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General, Travel Tips

Packing for Japan – Common Issues

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During the exciting days leading up to my one-month trip from one continent – Europe, to another – Asia, I found out that packing for a longish trip to a country where there will probably be a number of communication issues due to the language barrier, was quite different from packing for a one or two-week trip to another European country, or a country which is predominantly English speaking. This is because being aware that you might not be able to communicate and ask for certain services and/or products in your target country, will result in you packing certain things which you might otherwise have purchased there instead.

Large Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka see a huge influx of Westerners, leading to many of the locals being able to communicate with them through necessity, however having decided to explore Japan while visiting both the more popular locations, as well as those off the beaten track, I had to take into account that in certain mountain villages, small fishing towns, etc, one could not expect the locals to be able to communicate in your primary language. I kept all of this in mind while packing, as well as, of course, how many pieces of luggage I was allowed to carry with the air ticket I had purchased. In my case, I could take two large pieces of luggage weighing 23kgs each, a hand luggage weighing 8kgs max, as well as a handbag.

Image Source: www.esquire.com

First of all, I would have loved to take all of this with me, however practically speaking, I knew that I would have to lug that baggage around from one city to another, on bullet trains, regular underground trains, taxis, not to mention walk around with them quite a bit, so, seeing as I have only two arms, I decided to take two large pieces of luggage with me and a backpack, even though I could have taken another bag on the plane with me as well. Having decided that, I started to compile my packing list.

Pharmaceuticals/Medicines

Unlike other Asian countries, one does not need to take any mandatory vaccines before visiting Japan. That being said, I was routinely vaccinated for measles, mumps, chickenpox and rubella as a child. Make sure to get health insurance before take-off.

Image Source: www.wikihow.com

If you are packing prescription medicines for one or more health conditions for personal use, it is important to be aware of the rules which visitors to Japan have to abide by. First of all, your country may not have the relevant information about which drugs are illegal in Japan, so it is best to contact the Japanese authorities (such as the Japanese embassy) or research/ask online. Heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, cannabis (marijuana), and stimulant drugs, including some prescription medications such as Adderall, are prohibited in Japan. There are no exceptions in bringing these prohibited medications into Japan, even if the medication is legally obtained outside of Japan. Japanese customs officials or police can detain travelers importing prohibited items.

Up to one month’s supply of prescription medicine (that is allowed by Japanese law) can be brought into Japan. Travelers should take a copy of their doctor’s prescription as well as a letter stating the purpose of the drug. Those who must carry more than one month’s supply, or are carrying syringes (pumps) or a CPAP machine, must obtain a Yakkan Shomei, that is, a type of import certificate, in advance, and present the certificate with their prescription medicines at Customs. You can find the relevant import form here. It usually takes two weeks to be processed, sent and received. Make sure to apply well before you leave for your trip. Keep your medicines, together with your prescriptions and import certificate, together in order for you to show them to the customs official at the airport. Take a look at the official Japan Customs website for more detailed information.

Regarding over the counter drugs, according to Japanese law, up to a two-months’ supply of allowable over-the-counter medication and up to a two-months’ supply of allowable vitamins can be brought into Japan duty-free, unless of course, they contain substances which are illegal in Japan.

Clothes and Shoes

Your clothes depend on the weather you’ll be facing when you arrive in Japan. For example, if you are visiting Japan during June/July, that is, in Summer, (as I am) make sure to take light and airy clothing. Summer in Japan is also the ‘rainy season’, therefore apart from your t-shirts and cotton dresses, make sure to take at least one rain coat and/or hoodie. I also packed some sunscreen and insect repellent as I was told that mosquitoes are really fierce during the rainy season!

Image Source: www.thewanderingsuitcase.com

Whether you are staying in a city or trekking through the mountain regions, you will walk. A lot. Make sure to take more than one pair of comfortable shoes. Trekking shoes are preferable but any kind of tennis shoes, boots or sandals will do as long as you know you can walk long distances in them. Stay away from heels. Personally, I found memory foam soles to be a blessing.

Don’t pack your whole closet into your luggage! You won’t need it. Calculate the number of days you are staying in Japan, then divide the get-ups you’ll need by half that number. Laundromats are plentiful in any city. Having booked predominantly Airbnb self-catering apartments for my stay in Japan, I made sure they almost all had a washing machine (or ‘washer’ as they refer to it locally), so I actually packed only around 12 sets of clothing for my 30-day stay, since I know I will be able to wash my clothes regularly for sure.

Hand luggage

Wherever your country of origin, you will probably be traveling for long hours in order to reach Japanese shores. I needed to catch two planes, adding up to a total of 19 hours of travel, in order to reach Haneda Airport. Since I opted out of having actual hand-luggage, I only had one small bag with me on board, which I used to basically hold all the things I’d need with me in order to entertain myself/rest during that time.

These were the books I had packed for a 10-day trip to France… packing books for a month would have been too much!

Being an avid bookworm, I always carry a number of books with me to read on holiday. Since this time the trip was going to be a long one, I opted to download some ebooks on my tablet instead, in order to minimize weight. My tablet, together with my mobile phone and charger, ipod and headphones, went into my handbag. Since the flights were long and my first day in Japan was packed with activities, I was aware that sleeping on the plane was essential. This is why I also armed myself with earplugs and a small inflatable pillow. Chewing gum and some water went into my bag too, as did a bar of chocolate and some snacks. We were going to be provided with a meal on the flight, but still, 19 hours seemed a long time to me!

I never put on make-up for a flight (strange huh?) but this time round, I also included some basic make-up in my bag, in order to put it on just before we landed in Tokyo, since we would also be sightseeing on that day. If you do so, make sure to place any liquids in a transparent plastic bag and that any bottle needs to hold no more than 100ml.

Of course, don’t forget to pack your Japanese Yen, credit cards, passport and boarding pass too!

Thanks heavens for large handbags!

Image Source: www.123rf.com

Important Tip: Make sure you have a couple of a power plug adapters or voltage converters for the power sockets (outlets) used in Japan. You don’t need a power plug adapter in Japan, if you are coming from the United States of America.

If you have any questions re packing for a trip to Japan, feel free to ask! I will reply as soon as possible.

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Eating Abroad, Scotland, Scotland

Breakfasting with Blood Sausage

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The first time I ever tasted blood sausage, or as it is better known in Britain, ‘blood pudding’, or ‘black pudding’, was in Scotland. We were eating a quick breakfast in a small out of the way restaurant. Instead of the usual ‘English Breakfast’ on the menu, we spied a ‘Scottish Breakfast’ and thought it would be exactly the same. We were not very mistaken, since per the usual ‘English Breakfast’ our huge plates contained mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, bacon, eggs, potatoes and toast. Only baked beans were missing (these being an English staple), but instead, we spied two very dark round pieces of something looking like a large sausage.

Tasting Scottish Blood Sausage for the first time!

Curious, we asked the waitress what it was, and she explained that ‘blood sausage’ was an integral part of Scottish breakfast. In fact, we were later to realize that blood sausage could be found in many other countries such as Belgium, France, Denmark and even in certain places on the African and Asian continent. Each country has its own variation of the blood sausage or blood pudding HOWEVER it did originally originate within the Western Isles of Scotland. It has also been granted the status of Protected Geographical Indicator of Origin, so no wonder the Scots make a claim to it!

Although the mixture for blood sausage varies with the country and locality, the blood sausage commonly found in Scotland, Ireland and the UK is, as the name clearly states, made out predominantly of pork blood and oatmeal. It can be eaten cold, as it is cooked in production, grilled, fried or boiled in its skin. 

Image Source: GrantsofSpeyside

Another variant of the blood sausage/black pudding, is the similar ‘white pudding’, which originated in Scotland as well. While white pudding is very similar to black pudding and contains almost the same mixture, it contains no blood whatsoever. Modern recipes for white pudding consist of fat, breadcrumbs, oatmeal and in some cases pork liver, filled into a natural sausage casing. Both black and white pudding were a traditional way of making use of offal following the annual slaughter of livestock and were likely introduced as a recipe in Roman times, predating even the medieval period.

Black and White pudding. Image Source: Chowhound

I tasted both black/blood and white pudding on different occasions, and I must say that personally I much prefer the original blood variant.

Some people profess that blood sausage can be of detriment to one’s health, however like meat, it is a great source of protein, calcium and magnesium, as well as iron and zinc, so if you’re following a low-carb, high-fat diet (such as the ketogenic diet), blood sausage is perfect for you. It is also very salty, so optimal for people who suffer from low-blood pressure. On the other hand if you have high-blood pressure, you might wish to leave off having a second helping.

Other varieties of blood sausage include blodpølse ( Norway and Denmark),  tongenworst (with added pigs tongues) (Netherlands), mazzit (Malta), and  krovianka (Russia ). Strange to say, but I admit that I have never tried the Maltese mazzit, even though I was born and bred in Malta. Each time I’m in the UK however, I make sure to sample some of my favorite blood sausage.

Maltese Mazzit. Image Source: Leahogg
germany

German Sausages and Sauerkraut!

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German cuisine, like any other European cuisine, is very tasty and has evolved though hundreds of years of social upheaval, political turmoil and economic/trading fluctuations. It varies from region to region, yet on the other hand, shares a number of famous recipes with a number of neighboring countries, such as Austria and the Netherlands.

The first time I journeyed to Germany, I was sorry not to have time to sample any local food, since I was there to attend a three-day heavy metal festival (Wacken Open-air Festival) and to be honest I was more worried about pitching my tent and not getting all my stuff wet in the mud, rather than actually exploring the country.

Fortunately for me, these last few years I had the opportunity to visit Germany twice, both for leisure purposes, and I finally had the time and inclination to sample some of its most notorious food.

I was staying at a self-catering apartment during both of my visits to Germany, so also had the opportunity to cook while I was there. My visit to a German supermarket was a revelation – sausages, sausages, and more sausages! So many brands, sizes, colors and varieties! I was seriously impressed!

So many varieties!

There are too many German sausages to mention them all – the most well-known is perhaps the Bratwurst, which is a sausage made from minced pork and beef, usually grilled and served with sweet mustard in a breadroll. My boyfriend went crazy for itand bought three while we were roaming around a German Christmas market, even though it was still 9am!

Pigging Out!

The Frankfurter (bockwurst) is another well-known German sausage. As the name suggests, it originated in Frankfurt and is made with veal and pork flavored with pepper and paprika. One must also not fail to mention the really tasty Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, which is usually flavored with marjoram and served with sauerkraut and horseradish. As is the Knackwurst, which is made from beef and flavored with garlic.

By the way, yes ‘wurst‘ means ‘sausage’ in German. In case you hadn’t noticed!

Another staple of German cuisine, is the much-vaunted Sauerkraut.

I’m going to write it up-front – I DO NOT LIKE SAUERKRAUT. I tasted it twice while I was in Germany, and after that I promised myself, I’d never eat it again. Be it as it may, that is my personal opinion, and most people seem to really like it, so perhaps I’m a minority in this case.

The Sauerkraut is in the middle!

Although sauerkraut is synonym to Germany and has been a staple in the German diet since the 1600s, it was in fact ‘invented’ by the Chinese, who first had the idea to ferment cabbages in their own juices, which is the basic idea behind this dish. Its popularity as a side dish (most restaurants in Germany insert sauerkraut instead of the usual salad as a side-plate) not to mention its many health properties make it a ‘superfood’. It is not only a low-calorie and low-fat food, but also chock-full with vitamins.

Sauerkraut has a long shelf-life and a distinct sour flavor. No wonder really – since as previously mentioned it consists of fermented cabbage. There are many many varieties of sauerkraut. Some pickle carrots together with the shredded cabbage, others include apples or cranberries for additional flavor, or else beets for color. Some serve it hot and some serve it cold. There are those who add seeds or berries, others use it in soups or even pie fillings.

If you’re interested in trying to cook it, here‘s one of the many good recipes I found online while researching this article.