Tokyo Local Custom Tips by dennisKL Top 5 Page for this destination

3G mobile in Japan Infrastructures Review

For those who travel in Japan who need a mobile guideline...i think i can share over here. It had been some times for me to check out the home operator whether is providing the roaming services to Japan.And yes, it did. But somehow Japan mobile is in 3G like Korea and US. You need a 3G mobile in order to get the roaming service in Japan.

You have some options here.
For your info, the operators in Japan is either Vodaphone or NTT DoCoMo which runs on CDMA mode.

Vodaphone:
If your local operator provider offer the roaming service like me, just get a 3G mobile rental in airport and put in your sim card will do. The rental fees is about 1200yen per day and minimum 3days. There will be some deposit and so on...check out the vodaphone guideline at www.vodaphone.jp. There is a Vodaphone operating in 2G and 3G mode in the market but is quite expensive. I found 1 in Shinjuku outlet.

For DoCoMo:
You need to inform your home operator when you aboard and probably they will provide you a DoCoMo phone and just switch it on when you are in Japan. The different is you will get another Japan local number in your mobile.Your original number from your home country will diverted to this DoMoCo service number....but the good thing is you will get a cheaper price comparing with the Vodaphone when you making a local call in Japan because is only about 22yen per minute.

The Shrine's wishing plate - 'Ema' Tradition Review

Shrine visitors write their wishes on these wooden plates and then leave them at the shrine in the hope that their wishes come true. Most people wish for good health, success in business, passing entrance exams, love or wealth. You may write in any language from English, Chinese to Japanese.

The Shrine's Honden & Haiden Infrastructures Review

Depending on the shrine's architecture style, the main hall (honden) and offering hall (haiden) are two seperate buildings or combined into one building. The main hall's innermost chamber contains the shrine's sacred object, while visitors make their prayers and offerings at the offering hall.
The honden and haiden in Meiji Shrine is seperated to 2 building.

Visiting Japanese Shrine(Purification through) Tradition Review

Before you entering a shrine in Japan, you must get yourself clean before doing the prayer. Refer to my cutie face picture you will know what should you do before you entering. You can find this on every entry of the shrine....is a Japanese culture. Found near the entrance, the water of these fountains is used for purification. You are supposed to clean your hands and mouth before approaching the main hall.

How to visit a shrine People Review

Behave calmly and respectfully. You are not supposed to visit a shrine if you are sick, have an open wound or are mourning because these are considered causes of impurity.
At the purification fountain near the shrine's entrance, take a provided ladle, fill it with fresh water and rinse both hands. Then transfer some water into your cupped hand, rinse your mouth and spit the water beside the fountain. You are not supposed to transfer the water directly from the ladle into your mouth nor to swallow the water. You will notice that quite a few visitors skip the mouth rinsing part or the purification ritual altogether.
At the offering hall, throw a coin into the offering box, bow deeply twice, clap your hands twice, bow deeply once more and pray for a few seconds. If there is some type of gong, use it before praying in order to get the kami's attention.

How to visit a temple I Religion Review

Behave calmly and respectfully. Show your respect by making a short prayer in front of the sacred object. Do so by throwing a coin into the offering box, followed by a short prayer. Purchase a bundle of incense(osenko), cost bout 100-yen in Sensoji Temple and light them. Let them burn for a few seconds and then extinguish the flame by waving your hand rather than by blowing it out.

How to visit a temple II Tradition Review

Put the incense into the incense burner and fan some smoke towards yourself as the smoke is believed to have healing power. For example, fan some smoke towards your shoulder if you have an injured shoulder.

The Temple Gate Infrastructures Review

Gates mark the entrance to the temple grounds. There is usually one main gate, and possibly several additional gates, for example, along the temple's main approach.

The Temple Pagoda Infrastructures Review

The pagoda, a structure that has evolved from the Indian stupa, usually comes with three (sanju no to) or five (goju no to) stories. Pagodas store remains of the Buddha such as a tooth, usually in form of a representation. The one I saw in Sensoji Temple is 'goju no to'.

The fortune telling paper People Review

Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips found at many shrines and temples. Randomly drawn, they contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo ("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch or rope, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted.