X-Pat Files

Cross Cultural Training Event: Thursday, September 22nd

Newly arrived in Japan? Still finding your bearings? Join Jillian Mickleborough-Sugiyama, certified Canadian psychotherapist and counsellor, to learn more about cross-cultural transitions and the acculturation process. In this seminar you will learn:

• A framework for understanding what to expect during the transition
• How the "U-Curve", or Honeymoon, Disenchantment and Adjustment phases, may look different for each family member
• Tips on how to assess and improve you support system
• The importance of realistic goal setting during your sojourn

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Jillian is a Canadian citizen and a long-term resident of Nagoya. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience relating to life transitions and cultural diversity. Before completing her Master of Counseling degree and establishing herself in private practice, she spent the beginning years of her career as a lawyer and later consulting with culturally diverse clients of all ages.

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Details

Venue: Hongo Community Center*
Babysitting service: Available
Date and time: Thursday, September 22nd from 10-11:45am (reception from 9:45-10am)
Cost: Free of charge
Meet and greet: (Optional) from 12-13:30pm at a nearby Indian restaurant (lunch is at the participant’s own expense)

Registration
Registration closes on September 19th, so be sure to sign up quickly! *We will send you directions on how to get to the venue when you register.

To sign up please email: Abigail_Lloyd@MoreThanRelo.com, or call 052-973-3957.

Interested in buying a used car wholesale or just seeing a real car auction site?



If you are interested in buying a used car at whole sale prices to either use while here in Japan or to ship back home, here is an opportunity to see the auction houses first hand and see what kind of cars they have on offer each week.

USS Car Auction in Nagoya operates every week on Friday and have on average 6,000 to 8,000 cars up for auction each week. This auction site is a member’s only area where many used car retailers both source and sell their stock. By being able to buy from these auction sites, you are guaranteed to get prices 10 – 20% cheaper than most car dealers. Cars range from brand new (less than 50kms mileage) to quite old but very cheap and most models are on offer each week.

Lease Japan is organizing a tour of the actual auction site in Nagoya on two Friday’s in September and we are inviting a limited number of clients to come along and see how these auctions operate. As it is a member’s only area, we are limited to taking 4 clients on each date.
If you are interested in auctions or actually looking to buy a car, please sign up for one of the available dates. Please note the following restrictions:

1. You will view the cars, start the engines, inspect the inside but cannot drive any;
2. You will not be allowed into the actual bidding rooms due to USS restrictions;
3. We can pick you up at Kanayama Station (South exit) at 9:30am and go in our car;
4. Tour participation is Free. Lunch is at own expense.
5. We will teach you how to read the Auction Sheet and inspect for damage or accident history.



For anyone interested in actually purchasing a car after participating on this tour, we have a special offer for participants. We will source and find your car, register it in your name and delivery the car with an explanation for a special flat fee of JPY80,000 (plus sales tax) and actual costs.

Please contact Lease Japan at Contactus@LeaseJapan.com to secure your seat on this tour.
Lease Japan a division of H&R Consultants

Tel. 052-973-3957
www.LeaseJapan.com

They say Utsumi Beach has the finest sand in the world, but probably only the Japanese say that. It is a great beach though, is well known throughout the Tokai region for its beauty. Its 1.6km length is a nice bow shape, and you can rent parasols and buy beer, drinks, and food just off the sand. I have been a few times when DJs were playing, and there was no shortage of people enjoying the music. The beach is crowded, but well worth the trip. What are you doing this weekend??

By Train Meitetsu Chita Shinsen Line from either Nagoya Station or Kanayama - about 1 hour. 20 minute walk from Utsumi Station to the beach.
By Car 7 minutes by car from Minamichita IC on the Chita Peninsula Expressway.

Contact
Minamichita Tourism Association
Tel : 0569-65-0711
Fax : 0569-65-0694
HP http://minamichita-kk.com/

Learn how to make OKONOMIYAKI!

When: Thursday, September 29, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where: Cooking room, 2F Toyota Sangyo Bunka Center (5 minutes walk from Meitetsu Toyota-shi Station)

Participants: Foreign residents who live in and around Toyota City; maximum number of participants accepted: 20 adults
Content: Cooking and tasting of okonomiyaki and fig compote ice cream.

Recipes and explanation are available in English and Japanese.

Bring your own apron.
Instructor: Mrs. Kuniko Kuwana
Fee: 800 yen (includes ingredients)

Application: Starts from September 20 at Toyota International Association, Tel: 37-0400 (TIA)
or contact TIA Volunteer group E-IFF e-mail: enjoytoyota05@yahoo.co.jp

Recipe!

Live in a Japan for any longer than about a day and you will run smack into Yoshinoya, or some other variety of gyudon, or simmered beef served on top of steamed rice. IF you discount Curry Rice, it is probably the most popular fast food in Japan. If you make it at home, I pretty much guarantee that if you make it at home it will be better, and it’s really not that hard.

4 servings

Ingredients:
• 4 cups steamed rice
• 1 lb thin sliced beef, cut to 2 inches
• 1 onion, thin sliced
• 1 1/3 cup dashi (fish stock) soup
• 5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sake
• Benishoga, pickled red ginger, *optional- this is a topping

Prep:
Put dashi, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake in a large pan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Add onion slices and simmer for a few minutes or until softened. Add beef in the pan and simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot steamed rice into individual deep rice bowls. Put simmered beef on top of the rice. Top with some benishoga if you would like.

Good luck, and happy dining!

Japan can get hot, hot and sticky. I am not a big fan of hot weather; there is no qualifying statement to follow, I really hate it. I am always looking for ways to keep cool, with marginal levels of success unfortunately. One big hit for me was ice tea. Green tea is OK, but a nice tall, sweetened with sugar and lemon, and fully ice cubed glass of ice tea can make life nearly bearable until the ice melts. Traditionally ice tea is made by placing the container in the sun, but this can actually be a little dangerous, as the heat is much lower than boiling, and nearly perfect for bacterial growth.

An alternative, safer, alternative is to brew the tea in your refrigerator. The process is basically the same; add loose tea or bags to a container of water with a good lid, but put it in the fridge for about 12 hours instead of on the porch. This tea can also go bad, so be sure to keep an eye on it before you add sugar and lemon. If it smells funky or develops particulates throw it out and start again.

If you love iced tea but don't want to heat up the kitchen, consider refrigerator brewing your next batch. Simply add loose tea or bags to a container, add water, place a tight lid on top, and leave it in your fridge for 12 hours.

Keep cool!

Just about an hour outside of Nagoya on the Kintetsu line is a mountain I know very well. I have climbed Gozaisho-Dake’s 1,210 meter peak no less than 10 times. It is a great hike up the highest peak in the Suzuka Mountain Range, and its peak offers great views of Shiga and Mie Prefectures, the beautiful snowcapped Japan Alps, as well as the waters of Ise Bay and Lake Biwa. On a very good day, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. This is a great spot to visit whether hiking or riding up the rope way gondola to the top. It is a beautiful place, and it even has a restaurant and gift shop on top where you can get some curry and coffee – a BIG bonus when you hike up in the winter and find yourself in a snow storm!

This is not actually why I have been there so many times though. I am a member of the Chubu International Hiking Club, and when I am not slaving away at one of my many jobs and community service projects, which is pretty much every weekend, I attend. For some reason, every time I get a weekend off and a hike is scheduled-it is Gozaisho. It has become a running joke in the club, actually. Mostly just between me and Sergio, but I digress.
Gozaishodake is right on the border of Shiga and Mie. It takes about 1 hour from Nagoya on the Kintetsu line, but you can also ride a bus from Sakae Station to Yuno Yama Onsen, and that will actually dump you closer to where you want to be. The train stops about a 30 minute walk up hill to the onsen area. You can also ride infrequent buses or a taxi up from there.

A little farther uphill from the bus station you will find a 2.161 kilometer long ropeway, supposedly the longest in Asia, which takes passengers 780 meters up the mountain, where you can enjoy some great views, and the curry I mentioned earlier. If you go up during winter to ski, you can catch the ski lift from that point.

I highly recommend going up during the usual great times to see anything; autumn and spring. The fall colors are particularly great there, though they do not do “illumination,” so don’t go expecting that. There are plenty of onsen in the area, so this would make a great day trip.

I would wander around the town (if you are brave then the trails around town are nice too!) for a couple of hours in the morning, take the ropeway up in the afternoon, and then sit in the onsen for a bit before heading home. I have actually done that once, and it was fun. Be careful if you plan to ride the bus; it stops early! If you don’t feel like rushing, why not stay in an onsen for the night? The mountain air is a lot cooler than the city…

My personal favorite Onsen, or Japanese style bath, is the Hotel du Marrionier (Tel: 059 392 3210), which is very close to the bus station. It is a big place, and features outdoor baths- which everyone knows are best in snow! Entrance should be 1000 yen for adults, probably 500 for kids.

Official Mount Gozaisho Site

On Wednesday, the Japanese government announced it had adopted legislation that extends the child-rearing allowance program by six months, which will allow the program to run until the end of March 2012. The allowance was modified in some ways in a compromise between party factions, but remains largely the same.

In 2012, the program will scrapped in favor of an "enhanced version of the child financial support system" used under a previous LDP-New Komeito coalition government.

Most people reading this will see no change to their current child allowances; no worries people, the kids will continue to pay out a bit longer!

Here is a related article on the child allowance in Japan

Changes to child benefit laws in Japan will benefit foreign families as well!

This park was an old favorite of mine when I used to live in Konan City. I am not sure if the whole complex counts as being part of the park, but there were spots to play sports, and all kinds of things to do there. The 138 Park Tower has some nice views, and the surrounding flower garden is a great place to walk.

The name 'Ichino-mi-ya' can be read as the number '138' in Japanese. You might not know this about the Japanese people, but they love that kind of thing, and so the number pops up regularly locally. The Ichinomiya Twin Arch 138 is the tallest arch-style tower in Asia at 138m. The tower sports and observation deck at 100 meters with a 360-degree view of the Nobi Plain, including the course of the Kiso River. You can also see the peaks of the Japan Alps, Ise Bay, and if you look carefully, Nagoya Station’s JR Central Towers in the distance. There is what is described as an “elegant buffet,” but I remember more as a kind of cafeteria up there, and I actually did enjoy drinking my coffee in it. Great view; much different than my usual view from some Starbucks or another in Nagoya. Interesting sites: a village constructed entirely on an island in the Kiso River, and a description of a battle that occurred in the area back in the way back days.



The surrounding area is largely parkland, and the garden is especially nice to visit during Cherry Blossom Season (!). Spring and summer are a pleasant time to visit the Rose Stream, a garden comprised of more than 4000 roses. It is a nice place to stroll, with half the walk passing through the flowers and trees, including many decorative plants cut into animal shapes, and the other half along the river side. There are many places to sit, and at certain times of year the whole area is lit up in “illumination,” or what I refer to as Christmas lights.



Why not take a trip out to Ichinomiya this weekend and hang out at the park?

Admission
The park grounds are free to wanderer!
To go up Ichinomiya Twin Arch 138 it is 500 yen for adults (15+) 500yen, kids (6 -14) 200yen , Preschoolers (4 - 5) 100yen, and 65 or older 250yen.
On certain days you can climb the staircase for 100 yen.

Hours
9:30-17:00 (Weekdays)
9:30-21:00 (Saturday, Sunday, holiday, August1-31 and November 23- December25)

The park is closed the 2nd Monday of each month except for August and December.
(Closed on Tuesday if Monday falls on a national holiday.), and December 26 - 30

Address
21-3, Aza Urazaki, Oaza Komyoji, Ichinomiya C. Aichi Pref.
0586-51-7105
Website

Access
From Meitetsu Ichinomiya Sta. on the Meitetsu Line or Owari-Ichinomiya Sta. on the JR Line take the Meitetsu bus bound for Sango Nishi. Get off at the Komyoji stop, which takes about 20 minutes. From there it is a 5-min. walk.

Take the Ichnomiya-Kisogawa exit on the Meishin Expressway and drive northbound on route 22 for approximately 20 minutes. Look for the tower eh?

Thanks to Kikuo's website!

You are not going to get many complaints from me about living in Japan. I am generally pretty happy here. But I still prefer to use products and eat foods I am familiar with from my own country; decent peanut butter, for one thing. There are lots of products from back home that I could do without, but prefer not to. My brand of bathroom soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and vitamins are hard to give up. As is the afore mentioned peanut butter, real pancake mix and syrup, granola bars, refried beans, salsa, and really big jars of mixed nuts… ok, now I am making myself hungry.

It makes it living in Japan a bit easier if you can get things you are familiar with is my point; makes sense, right? At least once a year I used to make a trip to Osaka to visit Costco to stock up and drag a suitcase full of peanut butter, refried beans, and other assorted products that may or may not survive the trip home intact. Recently, I started to ship it back home straight from Costco instead. I know I can buy it all online, and it is cheaper when you consider train fare or express way fees, but Costco reminds me of home so it is like a cheap trip back to Seattle. Being in Osaka though, it is impossible to drop in and pick up a few odds and ends without scheduling a whole day and going through a lot of hassle, so sometimes I will order things online to tide me over until my next “vacation” to Costco.

If you are looking for western products in Japan, there are a few places online where you can find them. Several sites simply stock the exact same things you find in Costco, but sell the products separately, rather than in bulk. You can also get items shipped from Ikea, and at least one site imports products themselves direct from the United States. Some of it is expensive, some of it is cheap, and you may or may not be able to get the brand you are looking for, but you can usually find what you need online if you go to the right place!

I have gathered a list of places online you can find western products. This is of course a partial list, and I am very interested to hear your feedback on other sites to get what you need to survive in Japan without going a bit crazy. (I am still looking for a place where I can get 100 proof Southern Comfort; any ideas?) If you do not have a credit card, like me, you can usually pay at the convenience store, or cash on delivery is available from Amazon. Being horribly lazy, I find COD is the best option for me and try to buy from Amazon whenever possible because of it.

So, here are a few sites I was able to come up with; like I said, if you can think of anymore please let me know! The first list is of sites with an English page, the second are fantastic sites that are only available in Japanese.
 
SITES AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH

Rakuten – Japan’s most popular shopping site; you can pretty much get anything here.

Amazon – Amazon is also very popular, but offers less of a selection than Rakuten in general.

Alishan Organic Center – Previously Tengu – This site imports organic and vegetarian foods from different parts of the world.

Village wine cellars – Village Cellars sells wines with a wide variety of styles, price points, and from different regions. They have over 200 current vintages in stock.

BeerFly – Great selection of beers from around the world; delivered! No US beer though…grrr. It is not all Budweiser! Try a Mac & Jacks beer and tell me again the US has terrible beer! Stock it guys! Please?

Expat Express – Based in the US, they sell and ship common, everyday U.S. grocery items. They may be able to special order for you pretty easily.

Next – Sells Women’s clothing in reasonable sizes; “exciting, beautifully designed, excellent quality clothing, accessories and shoes.”

The Foreign Buyers Club – sells common, everyday U.S. grocery items. Some are from Costco, some are imported directly.

The Flying Pig – sells items available at Costco in Japan. They keep it simple!

The Meat Guy – sells the best meat in Japan, as well as other specialty food items. I kid you not he has full turkeys for Thanksgiving, turducken for Christmas, and even odd bits like croc tail. Well worth a look if you are a fan of meat.

Yoyo Market – Resells Ikea, Costco, and other company’s goods: common foreign grocery and furniture items.

Fit Life Japan – Health, fitness, and lifestyle items from Japan. Not imported items, but probably easier than trying to find healthy products and figure out what they are in a Japanese store.

Japan Zone – Interesting items from Japan; they sell those cool ninja socks, among other things.

Ikea – Western style furniture in Japan! Do I need to mention how cheap it is? This is a great spot for anyone who wants to live nice on a budget. I wish they had one closer to Nagoya!

 
SITES AVAILABLE IN JAPANESE ONLY

Nissen - Lots of items available, very good for bedding and furniture.

GMarket – Lots of items available.

Kakau – My friend said it all “you can get anything for the cheapest price.” This is a great place to shop or check prices on electronics.

Aeon Shop – You can buy your groceries online, among other things. Spend over 5000 yen and get free shipping.

Why live without it? Go online and BUY it!