From the monthly archives:

May 2009

Plenty to Do in Shibuya!

May 9, 2009

in General,Shopping

Shibuya refers to a very well-known shopping and entertainment area of Tokyo.  It is best known for the busy intersection in front of the train station known as the Hachiko Exit. Huge numbers of people come here every day to shop, meet friends or use the train station. This corner of the region is heavily decorated with large neon advertisements and giant video screens rather like Times Square in New York City.

One of the most famous landmarks in Shibuya is the Hachiko Statue, found outside the train station exit. Hachiko was a very loyal dog who waited for his master every single day in front of Shibuya Station. After his master passed away, Hachiko continued his daily vigil. The statue honors the loyalty shown by this dog. This is a very popular meeting point in Tokyo, and it is always crowded.

Did I say crowded? That is an understatement! Hundreds of people cross to and from the train station every time the light turns green. There are lots to see and do here in Shibuya. There are several museums, the NHK Studiopark, where you can go see them filming a television show, and the National Yoyogi Stadium, which hosts ice skating and volleyball competitions, concerts and many other popular events.

If you still want entertainment, be sure to visit Bunkamura. This is a small “village” which houses a concert hall, two movie theaters, a live theater, a museum and some restaurants and shops. Speaking of shopping, there are so many shops and boutiques here that your head will spin. High fashion, eateries, department stores and more all vie for your money. The Shibuya 109 features over 100 boutiques on ten floors!

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Japanese Money: Add It Up

May 1, 2009

in General

yenJapanese money can be a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with it. First of all, the Japanese call it Okane (pronounced oh-kah-neh).  I was always a bit confused when someone would say something small cost 10,000 yen. What is a yen, anyway? It turns out that a yen is the basic coin in the Japanese money system, kind of like the penny in America. So, it would be a little like paying 10,000 pennies for something that cost $100.

Once I understood that, it made a bit more sense. The Japanese have a 1 yen coin, a 5 yen coin, a 10 yen coin, a 50 yen coin, a 100 yen coin and a 500 yen coin. The 5 yen and the 50 yen coins have holes in the middle. I thought it was interesting that this dated back to the days when men would string their coins on a cord and wear them around their necks. Paper money in Japan usually comes in 1,000 and 10,000 yen denominations.

The rate of conversion varies depending on many factors. Today, in 2009, 1000 yen is about equal to $10.23 in the United States.

Be sure to check the current exchange rates before you visit.

Some good tips I’ve learned: the vending machines found all over the cities in Japan will accept all Japanese coins except the 1 and 5 yen coins. They will also accept the 1000 yen paper bills. If you need to use a pay phone, they only accept 10 and 100 yen coins or prepaid phone cards.