Japan This Week 22 November 2009
on Nov 21, 2009 in Japan Statistics Japan News 今週の日本Dueling Alliances Make Aid Offers to Japan AirlinesNew York TimesTokyo is the new Paris, say MichelinGuardianExploring Naoshima, Japan's island of artWashington PostArte desenfadado desde JapónEl PaisMinisters and bank divided as Japa...

Flower Arrangement
on Nov 20, 2009 in flower arrangement kyoto imperial palace 生花On a recent visit to the Imperial Palace, in Kyoto, we saw several large examples of Japanese flower arrangement.Both of the pieces were in open arcades within the Palace.They feature flowers and plants seasonally appropriate: autumn in all its...

Japanese Baseball 2009 Awards
on Nov 20, 2009 in Baseball 日本野球Japanese baseball announced it's 2009 Awards this week in a ceremony at Akasaka Sacas.Yomiuri Giants slugger Alex Ramirez was named the 2009 Central League MVP after leading the CL with a .322 average with 31 homers and 103 RBIs. Ramirez,...

Jazz Up Your Japanese with Onomatopoeia
on Nov 19, 2009 in Book Review Jazz Up Your Japanese with Onomatopoeiaby Hiroko FukudaKodansha InternationalISBN: 4-7700-2956-X238 ppOriginally published by Kodansha as "Flip, Slither and Bang: Japanese Sound and Action Words" as part of their Power Japanese series, this volume ha...

Chukyo University Nagoya
on Nov 18, 2009 in University Nagoya Chukyo University in Nagoya may not be in the Ivy League of Japanese universities but it certainly excels in women's figure skating.Two of Japan's best figure skaters, Mao Asada and Miki Ando, both attend Chukyo.The modern campus building towers abov...

Public Bath Neon Sign
on Nov 17, 2009 in neon kyoto sento public bath 銭湯のネオンComing back from a party in north Kyoto, we came upon this wonderful neon sign.The picture at right is seen from the rear, which means that the kanji is inverted.Jutting out of the second story of a building on Kitaoji Dori, not far...

Speed Dating Sunday Dec 6th!
on Nov 16, 2009Nagoya Speed Dating is holding it’s 9th party in Nagoya! Date: Saturday December 5th, 2009 Time: 6-9pm registration from 6:00 to 6:30pm Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm. Place: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurumai...

Nagoya Friends - Party at Red Rock! 11/28 (Sat.)
on Nov 16, 2009Nagoya Friends 76th party in Nagoya! at Date: Saturday November 28th, 2009 Time: 18:30 - 21:00 Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm. Place: The Red Rock (2F Aster Plaza Building, 4-14-6 Sakae, Nagoya (very close to Sakae Station) Fe...

Kyoto Immigration Office
on Nov 16, 2009 in kyoto Office Japan immigration 大阪入国管理局京都出張所Kyoto's Immigration Office is not far from the Kamo River, on the north side of Marutamachi Dori. It is actually a sub-office that comes under the wing of the larger Osaka branch.As Japanese immigration offices go,...

Giant Squid On The Sidewalk
on Nov 15, 2009 in Nagoya 歩道のイカI have seen some odd things dumped on the sidewalks in Japan, especially when city authorities would pick up sodai gomi (large items of household waste) on specific days for free.This much-loved practice, which provided the furniture f...