Shibuya (渋谷)   Shibuya has evolved into one of my favorite places in Japan.  It has everything.  If you want lights and sounds, it has that.  If you want a mass of Japanese humanity, it has that too.  It has Hachiko.  And the video screen from “Lost in Translation.”  And the Starbucks where you can people watch.  Karaoke.  Bars.  Western food. ...

Travel within Japan is quick and convenient, but it can take some getting used to.  Tokyo especially has trains, monorails, the Shinkansen, taxis, boats, and tourist things like rickshaws.  Most of these places will have signs in English, some will not, especially the smaller stations.  You can read more about that here.     The ticket kiosks accept all...

There are a million apps that you can download, but there are a couple that are must-haves. One gives you the train times and stations in English and the other is Google Translate.  If you search the app stores you can find a lot of others including ones that will teach you some handy phrases.  Others that will translate your voice to Japanese text. Google Translate...

If you’re from the US, you really don’t have to worry about this since the voltage is similar between the two countries.  Just ust about all electronics have a voltage regulator attached which will do a conversion for you.  See the pictures below.  It’s the little box you see attached to your computer cable or phone charger.  If you see that, then...

Phone and internet in Tokyo can be tricky in Japan if you want to keep your costs down. If your from is from the US, then I wouldn’t plan on doing much talking on your phone.  Not that you would have to anyway, with all of the chat apps and free phone apps.  I have Verizon, and the plans are straight out of 1995 with limited minutes and 100 MB of data for...