X-Pat Files

Hope International Development Agency Japan announces the annual HOPE at the Hilton Week event which be held from 6th to 12th November 2011 at the Hilton Nagoya.

This year is even more significant as HOPE-JP is celebrating 10 years of presence in Japan -10 years of building sustainable futures for the extreme poor. We would like to thank all those who have made possible the many successful projects that are helping families and communities escape poverty throughout the developing world.

Don’t miss this fantastic week, with many great events and a lot of prizes to win! We are looking forward to seeing you at the Hilton Nagoya!

Contact us for more information at hiltonweek@hope.or.jp or 052-204-0530, or visit us online at our website for more information.

Family Day - November 6th (Sun) 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Have fun making origami animals and vegetables and learn all about HOPE-JP projects in Tohoku and overseas. There will also be an opportunity to send a message to Tohoku with a hand-made origami message card.

HOPE Fitness Challenge - November 6th (Sun) 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Put together a team of 2-8 people, run and bike in a relay fashion and help 5 families get clean water for life.

Charity Cut - November 7th (Mon) 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Need a fresh look? Top stylists from Nagoya will be on hand to cut your hair for just ¥2,000! (minimum donation).
100% of the proceeds will go to our projects overseas!

Relax for Charity - November 8th (Tue) 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Get rid of your stress and enjoy a body massage for a minimum donation of ¥2,000. (30-minute massage per person).
100% of the proceeds will go to our projects overseas!

Meet and Greet Lunch - November 8th (Tue) 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
We’re pleased to welcome again this popular info-swap luncheon who will be coming to the Hilton to participate in the HOPE at the Hilton Week. Come join community newcomers and seasoned long-timers to share information and get acquainted with Nagoya. This will be a buffet style lunch at the Jurgens Bar (2nd floor of the Hilton Hotel) with a presentation about HOPE-JP's projects abroad and work in Tohoku.
Price: ¥2,600 per adult / ¥1,700 per child over 3 (Babysitting available: ¥500)
Contact Erin : erin@hope.or.jp

HOPE-JP Charity Gospel Concert - November 11th (Fri) 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Come enjoy the beautiful seasonal music of some of Nagoya's most talented gospel choirs:
Parkside Gospel Choir, Bethany One Voice Gospel Singers and Prisca Molotsi & Voices Of Praise
The concert will take place in the lobby (1F) of the Hilton Nagoya. Seats are limited so contact us to buy your tickets!
Price: ￥3,000 (The price includes a cake and coffee/tea set and a ￥1,500 donation to HOPE-JP.)
Contact and information: hiltonweek@hope.or.jp or 052-204-0530

5% Dine at the Hilton
During HOPE at the Hilton week, enjoy a nice meal at Hilton Nagoya “The Terrace” restaurant and 5% of your bill will be donated to HOPE-JP’s projects.

Special Raffle
Participate to the week’s events or eat at “The Terrace” Restaurant, and get a chance to participate to our Special Raffle with many great prizes from the Hilton to win!

All in all a great opportunity to help the poor and have fun while you're at it! Mark this fantastic week in your calendar!

I walked to work today and saw the leaves swirling on the sidewalk near Tokyu Hands in Sakae. I thought to myself, what a nice fall day. Time to go see kouyou, or fall colors. I will share with you three spots of note in the Nagoya area that are well worth the trip out to see them.

Korankei Gorge



The most famous, and crowded, of these is easily Korankei Gorge in Asuke City; near Toyota. . Korankei’s 4,000 maple trees explode with vibrant red, yellow, and orange leaves as the trees begin to shed their summer clothes in preparation for the long winter. It is best to arrive in the early evening during the latter part of November. The trees will be in full color by then, and will be lit from below by floodlights, giving the area a magical atmosphere where many couples can be seen walking hand in hand under the trees. This “illumination” begins November first, the hours are from 6-9.



If you are coming by car take route 153 from Toyota city to Asuke City. There is always a lot of traffic during the month of November, and it may take you quite some time to get there and parked before you can enjoy the scenery, but it is worth the trek!

See a Full JIS Article about Korankei Gorge
City of Toyota Site - Japanese

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens



After the headache of getting out to Korankei, you may want to stay in town this weekend. An easier trip is viewing at Nagoya’s Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens near Higashiyama Koen Station on the yellow line. Much smaller, the zoo offers only 500 maples, mostly beautiful Hananoki maple trees. The convenience of the location makes up for the relatively small amount of trees, and the entrance fees required to enter the park.

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Hours　9:00am-4:50pm　(Enter by 4:30pm)
Closed * Mondays (closed the following day if Monday is a national holiday)
PARK MAP - PDF

Yoro No Taki - Yoro Falls



About an hour outside of Nagoya, in Gifu, Yoro no Taki, or Yoro Falls, is located in Yoro Town. The waterfall itself is about 32 meters high, 4 meters wide, and is one of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls. The water from the falls is famously high quality, and is said to have rejuvenating powers.

It can be reached by taking the JR Tokaido Line from Nagoya Station to Ogaki Station (30 minutes, 740yen). From Ogaki, you must transfer to a private rail line for the remaining leg of the journey to Yoro Tetsudo Station (25 minutes, 400yen). From there it is about a 20 minute walk to the park, or a quick cab ride if you prefer.

See a Full JIS Article about Yoro No Taki

I hope you enjoy your fall this year, please let me know where you end up!

Learning to Bow: A Year Inside the Heart of Japan by Bruce Feiler

“The walls of the room were bare except for pedagogic signs…: ‘LET’S PUT FORTH GREAT EFFORT,’ ‘LET’S EAT ALL OUR LUNCH’ and ‘WHEN THE TEACHER CALLS YOUR NAME, IMMEDIATELY ANSWER ‘HAI.’” This was the scene that greeted Bruce Feiler on his first day working in a Japanese junior high school back in 1989. In his book “Learning to Bow”, Feiler draws on his year of experience as one of the first ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in Tochigi Prefecture to explain the ins and outs of the Japanese public education system. From the close teacher-student relationships, to the culture of teamwork and “kumi,” to the dark side of ijime (bullying) and examination hell, he addresses serious educational issues along with the lighter side of living in Japan. Although written in the dying days of the bubble economy, this book still seems fresh and well written.
Well worth a read.



Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me by Lisa Fineberg Cook

Japan is a bit like an onsen. Some people get in the bath, find the temperature to their liking and settle in for a long time. Others jump in, find it unbearable and quickly jump out screaming. Lisa Fineberg Cook is one of the latter. Following her In-style magazine-inspired wedding in L.A., she moves with her new husband Peter to Japan. While hubby Peter teaches English, self-proclaimed Jewish American Princess (J.A.P.) Fineberg-Cook is shocked to find herself trapped at home in a land without clothes dryers, Starbucks (this was the early 2000s) and Nieman Marcus. Somehow, she ventures out to and eventually finds a job, a handbag and a few friends in her new home. Trying to live a Sex and the City lifestyle in Nagoya seems a bit too daunting for the author, but sadly she does manage to find room in her book for some racy scenes perhaps inspired by the (much better) TV series.
Avoid.





Located in the heart of Nagoya, Mondo Books / The Mondo Lounge has been providing quality second-hand English books to the community since 2009. Drop by the Mondo Lounge (mondolounge.jp) near Kamimaezu station or check out our online shop at www.mondo-books.com.

View Larger Map

Like antiques? Whether you are in Japan temporarily, or not, you may be interested in purchasing some Japanese style antique furniture or other knick-knack to take home with you. If you are in the market, you are in the right place. Japan has a lot of Japanese antiques. I am personally a big fan of “Tansu Chests.” Like this one below. They are not cheap, but eventually I would like to buy one of my own to take home with me; either the one in Nagoya, the one across the pond, or more likely; both.

There are a few good places for antiques around Nagoya. My favorite is Antique Market Fukiage, アンティークマーケット吹上. Antique Market is just a short walk from Fukiage Station, and comprises 5 floors of wall to wall things to buy. It will probably take you an hour to peruse it all, and they have everything from cheap little knick-knacks of note to expensive sculpture and last time I was there they even had a full 1920’s style bar. Dark woods, mirrors, and stools to make any man wish he had a den! It is a highly recommended destination.

Antique Market Fukiage

Next we come to Antique Flandre, アンティークフランドル in Minatoku; towards the port. This store has a much better online catalogue, and though I have not been there myself, it seems to have a very large selection. If you are looking for 6 chairs, this might be the spot to start.

Antiques Flandre


Iconic Japan Antiques is a foreign owned shop in Moriyama that specializes in Japanese style antiques. The shop does good business from Japan to overseas via an English website, but you can visit the warehouse if you make an appointment in Advance. Justin Ginthe has been running this online store since 2005, and is building a good name in the antique world.

Iconic Japan

If you are in the market for an item, or just feel like browsing aisles filled with beautiful or interesting old stuff, you can find what you seek at one of these shops. If you know of other antique shops in or around Nagoya, or just have a comment for us, please leave a comment here, or Join the conversation in progress either on Facebook, or Twitter.

Seven Tools of Creative Thinking Workshop with Grant Bosnick; Thursday, October 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

How can you think more creatively, craft better ideas, and develop your mind to perform at a higher level? This workshop will explore 7 tools for creative thinking. In this engaging and challenging workshop, participants will develop their minds to think more creatively using these tools; and by using an experiential exercise, apply this new skill set to their own circumstances and organization.

This workshop is targeted at managers, especially project managers, team leaders, business planners, and others interested in creative thinking. Please note that this workshop involves physical activity, so we ask that you wear comfortable clothing and footwear.

Participants will learn:
- How to open their minds to think more creatively.
- How to brainstorm effectively, filling in gaps of missing information, and grouping and re-grouping to develop "comparative thinking."
- How to develop their minds to be inspired, germinate ideas, and produce more and better results.

What we will do:
- Ice breaker to get comfortable and get to know each other.
- Learn the 7 tools of creative thinking using exercises, role plays and discussion.
- Practice the creative thinking tools using an experiential exercise where participants are given the situation, objective and focus question to a problem; then explore creative ideas to the question, using the new techniques learned.
- Debrief and give feedback, then participants apply the creative thinking tools to a business challenge of their own.

About the Facilitator:
Grant Bosnick is an independent business trainer, facilitator, and coach. He is also a faculty member of Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business and a trainer and coach for American Management Association. He specializes in developing top talent & leaders' skills for problem solving and global leadership.

Thursday, October 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

16F Forrest Room, Oak Lawn Marketing NHK Nagoya Broadcasting Center Bldg. 16F, 1-13-3 Higashi Sakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya
(3 minutes walk via Oasis 21 from Sakae Station off the Higashiyama or Meijo Subway Lines)
MAP: < http://www.oaklawn.co.jp/english/company/index.html>

Non-members: 2,000 yen
Registration Deadline: October 25

To register, please contact Noriko Kato, Operations Manager - The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Nagoya
Tel: 052 229-1525
Fax: 052 222-8272
Email: < nkato@accj.or.jp>

Water Eco Park is Japan’s largest freshwater aquarium. The aquarium is a part of the Kiso River Water Park in Gifu, roughly a 40 minute drive north east of Nagoya. The Kiso River Water Park offers the opportunity to feel "real" nature. Admission is free to the park itself, and there are lots of things to see and do within it. Between the park and the aquarium you and your family could spend the entire day there!

www.kisosansenkoen.go.jp

The aquarium itself celebrates and compares the nature of Japan’s freshwater river ecosystems with other systems like the Mekong, Congo, and Amazon rivers. Through educational and interactive exhibits the aquarium help visitors explore relationships between people and the rivers. The aquarium boasts a large collection of animals that live in or near the Nagara River, one of three big rivers that cross the Nobi Plain here in the Tokai Region, Mekong, Congo, Amazon Rivers, and Lake Tanganyika. Some interesting things to see; the Giant Mekong Catfish, and an electric eel that became famous in Christmas of 2007 for lighting up a Christmas tree.

Here is a video of the seal show; I thought seals were salt water animals!


aquatotto.com
Read more
Google Map

1453, KawashimaKawada-cho,
Kagamigahara C. Gifu Pref.

岐阜県各務原市川島笠田町1453
TEL 05-8689-8200

By public transport
From Gifu Station, get on a city bus bound for Kawashima Matsukura 川島松倉.
Get off at the KawashimaKasada川島笠田stop.
The park is a 15 minute walk from that stop.

Yakitori in a nutshell: kill chicken, put on stick, grill over fire, and eat. The world at large suffers a serious lack of meat on a stick options, but Japan is a glorious exception to this rule. Here, you can get basically anything on a stick. Once while viewing the fall colors at Korankei, near Toyota City, I ate grilled sparrow. How could I say no to that? It was tasty. As expected.

Yakitori, literally translates as grilled chicken, and belongs to the family of Japanese foods called kushiyaki - 串焼き, which simply means skewer grilled. It sounds simple, but a great chef with quality ingredients and seasonings can make it taste like a whole lot more.

More specifically, yakitori consists of between 3 and 10 small pieces of chicken meat or innards (properly, ofal) skewered on a bamboo stick, seasoned, and grilled; generally over charcoal. You will find most dishes offered in either salt or tare flavor. They will probably ask which you prefer when you order. Salt, or shio 塩-しお-シオ, is simply salted at grilling, but tare たれ-タレ is a sauce usually made with mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar- although really, how many Japanese foods are NOT made with those ingredients? Variety people; look into it! The tare is brushed on before and during grilling. Some places have set menus and do not offer a choice of flavors, but most do.

Yakitori焼き鳥 - やきとり -ヤキトリcan be written in pretty much any of the Japanese scripts, though in kanji seems to be the most common. Keep an eye out for a lantern thing with some of the script above on it and you will be golden for your meat on a stick fix. Here are some common varieties of yakitori that are readily available.

• toriniku, white meat, usually breast meat
• tebasaki (手羽先), are chicken wings (remember that dance?)
• tsukune (つくね), are chicken meatballs (I am keen on these)
• (tori)kawa ((とり)かわ)is chicken skin, grilled crispy ( love this with salt)
• negima (ねぎま) are pieces of chicken alternating with pieces of green onion (ネギ)
• bonjiri (ぼんじり),are chicken tails (love these too)
• nankotsu (なんこつ), are chicken cartilage (interesting , this one)
• rebā (レバー), is liver (these are best just a bit raw in the middle!)
• hatsu (ハツ) or kokoro (こころ), are chicken hearts
• sunagimo (砂肝), or zuri (ずり) are chicken gizzards
• shiro (シロ),　are a chicken’s small intestines (don’t think, just eat it!)

For a list of good places in Nagoya to try some yakitori, see the full text of this article at www.japaninfoswap.com. If you have questions about Japan why not ask at @japaninfoswap, or post on the wall at facebook/japaninfoswap

How To Make Chicken Yakitori — Video Recipe: Make delicious yakitori skewers.

Its October again, and all it entails; all color viewing, eating sanma, and getting a bit of relief from the heat of summer! As usual in Nagoya, this is also for some reason the party time of the year in the foreign community. For many years, large Halloween parties at clubs have dominated the discussion from early October until the day of the events; sometimes October 31st, but more often a day or two prior.

One of the most interesting things about the Halloween party club scene this year is the battle between the Sexy Halloween Party, presented by Super Eight Productions and NAGMAG, and Stereophonic’s yearly tradition "The Absolute Halloween.” Same day, same time, and both presented by two powerhouses of Nagoya’s nightlife.

The Sexy Halloween Party bills itself as “the exclusive, classy Halloween event you've been waiting for!” I know classy, and I can tell you; Sexy Space Devil Pole, and Sizzling Sexy Cage Dancers are on that list. There is even going to be Sexy Dance Costume Contests! All to the beat of 7 top local
(DJ Paulo atNight, DJ Dij, DJ Mai, DJ Junk, DJ Rich, DJ Rafa, DJ Ghost Willy) I am partial to this list, as DJ Ghost Willy is not only an excellent DJ, but a good friend of mine. Check out his FB page! Entrance to Gens the second is ￥3000, or ￥2000 with a pre-purchased ￥500 VIP invitation pass. Additional food and beverage are listed as ￥500.

Stereophonic's Absolute Halloween boasts of last years attendance, when 1,100 people spread themselves, and in no way thinly, over four separate clubs for a crazy night of drunken debauchery. 2011’s offering includes 5 venues, all less than a minute from each other, for the price of one event! The venues this year include Club JB’s, Club About, Café Domina, Tightrope, and the Red Rock. Acts are too numerous to list here, the site says "50+ plus performers so expect to be dazzled with amazing dancers, drag queens, dj's and so much more!" I do not have more details than that, but from word of mouth it was a blast last year, and promises to be a blast this year too. Prices are not listed, but I assume they will be similar to Sexy.

I am very interested in how this battle of the events will turn out. Currently, Sexy has edged to the lead in Facebook signups at 190, but Absolute is coming in strong too with 181. I am going to keep my eye on this, and am eager to see who will claim the title of “Biggest Halloween Bash in Nagoya” for 2011.

See the event pages here:
Sexy

Absolute

Let’s keep our eyes on this rivalry; it is sure to bring out the best in both events and make where ever you go a party to remember, but there can be only on “Biggest Halloween Bash in Nagoya.”

Ladies and gentlemen; let the fun begin!