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Podcast title	Japan Visitor Blog - Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Kyoto
Website URL	http://japanvisitor.blogspot.c...
Description	What's happening in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Shimane Japan
Updated	Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:42:24 -0600
Category	Travel Audio Blogs Society & Culture Arts Politics
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1. Iida City Kawamoto Kihachiro Puppet Museum http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 飯田市川本喜八郎人形美術館 The Iida City Kawamoto Kihachiro Puppet Museum in Iida, southern Nagano Prefecture is the town's must-see attraction and a world class museum. During the Edo period, this old castle town was known for its two performing puppetry troupes - the Kuroda and Imada groups - as well as its delicious apples. In 1979 the Iida Puppet Carnival (now the Iida Puppet Festa) was established to preserve Iida's puppet heritage and quickly became Japan's biggest puppet event. Puppet animator Kawamoto Kihachiro visited the festival in 1990 and his animated films received an enthusiastic welcome. In response, Kawamoto donated 200 of his puppets which make up the core of the exhibits on display in the modern facility. Many of the puppets are taken from Kawamoto's two NHK television dramas: Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Tale of the Heike. One of Kawamoto's short films is shown in the media center at regular intervals during the day. Iida City Kawamoto Kihachiro Puppet Museum (in Japanese) Nagano Prefecture Iida City Motomachi 1-2 Tel: 0265 23 3594 Admission: Adults 400 yen Access: Iida can be reached by train from Nagoya via Toyohashi on the JR Iida Line (2 hours, 30 minutes). There are also highway buses from Tokyo (4 hours) and Nagoya (2 hours). By car, exit the Chuo Expressway at the Iida interchange. Here are a list of Kawamoto Kihachiro films available from Amazon: The Book of the Dead, The Exquisite Short Films of Kawamoto Kihachiro, and New Animation: Works of Kihachiro Kawamoto. Boo k a Japanese Hotel with Bookings Yahoo Japan Auction Service Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japanese Friends Tags Iida Nagano Puppet Museum
2. Meoto-iwa Futami Ise Shima http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 二見、夫婦岩 Very much on the tour bus trail from Ise Jingu are the twin rocks of Meoto-iwa, off the coast of Ise Shima in Futami, Mie Prefecture. The two rocks in the sea are held as being male and female (one is much larger than the other) and are joined in Shinto matrimony by heavy holy ropes made of rice straw (shimenawa). The rocks can also be considered as representations of Izanagi and Izanami, the two gods who created Japan, according to the mythology. The ropes are replaced with new ones in an annual festival on January 5th and at other times during the year if necessary. The twin crags are a popular place to watch the sunrise, with summer being the best time of year to do so. On shore, the Okitama Shrine is dedicated to a Japanese goddess of food, Miketsu. The shrine is surrounded by stone and metal statues of frogs, some worn smooth where people have rubbed them for luck. The area around Meoto-iwa has been developed into a long arcade - Futami Sea Paradise - with souvenir stores, restaurants and shops selling the local seafood. Next to the arcade is an aquarium with a trio of large sealions in a small pool in the car park outside. It's 21st century tack on a large scale. The nearest station is JR Futaminoura which is about a mile (1.5km) from the rocks. Alternatively there is a bus from Ise Grand Shrine (Naiku). The Taiko-ji Youth Hostel (Tel: 0596 43 2283) is nearby, along with a number of ryokan and minshuku (guesthouses), such as the Yamato Bread & Breakfast with fine sea views. Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a Japanese Hotel with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japanese Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Shinto Ise Mie Japanese religion
3. Jozan Inari Shrine Matsue http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 城山稲荷神社, 松江, 島根県 If you are visiting Matsue in Shimane Prefecture, almost certainly a visit to Matsue Castle will be first on the list of sights to see. Probably after that you will head for the Shiomi-Nawate, the street along the castle moat with a cluster of other tourist sites such as the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence. The best way is to walk 10 mins through the Jozan Park. At any time of the year it's a pleasant walk, but in April when the cherry blossoms are blooming it's astounding as there are several hundred cherry trees in the park. After leaving the castle keep and descending the hill on the north side, the path joins a small road. Passing the large torii (gate) on your left that leads up to the Gokoku Shrine, you soon see a group of vermillion torii on your right. Pass through the torii and you see the steps leading up to Jozan Inari Shrine. Don't be put off by the long flight of stairs, as the climb will reward you with a gallery of hundreds of fox statues. Sometimes erroneously called the "fox god", foxes are in fact the messengers of Inari. There are hundreds of the tiny white ceramic foxes, and dozens of larger stone statues, green with age, camouflaged by the greenery. This was Lafcadio Hearn's favorite shrine, and Hearn's house is just a stone's throw away across the moat. One your way out you may want to stop off at the priest's house and buy an ofuda. Ofudas for most shrines are simple, narrow strips of paper with writing on, but the ofuda here is large and illustrated with a unique design. An unusual souvenir or gift. Jozan Inari is the home of the Shikinnenn Shinkousai Festival, one of three greatest boat festivals in Japan, involving more than 100 decorated boats. The festival only occurs every 12 years and the next one is from 16th May to 24th May this year (2009). © Jake Davies& Japan Visitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Fox Mask Japanese Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Matsue Castle Matsue Shimane Jozan Inari
4. Japan This Week: 4 January 2009 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 今週の日本 Beacon of Japan’s Future, Sparkling With Nostalgia New York Times Kyoto Celebrates a 1,000-Year Love Affair New York Times Japan sees biggest population fall Guardian Hibiya Park tent village for laid-off workers draws 300 Japan Times Book Review: Kitano Takeshi Midnight Eye Woman details immigration scam The Daily Yomiuri Tourists 'harass' Japan's geisha BBC 'I can't come in today I have delayed jetlag': Japan turns to skiving Times on Line Osaka beat Kashiwa 1-0 to win Emperor's Cup Yahoo! Sports Last week's Japan news Japan Statistics Traffic fatalities declined in 2008 to one third their record tally, which happened way back in 1970. This year 5,155 Japanese died on the roads; that is a 10% decline on the previous year, and marks eight years in a row of declines. In 1970, a whopping 16,765 people died in traffic accidents. Source: Asahi Shinbun THE TOP 10 CARBON DIOXIDE EMITTERS, 2004 Country: Total = 1,000 tons of carbon; Tons per capita (Rank per capita) 1. USA: 1,650,020; 5.61 (9) 2. China (mainland): 1,366,554; 1.05 (92) 3. Russian Federation: 415,951; 2.89 (28) 4. India: 366,301; 0.34 (129) 5. Japan: 343,117; 2.69 (33) 6. Germany: 220,596; 2.67 (36) 7. Canada: 174,401; 5.46 (10) 8. United Kingdom: 160,179; 2.67 (37) 9. Republic of Korea: 127,007; 2.64 (39) 10. Italy: 122,726; 2.12 (50) Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Japanese Fiction Happi Coats Tags Japan News Japan Statistics politics
5. Matsue Local History Museum - Kyodokan http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 松江郷土館（興雲閣),島根県 The Matsue Kyodokan (local history museum) is located in the grounds of Matsue Castle. The museum features displays of local history including old black & white photos of Matsue, local crafts and documents etc. The collection is hardly earth-shattering, but worth the entance price (which was free when I last visited). The building itself is far more interesting, and is a wonderful example of Meiji Period architecture that incorporated Japanese design elements combined with western architecture. It was built in 1903 for the princely sum of 13,489 yen by architect Risaburo Izumi, who also designed a bathouse in Yunotsu that now houses the Shinyu Gallery. Local people referred to it as the "Russian Palace". It was built for Emperor Meiji, who in the early years of his reign conducted six grand tours of Japan. Many towns built places for him to stay on the off-chance that he would visit. He never did come to Matsue. Matsue Local History Museum 1-59 Tono-machi Matsue-shi Shimane Open daily 08:30 to 17:00 Tel: 0852 22 3958 © Jake Davies& Japan Visitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Matsue Castle Matsue Shimane Kyodokan
6. 59th Kohaku http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 紅白歌合戦 The Kohaku Utagassen - popularly known as Kohaku - is a New Year's Eve NHK TV program that has been an institution in Japan since its radio beginnings in 1951. A red (ko) and white (haku) team, each made up of invited famous entertainment personalities battles for top overall honors, judged by a panel also made up of celebrities from all walks of life. I got together with a friend for an institution of our own: a nabe (pot luck) dinner, followed by a midnight visit to the Toyokawa Inari Shrine in Tokyo's Akasaka district. We finished the meal with a large bottle of sake, which my friend warmed up for us, making it extra drinkable. Kohaku seems to get more and more spectacular every year. The most over the top act was, unsurprisingly, the cross-dressing Kenichi Mikawa: a staple character on Kohaku every year. See photo above! By the time we left for the shrine, I was rolling, and only made it out with great difficulty. I gradually sobered up slightly during the visit to the shrine. My friend is in the music industry, so therefore visits this particular shrine as it is dedicated to the god of music. Toyokawa Inari Shrine was packed with supplicants, but the turnover is fast, so there was no queuing to get in. There is a restaurant on the premises where we ordered the trademark New Year specialty of o-mochi rice cake and tea, which helped sober me up just a little more. Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Tokyo Kyoto Nagoya Kyushu
7. Matsue Shimane City of Water http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 松江島根県 Situated on the shore of Lake Shinji, Japan's 8th largest lake, and with the large Matsue Castle moat (horikawa) connecting to the Ohashi, Kensaki, Kyohashi, Yonago, and Kitada Rivers, Matsue, the Prefectural capital of Shimane, is known as the "City of Water." While comparisons to Venice are a little far-fetched, the waterways of the city are very pleasant and contribute to the ambiance of the city. One of the best ways to view Matsue is by boat, and there are 3 points around the town where one can board the Horikawa Boat Tour; in front of the main entrance to Matsue Castle, at Ohashi Bridge south-east of the castle, and Horikawa Fureai Square, north-west of the castle. The round trip takes 40 minutes, though one can get off at any point and reboard later. The trip circles the castle and passes other tourist sites such as the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence. The long, narrow boats are covered against inclement weather, and in the cold months there are kotatsu to keep you warm. The boats pass under 16 bridges, though be warned some of them are very low and so the roof of the boat is lowered, forcing the passengers to lie down! The boats depart every 15 minutes, though in the off-season you may get a boat all to yourself. The cost is 1,200 yen for adults, 600 yen for kids, though as with most tourist sites in Matsue there is a 50% discount for foreign visitors. January – June, 9-5 July – August, 9-6 September – October, 9-5 November – February, 9-4. Tel: (0852) 27 0417 © Jake Davies& Japan Visitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Horikawa Matsue Shimane Boat
8. Happy New Year 2009 From Japan Visitor http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: あけましておめでとうございます Happy 2009 to all our visitors. It's the Year of the Cow in 2009 and our nengajo (New Year's Card) shows the kanji character for the year of the cow (丑) . Join our Japan newsletter to keep up to date to all that is new on Japan Visitor for 2009. E-mail us if you would like to receive the glossy New Year's card above (until January 20). desk [at] japanvisitor [dot] com Subject "new year card" Just include your name and snail mail address, and we will promptly post it to you. We wish you all a peaceful and healthy 2009. © Japan Visitor Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags New Year nengajyo Cow
9. Shimantogawa Kochi Prefecture http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: Image of the week - 四万十川 Early morning on the Shimanto River, Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku. The bridge is a Chinkabashi (lit. sinking bridge) as it disappears under the water during floods. Click on the image to expand it Image © Jake Davies & Japan Visitor Previous Japan photo of the week Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Kochi Shikoku Japan images
10. Okayama International Villas To Close http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 岡山国際交流ヴィラ The Okayama International Villas are to close on 31st December 2008 after 20 years in operation. Established in 1988 as a non-profit organization to provide international guests with a place to rest and relax in the beauty of rural Japan, the 5 properties will close for financial reasons at the end of the year. Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Okayama
11. Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 関門橋と関門トンネル(歩道) Walking from Kyushu to Honshu. At the closest point, the islands of Kyushu and Honshu are a mere 700 meters apart. The narrow channel called Kanmon Straits is a very busy waterway with about 600 ships a day passing through it. In 1973 the two islands became connected by the Kanmonkyo Bridge which carries traffic across its central span of 712 meters, and not far away is the Kanmon Railway Tunnel, the first undersea tunnel in Japan, but underneath the Kanmonkyo Bridge is the Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel. Connecting Mojiko on the Kyushu side with Shimonoseki on the Honshu side, the tunnel is a little over 700 meters long, and can be walked in 10-15 minutes. It's a very popular walk, with many people simply walking from one side and back again, collecting the stamp at either end, but many people make a round trip by connecting with the ferry that runs from Shimonoseki to Mojiko. The tunnel entrance in Mojiko is about a 15 minute walk from the main tourist attractions in the centre of Mojiko, which is where the ferry runs from. Next to the entrance is Mekari Shrine, the northernmost shrine in Kyushu. On the Shimonoseki side a ropeway up Hinoyama offers stunning vistas over the straits. The ferry and main tourist attractions of Shimonoseki are a 20 minute walk or bus or taxi ride. Entrance to the tunnel is free for pedestrians, but there is a 20 yen charge for people who want to push their bicycle or moped through. Open daily, 06:00 to 22:00. Images & text © Jake Davies & JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Kanmon Shimonoseki Mojiko Kyushu
12. Japan This Week: 28 December 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 今週の日本 Toyota Expects Its First Loss in 70 Years New York Times Governments pour more resources into battle against global recession Guardian Japanese neo-nationalists seek to silence Yasukuni film Japan Focus Ruling bloc plans 2011 sales tax hike Japan Times Tokyo seeks cordial ties with Seoul Korea Herald 3 Tokyo U. profs harassed colleagues, students The Daily Yomiuri Japan emperor in rare appearance BBC Movie Review - God's Puzzle Midnight Eye Obituary: Yukika Soma Times on Line Daisuke Naito retains WBC flyweight title Yahoo! Sports Last week's Japan news Japan Statistics There were 3.21 million people working as temporary staff in Japan in 2007, triple the 1.07 million temps in 1999. Source: Labor Ministry There have been 5,000 traffic fatalities this year up to December 23. Aichi has the most with 262 road deaths, followed by Saitama 224, Hokkaido 222 and Tokyo and Chiba with 210 each. Tottori had the fewest deaths at 29, followed by Nagasaki 39, Shimane and Tokushima 40 each and Okinawa 41. Source: National Police Agency The number of elementary, junior high, and senior high school teachers and staff on psychiatric leave topped 8,000 this year. That is a threefold increase compared to only ten years ago. Of the 916,000 teachers who took part in a Ministry of Education survey, 8,069 indicated that they were on leave and receiving psychiatric treatment. The reasons given by those on leave included: #1 relations with students and parents have changed, leading to unresolvable problems; #2 relations at work less supportive than in the past; #3 work duties too great; #4 problems at home. Source: Asahi Shinbun 85,012 nonregular workers have lost or will lose their jobs in Japan through March 2009. Aichi topped the list with 10,059 job losses followed by Nagano with 4,193, Fukushima 3,856, Shizuoka 3,406 and Tochigi 2,912. Source: Health, Labor & Welfare Ministry There were 739,100 foreign visitors to Japan in October 2008. A 5.9% drop on the previous year's figures for the month. South Korean visitors fell 15.2% to 188,800. Source: JNTO Traffic volume in Japan for 2005 was 769 billion unit kilometers. Source: Land, Infrastructure & Transport Ministry Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Japanese Fiction Happi Coats Tags Japan News Japan Statistics politics
13. Japanese Language: Abbreviations Not Used http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 流行のKYなどの頭文字 Tokyo correspondent Leo Lewis wrote in a recent Times of London piece that the abbreviations noted below are becoming widely used by Japanese people under 25. He moreover went on to quote an expert that this is evidence that Japanese are becoming more direct and perhaps a tad less aware of the feelings of others--and, worst of all, sowing confusion among their their elders. "The surging use of acronyms, sociologists and language experts say, has created a significant shift in young people's attitudes to elders, and in junior workers' attitudes to bosses. Even among acronym addicts of a similar age, the emerging lexicon allows them to trade abuse freely in a way that traditional Japanese makes rather tricky," writes Lewis. Having never heard of or heard any of them, we were suspicious. For the record, though, here they are: AB (甘いものが別腹、amai mono wa betsubara) -- Someone who eats a bit too much, especially sweets GM (牛丼のほうがまし、gyudon no hou ga mashi) - better than fast food FK (ファウンデが濃い、Fande koi) -- too much makeup! ND (人間としてどうよ、Ningen to shite douyo) -- what the hell kind of person is this?! NTT (荷物担当者、nimotsu tanto sha) -- pack horse for a woman's bags OBM (臆病者、okyubyo mono) -- a guy too scared to ask a girl out DD (誰でも大好き、dare demo dai suki) -- the kind of person who falls for anyone NS (能力より正確、noryoku yori seikaku) -- someone promoted way beyond their competence Unlike the ubiquitous KY (空気読めない、kuuki yomenai = clueless), the above remain a mystery. A casual survey of college students and young people in Osaka and Kyoto (face to face), and Tokyo (via email and cell phone) produced only confusion and laughter. One y oung Japanese woman in Tokyo said on the phone that she thought, perhaps, that she may have heard FK on tv or from a friend. In Kansai, however, there was merely giggling and "Nope, never heard of any of them." © JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Tokyo Kyoto Language Times of London Abbreviation
14. Most Popular Names, 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: ０８年生まれ人気の名前 The most popular Japanese names of children born in 2008 were announced. Hina jumped from number 4 in 2007 to number 1; Hiroto came in first for the second year in a row for boys. Girls 1. Hina/Haruna （陽菜） 2. Yui　（結衣） 3. Aoi　（葵） 4. Sakura（さくら） 5. Yuna　（優菜） 6. Miyu/Miu（美優） 7. Miyu（心優） 8. Yuina（結菜） 8. Mio（美桜） 8. Riko（莉子） Boys 1. Hiroto（大翔） 2. Yuto（悠翔） 3. Hinata（陽向） 4. Shota（翔太） 5. Sota（颯太） 5. Yuto（悠人） 7. Sho（翔） 7. Yuta（悠太） 9. Ren（連） 10. Riku（陸） 10. Shun（駿） © JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Tokyo Kyoto Popular Names 2008
15. Merry Christmas From Japan http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: メリークリスマス Season's greetings to all our visitors and friends from JapanVisitor.com Thank you for all your comments, support and suggestions throughout the year. Click on the image to enlarge it Photograph of the Gonokawa River, Shimane Prefecture with snow © Jake Davies & JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Christmas Gonokawa Shimane Japan image
16. Japan's Shinkansen http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (application/x-shockwave-flash, 0.00Mb) Description: 新幹線 Japan's shinkansen is a true icon of the country: fast, stylish and safe. In service since 1964, the shinkansen rail network now stretches between the northern and southern tips of the main Japanese island of Honshu and to Fukuoka on Kyushu. Shinkansen at a glance 2,459km of track Carries around 370,000 people daily Reaches speeds of 300km per hour Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan Tags Shinkansen Japanese trains
17. Ruriko-ji Temple in Yamaguchi City http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 瑠璃光寺 This pagoda at Ruriko-ji temple in Yamaguchi City is one of the three most important 5-storied pagodas in Japan, the other two being at Horyu-ji in Nara, and Daigo-ji in Kyoto. It was built in 1442, which makes it the tenth oldest in Japan. The pagoda is 31.2 meters tall, with roofs of cypress bark. It is a designated National Trasure. It was built by the 26th generation daimyo Morimi Ouchi for his brother, the 25th generation daimyo Yoshihiro Ouchi. The pagoda is particularly worth seeing during cherry blossom season, and also at night as it is illuminated. Yamaguchi City is known as the Kyoto of the West as the town was home to many nobles and artists from Kyoto during the late Muromachi Period while Kyoto was suffering from wars. Entrance to the park around the pagoda and the temple is free, but nearby is a small museum with models of pagodas and photographs of other pagodas around Japan. Open 9-5, 7 days a week. Entrance 300yen. Ruriko-ji is located north of central Yamaguchi City, a short bus ride or 15 min. walk from Kameyama Park. Japan images© Jake Davies & Japan Visitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Yamaguchi Pagoda
18. Kotoe at the Artcomplex Center of Tokyo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 琴恵 The Art Complex Center of Tokyo is a fairytale-looking gallery just to the east of Shinjuku Gyoen Park, just off Gaien Higashi Dori Avenue. I went there to see the Nagoya artist Kotoe’s “Setting Moon” (Ochidzuki) exhibition. Kotoe is an artist who works with paper, forming intricate patterns and creating unique effects using nothing but a knife and a single-color pen. Kotoe’s works take the form of single sheets of paper, or multiple sheets, each finely cut, and arrayed with other sheets to form a whole. The largest work on display was a single sheet (not, actually, of paper, but of black plastic) that portrayed a moonlit landscape stretching across a whole wall. Kotoe’s exhibition in Tokyo is now over, but she plans more in the future. Keep an eye out for further exhibitions by Kotoe on JapanVisitor’s What’s on in Tokyo page. Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Tokyo The Artcomplex Center of Tokyo Kotoe paper
19. Japan This Week: 21 December 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 今週の日本 Japan Admits POW Labor at Aso Mine New York Times Living With In-Laws Linked to Heart Risks in Japanese Women New York Times Rapist guilty of mutilating British hostess Lucie Blackman Guardian Trio avoid prison in sumo killing Japan Times Japan predicts zero growth in fiscal 2009 Washington Post Trouble at Toyota--Spreading Shockwaves The Daily Yomiuri Japan ends five-year Iraq mission BBC Jun Ichikawa - An Appreciation Midnight Eye Why the Club World Cup is one big mess Times on Line Teacher fired over 1997 groping case Asahi Man Utd overpower Gamba in 5-3 classic Yahoo! Sports Last week's Japan news Japan Statistics Average mathematics scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students, by country: 2007 Fourth Grade (Average Score: 500) 1) Hong Kong: 607 2) Singapore: 599 3) Taiwan: 576 4) Japan: 568 11) USA: 529 Eighth Grade (Average Score: 500) 1) Taiwan: 598 2) South Korea: 597 3) Singapore: 573 4) Hong Kong: 572 5) Japan: 570 9) USA: 508 Source: International Center for Educational Statistics Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Japanese Fiction Happi Coats Tags Japan News Japan Statistics politics
20. Newspaper Special Edition http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 号外 During an emergency or when there is breaking news that just can't wait until the next edition, Japanese newspapers print out and distribute for free a several page, special edition. These are called "gogai" in Japanese. When this happens, you will see teams of young people wearing hats or vests identifying themselves as being part of the Asahi Shinbun, for example, and yelling "Gogai! Gogai!" as they give out the papers to commuters and passersby. A typical example would be damage from a large earthquake, when a new prime minister is elected, just after the Akihabara rampage, and even when Barack Obama won the recent election in the United States. Much to our surprise, though, was the "gogai" we received near Kyobashi Staion in Osaka - a special issue full of half-dressed women. The "theme" of the Sun Sports "gogai" was women - and how to meet them. Or, rather, how to pay to meet them. © JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Tokyo Kyoto Gogai Osaka
21. Hekinan Public Art Sculptures http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: 碧南市 The last time I traveled to Hekinan in Aichi Prefecture was to pay a visit to the Kiyozawa Manshi Memorial Museum - a small facility dedicated to the 19th century Buddhist ascetic Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1901). Being a Monday, the nearby Hekinan City Tatsukichi Fujii Museum of Contemporary Art was closed, so I returned recently to visit the modern museum and follow the trail of around 20 public art sculptures scattered throughout Hekinan. The map provided by the museum is not the easiest to follow, which adds to the satisfaction (or frustration) of actually tracking down the sculptures. Three of the 20-odd pieces are by foreign artists with works by Karen Stalker, Elizabeth McDowell and Charles Worthen. Among the Japanese sculptors are such names as Sumikawa Kiichi, Horiuchi Masakazu, Kunishima Seichi, Oda Jyo, Suzuki Minoru and Sato Churyo. The public art sculptures are mainly located in the areas around Hekinan Station and Hekinan-chuo Station. The Hekinan City Tatsukichi Fujii Museum of Contemporary Art is named after Fujii Tatsukichi (1881-1964), a locally-born, multi-talented craft artist of the Taisho and Showa periods, who preached that craft artists should do more than just perfect the form of their chosen craft but also show off their own artistry and originality in their work. Hekinan City Tatsukichi Fujii Museum of Contemporary Art Otowa-cho 1-1 Tel: 0566 48 6602 Hours: 10am-6pm; Closed Monday Hekinan Station can be reached on the Meitetsu Line from Nagoya, Kanayama and Toyota Stations changing at Chiryu. The museum is a short walk south of the station, across the road from the Saihoji Temple, with is ancient, spreading pine tree. © JapanVisitor.com Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japanese art Hekinan Art Nagoya sculpture
22. Meriken Park Kobe http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: Image of the week - メリケンパーク Meriken Park, with Kobe Tower and the Kobe Maritime Museum. Meriken Park, supposedly so-called, as it was the local pronunciation of "American" in the Meiji Period, when Kobe was opened as a treaty port to western trade, is Kobe city's most distinctive stretch of waterfront. Meriken Park also has a memorial to victims of the 1991 Great Hanshin Earthquake and is the location of the Hotel Okura Kobe and the Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. Meriken Park is a short walk from Motomachi Station. Click on the image to expand it Image © Jake Davies & Japan Visitor Previous Japan photo of the week Yahoo Japan Auction Service Boo k a hotel in Japan with Bookings Tokyo Serviced Apartments Japan Friends The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen Tags Japan Kobe Meriken Park Japan images
23. Kanji character for 2008 - "change" http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: ２００８年漢字一文字「変」 At the end of every year, the Japan Kanji [i.e. Chinese character] Proficiency Certification Society solicits from the public the kanji that best sums up the past year. A ceremony takes place at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera Temple where the selected kanji is publicly put to parchment by a calligrapher. The kanji selected this year was the character for “change,” pronounced “hen”. The reasons given for this year’s choice are the economic changes that happened this year with the plummet in the value of stocks and the soaring of the value of the yen, the change in the public’s consciousness regarding contaminants in food (presumably the Chinese milk powder scandal – not such a convincing reason when Japan has had no shortage of similar domestic incidents), and the political reforms that have happened in Japan, as well as in the United States with the election of Barack Obama. Change was also posited as a theme in relation to the cha