how to :Bathing ?

Japan has a long history of communal bathing and a visit to one of its thousands ofonsen (hot springs) can be a highlight of any trip. As in the bathroom in a private home, you wash yourself outside the bath before getting into the hot water to soak. It is not uncommon for people to scrub each other's backs. Sento (public bath houses) are quite common as there are still some cheap apartments without their own bathrooms. They cost around 300 yen per visit. You should bring your own toiletries and put your shoes and clothes in the lockers provided. Sento and onsen are almost always separated by sex these days but mixed bathing can still be found in a few places.

Kamogawa Sea World

Located in Chiba. Just a quick trip from Tokyo.

Kamogawa is the location of Kamogawa Seaworld, which opened in 1970. It houses seven orcas — Bingo, Oscar, Stella, Lovey, Lara, Ran II and Earth — and numerous other sea creatures. Lovey gave birth to Earth on October 13, 2008, which makes Lovey the first captive-born mother in a Japanese marine park.

Kamogawa (鴨川市, Kamogawa-shi) is a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of 2010 data, the city has an estimated population of 35,310 and the density of 185 persons per km². The total area is 191.30 km².

Kamogawa has sister city relations with Minobu, Yamanashi, Japan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA. The city was founded on March 31, 1971. On February 11, 2005 the town of Amatsukominato, from Awa District, was merged with Kamogawa.

 

Nakano - Downtown Tokyo

In Tokyo, there are many futuristic areas where are lined with high-rise buildings like Roppongi, Shinjyuku subcenter, Otemachi, and Odaiba waterfront areas along Tokyo Bay. On the other side, lots of old-fashioned small downtown are still alive there. This time, I show you some photos I took around JR Nakano stationlocated west of the bustling Shinjuku area. Did you know Nakano ward is famous as the highest populated area in Japan?

December 2010: Extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen to Aomori

On December 4, 2010, the Tohoku Shinkansen will be extended by about 80 kilometers from its current terminus at Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori Station just outside of central Aomori City, reducing travel time between Tokyo by almost an hour to 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Furthermore, new faster train sets will be introduced on the Tohoku Shinkansen from March 2011. Running under the new nickname "Hayabusa", the trains will feature a new "Gran Class" with even more comfortable seats than in the Green Car. From spring 2013, the new train sets are scheduled to increase their top speeds from 300 km/h to 320 km/h, resulting in a further drop in travel times.

 

As a result of the shinkansen extension, the "Hakucho" and "Super Hakucho" limited express trains, which currently run between Hachinohe and Hakodate, will be re-routed to run between Shin-Aomori, Aomori and Hakodate. The destiny of the "Tsugaru" limited express, which is currently running between Hachinohe and Hirosaki, has not yet been decided on.

 

Furthermore, JR East is scheduled to transfer the non-shinkansen railway tracks between Hachinohe and Aomori to Aoimori Railways, a non-JR company, which will result in increased supplement fees to be paid by Japan Rail Pass holders using the Cassiopeia or Hokutosei night trains. source

Explore Osaka-Kyoto 'power spots'

Ramada Osaka offers an accommodation plan that encourages guests to see historic sites in Osaka and Kyoto and visit trendy, faddish "power spots."

Going to so-called power spots — places believed to give visitors some special energy, healing or refreshing, spiritual feeling — has been a popular activity among some Japanese of late. The places are usually religious, historic or natural.

The accommodation plan at the Ramada Osaka for guests wishing to join this fad comes with a one-day tourist ticket, which allows unlimited use of local subways, city buses and some trains, as well as free entrance to 26 tourist spots and facilities, such as Osaka Castle. An original leaflet produced by the hotel introduces power spots and historic places in Osaka and Kyoto, including Shoman-in Aizen-do Temple, Omokaru Jizo at Shitennoji Temple, Honnoji and Osaka Castle.

The plan starts at ¥11,000 per room for double occupancy and ¥16,500 per room for triple occupancy.

The Ramada Osaka is connected to Nakatsu Station on the Midosuji Subway Line and is a five-minute walk from Hankyu Umeda Station. For more information, call (06) 6372-8181.

Chic summer disco fever returns

Responding to customers who said that "there is no night spot for adults," the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi started an event in 2005 that has become a popular semiannual tradition.

Club Chic 2010 Summer — Greatest '70s Disco Hits and Classics will be held Aug. 27. The event features soulful dance numbers once dominant on the world's dance scene revisited in the hotel's spacious 1,000-sq.-meter Grand Ballroom, dynamically transformed into a gorgeous dance floor.

The party starts at 8 p.m. and runs until midnight (last entry 11:30 p.m.). General tickets are ¥11,000 and VIP tickets are ¥21,000. Both include a free drink. Guests are asked not to wear jeans or sneakers.

The Grand Hyatt Tokyo is a three-minute walk from Roppongi Station. For reservations, call (03) 4333-8838 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Beer terrace shows Asian taste

Summer is the season when beer gardens sprout all around. The beer terrace at the newly opened Choice! restaurant in the Ark Hills complex in Tokyo takes on an Asian spin through Sept. 30. A special ¥4,500 plan comes with eight Asian dishes and two hours of unlimited drinks, available only at the terrace area, where the breeze and refreshing sounds of the waterfall in Ark Karajan Place add a pleasing touch.

Select Asian dishes, such as black pepper edamame (soy beans), Thai-style fresh spring rolls, prawn toast, satay and Indonesian nasi goreng (a rice dish), go well with cool drinks such as beer, wine, a selection of shochu, cocktails and soft drinks.

The beer terrace course menu is available daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Choice! is on the third floor of the Ark Mori Building (1-12-32, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo), a one-minute walk from Roppongi-itchome or Tameike-Sanno stations. For further information, call (03) 3585-2900.