The Great Buddha
Review by J.F. As I have lived in Japan for four years, I have never been to the Great Buddha until today. I was surprised at how fast we could travel to the Great Buddha. It only took 25 minutes driving. If you take the train then it would take three stops.Even though we had to walk a little bit from the train station to the Great Buddha, it was kind of worth it. By taking the train we covered 18.1km. If we took the car then it would be more because we would have to stop at the toll gates and at the stop lights. It would take even longer if you went on golden week because there would be so much traffic. The reason I chose the Great Buddha was i have never been there before. It seemed like an interesting place to visit and I wouldn’t have to travelfar. It was a very good trip because I learned some interesting facts about the Great Buddha. Most of the facts were inside the Buddha so you’d have to pay a small fee to get in and see them. I asked my mom why people were throwing money in a crate and she said they throw money in the crate so they can make a wish.There was also a incense where people can fan the smell on them for good luck. When we got to the entrance to the buddha, there was a rectangular bowl where you can wash your hand with water before entering. I would suggest bringing a camera so you can take pictures. There are some interesting monuments that you would want to take pictures of.You should bring Yen just in case you want to buy something as a souvenir. I took the yokosuka JR to the Kamakura JR to get to Kamakura. I would suggest going to the Great Buddha in the winter because there wouldn’t be that much\ foreign tourists but that’s my opinion. On our way to the Buddha, We saw kamakura and Zushi Beach and also the burger restaurant Kua’aina. Before you visit the Great Buddha, you learn a couple Japanese phrase like “Ikura desku?” which means “how much does it cost” or “Eki wa dochi desuka?” which means “Which way is the train station.” I might want to go back to the Great Buddha so I could learn more facts about it but if we do this essay again, I would pick a different place just as interesting. |
Tokyo Sky-High Adventure
Review by E.N. Tokyo is amazing from the ground. Just imagine how Tokyo looks at night, 450 meters in the air! Skytree Tower is the perfect place to go to experience that. Although some people are afraid of heights, right next to the tower is an aquarium. There are seals, penguins, sharks, jellyfish, and much more. I personally liked the tower more, but only because I love heights. For families with young children I think the aquarium will be better. In the actual tower, there’s a cafe, gallery, and a gift shop on the 350th floor. There is also a mall right next to it that actually connects to the tower. You can go shopping, eat,and some restaurants are 40 floors high, so if you’re scared of 350 meters you can enjoy just 40 meter experience. I chose to travel here because ever since I came to Japan my grandparents promised to take me. Every time I passed by Skytree, I couldn’t help but wish I was at the top of the tallest tower in the world. Skytree was originally planned to be 610 meters but however ended up being 634 meters. Even though their construction plan changed, their goal always was to make it the tallest tower in the world. They accomplished their goal on November 17, 2011 from Guiness World Records. Skytree is 634 meters and that number has a meaning. In old Japanese writing, the numbers sound like mu-ka-shi. This reminds the Japanese of Mukashi Province which used to cover most of Tokyo. The area where Skytree stands belonged to Mukashi and the makers of the tower wanted everyone to remember that. The first thing you will see when you get to the parking lot is the tower, obviously, but you might smell old Japanese food for example, yakiniku or takoyaki. The tickets are 2000 yen for adults and 1540 yen for juniors. Once you buy the ticket, if you have to wait more than 55 minutes until your turn, I suggest you go to the aquarium while you wait. It isn’t a huge aquarium, so the most time it will take you to get around and see all the creatures is 50 minutes. If you really want to see everything and eat there I suggest you get there by two in the afternoon. You can eat lunch there, go visit the mall, buy tickets, and by this time it probably be around 4:30-5:00. Now, you may have time to do anything and as I said, go to the aquarium. Tokyo does look prettier at night, so try to get your tickets late. Although most Japanese people speak a little bit of English, you should meet the, half way and learn some important, but simple Japanese phrases. For example, “ Sumimasen kippu uriba wa dokodesuka” which means excuse me, where is the ticket booth. Also “ Skytsuree sen dokodesuka” which means where is the Skytree line, in case you’re going on train. Lastly, “ kore wa ikuradesuka” and that means how much is this. Those are probably the most important and basic phrases you should know, but of course there are a few more simple words/phrases like excuse me, hello, or goodbye. Don’t stress too much about this because you can always use a translator of some sort. I loved this one of a kind experience and would go there again any day. I recommend anyone reading this to go. I promise you, you’ll have a blast no matter who you go with! |
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Tokyo Tower
Review by J.J.
Welcome to Japan. I would like to recommend that you visit the Tokyo Towers during your stay here. It’s amazing, scary, nauseating, and weird, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun. The tower was built as a symbol of Japan’s economic global rebirth in 1958. It was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris and serves as a television and radio antenna broadcast antenna as well as a tourist attraction. There are two observatories: The Main Observatory and Special Observatory. The Main Observatory was my favorite, it contained a glass window on the floor in which you could look down and it was a bit scary because you might think the glass would break. It is about 150 meters or 500 feet from the ground. From there you can see many other landmarks in the city of Tokyo like Rainbow Bridge, The Diet Building, The Imperial Palace, and on a clear day you can also see Mount Fuji. The Special Observatory is about 250 meters or 820 feet above ground. The difference between the two is that from the Special Observatory, you can only really look out towards the city instead of looking down. The cost is around 1600 Yen for both observatories or only 900 yen for the Main observatory. The tower has a mystery of its own; there was a baseball found at or near the very top of the tower, no one seems to know how it got there. The ground floor of the tower had a wax museum and restaurants. You might wonder why I chose Tokyo Towers. Why not Disneyland or Disneysea? I wanted to learn more about how and why the structure was built and how Japanese build their buildings - as every culture have their unique way of doing things. You can also get a bird’s eye view of an entire city. Besides, if you would go to Disneyland or Disneysea, you would spend hours waiting in line to ride a ride that last maybe a minute or two.
A few things I learned before I went to the tower were a couple of Japanese words that everyone should know. Konichiwa which means Hello, Arigatou – Thank You, and Sumimasen which means Excuse Me.
Another question you might ask is how do I get there? The closest subway stations to Tokyo Tower are Onarimon Station on the Mita Subway Line and Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Subway Line. My family and I decided to drive. We left Negishi Naval housing on a cold February morning and took the Shuto Express Way to Tokyo - about a 45 minute drive. There wasn’t too much to see going there, but I did get to see a pretty cool Coast Guard base and some awesome buildings. The expressway was like a maze, my dad was so glad he had the GPS on my phone. We were not sure exactly if parking was going to be a problem so we decided to park at the New Sanno Hotel and take a Taxi to the tower. The Taxi was about 1300 Yen. When I got there, the tower was much bigger than I expected. The first thing that caught my eye was a lady performing outside the tower with her monkey. We watched the show for about 15 minutes before getting our ticket to enter the tower.
After we left the tower, we went back to the New Sanno Hotel and had lunch. I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak, my dad had a sandwich and my mom ordered Buffalo wings. I was exhausted and didn’t remember much from the ride home. I can tell you this, I wanted a place that I would remember for a long time and I choose correctly. I would love to go back for a second time at night to see Rainbow Bridge lit up as well as Tokyo at night. I highly recommend you got there. I bet you have a BLAST!!
Review by J.J.
Welcome to Japan. I would like to recommend that you visit the Tokyo Towers during your stay here. It’s amazing, scary, nauseating, and weird, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun. The tower was built as a symbol of Japan’s economic global rebirth in 1958. It was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris and serves as a television and radio antenna broadcast antenna as well as a tourist attraction. There are two observatories: The Main Observatory and Special Observatory. The Main Observatory was my favorite, it contained a glass window on the floor in which you could look down and it was a bit scary because you might think the glass would break. It is about 150 meters or 500 feet from the ground. From there you can see many other landmarks in the city of Tokyo like Rainbow Bridge, The Diet Building, The Imperial Palace, and on a clear day you can also see Mount Fuji. The Special Observatory is about 250 meters or 820 feet above ground. The difference between the two is that from the Special Observatory, you can only really look out towards the city instead of looking down. The cost is around 1600 Yen for both observatories or only 900 yen for the Main observatory. The tower has a mystery of its own; there was a baseball found at or near the very top of the tower, no one seems to know how it got there. The ground floor of the tower had a wax museum and restaurants. You might wonder why I chose Tokyo Towers. Why not Disneyland or Disneysea? I wanted to learn more about how and why the structure was built and how Japanese build their buildings - as every culture have their unique way of doing things. You can also get a bird’s eye view of an entire city. Besides, if you would go to Disneyland or Disneysea, you would spend hours waiting in line to ride a ride that last maybe a minute or two.
A few things I learned before I went to the tower were a couple of Japanese words that everyone should know. Konichiwa which means Hello, Arigatou – Thank You, and Sumimasen which means Excuse Me.
Another question you might ask is how do I get there? The closest subway stations to Tokyo Tower are Onarimon Station on the Mita Subway Line and Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Subway Line. My family and I decided to drive. We left Negishi Naval housing on a cold February morning and took the Shuto Express Way to Tokyo - about a 45 minute drive. There wasn’t too much to see going there, but I did get to see a pretty cool Coast Guard base and some awesome buildings. The expressway was like a maze, my dad was so glad he had the GPS on my phone. We were not sure exactly if parking was going to be a problem so we decided to park at the New Sanno Hotel and take a Taxi to the tower. The Taxi was about 1300 Yen. When I got there, the tower was much bigger than I expected. The first thing that caught my eye was a lady performing outside the tower with her monkey. We watched the show for about 15 minutes before getting our ticket to enter the tower.
After we left the tower, we went back to the New Sanno Hotel and had lunch. I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak, my dad had a sandwich and my mom ordered Buffalo wings. I was exhausted and didn’t remember much from the ride home. I can tell you this, I wanted a place that I would remember for a long time and I choose correctly. I would love to go back for a second time at night to see Rainbow Bridge lit up as well as Tokyo at night. I highly recommend you got there. I bet you have a BLAST!!
![Picture](/uploads/5/0/7/1/50717593/476568.png?438)
Greatest
Tokyo
Review by T.O.
Have you ever visited the best prefecture in the country? For me Tokyo is the best prefecture. If you never have visited Tokyo, you should. There is so many places to visit. There is shops, sightseeing places like Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree.
I chose this spot because there is a lot of things to do. You can go to a carnival, museum, parks, restaurants and way more sightseeing places. Its interesting because there’s a lot of statues and historic things that other prefectures do not have. One of the historic sites are Imperial Palace. It has the place where they can discuss their issues.
Yes finally somewhere fun to visit. I already love Yokosuka and I am visiting somewhere even better where there is more places to visit somewhere new. My family are driving. I just can’t wait until I get to Tokyo. It’s costing us so many just to cross over a bridge or to get on a highway. Its going to be a long day to get to Tokyo, just around two hours to get there but it is worth the time. While we were driving there we saw merrygoround, Tokyo Tower, and the Sky Tree. After seeing all the cool sights, it was boring and nothing really exciting places to see. We saw horrible pollution going up and some factories ruining the environment .
After some time pass, we are finally off the highway and the first thing that we did was to eat at a tonkatsu restaurant because we were very famished. As soon as I open the door, the smell got through my nose and I can taste it. If you don’t know me very well, I love tonkatsu. If I smell some of the smell tonkatsu I will want to eat it, even if I am full. t But if you don’t know any japanese and you want to use it at a restaurant, then here’s some you can use. The waitress might ask how many people, to answer that question you have to say she toli des which means only one person. Or if your with your family then you might say (how many people you have) nin des. Also if you're thankful and want to say it to them it was quality food, say honto ni oishikata des aligatogozaimas. Then if you're finished you can say owaly des which means we are finished.
The whole trip was worth it. I had a great time visiting my family, looking at all the amazing places like the Tokyo Tower and the Sky Tree. If I were to go again, I would definitely go.
Review by T.O.
Have you ever visited the best prefecture in the country? For me Tokyo is the best prefecture. If you never have visited Tokyo, you should. There is so many places to visit. There is shops, sightseeing places like Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree.
I chose this spot because there is a lot of things to do. You can go to a carnival, museum, parks, restaurants and way more sightseeing places. Its interesting because there’s a lot of statues and historic things that other prefectures do not have. One of the historic sites are Imperial Palace. It has the place where they can discuss their issues.
Yes finally somewhere fun to visit. I already love Yokosuka and I am visiting somewhere even better where there is more places to visit somewhere new. My family are driving. I just can’t wait until I get to Tokyo. It’s costing us so many just to cross over a bridge or to get on a highway. Its going to be a long day to get to Tokyo, just around two hours to get there but it is worth the time. While we were driving there we saw merrygoround, Tokyo Tower, and the Sky Tree. After seeing all the cool sights, it was boring and nothing really exciting places to see. We saw horrible pollution going up and some factories ruining the environment .
After some time pass, we are finally off the highway and the first thing that we did was to eat at a tonkatsu restaurant because we were very famished. As soon as I open the door, the smell got through my nose and I can taste it. If you don’t know me very well, I love tonkatsu. If I smell some of the smell tonkatsu I will want to eat it, even if I am full. t But if you don’t know any japanese and you want to use it at a restaurant, then here’s some you can use. The waitress might ask how many people, to answer that question you have to say she toli des which means only one person. Or if your with your family then you might say (how many people you have) nin des. Also if you're thankful and want to say it to them it was quality food, say honto ni oishikata des aligatogozaimas. Then if you're finished you can say owaly des which means we are finished.
The whole trip was worth it. I had a great time visiting my family, looking at all the amazing places like the Tokyo Tower and the Sky Tree. If I were to go again, I would definitely go.
Kamakura
Review by J.R. Kamakura has many of shrines and shops. There are tons of people everywhere you look. There are lots of snacks that should be eaten. Lots of beautiful merchandises to spend money on and something everyone should see is the Buddha. Kamakura is a great place to spend time with your family while trying to visit all the shrines and shops they have opened for everyone. On your way to a shrine there might be some little tents that have people cooking or making snacks which are really good to try if you get hungry along the way. Something you should know before entering a shrine, you need to wash your hands at the well before entering to respect their culture. If you are on your way to see the Buddha you should know you will need money for entrance. The Buddha is a really huge statue, the color is a pastel jade color. If you see anyone with fruit baskets or any kind of gift it is a present for the Buddha for respect, you could do this also if you wanted. If you do, then just place it where the other people with gifts place it. For me, I went to Kamakura at February 17, 2015, I took the Yokosuka JR train station. It is 15.5 km from train and it takes 20 minutes to get there from the JR station to the Hase train station/Kamakura. When the first train stops, you will need to change to the Kamakura train, and you will soon stop at Kamakura. I recommend that you should be polite to the people, don’t throw trash on the road or the walkways. When entering a shrine you should be quiet and turn off your phone if needed. Note, that when climbing the stairs it will make your feet ache. In the shrine, you might smell the scent of burning candles. When you see people praying, you might see a giant statue. How the Japanese pray is by clapping their hands twice, bow their heads, and then pray. I think their way of praying is a nice traditional way to pray. If you are willing to talk to the japanese in their language here are some words you will need to know. Konichiwa (co-ne-chi-wa) stands for hello or good afternoon. Ohayo (oh-hi-yo) stands for good morning. Doko (doe-ko) stand for “where?” Sumimasen (sew-we-ma-sen) stands for excuse me. Domo (doe-mo) or arigato (are-ga-toe) stands for thank you. Ikura (e-ku-ra) for “how much?” If you want to know how to speak japanese fluently try taking japanese class or learn at Kumon. It was a memorable and wonderful experience to spend a day in Kamakura. It is a unique and great place that offered many attractions to visitors. Beautiful sceneries, delicious foods, and impressive architectural designs of the shrines. |
![Picture](/uploads/5/0/7/1/50717593/1655674_orig.png)
The Great
Buddha
Review by M.S.
For the Best of Yokosuka I needed to pick a place in Japan to visit. The site I choose was The Great Buddha. I first felt cold air brush against my face as my family and I got out of the car. I saw many cars driving past us as we began to walk toward The Great Buddha. When we all got there my dad decided that we should go in the gift shop and look around while my mom paid our admission. After, we went to The Great Buddha and took pictures. While my family was exploring around the Buddhac my mom found out people were able to go into The Great Buddha. Inside it was dark and cold, there were also plaques with facts on them. Once we exited,my family and and I went to explore the garden behind The Great Buddha. When we came back I saw gigantic feet made for The Great Buddha. Then my family and I went to nearby stores. After that, we decided to drive back to Ikego.
The reason I wanted to see The Great Buddha was I believed it would be a fun, religious, and interesting experience.Before my trip I hoped to see and learn many different artefacts. Going to see The Great Buddha was a wonderful choice. One awesome event that happened was that i bought a ninja star from The Great Buddha’s gift shop.
From my house The Great Buddha was 18.2km away. If you live in Ikego here are some train directions. First go to JIMMUJI Station and buy a ¥130 ticket to SHIN ZUSHI Station. Then walk a few minutes to JR Zushi Station and buy a ¥ 150 ticket to Kamakura. Then walk to The Great Buddha.
Some tips before you go to The Great Buddha is go when it is warm. The area is much more beautiful and enjoyable. Also know how to ask “where is the toilet”. It is pronounced doko ni toire go aru, and is spelled どこにトイレがあります. It is never fun holding in a restroom need. Next know how to say “thank you” is it pronounced arigato, and spelled ありがとう. “Excuse me” is also important to know. Excuse me is pronounce sumimasen, and is spelled すみません. “How old is this” would be nice to ask too. How old is this is pronounced Kore wa dono yō ni furui desu, and it is spelled これはどのように古いです.
When I went to go see The Great Buddha I didn’t expect it to be so tall. The Great Buddha was very tall along with the sandles near it. Around The Great Buddha was gorgeous. Going to see this place was an amazing choice. I would love to go there again.
Review by M.S.
For the Best of Yokosuka I needed to pick a place in Japan to visit. The site I choose was The Great Buddha. I first felt cold air brush against my face as my family and I got out of the car. I saw many cars driving past us as we began to walk toward The Great Buddha. When we all got there my dad decided that we should go in the gift shop and look around while my mom paid our admission. After, we went to The Great Buddha and took pictures. While my family was exploring around the Buddhac my mom found out people were able to go into The Great Buddha. Inside it was dark and cold, there were also plaques with facts on them. Once we exited,my family and and I went to explore the garden behind The Great Buddha. When we came back I saw gigantic feet made for The Great Buddha. Then my family and I went to nearby stores. After that, we decided to drive back to Ikego.
The reason I wanted to see The Great Buddha was I believed it would be a fun, religious, and interesting experience.Before my trip I hoped to see and learn many different artefacts. Going to see The Great Buddha was a wonderful choice. One awesome event that happened was that i bought a ninja star from The Great Buddha’s gift shop.
From my house The Great Buddha was 18.2km away. If you live in Ikego here are some train directions. First go to JIMMUJI Station and buy a ¥130 ticket to SHIN ZUSHI Station. Then walk a few minutes to JR Zushi Station and buy a ¥ 150 ticket to Kamakura. Then walk to The Great Buddha.
Some tips before you go to The Great Buddha is go when it is warm. The area is much more beautiful and enjoyable. Also know how to ask “where is the toilet”. It is pronounced doko ni toire go aru, and is spelled どこにトイレがあります. It is never fun holding in a restroom need. Next know how to say “thank you” is it pronounced arigato, and spelled ありがとう. “Excuse me” is also important to know. Excuse me is pronounce sumimasen, and is spelled すみません. “How old is this” would be nice to ask too. How old is this is pronounced Kore wa dono yō ni furui desu, and it is spelled これはどのように古いです.
When I went to go see The Great Buddha I didn’t expect it to be so tall. The Great Buddha was very tall along with the sandles near it. Around The Great Buddha was gorgeous. Going to see this place was an amazing choice. I would love to go there again.