Going to Japan: Request for info, tips, tricks, etc

3) near the Akihabara station

4) some in Shibuya, I can't think of any that stick out as great, but there are many near each other by the Tsutaya and nearby streets.

What is aleady on your agenda, and where else in Japan are you going?

Yeah, I think there's ten volts difference, but the fitting is the same, treat it as identical to the US electric standard. (The same goes for TV / video: Japan uses a very slightly different version of NTSC, but to all intents and purposes it's the same.)

2) Does Interac work at ATMs there, or should I take cash ahead of time? Do merchants accept Interac cards, or is it cash/credit only?

Japan is very behind when it comes to international ATMs. Most Japanese banks won't let you access non-Japanese accounts. The best bet is to use CitiBank ATMs, which are international. Tokyo has a dozen or so CitiBanks. One in Shinjuku, one in Shibuya, one in Aoyama, etc. The Aoyama one is on Omote Sando, near the subway station. That's what I ended up using most.

3) Where is the area in Tokyo with all of the electronic shops? Silicon Alley I think they call it? I've now been told two different locations.

It's called Electric Town. Akihabara. It's on the Yamanote Line, and the exit to take is marked (in English) Electric Town.

4) Any really great must-see record stores?

I really like Onsa in Shimokitazawa. You should look at HMV in Shibuya, just to see how it differs / doesn't differ from western shops. Tower too. Try to find Manual of Errors in Koenji, Bonjour Records in Daikanyama... In fact, one of the most incredible record stores if you like really esoteric stuff is a unit on the second floor of an office building in Shibuya next to a wedding chapel. I can't remember the name, though.

5) Any really great must-see tourist attractions (keeping in mind that time will be fairly limited because our agenda looks pretty tight).

Anything and everything. It's a theme park.

6) Any other tips for traveling in Japan?

Before you go, buy a Japan Rail pass (two weeks approx. $350) and travel about by shinkansen.

I don't know what interac is but the ATMs in the japanese post-offices work for most US banks AS LONG AS YOUR PASSWORD DOES NOT EXCEED 6 (SIX) DIGITS.

I got by on Traveller's Cheques, but that might just be me.

The Japan Rail Pass is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, unless you want to go places that aren't covered by JR (like, say, Ise. Rar). Can't take the Nozomi shinkansen (supersupersuperfast), but the Hikari superexpress is fast enough that you can, say, go from Kyoto to Hiroshima to Tokyo in one day and have a nice midday wandering about the Peace Park. Not that I've ever done this or anything.
You need to be there on a "temporary visitor" visa to get a JR pass, mind.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en01.shtml

Excellent, I wasn't looking forward to carrying around adapters and transformers etc. This is very good news.

It's called Electric Town. Akihabara. It's on the Yamanote Line, and the exit to take is marked (in English) Electric Town.

Ah, yes, that's it. That's a must-see for me, considering my line of work. I can report on that in my daily travelogue.

I don't know what interac is but the ATMs in the japanese post-offices work for most US banks AS LONG AS YOUR PASSWORD DOES NOT EXCEED 6 (SIX) DIGITS

Good tip. Interac seems to be a Canadian thing only, namewise, but I think it's connected in to other similar things around the world. If US banks are accessible from some machines, I will try those. I'm at 6-digits so hopefully that's not gonna bomb the connection.

3) Akihabara really isn't that great. Walk around there if you must but I wouldn't recommend buying anything there. If you want electronics your best bet is to go to any of the department stores or large electronic stores in any part of Tokyo. Also, the airport shopping stores will have a lot of great electronics. That might be the best thing for you. You may be able to avoid taxes that way.

4) As for record stores it depends what you're looking for. Any of the chains (Tower, Virgin, HMV) are great because they have a huge J-pop section right as you walk in. You can listen to the hit CDs of the week and decide if you want to buy any. Also, their Western stock can be more extensive in some areas than in America; for instance if you are interested in 80s anorak bands. The CDs will seem very expensive because of a CD tax, if you can, check out some used CD shops (there is a used section within the Tsutaya chain) these CDs are always in excellent condition.

6) I would recommend Kamakura; it's an easy day trip from Tokyo and you can see the Giant Buddha. If you have time you must go to an onsen (hot spring).

Get a 2 litre can of Asahi out of an on street vending machine - just tohear the clunk.

And another handy tip is that somehow most supermarkets cannot sell alcohol.

as per finding specific cool record shops etc, i'd throw caution to the wind and just wander and see what you can see - you're bound to find cool stuff in shibuya and shinjuku and you'll waste a lot of time trying to navigate to some specific hole-in-the-wall...embrace randomness in tokyo and you will be rewarded

eat champuru at okinawan-food restaurants as often as possible.

http://www.spacemedicine.net/img/goya.jpg

gohan with gobi, goya with tamago and spam(!), miso ramen.

drink (l-r):

ukon cha, shikwasa (grapefruit cocktail)

Damn good idea, as all of the Japanese I know currently was cribbed from food packages or Styx's "Mr. Roboto". I suppose I should at least learn "yes" "no" and "do you speak English?", eh? And proper pronounciation of "Asahi" is gonna be key.

ah saw hee
saw pore row

http://www.cocacola.co.jp/products/lineup/qoo/img/qoo009.gif

It's not so much for the drink itself as for that one-eared guy on the label. I love that guy!

CDs in Japan cost too much.

Pocari Sweat is a little sweet but a pretty good drink. I also like the cold and hot coffees like GEORGIA (from the Coca Cola company).
Also, gree tea from Kirin, Sapporo and others are great but expensive.

Chinatown in Yokohama does not compare to SF or NYC.

There are several ATMs at Narita that take American ATM cards. Otherwise, they are hard to find. Be wearned that just because some sport a mastercard or visa logo doesn't mean they take one from an American bank.

I would love to see the pictures, Sean.

Haven't tried Pocari Sweat yet, yeah mostly because I'm scared of the name, but have tried a few of the hot drinks like Fire and such.

Was successful today taking money out at the ATM but I'm really not sure which account it withdrew the money from, because it didn't ask. At least I got money! It was at the post office, not one of the CITI bank machines.

disk union in shinjuku (go left out of the station, around the flags building, make a right at the benneton store, go down a couple blocks and it's the 2-6 floors.

there is an amazing obscure experimental shop near here (i think a block north east), jim o'rourke had shopped there earlier in the week and had signed one of his earliest records.

and of course, the tower records in the flags building is one of the most comprehensive shops in tokyo.

in kyoto, jetset records treated me very well (all vinyl -j-rock, international dance, hip hop, experimental). found two very rare (500 copies pressed) boredoms 12"s here for less than $25 apiece.

http://ox.eicat.ca/~scarruthers/globalhermit/travelogue/japan/falling-down.jpg

Nikkomen (steamed suet dumpling things filled with a kind of sweet sausage filling) - genius breakfast food for westerners.
The curried doughnut I had at "Mr Donut" in Kyoto station - filled with curry sauce, covered in toasted coconut and rolled in curry powder.
Those heated toilet seats with the arm that comes out to wash you.
Taking your photo in a kimono in your hotel room because you're too tight to buy one/will never wear one again (though somewhat bizarrely I was given one as a present this year and have worn it since).
The Phillipe Starck-designed Asahi Building in Tokyo. I'd never smuggled a camera into a toilet before that day...
Hot cans of coffee - my favourite was Big Boss, which I would take in the 'strong' variety, thus causing me to lurch into a Swans tribute every time I bought one...
That bizarre fruit flavoured off-milk that I never knew what it was called.
Snacks made from pressed peas. Snacks called things like Blair's Death Rain. Snakcs like strawberry flavoured crisps. Hell, snacks period.
The 5th floor open topped bath house in Kyoto that's allegedly a Yakusa hang-out.
Toei movie studios/theme park.
Finding a record shop in a Shinjuku back street that had one of the biggest Throbbing Gristle selections I've ever seen. Being served in another, while buying deleted Swans releases, by a young chap being desperately polite and bowing despite him wearing a Fudge Tunnel shirt covered in bad language.

Bad things about Japan:

Benito flakes making your food look like it's alive.
Everything in Akihabara being expensive compared to, say, Hong Kong (is there a cheaper electronics chain in the world than Tower?).
Buying a digital camera over there that was an experimental Japan-only model, therefore having a Japanese manual and Japanese screen prompts, and that you've barely used any of the features of because you don't understand them.

I liked Sapporo very much, a lot better than the dead end town I was stuck in (Hakodate). If you're there for a week, travel around by train and visit, for instance, Noboribetsu, which has an onsen in the middle of an amazing volcanic "Hell Valley" of bubbling geysers, as well as an Ainu village and (rather sad) bear park. More here.

I don't think there are direct flights to Sapporo (from Europe). If I'm not mistaken there's a tunnel which links both islands but most people take a plane. I would suggest flying with ANA, I think it's one of the best companies (who fly to Japan).

I dunno about cars. I don't drive a car, so I don't know what's better. I only know that you have to drive left (as opposed to right here in Belgium). :-)

Sorry, not much help, I know.

Sorry about assuming you hadn't been to Japan before. :-)

More stupid questions to come as my departure date approaches.

Going to Tokyo for two weeks, then five days in Kyoto. But I'd also like to take advantage of the famous bullet trains to scour some other locations, leave-in-the-morning-be-back-at-night type of deal. Any advice on what places would suit this plan? Locations that make you feel like you're in a Kurosawa movie especially appreciated.

Uh the shinkansen is pretty expensive. I could be wrong though as I never paid for it, my parents did. :-)

There's PLENTY to see around Tokyo, trust me.

It's all good, but other than Kyoto the cities seem to all be pretty similar. I'd actually be inclined to spend a bit more time in Kyoto and a bit less in Tokyo, but Tokyo is still pretty great so don't worry if you can't change.

Hiroshima is interesting but you'd need to go from Kyoto. Osaka is cool, go there, but it's only about 15 mins from Kyoto so not exactly a day trip. Same for Nara, even though I got lazy and, uh, didn't actually go. All Japanese recommend Yokohama, but again that's practically in Tokyo suburbs. In the country, my friends recommend Takeyama, but it was just slightly too long for a day trip for us. I did get out to the country from Tokyo to a funicular/lake circuit from (I think) Odawara station, which promised views of Mount Fuji but in actual fact was too hazy to see even an outline. It was still a fine day though, up in cable cars and trips on galleons and so forth.

Tip: get a JR pass. It costs about £180, which seems a lot but the shinkansen is expensive, as mentioned above, and the pass becomes worth the money very quickly. It can be used on all JR lines, including those in Tokyo, e,g, trains from Narita Airport, and the Yamanote Line (for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station - where you get inter city services from - etc)

I went to Hiroshima while I was out there. It was a long old trek from Tokyo, changing at Osaka, but well worth it.

You have to buy the JR pass from an agent before you go - you get a voucher which you get validated at the JR office at Narita train station. It cannot be bought when you're in Japan. Definitely do get it if you're doing any significant travelling - we took only I think four significant journeys in two weeks, but it still saved us cash.

Alright, so I'm going to ask on this thread.

I'll be in Japan next week.

Specif dates are:

Osaka: 22-25, 27-30
Tokyo: 25-27

While in Osaka, we will take the train to Kyoto (probably 23 and 24)

I'm going with my Japanese girlfriend, but I want to get another perspective.

What's with getting a JR pass outside of Japan? Is this really necessary?

Also, will my Visa credit card not really work there? I can exchange some dollars to yen, but I'd rather not, unless I must (I don't like carrying a lot of money).

Apparently, Christmas over there is a couples thing. Can anyone recommend something special to do with the missus in Tokyo? Something romantic, and semi-fancy to fancy. I'm packing a couple of suits already, anyway.

I'm hoping to see lots of cultural/historical stuff, live bands, art exhibits, go record shopping, and eat A LOT of different types of foods.

I know it's a short trip, but I'm hoping I can squeeze most things.

Any feedback is much appreciated!

JR Pass is way cheaper if you buy it outside the country. You can not buy it for the same rate inside Japan. If you're planning on doing a few train trips it will pay for itself fast.

Never had a problem using a Visa credit card there. ATM machines also much more accessible than they used to be, basically any 7/11 will have a bank machine that can access foreign accounts. Bring some cash, but don't sweat it.

Tons of fancy stuff to do in Tokyo. Go for a nice dinner and expensive drinks, maybe?

Brio2, sounds good!

Ya, I'm thinking nice dinner and expensive drinks. Any recs? She's from Osaka, so even she doesn't know Tokyo that well.

Cheers!

Oh jeez - your options are limitless for a nice fancy romantic dinner in Tokyo, really. Let me think and ask some friends. Is it your first trip? Kyoto is also really beautiful and romantic - walk around the old entertainment district of Gion at night. You can't go wrong.

My first trip ever, yes.

We'll be staying at the Courtyard Tokyo Ginza Hotel.

We're planning on taking the train early on the 25th to Tokyo.

Gion sounds amazing. We will do that, but not on the 25th, as we'll be in Tokyo that day.

Thanks so much!

(Forgot to say: we are flying into Kansai/Osaka, and flying out from there, as well)

There are some really high-end fancy bars around Ginza where the bartenders make a huge deal out of preparing your drinks. The Star Bar is the most famous one I think. I've never been, but it could make for a memorable Tokyo date night... And then when that gets too stuffy or expensive grab a cab over to get drunk with salarymen at the little izakaya around Yurakocho station: http://www.tokyorepublicblog.com/yurakucho-dining-under-train-tracks/

So, I'm just going to say my Japanese is basically nonexistent. I mean, yes, I can read katakana and hiragana and I know phrases, but real-life experience tells me all that will probably be useless once I get some liquor in me and I'm karaoking around Tokyo.

How many phrases do I need to memorise/write down/know to go to these places/bars? I don't want to hand over ordering completely to the GF.

Haha, anyway, this is already panning out to be one of the best trips ever. Beyond stoked!

if your experience is anything like mine, any effort you make will be appreciated but not necessarily understood!

There's the Caretta Media Tower skyscraper in nearby (to Ginza) Shiodome that has a couple of fancy restaurants near the top, you'll get great views over either Tokyo Tower or out to the bay and Rainbow Bridge.

http://www.caretta.jp/english/shop/restaurant/euro.html

or you could book the New York Grill at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku.

Kaikei o onegaishimasu - check please! (said this a lot when I was there)

You will be fairly close to the Tsukiji Fish Market which has loads of good places for a sushi breakfast, the tuna auction is okay, but a wander through the inside of the market (at a more reasonable time) is a must see.

Just had a look at your Hotel, you are about 1 min away from Tsukiji Market, (and my favourite building in Tokyo, the Nakagin Capsule Tower)

Thanks, everyone!

MaresNest, I do want to go to Tsukiji.

Just out of curiosity, why do you like the Nakagin Capsule Tower?

Also, is Tokyo Sky Tree worth the wait?

I just really like the shape, the design, the way it looks from a distance: like a load of large washing machines, the modular nature and it's underdog status, I even like the rusty colour of the spires.

Shiodome is worth a little wander through, if even just to go to the Caretta to get foodies, it's like a multi-leveled media hub with shops and coffee places, lot's of walkways.

There's a nifty little Tower records in the lower levels near to Shimbashi Metro station and the famous Ghibli clock across from the Dentsu building.

Also you can take the Yurikamome line over to Odiba from an elevated station adjacent to the Shiodome Park Hotel (not the Royal Park) the line is a little like a gentle rollercoaster ride and it is mostly elevated and gives great views of the Bay area.

oops, *Odaiba*

I've never been up the Sky Tree, but the Mori Tower is ace and there might be a good exhib on at the Mori Art Gallery.

Nice choice of hotel, our favorite (Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza) is just a few blocks away. Excellent possibilities all around, as imho Ginza/Shimbashi/Yurakucho district has far more to offer than just the obvious shopping streets. Also one can take the JR lines from Shimbashi pretty easily.

Off the top of my head, in walking distance:
-Try the main street Ginza (6-Chome) on weekend when it's closed for traffic, lots of chairs/tables standing around (at least in spring/summer)
-As mentioned above, the Caretta Shiodome is a decent opportunity to get food especially when you don't want to search around for long. Even if you don't want to eat at the restaurants on the top levels make sure to go upwards once, magnificent (and free) view over the fish market, the Hamarikyu Gardens and over to Odaiba. Somewhere in there you'll also find the Dentsu museum of advertising, which was free iirc and interesting enough to kill some hours of bad weather.
-Hamarikyu Garden is just five minutes away and one of the most beautiful parks in Tokyo, you'll pass the Nakagin Capsule Tower on the way but it's difficult and more or less pointless to try to get in there. Also you can take a boat from a station in the park going up the Sumida river to Asakusa etc.
-Narutomi is literally 2mins from your hotel on the way to the fish market, tiny high quality Soba restaurant famous for its 100% buckwheat flour noodles
-Indeed make sure to visit the Izakayas at Shimbashi or Yurakucho station in the evening, lots of fun, beer and Takoyaki
-Beyond Ginza and Yurakucho you'll find the Hibiya Koen which was one of our favourite parks, full of feral cats & kois
-From there it's a 15min walk to Atago Jinja rather nice hidden temple on a steep hill

If you plan to go around the city and don't have a full schedule already, especially Daikanyama is indeed worth a visit, for the Tsutaya Bookstore alone and a nice place to spend the day...

Just out of curiosity, why do you like the Nakagin Capsule Tower?

http://failedarchitecture.com/nakagin/

You'll need this too.

http://diskunion.net/portal/st/images/ds_englishmap.gif

And I found this blog pretty helpful.

http://www.vinylrecordcollector.net/2012/11/tokyo-japan-style-definitions-table.html

You have to get to Tsukiji super early, like before 5 am. I loved it though. And take your time and line up at one of the really good sushi places at Tsukiji, the not-crowded ones are nothing special

SkyTree wouldn't be on my must-visit list but the view of Tokyo going on forever and ever in all directions is kind of mind-blowing. Tokyo Tower is a bit funkier and it has a Prog Rock Wax Museum on one of the lower floors!

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=32401.0

You only need to go to Tsukiji super early if you want to check out the tuna auction, which is fun, for me the real draw is wandering the length and breadth of the big curved market building itself which you can do at 8am, then get some nice breakfast at the area close to the the Namiyoke Inari Shrine exit.

Nice choice of hotel, our favorite (Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza) is just a few blocks away. Excellent possibilities all around, as imho Ginza/Shimbashi/Yurakucho district has far more to offer than just the obvious shopping streets. Also one can take the JR lines from Shimbashi pretty easily.

Off the top of my head, in walking distance:
-Try the main street Ginza (6-Chome) on weekend when it's closed for traffic, lots of chairs/tables standing around (at least in spring/summer)
-As mentioned above, the Caretta Shiodome is a decent opportunity to get food especially when you don't want to search around for long. Even if you don't want to eat at the restaurants on the top levels make sure to go upwards once, magnificent (and free) view over the fish market, the Hamarikyu Gardens and over to Odaiba. Somewhere in there you'll also find the Dentsu museum of advertising, which was free iirc and interesting enough to kill some hours of bad weather.
-Hamarikyu Garden is just five minutes away and one of the most beautiful parks in Tokyo, you'll pass the Nakagin Capsule Tower on the way but it's difficult and more or less pointless to try to get in there. Also you can take a boat from a station in the park going up the Sumida river to Asakusa etc.
-Narutomi is literally 2mins from your hotel on the way to the fish market, tiny high quality Soba restaurant famous for its 100% buckwheat flour noodles
-Indeed make sure to visit the Izakayas at Shimbashi or Yurakucho station in the evening, lots of fun, beer and Takoyaki
-Beyond Ginza and Yurakucho you'll find the Hibiya Koen which was one of our favourite parks, full of feral cats & kois
-From there it's a 15min walk to Atago Jinja rather nice hidden temple on a steep hill

If you plan to go around the city and don't have a full schedule already, especially Daikanyama is indeed worth a visit, for the Tsutaya Bookstore alone and a nice place to spend the day...

― the european nikon is here (grauschleier), Wednesday, 17 December 2014 11:15 (10 hours ago) Permalink

We don't have a schedule just yet, because we've worked mostly on Osaka/Kyoto.

Everything sounds really interesting, but my girlfriend is allergic to buckwheat, so we'll pass on Narutomi, unless they have non-buckwheat? I'm not sure I want to risk her getting ill, though

MaresNest, Brio2, okay, I think I will need to sit down and properly plan my route/schedule. We're only staying in Tokyo 3 days, so I want to make sure I get to see the places that look interesting.

The Prog Rock Wax Museum looks really cool. I'll have to pick up a couple records, as well.

We wanted to go to Ibaraki to see Ushiku Daibutsu, but I don't think we'll have time, especially since we'd have to rent a car to get there faster.

Trouble is, as is written about a lot, Tokyo has no real centre, so it means a bit of forward thinking if you are pushed for time.

yeah great advice - really worth planning, and don't necessarily assume cars are faster - very easy to get caught in terrible traffic jams. trains almost always going to be faster in my experience

the prog museum is a good goof but don't go out of your way for it

Yeah, I found that the Yamanote line is kinda like a good frame of reference for bending your head around where stuff is located around Central Tokyo, you'll probably find that you will spend more time on that line than any other.

Ah, then maybe we should omit Ushiku Daibutsu, because it'll take 2 hours by train one way and I don't think it's worth it.

I'm at work, so I'm kind of quickly looking over what you guys are saying. Later tonight I'll look into everyone's suggestion carefully.

I thought the Yamanote line pass would be a good one to get. Maybe I can buy three 1-day passes and then a round-trip JR pass from Osaka to Tokyo.

I really wanted to go see a live band in Tokyo or Osaka, but I couldn't find any good ones. I really dig Toe, Mono, and even Boris would've been cool. I checked the venues where they played before but nothing of interest came up.

this can be helpful - but not complete at all: http://www.tokyogigguide.com/
This is an OK english-language alt weekly: http://metropolisjapan.com/culture/music/
Also look around for flyers at record stores.
I love seeing shows in Japan!

Otomo Yoshihide is playing on the 26th at the Pit Inn, I think Clammbon are playing on Xmas day, but ymmv obviously.

http://www.heavysick.co.jp/club/cgi-bin/imgdiary/diary/data/2014_12/1226.jpg

Guys, what can I say? I fell in love with Japan and would love to live there at least for a couple of years someday.

Your suggestions were appreciated!

We weren't able to go to the fish market in Tokyo and the missus wasn't feeling Club Heavy Sick, so we didn't go to that either.

Also, underneath the train tracks of Yurakucho wasn't such a good idea. We went but as someone who was raised in Japan, she didn't appreciate the vibe there. It was super interesting to me, though, even though we got there (at around 1am?) and left soon after.

I loved pretty much everything else. We had a date night on 24 December in Gion. We went to this fancy place called Takamura? Oh, and she loved Star Bar in Tokyo!

Great!

I have just started to edit together and make little movies of our stay from last April, I basically strapped a Go Pro to my rucksack so I have acres of material, it's bringing back lovely memories.

Cool! Bet you're already planning your next trip.

Yes, we are planning our next trip, actually!

Her parents are lovely and I got on really well with them, especially her mother.

We have so many nice memories. I was making a list of them the other day and kind of recounting our time there.

Have any of you ever been to Hiroshima, Nagasaki or Hokkaido? We're thinking a couple of those areas next, especially Hokkaido.

The other thing we want to do is go when it's hotter, that way I can decide if I can put up with the heat.

No, would love to travel around more - especially Hokkaido. The heat can be pretty brutal, but you'll have a good time no matter what.

Visited Hokkaido almost 15 years ago. Enjoyed the Sapporo beer garden - huge place inna Deutsche style. Also remember snow and train stations with great ramen shops attached.

Side note: all the Sapporo I've bought in the States is actually brewed in Wisconsin.

Yeah, it's just not the same in the US.

I miss the food (quality) already!

In Hiroshima, one must have Hiroshima okonomiyaki, which I personally prefer to Osaka style which seems to be the default. It's good with oysters, which Hiroshima prefecture is also known for.

have been to Japan before (Tokyo, mostly) for work but I'm looking forward to 12 days in August, for Summer Sonic + honeymoon this time. :D

Current schedule:
Tokyo - 19-25 (Summer Sonic on 20,21)
Hakone - 25-26
Kyoto/Osaka - 26-30

I think I've sorted out Tokyo but tips for Kyoto/Osaka? mostly interested in food recommendations, but anything else art/culture/cool shit-related would be appreciated too.

also is it okay to stay in Tokyo during Summer Sonic or would it better to spend a couple of nights in Chiba since we prob will be spending most of the day at the festival anyway?

Where in Hakone exactly? We spent some days in Gora this and last year, definitely a strange but rewarding experience and variation from Osaka/Tokyo.