Kyoto Notes: Temples, Trees and Blossoms
. . Before I left for Japan last year, I made all these quick notes on places that I thought would be interesting to see. In this post, I’m sharing my Kyoto notes. There are 5 places listed here, though I only got to visit two — the Fushimi Inari Shrine and the Kiyomizudera Temple. The latter is […]
Tokyo Notes: Cherry Blossoms and Fall Foliage
. Some of the best cherry blossoms and fall foliage viewing spots in Tokyo. Includes each place’s most picturesque features and short instructions for how to get there (especially for JR Pass holders). . . There’s something about the Japanese culture of appreciation for flowers and leaves. I was in Tokyo last November to view the […]
Not all those who wander in Tokyo are lost in Tokyo
Except me. I was DEFINITELY lost. . . When Tolkien wrote his now-ubiquitous, often-misappropriated line, he probably wasn’t thinking about girls who get lost three times in less than 24 hours in Tokyo, e.g., me. It got to the point that when I told my mum I wish they had come with me — I was […]
Tokyo Train-ing: The JR Pass and the Narita Express
* * There are various ways to get to central Tokyo from Narita Airport. If you have a JR Pass, you can use the Narita Express — free. Should you get a JR Pass? * There are so many articles in the internet devoted to this topic, but to make it simple, if you’re going […]
Sample Daily Schedule for Japan Visa Application
* To get a Japanese visa, you need to submit (among other requirements) a daily schedule for your entire stay in Japan. The website of the Japanese embassy has a sample daily schedule — or Schedule of Stay, as they call it — but if you want to see something a visa applicant actually submitted, […]
How to get a Japanese visa in Cebu, Manila or Davao (it’s very easy!)
. Although this article is mainly about how to get a Japanese visa in Cebu, Manila, or Davao — because these are the cities in the Philippines where Japan’s accredited agencies are located — the requirements and procedure are the same for anyone anywhere else in the Philippines. Those not living in the 3 cities mentioned above simply have to go […]