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#9319300 - 05/10/18 12:32 PM Japan 2018
furball Offline
Post Master Sr


Registered: 09/24/03
Posts: 9483
Loc: Toronto, ON
Wife and I went to Japan for 2 weeks in April ...

Japan is on my top 5 places to visit ... Always loved the culture, the food, and the nuances/respect-aspects of how Japanese work...

We visited (days approximate, some overlap)
- Shinjuku, Tokyo (2 days)
- Hakone (2 days)
- Kyoto (3 days)
- Nara (day trip)
- Osaka (4 days)
- Hiroshima (2 days)
- Takayama (2 days)
- Tokyo (3 days)

a) Walked alot ... holy fucking ~20k steps/day batman ...
b) subway'd / bullet-train'd alot
c) fooded alot. Went to Sukiyabashi Jiro (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi documentary fame)
d) tourist'd alot

Random map of Japan for reference:


I'll post up videos later -- I need to edit out the wife & I ...

Will also post up 'thoughts/observations of Japan' later


Edited by furball (05/10/18 12:33 PM)

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#9319301 - 05/10/18 12:33 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: furball]
Senor Eduardo_82 Offline
miataist
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 01/09/03
Posts: 38036
Loc: Ca�ada
Share more!

I'm going in October......

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#9319367 - 05/10/18 01:49 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: Senor Eduardo_82]
Big Tasty Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 02/10/02
Posts: 19600
Loc: Toronto
IFL
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#9319388 - 05/10/18 01:59 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: Big Tasty]
furball Offline
Post Master Sr


Registered: 09/24/03
Posts: 9483
Loc: Toronto, ON
FurBall's Cultural Learnings Abroad - Japan

Note: Obviously, I’m generalizing ...

The Japanese:

1) Love water
- unfettered use of it. No real ‘conservation’ on a daily basis as far as I can tell. On a side note, open sewers.
- Red bucket or bottles of water outside their home, labelled ‘in case of fire’ (I think)
- large reason for it is to clean. They do conserve, alot. (See the way they recycle)

2) Lead structured lives
- Except when standing on an escalator. They all stand on the same side, but it appears it depends who is on the escalator first that determines whether to stand left or right (and walk on the other.)
- UPDATE: was told people in Osaka are savages, and always stand on the 'opposite' side.

3) Are selfless as a society (generalizing)
- from infrastructure, to cultural norms
- NIMBY examples that benefit the culture/people as a whole over any smaller, insignificant group is common. (Public toilets, albeit the squat type) abut onto public sidewalks.
- will eventually lead them to extinction as others use it to their advantage.
- many food joints where they eat standing up, then leave. Chop chop, in, out.
- will thank you endlessly, and bow endlessly ... (Grand Hyatt Tokyo employees are hardcore at this...)

4) Live in the past and the future, at the same time
- related to the above
- sometimes too many people doing a job, sometimes too few/none at all
- case in point: the highest-tech toilets, and yet they still have squat ones as well
- everyone going to an onsen are forbidden to have tattoos. If you do, some have stickers to hide.

5) are quiet
- from cultural norms on the train, to mechanical devices like an elevator or bullet train are uber quiet

6) love their carbs
- besides all their rice, ramen, soba, etc, they love French pastries. And mochi.

7) hard to come by real fruit
- legit strawberries are in the craziest packaging, each one perfect in shape, colour, size. And expensive as hell.

8) lack animals. Legit animals.
- no pigeons. No seagulls. No squirrels.
- many ravens
- Hiroshima has like 5 doggie boutiques minutes apart, but otherwise few animals.
- Some cities (can't remember which) have a ton of people walking high-end dogs

9) care about cleanliness / waste
- few if any (besides ignorant tourists) eat while walking
- it’s one of the cleanest cities, and yet have almost no garbage cans
- they separate waste, to perfection. I handed some food waste to where I ate, and the lady returned two kebab sticks I got from another vendor. And yet... everything is in individually-wrapped plastic, and half the time chopsticks are the disposable kind
- water used to rinse/wash sidewalks / exterior areas. I saw someone use a vacuum for the outside. Sanitation workers use tongs to pick up bits of trash. One guy smoking had a little leather pouch to catch his ashes.

10) exude a sense of world-class safety
- money exchange counters are not behind 2 inches of glass with huge locks
- cars are left idling with keys in the ignition (in small towns)
- bikes are routinely parked nicely, unchained, with no lock.
- young children walk or take transit to/from school on their own
- no one rushing the train like that of the GO, TTC, etc.
- no cars honk at your ass when you're crossing
- no one jay walks typically...

11) are uniform
- all the men wear a dark suit with white shirt and tie everywhere. No bow ties, no smart casual. Women in similar fashion
- men and women have large tote bags that would otherwise look to be women-only tote bags in North America.
- children all have school uniforms. (their unusual-looking backparks are $5-700 \:o )
- blue collar jobs almost always in uniform, cab drivers wear white gloves
- fringe fashion is a weird combination of multiple fashion trends all at once - IMO the younger generation is confused and lost.


12) Umbrella-ownership culture is a bit weird...
- 90% of the people there (and tourists) use a cheap, 5-700 yen clear umbrella. When you walk into stores/restos, you can either grab an umbrella bag, or put it in the umbrella holder.
- Thing is, they (almost) ALL LOOK THE SAME. i.e. people just take one, any one... I had to google this phenomenon, and it's... savage...

13) The Chineses are taking over
- Signs are typically in Japanese, English, and if there's a need for a third language, it's CHINESE (with spoken language MANDARIN)
- Some workers are actually from China, and speak fluent Mandarin (obviously)...

Quirks
- crowded subways. DAMN
- young children walk/take transit to/from school on their own
- Japan is RHD ... they had more LHD luxo cars than I've seen in any other country, i.e. more 'opposite-hand-drive cars'...


Edited by furball (05/10/18 02:02 PM)

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#9319490 - 05/10/18 03:15 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: furball]
titty sprinkles Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 17160
Loc: Toronto,Ontario
Nice man, me and gf are thinking about going.

but shit make with the pics, and did you rent a skyline? mario kart tour? hit up daikoku parking area?



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#9319496 - 05/10/18 03:19 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: titty sprinkles]
furball Offline
Post Master Sr


Registered: 09/24/03
Posts: 9483
Loc: Toronto, ON
I actually don't have many photos... I'm a video guy. As as such, I need to edit them to remove parts of it..
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#9319649 - 05/10/18 06:41 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: furball]
OracerO Offline
Post Master Sr


Registered: 10/07/02
Posts: 3949
Loc: GTA
I travel a lot and never bothered with Japan until last November , went to Tokyo and Hakone for the private onsen (8 Days)

Japan was LEGIT.

We ended up cancelling our Hawaii trip 2 months ago and went back to Japan: Kyoto, Osaka, tokyo, and some other places for 9 days.

I would go back to Japan any day.

I just got back from Bangkok, this city was Legit as well.

Anthony Bourdain suggested the Egg Salad Sandwich from Lawson's. I must say. It was damn good (as with everything in japan).


Edited by OracerO (05/10/18 06:42 PM)

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#9319652 - 05/10/18 06:45 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: OracerO]
A2B-Lexus Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 04/19/01
Posts: 45550
Loc: Raptors Land
Japan for me in 2019. Doing it with the little one so will be doing it via cruise.

Edited by A2B-Lexus (05/10/18 06:53 PM)

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#9319669 - 05/10/18 07:35 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: A2B-Lexus]
phoenixrage Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 01/15/08
Posts: 50785
Loc: People's Republic of Ontario
... heh.. cruise..
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Don't question things, everything is good the way it is and no improvements or suggestions needed.

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#9319705 - 05/10/18 08:36 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: phoenixrage]
Senor Eduardo_82 Offline
miataist
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 01/09/03
Posts: 38036
Loc: Ca�ada
 Originally Posted By: phoenixrage
... heh.. cruise..


hehe

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#9319712 - 05/10/18 08:41 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: Senor Eduardo_82]
Screamin Type ARGH! Offline
High Value Poster
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Registered: 02/20/01
Posts: 47632
Loc: T.O. - Canaduh
yeah Japan is epic. was there way back....25yrs now? it's obviously grown leaps and bounds since! looking fwd to going back.
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#9319721 - 05/10/18 08:46 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: Screamin Type ARGH!]
Hatorade Offline
pheggit
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 11/05/99
Posts: 26894
Loc: Toronto, ON
Planning to go 2019 I think. Going to DW/DWC this fall.
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'07 997.1 GT3
'08 E90 M3
'11 E90 d
'02 Rota Grid - 195-55-16FR (RIP)
'04 Volk GTC - 245-35-19F/275-35-19R (Sold to a farm boi)
I thought Spark was a robot from the old movie and I kind of remember seeing him telling some engineer showing the equation for a clear metal that the guy would event years later - porschetr

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#9320309 - 05/11/18 02:51 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: Hatorade]
titty sprinkles Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 17160
Loc: Toronto,Ontario
now you guys have me looking at renting R34's R33's DC5R's and poopras in japan. thanks.
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#9320336 - 05/11/18 03:23 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: titty sprinkles]
porschetr Offline
Post Master Supreme


Registered: 05/15/01
Posts: 23391
Loc: WBridge
Cool place.

Been there twice, Tokyo area/Osaka area.
Ya, I think we did about 20k steps a day as well.
Rented an unlimited Wifi dongle at the airport, so it was super convenient.
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#9321439 - 05/14/18 04:02 PM Re: Japan 2018 [Re: porschetr]
OracerO Offline
Post Master Sr


Registered: 10/07/02
Posts: 3949
Loc: GTA
Also wanted to say, i went in November and February and it was cold AF in Japan. In November, i was all Canadian and was like i don't need no jacket, just brought a fall jacket. Nope. Had to buy a winter down coat and used heat packs still.

In feb. i wore a Goose and still had to use Heat packs. 20k steps is no joke in Japan.

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