by Philbert Ono
Congratulations to Tokyo Sky Tree and people in Sumida and Taito Wards for today’s official opening of Japan/Tokyo’s mega tourist attraction of the century. It’s going to be very difficult to top that (literally even) anytime soon. Since I live in eastern Tokyo, I obviously have great interest in the Sky Tree. But it’s not only because I can see
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I made this to compare Japan with the US East Coast. Area-wise, Japan is about the same as Montana. But as you can see, it is very spread out, making it look much larger. That’s why it takes a lot longer to travel around Japan than in Montana. This comparison also matches the latitude, so Hokkaido is like New York.
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The Japan Post Office sells these special die-cut postcards (called regional form cards) unique to each prefecture. Each die-cut postcard features a picture of a prefectural symbol which could be a famous castle, delicacy, animal, etc. So far, three cards for each prefecture have been issued since 2009. Each prefecture’s die-cut cards can be bought only in the respective prefecture’s post offices.
» Read moreThe popular Asakusa Samba Carnival which would have been held on Aug. 27, 2011, has been cancelled. This was announced in June 2011 on the Asakusa Samba Carnival’s official Web site. It was 30 years ago when this Carnival was started. The 31st Asakusa Samba Carnival would have been held this year, but now it has been postponed till next
» Read moreUpdated: April 8, 2011 I know people are understandably canceling trips to Japan left and right. It’s unfortunate since the cherry blossom season is here. Obviously, any travel plans to northeastern Japan (Tohoku) should be cancelled, but other parts of Japan are unaffected such as Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, and Kyushu. People must understand that the earthquake/tsunami/radiation disaster is limited
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