Japan: Tokyo - Tips and Recommendations?

[Enye]

go Ginza can hug jap xmm

 

 

In Japan, "meddlesome" guides seek confused tourists

Volunteers from Osekkai Japan go to places where many tourists gather, such as the Ginza, Asakusa and Tsukiji districts, and guide people or help as interpreters, even if they are not asked to do so.

PHOTO: AFP

8 Jan5:50 AM

Tokyo

ON Dec 23, 15 men and women clad in matching yellow jackets gathered at the pedestrian-only zone in Tokyo's Ginza district, where department stores and luxury brand shops are located. Printed on the back of their jackets are the words "Need some help?" in English and Chinese.

When these people find tourists who seem to have lost their way or seem to be bewildered, they quickly rush to them and ask: "What's wrong?" They are members of Osekkai (meddlesome) Japan, a volunteer organisation established in April last year. The volunteers go to places where many tourists gather, such as the Ginza, Asakusa and Tsukiji districts, about once a month and guide people or help as interpreters, even if they are not asked to do so.

The group is made up of about 40 students and adults who have a good command of foreign languages such as English and Spanish. They sometimes go to areas outside Tokyo, such as Kyoto. Some even went on an expedition to the Great Wall of China.

That day in Ginza, Yuka Toyama, 21, a junior at Waseda University, spoke to two young men from Finland who were looking at a map. They said they were looking for a bus stop for a double-deck sightseeing bus. Ms Toyama guided them to the bus stop with three other guides. Each guide was hugged by the delighted Finnish men. Ms Toyama felt warm. "It's good we could be of help," she said.

The group's representative, planning company president Hideki Kinai, 53, was brought up in the Senri New Town development in northern Osaka Prefecture. In the residential complexes, mutual aid and the borrowing and lending of small items such as soya sauce were common among residents.

From his room on the fifth floor, he could see the Taiyo no To tower under construction for the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka. The tower was an artwork designed by Taro Okamoto as a symbol of the exposition. Mr Kinai, who was a third-year primary school pupil when the Osaka Expo was held, visited the exposition venue 33 times using discount tickets that he received from an elderly woman living nearby.

Fascinated by a mysterious African pavilion, he travelled to Africa alone after saving money when he was a freshman at university.

About 10 days after he started travelling, he developed a fever in Tanzania. Thinking that it would be safer to go to a big town, he managed to arrive at a bus stop in the early morning. The bus he intended to take was surrounded by a crowd of people who were waiting to get on the bus. Mr Kinai thought it would be impossible to get on. The people around him, however, said that it was no problem and put his backpack on the roof of the bus and pulled him inside. The bus conductor even stood up and vacated his seat for Mr Kinai.

Many African people helped Mr Kinai, an Asian man who seemed in ill health, though he did not ask them for anything. Mr Kinai, who could not forget their consideration, visited Africa about 20 times after that.

Mr Kinai's experiences in a residential complex amid Japan's rapid growth period and in Africa motivated him to establish the organisation.

Osekkai Japan volunteers have also been through some unforgettable experiences. Last summer, the members found a family of three Americans seemingly in a panic at the heavily crowded Yaesu exit of JR Tokyo Station.

When the members talked to the family, they said they could not find the locker in which their baggage was stored and the departure time for the train to Narita Airport was approaching.

The members checked a receipt the family had and discovered that the locker was near the Marunouchi exit of the station, on the opposite side of the station. The guides quickly escorted the family there.

Once there, however, they could not open the locker because the family had already refunded an IC card that served as the key.

The members phoned the locker's management company. About five minutes later, an employee of the company rushed there and opened the locker.

The Americans were deeply moved and invited the volunteers to stay at their home in New York if they ever visited the city. They gave them an e-mail address.

A Chinese student studying in Japan is also involved in the activities. Qiao Wang Xin, a 19-year-old junior at Beijing Foreign Studies University, came to Japan in September and joined the group after being invited by a friend. In China, there is a saying that people should lend a helping hand to others. Even so, he was amazed by such well-mannered Japanese who always seemed to be considerate to others.

The Chinese student sometimes felt that the Japanese were a bit cold, as they usually do not talk to others because they do not want to bother them. On the other hand, he thought it was not difficult for the Japanese people to understand foreigners because they had strong concern for others.

In another five years, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, whose keyword is omotenashi (hospitality), will be held.

"I want to convey to young people the importance of taking action, even if they are not accustomed to face-to-face communications with strangers though they are familiar with communicating on the Internet," Mr Kinai said.

He hopes to transmit this special osekkai or "meddlesome" characteristic of the Japanese people to the world.

The annual number of overseas visitors to Japan in 2013 was 10.36 million, exceeding 10 million for the first time. The government hopes to raise the annual number of foreign visitors to 20 million by 2020, the year the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held.

According to the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 released by the World Economic Forum, Japan placed 14th out of 140 countries and regions around the world. Japan placed first regarding "degree of customer orientation", while placing 74th in "attitude toward foreign visitors" because of language barriers and other factors. WP

 

 

[BabyBlade]

Good read.

 

http://magazine.tripzilla.com/japan-travel-cost/14928

[RH1667]

 

No need. Its built into the device itself. See photo of it, I am using it now to reply u. Its 40mbs @ USD30 per month, unlimited download. Thatz what my ang mo colleague told me. He use it to watch movies.

 

Yokohama 031.jpg

 

Yokohama 032.jpg

 

 

 

For the " pocket wifi " is it available for short term rental of just 1 week?

Any link or web site where I can check out more details such as charges , can rental from Narita and return at Haneda etc.

 

Thank you

[Bacteria83]

 

For the " pocket wifi " is it available for short term rental of just 1 week?

Any link or web site where I can check out more details such as charges , can rental from Narita and return at Haneda etc.

 

Thank you

I very cheapo nv use pocket wifi or get a data plan sim card when I there this yr. Once u reach there is a tourist station to register free wifi. Number of wifi hot spot quite limited. Only hotel and big departmental stores provide it. And u need to go to their counter to register.

[RH1667]

I very cheapo nv use pocket wifi or get a data plan sim card when I there this yr. Once u reach there is a tourist station to register free wifi. Number of wifi hot spot quite limited. Only hotel and big departmental stores provide it. And u need to go to their counter to register.

Thank you Bro.

[Porker]

 

For the " pocket wifi " is it available for short term rental of just 1 week?

Any link or web site where I can check out more details such as charges , can rental from Narita and return at Haneda etc.

 

Thank you

Just go to a shop and get a data sim card. 3G for about $60

[RH1667]

Just go to a shop and get a data sim card. 3G for about $60

Thank you Bro.

Guess will carry a extra phone to use as my hot spot.

[Porker]

Thank you Bro.

Guess will carry a extra phone to use as my hot spot.

Yup you can get the card from the tele shops at Narita and Haneda. The data can be topped up online. Just follow instructions on the package or ask when you purchase.

[Porche]

Im on a business trip to Osaka this may

[Mcf777]

 

For the " pocket wifi " is it available for short term rental of just 1 week?

Any link or web site where I can check out more details such as charges , can rental from Narita and return at Haneda etc.

 

Thank you

I rented DoCoMo pocket wifi.

Rent at Narita and return at Haneda Airport.

About S$85 for 7days Unlimited data.

Lousy battery life.....3-4hrs died.

 

You can go to any BIC camera shop to buy those 2G IIJMio simcard.

Cost less than 4000yen.

 

or go HWZ to buy those leftover data used by forumers, maybe S$10-S$20 or even free.

I also just gave Two Free sim card at HWZ. Left about 1G each.

 

or you can rent from HWZ dimitri_can or critical888 aka simcardman.com

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/b-mobile-1gb-renting-service-4454052-52.html

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/bic-camera-prepaid-data-sim-card-iijmio-4842906-11.html

Edited March 12, 2015 by Mcf777

[Etnt]

Personally I use the iijmio 2gb one. This is how they look like at BIC and Yodobashi

 

BIC http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/catalog/detail.jsp?JAN_CODE=4545904001556

Yodobashi http://www.yodobashi.com/IIJ-%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A4-IM-B049-Japan-Travel-SIM-powered-by-IIJmio-nanoSIM/pd/100000001002503726/

 

Plug-and-play, no need to return after usage. Worst case only need to input APN settings in phone, instructions included.

 

Tried in Tokyo and Hokkaido, reception decent at both places.

[Adrianli]

 

For the " pocket wifi " is it available for short term rental of just 1 week?

Any link or web site where I can check out more details such as charges , can rental from Narita and return at Haneda etc.

 

Thank you

 

My pocket wifi is from my colleague who is stationed there. I do not know the price.

 

 

Let me introduce u to Global wifi @ S$10/day for unlimited data for Japan. U no need to worry to buy where and where sim card. Just get it from Changi airport before u fly off and return it back when u return.

 

See : https://www.changirecommends.com/owifi.aspx

 

 

P.S I assume u flying off from Changi airport and not take ferry to Japan or drive to MY and take plane to Japan.

[RH1667]

 

My pocket wifi is from my colleague who is stationed there. I do not know the price.

 

 

Let me introduce u to Global wifi @ S$10/day for unlimited data for Japan. U no need to worry to buy where and where sim card. Just get it from Changi airport before u fly off and return it back when u return.

 

See : https://www.changirecommends.com/owifi.aspx

 

 

P.S I assume u flying off from Changi airport and not take ferry to Japan or drive to MY and take plane to Japan.

 

Thank you Bro Adrianli,

I will check this out.

Yup you can get the card from the tele shops at Narita and Haneda. The data can be topped up online. Just follow instructions on the package or ask when you purchase.

 

Thank you once again Bro Porker,

Glad to know options are available.

I rented DoCoMo pocket wifi.

Rent at Narita and return at Haneda Airport.

About S$85 for 7days Unlimited data.

Lousy battery life.....3-4hrs died.

 

You can go to any BIC camera shop to buy those 2G IIJMio simcard.

Cost less than 4000yen.

 

or go HWZ to buy those leftover data used by forumers, maybe S$10-S$20 or even free.

I also just gave Two Free sim card at HWZ. Left about 1G each.

 

or you can rent from HWZ dimitri_can or critical888 aka simcardman.com

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/b-mobile-1gb-renting-service-4454052-52.html

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/bic-camera-prepaid-data-sim-card-iijmio-4842906-11.html

 

Thank you Bro mcf777,

So, now I have 3 option

[RH1667]

Personally I use the iijmio 2gb one. This is how they look like at BIC and Yodobashi

 

BIC http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/catalog/detail.jsp?JAN_CODE=4545904001556

Yodobashi http://www.yodobashi.com/IIJ-%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A4-IM-B049-Japan-Travel-SIM-powered-by-IIJmio-nanoSIM/pd/100000001002503726/

 

Plug-and-play, no need to return after usage. Worst case only need to input APN settings in phone, instructions included.

 

Tried in Tokyo and Hokkaido, reception decent at both places.

 

Thank you Bro Etnt.

[Sunny]

Porche, on 12 Mar 2015 - 11:18 PM, said:

Im on a business trip to Osaka this may

 

 

have chance buy yourself a Seiko there cos of favourable exchange rates

[Porche]

 

 

have chance buy yourself a Seiko there cos of favourable exchange rates

I dont wear watches, but can get one for my wife. Is it that cheap?

[Mcf777]

 

 

have chance buy yourself a Seiko there cos of favourable exchange rates

I don't find it cheap to buy in Japan.

 

Almost similar as those PI watch dealers selling Seiko.

 

Maybe exotic models if Singapore not selling.

[Bacteria83]

Luxury items such as bag should be more expensive in Japan. I managed to get a gd leather jacket at a gd price there. So shop around more and you may find some Gems.

 

Their culture and food really mesmerise me. Have fun and enjoy ur trip.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Bacteria83