Nagoya (名古屋) Japan

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2007 Apr-Jun.news^1.0

The latest news from the Riley household

Okehazama Festival/Re-enactment - 3 June 2007

The re-enactment took place in the Kotoku-in temple car park. This should have warned us what to expect. This was not to be a huge battle re-enactment by hundreds of people (what I was hoping for) rather it was a smaller local event which although it may not have had the scale of the original battle, nevertheless had a charm of it's own.

Rubbish/Garbage Pickup - A Rant - 4 June 2007

Monday is burnable rubbish collection day. On Mondays and Thursdays we have to put our burnable rubbish out in a RED bag. There is a different colours for each type of rubbish, and the colours are not consistent throughout Nagoya. Well to cut a long story short I ran out of the correctly colored plastic bags last week and I substituted a blue bag instead.

Would the garbage men pick up my garbage even though it was in a blue bag. (BLUE is for plastic). There could be no confusion. Blue bags are not usually left outside the house and there is no other rubbish picked up on until Wednesday. I had it out at the right time, on the right day, in the right spot.........but No.

Usually the worst I get is the garbage guys removing offending pieces and leaving them on my nature strip. Among other things, I once put a used razor in the burnable rubbish to find it left in front of the house after they had been, I have had the same with small bits of plastic wrap.

You may gather that I have rubbish issues and you would be right. We do not put our rubbish out in bins, just in bags. I have an ongoing war with the local crows who love to go through my garbage. Evil things. The crows sometimes peck through even things double plastic wrapped and then wrapped in newspaper. At least burnable garbage is collected twice a week.

Just for your Information. Each of the following have to be done separately. See the City of Nagoya guide for more information.

Type		Location
Burnable garbage	Red Bag	Outside the House 2xWeek
Small Non burnable Waste	Green Bag	Outside the House 2xWeek
Spray cans (Must be separated)	Green Bag	Outside the House 1xWeek
Plastic	Blue Bag	At local rubbish Station 1xweek
Paper/Cardboard	Tied	At local rubbish Station 1xweek
Glass Bottles (Washed)	No Bag	At local rubbish Station 1xweek
Metal Cans (Washed)	Bag	At local rubbish Station 1xweek
Milk Cartons (Washed and cut up))		Special bin at local Supermarkets
Polystyrene plates (Washed)		Special bin at local Supermarkets

*Large items are recycled once a month (by application), computers must be returned to an electrical store and a special recycling fee paid

Geni Family History Social networking Website

I have spent a bit of time recently addicted to the new Geni website making my family tree along with others in the family. It is a lot of fun and although not as featured as Family Tree Maker or Roots Magic, the interface makes you want to use it.
There is a good review of Geni at techcrunch - What they plan in the future. Well worth reading

KYOTO 28 May: "11 students hospitalized after scary story"

Another newspaper story......THE ASAHI SHIMBUN UJI--

Eleven junior high school students visiting a Yakult Honsha Co.'s factory Saturday afternoon were taken to hospital after suffering from hyperventilation, police said. Nine female and two male students of a junior high school in Osaka Prefecture started to feel sick while talking about scary stories on a bus heading to the drink factory, police said. After the bus arrived at the factory, company officials called for ambulances a little past noon. The students were checked at a hospital and later recovered, police said".(IHT/Asahi: May 28,2007)

Toyota Plant Tour and Toyota Kaikan - 31 May 2007

The Toyota Kaikan exhibition hall is the starting point for Toyota factory tours. The Kaikan hall is interesting itself and worth a quick visit.

I really enjoyed the plant tour. I had already been on a tour in Australia, but this just astonished me as the workers alternated between eight or so different models.

Battle of Nagakute Memorial Site - 27 May 2007

This battle site did not take long to visit. Maybe 15-20 minutes all up, including the tiny museum.

Again a local event and the most famous event in Nagakute's history (excluding the World Expo?). There is not a great deal to see, but the small park is nice to walk around and if you are going to the Toyota Automobile Museum, this could be a quick stop off (if you are into Samurai and local history).

Temple near Tomei Exit - 27 May 2007

This small new temple is one in our local area. The reclining Buddha is visible from the Tomei, near the Nagoya interchange. As we see the statue quite often, we thought we would pay the temple a quick visit.

Atsuta Jingu - 27 May 2007

This first building in Nagoya, the famous Shinto shrine Atsuta Jingu which was founded around 1900 years ago (it is located roughly between Nagoya Station and the port).

For around 2000 years Atsuta Jingu has been an important religious center.

Dali Art Exhibition- 27 May 2007

We went into Sakae to the Nagoya City art Museum to see the Dali exhibition. It was extraordinarily crowded, but a terrific exhibition. A large number of pieces and some which I really enjoyed. We also did a quick browse of the permanent collection, which was pretty small and we zoomed through it. Apart from the Papier-mâché dragon outside the exhibition hall, my favorite piece in the permanent collection was "Girl with pigtails" by Amedeo Modigliani.

Origin of Torii Gates- 27 May 2007

I came across a story about the origin of the Torii gates. The real origin is unknown, but the story is interesting.BTW, the Kanji for Torii can be read to mean a bird perch kanji (鳥 Tori: bird; 居 i: place).

The story goes as follows....
" The origin of the torii is said to come from an old Japanese legend, when the sun goddess became extremely annoyed with her prankster brother. She hid herself in a cave and sealed the entrance with a rock, causing an eclipse. The people were afraid that if the sun never returned, they all would die. So, per the advice of a token wise old man, they built a large bird perch out of wood and placed all the town's roosters on this perch. They all started to crow noisily, causing the curious sun goddess to peek out of her cave. Having opened the door a crack, a large sumo wrestler from the town ran up and pushed the rock away, letting the sun out and thus the world was saved. That bird perch was the first torii gate. From then on, the torii became a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, and spread all over Japan." - religion-cults.com

'Foreign students can't start ekiden'- 24 May 2007

An interesting article appeared in today's newspaper. A debate that would not happen in Australia. It actually reminds me of County Cricket debates over the use of foreign players in cricket.

The issue is "Specialist runners from overseas (mainly Kenya) are being recruited by schools to give the schools an advantage in interschool sports, is this fair as the competition was "more competitive and more fun" when only locals were involved".

When I read this article I immediately thought of our friends kids who attend the local "International" school (which includes many local Japanese kids as well). Could their school even compete in this competition?, especially as the new rules also mean that "each school can have only one foreign student participating in the race." (Source).

I don't think the kids at the local international school would win, but under these rules, they are actively excluded.

Extract from the article below:

Foreign students can't start ekiden
"Bowing to pressure from disgruntled fans, a high school athletic association will prohibit foreign students from running the first leg of the All Japan High School Ekiden Championships relay marathon starting next year.

The All Japan High School Athletic Federation said the decision, reached Tuesday, is intended to make the races more interesting for fans.

But others say the move reeks of discrimination against foreign students.

In recent years, many students from Kenya have started the first--and longest--section of the ekiden races. They have often built such wide leads that rival teams have had almost no chance to catch up in the later legs. "- Asahi Shimbun 24-May-2007

Nagoya Grampus Eight - Soccer - 20 May 2007

I went with some friends to watch the Grampus Eight play in Japan's National League.

The game was a real highlight. The crowd was boisterous and happy and the stadium was modern and you felt close to the action. Check the Photo's page.

Hostage Drama Nagakute- 17 May 2007

A sad bit of local news, Nagakute is only minutes away. We had helicopters around the house all night, and I had no idea why till Sue told me the next morning.


"POLICE rescued a woman held hostage for nearly 24 hours by a former Japanese gangster who had holed up in his home after shooting a policeman dead and wounding his own son, daughter and another police officer". Source - News.com.au-

About 170 officers, including riot police and special units, were mobilized around the gunman's house, and local schools were closed on Friday.

Reading up on the internet did reveal some strange actions by the hostage negotiator - please read below.

"After talking to Obayashi on dozens of occasions, the investigator came to the conclusion that he was a coward and that the former gangster would surrender if police took a tough stance toward him. The investigator then told Obayashi that he would no longer negotiate with him.

Obayashi later made a call to the investigator's mobile phone, but he ignored it. The hostage-taker then called prefectural police headquarters by dialing the emergency police telephone number, 110, and asked that he talk with the investigator. "I want to talk to the investigator. Please don't shoot me," he was quoted as telling the officer who answered his call. At about 8:30 p.m., he came out of his home to surrender, and was taken into custody. Obayashi shot dead one policeman in the siege and three other people - his son, daughter and another policeman, who are recovering from their injuries." (Mainichi)

recent weird events Japan- May 2007

There have been a few strange events in Japan this year. The local shooting reminded me that I have not mentioned them yet. Check the two most famous stories below:

Boy with his mothers head in a bag
"JAPANESE police arrested a 17-year-old boy today on suspicion of murdering his mother after he turned up at a police station carrying a severed human head in a bag. Police in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima prefecture, 200km north of Tokyo, said they arrested the teenager, a student at a local high school, after officers found a beheaded body in the apartment where he lived." (Source)

Nagasaki Mayor
"Police raided Shiroo's home this morning in search of a motive. They are focusing on a dispute Shiroo had with Nagasaki city authorities over damage to his Mercedes when he drove it into a hole caused by road construction in 2003. City officials said he had visited their offices more than 30 times in an attempt to get compensation after the city had sided with the construction firm in rejecting his damage claims." (Source)

Seven Samurai- 17 May 2007

I watched another famous movie, this time by the fabled 1954 movie by Akira Kurosawa called Shichinin no samurai (The Seven Samurai.

Long recognized as a classic. (Ranked 10th in the IMDB list of all time best movies) This is a story of a group of honest men working together to save a village from an overwhelming force of bandits.

I have watched the 1960 American remake with Yul Brynner, The Magnificent Seven, so I knew the storyline.

I sat down very excited to watch the movie.
Unfortunately I was disappointed. The film is 3 1/2 hours long, with an intermission and it feels it. For me the movie was too slow and the character in the photo to the left was just too annoying. I would only watch it if you like old movies AND have a FastForward on your remote.

On a positive side The main samurai characters made sense, they had heart and I felt for them. Also, the villagers were much more interesting than in the Magnificent Seven. Slightly darker with strong motives.

The scene I will remember most from the movie is after the samurai capture a bandit and declare him a prisoner of war, we watch a frail old lady from the village armed with a hoe, slowly approaches and we watch as she heads over to extract revenge for the death of her son. To me it brought home the reality of the struggle, the aspect of the movie that I enjoyed the most.

Please read a relevant image copyright here.

Chunichi Dragons Baseball- May 16 2007

We went to the baseball at Nagoya Dome this week.

It was a lot of fun. Neither Pam nor I knew the rules or what to expect, so it was all a bit of fun.

Please check the photo page.

The story of William Adams - May 2007

I recently watched an old tv mini-series called Shogun. This famous mini-series was made in 1981 and I remember it as a big TV event.

The story is a fictionalized account by James Clavell of the story of William Adams, an Englishman who was landed on the Japanese coast in 1600 and through skill and luck became the first foreign samurai and a member of the Shogun's court.

Wow have times changed. When it was new, the mini-series was a sensation, I remembered an exciting story set in a mysterious Japan. Now, 25+ years later and living in Japan I wielded the Fast-forward on my remote on many occasions. The use of fictional names for real people, such as "Lord Toranaga" for Tokugawa Ieyasu was especially irking.

In the mini-series's favor, the actors were good, the mini-series was actually filmed in Japan, the scenes looked authentic, the Japanese actors mainly spoke Japanese and there were some good action moments. So basically 5 out of 10



Before I came to Japan I read a book about William Adams. Giles Milton is one of my favorite authors. His book Nathaniel's Nutmeg is one of my favorites and had lead me to read particular book even before I knew I was going to Japan.

The book probably spoiled my impressions of the mini-series. Things never feel the same one you have read the book.

Milton tells Williams story and uses William as a window into one of the most interesting periods in Japan's history. As with all his books, Samurai William is engaging, pacey and informative.

I found myself surprised and intrigued by what is a very entertaining slice of history.

Maid Cafe's - 13 May 2007

I thought that a maid cafe would be different, maybe a bit more open and a bit less creepy, maybe I am just getting old!. I have walked past these signs walking between Osu Kannon and Sakae a number of times and never paid attention.


Maid Style was the first cafe that I saw. The website gives you an idea of what to expect. See their interior decorating here.



Just opposite maid style was a second cafe, It looks a bit cheaper. [Actually Pam was the first to see this one - I walked right by it!]


Sign beside the stairs

My Neighbor Totoro- 13 May 2007

We finally watched the famous movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Tonari no Totoro ( My Neighbor Totoro).

Every toy shop in Japan has a Totoro doll or a cuddly cat-bus. The characters are very famous and until now, I had never seen the movie.

Totoro was surprisingly slower than I thought it would be, but the characters were warm and the story charming and witty. The animation is superbly drawn and the landscapes and characters were alive and quite different from the usual disney/pixar output. A definite highlight.

This Totoro Poster is from the Totoro Wiki page. Please read the relevant copyright here.

Recent Updates-May 2007

I have added a few new pages, many of the photos are from older trips.

Nagoya Castle

Inuyama Castle

Nagoya Port

Our mothers come to visit- Apr 26 - May 5 2007

Our mum's arrived for their tour of Japan. We have given them a busy schedule. Lets hope they survive.

Nagoya Castle
Osu Kannon Temple and Market
Sakae, downtown Nagoya


Kyoto and Nara
Todai-ji temple with the giant buddha
Fushimi Inari Shrine and the red gates
Kiyomizu-dera temple, shopping and geishas
The nightingale floors,
The golden temple and Japanese Rock gardens


Off to Tokyo
The Imperial Palace
Ueno Park
Shibuya and Harajuku
Mount Fuji from the Bullet Train



Hiroshima
Miyajima Island and the floating torii
Peace Park (Heiwa Koen)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum




Back to Nagoya
Nagoya Aquarium
Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology
Toyota Automobile museum
Going home....

Boys Day - May 5 2007

From the same shop in Kyoto as the shot for Girls day (3 Mar 2007), below.

May 5 is children's day, a public holiday in Japan. In Japan there is already a girls day, and traditionally May 5 was boys day. Around the country this week we have seen many houses flying banners of 5 coy. (Father, Mother and children.)

Charisma Man - Apr 25 2007

Charisma man is a cartoon that appeared in Japanzine between 1998 and 2002. You can order the complete collection of Charisma Man comic from www.charismaman.com.

If you have lived in Japan then you have probably met a Charisma man.

Old Photos and the History of Nagoya - Apr 22 2007

.We went on a holiday in 2004 to France, Spain and Peru. It was the first holiday we had with a digital camera and it was a holiday that we had planned for years. Now I have moved the website and have more storage space, I moved the photos here.




I have started writing a web page about the history of Nagoya. It has ended up being much longer than I expected, and I have learnt a lot about Japanese history through writing this page.

The history page still needs a lot of work but please contact me if you see any factual errors.

new web home - www.michaelpam.com -17 Apr- 2007

Our website has a new home. We had begun to reach the limit for the size of the website, so goodbye http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~nx8m-rly/ and hello www.michaelpam.com.

I have created a Nagoya page and updated my useful links and my shopping sections.

Heath and Melinda in Japan - 6 Apr- 2007

Melinda (my sister) and Heath (My Brother in-law)

" 10 Days in Kyoto, Nagoya, Tsumago Village and Tokyo. Loving every minute of it. The aim was to get a new wardrobe of clothing and as many Pointo Cardo's as possible." - Heath

Sakura - (Cherry Blossom) - Apr 2007

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) come out in Japan for one week each year. During the week people have flower watching parties called Hanami and the sakura dramatically change the way the city looks. Suddenly parts of Nagoya I have never noticed are pretty!

Check some of our photos. Doesn't really do it justice though


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