The X-Pat Files - May 2006
HAPPY
GOLDEN WEEK!
(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. Learning from Mt Fuji - Scott Reid
2. Climb Mt Fuji for Charity! - Erin Sakakibara
3. Charity Walkathon - Steve Burson
4. Enjoying Japanese Cuisine - Erin Sakakibara
5. Dog Trainer
6. Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
7. Great Ideas for Golden Week
8. Meet & Greet Lunch
9. The Great Outdoors - Sue Conolly
**************************************************
1. Learning
from Mt. Fuji - Scott Reid
There is a well known saying in Japan that roughly translates
into “A wise man climbs Mt. Fuji once, but only a fool climbs it twice”
After doing it myself I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree.
When my Japanese colleague suggested that we climb Mt. Fuji together, I
must admit that I agreed without really thinking that he was serious,
but nevertheless agreed to do it “sometime” in the fall. As the summer
progressed I came to see that he was quite serious, so we set an actual
date for our little adventure. As the date in September got closer it
became obvious that I was actually committed to dedicating an entire
weekend to climbing up the side of this famous volcano that I had scene
only from a distance on my weekly trek on the Shinkansen back and forth
from Nagoya to Tokyo.
If I remember correctly, we left Nagoya around noon on a Saturday and
arrived in the small town at the bottom of Mt. Fuji around 4 pm. We
then drove up a beautiful winding road through dense forest until we
reached the end of the road approximately half way up the mountain. My
colleague then informed me that we were to grab our back packs from the
car and to walk up to the lodge at the 6th station which would only be
a fifteen minute hike.
This is when the reality of what I was about to do hit me. Being too
focused on my work for such a long time I had not seriously exercised
for years. It only took about five minutes up the steep road to the 6th
station lodge for my body to start to ache and for me to really start
to doubt that I would ever be able to make it to the top, which I could
not see as it was covered with clouds.
Finally, after a grueling fifteen minutes, we reached the 6th station
lodge which was probably only 500 m from the parking lot. It was a
small lodge with a restaurant on the first floor and an open room on
the second floor with about 20 futons for climbers to sleep. My
colleague had made all the reservations and had arranged for dinner to
be ready shortly after we arrived. When we finished eating it was 7:00
pm. My colleague then pulled out a map and explained the route which
was one of several that we would be talking to the top. He explained
that the goal was to make it to the top before sunrise so that we could
watch the sun come up over the horizon so we needed to depart at 1:00
am. It was now 7:30 pm and time for bed so that we would be rested
enough to get up at 1:00 am and start our treck up the mountain.
Getting to sleep at 7:30 pm proved to be a challenge but with a
few tosses and turns, and being worn out from climbing up the first 500
meters from the parking lot I was eventually able to get to sleep.
At 1:00 am the manager of the lodge turned on the light and woke us up.
He gave us a walking stick each and one flash light for the two
of us to share. We put on our 4 layers of clothing as it was very cool
at that time of year and walked out the lodge to find the path which
would lead us up to the top of the mountain. It was pitch black, windy
and cold, and here I was on the side of mountain staggering closely
behind my colleague who was holding the flashlight.
We walked and walked, slowly and surely, making sure not to fall over
loose rocks which were difficult to see in the dark. After what felt
like an hour we stopped to take a breath. I looked at my watch
and was horrified that it had only been 10 minutes since we started,
the top was no where in sight and when I looked back the 6th station
lodge did not seem more than 200 meters away. We pressed on.
The dim light from a sun that had not yet risen started to make the
climb a little easier and we were able to put away the flashlight.
After about only 45 minutes we stopped to take our second rest. It was
at this time that I started to feel that making it to the top was going
to be impossible for me. It was just not getting any closer and I was
losing my motivation. We then made a plan. We were told
that the climb up would take us 4 hours. We realized that one of the
reasons we were feeling so negative was that we had no way to measure
our progress. We could not see the top; there were no trees to mark our
progress, just barren rocks that all looked the same. We then decided
that if we were going to do this we would need to break this climb down
into smaller manageable pieces. We took 4 hours and divided it by 15
and that gave us 16 smaller challenges to make it the top. We
would then climb for 15 min and rest for 5 counting down from 16. We
knew that once we reached 1 we would be at the top. The trek to
the top, which had felt impossible, now was a reachable goal as long as
we broke it down into these 16 fifteen minute stages.
We set off again, climbing for fifteen minutes and resting for five.
When we did this for 5 times and broke the 10 stages left mark we
really started to get excited. We reached the top at a little pass 5:30
am. We felt exhilarated and full of confidence even though it was too
cloudy to see the sun breach the horizon. We rested for about 45
minutes at the top. I was surprised to find out that my mobile phone
worked so I called several friends overseas and when they answered the
phone, asked them all the same question in an excited voice - “Guess
where I am calling you from?”
The trek back down the mountain took only three hours and to my
surprise was even more difficult then the trip up, as you needed to use
muscles in your legs that you never knew you had to keep your body from
falling down the steep slope of the mountain. We eventually made it
back to the 6th station and then to the car and then finished up the
adventure with a hot onsen in the small town at the bottom of the
mountain.
On the way home in the car we discussed what we had learned, which was
basically that we could do anything of any size if we broke it down
first into smaller manageable pieces. I use this lesson at work
repeatedly now when I start to feel worn out from a large project at
work which may take a year or more to complete.
My Japanese colleague and I who had become good friends after our
adventure together years later had a falling out in the business world,
and we went our separate ways. However I always remember him fondly and
wish him the best that life has to offer, as it was he and I together
that climbed to the highest part of Japan as a team.
Now when I travel to Tokyo on business, I have a very different view of
Mount Fuji from the shinkansen. With a vision of reaching the
top, determination not to fail, trust in my friend on a cold dark
mountain, and the foresight to break a seemingly impossible task into
smaller goals - I am glad I climbed that mountain. I would
probably never accept that invitation again, but have carried valuable
lessons from Mt Fuji with me into my life.
**************************************************
2. Climb
Mt Fuji for Charity - Erin Sakakibara
Did you ever want to climb Fuji but didn’t know how to go about
it? How about joining a group of fun-loving people who’ll be
climbing for a cause. Come join the challenge of the Mount Fuji
Charity Climb with HOPE International! Here are the details:
** Mt Fuji Climb - What You Need To Know **
In aid of Education and Health Projects in Afghanistan
Date: July 15th & 16th (Sat & Sun); 17th is a Japanese national
holiday
Application Deadline: July 9th (Sunday)
Route: Subashiri Trail nearby Gotenba-city
Participation Fees: I. Minimum Fundraising Target: 10,000 yen
II. Transportation Cost: 12,500 yen for Adults & 10,500 yen for
Students
For more information or to find out more about HOPE International's
other challenges:
http://www.hopeglobalchallenge.com/challenges.asp
**************************************************
3. Annual
Walkathon - Steve Burson
C’mon down to the 15th Annual
Walkathon and International Charity
Festival held for the needy children of Nagoya!!
Event: Walkathon and International
Charity Festival 2006
Held By: The American Chamber of
Commerce Japan (ACCJ) and the Nagoya International School (NIS)
Date: Sunday 21st May
Time: 10:00am- 4:00pm
(registration begins at 9:15am)
Place: Meijo Park (behind
Nagoya Castle)
Tickets: Including a free Walkathon T. Shirt and entry to the Walkathon
Raffle (proceeds go to charity)
Adults:
JPY 2,000
Children: JPY 1,000 (High School Students and Under)
Further Details: www.nagoyawalkathon.com
This year’s Walkathon boasts;
- The chance to
support many needy orphanages and children’s institutes in Nagoya!
- The chance to
WIN BIG in the Walkathon raffle!
- The chance to
eat and drink too much at the variety of vendor booths!
- The chance to
watch great on-stage entertainment and local talent!
- The chance to
have your kids participate in the many kids activities (look out for
the penguin…..)!
- The chance to
cool out in the “Chill Tent” with local DJs and other fun activities!
- The chance to
meet many others and feel the generosity and warmth of the community we
live in!
ENJOYMENT FOR EVERYONE!
Furthermore, if you would really like to give back to the community,
and could help us out on the day, we are also looking for volunteers to
help with the smooth running of the event. If you are interested in
being a volunteer for a few hours on the day, please contact Steve
(steve_burson@relojapan.com) or Bryce (bryce_conlan@leasejapan.com) for
further details. We need your help!
Thank you very much, and we look forward to seeing you all there!
**************************************************
4. Enjoying
Japanese Cuisine - Erin Sakakibara
Ever since the EXPO and a particularly wonderful culinary adventure I
had at the Seto site, I’d been trying to create more wa-fu or Japanese
home-style cooking for my family. However, to my great surprise
and to the absolute delight of my family (should I take the hint?) I
once again discovered not only this particular restaurant from EXPO but
also others like it. Japanese style home cooking restaurants seem
to be all the rage these days as they are popping up everywhere…each
with their own special twist to edge out the competition. I
thought I’d introduce some of my favorites. They are all buffet style,
which eliminates the need for communicating except for the initial
“rules” of which I’ll try to explain, so, you can sit back, relax and
stuff yourself to your hearts content on “real” Japanese food!
Most of these places have a time limit, unless specified. Most
allow frequent plate changes and ALL request that you are careful to
take just what you intend to eat as most products are locally grown,
organic items that take a great deal of care to create…they don’t want
waste! Also, ALL are usually busy at the “golden times”, e.g.,
11:30 – 1:30 for lunch and 6:00 – 8:00 for dinners. If you hate
waiting you should plan accordingly. The restaurants with time limits
seem to have regular “turnover” times so sometimes that long line is
deceiving. However, an incredibly healthy and delicious feast is
your reward for patience!
Na-Na-Na: (the middle “Na” is
actually the kanji 菜). This restaurant is located on the restaurant
floor of the Atsuta Aeon (Jusco) Mall (website only in Japanese) All
of
the food is organic. Tons of veggies and wonderful tofu and also
(in my family’s opinion) the BEST Japanese fried chicken around Nagoya.
The atmosphere is also “organic” and very casual. Personal favorite…the
soy milk soft serve (self-serve, too!) ice cream! There is a time
limit of 90 minutes for this restaurant.
Hours: 11am – 11pm
Price: weekday lunch: ¥1,575, dinner:
¥1,785 (children rates are cheaper)
weekends and holidays: lunch: ¥1,680,
dinner ¥1,890
Phone: 052-872-2226
Harvest: (はーべすと) This
restaurant is located on the restaurant floor of the Jusco Bay City
Mall (Japanese
website). This is similar to
the above restaurant but instead of “organic,” it claims their food is
“all natural” and healthy. Once again, an abundance of veggies
and other good stuff, served up buffet style. This restaurant
seems to be run by a big restaurant group and so you can check out
Harvest at: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/n074406/index.htm. Sorry, this
site is all in Japanese but there are pictures! There is a 70
minute time limit for this restaurant.
Hours: 11am – 11pm
Price: ¥2,000 (children’s price available) – do not accept credit
cards
Phone: 052-665-2960
Moku Moku Kazenobudo, LaChic
Nagoya: This restaurant is located in the LaChic shopping building
located next to Mitsukoshi in Sakae. There are several other
restaurants in Mie-ken where the original farm that supplies the food
for this restaurant is located. Moku-Moku’s homepage is
http://www.moku-moku.com/tyokuei/kazenagoya.html.
Once
again, all in Japanese but there are pics! So the twist on this
restaurant is that most of the unbelievably large selection of food
comes from a farm in Mie prefecture…talk about fresh! Not only
veggies and yummy tofu, but also great homemade breads, sausages and
cured ham are on their buffet. Very interesting selection, huge
variety and all delicious! No time limit for this restaurant so
you’re limited only by what you can stuff into your tummy!
Hours: lunch 11:00 – 4:00; dinner 5:00 – 11:00
Price: lunch: adults ¥1,800/ grade school ¥1,000/ kids
under 3 ¥500/ seniors ¥1,600
dinner: adults
¥2,300/ grade school ¥1,300/ kids under 3 ¥500/ seniors
¥2,100
Phone: 052-241-0909
Kakiyasu’s Sanjaku Sanzun Bashi:
This restaurant is last but certainly not the least of my favorites. Go
to their homepage (http://www.kakiyasuhonten.co.jp/)
and click on the
“English” button. Scroll down to restaurants and click on
“Sanjaku Sanzun Bashi”. You’ll find a listing for several,
including the new one at the fancy new Aeon Mall in front of the Nagoya
Dome. I went to the one at Asunal in Kanayama (3rd floor).
GREAT buffet with, once again, a huge variety! Not as health
conscious as the others claim to be but the food generally has a
“health food” feel, with lots of veggies, beans, tofu but also other
interesting ethnic dishes from China, Korea, etc. And since Kakiyasu
originated as a beef (mainly sukiyaki) restaurant, there is the added
twist of being able to combine this huge buffet with shabu-shabu,
though I can’t imagine any one who would dare! The atmosphere is lovely
and even the name has a unique and lovely story behind it…make sure you
read about it on the webpage. There is a 90 minute time limit for
this restaurant.
Hours: weekdays lunch 11:00-4:00; dinner 5:00-11:00
weekends and holidays 11:00-11:00
Price: weekday lunch: adults ¥1,800/ grade school ¥1,000/ kids
under 4 ¥500
weekday dinner:
adults ¥2,500/ grade school ¥1,300/ kids under 4 ¥650
weekend prices are the same for lunch and dinner but
soft drinks are extra
Well, I hope this gives you enough information to go and and enjoy the
wonderful world of Japanese cuisine!
**************************************************
5. Dog
Trainer
I would like to recommend an excellent dog training system, and an
English speaking dog trainer who will come to you home and help you to
make your pooch the perfect partner. The system was created by an
Australian, John Richrdson who has been dubbed "The Dog Whisperer"
because of the movie "The Horse Whisperer", and because he helps
previously "unhelpable" dogs with problems like over-barking,
aggression, and of course the regular stuff like jumping up, running
away from you, generally being cheeky at dinner time. The system
all takes root from dog psychology, and uses no violent methods like
yelling or hitting, in fact another reason he's called the dog
whisperer is that he almost whispers some of the commands. The
book "The Dog Whisperer", also by John Richardson is available online
at Amazon.co.jp.
The Nagoya representative of this system is Yuri Misaki, and she will
come to your home for 8000 yen and stay for two hours. During
this time she will ask you a lot of questions about your family
routine, meet your dog(s) and see them in their environment, and teach
you some basic things you can start doing to impress on your pooch that
you are the "Top Dog". This instills in the dog a feeling that
you are the leader, which makes him actually happier because he is
never confused about his position in the pecking order of the family,
and it makes him easy to train.
Yuri will come to your house as often as you need her, leaving a couple
of weeks in between each visit so you can implement the work. She
has been to my house twice, and already the dogs are at the stage where
I don't think I will need her to come a third time. I also have
the book, which is great reading.
Tel/Fax: 052-483-4655
Mobile: 090-1282-0008
e-mail: misaki@dogtechjp.com
website (Japanese) http://www.dogtechjp.com/
website (English) http://www.dogtech.com.au/
**************************************************
6. Kamezaki Shiohi
Festival
Date: 3rd and 4th May (delayed
in the case of rain)
Place: Kamezaki area, Handa City,
Aichi Pre.
Highlights:
Five DASHI or floats decorated with gorgeous embroideries and carvings.
Delicate mechanical dolls’ performance.
Parade on the beach.
Related website: Click
here for a description of Handa City, a map in English and another
description of this festival (called Handa Dashi festival on this link).
Schedule:
3rd May
* Parade on the beach starts around 10:40am.
* First Doll Performance starts around 12:45am.
* After lunch, parade starts again and festival finishes at 8:00pm.
4th May
* Parade on the beach starts around 2:15pm.
* The last Doll Performance starts around 4:35pm.
* Finishes around 7:30pm.
Access (also see detailed
map in English):
Train – Take JR Taketoyo
Line、get off at Kamezaki Station. 15minutes walk to the shrine, Kensha.
Car － Take Nagoya Highway to
Odaka, and then to the Chita Hanto Doro, then it's 15 minutes from
Chita Hanto Doro Agui IC to Kinuura Ohashi direction.
Parking: From Agui or
Higashiura, turn right before Kinuura Ohashi, pass Kensha and turn left
after passing three traffic lights. From Handa city, go to Kinuura
Ohashi direction at R247Negi intersection. Turn right at the 2nd
traffic light.
Note from the editor: This is the festival that I have often heard my
young client from Handa talk about. He has performed in this
festival pretty muchy every year of his boyhood, and it is a big part
of the local community, and a very important event for social
structures. Click
here for some great pictures to whet your apetite! I have attended
a very similar festival in Tokai
City, and have written about this experience on my blog if you are
interested: www.sueconolly.net.
Click on the buttons to the
left to see the blog postings from October last year, and you'll find
it ("Memories" October 3rd 2005).
**************************************************
7. Ideas
for Golden Week
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum -
http://www.pref.aichi.jp/touji/infomation/infomation_e.html
From the Linimo Station "Toujishiryokan-minami" ("Ceramic Museum
South"), walk 600 m North, or by car check the website for a detailed
map. Also on the website are details about exhibitions, and a
ceramic craft studio where you can get some hands on experience!
Nagoya Aquarium -
http://www.nagoyaaqua.jp/
(Click on English button to download PDF file
with map and entrance fee details)
It's best to go here by public transport, using the map on the above
website. During Golden Week, opening hours are 9:30 to 20:00, and
there are restaurants and shops in the area so you can really make a
date of it. Dolphin Show Times: 29 April-2 May 10:30 /
13:30 / 16:30 / 19:00 3 -5
May 10:00 / 12:30 / 14:00 /
16:30 / 19:00. The Aquarium is usually closed on Mondays, except
where Monday is a public holiday when it will close the next day
instead. Phone number: (052)-654-7080
Nagashima SpaLand -
http://www.nagashima-onsen.co.jp/data/e1_1.html
(Japanese with minimal
English for navigation)
Regular open hours in spring time: Sundays and Holidays
9:00-18:00, Saturdays and weekdays 9:30-17:00, Golden Week: (29&30
Apr, 3,4,5,6,and 7May) 9:00-19:00
Days closed: 26 to 30 June and 29 January to 2 February
Admission: Adults: 1600yen, Elementary and Jr. high school students:
1000yen, Children over 3yrs old: 300yen
Entrance & Amusement park one day passport: Adults: 4100yen,
Elementary and Jr. high students: 3100yen, Children over 3yrs old:
1300yen, Senior(Over 55 yrs old): 2100yen
Access
[By car] Take Nagoya Expressway and Isewangan Road, get off at Wangan
Nagashima IC (about 30minutes drive) Parking: 500yen
[By bus]
Shuttle bus from Meitetsu Bus Terminal Oasis21 Sakae 1000yen(round trip
1800yen) (about 40 minutes)
Phone Number (0594)-45-1111
Hana Festa Kinen Koen
(Flower Park) in Kani city, Gifu Prefecture (website in Japanese only)
Open hours: 9:00-17:00
Days closed: Tuesdays (When it is a National Holiday, closed the next
day) Yearend and New years day
*1
April to 30 June open everyday
Admission:
April to November: Adults 800yen, High school students 500yen,
Elementary and Jr. high students 300yen
December to February: Adults 400yen, High school students: 300yen,
Elementary and Jr. high students 200yen
Children under 6 are free.
Advance tickets are available at Ticket Pia, Familymart, Circle K,
Sunkus, 711
Fun Events for Kids (3 May to 7 May)
3 May ( 11:00 / 14:00 ) Doraemon show at Princess hall Miyabi
4 May (11:00 / 14:00 ) Pocket Monster show at Princess hall Miyabi
(10:00 / 13:00 / 14:00 ) Frisbee
dog show at Ongaku-Hiroba
5 May (11:00 / 14:00 ) Pre-Cure Max Heart show at Princess hall Miyabi
5-7 May (11:00 / 13:00 / 15:00) Fairy Parade
6 May (11:30 / 14:00) “Puss in the Boots after 5 years” at Princess
hall Miyabi
Access:
[By car]
Take R41 to Minokamo-shi and Kani-shi direction. Turn right at
Shimokiri intersection. Go straight for a while. Turn right at Kakida
traffic light. You will see West parking of the park on your left.
Phone Number: (0574)-63-7373
**************************************************
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, 9th of May
Time: 11:30am -
Place: http://www.shooters-nagoya.com/
Price: 1500 yen for buffet lunch and a drink
RSVP: Please RSVP by this
Saturday the 6th of May. RSVP to Sue Conolly at
conolly@p-cafe.net or 090-4186-9459
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 me know if you can come this
time.
**************************************************
9. The
Great Outdoors - Sue Conolly
(This article is copied and
pasted from my blog at
www.sueconolly.net)
My family are avid campers. As a child I remember being taken
camping, and my father teaching me the proper way to set and light a
fire, allowing the air to breathe through the bottom of the pile to
feed the flames as they catch, and then allowing them to fan around the
bigger wood to keep the fire burning. I have carried this love of
camping to my own family now, and my children love camping more than
any other family activity they could think of. Camping rates more
highly in their mind than Tokyo Disneyland, it rated more highly than
the Expo when it was here. It certainly rates much higher than
anything they like to watch on TV. My husband and I take full
credit for having instilled in them a love of the outdoors and respect
for nature.
The other day I travelled with a fellow counsellor and my two children
to the camping ground my family and I often frequent. My husband
was not with us, and so I took the traditional role of lighting the
fire. It took me back to the days of being taught by my father,
and I enjoyed playing the same role for my children. Later, after
they went to bed, I sat in the firelight with my colleague, and we
discussed different scenarios for retreats that we might plan for the
future - parent & child retreats, couples retreats, counsellor
training retreats... There is no idea for a retreat that you can come
up with, that wouldn't work in such a perfect environment.
As we talked in the firelight, the owner of the campground came to join
us, bringing more firewood. He is trained as a psychologist, and
before he owned the campground, worked as a teacher. He chose
this path because of experiences he had as a young man, youth groups
that foccussed on nature. He wanted to make a difference in
people's lives. He also says that he has "Camping Disease"... a
condition that causes him to be depressed when not camping, happy only
when camping. His solution to this was to build his own
campground. This he has done from scratch, and he now leads
workshops in the local village whereby parents and children come to his
campsite to build cubby houses on the mountain. He has found his
way to make a difference in people's lives.
As he, the other counsellor and I sat in our circle, he added logs to
the glowing embers, and slowly blew life into the fire. Seeing
him like that, in that dark red light in the cold night air, he seemed
to me like a magician, breathing magic into life. There is no
better place, no better time to feel the metaphors of life, than when
you are sitting in the dark cold air, with a warm glowing fire and a
million glittering stars above your head.
**************************************************
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