Yeap! I had returned from my #nuaLikeAnEarthwormInJapan trip recently and I have gotten some questions from readers and friends in regards to travelling to Japan.
So this will be a Q&A to some questions asked during this past week:
1. WHY JAPAN?
Pretty Good Currency Exchange Rate:
1SGD = 83yen
Beauty products:
Needless to say about that right?
Excellent weather:
Average 21-23 degree Celsius.
Amazing Food:
ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ Oh Shio Ramen I MISS YOU SOOOOOO much!!!
I simply can't find any Shio ramen in SG #whyOhWhy
Catch-up with friends:
#shoutOut Thank YOU so so much for the wonderful company! Can't wait for you guys to come over to SG soon! I'll hope I'll also be an awesome host like you guys did!
Safe for female traveller:
It's generally safe for any female to walk around the streets in Japan. However, I did have encounters with a couple of weirdo/ stalkers. Word of advice: PUT ON POKER FACE, IGNORE THEM AND BRISK WALK TO ANY CROWDED PLACES.
2. Any TIPS when going Japan that haven't been mentioned much on?
☜(˚▽˚)☞ I'm actually not a very good adviser when come about travelling. All my GFs know I'm not a light-weight traveler (I don't travel light *HAHA*) and I tend to slack and doing things at my own pace in my comfort zone (well, Japan was my second home afterall :P). And no, I don't plan in advance, except finding which tourist travel pass works the best deal - which NONE works for me in the end. ZZZ
Learn some basic Japanese words/phrases
- Thank You: Arigato (ah-li-ga-tou)
- Excuse Me/ Sorry: Sumimase (su-mi-ma-say)
- Hello: Konnichiwa (kon~-ni-chi-wa)
- Good Morning: Ohaiyo (oh-high-yo)
- Yes: Hai (hi)
- No: i-eh (ee-yeah)
- How to go to [place name]?:
[place name] Ni, Do~ Yate Iki Masuka?
([place name] ni, do~-ya-teh-ee-ki-mas-ka?) - I don't understand Japanese:
Watashi wa Nihon Go O Wakarimasen
(wa-ta-shi-wa, ni-horn-go-Oh, wa-ka-ri-ma-sen)
Speak English
Yes, they understand basic English as well, and some shop staff even speak in Mandarin too!
#dressToKill
HAHA. Am kidding. But it definitely won't hurt to bring out some fashionista when walking around streets of Japan. Try not to dress too shabby though (no slippers please). As much as I nua (slack) in Japan, I brought heels, sneakers and sandals for this trip. LOL!
SUICA card (machiam EZ-Link card) = #1 travelling BFF
Of course you can check out the best travelling tourist deal, but after discussing with the airport staff at Haneda (HND), we had concluded NONE of the tourist deals worked for me as I would be travelling only in Tokyo. So I just used my SUICA card which can be purchased at any major train stations and use for ANY train lines. #saveMyFirstWorldTravellingProblemInJapan.
Yes - SUICA card can be use for payments in selected convenient stores (e.g. LAWSONS/ 7-11/ Family Mart).
Think of it as our local EZ-LINK card.
You will need to make a deposit of 500yen before adding any amount and you can get back any remaining amount & deposit when you refund the card to the any major train station.
BRACE FOR IMPACT when travelling during PEAK hour:
Dear fellow Singaporeans,
If you feel the SG transportation was too crowded/ stuffy/ late arrival of train etc, perhaps you will want to consider experiencing a one-time train ride during their peak hour.
And may I also suggest to take a 5-second glance at the train monitor located above every exit on the explanation of (any) train delay. Really. #iJustCouldnt /(@ﾟﾍﾟ@)
Not that I'm a superb traveler, but after having my fair share on some train transportation in Europe, USA, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Korea; in terms of cleanliness, travel fare, punctuality, safety, SG is still one of the best.
#doneExplaining #shouldntComplainAboutSGtransportation
Check out some of their tourist attractions:
SKY TREE
Disneyland / Sea
Tokyo Tower
Nissin Cup Noodle Museum
Doraemon Museum
Yebisu Beer Museum
Asakusa Kannon Temple
Harajuku
Shibuya
Shinjuku
Tsujiki Fish Market
...etc
Apologises but SHuiYuki is not a very 'tourist' person when in Japan. As mentioned, the main purpose for this trip is to chillax & hang out with my friends and not rushing & exploring places.
WHACK their BEAUTY (and MUJI) products!!!
(♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡ If you are Japanese beauty lovers - THIS IS THE TIME to simply, swipe their beauty products off the shelves and won't mind paying that tad much if you have exceed your luggage limit. HAHA!
I'm neither kidding nor serious.
Of course, please buy SMART. Understand your current skin conditions (allergies if any) FIRST before doing any blind purchase. I will be dividing my Japan haul into various blog posts (hair, skincare, makeup, work) ASAP.
CARRY YOUR PASSPORT 24/7 FOR TAX REFUND!!!
People around me know that I always 'walk with my eyes close' (meaning I don't pay attention to my surroundings most of the time)
BUT!!!
٩(๑∂▿∂๑)۶♡ My eyes will sprung back to live whenever I see:
- Beauty products
- Food
- esp. TAX REFUND!!!
MINIMUM amount before entitle to TAX REFUND:
- Consumable Products: 5,001yen & above
- Non-consumable Products: 10,001yen & above
All my tax refund are processed immediately upon payment (i.e they won't include tax amount in the total bill) and they will staple the receipts onto one of the pages in the passport.
Of course la, please ask for tax refund only at those Tax Refund shops. Not all shops have tax refund in Japan.
Example of a Tax Refund sticker in Japan:
Lastly, BE POLITE PLEASE
(⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡ I strongly believe KINDNESS BEGETS KINDNESS.
I was doing some DFS shopping on my last day and I overheard (well, our fellow SG-rean ain't talking softly either) a 1-way conversation:
"EH EH!! I WANT THIS ONE AND THAT ONE!"
" GOT OTHER COLOURS? I DON'T WANT THIS COLOUR!"
(⊙＿⊙’) What make me so 100% sure is our fellow SG-rean?
*Shows SG Passport* and ask
"EH GOT FREE GIFT ANOT? HOW MANY?"
"MORE PLASTIC BAGS!!!"
Σ(￣ロ￣lll)
Come on, lets be honest, while we ourselves detest some people from being so impolite, loud and some may say 'not classy' - shouldn't we reflect in ourselves FIRST before commenting.
Treat others the way YOU wanted to be treated.
(❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ* and have fun at Japan!
*~~**~~*
≧^◡^≦ Follow ME!
✉ Email: shuhui.Teo@hotmail.com
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