Five Must See Winter Japan Destinations

Japan is a very populous country, and there are many cultural hubs, attractions, shopping centers, restaurants and more. During the warmer seasons, more people, including tourists, are out and about, making winter a very convenient time to visit Japan. Not only that, but winter is a very gorgeous time of year, providing visitors with unique and adventurous times.

Okinawa

Okinawa is best known for many things, and its climate is definitely supreme in Japan during the winter. Boasting a subtropical climate, Okinawa is a wonderful place to be. Of course, this is to escape the normal winter scene and winter weather. There are very nice beaches and great places to go, but beware of one thing, the rain. If you’re wanting to avoid the winter rain in Okinawa, it’s best to travel there outside of the month of February.

Drift Ice

The Drift Ice is quite the attraction, and you might be wondering exactly what it means? It’s essentially sea water that is frozen and floating. It’s quite simply put a “majestic” part of nature and has a distinct sound as the planks of ice collide, which is famous in Japan.

This attraction is located at Ohkotsk Sea, and you should definitely take the time to visit Ohkotsk Tower. There is also the opportunity to take a train, or you can even take a cruise or go out on the ice planks. This experience you do not want to pass up.

Snow Festival In Akita

The Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival in Akita is a great thing to experience during the winter. You walk along through the snow, passing by huts that children have carved out. People are inside them, inviting you and other passersby to partake of goodies and beverages.

This festival is very historic, having been held for centuries. A visitor can learn quite a bit about the history of the locals there. The beverages are fermented and sweet, and grilled mochi is generally served as well.

Zao Ice Monsters

Just the simple fact there are ice monsters to visit makes anyone want to make a trip right? This is the site atop Mount Zao, where trees have been frozen over. There are thousands of them, and it looks as though they have faces. Like the drift ice, it’s quite a majestic sight.

But that’s not even close to being all you can do there. The ski lift can put you on the summit of Mount Zao, and there are drinks to be had, of course as you take part in watching the frozen ice monster trees illuminate in the night sky. Then it’s time to hit the hot spring to complete your visit to see the ice monsters.

Shirakawa-Go

In Gifu, this is a World Heritage Site, featuring a snow-capped, picturesque village out of the dream of dreams. These farmhouses offer lodging options, and there are illumination events to enjoy as well.

If you plan on visiting Japan during the winter, contact AllJapanTours to find more information and these five destinations are going to give you a grand tour. Just remember, February might not be the best month for Okinawa, and the ice monsters await.

How to Get Printer Ink Off Your Hands and Out of Fabric

We all use printers on a regular basis for personal and business reasons. While they certainly are handy gadgets, sometimes their ink can cause a big mess. Getting it on your hands can have you scrubbing for hours, and getting it on your clothes can have you donating that expensive sports suit or throwing out that brand new blouse. Fortunately, there are some simple solutions. Following them can help you to keep your hands looking spotless and get those stubborn stains out.

When printer ink gets on your hands, the best thing to do is begin with a good scrub. In some cases, good old soap and water will do the trick and get the ink out. If that does not work, try a little rubbing alcohol. Using a soaked cotton ball or cloth, wipe your hands with alcohol until they come clean. A quick spray of Windex or hairspray can provide the same cleaning benefits in a pinch. When you are finished, grab some lotion to add much needed moisture back into your skin.

1. Tea Tree Oil

For people who prefer more natural methods of removing ink from hands and skin, tea tree oil is a great option. Simply put a few drops on your hands, and wipe with a paper towel or washcloth to get the ink out. Tea tree oil can also be drying, so make sure to have some lotion on hand once you have removed the ink.

2. Alcohol

 

If your printer’s ink has traveled to your favorite shirt or pants, alcohol can help you to get the stains out of those too. For best results, try to remove the ink stains when they are fresh and have not yet set in. Simply take the alcohol and dab, never rub, until ink is no longer removed onto the towel. Once this happens, wash your clothes as usual as soon as you can.

3. Stain Stick

Another great thing to have on hand for unexpected accidents is a stain stick. These are available at most drug and grocery stores, and they can be applied to fresh stains to keep them from setting in. While some will actually remove the stain, others will keep the ink from drying so it can be more easily removed at a later time. This is really handy if you are at work or otherwise away from home and cannot attend to the ink spots right away.

4. Professional Cleaner

If your clothes are dry clean only, these methods may work, but it is a good idea to consult with a professional cleaner first. Some garments are made of materials that alcohol and stain removers can ruin, and in those cases, using these products may do more harm than good.

Printer ink accidents happen, but when they do, it helps to have some knowledge and be prepared. By working quickly to get stubborn stains out of hands and clothes, you can keep yourself looking professional and feeling fresh and clean all day long.

Here Are The Pros And Cons Of Inkjet And Laser Printers

Are you thinking about buying an inkjet or Laser printer? If you are, then you should know what the pros and cons are of both. Below are some pros and cons of inkjet and Laser printers.

1. Inkjet Pros And Cons

By Qurren (Qurren’s file) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

One of the best things about these types of inkjet printers is the price. In other words, they are very affordable. Not only are the printers affordable, but they tend to be very easy to use, and the chances are you will find that most Inkjet printers are very easy to use, or easy to learn how to use. Also, most Inkjet printers are very light, can print quality images, they don’t need a warm-up and they work with a lot of different types of paper.

However, there are some cons of inkjet printers, with one of them being that ink is quite expensive, and they tend to work the best with paper that is of higher-grade. Perhaps the biggest con of inkjet printers is that the ink can actually dry up, but that usually happens after a few months of the printer not being used. Printouts from inkjet printers may end up smearing or fading, and this is why it is important for users to let printouts dry.

2. Laser Printers Pros And Cons

diskdepot.co.uk [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Laser printers have many pros to them, with one of the best ones being that they print very fast, and in matter of fact they can print out around 20-40 pages of text per minute, which is very fast. Many offices actually choose to use laser printers, and one of the reasons why is because of how fast they print. If you print text documents often, then you will be amazed at the sharpness of laser printers.

Other pros include supplies for the printers are affordable, and many people are surprised at how affordable supplies are. Not only that, but laser printers are extremely durable, which means if you get one, you can expect it to last a very long time. So, if you need a printer that works great, is very reliable and prints stuff out very fast, then a laser printer is something you might be interested in buying.

As for the cons, one of the biggest ones is that you cannot use a lot of different types of paper. Laser printers are also not good to use for printing out photos. Unlike inkjet printers, laser ones tend to weight a lot, which means you might find them to be quite heavy, and the overall price of a laser printer is quite expensive, but remember that the supplies are relatively inexpensive. It is also quite slow to warm-up, but some do warm-up quite quickly, but most laser printers do take a little while to warm-up.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to both types of printers. However, both kinds of printers are good to own. All you have to do is figure out which one has the features you want and then choose accordingly.