Updated July, 2009

Randy's Japan Links

Really Useful Websites for Japanophiles and Travelers

[Culture] [Events] [Travel] [Rail/Bus] [Tours] [Lodging] [Live/Work] [Language] [Media]

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Japanese Culture

Kids Web Japan, teach your kids (& yourself) all about Japan! in 10 languages!
- Including Folk Legends told to all Japanese children.
Jim Breen's Ukiyo-e Gallery ..lovely woodblock prints.
Tokyo Food Page
Plastic Sushi replicas! + sushi magnets, sushi candy, etc.
Get a Sushi T-Shirt! also aprons, mugs, Bumper Sticker, etc, etc.
Articles of Traditional and Historical Japanese Clothing: order from Bokunan-Do.
Quirky Japan Stuff ... Ed Jacob's Quirky and/or useful info about Japan, from getaways and budget travel to second-hand shops and vending machines, quirky foods, people, & more... check it out!

Events in Japan!

What's Going on This Month?
...in -- and around -- Tokyo.
...and Kyoto Events and Festivals
- Plus, the monthly Kyoto Visitor's Guide is now On-line!
...Annual Events in Kobe and Osaka.
Upcoming July Festivals...
- Nachi Himatsuri Fire Festival Torch-lit procession of Shinto priests; Kumano Nachi Shrine, Mt. Nachi, Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture. July 14.
- Soma Nomaoi Wild Horse Festival Horse-catching and Horse Racing events, all in ancient costumes on Hibari-ga-hara plain, Haramachi, Fukushima Prefecture. July 23-25.
- Tenjin Matsuri, festival in Osaka. Historical street parade followed by a boat procession and fireworks. July 24-25. Osaka, Tenjinbashi and Temmabashi
- Sumida River Fireworks Traditional Fireworks Display on the Sumida River, Tokyo. Last Saturday in July.
Access the complete list of My Selected Annual Events in Japan.
Search for Events ...for any month, in any area. This automated system from JNTO is not perfect but a good start to find lists of hundreds of festivals!

Traditional Theater Performances -- July, 2009
- Check monthly Performance Schedules at the National Theatre and Kabuki-za.
  The National Theater schedule covers a number of Theater Facilities, including the Main Theater locations in Tokyo and the National Bunraku (Puppet) Theater, in Osaka. Another nice Bunraku Theater Site.
- Upcoming Theater Events:
  - Kabuki at the National Theater (Tokyo), July 3 to 24, (except 17th) 2009
    Same program at 11:00 am, and 2:30 pm (plus 7pm on the 10th & 16th):
    - Introduction to Kabuki, includes a lecture and performance of two pieces:
      - "Ya no Ne", "The Arrowhead", in broad aragoto style
      - and the popular and colorful dance "Fuji Musume" "The Wisteria Maiden"
    - Full Program
  - NO Bunraku at the National Theatre (Tokyo - Small Theater), in July
  - July Grand Kabuki Program, at the Kabuki-za! (Tokyo) July 3 to 27, 2009.
    For newcomers, see this Note on seating and pricing at the Kabuki-za.
    NOTICE: The venerable Kabuki-Za theatre in the Ginza will be torn down and reconstructed! Beginning March, 2009 a 16-month run of "farewell performances" -- all by popular request, and bringing in the biggest stars -- will be presented at the Kabuki-za before it is closed in April, 2010! The new Kabuki-za will re-open on the same site in March 2013. In the meantime, Kabuki will take place a few blocks to the south in the Shinbashi Enbujo. (Between Higashi-Ginza and Tsuki-ji stations, under the Shuto Expressway.) Not to be sad: the current building, dating from 1951, is the Fourth incarnation of the Kabuki-Za!
    - Morning program (11am) has two plays written in the early 20th century:
      - "Goju no To" "The 5-Story Pagoda"
      - and the fantasy "Kaijin Besso" 'The Sea God's Villa', starring Bando Tamasaburo.
    - Evening program (4:30pm) has two plays:
      - "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" "The Summer Festival in Osaka"
      - and "Tenshu Monogatari" "The Legend of Himeji Castle".
    - Full Program
  - Bunraku at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka,, July 18 to Aug 5, (except the 27th) 2009:
    'Summer Vacation Bunraku' has three performances of the puppets per day:
    - Morning Show at 11am for beginners and the whole family:
      - "Go-jo Bashi" Ushiwaka and Benkei battle at the Fifth Street Bridge in Kyoto
      - An Introduction to Bunraku, explaining the various skills of the art
      - "Bake Kurabe Ushimitsu no Kane" A Tale told by Monsters!
    - Afternoon Show at 2pm:
      - A full-length play: "Shotsushi Asagao Banashi" "The Tale of the Morning Glory" Usually 3 parts of this 5-Act play are performed.
    - Special Summer Evening Shows at 7pm:
      - "Tempest: Arashi Nochi Hare" 'Shakespeare's Tempest: After a Storm, Clear Weather'. A new Bunraku version of Shakespeare's play, recast in Japanese History.
- Another source for Current Traditional Theater Programs at:
  - Kabuki-za
  - National Theater Kabuki, Tokyo
  - Bunraku Theater, Osaka
  - Bunraku at the National Theater, Tokyo
- Another listing of upcoming Kabuki performances all around Japan at the 'Kabuki 21' website.
- Learn all about Kabuki at the 'Kabuki 21' website, including Synopses of most Kabuki Plays!
Another site for Performance Arts in Japan at the Performing Arts Network Japan website.
Sumo Wrestling Tournament Schedule; Ticket Info. From the Official Grand Sumo English Home Page
- Next Sumo Tournament: July 12 to 26, 2009, at the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya.

Travel in Japan

Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) Go! Tons of info!
It is a very large site so here are a number of quick references:
- JNTO Info for Travelers Page, including visa requirements, climate, tours, and :
  - A very useful list of Budget Travel Tips for Japan.
  - Frequently Asked Questions about Japan from tourists -- and answers!
- A user-friendly Quick Guide to Japanese Traditional Culture: Castles, Tea Ceremony, Art, Temples, many more...
- A List of Welcome Cards. Available throughout the country only to foreign tourists, cards give discounts or free gifts at numerous locations. Many can be printed out before you leave home, or obtained at Tokyo or Kyoto Tourism offices.
- Info on Free local Goodwill Guides, including a list of Volunteer Guide Associations in almost every part of Japan! Most have e-mail and many have web sites detailing their services.
- Detailed Travel Guides (require Acrobat Reader 5 and Japapese Font Pack)
  - Including over 50 detailed destination guides to individual locations!
  - And a thorough list of Annual Events in Japan (Acrobat reader required.)
  - And 13 Interest-Specific trip guides, including: Ceramic Arts, Skiing, Museums, Animation, Architecture(1.8MB!), Camping, etc.
  All the above links to ".PDF" files open a new window for large .PDF document files that will take some time to download. Or, just right-click the link and select "Save Link Target As..." to download the files to your computer.
JTB's Japan Now! Traveler's Guide to experiencing Japan -- Food, Culture, Tours, Special Trains and Events. Updated often.
Japan Cheap Travel.com is a personal site chock full of cheap travel info from the authors' recent 3 month journey through Japan. Practical, reasonable ideas for stretching your ¥Yen in Japan!
Jan Dodd's excellent resources from the author of the award-winning "Rough Guide to Japan"
Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau ...loads of Tokyo information for visitors.
- Including: Tokyo Transport Options: ...day passes, bus tours, walking tours, cruises, etc.
A list of Local Day Passes for transport in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka can be found in My Japan Guide

How Do I Get Money in Japan?
- Locations of CitiBank ATM Machines in Japan, where you can use your home ATM card to draw money out of your own account. Many are open 24 hours.
- JNTO's info on How to Get Money in Japan. Another discussion of How Travelers Get Money in Japan.
- Since 2007, you can withdraw money with your ATM or Credit cards at more than 13,000 ATMs installed in Seven-Eleven Stores all over Japan! Many are open 24-hours. Follow the link for details and fees.
[Culture] [Events] [Travel] [Rail/Bus] [Tours] [Lodging] [Live/Work] [Language] [Media]
A quick look at Bullet Train Routes!
From the official Japan Railways Group
- Japan Rail Pass info! Official web site.
- Kansai Airport Shuttle Train Schedules!
  - Alternative private railway Nankai Line Info to/from Osaka & the airport.
- Narita Airport Shuttle Train Schedules! follow links to the schedules.
  - Other Trains to/from Narita Airport including the cheaper Keisei Skyliner from Ueno (Tokyo).
Kansai (KIX) and Narita (NRT) International Airports' English pages... Flight info, maps, local transport.
Instant train routing, schedule, & fare calculations for any trip! A very useful site:
- Hyperdia Timetable Just input departure & destination: it gives you multiple routes, times, prices; + access to complete timetables for each route.
- A similar new site is Norikae Annai. The interface is slightly different, and it doesn't let you access the entire timetables for each leg.
Long Distance Highway Buses!... now run frequently in the daytime (as well as overnight), and can be a significantly cheaper alternative on major routes from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Sendai, Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka.
- Here's a link to Highway Bus Info and Prices on various routes at japan-guide.com; for the actual schedules you'd have to follow the bus company links to their Japanese language sites and navigate.
- Several different companies now compete on many of these highway bus routes, including the JR Bus; but note that only a few of the JR Highway Buses are covered with the Japan Rail Pass. -- See This link for details.
- Here is a link to another useful Highway Bus Info Site from the Nihon Bus Association.

My own Guide to Riding the Trains in Japan, in my on-line Japan Travel Guide.
Relax on the Ferry instead! My on-line travel pages on:
- Domestic Japanese Ferry Routes and
- International Ferries To/From Japan

Japan Travel Bureau, JTB.
- Japan Travel Bureau, USA Air Fares, Lodging, Rental Cars, Tours...
- JTB Sunrise Tours Package Tours in Japan...
  - Request a catalog of Sunrise Tours (mailed to US/Canada only)
- List of JTB Offices in the USA and Around the World ...addresses & phone numbers.
Other Package Tours To or In Japan
- Inside Japan Tours Lower-budget tours within Japan
- First class escorted special interest tours within Japan by Destination Management Toursgallery
- Kintetsu (RR) Tours short tours within Japan.
- JNTO's new: Search for a Tour Package! to suit your interests and itenerary!
Find your own lodgings in Japan and make reservations by e-mail:
- Japanese Guest Houses.com On-line reservations, info, photos of 170 Japanese Inns!
- JNTO Accommodation Links to Japanese lodging websites.
- Japanese Inn Group Lists of reasonable inns in Japan.
- The Welcome Inn center of the International Tourism Center of Japan. Makes Reservations for Budget Lodgings only, and is not available to travel agents.
- Stay cheap in Kyoto? Go to Tour Club ... Dorms and up to 5-bed rooms for groups; central locale
- Stay cheap in Tokyo? Go to Sakura Hostel, Asakusa ...Dorms, up to 8-bed rooms; convenient location.
  - ...Both hostels are cheap, friendly, with A/C, internet, laundry, lockers, etc. but book up early online
- Both Hostels.com and Hostelworld.com are general sources for varying qualities of Cheap Accommodations in Japan, including a few hostels, guesthouses, 'backpacker houses', and cheap hotel rooms in various cities. Some of their offerings are more "central" than others; and read the customer reviews before venturing in...
- Check out these chain hotels in Japan for "budget" western-style rooms in many cities:
  - Tokyu Inn, SunRoute Hotels, Comfort Inn Japan, Holiday Inn, Various Hotels in Japan
Homestay in Japan? Very little is available, (and I don't know these places myself...) but try these links for Homestay services in Chiba, & Nara. Plus the Japanese branch of the Experiment in International Living.
Now try Homestay Japan on the Homestay Web site! Free Membership signup required

[Culture] [Events] [Travel] [Rail/Bus] [Tours] [Lodging] [Live/Work] [Language] [Media]

Living and Working in Japan

Japan File - Kansai Time Out magazine's on-line Japan guide
Zone81 Info-zine for foreigners living in Japan.
Life in Japan Newsgroup ..(newsreader required)
Tokyo Flat-Share Bulletin Board! ...updated daily. Follow the links on the right; some postings in English.
GaijinPot Has classified listings for everything in Japan: Jobs, Housing, Services
Jobs In Japan Listings of all kinds...
New resident? Visit Tokyu Hands, the father of all Japanese do-it-yourself stores, 7 floors in Shibuya, Tokyo.
- Japanese Site and links to stores in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Futagotamagawa, Machida, Fujisawa, Nagoya, Osaka (Esaka, Shinsaibashi), Kobe (Sannomiya), Hiroshima, Sapporo.
International Outdoors Clubs for Residents of Japan
- International Adventure Club (IAC) of Tokyo, and its sister group,
- International Outdoor Club (IOC) in Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) [Trip Articles]
Members organize exciting outdoor activities that explore the Japanese mountains and countryside; hiking, biking, skiing, etc. Membership is about half Japanese and half ex-pats, living in Japan.
Outdoor Japan - Travel and activity guides, message boards, gear and services, events...

Want to Teach English in Japan?
- Start on Susan Crowell's Teaching English in Japan page.
- Or get O-Hayo Sensei, a free newsletter of actual jobs available
- GaijinPot has job listings in Japan...
- JET, The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, for those who are really serious...
Want to Do Business in Japan? The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan publishes several good books including: "A Guide to Doing Business in Japan", "A Guide to Exporting to Japan", and "Living In Japan"
US Embassy List of Translation and other Office Services in Japan.
JETRO, Japan External Trade Org., is the Japanese Government's liason for both export and import.
- Links to JETRO Offices in U.S. and Canada, Europe -- and more -- are a good source of info for doing business in, or exporting to Japan. Lists 80 offices worldwide in 59 countries, many with websites listing local Trade Shows, Seminars, Resources, etc.

Japanese Language

Dowload MS Windows Japanese Fonts "IME 5, Japanese" ...to read many Japanese web pages and e-mails.
Look-up Japanese Words ...and get the Kanji!
- Alternate Version ...looks more complex but is much quicker and more reliable.

Japanese Media On-Line

English-language Magazines in Japan on-line:
- Kansai Time Out, Tokyo Journal, Tokyo Weekender,
- Tokyo 'Q', Metropolis (Tokyo),
- Kyushu News, Fukuoka, Kyushu, City Guide, Okinawa Times, Japan Update (Okinawa)
- Xene, Sapporo/Hokkaido E-Zine & bulletin board is back!
English-language Newspapers in Japan on-line:
- Asahi Evening News, Japan Times, Mainichi Daily
- Nikkei (business), Yomiuri.

[Culture] [Events] [Travel] [Rail/Bus] [Tours] [Lodging] [Live/Work] [Language] [Media]

World Travel Links on Randy's Travel Page.

Other Links on Randy's Home Page.

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