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Doctor Q in Japan
- Thread starter Doctor Q
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Glad to have you back safe and sounds Q. Excellent news that you had such an enjoyable time abroad, makes me want to travel there as well, even more so once you post some pictures I trust. I can't wait to see some of the places you went! 
Bullet trains
We enjoyed both the high-tech and no-tech (historical and cultural) aspects of Japan. On the high-tech list: the bullet trains. The rides are very fast (up to 270 km/hour = 168 mph) yet very smooth, the seats are great, like non-economy-class airline seats minus the seatbelts, and they run with remarkable time precision. As I was told, you really can set your watch based on when the trains arrive and depart.
A scrolling display at the front of each car tells you what train you are on, where it is going, and where it will stop along the way. There are also announcements in Japanese and English, with a pleasant British-accented voice for the English. One car is a silent car, for those who want to sleep or work without listening to announcements. The "green car" has extra luxuries and costs extra, but we found the regular cars luxurious enough compared with riding local trains or busses. You can either buy a reserved seat ticket (or get them free if you have a Japan Rail Pass) or take your chances finding seats on the unreserved cars. We tried both, and never had trouble finding two seats together without a reservation.
The Japan Rail Passes are only available to foreign tourists, and they saved us a lot of money, since they are good on the intercity trains, some local trains, and even some bus lines. Following advice we were given by a friend, we put our JR passes in plastic sleeves on cords so we could wear them around our necks while carrying suitcases. That way we didn't have to fish for them (with no hands available) when we went through the entrance and exit gates. One conductor checking tickets on the train saw our plastic holders, gave us a thumbs up sign, and said "OK!" with a big smile.
Conductors, the food cart lady, and other Japan Rail (JR) employees always bow at the front of a train car before leaving the car. We wondered if they do this even if nobody is in the car, but there wasn't an easy way to tell!
The first time we rode a bullet train, we were surprised when everyone else pulled out food as soon as the train left the station. People bring along food or just as often buy a bento box (multi-part meal in a compartment box) from the food cart lady and put them on the pull-down trays. On subsequent bullet train rides, we did as they do. People don't eat food on the local (intracity) trains, which are often crowded, can be bumpy, and where the rides tend to be shorter.
Riding between cities on the bullet train gave us a good chance to see the less-crowded parts of Japan, the small cities and even open country along the southern coast. Even if you didn't notice the signs in Japanese, you'd know you were in Japan from the houses, almost all of which have the distinctive gables and raised centerline. Many homes have vegetable gardens in their yards and cars are quite small both in the cities and elsewhere, which is lucky because the roads are very skinny too!
Our first view of Mt. Fuji was out the window of a bullet train. I was watching the map and the clock to predict when we'd see it, and there it was, right where it was supposed to be! It's so tall compared to other mountains that it really is inspiring to see.
We discovered something even more fun than riding a bullet train... standing on a train platform when an express bullet train (one that doesn't stop at this station) comes through. First you feel a rumble like an earthquake in progress, and then the train whooshes past you faster than you can believe a land vehicle could go. You can barely focus on it as it passes in a blur!
We enjoyed both the high-tech and no-tech (historical and cultural) aspects of Japan. On the high-tech list: the bullet trains. The rides are very fast (up to 270 km/hour = 168 mph) yet very smooth, the seats are great, like non-economy-class airline seats minus the seatbelts, and they run with remarkable time precision. As I was told, you really can set your watch based on when the trains arrive and depart.
A scrolling display at the front of each car tells you what train you are on, where it is going, and where it will stop along the way. There are also announcements in Japanese and English, with a pleasant British-accented voice for the English. One car is a silent car, for those who want to sleep or work without listening to announcements. The "green car" has extra luxuries and costs extra, but we found the regular cars luxurious enough compared with riding local trains or busses. You can either buy a reserved seat ticket (or get them free if you have a Japan Rail Pass) or take your chances finding seats on the unreserved cars. We tried both, and never had trouble finding two seats together without a reservation.
The Japan Rail Passes are only available to foreign tourists, and they saved us a lot of money, since they are good on the intercity trains, some local trains, and even some bus lines. Following advice we were given by a friend, we put our JR passes in plastic sleeves on cords so we could wear them around our necks while carrying suitcases. That way we didn't have to fish for them (with no hands available) when we went through the entrance and exit gates. One conductor checking tickets on the train saw our plastic holders, gave us a thumbs up sign, and said "OK!" with a big smile.
Conductors, the food cart lady, and other Japan Rail (JR) employees always bow at the front of a train car before leaving the car. We wondered if they do this even if nobody is in the car, but there wasn't an easy way to tell!
The first time we rode a bullet train, we were surprised when everyone else pulled out food as soon as the train left the station. People bring along food or just as often buy a bento box (multi-part meal in a compartment box) from the food cart lady and put them on the pull-down trays. On subsequent bullet train rides, we did as they do. People don't eat food on the local (intracity) trains, which are often crowded, can be bumpy, and where the rides tend to be shorter.
Riding between cities on the bullet train gave us a good chance to see the less-crowded parts of Japan, the small cities and even open country along the southern coast. Even if you didn't notice the signs in Japanese, you'd know you were in Japan from the houses, almost all of which have the distinctive gables and raised centerline. Many homes have vegetable gardens in their yards and cars are quite small both in the cities and elsewhere, which is lucky because the roads are very skinny too!
Our first view of Mt. Fuji was out the window of a bullet train. I was watching the map and the clock to predict when we'd see it, and there it was, right where it was supposed to be! It's so tall compared to other mountains that it really is inspiring to see.
We discovered something even more fun than riding a bullet train... standing on a train platform when an express bullet train (one that doesn't stop at this station) comes through. First you feel a rumble like an earthquake in progress, and then the train whooshes past you faster than you can believe a land vehicle could go. You can barely focus on it as it passes in a blur!
I'm glad to hear that Mt. Fuji hasn't moved from where it should be
Sounds awesome, thanks for the first installment (of many I'm sure). Very nicely described...and all for a train! I can't wait to hear what other adventures you partook off.
Sounds awesome, thanks for the first installment (of many I'm sure
). Very nicely described...and all for a train! I can't wait to hear what other adventures you partook off.
First funny story: our big goof
There are three lines of Shinkansen (bullet) trains running to and from Tokyo: Kodama, Hikari, and Nozomi. The Kodama line stops at every station along the way, so it takes the longest time overall to get from point A to point B. The Hikari stops at some of the stations. The Nozomi stops at only the major stations, and this can shave a half hour or more off a cross-country trip. Japan Rail Pass holders have free use of the Kodama and Hikari lines but are not entitled to ride the Nozomi.
Tokyo Station is the starting and ending station for the Shinkansen lines. When a bullet train arrives in Tokyo, a line of clean-up workers stands ready to board the train and give it a once-over, removing trash in the seat pockets (nobody throws anything on the floor), installing new cloth covers on the headrests, etc. The workers bow as people get off the train. New passengers can board only after the train has been tidied. Because of this, we were used to seeing some trains already sitting on the tracks when we came to the platform, as opposed to having trains pull into a station and stay only a minute as passengers get on and off.
For one train trip, we found the platform where we were to catch our Hikari train, saw the train already waiting, boarded and found our seats (which were empty), only to discover the train departing 10 minutes earlier than scheduled!
I quickly figured out the problem. The train wasn't leaving early (that never happens). We were on a Nozomi express train that left the station just before our Hikari train was scheduled to pull in for a quick stop! It was just coincidence that the same seat numbers had nobody in them on the Nozomi.
We didn't know what the consequence would be for taking a Nozomi train with a JR Rail Pass. Perhaps they'd throw us off the speeding train. Perhaps they would make us pay full price for the trip (very expensive). Or perhaps they would forgive us. When the conductor came into the car, we did our best to explain our mistake with hand signals, and he did the same. One hand signal we saw used a few times in Japan: making an X by holding up your arms in a crossed position means "wrong" or "you shouldn't be here". It does not mean Mac OS X!
We and the conductor worked out the solution: we were to get off at the next stop (which was a good part of an hour away) and wait for the Hikari (which we should have been on) to catch up. That we did, and all's well that ends well!
There are three lines of Shinkansen (bullet) trains running to and from Tokyo: Kodama, Hikari, and Nozomi. The Kodama line stops at every station along the way, so it takes the longest time overall to get from point A to point B. The Hikari stops at some of the stations. The Nozomi stops at only the major stations, and this can shave a half hour or more off a cross-country trip. Japan Rail Pass holders have free use of the Kodama and Hikari lines but are not entitled to ride the Nozomi.
Tokyo Station is the starting and ending station for the Shinkansen lines. When a bullet train arrives in Tokyo, a line of clean-up workers stands ready to board the train and give it a once-over, removing trash in the seat pockets (nobody throws anything on the floor), installing new cloth covers on the headrests, etc. The workers bow as people get off the train. New passengers can board only after the train has been tidied. Because of this, we were used to seeing some trains already sitting on the tracks when we came to the platform, as opposed to having trains pull into a station and stay only a minute as passengers get on and off.
For one train trip, we found the platform where we were to catch our Hikari train, saw the train already waiting, boarded and found our seats (which were empty), only to discover the train departing 10 minutes earlier than scheduled!
I quickly figured out the problem. The train wasn't leaving early (that never happens). We were on a Nozomi express train that left the station just before our Hikari train was scheduled to pull in for a quick stop! It was just coincidence that the same seat numbers had nobody in them on the Nozomi.
We didn't know what the consequence would be for taking a Nozomi train with a JR Rail Pass. Perhaps they'd throw us off the speeding train. Perhaps they would make us pay full price for the trip (very expensive). Or perhaps they would forgive us. When the conductor came into the car, we did our best to explain our mistake with hand signals, and he did the same. One hand signal we saw used a few times in Japan: making an X by holding up your arms in a crossed position means "wrong" or "you shouldn't be here". It does not mean Mac OS X!
We and the conductor worked out the solution: we were to get off at the next stop (which was a good part of an hour away) and wait for the Hikari (which we should have been on) to catch up. That we did, and all's well that ends well!
He not tell you whole stoly; we almost have to deport them.Doctor Q said:....We didn't know what the consequence would be for taking a Nozomi train with a JR Rail Pass. Perhaps they'd throw us off the speeding train. Perhaps they would make us pay full price for the trip (very expensive). Or perhaps they would forgive us. When the conductor came into the car, we did our best to explain our mistake with hand signals, and he did the same. One hand signal we saw used a few times in Japan: making an X by holding up your arms in a crossed position means "wrong" or "you shouldn't be here". It does not mean Mac OS X!
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Well, I guess I was deported. They just took 2 more weeks to get around to sending me home.xsedrinam said:
I noted some Engrish signs, which I'll mention as I come to them in my trip notes, but I have to admit that the English used by the Japanese was generally better than my Japanese. I found it odd that on three occasions somebody giving us directions said "right" or "left" (aka "reft") while pointing exactly the opposite direction! We learned to follow the arms, not the words.
Using English on store signs or T-shirts is considered "cool" in Japan, the same way French names are used to bestow a little class on restaurants or stores in the U.S., whether they deserve it or not.
I'm glad I grew up with English because it would be one of the harder languages to learn as an adult. In Japanese, vowels have consistent sounds, and I just had to pay attention to when a vowel was silent, such as pronouncing gochiso (delicious food) as goh-tso (not go-chee-so) when thanking somebody for a meal. And, of course, we were careful not to pronounce the silent u at the end of arigato gozaimasu, lest somebody think we were tourists!
Welcome back! Glad to hear of the good times there.
My boss just got back from a week in Tokyo, and some near by cities (a "business" pleasure trip. The sponsor of the trip spared no expense in showing them a good time. And he said that it beat his other trip there on his own dime.
It seems to be very expensive to do Japan (and Tokyo) "right".
BTW: Missed my chance to do Japan when my numbers in the MegaMillions failed to win.
My boss just got back from a week in Tokyo, and some near by cities (a "business" pleasure trip. The sponsor of the trip spared no expense in showing them a good time. And he said that it beat his other trip there on his own dime.
It seems to be very expensive to do Japan (and Tokyo) "right".
BTW: Missed my chance to do Japan when my numbers in the MegaMillions failed to win.
We didn't find prices to be noticeable more than what we are used to in Los Angeles. New Yorkers would probably have the same reaction. There are five main expenses for tourists:Chip NoVaMac said:
1. Transportation. The Japan Rail Pass is your friend there, and we did lots of walking rather than run for a bus or train every time the next place to see was a few blocks away. In Kanazawa we ended up walking the entire length of the city as we moved from one interesting place to the next. Take taxies only as a last resort.
2. Food. Fancy restaurant meals can get expensive if you aren't careful, which is true in most cities. But there are plenty of cheaper meals if you look for vending machine restaurants, noodle stands, and the food places in department stores and train stations. If prices aren't posted, go elsewhere. (We learned to read prices in Japanese so we could check prices even when English prices weren't shown.) Other than the ryokan (where meals are included), we ate at pricier places only twice and we knew what we were getting into. Personally, I can't eat three full restaurant meals in a day (too much food), so we generally had either a real breakfast or a real lunch each day, with small snacks taking the place of the missing meal.
3. Hotels. In Tokyo, you have to pay a lot if you want a great room. So don't. We stayed at the tiniest little business hotel, and other than having to say "excuse me" constantly to get past the other person in the room, we did fine. In other cities, we could get slightly bigger rooms without paying an arm and a leg. Some people stay in youth hostels or other even-cheaper places, but that didn't suit us. Even staying in small places, hotels were our biggest expense.
4. Admissions. Most interesting museums, gardens, temples and shrines charge a few hundred yen for admission, which can add up if you go to lots of them. There's not much you can do about that, unless you want to skip some of them. The only admission that felt outrageous to me was 1600 yen to get into the Hakone Open Air Museum. The cheapest admission was to go inside the big bronze Great Buddha in Kamakura; that was only 10 or 20 yen (I forget which). You can think of a yen as a penny, so that's a dime or two.
5. Souvenirs. A simple rule: don't buy more than you can afford! Nobody actually needs a little glass box with a model of a temple, do they? Yeah, we bought some souvenirs, but we tried not to go overboard. I bought us some hashi (chopstick) holders in the shape of Japanese cranes because they were more elegant than the usual fish and vegetable-shaped ones I normally see. Mrs. Q bought an interesting-shaped ceramic serving dish that she liked. Most of our other purchases were little knickknacks for relatives.
Overall, we came out ok because we saved up for this trip (for years) and planned how to stay within our budget. Despite having to guess, while planning the trip, what our daily expenses would really be, I'm proud to say that after 3 and a half weeks of vacationing we ended up within $20 of our original budget! Then we bought an extra bag of candy at the airport on the way home and our budget went into the red!
I'll be PMing you with my address so you can send that case of tonkatsu sauce to me
Also, I want to see pictures! Lots of them! All of them!
Also, I want to see pictures! Lots of them! All of them!
I'll get to the tonkatsu soon enough, but I'll start with the first photo from the trip:Counterfit said:I'll be PMing you with my address so you can send that case of tonkatsu sauce to me
Here's our plane to Japan. I took this photo on the ground because it would have been a tiny bit harder to take the shot after we were airborne.
The Japan Airlines 747 was packed and the seats in economy had no leg room (luckily it was only an 11 hour 20 minute flite -- ouch!), but at least the service and meals were excellent.
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I decided it made more sense to post the photos in a new thread, so I'll take leave of this trip-planning thread.
I hope you will join me in the Doctor Q's Japan Photos thread in the Picture Gallery forum!
I hope you will join me in the Doctor Q's Japan Photos thread in the Picture Gallery forum!
Doctor Q said:
You aren't saying that you actually spent "under $20" for a bag of candy, are you? I'd suppose you'd round to the nearest $5, or even $10, so I am curious how you went into the red by buying a bag of candy.
It sounds like an awesome trip. *moves back to the picture thread and still loves the sphere without your reflection*
-Chase
Don't worry, the cheap seats on British Airways' 747's suck too. Of course, the ventilation wasn't on for the last section, which I was in, so it was a warm trip home from Europe. Also, the landing freaked me out, because we were barely down to taxiing speed when the pilot turned off the runway, near the end. Not so bad at some airports, but Logan is an islandDoctor Q said:
Meet you in the photo thread? rendezvouscp said:
I don't know dude, some of the local 'souvenir' candies can be expensive, especially if you get a large box/bag of it.
Maybe I'm simply not very good at basic arithmetic.rendezvouscp said:
Actually, by careful planning, we ended up with exactly 0 yen in paper money, spending the last of it on the express train from Tokyo to Narita airport and on lunch at the airport. But we had a lot of coins left, which Mrs. Q spent at the last-minute-gift shop in the airport. Candy was one of the items. I'm not sure what else "we" bought. We saved the last few coins to give to the kids in the family who come for Thanksgiving dinner.
Doctor Q said:
Doctor Q, not good at basic arithmetic? Blasphemy!
I think it's fantastic that you stayed right within budget; it really takes a) the carefully saving of money, b) the careful planning of using the carefully saved money, and c) the careful use of the carefully planned, carefully saved money. Props to you and the Mrs.!
*heads back over again, and is still amazed with that cool sphere*
-Chase