TIP 24 TOURS BY AKIKO...

TIP # 24  NARA, ASUKA, AND KYOTO TOURS   On one of my earliest visits to Nara... Akiko Murakami shows how to use this call button to summon a waiter at one of her favorite restaurants.

We met Akiko in Nara on the last day of my second Fulbright trip to Japan. My advanced science students had been eager to find samurai sword souvenirs to take home. But first they should come to know Bushido, the Way of the Samurai, to learn that the Samurai "Sword is not for fighting." 

It was late in Nara so Akiko's mother's store was the only storefront with a light on.  I thought I saw movement within so I knocked and told her of our quest. She stepped out of the store closing the door behind her and walked us to the Nara Samurai Swordmaker that lived a 15 minute walk away. Akiko would later open my eyes to a Japan that I would have otherwise missed.  Now she has her own Tour Company.  I highly recommend taking her tours. In fact, for a reasonable fee, Akiko will be your personal guide to Nara, Kyoto and Asuka Village. Go to:   Click HERE for Akikos's Nara Yamato Tours

Tip # 24  Take a tour with Akiko, you will experience both modern and ancient Japan. Here are photos from her Instagram page. Click HERE for her tour photos.   https://www.instagram.com/naraspirit/?hl=ja

Tip #  23   Electricity, Water and ...

Plug in Adaptors for your electronic devices are not needed for your Journey into the Heart of Japan.

Scratch that off your list.

Tap water is safe to drink.  Though this will be my 9th trip to Japan, I still remember my first trip concern about drinking tap water, I was cautious and hesitant.  Now I realize that tap water in Japan is safer that here at home (USA).  

Tip # 22.   Hiroshima: Ring the Peace Bell at the Chidren's Peace Memorial

When you visit the Peace Park, have lunch at Okinomyaki Nobumoto, just across the Ota river.  Cross at Heiwa Odori Bridge...
Meet Nobumoto-san, an extraordinary woman...
Enjoy the best Okinomyaki I've ever had.
Hiroshima style okinomiyaki is öishi, (delicious) and you'll discover it's interesting history.
Don't miss this special Hiroshima experience!

Here are the directions. 

Copy this Google Plus Code (like GPS coordinates) and paste onto Google Maps.
9CVX+5C Hiroshima

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki

Tip # 21 Use Google Translate!
Not yet 100% accurate and yet... an extremely useful travel assistant in Japan.

Let's try it on your phone.  Once you've downloaded Google Translate from you APP Store,  key in a term like:  Which way to find a taxi? 
Screen A pops up.  Look for and tap the round blue dot with an inset arrow ->

A.




Having tapped the blue arrow,  see Screen C below.

Next press the icon showing 2 microphones " (Con...sation) ... to turn on CONVERSATION mode.

When you say:  "Which way to find a taxi?" the app translates this into Japanese,  listens for the  Japanese response and translates it to English on your screen making possible an informative conversation!!!


 B.  


Press the speaker icon the translated Japanese blue zone when you are ready to:
Hear it...  and ...  Say it. 
I believe your earnestness shows well when you try to speak the language.
Worry not that your pronunciation needs work...  your extra effort will be appreciated.

Explore the two additional icons in the lower right corner of the blue field.

What do Blue Zones have in common?

The first principle of 120 and Beyond, and Blue Zones is...  Community. The Venn diagram above includes the terms Healthy Social Circle and Social Engagement.  But Community means much, much more.  Communities are social units with something in common, eg. norms, values, that share a sense of place (village, town), often with a common cultural and historical heritage.  Communities have durable relations beyond immediate genealogical ties, and have members who often share, intents, beliefs, needs, preferences, resources and some measure of cohesiveness.

So let us now build our own 120 and Beyond or Blue Zone Community.

Maybe it's the people of Japan, or is it their culture, or their ancient history?

Or maybe it is something else, but ...

you are about to embark upon

“a journey where the signposts are unfamiliar, and where the new worlds you see reveal elements in yourself that you never even knew existed.”                     
Rick Ridgeway and Italian anthropologist Fosco Maraini

"A Japanese legend says that if you can't sleep at night,

it is because you are in someone else's dream."

Reading and Writing Japanese 

The first thing Japanese kids learn in school ... 2,000 Kanji (characters) of the 50,000 that make up their language. This is enough for them to get by on the road to full literacy.  

More coming soon.

TIP #20 TEMPLES, SHRINES, AND JAPANESE CULTURE PART 1

Tip # 20. Temples, Shrines, and Japanese Culture Part 1

coming soon.. including Purification rituals, Temple Maidens.

Day Walk to a nearby Shinto Shrine or Buddhist Temple and buy one of these Temple Books as a theme for your coming Journey Into The Heart of Japan.  

NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS PER CITY*

Tokyo 148,582 (as of 2015)

Paris 44,896 (as of 2017)

New York City 26,697 (as of 2017)
*http://www.worldcitiescultureforum.com/data/number-of-restaurants

**https://www.fdfworld.com/food/tokyo-has-most-michelin-starred-restaurants-world-2018

11 years running Tokyo is #1 for most (234) Michelin starred restaurants in the world. Moving further ahead of Paris ranked #2. **

**While many across the globe recognize Michelin Stars as a guide to excellent dining, countless restaurant owners in Japan have turned away the Michelin system because it doesn't rise to Japanese standards of omotenashi.<-- click

To quote:

Omotenashi defines the "experience as “ichigo ichie” or a once in a lifetime experience. Thus, it is said that both the host and the guest must act with sincerity.

For the host, this act of sincerity requires immense preparation so that each guest can have the most memorable experience possible. It sometimes takes up to a year to prepare for a single tea ceremony because the host needs to select the right flowers, tea set, hanging scroll and confections to match the season and the guests’ preferences. If the host cannot find the perfect tea cup for the guests from their own collection, they will continue to searching everywhere until they find the perfect match." 

Tip # 19. Practice wayfinding with Google Map directions from the APA Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower Hotel to the Mori Museum by train.

Way finding: see tip #17 below.

Key in your destination, say APA Shinjuku Kabukicho to the Mori Museum, 

from APA Shinjuku Kabukicho.




This will populate your screen.  


Listing the quickest train, 
31 minutes Oedo Line.
Tap on Oedo    ... >























This scrolling screen
is next.














Enter via D5
(does that mean Door 5?) >>>







Swipe the
written instructions down...


... an interactive map
populates the screen.

Zoom in on the Shinjuku end to find the blue dotted
walking map to the
Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station.
(7 minute walk between the hotel and the station.)

Practice this before your trip.
The Google Map service is not 100% when it comes to the blue dotted map lines... our blue line crossed a busy 6 lane street, but there was now way to get down to street level. Maybe we missed something.

D5 (Does that mean Door 5 >>>
or Down 5 levels to your 
Oedo train?)  >>>>


Scroll down the map as needed.

Note: you might loose cell or wifi coverage within train stations and other buildings. So check out how to download your map while you're connected to the net.

  

Tip # 17     Google Maps is a powerful wayfinding tool and it's helpful in other ways. 1. When Google Maps takes you to the GPS coordinates for your destination,  it takes you to a building's footprint on the ground. But your restaurant may be on the 51st floor! So if you don't see what you're looking for, chances are its vertical, look up!  Tokyo. Yup. Must be in a high rise!  
2. Now... feel free to ask for a little extra help.   You might make new friends! In fact, almost all of my Japanese friendships started when I asked directions from a stranger.     

"Sumimasen?" (see Tip # 18)

Tip # 18    Hesitate not to ask when you need a little help.

Say Sumimasen,  (excuse me in Japanese to get someone's attention).  It might feel a bit awkward, after all we are the foreigners in their country. But you will meet truly kind people on your journey who consistently go out of their way to help you find your way. I've begun to ask for a quick photo like this one of the gentlemen who helped us locate Mokumeganea, where we were about to pick up Patricia's wedding ring!

Looking at the many smiles, it's hard to know who is having more fun! And it all starts when you ask for a little help.

According to Google Maps, we were in the right place in Osaka, but even with two of us, we were stumped.  So I look around and see the gentleman in the photo on the right and ask for Mokumeganea. I show him the map on my phone.  He steps over to his friends, they chat. As they return, one of them prompts our group of 7 into the building where they find a directory.  There! Mokumeganea is on the 3rd floor. 

For more Japanese phrases, see Tip #16 

Tip # 16    Is it too early to start learning a little Japanese?

Common conversational Japanese phrases for travelers click HERE.

Japanese numbers click HERE

Reading and writing will come. Extra credit for those who can translate the characters above.**     Click HERE for the translation.