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Kyoto Warnings or Dangers

Two scam artists work a crowd - Kyoto
Two scam artists work a crowd
by BorderHopper
Kyoto travel tips posted by real travelers and Kyoto locals.
Local Time 5:12 am Sunday, May 18, 2008
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Popular Warnings or Dangers | Miscellaneous Warnings or Dangers Tips | All Tips (23)
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For the Females... Not as Safe as You Think!!
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  • Japan really is a fairly safe country. here is, however, a tendancy for foreigners to get a little TOO relaxed!! I had a wake-up call my first week here when a man in a delivery truck propositioned me and then aimed the truck to hit me when I just ignored it. I was lucky and managed to jump to safety. A friend of mine once had a man try to pull her into a van. Myself and friends have been followed and scared many times. REMEMBER: You are in a foreign country. You stick out. Especially at night, after drinking or in areas where others are drunk: BE CAREFUL!! Try not to walk alone in poorly lit areas or in small alleys. Look around you and try to notice any places you can go for help if you need it. Don't pley the victim. Taake care of yourself. This is still a very safe country but it doesn't mean that the danger is gone. Being aware and not getting into potentially dangerous situations is your first step. Also remember that if you call the police they may not speak any english.

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  • Phone: 110=police

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    No Toilet Paper!
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  • Many public toilets in Japan are squat toilets that do not provide toilet paper. So, you know those little packets of tissues? Bring them everywhere you go! Also, many places have no hand-drying facilities, so the tissues also come in handy here! You can find little packets of tissues sold in many places here, like the general store. It's a small issue, but it makes the travelling experience so much more comfortable.

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    Taxi drivers, bicycle riders,...
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  • Taxi drivers, bicycle riders, little old ladies... roads in Kyoto are very narrow, footpaths often non-existent. No one walks on the 'left-side', so keep your eyes and ears open and remember- there is no logic to it. If you move to the left, the person riding behind you will most likely move to the left too. If you move to the right, they'll move to the right. Strangely this never happened to me when I was in a "crowded" place like Delhi or Tokyo. Someone exasperated once said about Kyotoiites "They want to make you stop!!!". Sometimes I wonder... This is by the western side of the Imperial Palace park. A bicycle will pass you (within inches) every few seconds.

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    one of the safest country in the world but..
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  • Bicycles can hit you because they never ring...and your credit card do not work in Kyoto (Mcdonalds included), only the national credit cards work so get your enough amount of cash before your visit and nobody can speak english. a small dictionary could be helpful.

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    Just to Take Note - Credit Cards
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  • This is not really a warning or danger. However, is good to take note that when shopping in Japan, cold hard Yen is more well accepted than your plastic. So, as far as possible, to have hassle-free shopping, use cold hard Yen.

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    Beware the cold
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  • My seventh layer (my jacket) - Kyoto
    My seventh layer (my jacket)
    by Backpackin_Mac
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    Be careful if you are from a warm clime and you come to Japan to teach. I taught for three years at a junior high school in Japan and there are no heaters in any classroom. In winter the children will be doing tests while snow is falling and you can see your breath. The teachers (and the students) used to joke because I used to wear seven layers to work every day. Come prepared.

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    A Clever Kyoto Street Scam
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  • This guy
    This guy "magically" orders a
    paper clown 2 float
    by BorderHopper
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    My first reaction when I saw this young Japanese man demonstrating his "magic powers" with his "Johnny Jumper" clown cut out was that of amazement. He'd point his finger at the little clown and on command the clown would float up into the air, or stand upright. He's then turn his hand into an imaginary gun and point it at the shaking paper clown. With a loud "bang" he'd act as though he shot the "Johnny Jumper" clown and to everyones awe the clown would hunch over and fall to the ground. He'd then let people in the audience try their magic powers with the Johhny Jumper clown and they soon found out that they too could make the clown float in the air and stand up on command. I know the Japanese are pretty amazing at inventing gadgets but I just couldn't fall for this one. These people would be so impressed with this toy that they'd quicky buy a packaged version of the one that was being demonstrated. The cost was only 650 yen but that's a lot of money considering they's probably go home, gather their family around the floor, and look dumbfounded when their magical commands fail to even get a wiggle out of the paper clown. I decided to step back and look at the entire scene and I noticed another young man standing near by almost motionless as if he was watching this same magical demonstration of the "Johnny Jumper". I took a closer look at saw that with every movement from the paper clown this man's muscle would twitch. It became clear to me that this other guy was assisting the so called magician by controlling this paper clown via a remote control. The clowns they were selling were not going to work in the same way this magic clown was constructed to work. Now with that said I still have no idea how these guys came across a small device that could remotely control a paper clown. Pretty clever! They'd hang out near the underground entrance by Ponto Cho. The perfect spot to sucker drunk Japanese heading home after a night of drinking.

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    Part 2: Kyoto Street Scam
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  • Two scam artists work a crowd - Kyoto
    Two scam artists work a crowd
    by BorderHopper
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    The guy with his hand in the black bag is the 2nd man in this two man scam. The man hunching over the clown is the lead scam artist who wow's the crowd with his magical skills and quick talking. They make it appear to all those around that the man with his hand in the bag is just another spectator but in reality he's controlling the movements of the paper clown with a remote device while the other guy is acting as if its magic. People were buying these things up for 650 yen. The lead scammer would probably tell them something like this..." First you must place this under a bright light for 24 hours and be sure to keep it packaged. After the 24 hour period is up place it in your freezer for another 12 hours. The combo of this process will activate the paper clown and you too can be a magician" Haha, this will prevent anyone from trying to open their newly bought magical clown and trying it there on the spot.

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    Beware of the deers!
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  • no use in scolding them, they'll still bite you! - Kyoto
    no use in scolding them,
    they'll still bite you!
    by konniemario
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    If you go to Nara, one of the sights you're sure to visit is the Nara National Park wherein there are lots of 'tamed' deers roaming around. Most of the deers are harmless and indeed tamed. But be careful if you go buy one of those deer buscuits and feed them. They can be so aggressive that they will bite you to get your attention and make sure that you give them a piece!

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    June rainy season, September typhoons
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  • May is lovely with spring blossoms and blue skies most of the time. October and November have the cool autumn air and red maple leaves. That aside, here are the seasons to avoid: June is the rainy season and while it can be pleasant for the first week or so, the rain and humidity arrive one day and then it's very oppressive. Even if it's not pouring outside 90%humidity is not unusual. July and August are then swealtering. Stay out of the sun during the day, best to sleep the day away and head out for dinner and beers at night! Then there is September with lovely typhoons making their way to Kyoto with increasing frequency in recent years. Though not so dangerous here, they are not fun. During a typhoon listen to news updates on NHK (available in english during a typhoon) and stay indoors until it passes. Other than that February is the coldest month, with some snow but I rather like it, as the temples are DESERTED! The sightseeing spots like those around Kiyomizu Temple can seem like another world - a Kyoto as it once was.

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