Living in Tokyo: the Hanami Party The TJL team was recently invited to a Hanami Party in Tokyo. For those who don’t know of this event, Hanami translates as, “Flower Viewing.” Now, watching flowers are not among our favorite activities. But since the viewing includes a picnic with free flowing beer and sake, then it becomes a mandatory TJL holiday. Actually, since… Read More
Using Your New iPad in Tokyo
Santa brought me a very special gift this year, a brand new Apple iPad (the US version, not the local Japanese version). My research indicated that the 3G version was pretty much useless in Japan (due to differing phone standards), so in my letter to Santa, I requested an iPad 32 GB, Wi-Fi only model. First, I need to address some… Read More
Using the Amazon Kindle in Japan
I recently brought my faithful Kindle DX (small screen 3G version) to Tokyo, Japan. This version is advertised as being usable in over 100 countries, one of which is Japan. While still in the US, I prepped the device before my trip. The registration process and downloading of eBooks worked perfectly in the States. I even signed up for two… Read More