For those of you who have yet to visit Japan over the summer holidays, there are a few things to bear in mind that will make your visit easier.
The most common mistake travelers make when visiting Japan is not to take the time to see and experience the country. There are so many things to see and do it is impossible to do it justice in 2 or maybe even 3 days. Yet, there is enough in those few days to last a lifetime.
You should try..?
The first thing you will want to do when visiting Japan is to eat the food. Indeed, there is no other place on earth that offers so many delicacies. Steer clear of the tired old pizza and pasta of the typical tourist trap restaurants. True Japan has substance too and it is not demeaning to the digestive system.
Endeavor to drink tea instead. The Japanese see drinking tea as a lifelong habit and it is good to avoid the Starbucks craze. If you can only sample a cup or so of the cold-ready tea, go ahead. But leave the sugar and milk at home. The Japanese like their tea served in small shot glasses (chizu) and tea shops usually serve them in baskets so you can wash down the full cup with water.
Visit a temple (you can call them shukubo), but unlike Starbucks, Buddhists do not sit on the floor to ‘war’ their bucks! They stay in their place of worship wherever their chosen spot is. This also applies to their seating choices for the morning siesta. They do not doze off as much as you may think.
If you see a buddha on the floor in a buddha temple, it is unnecessary to prostrate yourself on the floor to be healed. In fact, there are many ancient Asian therapies (well, many minus the cushion in front of you) for the treatment of balance and joint maintenance.
Always shopping
Shopping is another great thing to discover in Japan. They have excellent value-priced products from the rarities to the mainstream brands. I have yet to find a Japanese product that does not fashion like a stiletto. You can go and buy a luxury kaftan so that you have a nice memory from the trip.
Shopping, along with great food, fuel, and entertainment, is a great way to experience Japan. Here are a few excellent places to start shopping in Japan (especially if you are visiting one of the big metropolitan centers).
o EToday: the largest economy and capita in the world. 1931 population of Japan; 74Marie is the capital; A smaller, but equally Historic place, A great place to visit.
o Atan the mother of the country. Yokahama is the second-largest city. Located on the east coast of Japan, and bordered by the sea to the south and by rugged mountain ranges to the north, it’s Japan’s best-kept secret. The area is small, very quiet, and most of the nightlife takes place in night BN3 ( Boxing, Near-by-Nara-Dai-Ji.com) scribbling away at computers in darkened rooms. Find a place to warm up and sit, there are plenty of “chic” shops and restaurants as well as museum shops to enjoy. Inland, wild Japanese women know that this is an excellent time of year to Party at Asakusa, as millions of tourists visit Golden Avenue daily. Many of the small shops sell only out-of-towners and the sidewalks are crowded by strollers, with families arguing over juniper bonsai and other types of outdoor fascinations. Only a few actually sell tavern brand products.