Exploring Japan Day 2 of Our 2019 Adventure Begins
- fotaquest
- Nov 30, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 3
Exploring Japan Day 2 of Our 2019 Adventure Begins
By Lars Guo
Published: November 30, 2024
Opening message: Hi Folks! This is about day 2 of my Japan trip. See link in the next section about day 1. This will cover thoughts, notes, and feelings about what I observed during my time in Japan at the time of the trip. This is not an exact truth about everyone and that this is your warning. There are some things that are outdated. These are notes about what I found about the trip. It also states where I went during my time in Tokyo at that point of time.
Exploring Japan Day 1 of Our 2019 Adventure BeginsExploring Japan Day 1 of Our 2019 Adventure Begins: https://fotaquest.wixsite.com/lgjinsei/post/exploring-japan-day-1-of-our-2019-adventure-begins
Trash cans: There are a lot of vending machines and no public trash cans with the exception of the Narita Airport. You should prepare yourself in terms of carrying your trash around. You will not see people eating on the streets.
Public bathrooms: Toilets have their flush buttons on the walls so be aware and save yourself some time. There will be some with just a hole and no flush button.
Navigation: If you are in a mall, use the directories. If you plan on using your GPS/Google maps, make sure your phone works. I used my brother’s phone to get us to the Jump Store. When taking the subway, make sure you buy the tickets. There is an English option and make sure you have enough money on the ticket to get to your destination. It is important to know what stop you are going to because prices vary based on that. Paper yen is accepted, but no American credit cards are not accepted and yen coins will be accepted.
Arcades: In the arcade, there is a slot machine game. Take advantage of playing it because usually people that are underage in American cannot play these games until they are 18 years old at the minimum. Take this with a grain of salt, I never saw one except in casinos and playing it on Pokemon games. It was interesting to actually play it in person.
Sensoji Temple: When going to the Sensoji Temple, you can see anything on the outside or could be seen inside as long as you're outside of the temple. However, it is important to note that only members are only allowed and there is a sign posted that says that foreigners aren't allowed inside. There are certain areas where people can take pictures of the temple. Some of the signs says, "no photos" so be aware. I took some videos of the temple and had to delete it because I later found the sign that said no photos, etc. Take advantage of doing their traditional "how to make a fortune" and try it. It only cost 100 yen = 1 dollar for the experience at the time of the trip. There are parts of the temple outside the main part where you can go in, but do not enter with your shoes and no pictures as well. If you do go in there and want to take part in their culture, you need to stand in front of the statue within the temple and bow to worship some Japanese higher beings such as God. I recommend doing it for the experience since it is unique to Japan.
Jump Shop: One of the Jump Stores I went to had anime character statues. I recommend taking pictures and if you like them that much, take selfies with them as long as you stay in front of the rope that guards the statues. I did the photos and selfies, but I am not going to post my selfies. I barely see statues if not at all in America with anime characters. The merchandise there is on the more expensive side, but not unreasonable.
Vending machines: Be present when buying a thing from the vending machines because it is different from America and there are a fair amount of unique beverages to Japan from a taste standpoint. Again, I do not know everything about Japan so take it with a grain of salt. Vending machines only accepted yen and no credit and debit cards.
If you are learning Japanese and/or not, but I would recommend that you think about getting notebooks designed specifically for a Japanese person from a cultural standpoint. Mine was 150 yen or rather 1.50 US dollars. There is a difference between Japanese notebooks and American ones. You can purchase American ones as well but from something that you want to get unique to Japan, it isn't a bad choice.
Scenic views and bridges: There are bridges that actually go over the highways so pedestrians can safely go across. It is a great opportunity to take pictures and enjoy the views. Truthfully, I wish America had more of them.
Closing message: That is the end of the day. Stay tuned for day 3. I hope you have a great day! Stay safe, happy, and healthy! See you all next time!
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