X-Pat Files

There has recently been a change in the law regarding child benefits. Before this change only parents who had a low income in the previous financial year (in Japan) were entitled to receive child benefits. Now with the new law, all parents with children who were born after April 2nd 1995 will be eligible to receive this benefit. The benefit is JPY 13,000 per child per month.

Japan is expensive, and living here for four years has accustomed me to 40-dollar pizzas and 100-dollar T-shirts. Hell, I barely double take at 200-dollar melons anymore. It's only when I travel that I'm reminded of how astronomically pricey consumer goods are in Japan.

Japan's "Alien Registration System" amongst other things will be changing in July of 2012 in a large overhaul of the Immigration System. The main points in the changes are:

1. The introduction of a new "Resident Card" system for foreigners, which will basically take the "visa" out of your passport and put it in your wallet in the form of a ID card containing an IC chip.
2. The extension of periods of stay from 3 years to 5 years for most visa categories.
3. Exemption from needing a "Re-Entry Permit" if you are out of Japan for less than 12-months

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.

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

Learn a few basics about tea and the tea ceremony, and where you can experience a Japanese Tea Ceremony in Tokyo and Nagoya

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.

Manga artists haven opens in Osu!