Tokyo Local Customs

 33 Reviews  On a beautiful Saturday in March, we decided to visit General Nogi's house and its attached Shinto shrine. The General was a count who was involved in the battle for Port Arthur, losing many of his... 

 32 Reviews  Vending machines seem to be in breeding overdrive in Japan. I heard one source say there were over six million and still going strong. I think they would only work in a society that is on the whole... 

 10 Reviews   When in Tokyo I tried to learn Japanese. I had a Japanese textbook in Russian and I understood that it wasn't so difficult as we used to think. Very soon I could write my name and surname in... 

 18 Reviews  Most guides will advise buying Yen before you go to Japan to cover initial expenses but then buying more once there as there is a better exchange rate in the country itself. You also avoid the... 

 19 Reviews  Before visiting a shrine in Japan, you should purify your body. Here, at the Meiji Shinto Shrine, you should take a ladel of water, swish it around in your mouth, and spit it out, preferably not into... 

 19 Reviews  I was intrigued to see some workers reinstalling the stanchions around planting beds. I had to take a photograph of the stanchions, because they struck me as quintessentially Japanese -- an attention... 

 14 Reviews  The Japanese obsession with automation, astronomical land prices and sense or order all come together when you look at car parking. There are a good number of these giant vending-type machines all... 

 1 Review  If you get the chance, there is nothing that beats putting up a night at a traditional inn or RYOKAN. There are quite a few within Tokyo city, but those that offer better facilities and a more... 

 Bunsch Says:  The Japanese are mad about vending machines; there is one for every 12 residents, in fact. Like people elsewhere, they enjoy obtaining water, soft drinks,... 

 Bunsch Says:  One day, we had to visit the Minato Ward office to deal with the business of name changes. Japanese bureaucracy is truly mind-boggling. My daughter-in-law had... 

 Bunsch Says:  It is not done to tip wait staff, taxi drivers, or service workers in hotels. Consider it a mild compensation for the traveler who is shell-shocked over the... 

 machomikemd Says:  Keychains are one of the most common souvenir items. They are very inexpensive and small to store both while traveling home and don't take up much room in a... 

 machomikemd Says:  Dolls are very popular in japan that they have a doll festival every march 3, called the hinamatsuri. As intrigue as I am, I though of buying a jpanese doll to... 

 machomikemd Says:  very expensive to buy in japan the souvenir t-shirts as there don't allow haggling even in tourist stores. Don't buy souvenir japanese shirts at Nakamise... 

 machomikemd Says:  another cool collection from tokyo as I'm also a ref magnet collector too. Refrigerator Magnets are nice stuffs for a souvenir, I have been an avid collector of... 

 machomikemd Says:  a nice souvenir of Tokyo as I'm a collector of shot glasses. I bought one since i'm an avid shot glass collector besides being an equal avid refrigerator magnet... 

 machomikemd Says:  Blendy Cafe AU lait Iced Coffee is a popular iced coffee brand in japan. Cafe Au Lait Simply Means Iced Coffee Latte (cafe au lait being french and cafe latte... 

 machomikemd Says:  this is japanese style grape juice by welch and is licensed locally to calpis company. The Calpis company produces a variety of other drinks ranging from canned... 

 machomikemd Says:  the local version of the famed vitamin water made by glaceau, now owned by the coca cola company , an electrolyte refreshing drink popular around the world.... 

 machomikemd Says:  a big carton offering assorted sweets samplers from all over japan. this wonderful Traditional Japanese Dessert Sampler is packed with traditonal Japanese... 

 machomikemd Says:  sticky rice balls without fillings are also available in japan but is less popular than the famed mochi (or the sticky pounded rice with assorted fillings). the... 

 machomikemd Says:  Iced lemon tea is popular in Japan. this version is made by Kirin (yes, they made my favorite royal lemonade tea too!) and is marketed as afternoon style iced... 

 machomikemd Says:  this is a type of manju bread bought in a konbini and costs 70 yen. the taste is similar to the korean style that i bought in seoul last year. Manju is a...