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Japan in pictures

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Akihabara, Tokyo
Anime eyes
Anime vendors in Japan

Since gaining international attention in the 1970s and 80, Japanese comics called manga and animated shows known as anime have won a worldwide following. But to truly delve into the heart of this pop culture phenomenon, you need to visit Japan.

Tenchi. Inuyasha. Momiji. Yu-Gi-Oh. Dragonball. Voltron. If these and similar names have meaning for you, it means you may be or may have been a fan of anime.

Anime are Japanese animated productions, ranging from TV shows to short films and feature-length movies. They are closely related to manga, the popular comics read in Japan by people of all ages.

They all share a common style — human characters with super-large eyes and faces, with the rest of their bodies often out of proportion to the head.

The storylines can be simple or complex, but often carry a moral message or delve into the struggle to find one’s way in a difficult, complex world. The images and storylines alike can range from innocent and playful to dark and sinister, or very sexy. They also often touch on themes in Japanese history and culture, as well as Japan’s relationship with the outside world.

Anime has been around since 1917, but it took the work of Osamu Tekuza, a physician who found his true calling as a cartoonist and animator, to set down what is now universally recognized as anime. The art form gained recognition outside Japan in the 1980s and its popularity now is virtually worldwide.

So why, you wonder, am I talking about Japanese animation on a travel blog? For the same reason I’d be talking about Disney characters or Harry Potter. That’s right, there actually is such a thing as anime tourism.

Just as the Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle provided the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle in California, and Alnwick Castle in northeast England was the real-life inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, many of the anime storylines are set in or inspired by real places across Japan.

But Ground Zero for a true anime fanatic has to be Akihabara in central Tokyo.

This district started drawing tourists in the 1970s for its dizzying array of electronics shops, selling everything from small hand-held radios to cameras, stereo equipment, cell phones, video games and much more, often including gear “not sold in any store” outside of Japan.

It was enough to earn Akihabara the nickname “Electric City.”

More recently, it’s become the headquarters for otaku, people of all ages devoted to all things manga and anime. If you’re into both anime and collectibles, Akihabara is where you want to be.

But Akihabara takes it even further with its comic cafes called “manga kissaten,” where you can watch anime DVDs and read manga to your heart’s content. Then there are the “maid cafes,” where waitresses dress up and act like famous anime characters.

Cultural kitsch to the max.

If you’re wondering if anyone in Japan runs anime tours, the answer is a definite “Hai!” The tours themselves range in length from a day to a week or more, covering one or more districts in Tokyo or multiple cities. A cursory Web search found these:

  • POP JAPAN TRAVEL
    Group tours with bilingual guides. Owned by Japanese comics publisher Digital Manga. These guys immerse you in Japanese pop culture in your choice of four cities — Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama and Kyoto. They also can hook you up with manga artists and anime studios.
  • PACSET TOURS
    Two things about this outfit caught my eye. The first was that they offer payment plans for their tours that don’t require you to buy the whole package up front (why don’t more tour operators do this?). The other was a vague Twitter reference to “anime-themed liquor.”
  • DESTINATION JAPAN
    They say their weeklong “Tokyo Anime Freedom Tour” is the most popular tour package they offer. The disastrous 2011 earthquake knocked them out two years ago, but they returned last year and are back again for 2013.

Believe me, this is only a very small sample of the tours available in Japan, but this should be enough to get you started. You also should contact the Japan National Tourism Organization, which can hook you up with tons of information on anime tourism.

Anime tours tend to run in the spring, so if this kind of Japanese visit sounds appealing, you really need to start planning now.

You come to understand ancd appreciate anything that much more when you get a look at it from the inside. An anime tour can take you deeper into this phenomenon than mere readers or viewers will ever get, and by extension, give you a richer understanding of Japan itself.

That alone is reason enough to seriously consider a wide-eyed flight into Japanese animation.

IBIT TRAVEL DIGEST 3.4.12

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A roundup of the good, the bad and the bizarre from the world’s best travel media. ​

Refugee camp, DR Congo

©Sam D'cruz | Dreamstime.com

REFUGEE TOURISM…REALLY?
Yes, really.

There’s a private tour company in Rwanda, New Dawn Associates, that includes in its offerings a tour of the Humure refugee camp, composed of Rwandan refugees who had fled into neighboring Tanzania to escape the genocide and civil war of the mid-1990s, later to be pushed back into arid wildlands inside Rwandan territory.

According to their Web site, Humure is “a refugee community with a very rich history and culture, and very entrepreneurial and hospitable attitudes…Visitors are invited to participate in the daily lives and cultural customs.”

For me, though, this was the capper: “Home stays will also become available soon.”

That’s right. For whatever amount of money New Dawn Associates is charging for this tour, you too can play African refugee for a day or more.

New Dawn Associates says on its site that they work in partnership that includes local authorities and the “Humure tourism cooperative,” adding that the community’s share of the profits from this venture is 70 percent.

Being a guy who tries to give folks the benefit of the doubt, I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. But in an editorial for The New Times of Rwanda, writer Sunny Ntayombya has no such hesitation, calling it “disgusting and morally questionable.”

You can read the entire New Times editorial here.

Is this altruism at its best or exploitation at its worst? Click on the Comments section below and have your say.

FALKLANDS FLAP
The continuing dispute between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands has now spilled over into cruise travel.

According to Travel Weekly, two cruise ships recently were refused permission to dock at the Argentine port city of Ushuaia. Reason: They had previously made a port call on the Falklands, which the Argentines call the Malvinas.

You can read the entire Travel Weekly story here.

The islands are one of Britain’s last remaining colonies, since 1833, and Argentina has claimed sovereignty over them for almost as long.

When Argentina invaded in 1982, it led to a short but ruinous war between the two sides that killed more than a thousand men, cost the Royal Navy several ships and ultimately brought down the Argentine government.

​KEEP YOUR CAMERA COOL
The folks at Matador Network have some tips on how to protect your camera — and your shots — from extreme heat and sunlight.​

You can read those tips here.

The truth is that most of us blithely ignore those obscure manufacturers’ references to safe operating temperatures — and that little warning could cost you dearly.

When I took my then-new Canon G12 to the Gambia, it was February, but their winter sun was still fiercely bright and blazing hot, so much so that it fried the circuitry in my digital audio recorder. I had to periodically shut down the G12 and let it rest in the shade.

I ended up missing some great shots, but the alternative was to go the rest of the trip with a dead camera.

These days, some manufacturers are making cameras with light-colored or even all-white bodies. If you know you’re going to be spending a lot or all of your time in hot environments, you might consider getting one.

As an old-school shutterbug*, anything other than an all-black camera looks just too toylike to be taken seriously. After seeing the number that the Gambian sun did on my all-black gear, however, I may need to adjust my attitude.

(*Note that I refer to myself here as a “shutterbug” rather than a photographer. I’ve worked with real photographers. I know the difference.)



And now, here’s this week’s Digest:

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AIR
from USA Today
While American Airlines and its employee unions wage a very public feud over American’s bankruptcy petition, Frontier Airlines may be quietly going on the auction block. The only question is: Does anyone want it?

from USA Today
The flip side of airline mergers. The Southwest Airlines purchase of AirTran may be great for Southwest, but it’s leaving some cities feeling abandoned.

from Budget Travel
Want to get away from East Coast weather? Airlines putting on more flights to Hawaii.
​

LAND
from TNOOZ
TripAdvisor partnering with a European hotel booking service to create third-party verification of customer reviews in an attempt to combat phony, bogus, “planted” customer views.

from Budget Travel via Yahoo!
Food etiquette for travelers. The do’s and don’ts when sitting down to table away from home.

SEA
from the USA Today
The parade of new cruise ships just doesn’t stop. Disney christens a new one in New York, Disney Fantasy, set to sail a year from now. Mariah Carey does the honors.

from USA Today
And speaking of new cruise ships, Royal Caribbean has got a whole new class of cruisers coming out, the Sunshine class. These are actually smaller than the floating behemoths of the Oasis class — but with a capacity of up to 4,100 passengers, they still won’t exactly be the SS Minnow.

from Travel Weekly​
What is Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas doing way the hell over in Singapore? A $54-million facelift, that’s what.

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AFRICA
from TNOOZ
Online hotel reservation systems aren’t exactly flocking to West Africa, so one entrepreneur is creating his own. It follows a trend of Africans creating their own homegrown version of popular online commercial services.

from The Independent (Uganda) via allAfrica.com
Uganda creates new Tourism Police force, with an eye toward crime prevention and building on the country’s newfound momentum as a tourist destination.

from the BuaNews (South Africa) via allAfrica.com
It’s starting to look as if the 2010 FIFA World Cup wasn’t a fluke. With some 200 international conferences booked over the next five years, South Africa is becoming a major world destination for major events.

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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN
from Budget Travel
Want to go spring breaking in Mexico, but the State Department’s latest Mexico travel warning is making you nervous? State is now coming back with a list of Mexican cities where things are cool enough not to rate an advisory.

from the New York Times
Austin, the official state capital of Texas and the unofficial state capital of non-Texan counterculture, shows all the signs of going upscale.

from the Los Angeles Times
Whitney Houston’s body isn’t even cold in the ground yet, but the Beverly Hills hotel where she died is already on the Hollywood tour-bus circuit.
​
from The Guardian (London UK)
Is climate change threatening a Canadian winter sports tradition with extinction?

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ASIA/PACIFIC
​from the Los Angeles Times
In central Java in predominantly Muslim Indonesia, near one of the few cities in the world still ruled by a sultan, stands the imposing Buddhist temple of Borobudur.

from the New York Times
The seaside village of Kep in coastal Cambodia is lovely, laid back and delightfully light on tourist crowds — for now. ​

from the Los Angeles Times
Remember the insane surfing-under-fire scene from the Vietnam war movie “Apocalypse Now?” In Da Nang these days, the war’s long gone, but the good surf is still there.

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EUROPE
from The Guardian (London UK)
After several years’ hiatus, the classic Routemaster double-decker bus is back on the streets of London. This interactive guide will introduce you to the newest edition of a London icon. Meanwhile, this Los Angeles Times story tells the tale of their disappearance and return.

​from The Guardian (London UK)
The hidden shopping arcades of Paris. Your wallet may wish they had remained hidden.

Edited by P.A. Rice

​

WEST AFRICA JOURNAL: Detouring ’round Dallas

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American Airlines Boeing 757 "on final" in San Diego

Okay, flights are rerouted. San Diego up to Los Angeles via American Eagle, then from LAX into Washington Dulles.

If all goes well, not only will I arrive in DC tomorrow, but a good four hours earlier than originally scheduled.

Props to the reservations folks at American Airlines for coming through in the face of a monstrous storm that’s destined to play havoc with tens of thousands of travelers tomorrow. Mine really worked hard to make it happen for me, and I got her supervisor on the phone and told her so.

My comments go into her permanent file. I hope it leads to some extra cash going into her pocket.

Meanwhile, I’m back on track to Senegal and the Gambia.

Remember that Disney commercial of a few years back? The little brother and sister are sitting in bed, all wide-eyed and eager about their big trip to Disneyworld the next day. When the mother comes in and tells them to go to bed, the little boy replies:

“We’re too excited to sleep!”

That’s me, right now. I may not close my eyes again until somewhere over the Atlantic on Wednesday night. The pilot may be able to illuminate his flight path with the red glow from my eyes.

Do I care? Not a bit!

Happy Birthday at sea

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That’s the promotion that Italy’s MSC Cruises is now running to lure passengers for its winter Caribbean cruise schedules. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But for every pitch, there’s usually a catch — and this one’s no exception.

With monstrous new cruise ships coming into service at a steady pace for the next year or two, the competition for Caribbean cruise passengers is intense.

This is a special problem for a European-based cruise line that may not register with American travelers to the same degree as, say, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess or Disney.

So the folks at MSC Cruises have come up with an idea they hope will hook your attention:

If you book a Caribbean cruise on one of their ships for your birthday, you cruise for free.

Well, almost free.

USA Today has all the details, which you can read here.

Now, you can’t just show up at the dock with a copy of your birth certificate and expect to be welcomed aboard. In fact, you can’t even make this trip by yourself.

Someone else has to be sharing the cabin with you & mdash; and that passenger will be paying.

Also, that offer of a free cruise only covers the cost of the cabin, or at least your half of it. The port taxes and fees that normally would be tacked on to your cruise fare, you still have to pay yourself.

To my my mind, that means this isn’t really “free.” Even so, it could still be an incredibly cheap cruise for at least one of you.

Also, the birthday promotion is but one of several cruise sales that MSC is offering on their Web site, including one in which they’ll basically give you a two-week cruise for what they normally charge for one week.

If you’re not familiar with MSC Cruises, here’s a little 4-1-1:

The “MSC” stands for Mediterranean Shipping Co., container ship operators based in Switzerland. They are relative newcomers to the cruise game, having started in 1987.

Their very first ship was the Achille Lauro, made infamous when Palestinian gunmen hijacked her in 1985 and murdered a wheelchair-bound passenger. Renamed the StarLauro, they operated her until 1994, when she caught fire off Somalia and sank.

In the last decade, MSC Cruises has turned out several sleek new ships, and picked up a few more from defunct European lies. Their vessels carry musical or fantasy names — Lirica, Opera, Armonia, Sinfonia, Orchestra, Poesia, Splendida.

With a maximum so far of about 3,300 passengers, even their newest and biggest Fantasia-class ships tend to carry substantially fewer passengers than the behemoths currently being cranked out by Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

To my mind, that’s a good thing.

Being a privately owned cruise line, you’re not as likely to get the feeling that you’re on a one-cruise-fits-all with these guys. Here’s how Fodor’s describes MSC’s cruisers:

“No glitz, no clutter, just elegant simplicity is the standard of MSC’s seaworthy interior decor. Extensive use of marble, brass, and wood reflects the best of Italian styling and design; clean lines and bold colors set their modern sophisticated tone.

MSC has adopted some activities that appeal to American passengers without abandoning those preferred by Europeans (you should be prepared for announcements in Italian as well as English while on board). In addition to the guest lecturers, computer classes, and cooking lessons featured in the enrichment programs, Italian-language classes are a popular option. Nightly shows accentuate the cruise line’s Mediterranean heritage; there might be a flamenco show in the main showroom and live music for listening and dancing in the smaller lounges, while the disco is a happening late-night spot.

The MSC entertainment staff shine off-stage as well as in front of the spotlight. They seek out passengers traveling solo, who might be looking for activity or dance partners, so that they feel fully included in the cruise.

In addition to some of the most reasonable fares in the premium cruise market, MSC doesn’t nickel-and-dime passengers during their cruises. Cocktails and wines are sensibly priced. Although it may not last, it’s been a long time since Dom Perignon by the bottle has been listed for less than $100 on most other cruise ships.”

You can find another informative review of MSC Cruises on the Cruisemates Web site.

So check it out. With a little luck, this could turn out to be the mother of all birthday parties for you!

TRAVEL WITH TWINS: We’re off!

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By JEANNIE WONG
SACRAMENTO, Ca. — Let me start by saying that, since having kids, I’ve become a travel weenie.

I’d heard all the stories and, admit it, you have, too: The tantrums! The inconsolable crying! The nasty looks! And that’s just between the parents.

Of course, I salute all those brave moms and dads who have taken trips with their young family. Imagine, hoisting on board a sleepy/cranky/teething/fill-in-the-blank toddler, complete with car seat, stroller, extra clothes and irreplaceable lovey — not to mention bags and bags of diapers — bound for some distant and exotic locale.

Admirable.

But me? The second thing you need to know about me is: I’m a comfort junkie. Give me a vacation with as less stress as possible and I’m a happy camper. (And that’s just figuratively speaking — I’ve never been camping in my life. You know, that comfort thing.)

That’s why this trip and its timing seemed so doable for myself, my husband and our just-turned-six-year-old twin daughters. Even the cost of the accommodations seemed reasonable in this down economy. (This is where you need to note a third fact about me: I’m always on a hunt for a deal.) And when the folks with Hilton Grand Vacations called, offering a package at one of their “resort properties” in Orlando — just minutes from Disney World — I bit.

(I’m a silver-level member of the Hilton Honors program, having driven up points last year during a family trip to Seattle; I’m not sure if that’s how I attracted the attention of the HGV types. In any case, they like to plan, and book far ahead — this trip was set up several months ago.)

The price of a four-day, five-night stay in a unit with living room, dining room, kitchen, master suite and laundry area will be about $590.

OK, so we’re required to attend a two-hour “sales presentation” during the trip, too. Can you say timeshare, boys and girls? But they’re also throwing in a $200 rebate certificate, to be used at one of their other hotels later. I chose the Embassy Suites. Suites are big with our family.

Our airline tickets were purchased via Expedia, and four-day park passes and a rental car procured using a AAA discount.

All in all, not too painful. Now we just need to actually get there.

The distance from Sacramento, Calif., to Orlando, Fla., is 2,395 miles. Because of heightened security, our plan is to get to the airport as early as two little girls will allow. We’ll be flying all day, making a single stop, in Atlanta. The first leg of the trip will be about four and a half hours and the second about one and a half hours.

The last time our family flew, it was on a flight that was only about an hour long — and our daughters were restless about 20 minutes into it. Free peanuts only get you so far.

This time, reinforcements will include some favorite books, sketch pads, one well-loved toy for each girl, a laptop with two sets of ear buds and a handful of DVDs. Heck, we’ll even throw in some peanuts.

Plus the promise of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Text and photos by J. Wong

(You’ll find links to Web sites with helpful tips, information and more on the Cool Travel Sites page. –G. Gross)