tokyo

A Little Time in Japan and Little Time in China

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Kumamoto-Jo Castle
Kumamoto-Jo Castle in Kyushu – Japan
Mt. Aso - Kyushu
Mt. Aso – Kyushu

Japan will always be on the top of my travel list. June was spent traveling around the southern parts of Japan. Previous visits were short, but we now had the ability to spend as much time as we liked or could afford on the weak USD. We started in Osaka since a couple of friends were getting married in May on Lake Biwako near Kyoto. After that, we grabbed a Peach Airlines Flight to southern island of Kyushu and spent a couple of weeks hopping around the volcanic island. We ended up just skirting the usually wet rainy season they experienced just a few days after we flew to Tokyo.

We ended the Japan trip in Tokyo. We decided to rent out a service apartment in the Shinjuku. Here, we planned out our upcoming Fall trip and sorted out most of our visas to the “Stans” of Central Asia, spent our days hanging out with friends, enjoying the city, local food and the luxury of having access to real high-speed internet.

Narita Airport - Tokyo
Departing Gate at the Narita Airport – Tokyo
Beijing International Airport
Arrival Gate at the Beijing Airport

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Bumpy ride to Beijing!

It’s been a few years since I have experienced one of those flights that makes you swear you will never fly again. We landed after the pilot decided to head straight through a storm that was heading towards Beijing. When we landed, most passengers were flushed and blurry eyed as we streamed into to arrivals terminal at Beijing International. Some fellow passengers were stained by the flying sodas, juice etc. that flew through the air as our plane made an unexpected drop during dinner service. I managed to escape unscathed. I was just so happy to be on solid ground once again. The pilot did manage to get the plane down ahead of the storm, but the dark clouds caught up streamed in and opened up just as we arrived into the city.

The downpour started just as we got off the metro. We got trapped at the metro station without umbrellas or a small boat to get us through the flooded streets to our hostel. We ended up spending about 1 hour waiting for an opportunity to make a run for it. The journey from metro to hostel required some puddle and sidewalk sink holes dodging but we finally made it.

We managed to drag ourselves and our stuff safely to the Hutong west of the Forbidden City that first stormy night in Beijing. We got soaked but our stuff wasn’t. I’m not sure how we pulled that one-off, but we did thankfully.

Inside the Forbidden City on a Smoggy Day

Waiting on a Visa…

We had just one night at the Hutong Hostel and later moved to an apartment on the other side of Beijing until we headed west towards Central Asia in a couple of weeks. Hostels are great but having a washer, kitchen and quiet work area were necessary this time.

We were here to get our Turkmenistan Visa and see more of post-Olympics Beijing. It was a lot of work for all the back and forth, waiting, some more waiting all for a 10 day required tour. Beijing is a large city so there’s much to see and do while we wait.

Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
Military Museum - Beijing
Military Museum – Beijing

The National Museum, the Olympic Park and the Military Museum were the top three on our must see list this time. We got our Turkmenistan visa, saw the top three, and managed to see both the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square again.

Our time in Beijing soon came to an end. With our visas in hand and better idea of what direction we will be going in the next few months, we boarded an Air China flight to Urumqi. In Beijing, we managed to survive both the elevated AQI levels and a couple of storms that pummeled the city during our two-week visit. I’m sure Beijing will all be a totally different the next time we stop by for a visit or maybe not?

Acquiring Central Asian Visas in Tokyo

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It’s been a long time (a few years actually) since I’ve written anything substantial in a blog post, so please forgive me as I get my ‘blog legs’ back in order. Oddly enough, this will start off with a case of deja vu from early 2008. Back then we were traveling around Laos and Vietnam and were trying to do some forward planing for the next few months. Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, and China were on our wayward list, but what about after that? How about Central Asia or “the ‘stans” as they are colloquially known? Thoughts of Mongol hordes, glorious Persian architecture, and towering mountains filled my head and invoked some serious wanderlust. We could travel by land across China and fly out from somewhere in the region (Tashkent perhaps?). A great way to spend late Spring/early Summer. Easy, right?

A few days of detailed Internet searching put that notion of ease quickly to rest. Central Asia is definitely not high on the tourist/backpacker roadshow and gathering information on a general route through the region was few and far between. Tales of “Letters of Invite”, mandated tours, and Soviet style bureaucracy left a distinctly dry feeling in ones mouth. We would either have to get visas as we went (less than ideal given visa constraints) or would have to get them all at once in Beijing (the only place in East Asia with all five consulates). Given that we were coming into China on a 30 day non-extendable visa, logistics among the embassies would be tight. This was right before the Olympic games and the Chinese authorities were starting to clamp down on giving out/renewing visas. Ultimately, however, our hopes were dashed when we arrived in Beijing in early April. The March 2008 events in Tibet resulted in the closing off of western China to foreigners (i.e. anything past Chengdu). We decided at that point to move on to North Africa and would revisit the plan for Central Asia at a later date. The one upside was that we started following the Uncornered Market folks, as they were one of the few blogs out there with information about the region.

Fast forward to 2012 and we’re in East Asia again. After spending three months last year dealing with visa/tour fun for our September trip to Iran, acquiring visas for Central Asia is easy by comparison. It took us a total of 10 calendar days (i.e. Monday to the following Wednesday) to get four visas for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakstan in Tokyo. This can be done a few days earlier (say 7 or 8) if you’re prepared and quick enough on the metro.

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General information for Central Asian visas in Tokyo

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Keep the following tips in mind when getting visas here:

  • Plan, Plan, Plan. Specifically the order that you will be traveling to these countries, the number of entries desired, etc. Central Asian visas are date specific (i.e. 1-Sept-2012 to 31-Oct-2012 for 1 entry with a maximum time in country of 30 days).
  • Visas for these consulates normally take a week to process (up to two in the case of Uzbekistan), which would mean a month or so for all four. However, you can call ahead and explain that you’re getting all four and kindly ask if you can leave a copy of your passport instead of the original with the embassy. This way you can apply for all of them in parallel, cutting it down to a week. The consulates of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were happy to do this for us, but Kazakstan said they would have to keep our original passports.
  • If you apply in parallel you should do it in the following order: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (which are a few blocks from each other in Nakameguro) and Tajikistan and Kazakstan (which are a few blocks from each other in Roppongi).
  • Pick them up in the opposite order. When we picked up our passport from the Kazak embassy, we dropped off our passports at the Tajik embassy. The next day we went back and picked them up from there and then went to the Kyrgyz and Uzbek embassies (who put the visas in on the spot).
  • When speaking to the the person from the embassy and using English, please be very polite. Most of the staff speak Japanese as their second language, so you might be getting the ambassador (him|her)self!
  • Most of the embassies expect ‘bank transfers’ for payment. This is quite common in Japan and can be done at any bank ATM machine (you can pay in cash and it is directly deposited into the consulate’s account). The catch here, however, is that the transfer option is only available in the Japanese language ATM menu. If you don’t read Japanese kindly ask someone there (the guard, etc) to help you or bring someone who does with you. Keep the transaction receipt as this is what you will present to the consulate for proof of payment.
  • Some consulates expect the payment receipt at time of application and some expect it at pickup time.
  • Emails to any of these consulates routinely go unanswered; call instead.

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Tajikistan Visa in Tokyo with GBAO

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The GBAO permit (to see the eastern half of the country and Pamirs) cost is included in the base visa cost, but you MUST ask for it separately (in person and in your processing cover letter). If you don’t have a cover letter they will give you one to copy for the request at the consulate. Make sure you come with TWO copies of your visa paperwork (and associated photos). When picking up the visa they will make you sign that the visa is correct. NOTE: the actual dates, etc are handwritten so be sure to triple check!

Cost for Americans: ¥9000 JPY (8000 for the visa + 1000 processing fee) for a 30 day single entry visa. This is paid via wire transfer (ATM) with receipt DUE AT APPLICATION TIME.

Website:  Embassy of Tajikistan in Tokyo

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Kyrgyzstan Visa in Tokyo

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A Kyrgyzstan visa is very straight forward and simple to get in Tokyo.

Cost for Americans: ¥8000 JPY for a 30 day single entry tourist visa, payable by wire transfer (ATM) with receipt due at pickup time. NOTE: The consul will tell you that you don’t need a Kyrgyz visa if you have a multi-entry Kazak visa. Getting a M-E Kazak visa is a bit of a pain and as this is a new policy as of July 2012 (which means that border enforcement might be iffy), we just got a straight visa from Kyrgyzstan (costs more, but potentially less hassle).

Website: Kyrgyz Embassy of Tokyo

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Uzbekistan Visa in Tokyo

reibai5 Comments

The Uzbek consulate in Tokyo unfortunately does not have a usable website (in Japanese, let alone English). You have to fill out your information at the website below, print it out, and give it to the consulate. Make sure that you mark Tokyo as the place of visa issuance. Under Occupation ‘Representatives of business groups and persons, engaging in individual enterprise’ is what most folks put (I’m an engineer damn it!)

Cost for Americans: ¥16000 JPY for a 30 day tourist visa (maximum) is super pricey, so make every day count. You can ask for as many entries as you wish without a LOI (but be specific (i.e. 2, 4, 7, etc); putting ‘multiple’ will mean a LOI will be required). Note that this is paid in cash at the time of visa pickup!

Website: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hours: 10:30-13:00 for drop off, 16:00-17:30 for pickup.

Contact number: +81 3-3760-5625

Map: The Uzbek Consulate is located a few blocks from Fudomae station (past Meguro on the Namboku line).

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Kazakstan Visa in Tokyo

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The consulate will keep the original passport for entire length of time (drop off Monday and pick up the following Monday afternoon at 15:00).

Cost for Americans: $30 USD for 1 month single entry, $60 for 2 month double entry (30 days per entry max). Payable at time of pickup via wire transfer (ATM) receipt in JPY (get them to write down what they expect the cost to be at drop off time, their conversion rate might be lower than the days rate).

Website: Embassy of Kazakstan in Tokyo

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Sticker Shock in Japan

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Japanese Matsuri Food outside of Tokyo
Nutritious Banana for sale at a local Matsuri in Tokyo

The island nation of Japan takes its food very seriously or at least tries to justify the large price tag for a very polished melon and other things most people find for much less back home or on the other side of the South China Sea. The same melon here in Japan would only set me back $4-5 USD depending on the season and if I decided to go organic and get from Whole Foods no less.

Food prices are a tricky thing because most nations of the world have experienced a huge rise in them for the past few years. Japan is an island nation that has always had high standards when it comes to food. There is some food grown and raised here in the island nation but much of it needs to be imported. The cost of production and simple economics causes the simple melon here to make international headlines.

Sort of looks like this one with vine intact and a nice paper blanket to keep it safe

The only fruit I’m consuming is the watermelon and an occasional bowl of fresh pineapple to break up the fruit monotony. I’m not visiting Japan for the fruit. My experiences usually go beyond the meals that usually are meat free which is hard do in a country where the prevailing belief that a meal without vitamin “meat” is just wrong. There’s not much food adventure for someone like myself who doesn’t eat a whole lot of meat.

Dragon Fruit Breakfast
Lovely Sweet Dragonfruit in Shanghai
Fresh Champdak Fruit
Fresh but smelly Champdak Fruit on Old Shanghai Street in Shanghai

We will be moving on to China next week and the exchange will be more in favor of the USD. I’ll be able to go back to my one dragon fruit a day diet without breaking the bank. I think my first meal will be just a big bowl of dragon fruit and a side of pineapple. I’ll skip the Champdak.

Just to give an idea of usual cost of fruit here...79¥=$1USD #japan #Food
Fruit for sale in the local market at prices that are a little easier to swallow but not as pretty
More Pricey Choices. I'm used to touching peaches to see if they are ripe but I'm thinking that it's "a touch it... you buy it" situation
More Pricey Choices. I used to touching peaches to see if they are ripe but I’m not feeling that it’s “a touch it… you buy it” situation

For now I’ll just have to get my fruit this way.

Sweet or Savory? Tough choice #tokyo #japan #sandwichporn
Yummy cream and fruit sandy. There’s some fruit in there.

What to see outside of Tokyo: Kamakura..shrines, the Giant Daibutsu and a great bar!

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If there is one place to visit outside of Tokyo Kamakura is it.  The city itself can’t be fully seen in one day so see what you can and try to get back in the future.  Here’s a great online guide to Kamakura Shrines.  The city has many transportation options if needed but it is a very walkable city.

There are many places where visitors can buy a great meal or just pick up a snack.  The city is famous for its Purple Potato Ice cream if you want to try something different.  My favorite is the red bean or custard filled cakes that can be found in most towns throughout Japan.  Here they are shaped as the Giant Buddha.

If you are looking for a cold beer or cocktail after a long day of sightseeing then check out the local bar called the Bank. The place is tiny so get there early.  Don’t stay too long if it’s just a day trip.  The trains going back to Tokyo go a couple of times an hour but after 11pm the trip back to Tokyo gets longer and more arduous.

JR Online Travel Planner

General Guide to Kamakura

Buddist Hokokuji Shrine in Kamakura

Getting from Tokyo to Kamakura by Train from WikiTravel.com:

The fastest way in is by JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station (one hour, ¥890) and Yokohama (25 minutes, ¥330). The JR Kamakura-Enoshima Free Kippu (¥1,110 from Yokohama, ¥1,970 from Tokyo) gets you a round trip from Tokyo to Kamakura (local trains only) plus unlimited use of Enoden and Shonan Monorail lines.

Getting to the Giant Daibutsu Statue in Kamakura:

The Great Buddha is a 5-minute walk from the Enoden Railway (a streetcar-like train) Hase Station, the third station from Kamakura main station.

Get a drink @:

The Bank, 3-1-1 Yuigahama, Kamakura-shi; tel: (0467) 60-6170; Open 5 p.m.-1 a.m. (3 p.m.-1 a.m Saturday & Sunday); closed Monday, and 3rd & 4th Tuesday of the month.

What to see in Tokyo: Design Festa Gallery Harajuku

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Design Festa Gallery as they say it is ‘the space where the dreams of artists connect with visitors, ‘ .    The space allows anyone to exhibit as long as it is original. They have had over 4500 exhibits  since 1998. The space is constantly changing and there’s always something interesting to see.  It’s a great place to buy unique gifts and souvenirs while in Tokyo.

DFG is also host to a biannual International Art Event which is being held Nov 6 (sat) & 7 (sun), 2010 11:00 – 19:00 at the Tokyo Big Sight West hall 1, 2, 3, 4, Atrium & Outdoor.  This huge international art movement has been going on since 1994 and this year has over 8500 artists from over 70 different countries attending  Something to check out if you are passing through town.

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