Traval Japan Guide: Tokyo City Watch

It's the most populated city in the world, a city where 90% of residents read a comic book daily, and one of the few places on earth where riding a bike is usually quicker than driving. Tokyo is magical, eternally confusing to outsiders and yet perpetually alluring. With so many attractions vying for your attention during your trip to Tokyo, here are the top 5 things to do in the city.

1. Spend a day people watching at Yoyogi Park: Although you could spend any day here, the most exciting and interesting, from an observer's point of view, is Sunday. The park is enormous -- a former airstrip, army parade ground and site for the Olympic Games in 1964. All sorts of people gather on Sunday, from jazz musicians and jamming guitarists, to martial artists, singers and jugglers. This motley ensemble of characters is fascinating to watch.

2. Watch the local giants: What better way to immerse yourself in Japanese culture than by taking in the national sport? There are few spectacles more intriguing than the sight of two barely-covered behemoths squaring off against one another, each with the intention of taking his opponent down or bundling him out of the ring. Sumo is a source of national pride in Japan and the wrestlers are viewed as heroes. The next major tournament in Tokyo, visit the Sumo website - Sumo.or.jp for more info.

3. Marvel at Japanese fashion: When it comes to clothes, Tokyo is beyond cutting edge. The colors and designs are like something from another planet. Head straight to Harajuku (Harajuku station on the Yamanote line) and spend the day seeing what sorts of new threads you can spot. Close to the station are Takeshita-dori, where you'll find many independent designers stores, Yoyogi Park, where you can spot gaggles of Gothic Lolitas, and Omotesando, for high-end fashion outlets.

4. Get electrified in electric town: Akihabara, located close to the Tokyo railway station, is the place to go (in the world) for electronics. You'll find absolutely everything here, from state-of-the-art technology in the Laox store, to secondhand stuff in the back streets. Akihabara is also a hobbyists' paradise, with large communities of manga and anime lovers hanging out.

5. Tackle the tuna in Tsukiji: If things start smelling a little fishy, don't panic; you've probably just found yourself in the world's biggest fish market. Tsukiji Fish Market is home to every imaginable type of seafood ... and then some. The food is excellent, and you can stop off for a bowl of ramen or a plate of sushi while you're there. Be prepared to get a little confused, particularly if you're trying to decipher a map. In terms of cultural experiences, it doesn't get much better (or bigger) than this.

Check out hotel availability and special hotel price at Agoda.com - http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/tokyo.html

Gokouun o inorimasu! (good luck)

Travel Japan Guide - The Fuji Rock Festival 2008

The music event of the year is on! The 2008 Fuji Rock Festival, Japan's very own outdoor music festival runs from Friday July 25th until Sunday July 27th. Originally inspired by Britain's Glastonbury Festival, the Fuji Rock Festival acquired its name due to the first event in 1997 being held on the foot of famous Mt Fuji. Its current home is nowhere near Mt Fuji, but the name remains. Featuring international acts such as Underworld and My Bloody Valentine playing alongside the best of Japan's local talent, this promises to be an event not to be missed for any music lover. The 100,000 people set to attend this year's festival will certainly agree.

Since 1999, the annual festival has been held in Naeba in Niigata prefecture, 200 km north-west of Tokyo. A ski resort during the winter, it offers plenty to do and see, even for those who don't necessarily like rock music. The surrounding area is stunning, set amidst forested mountains, hills and streams. Dragondola, the world's longest Gondola lift will take you to the top of the mountain overlooking the festival site, enabling you to fully appreciate the area's natural beauty. High up in the mountains, far away from city life, fans love this festival and its unique atmosphere.

This festival is by far the world's cleanest music festival with hardly any litter as everyone obediently uses litter bags handed to them upon arrival. This Japanese fixation on tidiness and recycling creates a pleasant space for enjoying the music. Japanese music fans watch performances and move between stages in a polite and friendly manner. Queues for the limited hot spring baths, cooling showers and toilets are inevitably long at peak times. For those willing to wait a little longer, there is even a hot spa loaded with soap and shampoos.

On the night before the festival (Thursday night), there is an opening party with free entry. It features Bon-Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance), prize draws, food stalls and a fireworks display. There is even a steak eating competition with the chance to win a year's supply of beef. But of course, a music festival is really about music, and this year's line-up competes with any of the world's big festivals.

Reaching the festival from Tokyo is an experience in itself as you travel on the JR Shinkansen, reaching speeds up to 300 km/h. From Tokyo Central Station you will arrive at Echigo-Yuzawa Station after the 80 minute rocket ride, where a free shuttle bus will transfer you to the festival.

If it's your first time at a music festival, it will definitely be a new experience as you walk long distances from stage to stage, and try to see all the artists on the many stages. However, all the talent, audience and staff together make the Fuji Rock Festival a perfect place to enjoy good music, meet new people and rock out in the wilderness.

Essential Information & Tips

• 3 day pass costs 39,800 Yen and 1 day pass costs 16,800 Yen. Camping costs 3,000 Yen per person for 3 days. You must supply your own tent.
• Festival tickets and camping reservations available at http://www.ganban.net/frf08-main.html
• JR Shinkansen ticket, Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa is 6,490 Yen one way (for a reserved seat). Timetables and information available at http://www.japanrail.com
• Car parking available for 3,000 Yen per day.
• Purchase a camping ticket in advance and arrive early to choose your campsite otherwise you may end up camping on a slope.
• Be sure to have enough Japanese Yen as there is no currency exchange available.
• Further information about the festival lineup available at the 2008 Fuji Rock Festival official site http://www.smash-uk.com/frf08/

Travel Japan Guide - Shinkansen the high-speed ride in Japan

Reaching speeds near 300 kilometers an hour (slightly slower than a Formula 1 car) and a rail network that spans 2,459 kilometers, Japan's Shinkansen is the world's leading high-speed inter-city train service. Japan's "bullet train," is well-known around the world for its speed, (some test runs have have reached speeds of nearly 450 km/hr!), but the Shinkansen lines also have an excellent safety record and are incredibly punctual. The average delay throughout the year of any train is 0.4 minutes, which includes delays caused by earthquakes, typhoons, snowfall, heavy rains and other natural disasters, and over 6 billion passengers have arrived at their destination safely in its 40-year history, as no deaths have been caused by derailment or collision.

Regarding as one of the top tourist marks while travel in Japan, the bullet train first got its nickname because of its bullet-like nose cone. Developed in the early 60's just in time for use at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, the Shinkansen is set on standard guage rail lines (set wider apart than those used in North America). The wider setting is extremely level, and restricts the curves within the rail line, resulting in a straighter, more stable and safer path to achieve those blistering speeds. North American trains may weave a slower path to their destination, but the Shinkansen believes in wasting no time connecting point A to point B. The train moves so fast that there is often a "tunnel boom" (similar to a sonic boom) emitted as the train leaves a tunnel. When the train enters a tunnel at such a high rate of speed there is a sudden build up of air pressure. As there isn't enough room within the tunnel for the air to escape, a "boom" is created at the exit as the train leaves the tunnel.

There are currently six main Shinkansen lines linking most cities on the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu. The first section built and opened in 1964 was the Tokaido Shinkansen, which linked Tokyo to Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen is now the most heavily travelled, high-speed rail route in the world, and has reduced a journey that once took six hours to approximately two and a half. The city of Osaka is considered to be the laidback antithesis of Japan's hyperactive Tokyo, and is also where the Tokaido Shinkansen ends and the Sanyo Shinkansen begins, which continues on to the city of Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. The Kyushu Shinkansen is the newest addition to this network and connects cities on the southern island. With lines running through major and scenic centers like Nagano, Akita, Kakunodate, Lake Tazawa, Niigata to name a few, all of Japan's favorite sites can be seen in a blur as the trains race by.

Tickets for the Shinkansen can be bought at vending machines or ticket counters at the train stations, though it may take a little bit of riding around on local trains before switching over to the Super Express. Because much of the information at train stations is in Japanese, spending a little time at the Japan Railways Group website-where information is clear, easy to understand (and in English) is recommended. For the first-time visiting Japan, do not forget to prepare and experience a ride on Shinkansen the rocketing-speed trains.