Japanese Public Restrooms - A love hate relationship

Sooner or later everyone's got to go. In a number of cases, especially if you're traveling through Japan, this means finding the closest public restroom. Public Restrooms or Public Toilets are one of the many things here in Japan that I have a love hate relationship with and so I thought that today I would share with you some of the good, bad and otherwise about Public Restrooms here in Japan.

What you probably already know: 

If you've found yourself researching Japanese toilets you've probably become familiar with two types of toilets the first being the squat toilet and the second being the electric toilet. First and foremost let's take a moment to talk about the squat toilet . The squat toilet is something which could be considered "traditional" or "old fashioned" by some but is still very common today throughout Japan in modern buildings to include tourist attractions and shopping centers. This type of toilet is used by squatting over it which can be great because no contact is made with the actual toilet itself, however, if you have any sort of trouble squatting or suffer from any type of injuries to your hips of knees (like I do) then this toilet can be a nightmare. They are also not often as clean as other toilets because despite being "traditional" in nature I am not convinced that Japanese people actually know how to properly use these squat toilets or prefer to use them. This could honestly be one of those things they keep around to see how tourist react as far as I am concerned because to this day I have never seen a Japanese person actually go into one of these stalls willingly.

The second type of toilet which is known for being popular in Japan is the electric toilet. This is easily identifiable by the 10 to 30 buttons available both on the toilet seat and sometimes on the wall. These toilets will spray, mist, air dry and even sing while you do what you have to do. They can be found in a number of places as well. Although there isn't really anything scary about these electric toilets they can be a bit of a challenge for parents with young children who are now using the "big girl/boy potty" and like to push buttons. I say this because little bums don't cover the area which would normally be covered by big bums and sometimes this can result in mommy coming out of the bathroom covered with water.

The awesome stuff you probably don't know: 

So we know about the toilets but there are also some other pretty awesome things about Japanese public restrooms that you probably didn't know. First and foremost the cleanliness needs to be mentioned. It's safe to say that most public restrooms you visit in Japan will be the cleanest that you have ever been to. The floor is usually dry, it doesn't stink to high heavens and you're not going to look like you spilled water on your lap if you accidentally bump into the sink. For me this is one of the things that I absolutely love about Japanese public restrooms.

For the fashionistas out there you might even find that in public restrooms located in large shopping complexes the stalls are outfitted with changing stations. This is a small fold down platform which you can stand on while changing outfits. I first saw this in Tokyo while in Sunshine City but then a few years later its way down to shopping centers here in Okinawa.

Parent's also have some special features they can take advantage of in public restrooms for when nature calls. One that I imagine would be most useful is a child seat which is located in the corner of the bathroom stall. This small seat unfolds offering you a safe place for you to set your child while you take care of yourself. At least one of these stalls can be found in almost every public restroom. Potty training children or those who are trained but have small bums don't have to worry about falling in as they have a special seat which is child size and can be folded down over the adult size toilet seat. You might even find a child size urinal in the restroom (both mens and women's).

Something else that is pretty awesome, at least I think so, is the use of co-ed bathrooms. These can usually be found at convenience stores where there is a women's restroom as well as a men and woman's restroom. This give women the option of using either of the toilets but unfortunately doesn't offer much for men. . . sorry guys. This is great for cutting down wait time for the restroom when 3 or 4 women are in line but don't want to use a toilet because men happen to go in there. I on the other hand could care less.

Some not so great stuff you probably don't know: 

Like everything else in life public restrooms in Japan have their negatives. One of the things that I find not so great about public restrooms in Japan is the size of the stalls. Although some stalls are large like you might find in the US it is not uncommon to see stalls which are smaller than your average airplane bathroom. What do I mean by small? So small that you have to stand on one side of the stall just to get the door open because there is only about an inch or two of clearance between the door and the toilet bowl. The worst part about these small stalls in my opinion is because there is just no room. It's like all you can do is stand up and turn around.

Another thing that is not so great about public restrooms here in Japan is the lack of paper towels. Don't get me wrong it's true that there are hand dryer machines in some bathrooms around Japan but there are also some without hand dryer machines or paper towels. This usually leaves you with your wet dripping hands wondering what to do next. Do I wipe them on my pants and look like a mess or just walk out of here hands dripping? At times like these I usually find it helpful to bring along a towel of my own. Not only is it something I have on hand during the summertime for various reasons but as a last resort it can be helpful in this type of situation as well.



Finally is the toilet paper. For some reason public restrooms in Japan like to stock up on one ply toilet paper which can make life. . . unpleasant. This is one of the reasons that if I am out for a long day of exploring or traveling I like to bring some toilet paper of my own. Now I realize that this might sound crazy to some of you out there trust me it makes long trips out and about much more enjoyable and worry free especially if you're going to less traveled places where toilet paper might not be accessible.

 

The Love Hate Relationship 

When all is said and done I have a love hate relationship with Japanese public restrooms. There are some really good things about them and then some not so good things. At the end of the day when you gotta go. . . you gotta go!

Fan Mail Friday: August 17 2012

When is a good time to come to Japan? 

The best time to come to Japan really depends on where you want to go and what you want to experience. For me I don't like the cold weather so going to Hokkaido in the winter time seems a little bit ridiculous but coming to Okinawa in the winter time is perfect because for me it's like perfect fall weather which is a time I am most comfortable with. There are people who I have spoken with from the souther US who don't think Okinawa bad in the summer but then there are others who can't stand the heat in Tokyo during summer so again it all comes down to your personal preference.

Would you agree that Okinawa is definitely less crowded than mainland? 

 

No I would not agree. Okinawa is a very small island with a very limited space for people to live between the mountains up north, military bases and the historical sites. The small areas where people can live are usually very crowded with as many as almost 5000 people per square kilometer in places such as Ginowan. From my understanding this number does not include the American population on this island so as you can imagine the number gets greater. Although places in mainland like Tokyo for example are comparably as crowded I would not "definitely" agree that Okinawa is less crowded than mainland.

Is it going to be raining in late August when I travel to Okinawa? 

 

Of course I could not really tell you whether or not it is going to be raining but what I can tell you is that it is not rainy season so the odds of it raining all day every day (unless of course we get a typhoon) are slim. This is not to say we won't get a shower or two during your trip but for the most part you should be good to go.

Where can a gaijin get a haircut? 

 

There are a lot of places which will cut your hair here and do a great job. The only time that I have ever heard that a salon can't do it is if you have African American hair in which case I am told from those with experience that they really just don't get the proper concept for cutting hair. I would imagine that this is also true for those with extremely curly hair as most of their stylists know how to deal with straight hair.

Whoppers. Where can I get one? 

 

The bad news is that if you do not have base access right now there is no place for you to get a whopper on Okinawa. Although we are supposed to get a BK in the near future it has not opened yet.

REVIEW: Keisei Skyliner

On my way back from the Tokyo Disney Resort I took a few different trains to get to one of the main stations and from there I then got on the Keisei Skyliner. This is a train that travels directly from Ueno/Nippori to the Narita Airport. I found the train really simple to use (as long as you had an IC card) and affordable. The train ride from Nippori to the Airport was under 60 minutes and incredibly comfortable. There was a place to store your luggage and from my knees to the seat back in front of me was about 1.5 feet of space. There were tray tables where you could work on whatever you liked and electrical outlets so that you could plug in your electronic devices.

As far as the train itself there were rest rooms and a food car even though it was just a short trip. It would have been nice to know this on my trip to the resort with my mom because mom would have had the chance to have some food and use the rest room before we started making our way through the other stations. I cannot say that this is bad on behalf of the actual train or business that is the train though because I honestly was not paying attention at the time or we would have taken advantage of that.

Overall I give this service a 9 our of 10. It would have been a 10 our of 10 if purchasing tickets would have been slightly easier. Maybe it is that I do not spend a lot of time in Tokyo but when I was trying to get off they asked me either for a paper ticket or to put down my IC card. Luckily I had my IC card but I have no idea where I would have gotten one of the paper tickets. I am certainly going to use this service again.

Katventures Issue 4: Tokyo Disney Sea

 



 

Our second day in the Tokyo Disney Resort was spent at Tokyo Disney Sea. If you have never been to Tokyo Disney Sea this is a park which is themed to the waterfronts of the world. The centerpiece is a large volcano which is the background for the "sea" which is the center of the park. There is the American Waterfront, Mysterious Island, Port Discovery, Mediterranean Harbor, Mermaid Lagoon and Arabian Coast. If you have ever been to EPCOT this is a similar concept. Each area has specialty rides, foods and music which are appropriate for the areas that you visit. You can get curry from the Arabian Coast, Italian food at Mediterranean Harbor and hotdogs at American Waterfront. In the other areas the food is also themed although I will say that Mermaid Lagoon serving seafood just seems wrong but for us humans I suppose that it is acceptable.



 

Each of these locations makes you feel as though you are really at the different parts of the world which is why I compare it to EPCOT although that is the first and last comparison to be completely honest. Everything else about the park is completely unique in different ways. One of the very interesting things that they have is a hotel, Miracosta, which is actually located in the park. In fact when sitting around waiting for Fantasmic you can see the people in their hotel windows. In my personal opinion this is a great way to add a special something to the park because although the building is beautifully painted and is inside the park the fact that there are naturally people walking around moving in the building behind the curtains, some open some shut lights on and off in a completely candid way. It's a great thing in my opinion.



 

There are some places which are in the park which are completely based on the imaginary places created by novels such as Journey To The Center Of The Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The theming of this area is absolutely amazing. This area is tucked behind the volcano and therefore you need to walk through a cave to get to this area. When you emerge you find yourself inside the novels themselves. When you are in this area you can find yourself unable to see anything else around the park which is fantastic. There are a few different things that are worth mentioning in this area. An important thing to note is that there are a lot of shady areas in this area to include Journey To The Center Of The Earth.



 

There are a lot of other fun things to do around the park and tons of great photo opportunities around the park although some of them may be . . . . . strange. Regardless it's a fun place to be. You will hear me talk more about this park here in the near future. Overall this park is a great place especially for the adult guests. Stay tuned for more fun facts and information in the next week.

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Katventures Issue 3: Tokyo Disneyland

For our first day at the parks we decided that we would go to Tokyo Disneyland because it was simply the most appropriate place to go on the first day of a Disney trip. The weather was not bad although I to be honest would have liked to see a bit more sun. We were completely cloud covered and it was incredibly windy up there but we managed to get by without much of a problem.



 

We had the advantage of special park passes which allowed us into a special area where we could get into the park 15 minutes early which was great. This was one of the advantages of staying on Disney property and we took advantage of this as often as we could. Fifteen minutes might not seem like a lot but it was enough to get yourself ahead of the rest of the people and get on some of the rides before others were allowed into the park.



Although I had done my research about the time when we were traveling I didn't realize that this "off season" would be the way that it was. We did start enjoying the parks on Wednesday which was mid week but there seemed to be no one (at least compared to my last trip to the resort) here. We were able to get onto a number of rides that usually would have long waits all before lunch. To be truthful we really didn't know what to do with ourselves. We had enjoyed a few things as far as shopping and really strolled around the shops and saw what they had to offer. We also took some time to really see what the park had to offer as far as food went although we didn't eat everything we saw. I will be making a post in the future completely dedicated to food so when that time comes around I will make sure I go over absolutely everything that you might find at the park so you don't feel like you will be eating rice and sushi the entire time if you choose to visit.

 

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Over all the day at Tokyo Disneyland was great! We had the chance to see a lot and also just relax. There were some set backs like a little bit of rain and some of the shows were canceled because of the high winds but this was nothing that we couldn't deal with. To be honest I am trying to think of actual draw backs from the day and I can't think of any. The park was clean the staff were friendly everything went really well.

Ikspiari (Tokyo Disney Resort) Rainforest Cafe Review

One of the restaurants which is a must for my family and I every time that we visit a Disney Resort is always the Rainforest Cafe. Here in Tokyo it was no exception. I could not resist the chance to eat some familiar foods and enjoy some nachos and tacos the way that they were meant (as far as an american is concerned) to be eaten.



 

The service was great and the prices were typical so I really can't say anything bad about that. They also had many of the favorites that you might find at any Rainforest Cafe with the addition of some Japanese style specialties to include a salad which included raw seafood. Before I continue any further it is important to note that if you are interested in going to the Rainforest Cafe and have not been here before you should know that it is loud and exciting. If you are looking for a quiet or romantic sit down restaurant this is most likely not for you. There are "animals" around the entire restaurant which "act up" from time to time as well as "thunder storms" which happen every so often. I would not imagine that this would be the place to bring children who may be fearful of these types of things. This wasn't a problem for my mother or myself though.



 

 

Overall Review

The service was great and the food came quick. Once it arrived it was delicious too! The staff was friendly and although they did not speak English well they did do their best to take my mother's order and there were no mistakes.

RATING: I give this restaurant a 10 our of 10. There was nothing that I could honestly say they needed to improve on that I was aware of.

If you are interested in going to the Rainforest Cafe in Ikspiari I would definitely recommend it.

Katventures Tokyo Issue 1: Chef Mickey's Character Breakfast

There is no better way to start off your trip with a nice filling breakfast and we did just that at the Tokyo Disney Resort Ambassador Hotel's restaurant "Chef Micky's". Like the Chef Mickey's located at different Disney Resorts around the world this restaurant offers a nice dining location for families as well as adult groups/couples to enjoy a hearty breakfast no matter what you enjoy eating. From steamed Japanese veggies and dumplings to jelly beans trust me when I say there is something for everybody.

The breakfast was very affordable at 3300 yen per adult for an all you can eat buffet. There was no posted time limits on the buffet although I assume it would be the standard 90 minutes the they have at other all you can eat places in Japan. The selection was HUGE and in fact I didn't even scrape the surface with what I ate. I also made the mistake of having two Micky pancakes which were very heavy and filling although they were amazingly delicious. There was fresh fruit, veggies, pastries, meats, pancakes, cereals, rice, curry, and so much more! The down side is that for two people it felt a little bit cramped. The table we were at was small and in a corner which made it hard to get in and out to see the characters without disturbing the two girls that were along side of us. Of course it's Disney and everyone was very understanding of what was going on because that is the nature of the restaurant but still I think it is worth mentioning if you are planning on going with just yourself and one other person.

The cast members were very helpful and most spoke either English or would alter the way they spoke Japanese to a more understandable vocabulary. If there was a misunderstanding then they would quickly either get someone to assist or they would find out how to ask the question in English before returning to the table. That made everything very helpful and less stressful especially for my mom who wasn't sure how to communicate what she wanted. I should also mentioned that regardless the fact that I could have assisted my mom before I had the chance to even explain that Japanese was ok for me the cast member would have already rushed away to get a statement translated. . . it was that quick.



The main dish, as far as my mother was concerned that is, were jelly beans. There were 4 different containers of jelly beans of mixed flavors for you to enjoy. They were also Jelly Belly brand which was surprising to me because usually Chef Micky's has candy for breakfast but not high quality beans like this. Everything was good and high quality though so I really can't say anything bad. There were also only 4 characters which was fine with me but I understand how some people may not have been pleased with that. The characters came around much more quickly than they do at Chef Mickey's in Walt Disney World but nonetheless it was still fine with me.



All of the characters were very "physical" in that they would shake your hand, give you a kiss or whatever else. For me I am tall so they pulled me down so I would be at their level. I had a great time taking photos with the characters and it was a good chance to get my photos in without having to wait in the lines that there at at the parks. If you want to really have a different variety of characters though, you can go to various character dining options that are around the resort. This is a great chance for you to see everyone but for those who you do not see you can check them out a the parks. They have a TON of characters (even the ones that you haven't seen for years and years) for you to meet and greet. They also have them out for long periods of time so that almost everyone has the chance to see them if they want to.

The Bottom Line:

RATING: 7 out of 10

If you are staying at the Ambassador Hotel then this is a great way to start your Disney trip. The price is right at 3300 yen for an all you can eat buffet with character meet and greet. If you are not at the restaurant early you may find yourself having to use something called "priority seating" which means you can get a ticket to come back to the restaurant at a later designated time rather than having to wait. This is common at other Disney Resorts also and I find it extremely useful.

So why 7 out of 10? The table was just a bit too small in my opinion and just a bit too close to the one next to us especially for a restaurant where you are up and down taking photos with characters. I also would have liked to see maybe just 2 more characters and have them a bit more spread out because it felt just a bit rushed.

Other than those things everything else was GREAT! Definitely something I would recommend.

Katventures Begins!

It's the time that we've all been waiting for. It's time to kick off Katventures!

Since I said that we are kicking off Katventures you know what that means. . . I am on my way to Tokyo. Over the next week I will be exploring the sights and sounds of Tokyo and unfortunately this means that I will be unable to post my regularly scheduled videos over on the OkiNinjaKitty Youtube Channel. What? You're not subscribed to my Youtube Channel yet? In that case you had better to get over there and hit that subscribe button because there are some extremely exciting videos which are going to be posted there in the coming weeks. I intend to post some teaser videos up that are taken on the fly while I am exploring which will also be broadcasted live on my UStream Chanel. Either way you can find yourself updated with everything that is going on.

So when are the high quality videos and photos going to be posted? Because I don't have the ability to edit and upload (and because I want to have a lot of fun which will lead me to getting YOU the best possible videos) you will be seeing the videos after I return to Okinawa. I know it's a lot of time to wait but I promise it will be worth the wait.

Also don't worry that you won't have something to read over here on the OkiNinjaKitty blog because I have scheduled some fantastically interesting blog posts for you to enjoy during the time that I am gone. They are going to be as closely related to the trip as I can make them. Don't forget to keep shooting me messages and comments because I will answer them all upon my return to Okinawa. That's right. It's going to be a Fan Mail Extravaganza.

There are other ways that you can keep track of my trip. Want to know how:

Check me out on Twitter by looking up @Okininjakitty

Don't forget to check me out on Facebook.

I also now have a new Tumblr.

FMF: Speaking Japanese, Driving, Beauty Schools and Non-American Holidays

It's been another long week over here at ONK and there has been a lot of preparation taking place therefore I apologize for not being as on top of things as I usually am. With that being said let's go into today's topics.

"Do you speak Japanese?" 

I can speak some Japanese but not as much as I would like to. I can also read and write but my vocabulary is very limited as far as understanding most of what I am reading although I am improving every day through lots of tedious practice. I have a few different blog posts about this but I also plan to discuss more about this in the future in a video.

"Is it difficult to learn the ways of the road?"

Learning the ways of the road are relatively easy. We do drive on the "wrong" side of the road here although that is super easy to get used to if you focus on driving. The road signs are relatively easy to learn also because in my opinion they are straight forward, although, you can and should go online and study the signs especially because you will be tested when you arrive here in you choose to drive.

So what else is there to know about driving here. . . . there is a lot to talk about here and so I might not be able to cover every detail in this particular post or in the corresponding video. Let's see if I can go through a number of these without going  into too much detail and if you have any further questions please let me know and I will ensure that I get your answers to you as soon as possible.

- Call Phones: Put them down. It is illegal to use your cell phone while driving in Okinawa and you'll need all of your attention on the road anyway.

- Motorcycles and Scooters: They're out there and they use the road so be aware of them. They will also share a lane with cars from time to time which is perfectly legal.

- Three Car Rule At Lights: It is not uncommon to see up to three people run the red light before they are considered out of line. I would not advise doing this yourself because it can be very dangerous but it is something you should be aware of.

- Speeding when cops aren't around isn't necessarily the best idea because Okinawa is equipped with speed cameras which will take a photo if you are exceeding the limit and have a ticket mailed to you. Yes even if you are American. And they are not always obvious as they are in some of the US locations where they have been installed.

- There is a lot of traffic here and therefore you are significantly closer than you would be in your home town so be aware of this and pay attention to the road.

- There are stickers which indicate when a driver is over a certain age (very old) or a new driver. Be aware that if you strike one of these drivers you will most likely be at more fault for not keeping an eye out for them as they have stickers displayed.

- Everyone involved in an accident is responsible to some extent. Period.

- Don't drink and drive. They take that very seriously here not only for you the driver but everyone in the car and even people who sent you on your way knowing that you had some drinks.

I hope that this is helpful.

The last two topics I am not going to discuss because I have already made previous blog posts about them due to the involvement I wanted to provide in the answer. Thanks so much for reading and again please let me know if you have any other questions.

Things to NOT do in Tokyo

So you want to know what NOT to do in Tokyo?

There are a number of things that we can talk about her but for the sake of today's post let's talk about three things that I think are definite No-No's when traveling to Tokyo. Without further delay let's get right into it!

Do NOT try to imitate the fashions.

When traveling to Tokyo (or any part of Japan as far as I am concerned) it can be tempting to dress the way you see people dress in photos and on blogs. These elaborate and at times wacky outfits are fantastic, don't get me wrong, but when traveling to Tokyo I would say that they are something to avoid. The reason for this? Well it's simple. The odds are you are coming to Tokyo from another country, you spent a lot of money on this trip. Enjoy it. Fashion is great. I am a huge advocate of getting out there, expressing yourself and being who you are or even creating a you that you've always wanted. I just personally believe that comfort will ensure that you have a better time on a trip like this.

Do NOT go to Tokyo without a plan. 

There is so much going on in Tokyo that you might think it is incredible unnecessary to make a plan but the fact is there is a good chance that if you don't make a plan you will find yourself missing out. You don't necessarily have to follow the plan as if it were law but it will give you a direction to move and therefore give you the opportunity to see more. Also be sure to plan to eat. Find a few places where you might want to try in the area you are visiting and list them so when you want some food you know where they are and what they offer.  It is not uncommon for you to get so excited that you pass by a place to eat and realize that it was your only place to eat and now it is packed solid.

Do NOT rush through Tokyo. 

When I say this I am talking from the moment you get out of the plane to the moment you try and get on a train. Tokyo is much easier to get around for the English speaker than people might think BUT you have to be patient and take time to see what is around you. It is not uncommon to find English on signs at stations and airports but you may have to step back a moment and wait for them to change to your language. Also consider that there are sometimes English maps where you can check information but you will again need to take a second look for them (they are not hard to find) and then at times you may have to do a matching game with the kanji and English words so you can get on the right train. It's not hard but it does require patience. Yes people around you will be rushing and traveling quickly, they live in Tokyo they know what they are doing, but just take a slow pace and enjoy yourself.

Do NOT just travel to say you have been places. 

I will be talking more specifically about travel in another post but it is important to make sure you are traveling to do things that actually interest you. If you are not interested on going up to the tallest tower in Tokyo don't do it. If you don't have any interest in seeing the buildings in Shibuya because you live in a city, don't do it. See the things you want to see and do the things you want to do. Stay away from the travel guide books and just enjoy doing things you enjoy.

I hope that this post helps those of you who are interested in traveling to Tokyo. Please stay tuned for more information about Tokyo in the near future.

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!

 

 

My thoughts this week.

It's a dreary Wednesday here in Okinawa Japan. The sun is not shining and it looks as though we are going to get another day of heavy rain. These are the days when I like to set myself down in front of my computer and enjoy learning a little bit about Japan by reading blogs and watching VLOGS. I have always loved Japan but recently I have had a particular interest in some JVLOGGERS who are not new to YouTube but are new to me. Being that they are from various parts of Japan I hear about how Japan differs from city to city which I personally find fascinating. It is to be expected that different parts of Japan would have differences but it is still fun to learn about and hear first hand accounts from those who work, live and travel there. One of the things that I find so very interesting is that each part of Japan almost has a different culture. Everything from the style of food to the language to the style of dance is different in some places and that is just something I find extremely interesting.

With all of these differences there are bound to be some similarities and one of these similarities is "tatemai and honne". If you have been watching videos and trying to learn a lot about Japanese life and culture I am sure that you have heard these words once before. There are a great deal of people who are on YouTube who have tried to explain what "tatemai and honne" is but always seem to struggle because it is a difficult concept to understand. Many time Japanese people as well as some foreigners will say that this is a concept that is unique to Japan and that is part of the reason that it is hard to explain. I don't think that this is the case though. I would agree that the Japanese have coined a phrase for this concept but it is not as foreign to us foreigners as some Japanese people think. If I were asked to define these two words what I would say is that "tatemai" is the way that you present yourself in order to cause the least amount of friction possible and "honne" is the way that you really feel. You might find yourself speaking with a family member, friend or coworker and responding to them in a way that is not in line with what you believe because you do not want to cause an argument or say something that might have a negative affect on you or your work. If you are a man an example of this would be your response to "do I look fat in these~". I am sure that when a question like this comes along you go into overdrive trying to ensure that you are not giving an answer that might "cause friction". The Japanese have a slightly more intense approach with this concept due to the nature that they have for being non confrontational. You might not realize it if you are only here for a short time or if you do not have active relationships with Japanese people but the fact of the matter is that the Japanese are people who do not like to cause waves. In some cases they would even suffer through something difficult to deal with than try to resolve the issue. Again, this might not always be the case but I have experienced it enough times to say  that it is something that happens. This makes some people extremely hard to work with just because of the subservient stance that they can take. In some cases (and yes this has happened to me) they will expect you to go along with the situation they have created by not speaking their mind causing you more work and more stress. There is also a flip side to this and that is when "tatemai and honne" are used as a way to try and get you to chance your stance on something or indicate that you are doing something wrong. For example rather than saying "Could you please get me some milk" they would say something like "I would absolutely love a cold glass of milk". This again makes some people extremely difficult to work with. To be completely honest this is one of the things that I dislike about the way that some Japanese people handle themselves because for me this concept of trying to say something without saying something is a waste of time. In some cases you may even find yourself the target of some anger because someone said they would like some milk but you didn't get any for them. For my strong personality it is the most difficult thing that I have to deal with because I am not afraid of conflict nor am I afraid of confrontation.

The last thing that I wanted to talk about was language and I didn't end up talking about this in today's JVLOG video because the video's audio got messed up and to be honest I am not going to talk about it right now either because I do not want to cut this topic short of what needs to be said and I feel that right now I just do not have the endurance to write everything that needs to be said. Thanks so much for your understanding and keep posted and I will make sure I get that post up soon. Thanks for reading.

Thoughts on Tokyo Safety

I have recently been asked a question regarding travel to Tokyo. The reader who had sent me an email asking my thoughts on radiation and food safety in the Tokyo area. After reading this question it took me a minute to really collect me thoughts on how I do feel about the radiation and food safety in the Tokyo area. I have not made any videos about this topic to date nor have I really taken the time to talk about it in any form of media but seeing as how I received the question via email I figure now is as good a time as any.

When it comes to radiation in Tokyo I quite honestly have absolutely no concern whatsoever. I realize that this may not be the interesting answer that some of you were hoping for but it is my answer regardless. In fact I have absolutely no concern for radiation or food safety in the area of Tokyo. To be completely honest and terribly boring that is really all that there is to say. Why do I not have concern? Well, why are you (some of you at least) not concerned about the amount of radiation which you receive going through a full body scanner like the ones now used in the US or the amount of radiation you then receive going up in a plane and flying cross country and/or across the ocean. I really think that it all comes down to asking yourself the right questions.

If there is a harmful amount of radiation in Tokyo (and I am not saying that there is) it would not be enough to kill you on the spot because there are thousands still living, working and visiting the city daily so it's a matter of what long term risks you might encounter. Maybe there is a chance you could get cancer. . . . . ok. There is always a chance that you can get cancer. Cell phones, tattoo ink, fried foods, microwaves, motorcycles, car engines, preservatives, smoking, breathing in polluted city air and plastic bottles (just to name a few) are all some of the things that can also cause cancer and we are consumed by these things each and ever day not to mention the things that could kill us on the spot like car accidents. The question then becomes where you are willing to draw the line. Are you willing to possibly not experience something amazing because there is a little off chance that it could end badly? For me the answer is no. I am not willing to not do something because of the off chance that in the lottery of what we call life I might just pull a card which could give me negative health risks. The same goes for food and food safety. I know what foods to avoid just in case and I know what foods I am going to enjoy. I also know that there is as much higher risk of me getting sick from food that is not cooked properly than there is from me eating something that happened to be irradiated. Again it comes down to what risks you are willing to take.

My real concern while I am in Tokyo. . . . earthquakes. I know that there have been a great deal of earthquakes still happening in the central to northern part of Japan and this causes some concern for me. I want to make sure that not only am I safe but so is my mother who is not used to the feel of the ground shaking under her feet. I have taken real life preparations for this installing various applications which detect earthquakes on my phone as well as having a plan for what to do in the event that there is an earthquake and tsunami during the time that we are in Tokyo. Again does the fact that there are still earthquakes concern me, yes but will it change my plans to travel to Tokyo, no.

Ultimately you only live once and you can choose to sit in the house or you can go and see the world.

Where was this weather yesterday?

Typhoon Guchol has passed by with less than anticipated strength. The storm gave us very little wind and rain which resulted in almost no damage. Of course we are extremely grateful for the lack of damage because it is important to keep everyone and everything safe especially during the typhoon season. This morning we even woke up with a clear blue sky which had shown us that the storm had passed and we would be able to go back to our very warm summery selves.

This was, however, very short lived when a thunder and lighting storm moved in a few hours ago. Although we are not experiencing and wind we do have a great deal of rain and thunder we are experiencing right now which has made a lot of people wonder. . . . where was this yesterday? I myself wondered the same thing and discussed it in the video below.

High expectations the reason for bad travel reviews?

I have been doing a lot of research recently for my Tokyo trip. I am not looking for a great deal of information but just a few things that would make the trip easy like if the hotel has a laundry service so nothing big. During my research I ended up spending time some time reading reviews which I found were interesting and at times surprising.

To be completely honest I read only the English comments because I wasn't into translating. During the time that I was reading I started to see a pattern and that pattern is that basically I think people have high expectations when traveling to another country and in some cases feel that that country should accommodate to what is part of your particular culture or it simply is not up to good standards. This is best illustrated in the example of bedding. Now here in Japan it is most common for people to sleep using futon. Futon can be closely compared to a long thin mat that is rolled out on the floor and from there a sleepy person would sleep upon it like a bed because. . . . it is a bed. If you were to go to home shops you might also see the same type of thing where the futon is rolled out on a raised level which looks similar to a bed or in some cases a mattress is used although it is usually firm. Knowing this you might only assume that it is natural for the beds in Japan to have a similar build where they are firm. Unfortunately there are a great deal of people traveling to Japan who don't seem to know this and therefore feel extremely disappointed or even distraught about the fact that the beds are firm or "feel as if you are sleeping on the floor". The comments that I had read were absolutely relentless stating things like "Japanese obviously hate Americans" just for the feel of the bed. It actually makes me wonder if these people had ever traveled to another country ever before. My thought is no and the reason that I say this is supported by something else that I found myself reading during my research and that was that no one spoke English and "staff was extremely unhelpful because of it". Wow. This is always one of the things that surprise me the most when I hear it from people who travel to countries which do not have English as a primary language. Of course English may be available from time to time, however, just because a hotel has "english speaking staff" for example does not mean that everyone on staff at all times speaks English. Truthfully I do not feel as if there is a lot of explaining for me to do in order to try and help others understand that when traveling to Japan it might not be possible to communicate in English but I suppose that there are some out there who just feel this way and that saddens me. In fact the reason that I am most sad about this is because the way that these comments are made almost make it seem as if these families were traveling to Tokyo and going to certain destinations and then having no assistance whatsoever. It seems like they are made to figure out everything on their own and fend for themselves which I do not think is the case. What I can do is explain what I have experienced in the time that I have been here. I have been in Japan for approximately  6 years now but my language skills are not the best especially because Okinawa is not the best place to learn Japanese but I will get into that during a different post. Regardless my lack of language skills I have never encountered a problem doing anything here in Japan be it Tokyo, Osaka or Okinawa. I Have also take a number of steps to ensure that I do not run into problems. I have a great survival vocabulary and when I do not know I have taken time to make accommodations for ahead of time. Anyone can do this and I encourage anyone going to any country to do something similar.

There were other things that I had read about and just thought was amazing that people were not considering these things when they left on a trip to Japan. I suppose some people are just never satisfied. Thanks for reading.

Katventure: Tokyo Prep

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This morning I had found myself doing something that I usually do a few weeks before I go on vacation. . . . packing my bag with all of the things that I plan to bring with me on the trip. So I pulled down my suitcase and pulled out some of the things that I had been planning on bringing to Tokyo and began to put some of these things into my suitcase. Thank goodness that I did because I realized a few things but mostly that I am not as prepared for this trip as I thought I was.

So let me start from the beginning. Basically what I do in the event that I want to travel is that I take everything I plan on taking with me and put it in one place. Once that is done I find myself taking the clothing and other stuff, putting going through it (and testing it out in the suitcase) and seeing how much I can fit and if my outfits were not planned in the proper direction or not. This is basically what I did today.

As you might see in the photographs above some of the stuff that I have to be packed is not clothing related at all. In fact as I had mentioned my plan was to bring foods like snacks and other treats on the trip with me. This would allow me to ensure that I have some things to snack on and eat for breakfast when I get to tokyo rather than trying to find something at a local konbini or having to pay more buying from a kiosk. . . . at least right away. I have these snack bars called "Lite Meal" and I also have some other instant oatmeal and drip coffee which will assist in the breakfast part of the day. FInally I also have some sports drinks packets which can be added to water bottles to ensure that we are getting the proper number of electrolytes when being out in the summer heat for most of the day. Of course this is not to prevent us from buying anything when in Tokyo but it will allow us to save a little bit of money and be able to use bubblers rather than having to buy bottles of sports drinks. There are various other products that I am bringing with me to include some different types of wipes for keeping clean and cool as well as a few other fun and interesting snacks like Salty Pocky. Not sure whether that will be a fan favorite when I get to give it to Mom (who will be meeting me in tokyo) or not but either way it is going to be fun. I also have a few fun treats for my mom which I am bringing with me. These items do take up a lot of space in my bag but I do plan on these spaces being cleared out for when I travel back which will allow for me to have more space for fun things I might purchase during my time in Tokyo.

I have also decided that I am going to travel with some of my electronic devices in my bag rather than on my person. Of course because airport security will require electronic devices to be taken out of the bags and put in different containers for screening it seems like there are some which are not necessary to take with me on the plane such as my camera. With me iPad and cell phone as well as my video camera there is really no reason to have the still shot with me. This will most likely be carried in my bag although I am still not sure what I am going to do quite yet and it all depends on space.

Finally we get to the clothing which is the most important part of the stuff I pack. Of course most of the stuff that I need to take needs to be ready for the warm weather but also needs to be what is considered appropriate for the different things that I will be doing during the time that I am in tokyo. I want to ensure that for the days when I go to certain places I look appropriate and on other days I can move comfortably and have a good time. A good way that I do this is to supplement some outfits with the use of scarves. I have three scarves that I will be bringing with me to tokyo all of which are basic and can go with any of the color combinations that I am taking on the trip with me. I will also be bringing some cover ups for my arms. The reason for this is because seeing as how I have a tattoo that covers my arm I want to ensure that I am being appropriate for times when it is needed but also I need to ensure that I also am protecting my expensive asset from the very harsh sun. This is not difficult and will only require a bit of sunscreen at most times although on some days a long sleeve or three quarter length sleeve shirt will also do the trick.

What I seem to notice from going through my clothes, however, is that many of the things I am packing are in need of some bottoms. I have the tops ready to go but no pants. This is really not to much of a problem because I have the pants lying around I just need to get them and put them in the pile of stuff for tokyo but at the same time the fact that I haven't set them aside yet and thought I was almost ready to go is a bit concerning. I will also need to ensure that I am bringing some night time clothes which I have not set aside yet as well as some under garments which also have not been set aside.

Overall today's mock up was very successful because it allowed me to find out what I am going to need but it also allowed me to see how much space I have left in this little suitcase of mine which turns out to be about half of the suitcase left and that doesn't count my carry on bag so I seem to be in good shape. Hopefully it all turns out well and I can get everything I need to tokyo.

Thanks for following! More soon including tips on saving space.

A New Concept: Katventures

My father-in-law is a big OkiNinjaKitty fan and recently he brought up the idea of a series of videos called "Katventures". I have not 100% decided how I will be handling these types of videos but at this time I feel that it is going to be the name of any videos that I do which are in any way some type of adventure rather than just something informative about Okinawa or Japan.

Truthfully this will not really be any huge chance to the quality of the videos although you might see a new intro and maybe a few new fun things going on in the videos themselves.

So when can you expect to see "Katventures" take off? As you can see in the graphic above the first location for the "Katventures" is going to be Tokyo. I am heading to Tokyo mid July so it is the perfect time for me to get some awesomely fun footage and share it with you guys. It is also going to be a lot of fun because this will be one of the first adventures that I will be taking by myself (at least for some of the time) and then meeting up with Big Momma (ok so she will probably not make an appearance as "big momma" but that's the best I can come up with right now) who will be joining me for her first trip independently out of the country. We will come together and have a lot of fun traveling through some areas of Tokyo and making memories that I am sure you will all very much enjoy.

Although I will be taking a trip through Tokyo for about a week you can expect to see the various videos posted throughout that time in order to make sure that I can get everything uploaded edited and all that great stuff. There will also be special "Katventures Teasers" which will be up on UStream as well as hopefully posted to YouTube if Rusty (the hubby) can coordinate with me on that.

It is bound to be a great time and I hope that you all enjoy the upcoming videos!