Jetstar Japan

Jetstar.jpg by Justin Griffiths

Japan, the land of the rising sun is about to get an orange star. Jetstar has confirmed plans to set up a low-cost operation in Japan. Asia is now the fastest growing aviation market in the world and Jetstar wants to establish a leading position in the market.

The new venture is to be called Jetstar Japan, and is a partnership between Qantas Airways (Jetstar’s parent company), JAL (Japan Airlines) and Mitsubishi Corporation. It is due to commence towards the end of 2012 with the new airline to fly from Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka (Kansai) to Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa.

Shopping in Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the best places in the world to go shopping. Tokyo offers everything for the keen shopper ranging from flea markets to high-end department stores. Most of the shopping hotspots in Tokyo are accessible via the Japan Rail (JR) Yamanote Line with a one-day JR train pass for 730 yen (about $9).

The following are the best spots in Tokyo for shopping.

Shinjuku – around Shinjuku station are lots of major discount camera stores and music shops. Shinjuku also has most of the major big department stores on Shinjuku Dori (avenue). One of the best is Takashimaya department store and food hall. Tokyu Hands is an eight level craft store and Uniqlo is a great store for really cheap, high quality, basic clothing.

Harajuku - home to Japanese street fashion. Harajuku Station and Takeshita Dori have many shops that cater to teen fashion and Japanese street fashion. For cheap knick-knacks, souvenirs and bargain gifts check out Daiso in Harajuku, which is one of the famous 100 Yen Shops where nothing costs more than 100 yen ($1.25) plus 5 yen tax. The Daiso in Harajuku is one of the biggest and best in Japan.

Shibuya - has a little bit of everything. Tokyu Hands is a must visit as it is the complete do-it-yourself department store as well as Parco and Shibuya 109 the 10 level fashion emporium.

Akihabara – known as electric city this is where dozens of stores sell everything electronic. You will find dozens of mainly duty free stores selling computers, cameras and TVs. The Yodobashi Akiba megastore houses nine floors of electronics.

Ginza – home to exclusive department stores, galleries and coffee shops. This is where some of the best high-end shopping can be done or like me some great window shopping. At the Ginza intersection is Wako, Japan’s most exclusive department store, and Mitsukoshi, known as the Harrods of Tokyo.

Song of the Week Run For You by KAT-TUN

This week’s number one single on the Japanese Jpop Oricon charts is Run For You by KAT-TUN.

KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates (Johnny's) in 2001. The group's name is an acronym that was exclusively based on the first letter of each member's family name.

KAT-TUN debured in March 22, 2006 and since their debut, all of their single, album and music DVD releases have debuted at number one on the Oricon music and DVD charts.

Jyagariko Cheese

Jyagariko (じゃがりこ) is a seasoned potato stick made from non-fried potatoes made by the Japanese snack company Calbee. My first experience with Jyagariko was the original salad flavour many years ago. This was followed by the equally famous Jyagariko cheese made from potatoes and cheese, which I will talk about in this post.

Jyagariko cheese is one of the most popular Jyagariko flavours and is really crunchy and crispy. I enjoy these because of the great cheese flavour which comes from the real cheese bits embedded in each stick. The cheese bits really enhance the overall cheese flavour and experience even more and make this more than the average potato chip. These are really delicious and addictive and are a must try snack from Japan.

Skiing in Hokkaido Japan

Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido offers some of the country’s best snow and has been unaffected by the recent earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan.

Hokkaido’s winter season is November to early April with some ski resorts still having snow until early May. Sapporo is the cosmopolitan main city on Hokkaido, but does not get a lot of snow until early December. The best places are ski resorts like Niseko, Furano, Rusutsu and Kiroro.

Nissan Leaf

Have you heard about the Nissan Leaf? The Nissan Leaf is Nissan’s electric car and was unveiled on August 2, 2009. The Leaf went on sale in Japan and the US in late 2010 and will make its debut across global markets from 2012. The great thing about the Leaf is it does not emit any CO2 when driven and doesn’t even have a tail pipe.

The Leaf also comes in handy in other areas. The electric car can also feed power from its battery back into a family home and run appliances for up to 2 days. Using the “Leaf to Home” system, the lithium-ion batteries of the car’s zero exhaust emission can be used as an emergency power backup. Great for any emergencies that pop up and that sudden loss of power. The system works by linking the car to the house’s electricity distribution panel. Power can also be fed the other way if the house generates its own electricity with rooftop solar. The Leaf batteries have a capacity of 24 kilowatt hours when fully charged, enough for two days for the average household.

Amazing stuff and Only in Japan

Read more about the Nissan Leaf at the Nissan Website

Find Out How To Import Cars From Japan and Save $$$$$$$!

Song of the Week Pareo wa Emerald by SKE48

This week’s number one single on the Japanese Jpop Oricon charts is Pareo wa Emerald by SKE48. SKE48 are an all-female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. They debuted in October 2008 and perform in the newly built studio at Sunshine Sakae in Nagoya every Saturday.


SKE48 Official Website

Watch the video for the single Pareo wa Emerald by SKE48