45th week

Posted on May 7, 2012 by admin

Crunch mode

I’m in cruch mode. Who already glanced at the German www.cyclonara.de page might have discovered that the contents about my stay in Japan have been transferred. With this post my blog moves and is turned into my blog about my bicycle trip. Well. Still three weeks to go. After my journey through South Korea the last remaining weeks of the whole year in Japan during the aftermath of Fukushima will follow then. Only the loyal readers know why it wasn’t possible to stay in Japan for a whole year.

In contrast to www.prototypetour.eu and .de www.cyclonara.eu and .de won’t be a pure video blog however the contents will be posted nearer the time.

Moreover the route has been enhanced. After I will have cycled through South Korea the trip will continue in Fukuoka and not as stated before in Hiroshima.

Within the next weeks the webpage will receive further updates. So I apologize in advance for mainly posting news about the technical progress until the tour starts on 25thof May.

Special thanks to: Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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44st Week

Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin

Golden Week

These are my last days in Manza :( The culmination will be the golden week. Besides Obon and new year an important holiday period in Japan. So peak season for us here in the Hotel.

The golden week begins on 29th of April with the Shōwa-day, the Shōwa no Hi, 昭和の日. This day is only from the year 2007 on dedicated to the – because of his reign during the second World War – controversial Emperor Tennō Hirohito (*29.04.1901 – † 7.01.1989). Before 2007 the day was called Midori no hi みどりの日, green day.

Der 3rd of May Kempō Kinen-bi, 憲法記念日. The constitution day.

Since 2007 the 4th of May was turned into the green day, Midori no Hi, みどりの日. Before it used to be Kokumin no Kyūjitsu 国民の休日, people’s holiday.

The golden Week is concluded with the Kodomo no Hi, こどもの日, children’s day. On May 5th.

Special thanks to: Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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43rd Week

Posted on April 22, 2012 by admin

Work in Progress

The route of my bicycle trip through South Korea and Japan is planned. I’d like you to know the mayor cities and the time table. The smaller cities in between (not listed) can vary. And sometimes there will be even road forks and you can vote which one I shall take.

South Korea

May 25th Seoul

May 28th Chungju

May 30th Kumi

June 1st Daegu

June 8th Pusan

Japan

June 13th Hiroshima

June 23rd Kobe

June 24th Osaka

July 2nd Kyoto

July 10th Nagoya

July 17th Matsumoto

July 28th Nikko

August 1st Fukushima

August 4th Sendai

August 16th Towada lake

August 18th Tomakomai

August 20th Sapporo

 

As for the blog… A new domain for the page about the bicycle trip has been registered. I think I found a pun which is easy to remember. As as I will cycle through Japan and this will also be my good bye to Japan after all I mixed the English word to CYCLE with the Japanese word for saying good bye: SAYONARA. The results are:

 

www.cyclonara.de (German)

and

www.cyclonara.eu (English)


I haven’t decided yet whether to add the content of this blog to the new one or start a complete new blog. What do you think I should do? I’m happy about any comment.

Special thanks to: Hubertus Neidhart from  Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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42nd Week

Posted on April 17, 2012 by admin

it’s all about Traffic!

I solved the riddle of the browser game I mentioned in my last post. I simply had to enter some more text into those text fields and now it’s possible to transport my bicycle trailer on my flight from Tokyo to Seoul. It reminded me of the riddle from ‘The Secret of Monkey Island‘ in which you have to ask the navigator for a necklace which makes you invisible to ghosts:

Please give it to me!

No!

please!

No!

please!

No!

please!

No!

please!

No!

please!

Okay!

And some say you can’t learn anything from video games! I don’t even have to pay extra! However, this advice is not a walk-through for the game. Because the game company Korean Air told me that this is an exception and not how the game is supposed to be played. So perhaps I cheated. But I told them I’m a cyclist not a camper (That was just a note for CS freaks. By the way CS does not stand for Couch Surfing no and also not for Cyber Sex).

As I did a lot of research about how to travel the cheapest way in Japan I’d like to share this knowledge with you.

Flying:

Japan has no discounters like Ryainair or easyjet in Europe. If you hope to find a domestic flight – let’s say Osaka to Tokyo – for about 30 € so about 3.200 ¥ your search will be in vain! The cheapest flights here are about ten times higher.

One of Japan’s first discount flight companies is Starflyer:

To catch the flights from Tokyo to Fukuoka for about 30.000 ¥ (385 AUD, 370 CAD, 284 €, 234 GBP, 451 NZD, 371. 94 USD) you have to book at least a month in advance!

If a quick arrival is not a priority and you don’t have to reach inland locations, you should check out the ferries. Prices for routes from Tokyo to Sapporo are available for 9.900 ¥ (118 AUD, 122 CAD, 94 €, 77 GBP, 148 NZD, 122 USD), and they even have an Onsen on board!

The cheapest way to travel to inland destinations (especially if you have very bulky luggage like I do) is of course, by bus.

Fast but expensive – the train network with its Shinkansen amongst others.

Compared to many – not only Asian but even Continental or American – rail companies, train tickets in Japan are expensive. All local rail companies in Tokyo (Seibu, JR East, Metro, Tobu Line just to mention a few) do not offer either day- or half day passes nor any group discounts.

A very useful page to search for train connections if you can’t speak or write any Japanese is this page here

So happy travels!

Special thanks to: Dania Lazor Fairchild, U.S.A (text revision); Hubertus Neidhart from  Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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41st Week

Posted on April 9, 2012 by admin

Realtime point and click adventure

The bicycle journey through Korea is already planned and I have even found three hosts already. I will start in Seoul and cycle to Pusan, but the stops in-between are still a secret. Also the first 500 km through Japan is planned. Please don’t be disappointed about me skipping Okinawa and Kyushu. It simply makes no sense booking a flight or a ferry to the (Air)port of Naha (Okinawa) which is minimum 300 € only to cycle around the island for five days and take the ferry or plane back from the same (air)port and pay another 300 € for transportation. As there are no ferries from Pusan to Kagoshima in the south of Kyushu I decided to skip it completely. It’s kind of sad as I really wanted to see Nagasaki so badly and was also curious about Kagoshima of course…

Oh, right now a new “brilliant” message reaches me. Recently I discovered a new video game genre called ’real time point and click adventure’. It’s one of those new browser games and called “book a flight including bicycle trailer from Tokyo to Seoul”. What’s new about this kind of genre? You can enter complete messages into certain text fields and will get a reply. So I asked Korean Air how and where to book my bicycle trailer, which is 120 cm by 60 cm by 50 cm. According to their player’s manual it’s possible to book sports equipment if the total lengths of three sides do not exceed 277 cm. So I booked the flight. Now they have got back to me telling me they are sorry but a bicycle trailer is not sports equipment. Well, yes I like real time point and click adventures, but in many cases they are more expensive than the usual 69,99 €…

Japan’s Ferry lines

Special thanks to: Natalie Canham, UK (text revision), Hubertus Neidhart from  Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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40th Week

Posted on April 1, 2012 by admin

Tokyo trip

Pictures of my Tokyo trip and the international Anime fair.

Big sight building
at international anime fair
first spurs of the japanese cherry blossom Season (Hanami)
Manga Mechs
Arisugawa park
more mechs
Arisugawa park in Tokyo close to the German ambassy
Arisugawa park
Manga Mouse
mighty mech
mighty ... I don\'t know
Arisugawa park
Arisugawa park
Yes, finally manga heroes fight nude! Why should they weari any attire at all?
more Mearchandise
Puzzles in the Yodobashi Camera store in Akihabara
more Puzzles
even more Puzzles!
Wifispot in front of Yodobahshi Camera
advert on a station floor
Beck\'s now conquering the coffee market! ;)
Upskirting? Sign next to an escalator.
[Show as slideshow]

The big bicycle trip through Japan approaches. Thus it takes a lot of resources to organize this event. A little side note in advance. I’m going to start in Korea. I have to begin my trip there due to the fact that there is no way to extend my stay in Japan after my working holiday visa expires. An advice for all who also would like to stay in Japan as long as possible. First make use of your tourist visa, extend it after the regular three months for another three months and make then use of your working holiday visa. It’s not possible the other way around!

Since last Friday I had only one day off which is why I still haven’t managed to do all the updates. This volume of work wasn’t predictable. Once I don’t work full time any more I can concentrate on blogging once again, so that there will be longer posts again.

Special thanks to: Hubertus Neidhart from  Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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39th Week

Posted on March 26, 2012 by admin

A movie about the international Anime fair in Tokyo! Will also add some photos here within the next days. Enjoy!

Animefair English von Daaaaaaaaaaaax
I haven’t forgotten the poll (last week). But still haven’t found time to set up the tool
Next week I will concentrate on updates. There are still some unpublished videos I will add to older posts.

Special thanks to: Amanda Oswalt (video text revision); Weaw J. and Taylor Cass (couch surfing hosts); Tokyo international Anime fair Hubertus Neidhart from  Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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38th Week

Posted on March 18, 2012 by admin

Japanese Sweets/Candy test

I have to apologise. In week six I wrote Japanese Candies were horrible. Back then I just had bad luck with picking the right things. Meanwhile I found some good sweets/candy. However gumdrops don’t seem to be very popular in Japan. You’ll find more candy than gumdrops in every grocery store. When one finally found gumdrops the packages are so small that one will ask her or himself, why the packages are reclosable at all. Those packs have a three times smaller capacity compared to regular German gumdrop packs with the difference that the price is three times as high compared to German Gumdrop packs. None the less. Most of those gumdrops are tasty. Enjoy the video.


Japanese candy test – Japanischer Süßigkeitentest von Daaaaaaaaaaaax

Here a selection of different candy package designs. For the first time you can vote in this blog which package design you like best! Three packs will be raffled off amongst all voters and will be sent to them. Winners can choose which candy they would like to receive. So you don’t have to take the one you voted for. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded. (Sorry, still have to set up the vote. Will post it here once everything is set up)

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[Show as slideshow]

(This text has not been revised. Should you spot a horrible mistake you simply can’t live with :) or a typical “German English” phrase please let me know by dropping me a message or a comment. I will correct it and credit your name should you wish that. I’m happy to receive any feedback and really appreciate your help.)

Special thanks to: Hyunjung Kim, 유현화, both South Korea; Fumi Ono, Japan; Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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37th Week

Posted on March 11, 2012 by admin

One Year after Fukushima

In memory of the victims of the earthquake-, tsunami-, and the nuclear reactor disaster of Fukushima one year ago I decided not to post an article this Sunday. This entry is dedicated to the victims and their dependants.

Our thoughts are with the people who lost their lives or existence that day.

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36th Week

Posted on March 4, 2012 by admin

Maria Prusakova Part II

Masha about how it is to go back to a “normal” life again. Advice for Snowboarders. And something about her successor.

Masha part 2 von Daaaaaaaaaaaax

(My apologies for the bad sound. The battery for my mic died that day and it was not possible to get a replacement up here in the mountains)

2012-02-18-16-01-43
2012-02-18-16-03-19
masha-jumping_0
[Show as slideshow]

Next Sunday, Japan is going to commemorate the earthquake-, tsunami-, and reactor catastrophe of 3/11. In respect of all the people who lost their family members and friends I decided not to post an article next week but only to concentrate on updates. Our thoughts are with the people who lost their lives or existence that day.

Special thanks to: Maria Prusakova, Russia; Hayden Rhodes, New Zealand; Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich;

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