Special Issue on Japan - Kuwait

Contemporar y

The Land of Rising Sun

Model Plan Winter 2009 (Sapporo- Otaru-Hakodate) Okinawa’s Beautiful Sea

Get All Charged Up!

Hospitality in Japan Japan can be Affordable!

Fashion Goes Kawaii On the Fast Track Japanese Food

How to walk in Japan

Manga Magic!

In Cooperation with the Embassy of Japan - KUWAIT

Ja pa n

CONTEMPORARY

THE LAND OF RISING SUN

In cooperation with the Embassy of Japan - Kuwait Coordinator

Managing Editor & PR

Cultural Attaché

Mujahid Iqbal

Wataru SASAKI Researcher

KADOYA Yuki

Finance Manager

Photography

Design by

Saeed Yacob

Juned Naseem

Project Manager

Amjad H. Qureshi Sales Supervisor

Mahmood M. Ahmed

Economic & Commercial

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Mujahid Iqbal

Cell: +965 – 9759 2064

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Email:talk2mujahid@yahoo.com

Co ntent s A Message from the Ambassador

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Welcome to Japan

10

On the Fast Track (Japanese Cars)

24

Get All Charged Up! (Electronics)

36

Fashion Goes Kawaii

40

Japan’s Bullet Train Keep Evolving

44

Japanese Cuisine

48

Manga Magic!

56

Model Plan Winter 2009 (Sapporo- Otaru-Hakodate)

62

Shop till you drop

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70

72

Japan can be Affordable!

Okinaw’s Beautiful Sea

76

Traditional Hospitality in Japan

80

Studying in Japan

83

Arita Artefacts Mesmerise

Origami (The Japanese art of beautifully folded papers).

86

Muslims in Japan Growing

89

Credits: The content and opinions expressed here in are not necessarily those of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents, no liability can be assumed by the publishers for any inaccuracies.

www.kw.emb-japan.go.jp www.japanwelcomesyou.com www.jnto.jo.jp www.web-japan.org/nipponia/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan

Masatoshi MUTO Ambassador of Japan

Message

from the

A

Japan: Beautiful nation with diverse attractions

Ambassador Dear reader, Japan is an attractive island which offers a fascinating variety of attractions for all tourists with different needs - from natural beauty to latest fashion and cutting-edge products.

It is a diverse tourist destination - you can enjoy a wonderful trip and at the same time enjoy new trends at an affordable price. Our country has a wide range of aspects and charms which can be described with the key-words as below; • Affordable Japan is no longer an expensive country.

It offers affordable meals, transportation,

accommodation, entertainment etc for much less than you imagine. Its delicious cuisine and quality of sightseeing and entertainment spots offer best value for money. There are even some five-star hotels where you can stay for around 200 US dollars and fast-food restaurant offering tasty “tempura bowls” for around 5 US dollars.

You can also use public transportation with special discount rates for foreign travelers. * World capital of fine cuisine According to “Michelin Guide Tokyo 2009”, Tokyo has 173 restaurants with “Michelin Stars” including 9 restaurants with “Three Stars”.

Tokyo is the city with the most “Michelin Stars” all over the world. It is not as expensive as it used to be back in the 80s. All kinds of world’s prime cuisine is waiting for you at an affordable price.

• Best place for shopping In Tokyo, Osaka and other mega cities, you will find a number of the world’s top branded goods showcased on sale at discounted prices.

There are also many local discount malls which offer relatively recent designs for very good prices.

Known around world, the Akihabara Electric Town district in Tokyo has more than 250 stores specializing in electrical appliances and electronic goods with great prices. Many stores have duty-free departments and multilingual staff to assist overseas visitors. You can find everything you need and enjoy a good time for a good value. * Latest fashions Japan is the center of modern pop culture, starting from animation, manga, costume-play,

computer games and karaoke. These icons shape the otaku culture all over the world and it is starting to influence even Hollywood with movies like “Matrix”. Tokyo is also the mainstream of world fashion. What becomes a trend among young people in Tokyo influences young people’s fashion world over. * State-of- the-art country There is no doubt that Japan offers leading technologies in the world. You can see and feel the state-of- the-art technologies including electronics, IT, energy-saving and environmental technologies, bio-science, etc mostly invented by Japanese leading companies, not only at science pavilions but also at airports, stations, shopping malls, hotels and everywhere in Japan.

• Blessed with magnificent landscapes and regional festivals Japan is filled with natural beauty - mountains, lakes, rivers and seas with their distinctive characteristics at each season. The magnificence of nature is seen throughout Japan. Japanese localities also have unique cultures of their own, generating various styles of regional festivals throughout Japan and those festivals take place virtually every day through the year, somewhere in Japan.

There’s still a lot more to do in Japan. For further information, you can check whatever you need through our website” How To Walk in Japan (http://www.kw.emb-japan.go.jp/ HWJ/Welcome.html)”.

Each and every one of us awaits your arrival with a warm smile and hospitality. Welcome to our Japan!

FOREWORD

Strong Ties Bind Kuwait, Japan Diplomatic ties between Japan and Kuwait go back nearly half a century. In 2011, the two countries will mark 50 years of strong relations.

Economic ties are strong too. Kuwaiti exports to Japan (mostly crude oil and liquefied natural gas) touch $4.5 billion, while Japanese exports to Kuwait (mostly automobiles, machinery and steel products) hit $870 million. Japan is Kuwait’s top oil buyer, and the nation is the third-biggest exporter to Kuwait following the US and Germany.

On the cultural front, Japanese anime is wildly popular in Kuwait, with a whole generation grown up on Japanese cartoons dubbed in Arabic.

Manga, cosplay etc are also all the rage. And who doesn’t love Hello Kitty – so kawaii! Japanese arts like origami and bonsai have plenty of fans too.

Talk about Japan, and one just cannot ignore the cutting-edge technologies of this industrialised nation. Japanese automobiles and electronics have always been hot sellers in Kuwait, and this trend will continue. Japanese products have always been considered as reliable and efficient.

Over the years, Japanese cuisine has taken Kuwait by storm, and tens of Japanese restaurants are now operating in Kuwait, with sushi leading the wide array of dishes served. Travel to Japan is increasing too, as Japan has a lot to offer from urban metropolises to nature reserves.

I hope this issue will help foster a better understanding of Japan and its culture.

Mujahid Iqbal Managing Editor & PR

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THROUGH SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

AHMADIAH CONTRACTING & TRADING CO. KCSC Elevator Division

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Welcome to Japan “The Land of Rising Sun”

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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 waveswept 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 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 twothirds 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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The Seasons of Japan

SPRING When cherry blossoms fall

S

pringtime in Japan is one of the best times for a visit.

From the first days of March, when flowering plum blossoms emerge, to the last days of May, when the last flowering cherry blossoms are falling from the trees of northern Japan, spring is a time of rebirth, of the dominion of nature and human celebration throughout the land.

Springtime in Japan also means flowers, in stunning rainbow panoply of varieties and shapes. Particularly plentiful are blossoms of the camellia, iris, lotus and mustard. Numerous festivals are held centering on these flowers.

In spring, dishes such as Takenokogoham are especially popular. Favored marine products of this time are red snapper and giant clams, which are featured in a number of dishes.

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SUMMER Season of greenery

S

ummer arrives in Japan in June. This time of the year also includes the vacation season, when the beaches and mountain resorts are filled with crowds

of people.

Hiking and climbing are popular activities with the

best time running generally from mid-July to mid-August. A climb up Mt. Fuji is the most popular form of this activity.

With its long exposed seacoast, sea-bathing and sports are particularly well-developed, with summer being the peak season.

Cold foods such as Hiyamugi, or the Tofu concoction

called Hiya-yakko, are especially appreciated. Summer is also the best season for enjoying Bonito, a fish with red, fatty meat that is served as a lightly cooked type of Sashimi.

AUTUMN Time of falling leaves and harvest

A

utumn in Japan brings swirls of changing leaves, in vivid hues of crimson, gold, bronze and yellow, that paint the hills and mountainsides in a riot of

colour. Pleasant breezes send the dog days of scampering, and the weather turns mild as the leaves begin to fall. This is the season of harvest, frequent festivals, sports meet and cultural functions around the country.

Two fishes that are representative of the melancholy joys of autumn are the Samma, or saury pike, and Saba, or mackerel and are featured in various dishes of the season.

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WINTER Season of Frosty breath and snow pleasures

E

xcept for the extreme north, winter in Japan is not very severe and is usually tempered by warm sunshine and blue skies. The full range of winter

sports is available, especially in central and northern Japan.

In the northernmost island of Hokkaido, the yearly ‘Sapporo Snow Festival’ features mammoth snow sculptures that regularly attract between 1 and 2 million people. Also, well frequented during winter months are the nation’s thousands of Onsen, or hot-spring resorts.

Typical winter dishes are hot and filling, and include the well-known Sukiyaki. Another stomach-warming winter concoction is Oden, which is a variety of small items such as fish paste cakes, Tofu, Daikon and Konnyaku (devil’s tongue) simmered in a soy broth and eaten with mustard.

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Japan’s Hot Spots NAGOYA

N

agoya is the biggest city in the Chubu region.

The area around Nagoya is a highly developed center of car making and other industries. Nagoya castle, the city’s symbol was built in 1612 by Tokugawa Leyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Government that ruled Japan for 270 years. It is famous for the two golden statues of shachihoko (imaginary sea creatures) on the roof. Apart from some turrets and the gateway, the castle was destroyed in 1945. It was rebuilt, complete with new golden shachihoko, in 1959 .

Sakae, 5 min. by subway from Nagoya Station, is a traditional shopping area and a noted nightlife spot. The Tokugawa Art Museum is worth a visit for its over 10,000 articles handed down by Tokugawa family.

FUKUOKA

T

he biggest city in Kyushu, Fukuoka is geographically close to mainland Asia and is a hub of exchange between Japan and the rest of Asia. It hosts the spectacular Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festivals. Home to many famous foods, including mizutaki (chicken hotpot) and ramen noodles, one of the city’s attractions is the food stalls that line the river bank.

Fukuoka is renowned for its Hakata-ori silk textiles and its refined Hakata clay dolls. At Dazaifu, 20 min. by car from Fukuoka, a lot of archeology related to Japan’s ancient court culture can be found.

NARA

N

ara, 42 km. South of Kyoto, is an older capital of Japan, and was also a major cradle of Japan’s arts, crafts, literature and industries.

The major tourist attractions are clustered near Nara station. Todaiji Temple, famous for its Great Buddha, Kasuga Grand Shrine are found in the Nara Park. With deer striding through its grounds, the park is also a relaxation spot for its public.

The unmodified old capital includes many temples and shrines that are listed as world heritage sites, such as the world’s oldest wooden temple, Horyuji.

Mt. Yoshino, located in the south, is one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan, however, its autumn colours are also beautiful.

16

e ark is hom p e h T . y it e st in the c ms, and th u the large e s u m s numerou all. to a zoo, Festival H n ta li o p o tr Tokyo Me e c in s tside, of Japan ndy Wes e r tr te ’s n y e it c c al pital pot on the he politic ation’s ca us nights Shinjuku, n o c e u th ra is d kyo ub. ular an date 1603, To is a pop rmation h to the se fo e in m d o n h a omic well as arden. and econ area, as ational G N n , e e o c y la G erial Pa Shinjuku is the Imp rt a e e h h ’s T y tallest tle.

At the cit Japan’s Edo Cas is e , b 6 7 to sed wellby the Mt. Fuji, at 3,7 which u its most roached p s p a a ll is e e anc g a Bridge mountain as w main entr es bein Double id r s o e B i h s l. a Nujib nths public. known symbo elegant r two mo en to the fo p e o it y s ll g a n in casio wideNational favoured climb and is oc enter of are the c e e c th la a is p the ar, it istries, . This Around of the ye ment min tion zone a rn e re v c o re g l , ding natura district Diet Buil ranging e Lakes . iv ts F ic tr ji is u d F ess the tensive and busin includes offers ex h ic h w fishing, u to the to its north, oating, takes yo b lk a r w fo ute e new the world opportunities A 10-min king. Th s around ic u n o ic m p fa t t, d tric y and s brigh camping an Ginza dis Tokyo Ba g and it g in in p c p o fa h a s is nt t are many Theatre for elega waterfron visited by abukiza is K , e d h n T la . y hts isne neon lig Tokyo D re. e h r a e n d t Asia. also locate roughou th t is no distric e U e th o Park in The Uen

TOKYO

T

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Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima is home to Itsukushima Shrine, whose famous torii (shrine

HIROSHIMA

I

gateway) sticks out of the sea at high tide. The shrine

n 1945 Hiroshima became the first city in the world

is a World Heritage site. The entire island, with an area

to have an atomic bomb dropped on it, but it has

30 sq.km., is designated by the government as a Special

recovered to become one of Japan’s major cities. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Peace Memorial Park are the symbols of everlasting peace, portraying the horror of atom bombs and the ghastliness of war. Near by is the

Historic site and Special Place of Scenic beauty.

Other tourist attractions include the Shukkeien Garden and Hiroshima Castle.

Statue of Mother and The child in the Tempest and the

Hiroshima’s special dish is Okonomiyaki. Winter oysters

Fountain of Prayer.

are also a representative food of this region.

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SAPPORO

S

apporo is the biggest city in Hokkaido. Sapporo was developed by design at the end of the nineteenth century, and its streets are laid out in an orderly pattern. Sapporo is the base for

holidaymakers to enjoy Hokkaido’s natural beauty in the summer and for skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Odori Park and Sapporo TV Tower are the two symbols of the city. Every February, the famous Sapporo Snow Festival takes place in this park.

OSAKA

S

ince it was found in the 17th century, Osaka has been a base for trade with foreign countries. Greater Osaka is the second biggest metropolis in Japan behind Greater Tokyo. The city is known for

good food and comedy and in 1970 hosted the first ever World Exposition to be held in Asia. In 1994, Kansai International Airport opened on an artificial island in Osaka Bay and is now a major gateway for overseas visitors to Japan.

Shinsaibashi, is one of the best downtown areas in the city, possessing a wide array of shops. Osaka’s unique open culture can be experienced here.

Osaka Castle, constructed in 1583, is one of Osaka’s representative sightseeing spots. As a classical city, Osaka is very proud of its Kabuki drama and Bunraku puppet show. Osaka serves as an extended tour to the Inland Sea area, and Shikoku and Kyushu islands.

Universal Studios Japan, the theme park where you can experience the real Hollywood, has been recreated here in Japan. Attractions based on popular Hollywood movies and shopping areas with goods that are unattainable elsewhere are sure to entertain any family.

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KYOTO

O

nce the capital of Japan, a status it gained in the late eighth century, Kyoto has a history of over 1,200

years and is known for its many beautiful old temples and gardens. UNESCO designated 17 temples, shrines,

stores and old and new specialty shops are located. the nearby Gion Corner is an excellent place to view traditional arts and traditional theatre.

The Katsura Imperial Villa, located in western Kyoto on the Katsura river, is considered to be one of the finest examples of traditional Japanese architecture and garden landscaping.

and castles in the cities of Kyoto, Uji, and Otsu as a World

Special Attractions

Heritage site in 1994.

Japan offers a very wide range of attractions, from

The temples worth seeing in Kyoto are Higashi-

historical and cultural treasures to modern and

Honganji Temple, Nishi-Honganji Temple, Toji Temple,

futuristic sights and beautiful forests, mountains

Sajusangendo Temple, Kiyomizu Temple and Ginkakuji

and seacoasts.

Temple.

In the center of Kyoto is the Imperial Palace, renowned as a pinnacle of the simplicity of Japanese architecture.

Nearby is the more lavishly appointed Nijo Castle, home of the Tokugawa shogun on his rare visits to the city.

Shijo-Kawaramachi is a shopping area where department

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T

Temples

emples are the places of worship in Japanese Buddhist.

Virtually every Japanese municipality has at least one temple, while large cultural centers like Kyoto have several thousands of them. Temples store and display sacred Buddhist objects, and some of them used to or

still function as monasteries. The best cities to visit temples are Kyoto, Nara and Kamakura. One of the best places to overnight at temples is Mount Koya.

Shrines

S

hinto shrines are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto “gods”. Sacred objects of worship that represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber of the shrine where they cannot be seen by anybody.

People visit shrines in order to pay respect to the kami or to pray for good fortune. Shrines are also visited during special events such as New Year, setsubun, shichigosan and other festivals. New born babies are traditionally brought to a shrine a few days after birth, and many couples hold their wedding ceremonies there.

The architecture and features of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples have melted together over the centuries.

Only a few of today’s shrines are considered to be built in a purely Japanese style. Among them are Shinto’s most important shrines, the Ise Shrines.

Gardens

G

arden design has been an important Japanese art for many centuries. Traditional Japanese landscape

gardens can be broadly categorized into three types, Tsukiyama Gardens (hill gardens), Karesansui Gardens (dry gardens) and Chaniwa Gardens (tea gardens).

Open Air Museums

J

apan has many, beautifully arranged open air museums, displaying historic buildings from various regions of

Japan and historical periods. Some of the best are Historic Village of Hokkaido in Sapporo, Abashiri Prison Museum in Abashiri, Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Meiji Mura, Hida Folk Village, and Glover Garden.

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Hot Springs

N

atural hot springs (onsen) are numerous and highly popular

across Japan. Every region of the country has its share of hot springs and resort towns, which come with them.

There are many types of hot springs, distinguished by the minerals dissolved in the water. Different minerals provide different health benefits, and all hot springs are supposed to have a relaxing effect on your body and mind.

Hot spring baths come in many varieties, indoors and outdoors, gender separated and mixed, developed and undeveloped. Many hot spring baths belong to a ryokan, while others are public bath-houses. An overnight stay at a hot spring ryokan is a highly recommended experience to any visitor of Japan.

Skiing and Snowboarding

found in northern Japan (Hokkaido and Tohoku) and in the mountains along the Sea of Japan Coast (incl. Niigata and Nagano).

Festivals

T

here are countless local festivals (matsuri) in Japan because almost every shrine celebrates its own one.

Most festivals are held annually and celebrate the shrine’s deity or a seasonal or historical event. Some festivals are held over several days.

An important element of Japanese festivals is processions, in which the local shrine’s kami (Shinto deity) is carried through the town in mikoshi (palanquins). It is the only time of the year when the kami leaves the shrine to be carried around town.

Many festivals also feature decorated floats (dashi), which are pulled through the town, accompanied by drum and flute music by the people sitting on the floats. Every festival has its own characteristics. While some festivals are calm and meditative, many are energetic and noisy.

J

Cherry Blossoms

hot springs. The country has staged the winter

takes a very prominent position in Japanese culture.

Olympic games twice in the last 40 years.

There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties

There are over 500 ski resorts across Japan

in Japan, most of which bloom for just a couple of days

from the northern island of Hokkaido to the

in spring. The Japanese celebrate that time of the year

southern main island of Kyushu, varying in size

with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the

from large resorts with dozens of runs to small

blooming trees.

apan offers several world class skiing and snowboarding resorts with abundant, high

quality snow, beautiful scenery and relaxing

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one-lift slopes. The best resorts and snow conditions are

T

he cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan’s unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and

Shopping

T

he Japanese themselves love shopping and look upon a visit to the big

department stores in the major cities as recreation. The stores encourage this by offering child-care service, giving away free food samples in their grocery markets,

holding

art

shows

and

demonstrations of native and foreign crafts. Among the valued items sought, as souvenirs are cameras, VCRs, ceramics, bamboo ware, dolls, and woodblock prints, all of which are available in specialty shops and the department stores of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

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On the Fast Track

apan is the world’s largest automobile manufacturer and exporter, and has six of the world’s ten largest automobile manufacturers. In addition to its massive automobile industry, Japan also is the home to manufacturers of other types of vehicles, like power sports vehicle manufacturers Kawasaki and Yamaha, and heavy equipment manufacturers Kubota, Komatsu, and Hitachi. It is home to some of the world’s largest automotive companies such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Yamaha, Mazda, Subaru, etc.

Japanese zaibatsu (business conglomerates) began

building their first automobile machines in the middle to late 1910s. The companies went about this by either designing their own trucks (the market for passenger vehicles in Japan at the time was small), or partnering with a European brand to produce and sell their cars in Japan under license.

During the Korean War (1950-1953), the United States government commissioned Japanese automobile manufacturers to produce army trucks. This was advantageous due to Japan’s proximity to Korea, and the United States had close ties to Japan because the country was still under Allied occupation since the end of World War II. These army truck commissions led to enormous growth in Japan’s auto industry, leading to the boom of Japanese cars during the 1960s During the massive expansion of many Japanese companies after WWII, many of the automakers sought to expand into other markets, mainly the US. Rapidly

increasing domestic demand and the expansion of Japanese car companies into foreign markets in the 1970s further accelerated growth. Automobile production in Japan continued to increase rapidly after the 1970s, as Mitsubishi (as Dodge vehicles) and Honda began selling their vehicles in the US. Even more brands came to America and abroad during the 1970s, and by the 1980s, the Japanese manufacturers were gaining a major foothold in the US and world markets. With Japanese manufacturers producing very affordable, reliable, and popular cars throughout the 1990s, Japan became the largest car producing nation in the world in 2000.

Japanese Cars: Sporty and Sleek If you are thinking of a car that i s sleek, sporty, luxurious or cheap then the right choice is to look for a Japanese car model. Japanese cars are the highest selling cars in the world and are very much in demand. If you are looking for the looks then you can find the most beautiful looking cars and if your main concern is the safety then also these cars are amongst the best available cars in the world. There are different Japanese car manufacturers and amongst the top producers are Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, and Daihatsu. Amongst all these car manufacturers, Toyota is the best selling car in the world.

In

26

Japan,

Honda and Nissan are also close competitors of Toyota. Recently Honda Accord was rated as the best selling car in North America.

Honda is another very popular company in Japan and is known for its quality. Japanese cars can be easily imported almost anywhere in the world, as the Japanese government has simplified the exporting laws in order to promote their cars. Japanese cars are the most fuel-efficient cars and the best of facilities are available for comfort as well as for safety. Features such as top-notch sound systems, GPS, cameras etc are now part of the options available on many of these Japanese car models.

Most of the Japanese cars if compared to the similar bracket car models are very light in weight and there is even a special group of cars in Japan known as k-cars derived from the word “kei�, which means lightweight.

Generally such cars do not exceed 660 cc and are quite popular in Japanese market. These k-cars are available in 5-seater models as well as 2-seater sports models.

Demand for new Japanese cars is on the rise and if we have a look at the demand of used Japanese cars then one would be astonished to see the figures. Recently, car dealers in Asian countries are looking for a lot of small cars less than 1000 cc. There is a huge customer base in Asia for Japanese cars, since these cars have a very good design and the condition of used cars are pretty good. Most Japanese car owners get their cars serviced well in time and also keep their cars immaculate.

Reports say that the production time spent on each vehicle by the top three Japanese car companies is far less than the production time compared to the top three American companies. Nissan is the fastest in production time and takes around 17.25 hours to produce one car where as Honda takes 20.65 hours and Toyota takes 20.69 hours. American companies take on an average almost 5.5 + hours more than these Japanese car manufacturers. So, one can very well imagine the amount of production taking place for these Japanese cars is greater.

All in all, Japanese cars are a very good option for a car owner.

Auto industry

The motor vehicle industry is one of the most successful industries in Japan, with large world shares in automobile, electrical machineries, parts and engine manufacturing. Japan is home to six out of top 10 largest vehicle manufacturers in the world. Some of these companies cross-over to different sectors such as

electronics to produce electronic equipment as some of them being a part of keiretsu. Japan’s automobiles are generally known for their quality, durability, fuel efficiency and more features with relatively cheaper price than their competitors.

Major Japanese auto companies Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation, or Toyota for short, is a Japanese multinational automaker. It is the world’s largest automaker by revenue, production, sales and profit in front of General Motors. Toyota in the year 2005 had made enough, on profits alone, to buy out the Ford Company. Toyota owns and operates Toyota, Lexus, Scion, has a majority shareholding in Daihatsu Motors (a minicar manufacturer, that includes the hybrid vehicle technology Daihatsu Mild Hybrid System), Hino Motors (a manufacturer of commercial trucks, including hybrid vehicles) and has minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries (a manufacturer of Subaru brand cars), Isuzu Motors (the commercial truck manufacturer) and in Yamaha Motors the engine, motor cycle and marine craft manufacturer. The company includes 522 subsidiaries.

The company was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spin-off from his father’s (Sakichi Toyoda) company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. In 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product Type A engine and its first passenger car (the Toyota AA) in 1936. It is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi

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and Bunkyo Tokyo, Japan. It also provides financial services through its division Toyota Financial Services and also creates robots besides automobiles. The company along with the original Toyota Industries form bulk of the Toyota Group.

Honda Honda Motor Company Limited, or simply called Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, engine manufacturer and engineering corporation. The company is perhaps most notable for its automobiles and motorcycles, having passed Nissan to become the second largest seller of autos in Japan. Honda also produces a long list of other products: trucks, scooters, robots, jets and jet engines, ATV, water craft, electrical generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and aeronautical and other mobile technologies. Honda’s line of luxury cars is branded Acura in North America and China. More recently they have ventured into the world of mountain bikes, producing the very first bike to use an internal gear changing system in the Honda RN-01 G-cross.

With more than 14 million internal combustion engines built each year, Honda is the largest engine-maker in the world. In 2004, the company began to produce diesel motors, which were very quiet while not requiring particulate filters to pass pollution standards.

It is arguable, however, that the foundation of Honda’s success is the motorcycle division.

Honda is headquartered in Tokyo. Honda has also created many joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars India Ltd, Hero Honda Motorcycles India Ltd, Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company in China and Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan.

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Nissan

Nissan Motor Company Limited is a Japanese automobile manufacturer which formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name. In 1999, Nissan entered an alliance with Renault S.A. of France. Nissan is among the top three Asian rivals of the “big three” in the US Currently they are the third largest Japanese car manufacturer.

The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have featured among Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 12 straight years, since the award’s inception. A new generation VQ series engine premiered on the 2007 Infiniti G35, and the 2007 Nissan 350Z.

Suzuki

Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles, a full range of motorcycles, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines.

Suzuki is the 12th largest automobile manufacturer in the world, employs over 45,000 people, has 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is the sixth largest

automaker in Japan and the seventeenth largest in the world by global unit sales It is part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Throughout its history it has courted alliances

with foreign partners, a strategy pioneered by their first president Tomio Kubo to encourage expansion, and continued by his successors. A significant stake was sold to Chrysler Corporation in 1971 which it held for 22 years, while DaimlerChrysler was a controlling shareholder between 2000 and 2005. Long term joint manufacturing and technology licencing deals with the Hyundai Motor Company in South Korea and Proton in Malaysia were also forged, while in Europe the company co-owned the largest automobile manufacturing plant in the Netherlands with Volvo for ten years in the 1990s, before taking sole ownership in 2001.

Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. As of 2006, produced 1.25 million vehicles per year, with sales evenly divided among Japan, Europe, Australia, and North America, followed by Latin America.

Isuzu Isuzu Motors Ltd is a Japanese commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturer company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu was the world’s largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures Tochigi and Hokkaido. Isuzu is famous for producing commercial vehicles and diesel engines - it produced 16 million diesel engines in 2003 alone, which can be found in vehicles all over the world. On November 7, 2006, Toyota acquired 5.9 percent of Isuzu, making them the third largest shareholder behind ITOCHU and Mitsubishi Corporation.

Subaru Subaru, Subaru is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co Ltd (FHI). They are known for their use of boxer engines in their vehicles and fulltime AWD, as well as their turbocharged performance vehicles, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX. Fuji Heavy Industries, and in turn, Subaru are currently affiliates of Toyota Motor Corporation, which owns 8.7 percent of FHI.

Easa Husain Al-Yousifi:

Leading the Way Interview by Mujahid Iqbal

E

asa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co. was founded in 1952, and established ties with Matsushita in 1954. It is now one of the leading companies in Kuwait with a turnover of $250 million. Abdulaziz Adel Al-Yousifi, Retail Director at the company and a grandson of Mr. Easa Husain Al-Yousifi, said Al-Yousifi and National (now Panasonic) were synonymous.

“The

core values of Al-Yousifi and National were similar – helping the community and improving the quality of life of people. The relationship was more like a marriage than a supplier-agent relationship,” he said.

venture into, we have to keep the core values the same. The success of the company is because of this,” said Mr. Abdulaziz. “That’s why we as the 3rd generation are involved in the company. We can always hire somebody to do the job, but the core values will be lost.”

Yukihiko Narumi, Chief Officer Business Development at Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co, also spoke about his association with Mr. Easa “I met Mr. Easa around 27 years ago. He was a very famous person at Matsushita because of his kindness and generosity.

He shared the values of the top management of Matsushita of honesty, fair business and “The most important thing is to passion. That’s why the founder of carry forward his values to the Matsushita Konosuke Matsushita next generation. Whatever we liked Mr. Easa.”

Mr. Abdulaziz said Mr. Easa said good relations were more important than profits or monetary gains. “Do everything except make the Japanese upset,’ he used to say,” said Mr. Abdulaziz. “Mr. Easa was also very involved in the dayto-day affairs of the company. We still feel his presence in the corridors of the company,” he said.

34

Mr. Narumi recounted a meeting of Mr. Al-Yousifi with the management of Matsushita in 1991 in Osaka, immediately after Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi occupation. “The room was cold, but when Mr. Easa walked in, the atmosphere changed. A feeling of warmth spread over all of us. It was something different,” Mr. Narumi said. A plaque was also sent to Mr. Al-Yousifi by Matsushita, which read, “You can find chances even in tough times”.

Mr. Narumi emphasized the company will continue to follow the core values set by Mr. Al-Yousifi, and hoped he would be able to support the third generation at the company.

Kuwait, Japan firms share similar values

By Abdulaziz Adel Al-Yousifi

I

’ve often wondered why the relationship between Japanese companies and their agents in Kuwait is less volatile than companies from other countries. Whether it is in the electronics industry, the automotive industry, or any other, generally speaking, you see fewer changes in representation (agents) than companies from other countries.

Speaking about Kuwaiti companies (but I’m sure this applies to other Arab countries as well), I find that the similarities in values of both the Japanese and Kuwaiti companies is mainly the reason behind these successful marriages. Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co. (Al-Yousifi) is no exception to this, having been the agents of Matsushita Electric (now known worldwide as Panasonic) for over 55 years.

The first thing that comes to mind with regards to the relationship between these two companies is the similarities of both the founders, the late Easa Al-Yousifi and the late Konosuke Matsushita. Their passion to improve the quality and standards of living and their philanthropic activities are still a factor of both Panasonic and Al-Yousifi.

I have seen ma Japanes companies stick with their agents, even when times were rough and sales weren’t as expected, as other very eager companies approached them for the right to represent them. To this day, I admire the business ethics and the value Japanese companies put in relationships and history, a character missing in companies from other parts of the world.

of Al-Yousifi’s commitment to its partner.

In the near future, Al-Yousifi will open boutiques that cater to one brand (one company) each, an investment to better promote the brands that Al-Yousifi represents.

Likewise, I admire the efforts Boutiques that will follow the spirit Kuwaiti companies put in evolving and theme of the brand it holds with their partners from Japan as without distortion. Here, people a continuous affirmation of their can witness the latest in technologies commitment.

Intentions pure available from each brand. enough that make bridging the gaps, whether geographical, In the end, I’d like to conclude that cultural, language related, seem there are still plenty of opportunities easy from the outside. available for Japanese (and other Plus Card, a customer loyalty countries’) companies seeking program with a plethora of representations in Kuwait (or the and Middle East). Aspiring advantages, created by Panasonic Gulf and offered through Al-Yousifi companies that fear expanding outlets to its customers, is proof that outside their territories, especially both companies are working hand from Japan, should not fear. in hand to improve the quality of The similarities between Kuwaiti life and increase benefits to their companies and Japanese companies far exceed the differences between customers. Care Plus is a region-wide warranty them, and there are great benefits both in financial terms and in service created by Panasonic, and of which Al-Yousifi is a personal growth for the parties participant, is another example involved.

From left, Mr. Fujii Mr. Easa Al-Yousifi Mr. Niwa Mr. Miyoshi

35

Get All Charged Up!

T

here are hundreds if not thousands of reasons to travel to the beautiful country of Japan. For some though, the lure of being able to see, and shop for some of the latest electronic items and gadgets is one of the greatest attractions.

The Japanese consumer electronics industry is a prominent industry and home to companies such as Sony, Casio, Hitachi, Denon, Toshiba, NEC, TDK, JVC, Panasonic, Roland, Fujitsu, Canon, Sharp, Fujifilm, Rohm, Plextor, Korg, Pioneer, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Maxell, Mitsubishi, Technics, Ricoh, Pentax, Olympus, Nintendo,

36

Sanyo, Epson, Nikon, Yamaha, Seiko, Citizen Watch and Kenwood. These companies primarily produce televisions, music players, refrigerators, video game consoles, still and video cameras, pianos and computers.

These companies are also into professional sectors such as the professional television, photo camera, monitor and music equipment sectors.

If you want to simply marvel at all the latest technology or want to do some serious shopping then there is just one word or name you will need - Akihabara. Akihabara is the area of Tokyo which has been dubbed Electric Town.

You could quite easily spend all day in this area going from shop to shop, all displaying some of the latest gadgets and electronics available anywhere. There are of course electronic shops all over Tokyo but Akihabara has the greatest concentration. Do not expect the cheapest electronic good and gadgets in the world but do expect most of the latest releases. Akihabara is easy to get to, and even has its own underground stop.

After World War II, Japan started to develop consumer electronics products rapidly using the keiretsu methods and by companies that existed before the World War II like Hitachi, Sumitomo and Mitsubishi. Japan did not have any other industry where it could make a significant impact, since natural resources were, and still are, very low in the islands.

A relatively small number of industries dominated Japan’s trade and investment interaction with the rest of the world.

During the late 1980s, the main export industries were motor vehicles, consumer electronics, semiconductors and other electronic components, iron, and steel.

Sony was founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita and they took off advancing in the electronics field rapidly. They each had skills that would bring it to the top of the industry, one with marketing savvy and the other with great innovation. They had soon invented the first pocket transistor radio in the world. Many nations from around the world have invested in this Japanese industry.

The industries producing consumer electronics receivers, compact disc players, other audio components, tape recorders, television receivers, video cassette recorders, and video cameras - were major exporters that invested overseas in the 1980s. In 1991, 46.7 percent of color televisions and 87.3 percent of video cassette recorders produced in Japan were exported.

The export shares of some products were too small to show separately in summary trade data, but audiotape recorders represented 2.9 percent of total Japanese exports in 1988, video cassette recorders 2.3 percent, radio receivers 0.8 percent, and television receivers 0.7 percent, totaling 6.7 percent.

37

These industries built Japan’s success in developing commercial applications for the transistor in the 1950s and generations of semiconductor devices of the 1970s and 1980s. Output came from large, integrated electronics firms manufacturing semiconductor devices, consumer electronics, and computers. The companies’ international success came from continually pushing miniaturization and driving down manufacturing costs through production innovations.

Japan is unofficially the largest electronics manufacturer in the world because of its high concentration of companies in the country and the competition between the companies. One of the reasons of the success of Japanese electronics is that its products are often thought of as high quality, inventive (such as the Sony Walkman and VHS), and has highly regarded brands like Sony, Hitachi and JVC of which their products are priced relatively higher because of their reputation.

Japan’s success overpowered the United States electronics industry. Charges of dumping and other predatory practices led to orderly marketing arrangements (voluntary export restraints) by Japan in 1977. Restraints limited the export of color televisions to 1.75 million units annually from 1977 to 1980. The agreement gave some protection to the United States’ domestic industry. Japanese companies responded by investing in the United States. By the end of the 1980s, only one United States-owned television manufacturer remained; the others had disappeared or were bought

by Western European or Japanese firms.

Japan pioneered the color television. Video cassette recorders, video cameras, and compact disc players were developed for the consumer market during the 1980s by Japanese firms. Japan’s overseas investment in the consumer electronics industry was motivated by protectionism and labor costs, the main reason for Japanese colour television plant establishment in the United States. After three years of voluntary export restraints, seven Japanese firms located plants in the United States by 1980. Japanese firms continued production of the most technologically-advanced products, while shifting production of less-advanced products to developing countries, such as Taiwan.

38

Fashion Goes Kawaii

P

opular fashion magazines and brand creators spend lots of time thinking up ways to attract the attention of ordinary young women. When the women see what they like and exclaim “kawaii! “ (perhaps in unison), you know a new trend has been born.

A 2006.

utumn and winter fashions

about 650,000 copies of each issue.

made quite a splash in Tokyo’s

Readers’ average age: 23. CanCam

CanCam’s editor-in-chief, Onishi

Hiro’o district in December

focuses more or less on the same styles

Yutaka, explains Ebi-chan’s quick rise

other fashion magazines do - so what

to fame: “Everyone who sees her says

puts it above its competitors?

she’s lovely to look at, charming — in a

Female

university

students

showed off pink knitted sweaters over lace-adorned camisoles, super-feminine miniskirts, white coats with fluffy fur collars, knee-length pant/long boot ensembles, and lots more. It was hard not to exclaim, “kawaii, kawaii! “ which

Readers’ passion for style creates a stylish magazine

after (the “Ebi sellout phenomenon”).

word, kawaii. Women find her kawaii, and so do men. To succeed, a model has to appeal to both sexes.”

All of CanCam’s exclusive models have that girl-next-door look. They

look. The effect was both formally tidy

T

who appears on the cover of each issue.

magazine buyer identifies with them

and girlishly genuine. When asked

Ebi-chan (her nickname) has been one

because they represent an ideal she

where they got their fashion ideas

of CanCam’s exclusive models since

herself could perhaps attain. When an

from, they all responded in one voice:

2003, and is now branching out into TV

exclusive model leaves the magazine,

“From CanCam!”

commercials and dramas. Clothes worn

fans remain faithful followers, many

CanCam is Japan’s most widely read

by Ebi-chan for CanCam enjoy a run on

attending

fashion magazine for young women.

sales as soon as the magazine hits the

CanCam event.”

Published by Shogakukan Inc, it sells

newsstands, and often sell out soon

can be translated as “How adorable!

Simply exquisite!” And they were exquisite, with their classy, innocent

40

he secret behind CanCam’s

exhibit ideal proportions, of course,

success is, first of all, its star

but their beauty would not make

models. Especially Ebihara Yuri,

people stand back in awe. The typical

her

“graduation

from

The other secret behind the

magazine’s success? It maintains open

consider are real clothes for real living.

handling the brand is growing steadily

lines of communication with readers.

The interaction between readers and

nationwide, especially in department

“Communication with our readers is a

magazine sparks the creation of real

stores.

two-way street — we work with them

clothes.

Masuki Akiko, ARPEGE’s PR

to make our magazine what it is,” says Onishi.

One obvious way to do this, he says, is to have readers fill out questionnaires, and their opinions often lead to improvements. CanCam also uses readers’ suggestions when partnering with apparel manufacturers right from the design stage, to create a line of clothes featured only on its pages.

Readers tell designers what they want to wear, right now, and what they want to wear at the office or university, tomorrow - in other words, what they

Real clothes for real life, today

C

representative,

says

the

company

often organizes shows for the public and meetings for store managers.

Questionnaires passed out on those

anCam and other women’s fashion

magazines

occasions ask for frank opinions.

have

The key factor driving the brand’s

highlighted the ever-growing

popularity is its dedication to “real

Apuweiser-riche brand since its debut

clothes.” Fashions created by Western

in 2001. The brand, a creation of

designers are respected, but adapted to

ARPEGE Co., Ltd., is highly popular

the sensibilities of Japanese consumers

because it takes some inspiration from

who want the kawaii (adorably cute)

recent trends while fostering a wide

look.

range of styles that are girlish but not

originality, knowing that the kawaii

sugary sweet. The number of outlets

ideal is always evolving.

Designers

keep

aiming

for

41

Fashion-savvy consumers

J

apan’s golden age of prosperity, which ended with the bursting of the speculative “bubble economy,” encouraged women to indulge their dreams for classy Western brands and international fashions. At its peak in the 1980s, the bubble economy brought lots of young women into the workforce and gave them the cash to buy luxury brands. Almost a quarter century has passed since then, and many of those women became parents and gave their children fine clothes and an appreciation for superior products. So today’s young adults naturally have a perceptive eye when it comes to fashion.

42

These discerning fashion lovers are quite particular about the care that

goes into what they wear. At first sight, Apuweiser-riche brand items might appear simple, but look closer and you will find a surprisingly high level of craftsmanship. Skirt tucks on the plentiful side, cuffs bordering on the overly ample, skirt hems set off with lace. This attention to detail and style triggers a refreshing dose of surprise expressed as “kawaii! “ But according to Onishi, the CanCam editor-in-chief, the word “kawaii “ is not exactly an expression - we should consider it more of an exclamation mark from deep inside the psyche of girls and young women.

Women’s fashion in Japan continues to evolve, responding to the quest for kawaii. One can only wonder what the future holds for the world of cutie fashion.

43

Japan’s Bullet Trains Keep The Shinkansen network is now the backbone of Japan’s rail transportation system. Bullet trains began operating more than 40 years ago and have kept evolving since then, reaching a new height with high-tech cars unveiled in 2007.

T

he Shinkansen bullet train was a momentous development in rail transport when it began operating in 1964, the year Japan hosted the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Series 0 railcars, with their trademark bullet-shape, ran on their own separate track on the brand-new Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Osaka. In those early days, they boasted a maximum speed of 220 km/h, giving Japan the honor of having the world’s fastest trains. Before long, they were running on the San’yo Shinkansen Line as well, from ShinOsaka to Kyushu in the west.

The network began spreading to other parts of Japan around 1985, and this spurred the development

44

of different Shinkansen train shapes and configurations, including doubledecker cars, lower cars, and elegant, long noses for the end cars. In the 1990s, the Series 500 rolling stock raised the bar to a maximum speed of 300 km/h. And in July 2007 the latest generation of railcars - the Series N700 - entered service on the Tokaido and San’yo Shinkansen lines.

The most impressive features of the Series N700 train are its amazingly fast acceleration (from standstill to 270 km/h in about 3 minutes), its outstanding rider comfort, and its low energy consumption. Many of the latest technologies went into its development, including a new tilting mechanism that uses air springs between the car bodies

p Evolving

and the wheels to tilt the cars a little into the curves on the track. A tilt of just 1 degree lets trains negotiate bends without decelerating from the regular operating speed of 270 km/h. Without affecting rider comfort at all, the tilt has shaved five minutes off the travel time between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

The “Aero Double Wing” design for the front and back of the train looks something like a bird with its wings outstretched. There is a good reason for the unusual shape: it reduces air resistance, and this means less electricity consumption, a whopping 49% less than the electricity used by the original Series 0 trains when running at a lower speed of 220 km/h. The new trains have ergonomically designed seats for better comfort, and more than half the seats have electric outlets. Attention to passenger con-venience goes even further—for example, the multipurpose cubicles equipped with aids for changing a baby’s clothing.

Below: Otsuka Ryoji, the head of the dining car,

says,”we have only a limited space to work in, but we do what it takes to keep our service up to the standards of a high-end restaurant.”

Below left: The dining car offers a choice of French cuisine and traditional japanese cuisine.

Reservations Required.

Today, the Shinkansen network reaches many parts of the country, and it continues to expand. The bullet trains keep racing into the future, poised to evolve in ways we may find hard to imagine.

45

Japanese Student Recount Kuwait Experience Yoshihiro YAMADA

I

Student Osaka University College of Foreign Studies

t is now three and half months since I came to Kuwait. So far, I’m quite enjoying life here and everything is going well except one thing - my Arabic skill….it is kind of pathetic…It is because I hardly feel the need to study Arabic. To be honest, I can still live here without Arabic language skills. I mean, almost all Kuwaitis speak English pretty well, so I can still communicate with them in English! In addition, one of the main reasons why I came here is to know the way of thinking of Muslims, so I feel a kind of satisfaction because I can deal with it in English. But I still remember the other main reason I came here - to learn Arabic language (one of the most difficult languages in the world, I guess). So I will study hard, though.

Anyway, it is so surprising for me that almost all Kuwaitis speak English. I honor them on that point because most Japanese do not speak English, even some university students who major in English.

Now I should talk about my daily life here, I guess, because I was asked to write an essay about it. Classes begin at 9 am and end at 1 pm, with a 1 hour interval. We attend three hours of lectures per day in English and Arabic. My classmates are from all over the world. Some of them are from Asia, some from Europe, and some from Africa. They are all nice and friendly. I really like them. I’m glad that I’ve got a kind of international friendship. Unfortunately, so far we communicate in English. I wish I could communicate with them in Arabic in the future.

I spend my free time with my classmates and sometimes with Kuwaiti friends, especially who study Japanese and are quite interested in Japan. Sometimes their knowledge of Japan surprises me, especially about animation and dramas. Their knowledge of such subjects actually surpasses mine.

Anyway, I’m really enjoying life here thanks to these friends and also the officials of the Japanese Embassy and members of the Japanese community in Kuwait, who always give me a hand. Thanks to all of them, I am really happy to be here. Thus, please let me finish this essay with expressing my thankfulness and appreciation to them.

AIKAWA Yoshihiko

T

Student Nagoya University School of letters

wo and a half months have passed since we came to Kuwait as international students. I would like to narrate how I came to Kuwait.

One day in June, I sent my application for the Kuwaiti government scholarship to the Japanese Embassy in Kuwait. On the last day of July, I received good news. I applied to my university for a yearlong leave of absence for studying in Kuwait. I also told my friends that I would go to Kuwait in order to study Arabic, and they gave me words of encouragement in return. After I vacated my lodging in Nagoya and moved to my home, I waited for the next email which would tell me the next steps to do. Until I received it, I spent more than one month just waiting anxiously. I inquired at the airline company about my flight schedule several times, but I didn’t hear precise information.

When I saw my fixed flight schedule to Kuwait, there were only three days left for departure. So I had not had my ticket yet, and the worst thing was that I had sent my passport to the Kuwaiti Embassy in Tokyo to get the visa, which meant I had been in one of the hardest situations I’ve ever experienced. Finally I got my passport back, and only then I was given my ticket the day before my flight. Even before leaving for Kuwait, I was perplexed dizzily by the Arabic sense of time I had not become accustomed to yet.

According to the schedule, I departed from Japan after all. Thanks to being busily occupied in bustling about in preparation I did not think anything about this new experience at departure. I arrived in Kuwait in the early morning of 28th September.

There, I met some Japanese fellow students studying abroad. We greeted the Japanese Embassy staff in charge and soon after we reached the university dormitory by KU bus. I became accustomed to the new surroundings and I enjoyed living and studying in Kuwait.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Kuwait government, Kuwait University, and all the people who exerted efforts to give me the chance to study here in such good circumstances.

KUWAIT TEL.: 22494000 - BEDAA TEL.: 22253113 MAHBOULA TEL.: 23730061 - THE AVENUES TEL.: 22597880

Japanese Cuisine Finger-licking healthy delicacies Japanese cuisine is now gaining high popularity around the world and of course, Kuwait is no exception. This is evident from the fact that there are more than 20 Japanese restaurants in Kuwait and the number is still on the rise.

Traditional cuisine

Japanese cuisine was born out of ichiju-issai, the eating of rice with a bowl of soup and a side dish.

Embodying the Japanese spirit of frugality, this simple dietary style was adopted throughout the nation centuries ago, and has come to epitomize the essence of Japanese cuisine - the preparation of seasonal foods in a simple manner that makes the most of their natural flavours and lets nothing go waste. The word ‘meal’ in Japanese is gohan.

This word actually refers to steamed rice, but rice is such an important food to the Japanese that gohan has come to mean all sorts of meals. A traditional Japanese meal

consists of a serving of plain, white rice, along with a main dish (fish or meat), some kind of side dish (often cooked vegetables), soup (often miso soup) and pickled vegetables.

Japanese rice is sticky when cooked making it ideal for eating with chopsticks. shrimp. But few first-time visitors to Japan are prepared for the variety Modern Cuisine Once known in the west either in and sumptuousness of food, as the form of sukiyaki or the more it’s traditionally prepared. Eating exotic sushi, Japanese cuisine has in Japan is an experience to be in recent years become much more enjoyed and remembered fondly familiar and appreciated around for the rest of your life. the world. Many visitors to Japan will have already sampled the There are four reasons for pleasures of raw fish or batter-fried Japanese cuisine’s appeal:

Tradition The concept of ichiju-issai formed the basis for shojin cuisine, the vegetarian diet taken up by Buddhist monks around the 13th century.

Eschewing seafood and meat, this regimen comprises mainly grains, beans, vegetables, seaweeds and nuts. Today, ascetic monks continue to eat this diet, which also incorporates the “waste not, want not!� spirit of Japanese cuisine. The kaiseki cuisine evolved from shojin cuisine and is now popular with the general public as a lavish dining style. The culinary techniques, styles of eating, and attitudes towards food are the foundation of modern Japanes cuisine.

Seasons Japan has four distinct seasons, each of which offers its own variety of seafood, vegetables and fruits at the peak of their flavour, referred to as

shun in Japanese. Food in a season not only offers a more pleasant taste sensation, but also has higher nutritional value. Whether it be an everyday meal or kaiseki cuisine, the fundamental principle of Japanese cuisine is to capitalize on food of the season. This approach has allowed Japanese to relish delectable flavours and the enchanting changes of the seasons throughout the year.

Beauty Appearance is a key element of Japanese cuisine. This can be seen in the many slicing methods that have been created for vegetables and sashimi - the attractiveness and taste of food can be dramatically altered by the way it is sliced.

Japanese cuisine takes spatial beauty to new heights, placing emphasis on the three-dimensional form, colour patterns, and other visual aspects of food arrangement.

Moreover, tableware is carefully selected so that its character, color

and shape are in harmony with the food and the season. Delighting the eyes as much as the taste buds, Japanese cuisine is truly an art.

Health What really sets Japanese cuisine apart is that it heavily relies on such foods as grains, vegetables and fish, while limiting the use of cooking oil. Moreover, food is prepared in a simple style that gets the most out of the natural flavours. Since Japanese cuisine offers a nutritionally balanced diet that is rich in vegetable fat, protein and fiber, but low in calories and animal fat, it has become the focus of global attention as a healthful eating style.

Two kings of Japanese seasonings Forms of Japanese Cuisine

Kaiseki cuisine (haiku-type) The word “kaiseki” originally meant a meeting and specifically a meeting of composers of “haiku” poems; it has the same pronunciation as the “kaiseki” used in the tea ceremony. There were originally two kinds of “kaiseki” cuisine, one for a meeting of “haiku” poets and the other for the tea ceremony. However, as people gathering at the poetry meetings were often identical to those gathering at tea ceremonies, the two terms were and still are sometimes confused. The “kaiseki” cuisine for the meeting of poets is defined as “kuikiri”, or “eat-out” cuisine, and its objective is to enjoy the tastes of different foods without being too much concerned about ceremony and formality. The dishes are served individually at intervals.

Dishes are served on individual, small dining tables about 1.2 feet wide without legs. The menu is generally composed of “saki-zuke (hors-d’oeuvre)”, “suimono (soup)”, “muko-zuke (a main dish composed of sliced raw fish, etc)”, “kuchi-gawari (an entree to refresh the palate)”, “yakimono (broiled foods)”, “nimono (stewed foods)”, “aisakana (steamed or fried foods)”, “sunomono (food pickled in sweetened vinegar)”, “tomewan (end course)”, etc. But the simplest menu is composed of only three dishes, which are sometimes increased to higher odd numbers such as five (including two soups), seven, nine and eleven. The contents of the menu and the order in which the dishes are served are left to the discretion of the chef.

Kaiseki cuisine

Tea ceremony-type This “kaiseki” cuisine of a tea ceremony originated as a light meal served to soothe the hunger of “Zen” monks. “Kai” originally meant bosom and “seki” stone.

This type of cuisine was named so because the supper seemed to the monks just like carrying a warm stone in the bosom in order to soothe the hunger. The word “tenshin” derived from the Chinese word for a light meal that has the original meaning of turning on an

50

empty mind. These “kaiseki” cuisine dishes are served as a prelude to the tea ceremony just as sweets are sometimes served. The difference between this type of cuisine from the “kaiseki” cuisine described above lies in the avoidance of excess.

Shojin cuisine ”Shojin” is a Buddhist term that refers to a type of asceticism that aspires to enlightenment, and “ryori” translates as “cooking”. “Shojin ryori” is a type of vegetarian cooking that was introduced into Japan at the same time as Buddhism in the 6th century. In the 13th century when Zen Buddhism was introduced, the custom of eating “shojin ryori” spread rapidly.

Foods derived from soybeans including “tofu” and vegetable oils including sesame, walnut and from rapeseed that were used extensively in “shojin ryori”, became popular in Japan as a result.

Bento cuisine ”Bento” is the Japanese term for a lunch, particularly a packed lunch that can be carried in a lunchbox and eaten outside of one’s home. In the world of the tea ceremony the strict formality of “bento” should not be broken and has been established by shortening the “kaiseki” cuisine menu of the tea ceremony into a single set meal. This has been done so as not to lose the “wabi”, the elegant restraint and simplicity that is inherent to the tea ceremony. Of this type of “bento”, the most representative ones are those to be found in Kyoto.

Soy Sauce A distinctly Japanese seasoning made from soybeans, soy sauce is the clincher that decides Japanese food’s flavour.

Originally derived from hishio, a flavouring adopted from China, Japanese soy sauce is a brown liquid seasoning made by fermenting soybeans and wheat with koji mold.

Its use of soybeans distinguishes it from the fish-based sauces seen in other Asian countries, and it is also marked by the special flavour created by slowly, painstakingly fermenting soybeans in a selected environment. Soy sauce is the miracle seasoning of Japanese cuisine, indispensable

for enhancing savoriness and adding aroma

and

flavour to dishes.

In fact, it can be said that soy sauce is the essence of Japanese

cuisine’s

flavour,

providing

zest to sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, vegetables, stewed

dishes

and

more.

Miso

rarely

A vital source of flavour and

aroma,

miso

has

the

kept Japanese healthy for centuries. Miso is made by fermenting and aging a mixture of soybeans, salt and koji mold. A diverse assortment of miso is created by choosing different koji types (rice, wheat, bean etc) and altering the length of the ageing process to produce a reddish or whitish hue. Traditionally, miso was the main source of protein for Japanese, and it still remains a vital seasoning in Japanese cuisine, as its rich, distinctive fragrance and flavour add an exquisite touch to fish and vegetables. For centuries, it has helped

Japanese to stay fit with its health enhancing powers, which are said to include cholesterol reduction and prevention of the effects of ageing. Miso can be eaten as it is, or can be used for soup, pickles, grilled dishes and other cooking.

Japanese sweets Japanese sweets are called wa-gashi in Japanese, and western-style sweets are called yo-gashi. Common ingredients for wa-gashi are rice flour, azuki (red beans), and sugar. Butter and milk are

used in wagashi cooking, so wa-gashi tends to be lower in fat than yo-gashi. Wa-gashi can be very sweet, so it goes well with strong green tea.

Anko (sweet red beans) is a typical ingredient in wa-gashi. It is used as filling for manju (steamed cake), dorayaki (pancakes with anko filling), taiyaki (carp shaped cake) and so on.

Also, anko can be eaten with mochi (rice cake), such as shiruko (sweet rice cake soup). Other popular wa-gashi are yokan (sweet beans jello) and daifuku (sweet rice cake). There are different kinds of yokan and daifuku depending on the fillings.

Kei Japanese Restaurant The Authentic Taste of Japan

Kuwait and branch in Bahrain at Golden Tulip Hotel are committed to providing not only the finest in dishes but also the genuine hospitality and atmosphere that make up the deep and delicate “soul� of Japanese cuisine. Kei Restaurant offers extensive variety of menus including traditional and modern Sushi, Teppanyaki and your favorite a la carte dishes.

An art as ancient and sophisticated as Japanese cuisine should be shared with the world. With this belief, Kei Restaurant was born to share the pleasures of Japanese cuisine with people all over the world. Japanese dining experience depends greatly on authenticity and high quality in every detail. With these firm beliefs, Kei Restaurant has been highly popular Japanese Restaurant since its establishment 25 years ago and has been visited by extensive and distinguished clientele who enjoy high standard cuisine.

More than mere Japanese eating establishments, Kei Restaurants are spaces where people can relax and enjoy refined Japanese cuisine in its every dimension. Kei Restaurants at JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait, Marina Crescent

54

Japanese cuisine, perhaps more than any other so-called art, rewards each of our international friends and patrons a real insight into Japanese culture, and the traditional wisdom and values that support it even today. With this belief Kei Restaurant continues to dream of improving cultural exchange throughout the world by the medium of Japanese cuisine.

Kei Restaurant at JW Marriott Hotel, Kuwait -Tel: 965-22422650 Located at downtown JW Marriott Hotel on the ground floor adjacent to Salhia Complex and commercial offices. Very convenient for shopping and business.

Free valet parking available. Chic and elegant interior with sushi bar, teppanyaki and a la carte tables with extensive variety of popular Japanese cuisine.

Lunch 12:30 – 3:00 pm Dinner 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Kei Restaurant at Marina Crescent, Kuwait - Tel: 965-22244630 Located at Marina Crescent in Salmiya, opposite of Marina Mall. Enjoy the spectacular Marina view in a casual and trendy setting. Outside seating also available perfect for gorgeous sunsets. Enjoy variety of stylish sushi and wonders of modern Japanese cuisine as well as traditional dishes.

Open 12:30 pm – 11:00pm

Kei Restaurant at Golden Tulip Hotel, Bahrain - Tel: 973-17533450 Located in the Golden Tulip Hotel on the ground floor.

Diplomatic and business district, convenient access to offices and shopping centers in Manama. Enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine in a cozy atmosphere. In addition to your favorite dishes, enjoy the daily special lunch specially prepared by the Japanese chef.

Lunch 12:30 – 3:00 pm Dinner 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Food Supply Co.WLL Japanese Restaurant Kei Group Kuwait Airways Building 4th Floor P. O. Box 1348 Safat 13014 Kuwait

Tel: (965)22413656 Fax: (965)22435868 www.kei-restaurant.com E-mail: contact@kei-restaurant.com

R

omance, friendship, tears,

are a kaleidoscope of all these

laughter,

emotions and more. Lets have a

adventure

and

horror- Japanese manga

closer look at manga and its magic

! c i g a M

a g n a M

56

in Japan.

Manga! that?

M

anga,

What’s literally

translated,

means “whimsical pictures”.

Manga is the Japanese word

for comic (sometimes called komikku) and print cartoons. In their modern form, manga date from shortly after World War II but have a long, complex history in earlier Japanese art. In Japan, manga are widely read by children and adults of all ages, so that a broad range of subjects and topics occur in manga, including action/ adventure, romance, sports and games,

A manga artist (mangaka in Japanese) typically works with a few assistants in a small studio and is associated with a creative editor from a commercial publishing company. If a manga series is popular enough, it may be animated after or even during its run. Although sometimes manga are drawn centering on previously existing live-action or animated films (e.g. Star Wars).

Manga History

H

istorians

and

writers

on

manga

history have described two broad and complementary

processes

shaping

historical drama, comedy, science fiction

modern manga. Their views differ in the relative

and fantasy, mystery, horror, sexuality, and

importance they attribute to the role of cultural

business and commerce, among others.

and historical events following World War II

Since the 1950s, manga have steadily become

versus the role of pre-War, Meiji, and pre-Meiji

a major part of the Japanese publishing

Japanese culture and art.

industry, representing a 481 billion yen market

The first view emphasizes events occurring during

in Japan in 2006 (approximately $4.4 billion dollars). Manga have also become increasingly popular worldwide. In 2006, the United States manga market was $175-200 million.

Manga are typically printed in black-and-white, although some full-color manga exist (e.g.

and after the U.S. Occupation of Japan (19451952), and stresses that manga was strongly shaped by United States cultural influences, including U.S. comics brought to Japan by the GIs and by images and themes from U.S. television,

“Colorful”). In Japan, manga are usually serialized

film, and cartoons (especially Disney). Kinsella also

in telephone book-size manga magazines, often

sees a central role for how the booming post-

containing many stories each presented in a

war Japanese publishing industry helped create

single episode to be continued in the next issue. If

a consumer-oriented society in which publishing

the series is successful, collected chapters may be

giants like Kodansha could shape popular taste.

republished in paperback books called tank?bon.

Japanese scholars like Takashi Murakami have

also stressed events after World

political and economic infrastructure.

The group included Hagio Moto,

War II, but Murakami sees Japan’s

Although U.S. Occupation censorship

Riyoko Ikeda, Yumiko Oshima, Keiko

staggering defeat and the atomic

policies

art

Takemiya, and Riyoko Yamagishi

bombing

and

and writing that glorified war and

and they marked the first major

Nagasaki as having created long-

Japanese militarism, those policies did

entry of women artists into manga.

lasting scars on the Japanese artistic

not prevent the publication of other

Thereafter, shojo manga would be

kinds of material, including manga.

drawn primarily by women artists

Furthermore, the 1947 Japanese

for an audience of girls and young

Constitution (Article 21) prohibited all

women.

forms of censorship. One result was

In 1971, Ikeda began her immensely

an explosion of artistic creativity in this

popular shojo manga Beresaiyu no

period.

Bara (“The Rose of Versailles”), a story

of

Hiroshima

psyche, which, in this view, lost its previously virile confidence in itself and sought solace in harmless and cute (“kawaii”) images. However, Takayumi Tatsumi sees a special role for a transpacific economic

specifically

targeted

In the forefront of this period are two

and cultural transnationalism that

of Oscar François de Jarjayes, a cross-

manga series and characters that

dressing woman who was a Captain

created a postmodern and shared

influenced much of the future history

in Marie Antoinette’s Palace Guards in

international

of

of manga. These are Osamu Tezuka’s

pre-Revolutionary France. In the end,

cartooning, film, television, music,

Mighty Atom (Astro Boy in the United

Oscar dies as a revolutionary leading

and related popular arts, which was,

States; begun in 1951) and Machiko

a charge of her troops against the

for Tatsumi the crucible in which

Hasegawa’s Sazae-san (begun in

Bastille. Likewise, Hagio Moto’s work

modern manga have developed.

1946).

challenged Neo-Confucianist limits

However,

Between

youth

culture

1969,

on women’s roles and activities as in

continuity of Japanese cultural and

increasingly large audiences for

her 1975 They Were Eleven, a sh?jo

aesthetic traditions as central to the

manga emerged in Japan with

science fiction story about a young

the solidification of its two main

woman cadet in a future space

marketing genres, sh?nen manga

academy.

aimed at boys and sh?jo manga

These women artists also created

aimed at girls. Up to 1969, sh?jo

considerable

manga was drawn primarily by adult

In its focus on the heroine’s inner

men for young female readers.

experiences

Two very popular and influential

manga are “picture poems” (Schodt

other

writers

stress

history of manga. These scholars include Frederik L. Schodt, Kinko Ito, and Adam L. Kern.

Thus, these scholars see the history of manga as involving historical continuities between

and the

discontinuities aesthetic

and

1950

and

stylistic and

innovations.

feelings,

sh?jo

male-authored manga for girls from

cultural past as it interacts with

1986, p. 88) with delicate and

this period were Tezuka’s 1953-1956

post-World War II innovation and

complex designs that often eliminate

Ribon no Kishi (“Princess Knight” or

panel borders completely to create

transnationalism.

“Knight in Ribbons”) and Matsuteru

prolonged, non-narrative extensions

Manga after World War II

Yokoyama’s 1966 Mah?tsukai Sarii

of time.(McCloud, 1993, pp. 77-82)

(“Little Witch Sally”).

All of these innovations – strong

M

odern manga originates in

the

Occupation

and independent female characters,

ShOjo Manga

I

intense emotionality, and complex

n 1969, a group of women

design – remain characteristic of

mangaka

sh?jo manga up to the present day.

later

called

“The

Magnificent 24s” made their sh?jo

In the mid-1980s and thereafter, as

Occupation years (1952-early 1960s),

manga debut (the term comes from

girls who had read shojo manga as

when a previously militaristic and

the Japanese name for 1949, when

teenagers matured and entered the

ultranationalist Japan was rebuilding its

many of these artists were born).

job market, shojo manga elaborated

(1945-1952) and post-

subgenres directed at women in

they can follow it in the magazines or

their 20s and 30s. This “Ladies Comic”

if they find the cost of the weeklies or

subgenre (in Japanese, redisu ,

monthlies to be prohibitive. Recently,

redikomi , and josei) has dealt with

“deluxe” versions have also been

themes of young adulthood: jobs,

printed as readers have got older and

the emotions and problems of sexual

the need for something special grew.

intercourse, and friendships or love

Old manga have also been reprinted

among women.

using somewhat lesser quality paper

M

a

n

g

a

dollar) each to compete with the used book market.

publications

I

and sold for 100 yen (about $1 U.S.

Manga are primarily classified by

Manga magazines

M

anga magazines usually have many series running concurrently

with

approximately 20–40 pages allocated to each series per issue. These manga magazines, or “anthology magazines”, as they are also known (colloquially “phone books”), are usually printed on low-quality newsprint and can be anywhere from 200 to more than 850 pages long. Manga magazines also

n Japan, manga constitutes a multi-

the age and gender of the target

billion dollar publication industry.

audience. In particular, books and

On

volumes

magazines sold to boys (sh?nen) and

four-panel yonkoma (equivalent to

of manga are printed annually.

girls (sh?jo) have distinctive cover art

comic strips). Manga series can run for

The

expanded

and are placed on different shelves

many years if they are successful. Manga

worldwide. Distribution companies

in most bookstores. Due to cross-

artists sometimes start out with a few

license and reprint manga into their

readership, consumer response is

“one-shot” manga projects just to try to

native languages.

not limited by demographics. For

get their name out. If these are successful

When a series has been running for a

example, male readers subscribing to

and receive good reviews, they are

while, the stories are usually collected

a series intended for girls and so on.

continued. Some relatively well-known

together and printed in dedicated

Japan also has manga cafés, or

publications are Weekly Shonen Jump,

book-sized volumes, called tank?bon.

manga kissa (kissa is an abbreviation

Big Comic Original, Shonen Sunday,

These volumes use higher-quality

of kissaten). At a manga kissa, people

Ribon, Nakayoshi,Young Animal and

paper, and are useful to those who

drink coffee and read manga, and

Shojo Beat.

want to “catch up” with a series so

sometimes stay there overnight

average manga

many

industry

contain one-shot comics and various

59

Pioneers Manga

of

he great cartoonist Osamu Tezuka established manga as a genre to rival novels or films,

and is considered to be the Godfather of modern Japanese Manga. It is almost true to say that the Japanese animated films (anime) and manga which today enjoy such popularity worldwide can trace their roots back to Tezuka.New Treasure Island, published in 1947 was a groundbreaking work that brought cinematic forms of expression to manga, and as well as becoming the bestseller

cartoonists. In 1963, Tezuka made an animated version of his own manga

Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989)

T

had a tremendous impact on later

it

has also

Astro Boy, and this became the first domestically-produced

animated

cartoon series to be aired on Japanese television. He produced a whole succession of masterpieces, including Kimba the White Lion, a magnificient drama set in the jungles of Africa;

Fujiko F. Fujio (1933-1996)

M

anga

by

Fujiko

(real

name Hiroshi Fujimoto), which include the ever-

popular Doraemon, have an appeal that crosses generations. Fascinated by the innovative story manga

by Osamu Tezuka, Fujimoto and elementary school classmate, Moto’o

Princess Knight, the adventures of

Abiko, moved on Tokyo to pursue

a princess forced to disguise herself

their dream of becoming manga

as a prince; and the human drama

artists. The duo used the pseudonym

Black Jack, about a doctor. Tezuka’s

Fujiko Fujio throughout their long

prolific output includes over 500 titles,

carreer together. In 1987, the two

and he is said to have drawn some

parted

150,000 frames during his lifetime.

carried on under the pen name of

company,

and

Fujimoto

Fujiko Fujio. He focused his manga Leiji Matsumoto (1938- )

primarily at a younger audience, but

L

eiji Matsumoto aspired to follow the path of Osamu Tezuka. He made his debut as a

cartoonist in 1954, while still only 15 years old. His popularity was later cemented by the publication of his famous science fiction series, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999,

and

Captain

Harlock. In recent years,

his

works

have been highly reappraised

by

the creators who grew up during the anime boom, he

helped

to

expanded his scope across a wide spectrum of genres. His greatest hits however came with Doraemon and Paman- manga that have long had particularly wide appeal.

Go Nagai (1945- )

I

nspired to become a cartoonist

by Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai has gone on to become one of

Japan’s manga masters. In 1967, he marked his debut as a cartoonist and throughout his impressive carreer he has continued to produce works with undiminished vigor. His work ranges from humorous manga to science fiction and fantasy. Among his most

spark.

He

has

famous works are Devilman, a bleak

been

accorded

look at the collapse of humanity, and

great

respect

Cutey Honey, a trailblazing manga

around the world.

featuring a fighting heroine. Many of Nagai’s manga were animated

60

during the 1970’s, and the Mazinger

Z series, about a youth who piloted

than 40 countries, gaining ardent

a giant robot, was the forerunner

fans around the world.

of the many animations featuring robots with human controllers inside and had great impact on many later anime.

Manga Masterpeices

T

he Kyoto International Manga Museum, a joint project of Kyoto City and Kyoto Seika

University, opened its doors in

Slam Dunk (by Takehiko Inoue, 1990 – 1996)

T

Manga Museum

November 2006. “The aim of the museum is to become a center of

his manga made its readers

information

smile and moved them at the

manga and anime”, explains Yu

same time. The comic sparked

Ito, one of the research staff at the

a nationwide basketball craze in

museum. There is already a catalogue

Japan as readers got so hooked on it, they just had to take up the sport.

Slam Dunk is the crowning glory of Yatsura

(by

Rumiko

Takahashi, 1978 - 1987)

T

researchers

into

of some 200,000 volumes of manga and related materials, with plans to expand it further in the future. Over

the sports manga genre.

Urusuei

for

his comedy of young love begins when a beautiful alien girl called Lum appears in front

of abysmally, lecherous and idiotic high schoolboy, Ataru Moroboshi,

10,000 visitors, including all age groups and many overseas visitors, passed through the museum’s doors in the first two weeks it opened.

“Manga

is

attracting

enormous

interest all over the world as a form of

and promptly falls in love with him.

pop culture, while at the same time

It has had a big impact on manga

it embodies techniques of expression

and anime, helping shape the otaku

that have been cultivated in Japan

mentality.

Dragon Ball (by Akira Toriyama, 1984 – 1995)

O

riginally serialised in the

for a very long time”, notes Ito. Japanese

Manga

has

a

long

history and has developed to its

weekly magazine Shonen

present stage through a process of

Jump, Dragon Ball is one

continued trial and error. It is now

of Japan’s best-known manga. Hero

widely read overseas, and cartoons

Son Goku, searches for seven magical orbs in order to be granted a wish, and the story of his life-long adventures and battles has enthralled hordes of

appearing in other countries show the clear influence of Japanese manga techniques. Manga is no

young readers. A TV cartoon show

longer limited to Japan; it is evolving

based on the comic has aired in more

to become a universal culture.

61

How to Walk in JAPAN Tourist information for Kuwaitis

Hokkaido: The Other Japan Hokkaido is “the other Japan”. This northernmost of the archipelago’s four main islands was a vast, nearly pristine wilderness until about 150 years ago. Even today there is a frontier feel to its more remote regions. City and countryside alike breathe a new air. Ancient tradition, like summer humidity, is less oppressive here. You travel elsewhere in Japan to relive the past. You come to Hokkaido to escape it.

1 s t day The Hokkaido Island is situated in the northern Japan with the area equivalent to the total areas of Switzerland and Denmark. It has one-fifth of the national land of Japan. Full-fledged development started in the 19th century, and western styled cities were born for the first time in Japan in the land that had been unexplored before. Hakodate in the south Hokkaido, facing Aomori in the Honshu Island across the Tsugaru Channel has particularly flourished as the gateway to the southern Hokkaido from the early times.

As soon as I arrived at Hakodate, I went to the morning

62

market held on the western plaza of JR Hakodate Station. As it is surrounded by sea, Hokkaido is a treasury of abundant seafood.There are many markets for fresh seafood, vegetables and fruits for the local people. After I took breakfast at the market, I got on the city sightseeing bus “free-time tour course” which I can get on and off as many times as I like all day. First I headed for the Goryokaku Park in the north of the city. It is located at the site where the first western style castle in Japan was built in 1855. It is designated as a special historical site today. I climbed to the observation deck in the 60-

meter tall Goryokaku Tower standing next to the park.

There are moats surrounding the star-shape structure fringed with greenery.

I got back on the bus. In 15 minutes, I got off at the Trappistine Convent in the suburb. This is the first convent founded by 8 missionary nuns from France over 100 years ago. Visitors are only admitted to the front of the chapel. The reference room in the premise displays panelled photographs that introduce part of the life in a convent.

After the bus left the Trappistine Convent, it went through the Yunokawa-onsen Hot Spring resort that boasts one of the largest volume of spring water, and continued a smooth run on the Isaribi-dori street along the Tsugaru Channel. As I enjoyed the sight of the beautiful blue sea from the window, the bus soon arrived at Motomachi, at the foot of Mt Hakodate-yama. This area used to be the residential district for the foreigners who came over to Japan when the isolation policy was abandoned and the modern civilization started. There are a number of exotic structures such as the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Byzantine style and a group of other churches, former British Consulate, and homes in a half-Japanese and half-western style.

like a nose. It offers a fantastic view from the top. A large size gondola with 125 seats carried me to the view spot at the mountaintop in 3 minutes. The view of the narrow land sandwiched by Hakodate Harbor and the Tsugaru Channel is unique to Hakodate.

As I climbed down Mt Hakodate-yama and crossed a boulevard where the famous Hakodate trams run, I was already in the Bay Area. This area is a treasury of retrospective, nostalgic buildings. The popular site is the group of old warehouses built with red bricks.

They have been remodelled into restaurants, shops, museums and a variety of other facilities.

The most remarkab le building is the Old Hakodate Ward Public Hall in the wooden colonial style. It was built in 1910 to replace the town hall that had burned down in a great fire, and had been used as a guesthouse for the Emperor and VIPs. I then hurried to the ropeway station at the foot of Mt. Hakodate-yama. Mt Hakodate-yama is 334 m high and juts out to the sea

63

2 n d day In the morning of my second day, I took a Limited Express Super Hokuto of a JR Line from Hakodate and headed for Sapporo. In 2 hours 59 minutes, the train arrived at Sapporo Station. Sapporo is the seat of the Hokkaido prefectural office with the population of 1.8 million. It is one of the five largest cities of Japan.

Sapporo is characterized by the neat and orderly streets and blocks because it was developed with a solid urban development plan from the beginning in 1869, and it is very convenient for tourists.

So, I opened my map and started to walk toward the symbol of Sapporo, Tokeidai Kinenkan, a memorial hall for a clock tower. I walked straight to south for 15 minutes from the south exit of Sapporo Station and found the white 5-storey clock tower. It was built at the martial art hall for the former Sapporo Agricultural School, the predecessor of the present Hokkaido University. It is the oldest clock tower in Japan, and an extremely rare specimen with all original gears and other main parts.

Inside is the Sapporo History Museum that exhibits the historical materials of Sapporo in the pioneer days and the history of the Agricultural School.

As I crossed the Sapporo Ekimae-dori street from the Clock Tower and walked to the north, I found a majestic red brick building. This is a former Hokkaido Prefectural Office building in the neo-baroque style built in 1888 modelled after the state capitol of Massachusetts, USA. The Hokkaido Prefectural Library inside this building preserves about 190,000 official and unofficial documents for the period before the development until establishment of the Hokkaido Prefectural Office and they are offered for public perusal.

green promenade fringed with lilacs and elms. I took a subway and a bus to the Okurayama Ski-Jumping Ground, which was remodelled and reopened in April 2000. I took a two-seater lift over the braking track with a long slope and got to the observation lounge at the top of the jumping platform in 5 minutes. I had a bird’s eye view of the entire Sapporo city and the Ishikari Plain.

It was simply wonderful.

I returned to the city centre, and took a subway and a bus to head for the Hitsuji-ga-oka view spot in the suburb of Sapporo. This view spot is located in a gentle hill. Sheep grazed in the vast pasture beyond the fence.

It was a peaceful pastoral sight.

By the time I got back to the central Sapporo again, the streets had already been lighted. The city was still lively even in the evening. You can enjoy Mongolian mutton barbecue, a specialty of Hokkaido and seafood, as well as European, Chinese, Asian and African cuisines, but the most popular food for the local Sapporoites must be ramen noodles. After this nice and warm treat, I took a tram from Susukino and headed for Mt Moiwa-yama, famous for a nice night view. About 450 kinds of trees and plants grow densely in the virgin forest around 531-m tall Mt. Moiwa-yama.

I understand you can overlook the Ishikari Bay in the north, Mt Eniwa-dake and the Lake Shikotsu-ko in the far south from the view spot on fine days. I got off the tram at the ropeway station, and walked about 10 minutes to the station at the foot of the mountain. I enjoyed an aerial walk for 5 minutes, transferred at the Moiwayama Nakacho midway station to a lift, and arrived at I walked 2 blocks to the south from the Former Hokkaido the mountaintop observation platform. What I saw Prefectural Office and arrived at the Odori-koen Park, through the glassed-in observation deck was the night an oasis in a metropolis. This park runs through the view of a metropolis Sapporo that glistens brilliantly like centre of the city for 1.5 km from east to west. It is a a capsized jewellery box.

64

3 r d day On my last day, I took the Rapid Train “Ishikari Liner” on a JR Line and arrived at Otaru that faces the Ishikari Bay in the Sea of Japan. Otaru used to thrive with herring fishing, and later developed as a harbor town for Sapporo where foreign ships moored. It became a large commercial city with the population over 90,000 by the early 20th century, and various freights were transported from foreign countries.

It is the Otaru Canal at 10 minutes walk from Otaru Station that preserves the atmosphere of those days.

The construction of this 1,140-m long canal took 9 years since 1914. Rows of old warehouses built of stone stand along the canal. There is a stone-paved promenade and as many as 63 gaslights along the canal. I felt as if I had time-slipped into 100 years ago. The rickshaws for tourists added to this nostalgic atmosphere even further.

One of the warehouses built with timber-framed stones along the canal has a statue of a large fish called “Shachihoko”. It is the Otaru City Museum in a remodeled warehouse constructed in 1893. The Shachihoko is 1.5-m tall and made of 120 kg silver tiles.

There are many mini-galleries and shops of art glass and music boxes around the Otaru City Museum.

I strolled away from the canal and reached the Shikinai-

hondori Street. This area was once called a Wall Street of the North. There still remain many western style stone buildings. The district is dotted with historic buildings, art museums and mini-galleries. I took a bus from the former Wall Street and went eastward on the Sakaimachi-dori Street. I got off at the Marchen Intersection noted for the No. 3 Building of Kitaichi Glass, a gallery of lamps and art glass, and Orugoru-do, the largest specialty shop dedicated to music boxes.

There is the world largest 5.5-m tall steam clock tower at the front of Orugoru-do built with timber-framed bricks in 1912. It plays a steam whistle melody every 15 minutes. I took a photograph, visited the gallery and got back on a bus to Otaru Harbor Marina. There were markets for fresh foods and a large commercial facility Mical Honmoku that contains a hotel, restaurants, a supermarket, movie theaters and even a natural hot spring in a vast area of 130,000 sq m, which were crowded with the local people and tourists.

I returned to JR Otaru Station and boarded a Rapid Train to JR Shin-Chitose Airport. I had to say farewell to this beautiful land of Hokkaido. Snowflakes started to dance to see off a traveller going home. I hope to visit here in a blooming season and meet different scenery of the northland next time.

65

Local cuisine of Hokkaido Seafood

Tourists are attracted from all over the country to Hokkaido’s rich variety of fresh fish and processed seafood. This delicious bounty includes crab, scallops, sea urchins, salmon roe, salmon, herring, flounder, cod, arabesque greenlings, squid, octopus, shrimp, abalone, surf clams and kelp. Harvested from the northern seas, these seafood products have exquisite taste and flavor, and are rated among the best of their type. The crab in particular is exceptional. Depending on the season and location, you can enjoy Queen crab, Horsehair crab, Red king crab or Blue king crab. When in season, they are heavy for their size and rich in flavor whether boiled in brine or prepared as sashimi. The sea urchins feed on kelp and the sashimi is so delicious you must try it at least once.

Ishikari-nabe

Ishikari-nabe is a typical dish of Hokkaido, making use of fresh salmon from head to tail. The name comes from the Ishikari-gawa River, famed for its salmon catch, and the same dish is known as tokachi-nabe in the Obihiro area. Chunks of salmon are stewed with vegetables, tofu and konnyaku (devil’s tongue) in kelp stock flavored with miso. Locally produced potatoes and cabbage add to the delicious flavor of this hearty dish, so you can indulge in the tastes of Hokkaido from both the sea and the land.

Genghis Khan (barbecued mutton)

The Genghis Khan nabe (pot) is a special helmet-shaped pan made from cast iron. It is also a dish in which thinly sliced mutton and vegetables (bean sprouts, cabbage and pumpkin) are basted and roasted. Perhaps its name stems from being a favorite of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire. Or perhaps it stems from Mongolian soldiers roasting mutton in their warrior helmets. Whichever the case, this dish is renowned for its hearty taste and unique rustic flavor. A

Sapporo Snow Festival

Rows of small and large snow statues are on display at three sites in Sapporo City during this festival, which is visited by two million people including overseas tourists. Odori Park which serves as the main venue is located in the city center, and a space extending 1.5 km transforms into a snow museum. International Square (Nishi 11 chome, Odori) becomes the stage for the International Snow Statue Contest and every year more than 10 teams compete from all over the world. As this is a park, you can drop by whenever you like. The lit-up snow statues are so beautiful (-22:00).

Moreover, the ice sculptures displayed at the Susukino Site, which is also a famous nightspot district, create a truly fantastic world. Here, you will discover unique works with Hokkaido delicacies such as crab, cuttlefish and salmon frozen inside the ice, which are fun to look at.

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Shop

till you

Drop

Japan is a shopper’s paradise . . . there is something for everyone. From the latest electronic gadgets to watches, cameras and other optical goods, look no further - you’ll find it all in Japan !

M

any people see Japan as a place to buy high-tech goods only. In fact, it is in Japan where you can find the sheerest of silks, the highest quality pearls, fine ceramics, lacquer ware, colorful and historic wood block prints, hand crafted bamboo ware, and so on. All of these are available in specialty shops and the department stores of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Recommended shopping areas in Tokyo include the Ginza, Shinjuku and Shibuya, while the electronics district of Akihabara is famous for its incredible array of electronic and electrical devices of all kinds.

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Where to buy Department stores

A department store sells all kinds of goods from food to clothing and jewelry. They do not discount the price except during the bargain season. The major department stores in Japan include “Mitsukoshi”, “Matsuzakaya”, “Sogo”, “Takashimaya”, “Isetan” and “Matsuya”. Matsuzakaya was established in 1611 and Mitsukoshi

in 1637 - a history of nearly 400 years!

Even the relatively new Isetan dates back to 1886. Department stores such as “Tokyu”, “Odakyu”, “Keio”, “Seibu”, “Tobu” and “Hankyu” came along much later, but their parent companies were railway companies, and therefore the department stores are conveniently located next to stations.

H o u s e h o l d electric appliance megastores

These stores stock household

appliances such as TVs, PCs and refrigerators as well as cameras or

game software in bulk, and sell them at low prices. Some stores deal in watches, toys and brand products.

Typical examples are “Yodobashi Camera”, “Bic Camera”, “Yamada Denki” and “Ishimaru Denki”.

Akihabara in Tokyo and Nipponbashi in Osaka are famous electronics towns, but nowadays more shops are opening up near the terminal stations or along the highway.

Discount stores

Discount stores sell everything from clothing to daily necessities, from household products to toys and food at discount prices. One famous store with outlets throughout Japan is “Don Quijote”, and their shop at Dotonbori, Osaka, even has a Ferris wheel. The head store at Shinjuku East Exit and the store in Roppongi are open 24 hours a day and the one in Akihabara is open till 5:00 in the morning. In Tokyo, the famous “Takeya” discount store in Okachimachi opened in 1947.

an increasing number of stores now have a pharmacy to fill hospital prescriptions. “Matsumoto Kiyoshi”, “Kokumin” and “Sundrug” are the major drug store chains, but when you walk along any of Japan’s shopping districts, chances are you will find several drug stores.

Drug stores

Drug stores are centered

on drugs and medicines, but they also sell cosmetics, food, health products and many other items in reasonable price. Some of the stores focus on cosmetics targeting young women, so you can try out the latest products before they are available in other shops. Moreover,

Fashion buildings

Fashion buildings specialize

in clothing, miscellaneous goods and cosmetics. They have a good range

These shops sell products

and some shops prepare products

specific to various areas in Japan and advertise for sightseeing. The “Kotsu Kaikan” situated in front of Yurakucho Station has many shops, among which “Murakara Machikarakan” in “Kotsu Kaikan” offers approx.

according to the sense of the owner.

of select shops that carry domestic and overseas brands for women

Many fashion buildings also have stage or movie theaters attached.

Outlet malls

Outlet

malls

have

an

atmosphere similar to a theme park but they are actually shopping centers where you can buy brand products at a reasonable price. There are presently about 30 outlet malls in Japan. Both the indoor and outdoor

Everything from cosmetics to

stationary, household items to food is sold at 100 yen in these shops. The “Daiso” company has 2400 outlets in Japan and 350 outside Japan, and the “Can*Do” chain is also one of the most popular 100-yen shops. The products are durable for practical use and many of them come in a variety of colors, so they’re fun to use and have become an established part of daily life in Japan. You will be able to find souvenirs and travel-size items for immediate use.

brand shops.

Local government antenna shops

100 yen shops

“Herbis OSAKA” containing flagship

malls have wide passageways, so 1000 specialty products from throughout Japan, so you can enjoy the atmosphere of a Japanese tour without leaving the building.

Shopping centers

These are new complexes

you can truly enjoy walking around and shopping.

Miscellaneous goods stores

established at the city center through

area redevelopment. In some cases, world-famous hotels, movie theaters, stage theaters, offices and luxury condominiums are built around super-high-rise buildings. Major shopping centers include Roppongi’s “Tokyo Midtown” with its Midtown Tower, the highest building in Tokyo, “Roppongi Hills” with a TV station and observatory, and “Caretta Shiodome” in Shiodome. In Osaka, the Umeda area underwent largescale redevelopment, and superhigh-rise buildings were constructed to create “Osaka Garden City” and

the

Miscellaneous goods include many

daily

products

that

add fun and convenience to our life. Functionality is required, but additional value is expected in the form of design quality and sense of fun. There is a wide range of genres of miscellaneous goods from stationary, antiques, and tableware to party goods. Stores with nationwide outlets include “The Loft”, “Tokyu Hands”, “Mujirushi Ryohin (MUJI)” and “Plaza”.

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Japan can be Affordable!

Many foreign visitors mistakenly believe that it is very expensive in Tokyo but this is not really true. Many visitors know about “100-yen shops” and enjoy shopping at these and other discount shops, while dining out is also becoming more affordable for them. Some would go to soba (buckwheat noodles) shops to have tempura (fish and vegetables deep-fried in vegetable oil), soba noodles, rather than going to tempura shops only to order tempura. Also, they go in a group to enjoy sharing nabe (pan menu). It seems that they really know how to enjoy their stay in Japan in an affordable way,” said Katsuo Tobita, the owner of Ryoken “Shigetsu” in Asakusa, Tokyo.

In the sections below, you can find either free or low cost tips that will make a trip to Japan really enjoyable, yet still not in a “cheap” way.

See and Experience Knowing Tokyo through walking

A big city Tokyo can be experienced and seen within as short a time as 3 hours if you follow the model course introduced below. In addition, as this is a walking course, it is always free of charge!

In the middle of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace is located with a peripheral road that is a little over 5 km

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in length. Even with detours, it would not be any longer than 7 km, enabling you to enjoy a very pleasant walk.

In the Palace Garden, you will see various historic spots associated with the Edo Castle, and deep greens make you forget you are in the midst of a city. The palace is surrounded by a moat of rich water. You will be amazed at the spaciousness and cleanliness of Higashi Gyoen (East Park) and Kitanomaru-koen Park. Both are open to the public and admission is free. It usually takes well over an hour to walk through Higashi Gyoen, but the quiet and beauty makes it well worth doing.

The tour starts with the Nijubashi Bridge, which is the symbol of the Imperial Palace. Walking counterclockwise facing the bridge in front, you will reach Kasumigaseki, an administrative district, and the National Diet Building, which is the center of politics. Next, you will pass exclusive residential areas including Koji-machi and Ban-cho, followed by Chidori-ga-fuchi (Northwest of the Imperial Palace), onwards to the National Museum of Art. After going down the slope of Kudan, you encounter the lively town of Kanda. The office town of Marunouchi follows the crowded town of Kanda, and this completes a round trip tour of central Tokyo that has offered various scenes. Joggers and walkers also love the peripheral road of the Imperial Palace. With its seasonal flowers, Tokyo Tower, skyscrapers and historic building, you will certainly have interesting experiences as well.

Between the 35th and 36th floor, the highest point of the Marunouchi Building, called “Marubiru”, is an atrium. Admission is free and it is only 10-minute walk from the Palace. The diversity of Tokyo can be felt, with the skyscrapers of Shiodome area visible on the left along with the Rainbow Bridge, and the Imperial Palace visible on the right. The night view is gorgeous from the observation room of the Metropolitan Government Building located in Shinjuku. It is open until 23:00 to view the city from a height of 202 m, and admission is also free. In winter, closely observed, Mt Fuji can be often seen, giving a magnificent outlook. Another popular observation room, also free of charge, is that of the Bunkyo Civic Center (105 m, 25th floor). It is kept dark in the room and has inclined windows to banish reflections that could impair the otherwise clear night views.

Kitchen of Kyoto

To experience the “Kitchen of Kyoto,” a stroll in the Nishiki-ichiba Market is recommended. Although called “market,” it is more like a shopping mall, where you can buy anything from seafood sold for Ryokans or restaurants, to grocery items for ordinary consumers at reasonable prices. One can also dine here in many varying restaurants.

Visitors can choose to snack on ageboten (fried fish rolls) on the street or dine in shops or restaurants at relatively low prices. Dining at restaurants or shops allows visitors to partake of attractive Japanese cuisine and enjoy the atmosphere. Many shops and restaurants give discounts right before they close each day.

Dine Japanese Fast Food

Fast food unique to Japan is represented by tachigui-soba (“standing-up-eating” soba noodles), gyudon (beef bowls), and kaitenzushi (“sushi-go-round”).

There are some foreign menus that have been arranged in a Japanese manner until they finally became “Japanese” cuisine that now differs in both taste and style from the originals. Curry rice is typical of this. Ramen noodles, originally a Chinese dish, are one of the most popular foods in Japan today. Donburi is a rice bowl topped with various ingredients and sauce. Popular donburi dishes include gyu-don, a bowl of beef and onions cooked with a salty-sweet taste and ten-don with tempura. These can also be ordered at soba and teishoku shops.

Tr avel Staying in a Ryokan in Japan

There is a saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” With that said, staying in Ryokan is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience a true Japanese atmosphere, completed with tatami mats and yukata dresses. These Ryokans also offer true Japanese hospitality. Especially in recent years, the number of Ryokans that welcome foreign tourists is increasing. One of the characteristics of such a Ryokan is its reasonable price when compared to that of city hotels. They also offer guests a chance to exchange their travel information with each other.

Sento (Public Bath)

Japanese Ryokans normally serve dinner, but there is a choice to stay there without meals, just like at hotels. When dining out, guests may also want to experience a sento, if there is one nearby, as it is something that can only be experience in Japan. A sento is a public bath with two huge, separate bathing areas, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen. Bathers relax in the big communal bath, and wash themselves outside of the tub. Shampoo and soaps can be purchased, and some sentos also rent bath towels to guests. Sentos sometimes have what is called an “tebura (empty-hand) set” which includes a towel, soap, shampoo and conditioner in the admission fee. In Tokyo, the admission fee is 430 yen, and many sento are open in the afternoon, or evening through midnight.

Okinawa’s Beautiful Sea In Okinawa the sea has much to offer, and it is astoundingly beautiful - so beautiful that one local word for “sea,” chura umi, includes the nuance, “beautiful and clear.”

It would be hard to imagine life in Okinawa without the sea. If you visit, you will certainly be captivated by its natural beauty.

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The Sea Around Okinawa Why Is It So Beautiful ?

Treasures of Natures The color-coordinated coral reefs and the tremendous diversity of marine life astound me every time I go to Okinawa. The first time I went there I was a student, and I have been back every year since, for more than 30 years, drawn the sea around Okinawa’s many islands.

Okinawa Prefecture, in the far southwest of Japan, is a chain of islands consisting of several island groups, the most notable being the Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama groups. The island chain, called the Ryukyu Archipelago, traces a line between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the East

China Sea to the west. On the Pacific Ocean side, the Kuroshio Current flows in from the south through the island, creating warm conditions for many marine species and some of the world’s best coral reefs. The Kerama Islands, also part of the archipelago, are known worldwide for the underwater beauty of their coral reefs.

The large coral reefs that are common in Okinawa are not found further north, of course, but they are not seen further south either. There are several reasons for this: • The Okinawan islands are situated some distance from Asia’s continental landmass, so the marine environment is free of the vast quantities of silt and organisms that the continent’s rivers wash into the sea. The seawater is so clear that you can see 40 to 50 meters below the surface. The sun shines strong and deep into the water, providing the necessary conditions for reef-building corals.

• Because there are no large rivers dumping freshwater into the sea, the salt content of the seawater is high enough for coral growth.

• The Kuroshio Current brings water from the tropics. The climate is subtropical, unusual for such relatively northern latitudes.

These conditions give the sea around Okinawa a wide variety of corals and help to build large coral reefs.

As you may know, corals and coral reefs are different. The seawater off Southeast Asia has corals, but no major coral reefs. Corals are living organisms called cnidarians, and they exist either as solitary creatures or as members of colonies. The reefs are a mass of reef-

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building corals and dead, calcified organisms with bones or shells - everything from coralline algae and foraminifers to shellfish. Through hardening processes occurring over a long period of time, they form the underwater topography we see today.

All Okinawan islands are lined with coral reefs, and those reefs are still growing. Some of the islands are little more than coral reefs that grew higher and higher until they reached the surface. Coral reefs define the scenery and the underwater topography of the entire island chain.

Corals grow, die, and then get broken down by the waves, becoming sediments that join in the everlasting reef-making process. They act as breakwaters, protecting the shoreline from the rough open seas. When the waves break over them, the water sprays into the air, dissolving large quantities of oxygen essential for marine creatures.

The sheltered, shallow lagoons (called ino-o in the Okinawa dialect) offer ideal conditions for ecosystems that differ

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depending on the type of lagoon habitat.

Many of the islands have one side washed by the Kuroshio Current, the other side sheltered from it. This results in the development of different types of corals and coral reefs.

And the varied underwater topography fosters a variety of subtropical life forms.

Bonito, tuna, manta rays and whale sharks swarm offshore in the Kuroshio Current, and humpback whales breed around the islands. Colorful tropical fish swim among the ever-growing coral colonies that form the boundary between the lagoons and the open sea. Okinawa, a treasure trove of subtropical creatures, has more than 200 species of reef-building corals and more than 1,000 species of fish, with new fish species discovered every year! Divers from other parts of Japan and other parts of the world come throughout the year, drawn by the great variety of marine life and the dramatic sea floor.

The ino-o (lagoons) lying quietly between the shore and

the reefs feature seaweed such as grass wrack that creates an ideal habitat for young fish and other small creatures. If you are lucky you may even see a dugong, a herbivorous mammal belonging to the sirenian (“sea cow”) species, which feeds on seaweed.

The coastline has plenty to offer in addition to the coral reefs - a subtropical virgin forest lines the shores of Iriomote Island, mangrove swamps occupy river mouths, and tidal flats and muddy places also form their own local environments.

Wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention host many species in unique ecosystems.

Okinawa’s natural environment is amazing, and all Japanese should make sure that it continues to thrive for future generations to admire.

Arita, a town of tradition

Arita Artefacts Mesmerise

L

ocated in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, the western part of Japan, the town of Arita has had a long history of porcelain china. About 400 years ago, the potter Ri Sanpei who came from Korea discovered layers of highquality kaolin at Izumiyama in Arita.

Taking advantage of this discovery,

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the production of porcelain china quickly flourished in Arita. Arita wares are favored not only in Japan but also in other countries. Domestically and internationally, Arita wares are highly valued for their beauty and advanced techniques. Many artisans in Arita still continue to maintain the traditional craftsmanship while

striving to create better Arita wares.

Arita Kaleidoscopes

Kaleidoscopes touch the heart of everyone in the world. They lift our spirit and make us happy.

Kaleidoscopes are important items for today’s people. The kaleidoscopes created in collaboration with Arita porcelain artisans are dream works

of art. Kaleidoscopes could impress people or inspire their dreams.

Wishing to give people a dream, an impression, and energy to live, we have developed these porcelain kaleidoscopes by collaborating with a world-famous kaleidoscope artist and collecting professional techniques and knowledge from Koransha, Gen-emon Kin and Soejima Glass companies. We hope you will enjoy the external beauty as well as the interior beauty of the Arita porcelain scopes.

Microcosm in the palm of your hand Arita porcelain has a history of nearly 400 years. The fine, high-quality Arita wares have won numerous fans throughout the world. The Arita Procelain Scopes are the world’s first porcelain kaleidoscopes. They were created by integrating the proud Japanese art of Arita porcelain into kaleidoscopes that are often called the art of optics. The Arita

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a r e great works of art.

W e hope t h a t Tradition and art in everyone, especially children, everyday life The desktop type Arita Procelain will take a Scopes are ideal ornaments for look through the table or in the office. These these large type kaleidoscopes. middle-sized kaleidoscopes have Their beauty will interior images different from those lead everyone to a of handheld type kaleidoscopes. magical world.

As objects of art, the desktop type kaleidoscopes can be used effectively Arita Beauty in various scenes. Refresh your mind with these elegantly beautiful Boxes desktop type kaleidoscopes.

So-called Arita porcelains Let’s share a are generally sorted into three categories, which are Ko-Imari magical world (Old Imari) Style, Kakiemon Style, The large type Arita Procelain Scopes Nabeshima Style.

Because were created from our desire that all gorgeous and luxurious more people would enjoy the porcelains of Ko-Imari Style, and beauty of kaleidoscopes. Going so-called Nigoshi-de of Kakiemon beyond the concept of a simple Style were exported from the port kaleidoscope, these kaleidoscopes of Imari to Europe by the Dutch Procelain Scopes have received a lot of attention for their artistic and traditional quality as well as for their relaxing effect. Pick one up and take a look inside. Feel its beauty with your heart.

East India Company during the Edo era, they are called Imari or Ko-Imari (Old Imari). Unlike the porcelains of Ko-Imari or Imari Styles, those of

and mesmerised people for generations, while their exceptional craftsmanship makes their work truly one of a kind.

Nibeshima Style were not exported at all, but solely produced as gifts to the Togugawa Shogunate or to various feudal lords, at the kilns which had been directly controlled by the Saga Clan. They, therefore, are categorized separately from Imari or Ko-Imari Styles.

With Arita’s traditional styles and technologies well maintained and strictly preserved, “Arita’s Beauty Boxes” were made in these three different styles, respectively. They are the products created out of the time consuming and sincere craftsmanship of Arita in pursuit of highest qualities.

Sailor Fountain Pen produces some of the world’s best fountain pens.

Each pen is hand-made, finely crafted by the fingertips of master pen makers, who delicately adjust every nib by hand to perfection. The traditional artisans have never been content to simply master their craft – they have sought to consistently invent and innovate. This passion to achieve to a higher level has led them to collaborate to create a new kind of elegance – combining the traditional Arita-style porcelain with the finest in fountain pens.

Arita pens Creating a new class of elegance The style inherent in Arita pens is born of the collaboration between porcelains master craftsmen and the finest pen makers in the business. Arita is a region in Japan world-renowned for its tradition of creating the finest porcelain. Having over 400 years of porcelain-making experience, Koransha and Genemon Kiln are two companies that

are amongst the elite producers of the Arita region. Employing unique techniques, their work is bold, yet delicate, and has allured

Jadaan Aluminium Est.

The porcelain is characterised by its purity and flawless whites, and the wonderfully strange sensation of feeling simultaneously warm and cool, hard and soft – a phenomenon unique to Arita porcelain. This is exclusive stationary. This is a piece of art. This is two great traditions combined in one beautiful collection of pens.

We invite you to use these elegant fountain pens and feel the skill and passion of traditional Japanese artisans for yourself.

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Traditional Hospitality in Japan If you want to experience the best of hospitality in Japan, what better place than a traditional Japanese inn? And you might as well stay at the best. That would be Kagaya, at Wakura Onsen Spa facing the Sea of Japan. For 26 years in a row, Kagaya has been voted the best overall by the travel industry’s promotion, Japan’s 100 Best Hotels and Ryokan, Selected by Professionals. Founded in 1906, Kagaya carries on the traditions of old Japan, offering an enjoyable cultural experience and personalized service. It is located on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.

An eye out for your needs, without your even knowing it Kagaya looks out over the calm waters of Nanao Bay. It is the most prestigious ryokan (Japanese inn) at Wakura Hot Springs, and has 245 guest rooms spread over four buildings. “We have grown into a large ryokan, far bigger than most, but we still offer the warm welcome of times gone by,” says the landlady, Oda Mayumi.

Hospitality at the Kagaya begins with the formal welcome at the entrance. Check-in starts at 2 pm, and the guests who will stay the night arrive non-stop from then on, many coming early to enjoy the hot spring. The landlady (o-kami) and the room maids, all dressed in kimonos, stand near the main door, bowing and calling out a welcome. One maid is in charge of your room, and she will make sure your stay is enjoyable and relaxing.

She will take you to your room, serve tea, and bring you two meals - supper and breakfast.

The maid for your room shows you to your room, she soon returns with matcha green tea and something sweet. She comes back a little later with regular green tea, then returns with informal kimono-like yukata for each person in your party, to wear during your stay and for sleeping in at night. The size for each person is just right, even though she never asked. Actually, her eyes measured each one of you when she greeted you and took you to your room. At Kagaya, the yukata come in different lengths with only a 5-cm difference between sizes. It is these subtle touches of personalized hospitality that make Kagaya special.

While serving and conversing, your maid keeps her antenna up to learn what you want to do in the area and what you may need, things you did not or could not tell the staff when making your reservation. If she and the ryokan can help, they will. “We once had a

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guest who brought a picture of his late wife with him.

He said she had wanted to stay with us, but died before she could. We laid out a kage-zen (a meal in honor of an absent or dead person) for her, and that brought him a lot of comfort.” Unexpected touches of kind hospitality create a strong and lasting impression.

You change into your yukata, and then set off to the hot spring to soothe away the fatigue of the journey.

Then you can check out the in-house souvenir shop and do what you like until supper.

Maids greeting guests when they arrive.

Knowing what guests want One reason to stay at a ryokan is the food. The meal, delicious and ample, is brought to your room. At Kagaya, the cuisine offers local specialties from the Noto Peninsula, chosen to give a sense of the season. Your maid brings each prepared dish separately. There are eight or nine main and side dishes, plus rice and miso soup, and it takes one-and-a-half to two hours to get through it all. Outside your room is an automatic system, the first in the area, to transport the food from the kitchen to each floor. With no need to travel the considerable distance back and forth between your room and the kitchen, the maid has more time to look after your needs. The meal will include things you like and avoid foods you dislike or are allergic to, because she will already have asked you all that. The chefs can adjust the menu to meet your wishes.

During supper, the o-kami slides open the door to your room.

Throughout Japan, ryokan landladies make the rounds this way. It was apparently a former Kagaya o-kami who started the custom! She thanks you for coming, talks with you to discover if you are enjoying your stay, and asks quite candidly if you are dissatisfied about anything. If there is a problem she will talk with the maid about how to solve it. Obviously this is an important part of the o-kami’s job.

The Kagaya o-kami says the essence of service at a ryokan can be summed up by the expression, age-zen sue-zen: serving tasty meals and taking away the empty dinnerware without guests having to say anything or trouble themselves at all.

Ryokan offer overnight guests both supper and breakfast, and you do not have to decide what to eat - just sit back and enjoy what the maid brings. A ryokan is a place to slip away from your everyday cares and let others plan ways to satisfy your needs. Mind you, the o-kami says, as the times change, so do the needs and wants of her guests.

Service with flexibility She adds, “We have to be ready to notice what each of our guests may want in addition to our regular services.” That is why, she says, maids who look after guests a lot receive special training at Kagaya. The o-kami tells them about her own experiences and instructs them in the proper welcoming attitude, of course, but she also organizes monthly study sessions for them to learn how to give information and discuss local culture.

The o-kami encourages each maid who looks after guests to develop some cultural skill. She supports club activities for learning the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Japanese traditional dance, the art of putting on a kimono and its accessories, and more. She encourages others to become qualified as personal care givers. “If our maids develop some cultural interest or master a skill, they develop into well-rounded individuals. This gives them additional conversational skills and helps them provide better services to our guests.”

1- Interior of a guest room. The room commands an excellent view of Nanao Bay. 2 - After the maid takes you to your room, she will bring you green tea and a sweet snack.

3 - After settling in, you change into an informal kimono-like yukata, which is designed for relaxation. Guests wear yukata during most of their time at the inn. The color of the obi sashes identify which of the four buildings guests are staying in, to help them find where they are staying when they come in from outdoors.

4 - The cuisine features ingredients unique to the area, unique to the season.

5 - The landlady, Oda Mayumi (right), makes the rounds, greeting guests in their rooms.

The landlady and some of her employees wave goodbye to guests. This gesture expresses gratitude and will last until the guests are out of sight.

Employees qualified in personal care help elderly and disabled guests bathe in the hot spring. Others expert in the art of putting on formal Japanese wear are very helpful to guests attending a traditional wedding.

Kagaya’s ability to adapt services to individual needs is much appreciated.

“We have to meet their expectations, of course, but actually every day we try to learn how to exceed their expectations. In this business, no matter how well you do, you should always try to do better.”

abroad the opportunity to experience Japan’s culture and traditional hospitality.”

But that does not mean she expects international visitors to sit uncomfortably on the tatami floor the Japanese way, or eat food they dislike. She and her staff learn about other lifestyles and the foods favored in other countries, and welcome foreign guests accordingly.

This, after all, is true hospitality.

Tourists from abroad: Experiencing the hospitality of old Japan Kagaya began catering to tour groups from Taiwan in 1995, and over the last few years guests from Western countries have also been increasing in number. The o-kami explains, “Traditional lifestyles and culture are slowly disappearing from the daily routine of Japanese people, and it is actually ryokan that are keeping them alive. We want to give people from both Japan and

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A koto player welcomes guests in the lobby.

Studying in Japan Active international exchange is now taking place throughout many parts of the world, and there are now said to be more than 1.5 million foreign students studying around the globe. Of them, around 122,000 are studying in Japan. What is it that attracts these students to Japan?

High Educational Standards

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he greatest appeal of studying in Japan is its academic environment where one can study state-of-theart technology and acquire the knowledge that enabled Japan’s phenomenal postwar economic growth.

Whether it is electronics, Japanese literature, medicine or international business administration, Japanese universities and other institutes of higher education can offer course studies or research programs of virtually any field.

The ratio of students who go on to universities (undergraduate level) and junior colleges (regular courses) is also very high in Japan at 48.6 percent. This figure is indicative of the high standard of education in Japan. Many institutions of higher education, such as universities and junior colleges, are well equipped with fine research, computer, and library facilities and enable students to carry out their research in an excellent environment.

Japan has produced many outstanding researchers in diverse fields. Many leading figures who are playing an active role in the world today have the experience of studying in Japan. The network of coursemates that you can build in Japan will undoubtedly become an invaluable asset for your future career.

Rich Culture Modern Japanese culture and society consist of a diverse mix of the old and new, the East and West, and the natural and artificial. These seemingly contradictory elements coexist in harmony in Japan. For example, it is not unusual to see an old Buddhist temple and a modern skyscraper standing next to each other.

With age-old Japanese traditions - as typified by those nurtured from the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (late 16th to early 17th century) to the Edo Period, which lasted nearly 300 years - at its foundation, Japan flexibly assimilated the culture of Western civilization later introduced to its soil. However, even with the rapid growth of Japanese economy and the development of advanced technology after World War II, Japan continued to retain its original culture as well. That is to say, the old and new have coexisted until today. This is what brought about Japan’s diversity and fascination which still attracts many foreigners. Japan is also a country with rich nature, diverse topography, and beautiful turns of the seasons. Haiku verse which has blossomed by absorbing the natural essence of each season is an example of a very unique Japanese literary culture. The country’s rich variety of local festivals, annual events, and folk entertainment are also most

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likely the result of Japan’s nature and topography.

If you have been in Japan, you might say that you are a big fan of hot spring resorts, “Onsen”, a unique Japanese version of the spas. Others may know about J-Pop, Japanese films, or even the nail arts. Even those who have never been in Japan may be interested in the beauty and delicacy of Japanese cuisine - some says that it must be enjoyed with both the eye and palate as well as Japanese culture represented by in Kimono, tea ceremony and Ikebana flower arrangement, or traditional sports such as Judo, Kendo and Naginata.

There are many, many other things that make Japan attractive. Let us take a glance at a few of them.

Japan Arts and Crafts Japan boasts extraordinary skills and techniques in the production of arts and crafts. For example, Japanese lacquer is known around the world as “japan,” the very name of the country in which it originated.

Characterized by its unique texture and gloss, Japanese lacquer ware gives forth an air of sublime beauty.

There were times when Japanese arts and crafts were so popular that it had a substantial influence on Western art. For example, the influence of Japanese porcelain was indispensable for development of the now world-famous Meissen chinaware. During the

17th and 18th centuries, Japanese Imari porcelain (Arita ware), like Chinese porcelain, was greatly adored and treasured, especially by European royalty and the nobility, who valued it as much as gold and silver. At that time, Europeans did not possess the skills to make pure white, thin and hard porcelain. The desire and the passion to manufacture porcelain emerged from the admiration for Japanese porcelain, which resulted in the development of Meissen china. The decoration of Meissen china was styled after Imari porcelain, a trend that continues to this day. From the late 19th to the early 20th century, a vogue for Japanese culture called “Japonisme” appeared in Europe and the United States. Japanese arts and crafts heavily influenced the Art Nouveau movement, and impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir, who created many masterpieces, were strongly influenced

by Japanese Ukiyo-e wood prints.

Japanese arts and crafts have a very long history and are highly appreciated for fine technical qualities and beauty. They continue to be loved around the world.

Japan’s World’s Oldest in Arts • Horyu-ji Temple: With a history of 1,400 years, Horyuji Temple is the world’s oldest wooden structure. It is also the first Heritage to be nominated from Japan.

• Noh and Kyogen: Noh and Kyogen are the world’s

oldest existing performance art with a history of about 600 years. They are designated an intangible cultural heritage.

• Gagaku: Performed for over 1,200 years, the music and dance of Japan’s imperial court, Gagaku, is the world’s oldest form of orchestral music.

Regardless of the course you choose, from Japaneselanguage training to postgraduate studies, we are confident that coming in touch with Japanese culture and lifestyles will prove to be an invaluable experience for you.

• Manyoshu: Containing about 4,500 long poems, short poems and other styles of Japanese poetry spanning about 350 years, beginning with the early 5th century, the Manyoshu is the world’s oldest existing collection of poetry. The collected poems are profoundly seeped with a deep sense of humanity that straightforwardly expresses real-life emotions.

It was not long ago that “Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)” received the Academy Award for the best animated feature film. Japanese animation (anime) ishighly recognized around the world.“Superflat Monogram”, a colorful animated piece produced as part of a collaboration between Japanese animator Takashi Murakami and Louis Vuitton’s artistic director Marc Jacobs, attracted major attention in the news.

There are many different ways of studying in Japan.

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of t r A s e rs an TheJap ly Folded Pape ul f i t u a e B

O

i m a g i r

M

aking

one

fold

after

another and watching the paper become a three-

dimensional form is more than just a pastime, it is a way to get in touch with elements of Japan’s culture and sense of beauty, passed down from one generation to the next. Origami, the art of beautifully folded papers, is now a world full of surprises.

Origami - An Introduction

O

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regular pastime in Japan and around the world. Behind origami’s success

rigami is derived from

lies the country’s ancient cultural

the Japanese words “ori”

heritage. There are two types of

meaning “fold” and “kami”

origami, ancient and contemporary

meaning “paper” (orikami). Square

origami.

pieces of paper can be folded into a

only paper and your hands. In

great many different shapes, which

contemporary origami you can add

partly explains why origami is now a

scissors, glue, etc.

Ancient

origami

uses

History of Origami

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ong ago, the Japanese learned how to use bark fiber from shrubs like kozo and gampi to make a thin but a strong paper. But this paper was not strong enough, and as time passed, Japanese learnt to make stronger papers. Paper was invented in China around 105 AD. During the 17th century, a Korean master of paper manufacture brought paper into the Japanese court. Japan’s Prince Shotoku was so impressed, that he planted forests specifically to produce a better quality origami paper. At this time, paper was very rare and expensive and only used by the wealthy. Its primary use was for Shinto ceremonies, with models only known by priests. The first origami was abstract and symbolic. Centuries later, paper became more common and cheaper to produce. Origami began to be used for amusement. The crane became the symbol of peace around 1,000 years ago. However, until the 20th century, there were only a few

hundred models, all of them very simple and designed especially for children.

Modern Origami

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he traditional concept of origami is folding paper to create objects using a single piece of paper without using scissors or glue. The first origami models were simple and stylized. In modern origami, one can add scissors, glue etc. Today, origami is practiced all over the world. With the proliferation of hundreds of books and websites, there are countless skilled origami artists working in many different directions. Japan’s Tokomo Fuse develops modular origami-puzzles using not only one square but many intricate units folded together.

“Origami designers use their hands and heads to test the boundaries of origami. Their only medium is paper, and their goal is to transform that paper into shapes conceived in their imagination.” says Tsuda Yoshio as he describes the joys and struggles

of origami creation. “Origami is a pastime, something you do for enjoyment, so don’t worry if it ends up a bit crooked or the folds don’t line up properly”, says Kobayashi as he holds the paper close to his chest and keeps folding without looking at it. Kobayashi Kazuo is the director of the Origami Kaikan (Origami Center), and for more than 30 years he has traveled abroad to teach origami.

He starts out people with something basic that can be made with just five folds.

Origami Mathematics!!

and

M

uch of origami is mathematics. There is a great relationship between geometry and origami and science of numbers can surprise us with paper shapes you probably never knew could exist! Now, modern mathematical principles are applied to origami. “Unfold an origami creation

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and look at the creases - you’ll see that it is just lots of polygons joined together. When the origami piece is complete, it is a polyhedron, a figure with many flat surfaces, and when the paper is unfolded to show the creases, it is what we mathematicians call a two-dimensional manifold. If you think of an origami creation as a manifold, some very interesting possibilities open up. That’s why I got into origami in the first place,” says origami designer Azuma Hideaki - major in geometry at the Mathematics Department of Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Science. During the 7 years of his study to get his master’s degree, he focused almost exclusively on the theory of manifolds.

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World’s Smallest Folded Crane

I

n 1977, the British Origami Association held a competition to see who could make the world’s smallest folded crane. Naito Akira entered his crane, made with a piece of paper 3.5 mm square. It was the smallest by far and he won the prize.

But around 1990, some people at a university in Niigata made on the same size. Naito didn’t want to give up his title, so he went for smaller yet.

He found it could not be done with ordinary paper, so he began using a plastic film instead. Finally, when he was 82, he succeeded in folding a crane from a square measuring just 0.1 x 0.1 mm and 4 microns thick.

Muslims in Japan Growing

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gainst a backdrop of globalization and the growing influence of Middle Eastern oil money, Muslim people and their culture, in such forms as mosques and halal foods, are becoming more familiar in Japan. The stories below show how the Muslim presence is spreading and touching the daily lives of ordinary Japanese.

Number of Mosques Growing in Japan

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rom across a rice paddy in the city of Gifu drifts the sonorous melody of the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer. Rounding the bend, the visitor is greeted by a white dome framed against the blue sky. Inside, Muslim faithful from countries such as Malaysia and Bangladesh are going about their Friday prayers.

Gifu Mosque, which opened on July 27, is regularly packed with about 100 worshippers, who press their foreheads to the navy-blue carpet stretched between the main room’s pure-white walls. “When I pray here, I feel relaxed, and forget my worries,” said Mohammad Afzal Cheema, a 39year-old Pakistani who runs a used-car business.

One of the mosque’s founders is Qureshi Abdul Wahab, a 51-year-

old Pakistani who also runs a usedcar trading business in Nagoya.

Explaining the founding, he said, “We had gathered in a prefab building, but decided to build this new mosque because the old location was becoming too small for prayers.”

Construction of the Gifu Mosque cost about 140 million yen, which was raised through donations in Japan and abroad. The number of mosques in Japan has been on the rise since around 2000, and there are now more than 50 nationwide. Last November, one was opened in Sendai.

Another is currently under construction in Fukuoka.

Keiko Sakurai, a professor of Islamic regional studies at Waseda University, said that the growing number of Muslims settling down in Japan is behind the increase in mosques. Sakurai estimates that there are about 56,000 legal Muslim

residents in Japan, more than four times larger than the number of 13,000 in 1990. Sakurai explained that many Muslims run restaurants and used-vehicle businesses, adding that Pakistanis in particular have tapped their international networks to succeed at used-car trading.

Given the increase in the Muslim

population, some Japanese companies are deciding to accommodate their prayers. USS Co, a major used-vehicle auction firm, began building prayer rooms inside its auction houses four years ago. Representative Executive Vice President Dai Seta said, “We created them because we had more and more customers from Islamic countries.”

Now most of the firm’s 18 auction sites around the nation, including the one in Yokohama, have prayer rooms.

Customers seemed to be pleased. One Iranian said he used to pray in nearby parking lots, but that now he and others have gravitated to the auction house and its prayer room.

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Halal Foods More Popular Lately

T

he Alflah SuperMarket near Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo becomes busy with customers in the evening. The market sells halal food for Muslims. Demand for halal food grew at the market in September as Muslims observed Ramadan, a month of fasting during the day and dining with the family after sunset. One 45year-old man from Pakistan visits the supermarket two or three times a week.

He said, “I can enjoy meat dishes again without worrying because Japan has begun selling halal food.”

Halal means “permissible” in Arabic. Halal foods are those that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines, for instance, those that do not include pork or alcohol, or that include beef or chicken prepared according to strict guidelines. Alflah imports foods that are specially processed under halal guidelines in Australia. Several dozen stores around the country handle halal foods.

Strong Internet sales of halal foods have been a boon for Diamond Trading Ltd. The firm is predicting a more than 10 percent increase in sales this year compared with a year earlier. “Lately, there has been an increase in Islamic exchange students and orders are coming in from all over the country,” said Hoque Mahbubul, president of the company. A 20-yearold university student from Bangladesh who frequents the company’s website said he places orders with his friends to share them.

At Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, the cafeteria run by the Japanese

Consumers’ Co-Operative

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society.

Union offers meals prepared with halal food for the Muslim students. Extra precautions are taken: the dishes and cooking utensils are separated from the regular ones to keep non-halal foods from mixing in. “The ingredients are hard to procure and the dishes take a long time to prepare,” said Takashi Kinoshita, the manager. “But it’s worth all the work if it makes the exchange students happy.”

Many Islamic exchange students have expressed a desire to work in Japan after graduation. As Japan continues to deal with its falling birthrate and shrinking population, these exchange students are strong potential candidates to expand the work force. Providing meals that Islamic students and businesspeople can enjoy is a small investment for Japanese educational institutions and companies and an incentive for Muslim expats to remain active in Japanese

Number of Mosques Growing in Japan

A

rabic studies open doors “Masaa al-khair” means “good evening” in Arabic, the teacher explains. In a condominium near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices in Shinjuku district, a group of company employees interested in the Middle East attend a class at the School of Arabic Language after work. Akira Hinoki, a 54-year-old man who lived in Saudi Arabia as an exchange student, heads the Arabic language school he set up in 1987.

There are currently 76 students enrolled in the school. This past year, enrollment increased by 10. Wakako Otani, 32, one of the newcomers and a beginner in the language, works for the Japan External Trade Organization.

Otani said, “I want to create corporate exchanges between Japanese companies and Middle Eastern firms by holding local exhibitions.” In class, she struggles with getting used to

the new language as she vocalizes conversational phrases, including questions such as, “What is your occupation?”

At the Arabic Islamic Institute in Tokyo, run by the Saudi Arabian government, the evening Arabic language class is packed with office workers. It was so popular that the 30-seat course filled up just two days after registration opened. Students use textbooks to practice conversational Arabic and learn pronunciation and grammar.

Aki Yamada, a 41-year-old who has been attending the school since last fall, helps corporate trainees sent from the Middle East settle into life in Japan. She was an exchange student in Egypt and can understand some conversational Arabic. She said it was important for her to learn enough of the language to be able to navigate various situations, for instance, if a trainee has to go to the hospital. Corporate employees who tell their colleagues or bosses they study Arabic often get asked by their companies to travel to the Middle East to do local research. The school is planning a course on translating Arabic language newspaper articles into Japanese.

The nonprofit Japanese Organization for Arabic Language Examinations was launched last year. Yoshiko Miyakawa, who helped set up the organization, studied Arabic in Egypt, where her husband worked. She returned to Japan and searched for a place where she could test her language skills. Unable to find one, she decided to form an organization herself. Miyakawa said, “I hope this becomes a bridge to the Arab world.”

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‘Works of Art’ at Korea-Japan Costume Show Korea Japan Traditional Costume Nights were held under patronage of Prime Minister H.H. Shaikh Nasser in Al-Maidan Cultural Center on 28-29 October 2008. His Highness participated in Joint Opening Ceremony together with Prime Minister of East Timor, who was visiting Kuwait. The event was sponsored by Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah.

In a colourful display of “works of art in works of art”, Korean and Japanese ladies modelled traditional costumes of their countries Oct 28 and Oct 29, 2008, taking their audience on a trip to the Far East with their graceful and elegant movements. The two-day KoreaJapan Costume Nights kicked off at Al-Maidan Cultural Center with the attendance of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah, under whose auspices the event was held.

The simple yet beautiful traditional Japanese costume the “kimono” was introduced to the Kuwaiti public

Oct 29, in a display of considerable skill needed to both don and wear this garment. Specialists from the All Japan Kimono Consultant Association demonstrated a number of ways in which the kimono is donned and the different styles of tying the “obi” - the wide sash tied around the mid-section to hold the costume in place.

Japanese Ambassador Masatoshi Muto, addressing the audience, said, “Traditional costume is an integrated part of traditional culture. It tells us the way of life in its society.” He noted that the kimono gave the woman wearing

it a more “gentle and polite” appearance, while it made men appear “more spiritual and sincere”. The program began with the “Soudou Mai,” the breathtaking manner in which the kimono is put on with graceful movements accompanied by soft traditional Japanese music.

A lecture on the traditional Japanese costume was given

by Michiko Horii, a professor in the art of the kimono, accompanied by a demonstration. The costume is actually made out of a single stretch of material that is divided into several parts and is sewn in straight lines, thus enabling it to be re-sewn again and again as it is passed down from one generation to the next. Also, the specialist noted that the kimono worn by a married woman has shorter sleeves than that worn by an unmarried girl, while explaining the different ways that the kimono may be worn and the layers it comprises.

The “Hanayome and Hanamuko,” or the bride and groom costume, also has its special rituals. The groom wears a dark-colored robe tied at the waist by a thin sash with a skirt-like overgarment and a jacket-like overpiece.

The bride wears a long white robe with a golden sash adorning the middle, on top of which comes a brightlycolored kimono. A dagger-like instrument is concealed in the belt by female members of Sammuri families, and the headdress worn on this occasion comes from ancient belief that women should not show their faces before Buddha.

This was followed by a “Hana Musubi” demonstration, which is the creation of beautiful flowers using the obi belt. Four specialists quickly but gracefully folded the wide colored sashes worn by models, as they would fold origami, and shortly the audience were stunned to see a carnation, rose, hibiscus, and the cherry blossom Japan’s national flower. The final segment of the show

was the “Soudou Ondu”, an original Japanese dance where seven women wearing their kimonos danced using small steps, softly clapping their hands and swaying their arms, before kneeling down on the floor to bow to the audience.

After the performance, specialist Horii told KUNA that she was happy to be in Kuwait and to be able to see for herself the culture in this part of the world, which she said was misrepresented by the stereotype images conveyed by the media. She said she found the Kuwaiti people warm and welcoming and hoped that this performance would help bring the two people closer together through better understanding of culture and traditions. Horri has held lectures in the art of the kimono in more than 20 countries around the world.

Meanwhile, Satomi Komatsu - the model holding the title Miss Kimono - told KUNA that this was her first trip overseas and that she was happy that the performance had been so well received by the audience. She added that she was honoured to be representing her country here, noting that this is not just done through wearing traditional dress, but also through observing proper conduct.

A day earlier, in her opening remarks, Director General of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah Sheikha Hessa Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah described the beautiful women modelling the clothing and the intricate designs embroidered on the bright material of their costumes as “works of art in works of art”. This event, she said, would serve to strengthen cultural ties between Kuwait and those two countries, as clothing “communicates not only the demographics of the wearer ... but also the culture of the wearer and expresses emotions that are sometimes not displayed.”

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Embassy Marks the National Day of Japan The Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Masatoshi business world and Japanese nationals. The Muto along with his staff hosted a reception to evening held much promise, and proceeded to celebrate the 75th Birthday of His Majesty the the cake-cutting ceremony which was graced Emperor of Japan at his residence. by the Ambassador. The event continued and The evening began with the Ambassador and the invitees enjoyed “Little Japan” in Kuwait. his staff personally welcoming their guests.

Attendees numbered around three hundred, Before the National Day reception, the Embassy comprising of diplomats, officials from the held a Visit Japan campaign “Ya hala in Japan” Kuwait government, representatives of the for travel agents and the press.

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