Super Hitachi

I love riding on the train when I was living in Japan - one of the train - that I loved riding on is the Super Hitachi - which runs a long the Ueno station to Mito station.  Usually the Super Hitachi takes about 70 mins and you can buy your lunch or snacks in the train station itself. While we are at Mito - don’t you forget to visit one of the best gardens in Japan - the Kairakuen.   If you are on vacation - buy the bus pass.

A little kiosk like this reminds me of Hong Kong - where you can buy your food and drinks here.

These are the comfy seat for the train ride - not bad eh.

Tokyo Subway

Unfortunately, I haven’t been on the Tokyo subway on my own - I always travel with someone who have been in Japan for a long time.  The subway in Tokyo is like a huge maze - looking at the maps in the train station can be very mind boggling and intimidating if you ask me.  Even if you approach anyone - they hardly speak in English.  I have never seen a cramp train before - maybe I was lucky - but it can be very crowded at the Tokyo subway - at all times of the day.  But given that there are so many people living in Tokyo alone - it’s not hard to understand that the subway is open till late at night.  But if you are ever in Tokyo - you have to take the subway at least once and experience it yourself.

Outdoors In Japan

If you think that Japan is all about sushi and shopping - boy ! are you wrong.  My girlfriend who is in Japan permanently is doing more outdoor stuff than when she was in the West - and she had photos of her going for white water rafting, atv rides, snowshoeing and hiking and camping outdoors as well.  Just the other day - she wrote to me asking me to look for atv winches for her - as well as hiking stuff.  So if you are heading to Japan - you may want to try doing one of these sports if you haven’t - they are quite fun.   As for myself - I haven’t done any of it in Japan - like most people we go shopping and eating in Japan - and enjoying the scenery - but I would love to go for an atv ride - or white water rafting sometime.

Driving In Japan

I learned very quickly that driving in Japan is quite different from driving in Canada -  for one - it’s very busy in Japan and the roads are quite packed and jammed up during peak hours.  I don’t know how truck drivers in Japan do it - but they sure know how to maneuver the truck - for I’ve seen a couple do it so well.  In Canada, it’s easy to find a  trucking gps system and even though in Japan they have some gps system - they are all in Japanese.  So if you are thinking of buying a GPS system in Japan - you better check about the programing.

In Canada - the roads may be uneven - but at least you don’t need to worry about having no space to turn around or stop in case of emergency because in Japan - if your truck breaks down - or you need to rest - there is absolutely no space for you to stop your truck or car.  Driving in Japan is certainly not easy - I’m just glad I’m not in Japan - but in Canada with my GPS system.

A Train Ride Away

I loved taking train rides when I lived in Japan for 6 months - most trains on the weekdays are pretty empty and so we headed out to one of the small town around Kyoto to the fish market there.  The main reason why I agreed to live in Japan for 6 months - for a hotel that was being build was because of the food in Japan.  I love food so much  - I wanted to try just about anything and everything while I was in Japan.

The fish market had an amazing range of seafood - from oysters to crabs and prawns.

We ended up eating some set lunch - which wasn’t too bad - but had sushi with it too.  The magaro was so fresh - I can still remember it today.

Repairing Cars In Japan

Someone asked me - if there was a place to repair your cars in Japan - because as tourist - you don’t get to see places like that.  Of course there is!   how can Japan not have many of those right?  after all, they produced Kazuki Nakajima for the Italian Formula  Grand Prix in 2008.  I heard that one if lucky can even catch Kazuki in a garage with his Mechanix gloves on and tinkering with his cars.  Nakajima is the son of the retired Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima and even his younger brother is a racing driver.  What an interesting family and handsome boys too.

American Car In Japan

Someone asked me if there were American cars in Japan and yes ! there is - I’ve seen even a Harley in Japan many a times.  But like out American things - I think you need to import them and they are not cheap at all.  Are American cars popular in Japan ?  I don’t really think so - because cars like Toyota and Mitsubishi are just as popular then - now I don’t really know though since I haven’t gone back to Japan for a long time.   But yes! my girlfriend insisted on a PT cruiser when she had her twins - her husband - Taka - imported the car from America for her before she gave birth to the twins.  During her baby shower - the new American car was presented to her by her spouse and she was so excited - she couldn’t sleep for a few nights.  It was unbelievable that her spouse would go thru’ so much trouble to make her happy - she said - I think she couldn’t sleep because she had mixed feelings - happy and feeling guilty - altogether - if she wasn’t pregnant - she said she would have taken some sleeping pills - because when she did finally sleep - she slept for a good 16 hrs.  Poor girl!

Driving In A Foreign Country

So you have been in Japan for a year now and wants to be able to drive.  Buying a car in Japan was definitely cheaper than Singapore - where you need to get the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) which cost a bomb.  So unless you only want a scooter license, you will have to eventually go through the process of converting your home driver’s license to a Japanese one.   But since you can use your driver’s license for only one year from the date you enter Japan.  Please take note though - once that year expires - you need to change it to a Japanese license - by taking a written or what we called the practical test.  But make sure you do it 3 months before it expires because that’s how long it will take.  Don’t even attempt to drive after your license expires because the fine is ridiculous and I’ve heard of people losing their Visa over it.  Then find the  cheapest car insurance and you are on your way to driving around a foreign country legally.

Truck Drivers In Japan

If you have been to Japan - you will know that the traffic is horrid - and for truck drivers or bus drivers - they really have to be extra careful on the road.  But a co-worker had told me that truck drivers and bus drivers in Japan are paid pretty well - some even put all their children through university by driving trucks.   i don`t know what their benefits are - but as compared to the truck drivers in United States - I think they are paid differently too.  In the States - truck drivers can get into accidents just as often as the drivers in Japan - but in the States - they have Texas truck accident lawyer to help them with compensation - as for the Japanese truck drivers - i think they have to join some kind of union to be drivers.  But don`t quote me - i could be wrong.  All i know that roads on Japan is just as bad - you can be stuck in traffic for an hour sometimes.

New Hybrid Cars By Toyota

Yes - you heard right and i’m all excited because Toyota announced today that they will have not one - not two but six new hybrid cars by the end of 2010.  They are said to be greener cars and with cheap car insurance that we get around here - I can’t wait to see them and test drive them.

Unlike back home - cars are relatively cheaper and affordable and so is car insurance - we just got our truck insurance for a very reasonable price - so the spouse and I were talking about getting another car for me - and if the hybrids are anything like the Prius - i could definitely drive one of those.

As well as the new hybrid models, which run on petrol and electricity, Toyota will also unveil a fully electric version of its RAV4 sports utility vehicle later this year, the spokesman said.  The model, developed with its US partner Tesla, will be revealed at the Los Angeles auto show in late November.