Osaka Subway Guide

JAPANESE TOILETTE STORY

Today is more about Japanese toilette .  This is something
really interesting .

Where I call HEAD of the toilette..that has the name
"KINKAKUSHI"
Way back around 100 years ago. when most of Japanese
wore KIMONO. I hope everybody knows what KIMONO is.
It is a long dresslike traditional wearing for women..

When women use the toilette ..the dress was so long and
it was hard to hold while they use the toilette because..
they had to sqwat...so they needed a place to hold there
kimono for them.
Otherwise you can imagine what happens to their KIMONO.

So where I call head "KINKAKUSI" was the place to hold KIMONO
 while they are using.
But it looked  very different comparing from now.
Now it is designed small and low.. which no one can imagine
what is that for.  
But before it was at the higher position and
looked more like a hanger.
So if you wear  KIMONO and go to that right designed Japanese style
toilette. everybody will feel that   OH MY !! KINKAKUSHI is
such an usable object!!
and people will use it in a rightway without any explainings.

The year 2010..90percent of Japanese people is not wearing
KIMONO and so we don't need KINKAKUSI anymore ..but
as the design for Japanese style
We need to leave it like that to remind not to forget how our
customs were.

By the way ..about the right position to head for Japanese style toilette..
  I hope you noticed by the explainings above.
Way back a long time ago...the right position was totally opposite from now.

Now you see KINKAKUSI infront of you while you're using
That is going to be the right position .....BUT
longtime ago..KINKAKUSI had to come behind you
because you had to hang up back of your KIMONO while using the toilette

Things change a lot ...........isn't this interesting?

How to Use Toillete

A Happy New Year from Tokyo Subway Guide!
I hope everybody is having nice new year days!!


Today I am going to write about How to use toilette.
It's sooo bad  of me to choose this toilette stuff from top of
the year...but..this is really important and I know everybody
need to use toilette..and  I am sorry that
I dropped off this important information
to put up on this page last year.
I want to apologize for one thing ...that is
Because...maybe some of users had checked this page around
on the christmas time ..I think that there was  unreadable
Japanese messages on the page.  I AM SO SORRY for that.......!!!
There was some reasons why I had to put up that on this page.
but it's going to be my excuse so...but ..that was something about
subway and PYRAMID mystery which I always have in mind from
the time I was a kid ...which I wanted to put up  in ENGLISH ...
and so  I will ....someday.

SO! now I start!

HOW TO USE TOILETTE
There is 2 styles of toilette in Japan.  One is western style and
the other is JAPANESE STYLE.

HOW TO USE JAPANESE TOILETTE

Maybe already some of you had heard about Japanese toilette ..
It's something un-understandable thing....

First you have to cross over your foot on the otherside and
you sqwat down without holding anywhere and use it.
You'll see that you will find out that you never saw
these kind of looking. toilette  ..which you have to use your brain
and find your way out if you don't have the right information
about how to use ....otherwise most of the foreigners use it wrong....

You see the  small edge like part .which  I call the head of the toilette.
It looks like a place to sit BUT it's not a place to sit..
My friend from London..asked me why Japanese people sit on
so low place? 　 she was sitting on that...NO  it is filthy ...insanitary..
DON'T SIT ..THERE IS NO PLACE TO SIT IN JAPANESE STYLE..
YOU HAVE TO SQWAT..

RIGHT POSITION

 

You have to sqwat heading this way.　　　

This is going to be the wrong way  which the head

 comes under your butt..and so that when you sqwat

 you have to sit on that insanitary seat ..

 which is not a seat ..like my friend did.  BECAREFUL!!

This is the Icon shown as toilette

TASPO

Hello!　　　from Tokyo Subway Guide!!
Today I write about TASPO card.   When you want to buy
cigarette from the vending machine, you need this card.

This is a card like an ID , but it's just for cigarette machine.

It is government issued card so it's not easy to get. It takes
about a week to get this card. By the  way  I   don't  have it
because we have to write down toublesome papers and send
it and wait.  I don't like troublesome works!!!!

These days it's becoming strict about smoking laws.
Place to smoke , time to smoke . We can't smoke while
walking because there is alot of people around and they might get burnt.

It means because Tokyo is the place where is really crowded and
most of us is talking on the cellphone or checking
our emails  while walking and not concentrating on other people.

Plus smoking !  Yeah ....there was lots of troubles because they
are not caring peole around .. they hold the cigarette in one hand
with the light on and starts to talk with gestures on cellphone
 and bump into others.
 The bad one was the cigarette light went into the kid's eye
while the kid was waiting for the traffic light to change
and the guy
standing infront of him  .....did it ..  ofcourse not on purpose.
So..accidents happens like this and the law becomes more strict.

TASPO.... this is ID card just for vending machines
In Japan there is so many vending machines around.
Cigarette and alcohols is something that you need to be checked
before you buy.  But in Japan ...I know it's very safe country
that is why they didn't care about til now... but maybe
people from other countries can't believe that we sell those cigarettes
and alcohol with the vending machines.
Whoever ..even kids can buy those stuffs
easily !!!

But now we need government issued TASPO to buy cigarette
from vending machine.  so kids can't have this ID that means
they can't buy easily.   BUT BUT !  All the people needs it with
troublesome paper works..
ALL THE PEOPLE MEANS  .....YOU  TOO.........

If you don't have TASPO no one can buy from vending machine.....
Just get a friend who has TASPO .....

       OR!!!!!
Kiosk or convenience store or any shop where HUMAN BEING is
at the register .. !!  Just find where HUMAN
BEING sells .  And ofcoursely you should be over 20 years old.!!!!

 You don't need TASPO ..because they can check with their eyes.....haha hhmmmm..

AND A WARNING!!!  DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU CAN NOT SMOKE
WHILE YOU ARE WALKING  !!! There is security guards and police
checking around at those crowded places and if you're found smoking
they give you a ticket to pay for that . It costs like 5000yen .
Expensive cigarette... you can only smoke at the right place.

（posed by misayo）

PASMO and SUICA 2

Hello! Today 　I want to write about
What is convenient and interesting about PASMO and SUICA.
It is not just a metro card for buying tickets for the train.

As I mentioned ...you can remind how Japanese people are...
Japanese is someone who thinks a lot...........BRAIN.
It is great when they can stop at the right point..but sometimes..
(???? mostly??!!)  they go too far..
     I AM JAPANESE and German mix.. I know how I am.. EEEEeeeeeK!!!

For this card ..you can find a touch panels everywhere. At kiosk,
NewDays(convenient store's name) ,  restaurants, shoeshine shop,
boulangeries, coffee shop, wherever the shop in the station.
Just touch the panel with your card and is paid.

And the interesting thing is soda machines and some of the coinlockers.

Even for these automatic machines you can use this card.

For soda machine. How to use is

first you push the button of the drink you want
and then you touch the panel with your card
and the drink comes out.


AND THE MORE INTERESTING thing about this card which
I say is going too far is..
They sell the cell phone which SUICA or PASMO chip is already
installed.      and is called ..WALLET CELL PHONE.


As you know our cell phone is about your palm size or maybe smaller.
All the cellphone..it's not cell phone anymore. can use as internet pc,
T.V, music player, camera , video, global phone, voice recorder, game ,
books, so on and so on and so on.... and WALLET.

That small colorful compact cellphone which 90% of Japanese owns

looks dainty and cute.   BUT it's not cute at all!!
It's like being our 2nd BODY.

Whenever I leave my cellphone at home I feel like I left part of my body.

So I named my cellphone
"BODY 2"


Oh see,,,,,,,I'm going too far from explaining about SUICA and PASMO!!
 Anyways this is something really interesting to check and try so...
Check it!!!!  hmmmm.

This is Pasmo address.     

       http://www.pasmo.co.jp/en/index.html

（posted by misayo）

This is the Icon shown as kiosk and coinlocker.

 

＜Tokyo Subway Guide＞

PASMO and SUICA.

Hello !  Today I want to explain about PASMO and SUICA.

These cards are the super metro card which you can pay for

many kinds of things like candies, newspaper, juice, tickets, and so on.

Anyways ..I can say that this is something that reminds how Japanese

people are... I think you can find this type of METRO CARD only in Japan.

I recommend you to get one of this card while your stay in Japan.

PASMO and SUICA works the same . Only the difference is...

the name and the design.

This card works as your wallet. Charge your money in and you can pay

from there . Most of the store accepts this card in the station.
What is really great about this card is you don't need to take out your
wallet and count the money each time when you pay.
  You just need to touch the touch panel
 with the card and your pay is done. You just need to check the balance on the
screen and don't forget to charge money if  your money is not going
to be enough for another use.
It is very convenient when you buy the ticket.
I have very bad eye sight and it's hard to find out how much the ticket
is ....the board above where the stations name and the price is on is
written in so small words and I always get the wrong price ticket!
But with this card !!   I just need to charge money and don't need to
find out the right price for the ticket I want.  Just charge enough money
touch the panel and check the balance.  
I think people from other country feels more trouble to find out the price
of the ticket.  so  I recommend you this card.

Where you can get this card is:

You can get this card from the vending machine.
There is a button to display the screen in English .
 The price is from 1000yen-10000yen.    Even if you get 1000yen card
it works the same .   It means how much the money is charged.
So if you get that card once you can use it permanently!!
If you use up the money just charge it again and if you don't want to
keep it zero.

 HOW TO USE this card when you get in to the platform.

At the ticket gate there is the touch panel written IC.
Touch that panel with your metro card.

and the gate will open . whenever you touch the panel the screen will
display your card's balance . so I recommend you to check it.
You have to becareful when you get out . because ..if your money balance
is not enough .. the gate will not open..with the big sound
and the bloody red light on!!  BEEEEEEEE!!!!!

BUT you don't need to get so worried about those situation.. because
I do that a lot of time!!  hahahaha.... not just me  you will  find  out ..
you will hear a lot of BEEEEEE sound in the station. Especially Shibuya!
Yeah so ..how to get out is you can find the charging machine near the
ticket gate so you just need to charge it again.

                 Go find this charging machine when you are stuck at
          the ticket gate with the big sound and the red light ....

http://www.pasmo.co.jp/en/index.html

（posted by  misayo）

Tokyo Subway

Hello! This is support page for Tokyo Subway Guide

Usually support page is for the page to explain how to use the application.

But .....this is for foreigners and I thought it is better to explain

about subway in Tokyo and how to use it.

First of all..subway in Tokyo is so much complicated and it is really

like a maze.   For example, one station has B1-B4 which every floor

has a platform for different subway lines. 

and for a big surprize..lots of the subway stations are connected to the

scyscrapers above the platform.  Most of the scyscrapers has basement

floors and from there is a hallway to the subway ticket gates.

In those buildings are the department stores , companies , hotels , restaurants,

and apartments, and so on.  Roppongi Hills is one of that.

Subways in Tokyo is constructed as the place which can be possible to

live your whole life as a underground people like in the center of the Earth.

Some of my friends are already starting to live like that and they say

that they love that style and feel really convienient.  No coats .No umbrellas.

Hmmm....  I love rains and snowy days... so for me  I don't know if want

to live like them but yeah.. I think it is very interesting thing and good to

experience a bit a part of being underground people.

So I recommend you to choose a hotel in one of the building connected to

the subway station whenever you get chance to visit Tokyo!!

The best thing is that you don't need to worry about the weather while

your stay and is possible to have fun atleast for a week!

Just in the underground cities using subways!!

If you get in the situation like that I hope that you use our application

and you'll get to know how

our application is usable and necessary for your stay!!

The thing is ,the facilities in the underground cities and the department stores

connected to the subway station has so much excitements.

You can find anything you need .   Shopping malls, movie theaters , bowling

centers ,karaoke ,various kinds of restaurants ,  esthes , pools, whatever.

Whatever you can think of to have fun.

What is I'm proud of is the restrooms!!  You'll see .

80% of the restrooms in Tokyo department stores and subway stations has

toilettes which you don't need to touch to flush or wash your hand.

It has a sensor . Automatic restroom!!  and the washlet .

I don't know how many countries know about the washlet toilete.

so.. I put up some photos next time.

I really want to show you some other interesting things too.

Next time I will write about SUICA and PASMO .  It's something like

a metro card but it's a super metro card. with a penguin design on!

and  KIOSK, phone booth ,  coin locker , escalator   'S  HOW TO!!

 DON'T MISS IT !!!!!!


（posted  by  misayo. n ）