Land of the rising Sun - Nippon/Japan!
This blog post is dedicated to the beautiful country of technological advancement, hardworking people,great culture and amazing countryside.
Notable Cities worth visiting are Tokyo,Kyoto, Hiroshima-Nagasaki.
Bullet trains connect them with ease of time and comfort.
"Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy,wealthy and wise" -- this English proverb truly describes Japanese culture.
They are very time conscious and punctual in their lifestyle. The restaurants/banquets will ask you to leave at the specified time (we experienced it) since they have to close for the day. This is not considered rude in their culture.
Bowing down,smile and greeting with a "konnichiwa"marks the beginning of the day.
U will also hear a lot of "arigatou gozaimous" which means "thank u very much" throughout the day..
Japanese people are very helpful and smiling.. their accented english is easy to comprehend as well..
Sake is the locally brewed alcohol. Its a must try if you like to experiment with your drinks. The alcohol content in stuff like vodka, whiskey etc is very strong in japan as compared to india. So, be careful.
Japanese people are very private in nature. They usually do not invite people home for socialising, cover up their windows, stay upto themselves, work really hard and earning a plot of bury their dead parents with a tombstone is what their mission is !!
Visiting Japan during the cherry blossom time is considered to be the best. Natural beauty at its prime!
The Golden Pavilion
A zen buddhist place of worship which is fringed by beautifully laid out gardens.
The temple is a tall structure made of gold and reflects beautifully in the lake,in which it is situated. This makes a awesome picture background.
Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is located in the city of Kyoto and was the home for the samurai shotgun.
There are many rooms and anterooms with intricately painted sliding doors.
The samurai head(shotgun) used to receive his sub-lords in the rooms.
The shotgun used to squat/sit on a little raised platform and to his left, at a distance used to be his pageboy/manservant. the lords were supposed to sit farther down the room in a bowed down position. The most interesting piece of architecture are the "Nightingale floors".
The flooring of the castle in the corridors make a particular noise, like squeaking of birds, so that the occupants are protected from sneak attacks or assassins.
Interesting trivia - the shotgun was never allowed to be with a particular wife in private since the wife could use her influence to ask for favours and stuff. There was always a servant present in the room with them.
Mt.Fuji
The weather gods need to be in a good mood when you plan a visit to see the famous volcano!
Viewing the Mt.Fuji in its full glory, where u can see the summit, is the highlight of Japan trip..
Ashi Lake cruise- Hakone hot springs - ropeway ride
A loooooong lazy cruise on a freshwater lake, surrounded by unbounded natural beauty can pep your mood up! the cruise is a part of a day trip to see the natural hot springs at hakone.. you will reach the summit in a ropeway and then proceed on foot to see the springs.
Be prepared to walk a lot.. naturally boiled eggs on the springs are available for purchase and are black in colour!
Shinto Shrine
The predominant religion of Japan is shinto.
They worship the spirit present in everything in the world. It can be in a form of a tree, rock, animal, place etc. The shrine entrances are marked by a particular sign as shown.
Roppongi and Ginza areas
These are the partying and hi-fashion shopping areas in Tokyo.
Although tokyo is considered to be the most expensive city to live in etc. a walk down the street is a MUST! Roppongi has an interesting night life. Hard Rock Cafe is a great watering hole.
Hooters is a great place for a drink in ginza area.. be prepared to find all the places on the street to be full everynight..
jostling for a table is a herculean task!
Tokyo Tower
It looks exactly like the Eiffel Tower from a distance.
Visit to the observation deck gives u a eagle eye view of the entire city.
Would suggest to buy mint candy from their souvenir shop. They resemble homeopathic medicine in a tokyo tower styled bottle.
Shopping malls/departmental stores are humongous and deserve total devotion in terms of time and money to shop crazily..!!
one can get great deals on electronic items.. I would personally recommend akhibara mall for their massive collection..
Japan is a highly developed nation. This point is driven home with a superior force when u visit the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The memorial dedicated to the nuclear bombing in world war 2 is awe-inspiring.
You cannot believe your eyes after seeing the city, that it was practically razed to the ground! Its just like a phoenix risen from the ashes!! you can view the wristwatch which stopped precisely at the time of bombing the city.. 8:15 am!
Bullet Train
Engineering marvel..! this should sum it up in totality!
The security personnel actually make sure u stand behind a drawn line on the platform, if the train isnt stopping at that station. The speed of the train will make u NUMB! whooooosssshhh........!!!!
The trains are always always always ON TIME and stop exactly where it is supposed to be.! unlike in india, where S7 is supposed to be, but u find S9!
Geisha
Private performances by a professional geisha has to be sought by your company through their agents.
A geisha performs the traditional japanese dance and will play their rock-paper-scissor game for their audience. Their make up makes them shine even in a dark room.
A apprentice geisha can be identified by the less number of ornaments worn in the hair and their kimonos.
Its very hard to train to be a geisha. They have to live with their masters, perform the daily chores and attend the classes. A proffessional geisha gets her hair done in a salon once a week and they really have ELABORATE hair dos... For more info, you can google about them or read "memoirs of geisha"..!!
Tokyo Disneyland
I absolutely love visiting disneyland.. it makes me feel lost in a make believe world of cartoons and happiness !
Kindly do not plan your trip on a sunday!
It will be swamped with mothers and their kids in prams.
Do plan a trip to japan to experience a absolutely disciplined lifestyle! Although japan is not a predominantly tourist country, it still has a LOT to offer :-)
This blog post is dedicated to the beautiful country of technological advancement, hardworking people,great culture and amazing countryside.
Notable Cities worth visiting are Tokyo,Kyoto, Hiroshima-Nagasaki.
Bullet trains connect them with ease of time and comfort.
Facts/Tips :
"Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy,wealthy and wise" -- this English proverb truly describes Japanese culture.
They are very time conscious and punctual in their lifestyle. The restaurants/banquets will ask you to leave at the specified time (we experienced it) since they have to close for the day. This is not considered rude in their culture.
Bowing down,smile and greeting with a "konnichiwa"marks the beginning of the day.
U will also hear a lot of "arigatou gozaimous" which means "thank u very much" throughout the day..
Japanese people are very helpful and smiling.. their accented english is easy to comprehend as well..
Sake is the locally brewed alcohol. Its a must try if you like to experiment with your drinks. The alcohol content in stuff like vodka, whiskey etc is very strong in japan as compared to india. So, be careful.
Japanese people are very private in nature. They usually do not invite people home for socialising, cover up their windows, stay upto themselves, work really hard and earning a plot of bury their dead parents with a tombstone is what their mission is !!
Visiting Japan during the cherry blossom time is considered to be the best. Natural beauty at its prime!
Places of interest :
The Golden Pavilion
A zen buddhist place of worship which is fringed by beautifully laid out gardens.
The temple is a tall structure made of gold and reflects beautifully in the lake,in which it is situated. This makes a awesome picture background.
Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is located in the city of Kyoto and was the home for the samurai shotgun.There are many rooms and anterooms with intricately painted sliding doors.
The samurai head(shotgun) used to receive his sub-lords in the rooms.
The shotgun used to squat/sit on a little raised platform and to his left, at a distance used to be his pageboy/manservant. the lords were supposed to sit farther down the room in a bowed down position. The most interesting piece of architecture are the "Nightingale floors".
The flooring of the castle in the corridors make a particular noise, like squeaking of birds, so that the occupants are protected from sneak attacks or assassins.
Interesting trivia - the shotgun was never allowed to be with a particular wife in private since the wife could use her influence to ask for favours and stuff. There was always a servant present in the room with them.
Mt.Fuji
 |
| Mt.Fuji |
The weather gods need to be in a good mood when you plan a visit to see the famous volcano!
Viewing the Mt.Fuji in its full glory, where u can see the summit, is the highlight of Japan trip..
Ashi Lake cruise- Hakone hot springs - ropeway ride
A loooooong lazy cruise on a freshwater lake, surrounded by unbounded natural beauty can pep your mood up! the cruise is a part of a day trip to see the natural hot springs at hakone.. you will reach the summit in a ropeway and then proceed on foot to see the springs.
Be prepared to walk a lot.. naturally boiled eggs on the springs are available for purchase and are black in colour!
Shinto Shrine
The predominant religion of Japan is shinto.
They worship the spirit present in everything in the world. It can be in a form of a tree, rock, animal, place etc. The shrine entrances are marked by a particular sign as shown.
Roppongi and Ginza areas
These are the partying and hi-fashion shopping areas in Tokyo.
Although tokyo is considered to be the most expensive city to live in etc. a walk down the street is a MUST! Roppongi has an interesting night life. Hard Rock Cafe is a great watering hole.
Hooters is a great place for a drink in ginza area.. be prepared to find all the places on the street to be full everynight..
jostling for a table is a herculean task!
Tokyo Tower
It looks exactly like the Eiffel Tower from a distance. Visit to the observation deck gives u a eagle eye view of the entire city.
Would suggest to buy mint candy from their souvenir shop. They resemble homeopathic medicine in a tokyo tower styled bottle.
Shopping malls/departmental stores are humongous and deserve total devotion in terms of time and money to shop crazily..!! one can get great deals on electronic items.. I would personally recommend akhibara mall for their massive collection..
Japan is a highly developed nation. This point is driven home with a superior force when u visit the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The memorial dedicated to the nuclear bombing in world war 2 is awe-inspiring.
You cannot believe your eyes after seeing the city, that it was practically razed to the ground! Its just like a phoenix risen from the ashes!! you can view the wristwatch which stopped precisely at the time of bombing the city.. 8:15 am!
Bullet Train
Engineering marvel..! this should sum it up in totality!
The security personnel actually make sure u stand behind a drawn line on the platform, if the train isnt stopping at that station. The speed of the train will make u NUMB! whooooosssshhh........!!!!
The trains are always always always ON TIME and stop exactly where it is supposed to be.! unlike in india, where S7 is supposed to be, but u find S9!
Geisha
Private performances by a professional geisha has to be sought by your company through their agents.
A geisha performs the traditional japanese dance and will play their rock-paper-scissor game for their audience. Their make up makes them shine even in a dark room.
A apprentice geisha can be identified by the less number of ornaments worn in the hair and their kimonos.
Its very hard to train to be a geisha. They have to live with their masters, perform the daily chores and attend the classes. A proffessional geisha gets her hair done in a salon once a week and they really have ELABORATE hair dos... For more info, you can google about them or read "memoirs of geisha"..!!
Tokyo Disneyland
Kindly do not plan your trip on a sunday!
It will be swamped with mothers and their kids in prams.
Do plan a trip to japan to experience a absolutely disciplined lifestyle! Although japan is not a predominantly tourist country, it still has a LOT to offer :-)