TsukuBlog

More than 400 years ago, during Japan’s so-called Warring States Period (Sengoku Jidai), a wooden fortress known as Hanamuro-Jo, stood a few hundred meters northeast of what is now the Hanamuro Intersection (kosaten), not far from Tsukuba Center. No one is certain exactly how many years this fortification stood, as there are no extant records bearing this information, however, there is documentation of Hanamuro-Jo still having still existed in 1569, as battles raged for control of this region. Even if it did actually survive the fighting of those years, it still would not have lasted long into the Edo Period (1600-1867), during which a unified Japan was consolidated under the Tokugawa Family. This is because the One Domain-One Castle Law (Ikkoku Ichijo Rei , 一国一城令) of 1615, permitted only one fortification to survive in each HAN (domain). The castle selected to be given a lease on life in this area was the Turtle Castle (Kijo , 亀城 ) of the Tsuchiya Clan, in Tsuchiura (Tsukuba was NOT as many believe, part of the Mito Domain), while any other fortifications that still existed had to be completely dismantled.

No matter when or how Hanamuro-Jo met its fate, one thing is for sure — it has disappeared with hardly a trace. The hill upon which it once stood is covered by woods, with only a corroded, barely legible, old sign left to remind the rare person to wander by of what was once there.

A bit to the West however, past the traffic light near the Hanamasa Grocery Store, lies a grassy knoll, where memories of Hanamuro Castle are kept alive. On top of this little green island of a mound sits a small shrine which houses a large unengraved, stone slab, along with many smaller stones and pebbles. Offerings of sake, rice-cakes ,etc., and numerous strands of SENBA TSURU (one thousand cranes) can always be found placed in front of or inside the wooden structure, as worshipers come to beseech and give thanks to the MIGAWARI AMIDA (the Scapegoat Amida), who has resided on this little hill since the days of Hanamuro-Jo.

Amida is the Buddha of Infinite Light, who rules the Pure Land, and is one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhism, and the central figure of the JODO and JODO SHIN Sects. His name is invoked by believers who seek his aid, or wish to enter his Western Paradise.

Migawari (身替り) can be directly translated as a surrogate, or taking the place of or standing in for another. I have translated this as SCAPEGOAT, since the devotees of this deity which resides near the ruins of Hanamuro Castle, believe that their pain, injuries, or other forms of suffering are transferred away from them and taken on by the stone on the hill, just as the sins of the ancient Israelites were cast away into a goat.

There are many stories extolling the powers of the stone. The most dramatic I have heard were years ago from old Mr. Ohtsu, a descendant of the family which kept the Hanamuro Castle as Vassals of Lord Oda. He recounted how he had accidentally fallen into a fire he had going (the same fires which still foul our Tsukuba air) and miraculously emerged completely unscathed. He later noticed that the stone slab had turned completely black. In disbelief, he went to call his family and neighbors. Everyone was amazed. The newspapers were called and some ran the story.

Mr. Ohtsu’s wife tells of a similar experience. She knocked over a kerosene stove. To her great relief, no fire broke out. Chills went down her spine when she later found that the stone had once again turned black. Her husband actually took some pictures of the blackened stone and you can see what looks clearly like a hand print in them . A few hours later, they say, the black faded away.

The Migawari Amida is also renowned throughout the prefecture for helping get rid of ODEKI, which are tumors or pusy fistules. These days it is also believed to be efficacious for traffic safety. Devotees take a pebble from the shrine and keep it for one year before returning it.

There is an interesting legend related to the origin of this allegedly MIRACLE WORKING STONE. In the days when Hanamuro-Jo still stood, one the Lords of the Castle, Ohstu Nagato no Kami, was burning up with a high fever. His vassals were in a panic, and prayed fervently for the intersession of the Gods and Buddhas. Delirious, the Lord had a dream. A voice called to him. “I am the God which protects your family. I will take on all that ails you. Tomorrow, go to the well where the horses are washed on the drilling ground”. When he revealed his dream to his retainers the next day, they rushed to the well.
When they peered down into it, they saw something glittering brightly below. They pulled out the stone, and enshrined it on the hill.

Behind the shrine is an old tree, a descendant of a tree which stood by the shrine before the Tokugawa Period. This tree is considered an Important Natural Heritage by Ibaraki Prefecture.

Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) usually ends in mid-July, and that means there are  precious few days left to savor its SPECIAL BEAUTY. Many Japanese consider Ajisai (紫陽花, or hydrangea) to be the quintessential flower of this season, as they look just right when wet, and enshrouded in mist. And though these flowers can be found almost anywhere you turn your head in Tsukuba, thousands of Tsukubans make long trips (or should I say pilgrimages?) to famous ajisai temples, especially in Kamakura. Nearer to home there are 2 other nationally renowned hydrangea-viewing meccas, the Amabiki Kannon near Makabe, and the Taiho Hachiman Shrine in Shimotsuma. Both highly recommended at ANYTIME. All the more so in this season.

The flower has a long history in these islands and  many scholars actually assert that it is indigenous to Japan and in fact introduced to China from here. After centuries of breeding, numerous varieties have been developed and new colors, pinks and whites, brought out. By taking a look at the etymology of the Japanese name AJISAI, we can see that in earlier times the flowers were mainly blue, as the sounds used to make up the name originally meant a GATHERING OF BLUES (aji-from atsu (集まる) or gather , and ai (藍), indigo blue.

Hydrangea have another Japanese name, however, nanahenge (七変化), or seven transformations, which derives from the flower’s unique characteristic. The colors of the petals change according to the chemical make-up of the soil! This feature has given the flower rich symbolic meaning in Japanese art and poetry — especially to represent a fickle and changing heart. It is because of this characteristic too, that hydrangea were shunned by the warrior class in the feudal period, because for them, changing colors, or by extension loyalties, was anathema .

For Westerners, however, hydrangea can be seen as a symbol of silent devotion, as its scientific name, otaksa, appears to refer to Otaki-San, a woman from Nagasaki’s pleasure quarter, who was the  mistress of the German naturalist P.F. von Siebold, who went on to introduce ajisai to Europe .

One more point. These flowers are to be looked at and NOT EATEN. Recently, there was a nationally reported case of food poisoning which occurred down the road from my house in Tsukuba at the curious and pricey Italian restaurant Toeimon Sakae. The chef, in keeping with the season-conscious aesthetics of Japanese cooking(despite this being an Italian eatery), garnished a dish with the very IN SEASON leaves of hydrangea. These were subsequently consumed by the unsuspecting  diners.

This resulted in what must have been an unforgettable scene, right out of Monty Python. You see, the leaves of ajisai have always been used to induce vomiting, especially when poisons were consumed. Imagine then, the eight customers wretching uncontrollably, spewing out their expensive dinners onto the antique furniture and tatami mats (this restaurant is in a magnificent thatched roof farm house!).Surprisingly,the penalty for this chef`s oversight was a mere one-day suspension of business. 

 while you’re out there enjoying the last few AJISAI DAYS remember: LOOK BUT DON’T TASTE.

I didn’t know this until I checked the city website this morning, but the advisory for 光化学スモッグ(Kou kagaku smog), or photochemical oxidase smog (photochemical smog, urban ozone, Los Angels type smog…, I really don’t know what is the correct or the most commonly used term for it) was issued for southern Ibaraki area at 15:20pm and was canceled at 17:20pm yesterday. People are encouraged to stay indoor while this advisory(注意報/chuuihou) or warning(alert or warning/keihou) is in effect.

Please go to the city’s Environment Division’s page(Japanese) to check for smog information:http://cms.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp/040900/

Or go to Ibaraki Prefecture’s air pollution monitoring information page(Japanese) for more precise information:
http://www.taiki.pref.ibaraki.jp/index.asp

I don’t have any background in science(in fact, anything “scientific” makes my brain cells gasp for air), so please bear with me while I attempt to translate the information from the Ibaraki Prefecture’s website.

Photochemical oxidase smog prediction(予報/yohou) will be issued when:
- Hourly concentration of photochemical oxidant is expected to be over 0.12ppm,

Photochemical oxidase smog advisory(注意報) will be issued when:
- Hourly concentration of photochemical oxidant is expected to be over 0.12ppm, and when the concentration is expected to remain high due to the weather condition

Photochemical oxidase smog alert(警報/keihou) will be issued when:
- Hourly concentration of photochemical oxidant is expected to be over 0.24ppm, and when the concentration is expected to remain high due to the weather condition

Photochemical oxidase smog “acute” alert(重大警報/juudai keihou) will be issued when:
- Hourly concentration of photochemical oxidant is expected to be over 0.4ppm, and when the concentration is expected to remain high due to the weather condition

If you work or live in Tokyo, or visit Tokyo often, you might be interested in signing up for this service:
http://www.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/ox/bunpu/smog.htm
The air pollution prediction/advisory/warning in Tokyo will be sent to your computer or cellphone. Unfortunately, this is also all in Japanese.

The sign-up page is here: http://www.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/kinkyu/regist.html
Please note that the registration for this service will be automatically cleared at the end of every fiscal year (the end of March), so you’ll need to register your e-mail address again in April.

Another very good site is “そらまめ君/Soramam-kun” or Atmospheric Environmental Regional Observation System.

You can pick the area you want to check the air pollution or weather from their main page like this:
http://soramame.taiki.go.jp/DataMap.php?BlockID=03
and, hallelujah!, there are chemical symbols and English abbreviations on the upper left corner of their website! You can see a particular air pollution type by clicking those buttons.

If you have very sensitive skin, eyes or throat for example, you may have very irritated skin/eyes/throat. In severe cases, some people even develop breathing trouble, severe headache, numbness in limbs, emesis, and disturbance of consciousness when the photochemical smog occurs.

In fact, one of my co-workers who has very sensitive eyes left work early to visit a doctor yesterday. My eyes were also irritated so bad that I was using eye drops all afternoon. I didn’t know about the advisory for the smog, so I thought I was just tired or stared at my computer too long(!).

This smog warning is like the ozone alert, and I really think people should try to stay indoor while the advisory or warning is in effect. Did you know that the public schools do shut their windows and doors when the advisory or warning is issued no matter how hot the weather is? Please be careful when you go outside, especially if you take your small children out for a stroll. If they start to whine, it’s possible that something other than the heat might be bothering them!

At the Tsukuba International Exchange Fair last weekend, there were some people handing out flyers about registering your bone marrow (骨髄, こつずい). When I was handed a flyer, I remembered reading about a fellow foreign resident of Japan who needed to find a bone marrow donor, so I decided to go and get my bone marrow tested and registered while I was at the festival.

The whole procedure didn’t last very long. First, I had to fill out a form with my name and contact information and sign something to say that I did not have any of the listed afflictions. After that, I was given an explanation of what would happen if someone happened to need my bone marrow. The man explained that I would be given plenty of opportunities to say “no” for whatever reason — because I was sick, or tired, or even too busy — after a match is found. If I did eventually decide to donate my bone marrow, I would be in the hospital for about two or three days and all of my hospital expenses would be covered by the Japan Marrow Donor Program.

After the explanation was finished, I went and sat in a room to wait for a few minutes. There were lots of people in the room who had donated blood, and I would have been happy to donate some of my own while I was there, but since I lived in England for a year in the early 1990s, my blood cannot be accepted (because of the mad cow disease scare that happened around that time in England). I was eventually taken to a room where a doctor took my blood pressure and asked me a few questions. Once I passed the blood pressure test, a nurse took a very small amount of blood from my arm and sent me back to the reception area. At the reception area, I picked up my donor card and a present (two tea towels) and went back to the festival. The whole thing probably took about 30 to 40 minutes — but if the festival wasn’t happening at the time, I’m sure it would have been over even more quickly.

Since bone marrow matches are most likely to be found in people of similar racial background, it is important for foreign people who live in Japan to register themselves. Those of us who are not of Japanese descent have a very limited pool of bone marrow donors to choose from, should we fall ill. Since registration only takes a few minutes, doesn’t hurt (except for the prick of the needle), and can be done right in Tsukuba Center, I would like to encourage you to consider doing it. You can have your bone marrow tested and registered in Tsukuba at the Red Cross Blood Donation Center which is located on the second floor (the same level as the pedestrian deck) of AiAi Mall, in between Joyo Bank and Tsukuba Information Center. The Donation Center is open every day, including weekends, from 10am to 12 noon and from 2pm to 5pm. Address: Azuma 1-1364-1-4, Tel: 029-852-7888.

For those of you who have been in Japan for at least one summer, you know what it’s like to suffer from ‘natsubate,’ known in English as summer fatigue. I never really noticed it back home but in Japan the heat combined with the humidity factor really gets to me.

To figure out if you might be suffering from it, see if you have any of the following symptoms: lack of appetite, lethargy, insomnia, disrupted digestive system, lower energy levels. If you have two or more of the symptoms, you might very well have a case of summer fatigue.

It is said that eating grilled eel (unagi) is good for curing natsubate in that it gives the body stamina and strength. This makes sense considering the fish is packed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B. Vitamin B is also said to help relieve a bout of lethargy.

Japanese pears, watermelon, and citrus fruits are good fruits to cool the body. I particularly like washing Delaware grapes and freezing them in a tray. When frozen they can be eaten (skin and all) and taste somewhat like sorbet! This works just as well with seedless Kyohou grapes and other grape varieties. (to buy fresh local grapes, there is a grape farmer just behind Couronne bakery…dozens of varieties I never knew existed can be found there!!! That and Chiyoda ‘fruit city’ is home to plenty of fruit farmers, many of which offer an all-you-can-eat type of fruit picking plan.) Another great treat is banana ’sherbet’ created by cutting up a sweet ripe banana, dousing the pieces generously with lemon juice, and popping it into the freezer.

If eating something does not help, try putting a wet towel on the back of your neck or wetting your hair. This creates a eco-friendly air-conditioning system of sorts!

Good luck and stay cool everyone!

If you are looking for a doctor, you might find this website useful.

Ibaraki Prefecture Medical Information System

(There is also a site that you can see on your cellphone, but the English version is not available there. )

On the far right, you will see a link called “Search for a doctor”. You can click on this link to locate doctors who specialize in certain areas, speak certain languages, are available on certain days, etc.

The information may be a bit out of date, so it might be a good idea to call ahead to confirm before you go.

A mixed group of foreigners and Japanese are getting together in Katsuragi Park at 1:00 pm on March 4th (weather permitting) to play Flag Football. They’ve done it before, they’ll do it again, and it’s lots of fun. If you’re free, please join them. There’s no tackling involved, and no prior experience needed. It’s simplified American Football, but instead of tackling the person with the ball you just need to grab one of the flags hanging on either side of their waist. Bring an extra pair of long socks (to serve as flags) if you want to play. Here are pictures from last time. If you have any questions email Marc at marc.reevenewson[AT]gmail.com. Feel free to bring friends.

Katsuragi park is in Kasuga, north-west of the intersection of Kita Odori and Nishi Odori. From the intersection of Kita and Nishi go west one set of lights (to the 7-11) and turn right (so you’re going north), take your second left and you’ll see the park on your right.

The Ministry of the Environment says that the diffusion of Japanese cedar and cypress pollen in Spring 2007 in the Kanto area is likely to be around 25% of a typical year. This is very good news for people who suffer from pollen allergies (花粉症, kafunshou). The amounts are different for different parts of Japan, but in general, it seems like the problem will be mild to normal this year in most places.

Read the press release from the Ministry of the Environment.

Japanese festivals which take place in the spring or autumn are usually agriculture related. The festivals of the summer months, which take place after the rice planting has been completed and the rainy season gives way to intense heat and humidity, in particular those called Gion or Tenno Matsuri, were originally implemented in order to prevent disease and epidemics.

I have pointed out in previous articles that the chinowa kuguri (straw ring) ceremonies usually held in late June were established throughout the realm by the Japanese Court at Nara in order to help steel the populace for the health hazards of summer. In these ceremonies, to this day, anyone who wishes to can pass through a large ring made of straw or reeds which is believed to provide the necessary protection. I have also explained that the origin of this custom can be found in the story of how the mischievous God Susanoo no Mikoto advised the poor, though generous, Somin Shorai to fashion such a ring and wear it round his waist in order to be protected from an imminent epidemic.

July is the season of the Gion and Tenno Festivals (祇園祭) which now take place all over Japan and at MANY locations in Ibaraki, and Susanoo no Mikoto plays a major role. These epidemic-preventing festivals are mostly held at shrines which are now called Yasaka-Jinja, though they were all formerly called Gion-Sha (until 1868, when the Meiji government decided to separate Buddhist elements from what they deemed to be Shinto shrines). The God enshrined at these shrines is — you guessed it — the Sun Goddess Amaterasu’s brother Susanoo no Mikoto, the deity most closely connected with disease and its prevention. In Japan he is a manifestation of the Buddhist figure Gozu-Tenno (牛頭天王) or Gavagriva (in Sanskrit), who was the guardian deity of the Gion-Shoja (祇園精舎）, the Jeta Grove Monastery built for the Buddha himself in India.

These Gion Matsuris first began in Kyoto in the year 869 in order to stop an epidemic. Evidently, the court and the populace believed that the rituals were effective because the festival has been going on, with a few exceptions, for every year since.

The popularity of this festival and the belief in Gion, or Gozu Tenno (the Buddhist related manifestations of Susanoo no Mikoto), as protector from disease, spread first to Hakata (Fukuoka) and eventually throughout the archipelago. It seems as if almost every town in Ibaraki has a Gion or Tenno Festival organized by parishioners of the numerous Yasaka Shrines (八坂神社) found in the prefecture. Many of them are well worth checking out.

On Wednesday July 9th, Ichinoya Shrine, near Tsukuba University, held its Tenno Festival, which is nicknamed the Garlic Festival because of its special application of garlic to the task of disease prevention. Until about 30 years ago this was a huge event in the Tsukuba area and all schools were closed. It was not uncommon for Ibarakians to take off from work on the festival day, the 7th day of the 7th month on the lunar calendar. The main attractions were the stalls set up to sell special garlic amulets to be hung outside the entrances of homes. It used to be said that no Tenno (Gion) Festival could be held in Ibaraki, before the Ichinoya Tenno.

Now the Garlic Festival is a mere shadow of what it used to be, but the garlic stalls are still there, as well as some other types of stalls that one rarely finds anymore in Japan: medicine sellers hawking dried vipers and turtles along with other traditional elixirs.

Of course, there is also the shrine itself, protected by the largest zelkova (keyaki) trees in the prefecture, which is worthy of special note in this area. Said to have been founded in 689, Fujiwara Hidesato, the warrior sent by the court to quell the Masakado Uprising which had turned this part of Japan into a breakaway state, made an offering of his bow and arrows.The shrine was also given generous support by the Oda Clan which ruled this area for centuries.

If you hear fireworks early in the morning, it probably means that a Gion festival will be taking place on that day somewhere near you. Go find the nearest Yasaka Jinja.

If you want to check out or join in on a Gion Matsuri, I would especially recommend the festivals in Ryugasaki (with acrobatics!), Shimodate (taking the portable shrines into the river), Toride, Mitsukaido and Makabe.

It goes without saying that if you can make it you should go to Kyoto on the 17th of the month for the “Mother-of-All Gion Matsuri”, with its bizarre, tapestry-laden, disease-sucking floats called Hoko （鉾).

For MUCH more information about Gion Festivals in Tsukuba, Ibaraki and beyond, have a look at A. Takahashi’s amazingly comprehensive website.

Have a healthy summer!

From TAIRA

You may have seen the news that the measles virus has been spreading around Universities in Tokyo. In Japan, children are vaccinated against measles, but teenagers were not given a booster injection to prevent infection with the measles virus as an adult. This has lead to the latest spread of measles among students at Universities in Tokyo.

The measles virus has similar symptoms to the flu, including high fever, coughing, runny nose, followed by a red rash that spreads over the body. These symptoms do not develop until 10 days after infection, so if you start feeling sick and a red rash develops, go immediately to the hospital to have an examination. The Measles is very serious in children and especially serious in adults, and can lead to pneumonia or death, so it is important that you go to see a doctor if you have these symptoms.

If you (or your children) weren’t vaccinated in your country, or you can’t remember, please go to see a doctor to have a check-up. The doctor will do a blood test to check for antibodies, which will indicate if you have been vaccinated or not. The doctor will give you a vaccination if required.

A lot of people still don’t know that there are new businesses and medical clinics at the renewed Namiki Shopping Center in Namiki, so here’s the list of medical facilities located inside the Namiki S.C. Access to these medical facilities from TX Tsukuba Station or JR Arakawaoki/Tsuchiura/Ushiku Stations is very easy since Kanto Tetsudo Bus and Tsukuba’s “Tsuku Bus” #5 stop at Gakuen Namiki(学園並木), a bus stop in front of this shopping center. It only takes about 10 minutes from the Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal or about 15 minutes from JR Arakawaoki Station to get to Gakuen Namiki.

筑波学園病院　並木診療所
(Tsukuba Gakuen Hospital Namiki Clinic)
Located next to the Namiki Post Office
Consultation Hours: 13:00 to 16:30 on M-F, 9:00 to 11:30 on Sat.
Closed on Sundays and holidays
Phone: 029-851-5362

西歯科医院
(Nishi Dental Clinic)
*Moved to the second floor of the shopping center.*
Consultation Hours: 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:30
Closed on Thursdays, Sundays and holidays.
Phone: 029-851-3110

いけがみ皮膚科
(Ikegami Dermatology - website)
** A new addition to the shopping center.**
Located on the second floor of the shopping center.
Consultation Hours: 9:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 on M/Tu/Th/F, 9:00 to 13:00 on Sat
Closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays.
Phone: 029-869-8222

並木内科クリニック
(Namiki Internal Medicine Department Clinic - website)
** A new addition to the shopping center.**
Located on the second floor of the shopping center.
Consultation Hours: 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00
Closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays.
Phone: 029-869-6969

It’s early autumn, so when Noriko Iwamoto told me that she had brought some fruit from her garden, visions of nashi (Japanese pears), grapes, and chestnuts danced in my head. What she pulled out of her bag, however, came as a complete surprise — a handful of what looked like small lychees or large raspberries, the fruit of the Japanese dogwood tree, called yamabo-shi in Japan. Interestingly, this can be written either as 山法師　(literally: mountain monk) or 山帽子 (mountain hat), with the same pronunciation. I’ve also heard some Japanese call this fruit yamakuwa (mountain mulberry).

Most people don’t seem to know that this fruit, which grows on a very common  tree, is edible and sometimes delicious. My friends and I cracked open the crusty shell and sucked out the guava-like pulp — mmm, a treat indeed!

As do all trees of this type, Noriko’s Japanese dogwood (also called a kousa dogwood), blooms with a distinctive white ninja-star shaped flower in June and July, and bears fruit in September. In Tsukuba you can find these trees on the side of roads and in parks, as well as in private gardens. They can be enjoyed for their flowers and autumn foliage (a spectacular red), as well as their fruit.

While you are out collecting the ginkgo nuts which will be falling to the ground in greater and greater numbers over the next few weeks, keep an eye out for the Japanese dogwood and you can probably score a handful of the beautiful yamaboshi for yourself. According to traditional Asian beliefs they have beneficial effects on the liver and kidney. You can also find some recipes for jam, liqueur, etc. on-line.

Kousa dogwood(yamaboshi) in Tsukuba

I could tell you where to look, but then that would take most of the fun out of it for you!

Happy hunting (fellow foragers)!

Here are some more pictures.

If you haven’t got your flu shot yet and are still looking for a doctor, I’d like to recommend 並木内科クリニック(Namiki Naika Clinic, or Namiki Internal Medicine Department Clinic) on the second floor of the Namiki Shopping Center in Namiki (MAP).

Namiki Naika Clinic is a new clinic that opened this spring along with the reopening of the Namiki Shopping Center. Dr. Ishihara who runs the clinic grew up in Tsukuba. He graduated from the Azuma Elementary, Takezono Higashi Junior High School, Tsuchiura Daiichi High School and Tsukuba University, and … best of all, speaks English! He told me, with a shy smile “I only speak broken English so I don’t know how much I can be of help to foreign patients, but I’ll do my best to help them.” (I’m sure he was just being modest.)

Dr. Ishihara and the nurses were all friendly, and I was very surprised when one of the nurses offered me a cup of hot tea! I was completely wowed by their “customer service” because I’ve never been to a doctor’s office that serves hot tea to its patients.

Dr. Ishihara’s also been offering AED (automatic external defibrillator) sessions almost every month for the community. The next one will be held this Friday, December 14, from 2 to 3PM. Please call the clinic if you are interested in attending.

By the way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy chatting with Dr. Ishihara if you have a great love for rugby because Dr. Ishihara posts announcements and tips on his Japanese blog, but most of his posts are on rugby!

Clinic Hours:
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sat: 9AM to Noon and 2PM to 6PM
Wed/Sun and holidays: Closed
Phone: 029-869-6969
Website: http://www.namikinaika.com/index.html

I am planning an exciting trip to Mozambique this summer. This is my first time travelling to Africa, so I am both excited and a little nervous. I figured that one of my priorities should be to figure out which vaccinations I should get, since I will be staying with a friend in an “off-the-beaten-path” city in the north of Mozambique.

There is a lot of information about vaccinations on the internet, but some of the advice you get is conflicting, so I decided to try to find a travel health clinic to consult here in Japan. The Japanese Society of Travel Medicine lists a doctor at Tsukuba Soai Hospital (029-873-2511, Takasaki 1245) as a member amongst other doctors in the Kanto Region. There is also a major travel health clinic in Tokyo called the Travel Clinic at the International Medical Center of Japan. I decided to go to the Tokyo clinic to get some advice, as I was not certain that the people at the Soai Clinic would have as much experience with travel medicine specifically for trips to Africa.

It is quite easy to get to the Travel Clinic from Tsukuba. Take any train into Akihabara and get off at Shin Okachimachi, the stop just before Akihabara. Switch to the Toei Oedo line and take a train heading to Tocho Mae (都庁前). Get off at Wakamatsu Kawada (若松河田) and take the Wakamatsu Chou Exit (若松町). When you get up the stairs, look for the Lawson’s on your right. Walk towards the Lawson’s and turn right again onto the road after the Lawson’s. Follow that little road until it ends and then turn left. You should see the hospital right in front of you. Some parts of the hospital are under construction, so you might have to wander around some pedestrian paths before you actually get to the front door.

You must make an appointment before you go, so once you arrive at the hospital, check in at the desk near the front entrance. They will hand you your chart and send you upstairs to the Travel Clinic on the second floor. Once there, you will be asked to fill out some forms that detail your medical history, your travel plans, and your current state. After all that is done, you will be able to talk to the doctor.

The doctor was able to give me good advice about the vaccinations that I could receive there, which ones were applicable to my trip, which ones were obligatory and which were optional (in my case, all were optional), the schedule that I would need to follow for getting the vaccinations, and how long they would be effective. I had my consultation in Japanese, but they say on their website that they do have doctors who can speak English. (You may have to come on a particular day to be able to see an English-speaking doctor.) The doctor was extremely knowledgeable and was very happy to answer all of my questions.

Vaccinations are not covered by regular health insurance, so they can be really pricey. My bill for the consultation and the three shots that I ended up getting came to about 20,000 yen (16,600 yen for the shots and 2700 yen for the consultation). I didn’t see any information about being able to pay by credit card, so it is probably better to bring a big wadge of cash with you, just in case. (By the way, the shots are cheaper at the Travel Clinic than they are at Soai in Tsukuba.)

As it turned out, I decided to get my first shots at the Travel Clinic and then have my follow-up shots at Soai Hospital in Tsukuba. I am glad that I went to the Travel Clinic in Tokyo for my first consultation because I felt like they would have more experience in dealing with this kind of information. Also, as an added bonus, while you wait to pay your exorbitant bill, you can spend your time looking up at the intricate overhead paths of rails from which dangle briefcase-sized boxes of documents that the office staff send around to each other. It is one of those things that looks like it could have been really futuristic in the 1960s, but now it just looks messy. Still, it’s surprisingly captivating to watch the boxes scurry about like little automated trains along the rails.

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been looking for a good place to have a massage in Tsukuba, and have also been dying to go to Okinawa but haven’t found the chance! Well, finally I think I’ve found a great combination of the two!

“Yuima-ru” is located on Nishi-Odori, offering relaxation therapies followed by delicious Okinawan cuisine. On the therapy menu are reflexology and aromatherapy massages, as well as facials, and a special room where you lie covered from head to toe in warm wood-chips!
The Okinawan cuisine is wonderful with fresh vegetables and meat or fish - I have had the lunch set before which was delicious!

Here’s the website:
http://www.yuimaru.e-tsukuba.jp/index.htm

I’m planning on trying a combination of the Reflexology Massage and Lunch set, so I’ll give you an update on how it was!

Kate

A Pink Ribbon Festival to inform people about breast cancer will be held on Sunday, May 11 (Mother’s Day) in Tsukuba. The event runs from 10am to 3pm in the entrance hall of Tsukuba International Congress Center Epochal.

On May 10, there will be a pre-event cycling tour from 11:30 to raise awareness about the event. Reception will take place at Chuo Koen, near the police box (on the northeast side of Tsukuba Station) and the tour will start from 12 noon. Register by May 9 to participate.

A Pink Ribbon Walk will take place on the 11th. The 4km walk will start from 10am and the 10km walk from 9:30am. Both walks will start from the International Congress Center. Anyone can join the walk, and it is also possible to join part way through.

The Balloon Performance, popular every year, will be held from 11am to 12 noon on the 11th around the International Congress Center.

The Pink Ribbon Exhibit, artwork by students in honour of mothers, will run from 10am to 4pm on the 11th.

Women who register early can have a breast cancer examination or meet with a doctor to discuss their concerns about breast cancer.

Many people suffer from pollen allergies (花粉症, kafunshou) in Japan, so the Ministry of the Environment announces its predictions for the coming year so people can prepare themselves.

The Ministry of the Environment has made a prediction of the total diffusion of Japanese cedar and cypress pollen for the coming spring. The amount of airborne pollen varies depending on the area. From Tokai to Kanto and Tohoku regions the amount is expected to be more than that of this year, and from Hokuriku to Kyushu regions levels will remain unchanged or slightly less. The onset of Japanese cedar pollen diffusion is expected to be approximately the same time as, or a little earlier than that of the average year.

Source: Ministry of the Environment: Prediction of Pollen Diffusion for the Coming Spring

There is a Japanese website that follows the progress of pollen from about early spring (February) to early summer (June). It will start showing regular updates from February 1 this year.

When you start seeing a lot of people wearing masks, especially when they are outside, you can be pretty sure that the pollen has arrived.

The annual Tsukuba Marathon will be held on Sunday, November 30, 2008. If you want to run in one of the races (full marathon or 10km) this year, you should apply as soon as possible. The official deadline is October 14 (or 19th if you register by internet), but the registrations will close as soon as the space limits are reached. They will accept around 10,000 people for the full marathon and about 3000 people for the 10km race. Both races will probably be full by the end of September.

So, if you want to run in either of these races, please register immediately.

Tsukuba Marathon Office
Tel: 03-5166-0287
Fax: 03-6221-8809
http://www.tsukuba-marathon.com

Englishman David, a long-time resident of Japan and father of two children, received some shocking news late last year. He was diagnosed with a rare disease which leaves his bone marrow unable to produce white or red blood cells. His immune system has practically shut down and left him unprotected against all nature of germs and viruses. David was forced to quit his teaching positions at several local universities at the end of November and was hospitalized just before the New Year.

Fortunately, there is hope for David. Put simply, he needs a bone marrow transplant, a procedure which has now become fairly standard. All that is required is a compatible donor. After a transplant operation, the donor’s bone marrow will grow back normally, and David’s life will be saved.

There is a well-organized bone marrow donor system in Japan, but finding a compatible donor is the problem. A suitable donor must meet six compatibility criteria, which means that the chance of two people being compatible is extremely small. Moreover, physiological differences mean that it is extremely unlikely that local (Japanese) donors’ marrow will be compatible with David’s Caucasian bone marrow. As there are currently no donor exchange programs with Europe, America is the only possibility, but the search procedure is likely to be long and costly. In matters such as these, half a year more can be the difference between life and death. The obvious solution is to try and find a donor among foreigners living in Japan.

Read more: HELP DAVID by testing for bone marrow compatibility

You can have your bone marrow (骨髄, こつずい) tested and registered in Tsukuba at the Red Cross Blood Donation Center near Tsukuba Information Center and Nova Hall. Having your bone marrow tested involves a simple blood test. Your bone marrow does not have to be extracted in order for it to be registered.

Did you know that a national health and welfare event for seniors, “Nenrinpic*” will take place in Ibaraki this weekend? Nenrinpic first took place in 1988 and is coming to Ibaraki for the first time! Various sporting and cultural events will take place from November 10 to 13, and senior athletes from all over Japan are coming to Ibaraki.
(* I think the name “ねんりんピック(Nenrinpic)” was coined from a Japanese word for annual growth ring(年輪/nenrin) and Olympics.)

Tsukuba, for example, will be the venue for
- soft-tennis and soft volleyball tourneys for seniors (Doho Park),
- senior art exhibit (Tsukuba City Art Museum),
- medical and health care products exhibit (Epochal Tsukuba),
- fureai (something like “bonding”) festival (Epochal)
- health festival (Epochal)
Please see this page for the information for other venues.

BUT, Nenrin-pic isn’t just for old folks!
Here are some “Fureai Festival” events at Epochal:
Nov. 10, Saturday
NACK 5 public recording
Do expect the crowd if you are planning on spending time around Tsukuba Center area tomorrow because a popular radio station in Saitama called NACK5 (79.5FM) will do its public recording from Epochal Tsukuba, and their guests are an extremely popular duo called Chemistry, a popular pop singer Ami Suzuki and Biyuuden (must be a new female singing trio). The doors open at 12:00, but get there early if you want to get in.

Nov. 12, Monday
Sugiyama Brothers Shows from 11am and 2:30pm
They are well known “bubble” artists! Visit their website for images from their shows.

Nov. 13, Tuesday
Azumi Inoue Conerts from 11am and 2:30pm
You might go, “Who’s Azumi Inoue?” but chances are, you’ve heard her voice if you love Hayao Miyazaki anime. She’s the one who sang “Totoro,” “Kiki” and “Laputa” songs!

You might be wondering why some events are going to be held on weekdays. Well…, it’s because this weekend is actually a big weekend for Ibaraki-ans because…
November 13 is Ibaraki Residents’ Day!
If you have kids who attend public schools, the schools will be out.
(November 14 is Saitama Residents’ Day, by the way.)

From Ibaraki Prefecture website:

This is the day for the residents in Ibaraki Prefecture to think about Ibaraki’s history and to work for the development and progress of our prefecture by enhancing our awareness of autonomy. On July 14, 1871, an imperial prescript of “Haihan-Chiken” (the establishment of prefectures in place of feudal domains) was proclaimed and 305 prefectures were established in total. On November 13 of the same year, the prescript was revised and the number of prefecture was reduced to 75. 11 prefectures were established in the Kantō region, and Nihari-ken, Inba-ken, and Ibaraki-ken were placed in the area that now Ibaraki-ken. Connected with the fact that the name of the prefecture, Ibaraki-ken, was first adopted at this time, this day was established by “Regulation to Establish Residents’ Day” (Ibaraki Prefectural Ordinance #3, March 30, 1968) in 1968, the 100th year from the first year of the Meiji period.

To learn more about Ibaraki, please click here.

On November 13, the admissions to many prefectural facilities and commercial facilities will be free, a half-priced or discounted!!

Admission free facilities are, for example;
Potiron-no-Mori
Ibaraki Nature Museum
Kamine Park
Asakusa Hanayashiki (Nov.7 to 19)
or
please visit this site (Japanese) for the list of other facilities and events.

If you are planning on going to Tokyo Disneyland or sea, you might want to get there soon because you can purchase specially priced tickets during “Ibaraki Weeks (Oct.30 to Nov.13, Nov.10 excluded).” You will have to buy tickets in advance, but doing so is easy since you can buy tickets at JR or TX stations and Lawsons in Ibaraki. Regular ticket prices are 5800yen for adults, 5000yen for junior and high school students and 3900yen for kids over 4y.o., and specially priced tickets are 4800/4300/3400yen.

Have a good weekend everyone :)

The Ibaraki International Association and Tsukuba Cultural Foundation are holding a seminar on medical translation assistance in Tsukuba. The seminar is open to all people who are involved in medical issues that foreign residents face. The target audience for the seminar includes people who offer translation assistance at medical facilities in Tsukuba, people involved in the medical profession in Tsukuba, and other people who are working towards better international relations in Tsukuba.

Date: February 22, 2007
Time: 1pm to 4:30pm (reception starts at 12:30pm)
Place: Tsukuba International Congress Center (Takezono 2-20-3)
Fee: Free

Information on how to apply (deadline: February 9) can be found on the Tsukuba Cultural Foundation website.

This seminar will be held in Japanese, so it might be difficult for some foreign residents to attend, but I think it important for us to know that these kinds of events happen in Tsukuba. In fact, it would be a lot better if the foreign community were “officially” informed of these kinds of events (instead of finding out about them when I happen to see them on the city hall website while trawling for things to write TsukuBlog posts about) so we could lend our input and experiences to help enrich the event.

I finally found some information about tap dance classes in Tsukuba!

There is a group called “Planet-N” that meets on the first through fourth Mondays of the month at a studio called “Gallery Yuu” (see map links below) in the Sakura area of Tsukuba. The classes on the first, third, and fourth Mondays are held by a teacher who comes in from Tokyo. The class on the second Monday is for individual practice. There is no class on the fifth Monday. Classes start at 7pm and officially go until 8:30pm, but apparently they tend to go past 9pm on a regular basis. They accept newcomers at anytime.

The lessons cost 9500 yen per month. It is possible to take a trial lesson for 2500 yen (only available once). You can also observe the class once for free.

Location:
Gallery Yuu
Ueno 700-5, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0002
029-857-5629
Google Map, Mapfan Map

Directions: Go to Sakura Technopark. At the first intersection past Kawachi and Yuuhodo Bookstore (the intersection with the eyeglasses store on the left), turn left. At the fifth intersection, turn right. Go up a little hill and you will see the studio on your left. (Look for the sign that says ギャラリー遊.) It is in a house that is set back from the road. Parking is available on the right.

This information is from the Tsukuba Piazza bulletin board. If you are interested in finding out more information about the classes, please respond to the person who posted the original message (or contact TsukuBlog and we will put you in touch with the teacher).

I went to observe the class last night and it looks fun. The teacher is really energetic and enthusiastic and he is happy to accept absolute beginners. If you are looking for a way to get some exercise and learn a new skill, this might be an activity to consider.

Happy dancing!

Historically, the summer months were a time in which the inhabitants of the Japanese isles were susceptible to sickness and epidemics. The month-long rainy season often led to flooding, which was then followed by almost two months of intense heat and humidity. Perfect conditions for the incubation and spread of deadly bacteria. In modern times, government sponsorship of vaccination programs, and the very successful propagation of the rules of hygiene among the general public have pretty much put an end to the health hazards of summer. The early Japanese state had no recourse to modern medicine. It did, however, introduce a nation-wide government sponsored program with the aim of protecting the health of the populace living under its domain. In the Nara Period (710-794), the Japanese Court proclaimed that each year, two official purification rites be held for the physical and spiritual welfare of its subjects. One was to be held in June （夏越の祓、nagoshi no harae) and the other in December (年越の祓toshikoshi no harae).

The summer rites often, but not always, featured the use of a large ring, made of reeds or straw, through which those seeking purification would walk. The belief in the purifying powers of these vertical rings derives from a story in Japanese mythology in which the God Susanoo no Mikoto advises a poor man who has  helped him, to weave a ring of reeds and wear it around his waist to protect himself from an imminent epidemic. The man survived, and the ring’s reputation born. The passing-through-the-ring ceremony is usually called CHINOWA KUGURI (茅の輪くぐり), but in Ibaraki you will hear WAKUGURI more often.

You have a chance to witness or undergo this ancient rite this coming Saturday, June 29th at the Kaba-San Shrine (加波山神社, kabasan Jinja), just past Mt. Tsukuba, near Makabe. Things will get underway at 11:00 with a traditional sword drawing ritual (as you might know, swords have great powers of exorcism and purification in Japan). The  sword cuts through the air with a haunting WHOOSH, scaring off any lingering evil. The procession through the ring is then  led by the priest and a conch blower (the sound of this large shell is also known for its exorcistic powers!) and 2 men holding lion masks. After passing through the ring three times, the priest begins a purification ritual (o-harai),which takes about 30 minutes and culminates in the dispensing of sacred sake(omiki)to all the participants. Later  papers with the names and ages of worshippers written on them  are released into a stream near the summit of Mt. Kaba.

There are actually 3 shrines called kaba-San Jinja at present. The first one you come to after turning off the main road also has a ring set up,but there is no special ceremony(this shrine should also be visited if you make the trip to Mt Kaba.The Shrine I am discussing in the present article is a little further up the road,just next to the small Tobbaco Shrine.It CANT be missed as it is big, red and gaudy. In fact I cant recall having seen such a shrine in Japan. The decorative motifs are much more reminiscent of Singapore, a mix of Indian and Chinese. The ring itself also suggests that this custom might have Pacific island origins.

Mt. Kaba itself is well worth a visit anytime, for its nature, shrines and for its historical significance. You might not associate Ibaraki with political radicalism, but in fact, this region has long been associated with violent HOT-HEADS going all the way back to the rebel Taira no Masakado, the man who ruled this very area for 2 years as a virtually independent domain before being captured and beheaded in the late 10th century. Almost a thousand years later, in 1884, revolutionary activists inspired by the assassination of the Russian Tsar conceived a plan to strike at Japanese politicians and business leaders with home-made bombs. Their plan to set off bombs at a meeting in Utsunomiya in Tochigi was discovered and the plotters headed for the hills. In this case they fled to Mt Kaba. Battles ensued with a number of casualties on both sides.

If you have no time for chinowa kuguri this weekend, you will have a second chance, right here in Tsukuba, at the end of next month. See my Alien Times article: The Ancient Rite Of Chinowa-Kuguri at Tsukuba’s Hie Shrine.

If you are travelling around Japan this summer and visit some shrines, it is very likely that you will see these rings of straw set up on the path leading to the main hall. Now you will know what they are, and what they are for. Remember, the ring gives six whole months of protection, so why not go through it?

Someone on the Tsukuba International Forum posted a link to a multilingual medical questionnaire. These questionnaires will be very useful if you want to explain your medical condition to a doctor who does not speak your language. Consider printing one out and bringing it the next time you go to a clinic or a hospital.

A Pink Ribbon Festival promoting awareness of breast cancer will be held in Tsukuba this weekend at the International Congress Center (Epochal). A number of events will be held for children, adults, and people who are dealing with breast cancer.

May 12 (Pre-Event)

11:30am: Cycling Event (10km course and 30km course, starting at Chuo Park — near Tsukuba Public Library)

May 13 (Main Events)

9:00am: Awareness Walk (10km course, starting at Chuo Park)

10am: Awareness Walk (3km course, starting at Chuo Park)

10am to 12 noon: Breast Cancer Checkup (only for pre-registered people)

10am to 12 noon: Breast Cancer Counselling and Information

10am to 4:30pm: Patients’ Corner and Exhibit

10am to 4:30pm: Pink Ribbon Art Gallery (Children to University Students)

11am to 12 noon: Balloon Performance

1pm to 4:45pm: Lectures on Breast Cancer

2pm to 2:40pm: Lecture by X-Ray Specialist

2:55pm to 4:45pm: Lectures for People Dealing with Breast Cancer

Enjoy a day of walking with your friends and family.

Date: Saturday, May 19 (may be postponed to May 20)
Time: Opening Ceremony starts at 9:30am, Rally starts at 10am
Course: Tsukuba Capio will serve as the start and finish
Fee: 100 yen per person (for insurance)

Fill out an application form (available at community centers and major sports facilities throughout the city). You can see the schedule and course on the application form. Apply as a group (up to 5 people).

Deadline: April 27

More information: Sports Section of City Hall: 029-847-0951

Tsukuba Walking and Mountaineering Club (TWMC) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. If you like to go out and get some exercise on the weekends, and especially if you like walking and hiking, you should definitely consider joining this club.

The club has a mailing list where the members announce the upcoming walks. Recently, the 2008 Summer and Autumn Walk Schedule was announced. They organize various walks for people of all levels of fitness, so you will be sure to find one that suits you.

For more information about the club, please contact one of the members.