Japan: main content and contributions
Travelling in Japan
~This blog comes from my personal blog "Hannah-chan's travels" for more blog check out this blog page ~
Finding the best way to travel in a country is always a bit tricky. In some countries it can be cheaper to take the bus, in other countries to take a train of flight. What is always cheaper is hitchhiking of course, but not everyone feels comfortable about getting in the car with a stranger.
I’ve travelled quite a bit in Japan and in my experience, the way you travel depends on your budget, the time you have and on how you want to experience the country. In this blog I’ll try to inform you on ways to travel in Japan and what could be best for your personal trip. I’ve listed four types of travelling (bus, train, airplane, car) and the pros and cons. Just to have said it, I also want to dedicate a few sentences to hitchhiking since it is the cheapest and in my experience a really fun way of travelling.
Hitchhiking
While hitchhiking always comes with a little bit of a risk, the chance something happens to you in Japan is quite low in my opinion. People are friendly, polite and it’s one of the safest countries in the world. If you hitchhike with someone else, it shouldn’t really be a problem. I hitchhiked on Yakushima Island and it was one of the best things I’ve done since I met one really cool guy and we had a free ride. The cons however are that Japanese people often speak little English. They will want to make conversation, but it can be a bit of a struggle sometimes. It always helps if you know some Japanese and they will love it. Another thing is that hitchhiking takes a lot of time and patience. While it is usually an amazing experience, there might also be days that you have to wait for multiple hours, just to get a ride of 30 minutes. If you decide to do it, just make sure you keep this in mind and don’t expect to be at your destination soon.
By bus
The bus is usually the cheapest way of travelling. There are several bus companies operating throughout Japan and the most foreigner-friendly one is definitely Willer Express. This company operates bus routes mostly in central Honshu, but where exactly you can find on their English (!!) webpage. If you want to go to multiple cities and prefer the Willer Expressbecause their webpage is in English I would recommend getting a bus pass. There are three options; a 3 day bus pass, a 5 day bus pass and a 7 day bus pass, so just figure out which one you would need!
Apart from Willer Express there are also other, cheaper bus companies. While Willer Express gives you quite some comfort options (unless you get the cheapest bus), the other companies I’ve travelled with usually have little or less leg room but they are way cheaper. The downside is that their websites are in Japanese so you might want to ask someone at the hotel/hostel to help you. Another thing is that their departure stations can sometimes be hard to find, so make sure you have a map of where you have to go printed out so you won’t miss the bus. The webpage I usually use is busbookmark.jp and for busses around Nagano I use the alpico bus http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/english/ .
By train
A way to avoid this extra time for check-in etcetera is to take the train. There are local/express/limited express/etc trains and there is the famous bullet train or shinkansen. The first trains are way cheaper, however, it will take a lot longer to get to your destination if you’re going long distances. For example Kyoto-Tokyo by shinkansen is about 2.5 hours by shinkansen, but 20 hours by local trains. If you travel where there is not shinkansen line or just short distances, I recommend to take local trains. It is easy and cheap!
The shinkansen is quite expensive. For a one-way ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto you pay around 12000 yen. It is however super-fast and if you have little time, a much recommended way of travelling. If you only have 1 or 2 weeks in Japan and you want to see a lot, you don’t want to spend too much time in transit so hopping in and out of a train in the city centre of where you want to be is just AWESOME. Next to that I think that being on a bullet train is also quite a cool experience and maybe even something you have to do if you want to feel the real Japan. Tickets can be bought on the main stations from machines or at the shinkansen ticket centres. Another option is to buy a rail pass. More information about the rail pass can be found on http://www.japanrailpass.net/ . There are different types of rail passes available for different areas so make sure you pick the right one for your trip. Another important thing is that this pass can not be purchased in Japan, so plan your trip ahead and buy a rail pass in time if this is your prefered way of travelling!
By air
A (sometimes) cheap way of travelling in Japan is by air. Even though I don’t like airplanes because of the pollution, I would recommend this way of travelling if you want to see multiple places all spread out over the country and you don’t need to see what’s in between. There are several cheap domestic airlines like Skymark Airlines, Jetstar, Vanilla Air, Spring Airlines and with one of the cheapest being Peach. If you sign up for their newsletter before you head to Japan, you can get updates on their frequent sales and might be able to book a ticket from Osaka-Tokyo for 2000 yen (check-in luggage is not included!). The flights are short, but do remember you’ll spend at least 2-3 hours extra at airports doing check/in and liggage drop-off.
By car
Travelling by car is one of the easiest ways if you want to visit multiple places mostly on the country side. Renting a car in Japan means you’ll need an international drivers’ license and you probably must have had it for 5 years. The cost for renting a car depends on where you rent it and what kind of car it is. The price for gasoline is in the middle range of gas prices. It’s usually cheaper than in Europe, but it’s still on the expensive side.
For finding rental cars in Japan (or actually anywhere in the world), you can use rentalcars.com . However, I’d recommend to ask for rental cars at your hotel/hostel. They will probably know cheaper places to go to.
Well, hopefully this was helpfull! If you have any questions, just comment and I’ll try to reply! Also, if you know more about this and want to share it with other readers, please leave a comment too! Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Hannah
Volunteering in Japan
When looking for volunteering opportunities you can find an overload on the web, from free to paid. In this blog I will try to give an overview of free volunteering opportunities in Japan. Of course there might be many other opportunities, but this blog can be a first step in finding the best options for you and you can use it as a starting point for further research.
1. WWOOF
WWOOF offers worldwide opportunities for organic farming, so as well in Japan. The farmers can list the opportunities themselves so it can be really small-scale, but farms can also be huge. You have to pay around 55 euros to join the community for a year, but then you can apply for all the opportunities on there. Often you will get free accommodation and food, sometimes you even get paid (probably not in Japan though). I have never done it myself, but I have heard many good stories. It's a great way to get to know the local culture, lands and food! So if you're into farming, definitely try it out!
Website: https://www.wwoofjapan.com/main/index.php?lang=en
2. WorkAway
WorkAway is something similar to WWOOF, however, it is a platform not just for farming, but for all kinds of work. Offers range from working in a hostel to teaching English to children of just one family. The range of job types is huge, which can make it really fun. However, it can be important to check reviews since some jobs or environments might not suit you. Sometimes you get free accommodation, sometimes free food, but getting paid never really happens I think. I have found some great opportunities in Japan so I would definitely recommend you to check it :). You have to pay a fee of 32 euros a year for a single person and 42 euros a year as a couple. You can even buy workaway as a gift for someone going to japan and wanting to volunteer.
Website: https://www.workaway.info/
3. Volunteering at an animal shelter
The first time I went to Japan, I was looking for cheap volunteering opportunities. Since I love animals I decided to look for animal shelters in Japan and ask them whether volunteering there was possible. I ended up volunteering for a week at Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK). It was an amazing, rewarding experience. Animal care is not that big in Japan. While many Japanese people love (dressing up) animals, especially when they are young, when the animals get bigger, they often are abandoned since they don't fit in the house anymore, are not cute anymore or are too dirty. Of course, this only counts for a part of japanese people (I also know many Japanese that would never ever do this), it does happen and the couple of animal shelters present have to take care of all these abandoned animals. ARK animal shelter is owned by an English lady who has a passion for animals and who works together with an almost all Japanese staff. When I was there (7 years ago already) she lived in the middle of the shelter and I stayed with her. However, usually you will stay at the volunteering house for free if you work every day. The work consists of walking the dogs, cleaning and socialising the animals. I truely enjoyed it! This is also a good opportunity if you just want to volunteer for one day! They won't let you stay, but if you have a car you can visit them in the morning and walk the dogs or play with the cats I believe. They also have an office in Tokyo, but I think they won't offer you free accommodation if you volunteer there. Sometimes they also need volunteers for translating, social media promotion etc.
p.s. they have some beautiful animals in the shelter and they are up for adoption, even if you live on the other side of the world.
Website: http://www.arkbark.net/en/
Another place where you can volunteer is Japan Cat Network. They need help at their two animal shelters, with the events in Japan and you can even help out from home through social media. Even though their name suggests that they only have cats, they also have dogs at their shelter that need help. The animals are truely beautiful and working with them would certainly be fun.
Website: https://japancatnetwork.org/volunteer
4. Disaster relief volunteering
I don't know so much about this topic. What I did read is that giving money to local organisations working on disaster relief is still one of the most important things. But if you do want to help out on the ground I would like to refer you to this blog: https://disasterjapan.wordpress.com/volunteering-in-japan/
They know a lot more about this topic and the website is regularly updated I believe. So check it out if you're interested in this type of volunteering.
Well, I hope you have enough options now to start with! Volunteering in Japan is a unique experience. However, do keep in mind the behavioural code and politeness a bit to make sure that you have the best volunteering opportunity!
Any questions? Let me know!
Where to study in Japan, do an internship, do volunteer work or look for a job in Japan?
Why study, do an internship, volunteer or work temporarily in Japan?
- because it is a good way to get in touch with the rich history and culture, with the mix of traditional and modern elements in Japanese society.
- because the workplace is a place where group spirit is important. Employees should help each other. Team outings are popular, and usually with food.
- because the work culture has a clear hierarchy; it is clear that the employer has the say.
What should you pay attention to?
- that there are many cultural customs, which are often difficult to recognize or figure out. Some important customs are bowing to each other when greeting, when leaving. The deeper the more respect and it is not uncommon to bow several times in a row.
- respect for higher-ups is very important.
- decisions are often made by those in charge, without (much) input from the lower ranks.
- it is customary to bring a little something with you when you visit someone in Japan. Consider something from home, an expensive piece of fruit, or an (edible) souvenir from another region of Japan.
Why live in Japan, why emigrate to Japan or stay for a long time?
Why should you live in Japan as an expat, emigrant or working nomad?
- Because it is really something different.
- Because it is safe in Japan and there is a high quality of life. The cities are clean, public transportation is efficient and reliable, and health care is excellent.
- Because the work culture is collective, and the common interest of the team is high on the list.
- Because the work culture is known for high standards and efficiency.
What should you pay attention to?
- if you meet someone for business, or are given someone's business card? Then never accept it with one hand, but always use both hands. By the way, this also applies to cards and money. Also, never put the card in your pocket right away. Look at it and store it respectfully.
- in your daily interactions with others, especially colleagues, in the workplace or relative strangers, it is helpful to have an idea of the form of politeness in the Japanese language. For example, address others by last name+“san,” this shows respect, and do not ask direct or personal questions if you do not yet know each other well.
- that emotions or problems are not easily talked about because it feels like bothering others. So it can also be difficult to make deep friendships. Hugging is rare and most contact is through bowing. Shaking hands is also out of the question. Still, the contact can be warm and fun, and of course it varies depending on the person you meet.
- in many cases, the common thread is consideration for others and mutual respect. In Japan, you almost never communicate “no.” If you can't or won't, you often indicate it in a roundabout way by saying “maybe,” for example, so that you don't offend another person. The message is understood.
- dealing with each other is formal, for example, communication, dress code and etiquette.
- overtime is not uncommon. The work culture can be demanding, and balancing work and leisure time can be challenging.
- arrive on time, adapt to group dynamics, make sure your home is clean and orderly, be very hospitable (hospitality is hugely important in Japan, and also a lot of fun to experience), respect the elderly and go “out of your way” to help them and others.
- individualism is not always appreciated.
Which visum for Japan
- In need of a Japanese visum?
- The first place to visit is the embassy's/government's website
- Here you can find experiences and advice regarding Japanese visa
Are you going to Japan some time soon? Maybe for work, travelling or volunteering? Than you might need to get a visum. In this bundle you can find advice and experiences regarding the Japanese visum process.
Recipes from Japan or with a Japanese twist by WorldSupporters - Bundle
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