If you plan on staying in Japan for any length of time, you will more than likely find one day that you need to send money from Japan to another country.
In recent years the banks here in Japan seem to have become more strict about helping you to send money. Even when you can send money, they will charge you an arm and a leg to do it.
If you didn't realize it the most efficient and cheap method to send money is through the Japan post office.
Some of you may have other suggestions, however many of them pose their own difficulties. I will go through several of the methods for a bit more explanation.
Bank Method
If you really want to get ripped off, then you can go to a bank to help you transfer money. Some of them will require that you have an account there in order for them to assist you.
What you need to do is go and ask for a denshin soukin fo-mu 電信送金 (wire transfer form). As always you'll be presented with a form completely in Japanese. Don't panic now ya here. Most of these forms are pretty standard. I suggest that you at least practice some of the kanji you might need to read the common items such as address (住所) or phone number denwa bango (電話番号). Bank Account Number (銀行口座). Try to take a notepad with you with some words like this related to what a normal bank might ask so you'll know. Some banks will have English speaking tellers who can help a bit, most won't.
At any rate, you'll need to bring a 運転免許 (unten menkyo-syo), 外国人登録証 (gaikoku-jin touroku-syo), or パスポート (passport), since they are very keen on knowing why, when and where people send money these days. (oh I long for the days before 911). Once you fill out this form, then they will ask you if you want to send it from your account or pay it in cash.
The good thing about sending money this way is that it's fastER than the other ways. 2 days. Yes that's turtle speed for the world, but super fast in Japan :)
Another way to send money (and better in my opinion) is via the local 郵便局 (yuubinkyoku or Post Office). The price is reasonable, and although the time is a little longer it will get the job done.
You will want to ask for 国際為替 (kokusai kawase) or 国際郵便為替 (kokusai yubin kawase), which is international money order or international postal money order respectively. They will give you a form which is 1 page carbon. It has 2 large sections, and a small section at the bottom.
The 1st sections can be filled in using English for sender and recipient. The last section you will need to write a reason for sending the money, and also your Address on the bottom right side in Japanese. I recommend you know or practice how to write your address in Japanese. You will do this frequently. Also look up your reason in a Japanese online dictionary and write down the Kanji for it so you can write that on the form too. If it's ambiguous or not in Japanese, they will make you redo it.
Side Note: The best online Japanese dictionary that I've found is ALC.
If you can't remember, just bring your 運転免許 (unten menkyo-syo), 外国人登録証 (gaikoku-jin touroku-syo), or パスポート (passport). You'll need to bring one of those anyway in order to show proof of identify before sending any money. Once you have the Money Order, just fill in the payee and sender info, detach the stub, and send the main portion in an envelope to me for all of my hard work :) hehe.
That's about all I can think of for now. There's many ways to skin a cat. If you are having trouble or have questions, just ask me I can help!
Showing posts with label howto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label howto. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Mexican Food?!
Me being a Texan living in Japan has a few small disadvantages. For one, don't come to Japan expecting to find a Taco Bell, or any other Mexican food restaurant. Oh, they have a couple of Mexican restaurants here, but it's NOT Mexican food.
As a result of sometimes DIRE CRAVINGS, I've learned how to cook really authentic Mexican food. Some of which you might call 'Tex-Mex'. Here is one of my favorites -- FAJITAS!!
I've introduced my Japanese friends to Mexican foods on several occasions. They seem to really love it, and some have asked to come back over so I can cook it for them again, only they want to bring their friends haha. Maybe I should have started a restaurant.
If you come to Japan, expect to find some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world. In fact, Japan has over 180 of the worlds top rated food establishments. That is almost twice what France has (91). Just don't expect to find good Mexican food.
Also, you had better bring a cookbook of your favorite foods, just in case you get desperate enough to learn how to cook for your cravings!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Trains
If you ever come to Tokyo you'll pretty much have to use the trains at some point or another. In fact, you'll probably want to stick to the trains for all of your transportation unless you have a friend with a car.
From the airport you can catch the Narita Express, now called the NEX. It's been upgraded to be faster and have wireless internet connectivity.
The best thing to do if you don't live here, is to get a foreigner short term travel pass. In Japanese this is called .... You may be able to get this when you book your travel, so check with your travel agent. If you are traveling without a travel agent or you didn't get one of those, don't worry you'll have the chance to get one later.
You can goto any JR (Japan Railway) office in any of the stations to purchase tickets such as these. Here is what you want to say:
First, ask if they speak English or if English is ok. Some people in Japan can speak pretty good English, and almost everyone understands English to some level, however, I've found Japanese people to be extremely shy about speaking English. Sometimes, even if they know it they won't use it to speak with you.
If they don't speak English, then here is the Japanese to order a few things:
I would like to buy a JR Train pass.
Japanese: watashi wa JR gaigoku-jin no tay-key wo kaitai desu.
Listen for:
dono gurai or ikutsu type keywords. They are asking how any days you want the pass to be. Generally, you can get a pass or 7 day periods. Figure on about 28,000 yen per week ($280 USD) per person.
Then tell them:
ii-syukan de kudasai = 1 week
nii-syukan de kudasai = 2 weeks
san-syukan de kudasai = 3 weeks
yon-syukan de kudasai = 4 weeks
Listen for:
nan nean or nan mei keywords. They are asking how many people.
Then tell them:
hi-tot-su de = 1 ticket
fu-tat-su de = 2 ticket
mit-su de de = 3 tickets
yot-su de de = 4 tickets
Listen for a confirmation. Generally the JR workers always repeat everything back to you to make sure they got it right.
Then tell them 'Hi'. Hi (hai) in Japanese means yes. Or onegai-shimas (please).
Listen for the price:
ii = 1
ni = 2
san = 3
yon = 4
go = 5
ryoku = 6
nana = 7
hachi = 8
kyuu = 9
jyuu = 10
hyaku = 100
sen = 1,000
mon = 10,000 <--- about $100 USD
An example might be:
San mon hachi sen go hyaku en = 38,500
If they speak too fast, you can say:
English: Please speak more slowly.
Japanese: motto yukuri de onegai shimasu.
English: Can you say that again please.
Japanese: mo ichi-do onegai shimasu.
Don't sweat it if you don't get things right the first time. The brilliant part is that if you are willing to show an effort in Japan, the Japanese people can understand your effort and also will then be willing to extend the same effort to help you. Saving 'face' is important here as we'll discuss later, but this is one such example.
Once you get your Pass, this will allow you to travel on almost all the trains, subways, and buses. There are a few exceptions, like overnight trains, special rapid trains on the Shinkansen (bullet trains) and the like.
It should be noted, that you don't HAVE to buy one of these train passes. You can purchase traditional looking tickets for all the trains just outside of every ticket gate. Generally there is a large sign with all of the stops for a particular train, along with the price listed below each of the stops. Unfortunately, most of those are listed in Japanese.
There are a few things you can do tho. Buy the cheapest ticket listed. This will let you ride to any of the stops. Once you get to the stop, and just before you exit the station gate, there will be a smaller kiosk or ticket machine, usually just 1 or 2 of them together, that will allow you to adjust your ticket. You simply insert your ticket, and it will show you the remaining balance that you owe. Just make sure you have some Japanese Yen with you if you chose this method.
Another thing you can do is stop in the JR office at the station, and get a SUICA or PASMO card. This is just an IC card that you pre-charge. You can use it at each of the ticket gates by holding it over the sensor until it beeps green. Just watch the people in front of you, you'll understand. To re-charge these cards, you can goto the ticket machines outside the entry gates and look for the machines that are marked with SUICA or PASMO logos. Some machines aren't so be careful. Just put your card in the slot, you'll be presented with several yen values such as 1,000 2,000, 5,000 etc. Push the one you want, and insert your money. Sometimes you'll get a final confirmation. This is basically asking you if you want a receipt.
Outside of actual ticketing, there are some caveats about the trains that you should be aware of.
Some train lines share their lines with other trains. Saikyo/Rinkai line for example. Be especially careful on these types of lines, as the train sign may say that the next train is leaving in 3 mins, and the train pulls in, you get on and it takes off. Only later you realize that this was not the train that was leaving in 3 mins. It was another train. Trains are normally VERY punctual. If needed, wait til the last bell before getting on the train and the time that it is departing is at that time.
There are several types of trains you can use:
Local - (ro-ka-ru) These trains stop at EVERY stop. You can use this if you aren't sure about where the trains might stop. You can always check the signs for which stops these trains goto. These signs are posted inside the train above the door, and also on the platform, etc. They basically show a straight train line, along with various colored lines. These are the 3 different types of trains and where they stop.
Express - (kaisoku) These trains hit the big stops only normally, and generally the last 3 consecutive stops on either end.
Super Express - (Su-keen Kaisoku) These trains stop at major stops and generally travel a long distance 30 mins or more, before stopping. You have to have a special ticket to ride this kind of train. You can pay the ticket master when you ride, or purchase the ticket outside the gates and sometimes even on the platform.
Bullet Train - (Shinkan-sen) These trains are the high speed rail lines and travel great distances between major cities as opposed to local cities like the other JR lines. To get a Shinkansen ticket, you will need to goto a major station like Tokyo, and find the special Shinkansen offices there and buy the tickets. In Tokyo these offices are basically in the center of the station. If you purchased the JR Pass as described above, you can also use it on the Shinkansen, however, you cannot use it for the Special rapid Shinkansens. There are several types, much the same as the JR lines. Nozomi is the special Shinkansen that you cannot use this type of pass for. If you want to use this special (fast) service train, then you'll need to pay extra.
At the Shinkansen office:
English: I want to go to Kyoto please.
Japanese: watashi wa kyoto eh ikitai desu.
English: Can I use my JR Pass?
Japanese: JR pass wa su-ka-e-masu-ka?
Listen For:
hi (yes), mochiron su-ka-e-masu-yo (of course you can use it), su-ka-e-nai (can't use)
English: I want to use Nozomi line tho.
Japanese: watashi wa Nozomi sen de su-ka-e-tai desu kedo, dai-joe-boo?
Listen For:
tokubetsu (special), hara-wa-na-kere-ba (pay) and any of the japanese numbering above.
English: How much does it cost for 4 people?
Japanese: yon-nin de, Ikura desu ka?
Listen For:
the Japanese numbering posted above. They can help you with the money part.
Don't worry about the trains very much. Once you've used them a few times, you'll get the hang of it. Just be careful about the special rapid trains. Those are marked in orange on the train/time boards on the platform, while local trains' times are noted in green. If you aren't careful you might get on a rapid, while the station you wanted to go to only has local service, and then you could overshoot your station. If that does happen, don't worry, it won't cost you any more, just get off at the next station, walk over to the opposite platform and get on a local train heading the other way.
Another caveat I've seen one time is Deadhead trains. These are trains are marked as (回送列車) to be taken out of service after the next stop or the current stop. If you are in a hurry, don't get on one of these :) I had a friend that actually got locked in one of these trains for a few hours because he fell asleep.
Well that's about all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, please let me know and I can answer them for you.
*special note: I know many of the spellings for Japanese are not correct. These are written for people with no knowledge of Japanese, and phonetically written for those folks that don't speak the language. Say these phrases how they are written and you'll be ok.
From the airport you can catch the Narita Express, now called the NEX. It's been upgraded to be faster and have wireless internet connectivity.
The best thing to do if you don't live here, is to get a foreigner short term travel pass. In Japanese this is called .... You may be able to get this when you book your travel, so check with your travel agent. If you are traveling without a travel agent or you didn't get one of those, don't worry you'll have the chance to get one later.
You can goto any JR (Japan Railway) office in any of the stations to purchase tickets such as these. Here is what you want to say:
First, ask if they speak English or if English is ok. Some people in Japan can speak pretty good English, and almost everyone understands English to some level, however, I've found Japanese people to be extremely shy about speaking English. Sometimes, even if they know it they won't use it to speak with you.
If they don't speak English, then here is the Japanese to order a few things:
I would like to buy a JR Train pass.
Japanese: watashi wa JR gaigoku-jin no tay-key wo kaitai desu.
Listen for:
dono gurai or ikutsu type keywords. They are asking how any days you want the pass to be. Generally, you can get a pass or 7 day periods. Figure on about 28,000 yen per week ($280 USD) per person.
Then tell them:
ii-syukan de kudasai = 1 week
nii-syukan de kudasai = 2 weeks
san-syukan de kudasai = 3 weeks
yon-syukan de kudasai = 4 weeks
Listen for:
nan nean or nan mei keywords. They are asking how many people.
Then tell them:
hi-tot-su de = 1 ticket
fu-tat-su de = 2 ticket
mit-su de de = 3 tickets
yot-su de de = 4 tickets
Listen for a confirmation. Generally the JR workers always repeat everything back to you to make sure they got it right.
Then tell them 'Hi'. Hi (hai) in Japanese means yes. Or onegai-shimas (please).
Listen for the price:
ii = 1
ni = 2
san = 3
yon = 4
go = 5
ryoku = 6
nana = 7
hachi = 8
kyuu = 9
jyuu = 10
hyaku = 100
sen = 1,000
mon = 10,000 <--- about $100 USD
An example might be:
San mon hachi sen go hyaku en = 38,500
If they speak too fast, you can say:
English: Please speak more slowly.
Japanese: motto yukuri de onegai shimasu.
English: Can you say that again please.
Japanese: mo ichi-do onegai shimasu.
Don't sweat it if you don't get things right the first time. The brilliant part is that if you are willing to show an effort in Japan, the Japanese people can understand your effort and also will then be willing to extend the same effort to help you. Saving 'face' is important here as we'll discuss later, but this is one such example.
Once you get your Pass, this will allow you to travel on almost all the trains, subways, and buses. There are a few exceptions, like overnight trains, special rapid trains on the Shinkansen (bullet trains) and the like.
It should be noted, that you don't HAVE to buy one of these train passes. You can purchase traditional looking tickets for all the trains just outside of every ticket gate. Generally there is a large sign with all of the stops for a particular train, along with the price listed below each of the stops. Unfortunately, most of those are listed in Japanese.
There are a few things you can do tho. Buy the cheapest ticket listed. This will let you ride to any of the stops. Once you get to the stop, and just before you exit the station gate, there will be a smaller kiosk or ticket machine, usually just 1 or 2 of them together, that will allow you to adjust your ticket. You simply insert your ticket, and it will show you the remaining balance that you owe. Just make sure you have some Japanese Yen with you if you chose this method.
Another thing you can do is stop in the JR office at the station, and get a SUICA or PASMO card. This is just an IC card that you pre-charge. You can use it at each of the ticket gates by holding it over the sensor until it beeps green. Just watch the people in front of you, you'll understand. To re-charge these cards, you can goto the ticket machines outside the entry gates and look for the machines that are marked with SUICA or PASMO logos. Some machines aren't so be careful. Just put your card in the slot, you'll be presented with several yen values such as 1,000 2,000, 5,000 etc. Push the one you want, and insert your money. Sometimes you'll get a final confirmation. This is basically asking you if you want a receipt.
Outside of actual ticketing, there are some caveats about the trains that you should be aware of.
Some train lines share their lines with other trains. Saikyo/Rinkai line for example. Be especially careful on these types of lines, as the train sign may say that the next train is leaving in 3 mins, and the train pulls in, you get on and it takes off. Only later you realize that this was not the train that was leaving in 3 mins. It was another train. Trains are normally VERY punctual. If needed, wait til the last bell before getting on the train and the time that it is departing is at that time.
There are several types of trains you can use:
Local - (ro-ka-ru) These trains stop at EVERY stop. You can use this if you aren't sure about where the trains might stop. You can always check the signs for which stops these trains goto. These signs are posted inside the train above the door, and also on the platform, etc. They basically show a straight train line, along with various colored lines. These are the 3 different types of trains and where they stop.
Express - (kaisoku) These trains hit the big stops only normally, and generally the last 3 consecutive stops on either end.
Super Express - (Su-keen Kaisoku) These trains stop at major stops and generally travel a long distance 30 mins or more, before stopping. You have to have a special ticket to ride this kind of train. You can pay the ticket master when you ride, or purchase the ticket outside the gates and sometimes even on the platform.
Bullet Train - (Shinkan-sen) These trains are the high speed rail lines and travel great distances between major cities as opposed to local cities like the other JR lines. To get a Shinkansen ticket, you will need to goto a major station like Tokyo, and find the special Shinkansen offices there and buy the tickets. In Tokyo these offices are basically in the center of the station. If you purchased the JR Pass as described above, you can also use it on the Shinkansen, however, you cannot use it for the Special rapid Shinkansens. There are several types, much the same as the JR lines. Nozomi is the special Shinkansen that you cannot use this type of pass for. If you want to use this special (fast) service train, then you'll need to pay extra.
At the Shinkansen office:
English: I want to go to Kyoto please.
Japanese: watashi wa kyoto eh ikitai desu.
English: Can I use my JR Pass?
Japanese: JR pass wa su-ka-e-masu-ka?
Listen For:
hi (yes), mochiron su-ka-e-masu-yo (of course you can use it), su-ka-e-nai (can't use)
English: I want to use Nozomi line tho.
Japanese: watashi wa Nozomi sen de su-ka-e-tai desu kedo, dai-joe-boo?
Listen For:
tokubetsu (special), hara-wa-na-kere-ba (pay) and any of the japanese numbering above.
English: How much does it cost for 4 people?
Japanese: yon-nin de, Ikura desu ka?
Listen For:
the Japanese numbering posted above. They can help you with the money part.
Don't worry about the trains very much. Once you've used them a few times, you'll get the hang of it. Just be careful about the special rapid trains. Those are marked in orange on the train/time boards on the platform, while local trains' times are noted in green. If you aren't careful you might get on a rapid, while the station you wanted to go to only has local service, and then you could overshoot your station. If that does happen, don't worry, it won't cost you any more, just get off at the next station, walk over to the opposite platform and get on a local train heading the other way.
Another caveat I've seen one time is Deadhead trains. These are trains are marked as (回送列車) to be taken out of service after the next stop or the current stop. If you are in a hurry, don't get on one of these :) I had a friend that actually got locked in one of these trains for a few hours because he fell asleep.
Well that's about all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, please let me know and I can answer them for you.
*special note: I know many of the spellings for Japanese are not correct. These are written for people with no knowledge of Japanese, and phonetically written for those folks that don't speak the language. Say these phrases how they are written and you'll be ok.
My Japanese Life
I am an American who's been living in Tokyo for the last 5 years. I feel like I've learned a lot, and have found some really great things to share with everyone so I decided to start this blog.
I'm hoping to put lots of things in here to help other people who want to come to Japan or live here. There is a lot of interesting blogs out there related to people's trips to Japan but very little in the way of self-help or assistance in actually getting around and doing stuff. The process can be rather intimidating if you haven't been here long.
I hope you will find these posts useful!
Please feel free to link me and join my RSS/Atom feed so you can keep up with my updates!
I'm hoping to put lots of things in here to help other people who want to come to Japan or live here. There is a lot of interesting blogs out there related to people's trips to Japan but very little in the way of self-help or assistance in actually getting around and doing stuff. The process can be rather intimidating if you haven't been here long.
I hope you will find these posts useful!
Please feel free to link me and join my RSS/Atom feed so you can keep up with my updates!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Howto-Stuff
This section lists all of my self help and howto sections:
Trains & Travel
Intro to My Japanese Life
Sending Money Internationally
Trains & Travel
Intro to My Japanese Life
Sending Money Internationally
Donations-Thanks
Thanks so much for your donations! I helps me to keep the site updated
and bring you more quality content!
and bring you more quality content!
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