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Cell Phone Decorations
2008-05-17 04:09:00
???????Cell phones are no longer just a tool for business and pleasure and communication.They are now a statement. As such, the owner must express herself by decorating and or personalizing it.Colorful straps with dolls and bells and good luck charms are popular. For a time, one seemed to suffice; now four or five or more are de rigueur.Women with a bit of verve attach bright rhinestone-like bits directly on to the body of the phone itself.Stickers are also popular, even among young men who plaster their phones with "puri-kura" head shots of their best friends. For women, "cute" stickers are more common (see the embossed ice cream cones above).A pink phone brimming with accessories says to the world "Aren't I cute!" A darker color phone with fewer accessories tells the world "You can only dream about being as cool as I am!"Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsCell P...
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Sonic City Saitama
2008-05-16 05:24:00
???????At 137m the Sonic City building dominates the skyline in Saitama City (previously Omiya, before the merging of Omiya, Urawa, Iwatsuki and Yono to form Saitama City).The multi-use building was completed in 1988.The building houses a hotel, the Palace Hotel Omiya, conference center, offices, shops and restaurants. Sonic City plays hosts to musical performances and international conferences. There is a Wi-Fi spot in Tully's Coffee in the building.Sonic City1-7-5 Sakuragi-cho Omiya WardSaitama CitySaitama 330-8669AccessFrom Tokyo , Omiya Station is on the main Joetsu Shinkansen and Tohoku Shinkansen Lines from Tokyo and Ueno Stations.From Ueno Station the Tohoku Line runs to Omiya in 25 minutes, from Tokyo Station take the Keihin Tohoku Line (50 minutes), from Ikebukuro Station, Shinjuku Station and Shibuya Station take the Saikyo Line or Shonan-Shinjuku Lines (25-40 minutes).Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodati...

Japanese Lesson: Expressions Using Body Parts
2008-05-15 03:11:00
?????????????Today we will look at a few expressions using different body parts, all above the neck: head, eye, nose, and ear.First is ? (atama), which means "head." There are many expressions related to the head. Some are obvious:?????atama ga ii?= "head is good," which means smart?????atama ga warui?= "head is bad," which of course means...not so smart, thickSome are not as obvious.???????atama ga yawarakai?= "head is soft," which means flexibleNext let's look at ??me), or eye.?????me ga ii?= to have a good eye for somethingMoving on to the nose, ??hana?.?????hana ga takai?= "nose is high," which means arrogant or haughtyLast, let's look at the venerable ear, ??mimi?.?????mimi ga itai?= "ear hurts," which translates as being ashamed to hear?????mimi ga hayai?= "ear is fast" = having sharp earsAnd, why not, one for the road:?????kuchi ga katai?= "mouth is hard," which means you can keep a secret, hold your tongueRead more about the Japan ese languageYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBoo...
More About: Body , Japanese , Language , Face

Nagoya Friends Party at Shooters 5/17
2008-05-15 01:16:00
Nagoya Friends is holding it's 52nd party in Nagoya! PARTY AT Date: May 17th, 2008 (3rd 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 Yen 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! 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,...
More About: Japan , Tokyo , Kyushu , Nagoya , Kyoto

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology
2008-05-14 04:49:00
???????After visiting the Toyota Automobile Museum earlier this year, I was inspired to visit Toyota's other showpiece museum in Nagoya , the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology, not far from Nagoya Station.I was not disappointed; the museum is superb. The museum is housed in the original red brick buildings of the Toyoda (the forerunner of present-day Toyota Corp) textile factory and research center.The museum is divided in to two parts in separate buildings. The first building exhibits early automatic looms and outlines the history of spinning cloth. Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota empire developed a wooden hand loom in 1890 and went on to patent an automatic loom based on a British model in 1924, which guaranteed the financial success of his enterprise.The second building is all about car production. Toyoda's son, Kiichiro, developed the model AA passenger car - Toyota's first mass-produced automobile introduced in 1936. Various production line un...

Cosmetics on Tokyo Subway
2008-05-12 18:23:00
?????I recently came across this sign (below) on the Tokyo subway urging women not to apply their make up on the trains.Women (I have yet to see a man) applying their cosmetics on trains is a common sight in railway carriages up and down the country. It really does prove how smooth the ride is.The Japanese cosmetics market is huge - the world's second largest after the US - with annual sales well over US$4 billion. The giants of the Japanese cosmetics industry, Kanebo, Shiseido and Kose are also engaged in a massive expansion drive in the rest of Asia, especially in China and Thailand.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapanese cosmetics Tokyo subway
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Kobe Ijinkan (Western Houses)
2008-05-12 13:13:00
???????Kobe was one of the first Japanese city's in which foreigners settled. Like Nagasaki and Yokohama, which are also port cities, Kobe had a large community of expatriates following the opening of the country in the mid-nineteenth century until 1940.What remains of that community is primarily in Kitano-cho, the section of city at the foot of the Rokko mountains.Today there are a handful of mansions and former consulates remaining that are now open to the public.The area is also home to many restaurants, shops, cafes, churches, a Jain temple, synagogue and a mosque.Uroko no Ie, pictured above right, and the Former Chinese Consulate are among the most beautifully preserved of the houses. The garden of England House is pictured below.AccessFrom JR/Hankyu/Subway Sannomiya Station, go out the north exit and walk up Kitanozaka Street. You are going in the right direction if you can see mountains in the distance. Cross Ijinkan Street and continue one more block to Kitano Street. Turn ...
More About: Houses , Western

Japan This Week: 11/05/08
2008-05-11 10:57:00
?????Chinese leader Hu visits Japan .NY TimesJapan battles urban crow menace.NY TimesPoison free fugu specially bred challenges industry authorities.NY TimesJapanese rice remains expensive and difficult to sell as domestic tastes change.Washington PostChina accuses Dalai Lama of "ruining Olympics."GuardianUS pushing Japan to consume cloned beef.Japan TimesAlleged wife killer Kauyoshi Miura's extradition on hold.Daily YomiuriGovernment accuses Konica Minolta of dodging 1.8 billion yen in taxes.AsahiLiverpool coach hired by JEF United soccer club.Yahoo! SportsThe life of a female journalist in Japan.MainichiLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsJapan will provide up to $10 million in aid to Myanmar.Source: AsahiThere are an estimated 150,000 crows in Tokyo.Source: NY TimesTokyo had a net influx of 94,500 people in 2007, Kanagawa Prefecture 32,474, Aichi 20,520. Hokkaido had the largest exodus with 20,267 people leaving followed by Aomori 10,274 and Nagasaki 10,064.Source: Internal Af...
More About: Politics , Week

Kobe City Museum: Louvre Exhibit
2008-05-10 05:01:00
????????????????The Kobe City Museum currently is exhibiting items from the Louvre until July 6th.140 items from the French court of the 18th century are on display.They include gold and silver works, elaborate furniture, and luggage.This period was known for its excesses, and the items reflect that.The Kobe City Museum also has a solid collection of artifacts and other historical items related mainly to the port city of Kobe.Kobe City Museum24, Kyo-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0034Tel: 078 391 00351,400 yen for adults. Closed Mondays.AccessIt is a ten-minute walk from the south exit of JR Sannomiya Station.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Tokyo Kyoto Kobe Louvre

Wenceslau de Moraes
2008-05-10 04:44:00
??????????????Wenceslau de Moraes (1854-1929), the Portuguese writer, translator and poet, who spent his later life living near Mt. Bizen in Tokushima, is regarded as the Portuguese Lafcadio Hearn, of whom he was a contemporary.Born in Lisbon, Moraes attended Naval College before joining the Portuguese navy and serving on battleships in the Far East. He settled in Macao, where he married a local woman and started a family. In 1889 he visited Japan for the first time and appeared to fall in love with the country. In 1898 he deserted his wife and children in Macao and took up residence in Kobe as Portugal's Consulate General in the port city. It was while in Japan that Moraes began writing about his life in the East for several Portuguese newspapers and magazines.In 1913, saddened by the death of his Japanese wife Oyone, Moraes resigned from his official posts in Kobe and moved to Tokushima in Shikoku (his wife's birthplace) and began a relationship with her niece Koharu. It was dur...
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Sezu ni
2008-05-08 15:26:00
???The ?zu suffix on verbs is one that - once you know enough Japan ese, but perhaps not quite enough yet - can be rather difficult to grasp the gist of. Because it is not used that much, it can seem difficult. But despite its obscurity, in terms of meaning it is actually very simple.-zu means ?without doing?. It is basically the same as the more commonly heard ?naide, but could be said to have a stronger nuance of having failed to do, or missed out on doing, something before doing something else, or for something not happening that would otherwise normally be expected to happen.Suffixing -zu to verbs takes a bit of getting used to. For example, suffixed to the verb suru, or to do, changes it to sezu: ?without doing?. This is an irregular one, but one of the most common, so let?s look at a couple of examples of it first. (NB For the sake of clarity, the English translations of the following example sentences follow the Japanese sentence structure, even if often at the expense of soun...
More About: Language

Nagoya International Speed Dating May 10th at Tsurumai
2008-05-06 18:26:00
Nagoya International Speed Dating Returns May 10th!!Time: 6-9pm registration from 6:00 to 6:30pmPlace: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurumai (very close to JR Nagoya Station)PREPAY FEE: Men 2500, Women 200030 couples only! 30 men and 30 women!Reserve and prepay to join!Get off at Tsurumai Station (JR Chuo Line[South Exit] or Subway Tsurumai Line[Exit #4])
More About: Nagoya , Speed Dating

Anaguma or Tanuki
2008-05-05 17:17:00
????A few days ago we posted a video of what we thought was a tanuki in Shimane Prefecture. One alert reader pointed out the error of our ways and correctly identified the creature as the much rarer anaguma (a badger).Here is an image of a stuffed tanuki taken at the excellent Ibaraki Nature Museum in Moriya.Apologies for any confusion caused.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan tanuki anaguma

Qatar Forum Competition
2008-05-05 11:29:00
We are holding a competition over on our Qatar website. To enter all you have do is to join our new Qatar forum and post, and you could win $50 dollars either as an Amazon voucher or as money sent to your Paypal account. All you have to do to enter is join the forum - and post! So, if you have ever been tempted to work in a country where there is no tax and petrol costs 10p a litre, or if you are curious about a country which, though just 100 miles long, is the second richest nation in the world head over to ask your questions.See you at the forum!Qatar competition
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Kawagoe breakdance
2008-05-05 02:59:00
???Kawagoe is a historic castle town to the northwest of central Tokyo , about 45 minutes by express train from Shinjuku. Certain streets of the central city are lined with weighty, ornate old merchant buildings, and, of course, the temples and shrines that grace most Japanese cities. It prospered so much in the Edo era from its trade with nearby Tokyo (then known as Edo) that it became known as "Little Edo."Kawagoe is now a tourist town attracting over 5 million visitors a year. It is easily accessible from Tokyo on the Seibu Shinjuku Line or the JR Saikyo Line.As we walked the 30 minutes from the JR station to the historic area, we happened upon something rather more contemporary, the final leg of a breakdancing competition.Watch the breathtaking acrobatics of the two finalists, all to a DJ beat.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Tokyo Kawagoe breakdancing
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Japan This Week 04/05/08
2008-05-04 02:53:00
?????Film stirs debate on free speech in Japan .NY TimesVirtual golf at Links Bar courtesy of Nintendo.GuardianApproval rate for PM Fukuda Cabinet dips below 20%.Japan TimesChofu area of Tokyo to be evacuated later in May to defuse unexploded WWII bomb.Daily Yomiuri54-year-old Briton found not guilty in drug smuggling case.AsahiChiba Lotte Marines coach Bobby Valentine to feature in documentary.Yahoo! SportsHistory of oral sex in Japan.MainichiLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsAverage gas prices in Japan hit 153 yen per liter, up 22.8 yen from April 28.Source: Asahi.comBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsJapanese FictionHappi CoatsTagsJapan Japan News Japan Statistics politics
More About: Politics , Week

Rocket Building Omiya Saitama
2008-05-03 15:12:00
????????????Another of the numerous follies that either (depending on your point of view) blight or brighten Japanese cities up, this gold colored rocket building caught our eye from the train arriving in Omiya city in Saitama Prefecture.Surely a love hotel we thought, but a later inspection of the place revealed it to be a multi-use building including offices, weekly and monthly apartments and a kindergarten - all rather humdrum for such a whacky, shall we say, flight of architectural fancy!Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Saitama Omiya Rocket building
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Rapi:t Train To Kansai International Airport
2008-05-02 04:20:00
????The Nankai Rapi:t train service from Namba Station is the quickest way to access Kansai International Airport (KIX) from central Osaka .The award-winning Nankai 5000 trains were designed by Japanese architect Wakabayashi Hiroyuki. The quickest service takes 29 minutes from Kansai International Airport to Namba.Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Osaka Namba Rapi:t train
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Japanese Word Endings: ppoi
2008-05-01 15:32:00
???A very large part of Japan ese grammar is all about word endings.A very useful word ending for the learner of Japanese is the ending "ppoi"the p here being repeated to represent a stop, as an English speaker doeswith the phrase "top price".ppoi has the same role as the -y or -ish or -like endings in English in thatit is used to create an adjective. It could be defined as indicatingqualities usually associated with the noun it is attached to.For example, take apple, or ringo, and kaori, or fragrance. "an apply kindof fragrance" is, ringoppoi kaori.Or the Beatles, biitoruzu, and hairstyle, kamigata. "a Beatles-like haircut"is biitoruzuppoi kamigata.Or a bank, ginko, and atmosphere, foon-iki. "a bank-like atmosphere" isginkoppoi foon-iki.Get the idea? Simple, and very useful.Read more about the Japanese languageYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Japanese langu...
More About: Word , Language , Endings

Honorific Prefixes in Japanese
2008-05-01 03:35:00
???Last week we talked about some word endings, which are very important in Japan ese.Today, we will look at prefixes, in particular the honorifics "o" and "go."Using the noun fish, a simple example is ?? (o-sakana). A literal translation would be "honorable fish" or "Mr./Ms. Fish." In Japanese , though, this sounds quite normal and it should be translated simply as "fish."Why add the "o"?It sounds polite and softens one's language.In general, "o" is placed in front of words of Japanese origin. Other examples are:??? (0-namae) = name?? (o-kusuri) = medicine??? (o-yasumi) = vacation, day off?? (o-kane) = money???? (o-kaimono) = shopping???? (o-isogashi) = busyTo make things a bit complicated, there is another honorific: "go."This is used for words of Chinese origin.??? (go-shokai) = introduction??? (go-jusho) = address??? (go-chumon) = order??? (go-kazoku) = familyFinally, keep in mind that these are terms to be used for others. You should refer to your neighbor's family as "go-kazok...
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Sesshu in Masuda
2008-04-30 13:07:00
??Went down to Masuda (Shimane Prefecture) last weekend to photograph a couple of Sesshu's gardens in the spring.After Hokusai, Sesshu is probably the Japanese artist most well-known outside of Japan.Sesshu was born in Bitchu province, present-day Okayama Prefecture in 1420. As a youth he became a Zen monk at a local temple, and as a young man he moved to Kyoto and studied under the greatest painter of the time, Shubun.In his middle-age he moved to what is now Yamaguchi Prefecture, and made an important visit to China in 1468-9. He was based at his studio in Yamaguchi in his later life, but also spent some time in nearby Masuda, Shimane Prefecture. He died in 1506, though historians are undecided exactly where. Masuda claims he died there, and has built a memorial museum next to his reputed tomb.Known mostly for his monochromatic ink paintings, Sesshu was also a garden designer, and what is considered one of his best remains at Iko-Ji temple, where he was head priest for a while. T...
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Tanuki
2008-04-29 04:45:00
?There was a tanuki rooting around in my backyard this afternoon. Don't usually see them during the day as they are mainly nocturnal, which is why they are seen so often as road kill.Tanuki are omnivorous, and this one was rooting out bugs or worms. They are quite gentle creatures, rarely aggressive to humans, and this one let me get within a meter of it before it scuttled away.Tanuki are often erroneously referred to as badgers or raccoons, but they are not related to either of those species, being a member of the canid family, so, closely related to dogs and foxes. They are the only member of the canid family to hibernate during the coldest part of winter.As with almost every creature that lives in Japan, tanuki were commonly eaten in earlier times, though rarely nowadays. They are still hunted for their skins, and are raised for such in China.There are a lot of stories and folklore connected with tanuki in Japan, and it has a reputation as a kind of trickster character though a ...
More About: Shimane

Henro Pilgrims
2008-04-28 03:35:00
??Listen to the sound of henro chantingA familiar site at the temples of Shikoku are the scores of henro, white-clad pilgrims making their way around the 1,400km pilgrimage route of the 88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku.The pilgrimage covers the island in a clockwise route starting and finishing at Ryozenji Temple near Tokushima. The 88th temple is Okuboji Temple, south of Takamatsu.The pilgrims are following in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi (aka Kukai 774-835), the Buddhist saint and founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism , headquartered at Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture.Pilgrims have been following in Kobo Daishi's footsteps for over a 1000 years. The first guide book to the trail was written back in 1685. Pilgrims traditionally stayed at temple guest houses (shokubo) along the way and you can find lodgings at shokubo today. Walking the 88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku can take around two months, though many of the henro are now older people who visit the temples by bus over the course o...

Boyfriend Arm Pillow
2008-04-27 15:20:00
A hot product is still going strong in Japan - the boyfriend arm pillow.Sleeping alone? Simulate a warm, loving caress with these Japanese boyfriend arm pillows available in blue or pink pyjamas.Guaranteed to set you at ease for a peaceful night's sleep.Our boyfriend arm pillows are the best on the market and can be delivered to your home or business within the week.Buy Boyfriend Arm Pillow sTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Pillow Japan Gifts Boyfriend Pillow

Japan This Week 27/04/08
2008-04-27 13:19:00
?????Kyoto on less than $200 a day.NY TimesUS marine charged in rape of 14-year-old in Okinawa.GuardianHeavy security in Nagano torch relay. A few protests and arrests take place.Japan TimesFukuda and Putin agree to speed up talks on disputed islands.Daily YomiuriCost of living in Japan up for the six month in a row.AsahiMariners catcher Jojima signs three-year contract.Yahoo! SportsToyohashi gym teacher arrested for "contracting" a 16-year-old mistress.MainichiLast week's Japan newsJapan StatisticsJapan will donate $100m to developing countries in emergency aid to combat rising food prices.Source: AFPIn 2001, underwear manufacturer Wacoal's poll of Japanese women found that 60cm was the "ideal" waist measurement for the nation's females.Source: Japan Times970,000 travelers are expected to exit Narita Airport for the annual Golden Week holidays, with 330,000 people estimated to fly out of Japan from Kansai International Airport during the April 24-May 7 holiday period.Source: Yom...
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Galerie Sho Tokyo
2008-04-26 06:42:00
??????????????????????Contemporary Art is pleased to announce German Months from 17 April to 21 June, 2008.Part 1: A.R. PENCK since the 1970s to the present / 17 April - 17 May, 2008Part 2: Selected works by German artists / 22 May - 21 June, 2008Norbert Bisky, Rainer Fetting, Gunther Forg, Ingo Gunther, Anton Henning,Jorg Immendorff, Martin Kippenberger, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, A.R. Penck,Gerhard Richter, Thomas Ruff and Mark Sock.Galerie ShoGalerie Sho Contemporary ArtB1F Sansho Bldg., 3-2-9 Nihonbashi Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027Tel: +81-3-3275-1008 Fax: +81-3-3273-9309Weekdays 11:00 - 19:00 / Saturdays 11:00 - 17:00Closed on Sundays & HolidaysYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Tokyo German Art Norbert Bisky A R PENCK
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Zentsuji Temple Kagawa Prefecture
2008-04-25 04:30:00
???Zentsuji in Kagawa Prefecture in northern Shikoku near Takamatsu is number 75 and the largest of the 88 Sacred Temple s of Shikoku - an ancient pilgrimage route that circles the island of Shikoku.The temple was the home of Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of the Koyasan temple complex in Wakayama and one of the most influential Buddhist priests in Japanese history. Kobo Daishi is reputed to have been born in the area and to have grown up in the temple.The huge, tree-lined grounds have a number of sub-temples and an impressive five storey pagoda. Under the main temple building (Meido) it is possible to walk through a dark passageway feeling your wall along a wall painted with mandalas and other religious icons as you symbolically re-enact the path to enlightenment of the historical Buddha.In later life, Kobo Daishi was responsible for the building of many of the sub-temples in the Zentsuji complex and there is a statue of the great man in the Kanchi-in sub-temple.Zentsuji TempleTel...
More About: Buddhism , Temples

ppoi
2008-04-24 14:07:00
っぽいA very large part of Japanese grammar is all about word endings.A very useful word ending for the learner of Japanese is the ending “ppoi” – the p here being repeated to represent a stop, as an English speaker does with the phrase “top price”.ppoi has the same role as the -y or –ish or –like endings in English in that it is used to create an adjective. It could be defined as “indicating qualities usually associated with the noun it is attached to”.For example, take apple, or ringo, and kaori, or fragrance. “an apply kind of fragrance” is, ringoppoi kaori.Or the Beatles, biitoruzu, and hairstyle, kamigata. “a Beatles-like haircut” is biitoruzuppoi kamigata.Or a bank, ginko, and atmosphere, foon-iki. “a bank-like atmosphere” is ginkoppoi foon-iki.Get the idea? Simple, and very useful.Read more about the Japanese languageYahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJ...

Botchan Steam Train Matsuyama
2008-04-23 12:56:00
坊っちゃん列車Matsuyama, on Shikoku, has an excellent system of trams for getting around the city. One other train worth riding at least once is the Botchan Steam Train , which runs two routes from a Meiji-era period piece wooden station at Dogo Onsen to both Matsuyama-shi station or Komachi Station and then back again.The small steam engines were imported from Germany and were in use from 1887 to 1954.They have now been reintroduced as a tourist attraction and are called Botchan as they are mentioned in Natsume Soseki's novel of that name.Soseki lived in Matsuyama for a year teaching English at a Middle School and the steam trains and Dogo Onsen are mentioned in his most famous novel, Botchan. After the novel became famous, residents began referring to the trains as "Botchan ressha" (Botchan trains).Yahoo Japan Auction ServiceBook a hotel in Japan with BookingsTokyo Serviced ApartmentsBudget accommodation in JapanHappi CoatsJapanese For Busy PeopleTagsJapan Botchan steam tra...

Nonhoi Park Zoo & Botanical Garden
2008-04-22 02:46:00
?????????One stop south east of Toyohashi Station on the JR Tokaido Line is Futagawa. Once a famous way station on the Tokaido highway between Kyoto and Tokyo, Futagawa is known for its Futagawa Honjin Museum , a restored Edo Period inn. Most visitors to town, however, make for the more modern attractions of Nonhoi Park Zoo & Botanical Garden .A short walk over the river from JR Futagawa Station, Nonhoi Park packs a small zoo, a botanical garden and a fun fair all in to the one site.Popular with families and dating couples from as far afield as Nagoya and Hamamatsu, visitors can "enjoy" lions, tigers, bears, penguins and an assortment of animals from Australia. There is also a kids' zoo with sheep, donkeys, pigs and goats. Conditions for the animals seemed about par for the course for most small scale zoos. Not great, especially for the big cats and elephants, but not terrible either. There is also a small Natural History Museum (Tel: 0532 41 4747) on site with reconstructions of...
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