Tag: Modern Japan

Introduction to Modern Japan

Categories Modern Culture/SpotsLeave a Comment on Introduction to Modern Japan

Happy Aloha Friday!!!

When people go on tours or it’s their first trip to Japan, many visitors tend to go to temples, shrines, castles, and other points of interest related to traditional Japanese culture. This is not a bad thing; we think that visiting traditional places will give visitors a deeper understanding of Japan. However, Japanese culture has so much more to offer. So, instead of writing about traditional Japan, which will be covered in a future post, we’re going to introduce a little bit about modern Japan: art and architecture for this post.

Modern Architecture

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A lot of the buildings and structures in Japan can be appreciated as art. Major train stations, such as Tokyo Station, Kyoto Station, Kanazawa Station (in the slideshow above), and many more, are not just transportation hubs. If you are not in a rush and have time to take a walk outside or even look around inside, you’ll discover aesthetic beauty.

Art

Art Night
Sunset Tower

Every year in Roppongi, an all-night art festival, called Roppongi Art Night, is held. People can walk around and check out exhibitions and performances for free. There are also many vendors selling food and drinks (including alcohol), so you can party all night! This year’s Roppongi Art Night was held on May 26-27.

Many parks around Japan have little towers and other structures that look pretty cool. The picture on the right was taken in Shiokaze Park, which is located near Odaiba, and the tower is called Sunset Tower (夕日の塔).

Towers

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Japan has a lot of towers; Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, and the Sapporo TV Tower are in the slideshow above, but there are also towers in Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka, etc. Towers are cool to look at from its base, but if you want to go to the observation deck and check out the view, you have to wait in line and pay an entrance fee. So, if you are on a tight schedule, you might need to skip visiting the observation deck.

Other examples of modern Japanese culture would be anime, manga, electronics, fashion. In the future, we will cover a few of these topics!

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Why Japan Is THE Travel Destination from Hawaii

Categories FAQ, Food and Drink, Modern Culture/Spots, Nature, Shopping, Traditional Culture/SpotsLeave a Comment on Why Japan Is THE Travel Destination from Hawaii

 

1. Reasonable Overall Cost

The first thing you would have to do is buy your ticket to Japan. It goes without saying that ticket prices vary depending on which season you want to visit Japan. For example, if you want to enjoy the sakura or autumn foliage, these are the most expensive seasons to visit Japan, so you will have to pay a premium. In recent years, the average price for tickets to Japan for one person is about $1000 roundtrip.

The next thing you need to take into consideration is the currency exchange rate. Luckily, the Japanese Yen has been weaker than the U.S. dollar. If you have already planned a trip to Japan and haven’t exchanged dollars to yen, keep an eye out on the exchange rate!

Topics related to cost of transportation, food and drink, and shopping will be briefly explained below.

2. Best Public Transportation System in the World

Can you believe that train companies apologize for being 1 minute late?! That is how punctual the train system is in Japan. Not to mention busses connect areas which do not have trains, and these busses run close to their scheduled times even in traffic.

For locals in Japan, costs on public transportation is a little expensive compared to other countries in Asia, but as a visitor to Japan, you can purchase a JR Rail Pass which gives you access to almost all Shinkansen (Bullet Trains) and all local JR Lines. Using the JR Rail Pass and other available rail passes will be explained in detail in a future blog post.

3. Awesome Food and Drink

In Hawaii, our food portions are ridiculously big compared to the portions in Japan, BUT the quality of the food Japan is hard to beat. Also, you can eat quality food at a reasonable price if you look in the right places.

Fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, desserts, Japan has it all for you foodies! If you like to drink wine, whiskey, beer, Japanese sake, Japan has great choices for alcoholic beverages.

4. Fusion of Traditional Culture and Modern Culture

From temples, shrines, and castles to skyscrapers and crazy fashion trends, Japan is a mixture of traditional culture and modern culture.

5. Shopping

For those who like high-end brands, there are areas in Japan, such as Ginza in Tokyo, which have streets lined with these stores. If you are on a tight budget but want to get a bunch of omiyage for your family, friends, and colleagues, you can head over to Daiso to buy things priced at only 100 yen!

6. Nature

Japan is surrounded by the ocean, just like Hawaii, and mountains cover about 70% of the land; so, depending on the season you visit Japan, you can have different experiences outdoors.

In future blog posts, we will explain in detail various aspects of traveling in Japan. Stay tuned for more pictures and blog posts in the future! We’re still developing our content, but also check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Mahalo!!!