Planning the perfect Japan vacation with your partner
May 1, 2009
The first Japan vacation with your partner is the one you and your partner are going to remember forever. It is that time of your life when you create the foundation of a lifelong relationship. Given the importance of this period in your life you should not ignore any opportunity to make this a memory to cherish for you and your partner, a time from which you can draw strength many years down the line, a time which would reinstate the faith and love between the couple if they happen to get bogged down by the challenges of life.
A vacation to Japan is not just any old holiday. It has the strength to decide how your next many more years are going to shape.
Don’t be selfish when you plan for your Japan vacation and don’t keep everything for yourself. Make sure that you know what a perfect vacation means for your partner. Try to include things that are common to both of you.
If you two are people from different planets then try to have the best of both the worlds. Take some time to decide on how long you want your Japan vacation to be and the places you want to visit. Are you thinking Tokyo, Osaka or somewhere else?
While it is perfectly acceptable to be excited by the idea of your first vacation, do not unnecessarily stretch on your budget. Japan can be an expensive country. Plan what you can afford. It’s no fun to come back from an out-of-budget holiday and then spend the next six months picking pennies out of the piggybank.
It’s not the places that you will remember but the moments that you spent together in Japan. Decide the places so that you get ample time together and, not to mention, privacy. Spice up your moments with sweet nothings. Always try and keep an element of surprise in your day-to-day activities.
The small things your partner doesn’t expect to happen are guaranteed to bring more joy than a planned gala dinner at a restaurant. Tip your hotel manager to have your room candelit when you return from your outing. Some places also allow you to have an only-for-couple spa where you and your partner are given ample privacy to enjoy your moments. No penalties for putting as much creativity as you want.
Lastly, be prepared for surprises. You are in the process of discovering your other half while on holiday in Japan. Discovery is not guaranteed to be hunky dory all the time. There will be things that will make you jump and there will be things that will completely turn you off. Be ready to embrace both with equal passion.
Remember at the end of the day you are two different people brought up in a different environment and you should learn to respect the individuality of your partner. Your partner might be facing the same dilemma as you are. But that’s what life and relationships are all about – respecting the difference in opinions. It’s the time which teaches two people to live together but you have to give it a chance to do so.
Enjoy your holiday in Japan.
Plan a Japan vacation on a tight budget
April 24, 2009
Vacations are an integral part of our family lives. It not only refreshes us out of our monotonous worklife but also gives us an opportunity to spend some quality time with our family.
Vacations also help our kids get a firsthand experience of the things they have just heard of or read in books. It can help them to learn and appreciate the differences in culture and day to day life of people from different origins. On one hand it can help you get refreshed, while on the other it can be a fun learning experience for your kids. Nowhere is this more true than in Japan.
We would all love to have a well-charted-out plan to save for some time and then go for a vacation but given the uncertainty of our lifestyles and unforeseen expenses it is not always possible to do so. As a result we develop the tendency to defer our plans or abandon them completely. This might at times have a damaging impact on the moral of our family.
While the grownup members can appreciate the credit crunch, the kids, however, are too young to understand the economy. The other setback can be that if you postpone your plans for long you might be inviting fatigue to pile up, which could result in your professional under-performance.
Is there a way we can manage? Definitely there is. Below are the two strategies you can use if you are hoping to holiday in Japan.
You can form a group of likeminded families from your neighbourhood and plan your vacations together. The benefit you get from this arrangement is that you can always go for bulk-booking, which can get you a saving of 30-40% if done right – a hefty saving if you’re heading to Japan.
This can bring an otherwise unaffordable Japan trip within your budget. The drawback with this approach is that all the members of the trip should have a good coordination. You might have to give up on your liberty to spend more time on places you love more.
The other way is to find a group of likeminded Japan-loving families and start a chit-fund. A chit fund is when each family contributes a fixed amount of money each month to the common pool. Depending upon the number of families you can have a selection of a family at regular intervals based on a lottery system.
The selected family is given all the money in the kitty up until that point. The family goes and enjoys their holiday and the chit fund continues. In the next lottery the name of the family which has already won is removed, although they continue to contribute to the funds.
This process continues until all the families get a share of the Japan vacation. The advantage of this method is that you continue to enjoy your liberty to plan your trip the way you like and at the same time you don’t have to defer your trip until you have all the funds available. Another advantage is that you can leverage your position beyond your savings without the fear of any interest being charged for your borrowing.
The drawback is that you will have to plan your vacation at the time of winning the lottery. This can be taken care if you have a group that is really understanding and cooperating.
These are just a few tips to help you get to Japan.
Enjoying Culture in Nagoya
February 27, 2008
Nagoya is an important industrial and cultural center located in Central Japan. It’s also the 4th largest city in the nation. While not a highly popular tourist destination compared to other cities, there are plenty of sights to see, including historic museums, zoos, shrines, castles and parks, and festival events.
Nagoya
February 27, 2008
Japan is most famous for their beautiful cherry blossoms and high tech electronics. When you say Japan, people will automatically think of Tokyo or Osaka. There’s another city in the nation that is overlooked, because it’s not as commercialized as the other two mentioned. It contributes a lot to the economic growth of Japan, and that city is called Nagoya. Read more
Kenroku-en Garden
January 31, 2008
Kenroku-en Garden, located in Kanazawa, is officially one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan and well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Many consider Kenroku-en to be the best of the three official top gardens in Japan.
Founded in the Edo period (1603 – 1868), it’s visited by thousands of visitors throughout the year. It’s a favorite attraction of visitors and tourists alike and many come more than once, because the Kenroku-en garden reveals a different experience each season. Read more
Kyoto National Museum
May 27, 2007
The Kyoto National Museum is located in the breathtaking city of Kyoto, Japan. This museum was first opened in 1897 and houses a large number of early artwork pieces and priceless antiquities. These items come from not only Kyoto but other regions of Asia as well. Everyone visiting Kyoto should visit this museum. It’s certainly affordable — adults can gain entry for only 420 Yen. For students, the price is only 130 Yen. Elementary and middle-school aged children are granted free entry. There are discounts available for large tour groups. Read more
Tokyo National Museum
November 4, 2006
If you’re going to be in Tokyo, then you simply must visit the Tokyo National Museum. During your visit to this amazing facility, you’ll be able to see a wide range of amazing and priceless pieces found nowhere else in the world. Read more
Mount Fuji
November 3, 2006
Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain at an elevation of 3776 meters and lies slightly west of Tokyo. People have traveled to this majestic mountain for ages, and it’s easy to see why. This amazing natural wonder has provided inspiration for artists, writers and spiritual seekers from all parts of the world. Mount Fuji is actually a volcano that’s now dormant. The last time it erupted was back in 1708, almost three hundred years ago. There are many different ways for tourists to view the majesty that is Mount Fuji. Read more
Cherry Blossoms in Japan
November 1, 2006
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the official flower of Japan. There are dozens of cherry tree varieties that are found in Japan, including the Yamazakura and Somei Yoshino varieties. Most cherry trees feature blossoms that have five petals. However there area varieties that feature as many as twenty petals.
Read more
Kyoto
July 27, 2006
Heading to Kyoto? If so, it helps to educate yourself on all the ins and outs of this breathtaking and historic Japanese city. Kyoto served as Japan’s capital for the lengthy period of 794 to 1868. At this point in time, Kyoto is Japan’s seventh largest city. There are approximately one million residents living in Kyoto today. Read more

