Oct 20, 2014
Using Kerosene Heaters in Japan
Outside of Tokyo and other urban areas, central heating is not really a thing in Japan. High end properties will off such amenities, but generally heating your entire home uniformly is avoided, as heating spaces not being actively used is seen as wasteful here. Instead, rooms in the home are heated using a portable heater or space heater dedicated to that room. Within the market for these smaller heating devices there are a lot of options, and the one that’s best for your needs will entirely depend on your circumstances.
In this article we will be discussing kerosene heaters, which are a way of life in many parts of Japan during the cold winter months. They are popular options because they are cheaper than some other options and they heat up the room seemingly instantaneously, much faster than electric. While these devices are popular options, it is important to be very cautious when using them, as misuse and neglecting basic safety precautions could result in serious damage and/or injury, such as carbon dioxide poisoning.
Below are a few important points to keep in mind when using kerosene heaters to help avoid undesirable situations.
DO NOTs
- Do not use gasoline. Be sure to only use kerosene.
- Do not block the air vent with anything like clothing, paper, bags, towels, etc.
- Do not use the unit to dry clothing, as it might cause a fire.
- Do not use the unit near curtains or other combustible items.
- Do not sit in close proximity of the wind coming from the unit as to avoid dehydration.
- Do not sit or put anything on top of the unit.
- Do not let children operate the unit and keep them well away from the unit at all times.
- Do not attempt to take the unit apart of fix it. Take it to a certified technician.
- Do not use the unit:
>>in confined spaces.
>>in dusty and humid places.
>>windy places or doorways.
>>in direct sun light or high temperature conditions
DOs
- Air out the room once or twice every hour
- Turn the unit off when refilling it with kerosene.
- Refill the tank well away from any fire.
- Confirm that the kerosene is not leaking.
- Keep the unit clear of all types flammable gas (gasoline, benzene, thinner, etc. )
- Regularly clean the fan filter located in the back of the unit.
- Turn the unit off when you out or to sleep.
- After turning the unit off, be careful not to touch any hot parts.
- When the unit is not in use for long periods of time or when storing it, make sure the unit is unplugged and there is no kerosene in the tank.
- Please use a humidifier when using a Kerosene Heater.
Useful Vocabulary
The following vocabulary will be useful when purchasing kerosene. Also, don’t forget to take your kerosene tank with you when going to get it filled. (duh!)
| English | Romaji | Japanese Characters |
| Kerosene | To-yu | 灯油 |
| Full | Man-tan | 満タン |
| 1000 yen | Sen-en | 千円 |
| 2000 yen | Ni-sen-en | 二千円（２千円） |
| 3000 yen | San-zen-en | 三千円（３千円） |
| Cash | Gen-kin | 現金 |
| Credit Cards | Ku-re-jitto Kaado | クレジット・カード |
| Liters | Rittoru | リットル |
| Please | Onegai shimasu | お願いします |
| Please fill it up with kerosene. | To-yu, mantan onegai shimasu. | 灯油満タンお願いします。 |
| I would like to pay by cash | Genkin de onegai shimasu. | 現金でお願いします。 |
*You are likely to be asked whether you would like to pay by cash (gen-kin) or credit card (kaado).
Image: Public domain from Wikipedia
Oct 14, 2014
English language bookshops in Tokyo
With the advent of e-readers and smartphones, getting your hands on English language literature in Japan isn’t the challenge it once was. However, whether the book you are looking for isn’t available online, or you just like the feel and smell of turning pages, sometimes you just have to hold the book in your hands.
The following is a list of just some of the places where you can find English language books around Tokyo.
Good Day Books – Gotanda
While they may not be up against the strongest of opposition, Good Day Books’ claim to be the largest used English Language bookstore is hard to refute with a staggering 40,000 books on premesis. They stock new, rare and hard to find titles as well as trading or buying books you no longer have use for. There is also a community based around the shop with a series of author presentations by writers on Japan, as well as a book club.
Where: 3rd Floor Tokai Building, 2-4-2 Nishi Gotanda, Shinagawaku 141-0031
When: Mon-Sat 11:00-20:00, Sun and holidays 11:00-18:00
Web: http://www.gooddaybooks.com/contents/home/?language=english
Kinokuniya – Shinjuku
Another large (by Japanese standards) selection of English language fiction and non-fiction, Kinokuniya also focuses on audiovisual and stationary products. There are two stores in Shinjuku station, with the main eight floored one found at the east exit, but the Southern Terrace exit perhaps has a wider selection of English language fashion, style and current affairs magazines.
Where: Performing Arts Theatre 2, 5-24-2 Sendagaya, Shibuya, 151-0051
When: 10:00-20:00
Web: www.kinokuniya.co.jp
Cow Books – Nakameguro
If you’ve got a touch of the beatnik about you, Cow Books is a great place to check out. With a collective choice of reasonably priced oddities from the 1960s and 70s, you can find all manner of books on progressive politics and protest works as well as other more quirky titles on the likes of Timothy Leary, Underground poetry and hippy counter culture. Throw in a free cup of coffee when you make a purchase, and Cow Books might be just your idea of bookshop heaven. Keep an eye out for them On The Road in their travelling book mobile.
Where:1-14-11 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, 153-0042
When: Tue-Thur 13:00-21:00, Mon closed
Web: www.cowbooks.jp/english.html
Aoyama Book Center – Roppongi
Aoyama Book Center has a particularly impressive selection of magazines, with special attention paid towards arts and design. In fact ABC seems to cater particularly well to denizens of the art world, stocking plenty of books on the subject on top of the usual (though expensive) English fiction
Where: 6-1-20 Roppongi, Minato-ku, 106-0032
When: Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-22:00
Web: www.aoyamabc.co.jp
Book Off – Everywhere
Depending on where you live, Book Off can be a little hit and miss. As part of the ‘Off’ recycling empire found all over the country, they stock second hand goods. This means the more foreigner friendly your shopping area is, the more likely you are to come across something you want, with the bigger stores such as the one in Shinjuku having an extensive English language stock. This however does not mean that the smaller stores won’t throw up the odd gem. You never know where you might get lucky.
Where: All over the city. See website for details of your nearest store.
Shibuya Publishing Booksellers – Shibuya
Despite being just five minutes from Shibuya train station, Shibuya Publishing Booksellers is hidden away on a quiet little street meaning you can forget about the city’s hustle and bustle as you browse their incredible selection. The staff are helpful and just the right side of chatty and will help you find what you are looking for amongst their choice of books, magazines and even the odd record. If you own a record player that is.
Where: 17-3 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya, 154-0047
When: Mon-Sat 12:00-00:00 Sun 12:00-22:00
Web: www.shibuyabooks.net
Tower Records – Shibuya
You kind of know what you’re going to get with Tower Records: plenty of pop culture books and magazines. In recent years the English selection has been slimmed down but UK customers can occasionally get the Guardian Weekly or The Times. However it is the massive collection of Lonely Planet tourist guides that makes Tower Records the ideal spot for adventurers.
Where: 1-22-14, Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, 150-0041
When: 10:00-23:00
Web: www.tower.jp
This article is for informational purposes only. Inclusion is not an endorsement!
By Mark Guthrie
Image: By Lin Kristensen from New Jersey, USA (Timeless Books) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons -Modified
Oct 14, 2014
Japanese Fairy Tales You Can Read with Your Children
If you have children there is perhaps nothing more rewarding than reading them bedtime stories. But let’s face it, there is only so many times that you can read The Gruffalo or Little Red Riding Hood. As such, why not add an extra layer of interest to your quality time, for both you and your little ones, by introducing fairy tales from Japan. As you an probably imagine, folk stories from Japan are filled with marvel, invention and magic. Below is just a sample of the many stories that Japanese children have been told throughout the ages, and your children too, are sure to love.
Warning: This article contains spoilers
Urashima Tarou
With its origins in the Nara period (8th Century) Urashima Tarou is a tale of a young fisherman who rescues a turtle being tormented by others and releases it to the sea. The following day a giant turtle arrives to tell the fisherman that the turtle he saved was in fact the daughter of Ryūjin, the Emperor of The Sea. Given gills Urashimatarou is taken to the sea where he again meets the turtle he saved, now a beautiful princess, and they fall in love. After three days he returns to land to inform his mother that he is to be wed.
Upon arriving he discovers that he is now 300 years into the future and absentmindedly opens a box given to him by the princess under the proviso that he never does so. Urashima Tarou turns into an old man as the box contained in it his old age.
Issun-bōshi (The Inch-High Samurai)
In this story with comparisons to Tom Thumb, an old, childless couple wishing to have a child “no matter how small” are blessed with Issun-bōshi. Upon realizing that he will grow no taller than one inch, and fancying himself as a samurai, the boy sets sail to the city to find his way in the world, his sewing needle sword by his side, sailing in his soup bowl ship. Derided for his size, he is eventually given work as the play pal of the daimyo’s daughter.
One day the pair are attacked by an Oni demon who swallows the boy. Issun-bōshi escapes by fighting his way out from the inside of the oni who spits him out, dropping the powerful Uchide’s mallet in the process. Out of gratitude the princess uses the mallet’s power to enlarge the boy, and they eventually wed.
Momotarō (Peach boy)
As the name suggests, the boy Momotaro came to earth in a giant peach, and was found in this Edo period story by another old, childless woman washing clothes in the river. Having been raised by the old woman and her husband Momotarō leaves to fight a group of rampaging Oni demons. En route he befriends a band of talking animals – a monkey, a dog and a pheasant – who help him capture the chief demon and take from him the stolen bounty with which he returns home to his family.
Momotarō is perhaps the best loved of Japan’s folk tales, and was particularly popular during the Pacific war when Japan’s government was often portrayed as the young boy, the Japanese people as the animals and the United States as the Oni.
Kaguya hime (Princess Kaguya/ The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter )
An early example of proto-science fiction, the tale of a bamboo cutter again features an old childless couple finding a child, this time a tiny girl of exceeding beauty, within a silver bamboo stalk. From that day on the bamboo cutter discovers a small nugget of gold within every bamboo shoot he harvests and they become wealthy. As an adult the girl Kaguya’s beauty becomes well known and she is proposed to by five princes, proposals she rebuffs by setting them each an impossible task. Learning of her beauty the Emperor too proposes marriage, but Kaguya also rejects the advances.
Eventually, as her behavior becomes erratic, it is revealed that the girl is a princess of the moon and she is to return to her home. Before she is taken by her celestial family she leaves notes to her foster family, as well as a drop of the elixir of life for her friend the Emperor. Not wanting to live eternally without his beloved Kaguya, the Emperor has the elixir and the letter sent to the mountain “closest to heaven” where it was to be destroyed. The mountain now bears the name immortality (不死), Fushi or, now Fuji.
Tsuru no Ongaeshi (The Grateful Crane)
An old man heading to town to sell firewood, discovers a crane caught in a hunter’s trap. Feeling sorry for the bird he releases it. That night, during a violent snowstorm a young girl arrives at their home seeking shelter. After taking care of the old couple she asks to be taken as their daughter, something the old couple happily agree to do. One day she requests that the couple buy her some yarn with which she can weave. Being handed the yarn she takes it to her room requesting that the couple never watch her at her work. Soon she returns with a beautiful blanket which she bids the couple to sell and purchase more yarn.
Again the girl retires to her room and returns with another blanket of outstanding beauty which the couple sell for a great price. This they repeat making the family wealthy, but overcome with curiosity as to how the girl can weave with such elegance they open her door. Instead of finding a girl, they instead discover a crane weaving its now partially-bald wing weathers to make a shimmering cloth. The crane’s identity now discovered she is forced to leave. She returns to her crane form and flies away.
By Mark Guthrie
Image: flickr.com "2007-1106-dg-SFfun020.jpg" by Groovnick (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) - Modified
Sep 29, 2014
The Floating Mikoshi of Miya Festival
Miya Festival 2014
The Miya Festival is held annually on the third or fourth Sunday of October in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture. In 2014, this festival will take place on Sunday, October 26th 2014.
Have you ever had a dream that resulted in the people of your town dragging immense mikoshi floats into the sea hundreds of years later? No? Ah, well that’s because you’re not the mayor of a 17th century Japanese town.
In 1696 Sazaemon, the mayor of Miya, which is now part of modern day Gamagori in Aichi Prefecture, dreamt that Yatsurugi-Daimyojin, the god of the local Yatsurugi Shrine, upped sticks and moved onto the nearby Wakamiya Shrine by way of a portable mikoshi shrine. Of course, being a pious and important man, he quite sensibly saw this as a message directly from the god itself and instructed the locals to hold a ceremony marking this tremendous occasion.
And it’s a good thing that he did as the Miya festival continues to this day as one of the most impressive festivals in Japan. Occurring annually on the third or fourth Sunday of October , four immense dashi floats measuring six metres high (20ft) and weighing 4 tonnes are pulled from Yatsurugi-jinga by 300 loin-clothed men to Wakamiya jinga 1.5km away. Well, that’s how it was originally, anyway.
Arduous enough, you would think. However, in 1996 in order to commemorate the festival’s 300 year anniversary this was altered. Now, rather than simply moseying along the streets, they head to the beach to drag a huge mikoshi into the shallow water of Mikawa bay. Once there they follow along the coastline, waist deep in water chanting “Wasoi! Wasoi!” in unison for encouragement all the while, before dragging the sodden floats out of the water and onwards to the latter shrine.
It really is a breath-taking spectacle of physical endurance as well as a brilliant representation of tradition, so much so that last year it brought 50,000 people to the coastal town, many arriving early in the morning to bag the best beach spots. So, if you want to see one of the more original and spectacular local festivals, it is advisable to set that Sunday morning alarm early!
Getting there
You can get to Mikawamiya Station 51 minutes away on the JR line from Nagoya Station, changing either at Gamagori or Okazaki. From there it is either a 7 minute taxi or bus, or a 20 minute walk. Map
Hatsurugi Shrine (Yatsurugi-Jinja/Nishi no Miya)
139 Nanaho, Miya-cho, Gamagori
250m south of Mikawa-Miya Sta. on the JR Tokaido Line.
Wakamiya Shrine (Wakamiya-Jinja/Higashi no Miya)
91 Ippo, Miya-cho, Gamagori
1200m south-east of Mikawa-Miya Sta. on the JR Tokaido Line.
For further information contact Miya Hot Spa Tourism Association at 0533-68-4744 or Gamagori Kanko Kyokai at 0533-68-2526
By Mark Guthrie
Image: http://www.japantimeline.jp/id/0000396/ – Modified
Sep 26, 2014
Nagoya Grampus, your new favourite soccer team!
As a Brit the autumn season always brings with it a palpable excitement for me. Despite the oncoming of the colder months, autumn also brings with it the dawning of the new football (soccer) season; a time when hopes are high and possibilities are seemingly endless (until that first 5-0 thrashing by your local rivals happens, of course).
Unfortunately, with the eight and soon to be nine hour time differences between Japan and the UK, unless I want to revert to the sort of sleeping patterns I kept during my university days I don’t often get to watch my team play. However, I have found a way around this by adopting a local team, and it just so happens that in Nagoya we have one of the most famous teams in Japan.
Origins of the Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya Grampus were initially formed as Toyota Motor Soccer Club, which later become the Nagoya Grampus Eight currently play in the J League Division 1. The etymology of the team’s name comes from the golden dolphins that adorn the roof of Nagoya castle (there is a genus of dolphin entitled grampus, although the figures atop Nagoya-jo are probably more accurately described as “shachi,” a mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp… but I digress). The number eight, whilst no longer making up part of the official team name, can still be found in the club badge and represents Nagoya’s official symbol the maru-hachi, or circle eight, meaning increasing success.
History
Success is not something that Grampus are strangers to. In the year before the opening of the J League, a league in which they have played since its inception in 1993, they achieved something of a coup by signing Gary Lineker from England’s Tottenham Hotspurs. Lineker was a World Cup Golden Boot winner and to this day is the England international team’s all-time second highest goal scorer. Unfortunately his time in Nagoya was plagued by injury, but it paved the way for Grampus to employ an English Manager, Gordon Milne, one time midfielder of the famous all conquering Liverpool side of the 1960’s. However, it was not under Milne, but Arsene Wenger who brought success for Grampus in 1995, winning the Emperor’s cup for the first time in their history following it with a second place finish in the J League the next year, at that time, their highest ever league position.
In September 1996 Wenger left Japan to manage English Premier League team Arsenal where he achieved great success winning the league three times and the FA Cup five times. Grampus would win the cup once again in 1999 under the Brazillian manager João Carlos, but the league would not be captured until the arrival of Yugoslavian legend Dragan Stojković.
Often compared to Maradonna, Stojković is considered perhaps the greatest Yugoslavian and Serbian footballer of all time, and was expected to become a superstar after a transfer to the French champions Olympique Marseille. However, he surprised the world when after four years in France he joined Grampus in 1994 where he won the cup under Arsene Wenger and was named J League MVP.
He remained as a player until 2001, playing 183 times for the Nagoya side. Yet his greatest triumph wearing Barbarian Red was yet to come, not as a player, but as the manager. He coached the team to the AFC Champions League for the first time in 2008, his debut season, before going on to eclipse his mentor Wenger by winning the J League in 2010 and the Super Cup the following year.
Stojković retired from Grampus at the end of 2013 to be replaced by current coach Akira Nishino, who has been unable to replicate the success of the Serb. Grampus is currently sitting in mid-table, 11th place in the J League (2014). However, there is still time in the season to cheer Grampus and their Australian star striker Joshua Kennedy before the season closes on November 29.
Cheer on the Nagoya Grampus!
Home games are split between two stadiums: the Mihuzo Athletic Stadium in Nagoya holds up to 27,000 fans, and the football specific 45,000 seater Toyota Staduim in (yes, you guessed it) Toyota. Seats cost between 2,500 JPY and 7,100 JPY, with kids getting in for as low as 500 JPY, which makes it a great and affordable family day out.
Tickets for upcoming games can be bought online from the club shop or from various convenience stores such as Lawson and 7-Eleven. At Ticket Pia, Family Mart, Circle K, & SunKus you can buy tickets using P-code 592-070 and, as games rarely sell out, you can often buy your tickets on the gate.
Getting there
Toyota Stadium is just east of central Toyota, approximately a 15 minutes walk from Meitetsu Toyotashi Station, or via the Tsuramai Subway line from Nagoya. Toyota Stadium is also walking distance, about 17 minutes, from Shin-Toyota Station on the Aichi Loop line.
The Mizuho Athletic Stadium is a straightforward 5-minute walk from Mizuhoundojo Higashi Subway Station.
By Mark Guthrie
Image is the logo of a Japanese football (soccer) club of Nagoya Grampus Eight.
Sep 26, 2014
Want to take part in a traditional Japanese festival?
No matter where in Japan you go, there always seems to be some festival or another going on. They vary in size from gatherings of hundreds of thousands of people to the smallest of local events, and not one of them is alike; except that they are all a marvel to watch.
But have you ever considered taking part in one? Many festival participants are restricted by organisation, however some, such as the Katayama Hachiman Jinja Grand Festival in Nagoya, actively seek out all willing participants.
Katayama Hachiman Jinja Grand Festival
The Grand Festival takes place annually in Higashi-ku (near Ozone). This year’s festival and parade takes place on October 26 and they are looking for 150 males and 80 females to take part.; but, be warned, participation is no light undertaking.
The 4km parade passes Ozone Station and Tokugawa Koen, as well as many other local areas, and takes 4 hours to complete. One kilometer an hour, you’re thinking? That doesn’t sound too grueling. However, it is not the distance nor the pace that is the challenge, but the large mikoshi (portable shrine) that you are burdened with. No, this is no cake walk.
But then neither is it the brutal chill of February’s Hadaka Matsuri naked festival nor the mortal danger of the Suwa Onbashira log riding festival. In fact, people of all ages take part, however it is recommended that you are in relatively good shape, as lugging the shrine around can be pretty tiring work.
How to Participate
So, how do you take part? Well, you can either contact the shrine directly, or if you want to huddle in the safety of other foreigners, you can contact the excellent Kikuko-nagoya.com website (kikukok@hotmail.com) and tag along with them. If you do the latter, they will be meeting at the shrine at 11am, where you will be provided with a hanten Japanese jacket and festival pants called patchi. A shinto ritual will be performed at 12:30, and then off you go.
If you are worried about being on your feet for all that time, you will be relieved to hear that there is an hour break at OZ mall at 14:30 for water, a bite to eat and (if other such festivals are a good judge) a glass of sake or two.
So, what do you say? Do you want to take part? If so, it is advisable to make contact quickly as the deadline is October 20 2014 ( or until full ). Japanese traditional events are always a spectacle to watch. From the inside, they really are something else.
By Mark Guthrie
Image: Wikipedia "Mikoshi1" by Jmills74 (CC BY-SA 3.0) – Modified
Sep 08, 2014
Know your Shinto: rituals and behaviour at a Shinto shrine
When sightseeing in Japan, some of the most popular and fascinating places to visit will be the many shrines devoted to Shintoism, Japan’s predominant religion. Shinto or, “way of the divine”, is a polytheistic religion, thereforeeach shrine may have its roots or allegiances to a different god (kami). Like much of Japanese tradition, the importance of ceremony is at the heart of these shrines, and so, if you visit a shrine for yourself, while it is not imperative, you may wish to observe these rules.
Approaching the Shrine
On the path to the shrine you will likely pass through a torii gate. This tall structure (often brightly colored in red, but not exclusively) is the entrance to the shrine. Before passing through, you should bow to show your respect for the gods residing within. When leaving, you should also turn to face the shrine and bow once more before you exit. When passing through the torii gate, you should avoid the centre line, instead stepping to the left or the right. The centre path, or sei-chu, is the causeway of the Gods. Should you wish to take photographs of the torii, you should again avoid taking from this central path.
Cleansing
Within the shrine you will likely find the chouzubachi, a water basin at which to wash yourself. It is important to approach the enshrined kami clean, and it is equally important to follow the correct procedure for doing so. Above the water basin you will find long handled scoops. First you should take this scoop in your right hand and pour water onto your left, before pouring from the left onto your right. Then replacing the scoop in your right hand, pour water into your cupped left palm and use this to rinse your mouth. You should never rinse directly from the scoop, as others have to use it as well. Finally, before replacing the scoop, tip it upwards so that the remaining water pours down the handle, thus cleaning it. Throughout this procedure, take care not to contaminate the chouzubachi by spilling in used water.
Prayer
Depending on the size of the shrine it may be permissible for more than one person to pray at the same time, however, if it is small, you should wait your turn at the foot of the stairs. After your approach you should throw your coin into the offertory box. How much is not as important as the heartfelt sentiment, though usually it will be JPY100. Due to perceived bad luck, some people avoid donating figures including a 4 or 9, as the former can be pronounced ‘shi’, also meaning death and the latter is pronounced ‘ku’ and can also mean suffering. Once you have made your offering you should ring the bell to summon the kami. Then you should take a step back, twice bow deeply, and make your prayer. To conclude you should clap twice and bow once again. Photos should not be taken of the main shrine, particularly not when a ceremony is being performed.
Charms and prayer plaques
After you have prayed to the shrine’s God, you can purchase a charm (omamori) or wooden prayer plaque (ema). On the latter you can write your wish or prayer and display it with the many others. While these can be used for various prayers, most commonly they will reflect the powers of the shrine’s kami. For example, during school exam periods, shrines with links to education will have many ema, while in April, at the beginning of the financial year, the most popular shrines may be those connected to prosperity. As for the omamori, it may be tempting to see these as part of Japanese souvenir tradition, but they are not to be seen simply as omiyage. Each charm has a specific meaning attached to it, so you should be careful as to whom you give them. You wouldn’t want to give to your grandfather an omamori intended for pregnant women, would you? The powers of the omamori last for one year and afterwards, if possible, should be returned to the shrine from which it came. Do not open the charm, as doing so not only negates its benefits, but shows disrespect to the Gods.
Shinto shrines are open to all, and are not exclusivist. Failure to follow these rituals will not see you cast out or shunned. The above are just guidelines that may help you understand or enjoy your experience of the many beautiful and interesting shrines around Japan, whilst showing due respect to the traditions held within.
Sep 02, 2014
Gyudon at Yoshinoya – Beef Bowls for Everybody!
“Gyudon,” a (beef bowl) belongs in the Japanese category of a donburi, or bowl dish. It is made with beef and onion ladled over a bowl of rice. The beef and onion are prepared with soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake.
This actually tells you very little about the flavor, as it seems most Japanese dishes are prepared using that list of ingredients; it’s the amounts that change, and the amounts that give gyudon a sweet, meaty, and fairly salty flavor.
Gyudon shops will offer “beni shoga,” or pickled red ginger, and “shichimi,” or red chili mixed with other seasonings as sort of condiments. I usually use both, as well as a bit of extra soy sauce Some people, myself on the occasion, will also order a raw egg served separately and into the finished product.
Yoshinoya – “Tasty, Low-Priced, and Quick”
A great spot to try out this tasty, if a bit unhealthy and low-brow, meal is at Yoshinoya. This Japanese fast food chain specializes in serving up in gyudon fast and cheap. This is one of the most popular restaurants in Japan, although it is mostly frequented by the “salaryman” type. Walking by a Yoshinoya at 10 in the evening is a sure fire way to see a full house of single exhausted corporate warrior types with no one to cook for them at home. Kind of depressing really, but the food is pretty good anyway.
Yoshinoya is a pretty old brand. It was founded in 1899, in the Nihohbashi Fish Market in Tokyo. The market was subsequently destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and forced to move to its currently location at Tsukiji, and Yoshinoya followed along. Yoshinoya now has over 1400 branches worldwide, in far flung locations like Japan (obviously), Australia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, United States and the Philippines.
How is this for a random fact?
According to the Hong Kong Yoshinoya website, Yoshinoya’s logo was created by Yoshinoya’s founder Eikichi Matsuda, and has been the company logo since inception, in 1899. The orange, “bull horn” logo came from the Y in Yoshinoya’s English name “Y”, the rope around the horns is made up of 27 rice grains of rice, and it represents the “Yokozuna” ranking in sumo-wrestling, and the quality of their food.
So if you fancy some beef in a bowl, take yourself down to Yoshinoya, or one of several similar spots like Sukiya, and Matsuya, and try it out. You might like it!
Image : “Yoshinoya logo” by obtained from Yoshinoya.. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia. (Modified)
Image : “Yoshinoya Shop“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. (Modified)
Image : By jetalone from Higashi-Ginza, Tokyo (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons. (Modified)
ByAdmin
Aug 28, 2014
Theaters in Nagoya – Go See a Movie!
With summer temperatures soaring and as Nagoya’s famed humidity rises, you’ll probably be wanting to find things to do that are not only fun, but air conditioned. Perhaps the best remedy for the summer heat is going to the movies.
Whether you are looking forward to Peter Parker’s latest escapades in Spiderman: Far From Home, have family time with Toy Story 4, or scare yourself silly with the Childs Play reboot, this summer is shaping up to be a great season for blockbusters.
There are a load of movie theaters in and around Nagoya. Below are a few of the main ones. For a full, exhaustive list, check out the ever-excellent kikuko-nagoya.com here.
Movie Theaters in Nagoya
109 Cinemas
109 is a nationwide chain, and the branch in Nagoya – in the Sasashima area, next to Zepp Nagoya and the Global Gate complex – used to be the city’s biggest cinema. It has ten screens, including 3D, IMAX and 4DX. With their points card, visit six times and get the seventh viewing for free.
Where: Nakamura Ward, Hiraikechō, 4-chōme−60-14 Market Square Sasashima 2F (map)
Website: 109cinemas.net
Midland Square Cinema
Another biggie catering for the mainstream crowd, the cinema in the plush Midland Square complex has fourteen screens able to seat 2025 customers making its the largest cinema in town. Four of the screens have RealD and 3D projections, while screens 9 and 10 are the only ones in Nagoya to utilize Dolby Atmos sound.
Where: Nakamura Ward, Meieki, 4-chōme-11-27 Symphony Toyota Building (map)
Website: midland-sq-cinema.jp
Fushimi Million Theater
If you tend to eschew the more mainstream movies, preferring more arthouse and independent cinema, then Fushimi Million Theater is for you. There are just four screens, all showing the sorts of films that you are unlikely to see elsewhere in the city. But be warned, subtitles are in Japanese only, so if it’s a French movie you want to see, you will need to either be able to read Japanese or understand French.
Where: 2-chōme-15-５ Nishiki, Naka-ku (map)
Website: eigaya.com
Movie-going in Nagoya
If there is one complaint to be made about going to the movies in Japan, it’s the price, and with tickets a minimum of 1700 JPY – plus add ons for 3D, IMAX and all the rest – it’s not necessarily a cheap day out. With that said, there are good points to theaters in Japan too, such as being able to buy beer from the concession stand, and the food available tends to be pretty good.
In general, theaters in Nagoya are otherwise just like theaters anywhere else; big screen, seats, and an expectation of quiet during the show. One big difference though is the prevalence of foreign films available here. Movies from Hollywood and other cultural centers are readily available, in both subtitled and dubbed form.
You can see the latest… Marvel movie, or whatever, in English, if you go to the right showing. Knowing which is which is a matter of knowing the right characters for each.
Subtitled: jimakuban (字幕版), or jimaku (字幕 )
Dubbed: fukikae (吹替)
Discount Movie Tickets
If the prices concern you, there are discounts available. On the first of every month, most theaters discount all adult tickets to 1000 JPY each, however expect to stand in line, as this is understandably a popular day to see a movie.
Other discounts are available on other specific days, but the dates are peculiar to each theater. The discounts available include ladies, men’s, and senior’s, as well as groups, etc. Also, many ticket shops [金券ショップ (kinken shoppu)] resell pre-release discount tickets [前売り券 (mae-uri-ken)] for current movie releases. Many of these tickets are resold for as little as 1300-1500 yen.
A kinken shoppu may also resell group discount tickets for around the same price (usually for Cinema 109 / Midland Square Theaters). The only downside of these is that sometimes the group discount tickets cannot be used for new movie releases.
You can find a pretty good description of the discounts available here, at the NIC site.
If you are looking for more detailed information about seeing movies in Japan generally, you should read this article on SIJ.
Theaters in Nagoya
Image: jpellgen (@1179_jp) via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0]
Aug 28, 2014
How to Use Meitetsu Trains from Nagoya Station
There are many great reasons to live in Nagoya. One reason is that, being in the centre of the country it is a magnificent hub of public transportation and from Nagoya you can get to absolutely anywhere in the country. The train systems are particularly convenient.
Nagoya is served by three main train lines: JR (including the Shinkansen bullet train), the Kintetsu line and Meitetsu line. The former two are like pretty much anywhere else in the world: multiple platforms, you wait for your train and hop on board when it arrives. The Meitetsu, however, is another kettle of fish all together.
While it has four separate platforms, the train traffic is much greater than you would expect for a station of its comparative diminutiveness (being under the Meitetsu shopping centre it is relatively small and it is not possible to enlarge it). To counter this, many trains stop at each platform – often at a rate of every two or three minutes – which could be extremely confusing when you consider that the trains can go, not only in various directions, but also at different speeds, stopping with greater or lesser frequency.
Getting on the right train
On each Meitetsu platform in Nagoya station there are various positions for passengers to queue up. These are outlined on the ground by colour-coded markings, designating precisely where each train will open its doors (Meitetsu line drivers are trained to stop with remarkable accuracy).
Where on the platform does each train stop?*
Platform No.1 (for Ichinomiya, Gifu, Iwakura, Inuyama, Shin-Kani, Kagamihara, Tsushima and Saya)
Blue Spot – Rapid Ltd. Exp., Limited Express, Rapid Express, Express and Semi Express trains for Ichinomiya and Gifu (via Sukaguchi, Shin-Kiyosu and Konomiya)
Yellow Spot – Local trains for Sukaguchi and Konomiya
Green Spot – Rapid Express, Express and Semi Express trains for Shin-Unuma, Inuyama, and Shin-Kani (via Iwakura and Konan)
Light Blue Spot – Local trains for Iwakura and Inuyama
Purple Spot – Rapid Express, Express, Semi Express and Local trains for Tsushima, Saya and Yatomi (via Sukaguchi)
Platform No.2 (for Ichinomiya, Gifu, Inuyama, Shin-Unuma, Shin-Kani and Saya)
Platform No.3 (for Toyohashi, Toyokawa-Inari, Tokoname, Central Japan International Airport, Kowa and Utsumi)
These platforms are used only for passengers with seat reservation for a μSky Limited Express, a Rapid Limited Express and Limited Express and for arrival.
Platform No.4 (for Higashi-Okazaki, Toyohashi, Toyokawa-Inari, Tokoname, Central Japan International Airport, Kowa and Utsumi)
Blue Spot – Rapid Ltd. Exp., Limited Express, Rapid Express, Express and Semi Express trains for Higashi-Okazaki, Toyohashi, Toyokawa-Inari and Kira-Yoshida (via Narumi, Chiryu and Shin-Anjo)
Yellow Spot – Local trains for Toyoake, Chiryu and Higashi-Okazaki (via Horita and Narumi)
Green Spot – Limited Express, Rapid Express and Express trains for Central Japan International Airport, Kowa and Utsumi (via Otagawa)
Light Blue Spot – Local trains for Oe and Otagawa
Quick and easy
Remembering the above details is extremely beneficial, particularly when running late, as it means that you can just head directly to the right coloured queue. However, unless you have the memory of an elephant, it isn’t necessarily practical. Whenever I take the Meitetsu line, either using my smartphone or on my home PC, I usually check the website Hyperdia, perhaps the best and easiest website for checking train times all over Japan. This will bring up the time and line I am to take.
Then, once I find the correct platform I can check the screens displaying departure times. These screens display, as well as times, what kind of train it will be (from the speediest μSky Limited Express via Rapid Limited Express, Limited Express, Rapid Express, Express Semi Express to the local train), as well as which colour queue to join and how many carriages the train contains.
The latter is also of importance because, as you stand, waiting in the right coloured queue, on the right platform, there is a possibility that, if the train isn’t long enough, it won’t stop in front of you. At peak times, this will be obvious as, if you are the only one in the queue, you’re probably in the wrong one. However, there is a more surefire way to tell. On a wall opposite the platform, there are a row of coloured lights with destination names.
As you can see from the above picture, if you are standing in the blue queue going to Toyohashi, or in the green queue on the way to Central Japan Airport, you are in the right place. If you are in the light blue queue and want to head to Oe, it is best you find another queue. The train won’t be stopping here.
And there you have it, while it looks quite confusing, the Meitetsu line can be pretty straight forward actually. Happy travelling!
*Platform information taken from Wikipedia
By Mark Guthrie
Lead image: By Tennen-Gas (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
