The Netherlands - Alkmaar
General information
6
General information
On our way back we took the Airport Limousine bus. These buses go directly to and
from the airport to the main hotels in Tokyo center, the drive takes about one hour,
depending on the traffic and costs Yen 3200 per person (2016). Our hotel made the
reservation for the Airport Limousine bus for us. The journey was very comfortable
and we did not had to carry around our luggage in the subway stations. Find more
information at: https://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/
Public transport
There is a large variety of public transport which are operated by many
different companies, which are all efficient, very clean and safe. The JR
East train and the subway are the most suitable for moving around
Tokyo center. The only problem is how to buy the tickets, the ticket
machines are often only in Japanese and the staff speaks poor English.
1. Taxi’s, are rather expensive in Tokyo
2. Subway, is very efficient, one find clear maps in every travel guide,
besides this one can download the Tokyo subway app on the
smartphone, which is a pleasant and useful app. During our stay we
only used the subway, we bought special tourist tickets at the airport.
Find more information at:
3. Monorail/JR Yamanote Line circles around Tokyo and stops at the
major city centers, where one can buy the tickets at the station.
4. Buses, https://www.gotokyo.org/en/tourists/info/access/access3.html
5. The bullet train/Shinkansen (JR), these high speed trains (320
km/h) connect Tokyo with most of Japan’s important cities. There are
different types of trains on most lines, trains that stop at every station
and trains that stops only on the main stations. The Japan Rail Pass can
be bought with a discount in advance before going to Japan.
What we noticed in Tokyo
Many men wear black suits with a white shirt or an uniform.
A lot of women are elegant dressed by wearing a short beige trench coat and skin-
colored nylon stockings
School children wear uniforms also a lot of teenage girls wear uniforms
Lots of Japanese wear surgical masks
Japanese stay out of the sun and protect themselves with clothes and an umbrella
It is extremely clean, really clean
Japanese people respect each other and others belongings, you don’t see any pick
pocketing. They leave their belongings unattended on the table while going to the
restroom or counter.
They are very disciplined, they wait before the subway door in a straight line
During rush hours or busy crossing there are men in uniform to regulate the traffic
by shouting something in Japanese (not really necessary to my opinion because
Japanese people are very disciplined)
Japanese are very respectful and helpful and if you buy something they bow
Some Japanese people speak poor English which can sometimes be a problem and
our Japanese is also poor :)
Love hotels where Japanese people can hire a room for only a few hours to have
some quality time together
View points
During our stay, we had a hotel room at the 36 floor, so we had a magnificent view
over the city, one clear day, we even saw mount Fuji, so we did not feel the need to
visit one of the two towers of Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree
Shops and fashion
Shops can be found of course in whole Tokyo. We mention a few shopping areas,
which we have visited ourselves. Most shops are open from 10.00 – 21.00 hrs.
Convenience Stores can be found in every street or shopping center. Some famous
brands are Family Mart, 7 Eleven and Lawson. In these retail stores you will find a
wide range of products; groceries, food, beverage, magazines, news paper, personal
care products and an ATM machine to obtain some Yens.
In the Ginza district one can find shops from all the expensive famous West
European brands and labels, which can also be found in for example Fifth Avenue in
New York.
The Shibuya district is a very trendy shopping district where one can find lots of
large department stores. Shibuya is a cradle for the origin of many trends in fashion
and entertainment.
In the Harajuku district the Takeshita Street can be found, in this street the
teenagers dress up like their favorite manga hero. Besides this there are many
trendy shops, outlets, vintage stores and restaurants.
We liked the shops around the Senso-ji Temple very much, where you can buy
original and affordable souvenirs.
Climate
Average weather in Tokyo
Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival March – April
The reason why we have visited Japan this time of the year, was because of the
Hanami festival. As you can see on our photos and videos, it is really an important
festival. Hanami means flower viewing. This can best be done in one of the many
beautiful gardens and parks. The Japanese people are sitting under the Cherry trees
on a mostly blue canvas, eating and drinking beer with friends, family or colleagues.
The deeper meaning of this festival is the reflection on the transience of the beauty
of the nature and the transience of life itself.
Tokyo subway app
Religion in Japan
Japan has basically two religions Shinto and Buddhism, that overlap and complete
each other. Shinto with its thousand Gods (kami) is an old folk religion based on
rituals to obtain a good relationship with the Gods, to provide them for example a
good harvest. The soul and the spirit of the Gods can live in things like an old tree,
mountain, houses, areas etc. In the 6
th
century Buddhism was imported from India
via Korea. The Shinto Gods and the Buddhist bosatsu are integrated with each
other. Religion is still very much alive in Japan, many Japanese practice both Shinto
and Buddhism. Shinto is often seen as the religion during their life (they usually get
married according to the Shinto ritual) while Buddhism is seen as the religion for
the life after death (reincarnation and nirwana). Funerals usually go according to the
Buddhist ritual. Shinto has nothing to offer after death. In fact, Shinto considers
everything that has to do with blood and death as impure. For business after the
death grasps the Japanese, partly for that reason, to Buddhism. Indeed, Buddhism
promises deliverance from this life of suffering. Most Japanese have at home two
altars, a Shinto (kamidana) and a Buddhist altar (butsudan).
You will find the following rituals and symbols around Japanese Temples and
Shrines.
A Torri, this is a traditional Japanese gate which is found at the entrance of a Shinto
shrine, where it marks the transition from the sacred area around the shrine.
Sometimes there are dogs to protect the Shinto
complex.
The Japanese symbolically purifying themselves with water (first the left hand, right
hand and then the mouth), before entering a shrine and interacting with the kami.
The burning of incense, waving the smoke towards themselves for purification and
good luck but also as an aid in prayers.
Fox Kitsune (it wears sometimes a red slack), he is the messenger and protector of
the kami Inari. Kami Inari is very important for the Japanese, because he is the God
of the rice and prosperity.
Ema is a small wooden plaques on which one can write their wishes or prayers.
Omikuji are fortune telling papers, which can be found in a kind of dresser with
many drawers. On the paper you can read your predictions which can vary from
daikichi (good luck) to daikyo (bad luck). If you have bad luck you can tie the paper
around a tree's branch to leave it behind you.
Shops buy all kind of luck amulets (omamori) with bells on them.
In Japan a lot is still paid by cash, although most hotels accept VISA
or AMEX credit cards. You can of course take an amount of Yen
with you but you can also withdraw cash at an ATM machine,
which you can find at a post office (nearby the main railway
stations) or a convenience store.
Money in Japan
The Japanese yen (¥) is the official currency of Japan. They are available in bank
notes of 1000, 5000 and 10000 and coins 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.
Vending machines are a great invention, you will find them everywhere really
everywhere. For soft drinks or hot drinks even hot food.
Toilets, the Japanese toilets are full with electronics, buttons for every kind of bidget and shower option and the seat is heated.
On our way back we took the Airport Limousine
bus. These buses go directly to and from the
airport to the main hotels in Tokyo center, the
drive takes about one hour, depending on the
traffic and costs Yen 3200 per person (2016). Our
hotel made the reservation for the Airport
Limousine bus for us. The journey was very
comfortable and we did not had to carry around
our luggage in the subway stations. Find more
information at:
https://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/
Public transport
There is a large variety of public transport which
are operated by many different companies, which
are all efficient, very clean and safe. The JR East
train and the subway are the most suitable for
moving around Tokyo center. The only problem is
how to buy the tickets, the ticket machines are
often only in Japanese and the staff speaks poor
English.
1. Taxi’s, are rather expensive in Tokyo
2. Subway, is very efficient, one find clear maps in
every travel guide, besides this one can download
the Tokyo subway app on the smartphone, which
is a pleasant and useful app. During our stay we
only used the subway, we bought special tourist
tickets at the airport. Find more information at:
3. Monorail/JR Yamanote Line circles around Tokyo
and stops at the major city centers, where one can
buy the tickets at the station.
4. Buses,
https://www.gotokyo.org/en/tourists/info/access/ac
cess3.html
5. The bullet train/Shinkansen (JR), these high speed
trains (320 km/h) connect Tokyo with most of
Japan’s important cities. There are different types of
trains on most lines, trains that stop at every
station and trains that stops only on the main
stations. The Japan Rail Pass can be bought with a
discount in advance before going to Japan.
Money
The Japanese yen (¥) is the official currency of
Japan. They are available in bank notes of 1000,
5000 and 10000 and coins 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and
1.
Vending machines are a great invention, you will
find them everywhere really everywhere. For soft
drinks or hot drinks even hot food.
Toilets, the Japanese toilets are full with
electronics, buttons for every kind of bidget and
shower option and the seat is heated.
View points
During our stay, we had a hotel room at the 36
floor, so we had a magnificent view over the city,
one clear day, we even saw mount Fuji, so we did
not feel the need to visit one of the two towers of
Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree
Climate
Average weather in Tokyo
Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival March –
April
The reason why we have visited Japan this time
of the year, was because of the Hanami festival.
As you can see on our photos and videos, it is
really an important festival. Hanami means
flower viewing. This can best be done in one of
the many beautiful gardens and parks. The
Japanese people are sitting under the Cherry
trees on a mostly blue canvas, eating and
drinking beer with friends, family or colleagues.
The deeper meaning of this festival is the
reflection on the transience of the beauty of the
nature and the transience of life itself.
This airport lies 57 km outside of Tokyo and has
three terminals. There are several ways to go to
Tokyo center. We took the JR Narita Express (NEX)
train, which departs every 30 minutes in the
basement of the airport and goes directly to
Tokyo Station, where you can take another train
or the Tokyo subway. The trip takes about one
hour and costs Yen 3000 one way ticket per
person (2016). A ticket can be bought at the JR
Narita Express (NEX) train desk. On your ticket is
the number of your wagon and seat printed, the
train is comfortable and clean, all the important
information is announced also in English.
You do not need to buy an extra ticket for the
NEX, if you have already a Japan Rail Pass ticket.
Just check the validity date of your Japan Rail Pass
ticket at the desk of the Japan Railways. If you also
go back with the JR Narita Express (NEX) train, do
not forget to make a reservation for the way back!
Find more information at:
A lot of women are elegant dressed by wearing a
short beige trench coat and skin-colored nylon
stockings
School children wear uniforms also a lot of
teenage girls wear uniforms
Lots of Japanese wear surgical masks
Japanese stay out of the sun and protect
themselves with clothes and an umbrella
It is extremely clean, really clean
Japanese people respect each other and others
belongings, you don’t see any pick pocketing. They
leave their belongings unattended on the table
while going to the restroom or counter.
They are very disciplined, they wait before the
subway door in a straight line
During rush hours or busy crossing there are men
in uniform to regulate the traffic by shouting
something in Japanese (not really necessary to my
opinion because Japanese people are very
disciplined)
Japanese are very respectful and helpful and if you
buy something they bow
Some Japanese people speak poor English which
can sometimes be a problem and our Japanese is
also poor :)
Love hotels where Japanese people can hire a
room for only a few hours to have some quality
time together
Shops and fashion
Shops can be found of course in whole Tokyo. We
mention a few shopping areas, which we have
visited ourselves. Most shops are open from 10.00
– 21.00 hrs.
Convenience Stores can be found in every street
or shopping center. Some famous brands are
Family Mart, 7 Eleven and Lawson. In these retail
stores you will find a wide range of products;
groceries, food, beverage, magazines, news paper,
personal care products and an ATM machine to
obtain some Yens.
In the Ginza district one can find shops from all
the expensive famous West European brands and
labels, which can also be found in for example
Fifth Avenue in New York.
The Shibuya district is a very trendy shopping
district where one can find lots of large
department stores. Shibuya is a cradle for the
origin of many trends in fashion and
entertainment.
In the Harajuku district the Takeshita Street can be
found, in this street the teenagers dress up like
their favorite manga hero. Besides this there are
many trendy shops, outlets, vintage stores and
restaurants.
We liked the shops around the Senso-ji Temple
very much, where you can buy original and
affordable souvenirs.
Religion in Japan
Japan has basically two religions Shinto and
Buddhism, that overlap and complete each other.
Shinto with its thousand Gods (kami) is an old folk
religion based on rituals to obtain a good
relationship with the Gods, to provide them for
example a good harvest. The soul and the spirit of
the Gods can live in things like an old tree,
mountain, houses, areas etc. In the 6
th
century
Buddhism was imported from India via Korea. The
Shinto Gods and the Buddhist bosatsu are
integrated with each other. Religion is still very
much alive in Japan, many Japanese practice both
Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is often seen as the
religion during their life (they usually get married
according to the Shinto ritual) while Buddhism is
seen as the religion for the life after death
(reincarnation and nirwana). Funerals usually go
according to the Buddhist ritual. Shinto has nothing
to offer after death. In fact, Shinto considers
everything that has to do with blood and death as
impure. For business after the death grasps the
Japanese, partly for that reason, to Buddhism.
Indeed, Buddhism promises deliverance from this
life of suffering. Most Japanese have at home two
altars, a Shinto (kamidana) and a Buddhist altar
(butsudan).
You will find the following rituals and symbols
around Japanese Temples and Shrines.
A Torri, this is a traditional Japanese gate which is
found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine, where it
marks the transition from the sacred area around
the shrine. Sometimes there are dogs to protect the
Shinto complex.
The Japanese symbolically purifying themselves
with water (first the left hand, right hand and then
the mouth), before entering a shrine and
interacting with the kami.
The burning of incense, waving the smoke
towards themselves for purification and good
luck but also as an aid in prayers.
Fox Kitsune (it wears sometimes a red slack), he is
the messenger and protector of the kami Inari.
Kami Inari is very important for the Japanese,
because he is the God of the rice and prosperity.
Ema is a small wooden plaques on which one
can write their wishes or prayers.
Omikuji are fortune telling papers, which can
be found in a kind of dresser with many
drawers. On the paper you can read your
predictions which can vary from daikichi
(good luck) to daikyo (bad luck). If you have
bad luck you can tie the paper around a
tree's branch to leave it behind you.
Shops to buy all kind of luck amulets
(omamori) with bells on them.
In Japan a lot is still paid by cash, although most
hotels accept VISA or AMEX credit cards. You can
of course take an amount of Yen with you but you
can also withdraw cash at an ATM machine, which
you can find at a post office (nearby the main
railway stations) or a convenience store.
What we noticed in Tokyo
Transportation from and to the Narita
International Airport.
Copyright 2016 CityWalkSights
