Category Archives: Mirai 1-164

310 The particle で By means of transport

10/05/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

This particle shows “by what means of transport” or “how” you get somewhere. By car, by plane, by bus, by taxi, by train, by bike and even by rocket.

06 TT 038 Departure Arrival, Gunma 群馬, KD 2-018 Means of Transport, KD 3-017 Airlines, KD 3-100 Lunch, Mirai 1-164, Transport, Ueno 上野

Japan Airlines 日本航空　にほんこうくう

03/04/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

then there was that dark, bleak day…

Japan Airlines Flight 123

was a Japan Airlines domestic flight from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) to Osaka International Airport (Itami) on August 12, 1985. The Boeing 747-146SR that made this route, registered JA8119, suffered mechanical failures 12 minutes into the flight and 32 minutes later crashed into two ridges of Mount Takamagahara in Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, 100 kms from Tokyo, on Monday 12 August 1985. The crash site was on Osutaka Ridge, near Mount Osutaka. All 15 crew members and 505 out of 509 passengers died, resulting in a total of 520 deaths and four survivors. At the time we lived in Gunma not far from the site and we certainly knew people who were personally affected by the disaster. It was a very bleak time.

It is currently the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history, and the third deadliest plane crash in history in terms of all fatalities behind the September 11, 2001 Attacks and the Tenerife airport disaster.

One famous passenger on board was the Japanese singer Ryu Sakamoto, famous for his ‘sukiyaki” song. (mainly from Wikipedia)

06 TT 057 Train Travel, 310c Trains 電車でんしゃ, City Life, Grammar, KD 2-018 Means of Transport, Mirai 1-164, Obentō 01-131, Obentō 02-008, Transport

310 Trains 　電車　でんしゃ

31/01/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

JRでよこはまにいきます

to take the JR to Yokohama

Cassiopeiaでほっかいどうにいきます

to take the Cassiopeia to Hokkaido

とくべつなでんしゃではこだてにいきます

to take the special train to Hakodate

あおいでんしゃであおもりにいきます

to take the blue train to Aomori

Doraemonでんしゃでいきます

to take the Doraemon train

あおいでんしゃでけんぶつをします

to take the blue train for sightseeing

あたらしいでんしゃでおばさんの

うちにいきます

to take the new train to Auntie’s place

ちかてつでどうぶつえんにいきます

to take the subway to the zoo

で by means of

In English you “take the train” somewhere. In Japanese you “go by” train. The idea of taking a train (in your pocket?) seems an odd way of expressing the idea of using transport, but there you have it. Even the travelling “on” the train seems a bit unusual these days. The police would get involved, if you really travelled “on the train“. In Japanese you “travel by means of transport” and the particle for that is で.

This also applies to travelling by bus, by car, by plane, or by Shinkansen.

06 TT 038 Departure Arrival, 07 JW 036 Taxi, KD 2-018 Means of Transport, KD 3-021 Transport, KD 3-100 Lunch, Mirai 1-164, Obentō 01-094, Obentō 02-013, Transport

Taxi 　タクシー　たくしー

22/01/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

takushii タクシー　たくしい　 taxi

Taxis in Japan are beautifully organised. They are very clean, almost over-decorated with lacy-looking covers. The chauffeur wears a suit, a cap and white gloves. Drivers are identified on the dashboard with a numbered photo in Japanese as well as in English. The car charges are clearly displayed on the outside window of the passenger seat as well as inside the car, so there can be no confusion. The meters are constantly monitored; all taxis have a GPS system, so fares that seem to go the wrong way are very quickly spotted by the computer – discipline is very tight.

This particular car is by now a slightly older model and outside any large city railway station one can usually choose from one hundred taxis or so. What is most noticeable is the service aspect. The chauffeur is very polite, without chatting up the passenger and poking his nose into private business.

If you want to share your divorce settlement and your emotional issues with a complete stranger/driver, Japan is absolutely not for you. LOL

Japanese taxi drivers are very helpful. They will place your suitcase in the back of the car, if need be. They will take you the quickest way,

BUT…

BUT…

there are a few matters you need to be aware of:

Taxi charges are based on distance AND time.
The taxi driver is not responsible for traffic jams or heavy traffic.
Quite a few roads and streets are one-way, so the driver needs to drive “around the block” (in a good way).
Japanese addresses are NOT based on the western road/street number system.
Japanese addresses are based on blocks and although drivers know an awful lot of blocks and GPS and radio contact with Central etc., they cannot know them all.
Taxi drivers do have a sort of “white pages” of addresses.
Japanese taxi drivers are licensed and they have to sit examinations to become a driver. It is a reasonable income, so it is something valued.
Taxi drivers will contact Central for information and consultation. Your trip is monitored.
You can pay with Plastic Fantastic.
You can request special vehicles for specific jobs.

BUT…

there are a few matters you need to know beforehand:

NEVER OPEN OR CLOSE A TAXI DOOR!

It is done automatically by the driver

SIT IN THE BACK!

Unless there are three passengers

YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING!

Be prepared

The easiest way to be prepared is to have the address written down on paper. This is important as kanji can be essential in an address. Often Japanese themselves have company MEISHI (business cards) of the place where they are going. Companies issue them. These days you can download them from the net. Drivers can do that too via Central.

The meter is sealed

NO SMOKING 禁煙　きんえん　KIN-EN

(FILTHY HABIT anyway)

BUT BEST OF ALL: NO TIPPING
(another disgusting western habit of legalised begging – personal opinion)

By the way, to take a taxi from Tokyo Airport to anywhere downtown Tokyo is extremely expensive. To Yokohama it will cost an arm and a leg.

From Osaka Airport there are no taxis as it is on an island and you need to take an express train.

Most people would take an express train from Tokyo as well. Tokyo International Airport Narita is 70 kms from downtown.

Narita Airport Express

Narita Limousine Bus

Narita Airport Line

If you can do and remember all of these things, you will absolutely love Japanese taxis – Heaven on Wheels!

05 LP 054 Kyoto, 06 TT 019 Travel, 06 TT 038 Departure Arrival, Mirai 1-164, Osaka 大阪, Transport

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

22/01/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

One important fact needs to be remembered about Kansai International Airport and it is that the airport is built on an island. Therefore there are only two ways on and two ways off the island: either by plane, or by train. There are no cars on the island for passengers. As you can see from the following photos, train transport is extremely well organised. English is not a problem. You cannot go wrong, as they say.

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

The airport itself is well laid out and easy to find your way around, even when there is a crowd. There are lots of shops and restaurants, should you be on your way through somewhere and there is entertainment too. The website link is at the bottom of this page.

The airports code is KIX, which is a reference to the district of Kinki, where the airport is situated.

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

By the way there is another airport in Osaka, which is commonly called Itami Airport (officially ‘Osaka International Airport), but it is now only for national flights.

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

While we have your attention, assuming you read this BEFORE you travel to Osaka, please consider the Japan Rail Pass for the bullet train. The pass can only be bought outside Japan and acquired in Japan through a voucher system. This option will save you a fortune in travel expenses. Here is the link:

Railpass

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

For more information on

Kansai International Airport:

http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/index.asp

(other language options are on the page)

Itami (Osaka International) Airport:

http://osaka-airport.co.jp/en/

(other language options are on the page)

Here are two pictures to give you an idea about Itami Airport:

05 LP 053 Around Japan, 06 TT 019 Travel, 06 TT 038 Departure Arrival, 06 TT 057 Train Travel, Chiba 千葉, Mirai 1-164, Narita 成田, Obentō 02-153, Tokyo 東京, Transport

Narita Airport 成田空港なりたくうこう

08/01/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

aeroplane　飛行機　ひこうき hikōki

Narita Airport 成田空港なりたくうこうNarita is a large modern airport, about 70 kilometres from the centre of 東京とうきょう tōkyō Tokyo.

Japan Airlines 日本航空にほんこうくう nihon-kōkū

It is a hub of activity and designed to cater for modern air travel. Although all announcements are in Japanese, an English translation, or a translation in the language of the target group is provided. All signage has English, Chinese and Korean translations as well.

your most important piece of paper:

パスポート　pasupōto passport

(Or the one from your own country. Do check whether you need a visa. Many countries have agreements with Japan, so for tourist purposes under a certain length of time a visa is not needed).

Your very smart piece of paper: レールパス reeru-pasu rail-pass

This can only be bought OUTSIDE Japan.

It saves you an awful lot of money.

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

それはちょっとねえ–え

sore wa chotto neee

That’s a little… (cheeky)

Carrying suitcases is not a problem as elevators, escalators automatic walkways and conveyor belts are everywhere. We would have taken the elevator, but well… hey, why not the escalator, some people seem to think! It’s an -ator after all, isn’t it?! Close enough.

Ever tried running on one of these? not very Japanese…

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

And then there is East and South and West

North　北　きた kita

East　東　ひがし higashi

South　南　みなみ minami

West　西　にし nishi

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

There are many arrivals and departures all day long, so please keep an eye on the different boards. However, if you speak Japanese or English you won’t have a problem. The Japanese have a reputation for being just superbly well-organised. Unbelievable! They even manage to smile to their guests while being very busy.

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

Welcome to Japan

yōkoso

成田空港 Narita Airport なりたくうこう narita-kūkō

Lami Japan

Category Archives: Mirai 1-164

310 The particle で By means of transport

Japan Airlines 日本航空　にほんこうくう

310 Trains 　電車　でんしゃ

Taxi 　タクシー　たくしー

Kansai Airport 関西空港　かんさいくうこう

Narita Airport 成田空港なりたくうこう

Japanese Language and Culture