I’m just another foreigner living in Japan. I live in South Tokyo just outside of the huge ex-pat community. I hope that what you find here in these pages will be useful, informative, entertaining, or some combination of the three. And, if you have anything you’d like to share, feel free. I, for one, enjoy learning new things and hope to learn something from everyone who has something they want to share here. So come on in, browse, and share.
Golden Week Plans? I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Plans
Let’s face it, Golden Week in Japan is a terrible time to travel. Trains, planes and highways are overly crowded and the urge to reach out and touch someone (I’m thinking an open-handed slap here) can hardly be restrained. Last year, I took a shinkansen ride up to visit my friend in Niigata. How was Niigata? Well, let’s just say it was good to see my friend. This year, I have no Golden Week plans except for visiting some of my favorite places in Tokyo and Yokohama (likely to be less-crowded since many people return to their hometowns during this period) and taking lots of pictures for a couple of new articles I’m writing for the 7:10 to Tokyo magazine. I’ll post an update here when I post one of them at that site.
Anyway, what are your plans for GW? I’d like to hear them; Maybe they’ll inspire me. If you usually stay in Tokyo during GW, where do you go? What’s the best situation to take advantage of during GW?
Cheers! 
Filed under: Lifestyle Japan, Travel | Tagged: Golden Week, Japan, Tokyo, Travel
I went to the mall in Chiba today and I can relate to the reach out and tough someone comment! It will only get worse I’m sure…
I’m thinking of heading to Nezu shrine to watch the drumming and see the azaleas.
The shrine visit sounds nice, Shane.
Probably not a good idea to start slapping people there around, though. But, if you do, get a pic, eh.
Allow the ppl to take their vacation more freely and sporadically, allow them to think for themselves as an individual how and when to do what, then you can significantly reduce this type of inefficient migration of the mass like you see in the G.Week.
There is a challenge in a closely knit communal-society, where one is expected to conform to the conflicting environment. A few extra weeks off work will not destroy your firm, rather end up boosting worker morale at most. Evenly distributed migration of the mass should impact the economy/ environment in a positive way. In globalization, inefficiency is a crime. And if our society is going to chant this, then globalize how we ought to consider life as opposed to work. Let the workers under the repressed cultures take their vacation like their european counterparts. Standardize the agenda, then standardize their Paid-time-off.
Gotta go now, on my vacation.
Well said, japanese.
Thanks for the comment.
I am staying within 10miles of home (Includes a nice island) and BBQ and beer myself to oblivion while I laugh out loud at all the suckers caught in the yearly traffic mess.
Hi
I am a publisher of THE EAST; the only English newspaper, which is mainly focused on the East Asian information (at the beginning of every month, more than 12,000 free copies are distributed throughout the London area, particularly, where East Asian Networks are established).
I looked at your blog the other day and have been wondering if there would be any chance that we could publish some of your interesting articles on the paper.
We think some of your blog articles should be very helpful to the Westners who are interested in Asian Culture.
The East cannot afford to pay for your articles right now (as we are non-profitable organisation). However, if you wish, we can still offer you:
1. Advertising space
2. Link to THE EAST web site blog section
We look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Hyung Wook Lee
Publisher
MBA(Edin)
THE EAST, The East Asian Monthly Business Newspaper,
Elephant Consulting Limited, 37 Charter Court, Linden Grove,
New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3BN, UK
Tel : + 44 (0) 7912 608 321 / Web site: http://www.theeast.org / E mail : publisher@theeast.org
Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 6254454