Frugal Japan » FJ Friends

FJ Friend: Japanese Guest Houses

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:55 +0000

Looking to travel within Japan, or hosting guests from overseas? Why not experience a night at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) or guest house? However, finding and reserving these accommodations can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you don’t speak Japanese. Well, Jeff Aasgaard in Kawanishi, Hyogo, has a solution for you. As he writes:

“I operate Japanese Guest Houses (http://www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/), which is a free service to help English-speaking travelers make reservations at ryokans all over Japan. We represent over 500 ryokans in all price ranges.”

Japanese Guest Houses features extensive, reliable, and detailed listings of various traditional accommodations within Japan, and also offers excellent general advice as to what kind of ryokan to choose, travel tips for beginners and seasoned Japan veterans, and even what to expect when staying overnight in a Buddhist temple! The photos, guest comments, and guest ratings for each property are particularly valuable, and the range of accommodations starts at a relatively frugal (in Japan) 7,000-10,000 yen per person with two meals. If you’re planning a trip soon, or just curious, do check out this extensive gem of an English website.

Note that here are as many different types of ryokans in Japan as there are hotels in the world. Prices range from top-end luxury down to the rather more affordable. Jeff’s site will help you find frugal options, but don’t expect all ryokans on his site to be frugal. Remember, his site exists to tell you about various ryokans in Japan, not only the cheap ones. Use the classification system he has developed in order to find the cheapest option. (“D” seems to be the cheapest.) If you can’t find a cheap ryokan in a particular area, look into other options for accommodation in that area.

“FJ Friends” are foreign-owned or foreign-friendly businesses and services around Japan. If you know of a worthy business, or would like to introduce your own business to our readers, contact us!!

FJ Friend: Solveig Boergen

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:50 +0000

Solveig (boergen AT ecatv.home.ne.jp), a long time resident of Niigata, Japan, and university instructor, contacted me a few months ago regarding her new business as a professional photographer. In addition to professional, Western-style portraiture, Solveig offers beautiful coffeetable photo books, DVDs or CD photo collections, and one-of-a-kind photo collections. As Solveig says:

“I started to work as a photographer last year due to popular demand, …and I’m slowly taking off.

“I offer Home Portrait Parties, as are popular in the US. I can travel to any place in Japan and take pictures of you and your friends and family. I do mostly maternity, newborn, baby and children`s portraits…not the style that is offered here in Japan – my pictures are different, and more artistic.”

“I also have two jewellery designers work on photo jewellery, and one-of-a-kind photo bags… beautiful things!”

“I should also mention how FRUGAL hosting a Portrait Party is….the host of those parties gets 15 % of what his/her guests order as credit towards her order. So with some luck, he/she could get all her session plus orders for free. Also, it is never too early to think about X-mas presents! Every order of photo jewelry and bags received until November 1, 2005, gets 10% off.”

(Wow!)

(Be sure to mention Frugal Friends when you contact her!)

FJ Friend: J-Cool

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:46 +0000

Longtime Frugal Japan/Frugal Watch supporter Shaney Crawford recommends this hidden jewel of a hair salon in Tsukuba, a university town in Ibaraki with a large number of foreign residents. Shaney swears by Kubota-san’s excellent service and reasonable prices, and told us a bit more about J-Cool.

“The shop is called J-Cool and it is owned by Masaru Kubota. Masaru has studied in both the US and Japan and opened his shop with the express purpose of catering to the foreign population in Tsukuba. He can speak in English and he is working on training his staff to speak English too. He has experience dealing with a variety of hair types and styles.”

Finding a reliable barber/hair stylist in Japan that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is something I view as a necessity to a happy long-term stay in Japan. Interested? Check out the website.

FJ Friend: KNT Co. Ltd

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:35 +0000

At certain times in one’s life or career, it becomes necessary to take an inventory of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, sometimes the encouragement or help of a professional coach can be a true motivator in achieving a personal, career, or even family goal. To help meet these needs, I’m proud to introduce Terry Nii and KNT Co. Ltd. Learn a bit more about KNT from Terri herself:

“We established KNT 5 years ago and 2 years ago we started the Coaching division. The focus is individual personality assessment to promote self-understanding and personal development. I use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, an excellent tool in helping people to objectively view themselves and identify their personal strengths. Through improved self-understanding, people are better able to set personal and career directions.”

“Details on the process, etc. are on the website. I have tried to set a frugal fee so that individuals can take advantage of this great assessment. The Press section has a Japan Times article that describes application of the Myers-Briggs (MBTI).” Indeed, please visit the KNT wesbite (www.kntnet.jp) to learn more about the MBTI and its unique applications.

Looking for some frugal, but valuable, life direction? Check out KNT!

FJ Friend: Maebashi International Kindergarten

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:32 +0000

Looking for a unique place to enroll your children in a safe, caring international environment? Frugal Japan reader Janine Boyd introduced us to Maebashi International Kindergarten, in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. Located 1.5 hours north of Tokyo, the kindergarten serves both local children, and visitors who can enroll for a day while Mom and Dad visit the local ski slopes.

The kindergarten is staffed and run by Qualified Early Childhood Education specialists from Australia and licensed Japanese yochien teachers, and runs classes from 9am – 2 pm with additional extended hours available for an extra fee. Established in April 2002, the school boasts a dual-language Japanese/English immersion method education, and houses two rooms and two playgrounds: the 3-6 years old room (Kindy) and the 2-3 years old room (Prep), which have separate playgrounds.

Janine adds that “the fees are super frugal!”

Interested? Contact:
Janine Boyd
Manager
Maebashi International Kindergarten
9-10 Kita Shirota, Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture 371-0055
Tel/Fax: 027-230-9330
Email janinebbboyd at hotmail.com

FJ Friend: Meguro Counselling Center

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:31 +0000

Meguro Counselling Center offers counseling and psychotherapy in English or Japanese in Meguro, Tokyo with American qualified therapists.

FJ Friends: Two Paper Cranes

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:20 +0000

While not a direct introduction, I thought I’d feature a unique online e-commerce site devoted to Japanese paper products – Two Paper Cranes. Started by Nicky Biwaki, a resident of Japan since 1987. Two Paper Cranes offers a unique and attractive range of Japanese paper products at affordable prices. As Nicky’s website elaborates:

“Nicky became interested in Japanese paper, particularly yuzen washi when she started to make greeting cards with a Japanese theme.

“On trips to Europe and the UK Nicky found a significant lack of Japanese paper products at reasonable prices and in appropriate sizes and packaging. This prompted Nicky to take her card-making business one step further, exporting Japanese paper and embellishments direct from Japan, and leading to the birth of Two Paper Cranes in 2004.”

Two Paper Cranes offers shipping of Japanese paper, mizuhiki cords, embellishments, ephemera, collage sheets, books, and gift certificates in a safe, fully-automated online environment. The items, while useful in card making, would also be attractive gifts for scrapbookers.

FJ Friend: Being a Broad

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:19 +0000

Started in Tokyo in 1997, Being A Broad has already helped thousands of women make the most of their lives in Japan through an active discussion board, a personalized life-coaching service, and a number one best-selling book.

FJ Friend: Tama Ryokan

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:17 +0000

Finding inexpensive, and convenient, accommodations in Tokyo can be quite a hassle. What’s more, at a certain point many travelers become weary of the whole backpacker hotel/youth hostel scene. Well, if you’re looking for a frugal yet very centrally located accommodations in a traditional, family environment, why not try Tama Ryokan?

Run by longtime foreign resident Michael Turner, the “Tama Ryokan provides basic accommodations for a reasonable price in a central Tokyo location.” Located three minutes on foot from the Yamanote Line Takadanobaba Station, and literally seconds from the Tozai Subway Line station of the same name – you really can’t get much closer to the action than this.

The neighborhood is also a great draw: “offer[ing] a splendid variety of cuisine: Indian, Thai, Italian, French, Cambodian, Nepali, Burmese, and others, with some very reasonable lunch-special prices.”

“Other neighborhood attractions include a movie theater (not too common in Tokyo), an English-language bookstore (the Blue Parrot), and several hangouts popular with the gaijin crowd, most notably The Fiddler, a British-style pub with live music and no cover charge most nights of the week, and Ben’s Cafe, a New York-style cafe and bistro, with free internet access.”

The ryokan itself has four Japanese-style rooms, with rates starting at 4,500 yen for one person. Payment should be made in cash, and reservations are a necessity, as the ryokan is often booked up. A refrigerator and 24-hour customer lounge (with one desktop PC for Internet surfing and email) are available.

For very thorough information about the ryokan (and pictures), please visit the website.

For both a frugal night’s stay and a chance to view a unique, old-style Japanese ryokan in a convenient Tokyo neighborhood, the Tama Ryokan is definitely worth a visit.

FJ Friend: T-1 Communications

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:07 +0000

T-1 Communications offers high quality connections of Japan’s largest international carriers from your home, office, cellular or PHS phone at wholesale discount rates.