GUNMANIA!!!

March Events ~ By: Brooke Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:09:00 +0000

With the start of spring come the flowers (and the allergies. *sniff* *achoo*), and with the flowers come the festivals and hanami. March is full of events for everyone… even those mourning the impending end of the winter sports season (see below).
Here is a guide to some of activities/events being held this month. Enjoy.

March Events:

UNTIL March 3rd: Shinmachi Hina Festival:

Shops and restaurants in Shinmachi decorate their windows with Hina doll displays. Enjoy the beautiful dolls while taking a nice stroll through the town center. Flea market in the main area on March 3rd, ama-zake and fresh veggies for sale, among other things.
Main area: Shin-machi Imperial Visit Park (shin-machi anzaisho kouen)
More info: Shinmachi Hina Matsuri Website.
Map:

大きな地図で見る

March 3rd: Kusatsu Ladies’ Day:

Free lift tickets, amazake and sakura-mochi for the ladies.
Where: Kusatsu International Ski Area
More Info: Kusatsu Website.

March 5th: Let’s Search for Winter Diamonds in the Night Sky:

7:00-9:30 Volunteer event at Gunma Observatory.
Look to the night sky. Using large field binoculars or the large telescopes at the observatory, enjoy a night of star-gazing. Observatory entrance ticket needed.
More Info: Gunma Observatory Website.
Map:
View Larger Map

March 5-6: Living Hina doll display

From 1:00pm Ikaho Onsen’s famous stone steps become the stage for a living hina doll display.
More Info: Ikaho Website

UNTIL March 6: Tatebayashi Hina Festival

From 10:00 am over 2000 hina dolls will be displayed at various locations throughout Tatebayashi.

More Info: Tatebayashi Website or Another Website

March 6th: Ancient Shinto Dancing and Music (Yamatokagura)

Performing on the outdoor Noh stage at Sarutahiko Shrine, dancers and musicians tell a dramatization of an ancient myth.
How to get there: 10 minute bus ride from Shibukawa Station.
More Info: Website

March 5-6th: Minakami First Annual Dog Sports Festa

Sled dogs, sleds, MUSH…”The Call of the Wild” anyone? 1 dog to 6 dog races. Be a part of Gunma history and attend the first annual dog sled races in Minakami. Watch as the teams glide across the snow to the finish line.
More Info: Event Information (PDF)Map:

View Larger Map

March 6th: Koto Concert

From 1:30 pm
Where: Beisia Hall, Maebashi. FREE Admission
Map:

View Larger Map

Through early March: Ume Festival in Misato

Like hanami before real hanami… it is plum blossoms time in Gunma! Come out and sit among the plum trees, enjoying their pink and white flowers as you sip your ume-shu.
Over 100,000 trees in full bloom.
More Info: Takasaki Ume Festival Website
Map:

View Ume Festival in Misato in a larger map

March 10th~March 13th : Kusatsu Special Light-Up

From 19:00~22:00 (3/10~3/12) or 21:30 (3/13)
Special, colorful illumination display around the spring source. Great for photos, sightseeing, etc.
More Info: Kusatsu Event Website

March 12th-March 13th: Green Dome Maebashi Flea Market

From 10am-5pm, Admission FREE
Menswear, Womenswear, sportswear, everything and more! And on SALE!
The “tonton contest” contestants will feature their famous pork dishes in the food court.
A weekend of cheap shopping and good food? How can that be bad?
More Info: Event Website
Map:

View Larger Map

March 13th and March 20th: Guided Snowshoe Trekking

Explore the Tanigawadake Area with an experienced guide… on snowshoes!
Perfect for beginners or advanced snowshoers alike.
Meet at the Tanigawadaki Drive In.
For more info: 0278-72-3611
Map:

View Snowshoe Trekking in a larger map

March 13th: Yubiso Snow Sculpture Festival

From 10am~3pm, Admission FREE
Snow sculptures, sledding, igloos and more can be seen and enjoyed at this festive event.
Map:

View Yubiso Snow Festival in a larger map

March 13th: Minakami Specialty Market

From 10am~3pm, Admission FREE

Food, glorious food… and more! Minakami’s specialty goods are display and ready to eat or buy. Come and taste the myriad of food and drinks made especially in Minakami.

Special appearances by Gunma-chan and Oide-chan. Concert and talk show at noon.

More Info: Event Information (pdf)

Map: (next to the marked station)

View Larger Map

March 19th~April 27th: Hara Rokuro Collection feat. National treasure-Celadon Vase

Hara Museum Arc exhibition featuring a beautiful Celadon Vase

Open from 9:30~4:30, Admission: 1000 yen

More Info: Hara Museum Website.

Map:

View Larger Map

March 19th~May 5th: Ikaho Green Bokujo Cherry Blossom Fair

Open from 9:00~17:00, Admission to grounds 1200 yen

1500 trees (19 different types) in full bloom paint the green hillside of the Ikaho Green Bokujo with a splash of pink and white. Enjoy a picnic under these beautiful trees. Don’t forget to try the Sakura-flavored soft cream.

Stop by the Hara Museum Arc or pick some strawberries, if you have time, too.

More Info: Green Bokujo Website

Map:

View Larger Map

March 20th: Haruna Ume Festival

From 9:30~

Ume blossoms, ume mochi, ume juice, ume udon, ume everything and more. Flea market, arts and crafts sales, bingo competition, ume seed spitting contest. The list goes on. Come out and enjoy a beautiful day under the beautiful flowers of the plum trees.

Map:

View Larger Map

March 20th: Minkami Snow Festival-Airboard Experience and Race

From 10:00~ at the Minakami Highlands Ski Resort

Come and try your hand at yet another exciting winter sport, airboarding! Those up for the challenge can then enter into the airboard race (registration from 9:30~11:30, 4000 yen).

First-timers? Give it a go in the morning and see what it is like to race down the mountain on an inflatable board! Excitement abounds!

Info and Map: Airboard Website

March 24th~April 17th: Numata Park Cherry Blossom Festival

Hanami time! Enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossoms! After sunset, the trees will be illuminated with more the 1500 paper lanterns.

April 10: Main event: activities, food, concerts all centered around sakura. From 10:00a.m.

More Info: Numata Event Website

Map and Directions:

View Larger Map

March 25th~April 10th: Tatebayashi Cherry Blossom Festival

Until 10:00pm

Hanami time! Enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms at 4 different locations throughout the city. After sunset, glowing paper lanterns illuminate the trees.

More Info: Event Website

March 25th~May 13th: Guinness World Record Carp Streamer Festival

Carp streamers or koinobori are a symbol of Children’s day. In Tatebayashi, spread over 5 different locations about town, over 5000 carp streamers will be displayed, making it one of the biggest displays in the world.

More Info: Event Website

March 26th~April 23rd: Hirose River Illumination

From 6pm~12am

The banks of the Hirose River (runs through downtown Maebashi) will be decorated with hundreds of spring-motif, silk-screen lanterns hand-painted by Maebashi elementary school students.

Take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the “kid art.”

More Info: Event Website

March 27th: Kusatsu International Ski Resort Presents: The Mogul Cup

Got skillz? Why not show them off as you compete for the prize in the 12th Annual Mogul Cup. Even beginners can compete!

Registration: By fax or postcard by March 18th. (Please include: name, age, sex, address, zip code, phone number on registration form). Space is limited, so apply as soon as possible.

Racer registration begins from 8:30~9:30 on race day. 3000 yen (50% off lift ticket coupon included).

More Info: Event Website

Map:

View Mogul Cup Map in a larger map

March 31st: Hina-ichi Market in Kanna Town

In celebration of a traditional seasonal festival (held on the end of March)

Held on the school grounds of Manba Elementary School in Kanna Town.

Vendors galore selling food and good. Try your hand at the raffle contest as well.

More Info: Event Website

Map:

View Larger Map

Japanese KitKats: Cultural Complexity in Chocolate Form キットカット ~ By: Chuck Clenney

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:48:00 +0000

Few things can both physically and metaphorically encompass the current cultural transformations and bewildering fusion of new and old styles present in modern-day Japan, especially while being incredibly delicious and covered in chocolate: meet the world of Japanese KitKats.

When thinking about the vast stash of both satiating and repugnant flavors presented to the Japanese consumer, I am reminded of former first lady of the United States, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said, ”If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” For 75 years, KitKats have been making life a little more interesting, especially in Japan.

The history of KitKat starts in England, York to be exact, where in 1936, Rowntree’s of York made their first KitKat under the name 'Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp', a chocolate treat designed to be placed in the working man’s lunch, specifically to be eaten at ‘break’ time... After the rise and fall of World War 2, Rowntree’s perfected their recipe and popularity spread throughout all of Europe.

In the 1970s, Rowntree's began expanding outside of Europe and signed on for distribution in Japan through the Fujita Company. The advertising line, "Have a Break, Have a KitKat” or “Gimme a Break” (in the US) was penned soon after and, if there was every a country that needed to embrace such a tagline, it is Japan.

In 1988, The Nestle Company bought the Rowntree’s Company and in 1996, began to experiment with KitKat Orange in the UK. Following KitKat Orange’s major success, mint and caramel flavors quickly hit store shelves.

In 2003, pressure from global diet trends, as well as competition from other chocolate companies (notably Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Hershey (who oddly enough manufacture all of the KitKats in the US due to prior contracts with Rowntree), sales dropped and a struggling Nestle was forced to figure out a way to outduel the stiff competition. Their answer: to embrace the public’s curiosity and produce a plentiful array of variant flavors and limited edition KitKats and Japan, an insanely curious and extremely idiosyncratic nation, was fertile ground for the reception of such radical and, some might say, unbelievable flavors.

Here are some examples of past KitKat flavors seen in Japanese stores but recently discontinued:

Aloe Yogurt

Apple Vinegar

Adzuki Red Bean

Banana, Bubblegum

Bretagne milk,

Black Sugar from Okinawa,

Blood Orange,

Café Latte,

Calpis (drink),

Camembert cheese,

Cantaloupe,

Caramel Pudding,

Caramel Macchiato,

Caramel and Salt,

Chestnut,

Chili,

Cinnamon,

Coffee,

Cola and Lemon Squash (drink),

Cookies and Milk,

Cookie Plus,

Cucumber,

Custard Pudding,

Earl Gray Tea,

Fruit Parfait,

Ginger Ale,

Grilled Corn (from Hokkaido),

Hazelnut,

Iced Tea,

Jasmine tea,

Kinako (Brown Sugar/Soy Flour),

Kobe Pudding,

Kiwi,

Lemon Chocolate,

Lemon Vinegar,

Mango,

Mango Pudding,

Maple,

Mixed Juice,

Orange,

Passion Fruit,

Peach,

Pepper,

Pineapple,

Plum,

Plum Soda,

Pumpkin,

Ramune (drink),

Raspberry Framboise,

Raspberry and Passion Fruit,

Rose,

Royal Milk Tea,

Sakura (Cherry Blossom),

Sour Orange,

Sports Drink,

Strawberry and Cranberry,

Strawberry Milk,

Sweet Potato,

Tiramisu,

Triple Berry,

Watermelon and Salt,

Wine,

White Peach,

and finally, of all flavors, Whole Wheat.

In addition, here are the flavors, many of which are limited varieties that, for the time being (as of February 2011), you can purchase online or in various places on the islands of Japan:

Bitter almond,

Black Tea,

Blueberry Cheesecake (from Tochigi),

Citrus Mix (from Shikoku),

Cherry (from Yamagata),

Daigaku-Imo (“College (Candied) Potatoes”),

European cheese,

Houjicha (Roasted Tea from Kyoto),

Le Lectier Pear (from Niigata),

Matcha (Green Tea from Kyoto),

Miso, ‘Melty’ Almond,

Mikan (Mandarin Orange),

Okinama Beni-Imo (Okinawa Purple potato),

‘Otona’ Dark Chocolate for adults,

Otoshidama (crispy original sent as New Years gifts through Japanese Post Office),

Semi-sweet,

Sakura Mystery Mix,

Sakuracha (Cherry Blossom Tea),

Shinshu Apple (from Nagano),

Soy Sauce (from Tokyo),

Strawberry (from Tochigi),

Strawberry Cheesecake (from Yokohama),

Strawberry Cake,

Sweet Baked Potato (from Kawagoe in Saitama),

Sweet Tofu (Annin Dofu from Yokohama’s Chinatown),

Wasabi (from Shizuoka),

White chocolate,

Yawata Five Spice Japanese Red Pepper (from Nagano),

Yubari Melon (from Hokkaido),

Yuzu Citrus pepper (from Kyushuu),

and “Zunda” Edamame (Soybean) flavor (from Yamagata and Fukushima).

There are constantly new flavors coming out so this list of close to 100 flavors is constantly growing.

KitKats are also varying in size in Japan from the large 1-piece KitKat Chunky (Big Kat in the US) to the half-finger-sized KitKat Petit.

Recently in Japan, KitKats have been packaged with CD singles featuring music from independent Japanese bands such as Yura Yura Teikoku. “KitKat Crispy Monogatari”, another limited edition double pack of KitKats included a mini book featuring short stories by popular contemporary Japanese authors such as Koji Suzuki. In addition to books and CDs, KitKat has loads of other merchandise, most recently, pentagon-shaped coffee (The Japanese word for pentagon is “gokaku” (五角) and it is a pun that also means “good match” (互角) in Japanese.) mugs were in stores. The package is geared at encouraging students by giving them a KitKat, some coffee, and a mug with a Japanese cherry blossom design – a motif reminiscent of a new school year and graduation, which always happens when the sakura are in bloom.

In a culture like Japan, brimming with otaku and the Pokemon-esque “gotta catch em` all” spirit, collecting the immense variety of Japanese KitKats is both an entertaining and delicious enterprise. They certainly do not make it easy and and collecting can quickly become an obsession, I know. When you find yourself stopping at every convenient store you come upon just to see if you can spot a new variety, you’ll know your hooked.

You might be asking yourself, “Where can I buy crazy Japanese KitKats?”

Well my friend, here are some places in and outside of Japan:

Places to buy in Japan –

Train Station Omiyage (souvenir) stores, especially Tokyo Station – You can find limited varieties scattered about in the underground mall.
Convenient stores (must check often) - 7/11 Family Mart, Lawson’s, Coco, etc.
Super markets
Highway rest areas

Places to buy online outside of Japan –Nestle site- which will link you to the

Rakuten Nestle E-Store (you can also shop in English on Rakuten)
Napajapan (Ships worldwide)
Asian Food Grocer

And finally, if you are interesting in reading other people’s reviews of Japanese KitKats, you can check out the blogosphere, my favorite is http://jenkenskitkatblog.blogspot.com/ - who happens to be from my hometown.

HAPPY HUNTING!

All photos courtesy of Chuck Clenney

Takaragawa Mixed Onsen ~ By: Laura Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:20:00 +0000

Takaragawa Onsen in the mountains of Minakami is not your average onsen. This one is mixed and allows for the rare opportunity to visit an onsen as a family or with friends.

Most of us are probably reasonably familiar and comfortable with onsen etiquette by now. However mixed bathing provides a whole new set of uncertainties and potential to ‘do something wrong’. So here is my guide to mixed bathing to help out anyone who might be as unsure as I was the first time I went.

Takaragawa Onsen is fairly easy to find. From the Minakami I.C take route 291, turn right onto route 63 and left onto route 264. It should take around 30 to 45 minutes. The road is a little narrow and is generally covered in snow and ice in winter so please be careful. There are also public buses available from Minakami Station, and a courtesy shuttle bus by appointment. The Takaragawa Onsen website has more information in English.

Tickets are 1500円 which you can purchase from the front counter. I recommend bringing your own large towel, but renting another towel for use in the bath itself. You can leave this one behind when you are finished so you do not have to drag a take a sopping wet towel home. Ladies will need the large towel to cover themselves, while men can get away with using only a small towel.

Once you have purchased your tickets there is a locker area at the front entrance where you can leave your bags and other things. From here just take your towels and ticket. This is not the change room, so please do not get naked quite yet!

The staff are helpful (though do not speak much English) and will probably show you where the showers are, or at least give you an English map of the place as it is quite large.

Now, this is where I still get a little confused. When you go to a regular onsen, you must shower before you get in. However, at Takaragawa Onsen, the showers are far from the rotenburo (outside baths). So you would have to undress, shower, get dressed again, walk down to the baths, undress again and then get in. This is actually what I do, as I do not want to cause offence. I have seen people Japanese people in the showers, but there is an indoor bath there too that they were using. I do not think it is necessary to shower beforehand (unless you are particularly dirty!). Getting dressed again and walking down to the baths would reverse any cleaning the shower did. It would be easier if you had a robe to change in to instead of your clothes. It is your call on that one.

There is a short path down to the rotenburo, which passes by a whole lot of stuff that must have been collected over a long period of time, as well as some caged bears. Yes, bears! (You can also try the 'bear soup' on the menu as a post-bath meal. I hope this one is lost in translation...) On weekends you may have to show your ticket, but you also get a free prize! (I got a packet of chopsticks last time).

There are four baths in total which are on either side of Takara River (upstream of Tone River). It is quite a beautiful spot. There is one ladies-only bath which is the furthest bath on the east side of the river (Maya bath). It is closed off and clearly signed in English and Japanese, so it would be difficult to accidentally walk in. Ladies do not have to wear towels in the bath here. The other three are mixed baths. There are two on the east side called Maka and Hannya, and one on the west called Kodakara. Each has its own change room and you are welcome to walk between the various baths to try them all out. This is where the towel comes in particularly handy.

The onsen is connected to a large hotel, so if you feel the drive is a bit far, or you loved it so much you have to stay longer, staying the night is an option. Takaragawa Onsen is mentioned in the Japan Lonely Planet, so more information can be found on it there.

So there you have it! I hope you can find the time to enjoy this particularly beautiful and relaxing onsen, with friends and family.

View Larger Map

Gunma's Strawberry Fields Forever ~ By: Brooke Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:31:00 +0000

February 4th marks the first day of spring... so they say, and with that brings spring strawberries! What better way is there to celebrate the end of winter than by gorging oneself on the delicious red fruit!

Throughout Gunma there are a variety of fruit-picking farms where one can go and pick and eat as much fruit as one can (within a limited time, of course). Strawberry season has just begun and fruit farms are bursting with delicious strawberries, ripe for the picking.

Here is your guide to the deliciousness:

(Not all locations are included. Prices may vary later in the season. Please let me know of any others you may know of.)

Click here for a list and map of all strawberry picking locations in Gunma.

Happy eating!

The Japanese Drivers License for the Rest of Us ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:08:00 +0000

For Americans, getting a Japanese drivers license can be an absolute nightmare with often an entire spring-break devoted to mastering the driving course. For the rest of us, one simple afternoon at the driving office is all it takes to hit the roads again!

If you are currently driving in Japan with your International Drivers License and are from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, or anywhere else that does not require a driving test, this guide is for you. Your International Drivers Permit will expire one year after the issue date, and if you intend to continue driving, you will need to attain a Japanese Drivers License. Thankfully for you it is a piece of cake! This is a wonderful opportunity to be very very thankful you are not from America.

First on the agenda is getting your drivers license translated by JAF (Japan Automobile Federation). Go to their website and print the appropriate papers. You will need to include a colour photocopy of your current drivers license (front and back). Note that your current license must have been issued three months prior to when you entered Japan. If it is dated less than three months, you must provide a copy of your previous license. The translation will cost 3000円 plus 380円 postage fee. Make a trip to your local post office and send the documents and fee with a special envelope. Ask for "genkin kakitome"（現金書留). They say your translated license will arrive in a few weeks time, but I received mine back in two or three days.

Once you have your translated license you can make a trip to the Maebashi Traffic Center (群馬県総合交通センター ). Spring break is an easy time to take a day of nenkyu (or special leave if your BoE is friendly!). Often if you are required to have a car for transportation to and from work, your BoE will grant you the time to change your license.

Before you leave for Maebashi be sure you have all your paperwork in order. You will need to bring:

International Drivers Permit
Valid Drivers License
Passport
Alien Registration Card
JAF License translation
3 x 2.4cm passport photos. (These are not for your license so don't bother with your hair!)
Photocopies of:

1 A4 of your drivers license (front & back on the same page)
1 A4 of your international drivers permit
2 copies of your Alien Registration Card. (front & back on the same page)

1 A4
1 A5

1 A4 of your passport photo page & visa page. (copy all the pages with stamps as well as you may be asked for them)

2,400円

The testing center is right off R17 north of the Maebashi IC with signs in English and Japanese. The reception desk is on the second floor. The licensing procedure beings at 1:00pm sharp and if you are not there before 1:00pm you will not be getting a license -- so be early! There will be a lot of other people waiting on the far right hand desk, under the foreigners sign. Get in line, and be prepared to wait. Expect to spend the rest of the afternoon in that dismal grey room.

Be prepared to fill out numerous forms. Practice writing your address and information in Kanji. I was told, "No Kanji -- No License!" The officers also speak very little English, but a basic knowledge of Japanese and gestures should do you just fine.

I was also asked for the address and contact information of my company, written in Kanji, on a piece of scrap paper that was handed to me. Clearly the officer was trying anything to send me home without a license, and did not need this information at all. Luckily I had a business card that was made for me by my BoE in my wallet, and presenting that seemed satisfactory. Be prepared for anything...

Once all the paperwork is processed you will be led into a small room for a physical check. It is a simple eye exam and a test of your reflexes. Brushing up on basic Japanese words is wise:

red - あか
blue - あお
green - みどり
yellow - きいろ
up -うえ
down - した
left - ひだり
right - みぎ

They will ask you to do some basic reflex tests that will make you feel silly, and then you are all done! Sit back, relax (for a while) and wait to be called out for your license while your poor American friends anxiously wait for their test results. Damn it feels good to be Canadian!

View Larger Map

For Americans, more information is available on the GunmaJET website. Happy Driving!

What's Your Blood Type? ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:58:00 +0000

I have been living in Japan for the past eighteen months and still to this day, and much to the shock and horror of the Japanese people I encounter, I have no clue what my blood type is. The first question I was asked by my students during my self-introduction on the first day of class was, "What is your blood type?" Never in my life have I been asked that question by anyone, let alone a fourteen year old kid in broken English.

Japan is obsessed with blood types, just as western countries are obsessed with astrological horoscopes. Japanese people believe a person's blood type is an insight into their personality and temperament, and use blood types to determine their compatibility with the opposite sex. Blood type profiling is especially popular with Japanese women, and blood type horoscopes can be found in magazines, newspapers, and on television. Facebook Japan even allows users to add their blood type to their public profile.

So, where did all this blood type hype come from? Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner first discovered that people have different blood types in 1900, and thus began a whirlwind of scientific and cultural studies of blood type profiling all around the world, mostly with racist motivations. Various ethnic studies showed that blood types were distributed differently around the world, with a slightly larger concentration of B-type blood among Asian people.

In 1927 after the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, University professor Takeji Furukawa, set out to identify and compare the racial traits of the ill-behaved Taiwanese people compared with the gentle mannered Ainu people of Hokkaido. He found that 41% of Taiwanese people have type-O blood, where as only 24% of Ainu people are type-O, concluding that intermarriage of the Japanese and Taiwanese people is the best means of reducing the number of badly behaved type-O Taiwanese people.

So that is all fair and good, but what exactly does it mean when someone responds to mention of your blood type with an exaggerated head-nodding and "oooooooohhhhhhhh....." followed by a long pause. It means they are judging you; analyzing your personality based on a preconceived list of traits that every Japanese person seems to know and live by to some extent.

If you are like me and have no idea what blood type you are, perhaps you can choose the one you feel best represents your personality and lie to the next person who asks you the daunting question. If you are slightly more responsible and happen to know this 'could-be-life-saving-tad-of-information', feel free to inform yourself of just what exactly your Japanese friends think about you.

Type O - The Warrior

You are a trendsetter. You are loyal, passionate, self confident and independent. You can easily express your feelings. You are confident and aggressive in love, and you make a good first impression on the opposite sex. You are romantic and passionate, but also very jealous.

Famous type-Os:

- Queen Elizabeth II

- John Lennon

- Elvis Presley

- Paul Newman

Type A - The Farmer

You are calm, patient and sensitive. When it comes to love, you love your partner exclusively, and never stray. You do not believe in 'love at first sight', but when you find the right person, you fall madly deeply in love. You are responsible, overcautious and stubborn, which makes it hard for you to relax. You are shy and have trouble expressing your feelings. You are also vain and jealous.

Famous type-As:

- Adolf Hitler

- George Bush Sr.

- Ringo Starr

- Britney Spears

Type B - The Hunter

You are in individualist. You are strong and optimistic and you dislike customs. You are open and honest in love, and you seem to attract unconventional and individualistic partners. You are wild and unpredictable - the social butterfly who is asked on many dates - and are likely to have affairs. You are romantic and creative, and love a little drama in your life.

Famous type-Bs:

- Paul McCartney

- Leonardo Di Caprio

- Jack Nicholson

- Charlie Chaplin

Type AB - The Humanist

You are cool, controlled and rational. You are sensitive and loving, and a true romantic at heart. You tend to be idealistic about your partner, and want the perfect package. You long for a soul mate. You are sociable and popular and have many friends. You can be reluctant to admit your feelings for your partner, and have trouble committing. You are often indecisive and sometimes come off as standoffish.

Famous type-ABs:

- Jackie Chan

- Merilyn Monroe

- John F. Kennedy

- Mick Jagger

Compatability:

A is most compatible with A and AB.

B is most compatible with B and AB.

AB is most compatible with everybody.

O is most compatible with O and AB.

Now that your personality has been placed in a neat-fit little box, go forth and mingle without fear of judgement. Or perhaps fear that the cute girl you have been chatting up all night is an incompatible blood type. Either way, at least you know now...

References:

Wikipedia: Blood Types in Japanese Culture

Seek Japan: Love Sex & Blood Types

Bella Online: Personality Traits By Blood Type - A Japanese Concept

Laughter Heal

Kiwi Cafe Review ~ By: Ashley McRae

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:31:00 +0000

After having my wisdom teeth checked last December by my local dentist, the dental nurse who had been helping was very excited to tell me about a café that her and her Kiwi husband were opening in January this year. The café was to be named ‘Kiwi Café'.

As a Kiwi, I was very excited about the opening and decided to waste no time and try it out straight away. I went with a couple of friends on January 9 (the official opening day).

We arrived in time for lunch and were greeted by the owners themselves. After a quick chat, we were seated and given plenty of time to peruse the menu. As it was lunch, we decided to make the most of the very Japanese ‘Lunch Set’. For less than 700 Yen, you can get a Pizza Set which includes a salad, a slice of pizza and a drink (a very large selection to choose from). Add an additional 300 Yen and you have yourself a very delicious dessert to finish with. If pizza isn’t your thing, there was also a Pasta Lunch Set or Salad Lunch Set on offer.

The food was delicious. The salad to begin with was generous in size and had a very nice dressing. That was followed with BBQ Chicken Pizza. The pizza slice was a quarter of their regular pizza which was plenty for lunch. There were plenty of toppings and the original base made it even more delicious. Finally, I had Pear Crumble for dessert. This was much larger than I expected and was so YUM! As for a drink, I paid an extra 100 Yen to get a Mochaccino and must say I was a little disappointed with it - it tasted like an instant coffee I could buy from the supermarket. On the up side it came with marshmallows! The only other criticism I have about the meal was the salad could have done with a bit more dressing (It was their opening day though so I’m sure they will work these things out in due time).

Kiwi Café prides itself on it's home-made pizzas (38cm). At only 1500 yen each, they are a steal. Flavours on offer are Italian Tomato and Basil, Avocado Salad, Chicken and Mango and The Works. The pasta menu includes Lemon Chicken Fettuccini, Lasagna and many more. Other than pizza and pasta, the restaurant offers a range of other main meals (all under 1000 Yen). These include; Calamari, Chicken Casserole, Scalloped Potatoes, New Zealand Mussels, Focaccia Bruschetta, Open Chicken Sandwich and more!

There is a wide range of drinks available – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They have everything from fruit smoothies to kiwifruit wine. A variety of New Zealand wine also appears on the menu.

The restaurant is located a little out of the way - near the Takasaki IC. If you have access to a car, getting there will be no problem at all. There is also free off street parking available. The restaurant itself has a rather unusual shape and from the outside reminded me of a barn. Inside it is very modern but cozy at the same time. The kitchen and reception area occupies the ground floor and the restaurant and bar (open in the evening) is on the second floor. There is enough seating for 60 people so the Kiwi Café can cater for anything from 1 person right through to large groups.

The café is open every day (I think!) from 11am to midnight. The staff is very friendly and I am sure the owner would love to meet more foreigners from the area!

As a Kiwi, I now keep my fingers crossed that Fish and Chips, Mince Pies and Hokey Pokey Ice Cream will make it to the menu!

To make a booking, the Kiwi Café can be contacted at 027-365-0560.

Address: 群馬県高崎市島野町1096-1

For more information check out the following this link (all in Japanese – sorry!).

View Larger Map

Stay Warm Guide ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:28:00 +0000

Like it or not, winter is upon us, and living in Gunma inevitably means chilly mornings in your uninsulated house, long treks to school through heavy snow, up hill both ways, on a bike, and acquiring a fondness for the smell of kerosene.

Japanese homes are not built for the cold winter months, and for those of us who from warmer climates or who are used to the luxury of central heating, adapting to the frigid temperatures inside can be quite the adjustment.

Luckily the Japanese have invented endless devices and methods to make the next few months a little bit more bearable.

So without further ado, your Gunma Winter Survival Guide:

Layers!

Layering in the winter is key. Always start your day with a thin base layer of Uniqlo's Heattech or a similar thermal. Add layer upon layer until your arms stick out from your body and you waddle like a sumo wrestler.

Layers are perfect for a busy day at work, when you start the day in the warm cozy comforts of the kerosene-heated staffroom and suddenly rush off to the icy cold hallways and classrooms filled with shivering blue-faced children.

Kotatsu:

If you do not already have a kotatsu, nor know what one is, you have clearly missed out on the single most essential Japanese winter invention. This heated table, while bulky and quite obtrusive in your living room, will be your safe-haven for the next four to five months. Cook, eat, facebook, read, study, iron, and knit all from the comfort and warmth of your table.

However, under no circumstances should you ever sleep under your kotatsu. Red legs, cold arms, and a terrible headache are all that can come from catching a few zzz's under the heated table, so it is certainly best to avoid dozing off, despite the kotatsu's powerful sleep-inducing properties.

Hokkairo:

Sold at every grocery or home store, these inexpensive and convenient chemical heat-packs are perfect for slipping in your shoes or pocket for those long and chilly walks through the school hallways. Hokkairos come in all shapes and sizes, and stay warm for several hours. Simply open a pack, give it a shake, and stick it on your body or in your pocket for an instant blast of much-needed heat.

Hot Water Bottles (yutampo):

A water bottle is absolutely essential for a warm nights sleep, and here in Japan, the yutampo (湯担保) is a popular winter accessory. The Japanese style water bottle is made of a hard plastic rather than the rubbery style we may be used to, but works just the same and is as simple as can be. Fill a yutampo with hot water and throw it in bed to warm your chilly toes all night long!

Eat Nabe:

Buy some nabe gear at your local grocer for cheap and cook this delicious meal right at your kotatsu. There are so many varieties, and not only will it keep you warm, but it is cheap as well! More on nabe here.

Go to Onsen:

Find a local onsen or bath and visit it regularly. Not only will you feel amazing, but you will avoid waking up to frozen pipes in your shower! Some public baths have membership cards with discounts for repeated visits.

Wear Uniqlo:

Get HeatTech. Lots of it. And wear it every day. More Heattech here.

Wear Hanten:

If you really want to embrace your inner Japanese side, and break every fashion rule out there, pick up a hanten or two to wear around the house. This short winter coat is traditional Japanese winter clothing padded with warm cotton to keep your upper body warm while you sit beneath the kotatsu. Ask your elderly neighbors where the best place hantens can be found in your community.

For more information on staying warm while saving money this winter, check out this helpful link: Staying Warm on the Cheap

Chicken Soup ~ By: Jaimie Lynn Foster

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:21:00 +0000

Incase you have not noticed, winter is here in Gunma. While the howling wind whistles in through the windows and the sun sinks down behind the horizon at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, no one wants to do anything except cuddle up in a quilt on the couch (or under the kosatsu) and eat something warm. Chicken and vegetable soup does wonders for the soul when it is cold outside, and for those of you living on your own for the first time, it is easy to make, too.

Although a whole chicken is preferred, a couple of pieces will do in a pinch. All you need is a medium-sized piece of chicken (one breast, two thighs, or whatever combination is available) and whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator. Make a stock with water, chicken, carrots, onions, and celery, then, once all is cooked together, add whatever else you want until all the vegetables are cooked. Eat it in front of your heater, under your kosatsu, or wrapped up in a blanket. You will be warm in no time.

This is what works for me:

6-8 cups of water
One large piece of chicken
2 carrots, cut into 4 pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 4 pieces
1 onion, quartered
2 or 3 smallish Japanese potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 can tomatoes (or 2 diced tomatoes)
Salt, pepper, spices to taste

Add water, chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large pot. Heat to boiling, then simmer until chicken is done, about 20-25 minutes. Season. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until done. Adjust seasonings if needed. Enjoy!

Fuel Efficiency Girl Heidi ~ By: Chelsey Reid

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:09:00 +0000

You see them every day, dangling from your student’s backpacks and adorning their pencil cases. Trinkets and curios of popular characters your students subscribe to, and for the most part they are recognizable, like Totoro or Hello Kitty. But sometimes a character so cripplingly bizarre pops up that you suddenly find yourself on the wrong side of a vaguely unsettling generation gap, as you are grossly uninformed as to what is popular with your students. Care to be let back into the loop?

A viral sensation is sweeping Japan’s youth, and this time it is not mind-numbingly kawaii. Teinenpi Shoujo Haiji （低燃費少女ハイジ）is a mini web series commissioned by Nissan to help promote their new economical car, NOTE. It stars everyone’s favorite Swiss orphan, Heidi, as she goes in search of the meaning of “Teinenpi,” a Japanese word that translates as “low fuel consumption.” The ads have since gone viral and sprouted a plethora of merchandise that every generation J-er with a disposable income wants for their keitai strap.

What is it that makes the ads so popular? Heidi is already a well-known character in Japan due to the success of the 1974 anime, “ Heidi, Girl of the Alps “ (アルプスの少女ハイジ）directed by Isao Takahata, a long term colleague of Hayao Miyazaki and co-head at Studio Ghibli. The charmingly wholesome characters won their way into the hearts of Japanese people, which is why thousands of Japanese tourists flock to Switzerland every year, presumably in search of Swiss children and/or chocolate.

But it was in May 2010, when Zuiyo Co, producer of the original Heidi anime, collaborated with Studio Croccodile, that the ads took shape. The disturbed overactive minds at Studio Croccodile are responsible for creating off-beat projects roughly approximating the things you that you saw when you spent two nights in a sanatorium that one time. Heidi’s new character design was entrusted to Studio Croccodile’s Satoshi Fumihara, brain-child and director of the satirical anime “The World of Golden Eggs.”

Golden Eggs fans will be familiar with the show’s unique character designs, which you might already be familiar with, if you have seen Mickey Mouse’s rhombic counterpart around town… Fumihara is also responsible for Cubic Mouth Mickey & Friends, a parody of popular Disney characters with angular bodies and cubic mouths. If the empty soulless stares don’t get you, the mouth agape in shrill hysteria might. And yet these are legitimately licensed Disney products. They are popular with young adults, just like Mickey. Like Mickey, if all his adorable Disney features were removed and replaced with the horrifying, disfigured remains of your shattered childhood.

Borrowing from Golden Eggs’ crazy humour and in keeping Fumihara’s character design, Teinenpi Shoujo Haiji is what happens when overworked advertizing CEOs consort alongside animators with ADHD and a loose grip on reality. As such, the characteristics of the original Heidi characters have been completely warped. The once sprightly Heidi has become a wildly gesticulating serial harassinator, singularly bent on acquiring the information she wants. She is joined by Peter, the Goatherd, boorish and staggeringly inept at everything he does. Grandpa, originally a curmudgeon with a heart of gold, is now your garden variety psychopath. Finally, Clara, Heidi’s childhood friend, is now insufferably show-offy and suffers from megalomaniacal inclinations.

There are currently seven episodes available on Youtube or on Nissan’s website. Unfortunately not all of them have been subtitled, but are still worth a watch:

Episode 1, The Mountain Echo chapter: “What is Fuel Efficiency?”
Episode 2, The Peter edition: “Peter the Goat Herder”
Episode 3, The Grandfather edition: “What Grandpa Knows”
Episode 4, The Candy edition: “Grandpa’s Omiyage”
Episode 5, The Clara edition: “Clara’s Temptation”
Episode 6, The Jet-Set edition: “Off to Frankfurt!”
Episode 7, At Clara’s House: “The People at Clara’s House”

Episode 1 features Heidi frolicking in the Alps, aggressively greeting everyone she comes across until Alm, the mountain giant appears. She harasses him by asking “低燃費って何？” (What is fuel efficiency?”) and while he tries to explain , she bombards him with the same question again and again. Soon enough she is ignored. End scene and cut to product.

If you like the series, you can download some widgets such as a clock or a screen saver, from Nissans website. Or you can go to any mall and buy an air freshener with a picture of one of those creepy goats on it.

Exactly why it is they chose to mix Heidi with the concept of fuel efficiency? One can only assume that addling your brain with the strangeness of it all puts you in a somewhat vulnerable mental state, weirding you out of your fragile mind until there is nothing left but some vague association to economical vehicles. But one thing is certain: you will never forget what teinenpi means.

So next time you see your students toting around some Heidi paraphernalia, call out “Teinenpitte nani?” and perhaps for a moment you will not be quite as archaic as you feel.

Thoughts on Japan ~ By: Jaimie Foster

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:30:00 +0000

A few weeks before I left North Carolina for Japan, I met my friend Juan Eduardo for a coffee at Starbucks. He is an immigrant from El Salvador who has lived in the U.S. for the past six years. We were sitting at the metal café tables outside the shop, watching the traffic go by on Battleground Avenue and enjoying the warm June sun.

“All right, Juan,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning back in the chair. “You’ve been in America for a while. You’re an immigrant. What is your advice for someone who is about to move to another country? What do I need to know?”

Without pausing for a second, he said immediately, “Learn the language. If you learn Japanese, your life will be so much easier. I didn’t start studying English until a few years ago and it was really hard before then. You can’t communicate with anyone. So study Japanese. That will help you.” This was pretty sound advice, coming from someone who had been there already. He knew what it was like to have people make an irritated sigh or roll their eyes because he was taking too long to pay for his Coke. He knew all too well that glare of "You're in America, ain't you? Learn some goddamn English" that many non-native English-speakers in the U.S. receive.

Some people spend their whole lives

dreaming about going to Japan.

Juan’s words were really the best advice I received. Since speech and culture are so tightly related, you cannot gain a full understanding of any country’s lifestyle without knowing at least a little bit of its language. (Plus, learning Japanese would help me look like less of an ass in public places.) However, my studies were limited to the half-semester of Japanese 101 I took back in 2008, so I came to Japan this year knowing hiragana, katakana, about ten kanji, and few basic greetings. I am finding myself learning it all backwards; jumping into the culture without much guidance, then learning the language through the community classes, CLAIR studies, and everyday conversation.

Some people spend their whole lives dreaming about going to Japan. They major in Japanese in college, they while their hours away watching anime and reading manga, and they can switch between the Western and Heisei calendars without using a pencil. Once in Japan, having at least a basic grip on the language and the culture, they can flit in and out of the two cultures, have a variety of friends who speak both languages, and for the most part, get along great.

Then there is me. I studied Spanish and Social Work in undergrad and worked for a few years as a social worker with Spanish-speaking immigrants in the U.S. before getting my Masters in ESL Education. It was not until 2007, while I was tutoring Japanese university students as part of my teaching practicum, that I even became interested in the East.

I fell for Japan like a junior high school
girl for Arashi.

But interested I was. I fell for Japan like a junior high school girl for Arashi (and that cute Japanese boy I was helping out also did not hurt). But my interest in Japan was more than just a passing fling; we are in a three-year committed relationship now.

Unfortunately, since I got such a late start with Japan, even though I was studying Japanese on my own and watching Miyazaki films, I was drastically unprepared for life here. I had this idea in my head of what life would be like; everything sleek and modern, ubiquitous internet access, daily cultural events, high class fashion.

Boy oh boy, was I surprised...

But when I got here, I did not even know what to think. All my preconceived notions of the country were thrown out the window when I found myself in Takasaki, a city that is so . . . so . . . so . . . normal! It reminds me of any American city; a big mall, lots of cars, convenience stores, both old and new sections of downtown, chain restaurants. The main difference is that everything is in Japanese! Even so, I went through some kind of weird homesickness when I first arrived. I had a host family, but I only stayed with them for about a week. Without internet, a phone, a car, or any idea of the general layout of the city, I felt isolated and scared. I spent much of August watching episodes of True Blood and eating pasta. As time went on, though, I found it comforting how all industrialized countries are basically the same. You know what to expect. And I love Gunma’s natural beauty; how you can wake up on a Saturday and go to the park or go hiking. Living here, I feel like I am experiencing a Japan that most tourists never will; normal, everyday Japan.

Of course, even if the big parts of my life are the same as back in the U.S.—working, cleaning, grocery shopping, hanging out with friends—there are still a ton of smaller differences that shocked me, and still do:

Why are there not more free wireless hotspots?

What is the deal with the uninsulated buildings and the narrow walled streets?

Where does everyone learn to reverse park?

Does anyone know the environmental cost of all that extra packaging?

Who told the teachers to wear those non-attractive tracksuits to class?

When will people quit saying, “Hai, hai, hai” constantly while I am talking to them? Or gasping, “jouzu!!!” if I say, “konnichiwa”?

And when I will get used to it all?

I know I have done a lot of dumb things since arriving in Japan. Having never studied the cultural norms here, I know I make mistakes all the time. I hold my chopsticks wrong. I forget to take my shoes off in the dressing room. I take the wrong bus because I cannot read the signs. I order the wrong thing at a restaurant. I hold up the check-out line because I do not know what the cashier is asking me. And in my head, I think everyone is staring at me, judging me, saying darkly to themselves, “This stupid gaijin needs to go back home!”

But, miraculously everyone has been so kind to me! They are patient, at least outwardly. Back in the U.S., Americans can be incredibly rude to non-native English-speakers, rolling their eyes, speaking louder (because if we do not speak the same language it must be due to a hearing deficiency), letting out exasperated sighs. But here in Japan, even if I speak like a two-year-old, people are nice to me. That kindness means more than I can ever say.

It is amazing how my life feels both
exactly the same and completely different
than the life I had back in America.

This is my first time actually living in another country. I have visited other countries before, but only for a month or a two at a time. In the short four months that have passed so far, out of all my mistakes, I am getting a tiny grasp on how life works in Japan. It is amazing how my life feels both exactly the same and completely different than the life I had back in America. I have high hopes that at the end of my stay here (whenever that may be), most of the strangeness will have passed. Upon my return to America I will be able to sip my coffee at Starbucks on Battleground Ave and tell Juan how I learned enough Japanese to get by, and we will swap stories about how cool, wonderful, horrifying, and funny it is to be an immigrant in another country.

*All photos by Jaimie Foster.

Gunma Ski Resort Guide ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:48:00 +0000

It is about that time to wax up your ski/snowboard gear, break out the winter coats, and get your out-of-shape booty up to the top of a ski slope. Gunma has some of the best skiing and snowboarding in Japan, and whether you are a seasoned expert or a noobie, Gunma's ski resorts have something to offer for everyone. The top areas for snow are the northern Katashina area, the northern Minakami area, and the western Kusatsu area. All ski resorts are reasonably priced, offer rentals, and are surrounded by relaxing onsen to sooth your bruised bum afterward!

This is not a complete list of every ski resort in Gunma, nor have I included the awesome hills just over the boarder in Nagano or Niigata. These reviews are my own, and I have chosen only to only include the hills I deem worthy of a review for my fellow snow junkies.

So without further ado...

Katashina/Numata Area:

Kawaba:

Kawaba has an awesome little ski resort (though I must say I'm biased!) It is not the biggest and grandest of ski hills, but what it lacks in size it makes up with awesome powder! Kawaba is a bit higher up and gets massive dumps of fresh snow. There are great tree runs and off piste for the experts, and well groomed easy runs for the beginners. There is a decent free-style park and a "surf-ride park" for the park junkies! Kawaba city has great facilities, several restaurants to choose from, and Murasaki Sports if you need to do some shopping. Be sure to say hi if you are passing through!

View Larger Map

Location: Kawaba Village

Hours: 8:00am - 4:15pm

Price:
1 day ticket: 4,200円
After 10:00am ticket: 3,500円
Afternoon ticket: 3,500円
Free indoor parking.

Website: Kawaba Ski Resort

Discount:
1 day ticket + meal discount coupon. 5,900円
Special present on your birthday.

Ogna Hotaka:

Ogna Hotaka consistently gets crazy dumps of snow, and this wide-open hill is good for riders of all abilities. It is not the most challenging of hills, but the runs are much wider than the typical ski resort in Gunma, giving you a lot more freedom to move around and explore the area. There is not much in the way of a park, but a few smalls kickers are scattered around to keep the park junkies happy.

View Larger Map

Location: Katashina Village

Price:
1 day ticket: 3,800円
1,000円 parking fee on weekends.

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Website: Ogna Hotaka Ski Resort

Discount: 2,600円 pre-purchase tickets. There is a handling and shipping fee for this option. Click here.

Malnuma Kogen:

Malnuma is the first to open and the last to close. This ridiculously long season, from early November to mid April means six solid months of riding. Located high up in the mountains in Katashina village, Malnuma is an awesome ski resort with a gondola that will take you right to the top, meaning virtually no line-ups and guaranteed fresh powder all season long. There is a decent free-style park, and a bit of off-piste, as well as great groomed runs for beginners. Be sure to try the ramen at the mid-way ramen house!

View Larger Map

Location: Katashina Village

Price:
1 day ticket: 4,500円
Afternoon ticket: 3,500円
10 hour ticket: 7,000円
20 hour ticket: 13,500円

Hours: 8:15am - 4:30pm

Website: Malnuma Kogen Ski Resort

Discount:
-- Every Monday & Friday is 'Ladies Day': Chicks ride for 2,000円!
-- 1 day ticket + meal discount coupon. 4,900円

Tanbara:

This is a smaller hill that is excellent for beginners. There is a small freestyle park for the park junkies. Located just outside of Numata, Tanbara is one of the closer ski resorts to central Gunma, meaning you do not have to wake up quite as early to get there!

View Larger Map

Location: Numata

Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm

Price:

1 day ticket: 4,200円

1 day ticket + lunch: 5,200円

Half day ticket: 3,200円

Website: Tanbara Ski Resort

Discount:

-- 1 day ticket + meal discount coupon. 5,200円

-- Special present on your birthday!

Minakami Area:

Okutone:

High up in Minakami is this popular ski resort that has something for everyone. Okutone gets decent snow, and has runs suitable for beginners to intermediate riders. There is a decent free-style park, as well. Okuntone has great night skiing, until 10:00pm on weekdays, and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Night skiing courses are limited but there are virtually no line-ups and no crowds on the hill.

View Larger Map

Location: Minakami

Hours: 6:00am - 10:00pm (12:00pm on Friday and Saturday)

Price:

1 day ticket: 4,000円
4 hour ticket: 3,000円
Afternoon + Nighter ticket: 3,600円
3:00pm - close ticket: 2,700円

Nighter ticket: 2,100円

Website: Okutone Ski Resort

Discount:

Special present on your birthday

Free coffee service weekday mornings until 10:00am.

Norn

Norn's convenient location right off the Minakami IC makes it an easy and quick snow destination. It is not the biggest of hills, but it gets decent snow and there are some good runs for people of all abilities. Like Okutone, night skiing is available until 10:00pm on weekdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. There are no line ups and crowds and night, and the courses offer a few decent kickers and rails to keep the park junkies happy all night long.

View Larger Map

Location: Minakami

Hours: 7:00am - 10:00pm (12:00pm on Friday & Saturday)

Price:
1 day ticket 4.200円
5 hour ticket: 3,600円
2:00pm - 10:00pm: 3,700円
Night ticket: 2,100円

Website: Norn Ski Resort

Discount:
1 day ticket + meal discount ticket 5,000円
Night ticket + meal discount ticket 2,900円

Hodaigi

Located high up in the Minakami mountains, Hodaigi gets crazy good powder dumps. This is the perfect hill for beginners as the runs are wide and long, with efficient lifts to get you back to the top. There are a few more challenging areas for intermediate riders, but not much in the way of a park. Only a few kickers near the end. Hodaigi is great for group trips as it is easy to laugh at your friend's big fall from the main lifts!

View Larger Map

Location: Minakami

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Price:

1 day ticket: 4.000円

Half day ticket: 3,000円
1,000円 parking fee

Website: Hodaigi Ski Resort

Discount:

-- 1 day ticket + meal discount coupon. 3,900 円

-- 2,600円 pre-purchase tickets. There is a handling and shipping fee for this option. Click here.

-- Married couples whose combined age is over 100 years get 50% off day tickets.

-- If you are over 60 years old you can get rentals for 4,000円.

-- On weekends (and holidays) if you have chains on your car you get a free soft drink and present.

(Who made these rules?! Honestly...)

Agatsuma Area:

Kusatsu International

Located in one of our favorite Gunma towns, Kustatsu International Ski Resort is the perfect weekend snow destination. High up in the mountains, this resort gets tones of fresh powder throughout the winter, and with a mega long run you will be exhausted enough at the end of the day to truly enjoy an onsen soak in this famous resort town.

View Larger Map

Location: Kusatsu

Hours: 8:30am - 9:00pm

Price:

1 day ticket: 4,500円

1 day ticket + onsen: 4,700円

Half day ticket: 3,500円

Nighter ticket: 1,800円

Website: Kusatsu Kokusai Ski Resort

Discount:

-- 1 day ticket + meal + soft drink discount coupon. 4,200円 (weekends)

-- Every Wednesday is 'Ladies day': Chicks ride for 2,000円

-- A special present on your birthday.

Pallcall

Pallcall is an awesome little hill way out west in Tsumagoi, with frequent powder dumps and good facilities. There are great groomed runs for beginners and lots of little tree runs and off piste for the more advanced. A gondola will take you right to the top of the mountain, meaning short line-ups and long runs! Be sure to try a big sloppy burger at the top of the gondola!

View Larger Map

Location: Tsumagoi

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Price:

1 day ticket: 4,200円

4 hour ticket: 3,500円

1 day + onsen: 4,600円

1,000円 parking fee

Website: Pal Call Ski Resort

Discount:

1 day ticket + meal discount coupon. 4,500円

*Please let me know about any wrong links or special discounts you might come across and I will update this page!

Let's enjoying snow!

Wassup B?!: The Diao Wasabi Farm ~ By: Kelsey Trentszch

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:41:00 +0000

Is that ugly stage-two rearing its head for the first time since the big move to Japan? Or is it crawling back to haunt you again like school lunch curry-rice on a cold Monday morning? If you answered “yes” to either question, you are likely in need of a pep in your step: spice up your life (and sinuses) at the Daio Wasabi Farm in Nagano prefecture... for FREE!!!!!

Located in the quaint little town of Azumino, just over the bridge (well, multiple bridges) and through the woods in Nagano prefecture is Daio Wasabi Farm: one of the largest wasabi farms in all of Japan. The word “daio" means great king, and there is a shrine on the farm that contains a real daio’s remains. Not only does the farm harvest 150 million tons of wasabi every year, they also use 120 thousand tons of spring water a day from Nagano’s Northern Alps (presumably because wasabi is persnickety enough that is can only grow in perfectly purified and filtered water). That is a lot of Japanese horseradish and mizu!

If you like the taste of wasabi, then your mouth is in for a treat! For a reasonable price, you can buy wasabi-flavored everything! Wasabi wine, wasabi croquette, and even wasabi ice cream are on offer, along with real wasabi root. There is also wasabi beer on tap, but hold your excitement, as it is just normal beer with food coloring and a tiny bowl of wasabi peas on the side! It is still a tasty brew, and any time you can drink green beer besides St. Patrick’s Day is surely a win!

Getting to Daio Wasabi Farm is probably best done by car, as you will also want to take advantage of the stunning scenery and the other great points of interest in the area. Some noteworthy destinations include: Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto City, where real samurais once lived; Kamikochi, the Japan Alps National Park and Resort; and Hakuba Village, the site of most of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics events.

For more information on the Daio Wasabi Farm, check out the Wikipedia page here.

View Larger Map

Let’s enjoying wasabi!

*All photos by Kelsey Trentzsch.

Nagano Marathon Guide ~ By: John Dombeck

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:17:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about pushing yourself to run a full marathon? Join me and 8,000 other runners in Nagano City for the 13th Annual Nagano Marathon, held on Sunday April 17, 2011! (Or run the race in 2012, 2013, ...) Registration is open to foreigners until February 25 2011 and is in English.

The Nagano Marathon course passes by four Olympic stadiums, 200,000 fans, cherry blossom trees, snow-capped mountains in the distance and more along the flat 42.2 km (26.2 mile) route. Finish the race in the stadium used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympics - an exciting finish and great reward for completing the race!

Tokyo or Nagano marathon, which is better? Runnet.jp lists almost every race in Japan and is a popular resource among Japanese runners. The Nagan Marathon consistently rates higher than Tokyo Marathon. Organizers keep it small (limited to 8,000 runners) to maintain a high quality race. Compare that to Tokyo's field of 35,000 runners. The crowds that come with a big race mean excruciatingly long lines at toilets and slow running through bottlenecks on the course. Nagano has neither of those problems. Last year I was in a middle starting block and reached the start line in just 2½ minutes, and was out of the crowds and running my own pace in less than five minutes; good luck doing that in any big race!

Attending last year's marathon was Sydney Olympic's gold medalist in the women's marathon and celebrity, Ms Naoko Takahashi, giving high fives to runners at four points along the course. Foreigners receive free passes to the farewell party and can meet some of the elite athletes while enjoying sushi & beer.

Check out the Nagano Marathon official web site where you can register for the race, watch videos of the course, see the course map and more. The link to "Q&A by John" takes you to the web site I have for the marathon. The 2011 race will mark my ninth year volunteering with the event, and I have much more information available on my website.


Nagano Marathon Registration

Registration:
Registration is open to foreigners until Feb. 25 2011. The marathon commemorates the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and encouraging foreign athletes to participate makes it a more international event. About half the foreigners running in Nagano fly in from Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan and North America solely to run the race.

Japan is going through a marathon boom, with more entrants trying to get in to races of all distances. More than 55,000 runners tried to get in to the 2010 Nagano Marathon and registration filled up in less than six hours, which is faster than the Boston Marathon.

Lodging:
It is wise to reserve a hotel room when you register for the race, but better yet, meeting ALTs that live in Nagano can be a cheap and entertaining experience. There is a festival with food vendors, dancers and more at the finish area and always a group of Nagano ALTs doing activities with kids.

Another option is to stay at a nearby ski area. You can get to registration on Saturday while your friends hit the slopes!

Five Hour Time Limit:
The Nagano Marathon has a time limit of five hours to complete the race, so you do have to be fairly serious about your commitment. So, how fast do you have to run to finish within the time limit? If you run at a moderate jogging speed throughout you will probably finish the race on time. In saying that, this is not a race you can walk for many kilometers and expect to finish. Walk through the drink stops, take a few bathroom breaks and slow down when you need it, but you must keep moving.

There are several check points along the course. If you fail to reach them within the time limit you will have to either move off to the sidewalk or board a bus that will drive you to the finish line. With 200,000 fans, beautiful scenery, plenty of drink stops and more along the course, you will surely feel energized enough to finish in time. Worldwide, the average finish time for most marathoners is between 4½ and 5 hours.

Training:
Race day is easy compared with the training you will have to endure beforehand. While the training may be challenging, it is certainly not grueling or impossible. Most training plans have you running three to six times a week (I do three runs per week) and some cross-training (I do snowboarding, a bit of biking and other things) for about sixteen weeks. If you are already an avid runner, some plans suggest you can train for fewer weeks. The training does not use up a large amount of time, but it does require a solid commitment to get your workouts in. Training on cold, snowy, windy days is tough work, but it has to be done. My motto on those days is, "Suck it up, princess!"

Last winter I was usually awake at 5:15am for my early morning training runs. I suggest starting off with a stretch, warm yourself up with a hot drink, throw on a few layers and get out the door. When you start to feel the heat, peel the layers off, tie them around your waist or throw them somewhere along the trail and grab them later when you head home.

The ideal time to get your runs in is to make laps around your school while your students have club activities. One of my best training runs was under a full moon in the countryside while freezing rain was falling, yet I was warm and loving it all.

Training plans:
Runner's World has lots of training advice, gear reviews, forums to ask questions, interesting articles and inspiration. They have sites for Australia/New Zealand, South Africa & the UK, as well. The book "Run Less, Run Faster" by Bill Pierce, et al., is one of my favorite guides. ￥1,293 from Amazon at the time of this writing.

Inspiration:

Ben Does Life -- Tired of being depressed, a 360 lb guy goes for a run, gets thinner and happier. He then goes on to complete a marathon and an Ironman triathlon. Try searching "Ben does life" on YouTube. I enjoy how inspiring this video is, and 939,000+ other viewers seem to think so too! On Dec 5, 2010 he finished the Las Vegas marathon in an impressive 4 hrs 6 minutes. The blog is not overly preachy but rather quite realistic - he is still a big guy, and quite funny, to boot!

Hope to see you in Nagano! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me - John Dombeck

Winter Pepsi ~ By: Alice Volkmar

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 23:50:00 +0000

One thing that you quickly notice living in Japan is the true love the Japanese share for the seasons, and how they celebrate the changing of the seasons with relish. Summer brings fireworks and yukata. And at summer's end, Autumn may not quite feel like autumn yet, the leaves may not have changed colors, but as soon as September rolls around the advertisements change to sweater-wearing girls against backdrops of gorgeous winter foliage.

This attention to seasonality goes back certainly at least as far as the Pillow Book of Sei Shonangon which mentioned the different colors to be worn and different hair ornaments favored in each season, broken down to the smallest possible segments, sometimes only a week or two at a time. Love of seasons, the emotions associated with them, and the celebration of them and their changing is a part of Japanese culture that has been around as long as perhaps the Japanese themselves.

In modern times, companies have wisely capitalized on this, branding certain products with special seasonal “Limited Edition” flavors, only available for a brief moment of the year. Sometimes for a few months, or sometimes only a few short weeks is it possible to find these treats. I still lament the loss of my beloved kiwi yogurt from 7-Eleven this summer, which is an important facet of the entire experience. There is an excitement at the coming season, but an inherent melancholy at the passing of time and the loss of the season past; with it go the flavors we have grown so attached to in such a short time.

Love of seasons is a part of

Japanese culture that has been around as long

as perhaps the Japanese themselves.

Pepsi is one of the non-Japanese companies that has taken this idea and run with it in Japan, regularly releasing seasonal summer flavors to great fanfare and internet attention. A brilliant marketing scheme, the flavors tend towards the truly bizarre. This is no Pepsi-with-a-hint-of-lemon, or cherry. There is really no cola taste here, only a slightly insane soda with the Pepsi logo proudly branded on it. Many of us have seen the pictures fly around the internet as soon as the season's flavor has been released—the Shiso Pepsi, the Cucumber Pepsi, the White Pepsi. These go far beyond the Clear Pepsi of the 90's. I even still have a bottle of this summer's Baobab Pepsi sitting in my fridge, waiting to be enjoyed. (I will save you the google search—Baobab is a type of African tree. Yes, I have tree-flavored Pepsi.)

Pepsi generally has tended towards Summer flavors, but apparently this ploy has been successful enough to branch out into Winter flavors as well. This season brings us the new, limited edition Mont Blanc Pepsi, just in time for Holiday feelings to permeate the air.

For those not familiar, a Mont Blanc is a chestnut dessert hailing from France that has infiltrated Japanese cake shops everywhere. Usually a cake base is topped with cream and threads of chestnut puree swirled in the shape of a mountain, hence the name, which translates to “White Mountain.” Not all Mont Blancs are created equal, of course, and they can be found everywhere from the fanciest of “Keki” shops (try it at least once) to your local Lawson's or 7-Eleven (do not bother, it will not be worth it). Every now and then you will even find variations on the theme flavored with Green Tea or even fruit flavors, but the traditional is of course, Chestnut.

The taste is chocolate primarily,

with dark notes of nuttiness.

So how does a Mont Blanc Pepsi stack up? The bottle is quite pretty, with a sepia tint fading into whiteness, printed with delicate snowflakes, and of course, a huge chestnut that looks indeed like a white mountain. The font is lovely, and proclaims “Mont Blanc” proudly, many points larger than the actual Pepsi logo itself.

But how does it taste? Well, I have to admit, I struggled with my own expectations on this one. The sepia tint reminded me of American “Cream Soda”, and I really was hoping for a creamy A&W type flavor. At first sip, I was disappointed. In fact, I did not even drink more than a few sips before putting it aside. However, for the purposes of this article, I picked up a new bottle (surprisingly difficult in Gunma, I had no problems finding it in every 7-11 in Tokyo).

Second time is a charm, because this time I actually enjoyed the drink! The taste is chocolate primarily, with dark notes of nuttiness. There is not nearly as much “chestnut” taste as you may expect, but then again, for a bottle of artificial flavorings they did not do so badly. And there, underneath the chocolaty, nutty flavor, was that Cream Soda taste I had been missing all along. In fact, the scent is almost completely Cream Soda, and matches nicely with the overall flavor. It has a smooth finish, but leaves a bit of a strangely sour aftertaste reminding you that it is a Pepsi after all. It is quite sweet, but not any more so than a usual Pepsi. I find it rather amusing that this bottle of carbonated sugar water has given up the game and practically declared itself to be dessert. How 'refreshing'ly honest!

Now that I have discovered that I actually like the taste, I am sure that I will get addicted to the stuff, only to have my heart broken yet again when the flavor is taken away to make way for whatever springtime insanity they have cooking up now. I suppose the pain will be worth it, and I will feel a pang of Japanese melancholy when the time comes. In the mean time though, look for a bottle at your nearest combini, and definitely try this new flavor if you have the chance! And for those of you outside Japan that are dying for a cake flavored Pepsi, feel free to email me and maybe we can work something out! ;)

Christmas Spirit on the Mountaintop: The Haruna Lights ~ By: Helen Auer

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:43:00 +0000

For many of us ALTs in Japan, deciding what to do and where to go during the Christmas holidays can be quite the struggle. There is usually a split in numbers between those who are going back home, and the others who go off exploring. As foreigners we are often amused by Japan’s interpretations of Western holidays like Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, the perfect examples of such are elaborately displayed at Tokyo Disneyland!

In Japan, the days leading up to Christmas have a lot to do with lights, decorations, food, family, and friends, and Gunma is the perfect place to make the most of the festive season.

Every year from mid December until Christmas there is a fantastic Christmas light display around the lake on Mount Haruna. If you do not quite feel in the holiday spirit, even despite the digitally processed Christmas tunes playing at your local shopping center, then gather a car-pool of friends and take the drive along the ‘melody road’ to the lake in the heart of Gunma's famous mountain.

Dozens of illuminations are set up along the water’s edge, and some decorations are even displayed from on the water. Glittering trees make a small forest, intermingled with deer, sleds, and plenty of places to take token Christmas photos! Watch out for the giant lit-up daruma; those squat little red, white, and black dolls which originate here in Gunma.

To beat the chill (and it does get cold up there!) a food area is available serving anything from corn dogs to yaki-manju (sweetbread with miso seasoning toasted on sticks), soup, hot chocolate, and hot sake. Sometimes there is live music or bingo games, but my personal favorite has to be the illuminated go-karts! There is just something so wonderful about a beat-up go-kart pushed to its limits atop a glittering mountain while freezing your fingers off amongst the company of good friends!

Getting to Mount Haruna this winter is best done by car, and is a fairly easy and scenic drive. As a local to the area, my advice is to avoid the direct rout from Shibukawa to Haruna, as most other viewers will be taking this road. A much less busy route is the longer way through Nakanojo on Route 353. Follow the signs to Haruna and right up to the top! From there, follow the crowds and traffic to the parking areas.

View Larger Map

The illumination display will run through the holiday season from Dec. 10th from 5:00pm to 10:00pm. To avoid a long walk from your car to the lights, try to enjoy the display during the week as the masses of people will be at a minimum. (The whole trip up and down the mountain may take around 2-3 hours, depending on your cold tolerance and number of fellow tourists). There is a small parking fee, but with a car full, it is nothing to whine about.

Once the snow starts to fall be sure to put those snow tires on your car. Chains may not be necessary, but the curves are sharp, and there can be ice on the road.

GAJET is planning an organized trip to Mount Haruna on December 10th from 7:30pm. For more information or to join the group event, visit the event facebook page.

Merry Christmas!
Photos courtesy of Helen Auer.

Gunma's Galaxy Waypoint 天文台 ~ By: David Shaw

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:21:00 +0000

Photo by Stephen Ho

The main place to view the stars in my hometown of Miami is at the local Science Museum. It is located at the edge of a sprawling downtown, so you have to fight through immense traffic just to enter the place. Then, there are the hoards of anxious people trying not to miss the last laser light show of the day. You have to ask an employee where to find the telescope, and they direct you down a dark dirty alley and up a long flight of stairs only to peer through a tiny sad excuse of a telescope.

The Gunma Observatory is quite a different story. It is a serious star observatory located high up in the mountains in the small village of Takayama-mura. The village built the observatory at the turn of the century because of the areas low density population, and upholds a rule of no excessive night lighting making it the perfectly dark place for a star observatory.

To get there, you drive up small mountain roads in total darkness for quite some time until you reach the observatory grounds and parking lot. Do not think your travels are finished there, because the observatory is not close to your parking spot. You have to climb a wooden staircase for about ten to fifteen minutes in order to reach one of the two observatory stations. The whole area is in total darkness, aside from some soft lights on the steps to guide you. Along the way, you can stop and ring one of the chimes placed along the path. It is a really beautiful experience to quietly walk along the path admiring the surrounding trees and the occasional soft chimes in the distance.

Photo by Stephen Ho

As you round up the hill the observatory building will come into sight. Immediately inside the facility there are children's artistic depictions of space. This was quite bizarre for me to see as I have never heard a Japanese person talk about space in all my time in Japan. One picture I fondly remember features a child's parents circling the moon atop their bed. Other kids drew pictures of their own renditions of spaceships. There are also many interesting pictures and information about new sightings and special lunar events, which you should be sure to check out.

The observatory itself was designed by a popular architect, Arata Isozaki. While the design is very simple aesthetically, the way space is used is very impressive. I particularly enjoyed the open-air space with the different telescopes. The various telescopes are placed on soft grass, allowing you to peer through the lens and lie down after to watch the stars.

There are other areas and places to see the stars at the Gunma Observatory, all equally impressive and worth a visit. So, if you feel the need to detach from the down-to-Earth Japan for a little while and want a chance to reach for the stars, check out this cool, otherworldly Gunma location.

For a lot more information about the Star Observatory facility (in English!), check out the Star Observatory website.

GAJET is planning an organized star-gazing trip to the Gunma Star Observatory on December 11th. from 7:00pm. When the temperatures drop in the winter, it is the ideal time to view the stars as the skies are usually slightly clearer, so do not miss this chance to visit this amazing place. For more information, gaze upon the event facebook page.

Thanks to Stephen Ho for the great photos!

Going Toward the Light: 2010/11 Gunma Illumination Guide ~ By: Brooke Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Nothing puts me in a festive mood more than twinkly Christmas lights (okay, and egg-nog lattes. Or just plain egg-nog, both of which are unavailable in Japan. I have, however, learned to compromise and now opt for rum... er… I mean, gingerbread lattes!)

Every year hundreds of locations around Japan create “illumination” displays that become grander and grander as the years go on. I remember queuing with thousands of tourists at the ‘Millenario’ in Tokyo during my first winter in Japan, and dragging my cousin out of the house to see the displays near Tokyo Tower (he is a Holiday Grinch and complained the whole time!). The array of lights was fascinating and seemed to make the bitter cold disappear.

This year, while I may still visit Tokyo to see the illumination displays, I hope to visit as many local displays here in Gunma as possible! With my iPod loaded with a fresh Christmas play list (gems such as I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and of course, Mr. Crosby) and wearing as much Uniqlo HeatTech as can fit on my body, I hope to brave the extreme temperatures and karakaze and go towards the light.

For those of you who also enjoy the twinkle and sparkle of this magical season, here is your 2010-2011 Gunma Illumination Guide (organized by start date):

Ota “The Stars of the Night Sky” Illumination:

When: October 11th ~ January 10th, after sunset until 10pm

Where: Ota City North Playground Ota-shi, Kamigodocho 2079-3

About: One million LEDs are used to create a variety of gorgeous winter displays.

View Larger Map

Gunma Flower Park Illumination:

When: November 13th ~ January 10th, 9:00 ~ 21:00

Where: Maebashi-shi, Kashiwagura-machi 2471-7

About: Features a brilliant 1500m “corridor of lights” with over 50,000 lights.

View Larger Map

Kusatsu Onsen Illumination:

When: November 20th ~ March 31st, 17:00 ~

Where: Kusatsu town around Yubatake (spring source)

About: A beautiful festive addition to the perfect winter getaway. Enjoy the lights from the public foot bath, or take a dip in the famous hot springs.

View Larger Map

Togamiyama “Star Connection” Illumination:

When: November 20th ~ November 23rd, 18:00 ~ 0:00

Where: Togamiyama-machi, Numata

About: The mountain glows magically with the display of lights. This illumination can be enjoyed up-close or from the highway for those just passing through.

大きな地図で見る

Akagi Kogen’s Kronenberg German Village Presents: "Christmas in the Forrest":

When: November 27th ~ December 25th, 16:00 ~ Close

Where: German Village, Maebashi, Naigashima-machi 2331

About: Christmas decorations, light displays, fireworks (12/23, 25), concerts (12/23, 25), German food and so much more!

View Larger Map

Shin-machi Illumination (and Bazaar):

When: December 1st ~ January 31st
Bazaar: December 5th, 14:00 ~

Where: Shin-machi station area

About: Shop in the glow of 20,000 twinkling lights! What more could you ever want!?

View Larger Map

Kanna-machi’s “Winter Fantasy”:

When: December 4th ~ January 21st, 17:00 ~ 22:00(ish)

Where: Kanna River-side Park (Koi Koi Bridge)

About: Features a beautiful “blue tree of lights” as well as a “tunnel of lights.”

View Larger Map

Takasaki’s Pageant of Lights:

When: December 4th ~ January 7th, from sunset

Where: Takasaki Station W. Exit, symphony road, and City Hall area

About: Over 220,000 lights decorate an area around the west exit of Takasaki station and around City Hall.

View Larger Map

Watase Railway Station Display:

When: December 5th ~ February 28th

Where: Displays at Kiryu, Midori, Nikko stations and more. (total: 16 stations)

About: Take a ride on the “Polar Express” and enjoy the lights at each station.

Lake Haruna Illumination Fest:

When: December 10th ~ December 26th, 17:30 ~ 22:00

Where: Lake Haruna Area

About: Beautiful displays on and around the lake. Go-karts, food stalls, fireworks and more!

For a bird’s eye view, take the ropeway to the top of the mountain.

GAJET is planning an organized trip to the Haruna Lights on December 10th from 7:30pm. For more information or to join the event, check out the event facebook page!

View Larger Map

Romantic Night 2010 at the Amusement Park:

When: December 18th ~ December 26th, 9:30 ~ 21:00

Where: Isesaki Kezouji Amusement Park

About: Exciting rides, cheerful Christmas decorations and free admission will surely put you in the holiday spirit.

View Larger Map

Kiryu Station Illumination “Future Kiryu”:

When: December 23rd ~ February 13th

Where: Kiryu Station Area

About: Student-created displays decorate the station. On the 23rd, a special guest appearance by Gunma’s own super-hero team, G-Five.

View Larger Map

Mt. Myogi Illumination:

When: December 31st ~ January 3rd

Where: Michi no Eki Myogi, Tomioka

About: Light display to bring in the New Year at the base of Mt. Myogi.

View Larger Map

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!

Sitting Around the Nabe Pot ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:17:00 +0000

The snow is falling in the mountains and the temperatures are dropping. It is that time of year when we struggle to find comfort in our uninsulated Gunma apartments. If you are not already spending each evening snuggled beneath the kotatsu grasping for any small amount of warmth, then it is certainly time to open your storage closets (or wallets) and get your apartment set up for the long cold winter months ahead.

And what could be a more perfect accessory for your living room kotatsu but a portable stove and nabe pot!

Nabemono or Japanese hot-pot is a style of winter cuisine often cooked and served from a large pot in the center of a table, commonly shared between several people. Not only is it toasty warm, convenient, and easy to prepare, but it is a highly social and fun way to spend an evening with friends. Japanese people believe that eating from the same pot and sharing a large dinner together will strengthen the relationships between those sharing the meal. The phrase nabe o kakomu (鍋を囲む) or "sitting around the pot" implies the warmth of friendship that comes from sharing a meal in this way.

A nabe pot is typically made of clay (donabe 土鍋) or cast iron (tetsunabe 鉄鍋) and can be purchased for surprisingly cheap at most home stores (between 700円−5000円 depending on the quality and size). Be sure to pick up a portable stove and gas canisters for added convenience (they range from 2000円 - 4000円 depending in quality).

The types and styles of nabe you can prepare at home are endless. Local grocers will have all the ingredients you need to make up any number of nabe recipes, and are usually grouped together conveniently. Yosenabe (寄せ鍋) is the most common and easy dish to prepare, simply meaning "putting together" various ingredients in a pot.

For your basic inexpensive and easy nabe, pick up any combination of sliced meats (pork, chicken or beef does just fine), seafood, mushrooms, negi, carrots, cabbage, daikon, konnyaku, tofu and udon.

Prepare a simple miso or shoyu broth or use the pre-made soups from the supermarket, and add each ingredient. Cook over medium heat for several minutes. Once the nabe is fully cooked, each person can dig in and help themselves! It could not be any easier! If your stomach is still begging for more, add udon to the flavorful broth, or add rice and egg after much of the meat and vegetables are gone for a heartier meal.

Shabu-Shabu is another nabemono variation prepared by swishing finely sliced piece of beef or pork in boiling water or broth. Use tare, or dipping sauces to add flavor to the ingredients. You can choose between ponzu, a sweet soy-sauce mixture or gomadare, a sesame sauce.

Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is yet another variation usually made with a shoyu, sugar and mirin broth. Each person has a single raw beaten egg to serve as a dipping sauce. The raw ingredients are boiled until ready and each person helps themselves by dipping the cooked meat and vegetables in the raw egg.

For more information and nabe recipes check the following links:
Yosenabe Recipe
Shabu-Shabu Recipe
Sukiyaki Recipe
Oden Recipe
Mizutaki Recipe

ALT Fashion Guide ~ By: Mark Daniels

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:26:00 +0000

ALTs in Japan come from a wide range of countries, have a wide range of personalities and do a wide range of jobs. You may say that this leads to a fascinating group of people that can teach Japan so much and also learn a great deal from each other. What is perhaps far more profound, interesting and relevant to society at large is that these factors lead to a hugely diverse fashion sense, even within the ALT workplace. This article aims to tackle the deep and complex issue of what the ALT is and should be wearing, depending on the wider aim each individual has.

The “I Am So Scared I Am Going To Get it Wrong” Look:

I am sure we are all familiar with this fashion trend from our first few days in school. You know, the plain black T-shirt, black trousers and black shoes possibly accompanied by dark grey socks if you are feeling a bit fruity. This not-so-exciting ensemble is worn by brand new ALTs who were never told exactly what to wear at school and/or were scared stiff by the horror stories from Tokyo Orientation. Super-smart yet super-plain, this look is probably something you wore the first few times after arriving in Japan.

Anyone still sporting this plain-Jane outfit should probably give it up now; you are bound to get it wrong one day! In fact, you probably look too smart on any normal day, yet too casual on the random suit days. I am afraid being smart enough on average just does not cut it!

The “I Do Not Want To Stand Out Any More Than I Already Do” Look:

As opposed to the previous look all about 'plain and boring' no matter what others are wearing, this fashion statement is achieved by copying the others around you with absolutely no regard for taste, quality or any of those other factors you would normally consider when making a wardrobe choice. In the Japanese staff room it seems poor quality sportswear is usually the way to go: You must know the all-in-one navy-blue or burgundy matching tracksuits by now. To blend-in in the staff room usually means a trip twenty years back in time to what your parents were likely wearing while out for a light jog.

However, if adorning this confusing casual look, be sure to still always keep a nice suit in your locker for those random ceremonies you knew nothing about. You certainly never want to be standing in front of the town mayor looking like you just came off a jog in 1995. If sporting this look at school, I recommend that you be sure to dress a tad smarter on the weekends or you run the risk of becoming some kind of permanent Ali G look-a-like.

The “I Am A Girl Trying To Get Off With My Male Colleague” Look:

This fashion trend is often worn by the many female ALTs who arrive in Tokyo to find that they have an undiscovered desire for Far Eastern men, and are now on a mission to get with the hot P.E. teacher at the upcoming enkai.

Assuming that it is not marriage that you are after, I would recommend the cleavage-bearing low-cut tops and short skirts you likely packed with you but found too inappropriate for the workplace in Japan. In doing so, you may risk alienating yourself from every female in the school and make it even more impossible to make eye contact with any of your students whose teenage peepers are straying to other places. But, if you are dead-set on a mission of love, then these are just the sort of sacrifices you must make!

However, in saying this, I do stress the common adage; less is more, and by this I do not necessarily mean less material! I mean, ladies, less slutty is the key! You want to merely hint at potential promiscuity while keeping an air (albeit a fake one) of class. Try for an outfit just a tad more revealing than the rest of the female teaching staff who are likely covered head to toe in the aforementioned burgundy tracksuit. I think this leaves you with quite a lot of leeway to dress rather faux-slut without looking like The Real McCoy!

The “I Am a Guy Trying To Get Off With My Female Colleague” Look:

Probably more common in this category is not necessarily the "undiscovered" desire for Asian women similar to the women's situation as mentioned above, but more likely the life-long yearning for an Asian female companion that was the entire motivation for applying to be an ALT in Japan in the first place.

I would recommend the smart look; dress pants, colourful collared shirts and sweater vests, as you will probably stand out from the average young male teacher in the office. Adding a simple accessory such a nice watch or belt seems to get the girls quite in a flutter. Think “Cool Biz” every day as opposed to just ALT seminar days and you will be breaking hearts right, left and centre!

The “Please Somebody Talk To Me” Look:

If you are the social type and find the language barrier a strain when you are dying to chat someone's ear off, throw on a bright T-shirt with a crazy motif (nothing too risqué, we do not want to scare people off) a colourful scarf, a bobble hat¸ or even a bloody tiara if you have to! Anything that may potentially start a conversation with a colleague about absolutely anything will do just fine.

One tip is to wear something that looks like typical clothing from your home country. For instance, I often wear a scarf which is apparently typical London gentleman attire, even though it was bought at a department store in Tatebayashi (what they do not know will not hurt them)! Americans may try sporting a baseball cap, Scots can rock up to work in a kilt, and all the Aussies out there can carry a didgeridoo over their shoulders.

If you are struggling to find those clothes items that get that, “Wow! That is so typically (insert country name here)” reaction (possibly because the Japanese perception is so far removed from the reality of your country that you cannot possibly guess what on Earth they think your homeland is like) then simply try adorning your clothing with a more obvious badge of your country's flag or national symbol. I personally have a Union Jack bandana for serving school lunch, although I have lost count of how many times kids run up pointing and screaming, “AMERICA!”

The “My Students Think I Am Cool” Look:

Badges, straps, suwetto touru, brightly patterned socks -- you know the sort of thing that I mean! My best advice is to remember the three Cs: CRAZY, CUTE and COLOURFUL! It does not matter in the slightest what horrible mismatched jumble of fashion faux pas you have dressed yourself in for work in the morning because you really cannot go wrong at school if you tick all three boxes.

Colourful clothing is particularly popular at nursery school where it can double as a last-minute flash card when you forgot to prepare anything. Practical as well as cool, I would say!

If you do not want to stand out so much, simply opt for a crazy accessory that can be easily covered up when you walk in to the staff room, pretending to listen to the morning meeting with your serious-face on, but then easily flashed about again when you are playing dodge ball at break time, tongue poking out and a pair of tiny children’s fingers heading towards your backside... Ah the many varied roles of the ALT.

The “I Do Not Care How I Look As Long As It Keeps Me Warm” Look:

I will be honest with you now; the entirety of this article is just a teaser, because, like it or not, you live in Gunma and from now until the end of March I can guarantee that each and every one of you will be sporting this winter-survival look. This fashion statement starts with a layer of Uniqlo’s finest HeatTech, followed by as many jumpers as is physically possible to fit over your body whilst still being able to walk through doors.

A very thick old granny-style jumper is my personal recommendation. My granny jumper is adorned with reindeer and looking at it makes me want to vomit ever so slightly (luckily its colour would allow for it to go unnoticed) but I very much do not care because my neck is usually too cold to look down and see it anyway.

You might want to contemplate an accessory that you hitherto had not considered appropriate workplace clothing before: a Disney or other cutesy blanket to cover yourself in. It is almost like hibernating in a Stitch cocoon in your free periods.

So, before you came to Japan your aim may well have been to educate the children of this country about your culture or to encourage them to have a more international frame of mind, but, in reality, you are probably much more concerned about seducing the fit P.E. teacher or avoiding catching hypothermia. Hopefully you can take away a few pointers for how to achieve your goals, no matter how shallow they are, through your sense of fashion. Good luck guys!!

Melody Roads ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:47:00 +0000

As if your car stereo pumping out mad J-Pop tunes is not quite enough to keep you entertained and awake while driving to your favorite Gunma tourist destination, Japanese engineers have designed numerous melody roads that consist of strategically spaced grooves in the road that rumble often unfamiliar tunes through your car, similar to the rumble strips you might be familiar with back home.

The idea of a melody road came upon Mr. Shizuo Shinoda; a bulldozer driver who accidentally carved some grooves in a road and discovered that when driving over them, the vibration of the tires creates a rumbling noise that can be heard within the cabin of a car.

In 2004, the Hokkaido National Industrial Research Institute in Sapporo took Mr. Shinoda's brilliant idea and ran with it. Scientists created melody roads from strategically placed grooves in the concrete. The secret is in the spacing of the grooves; grooves spaced farther apart create lower pitched sounds, whereas closely spaced grooves create high pitched sounds. Placing the different pitched tones together can create a melody. The rhythm of the song is created from the length of the grooves.

Gunma has six such melody roads within it's boarders and most are easily accessible along the tourist routes.

Kusatsu: R292 has a 300m long rendition of 草津節 (Kusatsu Song) located on the mountain road approaching the town.

View Larger Map

Tsumagoi: Located on R94. 雪山讃歌 (Snowy Mountain Song of Praise).

View Larger Map

Mt. Haruna: Located on R33 on the road up to the lake. 静香な湖畔 (Quiet Lake).

View Larger Map

Maebashi: Located on R353. チューリップ (Tulip).

View Larger Map

Numata: Located just off R120 on the Tone Boukyou Line (Shirasawa). 夏の思い出 (Summer Memories).

View Larger Map

Optimal driving speed over melody roads is a whopping 28km/h. Be sure to keep your windows rolled up for the best possible sound.

More information is available here. Please let me know if my locations are slightly off and I will do my best to fix them.

Snowboarding Buying for Newbies ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:54:00 +0000

Thinking of hitting the slopes this winter? The snow is already falling and Gunma just so happens to have some of the best snow and ski hills in all of Japan. It would be a crying shame to miss out on all that fresh pow! Whether you are a seasoned rider or a newbie, there are plenty of opportunities to ride your heart out all winter long!

Perhaps when packing the essentials for Japan you could not quite cram your snowboard into your two allotted pieces of luggage, but fear not as you have come to the country of 'new! new! new!' Japanese people, for the most part, stay up on the latest gear and fashion every season, renewing their stock of skis and snowboards as soon as the snow starts to fall. This means our favorite used clothing and furniture shops (namely HardOff) can be chalk full of barely-used gear for relatively low prices. Unless you are a hard-core rider planning to go out every weekend (like me!) I would not recommend shelling out the outrageous prices for new gear. The gear you can find at HardOff is as good as anything, and can likely fit any budget.

As a side note, all ski hills (and ski hill towns) offer rentals at reasonable prices. You can rent anything from snowboards/skis and boots to jackets, pants, goggles, and helmets. If you are really green and only plan on hitting the slopes once or twice this winter, you are likely better off to go the rental-route. However, rentals and lift tickets and transportation and food and beer can add up as the season goes on, and with the relatively cheap prices of used gear here in Japan, I recommend buying your own stuff if you plan on heading out more than two times.

If you have never purchased snowboard or ski gear before it can be a daunting task. What size, brand, style, and budget should you be looking at? Well, that really depends on what you plan on doing...

I can only speak for snowboarding gear as I have never strapped a pair of skis to my feet in my life. I hope all the two-plankers can forgive me for my utter lack of knowledge in that field.

Boots:

Boots are mega important when it comes to shredding pow on the hill. After all, your feet are strapped in these things for six or eight hours in a day. Bad boots = a bad day!

The first thing you need to decide is weather you want strap-in or step-in boots. Strap-in boots are just your regular boot that fits inside a snowboard binding and are literally strapped in. They are versatile and can work with most binding combos, and are by far the most common. Step-in boots however have a metal piece on the bottom that corresponds with a particular metal binding piece. If you go with step-ins you will have to use the corresponding bindings. My personal preference is strap-in boots/bindings as they are more versatile, and far more supportive while riding. However, step-ins are very easy to use and perhaps better for newbies. Not many companies are making step-ins anymore, so you may have trouble finding them these days.

Regular Boots


Step-In Boots/Bindings

When looking at used boots, make sure they are in decent condition. Check the laces, the tongue, and the lining. Rips are tears are not a problem, but old warn boots may not keep your toes warm. Boots on the stiffer side are better, so give the boots a push and tug and check their stiffness. If they are as floppy as your favorite Uggs they are not going to support your ankles when you are riding. A little bit of give is good, but they should essentially push your leg forward and support your ankle. Watch for heel lift when trying on your boots -- if you bend your knees and your heals lift inside the boot they will not be supportive on those toe-side turns. Lock your ankles in those suckers and make sure your heels stay flat on the ground. Try on a lot of boots to find the perfect pair.

Board:

Once you have got your boots down, head over to the snowboards and take a look. Picking out the right board can be a daunting task. There are many brands and styles on the market, and for a newbie it can be hard to sort through the masses.

The snowboard you choose should be in decent condition with relatively few scratches and dents. Make sure there is no peeling and it has good clean edges. Small scratches and chips on the bottom can be repaired with a simple wax job. Look for brands like Burton, Ride, Forum, Option, K2, Nitro, Salomon, Rossignal, Lamar etc.

The snowboard you choose needs to be the proper length for you. A good rule of thumb is that when standing beside your board, it should come up somewhere between your chin and nose. This differs slightly depending on what kind of riding you are doing, but for beginners, if your board is too long it will be difficult to maneuver, and if it is too short it will be unstable.

Push down on your board to check it's flex. The board should flex easily in the center with a little force. A board that is too stiff will just hinder a beginner snowboarder.

Check the flex on your board

Bindings:

Most used boards will likely have a pair of bindings already attached. Beginners need not worry about the complexity of binding technology. As long as the straps strap together, the rackets work properly, and the boots fit snugly inside, you are smooth sailing. If you go the step-in route, check that the metal bits on the boots fit in properly and feel comfortable.

Look at spending between 10,000円 and 30,000円 on a good beginners set-up (boards, boots & bindings). Having your own gear will save time and money this winter and keep you motivated to get out of your kotatsu and shred some of Gunma's amazing powder!
Happy Snowboard Shopping, Gunma!

How to Look Like a Hard Worker ~ By: Allen Bo Agunday

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 01:02:00 +0000

At this point we are all fairly familiar with our work gigs; 35 hour work week, Japanese-style school office, teaching, lesson planning, studying Japanese, checking facebook, etc. Working as an ALT is a unique experience in that within our 35 (or so) hour work week, a relatively small portion of that time is actually spent teaching! Occasionally, we are kindly asked to help mark assignments. Sometimes we make lesson plans. Every so often we coach the speech contest students. But, more often than not we are left to our own devices, pondering how to best spend what can sometimes be a great deal of free time in the most productive fashion.

Of course, I never want to assume that my experience in any way represents every ALT's situation. We all know the standard ALT mantra; ESID (every situation is different) and I have heard from some ALTs that they are essentially bona-fide teachers within their schools, responsible for creating lessons plans, teaching entire lessons by themselves and marking assignments. However, from most conversations I have had, I suspect my situation is fairly typical.

So, with a considerable amount of free time on my hands, I find myself doing one of the following during the off-time:

1. Studying Nihongo.
2. Probing lesson plan books and creating lesson plans.
4. Wandering around the school and poking into classrooms.
5. Asking kindly if I can help with marking.

6. Conversing with my co-workers in English.

Occasionally however, us ALTs will find ourselves with literally nothing to do. As you know, Japanese culture is big on appearances. Even when I have entirely nothing to do, I find it prudent to uphold the illusion that I am doing something so as to avoid looking like a lazy waste of tax-payer resources. With a mere two months into the job, I have become quite proficient at making myself look like I am hard at work.

I will now share with you my insider secrets, but I caution you to utilize them at your own risk. When carrying out such maneuvers I suggest taking in to account the level of English of your superiors, and the amount of work your co-workers may have. So without further ado...

1. The alt+tab Quick Switch:
One of the first skills the novice pretender must develop is that of the alt+tab quick switch (A+TQS). By this I simply mean the act of quickly holding down alt, followed by tab on the keyboard to rapidly switch between windows within Windows or Mac OS. It is certainly far faster than moving your hand to the mouse, dragging it to the task bar and choosing a different window or program to open, is it not?

Carry on as if there is

absolutely nothing wrong

with surfing 'perez-hilton.com'

at your desk.

One of the common mistakes the novice pretend-worker makes is to not have any other windows open at the same time during the trick. In effect, this renders the alt+tab technique useless as nothing will actually happen when you hit alt+tab. Many amateurs have been exposed in this way, often resulting in a sad attempt at dragging the mouse to the minimize button as quickly as humanly possible. Such a transparent act is further incriminating as then you are then left staring at a blank screen with no plausible alibi.

My advice for the novice who unexpectedly finds them self in this situation is to carry on as if there is absolutely nothing wrong with surfing 'perez-hilton.com' at your desk. Pass it off as 'cultural research', of sorts. An advanced pretender will even save pictures to their desktop to make it appear as though they have been visiting non-work-related websites for purely work-related reasons. Be cautioned that this is an advanced technique, and not recommended for noobies at the risk of looking totally fake if not done with 100% confidence.

2. The Fake Important-Looking Spreadsheet:
Try and think of the most boring task you can possibly do on a computer. If you guessed 'work on a spreadsheet' then you are 100% correct! It is my expert opinion, I am sorry to say, that spreadsheets were primarily designed to take the fun out of computers so that they can be used for real work. Studies have shown that creating spread sheets is also particularly useful for inducing sleep.

Creating the Fake Important-Looking Spreadsheet can be used hand-in-hand with the alt+tab trick as mentioned above. Simply input some random English words and numbers into a spreadsheet and keep it open on your desktop. From a passing glance, a spreadsheet filled with numbers, however arbitrary, appears to be a genuinely important work-related document, and is thus the perfect slacking-off cover-up. This means that if one of your co-workers takes a peek at your screen, they will discover that you are hard at work on something very very important, but will likely not stare too long out of fear of falling asleep on the spot.

3. The Hard-Worker Body Language:
The two aforementioned techniques work great alone or together, however to take the illusion of hard work to the next level you must pay close attention to the body language you use in your office to subtly communicate the illusion of being hard-at-work. The most effective way to do this is to utilize the Brow-Furrow and Chin-Stroke while staring intently at your computer monitor. This stellar combo gives the illusion that you are intensely concentrating intensely on whatever it is you are doing and absolutely should not be bothered.

It is to your advantage to appear to be under a

small amount of pressure.

Throw in a 'sigh' or two now and again to show frustration with whatever it you are "working on". People who are working hard are invariably under stress, and it is to your advantage to appear as if you are under a small amount of pressure. To amplify the effect, occasionally muttering comments like, "Wow... what a busy day it is today!" Your co-workers will likely agree. This means they have accepted that you must be working as hard as they are.

4. The Thinker Pose:

Closely related to the Brow-Furrow and the Chin-Stroke technique is, while staring fixedly at your computer, the pose known as The Thinker. This is skillfully accomplished by crossing your arms and resting your chin against one hand while furrowing your brow and staring into space. Use this technique to daydream about nothing at all because to the casual observer, you appear to be lost in deep thought about your upcoming class.

"Glad to see you are

hard at work! Keep it up!"

Occasionally, a co-worker may try to call your bluff, or likely just out of curiosity, will ask what you are so deeply in thought about. In this situation it is useful to have a line to recite such as, " I am trying to deduce the optimal way to increase productivity within this project (gesture at open excel file) subject to the constraints of these parameters and within an appropriate margin of error... Figuring out the margin of error is the hardest part. " Or, considering we are employed in Japanese schools, a simple gesture towards an open word document of gibberish English and, "English. Difficult." will suffice.

The success of this tactic will be apparent if your co-workers response is something along the lines of, "Glad to see you are hard at work! Keep it up!" or a similar encouraging facial expression.

5. The Direct Co-Worker Chat:
Often times the most effective strategies are the most counter-intuitive. You may think that engaging a co-worker in conversation as they stroll past while you are simultaneously updating your facebook status about the latest hilarious thing your students said, but really have absolutely nothing important to say, would amount to job-suicide, but social dynamics can be a very interesting thing.This works even if you have nothing of actual importance to say.

Think about this scenario from the other person`s point of view; someone who is trying to hide the fact that they are slacking off will likely avoid any eye contact and interaction in the hopes that you do not notice them, while initiating a conversation would indicate quite the opposite.

The most effective strategies

are often the most

counter-intuitive.

Flip the script and engage your co-workers with an interesting anecdote, observation or question. You will discover that your inane commentary has the interesting effect of occupying their conscious awareness and leaving them unable to process the possibility that you in fact were not actually doing anything while they were passing by.

This gambit requires a high level of skill to perform effectively, but once mastered, allows you to do things such as engage the other person in a fluff conversation while simultaneously opening up a spreadsheet.

6. The Desk-Shuffle:
This is a useful and simple technique to make it appear as though you are in the middle of something very very important. It is as simple as rummaging through your desk in search of some misplaced but very important object. The Desk-Shuffle works very well as a last-second gambit as when your supervisor comes around the corner as you are typing a message to a fellow ALT on gchat.

Consider uttering some throw-away comment under your breath while rummaging through your three-month storage of omiyage like, "Where is that stupid eraser?" to legitimize your busy work. It is however best not to overuse the Desk-Shuffle so as to not appear as an utterly disorganized mess.

7. The Brisk Walk:
If you are looking to take the art of looking like a hard-worker to the next level it is advisable to occasionally get up from the comfort of your desk and take a walk through the halls of your school. Your actual purpose and destination is irrelevant; what is important is the briskness with which you walk that gives a sense of urgency and purpose. Perhaps you want to pay a visit to the copier, vending machine or bathroom. Be sure to do so with a sense of conviction and the co-workers you pass will be under the impression that you are someone who does things of importance (even if the most important decision you made that day was choosing between the purple or orange fanta at the vending machine).

Jogging around

gives the impression that

you are a

coffee-getting-intern-pansy.

It is very important to recognize the difference between walking at a brisk pace, jogging, and taking a leisurely stroll. The latter is probably the worst alternative as it can make you appear as though you have absolutely nothing to do. On the other end of the spectrum, jogging around gives the impression that you are a coffee-getting-intern-pansy. Like everything in life, it is best to exercise moderation, and walk briskly and confidently.

For maximum effect you can try holding a stack of papers during your brisk hallway walk. Perhaps a stack of spreadsheet printouts would work best.

8. The Under-All-Circumstances-Remain-Calm:
The single most important thing to remember when slacking off at school is to always avoid looking surprised or flustered, even if you are caught offguard. Someone who is legitimately hard at work will never act like they got busted even if they happen to be engaged in a non-work related activity. If worse comes to worst, you can break down and claim that you are taking a five minute tea break.

With dedication and practice, you too can master the art of looking busy at work while doing nothing at all!

Disclaimer: I do not think I need to say it, but just in case – please note that this article is a work of satire that was written in jest. I have the utmost respect for the JET Programme and truly believe that its noble aims of grassroots internationalization can only be fulfilled by proactive participants who are intent on living up to the mission.

It is true that due to the nature of the ALT job description (or lack there of), we can sometimes find ourselves without a clear directive on how to utilize our time outside of class. Regardless, I believe that it is the responsibility of each and every ALT to capitalize on this unique opportunity and identify ways to add value to their schools, local communities and the JET Programme as a whole.

Surfing Couches Across Japan ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:49:00 +0000

Looking for a place to stay on a budget? Need an insider's guide to a travel destination? Couch Surfing is a non-profit network of over a million travelers that share a common interest in travel, friendship, and cultural exchange. Open your house up and offer your couch to wanderers and in return for the comfort of millions of couches around the world. The greatest part of couch surfing is that it is entirely FREE!

Couch Surfing is not something I have yet to try myself, but several of my friends have been highly successful on their 'surfing' endeavors, both here in Japan and abroad. Couch Surfing allows you to get off the beaten path and see parts of Japan you may not have otherwise seen by following the tourist-route, and meet plenty of interesting people along the way. A simple search in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo or Okinawa will bring up an extensive list of both Japanese and foreign 'surfers' with warm couches available for travelers. Hotels can get pricey in Japan, and Couch Surfing can alleviate some of the financial burden of exploring this country.

From the travel tales of friends who have used Couch Surfing extensively, it is a safe and reliable way of traveling on a budget. Couch Surfing profiles are extensive and detailed and often include photos of the host and their home. Previous Couch Surfers can post comments and references so you know if they are a reliable and safe host.

The more active and detailed your personal profile, the better!

If you want to try Couch Surfing out for yourself, pop on to the website and start up a profile. It is a bit of a daunting task to fill in all the details, but the more you write about yourself, the more others will trust you. Include photos of yourself, your hobbies, and interesting places you have been. Consider opening up your own house for travelers to stay, to build more of a repertoire for yourself. Invite your friends to join, and write references for each other. The more active and detailed your personal profile, the better!

Japan is a fantastic place to start your Couch Surfing experience. It is relatively safe and easy to get around. Building a solid Couch Surfing profile while you are in Japan can open more opportunities while traveling back home and abroad.

For more information visit the Couch Surfing website.

Let's Wearing HeatTech! ~ By: Jessie Zanutig

noreply@blogger.com (Zanu) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:30:00 +0000

We have all certainly noticed the gradual drop in temperature over the last few weeks. For those of you who will be enduring your first winter in Japan, you have several months of frigid snowy weather ahead to look forward to! In a few weeks time the summer clothes you have relied on for the last few months will no longer stand up against elements and you will likely need to seek out some fresh winter duds to get you through the cold months. Luckily, our favorite gaijin-friendly store UNIQLO developed their HeatTech line; an affordable and fashionable winter line that will keep you toasty in your un-insulated un-heated schools until spring rolls around!

HeatTech is a line of clothing that Uniqlo designed with special heat-retaining properties. HeatTech is available for both men and women in a variety of styles and colours. According to Uniqlos website, HeatTech is:

Heat Generating: When HeatTech absorbs moisture, tiny droplets generate heat.

Heat Retaining: Specially designed hollow fibers capture air to prevent warmth from escaping from your body.

Stretchable: HeatTech stretches to give you a perfect fit and maximum comfort.

Quick-Dry (Men's line only): The fabric wicks away and quickly dries moisture so the fabric remains dry and refreshing.

Odour Control: A special anti-bacterial agent in HeatTech helps to minimize odours.

Soft Texture (Women's line only): Fibers contains natural amino acids derived from milk protein which make the material smooth and soft to the touch.

Non-Deforming: Highly resilient and durable, HeatTech maintains it's shape even after repeated washing.

So basically, HeatTech is your best friend come December!

For women, HeatTech products include t-shirts, tank-tops, turtle-necks, leggings, leg-warmers, socks, body-warmers and gloves. Many colours and styles are available and the materials really are quite soft and comfortable. The leggings and t-shirts are great for layering on the colder days or worn separately.

Women can also find HeatTech jeans and pants that use the same technology, if you dare to squeeze your bottom into Japanese-fitting pants!

Guys can choose from long and short-sleeve Ts, turtle-necks, long-johns and socks in more subdued neutral colours, great for layering under clothes.

HeatTech works wonders as a cheap base-layer on the ski hill, as well, although it is not as high-quality as the gear you will find at proper ski shops.

If you are short on winter jackets and accessories, Uniqlo also has several kinds of fleece and down jackets, vests and accessories perfect for work, the ski hill, or sitting under the kotatsu!

Check out the Uniqlo website or pop in to one of the several stores located around Gunma.
Stay warm, Gunma!