How to use the 711 ATM's in Japan

Here is a very quick video on how to use the ATM machines in japan when going to a 711 store. 711’s are literally everywhere and tend to have a much better exchange rate than other stores. It’s best to exchange your foreign money at the airport when arriving for the best exchange rates. As many of us will be in Japan for at least three weeks you will most likely need to pull cash at some point during your stay so hope this video is helpful.

Japan Pet Taxi Service

While traveling to Japan for my surgery I used a wonderful pet taxi service called  Yako doghouse that specializes in picking up pets and families from local airports (Haneda and Narita).  I must say it was a great and affordable experience.  The taxi fit three people and our dog on our lap as well as three large suitcases and a large dog stroller very comfortably.  Izu was the drivers name and he was very nice and offered to workout even taking us to our exportation appointment before leaving Japan,

“ The purpose of the exportation process is to have your pet inspected by the Japanese animal quarantine services ten days or less before your departure from Japan so they can be sure your dog is free of any signs of rabies.  You will be given a special certificate allowing you to show the airlines so your dog can be exported out of Japan properly, when arriving into Japan you will have a chance to setup that appointment while checking in with the animal quarantine services”

If anyone is interested in using this service here are pricing examples and booking instructions according to the website.  Please book a reservation before your arrival into Japan as well as pay in cash which is in the form of Japanese Yen, no credit cards are accepted and they will never asked for your credit card information when booking your reservation.

Yako Doghouse  - Japan Pet Taxi Service

Tel & Fax: (045) 573-0507

Facebook page

https://m.facebook.com/yakodoghouse/

Website

http://yakodoghouse.com/english/

I emailed and primarily used Facebook messenger with Izu and he sent me an agreement to fill out via email to officially book the reservation. Izu was at the airport holding my name up as soon as I departed customs.  I let him know via messenger when I arrived and when I was clearing customs.

Pricing information according to his website, 

Estimate to Tokyo,

7070 yen = 65.00 US, Cash only

Here is his about section of the companies website,

We offer the most effective, affordable and professional pet transportation alternative in Tokyo.

Our goal is to provide safe, reliable and stress-free transportation for your pets to and from appointments, the kennel or the airport (and more) we give you peace of mind.

Our staff can pick up your pet, take them to their appointment, and bring them home when they are done. Please contact the following e-mail address for an estimate inquiry.  Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments, we are always glad to here from you.

Special Price,

Haneda AirPort to Narita AirPort 20000yen (Highway fee Incl)

For example

Haneda AirPort to Tokyo Minato-ku Area 5520yen

(Highway fee Incl)

Haneda AirPort to Yokohama Station 6120 yen (Highway fee Incl)

Contact information

Yakodoghouse (Pet Taxi)

Hours：AM 08:30〜PM 18:00

(Please contact us for other than operating time)

info@yakodoghouse.com 

Lots of luggage space

Navigating the Japan Trains

Click to link to Japan Travel app

Navigating the Japan train systems for the first time can be stressful. This guide was put together to help others.

A great App to use when traveling in Japan and navigating the train systems is Japan Travel – route, map, JR by NAVITIME JAPAN CO, LTD.

As seen in the first screen shot, enter your ‘From’ and ‘To’ destinations to run your search. The results are then displayed in the second page example indicating train lines by the color cars, additional route options, and typical cost for each option.  The third screen shot is the Jasmine clinic stop.

This example shows that I started on the green line and transferred to the blue line. All throughout the ride, I opened up Apple maps to see when the next stops were coming so I wouldn’t miss my stop or connection. Therefore, as side note, it is important to have a stable WiFi connection and phone battery life.

There are stairs and escalators to navigate throughout each station. If you’re close to the Jasmine clinic, consider taxis when transporting your dog prior to surgery and on the day of for peace of mind and less stress on your pup.

“It’s also a great way to save on transport costs while your dog is recovering in the hospital by utilizing the extensive, affordable, and reliable train systems. This method worked for me flawlessly as I’m the get-lost-everywhere type of person and I pulled it off using this method.”

— Nate Estes

Traveling With Home Prepared Meals

Traveling by air internationally with your dog can be a stressful event. If you home cook for them, preparing fresh meals can also be difficult.  Some accommodations may not have full kitchens and finding the same ingredients that you typically use can also be challenging in a foreign country.  This article will help you bring your dog’s prepared frozen food with you as a carry on while still complying with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security checkpoint rules.  The following guidelines are from the TSA’s website and additional details can be found here.   

“Meat, fish, vegetables, and other non-liquid food items are permitted in both carry-on and checked bags. If the food is packed with ice or ice packs in a cooler or other container, the ice or ice packs must be completely frozen when brought through screening. If the ice or ice packs are partially melted and have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they will not be permitted.

Even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane.”

I successfully traveled with my dog’s frozen food by using the Igloo MaxCold Duffle Cooler shown below.  This product is relatively inexpensive and available at many online retailers and local stores such as Target or Walmart.  I also purchased a few gel icepacks and brought a few freezer bags with regular ice to ensure the gel ice packs didn’t melt on the way to the airport.  Before going through the checkpoint I removed the freezer bags of ice, leaving the frozen gel ice packs in the bag.  I informed the TSA security agents of the contents of my bag and that it was my dog’s food and necessary because she has severe food allergies.  I passed through security and onto my flight.  My food was still completely frozen even when I arrived at my hotel to store it in the freezer.

Here are some tips and tricks to ensure you have no issues getting your food to your final destination – and what to do if for any reason you cannot.

1. When dumping your ice at the airport, which keeps your gel icepacks frozen solid for TSA checkpoint clearance, keep the zip lock bags. They can be refilled on the airplane with ice from any of the flight attendants. This is especially helpful if for any reason your gel icepacks have melted and are not permitted beyond the security checkpoint.

2. If there is room in your checked luggage, you can put the entire cooler with food and ice packs in that and there will be no issues with TSA, even if the ice packs do start to melt. It does take up quite a bit of room though.

3. Make sure your final destination has an adequate freezer. If you are staying at a hotel that doesn’t have a freezer or fridge, check to see if they have ice makers in the building so that you can refresh your zip lock bags once or twice a day with cold ice. You may also contact the front desk to see if you can use an employee freezer.

4. There are several days directly after surgery where your dog will most likely not be fed your home made food while hospitalized. The doctors at each clinic will let you know when you can bring your own food for your dog during the hospital stay. If you don’t want them to use standard commercial foods it would be a good idea for you to bring your own and get the approval to do so.

Article written by Nate Estes, featuring Zoey Marie Estes