easypeasyJapanesy

KIZUNA311

2011-03-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is a link for KIZUNA 311.

There are messages sent to the people in the affected areas from Japanese actors and actresses including Ken Watanabe.

Japan Crisis Unit at FCO

2011-03-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

Diane, one of the members of HITOMI-kai is now at FCO Japan Crisis unit to help out the helpline for UK naitonals in Japan.

Here's from the link:

The Foreign Office has established a crisis unit and set up a helpline for UK nationals in Japan and their relatives back home. That number is +44(0)207 008 0000. So far, we have taken more than 1200 phone calls.

Japan Tsunami

2011-03-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Urgent appeal

The devastation is utterly incredible. I am still in shock to see what has happened and is still happening in the Sanriku coast, Japan. Japan is facing now a nuclear power plant crisis. The death toll in Miyagi prefecture may reach 10,000. The Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, said that the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear incident is the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of World War II. The rescue teams are coming from the all over the world to help. The number of the people in the rescue operations including the troops, police forces and the overseas teams are reaching 350,000. One of my friends in Japan said that hearing the news about how many people are coming from all over the word to help Japan is very encouraging and inspiring.

I have set up a charity account for people to donate money. I am planning to visit local schools to talk about the earthquake and the effect of the disaster to raise school education fund especially for the children in the most affected area, Miyagi prefecture.

For more details, click here.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-12T07:17:00.001-08:00

The time goes by and there are more devastating news about the aftermath around the northern
coast line of Japan, Sanriku kaigain.

It has been announced that the nuclear reactors in Fukushima are going to be decommissioned soon. They are planning to pour sea water in a industrial level into the reactors to cool down. Hope that will stop further disaster.

Pray for the people there.

Japanese Cinema week

2011-03-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Back to the Future
Japanese Cinama Since the mid-90's

11th March - 16th March every evening at 20:30

More information - Click here.

Enjoy it!

I love this! 'Do you speak English?'

2011-02-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHKqRMT9KGc&feature=related

Sushi Evening

2011-02-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Japanese cookery teacher Hiroko Clark is going to demonstrate the art of making sushi. You will get to make some yourself. Our Japanese teacher Kiyoko will be giving you tips on Japanese table manners too.

Come and join us on Friday 11^th March!

from 6pm to 7:30pm

at Nottingham Language Academy
book a place
enquiries@NottinghamLanguageAcademy.co.uk

Blogs on Japan - See Japan through eyes of David Warren HM Ambassador to Japan

2010-09-10T02:52:00.000-07:00

Hi

Long time since my last blog. Thanks to the threat from the Blogger, I am posting a blog before it gets deleted from the site!

I have just started following very interesting, inspirational and up-to-date blogs about Japan by HM Ambassador to Japan, David Warren. He has been an Ambassador since 2008. He has already shown his passion and his commitments to strengthen the relationship between UK and Japan. I met him (not really personally) at the event to support business in the East Midlands in March. He made a very inspirational speech there.

Here's his blog address:

http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/warren/

Enjoy it!

* The top page photo is from http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/warren/.

Art of 'tai yaki'

2010-05-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

It was at Shimbashi station in Tokyo. The man was making mini 'tai-yaki', which is a sweet cake with different types of cream inside. It was so fascinating that we bought two bags of them and watched how to make them. As you can see, he was matriculate about every action of making them. This represents the Japanese culture of 'attention to detail': origami, manufacturing, engineering, architect and art, of course.

The China has probably overtook us in the economical figures but we are still leading the way in many industries. And we stay proud of ourselves creating amazing things.

Let's carry on!

cherry blossom さくら　サクラ　桜

2009-04-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm travelling with my family at the moment. As we travelled, we saw 'sakura' everywhere in Japan. we are very lucky to follow the cherry blossom every where we've been. Our chasing 'sakura' started in Kamakura (starting from the bottom).

From the top:

Nara Todaiji
Nara 'Goju no tou' Five story's tower
Kumamoto Minami Aso (South Aso) - Jigoku Onsen (the hell hot spring!)
** can you see the wind power turbines in the distance??
Kamakura
Kamakura kenchoji temple

Sakura has very shot life; when we got back to Kamakura after 7 days, all the blossoms were replaced with the leaves.

Spring has come already.

2009-03-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

Spring has come earlier this year. The first cherry blossom called 'somei yoshino' has been spotted in Fukuoka already. It's the earliest since 1953. The temperature has been rising in the area of Fukuoka since February; the average temperature was recorded for 9.8C.

Departure - 2008 Oscar for BEST Foreign Language film!

2009-03-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

Watch out for this film this spring.

Oscar for this year's (2008) BEST foreign language film went to Japan's Departures, a film about a classical musician who prepares bodies for burial.

It took 15 years the actor Masahiro Motoki to persuage a director to make a film about death, which no one thought it would be accecpted as the theme of a film. The time has changed under the economic crisis and the credit crunch. People started thinking about the life more than ever...

This is a MUST see film this year! I'm going to watch it while I'm in Japan in a couple of weeks.

Japan Day - cooking sushi

2009-03-13T03:27:00.001-07:00

Another video footage of the Japan Day at Loughborough University. Hiroko Clarke demonstrated how to make sushi (hoso maki: thin seaweed wrapped sushi). She gave a good tip and made sushi making look so much easier!

If you want to learn more about Japanese cooking, here's the contact details:

hiroko@japaneseideas.co.uk
Japanese Ideas - Cookery 80 Portland Road, Toton, Beeston, NOTTINGHAM, NG9

These are useful sites for future Japanese events:

Japan Foundation
http://www.jpf.org.uk/

The Japan Society
http://www.japansociety.org.uk/

Embassy of Japan
http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/event/feature.html

Japan Day - Aikido

2009-03-13T02:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on Japan Day on 7th March. It was a very fun and exciting day to discover Japan to everyone who came to the event. This is from the Kyushinkan Aikido demonstration. It represented the beauty of the marshal art; there was a spirit of Japanese culture. Reigi (manners), Kata (form) and Nintai (enduarnce) were idnetified in each action of aikido movements.

Kyu Shin Kan AKIDO www.kyushinkan.com

2009-03-03T06:00:00.001-08:00

My Japanese friend is running a cookery course for Japanese food. Here are some details.

from http://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(japanese-ideas)_132484.htm

Japanese Ideas - Cookery

80 Portland Road,
Toton,
Beeston,
NOTTINGHAM,
NG9 6EW

Japanese Ideas is a unique business offering hands on cookery class by native Japanese to anyone who is interested in Japanese cooking. Although Japanese cuisine became popular, many people do not know about it other than raw fish. Japanese Ideas introduces Japanese home cooking, the dishes ordinary Japanese people eat at home, the dishes taught by mothers and grandmothers.

Types of class
Sushi class - three different types sushi and miso soup.
Dinner party class - your choice of four dishes and rice

Both are 3-hour-class starting with welcome Japanese tea followed by talking about the dish, cooking together and eating together.

Japanese ideas is managed by Hiroko Clark who came to England in 1989. The foreign cuisine was not popular at that time and the words “TV chef” were not invented, but now there are so many cooking programmes on TV and exotic ingredients are widely available. Hiroko thinks it is important to learn authentic food from the natives.

Local catering service is also available by request.

2009-02-27T01:23:00.000-08:00

EVENT DETAILS.
The Loughborough University is to host ‘Japan Day’ on Saturday 7th March. Organised in association with the Leicestershire Japan Society and the Japan Embassy in the UK. The event is also part of the Japan-UK 150 programme organised by the Embassy to celebrate 150 years of friendship between the two countries. Japan Day will take place in the EHB (Edward Herbert Building) between 10.30am – 4.30pm on Saturday 7th March. Entrance to the event is free of charge and all are welcome. During the day visitors will have the opportunity to see or take part in the following: Kimono dressing, flower arranging, origami, Noh theatre, martial arts, tea ceremony, Japanese cinema, furoshiki, Japanese music, sushi, go, Japanese calligraphy and more! There will also be information available during the day on Japanese gardens, travel and the Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme (JET).
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/whatson/event2126.html

This information is from the website:
http://www.inloughborough.com/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=551&day=2009-3-7&c=1

Peace of mind and vitality

2009-01-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

The photo is from 'Financial Times.

Our Prime Minister Aso is doing 'kakizome' - special New Year calligraphy using a brush and a black ink. His resolution for the government is 'peace of mind and vitality': 'Anshin' and 'Katsuryoku'. It sounds good to me. I hope a year of OX 2009 will keep us healthy and happy.

Japanese love Hollywood stars - Nihon jin wa Hollywood ga osuki!

2008-10-06T02:57:00.000-07:00

Japanese people love Hollywood stars. Do you remember the film 'Lost in translation'; Bill Murray was being shot for a Suntory TV commercial. The companies pay millions pounds to get Japanese favorite Hollywood actors and actresses to be on their adverts. It seems it works; they believe the high profile raise their corporate image.

Look at this, the first one is with Cameron Diaz. This is an ad on the train for Soft bank, a mobile phone company. If you had their mobile phone, you would be as sexy as Cameron. The other one is with Tommy Lee Jones, who is the most famous among Japanese from the film 'Men in black'. This is an advert on the train for can coffee BOSS. There's a funny TV commercial, in which he is a miner switching off dynamite, being a brave man. There are many more; The most famous British couple in Japan, Beckham and his wife, Victoria were featuring the beauty salon company.

Sushi chef in Tokyo - Sushi Kan

2008-09-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Do you like fish? Then you must try Sushi. The fish are usually caught in the very early morning and brought to the market and sold to fish mongers and sushi chefs.

The sushi chef is preparing the fish in the most delicate way. This sushi restaurant is located in Roppongi. It's like a jewel in the busy and bustling city; it's very tranquil and they serve the most delicious sushi. Again, 'Gochiso sama' (thank you for the delicious sushi, chef!).

Oishii Sukiyaki - delicious sukiyaki

2008-09-23T14:29:00.001-07:00

There was a song called 'Sukiyaki' (or 'Ue o muite aruko') in the 60's sung by Kyu Sakamoto, a Japanese singer who died from a plane crash tragically like Sonny. The song was nothing to do with this dish but Americans named the song because it was from Japan. Sukiyaki was treated as a national dish by them.

Sukiyaki is truly a very traditional hot pot dish. It's a very popular dish for foreigners. You can see it in the video clip; there were thin sliced beef, lots of seasonal vegetable, tofu, kon-nyaku (jelly type vegetable), and more cooked in soy sauce and sugar based sauce. After they are ready, you eat them in a small ball with a raw beaten egg. That's how Japanese people eat sukiyaki in the most parts of Japan.

It's a very friendly food; you share the food cooked in one pot. It's good in summer; you eat it with cold beer. It's good in winter; you eat it with hot sake (rice wine).

By the way, this is my family. My sister is stirring the pot and my nephew is ready to eat sukiyaki. It was delicious! Gochiso-sama (Thank you for the nice meal.).

Women only 'Josei senyo sha'

2008-09-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

What do you think this is. May I say that Japan is the only country which has got this?

This is written on platform floors of tube stations in Tokyo. It indicates that a door of a train for only women stops here. It works from a first train till 0930. In the car, there are only women enjoying their commuting without feeling vulnerable about molesters (or perverts). It's terrible to even just think about it. I was a victim as well when I was commuting to office in a packed car in the morning.

Priority Seat 'Yusen seki'

2008-09-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a sign for giving away your seats for those who need it. It's called 'priority seat'. It says, 'Please give away your seat, because there's someone who needs it.' in a very polite way. In this area, which is usually at the end of the car (each side), you need to switch off your mobile phones completely too. There might be a person who has got a pace maker in the heart, which would be disturbed by the phone.

The fact is that people sometimes don't give away their seats; they are very tired... or whatever the reason it is, they don't. Especially young people tend not to. They are too shy to do it, or don't know what to say. Just stand up and say 'Dozo (please)'. It's as simple as that, isn't it?

I saw an old man standing in front of people saying 'one of you should stand up for me'. There were two young ones and one middle aged (in her 50's) women. This middle aged woman stood up immediately, but the old man said 'No, no not you.'. Finally one of the young ones gave away his seat. I was very impressed with the old man's braveness. Good for him.

You would give your seat to people in need, wouldn’t you without any hesitation?

Plastic food display

2008-09-17T06:54:00.001-07:00

This is art. Well, this is at Chinese noodle shop. I must admit it is not the most beautiful display.

These are made from plastic. They look like real food. Outside many restaurants in Japan, just by the entrance, they show you what sort of food is being served at restaurant. It's very convenient for non-Japanese travelers, who have no idea what type of restaurant they are about to go in.

Itadaki masu! (Good appetite! a Japanese greeting before eating.)

Suica - Japanese style oystar card

2008-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

This is a drink vending machine in Tokyo. You can buy drinks from this machine with no cash. You use a rail card called 'suica'. The suica card is just like a oyster card in London but can be used for most of public transport: JR, tubes, bus, and you can shop as well. At lots of kiosk at station, you don't need to take out your purse but use this card.

When you are in Tokyo, go to any JR station and ask for a card. Only Y500 (£2.5 or $5) deposit will allow you to have this most convenient thing to have for travelling. Of course you need to top up your card with cash or by credit card at a ticket machine at station.

Japanese breakfast 'Asa gohan' at Japanese inn

2008-08-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is breakfast at ryokan, Japanese inn. On the tray, there are a bowl of rice, miso soup, a cold tofu, egg omelette, grilled salmon, tomato, cucumber, natto (fermented soy beans!). A day starts with a healthy diet.

The way of eating noodle in Japan

2008-08-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

Listen to this. This is the way of eating noodle in Japan; you slurp. It's not rude in Japan. You are expected to eat noodle in this way. Don't be shy.

We went to Kitakata in Fukushima prefecture by Tohoku Shinkansen. It's about two and half hours from Tokyo. It's famous for ramen (Chinese style egg noodle). There are fanatics loving ramen in Japan. I'm probably one of them. This time, we went there because it was on the way to a hot spring, which was a purpose of our trip.

There are millions of noodle shops in Japan (not exaggerating). People travel to look for delicious noodles. There are TV programmes to show popular noodle shops. There are many articles about them in magazines.

Listen again. This is the way of eating ramen.

Kabuki - inside Kabuki theatre

2008-08-29T02:09:00.000-07:00

This is inside Kabuki theatre. We were on the third tier. Arena is expensive but ordinary seating but the second and third tiers are very special; you take off your shoes before seating and there's a table in front of you for eating and drinking. Kabuki lasts a few hours at least and you sit and relax with your own food and drink. It's a total entertainment.

Kabuki - Japanese theatre

2008-08-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

This is the Kabuki theatre in Higashi Ginza.

Kabuki is a traditional theatre entertainment. It's played by only male actors; female roles are played by men in female costume (you would not notice it's a man acting...almost.). It's bit like Shakespeare; it started as an entertainment for the common people. However, I must say Kabuki is very special now; The Kabuki actors are very highly regarded in the Japanese society. mostly the names of the actors are passed down within the families. The world of Kabuki can be quite closed for special audience.

I went to see the last part of the day's performance; There are usually two parts: one in the afternoon and the other in the evening. It lasts several hours in total. This particular performance had three parts, a summer special to attract more lame people. One of the piece was directed by Hideki Noda who is from a modern theatre and famous for a unique adaptation. This time Noda adopted Aida (Opera piece) for Kabuki. It was totally coincidence that I just saw Aida a few weeks ago in Verona. I loved both. Noda is such a talented director; he beautifully adapted the story into Kabuki style stage; costume, stage design, colour and music. Well done.

Ginza - Pedestrian Heaven

2008-08-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

This is Ginza on Sunday. Ginza is central of Tokyo. They have Pedestrian Heaven 'Hokoh-sha Tengoku' on Sundays. Main street is free from cars during the day. People are walking freely on the street enjoying shopping.

Ginza is a most expensive place to rent in Japan. It's been always the centre of fashion. If you go there, look for a department store and go to the basement to see their food floor. It's just awesome; there are so much Japanese food and the food culture to discover. Visit Sony, Nissan show room, Kabuki theatre, tea rooms, bars and restaurants.

Passion for delicious things. 'Oishii mono niwa me ga nai'

2008-08-29T01:17:00.000-07:00

What do you think this queue is for?

I came across with this at a department store in Tokyo. There were about 30 people queuing for a sweet cake called 'Mount-BAUM'. I joined the queue! It took me twenty minutes before being served. I bought two. Other customers were buying five in average. It seems crazy to waste precious time for just a sweetie. But this is Japan; we love food. If you say, there is so and so delicious thing, we will go to taste it. Just cannot let it go......

It was delicious. Would I go and queue again? I would if I had time as I do now....

Summer in Japan - cicada singing 'semi no ne'

2008-08-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

How do you listen to this; do you think it's noisy or appreciate the sound of the summer?

For Japanese, this remind us of the summer. It's a typical sound representing the hot and humid summer. You would greet a passer-by saying 'Honto ni atsui desu ne (It's really hot, isn't it?).' It's not a complaint but showing appreciation of the season.

Sorry for the shaky video. I was on my bicycle riding with one hand and another holding a handy cam. The shot was taken in Kamakura. Kamakura is an old capital of Japan (the late 12th century); it's a beautiful city surrounded by the mountains and the sea with lots of temples and shrines. It's my favourite place in Japan.

Japan summer 2008

2008-08-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

I will be off to Japan on 21st August. You will find up-to-date Japanese culture: food, theatres, fashion, interior and more. Visit me later.