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2007 Jan-Mar.news1.0
The latest news from the Riley householdParker's Hundredth Birthday Party - 31 Mar 2007
On Saturday night we held a birthday party for Parker (our dog). He is 14 and 4 months old, which is 100 in dog years. We had a BBQ at our house with friends and a lot of fun. Parker received presents, which he has been playing with and he had two cakes!
Parker hardly moved all Sunday as he happily recovered from his night. Parker especially loved the sausages on a rope toy.
Local Elections - Mar 2007
Last week we saw these signs gridded up and all over the place. We had no idea what they were for but now that local elections are on, it all makes sense.
What has amazed me most in the local election is the plethora of mini vans driving the streets blaring campaign material. Now this is not just in town, but they drive around suburban streets.
I found a you tube video by brianadler that gives a good impression of what it is like. Not sure where or when it was taken, but the vans ares the same here. It is the gloved waving out the van window that I like the most.
The same person has another video titled "The most annoying thing about Japan" which is more van video.
Another weekend - 26 Mar 2007
On Saturday, We tried to find the Handa-Okkawa Float Festival. Unfortunately, we only had directions by train. Still. we drove to Handa but strangely we found no sign of the festival. We drove around a few seedy streets, and then as it was pouring rain, we decided to just go home.Later I read up and found that the Handa festival is not actually in Handa, but in another town close by. Ah, well it was an interesting drive. We ended up having time to go to a Brazilian Supermarket called Bom Preço Mercado that Sue showed me. I have added it to my expat pages
On Sunday, there was a small earth tremor in the morning. Later in the day, we found out that it was the edge of a larger earthquake on the other side of the island where one person died.
After the small tremor, we drove to Toki outlets and then on to Seto. We had not been to Seto before and wanted to have a look at the pottery that Seto is so famous for. There ended up being many pottery shops near the train station. We had a look at many plates, cups, tea sets etc but did not buy anything.
The find of the day was a Peruvian restaurant, north of Seto on the 363. We walked in to the restaurant for Sunday lunch around 1pm and found somebody's home rather than a restaurant, with a family sitting around a table giving us very confused looks. After a bit of explanation, they took us to a side room, and turned on the lights. The side room turned out to be a dance hall/restaurant. The mother then left her own lunch and prepared us ours.
The food was great, huge home cooked portions of tasty dishes such as papa al a Huancaina, Ceviche and Lomo Saltado were washed down with Chicha Morada. I ate enough to feed a whole family. I also liked the atmosphere, It was not for tourists or even Japanese locals. there was nothing fancy. No menus, no phone, I definitely will be back.
秒速5センチメートル ( Byousoku 5 Centimeter) - 25 Mar 2007
I was watching one of the music channels this week and saw his video. The animation is from a new movie called Byousoku 5 Centimeter that was released this month. It is incredibly detailed and well worth a look.Tagata Jinja - 15 Mar 2007
Ooagata Jinja - 11 Mar 2007
I highly recommend it. It felt very local and immediate. It had lots to do and can be combined with something else in the inuyama area for a great day.
Website restructure - 14 mar 2007
I have reorganised the Oddities section of my website. Car and Parking related oddities have moved to their own page. The Photo Galleries page has also been restructured into a "in/around Nagoya" and a"rest of Japan" section. This should make the section more readable. I have also added a few new useful links, in the travel section.White day - mar 2007
In Japan Valentines day has been split into two separate days. Girls give gifts on Valentines day and on March 14, called White day, it is men's turn to respond. Quoting the wiki:"When white day rolls around, it is the boy's role to return the gift in what is called "Sanbai-gaeshi" or "Triple return" as the gift the boy gives is supposed to be three times the value of the initial gift from the girl." - Read the White Day wiki page for more information
Advertising and White Day gifts at our local Daiei Shopping Centre 10-mar-07 (Note all the blossom).
sakura 桜 Cherry Blossom - Season - 10 mar 2007
I have had this picture for a while now and been meaning to put it up. Blossoms are certainly the logo for spring. Shops are decorated with fake blossoms announcing their spring sales and beer cans, kit kats etc. Cherry blossoms really are the symbol of spring.
Source Asahi Shimbun 23 Feb 2007 p.28 (English edition)
Kyoto - Again - 3 mar 2007
Hinamatsuri ( Girls Festival) - 3 Mar 2007
Also known as the Doll festival. I wont go into the details here but shops are full of dolls in classic/imperial clothes. It is a very noticeable day for me in the Japanese calendar.
BTW Boys day is May 5.
A few other recent days are listed below
Jan 31 (very unofficial) Beloved Wives Day
Jan 15 - Seijin shiki (Coming of Age Day)
Home in Australia- Feb 2007
I was home for work and family through Feb 2007. It was nice to be in the summer. It was strange going home. People appeared quite rude for the first few days until we got used to it again. The difference in Australia though is the informality of everyday life. It was nice to be casual and for a short time not be the most casually dressed person in town.
A view of Melbourne coming into the city over the Westgate Bridge。 For more views of the city, see my Melbourne Photo's page.
Driving between Ballarat and Warrnambool is a good two hour drive and a great contrast to anything in Japan. In Japan most usable space is filled with buildings or rice. For a tourist to Australia, the vast spaces between cities is probably something worth seeing as there is nothing remotely like it here.
New Website link...The quirky Japan Homepage - 28 feb 2007
I enjoy discovering a new web page, especially one with so many answers on it. Please have a look at Quirky Japan especially the SAQ and the ‘KENMINSEI’ - PREFECTURAL PECULIARITIES . Nagoyans are thrifty!The SAQ is a must read for anyone living in Japan. I have reprinted a teaser to give you an idea
Q. "[How do you explain] the frequency of Japanese people (usually women) running or jogging for no apparent reason. In the travel agency, "let me get you a copy" and she runs away. In my office a woman runs to the bathroom (can be explained) and then runs back to her desk (huh?). Most of the teachers I work with wait for the bell in the teacher's room, and then practically sprint to their classes. Do you know why all this running is going on? Fitness? Service? An Edo-era leftover?"--Question submitted by Ben Schwartz A. I once teasingly asked a female with whom I worked why she always did a sort of feigned jog to and from the copier, especially since her jog was slower than her walk. The humour wasn't lost on her, but she explained that many Japanese do this at work because the appearance of urgency is important in more traditional office environments. You don't have to truly run around frantically, but just offer the gesture.--Answer kindly submitted by Lou C. From the Quirky Japan SAQ
Making the Newspaper- 3 feb 2007
Well I only found out today (Feb 28 - just got back after my trip home to OZ)that my photo was on the front page of a local community paper. Actually, the paper is both sides of a single A2 page, so making the front page is not hard.
Can you see, yes there in the middle. I think you need a close up.
The close up. (Shannon and I with fire extinguishers)
Yes. Our community group went on a trip to the fire department. We took turns in the earthquake simulator, took rides, 26 meters straight up, in the fire truck ladder and yes, we learned how to use a fire extinguisher. It was a great day and we had lots of fun
26 meters is very high!
Before we went to the fire station we went to where all the school dinners are made. We watched a video, had a look at the menu and watched as the workers stirred the big pots of curry.
After the fire station we went to the local castle for a quick tour.
At Iwasaki Castle (a small reconstruction).
BTW the Nisshin International Association offers beginners Japanese classes, on Wednesday. Get the current contact details via the Aichi International Associations' local group contact page
rioting foreigners ...The Asahi Shimbun - 17 Jan 2007
I love reading the newspaper. There is always something a bit strange. There was an article today entitled "A multilingual approach for when natural disaster strikes" - explaining that the Tokyo metropolitan government are now organizing english speaking volunteers to assist expats if there is an major disaster... then came the paragraph..I quote... "This about stance is in sharp contrast to remarks uttered by Tokyo's outspoken nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, who had warned that the Ground Self Defense Force troops would have to be ready to quell rioting by foreigners after a major disaster" - The Asahi Shimbun International Edition 17Jan2007 - p25So it is not only Australian politicians who use racism to win votes.
BTW - shintaro ishihara has a wikipage biography.
From the wiki - "Ishihara stated in a 2001 interview with women's magazine Shukan Josei that he subscribed to a theory that "old women who live after they have lost their reproductive function are useless and are committing a sin," adding that he "couldn't say this as a politician." He was criticized in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly for these comments, but responded that the criticism was driven by "tyrant" "old women."
news - 17 Jan 2006
I have made a few changes to the website recently - More kit kats on the kitkat page , a new page with some living in Japan Jokes and as usual some more odditiesSnow- 7 Jan 2007
It has been pretty cold but the snow was very pretty. Parker was pretty excited and kept wanting to go outside for a look, which did not impress Pam or I at all!
Kyoto - the historic old capital - 5 Jan 2007
With so much to see in Kyoto we intentionally did some of the most famous bits, stumbled upon some other bits and overall had a great day. We are looking forward to returning again . (click on the small photo for the full story)
Museum of Modern Ceramic Art Gifu - 4 Jan 2007
The Gifu region just outside of Nagoya is internationally famous for its ceramics. Luckily for us the center of the ceramics industry is at Tajimi, only a few minutes from the Toki outlet mall.
The recently completed Museum of Modern Ceramic Art in Ceramic Park MINO was our first attempt to have a look at some of this regional pottery.
Well my review has to be that 1) the french restaurant is great. 1800 yen lunch set, nice view and enjoyable food. 2) the little shop is fantastic and full of locally made pottery, 3) the MINO building is modern and interesting. but 4) the temporary exhibition that we saw was just ok and at 800 yen each a pit pricey. I recommend lunch and shopping only.
Nara - the Ancient Capital - 2 Jan 2007
New Year's Day, January 1, is called Gantan ("first morning"). The morning is spent doing the rounds of the local temples - most people visit both the Buddhist and Shintoist temples (just in case....). - Yamasa Student Network page
nengajō - New Year Cards Cards - January 1 2007
nengajo are a custom for new year in Japan. 2007 is the year of the Boar. The post office guarantees their delivery on the morning of January 1st if they are given to the post office on time.
Many new year cards have a lucky prize number printed on them and I assume that you win some fantastic prizes when your number comes up.