Today I am pleased to introduce you to one of my featured sponsors for July. Her name is Lisa and she has touched my heart with her photography and gorgeous family photos. She is a mom to her adorable son and cute dogs, Jasper & Coco, and expecting her next bundle of joy soon. She also shares my love of travel and is taking over my blog today to share with you a combination of travel and her photography hobby. Make sure to introduce yourself and share some ACR love her way.
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Hi, A Compass Rose readers!
My name is Lisa and I blog at expandng.com. I blog about my family and also my photography hobby.
I’m so honored to be sharing 3 tips for visiting Japan to you today on Bonnie’s lovely blog. In my former life (before marriage and kids), I lived in Taipei for two years and traveled to Japan twice. Once with some friends, and a second time all by myself. Japan really is one of the countries I’d visit over and over again. I love the food, culture, and how tourist-friendly it is (at least the cities I visited). Hope you enjoy the tips!
Tip 1: A little Japanese goes a long way
I know two Japanese phrases, and they took me a long way while visiting Japan. Need directions? Have a question? Just say “Sumimasen“, which means “Excuse me“. Another I used all the time, “Arigatou gozaimashita“, which means “Thank you very much.” Listen to the locals use these words for their correct pronunciation.
Tip 2: Trains, trains, and more trains
I visited the Kyoto region on my second time to Japan and took trains just about everywhere. If you’re planning to take a lot of trains, look into a Japan Rail (JR) Pass. Be sure to read the FAQ page to find out the details on the pass. For longer-distance trains, I reserved seats and got my pass stamped at the various stations – Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo. It was fun collecting them.
Tip 3: Restaurants with food displays are everywhere
When in doubt, eat at a restaurant with a food display. I once took a waitress outside to the window to show her what I wanted to eat. A few times cold noodle dishes were served when I was expecting a warm dish, but it certainly didn’t affect my appetite. Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines.
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Hope the tips are helpful!
I’ll leave you with one of my
favorite photos from my trips to Japan!
Please let me know when you visit Japan,
so that I may live vicariously through you.
*All photography in this post is copyright to Lisa C. Ng for expandng.com © 2013
