Holiday Japan - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 08:39:15 am
content: hey everyone, i'm just booking a 2 week holiday to Japan with my partner in July/August.Will be in Tokyo at the beginning and then heading out south hopefully as far as Hiroshima on the trains and then returning at the end for some car related stuff (Toyota 86 Day, driving some of the Skylines north of Tokyo, shopping, Toyota Megaweb).Just wondered if anyone has any recommendations to see/do/eat??

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 10:48:17 am
content: there are a few things we have kinda planned first few days will be in Tokyo somewhere around electric town. We will be getting a Japan Rail Pass so we can make use of the bullet trains.We will then head south for where i think we'll have a factory tour at Tein (Yokohama), then we can stop at any of the places on the way to Hiroshima (Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe etc). We just need to see what there is and then plan it a bit... what we want to see and what we can doLike to see everything from the crush of Tokyo to the more rural partsthanks for the tip about the Yamanashi test track, that sounds

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 12:04:43 pm
content: You booked too late to catch this:http://zoomingjapan.com/travel/kanamara-matsuri/

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 02:08:35 pm
content: lol, looks like an amusing day out!

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 04:25:28 pm
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on March 25, 2014, 08:39:15 amLOL ... this reminds me of my very short trip to Japan last year, I know this sounds silly & weird,one thing I remembered is I put the "4th" generation Eneloop battery in my priority electronics related shopping list, cause it was newly released back then in 2013, and so difficult to find it outside Japan.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 03:47:17 am
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on March 26, 2014, 11:58:04 amWe are using this Japanese clipper and it's top qualityhttp://amzn.com/B003AKZCPUWhen in Japan watch for prices. You can pay $100 for a single steak or having a great lunch in a noodle house for a fraction of the price. Kyoto is a cultural center but can be a very boring place for some. Same goes for the traditional hotels (ryokans), for some they are cute, for other they feel like prison cells.Overall it's a facinating country with the nicest people in the world

author: Mr. Coffee
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 04:00:23 am
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on March 25, 2014, 08:39:15 amI don't think Japan is open. I just got back from Honolulu and they are all there.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 07:43:57 am
content: Thanks for all the replies everyone.Have found a site for train times with options to filter for shinkansen which is applicable to the japan rail pass so we should be able to start planning a bit for booking hotels.The toyota museum near Nagoya is also on the list now

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 12:40:54 am
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on March 27, 2014, 07:43:57 amIn one of our visits to Japan we booked a custom organized trip which was very interesting. It was from a large Japanese tour company, don't remember the name, but can ask. You reserve hotels, daily tours, and train rides for N days and free days if you like. When you start your plan, you do every day whatever activity you reserved (e.g. a day tour to mt Fuji and the area) and when you need to move to another city, they drop you at the train stations and make sure you get on the right train. Even in transfer station they have local part timers that wait for you, take you to the connecting train and make sure you get on the right one. Extremely well organized and fully customized. My wife is native Japanese speaker but we found it useful nevertheless.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 12:45:31 am
content: I've heard that Japan has some really fun canyons:http://canyons.jp/en

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 01:54:53 am
content: If you're heading in the direction of Hiroshima, thenKurashikiis worth a look. A kind of "quaint" historic town with some well preserved old buildings, an art museum, and some souvenir shops selling local pottery at eye-watering prices. The surrounding area is quite pretty too, especially over towards the Great Seto Bridge (but avoid the industrial port/manufacturing area of Mizushima nearby unless you like industrial scenery and giant smoke stacks).In the same region, Kyoto is a major cultural centre with various historic temples, shrines, gardens and so on. (By the time you have finished touring Japan you will have come across more temples than you can possibly count.)Try to sample as much local food as you can. There is a considerable variety of tastes and styles to choose from.Okonomiyakiis tasty, and also fun if you visit a "cook it yourself" restaurant. For a cheaper "fast food" experience, look out foryakitorirestaurants where you will get grilled chicken kebabs with a glass or beer or two. But you might want to avoid some of the more "exotic" parts of the chicken at the cheaper end of the menu

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 11:02:47 am
content: fantastic thanks, it's going to be hard to pick and choose what we can do!...which reminds me we need to buy our rail passes before the price goes upi am looking forward to the food, Hairy Bikers just did 2 episodes in Japan which was shown on BBC2 recently.http://www.hairybikers.com/shows/the-hairy-bikers-asian-adventure/1791

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 11:32:37 am
content: Remember Flipper?

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 11:48:23 am
content: Quote from: GK on March 28, 2014, 11:32:37 amsadly all countries have their dark side

author: mwilson
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 04:21:32 pm
content: I recently did the same thing -- 2 weeks, starting in Tokyo and going as far down as Hiroshima. Since you mentioned you're getting the Japan Rail pass, I highly recommend grabbing the bookJapan By Railby Ramsey Zarifeh. I didn't try to incorporate anything EE or car-related into my trip, so I don't have specific recommendations on that front, but the book is a great help if you're getting around by rail and want to know about the food, lodging, and activities near the stations. Also check out some castles -- in particular, stop in Matsumoto and tour the grounds and castle there. Really interesting to compare to European castle architecture and historical development.

author: Kryoclasm
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2014, 04:03:26 am
content: So, during the work week do not try to get on the trains at 8am or 5pm.I know this first hand, here is a video demonstrating why....And yes, the train conductors will help you to "fit" inside the train because if the doors do not close the train will be late.... They really don't like to be late.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 12:00:10 am
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on March 28, 2014, 11:02:47 amBunnies Island would be at the top of my list.;-)

author: electrodacus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 02:16:48 am
content: As others mentioned Akihabara is a must. Not sure how it is now since I was there more than 7 years ago.And there was quiet a change between my last two visits about a year apart.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:28:27 am
content: will certainly go there yes... i will probably pick up some sd/microsd cards, maybe some gopro accesories

author: lemmegraphdat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 11:41:30 am
content: Japan is an exquisite country.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:00:08 pm
content: Quote from: mwilson on March 28, 2014, 04:21:32 pmthanks, i will buy this on your recommendation, both myself and partner are car nuts i really want to see some of the historic sights, culture so things like castles sound like s great ideaI have been reading the restrictions on the pass for the Nozomi and Mizuho trains, other than getting the correct train was there any other additional charges? I'm thinking of specifically the route to Hiroshima.I am trying to plan for unforseen costs etc!!

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:24:27 pm
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on March 30, 2014, 10:00:08 pmI seem to remember the shinkansen express trains have premium fares and a standard rail pass may not be valid. It's probably best to check current information on the Japan Rail web site (I imagine they have an English language version).I have travelled on the Nozomi express from Tokyo down past Osaka towards Hiroshima and it's a very nice train. Much faster than the stopping services along the same route.(There was a memorable time when I wasn't paying attention and forgot to get off a stopping service at Okayama to connect with the express service to Tokyo. Consequently I ended up catching a slower train from Osaka and arrived too late to catch the last train from Tokyo to Narita airport. Luckily I didn't have a plane to catch until the next morning and so I just ended up getting to my hotel rather later than planned. But it was quite an adventure figuring out what trains to catch from what platforms after my carefully designed itinerary went wonky...)

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 08:41:33 pm
content: thanks for all the great replieshave booked a hotel in Tokyo and Nagoya, will probably look at Hiroshima and the other points like Kyoto later in the weekcouple of questions..how easy is it to book/allocate the seats on the shinkansens after we have the rail pass?and i have seen japan is often a cash based society, is it easy to use cashpoints/atms etc with foreign cards etc?

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 10:15:03 pm
content: Train tickets are easily booked in person at main station ticket offices, assuming availability. (Possibly also the hotel concierge can make reservations for you if it's a larger hotel.) I'm not sure how often it may happen that services are full and need to be booked ahead. I found the trains had some reserved seating and some open seating. The reserved seating obviously guarantees a place to sit, but you have to carefully find the right carriage and seat when boarding.My experience in Japan is that credit cards work fine for hotels, taxis, trains, etc, but getting cash out of cash machines is a different story. Most of them will refuse any card that is not issued by a Japanese bank. If you find a "tourist" cash machine in a big city, for example an Amex machine, it may be different, but I have never successfully got cash out of a machine in Japan. The easiest option for cash is to take travellers cheques. You can exchange these for cash at the hotel front desk (easy) or at a bank (which is less convenient due to various forms and ID checks and signatures to be processed). (And obviously take some Japanese currency with you when you travel.)

author: elgonzo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 11:21:13 pm
content: In case you have not yet booked flight tickets: Try to get a flight arriving at Haneda airport, not Narita. Not only is Haneda right next to the city, if you have a window seat and the weather is good you might catch a nice aerial view of Tokyo during the approach. You can then also take the monorail from the airport into the city (depending on your luggage handling capabilities it might not be a good idea, though).If you plan to purchase or print maps, pay attention that the map comes with the Japanese names (mostly in Kanji), which will help tremendously when communicating with taxi drivers (taxi is rather expensive), bus ticket vendors or "asking"locals for directions.Apropos directions: if you need to ask and communication with locals is too cumbersome, you might want to look for the nearest Koban ("police box"). Most of them have large and detailed maps of their district on a wall (although in Japanese only, as far as i have seen). Having your own map (with both Japanese and Romaji spellings) will make it easy for the staff to tell you the way, or rather draw it onto your map...Also important: Don't forget to practice your chopstick skills before your holiday. Really, sitting there eating your meal with a fork/spoon while everybody else uses chopsticks feels akward...Otherwise, there is not much to add to what the others said. There is so much to experience...Oh, and pet rabbits of course:(picture made some years ago during the Sapporo Snow Festival)

author: jeremy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 12:04:51 am
content: I just came back from japan a few months ago. Best option for me was to have a credit card and get cash out in a 7-11 or post office. Otherwise don't really expect anyone to take cards.If you're into the electronics behind music, check out Five G:http://thesynthesizersympathizer.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/five-g-synth-shop-harajuku.htmlIt's probably the best electronic synth shop I have ever seen, better than a museum. If I recall they don't open until midday though so plan accordingly. Toyota factory tour was amazing, and it was free!When in Tokyo, don't forget that it is a very vertically-built city. Don't be afraid to go up to the 8th or 9th floor to check out a shop, even though the building has the ground surface area of a small cafe.There is a special day in akihabara (I think it is Sunday) where they close off the roads and people do all of that dressing up jazz. Also, expect a bunch of adult shops/maid cafes and associated mess in akihabara; the electronics guys I talked to in some of the test equipment shops around there think it is a real shame but it is what it isOh, and someone will inevitably recommend that you go to the robot cafe in tokyo. Just an FYI, if you think robot cafe means scantily clad women pretending to be robots in a pseudo-burlesque show, you're going to the right place. Let's just say that this engineer was disappointed

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 12:10:10 am
content: Quote from: elgonzo on April 06, 2014, 11:21:13 pm(If you stand around looking lost in Japan, people will come up to you and ask if you need any help with directions--especially if it's in a busy public place like a train station.)

author: elgonzo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 12:49:43 am
content: Quote from: IanB on April 07, 2014, 12:10:10 amHaving a (larger) train station nearby has its advantages, not only in Japan

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 09:08:52 am
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on March 25, 2014, 04:05:51 pmI had that problem in Africa.

author: elgonzo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 12:19:55 pm
content: A note related to train travel...On your journey from Tokyo to the south or back, you might think about riding not only the Shinkansen. While Shinkansen is a marvelous technology - and every rail fan should ride it at least once - the experience will be a bit so-so. Due to the many tunnels and all the noise barriers there is little to see outside the window once the train leaves the station and gains speed. (And as a brit, you are most likely used to Japanese hi-speed trains anyway)If your schedule and budget permits, how about taking the "Romancecar" trains between Tokyo Shinjuku and Odawara station? Selected "Romancecar" trains have front panorama seats with a gorgeous view (requiring seat reservation in advance), which in terms of "experience value" beat any high-speed train in this world, except the Siemens Velaro trains with lounges maybe...Train transfer should (hopefully) not pose too much of a scheduling problem, since some of the Nozomi Shinkansen (not all of them, i guess) will stop at Odawara, and multiple Romancecar trains with panorama seats will depart daily.Hower, using "Romancecar" has a caveat, unfortunately. Since it is operated by a private rail operator, the JR Railpass does not apply, and a front panorama seat (only 4 of such seats are available in such a train) will cost you about 5700 Yen. (I am not entirely sure about the current prices, though, with the recent increase in consumption tax in Japan and all that...)If interested, you can find more details on theofficial web site of the Romancecar.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 04:36:20 pm
content: is that the Hakone Tozan Railway?http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/i dont know what i'd do without google maps!

author: elgonzo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 05:34:46 pm
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on April 07, 2014, 04:36:20 pmYes, it is. Both the 'normal' train as well as the cable car.Quote...using Google Earth?If you intend to stay in the area for a few days, do an overnight Mt. Fuji climb (or rather Mt. Fuji walk). Along the mountain path there are a few huts where you can spend the night (which will involve a fee, but don't ask me how much, i forgot. Cash only! The last time i was there, Nov. 2008, there were no international ATMs at the base station - maybe it is different now or during season). Try to spend the night in one of the top-most huts get out early and try to reach the summit before sunrise. When the sun rises, you will feel like being on Mars... everything is red. Also, it will be amazing RUNNING down the mountain on the soft ash trails. It is not very challenging and a ton of fun. It is somewhat disappointing how quickly you reach the bottom

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 06:48:16 pm
content: My dad brought this back from his business trip in Japan in the 1980's.Mt FujibySeanB_ZA, on Flickr

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 09:24:26 pm
content: The Hakone train maybe something we can do when we return to Tokyo later in the trip, there will be more car related stuff going on, '86 day at fuji speedway, visiting tuning shops, driving some skylines in an old corolla, there is also the possibility of a few factory tours, possible visits to Tsukuba circuit... plus some other 'maybe' options.will be seeing Mt Fuji too, but i am not sure about climbing it, or running down it for that matter!we're not going to fit everything in!

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 09:53:50 am
content: things are progressing well, still need to book hotels in Hiroshima and find a nice Ryokan in Kyoto.Will be doing the Tozan mountain railway on the way back from Kyoto.my Japan By Rail book landed on the doormat today, thanks for the tip mwilson

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 11:15:49 am
content: I love this thread. It's one of my lifetimes ambitions to visit Japan. The nearest I've got so far is watching motorcyle trips through the lovely Japanese coutryside on YouTube. If I got there I would have to hire myself a bike and stay in a few Youth Hostels.I love all the stuff to do with Buddhism and visiting a few temples would be high on my list.David.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 11:44:52 am
content: we should get our cultural fix in Hiroshima, Kyoto and around Hakone hopefullythen we'll be completely in automotive mode, visiting tuning garages, pretending to be Bunta and Takumi on the skylines, factory toursi've been wanting to see japan for many many years, i always said i wanted to go for my 40th birthday... which was a couple of months ago

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 07:33:17 am
content: Just wanted to bump this as we have things pretty much nailed down now and thought some of you maybe interested in the plans.So we land in Tokyo at the end of JulyFor internet access i will have my nexus tab, i'll pickup a few disposable data sims for it but i have also booked a wifi dongle from here for the duration of our stay:http://www.econnectjapan.com/so we should be well connected. This is delivered to the hotel and we simply post back it when we are finished with it.Our japan rail pass vouchers arrived with us the other day, which we exchange for rail passes when we get to Tokyo. Green car for 7 daysWe have two nights we'll be staying in a traditional ryokan with japanese style rooms, which will be fun. These are in Kyoto and Shibukawa.Tokyo: 2 nightsSettling in, Akihabara etcShinkansen to Nagoya: 1 nightVisit the toyota museum and hopefully some car tuners based around there.Shinkansen to Hiroshima: 1 nightGeneral sightseeing etc, peace park etcNozomi Shinkansen to Kyoto: 1 nightGeneral sightseeing etc, hopefully visit Carland (a famous toyota AE86 dealerhttp://www.carland86.com/)Shinkansen to YokohamaDrive to Shibukawa (Gunma): 1 nightWe pickup our hire car (Toyota GT86) from Yokohama and drive to Shibukawa which is close to mt Haruna. This is pretty much where Shuichi Shigeno's manga InitialDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initialdwas based.Drive to Fuji Heavy Industries Main plantLocated in Ota, Gunma we have a factory tour for the Toyota GT86 (aka Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S)Drive to lake Yamanaka: 1 nightTaking in some InitialD routes and other skylines, it's supposed to be beautiful for scenery and driving, Sightseeing etcCasual drive back to Yokohama: 6 nightsWe are here now with the car to do whatever we please for 6 nights. Likley we will take the train back into Tokyo for more sightseeing. We also have a Teinhttp://www.tein.co.jp/factory tour who are based in Yokohama. We should also be able to get a day-trip out to Odawara and onto lake Hakone via the mountain railway. Other car tuners will also be visited.jeez, we are probably going to need a holiday when we get back!

author: What_NZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 12:54:49 pm
content: Quote from: GK on March 28, 2014, 11:32:37 amRemember your countries Coat-of-Arms and Skippy?

author: What_NZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 01:13:52 pm
content: Tokyo is great,Akihabara is a must see but yes, you need a whole day. Try and go on the weekend as they usually block off the side roads to cars and there are more street stalls.Ginza if you are taking a girlie, lots of shops for them.Tokyo Imperial Palace I also enjoyed.Even just taking the train around the city loop was interestingJust make sure you know the prices as sometimes they can be a bit steep. Paid $50 for a terrible pizza once, instead try the local version called Okonomiyaki (Pizza/pancake) Local food is very good and normally displayed in the shop window so you can just point to order it.The Japanese people are very friendly and courteous.

author: _Sin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 01:37:29 pm
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on June 27, 2014, 07:33:17 amYou're not kidding, that's a lot of travel!Shame some of your stops are so brief. Hiroshima especially - it seems almost criminal to travel all the way down there just for a day. For anyone else visiting, not only is it pretty essential to visit the peace park and museum, but you're also really close to Miyajima, which is lovely - but you'd probably need two days to do both of those things properly.Still, once you've fallen in love with the place you can always go back...Enjoy.(I've been quite often - mostly just Tokyo for work, but also travelled around with my wife - spent time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki...)

author: _Sin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 01:56:22 pm
content: Quote from: What_NZ on June 27, 2014, 01:13:52 pmYes, and be sure to explore all the side streets and areas a little further afield. The main bit tends to be all big consumer goods stores and maid cafes - the back streets are where you get the more interesting shops. (plus the rabbit warren that is the electronics market, more or less under the station, with stalls specialising in individual types of components, etc.)QuoteBring your girl and your wallet if that's the case - some pretty upscale shops around there! (used to be the only Apple store around, but there's one in Shibuya now - Shibuya or Shinjuku are slightly more down to earth shopping areas than Ginza, if you're less inclined towards the expensive designer stuff).And (general advice for shopping) - look up. Standard practice in Japan is for shops and restaurants to be on every floor of every building, so don't just go by what you can see at street level - look up for signs (or stairs down!), and explore...QuoteOkonomiyaki is also regional (as is Ramen), so try the different variations. I don't think I've ever really eaten badly in Japan, but then I don't seek out too much western food there.1000 yen is about 6 quid, in UK terms about now. I remember when it was around a fiver, which made for easier mental calculations (and more shopping), but it was more like a tenner for a while there... thankfully (for us visitors) it's getting better again.One tip though, if you're a Brit and you feel a bit homesick at any point. Find an Indian restaurant. It's not quite the same as home, but it's the one place where the staff will probably speak fluent English and everything will be pretty familiar...QuoteNow that's interesting. I've always said that they're *polite* to a fault, but not actually friendly (people you don't know, that is). For example if you're in a shop, and don't speak a word of Japanese, and the shop assistant doesn't speak a word of English, they'll still bend over backwards trying to help, work out what you want, won't be in the least bit put out that you've gone to the wrong counter or whatever... but that's assuming you can actually make eye contact with them in the first place and they're not skilfully avoiding you so they don't have to...

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 01:59:23 pm
content: yea we had originally planned two days for Kyoto but the tour at the subaru factory meant we had to do only one day.My fiancée will be with me, she is a car nut too, her shopping will be mostly car parts i would imagine. Super Autobacs in Yokohama is calling...we kinda like doing short stops and the holiday is somewhat hijacked by car related stuff

author: _Sin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 03:14:25 pm
content: Dammit, haven't been in a while and now I'm craving the food + shopping...

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 04:00:22 pm
content: thanks guys!tbh we are not expecting to be eating much western style food, looking forward to trying Japanese dishes.

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 04:32:54 pm
content: QuoteI went from Kyoto to Seki and back on a quaint local train years back to do a day trip to Seki. (It was slow, great for viewing scenery). The line might not exist anymore, and Nagoya is closer anyway. If you're interested in cutlery and swords, Seki is one of the main places.Picked up a set Japanese kitchen knives (huge chef's knife, smaller chef's knife, slicing knife, small paring knife, long paring knife, sushi knife, etc, not completely Japanese traditional) from the maker, all hand made with Japanese carbon steel (not SS, comes with rust prevention paper), with Ebony and the like hardwood handles, steel ferrules (tsuba). Traded some Buck knives for a few, he passed a file on them and was disappointed that the steel in them was so soft. Compared to my Solingen Zwilling knives, they stay sharpened much longer, have much nicer handles. Need to clean them after use and use camellia oil or they will stain. The best cutting edge and retention.(I had bought some Buck knives in Singapore and traded them in for the kitchen knives. The wife of the maker said if I wanted more knives, I had to use money, no more trading. I got back to the youth hostel in the evening without a penny but with 6 kitchen knives and two other knives, a representation of fine Japanese craftmenship and the manager made me go find a currency exchange to pay for the bed or be thrown out adding some usual character deficiency comments relating to having spent all my money on frivolous items rather than keeping enough rent money, usual comments for Youth Hostel managers.)kept these two unused for keepsake (with tsuba, hardwood handle, carbon steel), the bigger one's blade is thick and heavier than the smaller onethese four I have been using, they are flat one side and curved the other, these for right handed people (the reason, easier to sharpen and easier to cut straight or slice flat)ebony handle and tsuba closeupJapanese water stones required to sharpen them (the metal is hard), at least a med, and a fine.more traditional laminated blade chopperAlso picked up a hunting (Al Mar) and pocket knife (Kershaw) from another manufacturer called Kai. Keen cutting like a Puma, much better than soft Gerber steel.In the Meiji era, the sword-makers had to find something else to make, so switched to toolmaking and cutlery, while still using iron sand, lamination (hard metal sandwiched by soft metal, the hard metal cuts and the soft metal prevents breaking) and metal forging (2 to the nth power layers to remove impurities, to orient the metal for hardness and cutting ability) and differential hardening with mud. They still make Samurai swords today. but for ceremonial and display purposes (they don't put in a final sharpening).In Seki, Seki Sword Tradition MuseumQuoteForging is also conducted during the Cutlery Festival on October 10.Seki also known for nail clippers, tweezers, scissors, probably anything to do with blades.Even the Germans know where the better steel is, Zwilling has a factory in Seki.if you have to ask the price, you can't afford itI was curious on the price, so I can't afford it. (and it ain't the Damascus blades, those are more expensive)this one blue steel, traditional style, Rockwell HRC 64-65, only $1550 for one knife.Quotewhere is Seki? just north of Nagoya (who would have thunk, Obama is Japanese [top left hand corner])

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 08:06:12 pm
content: wow, those look gorgeous

author: What_NZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 11:59:57 pm
content: Quote from: _Sin on June 27, 2014, 01:56:22 pmI snapped this picture in Akihabara(?) I was amused with the "Run Run" bit. Although it probably means when you are in a hurry they can provide fast service. I don't think it means you will have bowel problems afterwardsThe last picture is just a small sample of the side street vendors in Akihabara. They sell just about anything that is electrical or electronic related.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2014, 01:13:32 am
content: Quote from: staxquad on June 27, 2014, 04:32:54 pmThe latest Japanese kind technology are ceramichttp://kyoceraadvancedceramics.com/ceramic-knives. They cut great but hard to sharpen and shutter easily. The Mrs used to work for them selling IC packaging (parts and services) and this is how we got used to them. They come in all sizes including a long serrated ones to slice bread.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2014, 01:38:49 am
content: I will post more when i get home, i am currently on the Shinkansen to Nagoya!The electronics shops around Electric Town were fun, i did not buy anything. But had a good look around some of the shops on the higher floors with the shelves of old stuff, anything from old calculators to valves.I can't post any pictures yet as i have no way to re-scale the pictures to fit under the 2mb forum limit

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2014, 02:27:28 pm
content: Only have a couple of pics from Akihabara as they dont allow them, but i did see some scopes in a shop window and got a shot up the alleyway of the stalls.But i can post up this, i liked the power interconnects between the carriages on the Shinkansen (N700 Series).

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2014, 04:19:22 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on July 25, 2014, 10:31:30 amIt's by far the most stable transportation form I ever used.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2014, 11:04:42 am
content: Just walked past nichicon building in Kyoto