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Well, the last subject. Is Japan expensive?
There are people still thinking that prices are high in Japan, due to the prejudice of foreigners. However, I think that you know who actually traveled, prices are quite cheap.
This time, I traveled to Shanghai, it was very similar to Shanghai, or Shanghai is more expensive, I was surprised very much.

McDonald ‘s most surprised. In order to take a break, I entered McDonald’s and asked for orange juice. 10 yuan. Huh? ! What? ! What? 10 yuan? 10 yuan is 200 yen in Japanese yen. In McDonald’s of Japan, orange juice is 100 yen. It is double? I was surprised at this.

And Yoshinoya, a beef bowl resutaurant.
In Japan, beef bowl and miso soup with pickles are about 600 yen. However, the Yoshinoya in Shanghai has few menu of beef bowls in the first place, but the set of beef fried and rice, miso soup, egg omlet or something  is 52 yuan. 52 yuan? It is 1040 yen in Japanese yen. I do not use 1000 yen at Yoshinoya in the sense of the Japanese. If you go to Yoshinoya, I would like to put it within 1000 yen.

Besides, I wanted to eat dumplings and beef noodles and entered a Chinese restaurant, but even at shops like atmosphere fast food, if it is in Japan like a fast food restaurant 700 ~ 900 I was surprised because it was a place I wanted to put in yen.

And my friend went to a nail salon and put on nail her fingers and feet, but It cost 16000 yen! I and my friend  were surprised!!! Indeed, even though there is no decoration in particular, even though it is a single color, 16000 yen is high. If it is a single color in Japan, it can be done within 5000 yen.

Based on the above verification results, prices in Japan are not high. It is rather cheap compared to Shanghai. Of course it is still expensive compared to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia.

However, the only thing I found it is so cheap is transportation fee. Even if I get on the subway from 40 yen, even if I get on a taxi for about 15 minutes it was about 300 yen, and I was surprised by the Shinkansen in a good sense. If in Japan for 1 hour ride on the Shinkansen will cost at least 10,000 yen, but in China it was 2000 yen even in the first class. One-fifth price! I think that it is cheap because public transportation is surely becoming a leg of common people. Incidentally, the Japanese subway costs from 160 yen and the taxi from 410 yen. (It depends on location.)

 

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Is English available in Japan???

Good evening. Well then, is today English better in Japan than in China?
I travel overseas once or twice a year, but the countries I have been to the past was not particularly troubled if I could speak English.

However, I went to various parts of China such as  Shanghai. 杭州、蘇州 this time, but communicate in English was hard than I expected. People in the town  don’t speak English was not problem at all, but people at the ticket office of the bullet train could not speak English. That caused problems for me. Even if I tried to show with gestures to ask something, they are clearly disgusted. It was very unpleasant.

If I go to a restaurant with a menu with photos, it is easy to communicate with staff, cuz I just point the picture what I want to eat.

But, when I  buy a ticket for the Shinkansen,  I wanted to ask questions like, what time does departure time, arrival time or how about other flights?  The staff could not speak English ,and she was disgusted, so it was very stressful. Compared to it Japan, Japanese are very poor in English. I have to admit about that. I think that travelers took a hard time because they could not communicate in English at all in the past. But now it has changed. Since we have been preparing for the Olympic Games in 2020, we started to learn how to speak English. Many people can talk at train spots or airports.  Japanese show sincerity to help foreigners who are in trouble even if they can not speak. As I am a Japanese, I admit that I am favoring Japan, but I am sure Japan was changed. It is getting better and easily to travel Japan.  If you traveled Japan ten years ago, I guess you had troublesome time all day in Japan,  because you never communicate in English,but if you come back to Japan now, you will recognize Japan was changed! and also, Japanese have been changed, too! It is much easier to travel than it was ten years ago. If there are someone who think that they will not go anymore Japan because it was difficult in terms of languages, I would like you to come back and see us again!!

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Is Japan comfortable to travel???

There are many dis-satisfactions from foreign tourists who came to Japan because

⑴the internet can not be used,
⑵ They can not communicate in English,
⑶High price for several things,

But this time I went to China on a trip, I looked at the Chinese as a tourist as the same as you, and compared Japan to other countries, about internet connection, availability of English,prices, etc. I tried to verify.

About internet connections, which means that there are few places to use in coffee shops or shops like them, but that is not the case. You can use internet at coffee shops and restaurants such as Starbucks, McDonald’s and other places with many touristic area. Free Wi-Fi is connected not only to shops but also to the subway and train home. Even if you go anywhere, of course you can change the SIM card or if you use a mobile router, the internet will be connected anywhere.

In contrast to China.
There are marks that Wi-Fi can be used in Starbucks and McDonald’s in China, but there are serious problems!
The thing is that I could not connect internet without a Chinese phone number. Tourists do not usually have a phone number , so it is the same as not being connected. I did not about know that it was such a mechanism.I could connect internet only at hotels. Such a mess!!!

Many people already know, but FYI,in China we cannot use Facebook,Instagram,twitter,google also. If you want to search something, you shoul use “Bing”.  Of course we cannot use Google map,so we should use other map service. I use i phone, so I used imap.

As  a result, compare to China, Japan is easy to connect internet and search something in the internet.

Then, I would like to continue to verify that English is available or not in Japan compare to China ,tomorrow♪

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Menchi Katsu croquette in Dempoin Street in Asakusa.

Menchi Katsu croquette in Dempoin Street in Asakusa.
We,Japanese love croquette very much.

Basically, the croquette in Japanese meant batter coating fried mashed potatoes. But, Menchi Katsu is fried batter coating minced pork mixed with salt and pepper.
It is absolutely delicious.
By the way, Dempoin Street in Asakusa, where there is a Menti Katsu shop, is reproducing the old cityscape and it is a pleasant street just walking.

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About Tips

Continue to talk about tips,yesterday.
I usually get tips from my guests in foreign countries, but mostly they hand down small folded bills. Or, when we are shaking hands, they hand over.
However, I received the tips carefully enveloped the other day for the first time. I was happy.
Of course, I am glad even if without envelopes, but I was impressed about the politeness.(^^)

Basically, when Japanese give money to other people, we put the money to an envelop. For example, in wedding ceremony, we give money instead of presents. At that time, we put money with gorgeous envelops. I have to spend money to the envelops, also(>▽<). Further more, the bills should be new ones, no fold bills.

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You should give tip or not???

In Japan, there is basically no custom of tips.
Believe it or not, we have not gotten used to tips, so people sometime refuse the tips they’ve got.
I have seen many times Japanese people refused tips.

However, we just don’t get used to take tips, so if you are refused, please don’t feel bad. We hesitate to get money from others in addition to salary.It is just Japanese culture.

So there is absolutely no problem without giving tips at the restaurants or hotels.
On the other hand, it is normal for Japanese  not to give tips, so I feel ｖ

In Japan, there is basically no custom of chips.
Believe it or not, I have not gotten used to it, so even people who refuse the chips they gave me are pains.
I have seen a man who refuses many times.
However, I am not accustomed to getting it, I have resistance to get money from others in addition to salary, I am hesitant only, so please do not feel bad if you give up a tip and refuse it. Please remember it as a Japanese culture.

So there is absolutely no problem without having to pay the tip at the restaurant.
On the other hand, it is normal for Japanese people not to give tips, so we feel burdened because we have to give tips when we travel abroad.
By the way, if you get tour guides or drivers in Japan and you are satisfied with their hospitalities, don’t hesitate to give them tips(^^) They get used to take tips, so they must be happy if you give tips♪♪♪

sumo

 

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Hot Pot meal with LOACHES

Loaches’s hot pot meal has been eaten in Asakusa since long ago. They were very easy to get as Asakusa is a riverside place. There is Sumida River.
I went to eat loaches’ hot pot. It had a very unique taste with like a muddy river smell  remained.
However, this unique taste seems to become popular. There are some loach’s restaurants in Asakusa. The picture is a loach’s restaurant named “Dozeu”.

I wento to “Dozeu” with my guests coming from Myanmar.

I was worried if she dislike the taste, but she said “it’s yummy.”. She seemed to eat similar taste fish in her own country.

Sliced green onions and sliced burdock were served to eat together with loaches.

Lastly, I like to eat eggs like this.

[DOZEU]

Adress:１－７－１２　Komagata Taito-ku,Tokyo

Tel:03-3842-4001

opening time:11:00am-9:00pm

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Unique cafe in Asakusa.

There are unique cafes in Asakusa.
One of them is the the Owl Cafe.
There is a person standing with Owl when walking on New Nakamise Street, that is an entrance of the Owl Cafe.
There are also rabbit cafés near the Kanji House. Now,Cat cafes can be seen in various places such as Asakusa,Akihabara,Shinjuku,Shibuya and Harajuku.I think cat cafe is the most popular.
You can see it closer than going to the zoo, so take a try to the unique animal cafe!!

Which  one do you think is the real owl ?

The right one is real one:) The white one is a soft toy.

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Unique fishing experience in Asakusa!?

There is a place where you can fish in Asakusa.

Actually it is not fishing, but scoping goldfishes.
It  is common in Japanese festivals, but here in Asakusa, you can play goldfish scooping !!

We scoop goldfishes  with thin paper surrounded by plastic frame called poi.

And try to scoop the goldfishes swimming in the pool.

It seems easily,but it is very difficult.

There is a little empty street on the left back of Sensoji Temple called “Nishi Sando Street”. The shop is on this street.

You can try it at 300 yen once, so let’s take a try scooping goldfishes!!

And next to that the shop is a melon bread shop I introduced before.

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Kamiya Bar in Asakusa

There is a nice bar in Asakusa called Kamiya bar.
The Kamiya bar is a very historical bar, crowded with local regulars.
There were air raids around Asakusa during the Second World War.
The Asakusa area became a burned land.
However, the building of this Kamiya bar was very rugged in Western architecture, so it remained without being blown away.

The local people of Asakusa who saw it decided to restore the city of Asakusa from this bar.
The city of this Asakusa is now made Kamiya bar swift.
So, the address of this Kamiya bar is” 1-1-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo”!
Now, the bar is on the first floor, the Western restaurant is on the second floor, and the Japanese cuisine restaurant is on the third floor.

It is also famous as Japan ‘s first bar.
Established in 1880, they began selling one glass of drink for the first time. Also, at this bar there is famous cocktail called Electric Blanc. In Japanese, “Denki Buran”. It is a cocktail based on brandy, and it is a very storong alcoholic.

Please visit this bar at the end of Asakusa sightseeing.