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Why You Should Not Trust ChatGPT To Be Your Japan Guide

ChatGPT (and other similar large language models) have become famous as tools for writing anything from academic papers to wedding speeches. But they have also become famous for hallucinating, inventing facts to fit the story (sometimes, you might think Donald Trump uses Chat GPT to write his speeches). And even though the large language models are populated by ingesting facts from the Internet…

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Yes, There Is A Reason To Stop At Railway Crossings

I did not believe my eyes when I saw it on the TV news, but I suddenly realized there is a reason to stop at railway crossings. The news were from Aomori, the northernmost part of Honshu, the long island where Tokyo is located. Aomori is beautiful and interesting, and an amazing skiing destination. In particular this year. They news report was about the record snowfall. Aomori got half a meter…

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Bugs In The Car

It happened again this morning: I almost ran into the car in front because I was chasing a mosquito. The hot (and relatively dry) summer has kept bugs at bay. The cicadas were late this year, and even if there have been insects, it was only in September that they came out in full force. Not that it makes anyone happier, because with the heat likely to continue through October, the bug season…

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Watching Out For Corners

There was a bump and a screech, and my son in the back seat was worried what mommy would say when we got home. But there was no visible marks. I had just driven into the concrete fundament of our neighbors airconditioner when I turned the corner. It was night and I got distracted by the headlight switcing to full beam when I accidentally pulled the lever, but it should not have happened. I have…

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How Crowded Is That Train?

Japan is country where there are rules and guidelines for everything. Including how crowded a train is. Train crowded to about 165 % The Ministry of Land , Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism defines rules for almost everything when it comes to roads and trains – including what constitutes crowded. Here are the official levels of train crowding in Japan: 100% — Commuters have enough…

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The U-Turn In A Typhoon

Every year at Obon, the Buddhist holy days when the dead return to their old homes, Japanese families pack themselves into the car, train, or airplane; and go visit their ancestral sites. Especially those living in cities far from their grandparents face a strenuous trip to be able to reconnect with their roots. Old Japanese street The “U-Turn”, so called because the travelers do not stay long…

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Driving Hot Cars

Japan this summer has been hot, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees centigrade for extended periods. It has been so hot that it hurts to put your hands on the steering wheel when you pick up the car after leaving it in the parking lot. Thankfully, the heat seems to have had an unexpected benefit: there are fewer reports than usual of children dying in hot cars when their parents went…

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It does feel like a popup, but this breakfast and lunch restaurant is as busy as they come. And the prices are just right too.

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Morning menu in a Miyakojima popup

It does feel like a popup, but this breakfast and lunch restaurant is as busy as they come. And the prices are just right too. maps.app.goo.gl/hs6Fq3reReB6APt46

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One of the more paradisical islands in Okinawa is the small island of Miyakojima - and it turns out they have great burgers, too!

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Great Burgers In Miyakojima

One of the more paradisical islands in Okinawa is the small island of Miyakojima – and it turns out they have great burgers, too! maps.app.goo.gl/JUsbZL56QUkj4C8Q9

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If you are serious about real hamburgers and happen to be in Oyama in southern Tochigi, drop in at K’rocodile Diner. The experience is almost as good as the hamburgers are great.

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Best Hamburgers In Southern Tochigi

Hamburg is on the menu in any family restaurant. But that means a (delicious) patty on a griddle plate. If you are serious about real hamburgers and happen to be in Oyama in southern Tochigi, drop in at K’rockodile Diner. The experience is almost as good as the hamburgers are great. maps.app.goo.gl/eVmhizh4b2qeHB358

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Bicycles in traffic

For those who do not have a car in Japan, bicycles are the main means of getting around. Especially in cities. Since getting a drivers license in Japan is fairly easy, and cars are affordable both to buy and operate, that means people who use bicycles are either very old, very young, or live in big cities where parking is more expensive than buying a car. Children get traffic education in…

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One more chain for Japanese ready meals

There areseveral chains that serve rice bowls topped with a meat stew, and this is one of the lesser known. Bot undeservedly so, because they are often better than their competitors, and they have both soba and udon on the menu. And separate breakfast options. maps.app.goo.gl/w615ck3guW86yKA47