The X-Pat Files
October 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. Feel
Better!
2. Fair
Trade
3. The
Wonderful World of Unagi
4. Volunteering
5. Nagoya
City Marathon
6. Stray
Animals
7. Meet
and Greet Luncheon
8. Volunteer
Guides and Inuyama Castle Festival
9. Sakura
Spare Ribs and Fruit Tea
10.
Time to Chill
**************************************************
1. Feel
Better!
It’s
getting colder, and Japanese people say that the kisetsu no kawarime (change in seasons) is a prime time for getting
run down and sick. I hope this
hasn’t happened to you, but if it has there is help at hand.
Do you need to keep warm?
Hokkairo
- hot packs to relieve period pain, muscle strain or to keep specific areas
warm. They are great to keep in your pocket on a winter's day!
Shake them and hold to release the heat - and use with caution as they are very
hot right next to the skin. They come in different sizes, shoe inserts,
peel and stick for the outside of your clothing, hot rubbing ointment etc.
At
any convenience store in the heated drink section you will find Hot Lemon
which is the ultimate feel-good pick me up. It’s packed with sugar I’m sure, and it’s not exactly
medicinal but it is fortified with Vitamin C, and it has a real “honey and
lemon” sense to it which will sooth a scratchy throat.
Are your muscles crying out in
pain?
Tsumura
Bath Herb is a soak that will both warm your body and relieve muscle aches and
pains. It is made by Tsumura,
a kampo medicinal
herb company.
Anmerutsu Onkyu Patch
- little hot sticky dots that aid in the relief of stiff muscles. Because
they are tiny little dots, you can position them on certain parts of your body
for maximum effect.
Do you need to relieve a fever?
Netsusama Sheet - The
brainchild of Kobayashi
Pharmacuticals (scroll down company page to see the brag about this
product!) this ingenious but simple little sticky band applies a cooling gel
directly to the feverish head of your child, bringing relief for some hours and
enabling the child to sleep off a fever. I use these much more than I use
drugs to treat a mild-grade fever. They come in adult and child sizes.
You
can get cooling eye pillows like this one from the
drug store, but even a regular eye pillow (especially ones that have salt
inside them) will cool the fever behind your eyes and help you sleep with
soothing lavender or herb aromas.
Do you need to keep the germs at
bay?
Isodine Gargle - Japanese mothers agree that the only way
to stay cold and flu free over the winter, is to gargle with this product the
minute you walk in the house, and it seems to work! Particularly good for
sore throats, it is a non-stringent gargle that is less harsh than something
like Listerine. Despa
is an ointment for mouth ulcers.
Do you just feel lousy?
Dristan Hot Lemon Drink - this is the first thing I buy when I get
sick. I don't know what's in it but I love it! It also comes in
Apple flavour, but there's nothing like a hot lemon drink to make you feel
better. It does have medication in it, however, so careful giving it to
little ones... there is a specific children's formula.
See also the product information on this page.
Do you have an itch to scratch?
Muhi Patch
A - little sticky dots that are used to put on insect bites to stop them
from itching. These work like an absolute charm and stop kids from
scratching themselves to shreds, particularly useful in autumn when the
mosquitoes line up for their last big feed. The product comes in ointment
form and baby
formula as well.
For
the itch that you just can’t scratch, Feminina Nanko S relieves
vaginal itchiness and infection. It also comes in mist and gel lubricant form.
Running to the bathroom?
Look
for the trumpet mark, Seirogan
in the drug store the next time you suffer from diarrhea. The drug comes also in sugar-coated
form and its English description tells it can be used for children over the age
of 5.
Having trouble sleeping?
Hosrol -
Chinese herbal medicine to help relieve fatigue and promote sleep. Please
see the English description
of this product. Other things to try if you don’t like to take anything; a
warming bath before bed, aromatherapy using calming oils like camomile or lavender,
or a herbal tea with calming properties.
**************************************************
2. Fair Trade
Thank
you to Alison Gray for this submission
Why
is there poverty in the world? From where we are, in this world of plenty and
waste, it is difficult to comprehend that just across the sea in other parts of
Asia and the world, poverty is killing so many people. It is difficult to
comprehend, and difficult to find a way of doing something about it. A lot of
the poverty is created by nature, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunami, others by war
and bad government. But most of the poverty in the world is caused one way or
another by us; a minority of people living in an industrialized world, the governments
elected to govern us, and the transnational corporations that have their home
amongst us, and which we possibly invest in.
My
own background for writing this article is my long interest in the Trade
Justice Movement and Fair Trade. The Trade Justice Movement is a protest
movement which tries to persuade governments to behave with justice towards
poorer countries. It believes that trade between rich and poorer countries is
good so long as that trade is fair. That means that fair prices have to be
given for products bought from poorer countries. It means that poor countries
should be able to sell what they want without huge tariffs put on them. It
means that poor countries like Mexico should not be forced to import cheap,
subsidized American corn leading to poverty for its own corn farmers who cannot
compete. By becoming aware of and involved in the TJM, we put pressure on our
government to behave in line with our values.
Holding
hands wirh the TJM is the fair trade movement. This is the bit that I
like. The TJM can be too much
about fighting and getting angry. Sometimes it seems with these kinds of
movements, that the cards are so stacked against you, that all you can do is
pray and hope. With fair trade, it is different. Fair trade is a consumer
movement, a product bearing a fair trade mark has been made in such a way as to
give to and not just take away from its country of origin.
I
love fair trade. I love the fact that through it I can make a direct change in
the lives of the producing people of the world. I love its transparency; that
when I buy I tea, I can find on the internet pictures of the tea garden it
comes from.
What is Fair Trade?
In
short, fair trade is a system by which the consumers can buy knowing that the
producers rights and wages have been guaranteed. For the producers, it is a
system by which, they can feed themselves and their family, improve their
community, and have control over their lives.
There
are two kinds of fair trade. The most commonly known are commodity products
such as tea, coffee, cocoa dried fruit, cotton, footballs and a number of other
products. These carry the Fairtrade Mark, which is a lovely blue and green
swirly mark, with the picture of a person inside. Then there are fair trading
companies. These companies were set up in order to help producers overseas.
They tend to deal in clothes, handicrafts and jewellery. They tend to be part
of a fair trade organisation called IFAT and their symbol is an orange red and
brown swirl. Clothes company People Tree are a member of this group.
Problems with Commodities
Since
I know commodities better I will write a little about what the problems have been
for the producers of these.
Fair
trade commodity products tend to be coffee, tea, chocolate, fruits such as bananas
and countless other products. All of these products are grown in what was
called the developing world, or the south, now known as the majority world.
They were grown as cash crops, meaning not mainly, or at all, for consumption
but to be exported abroad for money. As commodities they are traded on an
international market. Two problems arise; first, the commodities market is extremely
unstable, changing from hour to hour, so the farmer never knows what his or her
wage is going to be. Second, even when it is high it is never that high. Anyone
who has a little knowledge of stocks and all that betting agenda will know that
it is only people with money to spare who invest in commodities. A frost in
Brazil will mean a jump in the price of coffee, a good harvest all round, will
see it fall. For those who grow the stuff, it is not their money, but their
lives that they might lose. There is no knowing what they will earn, if at all.
A bad year might see them taking out a loan, another bad year might see them
selling the land they have worked for years and going to the towns for poor,
dangerous work they will have to fight to get.
What does Fair Trade do?
It
goes right to the root; fair trade simply does not offer low and unstable
prices. A fair trade importer buys the commodity at a fixed price, a price that
has been fixed by an independent body who has taken into account
what costs there are in growing the crop and having a decent life. The importer also takes out a long term
contract with the producers so they can plan. In this way they can invest in
crop skills. They know that for the next 2 or 3 years, they have a buyer and
food on the table. Another benefit to the producer is what is called the
premium rate. For every kilo sold, the community receives extra money. This
money is for community use, so not only the farmer, but the whole community can
benefit. The use of this money is decided upon by the community. Fair trade
rules insist that the decision has to be made democratically, meaning that
every voice in the community must be heard. This gives confidence and dignity
to even the most disregarded members of the community eg women, lower caste,
disabled members. And the projects that are set up are wonderful; schools,
medical centers, roads, so loads don't have to be carried, wells, etc. The list
is as endless and varied as the communities who benefit from fair trade.
This
money is also used to invest in the farming community through training, and one
of the most popular trainings is on going organic. Not only is there a higher price
for organic products, the community growing the food, do not want to use
chemicals, it is bad for them and their land.
Another
thing that fair trade does is that it allows us as consumers to buy knowng that
there has been no exploitation of workers. We have all heard of stories of
young children in bonded labour sewing footballs and clothes, and being used as
slave labour on cocoa farms. With fair trade, we know that we are not investing
our money in this; fair trade products do not use child labour.
Able to Give
My
favourite fair trade story is of the Latin American coffee farmers who on
hearing of the 2004 tsunami sent money from their premium fund to Sumatran
coffee farmers. Fair trade is about putting food on tables, but it is also
about dignity and justice. It is about people throughout the whole world being
able to give from their surplus, not just us. I am a firm believer that
whenever we put ourselves on the side of justice and dignity for all in
whatever small or big way, we change the world.
There
are many reasons for poverty in this world. The trading system and the prices
we pay for 'basics' like tea and cofffee are one. What can we do. For me fair trade is one of the best
answers. Fair trade has been growing rapidly throughout the industrialised
world, but not in Japan. I hope to see that situation changing.
What
can we do? We can change the world. We can start by changing our coffee.
Getting
fair trade products is easier than you think. I recommend the following companies.
Fair
Beans
Long
established fair traders of coffee beans
Wakachiai
Project
Sells
a huge range of fair trade certified food products. Funds humanitarian and sustainability
projects around the world.
Nepali
Bazaro
Member
of IFAT. Sells fair trade products, mainly clothes and crafts from Nepal.
http://www.nbazaro.org/indexj.htm
People
Tree
Member
of IFAT. Sells mainly fairly traded clothes and crafts.
Just
Trade
http://just-trade.homeunix.net/html/
My
company set up mainly for the promotion of Fair Trade. Contact me directly with enquiries.
080-5032-6442
**************************************************
3. In Praise of Unagi
Thank
you to Keith Kohara for information contained within this submission
On July 27th this year, many
Japanese people ate eel (called unagi)
on the special day, “Doyo-no-ushi-no-hi”. There are several stories to explain
this phenomenon, but the most famous one is based on the following tale. During
the Edo Period, an unagi restaurant
owner was struggling to balance his books as sales were down and customers were
few and far between. He visited Gennai Hiraga, a famous
scholar, to seek his advice. Gennai had a great idea. He advised the owner to
put an ad out on the "doyou-no ushi-no hi", because people at that
time for some reason believed they should eat dishes that had the letter
"u" in order to survive the summer heat. As a result, the restaurant
got a boost in business, and people started to enjoy grilled unagi on the day.
Whatever the reason, Japanese believe that
while any time of year is good to eat unagi,
the summer (and in particular the end of summer) is the best because of the
eel’s stamina-building properties.
Nutritionally speaking, unagi contains vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E, which are effective
agents for rejuvenating the body. Among them, vitamin B1 is especially easy to
lose in sweat. Minerals and high quality protein, as well as unsaturated fatty
acids like DHA and EPA are more abundant in unagi
than in other seafood.
Unagi is prepared in different ways throughout
Japan. In Kanto (eastern Japan/Tokyo) unagi is first steamed, then
grilled kabayaki style. The steaming process causes a good deal of the
fat to be removed and the unagi flsh to be soft. In Kansai (western
Japan/Osaka, Kyoto) unagi is not steamed, and therefore it is more fatty
and chewy.
Another interesting difference is the way
the unagi is cleaned. Edo was the seat of the military (samurai) government
of Japan and samurai sometimes had to commit ritual suicide (seppeku) by
cutting their lower abdomen open and slowly bleeding to death in excruciating
pain. The purveyors of unagi cuisine were sensitive to this because samurai were among their customers. Accordingly they
split the eel open from the back, not the stomach. In Kansai, in the merchant
city of Osaka, there was a saying, ‘talk with your stomach open’; be frank,
open and honest. So, in Kansai, the eels were split down the stomach.
Here in Nagoya Hitsumabushi is undoubtedly the most popular way to eat unagi. Thinly cut charcoal-grilled strips of unagi are served atop steaming white rice. Without a doubt the
mecca of hitsumabushi is the quintessentially
Japanese restaurant Horai near Atsuta
Shrine (which is itself culturally revered as being the home of one of Japan’s
three holy relics). Food writers from all over Japan and the world have sung
the praises of this blissful explosion of delicate Japanese tastes.
This wooden rice container that comes to
your table contains alternating layers of rice, unagi, and sweet sauce. It is served with chives, wasabi, and seaweed on the side. Hitsumabushi has been served in this container
for decades, a truly Nagoyan experience.
There are several ways to enjoy Hitsumabushi. Many connoisseurs eat it
in the following sequential order:
1. as is
2. topped with chives, wasabi, and nori, and
3. topped with chives, wasabi, and nori,
then soaked with soup or “tea” into a porridge-like state.
4. in the favourite way (in other words,
whichever of the above tasted best!)
The important thing to remember in each of
the steps above is that you must NOT eat the Hitsumabushi directly out of the wooden container. You are provided
with a smaller porcelain bowl and a wooden rice paddle with which to transfer
each serving.
Although the summer has come to an end, why
don’t you try this healthful and delicious experience? You will absolutely know you are in
Japan, and you will think you’ve died and gone to culinary heaven!
Horai-ken
scroll down page for English content, including access
map)
Location: 503 Kanbe-cho, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya
Tel.: 052-671-8686
Open: 11:30 AM–2:00 PM; 4:30 PM–8:30
PM
Regular holiday: Monday (except for national
holidays)
Major credit cards accepted (VISA, UC, DC,
UFJ, JCB, AmEx)
**************************************************
4. Volunteering
Thank
you to Rev. Charles Fredrickson for this submission
Japan is a multifaceted
country. So there is more to Japan
than the tourist sites or shops.
There are many opportunities not only to meet new people, but also to
help. One such way is to give of
your time, talents and money to people in need. The opportunities in Japan to volunteer can range from your
neighborhood to organizations working across the world. For example, your neighborhood association
may hold a neighborhood clean up.
The telltale signs of an upcoming clean up may include white cloth
gloves and a green bag for garden debris showing up in your mail box. These volunteer events, typically on a
weekend, may involve raking leaves in your park or sweeping and picking up
trash on your street. It is a
great way to get to know your neighbors.
If you are unsure of the date ask your neighbor!
Opportunities abound in other
ways. Just like many other
industrialized nations, Japan has problems meeting all the needs of its
citizens. Possibly you have
noticed homeless men living in home made shelters, sleeping in a park or in
cars or near a public bus or train station. Nagoya has at least one site that provides daily hot meals. The food is provided by the government
yet, many organizations, primarily Christian churches, take turns preparing the
food and/or serving the meals. One
such group is the Mother Theresa Missionaries of Charity (052-441-5141)
who prepares and serves food to the needy from their location in Shippo-cho.
How do you find out about
other opportunities out there? Attend events where the organizations may be present. During the 2008 Nagoya Walkathon
(an annual spring event which raises money for Aichi Prefecture service
organizations), I visited the booths of various groups represented. One of them, the Child Abuse Prevention
Network Aichi (local chapter for Japan Child Abuse Network www.crnjapan.com/en/) gave me a
variety of information on their work and ways that I could help. The network provides hotline service
and shelter for children who have suffered from child abuse.
What if you have time or
language constraints?
During the year, various organizations, like orphanages and residences
for the mentally and physically challenged, are open to donations or the
purchase of lightly used household items at tables at local events or neighborhood
“Bazaars” or “Festivals.”
When visiting a festival or bazaar keep your eyes open for tables or
booths that are reselling used, donated items, or are selling handmade or
homemade items. The tables or
booths usually indicate where the money is going with pictures and brochures,
and at times the mentally and physically challenged themselves are manning the
tables. Besides these examples,
many religious groups and churches across Japan work and support locally and
international non profit service organizations. Attend one of your choice and ask! English speaking religious organizations are listed in the
monthly newsletter from the Nagoya International Calendar published by
the Nagoya International Center (www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en).
What to be aware of? A gentle reminder for all of us expats
is that what constitutes volunteer time or a donation in another country may
not be the same in the country we live.
Philanthropy is cultural.
For example, be careful when you donate food as some food is not
accepted. For the most part, commercially
wrapped rice, pasta, packaged food, and water is acceptable. Women’s clothing is hardly ever needed
for local purposes whereas appropriately sized men’s casual clothing is
accepted. Also, if you join a
local neighborhood clean up, it may include cleaning the local Shinto
shrine. Either way, if you find
that you are participating in something that is uncomfortable, remember that a
polite “No thank you,” goes a long way no matter what country in which you
live. Likewise, a polite refusal
of your gift, time or money may be because of something altogether different
than what we may think.
If you have other ideas or experiences
--- great! These are only a few of
the many opportunities available and in no way should be limited to the
examples listed. Whatever
you find, share the news with other expats; remember leave your home, neighborhood
and community better than when you arrived.
Rev. Charles Fredrickson
Lutheran Missionary and Pastor
of Meito Christ International Church
**************************************************
5. Nagoya City Marathon
Thank
you to Isa Rondon for this submission.
Want
to participate in the Nagoya Marathon and raise funds to help HOPE make poverty
history? We are looking for 50-100 folks from the International Community to Run
for HOPE on November 24th in this very popular annual
sporting event that sees 16,000 people hit the streets of Nagoya.
You
can choose to participate in the half marathon, the 10K or the 4K and set your
own fundraising goal (minimum 1000 yen per Kilometer). HOPE will take care of
the whole registration process and provide you with all your information in
English. In addition to getting an Official Race T-shirt, you will also receive
an "I Ran for HOPE" T-shirt and have your
name entered into a raffle( top prizes are flights to Guam and Cairns).
The
race is open to all ages! The 4k is ideal for families – you are allowed
to walk! The half-marathon is for the truly serious runner. Remember that all
funds raised by you will go directly to HOPE run projects all across the world,
ranging from AIDS awareness education, to Microcredit programs, to helping
rural communities easier access to clean water.
Registration
deadline is October 20th, but this event often sells out so book
your spot early!
To
register for this event or for more information please visit the HOPE Global
Challenge website: www.hopeglobalchallenge.com.
If
you want to learn more about HOPE International Development Agency’s activities
please visit us at: www.hope.or.jp.
**************************************************
6. Stray Animals
I
once found a stray puppy (or should I say, the stray puppy found me) in a park
in Inuyama. That dog became my parents-in-law’s neighbour’s pet dog Chappy.
Another time, a bedraggled stray kitten which I found in a box at work one day
became my pet cat Toby. A friend of mine walking home from the station, found a
half-dead kitten too young to drink anything but milk – and that cat
became her prized (albeit slightly neurotic) companion, Phred.
We’ve
all heard these heart-warming tales of animal rescue, but what happens to stray
animals when the warm-hearted people who find them are simply unable to keep
them for whatever reason?
I
recently heard of a real estate agent who advised a tenant to put a severely
health-challenged stray kitten back outside and “hope for the best”. The sad
truth is that the “best” you can hope for almost always means “worst” –
the cat dies a slow and horrible death on the street… or… the cat somehow grows
up in a cruel environment and gives birth to more stray kittens in an unclean
home. Ignoring the problem of
stray animals is akin to confounding the problem of stray animals. This does not mean that we have to
adopt any animal we come across. Nor does it mean that we have to search each
and every park for souls to save. However, if you do find yourself face to face
with a stray animal who needs your help, please, please do not turn a blind eye.
Here
are some things you can do:
1.
Take the animal
to the Nagoya
Dobutsu Aigo Center (Nagoya City Animal Protection Center) in Heiwa Park
(ph: 052-762-0380). This is the
equivalent of the pound, and some people are afraid of taking animals there
lest they just be put down. However, this place is actually your first stop if
you’re going to give this animal a fighting chance. The center has a place
where families can go to adopt puppies or kittens, and they have a thorough
system (outlined on this
website in Japanese only) for making sure animals are placed in a caring
home. This said, it will be much easier to find a home for a puppy than it
would be for a kitten, so only the healthiest, cutest little kitties will be
accepted in the adoption facility.
2.
Nagoya
Veterinary Medical Association also has a system for finding homes for strays. This website
is also in Japanese, but please have a Japanese speaking friend help you
translate, and call the association directly at 052-263-1010 (Monday to Friday,
9am to 12 noon).
3.
Take the animal
to the vet. This can be expensive, but at least for a cursory check-up you need
to know whether the animal is diseased before you can invest time in finding a
new home for it. Many strays on the streets have incurable diseases, so if this
is the case then the kindest thing that you can do is to have them put down
(which you can have done at the above place in Heiwa Park). If you take the
animal to the vet, then 1000 yen is about the price for an initial visit, 7500
yen for a virus test, 2000 yen for a flea repellant spray and 5000 yen for a
vaccine shot (prices based on a kitten, at a vet in Nagoya)
4.
Write a mass
e-mail to all your friends and acquaintances in Japan. You never know when someone might be thinking
about getting a pet, but just not taking that extra step into the pet shop.
Remember, that taking a pet from the street will save a life – getting
one from a pet shop will just encourage a greedy and often unethical industry.
In my case when I found a puppy in a park in Inuyama, it just so happened that
my parents-in-law’s neighbour had recently had a dog pass away – they
were not thinking of getting another but were very happy to adopt as it filled
the void in their house.
Oftentimes, it’s just good timing that makes a stray one day into a well
loved pet the next.
5.
Read everything
you can about the issue of stray animals in Japan on the ArkBark website. ARK (Animal Rescue Kansai) is a
non-profit, non-governmental private organization with the aim of forming a
network of people who love animals, believe in sharing their lives with them,
and who work actively to rescue them from suffering. Even though the animal
refuge is in the Kansai area, there is a nationwide adoption system where you
can list the animal.
**************************************************
7. Meet and Greet Luncheon
Thank you to Joey Tan for this
submission
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.
Date
and Time: Tuesday, October 14th, starting at 11:30 a.m.
Place:
Shooters Sports Bar and Grill ,
Fushimi
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 12th. 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. Volunteer Guides
Thank
you to Helen Taylor for this submission
While
we were in Japan, we wanted to visit Tokyo but didn’t know anyone there, and
didn’t want to end up on just another bus tour. We were also fairly budget conscious
as we only had one day, and didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money for the
train fare just to end up wandering aimlessly around Tokyo Station, or worse,
lost on the subway system!
My
sister-in-law then told me about Tokyo
Volunteer Guide Services. Retired men and ladies who speak some English
sign up to be guides, and all the visitor has to pay is the train fare and
entry fees (and lunch, if the tour is longer) for the guide. The guide is not out of pocket for the
day, and visitors get a personalized tour customized to their own wishes, for
very little cost.
I
filled out an online
request form, and received an e-mail from a central office to say that they
can’t guarantee a guide would be available on our chosen day, but that if
someone could do it they would contact me within the next few days. Almost immediately, we received an
e-mail from a guide who introduced himself to us, sent a picture of himself
with his grandson, and immediately made us feel welcome. He continued to send us e-mails asking
what things we would like to see, what we might like to eat etc, and he seemed
to always be waiting for our e-mails because no sooner had we e-mailed him than
he would e-mail right back!
On
the day, we ended up with two guides because another volunteer guide was in
training with our more experienced guide. They checked ahead of time that it
was OK that they do this, and we also received an e-mail from the trainee
guide. They were upfront about the
fact that we would not be expected to pay for the extra guide’s travel expenses
and lunch, however in the end we insisted on paying because having two guides
for the two of us, was a truly enjoyable experience. We also brought some small
presents from home which were well appreciated.
Our
guides were very knowledgeable about Tokyo, and our main guide seemed to know
everything – even facts about our home country and hometown we never
knew! However, the highlight of the day was just their friendly manner. Even
though we only spent that one day with them we felt as though we had known them
forever. At the end of the day we were racing for the train, and they pushed us
through the gates so fast that we forgot to say goodbye. Then before we knew
it, they themselves had paid to come through the gates and stood waving and
smiling on the shinkansen platform. We have a photo of them through the window
of the train, but we don’t need that photo to remember their smiling faces as
we pulled away.
Our
next very impromptu experience with a volunteer guide was when we were offered
a free volunteer guide upon entering Inuyama Castle closer to home (which by
the way, is the oldest castle still standing in Japan!). We hadn’t planned on a guide and didn’t
have so much time to stay, however it was very useful to have someone walking
with us along the way to describe the various things we were seeing, especially
as signs on the exhibits only had limited English.
After
our whirlwind tour of the castle, I asked our guide if they manned the castle
every day. She said that no they don’t,
but that they try to have someone there. If you have time, it is far better to
book ahead, by calling them on the number below.
Inuyama Goodwill Guide
guides
in English, German and Chinese.
1)
Inuyama Castle (National treasure),
2)Joan
(Tea ceremony house, national treasure),
3) Old
town in Inuyama.
Apply
to Inuyama International Association by phone/fax (tel:(0568)61-1000,
fax:(0568)63-0156) or e-mail (01487@city.inuyama.lg.jp)
at least a week in advance.
URL: http://www.iia-a.com
By the
way, Inuyama Castle is having their autumn festival on the 25th and
26th of October, so why not go along and experience an authentic
Japanese castle in all its finery.
**************************************************
9. Sakura – Spare Ribs and Fruit
Tea
Thank
you to Geri White for this submission
Sakura Restaurant - Kozoji,
Kasugai
Address:
1-160 Kibuki-cho Kita, Kasugai-shi
Phone
0568-51-5157
Owner/Chef
: Erwin Groepper
Yahoo
Page with small map (Japanese only)
Sakura
is an international restaurant in Kozoji. A 15 minunte walk from Kozoji station
or a 5 minute car ride from NIS. THe owner and chef, Erwin Groepper, is
German. His speciality is BBQ spare ribs which are delicious. The menu also includes
culinary delights such as Indian chicken, spiced pork, satay chicken and much
more including a daily special. Also a sandwich menu which offers open roast
beef sandwich, mixed club sandwich and shrimp. He specializes
in fruit tea, which you can order on line, and also has 8 different types of
coffee. Erwin also offers a TAKE AWAY menu!! The restaurant seats 20
people downstairs and has a private room upstairs which also seats 20 people.
Erwin speaks
Japanese, English and of course German.
Bon
appetite!
**************************************************
10. Time to Chill
Sue
Conolly
My
brother and his wife recently visited us in Japan, and so started a whirlwind
tour that aimed to show them the very best of my world here in Japan. Kyoto, Tokyo, Takayama, Gujo-Hachiman,
a baseball game at the Nagoya Dome, antique markets and a pottery lesson with
the 12th generation master… somehow we managed to fit it all in.
I
remember a few days ago now when we were traveling back from Takayama. We’d traveled up the ropeway to the top
of the Japan Alps where it was cloudy and cold, however we were in good spirits
that we’d done all we’d set out to do in record-breaking time. We decided to
take the “low roads” home, and without really thinking about it I set the car
navigation to take us by the “closest” route (a route which does not take into
account the width or condition of any given road, only that the distance is
shortest between A and B).
My
point here is that in the rush to show my brother and his wife anything and
everything, I had unwittingly set the car to take us through the most
treacherous mountain road possible! It was a Japanese experience alright
– curling up and down mountains, squeezing past giant lorries on the
road, hanging awkwardly off the precipice as cars tried to get past us. In the end we’d traveled up and down
and around the mountain without really traveling very far.
So
it is with stress. Sometimes we
try so hard to achieve certain things and plan for all contingencies that we
can wrap ourselves up in tightly bound circles. As I tried to put this entire X-Pat Files together in one
day (the only day between my brother leaving and the first day of the next
month!) I found myself pulled in to every article. I got hungry for unagi and it was all I could do not to
run to Horai for Hitsumabushi. I raced to the convenience store for Hot Lemon after
writing that it is one of the best warming pick-me-ups available. I made sure
to leave time in my day for a hot bath tonight filled with Kampo bath salts. In other words, I found myself craving the kind
of simple self-care that I need right now.
While
researching the first article, I found a website in Japanese about sleep disorders.
On this website was listed the things you can do to reduce the stress in your
life. One of the big ones was to make sure that you have people around you with
whom you can talk out your stress – and I am truly blessed to have a wonderful
family and good friends. Here is the rest of that list. Look through it and see
what you can take from it – there is always room for quietude and
self-reflection in our busy lives.
l The
Ten Commandments of a Stress Free Attitude:
Ø 1. Leave work at work – don’t bring it
home.
Ø 2. If you disagree with someone, leave it at
that. Don’t hang on to it.
Ø 3. Don’t dwell on perceived failures. Don’t
be a perfectionist.
Ø 4. Say “No” to things you can’t or won’t do.
Ø 5. Don’t go at a hectic pace – leave a
little room.
Ø 6. Enjoy hobbies or interests.
Ø 7. Don’t strive to be how you think people
want you to be.
Ø 8. Create a regular pattern of “early to
bed, early to rise”.
Ø 9. Foster relationships with people you can
talk to.
Ø 10. Be careful of your health and try not to
get sick.
l Listening
to soothing music, or uplifting music.
l Sleeping
with a body length huggy-pillow
l Try
the scent of lavender
l Go
somewhere green
l Laugh
out loud
l Don’t
watch violent films or TV
l Make
connections with other people
**************************************************
That’s it for this edition of the newsletter. We
hope you found it informative - please let us know what you would like to see
in future editions, and we will attempt to address your issues.
If
you need to find some information from a previous edition, please try the
search function on http://www.xpat-files.com. Carrying out a text search with key
words will take you directly to previous editions of the newsletter in which
information appeared.
A
disclaimer - While we do try to check submissions when they come to me, we do
not take responsibility for the accuracy of any donated information. Nor
do we take responsibility if your experience of places and services you find
through this newsletter are not as rewarding as they were for the person who
originally sent in the information. Obviously everyone’s experience is different.
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