Guide to money in Japan

One of the biggest things involved with visiting Japan is getting access to money in the country.  Japan does not generally accept foreign cards at ATMs.  Even when paying it is not assured that any place even in Tokyo accepts debit or credit cards and it is always best to ask in advance to make sure to avoid some very difficult and uncomfortable situations when the bill comes.  While language can be an issue when trying to find this out what worked for me was to hold my credit card and ask in English at the start if they accept it, eventually the idea got through.  Also the word card-o (yes I know how bad that sounds but seeing as a Japanese person said it to me first I assume this is the word) seemed to help get the point across.  Now if you want to get cash to walk around with in Japan it isn't too difficult (so don't feel like you have to constantly carry massive amounts of cash all the time) you just have to know where to look.

Pay close attention to the above picture.  The symbol on the top that looks like a giant weird letter "T" is the symbol for the Japanese Post Office, which if you have a foreign credit card is the only place you will be able to find an ATM that will work for you.  The lower one with the JP network is also found on banks, useful for currency exchange but may or may not accept foreign cards.  There are times when you will find one but not the other so it is good to know what they both look like.  Here is what the entrance to Japanese post offices and banks look like.  Notice the front has the signage of the bank but if you look to the sign on the right you see the giant T that is the symbol for the post office.

Once inside you will find an ATM that has an English menu (picture below) to get your money or you can go to a teller to change foreign currency into Yen (if it is a bank)

Japanese WTF part 2

Ok so more along the lines of how crazy Japan can be at times.  I was walking around Tokyo the other day and I saw this really weird looking picture.

 I didnt really think much of it, you know just sort of putting it up to how crazy ads are here.  That was until I saw the TV commercial attached to it.





So ya lets recap...not only is he a banana warrior.  He also can shoot massive amounts of bananas out of his nose onto your lap at will, and then escape the scene by using banana power to fly away on his invisible chair like Wonder Woman

Japan, WTF

If you walk around Tokyo long enough you will run across some very odd things.  I havnt figured out if this is because I dont speak the language or I dont understand the greater social context of some of these random things.  But I do know from asking the locals, that some like the bust of Obama crashing into peoples heads is just as confusing to Japanese people as it is to the rest of us.

While I totally understand the need for American companies to adapt their image to the local customs, something about how that Colonel Sanders is dressed just makes me smile

Not sure what it does, maybe it helps make me into one of these

oh ya speaking of cartoonishly giant mega-creatures what the hell is up with Tokyo's Crows

For perspective that tree is 25 feet tall, that bird is bigger than most of the small dogs people walk around the city.  No wonder they had Godzilla fighting giant winged creatures like Mothra.  They probably were just modeling it off of their own killer giant birds.

Love and Horses best named track event of all time.

This one confuses the hell of out me... I have no idea what this is supposed to be... The people working the booth could only tell me that you enter and have your picture taken as Obama with lectern in tow crashes onto your head.  I asked both the people working it and a waitress in a near by cafe if they knew what this was for...they all seemed as confused as myself.

Gnoming Asakusa Temple, Tokyo

Small shops near in the temple complex

Navigating Tokyo Metro System

While Tokyo has a really good and comprehensive transportation system for those not used to how it operates or who like myself lack the ability to read Japanese it can at times be confusing.  One of the first things to look at with the metro system is the map of where the trains go.  This can be made difficult however by the fact that at some stations, such as the one at the famous fashion district Harajuku, there is no romanized names of the stops thus making it impossible to read unless you know some Japanese or Chinese.  In order to help with this I have taken pictures of the map both in the Western and Japanese writing systems so that you can look at them from your phone if you find yourself in a station somewhere wondering what to do.

Now that you have the map and know both how to read the map and where to go it is important to pay attention to the numbers under the place names.  This is because that is how much you will need to pay to reach your particular destination.  While the cost of a trip will shift depending on which station you start from the above maps will help you at least translate the maps found above the ticket machines and figure out how much to pay.

The machines themselves can seem daunting at first to anyone who can't read Japanese especially if you attempt your first time like myself around rush hour.  The trick to easily operating the machines is to first read the map and figure out how much money is required to get to your destination.  After that instead of messing with all the buttons just walk up to the machine and start putting money in. Here is a picture to show you what I am talking about.

At that point there will be a screen that shows a series of numbers simply put in the money for your fare and press the corresponding number.  At that point both your change and your ticket will come out and you can be on your way with no hassle or worry.  If you still have any questions go to the booth next to the turn styles and you will be able to ask questions to English speaking staff.

Gnoming Fuji

Those lights directly to the left of the gnome are people coming up the trail

The inside of Mount Fuji

Gnome Fans/ cool people I met going up the trail

Mount Fuji, Japan

Yesterday I climbed mount Fuji here are some things I learned from my time going up the mountain.

Travel From Tokyo to Fuji:
1. The cheapest way to get to Fuji is to take the bus that goes from Shinjuku station in Tokyo to Kawaguchiko (a small Japanese mountain town) one way tickets cost around 1700 yen.  From there you take another bus from Kawaguchiko to mount Fuji's 5th station (the standard starting place for people going up the mountain) round trip tickets for Kawaguchiko to the 5th station cost 2000 yen.

2. If the bus is full for the time you want to go to Fuji you can always take the trains from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko but be advised it takes about 900 more yen, more time, and involves changing trains which if your experience is anything like mine can be confused by various JR staff giving conflicting advice on which trains you should ride.  The plus side of the train option is that they offer later trips to and from Kawaguchiko than the bus does so it will work in a pinch.


Fuji Tips:
1. Bring warm clothes if you plan on going up the mountain particularly if at night bring warm clothes because it can be bitterly cold before sunrise on the top.

2. Bring rain gear because mount Fuji can rain at any time because as with many major mountains they make their own weather so bring rain gear just in case.


3. If you plan to sleep in the mountain huts it will cost 8000 yen and will give you a space on what can be described as a cushioned plank with a sleeping back and a small pillow as well as two small meals.  It is important to know that it can be extremely noisy in the huts.  Hopefully you will not have the same experience as myself but with people constantly coming in, people talking, and what I can describe only as cartoonish snoring from one person in the hut sleeping was impossible.  I actually slept better curled up against a rock near the top of the mountain than I did indoors so if you do go, do yourself a favor and pack something to block out the light and ear plugs to lessen the noise.


4. Bring money for the toilets their cost ranged from 100 to 300 yen.  Also finding western toilets may be difficult and if you are near the top and you see brown or black water in the bowl that is just the color of the water not left overs from those before you.  (Below I have a picture of a diagram I saw in one of the bathrooms on how to use a Japanese style toilet I personally like the cat, bull's eye, and group of people outside the window)

5. Make sure you have all the supplies (water, food) you need before you go down the mountain because there are not really any places to eat or drink when you go back down so if you are too low stock up at the top even though the prices are pretty high.

Gnome Spotting

Welcome to my blog. Here at Gnome Spotting we are dedicated to creating and sharing free travel guides and tips to help people travel around the world on a budget and with confidence.  We will be doing guides from all over the world with Japan, Europe, and North America set to arrive in the near future make sure you check back regularly because we post new material about every 2 days.  Also to stay up on all the new information like us on Facebook check out our page Gnome Spotting.