Japan Info Swap

The general public is free to participate in this foot race presented in Kobe. Some 20,000 people take part in this race, which is time-limited to 7 hours. The foot race began in 2011. Come join the race and run through the port city of Kobe! The course starts in front of Kobe City Office and winds around Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. Kobe Marathon 2017 0570-018-500 Kobe Marathon

Allen Keys at the Ready, IKEA has Arrived in Nagoya!

When you move to a new country there are all manner of little things that you don’t think about, things that might make moving into your own home a little more difficult. This is particularly true of Japan. For me, aside from there not being an oven in my first Japanese home (and I even checked the bedroom in a vain hope of finding one after first moving in) the hardest thing to get to grips with…

Gujo Hachiman, an Edo Era Town That’s Much More Than a Song and a Dance

You may recall that, back in July, we posted about the Gujo Hachiman Bon Odori festival, a four day extravaganza of all night dancing, perhaps the most famous event of its type in all of Japan. While it is quite an extraordinary sight, there is a good chance that you were unable (or even disinclined) to spend all night strutting your traditional Japanese stuff. However, that is no reason to…

Kobe’s Gift to the World – Karaoke!

Of all the things that Japan has given the world karaoke may be the most fun. It was Kobe’s own Daisuke Inoue who launched the craze of the “empty orchestra” nearly half a century ago. The Osaka-born Inoue was a drummer and band manager who came up with the idea for the karaoke machine when he was unable to make a performance for a client. Instead, Inoue rigged an eight-track tape machine to play…

Noodling about: Nagoya’s Ramen Discoveries

Misen’s spicy Taiwan ramen When I first came to Japan and answered the standard “what Japanese food do you like?” question with “I absolutely love ramen!” I wasn’t sure why I was typically met with a look of disappointment, as if i had let them down in some way. It took me a a few months to realise that Japanese consider ramen not a dish of their own creation, but instead of Chinese extraction,…

Emergency Rooms in Nagoya and Toyota

Use this map to Find Emergency Rooms in Nagoya and Toyota You can click on any icon to get more information (this info is also listed below the map) Key Clinics=Green Ladies Clinic/Child Health=Yellow Dentist=Purple General Hospitals=Red [spacer height=”10px”] [mapsmarker layer=”81″]

Following the worldwide popular NSX and Civic Type R, the S660 is the next addition to Honda’s current sports car lineup. It features a 660cc engine, classifying it as a kei car, which is a common class of ultra small compact cars in Japan. However, this is a sports car. So while the engine is on the small side, it is a 3-cylinder turbo, and the turbo geometry has been revised by Honda’s engineers, producing faster acceleration and stronger midrange torque. And though small in size, the car is a great fit for Japan, allowing the driver to nimbly navigate Japan’s many narrow roads and corners.

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Honda S660 α

Year: 2017 Engine: 660cc, 2WD, AT Color: Pearl White Seats: 2

Features:

-Honda’s Genuine Navigation System -Rear View Camera -Corner Sensors -Cruise Control -Smart Key -Leather Steering Wheel -Sport Leather Seats (leather and suede) -ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) Device

36 Month Lease Fee: JPY 49,000/month (price does not include sales tax or insurance)

Please feel free to contact Lease Japan to take advantage of this limited time offer!

www.LeaseJapan.com

Tokyo Office:       +81-(0)3-5449-6061 Nagoya Office:      +81-(0)52-973-3913 Kobe Office:        +81-(0)78-325-3651

Thanksgiving Dining in Nagoya

With Thanksgiving being very much a North American holiday, we aren’t really within our rights to expect Nagoya to be celebrate the third Thursday of November in quite the same way as it would be done in the US. However, like other international traditions such as Christmas, Hallowe’en or Valentine’s Day, there is a distinct feeling that Thanksgiving is growing in stature. Of course, it is not…

Koyo, or Fall Colors in Kobe

Viewing the changing colors of fall leaves or foliage, called koyo in Japanese, is autumn’s answer to spring’s more famous cherry blossom viewing; a traditional opportunity to get outdoors to live in the moment of the season and reflect on the impermanence of it all. Appreciation of the beauty of the changing seasons has been a Japanese characteristic since ancient times, and is even referenced…

Goshikizuka Kofun: Kobe’s Ancient Sacred Pyramid

In the Christian world this is the time of the year for All Souls’ Day when the memories of the deceased are commemorated. Many religions celebrate the departed at other times. Monuments to the dead are some of the world’s most revered tourist attractions, the Taj Mahal in India and the Egyptian pyramids of Giza among them. Japan has its own ancient burial tombs, known as kofun, or “ancient…

Kobe Gives Birth to Spirit of Volunteerism in Japan

On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe and over 6,000 people lost their lives. In the aftermath of the disaster it is estimated that over one million volunteers came forward to provide help to those in need. While that does not sound remarkable in light of recent modern disasters it was unprecedented in Japan, a country that did not have a strong culture of volunteerism at…

Look, Up In the Sky – It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…Yes, It’s a Plane

People have been fascinated by spotting aircraft ever since Orville and Wilbur Wright bumped a fabric-covered airplane into the sky from the sand dunes in North Carolina in 1903. Even now, when more than 100,000 flights take off and land somewhere on the planet every day, plane spotting is pursued with a passion. High tech cameras have helped spur the hobby and so has social media. Plane spotters…

Celebrating the Japanese Culture of Wood at the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum in Kobe

Around the world traditional Japanese carpentry and craftsmanship is revered for its precision and quality. In 1984 the Takenaka Corporation, one of the nation’s largest engineering and construction firms, decided to preserve and illuminate those fabled building techniques by establishing the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum in Kobe. Takenaka had the bonafides for such a project. The company…

Fratelli Paradiso: Great Italian Food in Omotesando Hills

In 2001 ‘Fratelli Paradiso opened the doors to in Potts Point, Sydney Australia, where it is a the staple of the Sydney food scene due to its consistently good Italian food and inimitable hospitality.  The Ometesando shop itself is unpretentious and cool. You will find a handwritten menu on the black chalk board and artists and creative crowds come to check out the restaurant’s magnificent wall…

45th Tokyo Motor Show

Japan’s motorcar industry is one of, if not the most important exporter and revenue generator in the economy here. Brands like Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi are known all over the world for their quality and innovation. Not to mention more than a few people swear by these brands. So it should come as no surprise that the bi-annual Tokyo Auto Show put on by the Japan Automobile…

Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities in Japan

In Japan, maintenance responsibilities of a leased property are split between the landlord and the tenant. The landlord is generally responsible for major maintenance, while the tenant should carry out minor maintenance. Tenant Responsibilities Tenants are responsible for the minor maintenance at their own cost, including the following: Standard Care: tenants must keep the property sanitary and…