is often automatically added on to your bill. The very opposite is true in Japan. In restaurants for example, they believe that the price they set for a meal is the price they believe it to be worth. Any more is seen as offensive and frowned upon. You will find that some waitresses will begrudgingly accept a tip just to avoid the confrontation but in general, it’s seen as an insult. So remember the price you see is the price you pay.

Visiting someone else’s home.
It’s custom in Japan for you to remove your shoes as soon as you step into someone else’s home and in most cases, if you enter a hotel or business too. There are a few westernised businesses based in Japan that don’t require you to remove your shoes so it’s not always necessary. As soon as you pass through the door, you will probably notice other people’s shoes lined up and a pair of complimentary guest slippers will be sitting nearby; many Japanese bring a pair of indoor slippers just in case. And be careful to remove the toilet slippers waiting for you in the bathroom once you leave the bathroom. If in doubt, take your shoes off! If the host doesn’t expect it, they will let you know.

Bathing
During your trip you will notice public bathhouses (Sento) dotted all around Japan whether you are in a major city or a small village. You might also notice the hot springs (Onsen) too. Unlike their use in the western culture, a Japanese bath is a place for you to relax after you have washed. It’s not a place for actual scrubbing! If you are in the home of a local, you may be offered the choice of using their bath. This is seen as an honour and you should be careful not to dirty the water you bathe in. The sanctity of the Japanese bath (Ofuro) is incredibly important.

This guest post was provided by Adam, cheap car hire provider, Carrentals.co.uk. If you are travelling anywhere round the world and want the ease that a car brings, take a look at the site for the best deals around.

Salmagundi Club website http://www.salmagundi.org

The event, “Pioneer Women: First Ladies of Salmagundi Club” is 6 to 8pm at the Salmagundi Art Club, located at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

Please help Samizu, who is frail and very poor, and lives in Maine USA, raise $1,000 US to pay for travel for her and two paintings, to receive this honor, by visiting Samizu’s “kickstarter” fundraising page. Check out this link to Samizu Matsuki’s kickstarter page.

Samizu Matsuki’s gold medal winning triumph was for returning techniques of Western Classical Realist artistry, refined through generations of Japanese art schools, back to the West. This was in defiance of then-prevailing American fixation on abstract expressionism. Her work electrified enormous crowds who came to her exhibited works.

Matsuki’s meteoric flash was short lived. Failing health at end of the 1970s cut short her career, despite many offers of commissions and exhibitions. Yet during her brief intense career Samizu was like an artistic accupuncture needle, reopening long closed channels of creativity, playing a subtle yet critical role in re-establishing  the legitimacy of highly realistic oil painting in the 1970s American art scene.

Matsuki’s unique ‘magical realism’ style was also influenced by Setsuko Migishi at Joshibi University in Tokyo. Samizu is a 1958 graduate of Joshibi, then called Womens College of Fine Arts.

In an effort to show the world that Japan remains a safe destination and promote international tourism back to Japan, we are sponsoring two “Travel Volunteers” to visit Japan’s 47 prefectures during a 100+1 journey.

The idea for this project came from one of our employees at The Real Japan: three months after the events, we were brainstorming on ways to restore confidence and bring back tourism to Japan. We had all seen the coverage about Japan from international media and felt an important part of information was missing… Although the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear issue are terrible disasters which claimed many lives, Japan as a country was NOT entirely destroyed or irradiated. All other places outside the evacuation zone remained totally safe. But the media never mentioned it.

An idea arose and immediately caught everyone’s enthusiasm: ”How about creating a contest to win a journey through all 47 prefectures of Japan in 100+1 days and report on a Blog and social media? All travel and accommodation expenses, including international airfares would be covered by the project. Impossible? Crazy? The seed for the “Travel Volunteer” project was planted…

www.travelvolunteer.net

We also involved Japanese tourism businesses from all over the country to sponsor a part of the journey and many contributed in the form of complimentary room-nights at hotels and Ryokans, with local guides offering their services to escort the Travel Volunteer for free in their city. We would like to thank them for their support.

On July 6th , after one month of excitement and intense work, the Travel Volunteer website was launched. It took off immediately, with over 200 applications in less than two days. Two weeks later, the Facebook page of our project was shared more than 10,000 times!

On July 31st, the application closing date, we had received 1897 applications from 85 different countries in the world… Every applicant was requested to pay a USD 5.00 fee to enter the contest, thus ensuring they were serious and committed. The funds were raised to support “On The Road”, a grass-root NPO, actively involved in the reconstruction efforts in the devastated Tohoku region.

Board of Messages full of Support and Hope

On August 15th, we had read all 1897 applications and pre-selected 5 candidates based on their answers to three simple questions:

• What is your personal reason to apply for Travel Volunteer?
• If you are selected, what would be your dream while in Japan?
• Why should we choose you?

The “lucky five” were 3 single applicants – 2 female & 1 male) from Canada, Malaysia & Ukraine, plus two couples from the UK and the USA.

On September 13th, they were invited to join the final selection process (return flight paid) at Kaikaro, a prestigious Geisha Tea House in Kanazawa, in presence local personalities and Japanese TV’s covering the event. The selection process was broadcast live on U-Stream (watch it here) and on local & regional TV’s.

Foreigners (Gaijin) wearing traditional Japanese kimono with Geisha girls and learning more about Japanes tradition as well as culture.

This non-profit project also aimed at raising funds for a grass-root NPO called “On The Road”, actively involved in the reconstruction efforts in Tohoku region, through a USD 5.00 application fee. As a result, USD 10,000 have been raised and symbolically handed over to the President of “On The Road” by the 5 pre-selected candidates, at the end of the ceremony.

Contestant winners Katie & Jamie from the UK who will be visiting 47 47 prefectures of Japan while they blog about their experiences!

On September 15th, our finally selected Travel Volunteers – Katie & Jamie from the UK – departed Kanazawa at 08.50 am to their first destination, Toyama. They are now on their way through Japan and will keep blogging everyday about their journey in Japan, until Christmas Eve on December 24th, when they will be in Tohoku, distributing gifts to children displaced by the tsunami.

For more information, please visit:
The Website: Travel Volunteer｜トラベルボランティア
The Blog: (Japan) Travel Volunteer Blog
The Facebook Page
The Twitter Page

You can find many companies online that offer stag party planning for your group in other countries. Searching for a Japanese destination however, may be a little more difficult than you had bargained for. With Japanese culture being so different than western culture, the stag party hasn’t yet been made into a boxed event. However this can work in your favor! It will require a little more digging, but the advantage of doing it this way ensures that your guests have a one of a kind experience that is completely original!

Tokyo is a great place to either start your holiday, or as the city to base it in. One of Japans largest and oldest cities, you’ll find everything you need to make this stag do unforgettable. Consider having a karaoke party one evening. Karaoke is a huge smash in Japan, and there are many venues that host parties. You have two options when looking for a place to hold your karaoke night bash in Tokyo. The first is a large bar where everyone is free to participate. If you only have a few guests this might be a good option. You won’t need to rent the room, so you’ll be able to save some money here. The downside to this is that you’ll also be sharing the karaoke stand with other tourists and locals. This could be part of the charm for your group though!

Your other option with a karaoke night is to visit what is called a “karaoke box”. These are bars that have many smaller rooms, and are available to rent. Individual parties have the option to rent one of these small karaoke rooms, and sing and party to your heart’s content! There will be other parties renting the other rooms, so there is still the ability to mingle with the local crowd while still keeping your guests entertained and active. Since it will only be your party in your room, there is no waiting for others to finish before your group can begin their fun!

Another must do while in Tokyo is seeing a Sumo match. This centuries old tradition in Japan will make a highly memorable night for your stag do, and allows you and your guests to witness something unique to Japanese culture. If you want your trip to focus on Japanese traditions, then you don’t want to miss this! Remember that in Japan, Sumo is highly respected as are the wrestlers. They are treated like royalty, and you should treat this event as the same! It wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn basic politeness and customs when planning your trip, and be sure to share these customs with your guests.

In the mornings and early afternoons you’ll definitely want to treat your stag party guests to the exotic marketplaces you’ll find throughout the city. Don’t forget all the fine dining to be had while in Tokyo as well! Japanese chefs are famed throughout the world for their inspired and delicious creations, and no stag do would be complete without it!

Whatever events you decide to choose, a stag do in Japan is sure to be a hit! Plan a party that will be remembered as the greatest holiday ever and visit exotic Japan for your festivities!

Accommodation

Turn your attention away from the slick high rise hotels, especially in the big cities. Instead, look for cheap Tokyo accommodation in a local hostel, many of which are family-run and which operate on a friendly and more intimate scale. Suddenly, you will find yourself paying more like €15-€25 per person ($22-36 / 1750-2900 JPY), per night in a shared – and sometimes private – room in a hostel, than in excess of €50 in a hotel ($72 / 5800 JPY). You will still have plenty of great facilities to hand including air-conditioning, self-catering facilities, free Internet access and a central location. Geared to budget travelers, you can also quiz hostel staff on the best budget places to eat, drink and where to experience life as a local. You can find cheap accommodation all over Japan including a Kyoto hostel or the family-run ryokans some with traditional tatami sleeping mats if you fancy an authentic experience.

Transport

The efficiency of the Tokyo metro is infamous and late-running trains are almost unheard of. They are also a cost-effective way to get around and a one-day ticket for use on the Tokyo metro costs about €6 ($9 / 700 JPY). A combi ticket which includes unlimited journeys on the metro, Toei lines and buses will set you back €12 a day ($18 / 1400 JPY). If you don’t want to mess around with tickets each day, order yourself a PASMO card. Similar to the London Oyster card, this is a reloadable card which you place on an electronic reader as you go through the gates. You can use it on all Tokyo public transport too so it is very convenient. Purchase at ticket machines and station offices. But the ultimate cheap way to get around Tokyo is…on foot.

Tokyo underground subway sign

To travel further afield, skip Japan domestic flights, these are pricey. Instead, buy a JR Rail Pass before your trip – you cannot buy these within Japan – which permits travel on trains (except the fastest bullet train, ‘shinkansen’), ferries and buses too. You might also want to consider overnight buses which are not only cheap, they will save on a night in a hotel. However, this can be quite a tiring and uncomfortable way to travel.

Food

Hit the supermarkets and pick up some ingredients to cook back at your hostel’s guest kitchen. These might include fresh produce, but you’d be forgiven if you reach for the ultimate cheap food in Japan – instant ramen noodles at about €2 pop! You can also pick-up little containers of pre-prepared sushi and rice balls from the supermarket too which are ideal for a picnic.

The conveyor belt sushi shops in Japan are a world apart from the stuff you are used to back home. As long as you can demonstrate some self-control – the bill starts adding up if you scoff too many dishes – you can expect to pay between €2 and €4 per plate ($3-6 / 233-466 JPY).

convenyor belt moving sushi

Standing will also save you money. You can slurp away at a bowl of hot noodles in low-key noodle shops and curry houses. The cheapest can be found down the backstreets, away from the main roads. It’s a sort of Japanese fast food with business men and locals after a quick bite before heading to the office. The yatai, small mobile food stands serve a similar purpose in the evenings, but while you might have experienced dodgy kebab vans or questionable hot dog stands back home, here, the yatai dish up grilled skewered fish, octopus legs and frozen yogurt.

Madeleine Wilson is a travel writer for HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist. She lives and works in London.

Falling asleep on a train

(image source here)

1. Debit Card and $100 - Many people say bring cash because many places don’t accept credit cards. This is only kind of true. I say bring $100 and your debit card instead. At the airport you can minimize  exchange rate fees by changing only $100 into Yen. This way you’ll have cash on hand and can buy some things from the vending machines and pay for transportation when you arrive. Major stores will take a debit card if it has the Visa or Mastercard logo on it. To get money, you can withdrawal using your Visa or Mastercard from almost any Japan Post Office (no ATM fee) or 7-11 (~250 Yen ATM fee). Very fair exchange rates are set each day by Visa or MasterCard, and depending where you bank you’ll be charged 1% from Visa or Mastercard, and 1% or more from your bank. And you’ll have a withdrawal limit of $500 USD per day most likely. And many major stores will accept credit cards as payment.
2. Deodorant - It gets hot and humid during the summer, and sometimes public transportation cranks up the heat in the winter. To stay dry, you should bring some antiperspirant/deodorant. I haven’t seen it for sale that frequently in Japan. When I did buy it in Japan I had to go to a few pharmacies until I found a Ban Rollon for about 500 Yen. It’s small and lasts maybe 3-4 weeks. Costco sells Speed Stick deodorant (non antiperspirant) but I don’t think it works very well.
3. Hand Sanitizer - I haven’t seen this for sale in Japan. You’ll be touching a lot of things including doorways, bus or subway handles, money, and then it’ll be time to eat! Sometimes it’s hard to find places to wash your hands. Many bathrooms are missing two things… soap and paper towels. When you go to a restaurant they’ll usually give you a wet towel, but I think bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer will help you stay healthy and give you a piece of mind.
4. Handkerchief - There’s usually no towel or air dryer in the public bathrooms, and you might need it to wipe sweat from your face in the summer. Something cheap is fine. When you’re in Japan you can hit the shops and find a nice one for 500 yen or a Burberry or Calvin Klein for 1000 yen or less.
5. Digital Camera - Sure, Japan is known for electronics and gadgets, but they’re not cheap. I find that many things in Japan cost the same or more than in the US. And all Sony products have only Japanese language menus. When you’re capturing memories, it’s better safe than sorry.
6. 3 Prong Outlet Adapter – Almost all outlets are 2 prong only. So if you have any 3 prong electronics like your laptop, bring an adapter. You could buy one here, but you’re exploring Japan so why waste time looking for one?
7. Over the counter allergy meds - Seasonal allergies? Allergic to dust, or anything else? You should bring some Clariton or Zyrtec. It’s not sold OTC here, and the OTC meds are expensive and cause drowsiness.
8. Aspirin - You should bring a small bottle of aspirin or Tylenol. It costs maybe $1-2 in the US for a travel size. If you need to buy it in Japan it’ll cost you around 700 Yen for 20 aspirin pills. If you need to buy some here, look for “Bufferin” or ask for it by the brand name.
9. Earplugs and Facemask - I recommend this because walls are thin in most buildings, so it might be hard to sleep at times.

Along with some tips I’m going to share some pictures I took of the subway on a rainy, cold, Friday afternoon around 2pm. It wasn’t a busy time and the station I was at doesn’t seem to be as busy as bigger stations.

Tip #1 – If somebody falls onto the track, hit this button! (Press the red button below in case a person fall sinto the track area. Trains will stop automatically. FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY!)

Tips beyond “Tip #1″ in no particular order:

Getting a ticket:
Look at the fare chart above the machine. Find your destination, the number below the destination is how much Yen it’ll cost you. Put in your money in the machine and click the button that shows that amount. There’s usually an English option on the machine. Get your ticket and change from the tray. If your purchase a wrong ticket by mistake you can insert the ticket into the refund slot and your money will be returned. I think in Tokyo you can buy the ticket at a ticket counter. Also: See if you have to make any connections (meaning you start at point A, change trains at point B, change again at point C, and arrive at the final destination). If you make a train change you might want to write down the names of those places so you don’t forget.

Next, take your ticket, put it into this machine that’s a gate area (or Automatic Ticket Gate, usually green) and grab the ticket when it spits it out at the end. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you should watch other people do it. It’s pretty simple.

Now head to your track number. You’ll know which track number you should take by looking at the station names under the number or on the wall. They’ll say which direction that train is heading by giving names of upcoming stations. If you’re going to the aiport you’ll see CITYNAME Kuko… I think… wait behind the white line with arrows pointing to where the train doors will be. When the train arrives let people out and then go in.

( Oh yeah, this information board above also shows the estimated arrival time, and a picture of the train which changes position and reflects it’s progress)

Some tips on riding in the train -

• Don’t eat or drink in the train.
• If you have an ipod, turn down the volume so others can’t hear it.
• If you’re uncomfortable, just stand the whole time.
• Don’t sit in the designated areas for elderly, pregnant, etc. There’s a sign showing this.
• Designated areas are in the waiting area for the train as well.

If you need additional help, you can call the Japan Railways’s English-language telephone service at 03-3423-0111 or visit their website.
Operation time can vary. Usually early morning to late at night (something like 5:30am – 11:30pm). And the time between trains can run 3-4 minutes during rush/peak times and 4-9 minutes during the off peak times.

Fares usually depend on distance travelled. You can expect to spend 200-400 Yen one way. Here’s an example fare chart:

• 200 Yen – 0 – 3 km
• 250 Yen – 3 – 7 km
• 290 Yen – 7 – 11 km
• 320 Yen – 11- 14 km
• 360 Yen – 14+ km

You can also buy prepaid cards and 1-Day passes. A one day pass can cost as little as 600 yen, or up to 1600 yen for the Tokyo super duper combo all transport one day pass. (Don’t ask for a super duper combo, I made that name up).

You can get a map of the Tokyo subway system here (PDF version of the 1st picture I posted)
You can get a subway map of Fukuoka here
If you’re looking for a different city, I recommend searching google using a phrase similar to “CITYNAME japan metro subway map” or visiting UrbanRail.net

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I miss snowboarding so I thought I’d share a video from last season. I had my ipod blaring, I was thinking about the next stretch of the mountain, and I was wondering why there was a crowd of Ski Patrol. I didn’t see her until it was too late. By the way I hope to book a secret trip soon for me and my fiancee, so if anybody is in Fukuoka and wants to hit a mountain let me know!

For just 4,000 Yen per night you can sleep in a capsule which looks like the size of a coffin. A coffin with a shit load of stuff packed inside so you can feel trapped in a hole. Even though each capsule is small as hell it comes with TV, radio, alarm clock, adjustable lighting. I wonder if I’d fit in there being 190 cm tall. They have a lounge area with internet and have 100 Yen coffee. I’ve been searching for a cheap ass cafe here in Fukuoka with 100 Yen coffee so I’m a little bit jealous of that. So far I’ve found 300+ yen coffee which is ridiculous because I could get 350ml of coffee for 320 Yen or for just 80 Yen more I could enjoy some bomb ass ramen. Seriously, what’s up with that?

The site says “Everybody that travels to Japan should experience this unique accommodation, at least once” but I don’t get it… they have a men’s section and a women’s section. How are you supposed to get it on with your woman with this setup?

Check out their site and make your reservation today! Then email me and tell me what it’s like because I’ll probably never hit one up. CapsuleInn.com

Here are a few videos so you can tour a capsule hotel (but it’s not the one from capsuleinn)

I took a quick screenshot of what I was looking at:

Taken from their site:

About <Tokyo VR Project> … We have tried data-ization for the main area in Tokyo by QuickTimeVR. But it is the reckless project. A new information interface is proposed by connecting much QuickTimeVR movies, data-izing the space, rows of houses, and a building, and constituting false space. By our original know-how, execution of this project was attained only after becoming possible to carry out extensive creation of the QuickTimeVR quickly. By making scenery an interface as it is, the state with a house, a store, a park, a building, and the living information of a there could be sent. It will be useful to barrier-free, safety and the measure against crime prevention and information dispatch of an area and a walk, or an adventure. We are waiting for cooperation of those who can consent to our trial from the heart.