Japanese transit

Many in the head fell a stereotype that Japan is expensive, the visa is unrealistic there, in general the country is far away, everything is different and better in the old man in Turkey. I never loved the standard tourist bars, it is important for me to plan yourself where and how to drive + preferably as much as possible. Although in the case of Japan economically it is easier to say than to do. But, the main problem here: first in the head, secondly in the flight prices. The rest, if you connect the imagination is not so expensive.

By the way, visa to the country of the rising sun for Russians is free, t.E. You just need to collect documents, which is also done once or twice. And if you are a resident of Moscow or Peter, then God himself ordered, I also had to order it from Ufa through the transport company, but it turned out anyway cheaper than via a visa center.

Nara Park in Nare

I always pulled into this country, I can’t specifically explain why, or why, just pull. To some extent, Anime is guilty, starting with "Pokemon", but the main reason is not able to explain. Every time browsing the old Japanese chronicle, or bumping into the network on the next shot, I had a terrible feeling of nostalgia, all these things were a street, at home … I solved firmly for myself, I will go to Japan, and I will not go to a tour, and myself, and for sure not for two weeks. But somehow everything was postponed, well, you know, scary, not comfortable, too much from the documents, and what I will do when I come and t. D. Everything as usual … But in December, the stars probably came together … And the funds were, and I really thought, but it would be necessary. Falling in the topic about a visa to Japan, looked through a bunch of rollers on YouTube, read blogs. Penetrating again nostalgia and began to look for a way to go for a month, or even more, to Japan. I generally love travel by the method of volunteer, the perfect way, and cheap and complete immersion. And for me, as for the photographer, it is very important … to make your own route yourself, when no one tells you, today we go there, and tomorrow here and pokes your nose in all attractions.

There is such a website – WorkAway.info – membership fee, something like 3500 rubles per year. This makes it possible to directly communicate with all hostels, families, farms and other places, on the topic of housing and work, conditions are very different, but everywhere, in fact, Barter T. E. From the simplest, the conditions in which I lived in my hostel. I was provided with accommodation for a month and 1 week for free, and I performed a simple job. We had different shifts of 4-8 hours a day. TOTAL A week I worked somewhere 4 days. Some places, also feed, others can even provide payment and it will be, as if a full work, but you need to have a working visa (or Working Holiday visa, but we don’t have it in Russia, I have not heard anyway), ourselves they will not do it.

Asakus district in Tokyo

I chose, perhaps, the longest way, that until Japan, then from her home. I can not say that it was the cheapest option, I saw tickets to Tokyo and for 18 thousand one way. Total on the road there / back 47 thousand, it’s with a visa. At first I was driving up to Moscow, there by plane to Novosibirsk, from there to Seoul, and I flew to Osaka from the capital of Korea. Back There were three flights: Tokyo – Irkutsk, Irkutsk – Moscow, Moscow -Uf. Honestly I do not know what place I thought choosing such a route, but what happened, it was.

In Japan, I flew on March 6 and the first week was raining, but sometimes I still went walking. And here is the first amazing fact – I never wovered legs. I did not have to jump over the lakes to move the road. Everything is done by the mind, all urban plum systems work as needed. Another fact is what was in Japan was very cold, especially at night, this despite the fact that I flew, in fact, from the winter. We still lay the snow when I was sitting in the train Ufa-Moscow. Many people know who does not know – Hello, in Japan there is no central heating, the only salvation – air conditioning or heater. So keep in mind. However, the other is striking – the Japanese are familiar to the cold, when I arrived, I all said "Ltd. from Russia, you have a cooken there, still snow …" But going out on the street I understood that I was cold, I am frowning. And the Japanese opposite … go in jackets, yes skirts. And literally, schoolgirls especially. They have this mandatory uniform, and it costs it is not cheap, by the way. So think twice before ordering a room in traditional Japanese hotels – "Ryukanov". Walls there are still thinner than in modern buildings – I don’t care what to sleep on the street.

Shinsekay. Was just around the corner from my hostel

Before the trip, I initially noted myself in Google Maps the places that I want to visit, did, so to say a preliminary analysis. Throwing an approximate action plan, naturally, in the course of the action I made adjustments, some places added, some, on the contrary. For example, already in Osaka, I decided to go to the local port, and at 5 am, immediately after karaoke. Just because dawn, and I. photographer. I also added Minoo Park, on the advice of experienced.

Google Maps, by the way, copes perfectly with navigation, I heard many advise to use Maps Me and Osmand, but I did not appreciate the first program at all. She just did not want to work offline. Osmand I know for a long time, good cards, repeatedly used them in Russia, they have a lot of tourist trail, and GPS works fine. But in Japan, a lot of small streets, and the card was just unclean. I stopped at Google, it works well offline if in advance before loading the map. Plus in Japan Wi-Fi has in each "Combi" (24-hour store) Whether Lawson, Family Mart or Seven Eleven, also on each station and in general in many parts of the city. So I could never get lost. Although places without "Combi" And Wai Faya is … In general, boldly use Google Cards, it also correctly shows the prices for transport, sometimes can sway with routes, but where without it. For Tokyo, I also downloaded the official application for the subway.

I chose spring, in many ways because of the desire to take pictures of Sakura, well, and plus just did not want to wait. When I flew, a plum color, more precisely, the peak of her bloom, just started to pass. Very similar to sakur. Right next to the castle in Osaka there is a whole garden of plum trees, a huge territory and all covered with white, pink and red petals, very beautiful. Sakura flowers around at the end of March, early April. And on Hokkaido in May, as in Russia. And it so happened that I captured Sakura in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. But in Tokyo is already quite on the outcome.

So blooms plum

Despite all its manufacturability, it is not customary to use maps to pay for purchases, only physical bills and coins. One of our guests from Australia, somehow a week tried to find an automatic where you can withdraw money. Do not everyone know that "Combi" And at stations, as a rule, there are automata where international maps are taken. I took two cards from Sberbank, one moment with rubles, the second usual with dollars. The course, it seemed to me the same, just from the map of the moment I took the commission in 213 yen.

Another interesting fact, there is no 2000 banknotes, t. E. their even cash register does not accept. And when exchanging in Sberbank, they were puzzled by a whole bunch. Therefore, in stores I often mowed a strange way … But Japanese cashiers still take this "Denuzhka". Just all the Japanese are super polite, timid, words across will not say, many apologize. And love to stand in the queues. These are their special features, even in a cafe to eat they sit in line and wait until the place is free.

Vehicles are very expensive. Here in Moscow you can sit for 200 rubles, get there to transfer to another train and everything is to go out and go on your affairs. In Japan, such frains with transport that at first you can get confused, but when you are in and understand, you understand that it is convenient and understandable without words. Prices are set depending on where and where to go where. And at each transplant you need to pay again – 3-4 transplants and now 1500 thousand yen, as it did not happen. In Tokyo, so in general, there is Tokyo Metro, and there is toei subway line, in fact, all this metro, but two different organizations. And such organizations a lot – JR and private railway lines. Rates are different and they will be headed by different parts of the city and with a transplantation you can spend not one hundred meters. First time I shook for a long time before buying a ticket, trying to calculate and how much should I pay. Then I purchased a transport card and all these problems were missing, I just replenished it for 1000-2000 yen, put it and the barrier missed me. Card costs 2000 yen, 1500 of them immediately go to the account. If the map will remain on the map, you can pass and return the rest. But I brought her like a souvenir.

At all I advise you to walk, everywhere, in any journey, because this is the way you can feel the city, and catch interesting footage, this is what I first thought about. I remember, at first a lot was distracted by temples, because they stand through each 100 meters. The road from the hostel to the castle in Osaka takes about an hour and 15 minutes, but for the first time I went three hours)) because every time "about the temple, about another one". And then they bother, because all the same type …So yes, walking on foot is that the doctor prescribed.

Chittenogeni temple, one of the oldest buddhist temples in Japan

Food would not say that super dear, at first there were a lot of money, but I just bought ready-made food, which is convenient and the principle, all the Japanese do. They don’t like to cook. Because of this, such food on the shelves in bulk, still full of vending machines from different types of drinks. When it was cold on the street, hot drinks from such automata. The Japanese, as a rule, on the way home after work comes in "Combi" and buy ready-made food, especially after 20-00 goes with a discount of 20, 30 and 50 percent. Since all such food, desserts, pies will be brought in the morning, it is absolutely fresh and the one that is not sold out during the day, implement with a discount. You can not sail to save … But if you cook yourself, buying only the necessary ingredients, you can calmly live for 2000 yen a week – it is 1200 rubles, approximately.

In general, 1.5 months for Japan little. I was lucky that I successfully arrived and got on the biggest cosplay festival in Osaka. I didn’t even know that he would be there. It was the same expirence, because for the Japanese this is a cultural event, scale, as for us, say, Victory Parade. For him they blocked the whole quarter, where it was poured so much the people that do not turn around, literally.

In general, I am insanely satisfied with my trip and do not regret anything about the spent penny, I have acquired so many friends from different countries that will have to visit. In total, I planned to spend 90 thousand, including flight, food and accommodation in Tokyo. But spent a little more than 100 thousand. It’s all the same very cheap, considering that it is 1.5 months, and 8-12 daytime tours are even more expensive … In Japan, I have a couple of ideas that need to be implemented. For example, climb on Fuji, but let go there only in the summer, from July to September. To visit Naruto Park, which opened in April, in the village of Achi, from where a wonderful view of the Milky Way, I want to try "Onsen" real. To be on Fukuoka, in the town of Okata and Okinawa. In general, if someone wants to go we can do it together)) I have a discount on a whole network of hostels, I worked there and made pictures for their network.

Cosplay Festival in Osaka

Braille Pointer

And at the end, as a small result. You know what the most shocking in Japan? This is what everything is done there for people. Highest service everywhere and in everything. ? Elementary, on large intersections there is a special pointer for blind with braille font. And to you, somewhere nahamili, it is generally necessary to try. Japanese super polite in communication. I was terribly clever, when in the usual food, when goodbye, I was bowed and stood in such a position until I won’t. Surprisingly for 1.5 months I have never seen plugs or accidents. All are very accurate. Amazing how healthy use all the space they have. Everything is competent and compact. Nowhere will you see the sticks of the machines, because of which neither pass or drive. ??

And it was just the wilderness, when I flew out of super technological Tokyo in Irkutsk. Immediately coming out of the plane, we met us not the usual Aeroautobus, and the usual Soviet flight bus, almost Ikarus. I immediately understood that I returned to Russia.

So the Japanese celebrate Sakura flowering (Khana), sit under a tree and drink sake

Girl in Kimono in Kyoto

Sanctuary of Folshesti Inari, Kyoto

Japanese wedding on the background of the castle in Osaka

Dotonbori, one of the most club streets in Osaka

In general, such a picture is not uncommon for Japan

Khokandi Temple in Kyoto. In general, this is mega tourist city. Do not believe, but for my back there was a huge crowd to people.

Temple Sensei, Tokyo

Digital Team Lab Museum in Tokyo, I advise everyone to visit, worth the money spent