While Japan’s rail system is famed around the world for its scope and efficiency, it can be an intimidating thing to go through for someone new to Japan. Busy maps, crowded stations, and the ever-present Japanese language barrier can make it challenging for newcomers to efficiently travel on Japan’s many trains and subways. On top…
With more than 8 million tourists visiting Japan each year, many stereotypes have been created to explain Japanese culture to friends and family back home. However, there are almost always exceptions to these stereotypes, none more evident than those pertaining Japanese public transportation etiquette. Learn these 5 myths before your first trip to Japan so…
Kyoto is a beautiful city for sightseeing. It is hugely popular among both foreign and Japanese tourists and offers a wonderful array of historical and cultural landmarks, temples, shrines, walking trails, and opportunities to dress in kimono and walk along serene canals. Getting around Kyoto, and getting around easily and cheaply, is a question asked…
Tokyo, the dream city of many travelers, has a lot to offer and so it can be quite confusing to choose which places to visit, especially when you only have a day to spend. The intracity transport may also be way too expensive to use if you don’t plan properly. So here is a guide…
If you’ve been frequenting Japan’s well-established railway network, you’ll come to notice that a lot of the exit signs use cardinal directions (north, east, south, west) rather than relative directions (left, right, forward, backward). Cardinal directions are difficult to remember for many of us. It would take time to pick up hints and signals to…
If you’re thinking of moving to Japan, no doubt the capital city of Tokyo is a possibility on your list. Tokyo, meaning “east capital” in Japanese, was formerly known as Edo and became the official capital city of Japan in 1868. If you decide to move to Japan to teach, get married, or explore on…
I’m 192cm tall, otherwise known as somewhere in the realms of 6’ 3” to 6’ 4”. By Western standards, that makes me somewhat taller than average, but take a random selection of a hundred Japanese men and I’d be surprised if even one of them is my height or taller. That equates to the fact…
If you happen to visit Japan, you will undoubtedly use the train at some point. Even if you plan to rent a car the entire time during your visit, you are likely to hop on a train between the airport and where you’re staying. Particularly in big cities such as Tokyo (東京), Osaka (大阪), or…
If you’re staying in Tokyo for a while, you may know that there are many ways to get by – bus, train, and subway, to name a few. But did you know that traveling by taxi is probably the most economical choice when it comes to shorter distances? Taxis are also useful if you’d like…
If the JR Yamanote line is the most convenient train line in Tokyo, the Osaka Municipal Subway’s Midosuji Line would be its Osaka cousin. Many of Central Osaka’s tourist spots are accessible via the Midosuji Line (colour-coded red) and it is the oldest subway line in Osaka. commons.wikimedia.org/ Many of its stations are transportation hubs…
