Gaijin Bar Osaka

Sorry I haven't done a post in awhile but i want to talk about the Gaijin Bars in Osaka that I went to. The first bar that I went to was Rock Bar Cherry Bomb.


 This place was great, its an American bar. Cheap food Tuesdays $2 tacos and $2 tequila shots. The place is small maybe 15 seats but such a great atmosphere. Jesse the bartender and owner was very personable and his selection of music was right on. The place got packed about 10:30 pm with many other Americans showing up. I would highly recommend this place since its good food and great people to hang out with.

The next place I went to was a Mexican bar called Mexico. Simple name and simple place. this place was much bigger but still had some great service and food. along with $4 beers and $2 tequila shots the day we went. I cant remember the bartenders name but he was nice and made sure we had good beers and food available whenever we wanted. When I first arrived there was a group of Japanese men drinking and eating after having what seemed like a long day at work. If you looking at taking a date to a place for food and some drinks to start out the night i would recommend this place.


The last place I went to was an Irish Pub called Murphy's Irish Pub. This place was the biggest out of all the places I went to. The Guinness was way expensive, i am talking like $10 for a American pint. Also the bartender was more interested in a girl that came in than making sure the rest of us were having a good time, I guess he was hoping to have a good time later with her. Made it even funnier when she had him pour a pint and bailed on him before he could turn around. The last place I really wouldn't recommend just not as much fun and was way more expensive than any other place.

Next Post: Tucson, AZ USA

Climbing Mt Fuji

One of the main reasons for my trip to Japan was to climb Mt. Fuji. This amazing volcano is 3776m high and is the highest point in all of Japan. There are many websites and blogs about how to climb it so all I'm going to talk about is what I did, and some tips on how I would do it differently.
First thing that you need to do is get to Mt. Fuji. I took the bus from the Shinjuku bus terminal right next to the Shinjuku Train Station. It was a bit hard to find but after you do its very organized. The cost for a round trip was 5200yen ($52). The bus takes about 2 to 3 hours to reach station 5.
Station 5 has tons of stuff for you to get and especially water 300yen. This is also where you will pick up your bus ride back. The people working there are very nice they even gave me a free postcard as a souvenir.
After getting set on all your supplies I decided to take is the Yoshida trail. The Yoshida trail is the most popular trail since if you don't make it to the top you can still see the sun rise. The trail is 3.6 miles up and 4.3 miles down. Going up is very tough since its loose rocks and you slip all the time. Not only that but there are parts where you are climbing up with your arms, and very steep steps on other parts. On the way down its just loose rocks and very steep decline. The decline is so steep many people slip and fall and it does a number on your toes and shoes. I would not use any sort of new shoes if you want to keep them they will get destroyed.
The view at the top is awe inspiring. It definitely something you need to see once in your lifetime its that good. Now saying that I would never climb it again. There is an old saying,  "Ichido noboranu baka, nido noboru baka" "If you don't climb it once your a fool, if you climb it twice you're a fool"

Next Post: Gaijin Bar Osaka

TG

Water Gun Fight

While here in Japan a Jvloger ShiverZ66 orginized an epic water gun fight and we were lucky enough to get invited. The day started out awesome with some drinks and the 12 of us broke into teams guys vs. girls.


As we ran around shooting each other laughing and just getting soaked, her friend started playing some great tunes. Many people in the park were enjoying the perfect weather and watching us go after each other.

Then things got really crazy, another group of about 30 Japanese people started creeping in our territory armed with their water guns. As our group banded together outnumbered 2 to 1 we fended off many attacks.

After some time had past we all got together and had a wonderful picture, and in the end both groups can say it was an amazing time with lots of smiles and new bonds formed.

Rail Workers Hustle

One of the most impressive things since we have gotten here is the willingness of people to help out. Here is an example of how three JR rail workers hustle, so Kevin and I can make the train. After we got threw customs and immigration we needed to pick up our rail passes. It was about 11pm and we didn't know where to go until we saw a small line of people. We got to the counter and said we needed to pick up our rail passes. They handed us some forms that we needed to fill out and asked where we were going. As soon as I said Ikebukuro the guy looked at his watch and asked that we hurry since we only had 4 minutes to get on the train. As we filled out the form he started printing out tickets and filling in some forms hurrying. The lady that was working next to him left her person to help out and helped me fill in the form and help him print out the tickets as well. They really hustled and we got the passes quick. As we hurried to the train platform, another rail worker opened the gates and noticed that Kevin's pass it was not stamped. He then RAN to stamp it, and thanked us so the pass would be valid for our trip and we were able to get on the LAST train of the night with 30 seconds to spare. We both were so impressed on how much they cared about us to make sure we got on that train.

Next Post: Water Gun Fight

TG

Airbnb Apartment

One of the first things for our trip that we looked for was a place to stay. If you have read my other post we went for the Airbnb route and I can say its a good choice for the price. Our apartment is a bit small but hey your in Japan why are you staying in your room anyways. The apartment is bare minimum but for the price its perfect. We have 2 beds (bunk beds), a stove, toilet, microwave and thats about it. The place is clean a bit older but clean.

Next Post: Rail Workers Hustle

TG

Surviving a 12 hour flight

One of the biggest concerns about going to japan is the long eleven to twelve hour flight from Los Angeles. Ever since finding out the length of the flight, I started asking people how they do and would handle the flight.
A lot of people talked about getting medication to sleep threw it, but I'm the the medication type so pass. Many other people talked about just watching movies, reading books, playing video games. I went with the movie route and try to sleep as much as I can on the flight without any medications.
After doing some more research some really important thing to do is having comfortable clothing as well as loose or no socks and be sure to walk around on the plane a few times during your flight. The loose socks and walking around will keep your legs from getting blood clots, and keeping you a bit active. The loose clothes will just make you feel comfortable.
This is a good way of surviving a 12 hour flight... wear comfortable clothes, keep yourself entertained when you are not sleeping (watching movies, reading books, playing video games), and last is walking around a bit.

Next Post: Our Airbnb Apartment.

TG

Free Bike Ride and Free Bikes

One of the most used types of transportation in Japan is the bicycle. The Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute is a non profit organization that promotes the Japanese Bicycle industry. They have setup a 3K course by the Imperial Palace where you can borrow bikes and ride the course.


The course is a great way to see the castle from many different viewpoints as well as take in some great scenery. It goes from the Iwaida Bridge to the Hirakawa Gate round trip of 3K. The Japan Bicycle Promotion institute chose a course that is not only surrounded by the castles, moats, and pine trees, but also a quiet place for families to enjoy some fitness and relaxation. They encourage the ideas of preserving nature around the Imperial Palace and protecting it as an invaluable asset.

You are only allowed to use the borrowed bicycles within the Palace Cycling Course. They have only 250 bikes ready for borrowing. There are city bicycles, mountain bikes, tandem bikes, children's bikes and infant's bicycles. If you are not sure what kind of bike would suit you best, The Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute has volunteers to help you choose a bike that fits your needs.

To borrow a bike, all you have to do is fill out and submit an application form that you get at the bicycle reception desk. The desk is is located next to the Kokyo-mae Police box off the Nijubashi Station on the Chiyoda Line Subway. They are open 10:00 am till 3:00 pm every Sunday, but are closed on rainy days and special event days. Be sure to get there early since its a first come first serve basis.

Cost: Free

Next Post: Surviving a 12 hour flight

TG

Tokyo DisneySea

One of the most popular places to visit in California is Disneyland. A company named The Oriental Land Company thought it was a great idea to put one in Tokyo. The company convinced The Walt Disney Company to license the characters and themes to them, and created Tokyo Disneyland and then Tokyo DisneySea.
Tokyo DisneySea is like the equivalent to Disney California Adventure Park. With alternative rides and themes that you cant find anyplace else, as well as some classic Disney rides and shows. One of my favorite Disney classic shows is Fantasmic and it will be there. But they also have roller coaster rides as well like Raging spirits.
The great thing about Tokyo DisneySea is that the price for tickets are much cheaper than Disneyland. A ticket for an adult is about $62 where a ticket for Disneyland is $92. One other thing they have is these Night Tickets. The Starlight Passport ticket is about $49 for adults but are only valid from 3pm on Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays. An even cheaper option is the After 6 Passport. Cost for this amazingly cheap $33, this is the best price you can ever get from a Disney Theme park. It is only valid from 6pm on Monday through Friday except for National Holidays.

Savings Breakdown:

Adult ticket for DisneySea = $62
Adult Night ticket Disney Sea = $33

Savings = $29

Next Post: Free Bikes and Bike Ride

TG

Baseball in Japan

As a Baseball player and fan I love the game and so do the Japanese. Baseball is by far the most popular sport in Japan.  There are 12 major league teams, the most popular is the Tokyo Giants. The Tokyo Giants are considered the New York Yankees of Japan. MLB scouts consider the players in Japan are a bit better than AAA baseball but just below the big leagues.
Ticket prices are a bit more expensive than what you would pay here in the states. Tickets are $25-$70 depending on the game and where you want to sit. Baseball tickets to the Arizona Dimondbacks games are between $11 and $200. Getting tickets to the games are rather easy except for the games between the Tokyo Giants and the Hanshin Tigers. There are some sites that will purchase the tickets ahead of time like Japanball.com for a huge fee ($59), I would personally skip it.
Now beer purchased in the stadium is about the same roughly $10, but in Japan you can bring in your own beer. Yes that is correct you can bring in your own beer the only stipulation is that they have to pour it into a cup for you, free.
The only savings that you can get here is bringing in your own beverages. But the atmosphere is an event, even regular season games are like playoff games here in the states.

TG

Next post: Tokyo Disney Sea

Getting Around Japan

Japan has so many options for getting around and seeing the country. Probably the best and most cost efficient is the Japan Rail Pass or also known as JR Pass. The JR Pass can only be used by foreign tourists. You can get one for 7, 14, or 21 days and allows unlimited use on almost every JR trains and the Tokyo monorail, busses, ferrys, and even some of the Shinkansen (Bullet Trains). Here is a website that explains a bit more of what you can use the pass on.
I purchased a 14 day JR Pass for my trip for about $453 from jrpass.com for the regular car. You can get a first class pass for about $150 more, but I stayed with the regular one. As a tourist you really need to take advantage of long distance rides to get your moneys worth. A bullet train ride from Tokyo to Osaka can cost you around $140 each way. If you are only going to stay in Tokyo and not travel around the country dont get it. You really should think about going around the entire country and seeing as much as you can.
The JR pass doesnt cover any of the subway systems that you will also probably use to get around. But you can get a 1 day metro pass for $8. Whats good about this is you can just purchase them as needed on the day. I probably only use this maybe two days our of my trip.

Saving breakdown:

Round trip from Tokyo to Osaka = $280
Round trip from Tokyo to Nagoya = $120
Round trip from Tokyo to Shizuoka= $65
Total $465
(This does not include any of the train rides within each of the cities we will be taking)

JR Pass = $453

Next Post: Japan Baseball

TG

Accommodations in Japan

In this post I want to talk about cheap places to stay in Japan. I did the normal searching and found hotels.com has some great deals, but wanted a place for myself. That is when I cam across an an amazing site called Airbnb.com . 

Airbnb is a site that people sublet their houses, apartments, condos, tree houses, really anything that has a place for you to sleep. The site is really easy to navigate and make reservations, and you can choose either to have your own place or share a place or even share a room. I decided that my own apartment would be the best. 

The apartment that I got is right next to a JR train station and its costing me only $60 a night. Now there are cheaper options but to have your own apartment in Japan as if you were living there is an experience. One of the other great things of this apartment is free wifi hotspot. Now I can throw the hotspot in my backpack and have free wifi everywhere I go. This will help out with when I need to check on train travel times, translations, and even uploading pictures and videos. Now I know this blog seems like an advertisement for Airbnb but I truly cant recommend enough this site.

Savings breakdown:

Hotels.com $61 a night with just one double bed =  $912.26 w/tax

Hotels.com $88 a night with two twin beds = $1327.25 w/tax

Airbnb.com $67 a night studio apartment = $911 w/airbnb service charge

Next post: Getting around Japan

 

TG

Flights from US to Japan

When I was looking for flights from Tucson to Japan I did the normal search engines, www.Kayak.com, www.travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.expedia.com and so on. So most of the flights were around $1800 round trip. This cost was high to me. I started thinking what about from larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix.

I was able to find flights out of LAX were only $800-1100 depending on the flight and airline.
At the same time I searched for flights from Tucson to LAX. Round trip flight was only $180. Now one more dilemma a hotel for LAX for the 2 legs of my trip. A quick search on www.hotels.com showed that it would be possible. Hotel room for $62 with free airport transportation and bam booked.
Another good thing about flying out of LAX is the number of flights and airlines. This makes such a big difference, with the number of options you now have, flight times, plane selection. I also used www.seatguru.com to help me select the best seats available.

Cost of getting to Japan and back:

Flight to LAX and back: $180
Flight to and back Japan: $910
Hotel: $124
Total: $1214 instead of $1800
Savings $586

So if the option is available to you be sure to look at costs of flying to a larger city staying there a night then taking a flight out of the big city. Sometime you can save a lot of money.

TG

First Blog Post Ever!

I am a normal 30+ year old guy that works in technology, has a family and that enjoys life. In my new blog I will be showing you travel, sports, food, night life that happen around me. I will also be giving tips on places to go, what to eat, how to get there and how to do these things on the cheep.

My blog posts will be filled with pictures, videos, and maybe some audio clips.

In 54 days I will be traveling to the land of the rising sun, Japan. I will be doing a series of posts leading up to my trip that will explain how and what I will be doing on my trip as well how I was able to save some money along the way.

I hope you will follow me on my travels and experiences.

TG