The X-Pat Files -  August 2006

 (Brought to you by H&R Consultants)

  The X-Pat Files Community E-Newsletter provides a forum for the spread of information useful for English speakers living in Aichi.  You can use the newsletter as an informational resource, and of course you can send in information you would like to share.
  This newsletter is a community service from The Japan Real Estate and Relocation company, H&R Consultants (www.japanhomesearch.com), and is edited by counselor and life coach Sue Conolly (www.sueconolly.net).

  Contents for This Edition

  1.  NHK Broadcasting Fees
  2.  Summer Fun
  3.  Baden Park Sogi (Hot Spring Resort)
  4.  Hope Triathlon
  5.  Post-Expo: Morikoro Park
  6.  Eco-Spot Aichi
  7.  Healing Wound Dressings
  8.  Meet & Greet Lunch
  9.  Amazing World
 10. Intrepid Explorer

  **************************************************

  1. NHK Broadcasting Fees - Steve Burson

NHK (stands for Nippon Hoso Kyoukai) is Japan's public TV station and is broadcast all over Japan. You are required to pay for the NHK service. Shortly after move-in it is likely that an NHK employee will show up at your door to collect your subscription money, if you have a television. The charge is usually 2,640 yen for two months, and will cost more should you have the Japanese satellite channels, called BS, that are provided by NHK also. NHK can tell if you have the BS service by the antenna that is likely to be on your balcony, or on the roof of your apartment building.
 
Many Japanese and foreigners alike avoid answering the door to NHK to avoid these fees. It's up to you, but strictly speaking you should pay for the service.
 
You may hear rumors that NHK has no legal right to charge such fees, but the truth is that NHK broadcasting fees must be paid as per Japanese law. The loophole that saves many Japanese and Foreigners in Japan, however, is that NHK has no policing authority to look over the law.
 
What are the NHK channels?
***TV Channels 1 (NHK-General) and 3 (NHK-Educational)*** (IN TOKYO)
***TV Channels 3 (NHK-General) and 9 (NHK-Educational)*** (IN NAGOYA)
 
For more details, please see more detail at the website below.
http://www.nhk.or.jp/pr/koho-e.htm
 
Finally, there is a lot of talk in the Japanese press recently about NHK passing policy to enforce the collection of broadcasting fees. Stay posted for an update when this happens!

  **************************************************

  2. Summer Fun - Jenny Elsby

Summer in Japan is great!  Once you are used to the heat, you can start to enjoy the fireworks, the kaki-gori (shaved ice) and the sound of summer chimes in the breeze.  Here are three ideas to keep you having fun this Summer.  Website links are for reference and unfortunately are all in Japanese, but there is an English PDF map for Chausuyama.

Chausuyama on the border of Nagano and Aichi prefectures is a winter ski resort that turns in to a summer outdoor activity resort where there are tennis courts, hiking trails, mountain biking and boarding. Its about 90minutes in the car along route 153 passing beautiful scenery and onsens.
There are campsites at the resort.
http://www.honokuni.or.jp/toyone/kogen/  (Japanese only)
TEL 0536(87)2345　　　(closed Thursday)

Sanrokuen This mysterious place could be called a park, a hiking course, and a restaurant all rolled into one.  It’s down near Gamagori, so quite a long drive, but totally worth it for the unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else!

When you arrive, you’re not sure if you’re at a Shrine, a camping ground, or really where you are in the world.  Go into the front entrance “shack”, and someone will eventually come out to help you.  Once you have confirmed your reservation (have I mentioned that it is an extremely good idea to have a Japanese speaker with you?), you will be led by a swarthy oba-san around the path and up the mountain, where she will lead you to one of a number of huts that dot the rocky mountainside.  This is not stroller or wheelchair friendly, by ANY stretch of the imagination.  After your hike, you arrive at your hut.  Inside, there is a table and a telephone, and you are left alone with your cooking plate and any food that you have ordered.  If you need any extra food, you can call on the telephone and the swarthy oba-san will hike up the mountain to you and give it to you.

Be absolutely sure to book by calling 0533-57-3606 (fax: 0533-57-4602).  Get there by going south from Toyota and Okazaki on Route 248, and be sure to print out this map to take with you; it's in Japanese but will be useful to show someone if you get lost! The closest train station is Sangane on the JR Tokaido Line.  You would have to get a taxi from here, I think, so again, take the above map with you.

Higashiyama Park / Zoo has slashed its annual prices making it excellent value for families to buy yearly tickets. An Adult annual pass is now just JPY2000 (reduced from JPY18000).  The Park in particular is excellent with gardens from around the world, and a traditional Gassho house as seen in the world heritage sites.  Great for families and adults alike.
Open 9-4:30pm
Closed: Mondays
Article about the zoo: http://www.seekjapan.jp/article.php?id=638&sm=

  **************************************************
  
  3.  Baden Park Sogi (Hot Spring Resort)

After a long weekend camping in Gifu Prefecture, my family stumbled across a lovely onsen resort facility in the wilds of Toki, quite near to Seto.  Baden Park Sogi includes a hot spring bath area, pool area and gymnasium, as well as rest areas and a restaurant.

Open 348 days of the year, Baden Park Sogi is closed on the third Thursday of the month for maintenance.  Opening hours are 10:00 to 22:00, with the pool, gym and restaurant areas closing 30 minutes earlier at 21:30.

If you're there only for the bath, you'll pay 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children.  To use all of other facilities as well will cost 1500 yen for adults and 750 yen for children.  Junior high school students and above are considered adults, while children who have not yet entered elementary school are free.

When you come in the door, you will see shoe lockers on your left and right, put your shoes in any locker and then approach the front desk with your key.  All of the keys for your group are kept together, and each person is given another key bracelet for the locker room.  This bracelet also has a bar code, and it is this to add up all of the money you will owe at the end.  The bracelet is also used instead of cash at the restaurant.  When you leave, you pay for the total amount on the bracelet before you get the key for your shoes.

My family was just there for the bath, so I can't comment on the pool or gym areas, but the onsen area was really very nice.  There are inside baths and outside baths, and huge big open doors leading to the outside, so that even the inside baths retain an outside quality.  The background is beautiful Gifu mountain scenery.  One feature is a series of three personal baths lined up outside, all made from the different kinds of pottery local to the area.  If you are comfortable with your inner nudist, these small personal baths are set into a wooden deck that looks perfect for stretching out and cooling off!

To get to Baden Park Sogi, go straight along route 363 which leads from Seto (Seto Shinano IC on the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway) through Akechi to Nakatsugawa.  You will pass Mikuniyama Campsite and then Kakino Hot Spring area, then about 5 kilometers along the road you will see the big new Baden Park Sogi complex on your left.

http://badenpark.com/access/index.html

 If you keep going past the complex you will come to an interesting shrine which has a huge pair of komainu (literally "korean dog" or "korean lion", that traditionally sit at the gates of shrines).  These komainu, apparently the biggest pottery komainu in the world (?) are 3.3 meters tall and weigh 15 tons.  They are Mino-Yaki, which is the local style of pottery, which is also used for some of the outside baths at Baden Park Sogi.
  
  **************************************************

  4. Hope International Development Agency Triathlon

On SUNDAY AUGUST 27TH, HOPE International Development Agency will hold their 2nd Annual end-of-summer triathlon (hopeglobalchallenge.com) in Owariasahi City, near Nagoya, Aichi. This is an event made for families and people of all fitness levels so come on out and give it a "tri" for a great cause!  For details, please access: http://www.hopeglobalchallenge.com/FirstTriforCharity.asp. We are looking forward to your participation. See you there!!!
  
  **************************************************

  5. Post-Expo: Morikoro Park

Before the Expo took over our lives in 2005, the Nagakute Land reclaimed for this exercise was called Seishonen Park (Youth Park).  Many a young mother gnashed her teeth as one of Aichi's most spacious and child-friendly facilities was closed for the period of time it took to build the Expo.  Now, the youth park is back, better than ever, vastly improved from its time as cultural ambassador to the world.  The new name of the park is "Aichi Expo Memorial Park", affectionately known as "Morikoro Park" after the fuzzy little Expo mascots, Morizo and Kikkoro.

To get to Morikoro Park, take the Higashiyama line to Fujigaoka, and change to the Linimo.  You will be able to see the giant ferris wheel as you approach!  Alternatively, you can catch the Linimo from the other end, where it meets the Aichi Kanjo line which stretches from Kozoji to Okazaki.

http://www.pref.aichi.jp/koen/AI_CHIKYU/info.htm

The website above is in Japanese, but to get an idea of the progress of this project, you can see from the map that the areas outlined in red are open already, while the areas outlined in pale blue are open from next March.  The photos below the map are the current facilities, while the four photos below that are of coming attractions, including an ice-skating rink, an authentic Japanese tea house and a field center.

Some of the current features of Morikoro Park are:

* The giant ferris wheel, prohibitively expensive during Expo time, so it will be interesting to see how much it will cost now
* The huge indoor children's center (this was part of the youth park before, but it has been revamped)
* An international children's memorial center
* A large climbing structure called the "Wind Area" which educates children about wind and energy
* A water area, where children can paddle and play in fountains, with paddle-wheel style science experiments, rocks, cubby houses... this was one of my children's favourite parts of the Expo and they are going to be thrilled to be taken there again!
* Japanese garden
* Satsuki and Mei's house, a replica from the movie Totoro.  You need a reservation to get in, which you can only get by sending in a postcard.  Send the postcard in during the month that is two months before the day you want to see it (eg, if you send a postcard during August, you will applying for any date in October).  Address the postcard to: Satsuki to Mei no Ie Uketsuke, Private Box 1, Nagakute Post Office, 480-1191.  On the back of the postcard write the date, and time of day (morning or afternoon) you want a reservation.  Write the number of people in your group (up to 4), the name of the group leader, and that person's contact details (address and phone number).  Also, indicate whether any of your group will need wheelchair access.  If certain days have too many people applying, a lottery will be drawn on the 5th of the previous month.  After you reply, you will receive notice of the results in the mail. The directions for how to apply are here in Japanese - if you are unsure you can have a Japanese speaking friend help you.  However, I confirmed that you don't have to apply in Japanese - feel free to write the postcard in English!

  **************************************************

  6. Eco-Spot Aichi

Just in case you thought that Japan was just a mass of cement buildings and public transport systems, I want to encourage you to get out in the wild and see what kind of nature has to offer.  The other day I asked an expat who had been in Japan for a year and was going home, what his best experience in Japan had been.  He thought about it, and told me it was a barbeque that he and his family had enjoyed in a natural gorge.  I asked him where that was, and he replied that he did not know - a colleague had pointed his car navigation in the general direction and he had driven there on autopilot.

The advent of the Expo in Aichi last year has put the environment in the limelight.  I found a website that lists hundreds of sites around Aichi you might be interested in visiting:

http://kankyojoho.pref.aichi.jp/ecospot/EN/index.html

Eco-Spot Aichi has two categories, Environmental Technology Selection 100, and Rich Nature Selection 100.  

The Environmental Technology Section is then divided into categories such as "Water Environment Preservation" (such as an earthworm ranch, or a CFC-free cooling system), "Greening and Bioengineering" (such as an Eco-school, or a public housing system created with the environment in mind).  Some of the facilities here will be familiar to you, but you may not have heard about their environmentally friendly design.  Did you know that Oasis 21 in Sakae has a special garbage disposal system, grass greening system and a solar power system incorporated into the design of the facility?

The Rich Nature Selection 100 is where you will want to look if you are planning a family outing.  Subcategories include: local mountain/woodland, mountains, precinct/natural forest, river/valley, coast/island, pond/swamp, tide land, wetland, national treasure, natural park, nature conservation area, terrain/geology.  The description in English of each place includes: area, location, name, Japanese name, overview, features, highlights, photos, walkways, access, disabled facilities, English spoken, related URL, and contact information.

  **************************************************

  7. Healing Wound Dressings

During a recent trip to the Noto Peninsula, I fell down a hill, grazing most of my leg and in particular, my foot.  The foot graze was right where any pair of shoes would irritate it, so I was doomed to a life of bare feet while the weeping wound sorted itself out.  Or was I?  I remembered the package of band-aids that I once bought when I had cut my finger, super-fast healing bandaids that worked like magic on my wounds.  I limped to the chemist and found this:

http://www.jnj.co.jp/consumer/bandaid/products/medicaltools/power_pad.html

They also have a different shaped band-aid in the same series, specifically designed for finger cuts, which can be particularly painful because hands are one of the most well-used part of the body.

When I told my friend about my bad luck, she recommended that I take myself to a skin doctor, and get a similar product, DuoActive.  Since I would be using health insurance going to the doctor, this would make the plaster a lot cheaper, and I would get a lot more of the product for future mishaps.  I found this particularly distressing website with pictures of before/after wounds, using two types of DuoActive, CGF and ET (Extra Thin).  In other countries, this product seems to be known as DuoDerm, and this is what the website I found had to say about it:

"Convatec's Duoderm CGF Control Formula Dressing maintains a moist wound environment for optimal healing. This popular product used for the treatment of lightly to moderate draining pressure sores, interacts with wound exudate (drainage) and enables removal with little or no drainage. This product does not contain latex.Skin-Prep is recommended to increase adhesion and reduce removal trauma."


  **************************************************

  8.  Meet & Greet Lunch

 Are you new to town?  Do you want to get out and meet new people?  Or do you just want a nice lunch in a quiet, relaxing atmosphere where you can chat with new friends and old friends?  The Meet & Greet lunch is held on the second Tuesday of the month at Shooters Sports Bar and Grill in Fushimi. 

 Date:  Tuesday, 8th of August
 Time: 11:30am -
 Place: http://www.shooters-nagoya.com/
 Price: 1500 yen for buffet lunch and a drink
 RSVP:  Please RSVP by Saturday the 8th of July.  RSVP to Roxanne Gwyn at roxanne@cezarsjapan.com or by phone  052-229-8575 (during office hours, 9 to 6)

 Shooters has a relaxed atmosphere and is closed during the day except for our event, so we have the run of the place.  This means that it is a VERY easy event for mothers with  babies or small children.  It also means, however, that I must ask for an RSVP so that Shooters can cater for the correct number of people.  Since they are opening the restaurant especially for us, I want to keep these Meet & Greet lunches well attended as they are a valuable resource for newcomers to the area.  Please mark it on your calendar - every month on the second Tuesday, and let Roxanne know if you can come this time.

  **************************************************

  9. Amazing World

http://www.amazingworld.jp/  (Website in Japanese)

Amazing World is a kids play area that is a good option for rainy days.  There are two centres in the Chubu Tokai area, Konan (which is bigger) and Inazawa (closer to Nagoya).  All the arcade games are free once you have paid your entry.  Check out these links for access information in Japanese.

Konan Branch

Open Weekdays: 11:00 - 18:00
Weekends & Holidays: 10:00 - 19:00
Phone Number: 0587-51-5715
Parking Free (200 cars)
Relatively close to Konan Station, and to Komaki IC on Route 41

Inazawa Branch

Open Weekdays: 11:00 - 18:00
Weekends & Holidays: 10:00 - 19:00
Phone Number: 0587-34-5552
Parking Free (1500 cars)
Relatively close to Inazawa Station, and to Kiyosu IC or Kiyosu Higashi IC on the Higashi Meihan Highway.

Entry: Adults 500 yen (all day), Children 500 yen (1 hour), Children 1000 yen (all day).  ID is required for membership on first entry, and there is a 300 yen per year membership fee.  Babies under 12 months are free.  Children over 13 are considered adults.  Children must enter with a supervising adult.  Adults may not enter without children.


  **************************************************

  10.  Intrepid Explorer - Sue Conolly

Coming to Japan when I was 18, I overcame my initial nerves at being so young and alone in a foreign country, and set about to explore everywhere and everything. Even a trip to the supermarket was an amazing adventure, and every journey through the cash register line an achievement. I had good experiences and not-so-good ones - but each and every one was a valuable chance to learn more about the world I now lived in.

Many years later, I now can call those same supermarket lines "home", as I do my grocery shopping without even thinking about it. In fact, I now feel more stress in the now unfamiliar Australian supermarkets. However, I never want to stop exploring Japan. There is always the midnight market I'd never heard of, or the counselling association that I never knew existed, the shop I'd walked past but hadn't been inside - continuing to open doors and walk through them as I live in this country keeps me on the steep learning curve I love.

Coming to Japan when I was 18, I overcame my initial nerves at being so young and alone in a foreign country, and set about exploring myself. I have had good experiences and not-so-good ones, but each and every one has been a valuable chance to learn more about the person who is me. I never want to stop exploring my own personal landscape.

http://www.sueconolly.net/

  **************************************************

  That`s it for this edition of the newsletter. We hope you found it informative - please let us know what you would like to see in future editions, and we will attempt to address your issues.

  A disclaimer - While we do try to check submissions when they come to me, we do not take responsibility for the accuracy of any donated information.  Nor do we take responsibility if your experience of places and services you find through this newsletter are not as rewarding as they were for the person who originally sent in the information. Obviously everyone`s experience is different.

  If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, please do so online at http://www.xpat-files.com, where in the future we would like to archive information contained in this newsletter.

  If have some information you feel might be of benefit to the Expat community, please send as much information as you can to info@xpat-files.com.

  The newsletter will be as good as the contributions made to it, so please send in ideas and materials!