Fall for the snow, fall for the Japanese Sapporo

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One of the most renowned events celebrated in the island country of Japan, the Sapporo is the festival of snow and attracts travelers from across the world. The festival is named after the city of Sapporo, the place where it is widely celebrated. The Sapporo festival had started way back in the 1950s when a group of 6 local kids from high school had crafted snow statues near the Odori Park. Did you know that every year, the Sapporo festival would attract around 2 million visitors? Each year people would flock to the Japanese city, to watch contestants from across the world reveal their expertise in making snow sculptures in varied forms.

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The diverse range of statues unveils varied attractive forms resembling human beings, wildlife, architecture and more. The ice sculptures reveal the richness of the art that has become widespread across the globe. People would either participate individually or would work in teams to come up with beautiful art works showcasing expertise from every angle.

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During the year 2008, there were around 400 works being displayed at the festival. A record shows that some of the sculptures were as tall as 50 feet. While some of the artists had focused on historical scenes others took to celebrities and various other icons. Today, in addition to viewing the magnificent sculptures, visitors can enjoy dancing; they may even join in musical concerts and karaoke. Indulging in food is also common alongside viewing fabulous sculptures revealing the subtlety and beauty of the art.

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Generally, the ice competition would entail participants to carve out sculptures with the help of chain saws and other sharp tools. Each sculpture is carved from around 130Kgs of ice. Wildlife themes are commonly explored by participants alongside historical figures and scenes. If you are eager to find a sculptor perform his work live then an evening visit is considered most appropriate for the season. The sculptors mainly start with the detailing from late in the evening.

Odori Park

Located in the Hokkaido prefecture, the Odori Park is exactly positioned in the heart of Sapporo. The park generally stretches for a mile or so; and is considered the main site for the snow festival. In order to reach the Odori Park you can browse sites and search for the best places to visit in Japan.

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The sculptures exhibited here reveal beauty of whiteness. It is being learnt that the park is illuminated till 10pm every night. The park reveals a plush side of it during night when the lights are turned on.

Is Japan Your Vacation Destination? 7 Places You Must Visit

So you’ve finally found some time to go on vacation. After much deliberation and surfing the net, the vacation destination you’ve decided upon is Japan. A wonderful country with literally hundreds of places to see, here’s a list of the ten you just can’t miss. And just so that you can’t say I’m partial to any, these must-see sights have been arranged in alphabetical order.

1) GINZA DISTRICT:

Located in Tokyo, this is one of the most posh areas in Japan. Home to the best departmental stores, brands like Gucci and Chanel, famous fine dining restaurants, and various flagship stores, the Ginza district is a place that has to be seen. If you want to hobnob with the rich and famous, head straight to Ginza.

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2) GION DISTRICT:

The site that attracts the most tourists, especially first timers, this is the place where you can see the Japan made familiar to the outside word. With quaint little tea houses and eateries serving traditional Japanese food, this is also the place where you may be able to spot geishas in their traditional attire.

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3) HIROSHIMA PEACE MEMORIAL:

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, this is one of the most visited sites in Japan. Built as a tribute for those who perished in Hiroshima when the atom bomb was dropped on 6th August in 1945, the memorial is now a ruin. Originally called the Genbaku Dome, this building survived the bombing and from then on has been known as the peace memorial.

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4) IMPERIAL PALACE TOKYO:

You won’t be able to meet the emperor, but a look at his luxurious abode is worth it. With a history of fires, this palace has been rebuilt and renovated several times. Closed to the public except on the 2nd January and the Emperor’s birthday, the areas you will be able to visit on other days are the Imperial Household Agency and the East Gardens.

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5) MOUNT FUJI:

If geography was one of your favorite subjects in school, you’re going to love Mount Fuji. An active volcano that hasn’t erupted in the last three hundred odd years, it is also the tallest mountain in Japan. Also if mountain climbing floats your boat, you may be able to do that here too.

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6) NARUTO WHIRLPOOLS:

Located in Naruto, these tidal whirlpools are a sight to see. Often seen in Japanese paintings, you can take a look at the real thing from the Naruto Bridge. And if you happen to be the adventurous type, you can board a ship to observe the whirlpools too.

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7) TOKYO TOWER:

Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in France, it is one of the tallest man-made structures in Japan. A huge tourist draw, it has restaurants, shops and two observation decks.

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Hopefully this post will be your own mini guidebook for Japan. Don’t forget to drop in a line about your vacation experiences. Happy holidays!

Explore marvelous Japan with this tour guide book for Japan

Japan has always been a country I wanted to explore. The biggest force of attraction towards Japan was that it’s truly affordable for tourists and also because it had so much to experience in terms of beauty and culture.

Now when a tourist heads over to Japan they can either choose to stay in a traditional ryokan which is a bed and breakfast inn or go for a variety of hotels that cater to different budgets. The choice is ultimately yours but if you would ask me, I would opt for the ryokan’s as I would always prefer a traditional Japanese experience.

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Since a number of tourists like myself are always on a budget, the best way to travel around would be to get a JR pass. Japan Railway group or JR is a huge network of railway, buses and ferries. It is an inexpensive and extensive way for tourists to enjoy unlimited travel using this network.

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There are a number of festivals that are celebrated in Japan throughout the year but more so in summer. So if you’re planning a trip to this beautiful country in summer, you can soak in the festive spirit as well. But in winter there are a number of winter carnivals that you should experience as well because there are a number of exciting winter sports to participate in as well. Or go in spring and watch as the much praised cherry blossoms take your breathe away. One can easily say that planning a trip to Japan any time throughout the year is a good decision to make.

Japan has everything, a tourist could possibly want! Be it the awesome nightlife in Ginza (and mind you, this comes from someone who is actually used to the New York nightlife), posh shopping malls in Roppongi Hills to the various shrines like Meiji shrine and Sensoji temple.

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Let’s not forget that Japan has so much to offer, that one must not forget that away from the mainland lie beautiful groups of islands. If one has plenty of time on their hands then they should not forget to check out the Yaeyama islands which are Iriomote, Taketomi and Ishigaki and then Okinawa main island. Another physical characteristic of the islands are the coral reefs which surround them, meaning usually shallow seas next to the beach.

The shallow waters allow for a good swim or one could just opt for water sports like snorkeling and kayaking. But just be careful enough to wear thick rubber underwater rubber shoes before you go for a swim as there is a lot of sharp coral lying around.

          

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Now coming back to the mainland, there are a number of tourist hot spots ranging from Tokyo Disney Land for your kids to the Imperial Palace and Mt Fuji which is world renowned. When it comes to food items that you should savor, Japan has got a variety of specialty food items that will surely please your palette. One cannot miss out on sushi dishes or traditional Japanese sweets called wagashi in Japanese. From the shochu which is a type of distilled liquor to green tea that has medicinal properties there is an unlimited variety of food stuffs to check out.

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 Japan has everything a foodie could ask for and so much more. A trip to Japan is sure to leave one’s spirits lifted up as it can be called paradise on Earth. And for me it definitely was. But I could never have enjoyed this marvelous country as much as I did without my trusty Japan tour guide book which helped me to plan well for my trip much in advance.

Your trustworthy guidebook for Japan from pretzelwilliam

The State of the Electronics Industry in Japan

Are you using a Canon camera? Are you always filled with pride because of the high definition picture clarity of your Sony TV? Does your Citizen watch not only look really good but never lets you down as well. If so, you should know that all these major electronic products are from companies that have their origins in Japan.

The electronic industry of Japan sprung up long ago but it was by the 1980’s that a relatively small number of industries dominated Japan’s international trade and investment interaction with the rest of the globe.

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In fact at a certain point of time the success of the Japanese consumer electronics industry exceeded that of the United States.However, the economic crisis of 2008 hit the Japanese electronics industry hard. Instead a number of South Korean and Taiwanese companies have gained higher profits and market share in the electronics sector.

This decline has been attributed to a number of factors including high costs, the value of the yen, too many companies producing similar kind of products which causes duplication in research and development efforts and reducing economies of scale and pricing power. A recent legal change prevents electronics companies from claiming certain tax credits they heavily banked upon.

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In order to hold onto their market shares and keep raking in profits a number of Japanese countries like Hitachi, Casio, NEC, Fujitsu and Toshiba have merged some of their operations. The tendency to stay in markets where they cannot compete wastes huge amounts of capital.

And more unfortunate is the fact that instead of focusing on what they do best, they bleed their strong differences which feeds their losers. Also they have failed to change along with the changing times. If we take Japan’s phone market into consideration we will see how it suffers from the ‘Galapagos effect’.

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This means that they do not work to develop their technology in accordance with what is happening across the globe but instead prefer that it develop in isolation. This causes their innovations to do well domestically but not be able to achieve success globally. Many Japanese electronics giants also failed to cash in on the mobile boom and manufacture smartphones of their own. This lack of initiative proved to be detrimental to the percentage of profits they earned.   

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However, despite all the losses that the Japanese electronics industry might be incurring their products are still incredibly reliable and pocket friendly. Japanese electronics manufacturers are trying all sorts of new strategies to get back into the market and reclaim their lost glory.

New initiatives and strategies are being implemented but they will only prove to be successful after a certain amount of time has passed and that too if great effort is taken. For now though the Japanese industry is in a very uncertain state.

Read your blog about Japan before heading over for a trip

There are a number of individuals who have an insatiable urge to travel. For them, seeing the world and meeting new people is what helps them to gain a much deeper understanding about life.However, before one ventures to a new place it is always better to have some sort of idea about the country or region. Knowledge gained beforehand prepares one for any sudden situations which ideally should not occur, but may just arise.

For example, it is very important to know what the culture of a new place is like. It is only when this is kept in mind that tourists will know what they should or should not do while traveling to a new place.

People can avoid what may be considered improper in a new country, only if they are aware about it.Similarly, having a good idea about the tourist hot spots or shopping destinations beforehand helps individuals to zero in on the best places. When they get the best deals in terms of hotels, restaurants and shopping the trip turns out to be totally worthwhile. Similarly, if they embark upon a journey which is spiritual in nature, then they must have a fair idea about the best shrines or holy places to visit.

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Japan is a beautiful and captivating country.However, when one thinks about visiting Japan the first question to cross their mind will be-the language. People might be a little apprehensive about visiting the place because of a difference in language. But one should not worry because fortunately, in Japan a huge percentage of the population speaks English.

Visiting Japan throughout the year is perfect as they have pleasant winters with snowfall in some parts, hot and humid weather, rainy season, typhoon season along with clear and dry weather conditions.Similarly, there are some do’s and don’ts that should be followed when in Japan.

1. One must never enter a Japanese home with their shoes on as it is considered impolite.
2. Eating and drinking in public is not appreciated so don’t do so while traveling.
3. Bowing is the customary greeting in Japan.However, if it is a business meeting a handshake will do as well.

The people of Japan are very punctual so if they say to meet at 10 AM sharp make sure you do so.

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These are just few of the Japanese customs to observe, if you’re wondering about what to wear while in Japan-fear not for the people of Japan are very stylish and trendy. They might hold onto their cultural roots but have a Westernized approach to fashion as well.

These along with more important and interesting details are what is contained in a blog about Japan. It becomes very important for tourists to have such information and when they get it from other tourists who have already been to Japan they are all the more reassured.

Visiting Japan through the blogs about Japan by cherryful2

Japan, where style meets traditions!

Japan, the land of rising sun, is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, in the east Asia it rules the roost and regarded as most powerful weapon. The saga of Japan’s advancement entrenched long time ago, the country is rich in every aspect of modern day living. In the 21st century, Japan has touched the pinnacle of success in every aspect. 

 Japan holds the warmth in its lap 

It’s the hospitality in Japan that attracts sea of tourists to the country every year. No other place on the earth welcomes the tourists from around the world with such warmth but Japan and that makes it one of the sizzling holiday destinations. The country is a typical paradigm to showcase traditional values meeting modern aspect of day-today life. 

 Japan’s culture and traditinal value make it second to none tourists hot spot 

Blessed with exotic and scenic beauties, the country is also rich in cultural and historical heritages. Transportation in the country tells the tale of modern day inventions in technology sphere. Plush airports and bullet trains depict the affluence of modern day Japan. The talk of Japan, where traditional customs meet contemporary coolness remain unfinished without mentioning the famous Geisha, Japanese music, Japanses language and sizzling Harajuku girls, among others. 

 The Geisha, a form of artists-entertainers 

The Geisha, from the medieval Japan to the country in 21st centurry, these artists have been entertaining the cliche society of Japan. Once quite popular, Geisha are dwindling in their numbers in modern times but the impression and reputation is at large to be forgotten. The beautiful girls form the Geisha community to entertain the masses through the traditional forms of dance moves. 

 Harakuju girls are the perfect fashion ambassador of Japan 

The Harajuku girls are the modern day face of Japanese fashion, primarily women and teenaged girls from the Tokyo form the Harajuku community. The street fashion from major cities of Japan is known worldwide and these girls are the perfect ambassadors for fashion in Japan. The fashion senses of Harajuku girls ensemble various styles as such Gothic Lolita, Decora, Kogal, Ganguro, Wamono, Second-hand fashion and Cyber fashion. 

 Japanese cuisine raises the bon appetit 

Japanese cuisine is an attrcation throughout the world, there are people who just swear by the aroma of Japanese foods. The bon appetit of Japanese are known best for the quality and varieties of their cuisine culture. Restaurants serving custom foods are ubiquitous on the streets of major cities in Japan. Even the suburbs are rich when it comes about having quality food in up-scale restaurants. 

A few high fly tourists hot-spots 

 The tourists hot-spots in Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Osaka and Kyoto have magnetic effects in bringing travellers from around the world. These destinations alone pull out great chunk of foreign tourists. 

 Blessed with rich historical monuments 

When visiting Japan do not miss viewing the opulence of world heritage sites, they are in large numbers. Japanese castles, temples, gardens, shrines, etc. are the eye-catching tourist destinations. For the adventurous travellers, Japan promises large number of activities that simply amaze you. 

To know Japanese life style, likes and dislikes of its pupil, etiquettes and mannerisms, visitng some of the websites before you are headed to the destination, would suffice your inquisitiveness.