Tuesday, 21 April 2009

  • Need Japan and Korea tips!

    Need Japan and Korea tips!

    Woots!  Yes I am, heading to Japan and Korea for 2-3 weeks.  I'm very excited because no one is ever free to go with me so this will be my ever first time to Japan and Korea! School will be over next Saturday, at least all my exams will be done and all I'll have to finish up is my Class 5 drivers test -- which I have been procrastinating to do for 2ish -3 years? haha.  Anyhoo, I'll be taking my N off my car very soon, and taking the drivers test on the 30th of this month. 

    I'll be in Tokyo for a week and Seoul for a week or two.  I'm traveling with two friends, and we've booked hour hostels and will be travelling on our own. 

    I read online about Korean beauty products and deals (I read that they give out lots of samples and a good tip I read was to pay my hauls in smaller portions to get more samples), some japan snacks we don't have here like Kit Kat in all sort of crazy flavors (i know we have orea and banana and green tea here in the Japanese stores).  Also, since Won (Korean Currency is low), it will be great for me to shop around for stuff!  Yay.  I know my friend got like facial masks for dirt cheap, it was around 10 packages for a dollar in canadian or something!  Recently I got my other friend to help me buy some, and she didn't get as good of a deal like my previous friend, but it only rounded up to 0.60 canadian for each facial mask!  So still a great deal. 

    Some samples my friend gave me from her Korea trip:

    We'll also be hitting the Japan festivals.  It's a little scary since we're going to be in Japan during the "golden week" and it's going to be pack with tourist and locals!  My co-worker suggested I hit that mall in Korea that's always in those Korean movies, where they have the train above and the ice rink in the middle, I know you know which one I'm talking about. hahaa.

    I would like to ask everyone for must do / must eat / must go to malls / must buy / must try beauty products that I can only find in Japan or Korea / great deals or tips and such !  Any advices?

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Comments (17)

  • xtine015@xanga

    Korea/Japan has good taste of food and clothes. I'm half korean and go to Seoul Korea it's the main City. Eat bulgoki meat and kalbi meat. Americans love that meat. And try kimchee chigae soup too. It's a korean popular tradition soup.  
  • wachamakulit@xanga

    i went to japan for one night and met my cousins/ aunts that i havent seen for 10 yrs. anyway i had major jetlag and they took me out that night to a japanes restaurant. i was about to pass out. i couldnt even use my chopsticks properly cuz i was so disoriented. they laughed at me when i dropped my sushi, i dont know if that's considered rude.


    they have really awesome things too. i stayed at my aunts apartment for the night and their bathtub was this square tub thing. i didnt know how to fit in it so i just used the shower. they also have a cool toilet that squirts water on ur perinial area when ur thru.


    you have to eat their ramen noodles and try their milktea! its the best...dont forget to go home without a kimono too. ive been to tokyo tower. ...and oooh they make some good hotpockets too : )
  • justXforXyou_beautiful@xanga

    I agree that it's fun to shop in Japan (never been to Korea) but I was just over there about a week or so ago and things are very expensive, especially right now, so I'd keep the shopping to Korea where you said it's going to be cheaper.


    The only place I really remember going in Tokyo was the Tokyo Tower, which is actually pretty cool when you get to the top to see the view of the whole city. Other than that I can't really help you out, we didn't spend much time in Tokyo, sorry...
  • woosuhyaji@xanga

    otsu, lake biwa - japan... a dream.  katsura palace - immaculate.


    inchon (fishery + small town seaside seafoods) - s. korea. daejun or pusan prior to the summer just hitting with (country)side walks or seoul or shinchon for the (city) affair. 


    my recs. 


  • pretty_vanilla@xanga

    Sounds like an awesome trip in the making.
  • echois23@xanga

    Buy a J-rail pass before you go to Japan they are much cheaper here and if you are going to be traveling they are well worth the investment some shinkansen tickets are $200 a pop........ I can send you more info if you like I actually have a packet of info I give out to students traveling to Japan.......

  • ImprezaGirl@xanga

    Japan is HUGEEEEE!! But if I got a chance to go back again, I would def love to stay in Tokyo longer.

    I took some pictures while I was there, feel free to browse through my Japan sets:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/imprezagirl/sets/

    Hope you have fun!
  • ImprezaGirl@xanga

    Ohh forgot to mention if you're a huge anime/toy/electronics fan... hit up Akihabara & Harajuku.  And like what echois23 said... if you want to travel out of the city... it might cost you alot to travel.  I rode the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Kyoto (that's where the shrines are at) for around $150 per person and then another $175 per person from Kyoto to Sasebo (but Sasebo is boring.  I went down there to visit my fiance's brother since he was stationed in Sasabo for the Navy).  If you're on a budget, spend the majority of your time in Tokyo... there's lots to do there. The JR Trains also have an all day pass for I believe 700 yen.  Good deal! 

  • dutchstudent@xanga

    If you have the chance and money go from Seoul to Jeju island its about an hour flight but it is worth visiting. I loved the whole chicken soup ( with ginseng / ginger ? ) it is a must try if you find it, i forgot the actual name:S I went to jeju and Seoul for about 5 nights last summer it was a super experience!!

    and of course eat the sushi in Japan I just loveee sushi.

  • slappedwithreality@xanga

    If only a week in and around Tokyo these are must see/must do:

    1) Visit Tsukiji Fish Market for the freshest and absolutely best sushi and sashimi in the world. Go with the first trains in the morning when you have jet lag and can't sleep anyway. 2) Kamakura - its to the south of Tokyo and has many temples and shinto shrines. It just gives you a good feel for the old style of Japan. 3) Nikko - check with the tourist center in Tokyo Station and take a train to this small city that was the only community close to Tokyo that was not touched by the American bombing during the war. Great old temples and a cooler temperature than the heat and humidity of Tokyo4) Kyoto and Nara (not to be confused with the word "onara" which means fart in Japanese - which when I was a teenager thought it was strange that anyone would name a city after a fart) - best place to see maiko-sans (real geishas in training) and lovely temples5) Onsens - gotta experience this!!! Its a hot springs bath. Scrub and soap down outside the actually bath, rinse off clean then soak up to your neck in the hot (and i mean hot!!!) mineral waters. You will relax at least 5 years of stress away from your body.6) Yataii - Japanese street food. As you are going during Golden Week you will see more of these stands around than ever. Ramen Noodles, Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), Takoyaki (round donut-like balls with octopus in the center), Manju (steamed chinese buns filled with everything imaginable (Pizza-man, Niku-man [meat], An-man [sweet bean paste], Curry-man ... these are just a few, have even found peanut butter and jelly filled ones), Jagga-butta (baked potatoe smothered in butter) .... damn, I am making myself hungry now.7) Beer Gardens on top of the buildings (nice way to socialize and drink a bit)8) Izakaya (Japanese style pub) - Decent food with fairly inexpensive drinks (don't worry, most of the menus will have some pictures) ... look for chains such as Tengu or HironHaniHeto which are all over Japan and are fairly standardized. 
    Korea is also a lot of fun and a flavorable experience. Have fun!!
  • unchalan

    Konnichiwa,

    I heard many things from clients of International Currency Express, some say the rate is better in the US others in Japan.

    I would say, it's best to do your exchange in the US.  For sure, the rate in Korea will be better than anywhere here in the US, some vendors may even accept US dollars, but make sure you know what the counter value is before paying.  Some sites are helpful, offering "cheatsheets" but others are not.  If you'd like one, just call 888.278.6628 and ask them to email or fax you and your friends one, I'm sure they won't mind.

    When in Tokyo, sake bombs and sushi sound like the best things to try.  Good luck with your beauty products. :D

    Sayonara!
  • studbeltsanddiamonds@lovelyish

    Yay!  I'm so excited.  I'm indeed heading to Tokyo and Seoul.  My friends are then swinging to Thailand for a month and Cambodia, sadly I have to get back to start work.  This is so great of Tripcrazed.com to post this, any advices are great because I'm clueless right now on even how to pack! haha.

    @xtine015@xanga - @wachamakulit@xanga - I'll have to jot down all those food down and go hunt for them! 

    @justXforXyou_beautiful@xanga - yah. everything in japan is expensive i heard. Wons (korean currency) are low right.  I'll have to get back to you on how cheap things are though. haha.  BUT i do know that my Seoul hostel is only $16CAD per night vs. Tokyo $28CAD per night (it was probably the least expensive yet decent one we can find, but might be also because its the golden week).  See, Korea things are more inexpensive. haha.

    @woosuhyaji@xanga - awesome. i'll definately search up those places before I go!

    @pretty_vanilla@xanga - It's just a two week trip, but I'm excited!  I never travel.

    @echois23@xanga - Hey echois23, I'll definately look into the j-rail pass thing!  thanks!  i heard before too that travelling around Japan is expensive.  I heard a starbucks is 8-9 bucks?  :S

    @ImprezaGirl@xanga - Thanks for the pictures!  The japanese menu is a little intiminating...i don't know any japanese! I'll have to...bring a dictionary?  better jot down Akihabara & Harajuku for anime stuff and omg. i just checked out your site. your like oragami (sp) queen! ImprezaGirl!

    @dutchstudent@xanga -  Oh!  My friend mentioned she wanted to visit jeji islands, but she said we might run out of time.

    @slappedwithreality@xanga - OMG. your comment was lovely!  Thank you.  I have to copy and paste that and put it right on top of my must do/see/eat list! even reading your comment makes me want to leave town now. haha.

    Thanks for the advices everyone!  I'll keep checking back till I leave (well I'm sure I can check xanga on my trip too haha).  @unchalan - I'm from Canada by the way, so I'm not sure how the rate stuff works...yet.
  • unchalan

    I won't fault you for that, it's OK if you're from Canada.

    Just go to www.oanda.com or let me know and I'll email something to you.  The formula is the same, it's the two rates that will be different.

    Now take a deep breath and exhale.  Now say, I'm going to Japan and Korea.

    Have fun young lady.
  • woosuhyaji@xanga

    you are too cool (no sarcasm intended).  i am to the brim with envy... japan and korea... nice.  safe travels and make sure to take along a good movie to watch on the laptop like 'snakes on a plane' (american - i'd suspect those sitting immediate will not find all too humorous), zaitoichi (japanese - the re-release movie... the other passengers will be weary of you when asking your pardon to go to the lavatory either front or rear as you daydream or nap) or 'guns and talks' (a korean comedy film that came out some time ago, but awfully funny in terms of comprehending korean slapstick and attemptful english skills).


    anshin shite kudasai.
  • efarns@xanga

    I've been in Korea for a few months.  I think it's a great place to visit and you should have a good time.  In general, the best prices seem to be at the outdoor markets like Dongdaemun and Nomdaeumun.  But there are plenty of options.  Korea is a good place to shop.


    For a first tour, I recommend going to Gwangwha-mun and taking one of the city bus tours that leave from there every hour.  The blue bus takes you past both the markets I mentioned.  I haven't done the other tour yet. The ride is 10,000 won and you can get on and off at any stop, so go early and see everything.  Also, there's a tourist information booth at Gwangwha-mun with great maps of Seoul in English.


    I'm a guy, so I can't help you with the cosmetics.
  • cmnvb@xanga

    I live in korea(South) and it's true they
    have a great taste whe it comes to food and clothes. And SKINFOOD, i
    use that too, its great to have skinfood with you always. Don't forget
    to go to nandeuman market if you want to shop, i get bargains there.
  • aN_amAYzInG_storrII@xanga

    i love japan! be sure to go to tokyo tower at night. have fun T_T i wish i was going to japan.

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