Japanese Pro Wrestling プロレス

It may be an American sport but Japanese pro wrestling has to be one of the most exciting nights out you can have. Most cities in Japan will have an arena which you can view the sport, but if you are heading to Nagoya be sure to head by Deranagoya Pro wrestling which is located at the Sportiva Arena http://www.fantasista-atr.net/

The arena is easily accessed by the JR Train network. From JR Nagoya station, take the Tajimi bound local train from platform 8. The second stop on this train is Tsurumai which is where the arena is located. A short walk accross the road and past the intersection will bring you to the venue (about a 3 - 5 minute walk). Click here for a access map http://www.fantasista-atr.net/akusesu.htm

For the most recent schedule please visit this link: http://www.fantasista-atr.net/event.htm .
Entrance fee ranges from about 1500+ yen with a free drink, and the show lasts over one and a half hours making it well worth your money.

ダニエルX

Watch Japanese TV online

One of the best ways to improve your Japanese listening skills is to be absorbed in the language. However this may be difficult as in most countries other than Japan, listening to the Japanese Language is hard to come by. What you can do is watch Japanese Television online.

Just follow this link to download the video viewing software: http://www.v2p.jp/video/english/ . The software is 100% free and safe, I use it regularly without any trouble! Give it a go, it won't hurt.

ダニエルX

Emailing in Japan

The main form of personal communication in Japan is by far email. Mobile phones utilize email instead of SMS in some western countries, as email messages can be longer and contain better content (moving images, web links, etc).

If you are like me, you may want to email a Japanese mobile phone but do not currently own a Japanese phone. To do this you will need to set up an email with Yahoo, or even better Yahoo Japan. Yahoo has its own mobile service in Japan and has the ability to email Japanese phones. That is to say, you can't use your Hotmail address to email Japanese phones. In most cases it wont work, so your best bet is to stick with Yahoo.

Follow the links below to set up an email address:
Yahoo Japan: http://mail.yahoo.co.jp/
(if your Japanese level is not up to standard, you can stick with an English Yahoo address)
Yahoo America: http://mail.yahoo.com/

If you have an iphone or ipod touch, you can also set up these yahoo addresses onto them and you can use the device to email people at internet hotspots all over Japan. Some trains will even have free wireless internet so keep a look out.

ダニエルX

ATM's and withdrawing money in Japan

One of the most important things you need on a holiday is cash, and in Japan you will need a lot of it (depending on what you are wanting to do). ATM's are by far the most convenient way to withdraw money with a few exceptions. There are few ATM's which accept foreign cards and also little to no banks which will allow you to withdraw from. The easiest ATM's to find which will work with foreign cards are inside post offices and also at Seven Eleven convenience shops. Both of which have English menu systems for ease of use. Citibank ATM's are also usable, however are very rare so don't try looking for one initially.

Also before you embark on your trip to Japan check to see if there are any overseas withdrawal charges, as you may be caught paying up to $50 per withdrawal. If this is the case your best options are to withdraw a lager amount of money to make the withdrawal worthwhile, or to simply use a credit card instead (if the rate is better). If using credit cards, the most widely accepted is VISA. In the past I was not even able to use my Mastercard when purchasing Shinkansen (Bullet train) tickets, so please beware.

Happy shopping.

ダニエルX

Trust me, getting money in Japan wont be as painful as this video:

Earthquakes

* Thump * thump * thump *

These are the sounds I heard when I woke up today, the ground was shaking. Yes, it was an earthquake, luckily it was only small. It actually felt like a massage so it didn't bother me at all. I wouldn't mind one of them waking me up every morning. With all humor aside, earthquakes are real and some are harmful. If you are caught in an earthquake follow all precautions and stay safe.

If you want more information on current earthquakes visit the Japan Meteorological Agency on the following link http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/. It will give you information such as the epicenter, intensity, maps and more. The website also gives information about earthquake warnings it is well worth checking out http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/eew.html .

Safe living.

ダニエルX

First post, from the motherland (Japan)

Hi Everyone and welcome to my blog.

I decided to start a blog to pass on my knowledge and experience about Japan and the Japanese language. I am no guru in any sense, but I have spent many hours and dollars getting to where I am now. I have been studying Japanese for approximately 6 years and have traveled to Japan about 7 times, so I feel I should pass on my knowledge about Japan and its language. If you have any questions about anything feel free to send me an email, and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Thanks again, I hope you enjoy my future posts.

ダニエルX