The Tokyo Traveler

March 31st, 2008

Japanese Food - Curry

Curry and rice is one of the most common dishes eaten in Japanese homes today and is considered a perfect comfort food.
It is said that the first Japanese person tasted curry on board a ship on its way to the United States in 1871. The following year a recipe for curry was published in […]

By Shane -- 0 comments

March 29th, 2008

Geisha or Maiko?

The word Geisha literally translates to “arts person” or “one trained in arts” (gei = art, sha = person) and Maiko translates to “dancing child” (mai = dance, ko = child).

A Geisha is a woman trained in the traditional arts of Japan which include dance, song and the playing of musical instruments. A Meiko […]

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March 28th, 2008

Eating Out in Tokyo

Eating out can be a bit intimidating in Tokyo. If you can’t read Kanji then you may think that you are out of luck and will need to find a friend who can speak and read Japanese. That’s rarely the case as most restaurants offer menus with photos of the dishes served. […]

By Shane -- 2 comments

March 27th, 2008

Tanuki - The Raccoon Dog

The Tanuki or Raccoon dog is famous in Japan as a symbol of protection from fire and theft and is said to be able to help businesses flourish. They are also know as very mischievous and fun loving creatures and as a result you will often find statues of them outside bars and restaurants. […]

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March 27th, 2008

Marunouchi Art Weeks

Staring on March 28th and running through April the 15th you can get your fill of art in Tokyo during Marunouchi Art Weeks. The three week event will be staged at eleven galleries and the group has prepared a walking tour to make it easier for visitors to get around the area.
Some of the […]

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March 26th, 2008

Asakusa - Nakamise

Asakusa is known for it’s old town atmosphere and historic Buddhist temples. It’s a fun area to explore and the center of most of the activity is around the centuries old Asakusa Kannon Temple, or Sensoji.

The first thing that you notice when you get to Asakusa is the Kaminarimon Gate. Take a moment to wander […]

By Shane -- 5 comments

March 25th, 2008

A Knack for Nihongo – The Japanese Language

My Japanese skills are very limited but it I have always found that a smile, a few words, pointing and a lot of patience get me through most situations.  A few phrases will really come in handy should you ever visit Japan so with that that in mind I here are some basic greetings:
Japanese (English […]

By Shane -- 2 comments

March 24th, 2008

Japanese Currency - The Yen

The unit of Japanese currency is the Yen. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and bank notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000 (rarely seen), 5,000 and 10,000 yen.
The conversion rate for the past few weeks has ranged from 100 to 114. What does this mean? […]

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March 23rd, 2008

Tokyo - Getting Here

Most international flights arrive at Narita International Airport which is located approximately 60 kilometers from the city.
Flight times vary due to the time of the year but can ranges from 8 ½ hours (From Honolulu) to 14 hours (from New York). On top of the flight you also have to deal with […]

By Shane -- 1 comment

March 22nd, 2008

A Little Bit About Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital of Japan but that wasn’t always the case and the city wasn’t always known as Tokyo either. Over 400 years ago the city was named Edo and the capital of Japan was Kyoto (capital city). Edo stared as a village in 1603 and was the center of the government […]

By Shane -- 1 comment