"A Personal Guide To Japan For First Timers"

Above, Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Guides for going to Japan have been cropping up in different countries. It is a popular place to visit right now and any help, no matter where it originates, will make your trip there much more enjoyable.

I have been to Japan eight times. Lydia Koh, the writer of an article, "A Personal Guide To Japan For First Timers", in The Malay Mail of Malaysia has been there four. But, she has some good tips.

The article's focus is on Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

She begins with:

TOKYO, May 22 — Want to visit Japan but don’t know where to start planning? Well, you are in luck because this guide is on Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. 

Having been to Japan four times, including a month-long home stay programme during the winter of 2001, it’s safe to say that I know the place pretty well. 

The first thing you should decide is where you want to go and also which season you would like to visit. The best season, in my opinion, is spring because of the lovely cherry blossoms. Also, you can shop for spring clothes that suit our weather better.

To read more, go here.

Tohoku - Where Japan's Past and Present Co-Exist

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the ruins of Sendai Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of my favorite places in Japan I visited was the coastal town of Matsushima in Tohoku.

There, many small islets dot Matsushima Bay, providing beautiful scenic views. Those small islets also helped to shield the town from the tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

The Star Online (Malaysia) has an article on places to see in the Tohoku Region of Japan that inlcudes Matsushima and nearby Sendai.

It begins with:

This region is an intriguing mix of trainee geishas, vestiges of feudal Japan, fresh seafood and smooth saké! 

TRAVELLING north to Japan’s Tohoku region in the middle of winter might seem like the perfect opportunity to turn into a popsicle but, as I discovered, it is well worth a visit there in early January, as there is more to see than just the snow.

 To read more, go here.

Here We Go Again, Another Missing Jetliner

Something seems to be strange going on in Asia. First, there was the Malaysia Airline Flight 370 that disappeared somewhere near the Indian Ocean, and now this.

Japan Today reported:

JAKARTA, Indonesia —An astonishingly tragic year for air travel in Southeast Asia turned worse Sunday when an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people disappeared over stormy Indonesian waters, with no word on its fate despite several hours of searching by air and sea. 

AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished in airspace thick with storm clouds on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore. Searchers had to fight against heavy rain. 

The Malaysia-based carrier’s loss comes on top of the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July over Ukraine.

This one can be blamed on the storm that was in the area, but it is too much of a coincidence that two jets from a Malaysian airline (albeit two different carriers) should disappear without a trace (so far). The Malayia Airlines jet was a Boeing 777. This one is an Airbus A320.

To read more, go here.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak's Statement On Flight MH370

Malaysian Prime Minster Najib Razak has issued the following statement on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370:

Malaysia Bans Ultraman-inspired Comic Allegedly Over "Allah"

Above, the banned comic book.

The silly season must be on in Asia as Malaysia's Home Ministry banned an Ultraman comic book because, get this, it used the word "Allah."

According to Kyodo News:

Malaysia's Home Ministry has banned a comic book based on the Japanese iconic superhero Ultraman because it allegedly contained "elements that threatened public order," the official news agency Bernama reported Thursday. 

Bernama quoted a statement from the ministry saying the ban on the Malay-language comic book titled "Ultraman - The Ultra Power" that was produced locally, took effect from Feb. 18. The statement did not specify the reason for the ban. 

Twitter users including Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, posted a page from the book that could point to the cause of Ultraman's trouble and entangles the Japanese TV and movie character in a battle between Malaysia's Muslims and the minority Christians over the use of the word "Allah," the Arabic word for God.

The page contained lines in Malay that can be translated as Ultraman King is "considered and respected as 'Allah' or Elder among all Ultra heroes." According to the predominantly Muslim government, "Allah" is exclusive to Islam.

 To read more, go here.

"Hands On" Displays At Niigata Manga Animation Museum

Above, the JR Niigata Station.  The Niigata Manga Animation Museum is nearby.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in June, I reported on the new Niigata Manga Animation Museum that just opened (as I mentioned then, I apparently visited Niigata two years too early).

Malaysia's The Star Online reports that the museum now has interactive exhibits for visitors to "try their hand" in learning about key expressions of used in manga:

IN the fast-expanding field of manga and anime museums, an institution that opened in May in Niigata is aiming to take its exhibitions to a whole new level through a bonus element: interactivity. 

The city has produced many renowned manga and anime creators, and the museum hopes to make that a more visible part of the city’s identity, say those behind the founding of the new Niigata Manga Animation Museum. Among the big names that have hailed from Niigata are Shinji Mizushima, Rumiko Takahashi and Mineo Maya. Fujio Akatsuka also lived in the city during his teens. 

Located near Niigata Station, the museum is adopting an approach to programming that allows visitors to enjoy manga and anime through interactive experience. 

At an exhibit titled Manga Taiken Table (Interactive manga table), visitors can learn about key expressions used in manga by playing with characters created by Fujio Akatsuka. One example is Iyami from the comedy series Osomatsu-kun, who is best known for his flashiness and signature three large buckteeth.

For those of you who are fans of anime and manga, the Niigata Manga Animation Museum just may be your cup of tea. The ride to and from Tokyo to Niigata on the shinkansen is roughly a couple of hours long, but riders are treated to scenic vistas along the route. If you have a JR Rail Pass, you have even more reason to take a jaunt to Niigata.

To read the full article, go here.