地震! Earthquake!

I have several wonderful friends living in Japan right now. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this time, and I hope that they remain safe and secure during the coming weeks. If there is anything I can do to help, and it is within my power to do so, PLEASE let me know.

To the residents of Sendai and surrounding areas who have lost loved ones, my thoughts and prayers are with you, your families, and your friends throughout this crisis. Please stay safe, please stay strong. You are not alone in all of this.

How we can all help:

Etsy Store Grand Re-Opening

Now 100% more models! I want to especially thank K. Spencer Jones Photography for the pretty and vivid fashion shots and my models, Natalie Leora Jensen...

and Thelma Duff!

Models are not the only changes. I've also lowered the shipping costs because I have a more feasible method now.

And in honor of the grand re-opening, I've also taken 25% off most of the shirts! Click here to visit the shop and thanks for your support!

新幹線！Bullet trains!

Sorry about the lapse in posts. I've been busy moving between Connecticut and Florida a couple of times. Oh, and I went to Norway and Finland on vacation. But, I'm gearing up to return to Japan in April to procure even more fabulous shirts! I'll post an itinerary of my this trip when it's a bit more solid. Right now, it's just a jumble of obligations that I have to organize.


Alright, now onto the subject at hand, my absolute favorite thing about visiting Japan: the shinkansen, or bullet trains. They're sleek, convenient, futuristic, comfortable and above all, fast. I'll run down the different types of tickets, routes, restrictions and of course the trains themselves.

First, all shinkansen are operated by the Japan Rail Group which is comprised of 6 companies: JR-Kyūshū, JR-Shikoku, JR-West, JR-Central, JR-East and JR-Hokkaidō. They operate various bullet and commuter trains, as well as buses and ferries throughout the entire country.


If you find yourself in Japan for a week, I strongly advise getting a JR Rail Pass. It's basically unlimited use of all JR operated trains, buses and ferries for x amount of days. Please note: you can only obtain one of these rail passes if you are in the country on a tourist visa; not on business. Here are the types of rail passes:

• JR East Pass - available in 5, 10 or flexible 4 day types, this pass is good for all 5 shinkansen lines (Akita, Tōhoku, Yamagata, Jōetsu and Nagano), the Tōkyō Monorail, various JR local lines within the Tōkyō metropolitan area and the Narita Express. It basically encompasses the northern part of Honshū (the main island).
• Sanyō Area Pass - available in 4 or 8 day types, this pass is good for the Sanyō shinkansen, Kansai Airport Express, Miyajima Ferry Route and various JR local trains in Nagoya, Ōsaka, Kōbe, Kyōto, Hiroshima, etc.
• Kansai Area Pass - available in 1, 2, 3 or 4 day types, this pass is good for the Kansai Airport Express, and local JR operated trains in Ōsaka, Kōbe, Nara, Himeji and Universal-city.
  
• Japan Rail Pass - This is the most expensive pass, but worth it. Here's how they get ya: you might think you yourself "I'll just get the JR East Pass!" Well, that's good for Tōkyō, but there's really not a lot to see east of it. And if you want to head anywhere west on Honshū, you're footing the full price. And if you want to spend time in Nagoya, Ōsaka, etc, but plan on spending a lot of time in Tōkyō, then you're paying for all your trains there. So, you might as well just get this pass. It's the best value. Available in 7, 14 and 21 day types, this gets you around the entire country. The only restrictions are the Nozomi train on the Tōkaidō line and Mizuho train on the Kyūshū and Sanyō lines.

The ticketing can be a little confusing with non-reserve, green seats and reserved cars. If you're using a rail pass, that's only good for the non-reserved cars, which are usually at the front of the train. Most of the time there are three non-reserved cars: two non-smoking cars and one smoking car where you can choose your seat. If there aren't any available, you'll have to take the next train or a different kind. Reserved seats are more expensive, but you're guaranteed a seat and green seats are basically first class. The cars are labeled in English so it's not a problem finding the correct one.

This is a ticket for Kyōto bound Nozomi train departing from Tōkyō.


Now about the different types of trains. Generally, each has 3 types of trains operating on each line; the difference among them being their design and top speed. The faster the train, the more expensive the fare (unless you have a pass). Here's a promo video of the new 500 Series Nozomi. I've been on the 700 series Nozomi, but not this one yet. Enjoy the epic music that goes along. I'm a dork and can pretty much watch these videos all day. I mean, look at this thing - it's bad ass!



On my first trip to Japan, I made a funny observation on the names of the trains on the Tōkaidō line. The slowest one is the Kodama ("echo"). The next fastest is the Hikari ("light") and the fastest is the Nozomi ("hope"). So according to their logic, hope is faster than light.

Here's the inside of the Nozomi 700 Series - it's pretty much like the interior of an airplane. There are even attendants who sell drinks and snacks on board. But they are pricey. There are kiosks on the platforms, so just stock up before you board. Food and drink are allowed on these trains.



Here's a video I took aboard the Nozomi Super Express (700 series) departing Shin-Yokohama bound for Nagoya.

To the right are links to JR so you can view timetables, maps and fares. Right now, I see the Japan Rail Pass for $340 which is very reasonable considering round trip to Nagoya from Tōkyō was about $120 when I was there last. You can easily get your money's worth in 2 days.