Author tinyasu's page

tinyasu

I used to be a writer/editor for a game magazine. I’ve also edited game strategy guides and Nintendo manuals.

PROFILE

I used to be a writer/editor for a game magazine. I've also edited game strategy guides and Nintendo manuals. Now, I'm your average salaryman working through a popular search engine. I'm always on the hunt for unique topics and money-saving ideas to introduce on my blog.

Gender: Male
Age: in my 40’s
Birth place: Tokyo
Favorite food: Sashimi, sushi, ramen, tsukemen, udon, soba, gyudon, yakiniku, oden beef tendon, curry, fish burgers, burdock root, caesar salad, pizza, and vanilla ice cream with a couple drops of soy sauce
Food I hate: Overly sweet food, oily food, and century eggs
Hobbies/Likes: Travel, hot springs, gaming, anime, manga, biking, Niigaki Risa, Health Land, saunas, Don Quijote, Oedo Onsen Monogatari Hotel, and Gundam
What I’m good at: Arm wrestling and gaming
What I’m not good at: Being on crowded trains and bugs (especially cockroaches)
Where in Japan I recommend the most and why to travelers in Japan.: Himeji Castle! It’s an overwhelmingly beautiful building rich in history. It may be among the most impressive sights in the country.
Favorite memory from traveling in Japan.: Looking out at a volcano from the open-air baths at the Manza Hotel Juraku is definitely one of my favourite memories. Due to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas, the hotel is within a no stopping zone for cars. (For the same reason, cars in Manza will often begin to corrode, becoming junk within 2 years.) The hot springs’ emerald blue waters were such a magnificent sight, I remember worrying that I might have died of hydrogen sulfide toxicity and gone to heaven. Just kidding. Even the volcano, though, it was like something from another world.
Must do activity for visitors to Japan.: Go for a walk around the city at night. Don’t be nervous. Even if you were to lose your wallet, you’d be able to find your way back to your lodgings safely. Did you know there are unattended vegetable stands where you leave money in a box and take the vegetables you want? There are also train stations without any staff where you’re trusted to pay your ticket fare. Japan is a country run on the honour system. You really have to experience it for yourself to believe it—and you will! Japan lives up to its reputation as one of the safest countries in the world. And the Japanese are known for their kindness and for keeping their word. But like anywhere, there are some exceptions of course.

Winter days are dry, but the atmosphere is sunny, the air fresh. Convenience stores and vending machines can be found everywhere you turn and accessed 24/7. While this is considered the norm here, it never seems to fail to surprise foreigners. Gacha-gacha machines (capsule toy vending machines) are located here and there as well. Just put 100~300 yen into the coin slot, twist, and out pops a surprise toy of considerably good quality. The perfect last minute souvenir, perhaps?

Surprisingly enough, Japanese vegetables are quite cheap compared to many other countries. You can easily enjoy a tasty meal out on a budget; a McDonalds hamburger will only cost you 100 yen, and a bowl of gyudon or ramen can cost as little as 380 yen. On the other hand, the prices of fruit may make you gasp in shock. You can also buy pre-made bento lunch boxes at the supermarket for 30~50% off as most start slashing prices come evening—timing is everything. A 400 yen bento for 200 yen, you say? Yes! It isn’t hard to save money on food if you know when and where to shop. Allow me to show you how.