Tokyo just might be the largest city in the world, comprised of 23 individual wards, all with their own unique characteristics. Foreigners are easily intimidated by the sheer expanse of Japan’s capital city and its 17 million inhabitants (5 million are commuters); however, due to this volume alone Tokyo has developed an unmatched public transportation system and an intricate network of visitor friendly information resources. The best way to travel Tokyo’s frantic bustle is to allow the subway to lead the way. A loose itinerary will draw you into true Japanese life through unexpected encounters and more intimate experiences.

Tokyo: A Consumer Capital

It may be ironic that one of the most expensive cities in the world also has one of the most rampant and flamboyant consumer cultures. Tourist attractions in Tokyo consist of many gargantuan shopping complexes in addition to the cultural favorites. The Ginza shopping district reigns supreme for ostentatious spending habits, with thousands of mega-stores, boutiques and an excessive array of non-functional novelty stores for the easily amused within us all. For a dose of New York in Tokyo, visit Shibuya, which is rife with higher-end shops, shrines, King-Kong-sized plasma TV screens and the busiest pedestrian street crossing in the world.

A Culture of Retrospect and Reflection

There is a tendency to become inundated and desensitized by the neon lights that line the city streets like masts in Japan’s ocean of technology. While these electric temples serve to extol a hyper-modern age, Tokyo also possesses some of the most idyllic and serene shrines and pagodas in the country. Meiji-jingu is the most impressive of Tokyo’s Shinto shrines, built with Japanese cypress and copper plates for the roof. Even though the shrine was destroyed during World War II, the reconstruction has not lost any of the grandeur. Just north of the city, Bonsai Park treats visitors to the zen-like art of cultivating these meticulously placed miniature trees and experiencing the calming of the mind. An essential experience for anyone traveling to Tokyo is the view of Mount Fuji in the early hours of dawn. This is possible from within the city, atop one of the massive skyscrapers such as the Government Building in Shinjuku. Directly in the center of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is an inner-city sanctuary that is home to the Imperial Family. The public can visit the surrounding East Gardens and walk along the double bridge over the tranquil moats of the palace grounds, but the palace buildings and inner courtyard are closed to visitors.

Travel to Tokyo with a willingness to get lost among the hustle and perhaps find yourself again in the silence of a shrine. The expansive city and system of subways make it nearly impossible to make a wrong turn.

by Frank Johnson

While eBay’s success in the Western world is well known, in Japan eBay failed to make a good first impression and the online auction giant pulled out of Japan in March 2002. If you try to visit eBay’s Japanese website now you will find an apologetic message, and a link to another Japanese auction site called Bidders. Bidders has only a tiny fraction of current the Japanese online auction market.

The demise of eBay Japan is no great loss and Yahoo! Auctions is enjoying immense popularity. Even when eBay Japan was in the running, Yahoo! enjoyed a 95% share of the online auction market, compared to eBay’s piddling 3%.

Yahoo! has made great inroads in Japan, both through their Yahoo! BB broadband services and also the ubiquitous Yahoo web portal. Yahoo! has been very well accepted in Japan and has gained the respect and trust of the Japanese people.

Cultural differences could place more of a part than it first appears. Yahoo! has been careful to tailor their service to the Japanese way of thinking and of life.

Even online, the famed Japanese politeness and etiquette is essential. For example, leaving feedback like ‘Great buyer’ or ‘Bad seller’ will just not cut it. Nor will leaving over factual or emotional responses. There is a definite requirement that all communication between the buyer and seller is respectful and verbose.

If you have ever used eBay, one thing that may shock you about Japanese online auctions is their trusting nature. I have bought a number of different items where the seller has sent me out the item before I’ve even paid for it! This works because most Japanese will feel guilty and run down to make their payment straight away. I’ve even bought from proper online stores and been given the same payment terms, delivery now… pay later! If only Western society was like that.

Another reason for Yahoo! Auctions’ rise to the top was perhaps their Yahoo! Payments system. Yahoo! Payments allows the seller to receive the funds from the sale into their bank account.

A browse through Yahoo! Auctions reveals a world of items that Western collectors would drool over. But before you attempt to logon, you’d better have several years of Japanese studies under your belt. Unless you can converse like a native, with all the intricacies of the Japanese politeness you won’t get far. You’ll also need access to payment methods that you can only do in Japan, such as a local postal money order. International payments are definitely not accepted - and a Japanese delivery address is a must.

Most sellers wont even sell to overseas for these reason, and also because they don’t want the hassles of international delivery. Why would they? With a population of around 127,000,000 people, potential buyers in Japan are not exactly hard to come by.