UPDATE SEPTEMBER 23 : WE FINALLY RECEIVED OUR SUICA CARDS VIA MAIL. A SEVEN MONTH WAIT! UPDATE FEBRUARY 17, 2015 : Over 4.99 million orders for SUICA cards, will take over a year for delivery in phases!!! UPDATE : Jan 30, 2015 : we have booked our two SUICA cards. Order can be maximum 3 cards
February 14, 2014. The local weather in Tokyo had reported snowfall through the night and we were prepared for the next morning to be a rough one with snow accumulated on the neighborhood streets. What we were not prepared however was the amount of snowfall and the overall impact it would have on the city.
The Indian footprint in Japan is quite varied and includes not only cultural aspects but even political scenarios. One such political footprint in Tokyo is of the Indian freedom fighter, well known in India, Subhas Chandra Bose who was born late in the 19th century when India was occupied by the British, and has lead
This (below) is what the Tokyo Station looks like on a normal evening as seen from the Maru Biru 7th observation floor. The Tokyo Station, in 2014, completed 100 years from the time it was built in the last century and the design has been restored to its original beauty.It snows not more than 2-3 times
Snowfall in Tokyo is rare and it usually does not happen more than once a year. The city grinds to a halt even with a few centimeters of accumulated snow. The rare event makes for a unique view of the city’s popular tourist spots and the popular shopping district of Ginza is relatively deserted and
Interested in seeing the Indian architectural influence in Tokyo? Next to the Tsukuji Fish Market, walking towards Ginza, is a temple which from the exterior has a distinctively Indian feel to it. The Tsukiji Honganji Temple has Indian roots and according to the information we collected at the temple the Hindu architecture influence is due
On the way back from a day trip to Mount Fuji, the expressway sign says another 15 km to Tokyo. We did some research on the internet to know how these distances are measured and what is the base location for these signs. We found out that the location of Kilometer Zero for JAPAN was Nihonbashi
Buddhism carried many ideas from India to Japan and its easy to find many of those even today in the most interesting places. Akihabara is the place for geeks, anime, electronics and what not, but just a five minute walk is a thousand year old shrine The Kanda Myojin where we found the Indian God Mahakaal
Spring and Japan equal the color light-pink of the sakura, cherry blossoms. Its like cricket in India. So much focus on the game that others do not matter. And yet every year as the month of March comes closer, the Hamarikyu Gardens in Tokyo sport a yellow carpet of rapeseed blossoms quietly on the sidelines
Tokyo is full of big and small surprises and we were caught by one such surprise at the JR Hamamtsucho Station a few days back. If you sit in the first compartment of the Yamanote Line going towards Shibuya, you can spot the Peeing Boy Statue on the Hamamtsucho Station Platform (Platform number 3)! Named 小便小僧 Shoumben Koushou
Tokyo is a modern megapolis, and will showcase its “modern” face complete with the renovated infrastructure, the anime culture and the image makeover with the Cool Japan campaign recently launched. Tokyo is certainly much more than that and it retains its traditional Japanese roots prevalent in some neighbourhoods in the city, particularly in Asakusa, on the
Olympics is about celebration of human potential through discipline, dedication, perseverance and positive mindset. To quote the history from olympic.org “Olympics aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece.” On the other end of the spectrum is belief
The 100 year anniversary of the Tokyo Station saw the exterior on the Marunouchi end of the Tokyo Station being restored to its original beauty. In October 2012, the renovation process was completed and the station was made open to the general public again. With the Summer Olympics of 2020, the underground area and its pedestrian
Asakusa, the popular tourist destination has small attractions all around the Nakamise shopping bylanes. Over the years we have tried so many food items, local Japanese restaurants and my personal favourite is a pudding brand Asakusa Silk Pudding a product from Testa Rossa Cafe. Established in the adjacent lane on the left hand side of
The number one ask from tourists coming to Japan has always been ease of connectivity to WiFi spots across the city. Primarily to connect to internet and access travel related information tourists had to contend with long subscription processes or sometimes non availability of a carrier contract in Japan, left isolated with no connectivity. With the