Man slashes junior high school boy's shirt in Gifu
2008-05-27 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}GIFU -- A man has slashed a junior high school boy's shirt while he was on his way home, police said.At around 5:55 p.m. on Monday, the 13-year-old boy was walking on a municipal road in Gifu when the man approached him and suddenly slashed his shirt with what appeared to be a paper cutter, local police said. The boy was not injured.Investigators who examined the shirt said a 12-centimeter part of the left sleeve had been cut.Police are search ...
Gifu To Toyohashi 60 Years On!
2008-05-26 11:24:00 ?????Last week I had yet another glimpse in to the weird world of Japanese train spotters.Traveling by train, mostly at the weekends with a train-mad 6-year-old, I have gradually become more and aware of this parallel word of Japanese densha otaku (train geeks).Densha otaku tend to be thicker on the ground at weekends, they are no doubt busy as software programmers, shop assistants or newspaper delivery boys during the week, so events which will attract the spotters are held on Sundays.Last Sunday, we were at Meitetsu Gifu Station as the 12.40 Panorama Car to Toyohashi was about to depart. This departure was special, however, and marked the 60th anniversary of the west-east Gifu to Toyohashi service. Special plaques were attached to the front of the train and on each carriage. The Panorama Car was no doubt chosen as it is Meitetsu's oldest running model and soon to be phased out.The geeks had been milling for hours on the platform to get the best spots for photos, the best seats on...
Ringleader in Gifu gold heist gets 16 years in chokey
2008-03-29 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}GIFU -- A man convicted of playing a central role in the theft of 200 million yen in gold bars from a museum was sentenced to 16 years in jail in a ruling at the Gifu District Court on Friday.Kitakyushu resident Yoshimi Go was convicted of stealing about 100 kilograms of gold bars, which were on display at the Ohashi Collection Building in Takayama, on March 18 last year, along with others including a 23-year-old construction worker from Fukuoka.During t ...
Gifu bank workers overpower armed robber
2008-01-29 00:00:00 GIFU -- Three bank workers overpowered a knife-wielding bandit Monday and held him until officers could arrive on the scene and place him under arrest, police said.Shigeyuki Yoshio, 37, unemployed of no fixed address, was arrested for attempted robbery of the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Gifu Branch.There were several people in the bank at the time of the allegedly attempted heist, but nobody was injured.Police said Yoshio walked into the bank at about 10: ...
Gifu bank workers overpower armed robber
2008-01-28 00:00:00 GIFU -- Three bank workers overpowered a knife-wielding bandit Monday and held him until officers could arrive on the scene and place him under arrest, police said.Shigeyuki Yoshio, 37, unemployed of no fixed address, was arrested for attempted robbery of the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Gifu Branch.There were several people in the bank at the time of the allegedly attempted heist, but nobody was injured.Police said Yoshio walked into the bank at about 10: ...
sushi and sake (gifu, japan)
2008-01-18 06:00:00 some sushi and sake bottles at one of the many sushi bars around Gifu
By: sorafoto
sushi and sake (gifu, japan)
2008-01-17 06:00:00 some sushi and sake bottles at one of the many sushi bars around Gifu
By: sorafoto
Feather Museum Seki
2007-12-29 06:42:00 ?????????Listen to the sounds of the Feather MuseumJapan has some bizarre and quirky museums: a sex museum, a ninja museum and even a sand museum.The Feather Museum in Seki, north of Inuyama in Gifu Prefecture, has nothing to do with feathers or birds. The museum is sponsored by the Feather Company that makes razors, shaving and hairdressing equipment as well as surgical scalpels.The whole area of Seki is known as one of Japan's top locations for the manufacture of high quality steel knives, swords and blades. Sword-making in the area began in the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) and has been going strong ever since.The modern, two-storey Feather Museum - a "razor memorial facility" - is dedicated to the history of shaving, beards and hairdressing both in Japan and the rest of the world. There are interesting dioramas and computer-generated exhibits on men's and women's shaving through the ages, a collection of razors and razor blades from around the world, recreations of historical b...
Man robs Gifu pachinko parlor of 15 mil. yen
2007-12-24 00:00:00 TOKI, Gifu -- A knife-wielding man robbed a pachinko parlor here of about 15 million yen on Monday, police said.At around 2 a.m. a man brandished what appeared to be a kitchen knife at the 43-year-old manager of the Daihachi South pachinko parlor in Toki as he opened its back door, police said.The robber forced the manager to open the safe and stole about 15 million yen. He then bound the manager's hands and feet with adhesive tape before fleeing.About 10 minu ...
Mystery bullet holes pepper two houses in Gifu
2007-12-24 00:00:00 GINAN, Gifu -- Several bullet holes have been found at two houses here, local police said.At around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Takenori Nawa, 64, owner of a dry-cleaning shop, found a window in the front gate of his home in Ginan had been broken, and alerted police.Officers found a bullet in the yard of Nawa's home and five bullet holes, each measuring about 1 centimeter in diameter, in the windows and walls of his home and a neighboring house. Nobody was injured.A nei ...
Hostess lover arrested for Gifu trucker's murder
2007-12-05 00:00:00 GIFU -- The hostess lover of a man found fatally stabbed in a car here has been arrested for killing him, police said.Mika Sakaida, 30, a hostess and Gifu resident, was arrested for the murder of a 31-year-old truck driver initially identified as Hiroyuki Makino, but later confirmed to have been adopted and taken the surname of Kotake.Kotake's body was discovered Monday after he had been stabbed to death in a car.Sakaida has told investigators she had been see ...
Trucker found stabbed in Gifu parking lot
2007-12-03 00:00:00 GIFU -- A trucker was found stabbed to death in a car parked beside a supermarket here Monday, police said.The body of 31-year-old Hiroyuki Makino, the truck driver of unknown address, was discovered in a compact car near the Yanagiya Kita Isshiki supermarket just before 8 a.m.Makino had been stabbed in the left side of the chest.Police have launched an investigation into Makino's murder.
Sukyo Mahikari
2007-08-04 08:12:00 ????The huge headquarters of the Sukyo Mahikari religious sect dominates the mountainous skyline to the west of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture.The World Shrine (Suza) is believed by followers of Sukyo Mahikari to enshrine the Su God, the creator of the universe.The building, completed in 1984 at a reported cost of USD 500 million, is monumental in size topped with a large red globe (munadama) and contains many symbols and features that may be familar to followers of other religions. The two Towers of Light resembles Islamic minarets, the Star of David and the Wheel of Dhamma is much in evidence and there is a reconstruction of the Quetzalcoatl Fountain from Mexico in the courtyard of the building.The scarlet interior Great Hall of Worship (no photography allowed) is reminiscent of a massive North Korean movie theater. Adult visitors receive a small shot of local sake after their visit to the Great Hall of Worship.Founded by Okada Yoshikazu (1901-1974), aka Okada Kotama, in the 1960s, S...
Nagoya Friends Party! Make friends over the net!
2007-07-23 07:27:00 Nagoya Friends: Find Japanese pen pals and pen pals from around the world. International Parties in Nagoya! Please join us for the next Nagoya Friends Party. Around 125+ people attend each month. Many Japanese and non-Japanese will be participating. It's a good opportunity to make new friends, find your language exchange partners, or even find your girlfriends/boyfriends. Increase your network of friends and contacts in the Aichi, Gifu and Mie areas. Come alone or bring your friends. Everybody is WELCOME! Just come and be ready to make new friends with everybody.?????????????????????-????????????????????????????? ?????????????????120???????????-???????????????????BBQ ???????????????????????????????-??????????????????? ???????????????????????????????-??? ?????????nagoyafriendsparty.com- ???????????????????????????????-??????????????Upcoming Events!July 26th Whitewater rafting Trip down the Nagara River! 9am-5pm 12,000 yen includes all equipment, rafting, guides, lunch, drink, and admissio...
Ogaki
2007-07-17 03:55:00 ??????Ogaki, a small historic castle town not far from Gifu and within easy reach of Nagoya, is best known nowadays for its connections with wandering Edo-period haiku master, Matsuo Basho (????) and for its delicious-tasting water.Ogaki was the final destination in 1689 of Basho's epic journey to the northeast of Japan related in "Oku no Hosomichi". A Haiku Journey: Basho's Narrow Road to a Far Province (Illustrated Japanese Classics)References to the poet are everywhere: in the names of restaurants and shops, as well as Basho statues, museums and the town's Basho Festival in November.On completion of his trek around the north of Japan, Basho took a river boat from Ogaki south to Kuwana and then on to his birthplace - the ninja town of Iga. Back in the Edo-period Ogaki was a strategic town on the east-west Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) and the Suimon River was navigable, making Ogaki a major river port at the time.Ogaki's role as an important crossroads is under...
Iwamura
2007-07-09 18:40:00 ??????After an earlier, happy visit to Akechi and its preserved "Taisho Mura" on the train from Ena, I really wanted to return to that picturesque part of Gifu Prefecture at the earliest opportunity.Iwamura, five stops from Ena on the historic 19th century Akechi Railway, looked the next most interesting place to explore further.Iwamura is an old castle town on the northern, mountain trade route from Kyoto to Tokyo, known as the Nakasendo ???. In Gifu the Nakasendo highway passes through Ena, Iwamura, Mitake and on to Magome and Tsumago.Iwamura is spread out east to west in front of you as you leave the station, with the impressive stone walls of the ruined Iwamura Castle a steep, forty-minute walk up through the quiet streets to the hill above.Nearest to the station are reminders of Iwamura's old merchant quarter, which prospered in the Edo Period (1603-1868). As you continue uphill some of the buildings are original early 20th century Meiji Period shophouses -- a pharmacy, a sake...
Akechi Tetsudo
2007-06-23 09:18:00 ????The Akechi Tetsudo train makes the journey between Ena and Akechi in Gifu Prefecture, not far from Nagoya. The 50 minute route through the forests, traditional villages and tiny wooden stations is a delight for mountain train enthusiasts and a reaquaintance with the joys of train travel after the horrors of a packed, sweaty, weekday commute.Trains run approximately hourly and costs 670 yen single fare Ena-Akechi. The first train from Ena is at 6.48am and the last at 21.44pm on weekdays, 20.54pm at the weekend or on public holidays.Book a hotel in Japan with BookingsJapanese FictionHappi CoatsTagsJapan Akechi Gifu Nagoya Japan trains
Akechi Taisho Village
2007-06-13 04:12:00 ?????????The village of Akechi, in the municipality of Ena in Gifu Prefecture, is a hidden gem, and makes for a pleasant day trip from nearby Nagoya to the south.Akechi has retained a large number of buildings from the Taisho Era (1911-1925), when the town had a thriving silk production industry.Now a sleepy backwater reached by the Akechi Railroad from Ena city, Akechi is attempting to re-invent itself through tourism as "Taisho Village". The 50-minute train journey from Ena is spectacular, winding through mountain forests, verdant green paddies and pretty villages. You can even open the windows and lean out to enjoy the cool air.On arrival Akechi Station and even the adjacent toilet are both done in Taisho Era style and their is plenty of similar architecture to come. The town is a delight to stroll: the narrow footpaths along the Akechi River, the picturesque lane of "Taisho Alley" and the roads leading to the Nihon Taisho Mura (Tel: 0573 54 3944) - a modern museum reconstructing...
Gifu Cormorant Fishing
2007-05-24 18:19:00 ?????Gifu is famous for its cormorant fishing (ukai) on the Nagara River. After dark from mid-May to mid-October, excursion boats can be hired, from hotels and at the booking office just below Nagara Bridge, to participate in a traditional practice of catching Japanese sweetfish (ayu) using comorants.Tethered by rings around the neck so that they don't swallow their catch, the birds are released in to the water in search of Japanese trout (ayu) from long, covered, wooden fishing boats with braziers out front to attract the fish.The captured fish are grilled and traditionally served up with Japanese beer and sake.Ukai cormorant fishing from river boats also takes place in Arashiyama in Kyoto and other river towns around Japan.The best view for spectators is the far bank of the Nagara river. Gifu Castle is clearly visible on the hill above.Cormorant fishing has been employed in Japan since at least the 8th century. Traditionally each fishing boat is manned by four men, the captain (u...
Gifu Castle
2007-05-23 14:24:00 ???Gifu Castle stands proudly on top of the 300m-high Mount Kinka. There has been a fortress on this spot since the 13th century.Previously known as Inabayama Castle, Gifu Castle is associated with the life of local Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), who strengthened the castle's fortifications and was responsible for the name change.The present concrete structure dates from the 1950s and includes collections of Edo-Period weapons and armor. There are tremendous views from the top observation deck down over Gifu city and the Nagara River below. There is also a small museum just below the castle which contains musical instruments and other period artefacts and is included in the price of admission.AccessGifu CastleTel: 058 263 4853Admission: Adults 200 yen; children (4-15 years) 100 yenGifu Castle is in Gifu Park. Take a bus 15 minutes from JR Gifu Station (Platform 11) or Meitetsu Gifu Station (Platform 4). Get off at Gifu Koen Rekishi Hakubutsukan-mae. Walking to the castl...
It?s a Pugiful World
2007-02-14 03:55:03 Princess and I want to congratulate Sugarbear Flamingstar O’Harada, a fellow pug from Japan, who won Best of Breed and Third Place in the Toy Group at this week’s Westminster Dog Show. She’s so pugiful, isn’t she? The Westminster Dog Show is a big deal in our world. Lots of top stars go there. The show isn’t finished, so maybe Sugarbear will win even more awards before the week is done! My family was watching last night when she won her third place prize. I was so proud. I even saw dogs that look like my cousins; Chihuahuas and Bichon Frisees (a shout out to Chica, Roxie, Belle and Obie!) Congratulations Sugarbear, you make us pugs proud!
By: 111 Brad Street
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