What is up with Nagoya the last few weeks? Recently I have been seeing more violence on the Streets of Nagoya. The other day I read about a couple guys who burned up a hostess club, Club Infinity in Nagoya's Nakamura Ward, at about 1am with the customers, hostess, and staff still in it. No one was killed, but there were several injuries; including the bars one customer. Who torches a hostess club? My guess who be the mafia, but that is literally a guess. Here is a link to the story:

Arson in Nakamura Ku

And just yesterday, an 81 year old woman was stabbed and killed by a younger woman, apparently randomly, in Kanayama Station. The attack happened at 8am, in one of the station’s public restrooms. The attacker was spouting incoherent gibberish- although with my level of Japanese that pretty much describes what I hear from the Japanese on a daily basis.

Murder in Kanayama Station

What is going on? Is this a bad week, or a sign of worse to come? Let me know what you think Nagoya. Time to move, buy a gun, or stop fear mongering and go back to work?

This weekend, you might be surprised to see elephants in Sakae! Ok, perhaps not in the flesh, but with a Thai Festival going on near Yaba-Cho Station at Hisayaodori Park you are sure to see many things reminiscent of Thailand. Thai culture will be on display with demonstrations of Thai dance, boxing, music, and plenty of delicious Thai food available to set the mood just so. The festival will take place at Hisaya Odori Park's Hisaya Hiroba, which is a 1 minute walk from Yaba-cho Subway Station, exit 6. The festival is free, but be sure to bring enough money for Thai food and beer!
Website: www.thaifestival.jp

Schedule of Events: September 4 & 5 (10:00 - 20:00)

May 15th (Saturday)
11.00-11.50 Opening ceremony, Thai dancing by Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura University Dance Group
12.30-13.00 Muetai (Thai Boxing) Demonstration
13.10-13.40 Neko Jump Concert
14.00-14.40 Thai dancing by Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura University Dance Group
14.50-15.20 Thai dancing by Kogakuin
15.30-15.50 Southern Breeze
*15.30-16.30 Parade of Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura] University Dance Group Dancers
16.00-16.30 Drawing for Bangkok round trip air ticket
16.30-19.00 Grammy concert

May 16th (Sunday)
11.00-11.40 Thai dancing by Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura University Dance Group
11.50-12.20 Neko Jump Concert
12.30-13.00 Ryukyu national Celebration Drum - Okinawan Traditional Drums
*12.30-13.30 Parade of Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura] University Dance Group Dancers
13.10-13.40 Muetai (Thai Boxing) Demonstration 13.50-14.10 Southern Breeze
14.20-15.00 Thai dancing by Anonnato Dance Group, and Sonkura University Dance Group
15.10-15.40 Neko Jump Concert
16.00-16.30 pulling out selection meeting (Tokyo - the Bangkok round trip air ticket hits from midst of the questionnaire reply person)
16.30-19.00 Grammy concert

The Gifu International Exchange Association is hosting a free Takigi Noh Performance on Friday. The performance starts at 6, and runs until 830, but the GIEA will be meeting guests in front of the Gifu Grand Hotel at 5, and will move to the performance. The performance itself will start a little after 6PM and run till 8:30.

The plays will be performed on an outdoor stage lit by torches alongside the Nagara River, pretty cool huh? Do not miss this opportunity to experience traditional Japanese theater. For more information or to reserve your place, please contact the Gifu City International Exchange Association by email at email:: gifucity-iea@ nifty.com

English materials will also be provided.

This weekend is the Nippon Domannaka Matsuri, commonly called Domatsuri, this dance festival is the largest in the Nagoya/Chubu region, and involves dancers from all over Japan and abroad. This festival is one of the highlights of the Nagoya summer, and this year it will feature over 210 dance teams with over 23,000 performers will share original music, costumes, and dances that incorporate their local culture, whatever county or country, with an expected crowd turnout of nearly 2 million people in an effort to connect of people from vastly different locations and cultures in song and dance.

Schedule of events for the weekend:
Sat, Aug 28 2010 Day 1: Junior dance contest
Sun, Aug 29 2010 Day 2: Final contest

The suggested site to view this festival is at the main stage in Hisaya Odori Koen near Sakae within sight of the tower.

Access:
1-minute walk from Yabacho station (Exits 5 and 6), Meijo subway line 3-minute walk from Sakae station (Exit 15), Higashiyama and Meijo subway lines


www.domatsuri.com/english/

They say the best way to learn Japanese is to have a hobby, and make friends through that. If you are into manga, maybe you might try this new café in Osu that caters to manga authors (?). There are plenty of places to go where you can read manga to your heart’s content, but Manga Kukan also has equipment for manga production, and hosts professional lectures and meetings on the subject. Visit their website and find links to their twitter feeds and directions, or click this link for a google map, and drop on by.

www.mangakukan.com

Summer is coming to an end, and with the passing of the season so goes the festival season. It is not too late to get in a last few weekends of fun though. This weekend, the Azabu Juban Festival will once again delight crowds from all over with the sights and sounds of a summer festival. Dancing, food, and even a concert featuring jazz and Hawaiian music will round out the evening, and of course there will be plenty of beer and chuhai to help keep cool. Alternatively, you could also go for the shaved ice, but I wouldn’t!

When : August 21–23, 3:30–8:30pm
Access : Azabu Juban
Japanese only link
Translated link

Tea; from the ever present green varieties that line shelves in the convenience stores here, to the black varieties that my English and Australian roommates preferred when I first arrived, living in Japan has been an learning experience. As an American, and especially one from Seattle, it is hard to see past the espresso machine, but I have managed to overcome that to an extent and have opened my mind to other possibilities. Much like coffee, tea is as complex as you want to make it. You can buy and drink it without much thought, but tea is complex enough to warrant dedicated study. I first discovered tea through my interest in Japanese culture and the tea ceremony. I took a class at university where I thought I was signing up to learn how to pour tea, but ended up learning about tea as a way of life. The technical details of growing, harvesting, and producing tea, the varieties of tea, the art and architecture of tea houses and gardens, and finally the act of producing the tea were all presented with nearly equal importance. In the end, I found that I actually preferred tea gardens to making tea, but that is a subject for another day!

Today, we will cover a few basics of tea and the tea ceremony, and suggest a few places where you can experience a Japanese Tea Ceremony. To start with, what is tea?

From Captain Picard’s Earl Grey on Star Trek (yup, I’m a geek), the English Breakfast from countless movies, to my mother’s Sleepytime herbal tea, Tea is tea. It all comes from the same plant; Camellia sinensis. The different types of tea, excluding additives like herbs, are classified using the techniques used to produce and process it. Fermentation seems to be the most important factor in classifying teas.

White tea: Wilted and unoxidized- Darjeeling White
Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but yellowed-Chinese, Silver Needle
Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized-Japanese, Sencha
Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized- Chinese, Junshan Yinzhen
Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized-Earl Grey
Post-fermented tea: Fermented Green tea- Pu-erh

It might be assumed that black tea became popular in the west due to the distance from the source of the tea to the market- over time the tea would ferment, arriving in England and America as black tea, while Asia became accustomed to the fresh unfermented variety due to its proximity to the source.

Green tea is what is used in Japanese Tea Ceremonies. Green tea as well has many varieties within the classification.
Gyokuro, Kabusecha, Kabusecha, Sencha, Fukamushicha, Tamaryokucha, Bancha, Kamairicha, Kukicha, Mecha, Konacha, Macha

The last variety, macha, or powdered tea, is the variety used in making tea for the ceremony, and can be cheaply purchased from the supermarket, or from specialty shops for more money than I care to think about spending on tea.

Also referred to as the Way of Tea, the Japanese tea ceremony elevates the preparation and presentation of powdered green tea to a ceremonial activity of great cultural significance. Powdered green tea is skillfully and elegantly prepared by the host for guests. Every hand movement is purposeful and graceful. Each is precise and disciplined expression honed only through years of training. Becoming a master of this art requires not only mastering the ceremony itself, but everything that surrounds it. Other traditional art forms like calligraphy and flower arranging, as well as knowledge of relevant architecture and gardening allow a masterful host to select and decorate an appropriate location that will transport their guest outside of their reality, and into the reality of the ceremony.

The tea ceremony embodies the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, centered on the inherently transient nature of the world around us. This aesthetic is a guiding principal of the Way of Tea, and celebrates beauty in that which is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. A well made tea cup, old, broken and repaired is more likely to be revered than a new tea cup, for example. All utensils and equipment used to make tea, collectively called chadogu, are carefully selected to complement the ceremony, and are frequently changed to reflect the environment of a particular ceremony-a winter, versus a spring ceremony, for example. The basics utensils are:

Napkin- A special small rectangular white cloth used to wipe the tea bowl.
Tea bowl- Vary in size and style, and are usually thrown by hand.
Tea caddy- A small lidded container containing the powdered tea used
Tea scoop- Used to scoop tea, and are generally are carved from a single piece of bamboo,
Tea whisk- Used to mix the tea and water, and are also generally carved from a single piece of bamboo.

Many of these items can become quite old and revered, and whole museums are filled with the most notable of them. In Nagoya, the Tokugawa Art Museum (http://www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english/index.html), and in Tokyo the Sumitomo Art Musuem (http://www.sen-oku.or.jp/english_tokyo.html) have extensive collections of tea utensils that embody the Japanese wabi-sabi esthetic.

I will not spend time detailing the actual ceremony. If you have never seen one, I recommend you see a video online, or better yet, go experience one live. Here are a few locations in Tokyo and Nagoya where you can experience a real tea ceremony.

Tokyo
Imperial Hotel (Toko-an)
Tel.: 03-3504-1111 (switchboard)
Add.: 4F, Main Bldg., 1-1-1, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Access: Near Hibiya Sta. on Subway Hibiya, Chiyoda or Toei Mita Line
Closed: Sun., National Holidays and Aug. 1-15
Fee: ¥1,500
Note: Prior reservation is necessary. Served in a tatami-mat room.

Hotel Okura (Chosho-an)
Tel.: 03-3582-0111 (switchboard)
Add.: Main Bldg. 7F, 2-10-4, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: NearToranomon Sta. on Subway Ginza Line, Kamiyacho Sta. on Subway Hibiya Line, or Roppongi-itchome Sta. on Subway Namboku Line
Fee: ¥1,050 (Card acceptable)
Note: Prior reservation is necessary. Served either in a tatami-mat room or on chairs.

Hotel New Otani (Seiseian)
Tel.: 03-3265-1111 (switchboard)
Add.: 7F, Tower, 4-1, Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Access: Near Akasaka-mitsuke Sta. on Subway Ginza and Marunouchi Line, or Nagatacho Sta. on Subway Yurakucho and Hanzomon Line
Fee: ¥ 1,050 (cash only)
Note: Better to make an appointment. Reservation is required for a group of over 7 persons. Served in a tatami-mat room.

Chado Kaikan (By Chado Bunka Shinkoukai)
Tel.: 03-3361-2446 (switchboard)
Add.: Chado Kaikan, 3-39-17, Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Access: 10 min. walk from Takadanobaba Sta. on JR Yamanote Line, Seibu-Shinjuku Line and Subway Tozai Line or take a bus bound for "Otakibashi-Shako" to Takadanobaba 4-chome Bus Stop.
Fee: ¥2,000
Note: Prior reservation is necessary. For more detail, please inquire by phone.

Happoen (Muan)
Tel.: 03-3443-3775
Add.: 1-1-6, Shiroganedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 15 min. walk from Meguro Sta. on JR Ymamanote Line, Subway Namboku Line and Mita Line
Fee: Tea ceremony: ¥ 2,100(Ryurei), ¥ 3,150(Hiroma) and ¥ 5,000(Koma) 30 min. Just tea and sweets served: ¥ 840 15min.
Note: Reservation is required at least 3 days in advance. Tea is served to the seated guests either on tatami or on chairs (Ryurei).

International Chado Cultural Federation (Zaun)
Tel.: 03-5225-0787
Add.: 1-4, Kora-cho, Ichigaya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 min. from Ushigomeyanagi-cho Sta. on Toei Subway Oedo Line
Fee: ¥5,000 ; cash only
Note: All tea lessons, tea presentaions, etc are performed in English. Reservation is required at least one day in advance. For more detail, please inquire by phone. Served either in tatami-mat room or on chairs.

Nagoya

Tsuruma Park Kakukaku-Tei
Tel: 05-2731-8590
Access: Tsurumai Subway Line, Tsurumai Station
Fee: ¥500
Note: Limit of 200 people, first come first serve, In September

Nagoya Castle
Tel:05-2962-6153
Access: Meijo Subway Line Shiyaku-sho Station
Note: October 9, 10, 11
Fee: ¥800 (on day), ¥600 (in advance) plus Nagoya Castle admission fee

Shiratori Garden
Tel: 05-2681-8928
Access: Meijo Subway Line Jingu-nishi Station
Note: Mid September and Mid November

Tozan-soh
Tel: 052-831-2672
Access: Sakuradori Subway Line Mizuho-kuyakusyo Station
Note: 12 Minutes walk from station
Fee: about once a month on Wednesday; 8 Sept, 6 Oct, 8 Dec; ¥300

Syodenin Shoin, Urakuen, Inuyama
Website
Tel: 0568-61-4608
Access: MEITETSU INUYAMA YUEN station
Note: 7 minutes walk from station
Fee: Adult 1000 yen; Children 600 yen

Tokugawa-en Garden
Tel: 05-2935-8988
Access: JR Chuo Line Ohzone Station Note: 12 Minutes walk from Station
Note: in October

The Nagoya Cinematheque, a theater in Nagoya, will show “The Cove” along with “Whalers and the Sea,” a documentary sympathetic to the Japanese whaling industry this month in an attempt to balance out the strong feelings held by both sides of the whaling and dolphin issue. Some worry that this showing will bring out the ever present and intimidating right wing with their black vans and bull horns, but if you are interested in getting the opportunity to see what all the fuss is about, this is your chance.

Nagoya Cinematheque
Imaike
Imaike Star Bldg. 2F, 1-6-13 Imaike, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
Tel: (052) 733-3959

Imaike Station
Get to Cinematheque via Exit 9 of Imaike station on the Higashiyama Line - turn right straight away, walk about two minutes and you'll find the theatre in Star Building, 2nd floor.
Map Link Image

H&R Group Invites you to our first annual Nagoya Mystery Spot Pub Crawl! A small group of us will be meeting on September 10th, 7pm at Nagoya Station, at the gold clock in front of Takashimaya Department Store for a night of exploring some of the many fine establishments of the pub and bar variety that Nagoya has to offer. Whether looking to learn new places to go out in Nagoya, or just wanting to have a good time with friends this event is for you.

This crawl will consist of 5 locations stretching from Nagoya Station to Shinsakae, and then Sakae. We will announce the name of the mystery 3rd location on the night of the event, and we know you will not be disappointed! The cost of this event is 2,500 JPY. Participants will receive
Event T-shirt
Subway ticket from Nagoya to Sakae
Free drinks, vouchers
A raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes

The official end time of this event is 1am. We know it is difficult for residents of some areas to get home, and so a shared taxi service to Hongo and Toyota Stations will be provided. Although the taxi fee will be at your own expense, we will arrange a large van, and estimate the ride will cost about 2,000 JPY per person. Stay out a little later, and enjoy an evening out with friends old and new!

If you are interested in attending this event please be aware that as only 20 spots are available it is highly recommended that you reserve your place now by calling 052-973-3957, or email Bryce at bryce_conlan@morethanrelo.com. Please include your desired shirt size (S/M/L/XL – “depending on availability” we will do our best to provide your requested size.).


Summary:
What: H&R Consultants Nagoya Mystery Spot Pub Crawl!
When: September 10th, 7pm-1am
Where: Nagoya Station, at the gold clock in front of Takashimaya Department Store on the white tiles in front of the escalator.
How much: 2,500 JPY
Why: Because we can!
Who: Bryce Conlan 052-973-3957 or bryce_conlan AT morethanrelo.com

Check out our itinerary for the evening:

From Nagoya Station will begin at the OXO pub, a short walk from the station, and just East of the Spiral Tower. This British Style pub’s convenient location and cold beer make it a great place to start our crawl!
www.pub-oxo.com/eng


From OXO, the group will move to Sakae by Subway, no worries, we will provide the ticket. Our next destination is Bar Mexigan for tacos, nachos, Corona, and tequila.
www.bar-and-restaurant.com/en/mexigan.html

After Bar Mexigan, we come to the Nagoya Mystery Spot!

From the the Nagoya Mystery Spot, we will walk to Red Rock Bar, an Australian styled bar complete with croc nuggets and meat pies.
www.theredrock.jp


Our last stop of the evening will be Mybar to enjoy the best Martini's in town !
www.mybarnagoya.com

Ever wonder what a polar bear does at night? Want to find out?
This weekend is your last chance to take in the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden’s annual Night Zoo & Garden event for 2010. For this annual event, the zoo extends its hours to 8:30 p.m., and the public is invited to come explore the night zoo. Lions, tigers, and bears will be on display, and special talks and events will be happening throughout the zoo.

This event will run August 13, 14, 15 (Friday to Sunday). The zoo hours are from 09:00 - 20:30, and admission is 500 for adults, children under 16 are free. Higashiyama Zoo is located 1 minute walk from Higashiyama Koen Subway Station exit 3.

If you are going to be out and about anyway, why not take advantage of Nagoya City’s special one-day pass that includes admission to the zoo and use of all bus and subway lines in Nagoya. The pass is available for 1000 JPY at any subway station and the city bus offices until Aug. 31.

While you are there, why not visit the Higashiyama Sky Tower’s observation deck? Its 360 degree view of the Nagoya skyline is among Japan's most popular night views. Hope to see you there!

www.higashiyamaskytower.jp
Sky Tower Website, Japanese

www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp
Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden Website, Japanese

Round two for that bastion of fun by the river, Gifu City! The Nagara River National Fireworks Festival is held yearly on the first Saturday of August from 7:15 p.m.-8:45 p.m. For those who have lost track of time, that is this weekend! This is one of the largest fireworks displays in Japan. It is a part of the All-Japan Fireworks Competition and comes on the heels of a great display last weekend in the same spot. If last weekend was any indication, this is going to be another great show with over 30,000 fireworks lighting up the night sky. My highlight last weekend was the heart shaped displays, and the ever wonderful fried chicken. I bought mine off an old couple, and they made it with heavy ginger; just the way I like it. Happy times!

This event is located on the banks of the Nagara River in Gifu, in between the Nagara and Kinka bridges. The event begins around 4:30 p.m, but if you want a decent spot you should show up much earlier. Like I said, this is a big festival so you will find a spot no matter when you come somewhere.

Special buses run from JR Gifu Station and Meitetsu Gifu Station, but the lines are long, and I usually just walk. It takes about 30 minutes, but you can follow the crowds and not get lost at all. The buses you are looking for should be pretty obvious; just look for the long line of older folks. The walk is good, and there are so many people that it is fun, so I recommend you do that! Have fun!

Website

Any Harry Potter fans out there? Good news! You can get a footage from the new Harry Potter movie, right here in Nagoya on August 11, 2010. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final installment to the Harry Potter dynasty, is a two part story, and previews from part one will be shown. This event is reportedly free, and will feature a marathon showing of the first six Harry Potter films, followed by an exclusive preview of the Deathly Hallows. You can sign up here, sorry kids, but it’s in Japanese. Fans who sign up will also be eligible to score some free loot. Not sure what it is, and not sure how you go about getting it, but I am all about free movies and loot.

The Aichi Triennale brings cutting edge art and performances from the world to Nagoya in celebration of the theme “Arts and Cities.”

The Aichi Triennale, and international art festival will begin this year in this year in Nagoya. The Triennale will bring the latest in contemporary art to conservative Nagoya in late August, and nearly 130 artists and groups from around the world will be presenting performing arts like dance and music, fixture pieces such as painting, sculpture, and other forms of artistic expression. Most of the pieces and performances in these exhibits are newly commissioned or are being presented for the first time in Japan during this festival.

In keeping with the theme of this year’s event, “Arts and Cities,” performances and presentations will take place throughout Nagoya. Locations will include the Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya City Art Museum, Choja-machi and Nayabashi areas, Oasis 21, public areas, parks, and districts throughout the city that will “create a series of fascinating yet unusual urban scenes” in which the art can be enjoyed.

For ticketing and schedule information, please see the festivals website, which is very helpfully provided in several languages.
www.aichitriennale.jp

The Chunichi Nagara Gawa Fireworks Festival is held yearly on the last Saturday of July from 7:15 p.m.-8:45 p.m. This year, the festival falls on Saturday, July 31st-this weekend! This is one of the largest fireworks displays in Japan. It is a part of the All-Japan Fireworks Competition, which I know nothing about, but it sounds cool, right? I have personally been to this festival 4 times, and it is always worth the trip. Prepare for crowds, but the selection of food and drink locations is great, and there are plenty of spots to watch from. Highly recommend!

This event is located on the banks of the Nagara River in Gifu, in between the Nagara and Kinka bridges. The event begins around 4:30 p.m, but if you want a decent spot you should show up much earlier. Like I said, this is a big festival though, so you will find a spot no matter when you come somewhere.

Special buses run from JR Gifu Station and Meitetsu Gifu Station, but the lines are long, and I usually just walk. It takes about 30 minutes, but you can follow the crowds and not get lost at all. The buses you are looking for should be pretty obvious; just look for the long line of older folks.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Enjoy an Evening of Fireworks for Charity.

H&R Consultants would like to invite you to participate in a fun event on August 22nd 2010. All the proceeds from this event will be donated to charity. If you have ever been to a fireworks festival in Japan you have seen people wearing what foreigners often mistake for kimono; a yukata. A yukata is much simpler to put on, and much more comfortable to wear than a kimono. Importantly, the fabric is very light, so it is also a very cool garment to wear. Getting dressed up in a beautiful and comfortable yukata and enjoying a warm summer evening watching the fireworks is a very traditional Japanese experience that we would like to share with you. Join us on August 22nd to enjoy these two quintessential experiences; wearing a Yukata and watching fireworks in Yokkaichi!

Before the festival, we will meet at one of Japan Residence’s serviced apartments in Fushimi, and Ritsuko Nakashima, from our office, will be teaching everyone how to put on and wear a yukata correctly. Anyone who attends the class will also receive a handout that outlines what you learned about yukata in English to help you remember! The lessons will begin at 3:00, and will cost 2000 JPY donation to charity. If you do not have a yukata, Ritsuko will help you to buy one. For information about purchasing a yukata, or attending this event, please email us, and Ritsuko will have you in your yukata looking incredible before you know it.

If you are not interested in attending the class, but plan to buy a yukata for the event, or already have your own, we have a second option! Starting at 4:00, we will help you put on your yukata correctly for a 1500 JPY donation to charity. After everyone is dressed up, we will be making out way to Nagoya Station. If you are planning to meet us at Nagoya station, please be at 5:30 at Nagoya Station, at the gold clock in front of Takashimaya Department Store. We will be on the white tiles in front of the escalators waiting for you! Do not feel you have to wear a yukata; come as you are!

Time Schedule for August 22nd 2010
3:00 (15:00) Yukata lessons - 2000 JPY donation
4:00 (16:00) Assistance putting on your Yukata - 1500 JPY donation
5:30 (17:30) Meeting at Nagoya Station

For information please contact us at the H&R Consulting
Phone: 052-973-3957
Email: Ritsuko Nakashima ritsuko_nakashima(AT)morethanrelo.com