The X-Pat Files -  May 2007

 (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.  Climbing Mount Fuji
  2.  Walkathon International Charity Festival
  3.  Skin Doctor
  4.  Ito Chiropractic Office
  5.  CCEA - Cross Cultural Exchange Association
  6.  Pharmacutical Products
  7.  Playgroups and Support Groups for Mothers
  8.  Organic Food Supplies
  9.  Kamezaki Shioi Festival in Handa
  10.  Time Flies

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   1. Climbing Mt Fuji

Dear Members of the International Community,
 
Please allow me to offer you the opportunity to climb Japan's highest mountain in July of 2007, while fundraising for a great cause.
 
I am sure there are many of you who have heard about climbing Mt. Fuji, and probably all of you are aware of its share beauty. At 3,776 meters, Fuji-san is probably one of the few mountains in the world that amateurs like you and I can climb without having to invest in lots of mountaineering equipment. I am sure it is a tough climb, but if we do it all together, I am sure we can make it, and have fun in doing it too. Want to try climbing Mt Fuji?
 
Date: July 6th- 7th, 2007 (Friday / Saturday)
 
H&R Consultants and ReloJapan, in association with Hope International, are sponsoring two buses to the base of the mountain for this climb; one from Tokyo and one from Nagoya. We will pay your transportation costs (bus fees), so all you will need will be your registration fee of JPY 2,500 per person (or JPY 5,000 per family), your climbers insurance of JPY 500 per person, your shoes and a little bit of pocket money for replenishments and the after-climb onsen (hot springs). Oh, and bring lots of energy too!
 
We also kindly ask that you assist in raising some funds for Hope International, an organization that is doing great things for the not so fortunate in this world. This could be done through a simple donation, or you could ask others around you to sponsor you for your climb to the top of Fuji-san.
 
For further details, please click here. If you are interested, please get in quick, as we expect the 50 seats in each city to fill very quickly.
 
Thank you very much, and I look forward to climbing with you!
 
Kind regards,
 
Steve Burson
H&R Consultants K.K.
steve_burson@hrconslt.com
www.JapanHomeSearch.com


Learning from Mount Fuji - Scott Reid (reprinted from May 2006 newsletter)

There is a well known saying in Japan that roughly translates into "A wise man climbs Mt. Fuji once, but only a fool climbs it twice".
 
When my Japanese colleague suggested that we climb Mt. Fuji together, I must admit that I agreed without really thinking that he was serious, but nevertheless agreed to do it "sometime" in the fall. As the summer progressed I came to see that he was quite serious, so we set an actual date for our little adventure. As the date in September got closer it became obvious that I was actually committed to dedicating an entire weekend to climbing up the side of this famous volcano that I had seen only from a distance on my weekly trek on the Shinkansen back and forth from Nagoya to Tokyo.
 
If I remember correctly, we left Nagoya around noon on a Saturday and arrived in the small town at the bottom of Mt. Fuji around 4 pm. We then drove up a beautiful winding road through dense forest until we reached the end of the road approximately half way up the mountain. My colleague then informed me that we were to grab our back packs from the car and to walk up to the lodge at the 6th station which would only be a fifteen minute hike.
 
This is when the reality of what I was about to do hit me. Being too focused on my work for such a long time I had not seriously exercised for years. It only took about five minutes up the steep road to the 6th station lodge for my body to start to ache and for me to really start to doubt that I would ever be able to make it to the top, which I could not see as it was covered with clouds.
 
Finally, after a gruelling fifteen minutes, we reached the 6th station lodge which was probably only 500 m from the parking lot. It was a small lodge with a restaurant on the first floor and an open room on the second floor with about 20 futons for climbers to sleep. My colleague had made all the reservations and had arranged for dinner to be ready shortly after we arrived. When we finished eating it was 7:00 pm. My colleague then pulled out a map and explained the route which was one of several that we would be talking to the top. He explained that the goal was to make it to the top before sunrise so that we could watch the sun come up over the horizon so we needed to depart at 1:00 am. It was now 7:30 pm and time for bed so that we would be rested enough to get up at 1:00 am and start our treck up the mountain.  Getting to sleep at 7:30 pm proved to be a challenge but with a few tosses and turns, and being worn out from climbing up the first 500 meters from the parking lot I was eventually able to get to sleep.
 
At 1:00 am the manager of the lodge turned on the light and woke us up.  He gave us a walking stick each and one flash light for the two of us to share. We put on our 4 layers of clothing as it was very cool at that time of year and walked out the lodge to find the path which would lead us up to the top of the mountain. It was pitch black, windy and cold, and here I was on the side of mountain staggering closely behind my colleague who was holding the flashlight.
 
We walked and walked, slowly and surely, making sure not to fall over loose rocks which were difficult to see in the dark. After what felt like an hour we stopped to take a breath.  I looked at my watch and was horrified that it had only been 10 minutes since we started, the top was no where in sight and when I looked back the 6th station lodge did not seem more than 200 meters away. We pressed on.
 
The dim light from a sun that had not yet risen started to make the climb a little easier and we were able to put away the flashlight. After about only 45 minutes we stopped to take our second rest. It was at this time that I started to feel that making it to the top was going to be impossible for me. It was just not getting any closer and I was losing my motivation.  We then made a plan.  We were told that the climb up would take us 4 hours. We realized that one of the reasons we were feeling so negative was that we had no way to measure our progress. We could not see the top; there were no trees to mark our progress, just barren rocks that all looked the same. We then decided that if we were going to do this we would need to break this climb down into smaller manageable pieces. We took 4 hours and divided it by 15 and that gave us 16 smaller challenges to make it the top.  We would then climb for 15 min and rest for 5 counting down from 16. We knew that once we reached 1 we would be at the top.  The trek to the top, which had felt impossible, now was a reachable goal as long as we broke it down into these 16 fifteen minute stages.
 
We set off again, climbing for fifteen minutes and resting for five. When we did this for 5 times and broke the 10 stages left mark we really started to get excited. We reached the top at a little pass 5:30 am. We felt exhilarated and full of confidence even though it was too cloudy to see the sun breach the horizon. We rested for about 45 minutes at the top. I was surprised to find out that my mobile phone worked so I called several friends overseas and when they answered the phone, asked them all the same question in an excited voice - "Guess where I am calling you from?"
 
The trek back down the mountain took only three hours and to my surprise was even more difficult then the trip up, as you needed to use muscles in your legs that you never knew you had to keep your body from falling down the steep slope of the mountain. We eventually made it back to the 6th station and then to the car and then finished up the adventure with a hot onsen in the small town at the bottom of the mountain.
 
On the way home in the car we discussed what we had learned, which was basically that we could do anything of any size if we broke it down first into smaller manageable pieces. I use this lesson at work repeatedly now when I start to feel worn out from a large project at work which may take a year or more to complete. 
 
My Japanese colleague and I who had become good friends after our adventure together years later had a falling out in the business world, and we went our separate ways. However I always remember him fondly and wish him the best that life has to offer, as it was he and I together that climbed to the highest part of Japan as a team. 
 
Now when I travel to Tokyo on business, I have a very different view of Mount Fuji from the shinkansen.  With a vision of reaching the top, determination not to fail, trust in my friend on a cold dark mountain, and the foresight to break a seemingly impossible task into smaller goals - I am glad I climbed that mountain.  I have carried valuable lessons from Mt Fuji with me into my life.

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  2. Walkathon International Charity Festival

The Walkathon, now in its 16th year, has become the largest annual international event in Nagoya. More importantly, it brings together nearly two thousand members of the international and Japanese communities to support the vital work being conducted by local NPOs and charitable organizations. The Walkathon has evolved over the years from just a walk in the park for a good cause to a big-stage, big-sound international festival. It is an event not to be missed.

Whether you are participating as an individual or as part of an association or company, we need your involvement. Sign up today and join the cause and join the fun!

2007 ACCJ/NIS Charity Walkathon and International Festival

Date and Time: May 20 (Sunday), from 9:15am to 4pm

Venue: Meijo Park (Nagoya Castle). The site is open from 9:15am. Expect lots of fun, food, an exciting stage show, and a raffle with great prizes!

Tickets: 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for students (including high school). Tickets can be purchased through these selected outlets. For any inquiries, please contact ACCJ office on 052 229 1525, or email Noriko Kato at nkato@accj.or.jp


Give Back to Chubu! You Can Make a Difference!

 Thanks to the support of many organizations and volunteers, in 2006 over 6.5 million yen was raised for the needy of the Chubu Region. Amongst the recipients were orphans, victims of child abuse, the physically or mentally challenged, and organizations that help people suffering from terrible illness including AIDS and cancer.

Every year it is a pleasure to be able to help so many members of our community. However, every year the numbers of those who need our support continue to increase. Let's strive to make a great difference again this year, and to do more to bring smiles to the faces of the not so fortunate. Step up! We need your help!

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  3. Skin Doctor - Nakahigashi Seikeigeka Hifuka
(Thank you to Geri White for this submission)

I have been to two or three skin doctors in Nagoya and find this one the best.  Very friendly, modern and efficient clinic.  Has the latest technology so can do most treatments there, rather than referring you onto the bigger hospitals. All the doctors there speak English. It's about a 10 minute drive from NIS, and if you go to this website and click on the map link, you can get a map (Japanese).

http://www.kasugai-med.or.jp/cgi-bin/list/byouin.cgi?id=95-1555

Fields of expertise: orthopedic surgery, dermatology, rehabilitation, rheumatics, allergies

Hours: Mon - Sat 9am to 12 noon, 4pm to 7pm (closed Thursday and Saturday PM)

Hours for dermatology: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat mornings and Monday afternoons.

Address: 487-0033 Kasugai-shi Iwanaridai 5-2-12

Phone: 0568-95-1555

Fax: 0568-95-1578


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  4. Ito Chiropractic Office
(Thank you to Cheryl Crowder for this submission)

There is an EXCELLENT English-speaking chiropractor in Kanayama near the station.  Dr. Ito graduated from the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Iowa and is one of 3 licensed chiropractors in Nagoya (you don't have to have a license to practice chiropractic).  His approach is very gentle and has helped many expats.  His website is http://hp.nagoya-cci.or.jp/chiro/ (scroll to the bottom for a map).

Phone Number: 052-331-3358
Open: 9:00 - 19:30 Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat (9:00 - 14:00 Thursday)
 
Come out of subway Exit #5 at Kanayama.  Proceed straight through Asunal mall toward Daiei.  Turn left and go toward traffic light.  His office is at the corner, left side, 4th floor.  On the first floor is an au mobile phone store.
 
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  5. CCEA
(Thank you to Joan Stewart for this submission)

The Cross-Cultural Exchange Association "CCEA" was formed in 1982 as a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural exchange, international understanding and friendships amongst women of all nationalities living in the Nagoya Area.                  

Social activities, general meetings and special interest groups are some ways in which members develop friendships, discover the local community, and learn about the rich cultural heritage of Japan and other countries.

To encourage women with young children to attend our monthly General Meetings, we offer free baby-sitting services at these meetings and at our Holiday Luncheon.                  

CCEA's unifying language is English.  All meetings and activities are conducted in English and the monthly newsletter is printed in English.                                                                                                              

May's meeting is on Friday, May 11th at WILL Aichi.
 
Check-in begins at 9:30 and the meeting starts at 10:00 and ends by 11:45.  Please try to arrive BEFORE 10:00 a.m., if at all possible.  We have a limited time to use the meeting room and late arrivals can delay the program start and distract our guest speakers.  Thank you VERY much for your consideration on this point. 
 
May's Meeting topic is: Foster Care and Adoption in Japan.
 
Why, in a wealthy country with low divorce rates like Japan, are children living in foster care? Who cares for these children? How long are they typically in foster care? What kind of future do they have? What kind of prejudices do they face? Is adoption an option? Why is adoption rare in Japan? Come hear the answers to these questions and more when Ms. Tomoko Shouho from the Kodomo-no-sato Children's Home comes to share her life's work with us.    CCEA member Mary Noguchi will also share her very beautiful story of how she and her husband adopted their son here in Japan.
 
MARK YOUR CALENDARS - upcoming CCEA Monthly General Meetings:
 
JUNE 1 - CCEA General Meeting is NOT at WILL Aichi.  Instead, we will travel to Obu City for various activities and lunch together.   Get details in May's newsletter and information sheets we will distribute at the May meeting.  
 
No meetings in July and August. 
 
SEPTEMBER 7th - RAKUGO (Japanese traditional comic storytelling) in English at WILL Aichi
 
OCTOBER 5th -TAIKO (Japanese drumming) demonstration and lunch at Kisoji restaurant in Sakae. 
 
I wish you all a happy, healthy and relaxing Golden Week holiday.  I look forward to seeing you on May 11 at WILL Aichi!
 
 
Joan Stewart
2007 CCEA President
e-mail: joan@stewartnudo.com


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  6. Pharmacutical Products
(Thank you to Lesa Stevenson for information contained within this submission)

Finding your way around a Japanese drug store can be daunting, but compared to years past there is more and more English labelling to make your choices easier.  Here are some common products from the drug store that I have found helpful over the years.  I have included links to pictures of the products so that you can find them more easily, however when you purchase products from a Japanese drug store (in particular medicines), it is best to take a Japanese friend with you so that you can check with the pharmacist that you are actually buying what you need.

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.  Also featured on www.tokyofamilies.com.

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 also have the same product in adult and baby sizes, as well as a non-sticky version available in ice-pillow form.

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.  The product comes in ointment form and baby formula as well.

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. 

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. 

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.

Despa - an ointment for mouth ulcers.

Mizumuzu - foot powder or spray for athlete's foot, ringworm etc.  See also Dermarin for a similar product that comes in foot soak, ice spray, cream and powder form.

Hosrol - Chinese herbal medicine to help relieve fatigue and promote sleep.  Please see the English description of this product.

Makiron - Part of every Japanese first aid kit, this is an antiseptic used for small wounds and abrasions.  Also comes in spray form.

Sumithrin L Shampoo - for the treatment of head lice, also comes in a powder form.  Reach for this when the school has a breakout!

Licina - for the relief of hemorrhoids (especially formulated for women).  You can also conduct a search for this product on the English website.

Dotest - Pregnancy test.  You can conduct a search for this product on the English website for information on use.  Another similar product is Check One which also has a digital version.

Atopita - Baby wash range that helps babies with skin irritations, diaper rashes etc.  See the entire range in English.

For those of you who need to know what a specific American drug would be called in Japanese, the US - Japan Drug Name Concordance Book is also available.  The ISBN number is 978-4-263-20151-0, and if you copy and paste this into http://www.amazon.co.jp/ you will come up with a picture of this book which only seems to be titled in Japanese.  It takes three to five weeks to arrive, so I am guessing it's not the most available title.  Another essential book to read is the Japan Health Handbook by Meredith Enman Maruyama et al, which is at the current time out of print, but available at four of the libraries in Nagoya (click here for details).

Finally, if you want to order medicinal products directly from the US, InternationalPharmacy.com can ship to Japan (please proceed with caution as outlined below). Prices can be displayed in yen for convenience.  You can browse by brand name, by generic name or by over-the-counter, and of course you can also conduct a search. You must be at least 18 years of age to place an order, and shipping must be to an address outside of the United States.  There is information about Japan on the country restrictions page, and you can change language to English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portugese. 

Caution: Importing drugs into Japan should be taken very seriously; whatever the method. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the US or other countries may not necessarily be OTC drugs in Japan, and therefore you need to be very careful. Sending the drugs from overseas is the easy part. However, you need to be sure that you can legally import to Japan, or otherwise you could end up being convicted for importing illegal drugs. Please take this seriously, as there are some horror stories out there about innocent people who have been dragged through the Japanese legal system for sending themselves what they thought was OTC drugs. Remember also that the Japanese legal system is based on guilty until proven innocent, and not the other way around.

Should you have any concerns about the importing of drugs you should contact your Embassy in Japan (or the Japanese Embassy in your country) or the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for guidance (http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/index.html).


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  7. Playgroups and Support for Mothers
(thank you to Lesley Ito and for information contained within this submission)

Mothers need other mothers - especially when you are living far away from your home and family it is essential to build a good network of friends and people who can help.  Nagoya Foreign Mothers group, founded in 1996 by English speaking midwife and angel to the foreign mothers in this area, Misako Iwamoto.  One mother I know even gave her daughter the middle name of "Misako" in reverence to this lady, and having had her attend the birth of my second daughter I can say that she is truly the calming influence a birthing mother needs when she is giving birth far from home.  Meetings are held every 2nd Saturday of the month, from 10:00 - 12:00 at the Nagoya City Women's Center (Meijo subway line, Higashi-betsuin station, exit #1).  If you are coming by car, there's a parking space behind the building which costs 300 yen for unlimited time.

If your baby is already born, then it's important to get together with mothers of other babies.  Mothers learn to be mothers, from other mothers.  If you are a foreign mother living in Japan, then odds are that you don't have your own mother handy.  Of course it's always possible to talk to your mother by phone, but there is nothing in the world that beats being in a room with other mothers of a similar age, seeing other babies, and being able to swap experiences in your own language.  It's at these sorts of groups that you find out what others are doing, where they are shopping, where they are going to play on the weekends.  Babies are so portable - take them in the train, take them in the car, take them however you like but take them out in the world so that they can see the world around them and so that you can build and test your parenting skills within a social context.

The Nakamura English Playgroup was established in 2000 to provide a completely English environment for the children of foreign, bi-cultural, returnee, and other families who are committed to raising their children bilingually. The playgroup is a co-operative group and the duties are shared amongst the parents.  They also have a Saturday School for bi-lingual and bi-literate children, taught by the parents (free teacher training by a professional teacher trainer is provided).  The group meet every Saturday (except for the third Saturday) at the Nakamura Lifelong Learning Center from 10 a.m. to noon. Each time is 300 per child and your first time is free. To join, please fax (050) 7558-5886 or send an email to neplaygroup@hotmail.com.

If you are married to a Japanese man, then the Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese also has a casual playgroup in the Nagoya area of mothers who meet together with their small children and babies.  Send an e-mail to chubu-tokai-rep@afwj.org or check out the website at http://afwj.org/

Chayagasaka Cooperative Playgroup was established in April 1987 with the intention of bringing together families who required an English speaking environment for their children. The group only accepts members who have at least one non-Japanese parent and who use English as a first language.  The group meets on Wednesdays using a community room within a large apartment complex near Chayagasaka Station on the Meijo (purple) line (click here for a map).  Street parking is available however not always easy, so public transport is recommended. 

Finally, the Meet & Greet lunch is held on the second Tuesday of the month at Shooters Sports Bar and Grill in Fushimi.  Children are very welcome, and this is a very popular event for young mothers, as the restaurant at this time is for exclusive use of the function and is very child friendly with a play area and activity papers with crayons!  As the restaurant is booked especially for this event, they must have an RSVP to cater for the correct number of people.  This month the details of the Meet and Greet lunch are as follows:

 Date:  Tuesday, 8th of May
 Time: 11:30am -
 Place: http://www.shooters-nagoya.com/
 Price: 1500 yen for buffet lunch and a drink
 RSVP:  Please RSVP by Saturday the 5th of May 2007.  RSVP to Helen Braithwaite at helenjbraithwaite@gmail.com or by phone to 090-2186-3717 during office hours.


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  8.  Organic Food Supplies
(thank you to Esther Carrillo for information contained within this submission)

Preparing for an article introducing some of the ways you can buy organic food in Japan, I came across this article on The New Farm, a website by The Rodale Institute, which works with people worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that renews environmental and human health working with the philosophy that "Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People". The New Farm also has a Japanese website, I was interested to see.

Reading the article, I began to think about just how easy it is to buy organic and locally grown products living in Japan.  Most recently, the organic section of the supermarket has been growing, but even before the time of the organic revolution that seems to be happening, you can always buy organic food by mail order.  The Foreign Buyers Club now has a reasonably extensive selection, but in addition there are whole companies like Tengu Natural Foods that deliver Japan-wide.

Most recently, I found out about Warabe Mura Wholefoods, a small mail order company situated in Gifu.  For anyone who has heard of the 100 Mile Diet, which promotes the consumption of only locally grown food to cut down on the huge amounts of fuel wasted when food is transported over long distances, Warabe Mura have the added benefit of being located very close to the Nagoya area.  They also have an English catalogue (available to download or in print form), so they are very user friendly.

Warabe Mura are committed to offering traditional natural whole foods that have been grown, whenever possible, organically and locally, processed as little as need be, with absolutely no artificial additives, colourings or flavourings used. Only naturally occurring sweeteners such as brown rice malt, hatomugi malt, are used, and all products are sugar, dairy, egg, fish, and meat free. The natural personal care products are cruelty free and contain no animal products or by-products. The house cleaners are the most environmentally friendly available, and all stationary is from recycled sources. Warabe Mura specailizes in macrobiotic whole foods and offers an extensive selection that includes traditonally handcrafted shoyu, tamari, miso, Japanese pickles, as well as a wide variety of wild sea vegetables and Japanese pastas. They also offer a large range of imported organic natural whole foods that include herbs & spices, dried fruit & nuts, pastas, sauces, teas, grains, flours and oils.    

Attached to the same company, is the Organic Whole Food Vegan Cafe, Mannaz near Sohara Station on the JR Takayama Line.  Open from 9-6 every day except Tuesday, there is a map to this cafe on the Warabe Mura English website.  Also on the website are a variety of articles in English from their newsletter which will give you a good idea of the company's way of thinking.

Apart from mail-order, Japan is still a good place to live for the organically and environmentally concious.  For example, in the supermarket, you can mostly find where any given food has come from, and whether or not it is organic.  Certified Organic food has a label from the Japan Agricultural Standard on it, while non-certified organic is referred to as munoyaku ("chemical-free") as well as "reduced chemical" food referred to as gennoyaku.  A useful guide to these classifications can be found on the shopping page of this Vegan website about Japan.

In addition to all of this, there are little events popping up here and there that support the sale of organic food, such as the Organic Festa in Tokyo.  On a smaller and more local scale, there is an Eco farmer's market held in the morning of the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at Oasis 21 in Sakae.  The market is held from 9am to noon, in the south zone of the facility, and the event supports "green" tourism for countryside districts in the Chubu area.  It seems that more and more, locally grown organic or reduced pesticide food seems to be the way of the future.

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 9. Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

Recently a friend invited me to a little local festival near his family's house on the Chita Peninsula.  I wrote about it on my blog, and I will also say here, that the Chita Peninsula really does festivals very well.   I am a regular attendant of the Ota Festival near Otagawa Station in Tokai City, and I hear very good things about the many festivals that occur between March and May in Handa City.  Of these festivals, they tell me that the Kamezaki Shioi Festival is the most spectacular.

The Kamezaki Shiohi Matsuri is held on the 3rd and 4th of May every year, heading towards Kamezaki beach where the festival culminates in float-spinning frenzy.  Every five years (set for this October), I've read that Handa also displays all 31 floats at once in an amazing spectacle.

I know a lad who, growing up as a young Japanese boy, never failed to attend and to participate in this festival.  It was the highlight of his life, and while other aspects of his childhood were not so happy, festival time was always a time to shine.  These pictures of the festival might show you a small sample of the excitement on the day, but there is nothing like being in the thick of it all.  To find the festival, take the JR Taketoyo line to Kamezaki and walk for fifteen minutes towards Kamezaki beach.  Just follow the other festival goers, or jump in a taxi!


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  10. Time Flies
Sue Conolly

Today as I was in a mad rush to make up the X-Pat Files, the last day of the month, my two little daughters were on hoiday from school.  They were good girls and watched videos patiently while I did internet searches, made phone calls and sent and replied to e-mails.  They helped with lunch, and they gave me the time I needed to be busy.

In return, after I had finished all but this final article, I sat down with them and I gave them some of my time.  We watched a movie together, "Momo".  The following is the plot summary of that movie from the Internet Movie Data Base.

This film, based on a book written by Michael Ende (the German author who also wrote "The Neverending Story") takes place in a fictional, nameless town. The routine, slow-paced life of the townspeople is interrupted with the arrival of Momo, a seemingly orphaned girl without a past who quickly becomes a favorite of all of her neighbors. Among Momo's inexplainable gifts is her power of observation, with which she soon notices that something drastic is happening in the town. All of a sudden, the formerly kind, patient townspeople become obsessed with saving time and money and no longer have time for their friends, especially Momo. Momo soon finds out that those responsible for this are the "Grauen Herren", or the gray men, a group of ghost-like gentlemen who alienate Momo and her friends and are somehow stealing their saved-up time and using it to continue their own existence. After Momo tries to convince her friends of the existence of the gray men, she must flee from the town before she is abducted by the gray men. Momo finds protection in the mysterious home of Meister Hora, an old man who explains what exactly time is and confides in her that he is in control of time. After she realizes what a gift, as opposed to a chore, time is, Momo rushes home and attempts to gather what friends she has left together and convince them of the evil that the gray men are bringing to their quiet town.

What a remarkable film.  Through the wild and inexplicable metaphors of magic spectacles and future-telling tortoises, we see that time is just a precious flower that each and every one of us is given.  One by one the petals of time will fall from our flower, but how we experience our time is up to each one of us individually.  We can listen to social pressures that urge us to save time, urge us not to waste time, urge us to spend our time wisely and invest our time... just as if time is money in the bank.  But time is not money.  Time is your children playing with a stick in the dirt and drawing pictures of an elaborate town.  Time is making dinner that will bring a smile to the face of your family.  Time is the smile on the face of a scruffy dog who is waiting to be taken for a walk.

The time that we all spend here in Japan can be seen in the same way.  Should we run here and there, trying to better our situation? Alternatively, should we stop time and lock ourselves in an expatriate bubble?  Or, should we step outside in the sunshine and really appreciate each and every moment for the gift that it is?  Our friends, our famliy, our experiences... these are the things that colour time and make life worth living.

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