恵那峡

In the Ena Valley in Gifu Prefecture, about an hour north of Nagoya, there is much to see and do. Historically important due to its position on the Nakasendo inland highway between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo), visitors can now take a ride on the historic Akechi Railroad to the Taisho Village in Akechi, see the former castle town of Iwamura or take a hot soak in the quaint onsen in Hanashiro, a stone's throw from the tiny station.

A short Tono Tetsudo bus or taxi ride north from JR Ena Station is also the stunning scenery of Ena Gorge. The gorge came into being with the damming of the fast flowing Kiso River in the Taisho Period (1912-1926). The dam was constructed by Momosuke Fukuzawa, the adopted son of Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University, an important figure in Japan's modernization and westernization post-1868 and the man on the current 10,000 yen banknote. Momosuke himself was another colorful character who became known as the "king of electric power" for his work in building hydro-electric generating dams. The Oi Dam and electric power plant at Ena Gorge is, in fact, Japan's first power station to utilize a dam.



Momosuke, born poor as Momosuke Iwasaki in Saitama Prefecture, was an exceptional talent, and married into the powerful and influential Fukuzawa family as a business arrangement that suited both parties. However, throughout his life, Momosuke was the lover of Sadayakko Kawakami, an ex-geisha who became known as "Japan's first actress" and wowed the west with her performances in Paris and America. In later life, the glamorous pair lived together in Nagoya and Tokyo and formed a successful partnership in business. Sadayakko in silk and Momosuke in electric power. An interesting book on the life of Sadayakko Kawakami and her lover is Lesley Downer's Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha Who Bewitched the West.



To enjoy the beautiful vistas of Ena Gorge, known for its cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in the fall, take the 20km, 30-minute Ena Gorge cruise (Tel: 0573 25 4800; 1250 yen; sailings 9am-5pm in season).

There is also a circular hiking trail that crosses the Oi Dam and returns via the Enakyo Ohashi Bridge. Near the lake shore are numerous souvenir shops and restaurants, some of them serving fresh fish caught from the lake. For the less energetic, stroll out to Sazanami Park on Benten Island for some delightful views. The Enakyo Wonderland Amusement Park (Tel: 0573 45 3333) and its Big Wheel are clearly visible from the boat jetty.



The area has two nearby hotels: Enakyo International Hotel and Enakyo Grand Hotel as well as a campsite (and croquet ground!) in Enakyo Garden (Tel: 0573 26 2088).

The quickest way to reach Ena is by JR Central Liner train from Nagoya Station.
If you are driving from Nagoya take route 363 from Seto or route 11 from Toyota. Ena city is very near Ena Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, which follows the old Nakasendo post road to Magome and Tsumago at this point.

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Hanashiro Onsen Gifu Nagoya Ena

火葬場、八事

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...we've all got to go sometime and if you kick the bucket in Nagoya, chances are your last port of call, before the Pearly Gates or the fires of Hell (if you believe in all that nonsense), will be the vast, industrial crematorium near Yagoto.



The Yagato crematorium, near an equally giant cemetery, processes corpses in about 40 minutes. Bodies are brought in from the funeral ceremony and placed on a steel tray. A crematorium attendant, dressed in black, presses a button and the tray, laden with the corpse, travels into a torpedo tube-sized oven. The attendant, most likely a member of Japan's buraku underclass, doffs his black baseball cap, bows and presses another switch. The fires inside the oven ignite.



The mourners are lead into a separate room and await a call over the intercom when the body has been fully incinerated. The head is always the last part of the body to be completely reduced by the licking flames. Family and friends return as the tray is pulled from the oven. The corpse, reduced to ashes, resembles a cigarette left to burn in an ashtray and still radiates considerable heat.

Close relatives pick at the ashes (ikotsu) with (often uneven) chopsticks and place the remains in an urn or several urns. The most important piece of the body to include is the Adam's apple (nodobotoke).

The family then return home in a different direction to that they have arrived in - a supersition to throw off the deceased's spirit from attempting to return home and haunting the family. On arrival back at base, salt is thrown on the mourners, in another superstitious rite, to cleanse the lingering aura of death and a solemn meal is often then eaten.

The ashes of the deceased are usually divided after collection and kept in a household shrine (butsudan) at the family home and at a grave in the cemetery.


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難しい

"Japanese is difficult" (日本語は難しいですね、nihongo ha muzukashii desu ne）is something you will hear frequently from Japanese people.

Behind that lurks the assumption that Japanese is more difficult than your language.

In terms of pronunciation, verb conjugation, and set expressions--actually, Japanese is not that difficult. Where it is hard--for those not born and bred in Chinese character-using countries (i.e. China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan)--is the written language.

With hiragana, katakana, and about 3,000 kanji, it is a bastard, no two ways about it.

However, that is not the topic of today's blog. Rather, we want to look at other uses of the wonderful word "difficult" （難しい、muzukashi）.

In many, many situations this simply means "No." For example, if in reply to your request, someone says:

ちょっと難しいですね（chotto muzukashi desu ne, "that's a bit difficult"）, they usually mean: it can't be done. This a polite way to refuse a request.

Another nuance of the word is "unnecessarily complicated."

As in: 。。。難しい話。。。（むずかしはなし、muzukashi hanashi）, which refers to discussions or a conversation that is quite complicated, often too much so.

Finally, a couple of expressions using the kanji 難.

First is 一難去って又一難（ichinan satte mata ichinan）.

Literally, this translates as "Leave one trouble behind and along comes another." Another way of putting it would be "one thing after another."

Last, 言うは易く行うは難し（iu ha yasuku okonau ha muzukashi）. "Easier said than done."

And so it is, but perserverance and fighting spirit--topics for another day--are equally strong emotions in Japanese life.

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船岡温泉京都

Built in 1923, Kyoto's Funaoka Onsen is one of a few remaining public baths that have not changed in a significant way or been knocked down.

In spite of the spread of home bathrooms in the 1970s and 1980s, Japanese public baths have held on. Their numbers have declined considerably, but for many the nearly scalding water, the many types of baths (hot baths, medicinal baths, electric baths, cold baths, jet baths, outdoor baths, hot spring type baths, etc.), and the communal feel of getting naked with a bunch of strangers for the purpose of cleaning--ensure that a handful of baths will survive.

Most of those are newer, multi-story baths, often with other facilities. Some, though, are the old traditional bath houses.

The best-known of the latter in Kyoto is Funaoka Onsen (Funaoka hot spring). The main reason for this is the amazing carvings on the ceiling and walls of the changing rooms.

In addition, there is a sauna, several types of baths, and a small outdoor bath with a garden (rotenburo).

How to bathe

Pay as you go in. 350 yen for adults. Towels and toiletries are available at the counter for a small fee (most bath houses will have soap and shampoo inside the bath for no charge; Funaoka does not); it is of course ok to bring your own supplies. Be sure to go into the correct changing room (女＝women, 男＝men).

Undress, store your clothing in a locker, and enter the bathing area. Bring a small towel.

Sit in front of one of the shower heads and faucet. Wash yourself before you get into the large baths. Rinse your body well. Then enter the bath for a soak. Never ever wash inside the large soaking baths; only wash outside the bath.

Repeat.

Most public baths will have many types of baths, and often there will be a sauna. You can stay as long as you like.

Last, dry yourself well before returning to the changing room.

Funaoka Onsen

82-1 Minami-Funaoka-chō, Murosaki no Minami
Kyoto, 26 603-8225 Japan
+81 75 441 3735
Hours: 4pm-12pm; closed Tuesdays
Fee: 350 yen

Bus: From Kyoto Station, bus 206 to Kurama Guchi Station. 5 minute walk.

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ソウルのコスプレィー

On a weekend trip to Seoul, many things were surprising.

First was the sheer pace of change. The city has changed enormously in the few years since we were last there.

The old still can speak Japanese--useful to someone who can only speak English and Japanese and is very lost--and the city still has the night markets and great street stalls with wonderful food.

Among other changes were the number of modern buildings, the Chonggyechon River, and young people.

Outside of Yongsan Station, which has both subway connections and is a stop on the new high speed KTX rail, many young women and men were dressed in Japanese cosplay fashion.

They happily posed for photos, completely in character.

The costumes ranged from "traditional" (see above right) to a more "modern" look (see below).

The costumed were gathered on the steps in front of the I-Park Department Store, which is part of the station complex. Though they did not appear to speak Japanese--we communicated in simple English--their love of things Japanese was evident.

How times change.

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東急ハンズ

Tokyu Hands, like its nearest competitors Loft and Muji, is a Japanese megastore of huge contemporary popularity and influence in the Japanese retail market.



Tokyu Hands stores often take up a number of floors in large Japanese department stores or are stand alone stores in their own right. Tokyu Hands opened its first store in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1976, and was originally a DIY and hobby shop, hence the "two hands" symbol and green color of its trade mark. The main flagship store and HQ is in Shibuya with other large Tokyo stores in Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shinsaibashi Tokyu Hands in Osaka being the largest outside the capital. There are also 5 Tokyo Hands stores in Taiwan trading under the name of Hands Tailung.




Tokyu Hands offers a massive variety of goods focused on its core DIY, home improvement and lifestyle products. Other goods include clothing, craft items, furniture, hardware, Hello Kitty, leather goods, luggage, lighting, pet supplies, stationery, tools and toys. Tokyu Hands also has an online shop (for help purchasing Tokyu Hands products online please contact us).



Tokyu Hands
Tel: 03 3780 5161


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今週の日本

In Finance, Japan Sees an Opening

New York Times

Next Week, Our Hero Chooses a Médoc

New York Times

Report: Toyota to post first sales drop in decade

Washington Post

Japanese climbers claim to have found the Yeti's footprints

Guardian

LDP OKs maglev line selections

Japan Times

Behind the pink curtain

Midnight Eye

Japanese plant writes a blog

BBC

Osim says return to coaching ‘risky’

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Japan Statistics

Global Competitiveness Ranking, 2008-2009

1. USA
2. Switzerland
3. Denmark
4. Sweden
5. Singapore
6. Finland
7. Germany
8. Netherlands
9. Japan
10. Canada

26. Qatar
30. China
43. Portugal

Source: World Economic Forum

Cases of syphilis in Japan rose to 736 in 2007 from a total of 500 cases in
2004.

Source: Infectious Disease Surveillance Center

Number 1 place to see/feel the soul of Japan, according to tour guides.

1. Kiyomizu Temple (Kyoto)
2. Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion, Kyoto)
3. Hiroshima Peace Park (Hiroshima)
4. Toshogu Shrine (Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture)
5. Horyuji Temple (Nara)
6. Tokyo Disneyland (Chiba Prefecture)
7. Nagasaki Peace Park (Nagasaki)
8. Diet Building (Tokyo)
9. Himeyuri Castle (Okinawa)
10. Tokyo Tower (Tokyo)

Source: Asahi Shinbun

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名古屋鉄道

Nagoya Railroad company aka Meitetsu Railways is a major railway network in the Chubu region of central Japan. Meitetsu is headquartered at Nagoya Station and connects Nagoya with Inuyama, Gifu, Okazaki, Toyokawa Inari, Gamagori, Toyohashi, the Chita Peninsula and Chubu International Airport via Kanayama Station.



Meitetsu also runs trains to various suburbs of Nagoya including Arimatsu, Chiryu, Tsushima, Hekinan and Toyota city.

Meitetsu Railways has about 445km of track and the Meitetsu Group of around 170 associated companies has diversified into department stores, supermarkets, real estate, bus, ferry and taxi firms and travel agencies. The Meiji Mura historical park near Inuyama is also run by Meitetsu.

Meitetsu most famous trains include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Super as well as the new Centrair Express to Chubu International Airport.

Meitetsu Railways

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長浜、滋賀県

Nagahama city on the north eastern shore of Lake Biwa is a pleasant town of around 84,000 inhabitants. The town is popular with visitors, especially in spring and summer, when people flock from nearby Kyoto and Osaka, to enjoy boating and swimming in Lake Biwa.

The city has several interesting sites including the reconstructed Nagahama Castle, the oldest surviving railway station in Japan, the Kurokabe Square area of restored machiya houses, Daisuji Temple and the large 80-ton Biwako Buddha statue.



Nagahama's history is intrinsically connected with that of local feudal warlord Toyotomi Hidetoshi (1536-1598). It was Toyotomi who built the local castle and first brought gunsmiths to the town to produce some of Japan's earliest firearms. The local Nagayama festivals in mid-April and mid-October also supposedly date back to Toyotomi's days and take place out of Hachiman Shrine. Large wheeled floats (hikiyama), decorated with traditional crafts, are pulled around the town providing mobile stages for juvenile performances of comic Kyogen dramas.



During the Edo Period (1600-1868) Nagayama became the exclusive manufacturer of firearms in Japan as the Tokugawa sought to control this new dangerous weapon which could easily down the samurai warriors of the age. The earliest guns were copies of Portuguese flintlocks and the Nagayama flintlock eventually became known for its excellent quality and reliability. The Tokugawa regime's monopoly of firearm production and supply was eventually broken by 19th century western gun-runners, such as Thomas Glover in Nagasaki, who sold modern rifles to the Tokugawa's political enemies and helped speed the downfall of the old regime.

Daisuji Temple (Tel: 0749 62 0054), in Toyotomi Park, is a branch of the Higashi-Honganji Temple of Kyoto designed in the Momoyama-style of architecture and built by that man, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in 1586 as part of Fushimi Castle in Kyoto. The garden costs 500 yen to enter.

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Nagahama Shiga Lake Biwa Guns

私、僕、俺、自分、こっち

It is almost a cliché that in Japan people are seen first as social beings, and only second as individuals. This is immediately obvious to the Western visitor in body language. In Japan, heads are generally held higher and bowed lower than in English-speaking countries. It is even more obvious in the language, where the grammar one chooses to say even one’s good mornings reflects your social standing vis-à-vis the other person.

Perhaps the item of language that best sums it up are the Japanese words for “I”. In English we have three: me, myself, I, and one’s choice of them is dictated completely by the rules of grammar. Japanese has numerous words for “I”, watashi, watakushi, boku, ore, jibun, and kotchi being the most common.

The choice of which word to use when referring to yourself is dictated by whether you wish to talk up, down, or on equal terms to the person you are engaged with. It has nothing to do with grammar or self-expression. It is determined solely by the nature of your relationship with your interlocutor.

Watashi is the “safest” one to use for a non-Japanese. It indicates a suitable level of respect to the the other person and, even if a little too polite when drinking with your friends, is guaranteed not to offend.

Ore is the most “perilous” in social terms, as it is, first of all, an exclusively masculine form of “I” and the least respectful form, for use only by men to men who are either very good friends or adversaries.

Watakushi is the humblest way of referring to oneself, but is so ceremonious that its use in everyday life by a non-Japanese would be just a little too quaint.

Boku is for use with workmates and friends, as it assumes a fair degree of intimacy and informality. It is safe to use once you have settled down in a social circle.

Jibun is probably best translated as “myself” but is commonly used when referring to something that is specifically identified with oneself, such as a personal quality or possession. A non-Japanese can more get by without it.

Kotchi means literally “over here” and is therefore an oblique, but clearly understood, way of referring to oneself. Again, like jibun, its use is best left until one has observed just how and when it is used amongst Japanese people.

However (and this is a big however), three times out of four, you can escape the “I” conundrum altogether by … simply not saying “I”. Of course we have that in English, too as in Q. Where were you? A. Outside on the lawn. Leaving out the “I was” is, in Japanese, by no means seen as sloppy or incomplete even in the “best” of company.

So, as much as possible, when speaking Japanese, try and forget about yourself!


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ドッグクリニック

As the domestic dog population has exploded in Japan over the last couple of decades, so have services catering to the pet market.



Dog clinics, dog barbers, dog boutiques and even dog hotels have appeared in major cities and at Narita and Kansai Airports, the country's two main exit and entry points. This busy dogdays shop in the Tokyo Midtown building in Roppongi in Tokyo is one such example of this growing trend of canine carers catering to a growing or should that be "growling" cadre of pet-obsessed owners.



There are an estimated 13 million dogs in Japan, with Aichi Prefecture having the highest ratio of humans to canine pets, double the national number, compared to less than 30 years ago when the so-called 'bubble economy' began in earnest in the late 1980s. Dog-related businesses are now estimated to be worth over 1.6 trillion yen per year in Japan.



The falling birth rate, higher expendable incomes, later marriage, stress-reduction and the sheer "kawaii-ness" of our furry friends are all reasons for the boom in dogs' popularity in Japan. The country really is going to the dogs when dogs carry namecards (meishi), have their own dating agencies and, doggoneit, their own wedding ceremonies!

If you wish to purchase Japanese made and designed canine clothes, please contact our sister site GoodsFromJapan. GoodsFromJapan supplies custom-made Arimatsu shibori suits for dogs of all shapes and sizes.



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南京の真実

A new Japanese film looks likely to reignite tensions over the interpretation of the historical events that occurred in Nanking in the winter of 1937.

Here follows a press release concerning the movie The Truth of Nanking by Japanese director Satoru Mizushima, which had a free screening with a director's greeting and Q&A on Tuesday, October 14th at 1:30pm at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 8000 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90046 Tel: 323-848-3500



#######

近畿日本鉄道

The Kinki Nippon Railway Company (Kintetsu) connects Nagoya Station in the Chubu district of central Japan with Osaka Namba Station in the Kansai, Nara, Tenri and Kyoto as well as Kuwana and further south Toba and Kashikojima in the Ise Shima region of Mie Prefecture.



Founded in 1910, the Kintetsu group of 137 companies also operates department stores based at its major railways stations in Japan and builds trains which are operated in the USA, Hong Kong and Egypt.

Express trains that run on Kintetsu Railways include the sleek Urban Liner Next and Urban Liner Plus, the double-decker Vista Car, the colorful Sakura Liner and the stylish Ise Shima Liner.

Aside from Japan Railways (JR), Kintetsu is the largest rail network in Japan with around 570km of track.

Kintetsu Railways

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今週の日本

Japan’s New World Offers a Slice of the Past

New York Times

Japan's PM says US bank bailout is 'insufficient'

Washington Post

Dolphin meat bad for the health, say Japanese scientists

Guardian

Tainted beans from China sickens three

Japan Times

Japan objects to US N Korea move

BBC

Whale deal falls at last minute

BBC

Plant-eating predators from Japan to control UK superweed.

BBC

Robo Expo opens in Japan.

BBC

Hasegawa retains WBC bantamweight title

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Last week's Japan news

Japan Statistics

In the year since September 2007, the number of accidents involving drunk drivers fell 20%.

Source: National Police Agency

In a poll of the estimated 16,000 hotel and inn operators of which 43.9% of them replied. 62.2% replied that they had had at least one foreign guest, of the 37.8% who replied that they had had no foreign guests, 70% of them stated that they were unwilling to accept foreigners.

Source: Internal Affairs & Communications Ministry

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銀座国際ホテル

Located in Tokyo's exclusinve Ginza area, the Ginza International Hotel, provides a touch of luxury at affordable prices. Just 3 minutes walk from Shimbashi Station on the JR Yamanote Line.



Attractions nearby the hotel include the upmarket shops of Ginza, Hama Rikyu Gardens, and the Shiodome shopping and entertainment complex.



The hotel has comfortable and fully-equipped, spacious rooms, excellent facilities and the choice of three restaurants.

Ginza Kokusai Hotel
8-7-13 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo Japan 104-0061
TEL (+81) 03-3574-1121
FAX (+81) 03-3289-0478
Check In 13:00 (1:00 PM)
Check Out 11:00 AM

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花白温泉

A short ride on the Akechi Railway from Ena, Hanashiro Onsen is a stone's throw from the tiny station. A small countryside onsen, it's possible to drop in for a dip if you have visited the sights of the Taisho Village in Akechi or the former castle town of Iwamura.



The bath house doesn't seem to have changed much over the years and has a pleasant, homely feel.



The quickest way to reach Ena is by JR Central Liner train from Nagoya Station. Then walk out of the station and turn left. The tiny Akechi Tetsudo Station is next to Ena Tourist Office. Trains run approximately hourly and costs 670 yen single fare Ena-Akechi. The first train from Ena is at 6.48am and the last at 21.44pm on weekdays, 20.54pm at the weekend or on public holidays. The train also stops at the historic castle town of Iwamura.
If you are driving from Nagoya take route 363 from Seto or route 11 from Toyota. Ena city is very near Ena Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, which follows the old Nakasendo post road to Magome and Tsumago at this point.

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If you know the numbers in Japanese, you can quickly figure out how to ask and tell the time. ji (時) is the word for time; pun or fun (分) is the word for minute.

Listen to some time expressions in Japanese

What time is it now? ima nanji desu ka? 今何時ですか
It's two o'clock. ni-ji desu 二時です
It's ten o'clock. jyu-ji desu　十時です
It's two twenty. ni-ji nijupun desu　二時二十分です
It's ten twenty-five. jyu-ji nijugofun desu 十時二十五分
It's three thirty (half-past three). sanji sanjyupun/sanji han desu 三時半です
It's ten fifty jyuuji gojyupun desu 十時五十分です
It's ten minutes to eleven jyuichijijyupunmae desu 十一時十分前です
AM gozen 午前
PM gogo　午後


Last week's Japanese lesson

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*Date: Friday Oct 24th, 2008
*Time: 18:45 - 21:15 ***NOTE THE LATER START TIME!!!***

*Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm.
*Place: Shooter’s Bar
(Pola Bldg, 2-9-26 Sakae, Naka-ku (very close to Fushimi Station)
*Fee: 3000 Yen
*Halloween Costume Contest with a 1GB Ipod Shuffle to the winner!
*Consolation prizes will be awarded for 2nd - 5th place as well!
*Dress code: Anything (Casual, etc)
*Reservations: Not necessary but recommended and appreciated. Just show up to the party!
*Over 25,000 Yen worth of exciting prize giveaways each month!
Reserve Now



There will be free food along with free drinks (beers, wine, cocktail drinks and juices). Our party is not a dinner party, but we will have light food & snacks. Quantities are limited, so please come early!

Please free to come alone or bring your friends. EVERYBODY is welcome to join regardless of nationality/gender. Reservation is greatly appreciated. About 125-150+ people are expected to attend. Approximately 55% female and 45% male,
70% Japanese and 30% non-Japanese. Pictures from previous Nagoya Friends Parties.





Contact: 080-3648-1666 (Japanese) 080-5469-6317 (English)

Get off at Fushimi Station [Exit #5]
Shooter’s Bar (Pola Bldg, 2-9-26 Sakae, Naka-ku (very close to Fushimi Station)

From Nagoya Stn. take the Higashiyama Subway line to Fushimi Station (GET OFF at Fushimi Station!!) Take the #5 Exit from then walk straight along Rt. 19 AWAY from Hirokoji-Dori for about 3/4 of a block. Shooters is on the left side of the street at the end of the block. Look for the sign on the sidewalk.

無印良品

"Muji ryohin," or just Muji as it is more commonly known, is a department store that sells items of generally good quality for reasonable prices.

The name literally means "No brand, good quality."

Thus, unlike almost all other Japanese stores, you will not come away with clothing with someone's name on it, wrapped in boxes and paper and string and plastic that will be tossed out as soon as you get home---and for a decent price.

The look of Muji products is simple. From clothing to bikes to household items, Muji goods have a pared down look. Today stores in Japan carry some 7,000 different products.

Muji started in 1980, working out of the Seiyu chain of department stores. By 1991, the first store opened overseas, in London.

Today the brandless brand shop has roughly 16 stores abroad and 180 in Japan.

The store pictured here is on Senbon Dori, in Kyoto.


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全国伝統的工芸品センター

The Japan Traditional Craft Center just west of Tokyo's Ikebukuro station is a must-see for anyone interested in Japanese arts and crafts.

The objects on display and sale in the Center must fulfil a number of strict rules, among them being that the article is used mainly in everyday life, is primarily manufactured by hand, is manufactured using traditional techniques that are at least a century old, is formed mainlyof traditional materials, and is of a regional nature.

The Center is operated by the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Products, which is made up of local craft associations and local governments.

It has a library that is free of charge for study and reference, stocked with books, periodicals, and even films, on traditional Japanese crafts.

Best of all, the Center often features an actual craftsperson who can be seen working at his craft (see picture above of a Buddhist altar carver).

Both the items on sale and the permanent display change regularly, and feature such things as textiles, ceramics, lacquerware, bamboo ware, wood craft, metalwork, Japanese paper, household Buddhist altars, stationery, fans, dolls, stonework, folding screens (byobu), and more. It is the ideal place for that something special, and the price range allows for almost any budget.

On the second Friday of every month, you can even have a kimono-wearing lesson (reservations required.)

The Japan Traditional Craft Center
1st to 3rd floor, Metropolitan Plaza Building,
1-11-1 Nishi Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku,
Tokyo 171-0021, Japan.

Tel. 03-5954-6066 Fax. 03-5954-6036
http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/index.html

Hours: 11am - 7pm, every day. (Closed Dec 31 - Jan 3)
Admission: Free

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有松山車祭り

I went back to see the Arimatsu Festival yesterday, as the main parade was washed out and was rearranged for yesterday.



I'm glad I made the effort as the festival was a lot of fun especially the amazing karakuri mechanized puppets on top of the huge floats. The old man karakuri sticking out his tongue was amusing.

Arimatsu is a small post-town on the ancient Tokaido highway (now National Route 1)between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) and is well-known for its high quality shibori (tie-dye) products including happi coats, kimono, bags and handkerchiefs.

Arimatsu Festival is held on the first Sunday of October each year and rearranged for the following Sunday in case of rain. To get to Arimatsu take a Meitetsu train from Nagoya, Kanayama or Horita stations.

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今週の日本

1 American, 2 Japanese Share Nobel Physics Prize.

NY Times

Hope fades for disposable workers.

NY Times

Yamato Life collapses amid falling stock prices.

Asahi

27％ of inns shun foreign guests.

Asahi

Studying Japan's Dark Decade to See How U.S. Might Fare.

Washington Post

Obituary: Ken Ogata

Guardian

Nikkei tanks as fear grips Asia.

Japan Times

Monkeys work at Japanese restaurant

BBC

Fernando Alonso wins Japanese Grand Prix.

Guardian

Naked tourist in Japanese moat.

BBC

Downturn in economy stirs Japan suicide fears.

BBC

Dice-K works his magic for Red Sox.

Yahoo! Sports


Last week's Japan news

Japan Statistics

Exports as a percentage of GDP.

Vietnam: 76.8%
Taiwan: 73.8%
South Korea: 45.6%
China: 40.7%
Indonesia: 29.4%
India: 21.2%
Japan: 17.6%

Source: Asian Development Bank

World market share of solar panels by company:

QCells (Germany): 9.1%
Sharp (Japan): 8.5%
Suntech (China): 7.9%
Kyocera (Japan): 4.8%
First Solar (USA): 4.7%
Motech (Taiwan): 4.1%
Solar World (Germany): 4%
Mitsubishi (Japan): 3.9%
Other: 53%

Source: Asahi Shinbun


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有松祭り

Last Sunday I went to see the annual Arimatsu Festival, though the main parade was washed out and has been rearranged for tomorrow.



Arimatsu is a small post-town on the ancient Tokaido highway between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) and is famous for its high quality shibori (tie-dye) products. Some beautiful historic merchant houses still remain, which are used as showrooms for Arimatsu shibori fabrics.

The festival consists of a procession of large, ornate floats pulled through the streets, accompanied by flute and drum music. The floats have intricately-made karakuri dolls attached to them and "dance" in time to the music. The locally produced karakuri automatons are a testament to the engineering skills of the Chubu area (Toyota cars are made here & the Zero Sen plane in WWII) and remain the main attraction of the festival. The dolls, one of which can even write, are operated by unseen hands within the float.

Arimatsu Festival is held on the first Sunday of October. To get to Arimatsu take a Meitetsu train from Nagoya, Kanayama or Horita stations.

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新宿　二丁目　らあめん屋


Shinjuku Ni-Chome (i.e. the “Shinjuku No.2 District”) is home to the main Tokyo gay and lesbian scene.

Weekdays in Ni-Chome are by no means empty, but are pretty quiet compared with weekends. But on any day of the week, it is a nighttime scene, meaning that there are also a lot of restaurants and small eateries in the area who rely on hungry gay boys’ and girls’ nighttime appetites for a lot of their business.

There is the Uoya-Itcho Japanese-style izakaya in the BYGS Building, and several ethnic restaurants, including Chinese and Indian. The 24-hour MOS Burger store across Shinjuku-dori Avenue is a popular late night hangout for the gay party crowd, and features particularly gay-friendly staff.

However, one of the most photogenic is the raamen store, also on Shinjuku-dori Avenue featured in the above photo, with its cute ceramic rendition of the main meat ingredient in this particular store’s noodles: a porky pig.

No good drinking to excess on an empty stomach - and certainly no excuse to do so in Shinjuku Ni-Chome.

Read more about gay Shinjuku Ni-Chome here.






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A couple of weeks ago we looked at the numbers in Japanese.

If you know the numbers in Japanese, it's easy to form the months of the year.

Listen to the months of the year in Japanese and the days of the week

January is literally "one month", February "two month", March "three month" and so on. Just combine the numbers from 1 to 12 with gatsu (month). The kanji for "month" or "moon" can be read as gatsu, getsu or tsuki (月) .

January is ichi (one) + gatsu (month) = 一月
February is ni (two) + gatsu (month) = 二月
March is san (three) + gatsu (month) = 三月
April is shi (four) + gatsu (month) = 四月
May is go (five) + gatsu (month) = 五月
June is roku (six) + gatsu (month) = 六月
July is shichi (seven) + gatsu (month) = 七月
August is hachi (eight) + gatsu (month) = 八月
September is kyuu (nine) + gatsu (month) = 九月
October is jyuu (ten) + gatsu (month) = 十月
November is jyuuichi (eleven) + gatsu (month) = 十一月
December is jyuuni (twelve) + gatsu (month) = 十二月

As for the days of the week, well you'll just have to memorize them. The word for a day of the week is youbi (曜日). So:

Monday is getsuyoubi - lit. "Moon day" (月曜日)
Tuesday is kayoubi - lit. "Fire day" (火曜日日)
Wednesday is suiyoubi - lit. "Water day" (水曜日)
Thursday is mokuyoubi - lit. "Wood day" (木曜日)
Friday is kinyouboubi - lit. "Silver day" (金曜日)
Saturday is doyoubi - lit. "Earth day" (土曜日)
Sunday is nichiyoubi - lit. "Sun day" (日曜日)

New Year is oshougatsu - お正月.

Last week's Japanese lesson

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サルのウェイター

These Japanese macaque monkeys are working in a Japanese izakaya in Tokyo serving hot towels and beer to customers. The monkeys - Yat-chan and Fuku-chan - are rewarded with soya beans as tips.

The monkeys work in two-hour shifts and are certified employees. The owner of the pub is hoping to breed more monkeys to increase his simian staff.



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