Japan-Kuwait 2015

2015

CONTEMPORARY

The Land of Rising Sun

Delicious and fun!

Come experience

Depachika Hot Activities for a Cool Area in Tokyo

Japan-Kuwait ties booming Toshihiro TSUJIHARA, Ambassador

Is Japan

Expensive?

Blue LEDs: Joint Invention of Three Japanese-Born Researchers Win Physics Nobel SAGA: Gazing Across the Sea into Japan’s Past

Wonders of Japan Japanese Cars

Thriving in Gulf Enjoying a Luxurious RYOKAN STAY The Amazing Wearable Robot

Japanese Pop Culture TO THE NEXT STAGE Health Check: The Cost of Medical Care in Japan

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In cooperation with the Embassy of Japan - Kuwait Chairman & Editor-in-Chief

Faisal Motlaq Bajran

Takashi Kasai

Mujahid Iqbal

Cultural Attache’

General Manager

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M. Yamin Siddiqui

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The contents and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of To maintain the desired quality of the contents, no liability can be assumed by the our publication, your contributions publishers for any inaccuracies. and feedback are welcome.

2015

Ambassador’s Message: Japan-Kuwait ties booming Happenings / Events Blue LEDs: Three Japanese-Born Researchers Win Physics Nobel Japanese Cars Thriving in Gulf Delicious and fun! Come experience Depachika EDIBLE DIAMONDS : JAPANESE FRUIT BELOVED AROUND THE WORLD Washoku (Japanese cuisine), saving mankind NIPPON BUDŌKAN: Japanese Martial Spirit Meets the World Baseball: America’s most successful export to Japan Japanese Pop Culture - TO THE NEXT STAGE Health Check: The Cost of Medical Care in Japan The Amazing Wearable Robot The Rare Sweetness Researching Healthier Forms of Sugar Getting Permanent Residency in Japan Aiming High: An International University in Japan Is Japan Expensive?

Wonders of Japan Enjoying a Luxurious RYOKAN STAY ‘Increasing Services!’ Japanese Vending Machines Japanese Fabrics Have Their Global Reputation Wrapped Up SAGA: Gazing Across the Sea into Japan’s Past NAGASAKI: Nagasaki City and Battleship Island Hot Activities for a Cool Area in Tokyo

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Ambassador’s Message

Japan-Kuwait ties booming Dear Readers, Based on a joint statement signed between Japan and Kuwait during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we have witnessed tangible developments in bilateral relations of our countries. The Kuwaiti government is now embarking upon brave national redevelopment and working hard to improve the business environment for foreign companies, which we very much appreciate, as this would help further the promotion of our economic relations. I am very pleased to see a series of wins for Japanese companies in bids for mega development projects.

Toshihiro TSUJIHARA Ambassador of Japan

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

With the national development plan of Kuwait on track, we expect more Japanese companies to be fully engaged in contributing to ongoing mega infrastructure projects as we did in the ‘70s to ‘90s, the time Kuwait was keen to modernise its social and economic infrastructure.

Furthermore, we are also committed to a human resource training program to make Kuwait’s development sustainable. We are starting to see tangible projects to be prepared.

We are very grateful to the effort taken by the Ministry of Information and Kuwait TV to broadcast NHK’s ‘Tokyo Eye,’ a program targeting Kuwaiti youth that introduces various modern aspects of the life in Tokyo - highlighting tourism, culture and the latest fashion. This will help more Kuwaitis get interested in Japanese culture.

I still feel high expectations for Japan from Kuwait, not only in cooperation in economy and culture, but also in politics, security and many other fields.

The embassy has hosted many cultural events this year such as on animation and manga featuring Japanese pop culture, in collaboration with various Kuwaiti cultural organisations.

Through dialogue with the Ministry of Education, the recruitment for governmental overseas study programs for undergraduate studies that had been suspended for several years has resumed. There is also a plan to resume the program for post graduate studies next year, boosting academic and cultural exchange between the two countries.

I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to all of you who support all these progresses and accomplishments. I still feel high expectations for Japan from Kuwait, not only in cooperation in economy and culture, but also in politics, security and many other fields. I’ll continue to spare no effort to live up to these expectations and to turn these efforts into good outcomes.

Toshihiro Tsujihara

Contemporary Japan - 2015

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Japan a partner in Kuwait’s development Dear Readers, It gives me great pleasure to bring out this latest issue on Japan, a country that we all admire and respect in Kuwait. All things Japanese have always been a hit in Kuwait – from gizmos to cars to animation.

Nowadays, the fascination with Japan has extended to food and travel too, which is evident in the number of Japanese restaurants mushrooming across the state.

Kuwaitis are known for their wanderlust, and many are discovering the experiences Japan has to offer to travellers, be they families, couples or youths. Of course the Japanese Embassy in Kuwait has a big role to play in creating awareness about the wonders of Japan, which it does by holding social events like beach-cleaning drives, speech contests, manga get-togethers, etc.

As Kuwait hurtles towards rapid modernisation and seeks to diversify income resources, Japan is playing a major role in helping Kuwait realise its development plan by executing mega projects. Japanese companies are renowned for their efficiency, meticulousness and quality, traits that are much-needed to transform Kuwait into a regional financial hub.

I hope this issue on Japan will provide you all a deeper understanding of this fascinating country.

Happy New Year!

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

Faisal Motlaq Bdah Bajran Chairman

Managing Editor

FOREWORD

Mujahid Iqbal

Japan has it all!

Dear Readers, It is a source of pride and honor for me to present this latest issue on Japan. Chockfull with information, tips and interesting articles, I hope this magazine broadens the appeal of Japan to the widest audience.

Of course Japan needs no introduction. This glorious country is famous far and wide for its technological prowess, cutting-edge design, functionality of its products, spectacular animations and ultracool gadgets. Add to this a clean environment, polite populace, robust economy, world-class infrastructure and punctual and efficient public utilities, and you have a land that is appealing to all.

In this issue we have highlighted some of the attractions of Japan, like its food, which is healthy and nourishing, and tasty too! We also have a look at healthcare in Japan and study options. Other features touch on the latest innovations in the auto and electronics industries. We also learn more about LED light and how this netted the physics Nobel to the Japanese scientists that developed this amazing light source.

For those with the travel bug, discover the abundant tourist sites Japan has to offer.

Whether you like heritage, nature or urban destinations, Japan has them all...and some more!

Contemporary Japan was an Interesting and exciting project assigned to us by the Embassy of Japan, Kuwait, through His Excellency Mr. Toshihiro Tsujihara, Ambassador of Japan to Kuwait. We would like to thank His Excellency for putting his faith in us to bring out a magazine that aims to give locals a further insight into Japan, with the hope that Kuwait-Japan relations will grow ever more strong.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the Embassy of Japan, Kuwait for their wholehearted support to our staff in bringing out this issue. We are especially indebted to Mr. Takashi Kasai, Cultural Attaché, for his valuable support to the magazine in all its aspects. Thanks also due to Mr. Faisal Motlaq Bdah Bajran, Chairman, ALC International Group for his invaluable advice.

Finally, we would also like to place our gratitude to all the advertisers for their support and we strongly hope that their objectives will be achieved through their presence here in the magazine.

Here’s wishing you’ll a happy New Year.

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

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HAPPENINGS

Embassy Marks the National Day of Japan The Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Toshihiro TSUJIHARA along with his staff hosted a reception on Monday, December 4, 2014 to celebrate the 81th Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan at his residence.

The evening began with the Ambassador and his staff personally welcoming their guests. Attendees numbered around three hundred, comprising of diplomats, officials from the Kuwait government, representatives of the business world and Japanese nationals. The evening held much promise, and proceeded to the cake-cutting ceremony which was graced by the Ambassador.

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

HAPPENINGS Contemporary Japan - 2015

15

HAPPENINGS

Contestants’ eloquence, mastery and delivery impress audience

Japanese embassy organises Speech Contest

T

he Japanese Community in Kuwait in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and Kuwait University organized the Second Japanese Speech Contest that was held at the auditorium of the National Library of Kuwait.

The competition under the patronage of Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Toshihiro Tsujihara aims at encouraging the public to learn the Japanese language by providing them a venue to exercise and test their skills with other Japanese language speakers in Kuwait.

Eight Japanese language speakers competed in the event and delivered their 16

Contemporary Japan - 2015

HAPPENINGS

well-prepared speeches. The audience was impressed with the eloquence, mastery and delivery of the various contestants.

The board of judges rated each contestant based on the content of speech, accuracy, fluency and expression of language as well as answers to the following questions if asked Ambassador Tsujihara awarded the winner in the “Advanced Learners Contest� was a return air ticket from Kuwait to Japan courtesy of Etihad Airways.

their Japanese speaking skills. Present also during the event were Japanese embassy officials that included First Secretary Takashi Kasai and staff as well as some distinguished guests.

The Japanese Speaking Contest was in line with the thrust of the Japanese Embassy in promoting and strengthening the bilateral relations between Kuwait and Japan through cultural exchange.

He congratulated all the participants in the contest and urged them to continue honing

Contemporary Japan - 2015

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HAPPENINGS

Hokkaido food fair held in Kuwait

H

okkaido Food industry Promotion Organization held the first Hokkaido Food Fair in Kuwait to showcase various foods and companies exclusive to Hokkaido at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The fair included chefs cooking traditional Japanese noodle dishes for guests, using Hokkaido based company products, and a myriad of samples to try. Secretary General of the Hokkaido Food Industry Promotion Organization Yasutaka Sagawa hoped the food fair would allow the potential for imports from Hokkaido into Kuwait in the near future.

“Hokkaido has many companies not exporting their goods because many of them are rather small, so they can’t export,

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

but now we are exporting them. We have good food because Hokkaido has four seasons. That makes food delicious.” said Sagawa.

Some of the more unusual products showcased at the food fair included a Hokkaido tomato jelly by Marimoto Co Ltd, and corn or pumpkin pudding cups from Showa Seika Co Ltd. The main desirability towards these products stems from the minimal ingredients and the absence of chemicals and other artificial additives. An exclusive Hokkaido confectionary, Milk Jam, is so called because of its ingredients. The jam, which has the taste and consistency of high quality white chocolate spread, is made up of 90 percent fresh Hokkaido cow’s milk

and sugar.

With only 3 employees creating the Milk Jam, KisyuKinoKuniya Co Ltd is hoping to expand its horizons soon and export to Kuwait. The Japanese island of Hokkaido is determined to create a connection with the Middle East.

With a comprehensive understanding of Middle Eastern culture, meat producers are revving up to comply with halal standards to ship their premium quality Wagyu beef. “We are very proud to export our food abroad.

There is difficulty for us to export food to the Middle East area as we have to make our products without alcohol and without pork.

Today we manage to make the same great taste without these products.” said Sagawa.

HAPPENINGS Contemporary Japan - 2015

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HAPPENINGS

Operation Turtles Japanese Society’s Beach Cleaning Campaign at Shuwaikh Beach The name of this campaign “Operation Turtle” came from wishes that turtles would be able to come back on the beach of Kuwait again to lay eggs.

S

haring Japan’s experience in waste management and marine environment protection is very important and “we will gladly provide assistance in these domains,” said Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Toshihiro Tsujihara on Nov 8.

The Japanese ambassador’s statement to KUNA came on the sidelines of the 14th “Operation Turtles” beach cleaning campaign at Shuwaikh beach. “Protection of marine environment is an important issue for Kuwait as well as Japan. In the 1960s, we (the Japanese) went into a high economic growth that resulted in an industrial waste problem,” said the Japanese ambassador who indicated that his country looked into means to tackle the issue.

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HAPPENINGS

He affirmed that Japan is willing to share its experiences in environment protection and waste management with Kuwait and hopefully through campaigns such as “Operation Turtles” and other initiatives, the marine life and environment of this country will be become better.

Secretary General of Kuwait Environmental Protection Society (KEPS) Wijdan Al-Oqab said that she was glad that the campaign had attracted Kuwaitis and expatriates alike to share a common goal in protecting the environment. She said that goal of the beach cleaning campaign was to spread awareness of protecting the environment and also to provide a safe haven for turtles to breed.

Also speaking on the occasion was Mohammad Al-Enizi, Deputy Director for Technical Affairs at the Environment Public Authority

(EPA), who said that the annual cleaning campaign was a mutual effort by the Japanese Society in Kuwait under the sponsorship of the embassy, KEPS and the EPA to deliver an environment message to the society.

This campaign and other similar ventures have had an impact on legislators who passed a law at the National Assembly concerning the protection of the environment, said Enizi, who also stressed that the laws had been hardened against those inflecting damage on the ecosystem. “Operation Turtles” is an initiative which began in 2000 as a measure to bolster ties between Japan and Kuwait over environment protection. Around 200 people took part in this year’s beach cleaning campaign.

Contemporary Japan - 2015

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HAPPENINGS

Nikon Middle East, Ashraf & Co hold event for photography fans Nikon Middle East, in collaboration with Ashraf & Co Ltd, hosted a photography event for amateurs and professionals in Kuwait. The event took place at Kuwait Holiday Inn-Salmiya, where awardwinning Nikon photographer Bryan Peterson mingled with photographers and Facebook fans. Bryan also gave a talk about his photography and experiences.

Nikon’s Choice: Abdul Rahman Al-Daithan, winning the Nikon D5300

In the lead- up to the event, Nikon held a photo competition on Facebook which was open to all photographers in Kuwait. Bryan was given the difficult task of choosing one of the winners who walked away with the latest Nikon D750 full frame DSLR worth KD 749, awarded by the renowned photographer himself. The Nikon event was free to attend on a first-come, first-served basis, suitable for both professional and amateur photographers. The response was overwhelming.

People’s Choice: Raz Puning Sauradjan, winning the D3300

Bryan taking picture during the photography event

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

HAPPENINGS

Nikon is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its awardwinning consumer and professional photographic equipment.

Nikon Middle East FZE distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NKKOR optics, Speed lights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX digital cameras and Nikon sport optics in over 30 countries.

Winners: Bryan Peterson’s Choice: Anthony Guerrero, winning the Nikon D750 Nikon’s Choice: Abdul Rahman Al-Daithan, winning the Nikon D5300 People’s Choice: Raz Puning Sauradjan, winning the D3300

Bryan Peterson’s Choice: Anthony Guerrero, winning the Nikon D750

Contemporary Japan - 2015

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HAPPENINGS

H

Bahrah Trading Company re-launches Hino Motors

ino Motors Ltd, the largest manufacturer of trucks in Japan and member of Toyota Motor Corporation, was re-launched

by Bahrah Trading Company (BTC), part of Al Sayer Group Holding Companies. Mr Naser Mohamed Al Sayer – Chairman and Mr Mubarak Naser Al Sayer – CEO graced this special occasion with their presence. His Excellency the Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait, Mr Kenichi Sekine - Chief Representative of Hino Middle East Office and Hino Middle East Parts Depot in UAE, Mr Toshiaki Yasuda - Senior General Manager of Hino Motors and Mr Melakandy Hamza – GM of Bahrah Trading Company, were the other dignitaries of the event.

Senior management of Al Sayer Group Holding Companies, key clients and representative from the local press and media houses of Kuwait were also present at the re-launching ceremony.

In the opening speech Mr Mubarak Naser Al-Sayer said, “Al Sayer Group embarked on a long path to wide ranging milestone successes, achievements and goals, and you being with us for this event is a landmark achievement, with BTC an ASG company representing the world famous Hino brand”. Speaking about Hino, he added, “As

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

the largest heavy and medium truck manufacturer in Japan and the world’s third largest manufacturer, Hino has demonstrated a deep-rooted heritage of time-tested record of values, traditions and innovation for more than 72 years.

Hino has maintained a proven record as one of the world market leaders with representation and presence in GCC and Africa since the 1960s, demonstrating perfect performance and most efficiently withstanding harsh climatic operation conditions like the sweltering heat and sand storms In 1942, Hino Motors was founded, and started its history of truck business. Now, Hino is part of Toyota Group and aims to provide the most suitable products to customers under “QDR”. “Q” is for Quality based on Toyota standard, “D” is for Durability and “R” is for Reliability, proved by achievement by finishing the Dakar Rally, the toughest rally in the world, for 23 consecutive years.

Explaining the new partnership with BTC, Mr Yasuda said, “With full of hope, Bahra Trading Company has become our distributor in Kuwait this time. The philosophy of Bahrah Trading Company is to place special emphasis on after-sale service, which exactly meets

HAPPENINGS

our policy too. We are confident that dedicated after-sale service for Hino trucks will be supplied with 3 Ss: sales, services and spare parts

by Bahrah Trading Company. We aim to sell 172,000 units worldwide in 2014. In order to achieve this goal, we have been expanding our business, and I am extremely pleased that we came back in Kuwait”.

Highlighting the quality principles of Hino, Mr Yasuda said the basic philosophy of Hino Motors is “3S total support” to our valued customers. We would like all Hino customers to experience the real values of Hino vehicles, which are represented by “maximized uptime” and “minimized operation cost”.

In order to materialize “3S total support” in the Middle East, Hino established 2 business bases in UAE. One is a Middle East Office in Sharjah with a technical training center, and the other is the newly launched Middle East Parts Depot in Dubai World Central. Basing upon 2 locations in UAE, Hino’s specialists of Service, Spare parts and Sales are extending their full assistance to Bahrah Trading so that they can provide the best support to Hino customers in line with “3S total support” philosophy.

In the concluding speech explaining about HINO operations in Kuwait Mr Hamza said: “A team of technicians have been trained at the Hino facility in Sharjah and sufficient inventory of parts considering the units in operation in Kuwait are already in place at our warehouse. Necessary tooling including special tools and diagnostic equipment and instruments are in place to assist the service operations. While our Ahmadi center is to be the hub of Hino activities, our Rai and Ardiyah facilities are also fully geared up for extending all out assistance to support the service and parts operations. I am confident that Hino in Kuwait poised for a grand success and let me assure our valuable customers once gain of our commitment and total support” Marking the closure of the ceremony, key customers of BTC, including KECC General Trading Company, Zahem Al Malhotra and Al Sayer Car Rental division, were honored as a token of gratitude, commemorating their successful long-term association with BTC.

Contemporary Japan - 2015

25

In 1968, the Fair Housing Act sought to remove discrimination in buying and renting of housing. That legislation was Capital complemented by new policies, such as Kuwait City action, designed to counter the affirmative Geography legacy of discrimination.

The State of Kuwait is found on the north eastern shore oflegal thechanges Arabian seemed Peninsula.

It is The sweeping abrupt bordered by the Arabian Gulf from the east, to some Americans, and U.S. communities Iraq from the northup. andIn west and the KSA struggled to catch a 1963 Newsweek from The area the State of Kuwait poll,the 74south. percent of ofwhites said racial is of 17.818 thousand square kilometers. integration was“moving too fast,”a viewpoint The length of the coastal line along with that seems shocking today when attitudes the islands, reaches approximately 500 are very different. By 2000, a New York Times kilometers. The Gulf of Kuwait is considered pollofreported percent of whites The saidState they one the main93coastal attractions. would vote for a qualified black presidential of Kuwait includes nine islands, which are: candidate.

More than 60 percent approved Bubyan, Failaka, Miskan, Kubbar, Qaruh, of interracial marriage.

And 80 percent said Um Al Maradim, Um Al Naml, and Auhah they did not care whether their neighbors Island. were white or black.

Administrative Distribution

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King’s dream of racial equality and fight for justice transcended U.S. borders. He traveled the world proclaiming his vision with rainfall. Sandstorms often of theoccasional “beloved community” and defining occur during the summer months. racism as a worldwide evil. He was awarded Demographics the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

The population up until 30/June/2007 reached approximately 3,328,136.

1,038,598 In his 1967 book, Where Do We Go From of whom are Kuwaiti nationals and rest Here: Chaos or Community?, King the stated expatriates and foreigners. that, “Among the moral imperatives of our Religion time, weand are Language challenged to work all over The official religion of the State is Islam, with the world with unshakable determination believers of other religions having their .… full to wipe out the last vestiges of racism rights to practice their religion, provided that Racism is no mere American phenomenon. they do notgrasp disrespect harm Islam; the Its vicious knowsorno geographical official language is the Arabic. boundaries.”

Flag The raised for thea first time EvenKuwaiti on theFlag day was of his “I Have Dream” following the independence of Kuwait on 24 speech, when he was addressing Americans November 1961. It includes a rectangle which in particular, King was conscious of the is divided into three equal and horizontal worldwide impact of the march and its sections, the first of which being green, message. “As television beamed the image followed by the white and then red colors. of this gathering across The flagextraordinary holds a trapezium of black color.the The borders and oceans, ” he said, “everyone who colors were inspired from the following verse believed man’s capacity to better himself of Arabic in poetry: had a moment of inspiration and confidence in the future the humanBlack race.”are our wars White are ourofactions Green are our fields Red is our past The universal significance of the events of August 28, 1963, was underscored by

Height. “Wherever I have been in the world these last 40 years, it’s incredible to me how much people know about the Civil Rights Coat of Arms Kuwait Movement andofDr. King — often in very The Coat of Arms of the shield ofus the specific detail. Theconsists world was watching flag design in color superimposed on a falcon on that day,” she says. “The march touched with wings The falcon supports a the world as displayed. well as America. ” disk containing a sailing ship (dhow) with the full name of the State written (in Arabic) at the top of the disk.

facts and figures About Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is distributed into six The dream King expressed at the March on governorates, which are the Capital, Hawally, part ofMubarak the U.S. Al political AlWashington Farwaniya, isAlnow Ahmadi, Kabir mainstream. and Al Jahra. His birthday is a national holiday on which Americans honor his ideas and his Climate memory.

Hisislegacy commemorated Since Kuwait locatedis in a desert region,with the a memorial in the nation’s capital, near climate is continental distinguished bythose long dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, hot dry summers and warm short Thomas winters Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

National Anthem The National Anthem was first recited on 25 February 1978 and it is still recited today. The idea of having a national anthem was that of the ministerial cabinet, that was headed by the late Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, when he was a crown prince and prime minister during the reign of the late Sheikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait at the time.

Currency The currency in the State of Kuwait is the Kuwaiti Dinar.

Local Time +3 hours from GMT. Telephone Code +965

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America - Kuwait (2014)

81

Isamu Akasaki

Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan Nagoya University, Japan

Hiroshi Amano

Nagoya University, Japan

Shuji Nakamura

University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Joint Invention of Three Japanese-Born Researchers, Wins Physics Nobel 28

Contemporary Japan - 2015

Tonight, when you look up at one of the city’s electronic billboards as you head towards your nearest train station, gaze out at Tokyo’s seemingly endless skyline, or squint your eyes at the screen of the computer or smartphone on which you might be reading these words, you are also looking on the results of the research and development that led to this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics: the invention of the blue LED. Isamu Akasaki, 85, professor at Meijo University in Nagoya, Hiroshi Amano, 54, professor at Nagoya University, and Shuji Nakamura, 60, professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, are splitting the 2014 Physics Nobel Prize “for the invention of efficient blue lightemitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources,” in the words of the Nobel Prize committee.

In addition to the way the invention has revolutionized the way homes and

communities are illuminated around the world, blue LEDs are used for applications such as water purification, data storage, and high-speed computer networking.

The story behind the invention spans three decades, and involves considerable work done in the field of chemistry as well as physics. Although the first red LED was created in 1962, LED-generated white light would be impossible without adding green and blue light. Green light LEDs were developed in the years to come, and the price for red LEDs dropped had dropped significantly by the 1970s. However, creating an LED that would generate shortwavelength blue light proved to be a much more difficult challenge. As the Nobel announcement put it, “They succeeded where everyone else had failed.”

This success was not a singlehanded achievement, though. As explained in a New York Times article on the prize

Contemporary Japan - 2015

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announcement, Akasaki had begun research on growing crystals of gallium nitride, a semiconducting material that was crucial for the creation of blue LEDs, in the late 1960s. It was finally his graduate student Amano who, in 1986, was able to successfully grow high-quality crystals on a layer of sapphire. Finally, it was Nakamura, working at Nichia Corporation in Tokushima Prefecture, who improved upon Amano’s method, eventually developing a practical design for blue LEDs in 1993.

It did not take long for the technology 30

Contemporary Japan - 2015

to quickly make its way into everyday life, and as manufacturers have continued to refine the invention, prices for LED lights have dropped at the same time that the lights’ illuminating power has increased.

Currently, LEDs can produce light at a quarter of the cost of a fluorescent bulb and one-twentieth of the cost of an incandescent, while lasting 10 times (fluorescent) or 100 times (incandescent) as long. LEDs’ cost-effectiveness have since made them a viable possibility for being used in solar power applications in poorer parts of the world that lack electricity infrastructure.

An interesting aspect of the Nobel Committee’s decision is that, this year, the general public will have no problem understanding just what the prize is being awarded for. This can be rare for the Physics Prize: past awards went to research in “Giant Magnetoresistance” (2007), “the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of the strong interaction” (2004), and the “discovery of superfluidity in

helium-3” (1996). The announcement may also serve as something of a boost of confidence to science in Japan: although the STAP cell scandal that broke this year involved a different scientific discipline, it had cast a pall over the nation’s reputation for scientific achievement.

Nonetheless, the announcement is not without its bad blood: Rick Holonyak, the inventor of the red LED, was disappointed that US scientists could not be recognized among the group of awardees. And, despite the huge industry that LED illumination has become, Nichia only awarded Nakamura a ¥20,000 ($200) bonus for his discovery at the time. After moving to the US, where he is now a naturalized citizen, Nakamura sued his former employer, eventually winning approximately $8 million. He can add onethird of the $1.1 million prize that will be granted to the awardees this December to that, along with the satisfaction of being part of the illuminated landscape of the 21st century.

HTR-AS P01

Head Office:

HTR-200

Shuwaikh Ind. Area, Canada Dry St. - Bahman Bldg. No. 1 Mezzanine Floor - Tel: 24925885 - Fax: 24928852

HTR-SP-HP

HTR-ZIII

Tire Showroom & Service Center:

Shuwaikh Ind. Area, Canada Dry St. - Bahman Bldg. No. 1 Ground Floor - Shop No. (4/5)- Tel: 24812386

PROFILE

ASM Shipping: At your Service For more than 50 years Abdul Samad Marafie Sons General Trading & Shipping Company, otherwise known as ASM Shipping, has been one of the leading shipping and freight forwarding companies in Kuwait. We are shipping agents in Kuwait for Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd for the past 50 years.

We provide door to door services. A list of our main activities includes: • • • • • • • • • •

Sea Freight Air Freight Inland Haulage Consolidations FCL and LCL Containers Warehousing Customs Declaration and Clearance Marine and Ships Services Shipping Agency activities Chartering

In all these areas we are well known for the excellence of the services we provide and indeed we are committed to anticipating the needs of our clients. To do so, we continuously train and develop our personnel, who include the most professional men and women in the business of transportation.

Our goal is to keep abreast of the latest developments in our industry so that we can both sustain and improve the quality of the services and procedures we offer our customers.

ASM Shipping has excellent relationships with shipping lines and customs authorities and we are one of the best known companies in the field of logistics. Our well-tested net of correspondents enables us to operate on a worldwide basis as a shipping company.

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

We organize shipping and discharging, including the issue of the documents required for transit, forwarding and customs clearance. Our ability to do so is firmly founded on our organization strengths, which include our: • • • • • • • • • •

Existing multi-liner and principal representatives Professional sales staff Professional bilingual office staff Good market coverage across the world Local know-how Excellent relations with sea-port authorities Financial transparency Well established accounting systems Highly experienced operational personnel Well developed communications

It is these strengths that enable us to carry our policy of offering our principals and customers top-quality services in a timely and efficient manner that assists them in improving their foreign trade operations through the provision of shipping facilities and services that ensure the reliable transport of cargoes to and from all the parts of the world.

In our business, superior communications are the keys to success. They allow us to provide rates, sales leads, pre-alerts and advices and to trace goods quickly and confidently.

For this reason our customs brokerage, administration and accounting procedures are fully computerized.

Assuring you of the most professional service at all times.

Developing Kuwait with Japanese Products

Khalid E. Al-Raqum Managing Director Khalid E. Al-Raqum General Trading & Contracting Est.

ESCO Trading Est. and Khalid E Al-Raqum General Trading &

It works closely with major oil and gas operators and contractors

Contracting Est offer state-of-the-art Japanese products that are

worldwide to provide the end users with unique solutions that

durable and reliable.

meet or exceed their specifications and requirements.

ESCO Trading Est.

ESCO enjoys the support of a wide range of established companies

ESCO Trading Est. is an independent organization specialized in offering a complete range of instrumentation equipments and services for power, petrochemical, oil and gas and small-scale industries. The company is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company established in 1996. It is one of the leading suppliers and service providers of industrial engineering items and building automation.

The Kuwait-based company is engaged in the supply of instrumentation and control systems with a track record as a major

and customer networks. The company has been constantly committing resources and engineering efforts to sell a complete line of high quality products that best suits a wide variety of possible engineering applications. The company will be expanding its areas of operations, developing new business with technical experts and strengthening the capabilities for alliances with new manufactures and suppliers.

Khalid E Al-Raqum General Trading & Contracting Est

supplier of products and services to regional and international oil and

Khalid E Al-Raqum General Trading & Contracting Est an ISO

gas companies. It assists customers from concept to commissioning

9001:2000 certified company established in Kuwait in 1984. Its

for control and instrumentation applications for a variety of

business is mainly concerned with supply of oilfield and engineering

industries and utilities including petroleum and petrochemical,

products. The company has gained a strong reputation of delivering

cement, water management systems, sewage treatment plants and

exceptional quality products to clients in different areas such as oil

SCADA systems for substations and process plants, etc.

and gas, petrochemical and power generation.

ESCO offers standard products as well as customized systems to

The company is engaged in trading and contracting related to

meet specific requirements. The manpower at ESCO Trading Est

mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and telecommunication

comprise of highly qualified, extensively trained and experienced

engineering disciplines. From the inception, it has been providing

engineers. The team of committed and dedicated engineers ensures

on time competitive bids, technical and corporate offers, on time

a high standard of performance.

supply and excellent local support to all government and private

The company is in the process of starting a state-of-art servicing and calibration workshop facility for calibration testing of instruments.

34

Hamad K. Al-Raqum General Manager Esco Trading Est.

Contemporary Japan - 2015

sector companies.

“Supplying Genuine Products from Reputed Manufacturers”....

An ISO 9001:2000 Company engaged in supply of mechanical electrical, instrument items related to Oil Gas, Petrochemical & Power Sector

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ESCO TRADING EST.

ISO 9001 : 2000 Certified Company What we do:

Engineering Supply & Services Contracting Project Procurement Consultancy

Instrumentation Items:

Control Valves & Auxiliary Equipments Field Instruments (PT, DTP, TT, LT) Controllers, Converters, Indicators.

Smart Valve Positioner (HART & DE) Flow meters Level Gauges, Pressure Gauges Level Switches, Pressure S/w Air Preparation Equipments Pneumatic Instrumentation

Mechanical Items:

Pipes & Tubes (SS, CS, Alloy - SMLS & WELDED) Metal Sheets (SS, CS, Alloy) Fittings (Forges, SMLS, Welded) Flanges Orifice Plates Stud Bolts & Gaskets Valves (Gate, Globe, Check, Ball & Needles) Process Filters, Strainers Industrial Heaters, Heat Exchangers & Tubes

We are Contactable @ Alraqum Building Tunis Street, Hawally, Kuwait Tel.: +965 22643710 Fax: +965 22643709 E-mail: info@escokuwait.com

Japan’s First Legoland Theme Park to Open in Nagoya Adding on to the upcoming Moomin Park in 2016, theme park enthusiasts now have another attraction to look forward to as Legoland announces its 2017 theme park debut in Nagoya

T

he new launch will add to the

billion to put together and employ close

Investment Firm KIRKBI, the new attraction is

Denmark-based

six

to 1,000 people. Although the Legoland

anticipated to open in the second quarter of

attractions worldwide, located in

Discovery Center in Japan already hosts

2017. There will also be a Legoland opening

attractions including a Lego ride, 4D cinema,

in Dubai in 2016.

England,

Germany,

company’s

Denmark, Malaysia,

and the US (California and Florida).

Considering that Japan’s theme park market

located indoors.

Promising full replicas of Tokyo Tower, Sky Tree, Sensoji Temple, and even a Famima

is an estimated ¥7 billion—the largest in

The new theme park, however, will be in an

konbini at Legoland Tokyo, we’re looking

Asia and the second largest in the world—

open, outdoor space on the same scale as

forward to what other Japanese touches

and taking to account the success of

the recently opened Florida location, with

Legoland Nagoya will have in store!

the Legoland Tokyo store in Odaiba, Lego

150 acres of restaurants, shows, 50 rides, and

is keen to begin building in the Land of the

shopping facilities.

Rising Sun. Legoland Nagoya will cost an estimated ¥32 38

and other interactive activities, the Center is

Contemporary Japan - 2015

In collaboration with Lego brand’s parent company,

Merlin

Entertainment,

and

–Sami Kawahara

Ashish Tandon, GM KAICO

Al Shaya & Al Sagar Unveils

Special 25th Anniversary Limited Edition

Mazda MX-5 Kuwait Automotive Imports Co. WLL (Al Shaya & Al Sagar), exclusive distributor of Mazda cars in Kuwait, celebrated the unveiling of the Special 25th Anniversary Edition Mazda MX-5 recently.

40

Contemporary Japan - 2015

Mr Ashish Tandon (General Manager KAICO) emphasized that this anniversary model was created to express Mazda`s sincere gratitude to the millions of MX-5 enthusiasts around the world, and as such Mazda spared no effort in creating the very best MX-5 yet. Mr Mohamed Osman (Mazda Brand Manager) urged all sports car enthusiasts to visit Mazda showroom and experience first-hand Mazda’s exciting sports model.

CELEBRATING SPORTS DRIVING Mazda. The name alone evokes exhilaration and driving pleasure. The enthusiasm surrounding the MX-5 since its debut in 1989 has been nothing short of phenomenal. Since day one, this vehicle has been a true driver’s car with its “jinba ittai” spirit of oneness of car and driver. This highly-celebrated model has received over 200 awards from around the globe including Japan Car of the Year 2005-2006 and is in the Guinness Book of Records as The best selling two-seater sports car with nearly 1 million MX-5s sold to date. The 25-year history of the MX-5 Miata showcases the absolute pursuit of a unique driving feel in which the car and driver become one, and also is a chronicle of how far Mazda has grown to establish its own unique style of driving exhilaration.

Under the bonnet there is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, which produces 188Nm for the six-speed automatic transmission. A meticulous attention has been paid to the weight and balance of the engine’s moving parts, including the pistons, connecting rods and flywheel which have been lightened to make the engine rev more freely.

UTILITY / COMFORT/ EQUIPMENT Outfitted only in a Soul Red Metallic premium coat, the depth of this deep red symbolizes the multi-faceted nature of the fiery fiend within. Creating a striking contrast are the Brilliant Black A-pillars, windshield surround, outside mirrors and MX-5-signature Power-

Retractable Hard Top (PRHT). Other ebony-inspired exterior elements include black front combination lamp bezels and 17-inch Dark Gunmetal 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, which are wrapped in grippy Bridgestone® Potenza RE05A 205/45R17-84W tires.

The interior opens up brightly as a luxury lounge with its standard Almond leather seats and door trim. A liquid metal-like satin chrome finish is used on the louver rings, gauge cluster meter rings and inner door handles.

Immediately a more soothing atmosphere compared to its ready-to-rumble exterior disposition, looks are almost always deceiving as detailed hints abound to MX5’s rascal nature. Brilliant Black is expressed in the form the seatback garnish with Piano Black commanding the steering wheel spokes. Genuine black leather wraps the steering wheel, parking brake lever and armrests.

To continue the exterior’s contrast-color theme, distinctive red stitching is used throughout on all premium touch points. Another minute but hardly minor detail is the instrument panel. This panel features a red base paint but is delicately hand-painted a Piano Black gradation, meaning no two vehicles will feature the exact same texture. Also, only the anniversary edition will be equipped with aluminum alloy pedals.

But no limited-edition anniversary model is complete without the proper badging. The 25th Anniversary logo is pronouncedly etched into the leather headrests as well as on the stainless steel door scuff plates. On the exterior, a single 25th Anniversary badge is mounted onto the driver’s side front fender and features an identifying serial number. As the soul of the sports car continues to be reinvented, this MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary Edition is only the beginning of another 25 years and beyond of daily driving, weekend racing and all the excuses in between to get behind the wheel.

Contemporary Japan - 2015

41

THE ALL-NEW NISSAN X-TRAIL. THE ONE TO FOLLOW. Of course they will follow an exhilarating exterior design with dynamic LED lights.

www.nissankuwait.com

#theonetofollow

Japanese Cars Thriving in Gulf The Japanese automotive industry is one of the most prominent in the world.

46

Contemporary Japan - 2015

J

apan is currently the world’s third largest automobile

Japanese carmakers have faced a string of tough challenges over

manufacturer in the world with an annual production of 9.9

the past few years: Starting with the 2008 financial crisis, followed by

million vehicles in 2012. Six out of ten of the world’s largest

the yen strengthening to a record high against the dollar – a move

automobile manufacturers have their bases in the island nation.

that undermines the price competitiveness of vehicles built in Japan and is threatening companies to move production overseas.

Brands like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Mazda are synonymous with safety and quality. Likewise, Yamaha and

A massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan and severe floods in

Kawasaki remain the bywords of durability and endurance. The

Thailand disrupted the parts supply chain and led to months of

‘green’ car industry is also ruled by Japanese carmakers Toyota

production stoppages and constrained the supply of vehicles

(which includes the highly acclaimed Prius) and Honda (includes the

followed by recalls of millions of vehicles due to safety glitches.

Civic and Insight hybrids). Nissan is also aggressively pursuing a plan

In spite of these setbacks, Japan’s auto industry is starting to see

to push green car sales.

potential big improvements in its business environment.

Contemporary Japan - 2015

47

Reliable Brands Japanese brands - traditionally regarded as more reliable than

for Nissan Middle East for its Nissan Patrol flagship vehicle. More

their European and US counterparts - are the country’s number

than 14,000 Nissan Patrols were sold in the Middle East in 2012

one bestsellers. Car giant Toyota announced a strong growth of 31

representing a 66 per cent increase in sales and giving Nissan Patrol

percent in sales across the Middle East in 2012.The Japanese auto

a record market share of 22 per cent in the Gulf market. The Nissan

giant delivered 660,285 vehicles, making 2012 a record year in the

Patrol is Nissan’s flagship SUV model and enjoys a rich heritage and

region for the Toyota and Lexus brands. Globally, sales of Toyota

passionate following in the Middle East that dates back to the 1950s.

and Lexus cars totalled 8.72 million units, an increase of 23 per cent

The iconic vehicle notched another historic milestone by setting a

compared to 2011. Across the GCC region alone, Toyota sold 624,400

Guinness World Record – ‘heaviest object pulled by any production

vehicles in 2012.

vehicle’.

An unmodified production of Nissan Patrol hauled a

170.9-tonne cargo plane, inclusive of the weight of the plane, cargo Similarly, 2012 was acknowledged as the best year ever for sales

48

Contemporary Japan - 2015

and fuel, for over 50 meters at the Sharjah International Airport.

TOYOTA Racing

Ends 2014 on Victorious Note

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

Historic moment in sportscar racing history- First time a Japanese manufacturer has won the World Endurance Championship TOYOTA Racing is the 2014 drivers’ and

But the focus was on the team result,

has been extensively developed, reducing

manufacturers’ World Champion after a

with TOYOTA ending a 15-year wait for

weight and increasing power, leading to the

successful conclusion to the FIA World

a title, following the 1999 World Rally

four-wheel-drive TS040 HYBRID which has

Endurance Championship season in the Six

Championship triumph. The result marks

simultaneously reduced fuel consumption

Hours of Sao Paulo, at Interlagos in Brazil

a historic moment in sportscar racing

by 25% compared to 2013. In the new

held recently. The eighth and final race of

history as it is the first time a Japanese

efficiency-focused

the season was a thrilling one, with the #8

manufacturer has won the World Endurance

TOYOTA technology has triumphed, with the

TS040 HYBRID of World Champions Anthony

Championship in any of its guises since its

TS040 HYBRID winning five of its eight races

Davidson and Sébastien Buemi finishing

inception in 1953.

and taking four pole positions, 12 podium

second after a late safety car halted a

LMP1

regulations,

finishes and four fastest laps.

potentially-successful battle for victory.The

It also marks a significant milestone for

#7 of Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike

the TOYOTA HYBRID System – Racing. The

On this occasion, Akio Toyoda, President,

Conway were handed a harsh drive-through

project to pioneer a motorsport hybrid

TOYOTA Motor Corporation said: “After only

penalty which meant they finished fourth.

system began in 2006 and in July 2007

three years in the FIA World Endurance

That also dropped Alex and Stéphane to

a TOYOTA Supra became the first-ever

Championship, I’m overjoyed that TOYOTA

fifth in the drivers’ championship.

hybrid winner, in the Tokachi 24 Hours. That

Racing was able to win both the drivers’ and

pioneering super capacitor technology

manufacturers’ World Championships Contemporary Japan - 2015

51

this season with the TS040 HYBRID. I must

a true reflection of all the hard work, research

considering the power loss we suffer at this

express my sincere gratitude to our fans

and innovation that has gone into making a

altitude. Happily our hybrid system worked

for their encouragement and our partners

versatile and powerful hybrid sportscar with

well which helped particularly with traffic

for their support. I would also like to say

the TS040 HYBRID. This victory is a great

management. Everyone pushed to the limit

congratulations and thank you to all the

validation of Toyota’s hybrid technology and

to find the final tenth of a second. To win

drivers and racing team staff who worked so

gives us a strong foundation to apply the

both World Championships is one of our

hard and closely together throughout the

learnings from the season to improve and

biggest achievements in motorsport. Thank

season. TOYOTA will use these experiences

refine our hybrid car lineup to satisfy our

you to everyone who has supported us and

in the FIA World Endurance Championship

customers. Our thanks also go to our fans

worked with us to achieve this incredible

to help revolutionize hybrid technology and

who have supported us every step of the

result. Our team and drivers have been

to help make ever-better cars that delight

way during this victorious season. Toyota

superb this season; everyone has played

people around the world.”

will continue to work to promote activities

their part, including Kazuki Nakajima and

for consumers to see, learn about and

Nicolas Lapierre who were not with us here

According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief

experience motorsports, thereby bringing

in Sao Paulo. We have been fighting against

Representative, Middle East and North

the joy of cars to an even wider audience

strong competitors who have an incredible

Africa Representative Office, TOYOTA Motor

and contributing to car culture.”

history in endurance racing. This makes our

Corporation, “I would like to congratulate

52

achievement even more valuable to us. We

the entire team for this fantastic victory

On this occasion, Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team

will enjoy this moment but immediately we

and helping Toyota to be crowned the

President said: “This race was truly one of

will be working hard to retain our titles in

2014 drivers’ and manufacturers’ World

the most exciting I have been involved with.

2015.”

Champion. This magnificent achievement is

I am very proud of the result, especially

Contemporary Japan - 2015

JAPANESE

VEGETARIAN

Method Step1 Combine soup mix, soy sauce and 3 cups cold water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, beans, mushroom and ginger. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Step 2 Add bamboo shoots and spinach. Cook for 1 minute or until spinach has just wilted. Pour egg over mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until egg has just set. Top with beansprouts. Serve with rice.

Note We used sushi rice. You could also use jasmine or short-grain white rice.

54

Contemporary Japan - 2015

HOTPOT

Ingredients 4 x 18g sachets instant miso and wakame soup mix (we used Hikari brand) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks 100g green beans, trimmed, halved 100g shiitake mushrooms, quartered 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks 1/2 x 227g can sliced bamboo shoots, drained, rinsed 1 bunch English spinach, chopped 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup beansprouts, trimmed steamed SunRice White Medium Grain Rice, to serve

GRILLED

MISO FISH WITH SNOW PEA SALAD

Method Step 1

Place soy and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add miso and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat, transfer to a shallow bowl and cool completely.

Step 2

When cool, add the fish and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 3

Heat a grill to high. Line a wire rack with foil. Place fish on the rack, discarding marinade, and grill for 5 minutes or until golden and caramelised (cooking the fish on the rack like this brings it closer to the grill and allows heat to circulate – only turn it if it starts to burn.)

Step 4

Meanwhile, toss the salad ingredients together in a bowl, then season. Divide salad and noodles among plates or bowls, then serve topped with fish.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1/3 cup (75g) red or white miso paste 600g skinless firm white fish fillets (such as ling or kingfish), cut into 3cm-wide strips Dried or fresh udon noodles, cooked according to packet instructions, to serve

Snow pea salad 200g snow peas, thinly sliced on an angle 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved, seeds removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

‫نـــــــــــــي‬ ‫مطــــعــــــــــم‬ ‫بــــا‬ ‫يـا‬

KUWAIT CITY, GIBLA, MASHOURA TOWER, BESIDE HSBC TOWER Delivery Service: 22461882 - 22461884 www.6alabat.com

koji kuwait

@koji kuwait

@koji_kuwait

Ebi Furai

Deep-fried Prawns

Directions

Ingredients

1 Shell the prawns and de-vein but don’t remove the tail. (Remove the back vein using the point of a knife.) Cut off the edge of the tail and remove the moisture from the tail by pressing down and drawing the back of a knife across the tail.

8 prawns with head still attached

2 Make a few slashes on the underside of the prawn and straighten out the body. Pat dry and season with salt.

Vegetable oil for deep-frying Lettuce

3 Sprinkle salt over the chopped onion. Wrap the onion in cloth (a bleached cotton dishtowel or paper towels) and gently squeeze to remove some of the juice. Put it in water, gently squeeze again, rinse and then squeeze out the excess moisture.

4 cherry tomatoes

4 Put the onion in a bowl with the roughly chopped boiled egg, chopped pickles, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mix.

Coating: flour

5 Dust the prawns with flour and, holding the head and the tail, dip in the beaten egg, and then coat with breadcrumbs. Apply minimal pressure to coat the prawn.

6 Heat the oil to 170 degrees. First, holding the tail, dip the head in the oil for about 20 seconds until it looks crispy because this part needs a longer time to cook. Then, deep-fry the entire prawn until golden on the outside and cooked through. Drain off any excess oil.

1 lemon

beaten egg (1 or 2 eggs) bread crumbs Sauce: 80 g chopped onion 1 or 2 roughly chopped boiled egg 20 g chopped pickles

7 Serve with vegetables and sauce. They also taste good with cabbage.

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Tips

salt and pepper

The oil level should be to only half the pan height. To test the temperature of the oil, drop in a few pieces of breadcrumbs and, if they quickly rise to the surface, the temperature is OK. Don’t put too many prawns in the pan at one time to keep the temperature even.

(Less than half a panful is recommended.)

58

Salt to taste

Contemporary Japan - 2015

Japanese

Liquid Measures: 1 cup = 200ml = 6.76 fl oz 1 tablespoon = 15ml = 0.5 fl oz 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl oz

Delicious and fun!

Come experience

Depachika A wonderland of food commonly known as “Depachika” spreads out before your eyes on the basement floor of department stores in Japan. Depachika is where you can discover Japanese people’s preference in food. An exchange student studying in Japan shared his experience with us, and discovered what kind of place it is.

What kind of place is “Depachika”?

It was in 1930 when department stores in Japan started selling food on the basement floor, which was a place to sell ceremonial and seasonal gift items at that time. It then became a casual and stylish place that brought a little bit of luxury into daily life and it came to be called “Depachika” in 2000. Nowadays, all department stores pursue fashion in food as fast as they can, offering a variety of appealing shops including delicatessens that also serve first-class hotels and popular restaurants, confectioner’s shops selling items perfect for a souvenir, and a fresh food section with a beautiful display of high quality food.

Park’s Depachika Report!

Park Sang jin, who came to Japan from Korea as an exchange student this spring, visited “ISETAN Shinjuku store.” Seeing a diverse array of delicatessen style items and treats and the sophisticated display, he says, 60

Contemporary Japan - 2015

“One of the biggest appeal of Depachika is that you can enjoy just looking.” He checked out a shop he was interested in straightaway. *The items introduced here are from the point we visited (October 2014) and may change hereafter.

We first visited the section of delicatessen style items and bento or prepared meals.

The section carries a wide variety of international cuisine including Japanese, Western, and Chinese food from appetizers to salads and main dishes. Their beautiful presentation is worth seeing, but the food is also seasoned so it is still delicious when it gets cold. If you want to taste Japanese home cooking meals, check out “Matsuoka” where Japanese delicatessen style items are sold by weight starting from about 350 yen for 100g. The food is placed into a package that is easy to carry, so you can take it back to your hotel, too.

“Jiyugaoka AEN” sells Japanese bento

or prepared meals in a box and delicatessen style items that use seasonal food ingredients.

The bento box woven with bamboo carries a Japanese atmosphere and is popular among visitors from overseas.

Sweets are popular, too. The shops carry a wide variety of Japanese confectionery from traditional ones to modern ones. “Suzukake” provides traditional Japanese confectionery in the modern style in easy-to-eat sizes. “Ameya Eitaro,” a shop specializing in candies opened by a Japanese confectionery shop with 150 years of history, is also unique. Park seems to

“Suzukake” provides traditional Japanese confectionery in the modern style in easy-to-eat sizes like the candies imitating cosmetics, which evolved from traditional candies, saying, “These will make a great souvenir when I go home to my country.”

Sweets beautifully decorated and wrapped also caught our eyes. Park was surprised to see the cake from “L’OLIOLI365

by Anniversary” that has a princess in a dress as a motif. “I have rarely seen such a delicate cake,” he says. “CAFE OHZAN” also sells cute sweets like a fairy tale in a beautiful package.

Park is interested in the distribution industry in Japan and commented on the fresh food area, “It is amazing that all the items Contemporary Japan - 2015

61

The stores also provide good service, one of the strengths of department stores. Coin lockers where you can leave your luggage and floor guides in different languages are available. In addition, the ISETAN Shinjuku store has a Tax-free counter in Depachika where you can go through the duty-free procedure as soon as you purchase items. Come and visit Depachika and experience food in Japan in a relaxed manner as if you are taking a walk around a market.

displayed here seem fresh.” In the fruit section, strictly selected fruit from all over Japan including apples from Aomori Prefecture and grapes from Okayama Prefecture are displayed.

“Matsuzakagyu Senmon Azabu Nisshin” in the meat corner sells “Matsuzaka beef,” brand beef of Japan. Fatty beef is popular overseas as well. Fresh fish are displayed in the seafood corner, and we hear that many visitors from overseas ask how to cook fish at the cooking demonstration corner.

If the weather is fine, you can eat what you bought at Depachika on the roof of the department store. Park seems to be satisfied with Japanese bento saying, “Delicatessen style items are also sold in Korea, but beautiful bento like the ones in Japan cannot be found yet. Japanese bento are delicious with lots of side dishes and a beautiful presentation.”

Depachika is also filled with items perfect for souvenirs. One of the popular items for souvenir is a pack of dried bonito shavings and dried kelp used for easily making “dashi”

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Contemporary Japan - 2015

or soup stock (270 yen).

For green tea flavored sweets, a standard souvenir from Japan, we recommend “Kyarameru Sando Kukki Kurumi Maccha” or Caramel Sandwich Cookie with Walnuts and Green Tea (2,484 yen for 10 pieces).

“Omedetai” (540 yen for 2 pieces), soup in sea bream-shaped wafers, and Mt. Fujishaped “Fujisan Crunch Chocolate” (1,050 yen for 12 pieces) are popular because of their design unique to Japan.

Edible Diamonds

By Rieko Suzuki

JAPANESE FRUIT BELOVED AROUND THE WORLD A simple piece of fruit may not technically count as Japanese cuisine in the same way as tempura or sukiyaki, but there’s no question that Japanese fruit possesses a level of quality all its own. “There has definitely been an increase in the number of customers from other countries buying fruit at our store,” says Ushio Oshima of SembikiyaSohonten, Ltd., a leading and long-established seller of high-grade Japanese fruit. “The number of customers from Asian countries is especially large.”

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A wide variety of fruit comes into

Fruit was once a high-class item in Japan

season over the course of Japan’s four

as well, and aside from mandarin oranges

varied seasons each year. Many of these

and Japanese persimmons, which had long

fruits, like apples, grapes, strawberries and

been common food, the majority of it was

“In an environment where you can grow

melons, are common in other countries

restricted to the wealthy few who could

large quantities of fruit on huge expanses

as well – but when it comes to flavor and

afford to eat it. Average people only started

of land, it’s generally best to sell a lot of

aroma, customers say Japanese fruit is on a

eating the more high-end fruit on a day-to-

produce at low prices, and in such a situation

completely different level. “When you try to

day basis after World War II, and even then

people probably won’t have very high

produce a sweeter fruit, you have to thin out

many fruits remained on the semi–luxury

expectations with regard to flavor or aroma.

more of the crop to raise the sugar content,

level for some time. The Japanese cultural

If you’re growing fruit on a limited amount

which means there will be less fruit on the

tradition of giving fruit as a gift is largely

of land as is the case in Japan, however,

market,” Oshima explains. “If you do that, the

a result of these historical circumstances.

your harvest will naturally be limited. But

price will naturally rise.”

“Since they’re gifts, they have to taste good,”

because you have less space, you can also

Oshima explains. “This is how Japanese

take more care to improve quality. Selling

Contemporary Japan - 2015

people see it, and that may have ended up boosting the Japanese standard for fruit.”

high-quality, high-value produce, grown over time and with great effort even in small quantities, was the only way for Japanese farmers to increase their profits. Of course, Japanese people’s natural tendency to pursue tasks with diligence – along with the rather refined tastes of the average Japanese person – are also reasons

why

Japanese

fruit has become so delicious.”

Japan’s

fruits

have even been called ‘edible diamonds’ by buyers

from

abroad.

Indeed, it may be precisely because

fruit

is

available

everywhere that the luxurious flavors achieved through careful application of Japanese techniques has led the nation’s fruit to be loved all over the world.

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An Elevator to Space in the Works by Japanese Company, Aimed for 2050 Launch Ever feel like escaping far, far away for a bit? Like, out-of-this-planet far away?

C

onsidering Virgin Galactic’s flight to space set to launch this year, and the newly updated plans to build an elevator leading to Earth’s outer atmosphere

by Japanese company, Obayashi, looks like there will be plenty of options to fulfill this “dream” location on your destination to-do list.

And imagine not having to launch into space on a rocket, uncomfortable with 4.5 million pounds of rocket fuel beneath you going at speeds of 18,000 mph (28,968 kilometers per hour). Even better. Obayashi, the construction company that built Tokyo Skytree and Kyoto Station, is working to deliver a more leisurely, seven-day trip in a robotic car that holds 30 people and goes up an elevator 96,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) into outer space, landing at a space station with residential facilities and more.

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the car would be powered by magnetic linear motors, transporting both humans and cargo at a much lower cost than a shuttle launched from Earth. It costs an estimated $22,000 (2.4 million JPY ) per 1 kilogram of cargo to be transported by shuttle, as opposed to an estimated $200 (22,000 JPY ) with the elevator.

With the new development of carbon nanotechnology, or thin carbon molecules that exhibit extraordinary strength and electrical properties, the “elevator idea” that was first suggested in the 19th century can now be turned into reality. Although, time will be needed to further develop and research the logistics.

“The tensile strength is almost a hundred

times stronger than steel cable so it’s possible,” Mr. Yoji Ishikawa of Obayashi tells ABC. “Right now we can’t make the cable long enough. We can only make 3-centimeter-long nanotubes but we need much more… we think by 2030 we’ll be able to do it.”

Smaller rockets could also be launched inside the elevator and sent to space at a much lower cost since less fuel would be required to break Earth’s gravitational pull.

Universities around Japan and international corporations are researching and working towards developing the newest trend of space tourism.

Washoku (Japanese cuisine)

saving mankind

“The Washoku centered diet has prolonged the average life expectancy of Japanese people. To put it boldly, Washoku is a healthy food that saves mankind.”

Washoku has been drawing attention all over the world for being healthy and delicious. However, the reason why it is healthy and delicious is not well known. Dr. Takeo Koizumi, an honorary professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and a leading expert in zymology, has a great knowledge of Washoku and told us three keywords, “vegetables, dashi (fish stock)/ umami (flavor), and fermentation”.

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Dr. Takeo Koizumi

A vegetable diet making your body healthy from inside and the power of soy beans.

Autumn vegetables and mushrooms What Dr. Koizumi focuses on is the fact that “the basic ingredients of Washoku are vegetables”. Washoku uses fish and meat as well, but he says, “the main dish of traditional Washoku uses root vegetables such as Japanese

Autumn vegetables and mushrooms

radishes and potatoes, greens, edible wild plants in spring, mushrooms from the mountains in autumn, as well as beans and seaweeds. In addition, seasonal ingredients that are most nutritious and most delicious are cleverly used as well. This is the wisdom of Japanese food culture.”

Vegetables are low in calories but they also contain dietary fiber which activates movement of the intestines and increases intestinal bacteria

“The Washoku centered diet has prolonged the average life expectancy of Japanese people.

To put it boldly, Washoku is a healthy food that saves mankind.” which is good for your health. He says, “Many people claim to be relieved of constipation after eating Washoku. A healthy intestine increases immune strength. Washoku also reduces the risk of adult diseases that trouble modern people. “ Dr. Koizumi also pays attention to the power of soy beans, the basic ingredient of Washoku. He says, “Soy beans contain so much protein, equivalent to the amount contained in beef, they are called the meat that grows in a field. During the Edo period (17th-19th century), miso soup with tofu containing ground natto or fermented soy beans, and abura-age (thinly sliced tofu deep fried in vegetable oil) was the source of stamina for workmen. ” Rice and miso soup are still the staple dishes of Washoku.

Rice and miso soup, a staple dishes of Washoku

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Rice and miso soup, a staple dishes of Washoku

The Washoku centered diet has prolonged the average life expectancy of Japanese people

Dashi (fish stock) culture, letting the world experience its refined taste and flavor “The secret to the taste of Washoku is in the dashi culture” says Dr. Koizumi.

Dashi is an extract taken from boiling dried ingredients including kelp, shiitake mushrooms and bonito shavings (processed food made by fermenting bonito). This is the basic seasoning of Japanese food and is used for making soups such as miso soup, soup for udon and soba noodles and for cooking vegetables.

“What’s amazing about dashi is that no grease components come floating up in the soup even though

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Letting it rest for a long time makes delicious miso

it uses dried bonito shavings, whose basic ingredient is fatty bonito. This is because fermentative bacteria in dried bonito shavings discomposes grease components. The refined pure taste of Washoku all depends on the umami of dashi. It has been said that human beings have the sense of 5 different tastes of sweet, spicy, salty, sour and bitter, but the dashi culture introduced the taste of umami to the world.”

The characteristics of fish stock in Japan vary in each area. Roughly speaking, Kansai region mainly uses a lightly flavored soup made from kelp and Kanto region mainly uses a strongly flavored soup made from bonito. The look and the taste of udon soup is also different in the Kanto and Kansai regions.

“Ninben”, a shop specializing in

Good dashi is clear in color

dried bonito shavings with more than 300 years of history, has opened the “Nihonbashi Dashi Bar”, an eat-in store where you can taste authentic dashi, in COREDO Muromachi in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. You can taste fresh dashi with one coin (100 yen), a place not to miss for those who want to experience the dashi culture of Japan.

NINBEN The fermentation culture is what supports the healthy Washoku Another factor that played a leading role in cultivating rich and healthy Japanese food culture is fermentation.

There are many kinds of fermented food in the world, but fermented food in Japan has an outstanding variety. “The humid weather in Japan is optimum for microbes to be active. People in Japan have used fermentation in their food culture for more than 1,300 years, using many microbes that exist only in Japan.”

Soy sauce, miso and mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) are essential to Japanese food and all are seasonings

Soy beans, the source of protein for Washoku

that utilize fermentation. Miso, made by aging a mix of cereal grains, salt and koji (heated cereal grain that is fermented), is an especially healthy food containing plenty of protein and amino acids and it even used to be eaten as a side dish in the past.

Each area has a different kind of miso. For example, Hatcho miso, used for Miso Katsu (cutlet with miso-based

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Nare-zushi of mackerel

they mix steamed sticky rice with malted rice and shochu to promote glycation.

Alcohol in mirin helps ingredients to absorb flavor and maintains their firmness. Moreover, sugar in mirin adds sweetness and delicious looking gloss to the dish.

Miso (soybean paste), fermented food that represents Japan

sauce) which is a local specialty of Nagoya, is a miso made from soybeans, and is said to have the longest history in miso culture. Masuzuka Miso in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, one of the manufacturers of Hatcho Miso, has preserved the traditional method where they let miso sit rest in a wooden tub for 18 months with stones on it as a weight.

Masuzuka Miso The delicious and appetizing smell coming from cooked dishes and broiled eels is all thanks to mirin. Hakusen Shuzou in the town of Kawabe, Gifu Prefecture, located almost in the center of Honshu, has preserved a traditional method of manufacturing mirin where

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Hakusen Shuzou (Japanese) Japan, the kingdom of fermentation, where wisdom from the past is still preserved The power of fermentation is essential for the many side dishes of Washoku. Nukazuke pickles that come with Japanese set meals are made using fermented rice bran. People enjoy pickling Japanese radishes, cucumbers, eggplants and, recently, seasonal vegetables such as watermelons, broccoli and tomatoes as well.

Nare-zushi of mackerel Being surrounded by ocean, Japan has a variety of fermented seafood dishes. The origin of sushi, one of the popular Washoku dishes, is also a

Moromi, made by fermenting a mix of sticky rice, malted rice and shochu (distilled spirit) is the main ingredient of mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)

fermented food. “Nare-zushi”, where fish is fermented with salt and rice in order to keep longer, comes from the wisdom of the period when there were no refrigerators. You can sill find “Narezushi” unique to each area all over Japan.

Healthy and delicious Washoku keeps people in good shape. Let’s visit Japan and enjoy authentic Washoku!

Dr. Takeo Koizumi, is an honorary professor of Tokyo University of Agriculture. He is director of the Fermentation-culture Promotion Agency and serves concurrently as a food-related advisor for many national and local governmental groups. He has written more than one hundred books relating to food.

NIPPON BUDĹŒKAN T Japanese Martial Spirit Meets the World

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he history of Nippon Budokan is one of international exchange.� So says Yoshio Mifuji, the Secretary General. Completed in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics of the same year, Nippon Budokan incorporates some unique elements into its design. The roof mirrors the shape of Mount Fuji, while the support of the structure is provided by four internal columns that imitate the construction of a traditional sumo ring. The main aim in the foundation

of Nippon Budokan is educating the healthy youth of Japan and “provide a place to cultivate international exchange through Budo.”

One such example is the International Seminar of Budo Culture, now in its 25th year, held annually at the Nippon Budokan Training Center and Budo International University. The 4-day course is open to foreign practitioners living in Japan and offers classes about the history and philosophy of Budo, as well as practical experience such as, kyudo (archery), aikido, kendo, karate, shorinji kempo, sumo, judo, naginata (halberd), and jodo (staff ).

Each year, the Japanese Budo delegation, a group composed of 70 or so high level teachers, visits an overseas country to demonstrate martial arts and deepen international friendship and understanding.

In November 2012, a demonstration was held in New Delhi, India that attracted as

many as 6,300 spectators. 2013 has seen the 60th anniversary of international relations between Cambodia and Japan with practitioners from both countries participating in a joint demonstration, this time at the Budokan.

Mifuji believes that Budo training has a strong demand internationally because of the very practical problem that it solves, “how to defend yourself without seriously hurting yourself or an opponent.” Yet Budo does not end here. It is also a discipline that can be transmitted without the need for words, a universal “language of the body” as Mifuji describes it. Of course, language may be required in communicating some of the inner teachings of Budo. Meditation, an important component of training, helps practitioners free their minds from distracting thoughts or zatsunen, and focus on what is important. The ability to dispel stress and pent up emotions through meditation and breathing exercises may

have a strong application in our modern societies.

Mifuji says that “so much emphasis is placed on giving the right answer in school and not on teamwork, yet working in a group and solving problems together can lead to great success. In Budo, there are many paths; it is not the path that is ‘right’ but the way one walks a path and finding one’s goal. ” With 5,000,000 Budo practitioners in Japan and a further 50,000,000 worldwide, Budo has a bright domestic and international future.

If you’re looking for better health, a better life and spending an enjoyable time with others, why not try looking up your local dojo? In any case, it is a great achievement that organizations such as Nippon Budokan have now become an international vehicle for greater cultural exchange, mutual understanding and peace.

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Baseball: B

aseball (yakyu) was introduced into Japan from the United States around 1873. As schools established their own teams for club activities, its popularity spread rapidly. Although professional baseball is Japan’s largest spectator sport, the game still has a strong appeal for amateurs, particularly at the high school and university levels. Many major corporations also sponsor their own amateur teams. In Japan’s two professional leagues, games are televised almost daily during the April to October playing season, and popular players stand out as national heroes.

Amateur Baseball

In terms of participation, baseball is the most widely played sport among male elementary schoolchildren and junior high school students (for safety reasons, both use a rubber ball, the same size as a regular baseball). Competitions are generally limited to the local level. High school baseball attracts nationwide interest. Twice each year, during the spring and summer, the best high school teams in Japan compete at Koshien Stadium, in Hyogo Prefecture, where the tournaments have been held since 1915.

After elimination rounds, in which more than 4,000 teams participate every year, the top teams from all of Japan’s 47 prefectures vie for the national championship.

Tournament games from Koshien are broadcast nationwide on NHK television and radio.

Hordes of classmates and players’ family members travel to Hyogo to attend the games. In the course of each tournament, as many as 1 million spectators fill the stands. Back in the hometowns of teams competing in the finals, it is 76

Contemporary Japan - 2015

America’s most

successful export to Japan not unusual to see business activity and even traffic on the streets come to a halt while people gather in front of their television sets or tune in to the radio.

Many of Japan’s most talented high school players forego entering university and are recruited directly by professional teams. As a result, the ranks of top-level professionals are to a large degree made up of former heroes of Koshien tournaments.

University baseball also has a large following. The so-called “Big Six” teams - Hosei, Keio, Meiji, Rikkyo, University of Tokyo, and Waseda enjoy an enthusiastic response among their students and alumni.

The annual game between Keio and Waseda university teams is a famous rivalry that dates back to 1903. Among the university players who went on to have brilliant careers as professionals are Nagashima Shigeo of Rikkyo University, Tabuchi Koichi of Hosei University, and Egawa Suguru, also of Hosei University.

Many corporations have their own amateur teams, and a nationwide corporate tournament is held annually. They use metal bats and have adopted the designated hitter rule. Top players on these teams are often drafted by professional teams in early rounds and are expected to make a significant contribution the following season.

Japan’s amateur teams compete in regional and international events, such as the annual collegiate series between Japan and the United States. Following baseball’s introduction as an Olympic event, Japanese teams have taken part, winning a silver medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

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Professional Baseball

League competition was inaugurated in 1936. A system of two leagues, with six teams in each, was adopted in 1950. Three of the teams are owned by railway companies, two by newspaper organizations, and most of the others are under a type of corporatesponsorship arrangement. At present, the Central League is made up of the Chunichi Dragons (Nagoya); Hanshin Tigers (Osaka); Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima); Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Tokyo); Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars (Yokohama); and Yomiuri Giants (Tokyo). The Pacific League is composed of the Chiba Lotte Marines (Chiba); Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka); Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Sapporo); Orix Buffaloes (Osaka); Saitama Seibu Lions (Tokorozawa); and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Sendai).

The Tokyo Dome or “Big Egg,” in Korakuen, Tokyo, was Japan’s first domed stadium. It has been followed by others in Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Osaka, enabling many games that might otherwise be postponed to be played during Japan’s rainy season.

Stars of the Game

The greatest professional baseball players have set records that rival the US Major Leagues. Best known is Oh Sadaharu, who played as an infielder for the Yomiuri Giants.

During his 22-year career, Oh hit a total of 868 home runs, surpassing Babe Ruth’s

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714 and the 755 of US Major League record holder Hank Aaron.

fulfill their promise or adjust to the different playing style, and left after one season.

The greatest pitcher in postwar professional baseball is almost certainly Kaneda Masaichi, a left-hander with pinpoint control and dazzling speed, who won 400 games during his career. Another player to achieve great distinction in the sport is Kinugasa Sachio of the Hiroshima Carp. An “Iron Man” who appeared in 2,215 consecutive games, Kinugasa surpassed the US Major League record of 2,130, formerly held by Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees.

Meanwhile, many players from Japan’s professional league have signed as free agents with Major League teams to play in the United States. Nomo Hideo, a former star pitcher of the Kintetsu Buffaloes, joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. Nomo was nicknamed “Tornado” for his unique delivery and voted the National League Rookie of the Year.

Probably the most popular player in baseball’s modern history is Nagashima Shigeo, formerly a star player with Rikkyo University, who spent his career as an infielder with the Yomiuri Giants. Known as baseball’s “Mr Giants”, Nagashima led his team to nine consecutive national championships between 1965 and 1973.

Internationalization American professional all-star teams have been making goodwill visits to Japan since the 1930s, and all professional baseball teams in Japan have foreign players on their rosters today. Japanese professional teams have scouted players from the United States, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and several Latin American and Caribbean nations. Many of these players have enjoyed successful careers and set records; others failed to

Subsequently, other Japanese professional baseball players have flourished in the Major Leagues, including Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners (2001-2012) and the New York Yankees (2012), Matsui Hideki of the New York Yankees (2003–2009), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2010), the Oakland Athletics (2011), the Tempa Bay Rays (2012) and retired in 2013, and Matsuzaka Daisuke of the New York Mets, Uehara Koji of the Boston Red Sox and Darvish Yu of the Texas Rangers. Recently some young high school or college graduates have been scouted directly by American teams.

Elsewhere, the Japanese national team has won consecutive championships at the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic, an international baseball competition of national teams from around the world.

J a p a n e s e Po p C u l t u r e TO THE NEXT STAGE

Japanese pop culture encompasses fashion, anime, manga and more, and is beloved not just in Japan, but also by people all over the world. This type of culture is centered on young people and has grown more and more sophisticated as it has been nurtured and refined in everyday life.

Sharing the Culture of Kawaii with the World Even within Japan, which is home to many fashion styles, Harajuku in particular is famous for being a place where people with unique fashion styles gather. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu got her start in Harajuku and quickly rose to stardom. After she had her picture taken by a magazine by chance, she became a fashion model. Her popularity has now spread throughout Japan and is growing throughout the world.

“Harajuku fashion isn’t about imitating somebody else. Everyone has unique ideas and individuality. Everyone in Harajuku wears what they themselves think is kawaii. That’s actually very important.

I hope that someday everyone will be able to wear the clothes that they like not only in Harajuku, but throughout Japan.” Kyary Pamyu Pamyu debuted as a musician in 2011. She has created her own 80

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TOP: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performing her solo live at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in 2012 Photo by: Asobi System Co., Ltd. LEFT: A threedimensional design, referred to as pukupuku (pudgy) nails, that has acrylic ribbons, bears, and other elements added onto it Photo by Chikura Shino BOTTOM: Q-pot., a brand known for its realistic accessories modeled after sweets Photo by kuma

wars waged using special types of “mobile suits”—humanoid robot weapons. Gundam is the name of a series of special mobile suits.

Inside Gundam Front Tokyo, you’ll find a number of different ways to enjoy the Gundam universe, including life-size Gundam busts, photo spots where you can take pictures with characters from the series, and exhibits of materials used in the production of various Gundam works.

Vocaloids: Leading the Way to a New Music Scene

The life-size, 18-meter-tall Gundam statue at Gundam Front Tokyo

colorful, pop-style world that also has a kind of edginess to it. Her one-of-a-kind appeal has transcended national boundaries—she became the top ranking Japanese artist ever on the Finnish and Belgian iTunes electronic music charts.

Kawaii Everywhere!

The Japanese thirst for kawaii is unquenchable, and new forms of kawaii are being created one after another. One example of this is the growing popularity—especially among young women— of accessories that are modeled after macaroons, cakes, biscuits, and other sweets. The secret behind their popularity lies in their colorfulness, pop style, and delicious appearance. Another example is nail art, which started in the United States and has now fused with Japanese kawaii sensibilities and been transformed into a unique subculture found nowhere else in the world. Nail artist Nakayama Chieko explains: “Overseas nail art is usually just about making the nails a different color, but Japanese people like detailed nail art, so Japanese nail art is nothing if not elaborate. I don’t think people are motivated by a desire to pursue the latest style as much as they are by a desire to design their nails in a way that suits them.”

The popularity of Hatsune Miku, a virtual pop star created in Japan, is now spreading not only throughout Japan but also throughout the world. Hatsune Miku actually refers to a software program that gained attention because it used a singing synthesizer system called Vocaloid that was developed by a Japanese instrument manufacturer and had a picture of a girl who looks like the main character of an anime on the package. By inputting lyrics and melodies into a PC, users can create pieces of music with the exact vocals and choruses they want. As users come up with their own unique songs to make Hatsune Miku perform and upload the songs to video-sharing websites and other sites, countless variations of individual songs appear on the Internet.

Through the sale of compilation CDs, live performances, and collaborations with businesses, the popularity of Hatsune Miku has risen to that of living artists, and perhaps even beyond. Through the Internet, that popularity has spread throughout Europe, America, and Asia. In the United States, Hatsune Miku was used in a commercial for a Japanese car in 2011.

Hatsune Miku, one of the Vocaloids

Dive into Pop Culture Museums There are pop culture museums all over Japan that offer intimate presentations of the worlds depicted in popular anime and manga.

Visitors can enjoy realistic character statues and spaces that recreate the world of a particular fictional work. Original merchandise is also available. These museums are beloved by children and adults alike.

One example of a pop culture museum is Gundam Front Tokyo, which is located in Koto City in Tokyo. The museum focuses on Mobile Suit Gundam, which is an anime that takes place in space and depicts Contemporary Japan - 2015

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Health Check:

The Cost of Medical Care in Japan

Diagnosing the systems that make Japanese health care one of the best bargains in the world.

W

hat is good health care worth to you? Depending on the country you live in, that answer may vary widely. In the US, the average citizen spends $8,895 in health costs every year. In contrast, their counterparts in wealthy, developed countries such as France ($4,790 per year per person), or Japan ($4,752 per year per person) pay almost two times as little for health care.

“You get what you pay for” is a common refrain, particularly in the US, but in the case of health care, is this statement true? Are Americans really getting health care that is two times as effective and supportive as the Japanese or French? An observation of the systems in place in both countries shows that doctors being paid well, and they are using the same level of medical technology as France and Japan, and delivering highquality health care.

“A baby born in Japan today would be expected to live to an average age of 86 or 82

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to the age of 82 in France; the same child would live to the average of 78 in the US.” Japan was the first nation in the Asia Pacific region to develop a comprehensive social insurance program, and France’s health system is set up in a similar manner. In both countries, all citizens are required to have health insurance, either through an employer-based health insurance program or through the national health care program.

Those who can’t afford the premiums receive public assistance.

Insurers are all non-profit programs and do not compete. Patients have access to all health care institutions. Most doctors and almost all hospitals and clinic settings are in the private sector, and patients can freely choose their providers.

A comprehensive range of services are covered under health insurance packages, including in- and out-patient care, home care, dental, prescriptions, long-term care, home nursing for the elderly and prosthetics. Cash

benefits are given for childbirth. Though very minimal, costs that are not covered include routine physical exams, some dental services and over-the-counter drugs.

When the health care systems of the US, France, and Japan are compared, the cost of care has to be addressed. With Japan and France demonstrating quite clearly that it’s possible to have unconstrained cost-containment and deliver excellent health care, the natural response is to ask what the two countries are doing to keep the costs of health care down.

Upon analysis, three reasons become clear: Fee schedules In the US, how much a health care service gets paid depends on the kind of insurance a patient has. This means that health care providers can choose patients with insurance policies that pay them more generously rather than patients covered by lower-paying insurers, such as government-sponsored Medicare co-payment programs under the

Affordable Health Care Act. Japan and France, on the other hand, use a common fee schedule, meaning that health care services, doctors, clinics, and hospitals receive almost the same amount, regardless of the patients they see.

Nimble Cost-Control Methods

The health ministries of Japan and France are responsive and have more flexibility to make changes relatively quickly. In both nations, a governing body closely watches health care spending across all types of services. If a specific type of health service is trending faster than they forecasted, the governing body can lower the cost price for that specific service. The two countries also encourage lowering fees through other strategies. For example, governing bodies track how frequently doctors are prescribing generic drugs; if they are not insurance fund representatives will visit the doctor’s offices to encourage them to prescribe cheaper generic drugs. In US, fee schedules are not nearly as flexible, and it can be hard to rapidly adjust the cost of health care services, which are often statutory.

Furthermore, Medicare cannot change its fee schedules without approval from the US government.

Private Health Care Cost Dilemma One of the drawbacks of the US Affordable Care Act is that it limits methods for controlling the high costs of private insurance. In working with private doctors’ clinics, private health insurers continually face a choice between asking doctors to reduce their costs and passing on higher costs to patients in the form of higher premiums. Naturally, the majority of these private doctors find it hard to do the former.

As a result, rather than US hospitals necessarily delivering far more services than hospitals in other nations, the primary reason for higher overall hospital spending in the US is not necessarily that US hospitals deliver more services than hospitals in other nations but that these services simply cost more. Spending in the US is about

85% higher than the average in other, comparatively developed countries, including France and Japan. Even paperwork comes at a higher price: about $900 per person per year is spent on administrative costs in the US, while Japan and France, which use a reimbursement system similar to the US, spend only about one-third of that amount.

In light of recent health care reforms enacted in the US, including elements of the Affordable Health Care Act, it is still challenging to identify with precision why health care costs remain significantly higher. Two other factors stand out in this case: American doctors receive considerably higher salaries than they do in other countries, and the US health care system uses more up-to-date and expensive diagnostic procedures. Costs go unmonitored, and there are so many types of insurance coverage that no one governing body has the strong economic incentive to cut out wasteful practices.

In Japan and France it is not hard to find competent, affordable care for an average citizen with health care needs. Many other first world countries are not as well served. Health statistics for both countries are indicators. Japan’s infant mortality rate is 2.0 per 1,000 live births and France’s is 4.0 per live births.

In addition, Japanese patients have excellent recovery rates from most major diseases. With a low cost universal health care system, about 65% of Japanese patients with chronic conditions can be expected to secure same-day access to a health care provider. The percentage in Japan is compared with about 26% in the US and about 42% in France.

Overall, when we compare the US health care system with that in Japan and France, there are two main factors working to Japan’s and France’s advantage: both countries have relatively healthy populations and an unconstrained universal health care system that serves all its citizens and offers a broad range of choices in hospitals, clinics, doctors, and care facilities. These factors combine to create a happy medium of freedom of choice, a wide safety net, a high quality of life, and a low health care cost per person per year of coverage. A baby born in Japan today would be expected to live to an average age of 86 or to the age of 82 in France; the same child would live to the average of 78 in the US. Jun Edo Orlanes, MPH, PhD, is principal director and founder of Lean Improvement Institute Consulting Group. His focus is sustaining and spreading lean business practices within the health care industry. He has worked with large health care organizations in the United States including: Kaiser Permanente, Veterans Administration, SutterHealth, University of California San Francisco, and Stanford University Medical.

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THE ADVENT AND FUTURE OF

“ROBOT SUIT HAL” THE AMAZING WEARABLE ROBOT

ISAO NARUSE

“R

OBOT Suit HAL” has been garnering

worldwide

attention as the world’s first

wearable robotic device for medical and wellness applications. The creator of HAL®, a pioneer in cybernics and a professor in the graduate school at the University of Tsukuba, Yoshiyuki Sankai, launched a venture firm called CYBERDYNE Inc. in 2004 to handle the research and development, manufacture and sales of assistive devices for humans and services both in Japan and abroad.

Cybernics is a new academic field of humanassistive technology, covering a range of disciplines whereby human, machine and information systems are fused together.

HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb®) is a wearable robot that can support and enhance the physical functions of someone who has difficulty walking, standing up and sitting down, or going up and down stairs due to disease, accident or aging. A HAL for Medical Use was given medical-device certification as the world’s first robotic therapeutic device in the EU, and its use in therapy for functional improvement of patients with spinal cord injuries is fully reimbursed through public workers’ compensation The version of HAL designed for medical use, assisting those with limited or no mobility PHOTO: PROF. SANKAI, UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA / CYBERDYNE INC.

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insurance in Germany. About four hundred

HAL robots are currently in use in Japan and around the world. In

“Creating a new industry is possible even in Japan,” Professor Sankai

addition, models designed to support joint movement or reduce

notes, and hopes HAL will become such an example. He says that

back strain, as well as a prototype model for use in disaster recovery,

the most necessary elements in creating a new industry are to

are in development.

have a philosophy and to take action, proclaiming as his belief, “Technology takes on meaning when it is useful to people and

So how does HAL work? HAL’s sensors detect faint bioelectrical

society.” With Professor Sankai in charge and his philosophy resolute,

signals emitted by the brain that come to the skin’s surface, and

CYBERDYNE Inc. will continue its drive for transformation.

the “Cybernic Voluntary Control” system, which instantly processes the signals, enabling the body to move according to the wearer’s intention.

Sometimes, however, those bioelectrical signals are not enough.

For such situations HAL also has a “Cybernic Autonomous Control” system that senses such things as shifts in the center of gravity and anticipates the next move, which it then makes. This simultaneous operation of two systems to support a person’s natural movements during volitional activity, which is HAL’s basic principle, has been patented internationally and even singled out by the World Intellectual Property Organization as a patent to be noted.

Progress to reach that point, however, was not always smooth.

Professor Sankai had to set up a company and gather both funding and people, slogging it out on a technically and mentally tough road to get where he is today. With nothing to precede HAL or compete with it, and since the technology was in a new field not covered by the safety policies of traditional industrial robots, HAL required its own rulebook. For that purpose, Professor Sankai became an expert member in medical robots of the International Organization for Standardization and took the lead in developing specifications. To the question, “What’s innovation?” Professor Sankai once laconically replied, “If it’s not there, make it.” The professor believes that HAL will bring about an industrial and social transformation. An innovative technology is born from a situation of no market, no users, no industry, no professionals, and no social guidelines. Professor Sankai

HAL is already certified in the EU as the world’s first robotic therapeutic device PHOTO: PROF. SANKAI, UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA / CYBERDYNE INC.

has managed to change each “no” into “new.”

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A RARE SWEETNESS RESEARCHING HEALTHIER FORMS OF SUGAR BIFUE USHIJIMA

G

lucose (D-glucose) and fructose (D-fructose) are the most common of the monosaccharides—the simplest forms of sugars in nature. They are essential sources of energy for all living things.

Over fifty naturally occurring monosaccharides have been identified.

Except for seven varieties that include glucose and fructose, however, the rest are found only in minute quantities. Therefore, even though scientists were previously aware of the existence of what are referred to as “rare sugars,” they knew very little about their nature and characteristics.

Hiroyuki Sasahara Associate Director Industrial Policy Division of Kagawa Prefecture’s Commerce, Industry, and Labor Department

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Zero-calorie and effective in the prevention of lifestyle diseases, D-allulose is already being used as a healthy sweetener by the food industry. As researchers continue to investigate its potential applications in food, they are finding the rare sugar to have other useful properties as well.

When D-allulose was used to replace some of the sugar in sponge cake, for example, the cake was fluffier and softer than one made with just sugar. Its antioxidant power also increased. In an experiment in which D-allulose was added to drinkable yogurt with soymilk, the yogurt became thicker, and its flavor mellowed and was less sour.

In 1991, however, Ken Izumori, a professor in Kagawa University’s Faculty of Agriculture, discovered a microbe possessing an enzyme that converts fructose into D-allulose, a type of rare sugar, and succeeded in duplicating the process. He also discovered that D-allulose is found only in the zuina tree (Itea japonica Oliver). Izumori began taking measures to propagate the zuina.

D-allulose has also been confirmed to have other beneficial effects, such as the elevating resistance to disease. Kagawa Prefecture is moving to take D-allulose nationwide through the “Rare Sugar from Kagawa” initiative, with cooperation from Kagawa University and local businesses.

D-allulose has 70 percent of the sweetness of regular sugar but no calories. It was found to have a structure that glucose and fructose did not. Eaten with a meal, D-allulose suppresses the elevation of blood sugar.

It also helps to treat and prevent diabetes, inhibits the storage of abdominal fat, and even has anti-cavity properties.

Along with fundamental research into D-allulose, there has been progress in establishing mass production of D-allulose and developing products using it. The release of a syrup that uses the rare sugar is D-allulose’s first step toward commercialization. Since major manufacturers have begun releasing products that use this syrup, rare sugar has made a name for itself throughout Japan.

A rare sugar production station at Kagawa University Besides D-allulose, Kagawa University has succeeded in creating the rare sugar D-allose. D-allose has an antioxidizing effect, which has led to high hopes for the sugar’s applications in the medical field.

Of the over fifty varieties of rare sugars, only D-allulose and D-allose are currently being commercially manufactured, but they are already producing marvelous results. From Kagawa to all of Japan, and then to the entire world: as the usefulness and functionality of rare sugars become clearer, their sweet potential will continue to grow.

Zuina tree (Itea japonica Oliver) “There is already something of a mass-production system in place for D-allulose, and it has already passed food safety standards,” says Hiroyuki Sasahara, who works in the Industrial Policy Division of Kagawa Prefecture’s Commerce, Industry, and Labor Department to industrialize rare sugar. “It is now going through the application process to become a designated health food, and if approved it will likely be used in an even wider range of foods and beverages.”

Kagawa Prefecture is home to many diabetes patients. In fact, it ranks first in Japan in the estimated number of diabetes patients receiving medical treatment with approximately a hundred thousand such residents. The prefecture hopes to reduce its number of diabetes cases through the use of rare sugars.

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Getting Permanent Residency in Japan

Tired of trekking down to the immigration office to renew your visa every year or three?

If you’re in Japan to stay and want your legal status to reflect that, you have two options: obtaining permanent residency or naturalizing as a Japanese citizen. Weekender tells you how.

Permanent Residency

A

permanent residency (PR) visa lets you stay in Japan indefinitely. Your visa is not tied to your job or spouse and you no longer have to renew it. You’ll also find it easier to qualify for loans from Japanese banks.

PR after five years in Japan if the Japanese government decides you’ve made substantial social, economic, cultural or diplomatic contributions to Japan. The criteria for ‘substantial contributions’ are somewhat vague—it’s at the discretion of immigration.

To qualify for permanent residency as a single person, you need to have lived in Japan for ten years or more, with five or more of those years on a work visa or other resident visa (working holiday or student visas don’t count).

The supporting documents for a PR application vary depending on your situation, so check with immigration or an immigration lawyer in advance to avoid a wasted trip.

You’ll also need to prove that you can support yourself without public assistance, have been paying taxes and have had no major trouble with the law. Speeding tickets are fine; unpaid taxes or visa overstays are not.

You can qualify for permanent residency in less than ten years in some cases. If you’re the spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident and have been married for three years or longer, you can apply after living in Japan for one year or more.

You can also apply if you’ve been here for five years or more with long-term resident or refugee status. Finally, you can qualify for 88

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As Tokyo immigration lawyer Yoko Majima notes, it’s a lengthy process. “The application for PR or naturalization is not something you can prepare overnight. It’s the result of your past few years in Japan, so sometimes you need to prepare a couple of years in advance.”

Apply for permanent residency at your local immigration office. If you apply yourself, you pay only your time and travel costs to the immigration office, any document translation fees, and 8 000 yen when you receive your PR visa.

You can also hire an immigration lawyer to handle your application.

“If you satisfy all the requirements,” says Majima, “there should be no problem doing it on your own. However there are cases where

professional advice could increase the chance of getting the application approved.”

Also, since PR doesn’t require an in-person interview at immigration, if you hire an immigration lawyer to handle your application you won’t have to visit immigration at all. “Some people use professional help only for this reason,” says Majima.

Whether you apply for PR yourself or hire an immigration lawyer to do it for you, expect to wait between six to eight months to find out if you’ve been approved.

Although having permanent residency frees you from visa renewals, you won’t be completely finished with immigration. You’ll still need a valid re-entry permit if you travel outside Japan, and when you renew your passport, you’ll have to visit immigration to have them transfer your PR visa to your new passport.

If you are considering switching from Investor or Legal/Accounting Services visa to a PR visa, keep in mind that permanent residents can’t sponsor a foreign housekeeper.

“I know some people who have Investor visa and keep it on purpose even if they qualify for PR, just because they want to sponsor foreign housekeepers until their children are old enough,” Majima notes.

One final caveat: permanent residency for tax purposes is completely separate from permanent residency for immigration purposes. As far as immigration is concerned, you are not a permanent resident until you receive a PR visa.

However, if you’ve lived in Japan for five years or more during the last ten years, the Japanese tax office will usually consider you a resident regardless of your visa status and tax you on your worldwide income.

Tax residency in Japan can be complicated; if you are unsure of your status, it is best to talk to a tax lawyer.

Naturalization

If you really want to set down roots in Japan or just never want visit an immigration office again, consider naturalizing as a Japanese citizen. If you’re over 20, are a legal adult in your home country, have been living in Japan for five years or longer and have had no trouble with the law, you can apply for Japanese citizenship.

Naturalization is much more popular with Chinese and Korean residents of Japan than foreigners from the English-speaking world. Ninety percent of the roughly 14,000 foreigners naturalize as Japanese every year are from China or Korea, although the number of applicants from other countries is increasing.

To naturalize as a Japanese citizen, you need to speak Japanese at a third-grade elementary school level. You can choose a Japanese name or opt to have your original name registered in katakana.

If you take Japanese citizenship, you must give up your former nationality. This is where things get complicated: some countries have relatively simple processes for renouncing citizenship; some have no established procedures; some automatically revoke your citizenship if you acquire another nationality; and some refuse to let their citizens go. Check with your embassy in advance.

Your local legal affairs office, not immigration, is the place to apply for Japanese nationality. You can apply yourself if you speak enough Japanese or hire an immigration lawyer. Either way, you will still have to show up for an in-person interview at your local legal affairs office. Expect the naturalization process to take about a year.

Once you have Japanese nationality, you can stay here permanently, run for public office, vote, join the self-defense forces and take on managerial roles in the Japanese public service. If you’re convicted of a criminal offense, you’ll go to Japanese prison rather than face deportation (Weekender does not recommend committing criminal offenses).

Hiring an immigration lawyer:

In Japan, immigration lawyers are a category of legal professional called gyoseishoshi, or ‘administrative procedure specialists’.

Gyoseishoshi are the paperwork hotshots of the Japanese legal world. They know exactly what application forms and supporting documents you need, make sure everything is filled in, signed and stamped in all the right places, and, for PR, will even queue up at the immigration office for you.

An immigration lawyer can also advise you if you have any problems with your application. Many of Majima’s clients come to see her because they have concerns about their applications. “Some of the problems can be fixed relatively easily by paying taxes, etc,” she says, but others are harder to resolve. Consulting with an immigration lawyer in advance saves you from having to apply a second time if your first application is rejected.

Whether you go it alone or ask an immigration lawyer to handle your application, Weekender wishes you a smooth sailing in your quest to become a permanent resident or Japanese citizen.

Tokyo immigration lawyer Yoko Majima offers immigration advice in English, French and Japanese.

Minamiazabu Centre 4F, 4-12-25 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku,Tokyo 106-0047 Phone: 03 5421 8056 www.juridique.jp Text by Annamarie Sasagawa Contemporary Japan - 2015

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Aiming High AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN JAPAN IS PRODUCING A FLOOD OF GLOBAL TALENT RIEKO SUZUKI

B

illing itself as “a truly international university,” Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) - located in Beppu on the east coast of Kyushu - aims to produce graduates with job skills and a high capacity for independent thought. Of the university’s 5,745 students, 2500 - or almost half of the student body - were

Students receiving career advice from APU guidance counselors

international students (exchange students studying under the same conditions as their Japanese peers) as of May 1, 2014. In 2013, firms in Japan recruited 187 of APU’s international students upon graduation. APU’s high percentage of international students provides a cosmopolitan study and living environment that has no equal anywhere else in Japan. Kei Suzuki of APU’s career office - which fashions this hospitable environment - spoke about employment prospects for young foreign talent at Japanese firms.

Students at an APU graduation ceremony

Campus life at APU is culturally and linguistically diverse

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“We’ve gathered a body of international students capable of entering top-level universities not only in their own countries but in the West as well, ” Suzuki says. “Japan is relatively stable politically and economically, and our graduates have the possibility of working at large companies that are household names globally.

In the West, foreigners with no working experience have almost no chance of being employed there full-time, even if they graduate university with excellent grades. In Japan, however, they can obtain a working visa without much difficultly, have a chance of being employed at a major company, and advance their careers in Japan and elsewhere. It is reasonable to say that Japan is an ideal environment for young people from around the world looking to start a career.”

APU is attracting attention not only from the world’s brightest young people but global corporations, businesses and research facilities as well. In a single year over 350 companies visit the APU campus to hold information sessions and initial recruitment screenings.

The university offers the same career counseling to domestic and international students alike. First year students get one-on-one counseling with a view to their long-term careers, and a curriculum is constructed to meet those goals. Internship destinations for second- and third-year students include employers and companies, government organs, and NGOs overseas, allowing students to gain practical experience before commencing their careers. Since the program started, 1,500 students have taken part.

Approximately 60 percent of exchange students across Japan reportedly opt to work here after graduation. Nationwide, however, only about 20 percent succeed. In stark contrast, the employment success rate for APU grads is around 90 percent.

“As the globalization of society accelerates, the skills and attributes that businesses will demand when recruiting new graduates also changes,” Suzuki notes. “Though study-abroad and language proficiency experiences are still highly valued, those assets alone will not net employment offers from leading firms. ” Suzuki does believe that true global talents are “those capable of responding quickly to societal conditions in a world that is rapidly changing, and who are equipped with an open-mindedness that allows them to accommodate differing viewpoints. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Japan or overseas. ” For its part, APU will continue to offer employment support that makes absolutely no distinction between Japanese and international students and produce global talent capable of working anywhere in the world.

“International students at APU tend to come to Japan with a different mentality than exchange students at other universities,” Suzuki states. “Their motives are more goal-oriented - to study globally, with other students from a diverse range of cultures and APU was the university that offered that environment. And through dormitory life, they gain both knowledge and an intuitive grasp of Japanese culture. This makes them highly appealing to corporations.”

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Is Japan Expensive?

People say Japan’s expensive, which is crazy. But then people say lots of things—like Japan’s “hightech” and “polite,” so clearly their minds are all mixed up after their round-the-world tour … like, What country was that? Denmark? Singapore? Switzerland? Wasn’t everybody wearing lederhosen and yodeling? Drinking cocoa with mini marshmallows? Well, all right, maybe it was Japan. Ah, Harajuku, how I love your alpine ways.

Lies About Japan

So one big lie about Japan is that it’s expensive. I was having this conversation with a friend from the States in an Ikebukuro noodle shop. He’s a photographer who takes guidebook pictures of brightly-colored koi fish, Korean girls in kimonos, and ancient temples dating back to the 1950s. You know, real Japan.

“It cost me thirty bucks for a baconcheeseburger and a large coffee,” he lamented. For some reason, we always talk in U.S. dollars when we really mean yen.

Must be a white thing. “Thirty bucks?” I 92

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choked on my noodles. Though to be fair, that’s pretty easy to do when you’re slurping them. “Where’d you go?”

“That little cafe on the corner,” he said.

“You can’t put a price on spacial-thinking skills. Anyway, we’ll have dinner tonight for six bucks, and it’ll be awesome. “Sure, for you,” he said. “You’ve gone native.

“No, not there!” I slurped. “There’s nothing but grannies nodding off into their espressos. Look at these noodles, five bucks each. Manly bowls o’ deliciousness. “My hotel room’s the size of a closet,” he whined.

“Gone native?” I said. “It’s not like I’m wearing a hair shirt on jungle island, eating monkeys.

That’s Taiwan, get it straight. “Isn’t there somewhere we can get a grilled cheese sandwich?” he pleaded.

“You said you wanted a cheap place, and it’s twenty bucks, in Tokyo, jeez.

“I can’t open my suitcase and the room door at the same time.

A Sense of Value

So that’s part of it. You compare oranges to oranges, and Japan looks expensive.

That’s because you should be eating mikan

instead of oranges. Plus they’re juicier too.

What I mean is that something’s always expensive somewhere. Sushi costs a fortune in the US, even though it’s terrible. A cup of coffee is four bucks in Italy and it comes in a thimble. So choosing what you want to eat, or do, versus what’s locally popular, is always expensive. That’s the price of swimming against the current. Like swimming—-don’t do that here. Better to stick with a traditional Japanese sport, like baseball.

Why People Think Japan’s Expensive

After much investigative research, I’ve narrowed down the misinformation about Japan to two sources. Okay, so I went to a bar and talked to some foreigners. Anyway, here’s what I concluded:

#1 Tourists from Nebraska

I assume we’ve all been this guy. You stumble off the plane from East Omaha, check into the hotel and ride the elevator straight to the Sky Deck for a deluxe wagyu beef extravaganza. And as you’re savoring the breathtaking Tokyo panorama, you suddenly realize the 5,000-yen glasses of Burgundy you’re slamming down aren’t five dollars each. You really gotta work on those math skills. Then you bumble outside for a nightcap and a kindly Nigerian doorman ushers you into a dimly lit bar where you spend 60 bucks for a beer and half an hour on a couch with a Russian girl. Hey, at least you’re having an authentic Japanese experience. Now, you’re not being ripped off because you’re a tourist; you’re ripping yourself off by having no freaking clue what you’re doing. I spent my first year here like that too. It was awesome! Okay, now I’m broke, but still it was awesome.

Step 4: Stand back, light a match, then run and find a Japanese person.

High Prices in Japan

Step 5: Do whatever that person says,

“Restaurants in Japan are so expensive!” she exclaimed. Gaijin are always exclaiming things. I don’t know why.

Step 3: Place your computer in the can too.

Realize those things are only keeping you from the Japan you love. Now say, “I consign you to the flames of hell.”

If I’ve learned nothing else from the The Discovery Channel, it’s that you have to be scientific about stuff. So let’s take a look at some common prices in Japan:

while repeating Step 2. Japanese people can recommend cheap hotels, authentic restaurants, even call the fire department.

They can all fix computers too.

Clean and safe hotel room in a major city: $50 Sketchy all-night booth in an internet cafe, including 5 movie rentals: $15 Japanese dinner at a restaurant, including drinks and tip: $10 Clean and safe apartment in a major city, 1 month: $500 Monthly cost of the car you no longer need because you live in a civilized nation that has trains: -$500 Sturdy bike for hauling groceries and beer: $45 Full day at a hot spring spa: $10 Fresh boxers and a t-shirt, the morning after biking to a hot spring followed by a night in a sketchy internet cafe: $2 I’m trying to think of any other essentials, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine what those would be. So Japan’s cheap, is my conclusion.

To put it simply, you need someone who understands the way things work in Japan.

Six Steps to Finding Bargains in #2 Recent College Grads, Also Japan Coincidentally From Nebraska Ah, but then you go on the internet, check This group is stunned to find that things in the world actually cost money. Like I chatted with this attractive American girl who’d just moved here to teach English. She must’ve been about 23, which is basically why I was talking to her.

will do in a pinch. Next, go to your computer.

Step 2: Stop wanting Japan to be a land of bacon cheeseburgers and motels with swimming pools. Remind yourself that it’s, you know, Japan.

“Really?” I exclaimed, “what’d you eat?”

“Italian,” she said, “The teachers at my school took me, and the bill was $30 each. “Okay,” I said, “How long were you there? “Like three hours. “Well, three hours . . . ” I offered. “Then we went to karaoke. Another 20 dollars. “So fifty bucks for a full night of eating, drinking, and singing? “Exactly. “Well, it’s Tokyo, not the corner booth of Bob’s Big Boy in Omaha.

“Hmph,” she scoffed, “I’m not from Nebraska.

“Sorry,” I said. “Kansas? Missouri? Oklahoma?

“It’s Iowa!” she exclaimed. “My bad,” I said.

“That’s where they grow potatoes, right?”

prices, and Holy Cow, Ken Seeroi was wrong!

It really is expensive. Okay, let me assure you, Ken Seeroi is never wrong. The internet is wrong. Whatever. Here’s how to find inexpensive Japan:

Step 1: Order a guidebook for Japan from Amazon. When it arrives, place the book inside a large, sturdy can. You’ll also need some matches and kerosene, but gasoline

Then Step 6—and this is pretty tough—is convincing your Japanese person that, No, you actually want to do things the Japanese way.

What I mean is, if you just find a random Japanese dude and ask for a restaurant recommendation, he’s gonna point you to the Tokyo Bob’s Big Boy. So instead, approach from behind, wrestle him to the ground, and box his ears until he takes you to the neighborhoodteishokuya where you can get a decent, cheap meal. Then just pay for dinner and apologize for going all sumo.

Don’t worry, all Japanese people are quick to forgive and forget. It’s an Asian thing.

Japanese Economy

In the end, Japan’s not expensive once you make some life adjustments. Like, sure, I live in an apartment smaller than a doghouse and have to use chopsticks because forks take up too much cupboard space, but still, it’s cheap. You gotta love a place you can clean in one minute flat, just by running a rag around the floorboards. Think of all the time you’ll save. And of course, when I say “you,” I actually mean you, as in, not me. Please come over and clean my tiny apartment. I’ll pay you in beer, how’s that? See? Now you’re making a profit. You really can’t afford not to live in Japan.

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Welcome to

F

rom time immemorial, the shores of Japan have been the first part of Asia to be awakened by the rising sun.

Each day the four main islands of Japan – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu – would emerge again from darkness into light, revealing a land of steep mountains, verdant forests, simmering hot springs and wave-swept coasts. From ancient times, the land and people of Japan have met in the morning sun to create a rich and varied culture with a vibrant and fascinating history.

Stretching for some 3,000 kilometers from

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Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, its terrain encompasses vacation pleasures that range from the world-class hiking and skiing of alpine peaks to the sunny pleasures of tropical beaches.

Formed long ago by volcanic activity, some two- thirds of its area composed of mountains, and it features many short, swift rivers, forested slopes and narrow coastal plains. With a population of about 123 million people, most of its citizens live on the four main islands, and particularly in an urban belt that runs from Osaka to Tokyo.

Japan’s climate ranges from northern temperate climes to southern subtropical lushness. For visitors, modern Japan offers a highly developed transportation system.

Its “Shinkansen” Bullet trains can zip you to many parwts of the country at average speeds of 190 k.p.h. (with a maximum speed of 300 k.p.h.)

Japan, inheritor of a human tradition rich in nuance and form, developer of the technology of tomorrow’s new age, land of sleepy villages and bustling urban power centers, extends a hearty IRASSHAI MASE! – welcome – to you, its honoured guest.

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s r e d n o W n a p a J f o

snow of Japan’s ski fields has also been Whether climbing volcanic Mount Fuji,

96

attracting international visitors.

J

wandering the pine forests of Mount Koya,

to the sun-drenched beaches and turquoise

Japan is a wealth of unforgettable natural

developments are realised in Japan is as

waters of the subtropical islands of Okinawa.

landscapes. In recent years, the powdery

impressive as the longevity of traditional art

apan is swathed in natural beauty, from the snow festivals and lavender farms of the northern isle of Hokkaido

taking in the springtime beauty of the

Contemporary Japan - 2015

Culturally, Japan offers a unique and exciting

sakura cherry blossoms or the spectacular

fusion of the traditional and the modern.

maple leaves in the autumn, a journey to

The speed at which new technological

Buddhist monks whizz by on motorbikes

most prestigious is the Miyako Odori held

in central Tokyo. ‘Cool Japan’ has become

throughout April every year in the geisha

an internationally-recognised byword for

quarter of Gion.

Japan’s popular culture, and Japanese

forms and customs. Whilst it is no longer the economic powerhouse it was for the greater part of the 20th century, Japan is still a world leader in innovative design and fashion, and continues to offer superb customer service, clean and punctual trains and meticulously prepared and presented cuisine.

Japanese culture embraces the new while

manga, anime and video games have never

Himeji Castle

been more popular. Modern architecture

Himeji-jo is Japan’s most impressive castle.

in Tokyo, and other major Japanese cities,

Dating from the 17th century, it is in excellent

is well-regarded for forging radical new

original condition and is dominated by a

styles and using clever combinations of

towering six-storey central donjon. The

glass and concrete, which hint at traditional

castle is also known as Shirasagi-jo, or “white

architectural forms yet offer minimalist

egret castle”, because of its gabled donjons

sophistication. However, ancient castles,

and is supposed to resemble the shape of

atmospheric

Shinto

the bird in flight. Himeji-jo survived the WW2

shrines and fascinating festivals are never

bombings that destroyed much of Himeji

far away.

city, and in 1993 it was added to UNESCO’s

Buddhist

temples,

Things to see and do

celebrating the past. It’s not unusual to

Geisha dances

see kimono-clad geisha singing karaoke

Kyoto’s geisha dances (odori) are held in

in

April, May and October, are open to all. The

downtown

Kyoto,

or

fully-robed

World Heritage list. It has also featured in many Japanese samurai television dramas, as well as Hollywood movies such as the 007 adventure set in Japan, You Only Live Twice, and the Tom Cruise film, The Last Samurai.

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Kumano Kodo The Kumano Kodo, literally the ‘Kumano ancient road’, is an ancient pilgrimage route in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture. It is an area of stunning natural beauty — forests, waterfalls, tea fields and soothing hot springs. It is also the spiritual heartland of Japanese mythology, and unique for its synthesis of Buddhism and Shintoism.

Since 2004, it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kyoto International Manga Museum The Kyoto International Manga Museum, housed in an old primary school, is the first museum in the world devoted to manga, or Japanese comics. The museum has a massive collection, both historical and contemporary, as well as international editions of Japanese comics and the works of international comic artists. Best of all, visitors are allowed to take the comics off the shelf and read them in one of the many reading spaces or outside on the lawn. Manga workshops are held at weekends and there are regular exhibitions of Japanese and international comics.

Naoshima Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea, located off the coast of Okayama Prefecture. Originally a fishing port, the island is now home to an exciting array of contemporary art museums, including one which also functions as a hotel, and outdoor art exhibits. Old houses on the island have been converted into exhibition spaces.

Shirakawa-go Mountain Village In the mountains of central Japan, lies the remote yet picturesque area of Shirakawago, which is famous for its Gassho-zukuri farmhouses. These charming traditional houses have high and narrow thatched roofs – said to resemble gassho or hands together in prayer. This architectural style developed as a result of the heavy winter snows in the area, and also became a place to cultivate silk worms. Many of the stillinhabited farmhouses are open to the public for inspection and offer a fascinating glimpse of both traditional and modern rural life. In winter, hoards of photographers descend upon the villages of Shirakawa-go, to capture the farmhouses covered in snow. The farmhouses are also extremely photogenic in spring and summer.

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Cherry blossom parties From April through May, sakura or cherry trees start blossoming across the country, and lively parties are held underneath the pretty blossoms. The most famous areas are in Ueno Park in Tokyo and Maruyama Park in Kyoto.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Hiroshima in Western Honshu is known around the world as the city which was destroyed by the world’s first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. Every year, millions of visitors come to the city to pay their respects in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Peace Memorial Museum.

The park, which was reconstructed in 1949, is home to many famous monuments and buildings, including the Children’s Peace Monument and the A-Bomb Dome, which was built in 1915 and designed by the Czech architect Jan Letzel. The ruins of the dome, which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, have become the symbol of an international desire for peace.

Hokkaido This northern island was for a long time Japan’s ‘Wild West’, and it still retains a distinct pioneer feel. Hokkaido is home to the last of Japan’s indigenous Ainu people, and 100

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the remnants of their distinct culture. The Hokkaido Ainu Center is in Sapporo, and the Ainu Museum is in Shiranoi.

Hot springs When the Japanese want to relax, they head to a natural hot spring resort, or onsen. Famous ones include Dogo in Matsuyama, Shikoku, one of the oldest in Japan; and Ibusuki, on the southern tip of Kyushu, renowned for its hot-sand saunas.

Japanese tea ceremony Arrange to take part in a traditional tea ceremony through

the tourist information centres in Kyoto and Tokyo. The elegant ritual takes place in a tranquil room designed and designated for tea, a chashitsu, and is steeped in seasonal symbolism.

Kamakura This pleasant coastal town, one hour south of Tokyo, was the seat of Japan’s medieval feudal government, and is full of historic sights. Highlights include the giant bronze Great Buddha and colourful shrine Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu.

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102

at 3,776 m tall. You won’t be alone, as in

Kyoto

Miyajima

Don’t miss the visiting the imperial capital of

Near Hiroshima is the picturesque island of

high season there are queues along several

Japan for over 1,000 years, Kyoto. Founded

Miyajima, where a famous red Shinto torii

parts of the route. There are lodges along

in AD 794, Kyoto’s sights include the Golden

gateway seemingly floats on the sea at high

the route where you can stop for a rest or

Pavilion (Kinkakuji), the Zen rock garden of

tide. Attractions include the Itsukushima

refreshments.

Ryoanji, the dramatic verandah of Kiyomizu

Shrine, the tame deer, and the cable car up

Temple and the medieval Nijo Castle with its

the central mountain for panoramic views.

Nara

musical “nightingale floor”. The historic Gion

Mount Fuji

One hour south of Kyoto, Nara was the first

geisha district makes for a wonderful late

From July to early September it’s possible to

imperial capital of Japan, and marked the far

afternoon wander.

climb Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain

eastern end of the Silk Road. See the Great

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Buddha of Todaiji Temple, the world’s largest wooden structure at 57 m high, and the sacred deer in ancient Nara Park.

Osaka

Okinawa

castle (an excellent reproduction of the

Head to the subtropical islands of Okinawa, south of Japan, for sun-drenched, whitesand beaches, friendly locals and turquoise waters. Okinawa is the best place in Japan for water sports. Diving and surfing are also popular.

Japan’s third largest city is renowned for its abundance of excellent restaurants, historic original) and the performing arts of kabuki and bunraku. The city’s Dotonburi area is particularly vibrant after dark.

Sanjusangen-do Temple Completed in 1266, the Sanjusangen-do

Temple which is officially called Rengeo-in Temple, is a faithful copy of an original that was built in 1164, but burned down n 1249.

Originally built by Taira no Kiyomori for the emperor Go-Shirakawa, the temple is today a national treasure. It is best known for its wooden image of the Thousand-Armed Kannon (the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy), a masterpiece of the Kamakura period, which stands surrounded by 1000 smaller statues of the same goddess. The hondo (main

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103

building) is split into 33 sanjusan (bays) that exist between its many pillars to symbolise the 33 incarnations of Kannon, hence the name Sanjusangen-do Temple, which literally means ‘33 bay hall’.

Sapporo Snow Festival Every February, Sapporo, Hokkaido’s vibrant capital, hosts its extraordinary Snow Festival. The ice party lasts for seven days and is marked by huge, elaborate snow and ice sculptures. Several other towns in Hokkaido also have snow and ice festivals during the winter.

Sensoji Temple This is Tokyo’s most revered Buddhist temple, and pilgrims have flocked here for over 1,000 years – though its size, noise and commerce may surprise you. A military commander commissioned Sensoji’s entrance gate – and boy does it show! Giant lanterns watch over smoking incense, swirling crowds and teeming shops.

Originally founded in AD 628 to enshrine a statuette of the Kannon Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy), damage from bombing raids mean that today you’ll find a lavish, five-storey reconstruction.

Smoke from the huge incense burner in front of the temple is said to have healing powers.

Skiing Come winter, do as many Japanese do and hit the slopes. Mountains here are covered in top-class ski resorts, especially in the central Japanese Alps and Hokkaido, and are famous for their powder snow.

Many resorts also have onsen (hot springs) to relax in après-ski.

Sumo wrestling Watching sumo wrestling is an exciting and very traditional Japanese experience. Six major tournaments are held throughout the year in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Tickets can be purchased in advance or on the day.

Theme Parks Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and Tokyo’s Disney Resort are both enormously popular with families. Even better is Tokyo’s delightful Ghibli Museum based on the animated movies of Studio Ghibli.

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105

Tokyo’s Imperial Palace

Tsukiji Fish Market

Gain access to generally off-limits parts of

Get up early to witness the world’s largest

the Imperial Palace grounds by joining a

fish market at Tsukiji in Tokyo. The action

tour. Otherwise, the East Gardens (Higashi

kicks off around 0400 and winds down

Gyoen) are open year round without prior

around midday. Visitors must register by

booking.

5am at the Information Center for a special tour. Afterwards, feast on the freshest of

Traditional Performing Arts

sushi and sashimi at the restaurants beside

In Tokyo or Osaka book a seat to see some

the market.

bunraku, a unique form of puppet theatre,

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or the dramatic forms of noh and kabuki

Whale and dolphin watching

theatre which feature participants dressed

Several former whaling ports have caught

in colourful traditional costumes.

onto the tourist value of switching to whale-

Contemporary Japan - 2015

watching tours. Between January and April is a good time to go whale or dolphin watching in eastern and western Japan

Shopping Shoppers will encounter a blend of quintessential Japanese goods and sophisticated sales techniques in Japan, particularly at the big department stores which are usually located near major train stations and commercial districts.

Department stores, which are more like exhibitions than shops, almost always have

extremely attentive and highly trained staff. Smaller specialty shops, which sell traditional goods and have often been in business for hundreds of years, also provide a unique shopping experience and offer a high level of service. Special purchases include kimonos, mingei (local crafts including kites and folk toys), Kyoto silks, fans, religious articles such as Shinto and Buddhist artefacts, paper lanterns, ceramics, lacquerware, cameras and other electronic equipment.

quality hand-made and region-specific goods are ubiquitous. Fans of Japanese popular culture will be able to purchase the latest fashion and character goods from their favourite manga and anime in all major Japanese cities; in particular, Akihabara in Tokyo and Den-Den Town in Osaka. Outlet stores for brand-name goods manufactured in Japan are becoming increasingly common, and are often located near international airports.

Ussuf Malik

Ussuf Malik is a businessman and active member of (SCCI). He holds a master’s degree in Political Science. He is passionate about writing, poetry and articles. He believes that words are beautiful and powerful. He is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines. He can be contacted by email: ussufmalik@yahoo.com

Colourful souvenir shops stocked with high-

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The new tax free system, saving you even more when you shop!

T

he tax free system in Japan changed on October 1, 2014. The number of items eligible for tax exemption increased and all items are tax free, making your shopping in Japan even more enjoyable.

According to the statistics released by the Japan Tourism Agency, the most popular souvenirs among tourists from overseas are consumable goods such as , a wide variety of snacks, sake, cosmetics and medicines. Sweets and snacks are a common Japanese souvenir because of the variety of designs and flavors that bring a feeling of the season and local areas. Sake also has been attracting more attention along with the increase in the popularity of Japanese foods. Cosmetics and medicines are popular because of their trusted quality which passed strict Japanese standards. These consumable goods, which had not been tax free, will be added to the list of items eligible for tax exemption with the new tax system starting in October.

All tax free shops in Japan that have applied to the Japan Tourism 108

Contemporary Japan - 2015

Agency will be given a logo (Japan, Tax free Shop) and a website with frequently asked questions and a store search function will be launched when the new system starts in October.

The requirement for tax exemption is, as it was in the past, is the purchase of general goods including electronic appliances and clothes worth over 10,000 yen at the same shop on the same day by the same person. For consumable goods, tax exemption will apply for purchases above 5,000 yen but below 500,000 yen at the same shop on the same day by the same person.

To apply for tax exemption, simply show your passport to the cashier and sign the covenant of purchaser. The process is much easier now because the tax exemption is applied at the point of purchase.

However, please note that consumable goods are wrapped according to government regulation and if you open them while you are in Japan, sales tax will be charged when you depart the country. Please see the Japan Tourism Agency website for details. www.jnto.go.jp/

Tokyo Continues to Appeal to Foreign Travelers Ahead of 2020

O

ne thing most visiting foreigners suggest is increasing the amount of information available in different languages. The metropolitan and central governments already have plans to make information more accessible to foreign tourists, including multi-language information services at museums and other cultural facilities to help foreigners understand the culture better when visiting the country for the Games.

The challenge of catering to foreign visitors also lies within the shopping industry, and two shopping centers in Odaiba have 110

Contemporary Japan - 2015

already begun adapting to the challenge. Venus Fort, a shopping center operated by Mori Building Co., currently has around 10-15% foreign customers, mostly from Asia. As well as hiring staff who speak Chinese, Korean and English, they have released an app that can be used in 5 languages (Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, English and Japanese) to navigate the mall and find out general information such as store locations. Venus Fort’s free WiFi service inside the mall—usable for up to 3 hours—is also useful for people who free internet access, a type of service that is often expected by visitors.

Although 2020 is 6 years away, it’s never too early to start preparing for an event as large as the Olympics and Paralympics, especially when the number of tourists is expected to jump dramatically. Even in 2013, some10.36 million people visited Japan, topping the government’s target of 10 million.

Across from Venus Fort is the shopping complex DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, which also wants to provide a better welcome to its foreign customers. From March next year, it will implement Chinese lessons to all staff, including part-time employees, in order to teach simple phrases for basic level communication. It is no wonder that the two shopping centers attract so many people from abroad—both are within 15 minutes of Haneda International Airport.

in and receive customer service. Although this is part of Tokyo’s charm—for such a large city, it is not crammed with tourist attractions aimed purely at foreigners—the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games already seem to be the positive catalyst needed to make Japan a more foreigner-friendly, easy place to visit.

–Mona Neuhauss

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Enjoying a Luxurious

F

or visitors who want to experience Japanese culture, staying at a ryokan or a traditional Japanese inn is a must.

Ryokans are treasure houses, filled with unique Japanese characteristics including being surrounded by beautiful nature, natural hot springs, delicious Japanese cuisine, having a relaxing time in a room filled with Japanese ambience, appreciating the warm Omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) provided to guests. In order to find out what

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we can actually experience at a ryokan, we visited “Taiyo No Sato Bettei Umi To Mori”, a high-grade resort facility surrounded by ocean and forests, located in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, one and a half hours away from Narita Airport.

Guest rooms that represent ‘Omotenashi’ One of the characteristics of ryokan is that they have “Washitsu” or a Japanese-style room

where tatami mats made of natural straws are laid on the floor of all the guest rooms. This traditional style room with wooden ceiling and pillars, Fusuma (a sliding door) and Shoji (a fitting for windows), both made of paper, will let you actually feel the Japanese culture.

What draws your attention as soon as you first enter into the Washitsu is the space called Tokonoma with a “Zataku”, large low table, placed in front of it. Tokonoma is a special place set up only in a guest room to welcome guests. It includes a hanging scroll and Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement that match the season, all to show hospitality to guests.

Feeling the tatami mats texture on the back of your bare feet is comfortable, but what is better about Washitsu is the comfortable atmosphere that makes you feel at home.

You can fully relax in any way you like in your Washitsu, from laying down on your back to stretching out your legs. Sleeping on the soft futon or Japanese-style bedding laid out by the staff is an experience that you cannot miss. What’s more, each guest room has Japanese style clothing prepared for you including Yukata or an informal cotton kimono that can be worn around the room and Hanten or a short coat to wear when you are cold.

Ryokans make detailed arrangements so they can provide comfort to their guests during their stay. For example, “Bettei Umi To Mori” has independent rooms standing in a separate area where guests can relax free of distraction. Another appeal is the variety of rooms to choose from to match your taste including one with a living room with wooden flooring and one with a large Washitsu. In addition, making the most of the location with the ocean on the east side and forests on the west side, each room provides a different spectacular view.

It is part of traditional Japanese culture to enjoy the breathtaking scenery that spreads

outside of the room as if it is your own private garden.

Enjoy your own private hot springs An open-air bath, where you can bathe feeling the natural breeze, is a precious experience you can enjoy in Japan. However, many tourists feel uncomfortable taking a bath with strangers. “Bettei Umi To Mori” has guests rooms containing open-air baths for family use. They make arrangements so that guests can enjoy a bath looking out to the ocean. In addition, guests can reserve the large public open-air bath where they can privately use it for a certain period of time.

An authentic Kaiseki Ryori Something else you must try along with the hot springs is Japanese cuisine, which is registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. The accommodation fees of ryokans usually include dinner and breakfast. You can experience meals equivalent to those available at a highclass restaurant specializing in Japanese cuisine. Dinner is mainly authentic Kaiseki Ryori or Japanese multi-course cuisine that starts with appetizers. Japanese cuisine is not only delicious, but also aesthetically pleasing with plates and presentation that incorporate the seasonal tastes.

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Expressing Omotenashi, the Japanese hospitality to their guests is a priority for ryokans, and every effort is made to create menus that use the area’s local delicacies.

“Bettei Umi To Mori” takes pride in serving the freshest seafood caught in the local area of Choshi. Choshi has excellent fishing and the volume of fish caught in the area is among the highest in Japan, ranked first in the 2011 annual catch. “Bettei Umi To Mori” proudly offers its guests Japanese cuisine, prepared by professional chefs using locally caught fresh fish, while fully displaying their cooking expertise.

Enjoy a pleasant stroll through town while taking in the scenery Many ryokans are built on scenic sites.

Appreciating beautiful nature and just enjoying the time pass slowly are also a traditional Japanese way of traveling. Taking

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in unforgettable scenery and enjoying a stroll in the local town are experiences unique to each area you visit. In Choshi, where Ryokan “Bettei Umi To Mori” is located, you will be able to see the heritage of geographical features that cannot be seen anywhere else, including Byobugaura, a 40-50 meter-high and 10 kilometer-long steep cliff stretching along the coast. It is an area around the bottom of the lighthouse of Cape Inubo where marine sediments from the age of the dinosaurs and rocks from 150 million years ago are preserved.

Cape Inubo, 15 minutes walk from “Bettei Umi To Mori”, is located at the farthest east end of the Kanto region and is known as the place where the sun rises the earliest in Honshu, the main island of Japan. The time of sunrise is displayed in the lobby every day for those guests who want to see the sunrise.

The ocean of Cape Inubo is renown for the

beauty of its waves. There is a promenade along the coast leading to Cape Inubo is where the white lighthouse stands, a perfect path for a stroll. From sunrise to nightfall when the light of the lighthouse reaches the lobby, spending a slow and relaxing time and enjoying the different views of the ocean is a true delight experienced only at a special inn.

Ryokans are filled with the essence of Japanese culture starting from the greeting “Irashaimase” to welcome guests, to the relaxing time spent in the Washitsu and sleeping on a futon or Japanese-style bedding, to the hot springs and the Japanese cuisine. The best part of any trip is to experience the culture of the country you visit. Why don’t you include a ryokan experience in your next trip to Japan?

If you walk around a town in Japan, you will notice that there are vending machines everywhere. That isn’t surprising

Japanese Vending Machines

considering that there are about 5.5 million vending machines in Japan, giving them the highest prominence rate in the world when calculating the population ratio. Of those, the number of machines specializing in beverage sales is about 2.56 million and one feature of these Japanese machines is that they don’t only sell cold drinks, but also hot drinks as well in one machine.

You will also often see machines that have a selection of over 30 different products ranging from juice, soda, coffee, tea, Japanese tea, and hot soup all in one machine. The products they sell in addition

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to beverages are “limitless” with items

on train stations in Tokyo.

such as ice cream, newspapers, paperback books, shrine charms, sweets and bread,

By just standing in front of the vending

fruit, vegetables, etc. Machines with unique

machine it will automatically determine your

features such as helping “customers” enjoy

gender and age with a probability of more

even seconds or tens of seconds spent at the

than 70% using a face recognition sensor at

machine by talking to the buyers are also

the top of the machine. A “recommended”

being developed one after another.

mark is then indicated on select beverages

‘What do you Recommend?’

based on the buyers attribute information, time of purchase, temperature, etc. For

Have you ever had the experience of

example, let’s say a woman in her 30’s is

standing in front of a vending machine,

standing in front of the vending machine on

unable to decide and thinking, “Well, what

a cold winter morning. Many women would

should I buy...”? A new innovation to relieve

probably consider buying something like

people from this kind of feeling is the latest

hot tea, corn soup, or beauty drinks.

There are about 5.5 million vending machines in Japan, giving them the highest prominence rate in the world when calculating the population ratio

vending machine with a function that recommends beverages that suit the buyers.

They are being installed in areas centering

With the sophisticated design of new machines, the feeling of operating the

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117

touch display is as if you are operating a giant smart phone. Products in the vending machine that have been sold out will be removed from its line-up. In some cases, after purchasing a product, the machines will display a slot machine that makes buyers happy with campaigns where winners can receive another drink free, or will display information like temperature and weather information on the screen, making them helpful to people passing by.

Speaking of helpful functions, recently in Japan, the number of vending machines with functions to provide beverages for free as disaster relief in the event of a big disaster is also increasing. In fact, during over 100 thousand drinks were provided

Even Vending Machines Have Store Managers?

to the disaster stricken areas. As it would

There are probably some people who

be a waste not to utilize such a common

feel that “Even though vending machines

machine, initiatives are being set forth in

are convenient, they are still just machines.

various locations to quickly inform people

There is no warmth to them like there is when

about warnings and evacuation instructions

you buy from a store,” so what beverage

by adding digital displays that show disaster

manufacturers in Japan have come up with

information.

is the “virtual store manager” service.

the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011,

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The

virtual

store

manager

was

introduced in 980 thousand coffee vending machines for a limited time last fall. If you download the application into your smart phone and register the vending machine you frequently use, that vending machine will send you messages and special videos from your chosen “store manager,” played by female entertainers, every time you pass by it. When you go near the vending machine on your way home from work, you will be so happy when you receive messages from the “store manager” saying “good job on your work today”, that it will cause a phenomenon of your going to your “favorite shop” without even thinking about it.

Live Footage of the Progress Inside There are also vending machines where you can enjoy authentic drip brewed coffee that is comparable to coffee that has been brewed carefully by a coffee shop master.

After pushing the button to purchase, coffee beans will begin grinding then coffee will be slowly drip brewed and served one cup at a time with this machine developed by Japanese manufacturers for the first time in the world.

Additionally, the unique thing about this machine is the live footage on the monitor screen, which shows the whole process up until you receive your coffee, Contemporary Japan - 2015

119

from a camera inside the machine. It takes about one minute from the time that the beans begin grinding until the time that you receive your coffee from the dispenser, so this was invented to give you something to enjoy during that waiting time. There are many repeat customers who “always end up buying from these machines because it is so fun to watch its movements while it is diligently working for you.�

If you walk around a town in Japan, you are bound to run into one of these fun machines packed with this sense of enjoyment along with its products.

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Fine Custom Furniture

Craftsmanship Cell: (+965) 9404 9100, 6031 9983, 9978 9372 Email: aleidangroupco@gmail.com

e s e n a Jap S C I R B A 11 F g

verin Disco Japan

2013 no.

HAVE

OB L G R THEI

AL R

ION T A T EPU

W

ED RAPP

UP

Japanese

dyeing

and

weaving

techniques handed down from one generation to the next in different parts of the country have created a wide variety of fabrics and made life more convenient, comfortable

and

enjoyable.

Today,

advanced technologies are being used to create cutting-edge textiles that make life better for people around the world.

Textiles and Japan Since ancient times the Japanese have refined their dyeing and weaving techniques, shaping and coloring their culture along the way to a bright future.

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l a b o r Gl

It is not clear when the Japanese mastered the art of making cloth, but we can assume they were using cloth for many purposes by the time they established a farming culture in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Silken fabrics woven into patterns have been unearthed from ruins of the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Beginning around that time, cultural elements and artisans are believed to have entered the country from the Korean peninsula and China, bringing new ways to make cloth.

Imported goods as teacher: The Japanese learn new techniques, and make them their own Weaving techniques in Japan saw more refinement in the 7th and 8th centuries, when many cultural elements entered from Sui and Tang China.

One prime example is nishiki, an ornate and colorful mon-orimono featuring a raised, brocade pattern. Also produced by this time were dyed goods. The most notable dyeing methods that appealed to people then include: • Shibori-zome tie-dyeing: Thread is used to tie parts of a fabric, so the dye that cannot reach those parts. • Bosen resist dyeing: Melted wax is applied to parts of the fabric so that the dye does not penetrate there, leaving a pattern. • Itajime-zome board dyeing: The cloth is clamped tightly between wooden boards that have a pattern carved in relief. The clamped parts of the cloth are protected from the dye, leaving a white pattern.

Embroidery also began around the same time. The abovementioned dyeing techniques and embroidery were used not only for clothing but also for floor coverings and decorated fabrics hung from the pillars and ceilings of Buddhist temples.

After diplomatic relations with China were suspended in the 10th century, clothing took on a distinctive Japanese style. Rather than fabrics being dyed after being woven, fabrics woven from dyed threads were adopted by the upper class. It became fashionable to wear multiple thin garments of different colors, each made from mon-orimono silk and showing its own hem, collar and sleeves in a beautiful layered color arrangement.

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The front and reverse of fabric was adorned in different color combinations to form motifs depicting the appearance of plants, insects or other aspects of nature during a specific season. Each motif had its own name, and there were about 130 color combinations. The motif chosen would match the current season.

The kimono leads fashion culture to new dyeing and weaving techniques Between the 13th and 16th centuries the kosode, which evolved into today’s kimono, took on a central role in Japanese fashion for all classes. And then, in the early 17th century, when the Tokugawa Shogunate ushered in what would become 300 years of peace, women’s fashion quite quick124

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ly evolved toward the ornate, although the level of ornateness depended somewhat on the social class.

New dyeing techniques appeared around the end of the 17th century, among them a process still alive today: yuzenzome. In this technique, the pattern outlines are drawn like pieces of fine thread, using a starch resist paste to protect the outlines from the dye.

The result is remarkably colorful, exquisite patterns, so beautiful that the process spread to various parts of the country and was used not only for women’s kosode garments but for other fabric goods as well, such as cloth for wrapping presents.

Thus, by early modern times a number of dyeing techniques were being used to cre-

ate patterns unique to each respective technique. But the ancient mon-orimono raised brocade techniques did not completely die out. The Noh theater, with its masked actors, grew in popularity especially among the military class, and costume production soared. The fabric used for those costumes was often woven in the mon-orimono technique.

Cotton cultivation spread in the 18th century, spurring the weaving of cotton fabric. Cheap to buy, it was quickly adopted by the common folk, and cotton dyed goods were soon being produced in many areas. It was around this time that cotton fabric became part of the culture of ordinary people, one that lives on today in various forms, including tie-dyed cloth produced through-

out the country, and fabric decorated with a kasure splashed pattern effect achieved by including speckled dyed thread in the weave.

Techniques passed down through the ages, into the future After Japan’s feudal system ended in the late 19th century, the influence of Western civilization swept in. Although 126

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the nation’s fabric traditions still lived on, completely new approaches to dyeing and weaving were also seen in the importation and further development of chemical dyes and weaving machines. These led to techniques prevalent in Japan’s modern culture of dyeing and weaving.

Traditional clothing changed in the face of new technologies, and new buildings constructed in the Western style had some

of their walls and their chairs covered in the new fabric styles. Even the traditional furoshiki cloth for wrapping objects was made with the new techniques.

Later, even more splendid chemical fibers were developed in Japan. But we cannot forget that the roots of today’s fabric culture go back in an unbroken line to ancient times.

Gazing Across the Sea into Japan’s Past

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At the top of Mount Kagami in Saga Prefecture’s northern coastal city of Karatsu, the statue of a lone woman gazes sorrowfully at the ocean below.

According to legend, this statue is modeled after Princess Sayo, who stood here and watched the soldier she loved head out to sea in the eighth century. The statue symbolizes the ocean’s significance to Karatsu’s history, given the area’s proximity to the Asian continent.

Just in front of the statue, Kagamiyama

The Genkai Sea washes Karatsu’s

Observatory is an excellent vantage point

coastline, and the Genkai Submarine

for surveying the heart of Karatsu. Along

Observatory, located on Cape Hado,

the coast, the Nijinomatsubara Pine Grove

offers a glimpse of life below the swirling

forms a nearly five-kilometer-long band

waters. Visitors can enter a tower set in

of dark green with about a million trees,

the sea and take a spiral staircase down

planted over four centuries ago to ward

to a circular chamber with portholes

off the wind and tides. Perched on a small

that reveal the surrounding ocean and

hill near the grove, Karatsu Castle exhibits

numerous varieties of sea life. The cape is

pottery, artifacts, armor and swords, and

also a resort area offering opportunities

invites visitors to imagine a samurai’s

for hiking, fishing, camping, swimming

perspective of the land stretching out

and more. Food stalls cooking up fresh-

below.

caught shellfish on the beach, including

ancient times. One example is the local

or Japanese beef. In Karatsu City, there

pottery known as Karatsu-yaki on display

is a steak restaurant called Nakamura

there, which has its origins in technology

that serves Saga beef and is listed in the

attributed to master potters coming from

Michelin Guide.

Korea in the late sixteenth century.

While Saga offers plenty to see and Saga Prefecture has no shortage of dining options for serious foodies. The

do throughout the year, Fumio Beppu, assistant director of the Saga Prefectural

Genkai Sea yields an abundance of superb seafood, and Karatsu locals recommend their nearly transparent squid prepared in ikizukuri style. Kept swimming in a seawater tank until the customer’s order arrives, the squid is scooped out and prepared as sashimi within a minute.

Other than seafood, Saga Prefecture is highly ranked in the world of wagyu,

abalone and turban shells (sazae), are not to be missed.

A short drive away from Cape Hado is the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum and Castle Ruins. Only stone walls remain of Nagoya Castle, which served as an important staging ground in Kyushu in the late 1500s. According to its deputy curator, the museum was built to promote friendship and exchanges between Korea and Japan. Its main theme is the history of such exchanges from Contemporary Japan - 2015

129

Tourism

Federation,

encourages

visitors to experience Saga’s famous festivals in early November. Held from November 2-4, the Karatsu Kunchi Festival, said to date back to the late sixteenth century,

features

fourteen

brightly

colored floats in shapes such as sea bream and dragons parading through the city, each molded out of sheets of washi (Japanese paper), lacquer, and gold and silver leaf. Also in early November, over a hundred hot-air balloons take to Saga City’s skies during one of the Asia’s biggest international hot-air balloon festivals. served as an important staging ground in Kyushu in the late 1500s. According to its deputy curator, the museum was built to promote friendship and exchanges between Korea and Japan. Its main theme is the history of such exchanges from 130

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ancient times. One example is the local pottery known as Karatsu-yaki on display there, which has its origins in technology attributed to master potters coming from Korea in the late sixteenth century.

Saga Prefecture has no shortage of dining options for serious foodies. The Genkai Sea yields an abundance of superb seafood, and Karatsu locals recommend their nearly transparent squid prepared in ikizukuri style. Kept swimming in a

seawater tank until the customer’s order arrives, the squid is scooped out and prepared as sashimi within a minute.

Other than seafood, Saga Prefecture is highly ranked in the world of wagyu, or Japanese beef. In Karatsu City, there is a steak restaurant called Nakamura that serves Saga beef and is listed in the Michelin Guide.

While Saga offers plenty to see and do throughout the year, Fumio Beppu, assistant director of the Saga Prefectural Tourism Federation, encourages visitors to experience Saga’s famous festivals in early November. Held from November 2-4, the Karatsu Kunchi Festival, said to date back to the late sixteenth century, features fourteen brightly colored floats in shapes such as sea bream and dragons parading through the city, each molded out of sheets of washi (Japanese paper), lacquer, and gold and silver leaf. Also in early November, over a hundred hot-air balloons take to Saga City’s skies during one of the Asia’s biggest international hot-air balloon festivals.

Karatsu and Saga demonstrate in so many ways that Japan is truly an island nation, and the region’s coastal attractions, history and cuisine will particularly appeal to travelers who love the sea and the wonders of the past.

Karatsu and Saga demonstrate in so many ways that Japan is truly an island nation, and the region’s coastal attractions, history and cuisine will particularly appeal to travelers who love the sea and the wonders of the past.

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NAGASAKI

Nagasaki City and Battleship Island

The capital of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Nagasaki City has long been a bridge for foreign trade and relations with both Asia and Europe. The city’s architecture reflects its colorful past, notably Oura Catholic Church, built at the end of the Edo Period for the city’s burgeoning community of foreign traders who had gravitated to the city during Japan’s era of isolation. Oura and Nagasaki’s other elegant churches are juxtaposed with wonderfully preserved examples of classical Chinese architecture, such as the Buddhist temples Sofukuji and Kofukuji, creating an exotic atmosphere.

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The miners toiled in 30-degree heat and 95 percent humidity to mine millions of tons of coal, extracting 411,100 tons in 1941 alone

Visitors to Nagasaki will enjoy an afternoon strolling through OrandaZaka (“Dutch Slope”) where Western merchants once resided, taking in the greenery of Nagasaki Peace Park and later sampling authentic delights while exploring bustling Chinatown. After

dark, find a spot to view Nagasaki’s nightscape, which is said to equal those of Monaco and Hong Kong.

Just a short distance away from the city itself, 19 kilometers away from Nagasaki Port, is the abandoned island of Hashima. Also known as Gunkanjima,

meaning “Battleship Island,” Hashima has drawn tourists in large numbers in recent years. It earned its nickname from the protective embankment around the island’s 1,200-meter perimeter, reinforced concrete tower blocks and lofty chimneys.

The tiny island has a surface area of

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only around 63,000 square meters, and originally became famous as a coalmine producing high-quality coal.

The mine remained in operation for 85 years until its closure in 1974.

Hashima was a small, steep sandstone rock, thought to have been just 320 meters from north to south and

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100 meters from east to west. As coal extraction intensified, however, Hashima underwent landfill construction on six occasions to cope with the increasing demand for living space, reaching its current size in 1931.

Dwellings had to expand upward as more and more workers flocked

from far and wide to take advantage of the favorable wages. Like a huge, crowded passenger vessel moored off the Nagasaki coast, Hashima boasted sophisticated tunnels and walkways, cutting-edge concrete dwellings, a dance hall and bar, and a school, temple, market and vegetable garden. Workers and their families, were living in an area nine times more densely populated than modernday Tokyo.

The miners toiled in 30-degree heat and 95 percent humidity to mine millions of tons of coal, extracting 411,100 tons in 1941 alone. Most of that output was sent to the Yahata Ironworks in Kyushu. Hashima’s coal was of the highest quality, low in ash and sulfur, and it was also easily pulverized. As coal was abandoned for other more

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economical forms of energy, the mine was eventually closed.

Although long since deserted, Hashima’s desolation and visible decrepitude lure hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Japan has recently proposed that the island be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of the crucial role it played in the country’s drive to industrialization. Besides symbolizing a key era in Japan’s modern history, Hashima was a dynamo that presaged the global economic power the small island nation would one day become.

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Hot Activities for a

Cool Area in

TOKYO

F

or frequent visitors to Tokyo, there’s a super trendy corner of town we’d like you to check out. Just west of Shibuya which is popular with young people,

the area connecting Shibuya, Jiyugaoka and Futakotamagawa is known as the “Triangle Area”. It doesn’t just have shops stocking fashionable sweatshirts and cafes where you can try hot chocolate fondue made by French trained chefs. On top of that, it’s an upmarket area with a lot of green nature and natural lighting, and streets where you’ll want to go hunting for things you personally like.

Get the discount ticket, go wherever you feel like in the Triangle Area and discover these towns with plenty of unique things to do!

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The base of the Triangle Area is the well-known Shibuya

Both Jiyugaoka and Futakotamagawa are well known for being two of Tokyo’s shopping battlegrounds, and new shops are constantly popping up.

It’s fun to compare the two areas to see which matches your style, and you can also narrow your shop search by focusing on the items you want, for example you might be looking for a bright colored and easy to use stole for next spring, or hair accessories with pop decorations.

And if you want even more, if you take a limited express train on Tokyu Toyoko Line from Jiyugaoka, it’s only 20 minutes to Yokohama! After you’ve thoroughly enjoyed shopping and wandering around town, you can then go on to enjoy dinner and beautiful night views in Yokohama’s Minatomirai, which would be quite an impressive achievement for a single day.

The fashionable yet easy to get into Jiyugaoka, and the easily livable and appealing Futako-tamagawa. Both cities are full of life, so whenever you turn a corner there’s always new discoveries awaiting you.

Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. With the discount Triangle Ticket that gives you unlimited travel within the Triangle Area for a day, we’ve decided to try out Jiyugaoka on the Tokyu Toyoko Line first.

Jiyugaoka: Wander around and find things you love “The best way to enjoy Jiyugaoka is to search for a shop that’s just for you.”

This advice was given by Hiromi Sumi, who is a station staff member at the Tokyu Toyoko Jiyugaoka Station. For example, the area around the North Exit has many accessories shops for classy women, under the bridge there’s an arcade similar to Ueno’s Ameya-yokocho Market, and everywhere you go there’s the scent of delicious sweets wafting through the air. You get the feeling that you’ll find something you like if you just use your intuition.

In fact, the shops that you see are all very unique. Even the way the windows are decorated demonstrates good taste.

There are so many interesting shops like beauty salons with carved angels lining the entrance and stores with an 80′s American twist which you’ll just end up just wanting to go inside.

“There are also many specialist stores such as stores specializing in honey, or cameras,” says Ms. Sumi. Her personal favorite is “Kuhombutsu Street,” which is a short walk from the south exit of the station. It’s a leafy

Things made just for you The base of the Triangle Area is the well-known Shibuya. To get from this young fashion capital to Jiyugaoka, which is popular for having lots of cozy cafes and stores with stylish accessories, it only takes 12 minutes by local train, and 7 minutes by express. And it’s about the same distance to get to the refined town of Futako-tamagawa with its harmonious blend of urban and natural elements. Both these areas are about 30 minutes from Shinjuku, so you can easily go whenever you feel like it.

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During cherry blossom season, the edge of the train platform is her best secret spot for flower viewing.

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green street lined with cherry blossom trees, and there are benches everywhere for people to relax freely. During cherry blossom season, the edge of the train platform is her best secret spot for flower viewing. “There are so many hidden restaurants and also lots of stores selling delicious sweets, I often get asked for help by customers. I love Jiyugaoka, so I’m always happy to help people out.”

Strolling through the richly diverse Futako-tamagawa Before heading to Futako-tamagawa from Jiyugaoka, we’d like to make a stop at Todoroki Valley. Despite being just three minutes’ walk from Todoroki Station on the Oimachi Line, it’s like a totally different world. Once you descend the stairs from the entrance sign at the foot of a bridge, there’s a winding valley path

lined with lush forest where you can hear the constant babbling of the brook. Taking a mini vacation by immersing yourself in a silence unthinkable for a major city, and visiting a known power spot in Todoroki Fudoson temple, this is an experience you can only find here. It’s an enjoyable yet strange feeling as if you’ve traveled back in time.

Spread along the banks of the Tamagawa River, Tokyo’s oasis, Futako-tamagawa (known colloquially as “Niko-Tama”) is a refined town that blends together greenery, water and urban images. You might be cycling down the river bank with a gentle breeze in the morning, relaxing at a cafe followed by shopping in a gorgeous mall in the afternoon, and finally enjoying a sumptuous dinner at twilight… That’s the kind of elegant lifestyle which suits this town.

Futako-tamagawa has become a leader in shopping style for the wealthy.

“Tamagawa Takashimaya S.C” is Japan’s first suburban shopping centre consisting of the well-established Takashimaya department store and around 340 specialty shops. On the 1st floor, a row of world leading brand stores create a luxury feel in a relaxed space. Next to that is a store selling beautiful Italian made dinnerware featuring abstract blue

patterns, and a stationery store lined with interesting goods such as classy heart shaped memo stands. It might be a bit expensive, but you’ll end up wanting to use it on a regular basis. If you just wander around the stores looking at these kinds of goods, you’ll completely forget about the passage of time.

Surrounding the sprawling courtyard in front of the station is the modern “Futako Tamagawa Rise Shopping Center” complex with 3 wings and 160 stores.

Though it features many fashion stores such as the globally popular H&M, we’d definitely like you to check out the “Tokyu Food Show” on the 1st basement floor.

With sweets shops that give concern to the soil in which the chestnuts used in their desserts were grown in, as well as shops that specially select “regional produce” from all over the country together with photos of the growers, there are many stores that represent Futako-tamagawa’s style of food. It’s also easy to enjoy trying samples at a Milanese gelato shop offering over 100 flavors made from fresh materials changed on a daily basis, or also at a Japanese green tea store featuring authentic tasting corners.

Connecting to the station is a lush green tree lined road that serves as

elegant Niko-Tama’s main street. Even the fashion styles of the people walking along the street are casual yet classy in every way. A sophisticated middle-aged couple wears the same coat in matching colors. The shoes of the girl with the wellgroomed French bulldog are the same flaming red to match the dog’s leash. Coordinated with black leggings, it’s a vivid color combination.

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The feeling of comfort you get from spending a graceful afternoon here will linger with you even on your way home.

If you move away from the station, you’ll find an area with rows of fine houses that look like they ought to feature in housing design magazines. Though it just looks like a nice and quiet suburb of a city, it’s actually a famous upmarket housing area! With their carefully tended lawns, English style gardens, or alternatively having beautiful evergreen Japanese gardens, the gardens you can see over the hedges and fences are not only extravagant, they also express individual personalities. The design of the houses and their variety are even better. Checking out the glamorous streets while having a stroll is a fun experience particular to “Niko-Tama.” Finally, take a break at a suburban cafe with some freshly grilled galettes and some fragrant herb tea. The feeling of comfort you get from spending

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a graceful afternoon here will linger with you even on your way home.

Tokyu Corporation’s “Triangle Ticket” is a one day rail pass between Shibuya, Jiyugaoka and Futako-tamagawa. Getting on and off at popular areas like Daikanyama and Naka-meguro is also free. For 390 yen, this discount ticket allows you to move around the Triangle Area as much as you want. You can buy the ticket at any Tokyu station, but it’s recommended that you buy the ticket before you board at Shibuya Station on the Den-en-toshi Line or the Toyoko Line. You can also easily bring

up English instructions on the ticketing machines. In Shibuya, and also Jiyugaoka and Futako-tamagawa you can use Wi-Fi internet, so it’s easy to get information on the go.

If you’d like to get information and advice before you head into the Triangle Area, the “Shibuya Station Tourist Information Desk” on the 2nd basement floor (B2/F) of Shibuya Station is very useful. There are also staff members who are native speakers of Taiwanese and Korean as well, so it’s a popular hidden spot with regular customers.

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