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Kiyosu Castle 2007-11-15 08:23:00 ???Kiyosu Castle, in the suburbs of Nagoya, makes no bones about authenticity. The castle was built in 1989. The original, which was situated on the other side of the river, dated from the 14th-15th century but was demolished in 1610.Local strongman Oda Nobunaga took possession of the fortress in 1555 and many of the exhibits in the castle relate to this most famous of Aichi Prefecture's sons.The castle grounds contain a stone garden and ornamental pond, now empty of carp, for on the day we visited all the fish had fallen prey to hungry herons (shirasagi). The birds can't handle fully grown carp but were able to take the young fish from the pond much to the despair of the garden's attendant.The first floor has a display of suits of armor, made out of recycled beer cans no less, which visitors are encouraged to try on and be photographed. Polished wooden stairs lead up to rooms with the usual displays of samurai swords, roof tiles and photographs of Japan's other major castles ...

Kaki (persimmon) 2007-11-13 20:44:00 ?Originally from China, kaki (Diospyros kaki) are common throughout southern and western Japan, and at this time of the year with the leaves fallen off the trees the orange fruit are very conspicuous.Ama-gaki (???) are the spherically-shaped fruits and can be enjoyed straight from the tree, but shibu-gaki (??), the more oval-shaped fruit are too astringent to be eaten until they have been peeled, and hung in the sun to dry, when they become sweet like dried figs. In this form they are known as hoshi-gaki (???) and are a popular gift. Monkeys are particularly fond of kaki, and the two trees in my yard are constantly raided in the late summer and early fall.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsJapanese FictionJapan Book Shop Amazon UKHappi CoatsTagsJapan Shimane persimmon kaki ...

Christmas in Shinjuku 2007-11-13 06:44:00 ???????????"Kurisumasu," as Christmas is known in Japan, has already come to Tokyo's hub of commerce and entertainment, the Shinjuku area. One of Shinjuku's biggest department stores, Odakyu, in the Shinjuku station building, has just turned on its yuletide lighting as the rush towards the big day begins.Not that the 25th forms the big day here. The focal date of Christmas is the 24th, Christmas Eve, and the focal activity is not carol singing or gift giving, but dating.But whatever it stands for, as the decorations above suggest, Christmas is as huge in Japan as anywhere. Only 40 shopping days to go!Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsJapanese FictionJapan Book Shop Amazon UKHappi CoatsTagsJapan Tokyo Shinjuku Odakyu Christmas ...

Japan News 11/11/07 2007-11-11 07:42:00 ????? Japan's police see no evil in death of young sumo trainee.LA TimesNew rules requiring fingerprints and digital photos of visitors are revealing about attitudes toward foreigners.LA TimesDutch lower house OKs resolution on "comfort women".Japan TimesDefence Ministry scandal involving ex-Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya widens.Daily YomiuriJapan's Future as an International, Multicultural Society: From Migrants to Immigrants, by Arudou Debito.Japan FocusChunichi Dragons win Asian Baseball Series.Kyodo NewsSoapland for women fails to make a splash.MainichiJapan StatisticsThe US dollar was at its lowest level against the Yen at one point on Friday since May 2006. In Tokyo the dollar closed at 112.65-68 YenSource: NikkeiNew HIV infections hit a high of 274 for the July-September quarter. 64% were infected by male-to-male sexual contact, 17% were infected by male-to-female sexual contactSource: Health, Labor & Welfare MinistryThe social networking site Mixi had 11. ...

Design Festa No.26 2007-11-10 08:03:00 ?????????Design Festa Vol.26More booths than ever! Presenting original works of over 6,500 artists!Design Festa Vol.26 will be held on November 17(Sat) & 18(Sun)at Tokyo Big Sight.Over the past 13 years, Design Festa has nurtured creativity and provided aplatform for professional and non-professional artists to expressthemselves.With over 60,000 visitors and 6,500 artists from around the world, DesignFesta is an explosion of originality fused with cultural exchange.Design FestaExpression of original art in the Booth Area! ( Regular Lighting Area / Dimmed Light Area )*Huge painting of peaceful worlds where mysterious animals roam!*Ball-jointed-dolls with a very strange installation & performance!*Cartoonists continuously present unique comic books and picture books.*Basic but beautifully made footwear, leather ware and accessories!*Cloth, bucket, tissue papers...these sensory creations changed ceramic art!*World of figurative paper crafts filled with unique ide ... Design

Mystery insect in Tokyo CBD 2007-11-08 09:42:00 ??????Tokyo is without doubt one of Japan's greenest cities. Very few streets are completely devoid of trees or flowers, and a green space, whether a park or a garden, is rarely more than a few minutes' walk away.During my lunch break today, I was walking down a street in the business area where I work, Kojimachi, and admiring the beautiful flowers in the flower boxes that line that particular street.My eye was caught by what I first thought was a very small bird, but which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a very large insect.Beating its wings so fast that they were just a whirring golden brown blur, it hovered, never landing, and flitted from flower to flower, sticking into each one its enormously long proboscis (about 1.5 times the length of its body) for mere milliseconds before darting to the next.It was so quick that photographing it was next to impossible, and of the 20 or 30 shots I took in rapid succession, only one turned out to be "legible".Any entomolo ...

Protest the fingerprinting of foreigners entering Japan 2007-11-07 19:12:00 From November 20th, foreigners entering Japan (including permanent and non-permanent residents) will have to submit to being digitally fingerprinted and photographed.The government stance is summed in the following quotes."This will greatly contribute to preventing international terrorist activities on our soil," Naoto Nikai: Immigration Bureau."It is vital we take fingerprints (from foreigners) in order to prevent terrorist attacks": Kunio Hatoyama, Justice Minister.Groups such as University Teachers Union Japan, Amnesty International Japan, and Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan are fighting the implementation.Open a petition protesting the above.The petition aims to abolish the re-establishment of fingerprinting for all foreigners entering Japan - including residents - as introduced by the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act to take effect from November 20th, 2007, in Japan.It will be sent to:General Affairs Division, Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Justice1- ...

Nagoya Friends party - THIS SATURDAY! 11/10 2007-11-07 16:51:00 Nagoya Friends is holding it's 46th party in Nagoya!Date: Saturday Nov. 10th, 2007Time: 18:15 - 20:45Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:40pm.Place: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurumai (very close to JR Nagoya Station)Fee:3000 Yen Gentlemen, 2500 Yen Ladies 1st 15 foreigners 2000 yen each!Dress code: Anything (Casual, etc)Reservations: Not necessary but recommended and appreciated. Just show up to the party!Over 25,000 Yen worth of exciting prize giveaways each month!RESERVE HERE!There will be free food along with free drinks (beers, wine, cocktail drinks and juices). Our party is not a dinner party, but we will have light food & snacks. Quantities are limited, so please come early! Please free to come alone or bring your friends. EVERYBODY is welcome to join regardless of nationality/gender. Reservation is greatly appreciated. About 125-150+ people are expected to attend. Approximately 55% female and 45% male, 70% Japanese and 30% non-Japanese. Pictures from previ ...

Nagoya Players - A Christmas Carol 2007-11-07 02:16:00 THE NAGOYA PLAYERS PRESENT CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL????????????NAGOYA, JP – October 14, 2007 – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens directed by Patti Gage will be performed by The Nagoya Players on Saturday, December 1, with 2PM and 7PM performances, and Sunday, December 2, with 2PM and 6PM performances at the Meito Playhouse.A Christmas Carol takes place in the early 1800’s in London. Ebenezer Scrooge (Cameron Smith), a miserly greedy man, has lost his connection to humanity and the spirit of Christmas. The play begins on Christmas Eve in Scrooge’s office. Scrooge and Bob Cratchit (Hiro Hirashiki), Scrooge’s ill-treated clerk, are busy at work. Disgusted by the Christmas atmosphere, Scrooge reluctantly allows Bob to take off on Christmas day. While preparing for bed after having eaten dinner alone, Scrooge notices a strange noise echoing throughout his house. He soon realizes that the noise is coming from his long-deceased partner, Marley ...

Shinojima 2007-11-05 20:25:00 ??Compared to its slightly smaller neighbor Himakajima, Shinojima appears to have seen better days.Listen to the sound of a lay Buddhist chant on ShinojimaA number of the island's ryokan (guesthouses) are closed and slowly crumbling. The island's high school has shut and older children now have to make the ferry journey to the mainland for their education.Slightly smaller with around 2,000 inhabitants, in comparison with the 2,300 people living on Himakajima, Shinojima seems to have a higher proportion of the elderly, sitting out in the autumn sun in a scene reminiscent of a Greek island.Still Shinojima is not without its charms, the small town on the hill behind the port faces a splendid 800m-long sandy beach (Naiba), which is ideal for swimming in summer. The small town has a number of small, evocative temples and the more rugged, wooded interior makes for excellent hiking and bird-watching.Walking through the twisting, narrow lanes of the island's town again evokes something ...

Himakajima 2007-11-04 20:05:00 ????Himakajima and Shinojima are two small islands off the Chita Peninsula, south of Nagoya city.Himaka Island is the closest to the mainland, seems the more prosperous and is perhaps prettier than its neighbor Shino Island.Both islands are an easy and pleasant day trip from Nagoya and there are a number of ryokan and small hotels on both islands if you wish to stay longer and really experience the tranquillity and excellent seafood.Though within 90 minutes of Nagoya city, both islands are a world away in terms of the pace of life and both are a haven for wildlife including birds and the occasional dolphin offshore.The islands depend on fishing, mainly octopus and fugu (blowfish) for their livelihood with tourism as a secondary source of income. The islands attract amateur anglers and water-sports enthusiasts throughout the year. It is possible to experience a hands-on fishing trip with professionals and learn how to cast nets and catch octopus.On Himakajima, bicycle hire for t ...

Japan This Week 11/4/07 2007-11-04 02:46:00 ????? Japan's opposition Democratic Party rejects "grand coalition" with LDP.Japan TimesJapan's prisons are turning gray.New York TimesPaul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay, dies at 92.GuardianFormer Nova president Sahashi used company as personal bank account.Daily YomiuriJapan as a Nuclear State, by Gavan McCormack.Japan FocusChunichi Dragons win Japan Series for first time in 53 years with perfect game.Japan TimesThe Sleeping Dragon (i.e., China) is awake and aroused.MainichiJapan StatisticsThere were 1,319 garbage incinerators nationwide in 2005.Source: Environment Ministry42,000 people would be killed if an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 on the Richter Scale were to strike the Osaka area of western Japan.Source: Central Disaster Prevention CouncilAn estimated 400,000 porpoises have been killed off the coast of Taiji over the last two decades.Source: Japan TimesToyota Corp. sold 7.05 million vehicles from January to September 2007.Source: Toyota CorpThere are over 100 schoo ...

100% Design Tokyo 2007-11-04 02:28:00 100%??????Today was the last day of Tokyo Designer's Week 2007, an event running from October 31 to November 4th that enveloped the whole of Tokyo and saw business, local government, and academia collaborating. Its reach went beyond the domestic, even, and involved hundreds of overseas design-related companies and individuals.The centerpiece of the week was the big exhibition, 100% Design Tokyo, that took place on the grounds of the Meiji Jingu Mae Art Gallery, staged mainly in a series of massive white tents.The sun was shining in an almost cloudless blue sky as we lined up for entry which, at 2,000 yen, turned out to be well worth it in both fun, gasp-factor, and the chance to meet people.The tent nearest the entrance, Blickfang, featured design work from Europe, mainly Germany. It was every bit as chic and imaginative as you would expect. The Czech glass was probably the most impressive in its perfection, simplicity, and unerring modernity.The Japan Brand Exhibition was ... Design

Paul Tibbets 2007-11-03 06:04:00 ?????? Paul Tibbets, the commander and pilot of the US B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, that dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima in 1945, died Thursday in Colombus, Ohio, aged 92.Tibbets, throughout his life, steadfastly defended the US military's rationale behind the dropping of the bomb. In a nutshell, it was that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki a few days later, brought the war to a quick, decisive end and in the long run actually saved lives.Tibbets believed a conventional US invasion of Japan would have lead to a far greater loss of life and untold destruction. The grisly events of the invasion of Okinawa can be used as evidence in support of this view. As a graduate student of Japanese history in the mid-90s, this was also the mainstream argument given to students by the course professors where I studied.Alternative views of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are that they stand alone as crimes against humanity and should not have happened. St ...

Chunichi Dragons win Japan Series 2007-11-01 21:24:00 ???????Nagoya's Chunichi Dragons won the Japan Series yesterday ending a 53-year wait to win Japanese baseball's ultimate prize.Chunichi beat Nippon Ham Fighters 1-0 in a pitching duel at Nagoya Dome to win the series 4-1. The series was a rematch of last year's title showdown, which Chunichi lost to the same opponents.The win sparked wild scenes around the city as supporters gathered in bars and outside outdoor video screens to watch the tense finish.The win is expected to boost the local economy as many of Nagoya's major department put on "Victory Sales" to cash in on the feel-good factor.Nippon Ham Fighters' American manager Trey Hillman will leave the Hokkaido-based team to become the new manager of MLB club Kansas City Royals.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsJapanese FictionJapan Book Shop Amazon UKHappi CoatsTagsJapan Chunichi Dragons baseball Nagoya dragons ...