| Travel tips and advice posted by real travelers and Tokyo locals. • 28 Photos • 33 Reviews See all Tokyo Local Customs |  | Tokyo People Reviews | 1 - 10 of 33 |  |
 offering hall by dennisKL Behave calmly and respectfully. You are not supposed to visit a shrine if you are sick, have an open wound or are mourning because these are considered causes of impurity. At the purification fountain near the shrine's entrance, take a provided ladle, fill it with fresh water and rinse both hands. Then transfer some water into your cupped hand, rinse your mouth and spit the water beside the fountain. You are not supposed to transfer the water directly from the ladle into your mouth nor to swallow the water. You will notice that quite a few visitors skip the mouth rinsing part or the purification ritual altogether. At the offering hall, throw a coin into the offering box, bow deeply twice, clap your hands twice, bow deeply once more and pray for a few seconds. If there is some type of gong, use it before praying in order to get the kami's attention. Leave a Comment
|
Visiting Tokyo?
Read reviews about Tokyo Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 The fortune telling paper in Asakusa by dennisKL Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips found at many shrines and temples. Randomly drawn, they contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo ("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch or rope, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted. Leave a Comment
|
 Yubi Zoku by o00o More on the cell phone, Refrain from talking on the phone in the train and subway, it is impolite to talk on the phone loudly in Japan, besides, it will effect the pass maker to the patient of heart illness. New trendy for almost all young people, no one talking on the phone but almost everyone using cell phone sending massage to their friends as showing in the photo. This we call them `fingers fellows'. Leave a Comment
|
 costumes galore! by Wild_Orchid From my research and also what I observed, the Japanese love to dress up. The men and women are very well-groomed and can be seen in business suits everywhere, even when riding their bicycles! However, another interesting thing about the Japanese, is that they love to dress up in costumes! For example, I noticed people of all ages participating in the Asakusa Samba parade & festival (Aug each year). Here's a picture I took at the Asakusa temple groups immediately after the parade. Notice, both the young and the young-at-heart getting into the spirit of things! Where to buy: At an ordinary supermarket near this temple, there were groceries, kitchenwear, alcohol, ubiquitious household sundries, electrical items and last but not least, party favours and costumes of all kinds for adults and children. With costumes, life is so much more fun! (ahem, ahem, apparently some people find it sexy too...) Leave a Comment
|  | |  |
 Animal's attitude by manuelEB I am asked or almost on daily basis about how is like to live in Japan? "Two extremes!" I 've been told, regarding my "Latin culture" and the Japanese ways. Well , it is not that different if you pay attention to the details and forget a little bit about the many times digested predjuices you could have about Far East and "Latin Culture". But there is, indeed, a big difference in how the regular Japanese citizen tackles certain problems. In case of failure or accident, the Japanese would never automatically blaim others to save face and responsability. Perhaps, very innocently, it will make an introspective analysis of his/her faults and will come up with a more balanced view. If it has to accept a degree of responability, or the whole responsability, it will. I have learned a lot in this in 20 years, but I do recognize that I still get very upset when I have to deal with western people that automatically blaim others, and happily call name others, when failure and/or accidents occurred because their own faults. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Check Brittanica Encyclopaedia
|  | |  |
Visiting Tokyo?
Read reviews about Tokyo Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 Japanese Girl without a business suit by sourbugger I'm not exactly the best person to write about female fashion. However when it involves high heels, even if they are platforms and miniskirts then I'm your man. In Tokyo we came across several Ganguro's - an attempt to look 'western' in a weirdly sterotyped way - with very non-japanese dark make-up, high platform heels (to make up for the Japanese lack of height), girlie type clothes and strong make up. I thought the attempt to stand out was fine, as they just looked like 24hour party girls - good luck (or look) to them. The more punky / gothic style of the Yamanba (or Japanese witches) was perhaps less appealing asethetically - but at least they are enjoying it ! Leave a Comment
|
 ueno park by sourbugger Opinions are very divided about the homeless who live in such places as Uneo park. I must admit it came as something of a shock to find so many older men, in suits, who were homeless. Their neat rows of turquiose coloured taupaulin tents in the park seem to give them some kind of dignity. When you learn that many helped re-build Japan after the war years and are now seen as useless to the heartless economic machine you sympathy is aroused. In comparison to the "got 30p for a cup of tea, guv" merchants of London or the varoius smackheads found in every other large city across the world, it seemed to speak volumes about the values of that particular generation of Japanese. On the other hand I came across a very sourbugger on the internet indeed who described Uneo park and it's homeless thus : " Japan's ugliest park is filled with homeless people, illegal phone card venders, and drug dealers. The grass is sparse and sickly, and there is too much concrete. Although it is home to the excellent National Museum, you go there in spite of its being in Ueno park, not because of it. There is also a zoo, whose animals are said to be unhealthy and depressed. If you live in Tokyo, there is a good chance that someone will invite you for cherry blossom viewing in April. Unless you like looking at mountains of garbage, listening to portable karaoke machines, and stepping over drunks passed out in their own vomit, give it a miss. " It made me feel quite fluffy in comparison! Leave a Comment
|  | |  |
 Japanese Schoolgirl by sourbugger It seems that I spend most of my day telling children to wear their school uniform correctly. They hit the age of 13 and the shirt must be untucked, the tie skew-wiff and the blazer adorned with a silly badge. It therefore comes as something of a shock to see thousands of well turned out school children in Tokyo. They really do seem proud of it, even wearing it on their days off ! Ignoring the fact that it must have been designed by middle-aged men with a middle-aged men's fantasies in mind, and the fact it has spawned a vast pornographic industry - it is ceratinly a feature of Tokyo life. The ruffled up socks really do look a bit dated though - very Olivia Newton-John in a pink leotard. Leave a Comment
|
 poster by manuelEB A democracy is a form of government in which the people, either directly or indirectly, take part in governing. However, the term is also sometimes used as a measurement of how much influence a people has over their government, as in how much democracy exists. The word democracy originates from the Greek "demos" meaning "the people" and "kratein" meaning "to rule" or "the people to rule" which meant literally: "Rule by the People." A modern democracy implies certain rights for citizens: * right to elect government through free and fair elections * freedom of speech * the rule of law * human rights * freedom of assembly * freedom from discrimination Verbatim form the web. But at least, i say it!!!. (-; Leave a Comment
|
 Harajuku girls by Jim_Eliason In the Harajuku district, teenagers engage in "cosplay". This is basically dressing up in outrageous fashion based upon anime. This is definitely a "must see"! Leave a Comment
|
|
More Tokyo Travel Deals Tokyo Cheap Hotel Room from 6800Yen with high comfort Enjoy Tokyo's autumn & fes Boutique Hotels Ocean Surf Resort in Montauk, NY Sandy Beach Right at Your Doorstep! Luxury Holidays : A&K A&K, World's Premiere Luxury Travel Company. Official Site. Sponsored Links
- ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
1-12-33, Akasaka, Tokyo - Park Hyatt Tokyo
3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo - InterContinental Hotel Tokyo Bay
1-16-2 Kaigan, Tokyo - Four Seasons At Marunouchi
1-11-1 Marunouchi, Tokyo - Peninsula Tokyo
1-8-1 Yurakucho, Tokyo - Tokyo Grand
2-5-2 Shiba Minato-Ku, Tokyo - Chisun Hotel Ueno
5-5-6 Higashi Ueno, Tokyo - Monterey La Soeur Ginza
1-10-18 Ginza, Tokyo - Dai-Ichi Hotel Tokyo
1-2-6 Shimbashi, Tokyo - Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu
2-14-3 Nagata-cho, Tokyo - Ascent Shinjuku
6-11-1, Nishishinjuku, Tokyo - Ikebukuro Royal
2-41-1 Ikebukero Toshima Ku, Tokyo - Star Hotel
7-10-5 Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo - Imperial Hotel Tokyo
1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-Cho, Tokyo - Kayabacho Pearl Hotel
1-2-5 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
|