The X-Pat Files
June 2008
(Brought to you by
H&R Consultants)
The X-Pat Files Community E-Newsletter provides a forum for
the spread of information useful for English speakers living in Aichi.
You can use the newsletter as an informational resource, and of course you can
send in information you would like to share.
This newsletter is a community
service from The Japan Real Estate and Relocation company, H&R Consultants
(www.japanhomesearch.com), and is edited by Sue Conolly
(http://web.mac.com/conolly).
Contents for This
Edition
1. Grocery
Shopping
2. In and Around
Ikeshita – Nagoya Central Garden
3. Calling Overseas
4. Climb Mount Fuji
for Charity
5. Nagoya Players :
Diary of Anne Frank
6. All About Osu
7. Meet and
Greet Luncheon
8. Cool Things
to Do in June
9. Summer Travel
Getaways
10. Water, Water Everywhere
**************************************************
1. Grocery Shopping
Thank you to Cynthia Howard for
this submission
I’ve had many recent enquiries for this information about
shopping in the Nagoya area. Below you will find the names and numbers for
several of the "international" groceries that I have found helpful.
SAPORE Location: Mizuho Ward Number: 052-837-3000 Hours:
10 am to 9 pm
This is a great grocery in general with several
"international" selections. The fruit and vegetable selection
is wonderful and generally reasonably priced. The meat selection is
large including several varieties of smoked salmon, larger beef cuts, and a
selection of "deli" meats. The greatest aspect of this grocery
is it HUGE (in Japan terms) selection of cheese. I have found several
varieties of fresh mozzarella, large blocks of parmesan, different
flavors of goat cheese, shredded cheeses for pizza and even USA imported colby
jack and pepper jack blocks. The smoked salmon and pepper jack cheese is
a favorite snack for my husband. The remainder of the grocery store has a
great selection of items including wines, baking items, spices, jellies/jams,
and candies. The bakery at the entrance of the
store has a nice selection of tasty goods also. It is definitely worth
the drive and it has a nice parking lot located just on top! It is across
the street from an Italian restaurant called Italiano -
through I have not dined there myself, I have been told that it is good. There
is a map on the bottom left-hand side of the website (in
Japanese). If you don’t have a
navigation system, it’s probably best to go with someone who
knows it the first time.
EFFE Location:
Fujigaoka station Number: 052-760-2194 Hours: 10 am to
10 pm
This collection of specialty food stores is located just
outside of the Fujigaoka subway/bus station. For those drivers,
there is pay parking on the floors above the grocery, though make sure that you
take your ticket with you for validation at the check-out which often allows
you to park for free. This is my husband's favorite grocery. When
we went a couple of months ago, he promptly asked me why I had never brought
him before. His reasons for placing it on his
favorites list: the beer and wine selection, the neighboring Starbucks
and the bento take-aways. The hallway between the grocery and Starbucks
are several take-away counters offering a large range of items including
panko-fried items (the ebi is my children's favorite), "Nagoya"
chicken wings, tempera items, and a several hot rice
mixes that make me hungry every time I go by it. It also has a nice selection
of cheeses such as feta blocks, meats including a whole fresh roasting chicken
though small often on sale for around \1000,
several "deli" meats including large cuts of pancetta for chunking if
desired, flour tortillas, many offerings of jellies/jams, condiments, and pasta
sauces. The fruit and veggie selection is limited and pricey but always
tasty if you do not want to make another stop.
SEIJOISHII
SUPERMARKETS
Location: Nagoya, Sakae, Ikeshita, Kanayama, Fujigaoka
Editor’s Note: The grocery store listed above in Fujigaoka
Effe is in fact none other than Seijo-Ishii,
and it has branches all over Nagoya.
The one in the Cuisine Marche area of Nagoya Station
(walk past the Marriot inside the station towards
the Meitetsu Line) is open from 7:30 in the morning until 10 at night. In Sakae
you’ll find it in the B2 basement of Maruei Department Store (open 10 –
8). In Ikeshita
you’ll find it in a place called Nagoya Central Gardens (open 10am –
11pm). In Kanayama
it’s right next to the station in the shopping center Asunaru
(open 10am – 10pm). And as
you’ve read above, in Fujigaoka, it’s in Effe right there at the station.
WORLD FOODS PLAZA FORTE
ONE Location:
Motoyama Matsuzakaya B1 Number: 052-762-7211
Hours: 10 am to 9 pm
This little "international" grocery has a limited
selection but is great if you are in need of a quick item while you are out and
about, say getting your hair done with Hal at Serio since it is
less than 1/2 block away. It is very close to the subway exit, and there
are several pay parking lots around the area. Similar though limited
selection of all the items mentioned above. Several Asian selections such
as Thai, Indian, and Korean spices often with English
for those of you as Kanji illiterate as myself. I have popped in here a
few times to grab a snack of Cebu Mangos for my son or tub of ricotta for the
night's dinner of lasagna.
WALTZ Location:
Fujigaoka area Number: 052-774-5455
Even though there is a very small selection of
"international" items such as pasta sauce, jellies, and taco packs, I
would not classify this store as a grocery but as a bake shop/coffee shop.
It has the largest selection of
baking items in one place that I have found in Nagoya so far. One can
find all varieties of baking pans: metal, paper, and glass, mixing bowls,
utensils, cookie cutters, extracts, canned fruits, chocolate chips of all
sizes, shapes and flavors, dried fruits, etc. I have even seen puff pasty
in the freezer. Then on the other side the store is loaded with a large
selection of coffee and tea items. The tea selection is grand and even
includes a variety of decaf which I was very excited to find after being told that
I would have to have it shipped in upon arriving in Japan. For the coffee
drinkers, a selection of several different roasts is
available, whole bean or they will grind it for you. A little off the
beaten path, it does have a tiny free parking lot.
MATSUYA COFFEE
Location: Osu Mall & Loft Yaba-cho Number: 052-251-1601 Hours:10am – 8pm
This tea/coffee shop at the northeast end of Osu shopping
arena has a small selection of "international" items. It has a
selection of "international" candies, and grocery items. I have seen
a box of powdered potato flakes for making bread in the
shop. I think that there are several spices and such in this shop also, as well
as tea and coffee of course. There is another branch of this shop in the Loft
at Yaba-cho on the second floor (just to the left of the central escalators).
The Loft Store is open 10:30am to 8pm.
TOMIZAWA Location: Midland Square (B1) Number:
052-527-8817 Hours: 11am –
8pm
There is a nice "chocolate" store with lots of
baking items, frozen berries, dried fruits and nuts, and a limited selection of
"international" items down in Midland Square beside Dean and Deluca.
The name of the shop may or may not be clear but you can not miss the
chocolate selection in the "vault". This is where I have
purchased dried skim milk powder for baking breads in my bread maker.
Well, again for those that are Kanji illiterate...it’s
in English on the package too.
**************************************************
2. In and Around Ikeshita
– Nagoya Central Garden
Thank you to Asarel Herr for
this submission
Around Ikeshita there is so much to recommend. We have
Hello Beauty nails, Et Pirka
Hair Salon, Raffine
massage in the basement of Suncrea at Ikeshita
Station, and Sakura Sushi
Bar..... But the best kept secret
is Nagoya Central Garden! 4
minutes walk from exit 1 of the station, turn right at Mister Donuts into the
little back streets and then left at the next little lights. Take this map with you when
you drive. There is parking for
190 cars, it costs 100 yen for every 20 minutes but then you get one hour free
if you shop at any of the shops, and two hours free if you shop at one of the
places (like the restaurants or health
spa) that take longer.
It's built around an apartment complex, and has an upper
scale Italian Restaurant (La Bettola),
A Chinese Restaurant (Lin-ka Saro), a
great bakery (Maison Kaiser) where
they are know for selling the best croissants in
the world, and awesome coffee - cake place called Fortissimo.
Amano drug store, an
awesome grocery store (Seijoishii)
with a wide selection of Champagnes /wines and those hard to find imported
foods like Cilantro, peppers,
spices, cheese, sausages etc. But the very best from NCG
would be their Beauty Spa place, Cielduex.
At the moment they are having a 30% discount for their
year anniversary. I took a facial for 110 min. (With the discount it came
in the end to about 8,000 yen). They soak your feet in warm water, they massage
them, shave your legs if you want. Then you lay on a super warm table
where you get your facial. Also since I made an appointment for next
month they gave me a card where I get 20% off on the next 2 visits. + a point
card
So treat yourselves....
**************************************************
3. Calling Internationally
Thank you to Sam Grant
for information contained within this submission
There
are so many international calling options in Japan, so it’s difficult to know
where to start!
If
you set up a landline to your home, you’ll do so through the national
phone company NTT (actually it’s NTT-West for Nagoya) by either
buying or renting a line, but that doesn’t mean that you have to make all of
your phone calls through this company. When you set up the account, you should
be asked about MYLINE which you can use,
for a fee, to designate your preferred telephone companies for each type of
call (local, within prefecture, long distance within Japan, International) that
you want to make. These are the more well-known phone providers that you can
choose from (living in Aichi as an individual consumer) for your MYLINE:
NTT Communications
Corporation (NTT Communications)
Enquiries: 0120-506506 (open year round
except New Year hols 09:00-21:00)
http://www.ntt.com/index-e.html
Access Code: 0033
Call Categories: Local,
In-pref. long-distance, Out-of-pref. long-distance, International
KDDI
CORPORATION (KDDI)
Enquiries: 0077-777 (open year-round
09:00-20:00)
http://www.kddi.com/english/index.html
Access Code for Domestic: 0077
Access Code for International: 001
Call Categories: Local, In-pref.
long-distance, Out-of-pref. long-distance, International
SOFTBANK
TELECOM Corp. (SoftBank Telecom)
Enquiries: 0088-82 (open year-round
09:00-18:00)
http://www.softbanktelecom.co.jp/english/index.html
Access Code for Domestic: 0088
Access Code for International: 0061
Call Categories: Local, In-pref.
long-distance, Out-of-pref. long-distance, International
Fusion
Communications Corporation (Fusion Communications) *
Enquiries: 0120-987-100 (open year-round
09:00-18:00)
Access Code: 0038
Call Categories: Local, In-pref.
long-distance, Out-of-pref. long-distance, International
NIPPON
TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WEST CORPORATION (NTT
West)
Enquiries: 0800-200-0039 (open year-round
except New Year hols 9:00-21:00)
http://www.ntt-west.co.jp/index_e.html
Access Code: 0039
Call Categories: Local,
In-prefecture long-distance
IP
Phone – Hooking your phone up to your internet access, you plug
your phone into the modem of your provider, and will be given another telephone
number (usually a 050 number) from which you can make very cheap phone calls
locally or internationally. Most internet
providers also have an IP Phone Service.
Here are a few Internet Service Providers with websites in English:
Yahoo BB (this
English site is an agent, not the official YahooBB site which is in Japanese)
Skype - also has a number of options for cheap
and free calling overseas. If you’re using your computer to talk to someone
else who has also downloaded Skype
(it’s a free download) then you can talk to them for as long as you like for
free. It’s advisable to have a headset or some sort of speaker phone attachment
so that the noise coming directly out of your computer does not feed itself
back in and create echo for the other person. Once you’ve got your Skype set up then they also have very
cheap rates for calling internationally to land lines. You can choose from a package where you
get cheap or even unlimited calls to just one
country, in Asia,
or all around the world. One nifty feature of this is that
people in your home country can call a local number that is assigned to you, so
they also pay only local rates for calling to your Skype phone. I used to object to Skype on the
grounds that I would need to be sitting near my computer (I like to move
around!) but apparently now they have hand-held wireless phones that are just
like regular phones.
Brastel Smart Phonecard
- A very easy and conveniant way to make international and
domestic calls from Japan is the Brastel
Smart Phonecard, a rechargeable card for international
and domestic calls. You can sign up online,
and once you have your card all you have to do is either sign into Cyberservice
at Brastel www.brastel.com and from the
menu click credit card > pay now if you want to pay by credit card, or go to
any of the following convenience stores - Mini Stop, Family Mart, Sunkus,
Circle K, Three F or Lawsons and detatch the
desired amount of payment coupons and make the payment. Then call the Brastel
number and register your own number (they speak English) - can be landline
or mobile. Then you are ready to make your calls. The rates are
really cheap and you can check them out online (it depends on where you’re
going to be calling to). You do have to dial quite a long number 00912020 +
country code, area code, phone number but it sure beats paying through the nose
for international calls. Brastel
also has their own IP Phone system called FLIP
which is also outlined on the website.
**************************************************
4. 2008 Mount Fuji Climb
for Charity
H&R
Consultants, ReloJapan and LeaseJapan are happy once again to team up with HOPE
International Development Agency for the annual Charity of Climb of Mt Fuji on
the weekend of July 11th – 12th.
There are still tickets available, so don’t miss this opportunity to climb
Japan’s highest mountain with the support of others, while also supporting
efforts overseas to bring relief to those in need.
This
is a unique opportunity to ride in comfort on a chartered bus to Fuji, climb
Japan’s highest and most sacred mountain
with a great group of people… and all for a great cause.
There
is no charge for our clients, (except for the onsen and
your own food) but we ask you to raise at least 10,000 yen for HOPE by asking
your friends and family to sponsor you.
HOPE
has a challenge website, www.hopeglobalchallenge.com,
where you can direct your sponsors to go to place their
pledge and find out more.
To
avoid the crowds and the misery of climbing in the dark, this year we will
climb during day light hours starting just before dawn. The day will end in a
wonderful hot spring where you can also obtain a nourishing
meal.
Book
in soon, there are only 50 places!
Please
contact Akie Takahashi (akie_takahashi@hrconslt.com) or
Natsuko Kubota (natsuko_kubota@leasejapan.com)
for further information.
We look forward
to doing this challenge with you!!
**************************************************
5. The Nagoya Players
Present : The Diary of Anne Frank
THE NAGOYA
PLAYERS next production will be:
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett, adapted by
Wendy Kesselman, directed by Anthony Gilmore.
Performances and Admission Fees:
TIME & PLACE
Sat., Jun. 21 (2 & 7p.m.)
Sun., Jun. 22 (2 & 6p.m.)
Aichi Arts Center Mini
Theatre
ADMISSION
Adults: ¥ 2500 (¥ 3000 at door)
Students: ¥2000 (¥ 2500 at door)
Children: ¥ 1500 (¥ 2000 at door)
As the region's premiere English-language theatre
company, the Nagoya
Players have been bringing a wide variety of theater to the
Nagoya area for over 30 years. From our humble beginnings in English professor Michael Horne's back garden in 1975, we have
grown both in size and prominence. Currently the group has more than 50
members, who represent a mix of natives of the Nagoya area and the local foreign community. The Players have been featured in
print, both locally and nationally, and on radio and television. Hundreds of
people come to see each of our yearly spring and autumn productions.
The Nagoya Players have put on comedies, dramas and even a musical. Past performances include
plays by everyone from Shakespeare to Simon, Tennessee Williams to Wendy
Wasserstein. Others include
shows by renowned writers such
as Chekhov, Wilde, Ibsen, Ionesco, Beckett and Aristophanes. Newer playwrights'
works from Australia, Ireland, the UK and the US have also been well received
by audiences. Our lavish June 2000 production of "The Importance of Being Earnest", celebrating the group's
25th anniversary, drew almost 1,000 people to the four sold out performances.
Support from the community and active participation of
its members are the lifeblood of this non-profit theater company. Ticket sales
and membership dues help cover such overhead costs as performance and rehearsal
hall rentals, costumes, props, sets, lights, royalties, publicity, mailings,
and storage facilities. In spite of these
expenses, ticket prices have been kept at a low rate--¥2000 for adults (¥2500
at the door) and ¥1800 for students (¥2000 at the door)-- for a number of
years. In addition, the group relies on the hard work and dedication of its
members who volunteer to sell tickets, run lights, assemble props, put up sets, make programs, do publicity, direct and manage
productions, and--oh, yes--act.
The Nagoya Players invites anyone, regardless of theater experience, to become a member. The
group's meetings, auditions and other events and activities are usually
announced in local English-language publications.
**************************************************
6. All About Osu
The Osu Kannon Mall (stretching
from Osu Kannon Station to Kamimaezu Station on the Tsurumai and Meijo Lines)
is perhaps best known for its funky mix of old and new style shops lining the
streets, but it also has a long and interesting history.
Banshoji Temple (right in the
middle of the mall area) was built in 1540 by the Lord of Bingo, Oda Nobuhide
(no, I did not make that up, the website really did say “The Lord of
Bingo”). Apparently it was at a particularly
bloodthirsty time.... “It was a
time of blood and thunder. Parents and children, brothers and sisters, and husbands
and wives would find themselves on opposing sides and forced to kill each other.” So the temple was built by the Lord of
Bingo as a kind of peace talisman, and later relocated to its current position
just out of the shadow of Nagoya Castle (it’s former location is a matter of
debate, but apparently it was IN the shadow of Nagoya Castle). Anyway, the story goes that they
believed that a white fox had lived on this site for 1000 years, and that the
white fox was none other than the head of the fox tribe associated with Hakusetsu
Inari (Inari, the Goddess of Rice who uses foxes for messengers and
incarnations). At one time the
Banshoji Temple fell into rack and ruin, and it was this fox goddess who was
supposed to have pulled the tempe through hard times so many go there to pray
for prosperity. At any rate, it
was during these belt-tightening times that the 37th abbot of the
temple turned the temple grounds into a shopping district, so perhaps this too
had something to do with the returned prosperity of the area!
Mechanical Dolls or Karakuri Ningyo are a feature of
this temple and of the Osu area. The ones owned by the temple are supposed to start their show
at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. The temple bells toll and out comes Oda
Nobunaga, eldest son of Nobihide Lord of Bingo, the founder of the temple. Apparently at his own father’s funeral,
the naughty Nobunaga caused a great stir by riding in on horseback, unshaven
and unwashed. Instead of following
protocol and paying his respects to his father with incense, he threw the
entire incense dish toward his father’s altar. This scene is depicted in the mechanical doll display by
smoke rising at Nobubaga’s feet.
By the way, apparently this impetuous display of rebellion was supposed
to have been a political strategy on his part – he wanted his enemies to
think that the new leader of the clan had lost his marbles, hiding his true
persona as a great and inspired leader. (Yeah, whatever! I bet the ghost of his
father wasn’t thrilled!) Anyway,
Nobunaga went on to be the “Man
Who Almost United Japan”, so perhaps he wasn’t such a ratbag after all.
Osu Kannon Temple (at the end of
the mall near Osu Kannon Station) dates back to the Kamakura era when it was
built as Kitano Tenmangu in 1324 in the current Hashima City in Gifu. The land
on which it was built was deliberately reconstructed during the Edo Period
(from 1603) in order to protect the ruling family. The land reconstruction meant that the temple was flooded
with water, and it was practically washed away in 1605. The temple was moved and reconstructed
in its current location in 1612.
As if the flooding wasn’t enough, the great fire of Meiji claimed the
buildings and gate of the temple.
The present main temple was reconstructed in 1970.
The Osu Kannon Temple hosts a
fantastic antique & junk
market on the 18th and 28th of each month. Rain or shine, you’ll find vendors keen
to sell their old Japanese boxes, statues, kimono, obi, toys magazines, war
memorabilia, ephemera, coins, phallic ornaments… there is no limit to what will
be sold on any given market day!
It’s OK to haggle (and to leave and come back several times to see if
the price will come down) but don’t be surprised if what you’re trying to buy
is gone by the time you come back.
It’s always a game of Russian roulette, but some of my most treasured
possessions have been earned at the Osu Kannon markets with my time and
perseverance, and my tired and aching muscles on the train ride home!
As for the rest of the mall,
take a look at this random list of shops (not in any particular order), for a
cross-section of the funkiness you’ll find on a stroll down the streets of Osu:
Massive Discount Jewelry and
Designer Goods Pawn Shop KOMEHYO
Kimono Shoe Shop NOMURA
Hawaiian Shop PUPUKEA
Land of Toys DARUMA-YA
Famous Nagoya Sweet “Uiro” Shop OSU UIRO
Discount Re-sale Ticket Shop
TICKET xTICKET
Music Shop K HOUSE
Archery and Sports Shop MARUFUJI
Leather/Silver Shop CROSS
Retro Stuff & Antique Shop
CHINPINA
Character Toys / Figurine Shop
RUSSY
Sundry Goods and a Guy dressed
like a Panda Shop OREPANDA
Old Ladies Clothing Store
KAWAETSU
Japanese Aloha Shirt made from
Old Kimono Shop MU-ALOHA
Brazilian Fashion Store STYLLUS
MODAS
Men’s Accessory Shop SKUNK MEN’S
Kimono Shop NAKAMURA SHOTEN
Pre-loved Clothing LOVE VEGAS
Vintage Clothing GREAT 2ND
Home-grown Fashion Design Shop MOMIJIYA (English
Website!!!)
Lolita
Gothic Dress Shop VIOLET BLUE
Used
Clothing Store SKUNK LADY’S
China
Dress Shop MIMI
Tattoo
Salon ECCENTRIC SUPER
TATTOO (Speaks Portugese, Spanish, English)
Tattoo
Studio BOOBIES
Hand
Massages by girls dressed as Maids HAND MAID
Lots and
Lots of Electric Stores if you turn at Banshoji Temple
Various
rather dubious souvenir shops
Things
to Eat:
Chinese
LITTLE HONG KONG
LOCO-BURGER
Serving
Eel in Osu for 88 years YAKKO
Curry
& Cake Shop LADY BIRD
Okonomiyaki
YAKIYA
Senbei
Crackers ASAHIKAN
Tonkatsu
and Steak TONMA
Pasta
HASHOE DE ROSSO
Tapioca
Specialty Store QUICKLY
Hamburger
Steaks KITCHEN TOKYO
Chinese
Modern CHINA DINING
Miso
Nikomi Udon (specialty of Nagoya) TAKARA
Taiwan
Food TAIWAN NANKOKU KOTEN
Specialty
Chicken Cutlet NAGOMIDORI
MANGOSTEEN
TACOS
PILAU
USTU DONER KEBAB
Yakitori
KAKUYA
Pizza
Shop CESARI
MONKEY’S
CAFÉ
New York
Style Take Out PAPA DELICA
Crepe
House UN
Taco
Shop JERRY’S UNO
Turkish
MEGA KEBAB
Tapioca
Drink Store BUBBLE MARKET
K’s PIT
DINER
Takoyaki
(Octopus Balls) GENKITAMA
**************************************************
7. Meet and Greet Luncheon
For those of you who are new to
Nagoya, please come and join us for lunch. Meet and Greet lunch is the
ideal place to make new friends, have a chat, and find out what is going on in
Nagoya. Shooters has a relaxed atmosphere and is closed during the day
except for our event, so we have the run of the place. This means that it
is a VERY easy event for mothers with babies or small children. It also
means, however, that there must be an RSVP so that Shooters can cater for the
correct number of people.
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 10th,
starting at 11:30 a.m.
Place: Shooters Sports Bar
and Grill, Fushimi (http://www.shooters-nagoya.com)
Price: 1500 yen for buffet
lunch and a drink.
RSVP: Joey Tan is the Meet
and Greet Coordinator. Please RSVP to Joey by e-mail at joeywltan@gmail.com as soon as possible,
but at the latest by the 10th. When you are RSVPing for another person,
please give the name of the other person to avoid double bookings.
Note: For those coming by car
there is a relatively cheap option, Toyo Parking for 110 yen per half hour,
down the street from Kinkos which is walkable from Shooters. For those
with car navigation, the phone number of the parking lot is (052) 231-3550.
**************************************************
8. Cool Things to Do in
June
Check out the following events
in Nagoya this month!
June 5 - Atsuta Matsuri
At the annual Festival of Atsuta Jingu Shrine
in Nagoya, spectacular floats (each made from 365 lanterns) take part in a
procession, before being displayed at the shrine's east and west gates.The
celebrations also include traditional martial arts and Noh
theatre, and conclude in the evening with a fireworks display near Jingu Park.
Venue:
Atsuta Shrine (Atsuta-ku, Nagoya-shi)
The festival
and processions will be held in Atsuta Shrine, with fireworks visible around
Jingu Park.
Access:
Take Meijo Subway Line to Jingu Nishi Station, or take the Meitetsu Line to
Jingu-mae Station, or the JR Tokai Line to Atsuta Station.
June 6,7,8 - Dekimachi Tenno
and Tsutsui Tenno Festivals
In Higashi Ward, these two
festivals feature floats and karakuri ningyo (mechanical doll)
presentations.
Venue:
Near Tokugawa Museum (Dekimachi, Shindekimachi, Kodekimachi)
Access:
Take the Kikan No.2 city bus to Tokugawaen-Shindeki or Kodekimachi bus stop; or
take the JR, Meitetsu-Seto, or Meijo Subway Line to Ozone Station and walk for
15 minutes.
June 8 – Nagoya
International Center Book Recycling Bazaar
When:
Sunday,
June 8 (13:00 – 15:00)
Where:
Nagoya
International Center 5F, Conference Room 1
Admission: Free
Over 2000 items including
English fiction paperbacks, children’s books, books about Japan, EFL texts,
books for Japanese Language learners, manga, and books in other languages
(French, Portuguese, & Spanish). Prices are not set and visitors can donate
as much as they like after choosing books. Money raised from the bazaar will be
donated between the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan for the
promotion of literacy education in developing countries and the NIC
Library for the purchase of new books.
June 7, 8 - Arimatsu Shibori Matsuri
Arimatsu is an old artisan’s
village famous for shibori, the technique of tie-dyeing cloth, which has been carried
down from generation to generation, for 400 years. There
will be shibori demonstrations, sales, a parade,
a fashion show and a stage performance.
When:
June 7th (Sat.) and 8th
(Sun.)
Where:
South of Meitetsu Arimatsu Station (Midori-ku, Nagoya)
Access:
Take Meitetsu Main Line to Arimatsu Station and walk south.
June 14, 15 - Kimono Recycle
Fair
I absolutely love this event,
which happens twice a year on the top floor of the old supermarket Uny near
Ozone Station. It is getting more
and more difficult to find cheap used kimono in shops or at markets as people are
finding more creative ways of recycling them, but this event is truly a MUST if
you want a cheap kimono, obi, happi or anything else kimono related. The
cheapest child’s obi is 100 yen and the most you’ll pay for a kimono is an
unbelievable 30,000 yen. My niece from Australia went insane at this fair and
bought up big – kimono for her two year old son, gifts for my sister and
her family, and she still uses the exquisite silk under-kimono she got for 500
yen as a dressing gown! Arrive
earlier than the opening time of 10am on the first day to get the biggest
bargains (if you don’t believe me scroll down the Japanese Kimono Recycle Fair
website to see pictures of the line that formed last year)! Opening hours are
10 – 4 on the 14th and 10 – 2 on the 15th. However, please believe me when I say
that all the bargains are GONE by 2pm on the second day… the early bird catches
the worm!
June 14, 15 - Creators Market
Held in Port
Messe (Nagoya International Exhibition Hall) in the Nagoya Port area, this
huge art & craft market features many artistic individuals and their
creative pursuits. From jewelry to
jazzed up jeans, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for, or just have a
great time. Buy your tickets from
any convenience store (Circle K, Lawson, Family Mart, Sunkus etc) for 600 yen,
or pay 800 yen on the day for entry (up to elementary school children are
free). Parking costs 700 yen, or
you could get there by taking the Aonami Line from Nagoya Station right to the
end. Both days last from 11am – 6pm. See the Japanese website and the list of artists for
pictures of what to expect.
June 21, 22 - Nagoya
Nostalgic Car Show
If
you’re into Nostalgic Cars, then check out the Nostalgic Car Show also at Port
Messe.
Buy your tickets from Circle K or Sunkus conveniece store for 1800 yen, or pay
2000 yen on the day for entry (up to elementary school children are free). Get there by taking the Aonami Line
from Nagoya Station right to the end. Both days last from 11am –
5pm. Check out the Japanese website for pictures
of some of the cars that appeared last year.
**************************************************
9. Travel Getaways
The following three travel ideas
coincidentally came in from three different sources and all of them are within
striking distance of Tokyo (which doesn’t make them too far from Nagoya,
right?). So if you’d like to
travel toward Tokyo this summer (but can’t actually cope with the thought of the
Tokyo crowds) then here are three country getaways you’re likely to enjoy!
Summer heat is getting closer. Staying in a nice ryokan for
a night surrounded by greenery sounds like
an enticing idea to escape the heat of summer. But maybe many of you had
experience having difficulty finding a
nice ryokan. If you are looking for one night stay in an authentic ryokan
in natural scenery, Michi Travel
Japan has options. Since they focus on travelers from abroad
or expats in Japan, they know what you are looking for. They
will not recommend a room with Japanese style toilets... In their current newsletter,
they recommend Ochiairoh
Murakami, nestled in Izu Penninsula. You will enjoy food, bath,
atmosphere and natural surroundings.
Yamanaka
Chalet cabins are a wonderful get away right at beautiful Yamanaka
lake at the base of Mount Fuji. Wooden cabins nestled under trees in a cool,
green environment. There is swimming and water
activities at the lake. It’s a favourite place for expats to get away
from the concrete cities (located between Nagoya and Tokyo it draws from both
communities). It is a friendly environment and is
a great place for kids.
Accommodates: 50 people at maximum (available for group retreats)
Most of the cabins available sleep around 10 people.
1468-2 Yamanaka, Yamanakako Mura
Minami Tsuru Gun, Yamanakashi Ken
401-0501
Tel/Fax 0555-62-9322
Finally, a
friend recommended me some fairly rustic cabins in the traditional expatriate
tourist resort of Karuizawa (this area
has been popular for foreigners since the middle of the Meiji Period!). There
are no websites for these cabins, of which there are 35 in all. Call
the manager at 0267-42-5513 for a reservation. The site is located in Kyu-Karuizawa, which means it's old
but also a very exclusive area for rich people's bessos (summer homes).
Most of the cabins have hot running water and flush toilets. Some have
better kitchens then others, as a few have been recently renovated. The
area is close to the Prince Hotel, which does have a website,
since it is famous for golfing, skiing and shopping. It has a great
shopping mall, with Eddie Bauer, Nike, Adidas, Starbucks, Talbots
etc. It is a very beautiful, green
area. You can find lots of great hiking trails. Lots of space compared to most
of Japan) and sometimes families come and go, so you can't always
count on having someone for your kids to play with all the time. There is
no swimming on site, but there is a tennis court. There is a
beautiful pool about 30 minutes away, and a great natural swimming hole. 20
minutes away.
**************************************************
10. Water, Water
Everywhere
Sue Conolly
This week it has been announced that the rainy season, called tsuyu in Japanese, has started early in Kyushu (last year it started on the 5th
of June, which seems to have been fairly average). In 2004 when the tsuyu started
on the 29th of May, it started here in Nagoya on the 6th
of June. It might be raining
outside as you’re reading this. If
not, it soon will be. The rainy
season is taken very seriously here in Japan – it’s announced on the
news, the topic of serious conversation on talk shows.
Cultural attitudes towards rain differ across the world. In
Europe and North America, rain traditionally has a sad and negative
connotation. Many kids grow up
singing the nursery rhyme “rain, rain, go away”. However, in dry places like
parts of Australia, Africa, India… a sudden burst of rain can be met with
euphoria. I’ve seen news stories
picturing young children who have literally never seen the rain, standing
drenched and happy in a wonderful shower of rain. In Botswana,
the Setswana word for rain, "pula," is used as the
name of the national currency, in recognition of the economic importance of
rain in this desert country.
As a young girl
in Australia I had no need of umbrellas, and I literally grew up without
them. I remember walking home from
school in my high school uniform and being caught in a sudden burst of rain.
Nothing could have dampened my spirits on that day – the smell of the
rain on the hot bitumen of the road, the sudden washing away of the
humidity. In that moment, I just
loved the rain, being in it. Later
I lay in bed hearing it on the roof above my head. These are some of my most treasured
memories.
Here in Japan I
see around me mixed emotions when it comes to this rainy season. The weather is always a popular topic
over the counter of my local convenience store or meeting the neighbours in the
street. Usually the talk will be
somewhat negative in content:
“Oh, it’s
raining again today”
“Oh, the rain
is troublesome, isn’t it?”
“When will this
rain ever end?”
However, listen
closely to people as they talk and you will hear an unbeat positive ring to
their voice, you’ll see a glint in their eye. People love to complain about the weather, it gives them
something to chat about. If they
really thought about it too, they would realize that it’s this very rain with
which they flush their toilets, have a bath and drink to their own health. Everyone knows this in their heart of
hearts, and so they are happy.
Although 70% of the world is
covered with water, about 1% is available to us for our daily purposes . Most of the world’s water is sea water,
and then there’s a small percentage that is polar ice. The 1% fresh water left
to us sustains (and is approximately 55 – 75% of the body mass) of about 6,670,857,654
people in the world. Water is the
key to all bodily functions; our brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys , muscle
and blood are all much more than half water. It is recommended that we drink 8 glasses of water a day,
more if we are exercising. Not
doing so we risk headaches, lethargy, and any number of ailments that go along
with dehydration.
Many countries in the world have
severe consequences from the lack of rain, or at least from the lack of clean
water. The Rhyme of the Ancient
Mariner goes “Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink” and it’s a feeling
many people in third world countries know. The Tsunami filled otherwise clean wells in Sri Lanka with
salt water. Bodies floating down
streams in the cyclone devistated Myanmar make otherwise drinkable water
infected and dangerous. People who
lead otherwise very busy lives are having to spend hours of their day just
fetching, carrying and otherwise preparing water clean enough to drink. If they economize on time and drink
unclean water they risk getting sick, making them less able to work. It’s a vicious
cycle that we here in Japan are fortunate enough not to know.
I remember the year the rainy
season never came to Japan. It was
about 12 years ago I think. This
entire area was left high and dry, the reservoirs and dams practically turned
to mud. The government took severe
measures and actually turned off the water supply during the day. Sales of plastic water tanks went
through the roof as people strived to use their bath water to flush their
toilet and wash their clothes.
This would not be such a shocking development in Australia. My family already collect their shower
water to wash the car and water the garden, and I come from a town that was
actually considering recycling
waste water right back into the drinking water system. However for the Japanese who are always
used to having all of the water that they need right there on tap, that year
was a hard lesson to learn. We are
the lucky country, so when it starts raining this year, rejoice in the
knowledge that you are one of the truly blessed.
**************************************************
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