Blog
Japlanning Guide - Gunkanjima Island
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
Gunkanjima Island is located off the coast of Nagasaki on the southern island Kyushu. It was once a full working island city, with schools, movie theatres and more. It was once the most densely populated place on earth, and now you can tour and see the ghost town it has become. Today we are taking a look at it’s history and the easiest way for you to visit an island that few people have seen in the last 40 years.
It’s official name is Hashima Island but it is more commonly known as Gunkanjima (軍艦島 - Warship Island), due to its uncanny resemblance to a warship floating in the water. Gunkanjima’s history dates back to 1887, when coal was discovered on the island. By the end of the 1800’s, the island was populated and used as a seabed coal mining facility. In 1890 the Island was purchased by Mitsubishi (Yes, Mitsubishi) who further expanded the production and mining operation on the Island. Through land reclamation of the ocean, they were able to expand the very small space of the island to further increase their production ability.
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Japlanning Review - Japanese Tutor Melbourne Language & Culture School
By Bryce Marley-Jarrett
In today's world there are so many options to study new languages. The online Japanese study market is plentiful, however for many, online study doesn’t have the same effect, accountability, or progression of an actual person-to-person class. Today we have a review of the Japanese Tutor Melbourne Language & Culture School, serving the Melbourne area with private tutoring, group and conversational classes.
Simply put, learning Japanese is no easy task. You are not only taking on a new language, but also with it you are having to learn three sets of characters used in everyday Japanese life.
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Train vs Plane - Tokyo to Nagasaki
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
Tokyo is the main hub for people coming into Japan for tourism, however there is so much across this amazing country to see that, like most people, you will explore beyond the mega-city that is Tokyo. Once deciding where to head, the next question is how to get there. Today we take a look at going from Tokyo to Nagasaki, and look at the best options to travel there. Yes, today we’re comparing trains vs planes!
Nagasaki is about 1250km (around 780 miles) away from Tokyo, or a 15-hour car ride. It is an amazing city that often gets overlooked for closer, more convenient cities. Nagasaki sits on the west coast side of Kyushu island, and is a bayside city surrounded by lush, green mountains, and it bears a startling difference to Tokyo and even other port cities like Osaka. Strolling through Nagasaki, you will notice a great feeling of city life, while also maintaining that small town charm to it that feels very unique.
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image: nihongomaster.com
Japlanning Review - Nihongomaster.com
by Devon Sponheimer
Today Japlanning have a review of one of the longstanding members of the online Japanese language learning world - Nihongomaster.com. We have delved in, used the site and have a comprehensive review of the Nihongo Master to help you decide if it is good for anyone looking to start learning Japanese.
Nihongo Master is a site created in 2011 with the goal of assisting wannabe linguists with the tools they need to travel along their language journey. With three levels (introductory, beginner and advanced) it can be used by learners of all levels.
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Japlanning Review - Westin Tokyo
by Bryce Marley-Jarrett
Tokyo, the biggest city in the world, has a range of hotels to fit everyone’s budget. From hostels and capsule hotels, through to 5+ stars like the Four Seasons and Park Hyatt. Today we are reviewing our recent stay at one of the 5-star hotel contenders: The Westin Tokyo, located in Ebisu. Does it live up to its 5-star rating? Read on to find out.
Our recent stay at the Westin Tokyo was not planned. The result of an Airbnb in Shibuya being booked under the guise of “sleeps 10 to 12 people” and realising 8 of our 10 group would barely be able to live in there, sent us scrambling the internet to find a nearby hotel with available rooms and without a ridiculous price tag.
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