Category: General

After finishing my diploma thesis I prepared my first scientific publication about the usage of apps for public transport navigation on mobile phones – and what was nearer than to present it at a conference in the biggest city of the world, where public transport plays a very important role? Therefore I went to Tōkyō, Japan and spoke about my results.

Getting around Tōkyō, Japan is easy if you once understood the systems and know how to get a ticket. There are JR train, subway and bus networks – the latter you only need for more remote locations. Remember: you enter busses in the rear and pay when you exit in front. Continue reading “Public transport”

Something you should really do while being in Japan is a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. A great place to do so in Tōkyō is the tea house within Hamarikyū garden. It is located on a house within a pond surrounded by green fields.

In a crowded city like Tōkyō, Japan the transportation plays an important role. Road construction works or interruptations in public transport could cause major problems – and are therefore often carried out at night and in high speed – something Europe can really learn from.

Japan is a country where things are done differently than in the west. And you always start thinking about the things that seem normal to you and that you’ve never questioned. I wonder why in Europe nobody hat the idea to hang up the items of a gasoline station – it safes a lot of space.

Choosing a meal isn’t too easy in Japan. Sometimes the menus are just in Japanese and you also have the language barrier. My best choice where small sushi sellers near residential areas. And I went to soup eaterys underneath subway stations where you select your meal at a vending machine and give the receipt to the chef.

While toilets in public spaces normally look like the typical western standard, you might find special devices in hotels. My hotel had one of these with buttons – bringing up water streams like a shower. Nothing I really made use of.