Japan
-
[story time] How I ended up naked in a Jacuzzi surrounded by Yakuza
In March 2018, we land in Osaka Japan. We’re thrilled to discover the land of the rising sun, especially since cherry blossom season is just around the corner. But the contrast is a bit harsh. To give you some context, we’d just spent a full month in a 3-star hotel in Hoi An for… 600 €. In Osaka, we pay three times as much for a tiny place. The shower/bathroom looks like a closet, the apartment is poorly insulated, and we’re cold. So much so that we went and bought ourselves some warm pajamas at Uniqlo on the very first night. I tried taking a shower once, not twice. Too…
-
My Current Favorites [December 2021]: My Favorite Books about Japan
After spending months reading books that were a bit too political and too business-oriented, I wanted to find some lightness again, a bit of travel through novels or autobiographies. Here is my list of books about Japan that I really enjoyed. Some were read a few years ago, and I revisit certain passages from time to time. Memoirs of a Geisha I don’t know when my passion for geishas started; I’ve read quite a few books about geishas, the most glamorous and artistic women in Japan. They are not courtesans but artists: they excel in singing, dancing, musical instruments, and also in the art of conversation. I found two books…
-
October 2020 Favorites: Books to discover Asian Culture
We aren’t (yet) confined to Italy but it is surely only a matter of weeks, considering the curve of positive coronavirus cases. I have a rather long list of books to read, but I will give you the books I have already read and loved, to accompany you during the evenings of confinement. This month, we will talk about books or films that help us better understand Asian (or Eastern) culture and beliefs. The list I give you isn’t mainstream. It’s not a list of Asian bestsellers, on the contrary. Journey to the East by Nguyên Phong (link): Since I am Vietnamese, I start with a Vietnamese author, whom I…
-
Tax refund: How to get the VAT reduction (duty free) in Japan?
Good news: you don’t need to be at the airport to benefit from duty free. All stores with a “tax free” sticker will allow you to save the 8% tax. Be careful, you have to spend at least 5000yen/purchase to be eligible for tax free. For this, you just have to show your passport. Be aware that in Japan, prices are all displayed tax free (including in restaurants) so don’t be surprised if the displayed price of the product you buy is 10,000yen and after the tax reduction, you still pay 10,000yen. All purchases will be put in a sealed transparent bag (like at the airport – as you aren’t…
-
My Japanese/Korean Layering Routine – Digital Nomad
Photo: The 10 steps of Korean layering according to Charlotte Cho Last time I told you about my skincare routine, it was in my analysis of Dr. Hauschka products. Unfortunately, despite the excellent results I had with that routine in Europe, as soon as I got to Asia, the Dr. Hauschka products turned out to be too oily and not watery enough for the hot, humid climate plus the pollution in Asia. After my time in Japan , and and South Korea, I was able to establish another routine based exclusively (or almost) on Japanese and Korean products. Japanese products are more numerous because Japan has the advantage of having…
-
Digital Nomad: Results after 1.5 months in Japan (Osaka, Kansai, Tokyo)
That’s it, we just spent 1 month and a half in Japan, 1 month in Osaka and 2 weeks in Tokyo. It’s time to take stock of this incredible experience. This is the very first time we come to Japan. The reason why we have never been there before is that we want our stay to be really special. So, when we were on a permanent contract, 2 weeks seemed too short; and when we were on an 11-month world tour, the budget for a stopover in Japan seemed too big. So coming here as digital nomads is really the best option for us. Japan allows us to make many…
-
Travel diary Tokyo (Japan) #3: Tokyo DisneySea, the most beautiful Disney park in the world
The world tour is an excellent excuse to visit all the Disney parks in the world. We missed this opportunity in Hong Kong, but there is no question of missing this time in Tokyo. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary After our round trip to Mount Fuji and long hours on the bus back to Tokyo in the middle of Golden Week, JB is less and less motivated to go to a crowded place, but I convince him to go there after Golden Week and more during the week. So it’s to please me that he buys the tickets online, has them printed in…
-
Travel diary Tokyo (Japan) #2: Ueno, Akihabara, Tour of Tokyo, Shibuya and Shinjuku
Read our first travel diary in Tokyo here UENO Today, I visit alone the National Museum of Tokyo, where you can find a beautiful collection of swords, prints, paintings … Japanese from several centuries ago Indeed, for 600 yen, one can admire many priceless objects. For example these hair accessories of an unequalled finesse Samurai helmets, swords etc Kimonos of extreme beauty. To have patterns like this, the craftsmen had to spend an eternity on them I was expecting a richer collection (I didn’t see many prints, which is what I came for), but I was told afterwards that often in Japanese museums, the permanent collections weren’t that rich (you…
-
How to get to Mount Fuji? and where to take beautiful pictures of Mount Fuji
You can also consult our Mount Fuji travel diary here. Nearest stations to Mount Fuji? The arrival point that I advise you is: KawaguchikoStation (to see Mount Fuji from close enough + the lake in front of it) or ShimoyoshidaStation if you want to visit Chureito Pagoda first like us. Some people prefer to go to Yoshidaguchi5th Station ( also known as Kawaguchiko 5th Station), which is the base of the hike to the top of Mount Fuji. There is a bus going there from Kawaguchiko Station, there is even a bus going there directly from Tokyo. But I advise you not to go there, because those who went there…
-
A day at Mount Fuji (Japan): Travel diary
Our stay in Japan has two objectives: to look at the cherry blossoms, and to see Mount Fuji. The first being reached perfectly well in Kyoto, here we are in front of the picturesque, gigantic Mount Fuji We will first present the travel diary, then you will find all the practical information in our 2nd article here (how to get there, the best spots to take nice pictures) Travel Notebook The weather has not been good since our arrival in Tokyo, so we have to look carefully at the weather forecast before going to Mount Fuji. Because like Christ in Rio, the top of Mount Fuji is often in the…
