Kanji Character For 2010: Sho

2010年漢字一文字「暑」


At the end of every year, the Japan Kanji [i.e. Chinese character] Proficiency Certification Society solicits from the public the kanji that best sums up the past year.

A ceremony takes place at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera Temple where the selected kanji is publicly put to parchment by the head priest, presently Seihan Mori.

The kanji selected this year was the character for “hot,” pronounced sho or atsu.

This character was chosen because of the record high temperatures experienced in Japan this year.

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Hero Flutes

Hero Flutes

A collection of genuine handmade Japanese flutes used in the ritual and festivals of the Iwami Kagura dance, a dramatic musical ritual that originated in the town of Iwami in Shimane prefecture as an appeasement dance for the Shinto gods.

With its long tradition, simply beauty, and pure tone, let the easy-to-play Iwami Kagura flute bring the magic of ancient Japanese dance music to your own fingers, lips and ears.




Nagoya Friends XMAS Bash at Red Rock THIS SATURDAY (12/18)


Nagoya Friends is holding it's 99th party in Nagoya!


  • Date: SATURDAY December 18th, 2010

  • Time:  18:00 - 21:00

  • Drinks will be served between 6:00pm-8:45pm.

  • Place: The Red Rock (2F Aster Plaza Building, 4-14-6 Sakae, Nagoya (very close to Sakae Station)

  • Fee:  3000 yen

  • 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!

  • Santa's bringing lots of presents.  10 presents!! A bread maker, a health check scale, bottles of wine and much more!  See if Santa brought you anything!!

  • 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.

    Map & Directions

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

    Get off at Sakae Station [Exit #13]

    Red Rock Nagoya

    The Red Rock (2F Aster Plaza Building,
    4-14-6 Sakae, Nagoya (very close to Sakae Station)

    The Red Rock is located behind the Chunichi Building in the Sakae business/shopping district.

    Subway access from Sakae Station (serving the yellow and purple lines) Exit 13. It's a big station connected to a huge underground shopping mall so you'll need to do a little underground walking.

    We're also just a couple of minutes' walk from the Tokyu and Precede hotels, and a 10 minute walk up Hirokoji Street from the Hilton Hotel in Fushimi.

    Train Directions

    • From Nagoya Stn. take the Higashiyama Subway line to Sakae Station (GET OFF at Sakae Station!!) Take exit #13 and then walk straight AWAY from Hirokoji-Dori for about 3/4 of a block. TURN LEFT Red Rock is on the right side of the street in the middle of the block. Look for the sign on the sidewalk.

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    Journalists outside Roppongi police station

    麻布警察 写真家


    I was in Roppongi last Friday on my way to Rhythm Rivalry, a very memorable percussion event that was happening at the performance/club space Superdeluxe. (Tokyo events on now)

    Passing the Azabu Police Station near Roppongi Hills I noticed a group of photographers - clearly press photographers - waiting in front of it (sitting on left of sidewalk in above photo). The policeman on duty (standing at right with stick) was unfazed by it, and the photographers were in no hurry but looked like they were there for the long haul.

    First I thought it may be something to do with the assault on the famous kabuki actor, Ebizo Ichikawa, that had happened about a week before in the same area on November 25; but I saw the same thing this week too: a group of photographers waiting outside Kojimachi Police Station - placing that in some doubt. (More about Kojimachi)

    I can only presume that either someone newsworthy was in there and they were waiting for him or her to come out, or that they were hanging around in the hope that that would happen.

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    Matsuura Historical Museum

    松浦史料博物館

    The Matsuura Historical Museum (Tel: 0950 22 2236) in Hirado is located in the former residence of the Matsuura clan, who controlled the strategic island from the 11th-19th century.


    This interesting museum displays artefacts and family treasures from the Matsuura clan including samurai arms and armor, calligraphy, documents, globes, Dutch ships' figureheads and a palanquin.



    The museum also includes a lovely garden with many fine wooden buildings and a Japanese teahouse. Inside the main building of the museum is a cafe decorated with 17th century western furnishing and ceramics and a shop. The Matsuura Historical Museum is located up the hill behind the harbor in Hirado town and is a short walk from the grave of William Adams.


    Matsuura Historical Museum
    859-5152
    Nagasaki-ken
    Hirado-shi
    Kagami-cho 12
    Tel: 0950 22 2236
    Admission: 500 yen

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    Ninnanji Temple Guardians

    nio-san仁王さん仁和寺

    Protecting the massive gate in front of Kyoto's Ninnaji Temple are two Nio-san.

    These are massive guardian statues set in enclosed areas on the right and left of the temple entrance.

    The one pictured above is on the right side of the gate.

    Ninnaji is a spacious and elegant temple in western Kyoto. It was founded in the early part of the 9th century and was originally the summer home for the emperor.

    Information

    A short walk from Omuro Station on the Kitano line of the Keifuku Railway.

    Buses #10, #26, and #59 all stop at Ninnaji-mae.

    33 Ouchi Omuro
    Ukyo-ku
    Kyoto
    075-461-1155

    There is a 400 yen entrance fee to the sub-temple on your left as you enter. The rest of the complex is free.

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    Japan News This Week 12 December 2010

    今週の日本

    Japan News.Japan's Graying Prison Population

    New Zealand Herald

    Japanese prisons face swelling elderly population

    Washington Post

    Japan targeted on Kyoto climate stance at Cancun Summit

    BBC

    Bated breath as Norwegian Wood film opens in Japan

    Guardian

    Ebizo's alleged assailant arrested

    Japan Times

    Bombardement de Yonpyong : Washington met Pékin face à ses responsabilités

    Le Monde

    Japón se planta y eleva el tono de la negociación a solo 24 horas del final de la cumbre del clima

    El Pais

    Japanese Atrocities on Nauru during the Pacific War: The murder of Australians, the massacre of lepers and the ethnocide of Nauruans

    Japan Focus

    Athletics fail to reach deal with Japan’s Iwakuma

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    Last Week's News

    Statistics

    In 2009, the percentage of Japanese women whose first child was conceived prior to wedlock was 25.3%. Broken down by age group:

    Teenage mothers: 81.5%
    Mothers in 20s: 63.6%
    Mothers in 30s: 12.1%

    Source: Asahi Shinbun

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    Tokyo Monorail To Haneda Airport International Terminal Station

    東京モノレール

    The Tokyo Monorail connects Hamamatsucho Station to Haneda Airport.

    Haneda Airport now has international flights to Asia, America and Europe after the opening of the new international terminal and the Haneda Airport International Terminal Station on October 21, 2010.

    Built in 1964 as part of the Tokyo Olympics development, the cars of the Tokyo Monorail still have that 60s feel to them.

    From Haneda Airport International Terminal Station the Tokyo Monoral links to Shin-Seibijō (新整備場), Haneda Airport Terminal 1 (羽田空港第1ビル) and Haneda Airport Terminal 2 (羽田空港第2ビル).


    The Haneda Express takes 19 minutes to Haneda Airport Terminal 2 and just 13 minutes to Haneda Airport International Terminal Station from Hamamatsucho Station on the Yamanote Line. Local trains take 18 minutes to Haneda Airport International Terminal Station and Rapid trains 15 minutes.

    From Monorail Hamamatsu the stations on the Tokyo Monorail are Tennozu Isle, Oi Keibajo-mae, Ryutsu Center, Showajima, Seibijo, Tenkubashi, Haneda Airport International Terminal Station, Shin Seibijo, Haneda Airport Terminal 1 and Haneda Airport Terminal 2.



    Suica and a number of other IC cards can be used on the Tokyo Monorail including: Icoca, Kitaca, Pasmo, Sugoca, Toica and Nimoca.

    The standard fare from Monorail Hamamatsu to Haneda Airport International Terminal Station is 470 yen.

    Tokyo Monorail


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    Toei-Oedo Line Tokyo

    都営地下鉄大江戸線

    The Toei-Oedo Subway Line in Tokyo opened in 2000 and is the second-longest linear motor subway line after the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line in Osaka.


    The Toei-Oedo is also one of the most expensive metro lines ever built in Japan and was 10 years in construction. The line loops from Tocho-mae in Shinjuku with an extension from Tocho-mae to Hikarigaoka.

    Important stations for connections to other lines include Ueno-Okachimachi, Iidabashi, Daimon, Shinjuku, and Nerima.

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    Ginkgo

    イチョウ

    Ginkgo leaves in Kojimachi, Tokyo


    Tokyo, among numerous other Japanese cities, is full of gingko trees (Ginkgo biloba), and autumn in Tokyo is characterized by the vivid yellow of the gingko's fallen leaves, and the distinctive smell (AKA the stench) of its seeds.

    Gingko leaves stuck to a wall

    The ginkgo is a living fossil, and has no closely related species. Its leaves and nuts are held to have various medicinal properties, some of them ratified by modern science, but many claims having been found to be imaginary.

    They lend great character to Japanese streets in fall, as seen by these photos taken last week.


    Gingko leaves in Asakusabashi, Tokyo

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    Kodo’s 2010 December Concerts

    鼓動 コンサート


    Kodo's 2010 December Concerts Bring 2010 to a Close with 12 Shows Across 8 Cities Throughout Japan

    Since their auspicious debut in 1981 at Berlin Symphonie Hall, Kodo has emerged as Japan's premiere performing arts group, setting the standard for ensemble taiko throughout the world. Touring eight months of the year both domestically and internationally, the group's annual
    journey culminates every year in the annual December Concert series. The December Concerts are a chance for Kodo to regroup and review the year past, as well as to debut new material for the year to come.

    This year, in addition to the regular opening night on Sado Island and performances in Niigata, Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo, 2010 will also see shows in Ashikaga, Sendai and Yokohama for a total of 12 shows throughout eight cities taking place December 1 through 19.

    Artistic Director Mitsuru Ishizuka found his inspiration for this year's December Concerts in the Kodo Rehearsal Hall, a pivotal part of Kodo Village where the group lives and trains. The Rehearsal Hall is the bedrock of creation for Kodo performances and the starting point for the group's vigorous training program. Ishizuka designed this show to capture the atmosphere of this very special place: the enthusiasm, tension, stillness, breath, and fellowship felt between taiko and humans in this hallowed hall.

    “The taiko clustered together on the stage, while based on the layout of the Rehearsal Hall, also conjures up the scene of a Japanese shrine,”explains Ishizuka.“People gather at a shrine to sing, dance, and drum so that their prayers may reach the heavens. In the same way, all of us at Kodo gather in our rehearsal hall and on stage day after day, singing, dancing, and playing the drums, in hopes that the sound of the taiko will reach as many people as possible.”

    As always, the December Concert program features both classic compositions from the Kodo repertoire that have earned the group an avid following across the globe, and new compositions, such as Stride, written by Ishizuka himself and designed to make use of all of the drums in the group’s arsenal. This piece speaks of the “strides” Kodo has taken to date and the journeys that lie ahead, a perfect metaphor for the December Concerts’ year-end finale shows.

    As Kodo turns the corner on three decades of history and the group prepares to enter its 30th anniversary year, the 2010 December Concerts are sure to carry a special celebratory energy and pizazz.

    Ticket information and further details can be found on JapanVisitor's What's on in Tokyo and Kyoto page.

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    Kirin Beer Park Nagoya

    If you are a fan of Japanese beer, then a trip to the Kirin Beer Park in Biwajima just one stop on the JR Chuo Line from Nagoya Station might be for you.



    Turn right out of Biwajima Station and a regular free bus will ferry you to the brewery.

    The rather long-winded tour (in Japanese) introduces the visitor to the main ingredients of beer, plus the history of beer and the production facilities at the Nagoya brewery, which supplies the whole of the Chubu area.

    The highlight of the tour is how to learn to pour a perfect glass of Kirin in three easy stages.

    Participating on the tour allows the visitor two free draft Kirin beers. There is also a shop and a restaurant on the premises.


    Kirin Beer Park
    Kiyosu
    452-8562
    Tel: 052 408 2000

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    Kuko Line Fukuoka Subway

    空港線

    The Kuko (Airport) Line is one of the three subway lines in Fukuoka, Kyushu's largest city.

    The Kuko Line operates from Meinohama in Nishi Ward to Fukuokakuko (Fukuoka Airport) in Hakata Ward. The line is represented by an orange (or red) color on Fukuoka subway maps.

    Known officially as Line 1, the Kuko Line connects with the JR Chikuhi Line for trains to Karatsu and has stops at Hakata Station (for shinkansen links) and Tenjin Station.




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    Japan News This Week 5 December 2010

    今週の日本

    Japan News.Okinawa Re-elects Opponent of U.S. Base

    New York Times

    Japan, U.S. begin joint military exercises

    CNN

    Japan: Debt, demographics and deflation

    BBC

    Cancún climate change summit: Japan Kyoto shocker might be good news

    Guardian

    Nissan rolls out Leaf electric car in Japan

    Washington Post

    美国武力施压能否迫使中国就范

    Caijing

    Kan seen at critical turning point

    Japan Times

    Japan fear China the biggest obstacle to World Cup

    Yahoo Sports

    Last week's Japan news

    Japan Statistics

    Children born to unmarried women:

    Japan: 2.1%
    Greece: 5%
    Italy: 20.7%
    Sweden: 54.7%

    Source: Time

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    Please Do It Again Tokyo Subway

    またやろう



    The "Please Do It Again" better manners campaign on the Tokyo subway this month has our hero conspicuously turning off his mobile phone in front of an admiring mother and kid.

    Previous posters in the "Please Do It Again" series have included a young man giving up his seat to a man on crutches.



    The initial "Do It At Home" campaign featured a young woman applying her make up on the trains and talking on her mobile phone. Other targets have been drunks sprawled over the seats, young people taking up too much room and a commuter shaking an umbrella over fellow travelers on the stairs.

    Do It At Home

    The man behind the striking manga-like designs is Bunpei Yorifuji, an admirer of the American pop-artist Edward Hopper and ukiyo-e master Hokusai.

    Yorifuji bases his monthly designs on common complaints made to Tokyo Metro's Customer Relations Center (Tel: 03-3941-2030).

    Do It At Home Tokyo Subway Campaign

    Tokyo Metro has been running its "manner poster" campaign since 1974.





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    Sky Tree Highest Structure In Japan

    東京スカイツリー

    In a tale of two towers, I visited both the Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower (333m) as the former has surpassed the latter as the highest structure in Japan since March.



    The addition of a lightning conductor took the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower to 511m on Wednesday and when it is completed in 2012, the tower will become the world's tallest stand-alone communications tower at 634m.

    Construction began on this super modern looking broadcasting tower in July 2008, and completion is scheduled for March/April 2012. But it is touted as more than just a broadcasting tower. It is also a landmark, on which much has been lavished in terms of design and technological expertise.



    And it is also a "town with a tower," to become a 3 hectare complex that includes commercial, academic, and museum facilities, including a high rise building. The two observatories, one at 350m, the second at 450m, will include restaurants and shops.



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    Dance Performance at Shimbara Castle

    島原城

    In an attempt to draw in customers to the impressive Shimabara Castle staff are performing a funky dance routine outside the main entrance.

    Dressed in Edo Period (1600-1868) costume, a ninja and samurai are among the cast of line dancers.


    Shimabara Castle is the Kyushu port town's main attraction and well worth a visit.

    The present Shimabara Castle is a 33m-tall, five storey, ferro-concrete structure re-built in the style of the original 17th century castle in 1964. Various yagura (towers) were restored at various times in the 1960s and 70s.



    The castle has an excellent museum inside detailing the Shimabara Rebellion and exhibits from the areas's Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") culture.


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