Friends. Can't live with 'em. Can't live without 'em. So how to you make friends here in Okinawa?
This is a topic that is constantly coming up among the foreigner population here. "How do I make friends?" Unfortunately in the past six years that I have been here I have not truly found a good answer to this question. Okinawa is extremely unique for many reasons but one of these reasons is that many of the foreigners here are only here for a short time due to their connection with the US Military. In many cases by the time that a person is settled in enough to become your friend they are less than a year out of preparing to pack up and move to the next location. Although there are some families who are lucky enough to stay in one place for a long stretch of time this is the reality for many others. As you might imagine this can make it difficult to make friends and for some it can make it difficult to become friends with these people. There are probably various reasons for this but one that I have heard a lot is that people do not want to spend too much time trying to connect with people who they most likely will lose all contact with once they move on from Okinawa. This is understandable and I completely sympathize with how emotionally taxing it can be to try and make friends and gain trust in them only to have them leave and potentially never talk to them again. Even with social media this still happens.
Making friends can also be extremely difficult if you are here in Okinawa and on the younger side. I have seen a great deal of people on various websites putting out ads wanting to connect with others and be friends with little success. It's unfortunate but this too happens all the time. So what is the best way to connect? Well the reality is that the best way to connect is not to take out ads on local websites but rather to get involved with some sort of group. In my opinion the best and most beneficial way to do this is to get a job. Entering the work force is a good way to spend some of your extra time, make some money and overall get involved with other people and therefore make friends. It's a great way to build a connection with others because you will have the commonality of having the job and it's a great way to meet people that you might not have otherwise met.
"I'm sorry I can't hang out with you."
What a horrible phrase to hear from someone who is trying to connect and make friends. Unfortunately this is something that you may hear if you are married to a military member and are trying to make friends with a military member of a higher rank. You might not find yourself capable of inviting them over to a BBQ or a game of MW3. In cases like this it's not you but it's the policies that are in place by the military. That's correct. In some cases military members of certain ranks can not socialize with military members of other ranks. To my understanding this does not apply if you want to hang out with the spouse and this does not apply if you are a non military family who wants to hang out with a military family but it is something that occurs from time to time. This may also be the reason that some people are distant from the beginning.
My final word of caution for those out there who are wanting to make friends is to find a group that you are comfortable with and don't force yourself to enjoy something or do something that you are uncomfortable with. There are people out there who feel as though they have to be part of something and then they go out, get drunk and later get reprimanded. Others find themselves wanting to be park of the motorcycle community, going out and ending up going down because they didn't want to be strong and set their own boundaries. It's important to know your limits and know what you want to do. If you can't find friends right away you will find others around the corner but it takes time and it takes patience. Okinawa can be tough for making friends. For some it is a great experience whereas for others it is a nightmare. My best suggestion for those out there in Okinawa who want to make friends and feel as if they cannot make it without involvement of friends is to just relax, and take this time to explore you. If the right person's out there you'll find them.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Car modification
DISCLAIMER:
Always drive responsibly and abide by the laws and guidelines that Japan and/or your command has in place.
I have been asked a few times about cars here in Okinawa and there is no doubt that people coming to Japan want to know about what they can get their hands on which is usually followed by what type of modifications are legal to perform on your car here. Now before we go any further there are a few things I want to get out of the way so you know the direction of this post. 1. This information goes for anyone who is planning on modifying anything on their car. That's right. Whether you want to make your car look like something out of Fast and Furious, want to make your SUV roll through the mud and up mountains with the best of them or simply replace your headlight bulbs this applies to you. 2. This post offers information on the areas you will need to look out for but does NOT offer regulation or actual standards. If you want to know actual standards please conduct your own research and contact authorities on this matter. The reason for this? I'm not into giving out bad or outdated information. I am very aware of the basics but when it gets to the nitty gritty (which is what you are going to have to be aware of) like decibels and lumens I honestly don't know the exact requirements as of right now and therefore it's best if when you read this and when you choose to make your modifications you do your own research (or suffer any potential consequences but we will get more into this later).
Let's start from the beginning:
Chances are if you are reading this you have not yet come to Okinawa yet and you have preconceived notions about what Okinawa will be like. If you are like many of the people who come through here (whether you want to admit it or not) you have this image of or similar to Tokyo Drift embedded in your brain and yes you've got that itch to get into the bucket seat of some car that you are willing to make your masterpiece. That's completely natural I mean come on you're about to depart for the affordable sports car capitol of the world right? Before we slip her into gear and take off down the strip there are some things that you need to keep in mind right from the get go. Okinawa does not have the hustling bustling sports car culture that some people might imagine because of what they have read, seen on YouTube or even imagined based on movies about Japan. As far as getting around here in Okinawa goes (and I speak from experience) sports cars are expensive, difficult to get around in and inefficient. It is for this reason that you won't see many Japanese people driving their sports cars on the road, they usually have them for track use only. Now this is not to say that you never see them on the road, they are out there but it's not like you might imagine.
Now I realize that this is about car modification here in Okinawa but I am sure that you are going to want me to explain why I just said that sports cars here are expensive, difficult to get around in and inefficient. I will go through these quickly and briefly but if you have more questions please feel free to leave a comment or email me at okininjakitty@yahoo.com and I will answer your promptly.
Expensive:
To say sports cars are expensive is much more than to say they will cost a pretty penny to purchase. In fact you may find here that it doesn't cost much at all to purchase a car outright. This, however, doesn't mean that the car will be affordable throughout the entire time you own it. Insurance and road tax are significantly higher on a lot of the more desirable sports cars out there. They also require a higher octane gas (if you are one of the people who is going to modify your car or has a high powered combustion engine and care about how it runs) than you can get from the on base gas stations (information based on current available gas octane os of June 30 2012.) You will also find that repairing and finding good (and I stress good here) parts for your car can also cost you a pretty penny. A lot of these cars are older and in some cases need parts special order. In other cases they can have parts replaces with newer models which are again expensive. There are also some cars out there, such as the Nissan 300zx, which requires a special mechanic to work on the engine because of it's complexity and therefore more money is involved. Another point which we will get into later is the amount of money it takes to actually modify and maintain these vehicles.
Difficult to get around:
If you are serious into getting a sports car it's going to be a stick shift. I do apologize to all of those people out there who feel that an automatic is a perfectly good sports car mostly because they don't know how to drive stick. For your own benefit learn and I promise you that you will never look at an "automatic sports car" the same way again. Trust me when I say that there is nothing like trying to drive back from Naha to Okinawa City on a Friday afternoon in bumper to bumper traffic with a stick shift let alone a stick shift with some sort of high performance clutch. I've been here. . . . I don't care how much you like sports cars or what your passion is for them this is not enjoyable. This same concept goes for trying to get back home for many of us who live in areas where the size of a sports car (and to be fair a large van or SUV) is difficult to maneuver.
Inefficient:
Aside from cost usually sports cars don't offer the same ability to get your family (which many sports car people have) from point A to point B so you're going to need a second car and for many families here in Okinawa you might find yourself with only one parking space if any at all.
Of course these things are solely based on my opinion and for some these things may not be a problem but I am just explaining what I had said before.
Back to modifications
I think that it is safe to say that things you couldn't modify in your home state are the same things that you are not supposed to modify here. Ride height (both too high or too low), window tint, headlights/tail lights, tires, how your wheels sit (under the car, camber) and exhaust (decibel based). It is also important that in some rare cases you may run into a problem with adding things to your car like a roof rack or brush guard. I can't speak too much about this because I do not off road and therefore I do not have a full knowledge but I have seen people being ticketed (by military police) for having a brush guard on their SUV even through the brush guard was stock. Again just reporting what I have been made aware of which in this case I saw first hand. With all of this said this does tnot mean that you will never see cars with these types of "illegal" modifications here on the road. So if these modifications are illegal why do people have them? It's pretty much like anywhere else I suppose. You do what you want either until you get caught or until it's time for an inspection.
Enforcing the rules
So how are these rules enforced? To be completely honest how these rules are enforced are greatly dependent on how you compose yourself while you are driving. For example if you are drying a heavily modified car down the road like you would drive any normal car minding your own business, obeying the traffic signals/signs the odds are that you're going to be left alone. The only time that this is not necessarily the case is if you happen to be passing what many refer to as a safety check. To be completely honest I have never experienced one of these safety checks. I have heard about them from other people but I have not been pulled into one or even witnessed one. That being said I really can't speak about this.
Unfortunately the chances are if you are reading this you are going to be affiliated with the military bases. Your affiliation will mean that you are going through the gates at least once each day and therefore have a much better chance of being flagged for your car not meeting the standards required to pass an inspection. It is also much more common to be ticketed for modifications on a military installation.
Conclusion
Overall there are a number of details as to what can and can't be done to a car. My personal suggestion is to know what it is that you want to do to your car and then from there find out what your limitations are. If you are like me and prefer to stay within the limits while still doing as much modification as possible this is not out of reach. Good luck and please remember to drive responsibly.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Biggest Fan Mail Friday Yet!
Fan Mail Friday has never been so exciting and full of information. This week I received some spectacular questions from our viewers and readers. Many of these questions will be helpful to those of you heading out this way so let's waste no time.
WOW! Great question and one that I am sure has been burning in the brains of many who are preparing to come here to Okinawa. For the most part what you hear is right. Shops here in Japan have clothes which are meant for smaller people but that's because the average person here is on the smaller side. This doesn't mean, however, that you won't have the ability to find clothing that fits you here. There are shops which carry "Queen Sizes" as they are known here for us woman who are more of the American size and shape. At almost every department store you can find up to a 3L which is what I would consider (depending on the company of course) an American L or XL. There are also stores which will sell up to an 8L. Ultimately this means that there are clothes out there for you if you are not as small as the typical Japanese person.
** Side Note: Before I continue on let's talk about sizes here in Japan. There is XS, S, M, L, LL and then 3L, 4L and so on. Different companies can run slightly small or slightly large so it depends on what you are looking at. Either way it's always best to try it on if you have the chance before making the purchase.
It is important to note that a;though these clothes are out there you might not find everything in every size and if you are looking for these sizes you are going to have to put in some effort. Although you may be a common size in the US you are not a common size here and that is something you are going to find yourself dealing with. That being said I have never had trouble finding clothes here (I wear a 3L to a 5L depending on what I am purchasing and how I want that particular item to fit.) as far as basics, fashion items and pants go. Again that's not to say that every time I go shopping I walk out of a department store with my bags full but I can occasionally find items that I like and pick them up here and there.
Now, if you are here with the US Military you will have the option of shopping on base. This is good because you have the opportunity to work with sizing you are familiar with and with clothes brands you may already be familiar with but be forewarned there are two clear divides in the shopping centers on base: Juniors and Old Lady. If you are anything bigger than a juniors size and you are still wanting to look youthful you may have some trouble shopping on the base.
As far as shopping online it is really up to you. I have been here for 6 years now and what used to be a 10 is no longer a 10 if you know what I mean. It is for this reason that I really don't shop online because by the time it gets here, I try it on to see if it fits, I doesn't fit, I pay to ship it back and get another size. . . . Summer is already over and I am out more now because of the cost of shipping the item back and forth. For someone like yourself if you are coming here and know where you like to shop and what you want to purchase then you might find yourself purchasing online without a problem so it's entirely up to you.
Unfortunately Netflix is not available in Japan and therefore I do not have it. I have done some research, however, and have found that if you are living on the military bases you can get Netflix DVD's mailed to your on base address but you cannot stream and there have been some pretty bad reviews because of the amount of time that it takes the DVD's to get here as they are sent 4th class mail. You can get Hulu here now although I truthfully am not very informed about that service so I could not tell you much about it.
This question made me chuckle. I am sorry I don't mean it but once you get here it will make more sense. I don't basically live on an island I definitely live on an island. Okinawa is only about 60 miles long and at times only 2 miles wide so yes it's very much an island. :-) But back to your question. Do I spend a lot of time at the beach? I am going to assume that by "spending time" you mean like you would in the US where you go to the beach in a swim suit set yourself in the sun and enjoy the sand and the surf. Let's first talk about beaches. Although Okinawa is an island it is comprised of coral and therefore it does not have sandy beach surrounding the entire island. In some places there are concrete steps leading to the ocean and in other places there are these large concrete "jacks" (called tetropods). Both of these prevent erosion. It is also important to note that although there are various beaches around the island they are not all safe to swim at recreationally. During certain seasons Okinawa has what is known as the box jellyfish which is extremely dangerous and people are strongly discouraged from swimming in areas that have not been sectioned off. (You will notice when you get here that there seems to be a big beach but people are only swimming in a small area. This is to protect them from the box jellyfish.
Ok so do I spend a lot of time at the beach. I do but not in the way that I think you are asking. In the summertime I do not spend much time at the beach at all. It is too hot. With temps in the 80's and 90's and humidity on the up side of 95% you really can't spend more than an hour out in the sun without overheating. It is nice to jump in the water but the fact of the matter is that before you get back to your beach towel you are already going to be overheating again. It is also very difficult to turn back from overheating here in the Okinawa summer. Especially if you are lying out on the beach. During the winter I am at the beach all the time going for walks, eating lunch and just enjoying the view. I do like to tan from time to time though but I am lucky enough to have a deck looking out on the ocean that I can use and when I want to cool off on a hot summer day and look out on the ocean my tub has a window which has the most perfect view of the sunset. I realize that is probably cheating but it works for me :-P
Okinawa is also big into movies. Here are some of the movies in English that were playing at a local theater called the Mihama 7Plex: The Amazing Spiderman, Bad Teacher, Navy Seals, Hungry Rabbit, Snow White and the Huntsman, Soul Surfer, We bought a Zoo, The Vow, Dark Shadow, Men in Black and Larry Crowe. Of course not all movies come out as quickly as they do in the US but they are still relatively on top of their game. The one thing that you will notice about movies here is that they are more expensive than in the US. Adults are 1600yen, High School 1300, Elementary School 1000, Senior 1000, Infant 600 and physically challenged 800. There are some deals that happen throughout the week also which offer discounts. Every Wednesday is ladies day where women get in for 1000yen and on Monday is men's day where they can get in for 1100yen. There is also a deal on the 22nd of every month where a married couple can see a movie for a total of 2200yen. Although the prices seem high they are off set by the cost of snacks which is relatively low. A popcorn and soda for example will only cost you 350yen so compared to what you are used to in the US it's quite a deal.
When I first got this question I was wondering what exactly this person was talking about. I had responded to them in person and asked if they had been referring to radiation but they had explained that they were just referring to water in general. This person had been told that when in Japan not to drink the water or use ice because you would get very ill. This was interesting to me but at the same time when I think back to when I first came here I had heard some people warning me about the same thing.
Long story short it is perfectly safe to drink the water, eat the egg products, use ice and consume foods here in Japan. I honestly think that this is a tactic that some people use to make people feel as of they should not travel to another country in order to keep themselves safe but that is just my honest opinion. I have been here for over 6 years now and never once had a problem drinking water or consuming anything. I do use a filter for my drinking water but this is not because of anything other than I feel as though it's a good way to ensure that any water you are drinking is clean and free of debris of any kind. Have I drank straight from the tap, yes. No problems.
Truthfully I have no idea what the humidity will do to you. For me the humidity makes my hair frizzy but I suppose you could break out from the humidity if that is what generally happens to your skin.
The flight to Okinawa from Denver is anywhere from 16 to 25 hours depending on where you are flying into, the weather conditions and so on. Then there is the matter of how long it will take you when you add in the amount of time that you are laying over at the airports so yeah. For me flying from MA the trip took me about 48 hours which was brutal but that's what happens when you are traveling and having layovers here and there. When it all comes down to brass tax yes it is an incredibly long flight and it is important to ensure that you are prepared which will make the flight easier for everyone. Ensure that you keep yourself entertained, comfortable and busy for most of the trip and it won't seem as bad.
This is one of those questions that depends on where you are flying through. I have flown through Haneda and Osaka without any problems. Each airport has it's share of English speaking staff, prompts and signs which will ensure that you know where you are going. The airport does not HAVE to be scary if you take the time to stop, breath and just listen. I realize that this can sound silly but seriously it is very helpful. Most of the time signs will go through a few different languages so make sure that you take time to stop and read what is on the sign. It won't take too long so again don't worry just relax.
Since I am aware that you are going to be coming here as military no it is not expensive to mail things back to the US. You will have use of an APO or FPO which is basically the USPS here in another country where you can send your items as if they are being sent from California. It still may take a little more time for these items to arrive than they would if you were to mail them from the US but the cost will be the same.
If you are mailing from Okinawa's post office (the one out in town) then yes it can be expensive to mail from Okinawa to the US depending on what you are sending and how you would like it sent.
Yes. American appliances can be used in Japan regardless where you live although it is important to remember that you may need to buy a special plug converter to make your appliances capable of being plugged in. It is also important to remember that if you are living off base you may find yourself shorting out circuits if you are trying to run too many American appliances at once so be careful. Overall you should not have a problem though.
Thanks so much everyone for the fantastic questions this week I hope that you have more in the weeks to come. Have a great weekend!
I hear shops (clothing) in japan are more tailored to small size people. Is it hard to find clothes that fit or is it better to shop online?
WOW! Great question and one that I am sure has been burning in the brains of many who are preparing to come here to Okinawa. For the most part what you hear is right. Shops here in Japan have clothes which are meant for smaller people but that's because the average person here is on the smaller side. This doesn't mean, however, that you won't have the ability to find clothing that fits you here. There are shops which carry "Queen Sizes" as they are known here for us woman who are more of the American size and shape. At almost every department store you can find up to a 3L which is what I would consider (depending on the company of course) an American L or XL. There are also stores which will sell up to an 8L. Ultimately this means that there are clothes out there for you if you are not as small as the typical Japanese person.
** Side Note: Before I continue on let's talk about sizes here in Japan. There is XS, S, M, L, LL and then 3L, 4L and so on. Different companies can run slightly small or slightly large so it depends on what you are looking at. Either way it's always best to try it on if you have the chance before making the purchase.
It is important to note that a;though these clothes are out there you might not find everything in every size and if you are looking for these sizes you are going to have to put in some effort. Although you may be a common size in the US you are not a common size here and that is something you are going to find yourself dealing with. That being said I have never had trouble finding clothes here (I wear a 3L to a 5L depending on what I am purchasing and how I want that particular item to fit.) as far as basics, fashion items and pants go. Again that's not to say that every time I go shopping I walk out of a department store with my bags full but I can occasionally find items that I like and pick them up here and there.
Now, if you are here with the US Military you will have the option of shopping on base. This is good because you have the opportunity to work with sizing you are familiar with and with clothes brands you may already be familiar with but be forewarned there are two clear divides in the shopping centers on base: Juniors and Old Lady. If you are anything bigger than a juniors size and you are still wanting to look youthful you may have some trouble shopping on the base.
As far as shopping online it is really up to you. I have been here for 6 years now and what used to be a 10 is no longer a 10 if you know what I mean. It is for this reason that I really don't shop online because by the time it gets here, I try it on to see if it fits, I doesn't fit, I pay to ship it back and get another size. . . . Summer is already over and I am out more now because of the cost of shipping the item back and forth. For someone like yourself if you are coming here and know where you like to shop and what you want to purchase then you might find yourself purchasing online without a problem so it's entirely up to you.
I just found out you can get Netflix in Japan. Do you have Netflix? Why or Why not?
Unfortunately Netflix is not available in Japan and therefore I do not have it. I have done some research, however, and have found that if you are living on the military bases you can get Netflix DVD's mailed to your on base address but you cannot stream and there have been some pretty bad reviews because of the amount of time that it takes the DVD's to get here as they are sent 4th class mail. You can get Hulu here now although I truthfully am not very informed about that service so I could not tell you much about it.
Since you basically live on an island do you spend a lot of time at the beach?
This question made me chuckle. I am sorry I don't mean it but once you get here it will make more sense. I don't basically live on an island I definitely live on an island. Okinawa is only about 60 miles long and at times only 2 miles wide so yes it's very much an island. :-) But back to your question. Do I spend a lot of time at the beach? I am going to assume that by "spending time" you mean like you would in the US where you go to the beach in a swim suit set yourself in the sun and enjoy the sand and the surf. Let's first talk about beaches. Although Okinawa is an island it is comprised of coral and therefore it does not have sandy beach surrounding the entire island. In some places there are concrete steps leading to the ocean and in other places there are these large concrete "jacks" (called tetropods). Both of these prevent erosion. It is also important to note that although there are various beaches around the island they are not all safe to swim at recreationally. During certain seasons Okinawa has what is known as the box jellyfish which is extremely dangerous and people are strongly discouraged from swimming in areas that have not been sectioned off. (You will notice when you get here that there seems to be a big beach but people are only swimming in a small area. This is to protect them from the box jellyfish.
Ok so do I spend a lot of time at the beach. I do but not in the way that I think you are asking. In the summertime I do not spend much time at the beach at all. It is too hot. With temps in the 80's and 90's and humidity on the up side of 95% you really can't spend more than an hour out in the sun without overheating. It is nice to jump in the water but the fact of the matter is that before you get back to your beach towel you are already going to be overheating again. It is also very difficult to turn back from overheating here in the Okinawa summer. Especially if you are lying out on the beach. During the winter I am at the beach all the time going for walks, eating lunch and just enjoying the view. I do like to tan from time to time though but I am lucky enough to have a deck looking out on the ocean that I can use and when I want to cool off on a hot summer day and look out on the ocean my tub has a window which has the most perfect view of the sunset. I realize that is probably cheating but it works for me :-P
I'm big into movies what is the last big name movie plain in Okinawa like in America. We have have at least 10 movies to chose from. How many in Okinawa?
Okinawa is also big into movies. Here are some of the movies in English that were playing at a local theater called the Mihama 7Plex: The Amazing Spiderman, Bad Teacher, Navy Seals, Hungry Rabbit, Snow White and the Huntsman, Soul Surfer, We bought a Zoo, The Vow, Dark Shadow, Men in Black and Larry Crowe. Of course not all movies come out as quickly as they do in the US but they are still relatively on top of their game. The one thing that you will notice about movies here is that they are more expensive than in the US. Adults are 1600yen, High School 1300, Elementary School 1000, Senior 1000, Infant 600 and physically challenged 800. There are some deals that happen throughout the week also which offer discounts. Every Wednesday is ladies day where women get in for 1000yen and on Monday is men's day where they can get in for 1100yen. There is also a deal on the 22nd of every month where a married couple can see a movie for a total of 2200yen. Although the prices seem high they are off set by the cost of snacks which is relatively low. A popcorn and soda for example will only cost you 350yen so compared to what you are used to in the US it's quite a deal.
Is the water safe to drink in Japan.
When I first got this question I was wondering what exactly this person was talking about. I had responded to them in person and asked if they had been referring to radiation but they had explained that they were just referring to water in general. This person had been told that when in Japan not to drink the water or use ice because you would get very ill. This was interesting to me but at the same time when I think back to when I first came here I had heard some people warning me about the same thing.
Long story short it is perfectly safe to drink the water, eat the egg products, use ice and consume foods here in Japan. I honestly think that this is a tactic that some people use to make people feel as of they should not travel to another country in order to keep themselves safe but that is just my honest opinion. I have been here for over 6 years now and never once had a problem drinking water or consuming anything. I do use a filter for my drinking water but this is not because of anything other than I feel as though it's a good way to ensure that any water you are drinking is clean and free of debris of any kind. Have I drank straight from the tap, yes. No problems.
Will the humidity make me break out?
Truthfully I have no idea what the humidity will do to you. For me the humidity makes my hair frizzy but I suppose you could break out from the humidity if that is what generally happens to your skin.
How long is the flight from Denver to Okinawa?
The flight to Okinawa from Denver is anywhere from 16 to 25 hours depending on where you are flying into, the weather conditions and so on. Then there is the matter of how long it will take you when you add in the amount of time that you are laying over at the airports so yeah. For me flying from MA the trip took me about 48 hours which was brutal but that's what happens when you are traveling and having layovers here and there. When it all comes down to brass tax yes it is an incredibly long flight and it is important to ensure that you are prepared which will make the flight easier for everyone. Ensure that you keep yourself entertained, comfortable and busy for most of the trip and it won't seem as bad.
Are the airports scary and confusing?
This is one of those questions that depends on where you are flying through. I have flown through Haneda and Osaka without any problems. Each airport has it's share of English speaking staff, prompts and signs which will ensure that you know where you are going. The airport does not HAVE to be scary if you take the time to stop, breath and just listen. I realize that this can sound silly but seriously it is very helpful. Most of the time signs will go through a few different languages so make sure that you take time to stop and read what is on the sign. It won't take too long so again don't worry just relax.
Is it expensive to mail things from Okinawa to the US?
Since I am aware that you are going to be coming here as military no it is not expensive to mail things back to the US. You will have use of an APO or FPO which is basically the USPS here in another country where you can send your items as if they are being sent from California. It still may take a little more time for these items to arrive than they would if you were to mail them from the US but the cost will be the same.
If you are mailing from Okinawa's post office (the one out in town) then yes it can be expensive to mail from Okinawa to the US depending on what you are sending and how you would like it sent.
Can I use my American appliances in Japan?
Yes. American appliances can be used in Japan regardless where you live although it is important to remember that you may need to buy a special plug converter to make your appliances capable of being plugged in. It is also important to remember that if you are living off base you may find yourself shorting out circuits if you are trying to run too many American appliances at once so be careful. Overall you should not have a problem though.
Thanks so much everyone for the fantastic questions this week I hope that you have more in the weeks to come. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tomorrow is Fan Mail Friday
Tomorrow is Fan Mail Friday and to be honest I am quite excited for this week's video. The questions that have been asked are actually very interesting and have been well thought out by those who are sending them in. In the true fashion of OkiNinjaKitty I will be answering all of the questions that I received in one video tomorrow so if you happen to be reading this and thinking to yourself that you would like to have your question answered please ensure that you make a comment here or at one of the many other places where you can contact me within the next 12 to 16 hours.
So what else has been going on over here? The weather has been much hotter than it has ben at any point so far in the year. I think that the storm passing us by has caused the weather to be slightly cooler than we normally have but now that all is clear the humidity has moved in and we are starting to experience weather in Okinawa that is representative of the tropical island that we are. Actually today we even had a rain storm which lasted for only about 5 minutes and caused it to get so incredibly thick and humid that both Russ and myself came into the bedroom in which I am sitting right now with the AC on. Overall this type of weather will only last for a short while although it will feel as though it lasts forever due to the heat. WE are already almost in July and we just need to make it to September before we can start to have cooler weather again.
This is about all there is to report today. Thanks for reading everyone!
So what else has been going on over here? The weather has been much hotter than it has ben at any point so far in the year. I think that the storm passing us by has caused the weather to be slightly cooler than we normally have but now that all is clear the humidity has moved in and we are starting to experience weather in Okinawa that is representative of the tropical island that we are. Actually today we even had a rain storm which lasted for only about 5 minutes and caused it to get so incredibly thick and humid that both Russ and myself came into the bedroom in which I am sitting right now with the AC on. Overall this type of weather will only last for a short while although it will feel as though it lasts forever due to the heat. WE are already almost in July and we just need to make it to September before we can start to have cooler weather again.
This is about all there is to report today. Thanks for reading everyone!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
It's quiet over here
It's true I have not been posting as regularly as I usually do in the past could of days. The reason for this is because there has been a lot of preparation taking place over here before I head out to Tokyo. Between trying to get in contact with my mother so that she is ready for the upcoming trip as well, preparing the house for my trip and getting myself ready I have not been spending much time sitting down in front of the computer and spending more time up and doing a number of different tasks.
Unfortunately there is not much more than I have to disuse right now because I need to do some more errands what I have already started for the day but during this moment while I am taking a little rest from my chores I wanted to say HI and tell you that I am still here and still intend on writing regularly. It is just a little quiet right now.
Unfortunately there is not much more than I have to disuse right now because I need to do some more errands what I have already started for the day but during this moment while I am taking a little rest from my chores I wanted to say HI and tell you that I am still here and still intend on writing regularly. It is just a little quiet right now.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Buying a car in Okinawa
This topic came from a viewer who was watching a video that I had posted about buying a car in Okinawa and they asked what are some good places to buy a car from and what kind of headache is it to bring a car back? This is another fantastic question. Now I had asked this particular person what ind of car they were interested in and did not get a response back so I am going to go over a number of different car purchasing situations and hopefully one will be what you needing to get your question answered. So basically there are a few different ways to go about purchasing a car here in Okinawa. There are Military dealers who you can purchase from whether or not you are military but they usually have prices in dollars and have all English speaking staff which makes life easier. These dealers are also right outside the bases for super duper easy access. There are then the regular Japanese dealers and finally private parities. What kind of car you are looking for will determine what kind of place you will want to go in order to make the purchase.
If you are looking for a KCar then your best bet is going to be shopping at a regular Japanese dealer. There are hundreds of used car dealers here in Okinawa which will have a variety of used cars. It is important to remember, however, that here in Japan used cars are usually on the new side. What I mean is that if you are looking at a Japanese used car dealer you can expect to see (in the year 2012) cars that are 2010 and 2011 on the lot. You might find something older but the odds are you are going to find something only a few years old. From what we have noticed there is also a bit of pattern that occurs with the prices also. A 2010 will cost you approximately 1,000,000yen; a 2011 will cost approximately 1,100,000yen and so on. It is also important to remember that the prices at some of the Japanese used car dealers do not come with the mandatory inspections in the price so you will need to take that into consideration when purchasing also. There are some perks to purchasing from a Japanese used car dealer and one of those perks is that the car you purchase is going to be in new condition. The odds are this car has only had one or two owners before and you are going to get it as if you just pulled out of the manufacturer's parking lot. Of course the downside is the price. With today's yen rate these cars can be expensive but it is up to you to determine whether you think it is worth it or not.
If a non-turbo'ed standard car (sedan, mini van, wagon. . . . ) is what you are looking for then one of the Military dealers may be the place for you. Of course it always depends on what you are looking for and it is important to have a clear understanding of what you are looking for before you start to head over to the Military dealer. The pros of a military used car dealer is that the prices are significantly lower than the Japanese used car dealers and the cars come with the price of the inspections included. Unfortunately there is no real pattern to the pricing of the cars from a military used car dealer although you can anticipate approximately 5 to 6 thousand USD for a regular car and about 6 to 8 thousand USD for a sports car. They are also usually conveniently located within walking distance of the military bases which make them very easy to get to but unfortunately it is also one of the reasons that they are capable of taking advantage of many people. There are some big cons for using a military used car dealer but luckily a great deal of them can be avoided. The cars from these dealers are roughly in the 10 year old range (some less some more but 10 is a good round about) and a great deal of them have signs of wear a tear. It is not uncommon to have a car with a cracked windshield, dents dings or in some cases busted radiators. This is why it becomes very important for you as the buyer to take time to really inspect the car in great detail before making a purchase. Another con is that a lot of the perks which are available to you from these places have fine print attached which you might not find out about until after you have signed the dotted line. The most iconic example of this is warrantees. At most dealers if you have a car with a turbo (whether or not it is a sports car because there are other non sports cars with turbos as they are more efficient) they will not service the car. What this ultimately means is that once you drive that car off the lot regardless what happens to any part of the car the military dealer is no longer responsible. A friend of mine actually experienced this. Less than 24 hours after the purchase of the car the drivers side window stopped going down. When the car was brought back to the dealer they explained that they would not do anything about it because the car has a turbo and therefore was not covered under the warrantee. At the end of the day it is all up to what it is that you want to do. If you see something that you want and if the sale works out for you then this is a good option for you but there might be other feasible options out there for you as well.
Finally, the most anticipated car class for those coming to Okinawa sports cars. To cut to the chase you are going to most likely find yourself buying from a private seller. The reason? There is more variety from people trying to sell their cars than there is at the dealerships out in town. This is not to say that there are not dealers who have sports cars nor is it to say that there are not specialty dealers who only sell sports cars but you are going to get the most bang for your buck buying from a private party. There are some words of warning that I have about buying your sports cars here though. Let's go over a few:
1. Know the difference between a "sporty" car and a "sports" car. A good example of this is the Nissan Skyline. Contrary to popular belief not all Skyline's are created equal and no they are not all "sports" cars. Some are non-turbo some are not even stick. And please don't believe the few people out there who say "non turbo but you would never know it". Trust me you will know it. There is also an entire breed of car here that is "sporty" but don't perform when you put the pedal to the metal. One of these cars is the B4 Legacy. Don't let the twin turbo fool you it's piggy back system that they put in place with those turbos don't give you the power of a twin turbo but rather just a ton of turbo lag.
2. Don't just see the bells and whistles and get excited. If you are looking at a car that has a laundry list of modifications it is always important to take special care before making the purchase. Take time to talk to the seller and ensure that they are able to explain all of the modifications that they have done to the car. This will give you peace of mind knowing that they were not just someone poking and prodding at the engine during the weekends. Also make sure that the car comes with all original and JCI (Inspection) parts. This could include everything from headlights, tail lights, springs, struts, down pipe, cat back exhaust, rims and steering wheel. This will ensure that when the inspection comes due on the car you will not have to purchase parts. (And yes anyone who had modified their car and has a good solid knowledge of cars here on Okinawa should still have all of these parts for you) Also consider that some sports cars have been modified to not take low octane gas meaning you will not be able to purchase your gas on base and will need to buy fuel off base for approximately $10.00 per gallon. This can be costly.
3. Know what you want out of your car. What are you going to want to do with the car? Also consider what you are required to do with the car on a daily basis. Some cars like the Mitsubishi Evolution do not have back seats that fold down potentially making it difficult to move things in the trunk where as the Nissan 300zx 2 seater has a huge trunk. Of course this might not be important to you but if you are someone who enjoys scuba or other activities where you need to take around a lot of gear this might be something to consider. Of course there is the style of "sport" car that you are looking for. From drift to drag to rally everything is available here so know what you want and you will have an easier time finding a car that you can work with.
The second part of the questions was about the headache of bringing a car back to the US . To be completely honest a few years back when we were toying with the idea of going back to the US I was planning on bring my Evolution back to the states and so I did a ton of research on this and therefore I feel that I can give you a decent answer for this one. The short answer is that sadly the odds are stacked against you and your chances of getting a car back to the US are slim. I do want to make myself completely clear here, this is not to say that people don't do it. They do. And they get caught. This is also not to say that there are not ways to get parts of cars back to the states. That is also possible but for the sake of this post let's talk about getting an entire car back to the US. There are four ways to get a car back to the states. The first is if the car is an antique. I do not particularly know the process for getting an antique car back to the US because I did not have one but I am 100% aware that this is the easiest way to get a car back. The second is if the car is for the purpose of race only. This method is by no means easy nor is it cheap. There are a lot of things that need to be done in order to make this happen and it starts with having a license to race in the US and having competed in a certain number of events over a period of time. These events have to be sanctioned and Okinawa's competitions do not count (sorry). The car then has to be a special type of car which was designed to race (homologated) to prove this you have to obtain information from the car manufacturer to ensure that this is the case. This can be difficult if your car model was not released in the US. You then need to ensure that your car meets a set of standards which ensure that it is a race car. The list is incredibly long but it includes things like removing locks, removing glass (windshield needs to be replaced with shatter proof windshield, same goes for the rear, windows are to be replaced with mesh) there needs to be a fuel cell also and the list goes on. Once that has all been completed the car then needs to be shipped back to the US and inspected before it can be released to you. You then will need to prove that you are racing the car actively which is a set number of sanctioned races within a set length of time) and if you decommission your car it them has to be sent back to Japan. You are not allowed to break the car down or anything of the sort. Although this comes with a lot of rules and regulations the most troubling part about this is modifying it to be race ready. For my particular situation by the time that the car was modified so that it was accepted upon inspection prior to shipping the car back to the US we were looking almost at $10,000 to $15,000 just in parts not including the price to actually get it back.
Finally there is the ability to take a car back to the US just to drive. I must warn you this sounds ridiculous but it is all information that I received from immigrations and the people in charge over in the US. Let's suppose you want to bring back your Skyline to the US to drive on the street. Regardless if the car is made in the states or not it needs to go through vigorous testing to ensure that it is safe to be on the roads in the US. To accomplish this you will need to provide the US with 3 more of the same exact make and model car that you plan to import. This will allow them to complete the necessary crash tests to determine whether or not your car is safe for the roads in the US. Once that is all good if the car passes the tests you then have to modify your car to make it fit within the US standards which includes changing it over to left hand side drive. This needs to be done by an approved shop in the US from start to finish. Once that is done it is then inspected again and once you have paid the bill if it is approved it's yours.
Of course each of these items may be slightly dated because I got my information a few years ago so please consider that when you are reading. Also please consider that I have given a brief description of what I have learned over the time that I was researching taking a car back. As far as my opinion goes just getting the answers of what you need to do is a headache I cannot imagine actually going through with is. To be completely honest what is the biggest turn off for me is that amount of money that is potentially lost for the CHANCE of getting your car back to the US. With the money you spend you could be half way to your dream car.
If you are looking for a KCar then your best bet is going to be shopping at a regular Japanese dealer. There are hundreds of used car dealers here in Okinawa which will have a variety of used cars. It is important to remember, however, that here in Japan used cars are usually on the new side. What I mean is that if you are looking at a Japanese used car dealer you can expect to see (in the year 2012) cars that are 2010 and 2011 on the lot. You might find something older but the odds are you are going to find something only a few years old. From what we have noticed there is also a bit of pattern that occurs with the prices also. A 2010 will cost you approximately 1,000,000yen; a 2011 will cost approximately 1,100,000yen and so on. It is also important to remember that the prices at some of the Japanese used car dealers do not come with the mandatory inspections in the price so you will need to take that into consideration when purchasing also. There are some perks to purchasing from a Japanese used car dealer and one of those perks is that the car you purchase is going to be in new condition. The odds are this car has only had one or two owners before and you are going to get it as if you just pulled out of the manufacturer's parking lot. Of course the downside is the price. With today's yen rate these cars can be expensive but it is up to you to determine whether you think it is worth it or not.
If a non-turbo'ed standard car (sedan, mini van, wagon. . . . ) is what you are looking for then one of the Military dealers may be the place for you. Of course it always depends on what you are looking for and it is important to have a clear understanding of what you are looking for before you start to head over to the Military dealer. The pros of a military used car dealer is that the prices are significantly lower than the Japanese used car dealers and the cars come with the price of the inspections included. Unfortunately there is no real pattern to the pricing of the cars from a military used car dealer although you can anticipate approximately 5 to 6 thousand USD for a regular car and about 6 to 8 thousand USD for a sports car. They are also usually conveniently located within walking distance of the military bases which make them very easy to get to but unfortunately it is also one of the reasons that they are capable of taking advantage of many people. There are some big cons for using a military used car dealer but luckily a great deal of them can be avoided. The cars from these dealers are roughly in the 10 year old range (some less some more but 10 is a good round about) and a great deal of them have signs of wear a tear. It is not uncommon to have a car with a cracked windshield, dents dings or in some cases busted radiators. This is why it becomes very important for you as the buyer to take time to really inspect the car in great detail before making a purchase. Another con is that a lot of the perks which are available to you from these places have fine print attached which you might not find out about until after you have signed the dotted line. The most iconic example of this is warrantees. At most dealers if you have a car with a turbo (whether or not it is a sports car because there are other non sports cars with turbos as they are more efficient) they will not service the car. What this ultimately means is that once you drive that car off the lot regardless what happens to any part of the car the military dealer is no longer responsible. A friend of mine actually experienced this. Less than 24 hours after the purchase of the car the drivers side window stopped going down. When the car was brought back to the dealer they explained that they would not do anything about it because the car has a turbo and therefore was not covered under the warrantee. At the end of the day it is all up to what it is that you want to do. If you see something that you want and if the sale works out for you then this is a good option for you but there might be other feasible options out there for you as well.
Finally, the most anticipated car class for those coming to Okinawa sports cars. To cut to the chase you are going to most likely find yourself buying from a private seller. The reason? There is more variety from people trying to sell their cars than there is at the dealerships out in town. This is not to say that there are not dealers who have sports cars nor is it to say that there are not specialty dealers who only sell sports cars but you are going to get the most bang for your buck buying from a private party. There are some words of warning that I have about buying your sports cars here though. Let's go over a few:
1. Know the difference between a "sporty" car and a "sports" car. A good example of this is the Nissan Skyline. Contrary to popular belief not all Skyline's are created equal and no they are not all "sports" cars. Some are non-turbo some are not even stick. And please don't believe the few people out there who say "non turbo but you would never know it". Trust me you will know it. There is also an entire breed of car here that is "sporty" but don't perform when you put the pedal to the metal. One of these cars is the B4 Legacy. Don't let the twin turbo fool you it's piggy back system that they put in place with those turbos don't give you the power of a twin turbo but rather just a ton of turbo lag.
2. Don't just see the bells and whistles and get excited. If you are looking at a car that has a laundry list of modifications it is always important to take special care before making the purchase. Take time to talk to the seller and ensure that they are able to explain all of the modifications that they have done to the car. This will give you peace of mind knowing that they were not just someone poking and prodding at the engine during the weekends. Also make sure that the car comes with all original and JCI (Inspection) parts. This could include everything from headlights, tail lights, springs, struts, down pipe, cat back exhaust, rims and steering wheel. This will ensure that when the inspection comes due on the car you will not have to purchase parts. (And yes anyone who had modified their car and has a good solid knowledge of cars here on Okinawa should still have all of these parts for you) Also consider that some sports cars have been modified to not take low octane gas meaning you will not be able to purchase your gas on base and will need to buy fuel off base for approximately $10.00 per gallon. This can be costly.
3. Know what you want out of your car. What are you going to want to do with the car? Also consider what you are required to do with the car on a daily basis. Some cars like the Mitsubishi Evolution do not have back seats that fold down potentially making it difficult to move things in the trunk where as the Nissan 300zx 2 seater has a huge trunk. Of course this might not be important to you but if you are someone who enjoys scuba or other activities where you need to take around a lot of gear this might be something to consider. Of course there is the style of "sport" car that you are looking for. From drift to drag to rally everything is available here so know what you want and you will have an easier time finding a car that you can work with.
The second part of the questions was about the headache of bringing a car back to the US . To be completely honest a few years back when we were toying with the idea of going back to the US I was planning on bring my Evolution back to the states and so I did a ton of research on this and therefore I feel that I can give you a decent answer for this one. The short answer is that sadly the odds are stacked against you and your chances of getting a car back to the US are slim. I do want to make myself completely clear here, this is not to say that people don't do it. They do. And they get caught. This is also not to say that there are not ways to get parts of cars back to the states. That is also possible but for the sake of this post let's talk about getting an entire car back to the US. There are four ways to get a car back to the states. The first is if the car is an antique. I do not particularly know the process for getting an antique car back to the US because I did not have one but I am 100% aware that this is the easiest way to get a car back. The second is if the car is for the purpose of race only. This method is by no means easy nor is it cheap. There are a lot of things that need to be done in order to make this happen and it starts with having a license to race in the US and having competed in a certain number of events over a period of time. These events have to be sanctioned and Okinawa's competitions do not count (sorry). The car then has to be a special type of car which was designed to race (homologated) to prove this you have to obtain information from the car manufacturer to ensure that this is the case. This can be difficult if your car model was not released in the US. You then need to ensure that your car meets a set of standards which ensure that it is a race car. The list is incredibly long but it includes things like removing locks, removing glass (windshield needs to be replaced with shatter proof windshield, same goes for the rear, windows are to be replaced with mesh) there needs to be a fuel cell also and the list goes on. Once that has all been completed the car then needs to be shipped back to the US and inspected before it can be released to you. You then will need to prove that you are racing the car actively which is a set number of sanctioned races within a set length of time) and if you decommission your car it them has to be sent back to Japan. You are not allowed to break the car down or anything of the sort. Although this comes with a lot of rules and regulations the most troubling part about this is modifying it to be race ready. For my particular situation by the time that the car was modified so that it was accepted upon inspection prior to shipping the car back to the US we were looking almost at $10,000 to $15,000 just in parts not including the price to actually get it back.
Finally there is the ability to take a car back to the US just to drive. I must warn you this sounds ridiculous but it is all information that I received from immigrations and the people in charge over in the US. Let's suppose you want to bring back your Skyline to the US to drive on the street. Regardless if the car is made in the states or not it needs to go through vigorous testing to ensure that it is safe to be on the roads in the US. To accomplish this you will need to provide the US with 3 more of the same exact make and model car that you plan to import. This will allow them to complete the necessary crash tests to determine whether or not your car is safe for the roads in the US. Once that is all good if the car passes the tests you then have to modify your car to make it fit within the US standards which includes changing it over to left hand side drive. This needs to be done by an approved shop in the US from start to finish. Once that is done it is then inspected again and once you have paid the bill if it is approved it's yours.
Of course each of these items may be slightly dated because I got my information a few years ago so please consider that when you are reading. Also please consider that I have given a brief description of what I have learned over the time that I was researching taking a car back. As far as my opinion goes just getting the answers of what you need to do is a headache I cannot imagine actually going through with is. To be completely honest what is the biggest turn off for me is that amount of money that is potentially lost for the CHANCE of getting your car back to the US. With the money you spend you could be half way to your dream car.
From Magazines to Radiation this is Fan Mail Friday!
It's Friday over here in Okinawa and you know what that means, it's time for Fan Mail Friday. If you are still not familiar with Fan Mail Friday it's a time when I sit down and answer all of the questions that you have sent to me throughout the past week. This week you guys asked some awesome questions so let's get right into it!
A while back I had posted a video about magazines here in Japan. If you haven't watched it or if you don't already know magazines here are a load of fun and many of them come with some sort of gift such as a hand bag or mirror. For men's magazines you might get a hand bag also (as that is part of the fashion here) or you might find yourself with some sort of a DVD. One viewer asked where I get these magazines and unfortunately I was unable to respond to their comment because of some sort of error or glitch but I would like to answer that question now. All of the magazines that I get are usually purchased from FamilyMart or Lawsons. Of course you can purchase magazines in various other places like at book stores or shopping centers but as the convenient stores are by my house I usually find myself purchasing them from there. As I am sure that at least one of you reading are curious I am not sure if any of these magazines can be purchased online but if you purchase them here they are very affordable especially with the handbags and other items that come with them.
Another viewer asked me What are some good places to visit/live in Japan? This is an interesting question. The fact of the matter is that good places to visit or live in Japan are really different from person to person. If you like living in the city then you are most likely going to like living in one of Japan's cities where as if you like to live in the countryside then one of Japan's countryside's are going to be better suited for you. It's really not as simple as saying that one part of Japan is better than the other. Comparing Tokyo to Okinawa, for example is apples to oranges. The same is true for visiting a part of Japan. If you find yourself uncomfortable in the city, for example, you are not going to be comfortable in Tokyo because it's a city and there is a lot of hustle and bustle. In my own personal opinion I would be happy to live anywhere in Japan other than Hokkaido but that is just because I cannot stand the cold. If it were not for the cold weather I would happily live there too if I could. As for visiting Japan, again in my personal opinion, I believe that all parts of Japan are good also. Each different part of Japan has a different culture and different characteristics of how they go about daily life and to experience that is definitely something worth taking time to do if you have the means. Again it is all up to you.
I received another question from a viewer who asked am I concerned about the radiation in Tokyo. The person had also posted on another video that I needed to "get out now". Since the disaster that had happened over a year ago I had not approached this topic because aside from family back home in the US I had never been asked about it but I wanted to take a moment now to answer this question. I am in no way concerned about the supposed levels of radiation in Tokyo. There really is no more simple way to say it than that. The people of Tokyo have not been at risk of any grave danger due to radiation since this disaster over a year ago. That is not to say that there have not been precautions taken. This ensures that children, who are most susceptible to harm, are taken care of but this is precautions. I am not concerned about the food, I am not concerned about the water, I am not concerned about the air quality. Then there is the comment of how I need to "get out now". I am going to give this person the benefit of the doubt and assume that they meant to ask me what my feelings are on staying in Japan rather than trying to tell me that I need to leave my home and life here in Japan. There is no reason to leave Okinawa or any other part of Japan for that matter (other than Fukushima) after the disaster that happened over a year ago. I do realize that for most of you who are on the outside looking in it seems like the easy route to say to get out of Japan because you may not be familiar with the geography of the country or the many other places where it is safe to live within the country. Imagine for a moment something happened in Boston and others were suggesting that the entire state of Massachusetts was evacuated. That sounds a little ridiculous as is the suggestion that Japan should be evacuated. My true and honest opinion of this is that there is a lot of panic created due to a lack of understanding. There is no denying that this is a topic that most do not understand, in fact I would wager that many people have learned more about nuclear energy and radiation now than ever before. What is troubling is where this information is being gathered from. I had watched one video of a person who sited an article by "Steve" with no last name who happened to hold a variety of degrees in the subject matter but did not state where the degrees came from. It does not take a lot to tell that this is not a good source of information. Nevertheless this information gets spread because it is the most alarming and at the end of the day the shock factor is what gets the ratings both on Youtube or on your local news station.
Now, as you will notice above there is not a lot of factual information presented to make my case nor are there sited sources as to what I have read over the past year which has given my the opinion and view that I currently have. I have done this for a reason. My blog and VLOG post are not the kind of informative that will give you a lesson on everything radioactive and nuclear. If you would like to learn about that there are a number of specialists out there who can help you out. Here in my blog you are going to get the information through my eyes and as far as this situation goes my eyes see that there are a lot of people who are on the outside looking in kicking and screaming about something that they do not fully understand.
This is basically all that I have for you right now. I have another topic that I am going to be discussing in another post because of the length but keep an eye out for that. Thanks for reading!
A while back I had posted a video about magazines here in Japan. If you haven't watched it or if you don't already know magazines here are a load of fun and many of them come with some sort of gift such as a hand bag or mirror. For men's magazines you might get a hand bag also (as that is part of the fashion here) or you might find yourself with some sort of a DVD. One viewer asked where I get these magazines and unfortunately I was unable to respond to their comment because of some sort of error or glitch but I would like to answer that question now. All of the magazines that I get are usually purchased from FamilyMart or Lawsons. Of course you can purchase magazines in various other places like at book stores or shopping centers but as the convenient stores are by my house I usually find myself purchasing them from there. As I am sure that at least one of you reading are curious I am not sure if any of these magazines can be purchased online but if you purchase them here they are very affordable especially with the handbags and other items that come with them.
Another viewer asked me What are some good places to visit/live in Japan? This is an interesting question. The fact of the matter is that good places to visit or live in Japan are really different from person to person. If you like living in the city then you are most likely going to like living in one of Japan's cities where as if you like to live in the countryside then one of Japan's countryside's are going to be better suited for you. It's really not as simple as saying that one part of Japan is better than the other. Comparing Tokyo to Okinawa, for example is apples to oranges. The same is true for visiting a part of Japan. If you find yourself uncomfortable in the city, for example, you are not going to be comfortable in Tokyo because it's a city and there is a lot of hustle and bustle. In my own personal opinion I would be happy to live anywhere in Japan other than Hokkaido but that is just because I cannot stand the cold. If it were not for the cold weather I would happily live there too if I could. As for visiting Japan, again in my personal opinion, I believe that all parts of Japan are good also. Each different part of Japan has a different culture and different characteristics of how they go about daily life and to experience that is definitely something worth taking time to do if you have the means. Again it is all up to you.
I received another question from a viewer who asked am I concerned about the radiation in Tokyo. The person had also posted on another video that I needed to "get out now". Since the disaster that had happened over a year ago I had not approached this topic because aside from family back home in the US I had never been asked about it but I wanted to take a moment now to answer this question. I am in no way concerned about the supposed levels of radiation in Tokyo. There really is no more simple way to say it than that. The people of Tokyo have not been at risk of any grave danger due to radiation since this disaster over a year ago. That is not to say that there have not been precautions taken. This ensures that children, who are most susceptible to harm, are taken care of but this is precautions. I am not concerned about the food, I am not concerned about the water, I am not concerned about the air quality. Then there is the comment of how I need to "get out now". I am going to give this person the benefit of the doubt and assume that they meant to ask me what my feelings are on staying in Japan rather than trying to tell me that I need to leave my home and life here in Japan. There is no reason to leave Okinawa or any other part of Japan for that matter (other than Fukushima) after the disaster that happened over a year ago. I do realize that for most of you who are on the outside looking in it seems like the easy route to say to get out of Japan because you may not be familiar with the geography of the country or the many other places where it is safe to live within the country. Imagine for a moment something happened in Boston and others were suggesting that the entire state of Massachusetts was evacuated. That sounds a little ridiculous as is the suggestion that Japan should be evacuated. My true and honest opinion of this is that there is a lot of panic created due to a lack of understanding. There is no denying that this is a topic that most do not understand, in fact I would wager that many people have learned more about nuclear energy and radiation now than ever before. What is troubling is where this information is being gathered from. I had watched one video of a person who sited an article by "Steve" with no last name who happened to hold a variety of degrees in the subject matter but did not state where the degrees came from. It does not take a lot to tell that this is not a good source of information. Nevertheless this information gets spread because it is the most alarming and at the end of the day the shock factor is what gets the ratings both on Youtube or on your local news station.
Now, as you will notice above there is not a lot of factual information presented to make my case nor are there sited sources as to what I have read over the past year which has given my the opinion and view that I currently have. I have done this for a reason. My blog and VLOG post are not the kind of informative that will give you a lesson on everything radioactive and nuclear. If you would like to learn about that there are a number of specialists out there who can help you out. Here in my blog you are going to get the information through my eyes and as far as this situation goes my eyes see that there are a lot of people who are on the outside looking in kicking and screaming about something that they do not fully understand.
This is basically all that I have for you right now. I have another topic that I am going to be discussing in another post because of the length but keep an eye out for that. Thanks for reading!
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