Tips for enjoy traveling Japan

I wrote an e-mail to the person who are going to travel in Japan.

I thought it may also good to help for someone who are going to travel in Japan, so I reprint it here. Sorry it's just an e-mail so the context and structure are not so well organized.


One of the best thing to enjoy summer in Japan is Firework.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but the place is soO crowded, so you should be prepare for it. Following is detail for one of it.

- "Tokyo Bay Fireworks"

Date: August 8, 2009
Time: 7 p.m. - 8:20 p.m.
Location: Harumi Undojo Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Access: Subway Kachidoki, or Tsukishima Stations
Fireworks: About 12,000

I assume that you also searched for some of places to visit, so I just tell you the places I
personally think interesting in Tokyo.

- "Asakusa" is old Japanese town. I guess it's interesting for you to visit.
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/tokyosightseeing/a/asakusatour.htm
Access: Tokyo Subway Asakusa station

- "Shibuya" and "Shinjuku" is the most crowded place in Tokyo.
You can feel the atomosphere of busy Japan.

If you are interested in fashion, you can see many outrageous people
walking in "Harajuku" and "Akihabara." Akihabara is also famous for
Electronics, manga, anime, and games shops.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

- "Ropongi" is one of the most urbanized area in Tokyo and famous
for night clubs. You can find many foreigners.

- "Nikko Toshogu" is the world heritage shrine in Japan.
One day trip from Tokyo. About 2hours by train.
You can experience both old shrine architecture and nature of Japan.
http://www.city.nikko.lg.jp/fl/english/access/tokyo.html

About food, there're tons of restaurants in Japan, so it's difficult to introduce the specific one, so I may introduce some dishes you may like to try.

-"Kaiten Sushi（回転すし）" Cheap and good quality of sushi.
-"Donburi（丼ぶり）" is bowl with rice and different kinds of meat.
You should try "Gyu-don（牛丼）" at one of the most famous first food chain
restaurant call "Yoshinoya.（吉野家）" You can find almost everywhere in Tokyo.
At following URL you can find different kinds of Donburi. All of them
are taste so good!!
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2342.html
-"Okonomiyaki（お好み焼き）" is Japanese style pancake. One of my favorite!
If you visit Hiroshima you may find many Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki.
-"Gyoza（餃子）" - Japanese style dumplins.
-"Yakitori（焼き鳥）" is grilled chicken speared on sticks. SoO yummy.
-"Udon(うどん）", "Soba（そば）" and "Ramen（ラーメン）" are all different kind of
noodles in Japan. It's cheap, tasty, and you can find everywhere near station or
so on.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e620.html

At convinience store such as "Lawson" and "Family Mart" try "Onigiri" （おにぎり）
it's a rice ball with different kinds of flavour.

Hiroshima is famous for atomic bomb dome and Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki.
Also "Miyajima" is famous to visit from Hiroshima by ferry. I've been there three times!!
It's a small island but good for sightseeing.

To tell you the truth I didn't know about Tsuwano well, I found that it's one of the great city
in Japan graded by "Blue guide" in France. I should visit there as well!! haha.

You go Himeji because of famous Himeji castle right?
But actually not so many things to see at Himeji so usually people don't stay at Himeji
instead of that they book the hostels in Kobe or Osaka. If you are using rail pass, I
recommend you to stay at Osaka. I think it's much easier to find cheap place to stay.
And Osaka is really interesting city to walk. If you have chance to stay in Osaka,
visit "Tsutenkaku." Near "Tsutenkaku" you can find many "Kushikatsu（串カツ）" restaurant.
"Kushikatsu" is fried meat and vegetables eat with special source. It's soO yummy!!

Finally, I think it's difficult for you to visit Kyoto this time, but actually my favorite place
in Japan is Kyoto. Traditional city with many temples.

i'm stuffed...

7/26 Kimchi

After softball practice, we went to Kimchi to have a dinner.
We ordered Purukogi, kimichi pancake, vivinpa, cha-pu-che, and hot tofu soup. Every meal was delitious!

7/31 Korean dinner

One of Korean friends Hyun-ji invited us for a dinner.
She made Purukogi and kyu-choru-pa?. Purukogi's meat was thick and big so my stomach became so full.

8/1 Ara-ziru(Salmon boiled soup?)

Japanese friend made Ara-ziru which is kind of soup usually when we eat in cold day like in winter to get warm. Although still August, Dublin is already getting cold these days, so it was good to have Ara-ziru. It's impossible to have it in summer in Japan...