TsukuBlog

Alishan Organic Center (http://www.alishan-organic-center.com) is hiring for the position of Tengu Natural Foods mail order tantosha.
This person would report to the Managing Directors.

Qualifications:
Japanese and English writing and speaking ability a must.
Computer literacy and enthusiasm for vegetarian food and organic agriculture also called for. Graphic design and/or higher computing skills extremely welcome and recognized.

Responsibilities:
-Overseeing daily order flow from input through shipping as well as customer communication
-Tengu mail order sales and promotion including the Tengu Shop
-Quarterly newsletter creation from scratch
-Web site content generation

Compensation:
¥155,000-¥200,000 base plus misc. allowances, larger base possible if you have high skill level at start. Bonus twice a year, all standard pensions and insurances

Please send CV with cover letter to bayles[at]alishan.jp
We look forward to hearing from you.

スタッフ募集：
テングナチュラルフーズ（通信販売部門）で正社員募集（試用期間３ヶ月有）。

条件：
日本語・英語での円滑な業務能力、一般的なパソコン操作、
ベジタリア ン・オーガニック食品への知識・興味が有り、コンピューターの知識
（グラ フィックデザイン）あれば尚可。

仕事内容：
通信販売部門でのデーター入力、電話・メールでのカスタマーサー ビス業務、
テングショップ管理、年４回のニュースレター発行、ウェブサイト管 理他。

待遇：
基本給15.5万〜20万　+　諸手当（経験と能力に応じて）、賞与年２回、社保有。
月曜〜金曜、 ９時〜６時のフルタイム。

ご興味ある方は、bayles[at]alishan.jpまで履歴書と職務経歴書をお送り下さい。
その他問い合わせは、042-982-4811迄

Thanks to the generosity of the Tengu Natural Foods and Japan With Kids, The Alien Times was able to use the part of their booth during the International Exchange Fair in May.

Now this is the kind of sign I like to see in Tsukuba!

The sign is prominently displayed in the window of Motoshop Wildcats, a motorcycle shop in the north of Tsukuba. The shop’s owner is Osamu, an expert in all things related to motorcycles — and more than happy to serve his customers in fluent English!

The shop is located at Ozone 114-4. Take Nishi Odori north all the way to where it meets Higashi Odori (McDonald’s will be on your right). Keep going north for about a minute or two. You will see the shop on your left.

Osamu’s shop sells motorcycles and scooters. Also, one of my friends says that he is an excellent mechanic and that he can help people get their vehicles insured.

I think it is really important for the international community in Tsukuba to support businesses that welcome foreign clients. Feel free to give him a call at 029-864-7233 if you are thinking of buying a motorcycle or scooter, or if you need some advice about the one you already own.

Blizzardboy has written another good post about a place that Tsukubans should visit: Asahi Breweries in Moriya. If you like beer — and if my time at university taught me anything, “free beer” is the best kind of beer — you might want to take a trip to the breweries. Just remember to bring a designated driver, or use public transportation as the laws against drunk driving have recently been stiffened.

October is Urban Greening Month (都市緑化月間), and the 19th Fall Urban Greening Festivals will be held in 9 cities in Ibaraki during the Urban Greening Month. The one in Tsukuba is however, held in the last weekend of September in the Doho Park.

[ Fall Urban Greening Festival in Doho Park ]
September 29, Saturday
From 10am to 3:30pm

The various plants will be on display or on sale. There will be a marching band performance, a “rock, paper, scissors” tourney, arts and crafts activities, distribution of recycled compost, and more. The admission fees to the pool, tennis courts and baseball field will be free!

[ Fall Urban Greening Festivals in other cities ]
October 7, Sunday
Hitachi Seaside Park
- admission to the park will be free!

October 8, Monday (holiday)
Kensei General Park in Koga City
- flea market held at the same time

October 21, Sunday
Sanuma Wide Area Park in Shimotsuma City
- Sanuma Festival held at the same time
Minato Park in Kamisu City
- free admission to the observation tower

October 28, Sunday
Kairakuen Park
- Senbako Lake Sports Festival held at the same time
Kasama Geijutsu-no-Mori Park
- two other festivals held at the same time
Daigo Wide Area Park
- Okukuji Daigo Festival held at the same time
Kashimanada Seaside Park
- bamboo crafts class and give away and more

If you are looking for kitchen supplies in Tsukuba, you might want to try Oritomo. Here is what Christine found when she was in the market for some martini glasses.

Oritomo is a kitchen supply store mainly catering to businesses. I went to look for martini glasses, but stayed for the meat grinders and cotton candy makers! They have a large variety of baking necessities such as molds and pans of every size as well as a number of small appliances. I found some good quality knives and an excellent array of other tableware. The prices are a bit higher than what you would pay at, say, JUSCO, but the items are clearly of a much higher quality.

Here are the directions Jon gave me that got me there easily:
Go south on Higashi towards Joyful Honda. At the intersection of Higashi and Noda-sen (354) there is a beige pedestrian bridge. Continue south on Higashi to the next light. Turn right (Alpen sports will be on your left and an Eneos gas stand on your right) and go to the next light. Oritomo will be diagonally to your left.

I even received a gift of 12 rolls of bathroom tissue for having visited the shop!

Please contact the organizer ASAP if you are interested in participating in this forum. 200 seats are available. First come, first served.

World Partnership Forum in Ibaraki*
Date: October 20, Saturday
Venue: Epochal Tsukuba
* The forum will be simultaneously interpreted into English.

Keynote Lecture: “Pushing Our Faculties to the Limit: The Challenge” by a Noble Prize winner 江崎玲於奈(Dr. Leo Esaki), who was also a chancellor of Tsukuba University from 1992 to 1998.

Time: 13:15pm to 17:00pm
- Doors open at 12:45
- Forum begins at 13:15
- Lecture: 13:30 to 14:15
- Panel discussion between Dr. Esaki, about 10 ambassadors to Japan, and representatives of the economic circle: 14:15 to 15:45
- Dialogue between the ambassadors and local students: 16:00 to 17:00

Please visit this page or download the flyer/application form here.
Or e-mail Ibaraki Prefectural Government’s International Affairs Division : kokuko[AT]pref.ibaraki.lg.jp if you have any questions.

> Meikei Gakuen High School
Open Campus Day*
October 20, Satuday
From 10:40am to 12:30pm
* This information session is for children who are in the 4th and 5th grades and students who are in the junior high schools. Must apply between 12:00pm on October 1 and 6:00pm on October 10.

Meikei is a prestigious private school that is known for its support programs for returnees. The school puts strong emphasis on English education and global understanding. Meikei also has its own art and other programs that public schools don’t have. The school holds an art exhibit at Tsukuba City Art Museum and brass band concert at Tsukuba University every year.

> Namiki Secondary School (Opens next Spring)
Information session for 5th graders and their parents
October 27, Satuday
First session: 9:30am to 11:00am
Second session: 11:30am to 13:00pm
Enrollment limit: 811 parent-child pairs (1622 people) each session.

Apply through your child’s school. 5th graders in public schools in Ibaraki have received a letter about these information sessions a few weeks ago. Please contact the Namiki Secondary School preparation room ASAP if you and your kid(s) are interested in attending the session. The sessions are for “5th graders and their parents”, so participants are required to attend the session in parent-child pairs. The October 27 sessions are for 5th graders and their parents only. No exceptions.

The information sessions for 6th graders were held last month. The last time I checked, there will be an open house next year.

Click here to view the brochure for this new school.
Please also see “Tsuchiura Nihon University Secondary and a new school in Namiki” for your reference.

From the Namiki High School website:
Namiki High School will change to Namiki Secondary School in 2008. The secondary school unifies the lower and upper secondary school education and allows students and parents/guardians to select a six-year consistent course. It gives the students the advantage of a continuous six-year study plan. According to this, we can greatly enhance a student’s individuality and creativity or cultivate his/her rich humanity and sociality among the different aged students.

Blizzard Boy wrote an article about Tsukuba Botanical Gardens, one of Tsukuba’s science-related tourist attractions. I have lived in Tsukuba for five years now and have not been to the Botanical Gardens yet (another confession: I haven’t been to the top of Mt. Tsukuba either!). I think I will take Blizzard Boy’s advice and go there next spring.

A message from Keyaki no Kai

Nihongo Keyaki no Kai will start its Autumn Japanese Language Class on October 16th. Foreign people who live in and around Tsukuba may attend the class.

The Introductory Class is designed for the students who are learning Japanese for the first time. Beginner I Class is for students who can read and write HIRAGANA and KATAKANA, and can engage in simple conversation. Beginner II Class is for students who have studied Japanese for more than 6 months and can understand verb and adjective changes.

TIME and PLACE
From October 16th (Tue) 2007 to March 4th (Tue) 2008
17 classes in total
Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Tsukuba Information Center (next to Nova Hall)

COST
Students are required to purchase a text book (1500 yen) at a book store. Every student has to pay 3000yen for miscellaneous expenses (including photocopying expenses) on 2nd October, at registration.

REGISTRATION and PLACEMENT
Registration takes place on Tuesday, October 2nd from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Tsukuba Information Center. If you can’t come on that day, you can pick up the application form at Tsukuba Information Center.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Tsukuba-shi Nihongo Keyaki no Kai
TEL: Ms. Kuruta 029-887-7221 (from 19:00 onward) or Ms. Hattori 029-852-3483
E-mail: nihongo0311[AT]yahoo.co.jp

Alien Times was featured in an article in the Ibaraki edition of Asahi Shimbun.

英字情報誌２０年・つくば (in Japanese)

The article briefly discusses the history of the Alien Times from its conception in 1987 to the present day situation. The Alien Times website is also mentioned. Perhaps this article will help to raise the profile of the newsletter so that we can continue to receive funding from the Expo Foundation and increase our revenues from advertising.

The article is going to be deleted from the Asahi Shimbun site in two weeks, so here is the text.

英字情報誌２０年・つくば

2007年09月26日

つくば市で発行している月刊の英字情報誌「エイリアン・タイムズ」（Ｔｈｅ　ＡＬＩＥＮ　ＴＩＭＥＳ）が、創刊２０年を迎えた。留学生や外国人研究者らが多く住む地域で、生活情報を得る手段として重宝されてきた。編集長で米国人宣教師ティモシー・ボイルさん（６０）は兵庫県へ移ることになり、今月を最後にバトンタッチする。

ティモシーさんが教会の仕事で同市に移り住んだのは８６年。「当時から万博の影響もあり外国人は多かったが、生活情報を得る手段は『口コミ』くらいだった」。翌年６月、生活に役立つ情報を英語で発信しようと米国人の友人ら４人で情報誌を手作りした。しばらくは作成費用は自腹と寄付。その後は財団法人「つくば科学万博記念財団」がスポンサーとなり、地元企業の広告料と合わせて印刷代などをまかなっている。スタッフは全員ボランティアだ。

同誌はＡ４判で８ページ。内容はイベント紹介や日本語の勉強など多岐にわたっている。寄稿者にはフランスやロシアの出身者がおり、英語以外の記事が載ったことも。千部がＴＸつくば駅構内や筑波大学など市内外の約３０カ所で無料配布されている。今月号のトップでは、飲酒運転への厳罰化が取り上げられている。

２０年で同誌も大きく変わった。０２年には、カナダ人のシェイニー・クロフォードさん（３６）が同誌ホームページを作成。過去の記事も閲覧できるほか、誌面に載らない情報も掲載している。

ティモシーさんは「（読者から）感謝してもらったことが何よりの思い出。優秀なスタッフがいるので何の心配もしていません」。次期編集長の小野三枝子さん（３２）は「ささいな情報でも、不安をもって来日する人たちのために続けていきたい」と話している。

同市によると、市内の外国人登録者は１３１カ国の７０８４人（８月３１日現在）。県内で最も多く、人口の３・４％を占めている。

同誌ウェブサイトはwww.alientimes.orgへ。

The University of Tsukuba’s women’s basketball team has qualified to play in the 57th Kanto Women’s Varsity Basketball League Championships. The championship games are being held in Tsukuba for the first time ever. The University of Tsukuba team is extremely strong this year. They have won three tournaments in a row, including the Kanto Tournament held in the spring, and they are hoping to make this the fourth. They are asking residents of Tsukuba to build up their community spirit and come to support them in their fight to win this tournament on a home court. The team colour is green, so they have asked people to show up to the games wearing something green so that we can show our opponents our “Tsukuba spirit”. Both games will be against Shoin University, another very strong team.

Sunday, October 7 from 5pm
Monday, October 8 from 4:20pm

At Tsukuba Capio Arena

Admission: free for high school students and under, free for university students with student ID, all others 1000 yen

The Ministry of Justice has decided that all foreigners (including permanent residents) entering Japan must be fingerprinted and photographed. The Ministry’s excuse for this is a long list of terrorist acts, none of which happened in Japan.

See the peppy video: Landing Examination Procedures for Japan are Changing!

Personally, I don’t like the idea of being treated as a criminal just because I am foreign. If they want to implement draconian measures like this, they should apply to everyone entering Japan, not just foreigners. If they could get the Japanese public to agree to this kind of treatment, then I wouldn’t be as upset about it.

More information on Debito Arudou’s site.

(Thanks to Melissa N. for the information.)

There is a new web application called Mango that can help you learn the basics of Japanese (and a few other languages). First sign up for an account, and then once you login with your new account, you can choose which language to study. The lessons are given in slides and they include both visual and audio information (make sure you have your sound and speakers turned on).

I didn’t look at all of the slides in the first lesson (there are about 100 slides per lesson, and 101 lessons in total), but it seems that they give good advice. See, for example:

In Japanese, pronouns are often deleted when they are obvious from the context. This results in sentences without subjects and transitive verbs without direct objects. The literal translation of the expression 「おげんきですか？」 is close to “Are you fine?” However, the subject “you” is actually missing from the Japanese sentence.

This is from Slide 6 of Lesson 1. I like how they give detailed information like this from the start. A lot of Japanese textbooks gloss over this sort of information and you are left wondering about a lot of key points.

If you have used Mango or decide to give it a try based on this post, please give us your opinions on it in the comments. From what little I have seen of it, Mango seems like a useful and informative application, but I would like to find out from our readers whether it actually helps you learn Japanese effectively.

When you find a nice book on Amazon.co.jp, you may instantly click on “Add to Shopping Cart”. But wait! The book may be available at a library nearby.

The following user java script adds the search results of the Tsukuba Public Library database on Amazon.co.jp pages (see the screen shot below). You can directly go to the search result page of the library from the Amazon search results.

CLICK HERE to download the user java script to add Tsukuba Public Library Search on Amazon.co.jp (or save it by right clicking).

Screen Shot:

In order to use this java script, you need a user java script engine.

For Internet Explorer 6:

1. Download “Trixie”
2. Install it
3. Copy the user java script into C:\Program Files\Bhelpuri\Trixie\Scripts
4. Restart Internet Explorer and access Amazon.co.jp

*I haven’t tested it but IE7 Pro should work for Internet Explorer 7.

For Firefox:

1. Download the “greasemonkey” add-on
2. Install it
3. Drag the user java script and drop it into Firefox
4. Press the “install” button
5. Access Amazon.co.jp

Save money and enjoy a frugal life!

Notes:

• This script searches for an ISBN code on the Amazon page and hands over it to the book search system of the Tsukuba Public Library. Therefore, if there is no ISBN code on the Amazon search result, it will not work.
• In order to borrow books at Tsukuba Public Library, you need to have a membership at the library. You can sign up for a membership at the main counter of the library in about minutes (you will need your alien registration card or another certificate to prove that you are living/working in Tsukuba).
• You can reserve books through the website only when the book on the search result is currently being borrowed by someone. When it is returned, library staffs will keep it at the counter and the system will send you an email. You can just tell a library staff that you have the book reserved. Please note that you cannot reserve the book in case nobody is currently borrowing it. It means the book is available at the bookshelf.
• And also remember, before starting to use the online reservation service, you need to register your email address on the library website.
• Use Trixie, IE7 Pro, greasemonkey and this user java script at your own risk. The author assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any damage resulting from the use of these applications.

How much does it cost to handle all of the garbage we produce in Tsukuba?

In the 2006 fiscal year, the City of Tsukuba spent 3,463,000,000 yen (around US$29 million) on waste treatment.

• 52,500,000 yen (around US$450,000) was spent on collecting household waste and the waste from the pipelines in the central part of the city (both of which are commissioned to an external company)
• 1,059,000,000 yen (around US$9 million) was spent on maintaining and running the Clean Center (waste disposal and incineration plant)
• 113,000,000 yen (around US$970,000) was spent on human resources
• 1,766,000,000 yen (around US$15 million) went to pay back the loan for constructing the facilities (the loan should be paid off in full by 2011)

83,211 tons of garbage was collected last year, so the City is spending 41,600 yen (around US$360) to process each ton of garbage, or around 42 yen (36 cents) per kilogram. For reference, the amount of garbage produced by one family in a year is around 264 kg, or around 723 g per day.

Does the Clean Center make money?

Processing household garbage results in thermal recycling and resource recycling. Thermal recycling refers to the electricity that is produced from the heat from incinerating garbage. Resource recycling refers to collecting and sorting waste items so that they can be recycled. The Clean Center sells the electricity and recyclable resources and returns the revenues to the City. In 2006, revenues from selling electricity to the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) were 116,000,000 yen and resource recycling brought in 82,000,000 yen. A further 559,000,000 yen was brought in through fee-based services such as the collection of large garbage items (sodai gomi) and commercial waste. In total, the Clean Center brings in around 757,000,000 yen which is then used to cover part of the costs of processing the garbage.

How much money does each person cost the city in garbage management?

If we take the total cost of processing Tsukuba’s garbage and subtract the amount that is covered through fees paid by commercial establishments and the revenues brought in by the Clean Center, we are left with a total of 276,000,000 yen that must be covered by the City of Tsukuba. If the population of Tsukuba is given at 203,280 people (as of October 1, 2006), we can see that Tsukuba spends 13,300 yen per person per year, or 53,200 yen per four-person household per year to process garbage.

Source: Tsukuba City Newsletter, September 1, 2007

I’m sure that money could be better spent on education, or improving the roads, or making the city more foreigner-friendly. This is a good incentive for Tsukuba residents to re-assess the amount of garbage that they produce and try to limit non-recyclable waste as much as possible.

The Ibaraki Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT–全国語学教育学会) warmly welcomes you to our Sept ‘07 Ibaraki-Chapter All-day Meeting

Date: Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

Place: Tsukuba Gakuin University, formerly Tokyo Kasei Gakuin/Tsukuba Women’s University (For more detailed directions please visit the website at the end of this announcement.)

Entrance fee: Members: Free; Non-members: 500 yen.

Speaker: Kevin Knight, Lecturer, Career Education Center, Kanda University of International Studies
Morning Presentation: Motivating Learners Through Pain and Pleasure
Afternoon Presentation: Global Workforce Development through Business Internship Program at Kanda University of International Studies

Language of presentations: English

No reservation required! No pre-registration required!
(Some academic organizations are quite restrictive as to pre-registration and affiliation. This is not true for our lectures. Everyone is welcome.)

See: Ibaraki JALT website and 2007 Events for more information.

Message from Geni Carmen Zanol

==========================

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make ikebana arrangements!

The variety of beautiful flowers is outstanding in Japan. We are inviting all foreigners who are interested in learning how to create flower arrangements based on Ikebana ideas adapted to modern interiors. You will make special arrangements for holidays that are ideal as seasonal gifts or party table accents. Come and learn an art you can share with others on special occasions!

Wednesdays from 9:30 to 12:00 (basically 3 times a month)
Tsukuba Information Center, Tsukuba Center Building (Next to Nova Hall, Azuma 1-10-1)
Open to foreign residents living in or near Tsukuba

INSTRUCTOR: Ms. Mitsuho UNNO, llicensed teacher of Kyoto Koryu School

FLOWER FEE: ￥1,500 x 3 classes = ￥ 4,500 per month
Payment is due at the beginning of each month

BRING: Flower scissors, towel, small bowl, and plastic bag

REGISTER: Send a note to irma.k[AT]m6.dion.ne.jp expressing your interest in joining the class.

Desmostylus is an extinct herbivorous mammal that resembled a hippopotamus. In 1977, Japanese researchers found a nearly complete fossilized skeleton of Desmostylus in a town called Utanobori (now Esashi) in Hokkaido. The reconstructed Utanobori specimen will be on exhibit from September 26 to December 2 (closed on September 29 and October 7) at the Geological Museum at AIST.

There will also be a free lecture about Desmostylus on October 14 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm at the museum.

See also:

• On the excavation and restoration of Desmostylus from Utanobori, Hokkaido (pdf, paper published in the Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Japan, in Japanese but with some interesting pictures)
• デスモスチルス歌登標本
• Old AIST site

The Hirasawa Kanga site is a reproduction of some of the Tsukuba County government buildings as they were in the Nara and Heian eras, more than a thousand years ago.

On October 21, 2007, a cultural event will be held at Hirasawa Kanga from 12 noon to 5pm. (This event will be cancelled in the case of stormy weather.)

Stage Performances
1:30 to 2pm
Nihon Gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performance

2:10pm to 2:40pm
Nihon Buyo (traditional Japanese dance) performance

3pm to 4:30pm
Ocarina (Peruvian wind instrument) performance

Also, there will be an open market (12 noon to 5pm), guided tours of the ruins (12 noon to 3pm), and illuminations (4pm to 5pm).

If you have never been to Hirasawa Kanga, this is a perfect opportunity to get a feel for the place.

Source: Tsukuba City Hall Website

If you are planning on taking your friends or families on a tour of Tsukuba this Fall, please take note of the following temporary closing dates.

From Tsukuba Science Tour website:

Tsukuba Research Gallery
September 15, Saturday
Geological Museum*
September 29, Saturday
October 7, Sunday
Science Square Tsukuba
October 7, Sunday
The Science Museum of Map and Survey
October 27, Saturday
October 28, Sunday

Please also note that Tsukuba Science Tour’s
bus schedule changed on September 1:
http://www.i-step.org/tour/bustour/index.htm

* Geological Museum is a new addition to The Alien Times distribution points. You can pick up a copy of The Alien Times from the museum’s flyer rack by the water fountain.

September 17 or the third Monday of September is “敬老の日(Keirou no hi),” or the Respect for Senior Citizens Day, which is a national holiday in Japan. Many businesses have special deals for seniors this weekend, so check their websites if you are planning on visiting some place this weekend.

Potiron no Mori
September 16, Sunday
11:00am: All you can eat BBQ at the restaurants
12:30pm and 5:30pm: Anpanman Shows
2:00pm: Bread-making contest
4:00pm: Free admission to the park starts
7:30pm: Naomi Tamura and Christina Hayashi Live
6:30pm: Bingo /Play for a chance to win a “Wii”
8:00pm: Fireworks display
Potiron-no-Mori will be open until 9:00pm during the festival.

September 17, Monday
Citizens over 60 years young and their grandchildren get in FREE!
11:00am: All you can eat BBQ at the restaurants
12:30pm and 2:30pm: Yes! Precure 5 Shows
1:30pm Bingo /Play for a chance to win a “Wii”

Tsukuba Wanwan Land (Dog Park) and
Ibaraki Prefectural Flowerpark in Ishioka
September 17, Monday
Senior citizens over 65 years old get in free!

I’ll list more if I see other good deals for seniors ;)

Here is a special message from Ayako Komine, a staff member at Ritz’n.

Our shop “Ritz’n” is a natural goods shop as well as a vegetarian restaurant all under one roof. We are going to celebrate our 7th anniversary from September 15 to 17, just before “Be Kind to Animals Week in Japan” (Sep 20-26). Please come and join us!

We will hold the following special events.

In the Restaurant

September 15 to 17: Special Macrobiotic Menu
We will serve a special tofu menu (1,680 yen) produced by Ms. Chiwako Okubo, an instructor from the Kushi Macrobiotic Institute of Japan.
Starters: Deep-Fried Tofu Marinated in Vinaigrette Sauce, Green Vegetable with Mustard and Soy Sauce, Pumpkin Salad.
Main Course: Ganmodoki (Fried tofu ball mixed with vegetables) with Kuzu sauce.
Rice: Sticky Rice with Walnut and Carrot
Soup: Clear Soup with Takigawa Tofu Noodle.
Dessert: Sweet Black Rice Soup with Tofu Dango Dumpling
Bancha Tea

September 16: Fresh Soba
Mr. Doi, a proficient soba chef from Mitsukaido city will give a soba-making performance and serve fresh soba noodles. Fresh soba (buckwheat) noodles with side dishes (1,260 yen).

In the Shop

September 15 and 16: Bach Flower Remedies Consultation
Bach Flower expert Mr. Yabuki will ascertain which flower remedies will suit your needs.

September 17: Homemade Organic Soap by Junoka
Junoka’s soaps are all handmade and free from chemicals. Their fragrance and colors are amazing and changing seasonally. Please find your favorite one.

September 17: Cartomancy and counseling by Mr. Hikaru Kondo
500 yen

Outside of the Shop and Restaurant

September 15 to 17: Ritz’n Farmer’s Market
A small market outside of the restaurant. We will sell:

• organic vegetables from Mr. Matsuura’s farm in Ishioka and Mr. Nagai’s farm in Kukizaki
• organic tofu by Inamoto Tofu shop (free from GM beans)
• organic breads by Backerei Brotzeit, Tsukuba
• organic jams by Kisetsuya
• “Nukazuke” Japanese Pickled Vegetables (100yen/100g)
• fair-trade coffee by Namioka Coffee Shop: Their coffees are organic and fair-trade certificated ones from Brazil and Ecuador. Please sit back and relax with rich aroma of fresh coffee
• vegetarian lunch boxes for take out: We have vegetarian lunch box (Brown rice with side dishes), Hie/Takakibi Don (Brown rice topped with grain/millet loaf), Vegetarian Burgers and Curries

September 17: Quick Shiatsu Massage by Mr. Koichi Kusakawa
Mr. Kusakawa’s massage not only makes you relaxed, but also helps you find out what is wrong with your body. You can also consult with him about your health problems (500yen/5min).

Ritz’n

Natural Goods Shop and Vegetarian Restaurant
747-84 Kamihara, Tsukuba, Ibaraki
Tel: 029-856-0009
Fax:029-856-0009
Website: http://www.ritzn.jp/
Closed on Monday (When Monday is a national holiday, the shop is closed on Tuesday.)

From the festival flyer (English):

Ishioka Festival (Hitachi Soshagu Annual Festival)
The festival originated in the Genroku of the Edo Period for praying for the well-being of one’s family and their good health has been supported and popular among people. It is called one of the three most popular festivals in the Kanto area. The portable shrine in the high social status parades in front followed by about forty magnificent ‘dashis’-floats and ‘shishis’-wooden lion head and wagon covered with long festival cloth with wheels on/ More than four hundred thousand people come to see it during the period.

For the festival schedule, please click here.

You can view the images on the Ishioka City website:
山車(dashi)/floats
神輿(mikoshi)/portable shine
獅子(shishi)/wooden lion head,
or on the
Hitachi Soshagu Shrine website.

September 30 from 10am to 2pm
Chuo Park (near Tsukuba Public Library, just north of Tsukuba Center on the pedestrian path)
This event will be cancelled in the case of rain.

Tsukuba Public Library has a decent collection of foreign books. However, if you can’t find the book you are looking for, you may be able to obtain it from another public library in the prefecture by inter-library loan (ILL). You can make a request at the circulation counter and, if a copy of the book can be found in the system, the staff will call you when it arrives. (It may take up to one month to fill your request.) You can usually keep ILL books for up to two weeks. Please note that as of July 2007, you must return all overdue books to the library before you will be allowed to take out any new books, make reservations for books, or request books for purchase or ILL.

By the way, did you know that Tsukuba Public Library lent out more books than any other public library in the prefecture in 2006?

1st Tsukuba (1,224,193 books lent)
2nd Hitachi (1,186,905 books lent, 3 branches)
3rd Mito (1,118,564 books lent, 4 branches)

If you are looking for research-related books, have a look at this list of libraries in Tsukuba.

If you would like to get advice about crime prevention and safety in Tsukuba, call the hotline for police counselling (in Japanese). Dial “#9110″ from a landline phone, cellphone, or PHS phone, or call 029-301-9110 from an IP phone or a pulse phone (the opposite of a touch tone phone).

External air conditioning units are being stolen in Tsukuba. Units that are not visible from the road are especially vulnerable to theft. If your air conditioner gets stolen, please report it to the police. If you buy another unit, be sure to protect it with anti-theft equipment.

Source: September 1, 2007 Issue of Tsukuba City Hall Newsletter

Just wondering where you, TsukuBlog readers are from.

The list of countries in this poll is based on the information on this page.

Tsukuba Wadaiko Festa in Nova Hall
つくば和太鼓フェスタ in ノバホール
September 16, Sunday from 5pm, Doors open at 4:30pm

The following 和太鼓(Wadaiko, or Japanese drum)  groups that perform all over the country will be performing at Nova Hall:
- Tsukuba: Hitachino Kuni Furusato Taiko-kai/ 常陸乃国ふるさと太鼓会
- Saitama: Urawa Minuma Taiko/ 浦和見沼太鼓
- Tochigi: Iwafune Musashi Taiko/ 岩舟武蔵太鼓
- Chiba: Wadaiko Sou/和太鼓　総

Tickets: 2000yen for reserved seats
You can purchase tickets at Nova Hall (029-852-5881),Tsukuba Cultural Foundation (029-856-7007), or from the Tsukuba Wadaiko Festa Executive Committee (phone/Fax: 0296-52-8433).

“土浦薪能/Tsuchiura Takigi Noh” will be held on September 26, Wednesday. 薪(takigi) literally means firewood. Takigi Noh is the Noh played outdoors in the evening with 篝火(kagari-bi, or balefire/bonfire) lights.

Programs:
能(Noh): “葵上 古式(Aoi ue koshiki”
狂言(Kyogen) : “蚊相撲(Kazumou)”
To learn more about Noh and Kyogen, please visit this website:
能楽　NOH & KYOGEN - An Introduction to Noh and Kyogen

Venue:
亀城公園*(Kijo Koen/Park), which is within walking distance of the JR Tsuchiura Sta. ( “A” on this map).*Tsuchiura Civic Center in case of rain
Date and Time:
September 26, Wednesday, 6:30PM

Tickets:
5000yen for reserved seats, 3000yen for unreserved seats
FREE for standing room! However, non-ticket holders won’t be able to watch the play if the venue is moved to the Tsuchiura Civic Center.

Ticket offices:
Tsuchiura Board of Education, Tsuchiura Civic Hall, Tsuchiura City Kijo Plaza, Sunpal Nagasaki-ya (a shopping mall outside JR Arakawaoki Station) Information Booth, Ticket Pia at Tsuchiura “Wing(a shopping mall outside JR Tsuchiura Station),” Yuhodo Book Store in Azuma, Tsukuba(029-852-3665), Bookstore in “Escard Ushiku(a shopping mall outside JR Ushiku Station”

Notes:No photographing or videotaping.

“木のバラード(Ballad of Wood (or trees)),” an exhibition of artworks by Japan-based Filipino artist Maria Elizabeth Robles, is currently being held at the Tsukuba Museum of Art. According to the Joyo Living News, she lives in Tsukuba and has her own design company here (does anybody have more infomation?).

木のバラード Exhibit
Dates: September 4 (Tues) to 9 (Sun)
Hours : 9.30am - 5.00pm [ Admission until 4.30pm ],
closes at 3pm on the last day
Admission : Free
Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki
Joyo Living article on Maria Elizabeth Robles (Japanese)

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a weather advisory for southern Ibaraki in connection with Typhoon Fitow, which is expected to reach Japan on Thursday. We may be faced with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and flooding. Please pay close attention to the weather over the next couple of days and if it looks like it is going to start raining, do not venture out until you are certain that it is safe. If you have a bicycle, you might want to lay it down on the ground instead of standing it up, as it may blow over and get bent out of shape or damage other property. (One of my bicycles was completely destroyed by a typhoon a couple of years ago.) Also, if you have pets, you might want to consider keeping them inside.

Keep an eye on the Japan Meteorological Agency website or search Google News for “typhoon” for up-to-date information.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced yesterday that it has created web pages on earthquake early warning system in English.

I think it’s very important for you to read “Earthquake Early Warning Starting 1 October 2007(pdf)“ if you haven’t heard about this new warning system. The new system may only give you only three seconds for example, but those three seconds may save your life!

From JMA website:

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is providing residents in Japan with Earthquake Early Warnings, new prompt earthquake alerts to be issued immediately after the occurrence of earthquakes, in order to secure time to protect yourself before strong tremors arrive.
Earthquake Early Warning will be provided through several means such as TV and radio from 1 October 2007.

- What is the Earthquake Early Warning (or “緊急地震速報 (Kinkyu Jishin Sokuho)” in Japanese)?

- Examples of Response to an Earthquake Early Warning

- Limitations of the Earthquake Early Warning

- About Earthquake Early Warning(pdf)

Or please visit their “Earthquake Early Warning” page.

By Daniel Morales

Amazon Japan is amazing. Domestic shipping here is rapid and cheap. Orders over 1500 yen all get free standard shipping. There’s no express shipping outside of the greater-Tokyo area, but standard shipping delivers to most places within two days. I regularly order things on Sunday and have them show up in Nishiaizu on Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday.

There are also various payment options. Credit card is accepted, of course, and is the fastest way to get your order shipped. You can also pay via different convenient stores. After you’ve punched in your order, they will email you when your order is ready to ship. There will be a link in the email. The link will let you choose different convenience stores and then will take you to a bill which you can print out and have the konbini folk scan in for you. (Alternatively, you can just copy down the number on that form, tell the konbini people you have an internet order, and they can punch it in the register for you.) After you’ve paid, you should receive a payment confirmation email within an hour or so. The final payment method is cash-on-delivery. The shipping service will collect the cash directly from you in exchange for your order. (I believe there is a small fee to do this.)

When you load up the Amazon front page, the tabs along the top are in the following order left to right: Welcome, My Store, Books, Western Books, Electronics, Home and Kitchen, Music, DVD, Software, Games, Toys and Hobby, Sports and Outdoor, Health and Beauty, Watches/Clocks, Baby and Maternity. The searching for most everything is in Japanese, but titles for Western books are in English.

Once you have your order ready, all of the payment menus and account menus can be changed to English, including your “Cart.” Hooray.

If your order is more than one book or one CD, you will have to be at home to receive the package. If they try to deliver and you aren’t home, the company (usually Pelican Shipping) will leave a slip in your door/mailbox. The slip has the driver’s cellphone number. You can call the dude and try and converse with him. My suggestion is to leave a note taped to your front door saying what time you will be home. You can try to write something like: “Gogo 4-ji-han kara 8-ji made imasu no de, sono aida ni kite itadakereba tasukarimasu. Oneigaishimasu.” Ideally that would be in at least hiragana. (On a side note, one of the shipping dudes thanked me profusely for leaving the note.)

The greatest part about Amazon Japan is that they sell almost everything. If you are in the middle of nowhere and need appliances, Amazon. The prices are compartive to most electronics stores, and Amazon has its own point system now. You’ll have to wade through some Japanese to ensure that you’re getting what you want, but you’ll have it right at your door by the end of the week.

Try going to http://www.rikai.com and using its helpful tool. The tool is especially useful for determining the meaning of some unknown Chinese characters. It can go both ways: Japanese –> English or vice versa. I am sorry to inform some of you (Japanese readers) that it works better from Japanese into English than the other way around. That and it probably works best for those whose Japanese level is intermediate or higher.

You can either plug in a website address or some text and the mouse pointer automatically defines some kanji. Just point and read! I often use it to read domestic news in Japanese because Japanese news translated into English often lacks essential details or at times, juicy background information!

You can even use this to ‘cut and paste’ messages sent from Japanese friends or colleagues. Because rikai.com is not a translating machine like Babelfish (Altavista), there is much less room for error. Try it out when you have the chance! I hope it makes your life in Japan a little easier.

A blog called What Japan Thinks provides insight into what Japanese people are thinking by translating surveys completed by people in Japan. One of the latest surveys covers chopstick manners. How many of these have you broken (or never heard of)?

What Japan Thinks: Chopstick Bad Manners

I’m sorry for short notice, but Contemporary Dance Performances by the members of Contemporary Dance Association of Japan will be held in Tokyo tonight and tomorrow night. One of the performers, Yuriko Arima teaches dance in Tsukuba. She offers lessons in English for those who don’t speak Japanese. It doesn’t look like it’s been updated for a while, but here’s her dance studio website: R Dance Club

2007 時代を創る　現代舞踊公演
(Direct translation would be something like “Contemporary Dance Performances that shape the time 2007” )
September 4, Tuesday and 5, Wednesday
Doors open at 6:30pm, and performances begin at 7:00pm
Venue:Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space Medium Hall (English)
Tickets: 3500yen

A brand new Tsuku Bus, the city’s community bus service started its operation on September 1. The city has abolished the “センター循環(Tsukuba Center Rotatory Route),” and introduced the “学園南循環(Gakuen Minami Junkan or Gakuen South Rotatory Route).” This new course is similar to the former Tsuku Bus Route 5, but the newly added course only goes around the south “central Tsukuba” area. Thos