general
English mapping
2009 Apr 17
Google maps is great but unfortunately google maps
Japan is only in Japanese and without knowledge of
Kanji it can be very difficult to use.
Fortunately, Mapfan (link) has started a new mapping service in English. Hopefully it will get out of beta soon and will also gain some navigation features too.
Fortunately, Mapfan (link) has started a new mapping service in English. Hopefully it will get out of beta soon and will also gain some navigation features too.
Dealing with rubbish
2007 Dec 03
In Japan, dealing with rubbish is a topic for itself
so I though I’d mention it. The Japanese are very
tidy and clean people and on top of that, the sense
of environmental consciousness is very strong in the
general population here. Recycling is very advanced
with many more materials being re-used here than in
most places around the world.
However, when you dig a little deeper it turns out that this is not all down to virtue. The recycling frenzy that is going on here is not so much about being good to the environment, that is merely a welcome side-effect, but it has much more about practicality. Although Japan is very large, the habitable areas are small due to the mountainous terrains. Hence there is also little space to store rubbish in landfills. As the country foresaw that landfills would quickly dominate the habitable areas, they started their advanced recycling programmes.
Since not all waste can be recycled, a portion of it is also burned. As a tourist, you may find the different bins for plastics, metals etc, but generally you are shielded from the burnable/unburnable conundrum. As a resident on the other hand, you have to learn quickly what does and doesn’t burn. And it’s not as straight forward as you might think. It depends less on material properties and more on local policy. So it is common that in one place chopsticks are burnable (as they are made of wood) but a different place just 100m away managed by a different company, they are unburnable and should be disposed along with newspapers.
On a more humorous note, I found these instructions on how to dispose of a tetrapack container. So you are meant to: rinse it out, cut it open, dry it (along with your socks and pants maybe) and then put in the bin. It feels like there is still room for improvement in terms of ergonomics.
However, when you dig a little deeper it turns out that this is not all down to virtue. The recycling frenzy that is going on here is not so much about being good to the environment, that is merely a welcome side-effect, but it has much more about practicality. Although Japan is very large, the habitable areas are small due to the mountainous terrains. Hence there is also little space to store rubbish in landfills. As the country foresaw that landfills would quickly dominate the habitable areas, they started their advanced recycling programmes.
Since not all waste can be recycled, a portion of it is also burned. As a tourist, you may find the different bins for plastics, metals etc, but generally you are shielded from the burnable/unburnable conundrum. As a resident on the other hand, you have to learn quickly what does and doesn’t burn. And it’s not as straight forward as you might think. It depends less on material properties and more on local policy. So it is common that in one place chopsticks are burnable (as they are made of wood) but a different place just 100m away managed by a different company, they are unburnable and should be disposed along with newspapers.
On a more humorous note, I found these instructions on how to dispose of a tetrapack container. So you are meant to: rinse it out, cut it open, dry it (along with your socks and pants maybe) and then put in the bin. It feels like there is still room for improvement in terms of ergonomics.
Getting around in Japan
2007 Oct 21
Unless you are just on a short break and are doing a
city holiday in Tokyo, you are probably going to want
to move around a little in Japan. Japan is actually a
rather large country spanning some 2000km end to end,
so choosing the right mode of transport can save you
a lot of time and money.
Flying on rails
The Shinkansen, or “bullet train”, is one of the famous feats of Japanese engineering. This train was the first of its kind in the world, providing high-speed rail transport across the country since 1964. With its 300km/h top speed this is no longer the world fastest train, France’s TGV is faster, but it is still very impressive. A trip to Japan should always include a journey of this train, if it is not for convenience then for its historic and engineering feats.
full story
...
Flying on rails
The Shinkansen, or “bullet train”, is one of the famous feats of Japanese engineering. This train was the first of its kind in the world, providing high-speed rail transport across the country since 1964. With its 300km/h top speed this is no longer the world fastest train, France’s TGV is faster, but it is still very impressive. A trip to Japan should always include a journey of this train, if it is not for convenience then for its historic and engineering feats.
Getting around metropolitan Tokyo
2007 Oct 20
Whether you are visiting Japan as a tourist or
working here, you almost guaranteed to have to find
your way across Tokyo at some point. The Tokyo public
transport system is very efficient and although
sometimes frustrating when it comes to connections
and just the quantity of people traveling with you,
it is probably the most efficient transport system in
the world.
In Tokyo you will find many ways of moving about: from the more traditional trains, busses, taxis, metro (subway), to futuristic monorails and modern driverless trains and also ships. Flying is probably the only option you do not have. In general though the train network and the metro will be most convenient and cost effective. Buses are abundant, however, finding your way onto the correct line and the right stop can be tricky.
full story ...
In Tokyo you will find many ways of moving about: from the more traditional trains, busses, taxis, metro (subway), to futuristic monorails and modern driverless trains and also ships. Flying is probably the only option you do not have. In general though the train network and the metro will be most convenient and cost effective. Buses are abundant, however, finding your way onto the correct line and the right stop can be tricky.
full story ...
Mobile phones in Japan
2007 Oct 13
People often have quite intimate relationships with their phones. In Japan this is arguably even more so. Endless commutes of 2-3 hours can be the norm in metropolitan Tokyo and for many people the mobile phone is often the only or at least most used form of communication. They watch TV on their mobiles, read the news, check the weather forecast and play games. A significant part of the population actually uses their mobile phone as their sole access to the internet.full story ...
Landing in Japan
2007 Oct 01
On October 1st, I landed in Japan. I am going to live
and work here, exploring the country in my free time.
Fuchu, conveniently located in the greater Tokyo area
will be my base camp. In this blog I want to share
some of my impressions and thoughts as well as give
some travel tips for other visitors.
As tourist getting to Japan should not be very difficult. You should check with the Japanese embassy of your respective country to see what your visa requirements are. For citizens of most countries, a visa is issued on the spot and is valid for about 3 months.
update: since November 2007 you need to provide fingerprints and will be photographed when entering Japan. This has been covered in the media (eco), has privacy advocates up in arms as your data will be stored and shared with whomever the Japanese government deems fit and has upset many foreign residents.
Anti-terrorism laws are often quoted as the reason for these new measures, but this sounds ironic since terrorism in Japan is mostly home-grown. Overall this leaves the somewhat bitter after-taste of the impression that its main purpose is to appeal on the xenophobic conservatives.
Travel Tip
As tourist getting to Japan should not be very difficult. You should check with the Japanese embassy of your respective country to see what your visa requirements are. For citizens of most countries, a visa is issued on the spot and is valid for about 3 months.
update: since November 2007 you need to provide fingerprints and will be photographed when entering Japan. This has been covered in the media (eco), has privacy advocates up in arms as your data will be stored and shared with whomever the Japanese government deems fit and has upset many foreign residents.
Anti-terrorism laws are often quoted as the reason for these new measures, but this sounds ironic since terrorism in Japan is mostly home-grown. Overall this leaves the somewhat bitter after-taste of the impression that its main purpose is to appeal on the xenophobic conservatives.