Free Bus Ride In Japan

Japan has good bus services. It is the most difficult transport system for foreign travellers to use, so is usually underutilized. Stops are often written only in Kanji. So learn the kanji for your destinations. Have pictures of them on your phone. Ask the driver to tell you when to get off. 

Depending on the city, payment may be required when you get on, or not until you get off. In some cities, there's a flat fee regardless of distance traveled. In the other cities, you take a ticket as you board that has a zone number, which is your starting point. When you exit the bus, a sign at the front of the bus shows the fare charged for each starting zone number. You just have to pay the driver the fare that matches your zone number, by putting the ticket and your money into a fare box. There may be a change machine near the front of the bus that can change 100 yen coins, 500 yen coins and 1000 yen notes. Some buses require you pay when you board. 

The buses I ride in the suburbs of Osaka cannot change 10,000 yen notes. One day I boarded the bus with only a 10,000 yen note and found out how to ride for free. The driver could not change it, and he let me ride the bus for free. One time I found myself without change, an old man paid my ticket, and then proceeded to complain to me for the whole journey about how I should always bring change. Keep in mind if you present a 10,000 yen note, the driver can refuse you entry to the bus.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

The bus around the inner city of Osaka is a great way to sight-see. It will take you down streets that you would never see if you just rode the subway. The suburban buses are harder to use, and run less frequently. Make sure to plan your trip carefully before boarding a bus.

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Outbreak of Pikachus At Yokohama Minatomirai

The city of Yokohama Japan, is now hosting a Pickachu Summer street festival until Monday the 17th of August 2015. Pikachu is the popular mascot for the Pokémon cartoon and video game chain. Over 1000 Giant Pikachus will be in the Yokohama Minatomirai area. 

To see the Giant Pikachus go to the Landmark Hall Shopping Center in Yokohama Minatomirai Japan. They will also be performing dance routines in random areas on the streets of the Minatomirai harbor area, Sakuragicho Station, and also at the Aka Renga complex.While you are there check out the free Anpanman Show.

Giant Pikachu Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

Anapanman Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

  

Pikachu Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

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Anpanman characters free show at Yokohama

Summer is a great time to take children to see outdoor shows in Japan. The Anpanman museums are located in Yokohama, Sendai, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Kobe. Here your children can enjoy the world of one of Japans most famous cartoon characters, Anpanman. This cartoon series is over 30 years old and is still a very popular children's TV show and book series. 

The entry fee to the Anpanman musuem is 1500yen for children over 1 year of age and adults. A small gift is given to each child upon entry. However there are free shows on weekends in front of the museum and there is an interesting shop with food and souvenirs that will also interest children. I recently took my daughter to see the free show in Yokohama. She was very impressed by it, and enjoyed meeting all the characters including Anpanman, Currypanman, Shokupanman, Uncle Jam, Batako, Cheese, Baikinman, Dokinchan, Horaaman, and, Melonpanna.

Museum Opening hours are: 10 am to 6pm. The shop is open until 7pm.
Here is the official website: http://www.kobe-anpanman.jp/

Anpanman Museum Yokohama Japan

Show at Anpanman Museum Yokohama Japan

Anpanman Cakes Yokohama Japan

Show at Anpanman Museum Yokohama Japan

Show at Anpanman Museum Yokohama Japan

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com. 

Shopping At Uniqlo Japan

I recently went to Uniqlo near Umeda Station in Osaka. I picked up a Black Jack shirt for only 500 yen. Black Jack is a very famous Manga character in Japan. Great deals can be found at Uniqlo as they have sales every weekend. It is usually cheaper to buy on weekends than on weekdays. Some stores will also heavily discount excess stock, so some Uniqlo stores will have cheaper items than others. Therefore it is a good idea to look inside different Uniqlo stores when bargain hunting. End of season is another great time to get heavily discounted merchandise at Uniqlo.
See Japan Daily Fun Facts for more information on Black Jack

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnji/7377132180/

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oimax/185436408/

Source: InSapphoWeTrust Flickr

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com. 

Vending Machines In Japan

Vending Machine Products In Japan

Vending machines in Japan sell a huge assortment of products, mostly drinks including beer and other alcoholic drinks, cold or hot tea, soft drinks, soup, cigarettes, food, toys, cards, books and even umbrellas.  For more information about vending machines in Japan visit Japan Daily Fun Facts.

Vending Machine Suma Kobe Hyogo Japan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heated Vending Machine Drinks In Japan

Over 50 percent of Japan’s vending machine market sells beverages, which has led to companies developing technology that allows the vending machines to store heated as well as refrigerated drinks. The most popular brands of drinks are Pocari Sweat, Calpis Water, C.C. Lemon and Aquarius.

Vending Machine Motomachi Kobe Hyogo Japan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of Vending Machine Drinks In Japan

The average price for a drink from a vending machine is about 150 yen. A Japanese convenience store also averages about 150 yen per drink. Some lesser known brands of drinks are priced at about 80 yen, however these are smaller and don’t taste as good.

Vending Machine Motomachi Kobe Hyogo Japan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cheapest Drinks In Japan

If your looking for the best deal in Japan on drinks always buy from a supermarket. All the well known brands usually sell for 100 or 120 yen. Sometimes the extra large sizes are about 150 yen but they are better value for the money. The cheapest drinks to be found in Japan are sold at Super Tamade supermarkets in Osaka. The suburbs of Osaka have many of these super markets.

Super Tamade Daikokucho Osaka Japan

 

 

 

 

 

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Osaka Castle Free Entry

Osaka Castle has a musuem inside the castle with many artifacts on display, a beautiful 360 panoramic view and gardens with cherry blossom trees.

Children under 15 are admitted for free!

Adults only pay 600 yen each. If you have a large group of fifteen people you can get in for 500 yen each.

Opening times are 9am to 5pm.

This is a very affordable place to take your family.

There are also open spaces outside the castle to have a picnic.

For more information on the history, things to do at Osaka Castle and how to get there please see my detailed story on Osaka Castle on Hubpages. 

Osaka Castle  Japan

Osaka Castle  Japan

Here is the official Osaka Castle Museum Website.

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Osaka Amazing Pass Free Entry to 28 Places

Tatami Jumping Cat Kobe Hyogo Japan

Tatami Jumping Cat Gets Scared Of Dog

 I was recently down at a small tatami factory in Shin Nagata Kobe ordering some new tatami mats. My daughter was helping to sweep the floor. Then along came the tatami cat, which became frightened of the dog and jumped over it.  It was very funny.

 

Mr Kanatani is one of Hyogo's best ever Tatami makers having won many awards. He has run this small tatami business for over 30 years. I highly recommend his services.
Please see the map below for directions to get there.

尾上ハイツ

〒653-0041 Hyōgo-ken, Kōbe-shi, Nagata-ku, Kubochō, 10 Chome−5−5

Tatami Factory Shin Nagata Kobe Hyogo Japan

Tatami Factory Shin Nagata Kobe Hyogo Japan 

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Cheapest Way to Travel In Japan

Walking In Japan

Walking in Japan is unavoidable. Cars and taxis are seldom used in the large cities, especially for the budget traveler. Most people use trains. Here is my article about sleeping on trains in Japan and how to use trains as a source of free accommodation.You will be walking from shops to trains stations, up and down subway levels sometimes 5 stories deep, and around large department stores. You will be walking a lot, so be prepared physically and mentally. Plan where you’re going, know how long it will take. Wear appropriate clothing for hot or cold weather, and wear good walking shoes. Get good nights sleep and eat well. Bring food and water in a comfortable backpack. Bring a collapsible umbrella incase it rains. If you have a GPS device use it when unsure of which direction to go.

Kansai Telecasting Corporation Near Ogimachi Station Osaka Japan

 

The Best Way to Find Interesting Places In Japan

Walking is the best way to find interesting places, and it’s the cheapest way to travel through the cities. Walking will give you the opportunity to discover more, photograph interesting things, meet more people and learn the area. It will give you the opportunity to learn where the best restaurants are, the cheapest shops and to orientate yourself with the layout of the cities. When to walk and when not to walk comes down to good planning of your schedule. I would often walk to save money and at the same time I would get many of the rewards listed above.

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

How To Save Money On Trains In Japan

When travelling by train I would often get off two or three stations before my destination. It may save 200 or 300 yen. Some train lines run in the same direction parallel to each other about a mile or two apart. Walking over to the other line can be a time and money saving way to switch train lines, as you don’t need to ride the train to where the lines link back up and then ride the train line back down in the opposite direction to reach your destination. So learn your train lines, the prices to each destination and how much you will save if you get off a station or two earlier.

Do you ever walk to save money on trains?

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Meat Shop Osaka Japan

 

Use GPS to Prevent Getting Lost 

Soon after arriving in Japan I was at a friends house in the suburbs of east Osaka. The entire suburb was filled with narrow laneways that cars had no access to. I was given directions on how to return to the train station. I set out an hour before the last train for the night. I quickly lost my direction everything looked the same, and soon became completely lost. I walked in circles for over two hours before finding my friends house again. Thus I missed the last train home that night. If I had a GPS I would have been fine.

Ogimachi Park Osaka Japan

 

Walking Around Osaka

I also often walk my entire route when in the inner city of Osaka if I have time. The inner city of Osaka from Umeda in the north to Namba in the south is only 4.2km, which can be covered on foot in about one hour. From Nanba, through to Shinsaibashi and then up to Tenjinbashi Roku Chome in the north is the longest Shotengai (undercover shopping laneway) in Japan. It stretches for miles and is full of many interesting people and shops. Here is more information about Tenjinbashi on the official Osaka tourist website: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/ofc/201101/http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/ofc/201101/.

Kansai Telecasting Corporation Near Ogimachi Station Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 4 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 3 Osaka Japan

Okawa River Near Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Small Door Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 3 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Temple Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 1 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 6 Osaka Japan

Shop till you drop on the longest shopping arcade in Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Walking Route

The most common shops found in a Japanese shotengai

• supermarkets and grocery stores
• restaurants and cafes
• izakaya snack bars
• pachinko parlors
• massage parlors
• barber shops
• game centers
• post offices
• book shops
• clothing stores
• convenience stores
• neighborhood police substations
 

To summarize, don’t walk when you need to save time, as your holiday is no
doubt bound to a limited time schedule. However, I recommend you set
aside time to walk long distances, I promise you will have a rewarding
experience from it.

 

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com. 

 

Tetsujin 28 At Shin Nagata Kobe

Tetsujin 28 At Shin Nagata Kobe is a must see free tourist attraction for fans of Japanese Manga. This is a giant robot statue dedicated to a 1960's cartoon called Tetsujin 28 go. It is 18 meters tall. Tetsujin 28 was built in honor of the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin earthquake that destroyed many parts of Kobe on January 17th, 1995.



The Tetsujin 28 statue is  in Wakamatsu Park just 5 minutes walk from Shin-Nagata Station Kobe Hyogo Japan. To get here take the local JR train on the Sanyo Line from Sannomiya Station Kobe to Shin Nagata Station. Exit on the south side of JR Shin Nagata Station and walk west across the intersection, and continue west for 5 minutes until you come to a park.

To learn more about Tetsujin 28 vist the Kobe Tetsujin Project website at : http://www.kobe-tetsujin.com

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com.