TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- They are young, earn little and spend little, and take a keen interest in fashion and personal appearance -- meet the "herbivore men" of Japan.
Former CNN intern Junichiro Hori is a self-described 'herbivore.'
Author and pop culture columnist Maki Fukasawa coined the term in 2006 in a series of articles on marketing to a younger generation of Japanese men. She used it to describe some men who she said were changing the country's ideas about just what is -- and isn't -- masculine.
"In Japan, sex is translated as 'relationship in flesh,'" she said, "so I named those boys 'herbivorous boys' since they are not interested in flesh."
Typically, "herbivore men" are in their 20s and 30s, and believe that friendship without sex can exist between men and women, Fukasawa said.
The term has become a buzzword in Japan. Many people in Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood were familiar with "herbivore men" -- and had opinions about them.
Shigeyuki Nagayama said such men were not eager to find girlfriends and tend to be clumsy in love, and he admitted he seemed to fit the mold himself.
"My father always asks me if I got a girlfriend. He tells me I'm no good because I can't get a girlfriend."
Midori Saida, a 24-year-old woman sporting oversized aviators and her dyed brown hair in long ringlets, said "herbivore men" were "flaky and weak."
"We like manly men," she said. "We are not interested in those boys -- at all."
Takahito Kaji, 21, said he has been told he is "totally herbivorous."
"Herbivorous boys are fragile, do not have a stocky body -- skinny."
Fukasawa said Japanese men from the baby boomer generation were typically aggressive and proactive when it came to romance and sex. But as a result of growing up during Japan's troubled economy in the 1990s, their children's generation was not as assertive and goal-oriented. Their outlook came, in part, from seeing their fathers' model of masculinity falter even as Japanese women gained more lifestyle options.
Former CNN intern Junichiro Hori, a self-described herbivore, said the idea goes beyond looks and attitudes toward sex.
"Some guys still try to be manly and try to be like strong and stuff, but you know personally I'm not afraid to show my vulnerability because being vulnerable or being sensitive is not a weakness."
Older generations of Japanese men are not happy about the changes. At a bar frequented by businessmen after work, one man said: "You need to be carnivorous when you make decisions in your life. You should be proactive, not passive."
Fukasawa said the group does not care so much about making money -- a quality tied to the fact that there are fewer jobs available during the current global economic recession.
Japan's economy recently saw its largest-ever recorded contraction and has shrunk for four straight quarters. Blue chip companies Sony, Panasonic, Toyota and Nissan all reported losses in May, and most are forecasting the same for the current fiscal year. Though still low by international standards, Japan's reported 5 percent unemployment is the highest since 2003.
Hori agreed economics has played a role. When he finished university, "a lot of my friends were trying to work for a big company that pays well and I wasn't interested in that. I am kind of struggling financially and my father is not very happy about it," he said.
Fukasawa estimated some 20 percent of men are what she would call "herbivorous" and said their attitudes were influencing others. Indeed, she said, it was a return to the norm for Japanese men, rather than a departure.
"It was after World War II and the post-war economic growth that Japanese men gained the reputation as a sex animal through the competition with the West. Looking back beyond that time, older literature talks a lot about men with the kind of character we see in the herbivorous boys."
Will these men simply grow out of this? Fukasawa said it was anyone's guess.
Some of them may, but Japan's image of masculinity is nonetheless changing.
"The men in dark suits are changing, too," she said. "Today's young people in dark suits are different from the baby boomers in dark suits. They are evolving, too."
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Calligraphy and studyng kanji
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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BILINGUAL
Appreciating kanji can unleash your inner art critic
As exotic as kanji (Sino-Japanese logographs) may appear to the uninitiated, most of those we encounter in everyday situations are intended to convey notices and other mundane or essential information, such as 禁煙 kin'en (no smoking) or 駅長室 (ekichō-shitsu, stationmaster's office).
But as one's comprehension of kanji grows, so does awareness of the historical and cultural baggage its characters bring with them.
From a character's style, some readers will know at a glance the era in which it was created and its purpose. And from that point, you become not only a reader but a history buff and art critic.
The oldest known examples of ideographs are those excavated in China's Henan Province, which are believed to date from the 11th to 14th centuries B.C. About 2,000 of these 亀甲獣骨文字 (kikko jūkotsu moji, tortoise-shell and animal-bone characters), which were used for divination, are known to exist, although not all of them have been deciphered. While crudely inscribed, they are amazingly readable, and it is indisputable that these are the lineal ancestors of today's kanji.
What was to become the predominant form of kanji in use today, the semi-cursive 楷書 (kaisho) style evolved between A.D. 200 and 600. This also coincides with the period when the Chinese writing system was introduced to Japan.
As opposed to Chinese, which is written entirely in kanji, Japanese writing began to combine kanji with its hiragana and/or katakana phonetic script. To make the mixed text appear more attractive, the style of written Japanese gradually began to diverge from Chinese.
During the Edo Period (1603-1867), a uniquely Japanese style with exaggerated, heavy "wormlike" strokes known as 江戸文字 (Edo moji, Edo characters) made its appearance. Written in several different styles, Edo moji can still be seen in kabuki theater programs and on sumo banzuke (ranking lists).
Japanese designers have created a tremendous variety of 書体 (shotai, typefaces), from playful juvenile ones used in comic books to those shouting from the neon signs that illuminate Ginza. They can be found in gothic, ornate and baroque styles. They can appear to be dripping blood — conveying horror or the bizarre and grotesque as manically as the works of Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
While the general trend in recent years has been for corporate logos and product names to adopt the Roman alphabet, kanji still hold their own, thanks to the work of innovative designers such as Katsuichi Ito.
Ito, author of "漢字の感じ" ("Kanji no Kanji" ["The Feeling of Kanji"]), is brilliant at modifying characters to graphically convey both their meaning and spirit. His work can be found on the walls and shopping bags at 食遊館 (Shokuyūkan), the food sections in Marui department stores.
Even more exotic are the characters created by design firm Zetuei, which developed a "cyborg" typeface. Zetuei even produced a four-page newspaper, the "鼎國経済新聞" ("Teikoku Keizai Shimbun" ["Tripod Country Economic News"]) written entirely in these characters; reading it is like trying to decipher the Rosetta Stone.
The most perceptive and readable critique I have encountered about kanji is "Chinese Calligraphy," published in 1938 by Chiang Yee (1903-77). The book was reissued in 1974 by Harvard University Press. It is lavishly illustrated with useful examples throughout its 230 pages, and Chiang not only explains the principles of good calligraphy but also demonstrates, equally instructively, what constitutes "bad" calligraphy.
Japanese shopping online
Nesting instinct takes hold in recession
Crisis-born 'sugomori' trend revolves around relieving stress as well as conserving money
Staff writer
Already a devoted online shopper, 34-year-old office worker Yumiko Tamagawa is finding even more reasons to shop from home thanks to the recession.
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| One click away: The Internet shopping site run by Rakuten Inc. shows specialty foods available from across the country. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO |
For a range of items from T-shirts to books — even beef for a home barbecue party — she checks shopping and auction Web sites for the lowest prices.
"If I go out shopping and try to compare prices at each shop, the transportation costs are too high," she said. "Web sites can show you the lowest prices instantly."
Tamagawa is one of an increasing number of Japanese choosing to forgo travel or even a night out to save money. To economize, they shop online, watch DVDs and eat in.
Market researchers have coined a term for this trend: "sugomori," or nesting.
Unlike "staycations" in the United States, where vacationers take day trips or enjoy their own backyard pool instead of splashing out on expensive trips away, Japanese "nesting" is all about staying inside.
Companies are cashing in on the trend.
Online mall operator Rakuten Inc. said Feb. 13 it marked a record-high operating profit of ¥47.1 billion for the business year that ended in December.
Recent top sellers include packaged ingredients for casseroles and sweets, gourmet spices and bread makers, Rakuten said.
In a survey released March 27 by Internet research firm Macromill Inc., almost half of 516 respondents between the ages of 20 and 59 said they had increased their online shopping in the past year. Of them, 56 percent cited lower prices as the reason.
The nesting trend is also benefiting food delivery services.
Marketing firm Fuji Keizai Co. said in March that the overall food delivery business is expected to grow 1.9 percent to ¥2.16 trillion in 2009.
Supermarkets should expect to see Internet orders rise 25.1 percent to ¥28.4 billion this year, while delivery service sales of organic vegetables will rise 8 percent to ¥44.8 billion, it said.
Movie rental shops are likewise experiencing a boom.
Video and music rental store chain Tsutaya, which operates 1,369 outlets, said Jan. 29 that rentals were up for the sixth straight year, to a record ¥586.52 million in 2008.
"Considering how hard other industries have been hit, our rental business is doing fairly well because it has not slipped since the end of the year," said Mari Oshiro, a spokeswoman for Culture Convenience Club, the operator of Tsutaya.
On the strength of the rental business, CCC
But the trend isn't only about saving money. Consumers are looking to ease the stress of daily life, experts say. To do this, many are focused on converting their living rooms into comfortable spaces, or building their own "nests."
"Because of the recession, people feel more stressed out and exhausted," said Takayo Yamamoto, who has monitored more than 100 women for six years at Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living.
"They want to economize, but they also want to heal themselves," she said.
Responding to this trend, Panasonic Corp. released a massage sofa in April designed to satisfy even the most dedicated couch potato.
Rather than go out, "more people prefer to spend a relaxing time at home," said Mayumi Sasaki, a Panasonic spokeswoman. "They want to relax and recover from their fatigue."
In contrast to conventional massage chairs, the new sofa is more stylish and less mechanical, Sasaki said.
A comfortable home life attracts women in particular, who often spend more than they originally planned.
Take Miyuki Matsui. The 25-year-old saleswoman says that because she is too tired to go out on weekends after working hard all week, she loves to buy tasty Swiss rolls and fruit tarts sold only online. Throw in some cosmetics and clothes and the bill for one month can climb to ¥50,000, she said.
Hakuhodo's Yamamoto said single female workers in their 30s and 40s tend to nest because they have more money than younger women.
"After working very hard, some people shop online at night (after shops close). They often shop online because it is raining outside," she said.
Some shop in bulk for wine and beer to avoid having to carry the heavy bottles and cans, she added.
Lovers of beauty treatments buy, for example, steamers to moisturize their face while sleeping or popular compact rollers coated with platinum germanium that can be used to smoothen facial and body skin.
"They want to build their castle at home with a sofa and carpets and lighting and invite friends for parties," Yamamoto said. "Nesting isn't necessarily a negative thing."
Cool things to do inJapan
Not-to-miss Japanese experiences
From goths to geishas, immerse yourself in the culture
 | Try your hand at calligraphy, woodblocking and pottery painting at the Kyoto Handicraft Center, where professional wares are also sold. |
Kyoto Convention Bureau/ JNTO |
In the Tokyo neighborhood of Harajuku, side streets spill over with young Japanese engaged in “cos play”—role-playing by way of elaborate costumes. Elvis imitators preen and croon to giggling girls in extra-long Frankenstein boots and burgundy hair.
On the area’s main drag, Omotosando-dori, the uniform leans toward Armani and Burberry. Thousands troll the dramatic flagship stores of Europe’s top designers while nibbling on pastries and chocolates. A short walk from here, kimono-clad women fan incense smoke, drink ladlefuls of water from a central basin, and then stroll past bamboo and irises on their way to Meiji shrine.
Whatever your image of Japan—these are just three of the most common—a standard 10-day visit to Tokyo and Kyoto can present an adequate picture. By immersing yourself in quotidian life, though, as well as by indulging in a few structured experiences, you’ll be rewarded with a fuller understanding of Japanese culture.
“The whole thought process in Japan is different—that what’s so precious about it,” says Judith Clancy, operator of Kyoto Workshops and author of "Exploring Kyoto". “Every aspect of Japanese culture is about respect for self, for others and for objects ... It’s fun to dig a little deeper.”
Kyoto is a great place to start. This year, the city and its environs mark the 1,000th anniversary of the publication of The Tale of Genji, widely considered to be the world’s first novel and one that pays homage to the very essence of Japan. A host of promotions and special exhibitions explore the locations and court traditions detailed by author Lady Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman who served Empress Shoshi while she wrote the famous story of a philandering prince.
While in Kyoto, spend at least one night in a ryokan, where you’ll soak in an onsen, or hot tub. Then indulge in a lavish dinner, sleep on a real futon (complete with buckwheat-filled pillow) and wake up to miso and sashimi at breakfast. Just don't expect certain things, such as a lot of furniture in the room, privacy, storage space nor much English spoken. It's an experience you won't soon forget.
Also on this story
Central to your time at the ryokan is kaiseki, a multi-course dinner where food and serving ware are carefully matched, and chosen according to the season. “Food is extremely important,” says Steve Beimel of Esprit Travel in Kyoto.
By all means, enjoy these top-notch establishments—but don’t neglect the lower-brow dining options of street food and good beer. In addition to the portable ramen stands abundant in any major Japanese city there are the izakaya (the equivalent of a working-man’s pub) and yakitoriya (specializing in grilled chicken skewers). Before calling it a night, drop a few coins into a vending machine for your brew (beer, coffee, sake) of choice.
As with food, traditional arts like flower arranging, tea ceremony, sword fighting and calligraphy are highly evolved elements of Japanese culture. “They’re paths of personal self-cultivation based on Zen teachings, mastered by courses of very intense study,” says Beimel.
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Genji Museum The just-renovated Tale of Genji museum in Uji, outside of Kyoto, offers glimpses and artifacts related to the book. |
There are plenty of opportunities to try your hand at an art like ikebana or calligraphy. “It’s not hard for you to produce a kanji of a mountain or a river,” says Clancy, “and soon the story behind the character, and the way the brush moves and what it all means really starts to come together.”
Despite its affinity for tradition, Japan has never been shy of exploring the new—and shopping is a favored means to that end. A walk down the aforementioned Omotosando-dori on a Sunday afternoon—parade central for Tokyo—is a must for a peek at this side of things.
So is an afternoon in Akihabara, Tokyo’s ever-expanding “electric town” From Maid Bars—where waitresses dress up in French maid costumes and address their mostly male clientele as “master”—to sprawling concrete buildings ablaze and abuzz with videogames, digital cameras and cell phones, no neighborhood does a better job of presenting Japan at its coolest.
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Taizoin Zen Buddhism Temple In Kyoto, Taizo-in offers a 20-minute zazen (sitting Zen) session, followed by an English-language tour of the grounds. A one-day experience adds lectures about Zen, lunch and calligraphy and tea ceremony sessions. |
Finally, get to know the Japanese by joining them at a sporting event, which—whether it's their version of baseball or the ritualistically native sumo wrestling—offers opportunities to study Japanese crowd behavior, sportsmanship and, yes, food.
Basu boru games feature treats like dried squid and katsu (chicken cutlets) and drum-beating throngs, while sumo can be summed up in the 10-seconds of collective breath-holding before a victor emerges.
At temples and ryokan, department stores and baseball stadiums, you’ll come across the essential experiences of Japanese culture. Through an increased awareness of the beauty of things, a heightened responsiveness to nature, and meticulous attention to detail, you’ll come away enriched.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Insect killing robots!
Kotobukiya's entrance into the articulated figure scene?
Hoi Hoi San is a partialy painted kit that can be easily put together. Retail price is 3,150 yen and will be out this September.
Know nothing about the series apart from what I just read at ANN.
Plot Summary: The time is the near future. Cockroaches and other household pests have become immune to all forms of insecticides. In response to this crisis, a Japanese company has created small, doll-like insect exterminating robots called Hoi Hoi-san.
A competing company has also released their own version, Combat-san. Because of their adorable appearance, these little robots have become somewhat of a phenomenon and have gained many fans. Late at night, in the home of one such fan, Hoi Hoi-san and Combat-san search for insects to exterminate... but Combat-san is not above trying to exterminate Hoi Hoi-san while she's at it.
If you have not seen it and watch the video below then I think you will end up wanting one like me ^^;
More pics of the Kotobukiya figure kit at Hobby Stock.
Castle/Love hotel for sale
Lend me $1.5million would you? I want to buy a castle
These harsh economic times are apparently forcing the owners of this huge fairy tale castle in Ehime prefecture to put it up for auction. As an added bonus, the castle used to used as a love hotel up until 5 years ago, so it could be converted back to a SM and schoolgirl themed love hotel quite nicely, I suspect. That’s my plan anyway, assuming you’ll all bunch together and lend me a cool $15 squillion.
Side trip to the wilds of Tokyo Japan adventure includes visual feast and lesson in food safety
Japan may seem familiar to Canadian visitors, but after a visit to a few of the stores there you realize that you are a long way from home.
Photograph by: Issei Kato, Reuters
Drunk teens partying in Pikachu costumes. Torrential thunderstorms. Barfing on the floor of a studio while wearing a poufy, white designer wedding dress. A strange, unrefrigerated zero-calorie yogurt drink.
7-Eleven selling racks of manga. Devices in convenience stores that make people look Caucasian. Steven Seagal movies. Green tea ice cream. Male models. A motel-style apartment reminiscent of the United Nations, complete with an American Obama-enthusiast, an Irish tourist dude, and models from France, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, France and Russia.
What do all these have in common? They're a part of the adventure the two of us have had in our seven-week stay in Tokyo.
We came to Tokyo at the beginning of March for a modelling trip. It was Kate's third time here, but for Leah, who was "chaperoning" for the last three weeks, it was the first time in Tokyo. Our mom came with us for the first four weeks to set up the cramped, one-room apartment. For two young girls living alone, Japan is definitely the best place to be.
You know the city is fairly crime-free when there are vending machines on every street corner -- containing beer and cigarettes no less -- and no one breaks into them in the middle of the night. Sure, things can get a little exciting the first week of April when the cherry trees bloom, the local parks erupting in canopies of beautiful pink flowers. All the teens come out late at night to throw huge parties under the trees, blasting J-Pop music. And yes, more than a couple are known to don a Pokemon mask.
When Kate is not working, the two of us usually walk to Harajuku, the local teen hangout consisting of a street packed with countless clothing stores. Instead of letting loose on the weekends by going to house parties or chilling at a friend's house like Canadian teens, the Japanese kids come out to Harajuku in the wildest costumes imaginable. There's the adorable girl wearing a poufy, pink tea-party dress complete with a bonnet, to the creepy guy with purple hair, emo makeup and Matrix-inspired jacket.
Any shopping excursion requires the average Tokyo teen girl to curl her hair, apply three layers of makeup, accessorize her micro-miniskirt and don the highest pair of heels she can get her hands on. Yes, even in amusement parks or riding a bicycle, in Tokyo high heels are a woman's best friend. Why do the girls back home throw on a pair of jeans and a little lip-gloss to meet their friends for lunch, while in Tokyo a simple outing is enough reason to spend three hours in front of the bathroom mirror?
Maybe it's because the idea that women are objects to be admired is stronger here than in North America. Or perhaps looking nice just means more -- even Japanese boys always have their hair styled to perfection and dress impeccably.
For a tourist in Japan, walking into a convenience store is an adventure unto itself. Everything from green tea ice cream (bleh!), to pancakes with mushed beans in between them (surprisingly tasty), to strange milky-white yogurt drinks line the shelves of a 7-Eleven. (Just remember to refrigerate that yogurt drink -- or else if you're like Kate and have a photo shoot for the cover of a wedding magazine ... well, things might get a bit messy.)
It's not just the food that's different; there's a pair of nylons that boast they can burn 430 calories for every hour you wear them (tried them, didn't work) to contacts that can make your eyes purple, red, or black. But the most disturbing products we saw were designed for the small minority of Japanese women who wanted to appear more Caucasian: A device that makes your nose more upturned, another device that widens your eyes, another that enlarges your mouth, and special powder to make your skin whiter.
Tokyo is a huge, non-stop city, and despite the workaholic-attitude of the inhabitants, it's full of kind people, ancient culture and modern pleasures.
Whether we were dashing home through a wild thunderstorm (trying to avoid everyone's umbrellas which, held by the shorter Tokyo-ites, kept getting caught in our hair) in order to catch the Steven Seagal movie (basically the only English movies played), texting each other fervently because Kate was shooting with a French male model and Leah had just been stuck in an awkward 15-minute conversation with our middle-aged American neighbour Rick, or editing our novel under the billowing Sakura trees while drinking our (refrigerated this time) yogurt drinks, Tokyo was one big adventure.
Stories like this make me want to scream!
Bus Driver Catches Pedophile Despite Warning From Company
While this is a news story about a 73-year-old man preying on a poor 14-year-old mentally ill girl on a bus, this is also a story about a brave bus driver who went all his way to nap the pedophile despite the risk of losing his job.
This horrible 73 year old man, Atsushi Yamagami accompanied students on the bus which picked up and dropped off the special-needs students. Police arrested him for kissing the girl and rubbing her breasts over a period of about 20 minutes on the morning of March 4, as the bus headed to the school, carrying about 20 students at the time.
The incident came to light after his actions were recorded by a video camera installed by the bus driver, who handed the tape to police at Ikegami police station. The 47-year-old male bus driver first noticed Yamagami touching the student in May last year.
But when he spoke to the management of the company that operated the bus – Toto Kanko Bus - he was asked how he felt about not working for them anymore.
The driver then abandoned discussion with management and installed the camera without their knowledge.
Yamagami has admitted to the allegation and told police:
I did it because I thought she wouldn’t tell anyone about it. She’s cute, her body’s big and she was easy to take care of…I liked her.
Source: JapanToday
I’m really dissapointed by the actions of the bus company and the pedophile. These are students with special needs and can’t protect themselves and yet the bus company didn’t want to step in and take any action. The manager and the old men is probably in cahoots or something. >_<
Kudos to the brave bus driver. But too bad cause I forsee he’s gonna lose his job soon.
Hitch-hiking in Japan
Do's and don'ts when you hitch in the backside of Japan
Special to The Japan Times
Backpack: check. Thumbs: check. Sense of adventure: check.
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| Have thumb, will travel: Having carefully chosen a spot that's both legal and also gives drivers plenty of chance to weigh him up and then stop safely, the author waits for the usually short time it takes to get the next lift in hitchhiking-friendly provincial Japan. PERRIN LINDELAUF |
That's about all you need to hitchhike in the wide-open countryside of Ura-Nihon (the Backside of Japan).
The slightly derogatory term Ura-Nihon is used by Japan's urbanites to describe the quiet prefectures of Tottori, Shimane and Yamaguchi. Here on this page, though, I can share a secret with you: It's a hitchhiker's paradise.
But why hitchhike when Japan's extensive rail network is very fast and its bus companies have cheap fares for those on tight budgets?
For an initial answer, I can cite the fact that several years ago I bought Will Ferguson's "Hitchhiker's Guide to Japan." It tells of legions of English teachers crossing the nation in thumbing rallies, and independent travelers being picked up by kindly drivers, shown all the local sights, and treated with the immense hospitality that can only be found in slower-paced, rural areas of Japan.
That was all in the mid 1990s.
Now, as I am planning a long stint of travel through continental Asia, I set out to test a simple hypothesis: Is it still possible to hitchhike long distances in Japan, meet wonderful people, be safe, have fun — and do it all for less money and time than you'd spend on a bus or a train?
Specifically, I would attempt to travel from Tottori City to Yamaguchi's Shimonoseki City at the southwestern end of Honshu, but if it didn't work out, the train would be my safety net.
The first problem that arises when you decide to hitchhike here is permission.
"Hitchhike?!" say your Japanese acquaintances. "Impossible. Japanese don't hitchhike."
Don't listen to this. It is certainly true that Japanese people generally don't travel by thumb, but this is to the benefit of a foreign visitor. A slightly lost-looking foreign traveler standing on the side of the road in a region totally devoid of non-Japanese is both extremely interesting and cause for concern. So, when you are picked up, it will be out of compassion or fascination.
Hitchhiking is actually so uncommon in Japan that there are no laws specifically governing it. According to the Road Traffic Law, it is illegal to interfere with traffic, or to walk on an expressway, but as long as you aren't inconveniencing vehicles or causing them to stop in no-parking zones, you should be in the clear. Ferguson does note though that trying to hitchhike in front of a police box is just stupid. They'll tell you to scram.
The second problem is misinformation.
"Hitchhike to Shimonoseki? Well you'd want to take the expressway. Don't take country roads. No one goes there."
Your concerned, but inexperienced friends, are thinking of the fastest routes with the most traffic: This is not for you.
It is very difficult for cars to stop in the proximity of expressway ramps because of the traffic's high speed and a lack of places to pull over. The ideal place to catch a lift, according to Ferguson's book, is on a main or secondary highway through the countryside, on the outskirts of a town, where the visibility is good, traffic is a little thin and speeds are moderate. You need to give your driver enough time to decide to pick you up and pull over without incommoding other road users. In short, when you start to see rice fields, you are entering good hitchhiking territory.
Ferguson makes special note of appearance. Men should appear clean and respectable, preferably clean shaven. Women should dress conservatively, to avoid giving the wrong impression to the wrong kind of driver. Let me be clear though: Solo women should not hitchhike. Japan is safe, but not that safe, unfortunately.
His book reports that couples and pairs of women have hitchhiked successfully, but it is always best to exercise caution before getting into a car.
With this information in mind and a map in hand, I caught the bus from the urban sprawl of Kyoto to Tottori, where I would meet a friend and begin my hitchhiking experiment.
Tottori is a strangely beautiful prefecture: Its coast is lined by the dramatic cliffs of the San-in National Park, which once harbored pirates who roamed the present-day Sea of Japan, and the massive sand dunes on the edge of the city to which people flock to pose with a camel, enjoy the beach in summer, or even practice hang-gliding from their lofty heights. The whole area has a desert coast atmosphere reminiscent of the dry coastlines of California or Morocco, and my chosen hitching highway, Route 9, ran right along these beautiful oceanside locales.
Enter a third (non) problem: A friend or an unknown friend of a friend says as you begin to stick out your thumb: "Hitchhiking? Don't do that, I'll take you."
"OK . . . thanks for the lift," you reply.
So, before I even had chance to extend my thumb hopefully toward oncoming vehicles, I had a ride from Tottori an hour west to Yonago with my old university friend — because we were having difficulty saying goodbye.
Arriving there, I found Yonago is a quiet port town: It and nearby Sakai Minato are mainly known in connection with Shigeru Mizuki, creator of the monster-filled "Gegege no Kitaro" manga series that is enjoying a revival in print and film these days. The spot I chose to start hitching in earnest seemed ideal: space to pull over, and with a slight curve providing good visibility and traffic slowed by a intersection just ahead. I waved goodbye to my friend and, having set my stopwatch, put on a big, friendly smile and stuck out my thumb.
Precisely 1 min. 57 secs later I had my first ride. It was from a middle-aged man in a business shirt driving a white sedan. Before jumping in, I gave a little bow as the guy rolled down the window and thanked him for stopping. "Doko made? (where to?)" he asked. "I'm planning to go to Oda City today," I replied, "but toward Matsue is fine." He was headed that way for work, so I jumped in and launched into an awkward conversation.
I should warn that without small-talk- level Japanese proficiency, there isn't much point in hitchhiking. I broke out my best English-teacher conversation starters and muddled through a social situation of which neither of us had much experience. He was from the Oki archipelago, an almost totally unvisited cluster of islands off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, where I had had one of my first hitchhiking experiences.
On that occasion — during Golden Week 2008 — I'd been in the tourism office of Nishi-no-shima (West Island) asking about buses headed toward Japan's tallest sea cliffs, when an older woman broke in: "Why don't I take you? I'm bad at driving, but if you don't mind granny driving . . . "
She took me to the western end of the island, where I hopped on a tour boat that braved stormy seas to visit the cliffs, which towered so high as to disappear in the dark clouds above.
Actually, I wished I could go back there, but we flew past Matsue and its ferry terminal. Then, after a half-hour ride, I was waiting for my second lift just outside of Matsue. I was only there 5 minutes before a kindly old man in a Toyota Prius pulled over. It was almost lunch, so conversation started with the virtues of the Matsue region's cuisine and its unusual lake, Shinji-ko.
"Shinji-ko's waters are a mix of salty seawater and fresh river water, so many people think it's fish are quite delicious," said my host. There followed a list of fish and shellfish names that I had no chance to absorb, but to prove his point, he took me to lunch!
After being treated to some local fish at a busy cafeteria, I was dropped off with a can of coffee as a parting gift on a long, clear stretch of a Route 9 bypass in Izumo City. There was room to pull over, so I proffered my thumb. Ten minutes, 20 minutes; the cars roared by and few people even looked my way. I was stuck.
Japan on a Budget
In fact, Tokyo has recently reclaimed its spot as the world’s most expensive city, with Osaka-Kobe right behind, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.
Well even in one of the world’s most expensive countries, a vacation doesn’t have to bring on budgetary meltdown.
We’ll show you how to defy the naysayers and survive your trip to Japan with a few extra bucks left in your wallet.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Before you can even worry about where you’re going to eat or sleep, you’ve got to buy a plane ticket.
Luckily, if you know where to look, you can get one pretty cheaply. How cheap? Well, during the off season — for example, in March or April — prices frequently dip below $500. The secret is to use a Japanese travel agency.
Since these agencies buy tickets in bulk, their prices can be significantly cheaper than Orbitz or Expedia or other travel companies that don’t have a specific regional focus. These companies don’t devote much effort to advertising themselves in English, so few people know about the deals they offer.
Prices offered by different travel agencies can vary significantly, so if you’re truly devoted to truly cheap cheapness, we recommend that you proceed through the list below and obtain a quote from each and every agency before purchasing your ticket. Remember that you can always call the agency up and speak to them in English.
Ticket Scout Japan
Professional Travel Manager/Ticket Scout
ticketscoutjapan@gmail.com
Amnet
(800) 929-2663
http://www.amnet-usa.com (Japanese)
HIS USA
(800) ASK-4-HIS
http://his-usa.com/ja/top/Top.aspx (Japanese)
IACE Travel USA
(800) 872-4223
http://www.iace-usa.com/index_us.htm (English version)
JTB USA
(800) 235-3523
http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome (English version)
Kintetsu International
(630) 250-8840
http://www.kintetsu.com (English)
NaviTour USA
(800) 303-2006
http://www.navitourusa.com/en/s.phtml (English)
One last note: international travel specialists like San Francisco-based Air Brokers (http://www.airbrokers.com) can sometimes beat the prices of even the Japanese travel agencies!
EAT CHEAP
It’s true that Japan is the land of $8 orange juice and $50 cantaloupe, and that food and drinks can be really expensive if you just go stumbling into any old place and blindly order items. But there are some ways to get a cheap meal in Japan…
Our first suggestion is to search out Japanese fast food chains like Matsuya and Yoshinoya. These places will serve you a beef bowl or a plate of curry for $4-$5. If you get tired of this fare, try convenience stores, which offer ready-made food of all kinds for decent prices.
McDonald’s — a chain as ubiquitous in Japan as in America — is always a good bet for cheap eats, but it’s kind of a cop-out. I mean, having made the long journey to Japan, you wouldn’t even think of settling for a burger and fries, right?
Also note that in most Japanese restaurants, if they bring you any kind of appetizer, you’re going to have to pay for it. If you don’t want it, just say you don’t want it. Or put on an icky face and make frenzied “go away” motions with your hands.
SLEEP CHEAP
In Japan, as in most places, youth hostels are generally the cheapest option. Hostels.com (http://hostels.com) lists several establishments that’ll sell you a bed in Tokyo for less than $20. We hope this outrageous reasonableness comes as a pleasant surprise.
If you can’t or don’t want to stay in a youth hostel, try a business hotel. You should have no problem finding a room for less than $100. Do keep in mind that these places are pretty cramped. Bathrooms, for instance, are often little more than glorified shower stalls.
If you think a business hotel might fit your needs, take a look at Super Hotel’s English-language website (http://www.superhotel.co.jp/en). This chain does everything possible to cut costs, going so far as to eliminate phones in guests’ rooms. Prices vary based on location, but the cost for a room tends to hover right around $50. The English version of the website doesn’t feature all the chain’s locations, but it does list options at popular destinations.
There are plenty of interesting alternative choices.
Assuming you’re not claustrophobic, you might want to try a capsule hotel. Popular with drunken businessmen who’ve missed the last train, capsule hotels will offer you a space barely big enough to wriggle into, but they are inexpensive.
Alternately, you could stay overnight at a love hotel. These are intended for couples in need of an hour or two of private time, but they offer nightly rates which can be significantly lower than those of regular hotels.
Love hotels list rates for “rest” and “stay.” The “rest” rate is the per-hour rate and the “stay” rate is for the full night.
A significant upshot to this choice is that these places are overflowing with, er, character. We’re talking heart-shaped beds and TV with all the channels. “Stay” rates average about $50.
If your luggage is light and you’re truly into pinching pennies, you could also spend the night at an internet/manga cafe, where you pay one flat fee to use the computer and read comics over a cup of tea for a fixed amount of time. Nobody’s going to think you’re weird if you do this.
Many of these places actually offer overnight packages, which can run as low as $10. Typically, you’ll get your own little cubicle with a reclining chair, and if you’re lucky, the place might even have a shower.
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
Our first tip is to never even think about using a taxi. Banish the thought from your mind.
A taxi ride from Tokyo’s Narita airport into the city costs approximately $160 and takes about two hours. By contrast, a ticket on a non-express train costs $10-$12 and takes around an hour and a half. Now, in many other cities around the world, public transportation often isn’t the most pleasant or most efficient way to get around, but Japanese trains run on time, are very clean and go just about everywhere you want them to.
At most stations, you’ll buy your tickets from a machine that can display instructions in English. The only thing that’s annoying about relying on trains is that they generally stop running between midnight and 1:00 a.m. Taxis prowl the streets looking for those who’ve missed the cutoff.
If you happen to be traveling to Japan during a school holiday, consider buying a seishun juhachi kippu (”18-year-old youth’s ticket”), a super-cheap, all-you-can-ride train pass. The passes are only available for purchase during school holidays (ie- they go on sale just before vacation starts, but most likely won’t be available at the very end of the vacation period).
The passes are only valid on JR’s slower trains. Despite the name, anybody can use a seishun juhachi kippu, and they are available for purchase at most JR stations. Each seishun juhachi kippu gives you five days of unlimited travel and costs about $100. Two or more people can use one ticket on the same day. For your reference, the school vacation schedule in Japan is roughly as follows:
March 1 - April 10
July 20 - September 10
December 10 - January 20
We’ll throw out one more option for those looking to travel long distances: the glorious overnight bus, a transport institution known and loved by Japan’s young and penniless. Overnight buses are uncomfortable and cramped but cheap. A trip from Tokyo to Osaka will set you back about $80, which is definitely less expensive than a trip by plane or shinkansen.
Japan Bus Web (http://www.bus.or.jp/e/index.html) operates a large English database chock full of detailed bus info.
OTHER STUFF
So you’ve probably got all kinds of ideas about stuff you want to do once you get to Japan. Unavoidably, most of that stuff is going to cost money. But don’t forget that people-watching can be an enjoyable–and completely free–activity. Great places to do this include Shibuya and Harajuku in Tokyo and America-mura in Osaka. Japan is full of colorful and crazy fashions and just sitting on the sidelines and watching the crowd can be pretty entertaining.
You might think about working some hiking and/or camping into your schedule. These activities are fun, provide you with opportunities to meet local people, and are cheap to boot. Check out Outdoor Japan (http://www.outdoorjapan.com) for some information on outdoor activities. And remember… it’s completely free to climb Mt. Fuji. Just remember to take your own drinks and snacks, since those sold onsite are way overpriced.
One final tip that may shave a few bucks off the total cost of your trip: although many people consider travelers’ checks an anachronism now that ATMs are so widespread, bringing traveler’s checks to Japan will net you a slightly better exchange rate. If you can get the traveler’s checks for free, you’ll save a little money in the end.
YOU CAN DO IT
Anybody who told you it couldn’t be done was just saying it to make themselves feel better. Cheap travel in Japan isn’t an impossibility. It takes dedication and planning and maybe a little self-deprivation, but in the end, returning home from such an ultra-expensive country with some change to spare is a pretty good feeling.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Finding Free and Budget Activities in Expensive Japan
But with the current economic climate, the Land of the Rising Sun might also be confused with the Land of the Rising Budget, especially for travelers.
However, there are plenty of activities in Japan that are affordable—and even free—meaning you can cover a great deal of territory even on a tiny budget.
TOKYO
Each neighborhood in Tokyo has its own distinct appeal, plus dozens of free and cheap activities, so no one could ever dare complain that the city is boring. Tiring, yes—but never boring.
The main pathway leading up to the temple is lined with little shops that sell everything from rice cakes to key chains to samurai swords. The crowds can be a bit overwhelming, but if you just keep moving, you’ll be fine. It’s worth the effort to see the temple and the second tallest pagoda in Japan, which stands nearby. Best of all, both sites are free, which means you can save your money for more important things—like the sake set you’ve been eyeing since you entered the temple grounds.
Near Asakusa is Ueno Park, which is home to several temples, a museum and an art gallery. A stroll through this park provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, but still allows visitors to see some important sights. Cherry trees are abundant here, with blossoms reaching their peak in early April.
Your inner geek will emerge at Akihibara Electronic Town, a gadget-lovers paradise that’ll whet your appetite for anything with a “play” button. It might even make you rethink your budget, since prices here are pretty reasonable. In addition, many of the items at Akihibara won’t show up in the States for at least a year, thus giving you bragging rights to your friends back home. The area is also packed with toy stores that cater to the 7-year-old inside us all. www.akiba.or.jp/english
Seasoned travelers know about the Tsukiji Central Fish Market, and often make a point of dragging their friends at 5 a.m to this boisterous wholesale auction market where local merchants and restaurateurs compete to get the freshest and most desirable catch of the day. Yes, it can be a challenge to convince someone to get up that early to watch fish being sold, but it’s one of the better Tokyo experiences.
Don’t miss more tips with Cheapskate Confessions: Japan on a Budget
Fishmongers shout out prices and throw seafood around while visitors simply look on (and duck). Everything from giant tuna to baby octopus is available there—and don’t forget to enjoy some of the freshest sushi you will ever eat before heading back to your hotel for a mid-morning nap. Visitors are welcome, but remember to be respectful. The government only recently lifted a tourist ban, which was a result of some previously inconsiderate foreign visitors. www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
During climbing season (July–August) travelers can summit Mount Fuji via a number of different ascent routes on all sides of the volcano. The last stop accessible by road on these ascents is called the fifth station, which acts as a sort of base camp and is a great starting point for a mountain climb. While no climbing experience is needed to summi Mt. Fuji, you should be in good shape and definitely participate in a guided excursion. Most climbers begin their journey in the dead of night so that they are able to watch the sunrise at the summit. www.city.gotemba.shizuoka.jp/indexe.html
After the fast pace and sheer size of Tokyo, a few days in Kyoto might help you unwind and catch your breath. Don’t be misled, though—Kyoto is a vibrant city in its own right, but the focus remains on temples and shrines, most of which are free (leaving more money for sushi!).
Instead of heading straight to your lodging after arriving at Kyoto Station, put your luggage in storage and take some time to admire the station. In stark contrast with the more antiquated architecture of the rest of the city, Kyoto Station is a modernist attraction in and of itself.
You can walk along the glass corridor (located on the 11th floor), grab a bite to eat at Ramen Koji (seven Ramen restaurants located on the 10th floor), shop at Isetan Department Store, or simply wander around taking in impressive views of Kyoto Tower, located just across the street. www.kyoto-station-building.co.jp/index.htm (in Japanese)
Then walk on over to Kyoto Tower—the views are less dramatic than those of Tokyo Tower, but it’s an easy way to familiarize yourself with the city’s landscape.
Less than 30 minutes from Kyoto and a must for anyone appreciative of Japanese culture is Fushimi Inari Taisha, or what one might call “Land of the Many Red Gates.”
Thousands of torii (shrine gates) line the pathways that lead up to various shrines within this breathtaking complex, and fox statues known as inari are ubiquitous throughout. (The fox is considered a messenger of the Shinto god, Inari.) It is about a 2.5-mile walk to the top, but only a half-day is needed here. The shrine might seem familiar to some as it inspired artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “The Gates” exhibition in New York’s Central Park displayed in February 2005. http://inari.jp (in Japanese)
Kyoto’s subways and JapanRail lines are not as convenient as Tokyo’s for getting where you want to go. It’s easier to buy a one-day bus pass for Y500. In fact, as long as you use the bus more than three times in any given day, it will generally pay for itself. Traffic is not too bad either, and it beats walking some of the longer distances.
About three hours by Shinkansen from Kyoto is Hiroshima. It is an unmistakably small city, but the huge atrocities that occurred there—and the insights that they led to—make it an important stop on anyone’s itinerary.
Given the historical context of the city, the main focus lies on the Peace Memorial Park, which is home to the A-bomb Dome (another UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Peace Memorial Museum, and the Flame of Peace. The floodlights that surround the A-bomb Dome at night give a hauntingly beautiful quality to the skeleton of a building that serves as both a reminder of and a memorial to the effects of war. A nighttime walk through the park allows you to absorb the park’s beauty without the constant flash or click of tourists’ cameras.
Within the park is the Peace Bell, which visitors can ring if they so desire. There’s an image of an atom at the exact spot where the clapper hits the side of the bell, which symbolizes the repeated striking of an atom. The Flame of Peace (below, photo credit: Scott Frentrop) has been burning since 1964 and will continue to do so until all nuclear weapons around the world are destroyed.
Outside of Hiroshima is Miyajima island, home to the Itsukushima Shrine, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors may recognize the famous torii (gate) which seems to float on top of the water on which this Shinto monument is built. On a clear day, the view of the gate is remarkable, but it is best to go when the tide is high to get the full floating effect.
The island can be reached via a ferry that is also considered part of the JR line. Be sure to spend time with the native deer, which enjoy the human interaction. Entrance to the shrine will cost you a few hundred yen, but you can still enjoy the floating torii without having to enter the actual temple. whc.unesco.org/en/list/776
FUKUOKA
In the south of Japan is Fukuoka, a large port city that also has many shrines as well as modern buildings. Like Tokyo and Kyoto, the city has its own tower, Fukuoka Tower. So if you’re attempting to hit several of Japan’s modern peaks while you’re visiting the country, this one standing at 758 feet should be on your list. www.fukuokatower.co.jp/english/index.html
Canal City is a huge shopping complex with an artificial canal that runs right through the middle of it. Stores within the complex cater to fine tastes as well as more pedestrian necessities. There are stores which will amuse both children and adults, including one devoted entirely to the Japanese superhero Ultraman. While the canal is a unique aspect of this shopping complex, it’s rather small and you won’t get a free ride. www.canalcity.co.jp/world/english/urban.html
At night, Fukuoka really comes to life, especially in the Tenjin and Nakasu areas where yatais (street food stalls) open and hordes of people head out to eat. For a fair price, you can dine on ramen, yakitori, and warm sake while making conversation with the cook or other locals.
Inside you’ll find the country’s largest wooden Buddha (photo credit: Scott Frentrop), a monument whose massiveness seems to intensify when you actually see it. If you visit Tochoji during the calendar New Year, you can sound any number of temple bells and literally “ring in” the New Year.
GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND
The first and most important thing is the flight to Japan. If you’re coming from the States, the most affordable flights can often be found through Japanese travel agencies.
If you’re already in Asia, check out local travel agencies in whatever country you’re in. Avoid sites like Expedia or Travelocity as they may not be privy to the flight deals and bargains that Asian agencies often have, which may run a few hundred dollars cheaper.
If you’re aiming to cover a significant amount of ground within Japan and will primarily be traveling by train, purchasing a Japan Rail Pass (www.japanrailpass.net) will save you both time and money compared to the cost of buying individual point-to-point tickets. A single ticket to one city can often cost two-thirds of the price of an entire JR Pass. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, make sure you buy one before you arrive in Japan, since JR passes are not available once you’re in the country.
LODGING
If you want to save money, staying in a hostel is the cheapest option. However, travelers looking for a little more comfort might want to consider a one-night stay in a typical Japanese guesthouse, or ryokan. In ryokan you get a small room with tatami-matted floors, a futon, kimonos, tea, and other amenities.
Due to the location and ambiance of ryokan, you’ll truly feel like you are part of Japanese culture. Prices are usually around $100 for one room, but a night’s accommodation can range from $40 for a modest ryokan to $250 for a more luxurious one. Unlike hostels, ryokan are much smaller and tend to book up quickly.
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