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Japan This Week 2/17/08
2008-02-17 15:28:00
?????Baseball star Kosuke Fukudome prepares for Major League ball and the Chicago Cubs.NY TimesCherries from heaven.GuardianJapan ese politicians propose an 80-mile "peace tunnel" to Korea.GuardianObama in Fukui Prefecture is milking its connection with the US Presidential candidate of the same name.GuardianMarine under investigation for rape in Okinawa. The victim was a 14-year-old girl.Daily YomiuriBedroom advice for Hiroshi.Mainichi ShinbunSarin killer to get death penalty.Japan TimesBanned pesticide "still used" in China.Asahi.comLast week's Japan newsJapan Statistics Percentage of population over 65 in the year 2000:Japan: 17.2EU: 14.7USA: 12.3Russia: 12.3China: 6.8India: 4.6Source: The Daily YomiuriPercentage of population over 65 in the year 2050:Japan: 37.7EU: 27.6Russia: 23.8China: 23.7USA: 21.0India: 14.5Source: The Daily YomiuriBreakdown of Yakuza (organized crime) members in Japan:Full time: 40,900Part-time: 43,300The Yamaguchi-gumi (Kobe), Sumiyoshi-kai (Tokyo), and Inag...
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Fukutoku Inari Jinja
2008-02-16 02:06:00
??????Sitting on the hillside on the western edge of Honshu, Fukutoku Inari, also known as Inunaki no Oinari, commands fine views over the ocean in the direction of China (where Inari most probably originated).We were fortunate to be there not long after dawn as the sun rose above the mountain behind the shrine and treated us to a fiery display.Built in 1971, the buildings are in virtually pristine condition, with the obligatory vermillion dominating. Like most Inari shrines there is a "tunnel" of?vermillion Torii, though unusually this tunnel does not lead to the shrine, rather from the shrine to a bluff overlooking the sea.The shrine is located just off Route 191 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, a little north of Shimonoseki , in the village of Toyoura.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Shimonoseki Yamaguchi Shrine torii

Japanese language: using "wa"
2008-02-15 05:29:00
???????In Japan ese grammar, the article wa (along with ga, which we?ll look at another time) is the most basic element of a Japanese sentence. At first glance it resembles the ?be? or ?do? verb in English, but treating it as such will lead to mistakes.Wa indicates the main topic of a sentence and is closest in meaning to the English ?as for,? or the colon. Thus ?Okaasan wa nete imasu? (Mom is asleep) can be broken down as follows: Okaasan (mom) + wa = ?as for mom,? and ?nete imasu? = ?asleep?. In other words, ?As for mom: asleep?. It just so happens that in this example ?wa? correlates perfectly with ?is,? but, as I just mentioned, this is by no means always the case.Take the following example:Tokyo wa wakarimasen. (wakarimasen = ?not know? or ?not understand?). If you think of ?wa? as ?is? or ?do,? this sentence seems nonsensical, or at least whimsical. ?Tokyo doesn?t know/understand? doesn?t make sense (unless we are using Tokyo as an abbreviation for, say, ?the Tokyo branch? ? bu...
More About: Language , Grammar , Japanese language

JR Kisuki Line
2008-02-13 16:06:00
???Japanese Rural rail lines. Part 1 JR Kisuki Line For getting from A to B quickly and conveniently, Japan's Shinkansen and Express rail networks are second to none, albeit at a hefty price, but for those who actually enjoy traveling, for those who feel that the journey is at least as important as the destination, Japan's rural rail lines have much to offer.The trains travel at slow speed, allowing you the pleasure of taking in some wonderful scenery, and your fellow passengers are more likely to engage in conversation with you than on the commuter trains. The intimacy extends even further, as the trains literally pass through people's back yards, again affording glimpses of life quite different to that of the cities.Most of the rural lines are single track, and usually single carriage trains, and the downside is that they don't run very often, but with some judicious planning it's possible to spend days, or weeks, leisurely criss-crossing a less visited Japan in comfort.One su...
More About: Train , Shimane , Hiroshima

Breed!
2008-02-13 04:18:00
????????The rate of increase in Japan's population has been in steady decline since the 1980s. The birthrate per mother is the lowest in the world at 1.29 children, and the numbers of young people are falling every year. Over-65s now account for almost 21% of the population, compared to just under 14% for under-15 year olds.In January 2007, then Health Minister, Hakuo Yanagisawa, created a furore when, in addressing the problem of the falling birthrate, he referred to the nation's women of childbearing age as "baby-making machines" and "baby making devices."But it seems that not only politicians are concerned about the future of the population. Here in a neighborhood of Tokyo 's Nakano ward is no less than a hairdressing salon that urges passersby to "BREED"!But is it politically motivated? There is, to be sure, quite an intimate element in the act of giving and getting a haircut, but Tokyo has plenty of other places that cater to overtly carnal needs, for breeders or non-breeders...
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Kyoto's Nijo Station
2008-02-11 14:52:00
Japan Railway (JR)'s Nijo Station is two stops from Kyoto Station on the Saiin Line, which heads west out of the city towards rural Kyoto Prefecture. It is a short walk from here to Nijo Castle.The Station was rebuilt in 1996 when the tracks were elevated. It now is best known for its distinctive hat-like roof.The former station building is still intact and can be seen just down line at the the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum, which was opened in 1972 to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of railway operation in Japan. The former station house was built in 1904 and is a Meiji Period wooden structure that is warm and cozy--everything in other words the new building is not.What the new building may lack in coziness, however, it makes up in scale. The sloping roof moreover evokes an ancient straw Japanese hat.Both the JR line and the Tozai subway line stop here. The JR line is convenient for Kyoto Station and points west, including Arashiyama. The subway runs under the northern e...
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Japan This Week 2/10/08
2008-02-10 01:58:00
?????China and Japan agree to work on poisoned dumplings issue.People's Daily OnlinePackaging the cause of poisoning?Mainichi ShinbunSumo stable boss arrested over murder.GuardianAfter medical mishap resulting in death, female physician and nurse get it on--and eventually begin servicing male patients.Mainichi ShinbunJapan's "research whaling" facing domestic problems: slow sales.Asahi.comAustralia releases Japanese whaling photos.BBCJapanese paper aeroplanes to fly in space.BBC"Japan passing" - Japan set for long, slow economic declne.Washington Post66-year-old to make come back at Beijing Olympics.BBCLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsLegal professionals per 1,000 people:US: 327Britain: 223Germany: 204France: 86Japan: 21Source: The Daily YomiuriWind powered electricity (rank, as measured by 10,000 kilowatts):Germany: 2,062 (1)Spain: 1,162 (2)US: 1,160 (3)India: 627 (4)Japan: 139 (13)Source: Asahi ShinbunSolar powered electricity (rank, as measured by 10,000 kilowatts):German...
More About: Politics , Week

Japan in Small Town America
2008-02-09 07:37:00
?????, ?????Even in the smallest of small-town America , Corvallis, Oregon (population 53,900), Japan has a presence, it seems.I was surprised to discover not one but two Japanese-themed restaurants and an aikido center.Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar250 SW Third St. (3rd & Jefferson)Corvallis, OR 97333Tel: 541 754 7508Ki Aikido 115 NW 2nd StCorvallis, OR 97330Tel: 541 757 2746oregonki.orgAomatsu Japanese Restaurant122 NW 3rd St, CorvallisTel: 541 752 1410Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Corvallis Oregon aikido USA
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Nagahama Castle
2008-02-08 00:42:00
長浜城�滋賀県Nagahama, a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, is a popular swimming and sailing resort in summer.In winter, Nagahama and its marinas are virtually deserted, but the reconstructed Nagahama Castle is worth a visit if you happen to be in town or are passing through.The original Nagahama Castle was constructed on the orders of the local warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in the 16th century. Nagahama was Hideyoshi's first fief and he also resided in the castle for certain periods of time. The castle was demolished by the Tokugawa regime in 1615 due to the "one province, one castle" regulation enforced to reduce the power of local feudal magnates (daimyo). Nearby Hikone Castle survived and some of Nagahama Castle's building materials were transported from Nagahama to reinforce Hikone Castle.The current structure was reconstructed in 1983 following the advice of a professor of historical architecture from Tokyo Kogyo University (T...

Kansai Dialect
2008-02-07 15:57:00
???Spoken by roughly 20 million people, Kansai dialect is the standard form of speech in western Japan . This area includes Osaka, Kyoto , Hyogo, Shiga, Wakayama, and Mie Prefectures. It is the main linguistic and cultural counter balance to "hyojungo," or standard Japanese, which is spoken in the Tokyo area of eastern Japan.Kansai dialect is highly influential because of its association with Osaka comedians, Kobe mobsters, and Kyoto geisha--and can be heard frequently on television.The rivalry and tension, linguistic and otherwise, between Tokyo and Osaka is one of the great dramas in Japanese life.The basic difference between the language of Tokyo and, say, Osaka has to do in part with word endings.In Tokyo, "ikanai" ??????equals "I/you/he don't/doesn't go." In the West of Japan, you would say "ikahen" or "ikimahen." In the past tense, too, things are different in Kansai. In Tokyo: "tabenakatta" ????????means "I/you/he didn't eat." Kansai: "tabehenkatta" or "tabenkatta."Another d...
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Matsuo Shrine
2008-02-05 23:00:00
????Matsuo Taisha, sometimes known as Matsunoo, is an interesting ancient shrine on the outskirts of Kyoto that offers a little more to see and do than most of the often visited shrines in the area. It is also less crowded.Located near Arashiyama, it was founded in 701, almost 100 years before the founding of Kyoto. It was founded by the head of the Hata clan, an immigrant clan that ruled the area before the moving of the capital from Nara. The Hata also founded the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine .The Hata were instrumental in bringing Sake brewing techniques from Korea, and the shrine has a deep and long association with sake brewers, who still take water from the sacred well Kame no I, located in the shrine.The shrine grounds are home to 3,000 rose bushes which are in bloom during April and May.About 30 years ago, the famous landscape designer and painter, Mirei Shigemori, built (at great expense) three gardens at the shrine, the Iwakura Garden, in ancient style, the Horai Garden, in ...

Change in Cigarette Vending Machine Law
2008-02-05 01:19:00
????????From March to July this year smart cards will be introduced for use of cigarette vending machines across the country.Smokers will have to apply for an age-verification card to purchase cigarettes from Japan's estimated 520,000 cigarette vending machines.To apply for the new IC smart card, smokers will need to send in a passport size photograph and a copy of a document showing the applicants age, such as a driving license.The application card, which is free of charge, can be obtained from shops selling tobacco, convenience stores or downloaded from the taspo website.The new regulations are a move to cut under-age smoking. People in Japan are legally able to smoke from 20 years of age.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Smoking Convenience Stores tobacco vending machines
More About: Machine , Change , Vending , Vending Machine

Maiko at Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine
2008-02-04 09:02:00
??????????????On a cold overcast Sunday in early February, crowds flocked to Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine to witness the annual "mame maki" (bean throwing) ceremony to welcome spring.At one pm, the assembled maiko, or apprentice geisha, tossed out small packets towards the crowd as part of "setsubun" holiday. According to the lunar calendar, "setsubun" falls on the day before spring. Ceremonies are held every year on February 3rd.The three women pictured at right are exiting following the end of the ceremony. They are about to make their way through a crush of tourists and photographers as they head back to their homes in Gion.The woman pictured below is about to throw out one of the packets (you can just make it out in her right hand). Hands outstretched, a shriek goes up every time one of the "flowers of the night" scatters her gifts to the crowd waiting below.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi Coats...

Japan This Week 2/03/08
2008-02-03 09:50:00
????? Insecticide-tainted gyoza dumplings from China sicken 175 people in Japan .NY TimesHuge Hello Kitty statue goes on view in Tokyo store.The Daily YomiuriThe Strange Kinoko Dance Company, on tour in the US, often dispenses with the stage.Washington PostDirty doctor and kinky nurse serve up sexual favors for patients.Mainichi ShinbunJapanese police pay tribute to anonymous donor.Christian Science MonitorLast week's Japan newsJapan Statistics1,060,741 new houses were built in Japan in 2007, a 17.8% fall from 2006, following tough new building codes introduced in June.Source: Construction and Transport MinistryPeople over the age of 65 accounted for 47.5% of those killed in traffic accidents in 2007. Overall there were 5,774 traffic deaths in 2007,a drop of 9.6% from 2006. 35% perished in cars, 33.8% died while walking and 17.9% were killed riding motorbikes.Source: National Police AgencyThe average monthly wage of salaried workers dropped 0.7% in 2007 to 330,212 yen. Regualar wage...
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Hanging out the radish
2008-02-02 11:54:00
????Even in Tokyo , aspects of the countryside find their way into the landscape. Winter might be cold in here, but most days are brilliant sunshine - enough to even get a tan in if you're out in it long enough! So here was someone taking advantage of the rays to dry daikon, or giant white radish, from the railings at the top of their three story building.The daikon has been a staple of the Japan ese diet from about 400 years ago. Its bland looks belie considerable nutritional value, particularly vitamin C, and, of course, it is rich in fiber. Its most common form in Japanese cuisine is grated (daikon oroshi). It is also popular boiled. Boiled, it is best known in the form of oden, a kind of vegetable stew, where it is simmered slowly for hours and hours until it falls apart easily under the chopsticks - a treat with a dab of mustard.Dried daikon, as seen here, is not so common on the Japanese table, but the drying process accentuates the vegetable's natural sweetness. The process t...
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Byobu (decorative screen)
2008-02-01 13:36:00
??Byobu, or decorative screens, have a long and distinguished history in Japan.They are used as a backdrop for flower vases or pottery and are an essential part of the tea ceremony and ikebana (flower arranging).This byobu is hand painted and made in Kyoto from quality washi (Japanese parchment), fine wood, and gold leaf.The maker is Tomokazu Kurashima, who was born and raised in Kyoto. Using washi byobu (Japanese parchment especially made for use in byobu folding screens) he creates miniature screens in his Kyoto studio.Using only a brush and Chinese ink on Japanese paper, Kurashima paints each screen individually. This work has as its motif a Japanese maple tree.ByobuYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Tokyo Kyoto Byobu Kyushu
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Katakana
2008-01-31 11:24:00
????Japan ese has three alphabets: Chinese characters or kanji (??), hiragana (????) and katakana (????).Hiragana and katakana are phonetic syllabaries made up of 46 characters. The first five characters of both hiragana and katakana are the vowels a, i, u, e, o. The rest of the letters are a combination of a consonant and a vowel, for example, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko and n ? - the only singular consonant.Katakana is literally "fragmentary kana" and is square and angular in shape in comparison with the more rounded hiragana.Katakana is often taught in Japanese kindergarten and, along with hiragana, is learnt before children begin on Chinese characters in the first grade of elementary school.Katakana is usually used in the following ways:* to transliterate foreign loan words from English, Chinese and other languages such as television?(??? - terebi), radio (??? - rajio), fried rice (????? - chaahan), Chinese noodles (?-?? - raamen), part time work (????? - arubaito)?etc.* foreigners', exc...
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Todaiji Temple Nara
2008-01-30 03:08:00
??????Todaiji in Nara is one of Japan's most famous and most-visited Buddhist temples.The main hall - Daibutsuden - is considered to be the largest wooden building in the world, though this 1709 reconstruction is a third smaller than the original structure which was completed in 752.The Daibutsuden contains the awe-inspiring Daibutsu (Great Buddha), a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana first cast in 746. Parts of the present statue were later recast during the Edo Period (1600-1868). The statue is 16.2m tall and consists of 437 tons of bronze, 130kg of gold, 75kg of mercury and 7 tons of vegetable wax.The designer of the original Buddha was a Korean artist from the Paikche Kingdom, Kuninaka-no-Kimimaro. The building is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.Todaiji is the headquarters of the Kegon sect of Japanese Buddhism and Vairocana Buddha is considered by followers of the sect to be the spiritual body of the historical Buddha - Gautama Buddha or Sakyamuni in Japane...
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Japanese monkeys in a cage
2008-01-29 02:45:00
???????Outside of zoos and pet shops, I have rarely seen wild animals kept in cages in public spaces in Japan. I do remember bears caged in an Ainu Village in Hokkaido some years ago, but it came as something of a shock to see red-faced Japanese macaques imprisoned in a cage in Nagahama Castle Park on the shores of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.The smell of animals' faeces and urine was strong as the wind blew in from the lake and the monkeys did not look happy nor, one of them, in the best of health.Next to the monkeys was an empty cage. The sign posted on the wire explained that the cage had held a deer in captivity for 22 years and it had recently died.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Nagahama Shiga Japanese monkeys
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Nagoya Speed Dating Sat. Feb. 2nd at STEPS in Sakae!
2008-01-28 08:18:00
Nagoya International Speed Dating Returns Feb. 2nd!! Date: Saturday February 2nd, 2008 Time: 6-9pm registration from 6:00 to 6:30pm Place: STEPS, a new exciting club in the heart of Sakae Hasegawa Bldg. 2F, 3-2-29 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya PREPAY FEE:2500 Yen Gentlemen, 1500 Yen Ladies Price includes 1 free drink!! 30 couples only! 30 men and 30 women! Reserve and prepay to join! AT THE DOOR: Men 3000 yen, women 2000 yen Dress code: Anything (Casual, etc) Reservations: Pre Paid spots are Gauranteed! only 30 men and 30 women. Reserve and prepay to secure your spot. Nagoya Speed Dating is a great way to meet new people in the Aichi, Gifu and Mie Areas! At Nagoya Speed Dating, you will receive a number, an assigned table, and a personalized Speeding Ticket form. When the host says to start you will have between 3 to 5 minutes to talk to the person at your table. When the time i...
More About: Japan , Tokyo , Kyushu , Nagoya

More Japanese Manhole Covers
2008-01-27 13:19:00
???????We can't get enough of Japanese manhole covers. As committed drainspotters we hope to bring you a steady diet of Japanese manhole covers throughout the year.The following Japanese manhole covers were shot in Shimane Prefecture in the south west of Honshu.See more Japanese manhole coversYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Shimane manhole manhole cover drain
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Japan This Week 27/1/2008
2008-01-26 23:56:00
????? Japan 's Nikkei index has shed a third of its value since July, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange has lost $1.3 trillion in value, equivalent to the entire economy of Canada.NY TimesJudge quits after biting woman in sex shop.The Daily YomiuriIn a truly tragic case, a young woman commits suicide in Osaka after her child was killed by an intruder in a robbery.Japan TimesHead of driving school arrested over groping his young female students in Love Hotel car parks.Mainichi ShinbunHigh levels of mercury found in New York sushi.New York TimesLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsThere are approximately 520,000 cigarette vending machines in Japan.Source: The Tobacco Institute of JapanOver 1 million tablets of MDMA or Ecstasy were seized in Japan in 2007, the highest number on record.Source: National Police Agency102 blood donors tested positive for HIV in 2007 from a total of 4,939,548 donors.Source: Health, Labor & Welfare MinistryThe most popular names for new born children in Jap...
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New Registration System for Foreigners
2008-01-26 03:07:00
????????The "gaijin card" that all foreigners resident in Japan must carry as a form of identification looks set to disappear--or, rather, be updated.Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said on Friday: "We're moving toward deciding to abolish the current system."The government announced yesterday that a new registry system for foreigners will be introduced. The new system will be similar to the system for Japanese nationals, which includes marital status and address for a household not just on an individual basis.The purpose is to make it easier for communities with large number of foreigners to keep track of whether, for example, children are enrolled in school.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Tokyo Kyoto Gaijin ID Card
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Nagoya Friends party - TOMORROW! 1/26
2008-01-25 07:41:00
Nagoya Friends is holding it's 48th party in Nagoya!PARTY AT Date: TOMORROW NIGHT!! January 26th, 2008 (4th Saturday) Time: 18:30 - 21:00 Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:45pm. Place: Shooter's Bar (Pola Bldg, 2-9-26 Sakae, Naka-ku (very close to Fushimi Station)Fee: 3000 YenDress 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!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 previous Nagoya Friends Parties. Map...
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Japanese: the almighty adjectival
2008-01-24 14:58:00
???????Every Thursday, we?re going to introduce you to bits and pieces, and aspects of, the Japan ese language. But, before we go too far, let?s talk a bit about putting sentences together in Japanese . Perhaps the most useful thing to keep in mind is how things are described in Japanese.There are ordinary old adjectives like red (akai), noisy (urusai), cold (samui) and sexy (sekushina) that work exactly the same as in English. E.g. akai isu (red chair), urusai yatsu (a noisy guy), samui hi (cold day) and sekushina onna (sexy woman).However, when it comes to trying to say things like ?The man I spoke to on the phone this morning,? it?s best to try and forget about how we do it in English.In some ways, Japanese is more consistent than English in regard to sentences like this. In English we jump from saying, for example, ?the tall MAN? (i.e. description + THING) to ?the MAN I spoke to on the phone this morning? (i.e. THING + description. But Japanese keeps the order the same.So in Japan...
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Jiuta
2008-01-23 18:33:00
??Jiuta - literally "earth song" - is a kind of Japanese musical performance dating from the 17th century when blind male musicians would entertain the yuppies of the day: the rising professional classes, with the koto: a kind of harp, the shamisen: a three-stringed guitar-like instrument, and the shakuhachi: a bamboo flute.Needless to say, such music is now rarely heard in Japan, and I was privileged to be offered a ticket to a jiuta performance on Monday evening at Tokyo 's Aoyama Round Theater, courtesy of the main jiuta performer, Ms. Akiko Fujii, and the Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation.Like most court-inspired music in Japan, jiuta is hardly entertainment in the conventional sense of the word. It is very closely allied with silence, and has complicated rhythms that are not really designed to get toes tapping.The main performer of the evening, Ms. Akiko Fujii, had a very engaging presence, a full, expressive voice, and exuded complete mastery of the jiuta form. Her very fi...

Fukuoka Airport International Terminal
2008-01-23 06:37:00
????The new international terminal at Fukuoka Airport was opened in 1999, and built on the site of the former USAF base Itazuke. © Jake Davies & Japanvisitor.comFukuoka Airport is the third largest airport in Japan after Tokyo's Narita Airport & Osaka's Kansai International Airport.The Tokyo to Fukuoka air route is one of the busiest in the world.Fukuoka Airport is Japan's most easily accessible airport, being just a few minutes subway ride from downtown Hakata and its Shinkansen station.The International terminal is served by Japanese, East Asian, and SE Asian airlines. There are regular international flights to Bangkok, Beijing, Busan, Chengdu, Guam, Hong Kong Kong, Manila, Seoul and Taipei. Chubu International AirportYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Fukuoka airport Japan travel Kyushu
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Suicide
2008-01-22 02:52:00
????Last Wednesday, the K-Tokyu Express train bound for Demachiyanagi, in Kyoto, pulled out of Osaka's Kyobashi Station exactly on time at 5:36 pm and was comfortably full. The express trains are painted an elegant orange-red and yellow, and have a small painting on the front wall of each carriage and large picture windows. These carriages feel more like European inter-city trains than the usual point A to point B crush of Japanese rush-hour lines.The conductor's baritone guided us through the stops until Kyoto in a brief announcement as we pulled out of Kyobashi. We were three or four minutes into our ride and easing into cruising speed when, suddenly, the sound of rocks--scattering violently or hitting the windows or skidding across the bottom of the carriage--made everyone duck reflexively and look around.The lights then went out as the cable bounced from the overhead wire and against the roof above us. The car was nearly dark but for the emergency lights along the floor.Using ...
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Yuzu
2008-01-21 03:01:00
??During the winter season it is common to see large orange-like fruit ripening on garden trees and in orchards in the Japanese countryside. This is the Citros junos or yuzu in Japanese.Originally from China the yuzu can grow to resemble a grapefruit and is related to its smaller cousin the mandarin orange or tangerine (mikan). However, the yuzu is tart in taste, not sweet and is not peeled and eaten as is.Yuzu are used in Japanese cuisine much like a lemon in western cooking: yuzu can be squeezed over fried foods such as tempura, form part of dressings and sauces such as ponzu, and set on the dish as a garnish decoration.Yuzu are also often placed in baths or onsen spas in winter as a form of aromatherapy.Yuzu have been "re-discovered" as a garnish and seasoning in the West and have been taken up as an essential ingredient by a number of US chefs. Yuzu juice comes in bottles and can be bought online. Yuzu is also a popular name for Japanese restaurants.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBo...
More About: Food , Winter , Restaurant

Japan This Week 1/20/08
2008-01-20 14:22:00
?????Japan ese trawler trailing whaling protesters?GuardianChinese seafood "safe," asserts Beijing.NY TimesPM Fukuda may set greenhouse gas emissions targets at Davos confab.The Daily YomiuriHello Kitty set to launch product line for men.Japan TimesCellphone novels dominate mainstream publishing.New York TimesJapan's hot spring resorts go hi-tech.New York TimesThe alarming rise in sexlessness among couples coupled with the number of men who sit while urinating bode ill for future of Japan, according to shrink.Mainichi ShinbunLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsThe Construction Ministry and National Police Agency (NPA) announced this week that 98 "model districts" around Japan have been slated to have bicycle lanes put in over the next two years. Examples include Tokyo's Hatagaya and the area around JR Kameido Station.The purpose is to reduce bike-on-pedestrian collisions, which have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2006, there were 2,767 collusions, which is 4.8 times greater tha...
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