Tokyo VR Project

Here's an interesting site I've come across, it's a virtual tour of some parts of Tokyo. If you haven't been to Tokyo and want to see what all the hype is about, miss Tokyo or want to show someone around then this site is the perfect place to while away a few hours and wander around from the comfort of your PC.

The site uses Quicktime VR and gives you a 360 degree panoramic view of the area you wish to visit. I had a wander around Asakusa shrine and showed my girlfiend what I did there when I was in Japan last February. As you look around the panoramic image at certain places on the screen the cursor changes and you can click to move further into that area. A map at the bottom gives you a birds eye view of where you are.

You can check out Virtual Tokyo at http://tokyo-vr.com/ , I'll also post this on my links bar on the right.

Penguins, TRain Passes, Ayumi Hamasaki all in a Great Japanese Adventure

Hey, I'm back again with a few more links added to the site to the right. First of is the very useful JR pass site. I've used this pass twice since I've been back in Japan. If you are going to travel long distances in Japan then this is the pass for you. Check with the Hyperdia link to see how much you can save with this pass. I usually save around $300 - $400 AUD each time I'm in Japan.

Are you studying Japanese? Well if your at an intermediate level or need some help with some of the more bizarre or confusing aspects of the Japanese language then Pera Pera Penguin might help. At the most recent count there are 76 lessons to help to turn you into a Japanese language master.

J-POP fans, are there any out there? Well here is one of the best fan sites I've ever seen. Divine Ayu has been running for a few years now and it just can't be beaten in terms of news, lyrics, photo's and other info about Ayumi Hamasaki. Ayumi Hamasaki can be considered the Maddona of Japan, though some have compared her to Britany Spears, I'm yet to see her shave her head and loose the plot completely. Here music style is quite diverse going from ballads, pop, hard rock, trance, eurobeat and house. This is where I go to see when something new is coming out.

Saving the best for last is my mate Justin's blog The Great Japanese Adventure. This was linked on my old site but it's worth a plug again as it's a damn good read. I've had the pleasure of being part of his great adventure a couple of times in my return visits to Japan. Those of you wanting to teach English in Japan will find a brutally honest account of life abroad in Japan as a language exchange teacher which will give you a great insight into what to expect for life in Japan.

Enjoy!