Actor Nishida Toshiyuki and Fukushima Prefectural Governor Sato Yuhei hold a talk show.
Fukushima Prefecture held a PR fair (がんばろうふくしま！大交流フェア) at Tokyo International Forum on March 20, 2012 to promote itself. Lots of stage entertainment, food booths, mascot characters, and talk shows. Famous actor and Fukushima-native Nishida Toshiyuki and Fukushima Governor Sato Yuhei also appeared together. Enjoyed it. My video below:
Categories: Living in Japan Tags:
On March 18, 2012, Sunday, To mark the 700th anniversary of Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Festival in 2012, a boat procession was held on Sumida River on March 18, 2012 (浅草三社祭斎行700年祭 舟渡御). The last time they did this was in 1958. The three portable shrines were first carried from Asakusa Shrine to neighboring Sensoji temple on March 17 where it stayed overnight. On the 18th, they were carried outside and a procession around Asakusa was held in 1312. The procession included Asakusa geisha and White Heron Dancers. They reached the pier on Sumida River at 12:30 pm and boarded the boats. They cruised all the way to Ryogoku and back.
A large crowd turned out along the river to watch this unusual event. The Sanja Matsuri originated as a boat procession on the river since it celebrates the three people who found the Kannon statue in the river and started worshipping it in Asakusa.
Categories: Discovering Japan Tags:
When an earthquake in Japan is reported overseas, the problem is that they only report the magnitude of the epicenter (usually offshore). They don’t usually report the magnitude in the populated areas. This is actually more important than the epicenter’s magnitude (unless the epicenter is under a populated area). A magnitude 6+ quake was reported today. That’s very strong, but it was only magnitude 3 in Tokyo. If it were magnitude 6 in Tokyo, we might be in rubble. To find out the intensity of the affected prefectures, check this: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singendo_index.html
Click on the time when the quake occurred, then you can see a map of the prefectures which were affected and their color-coded intensity. Magnitude 4 or lower is minor. Here’s the map of the one we got tonight at 9:06 pm: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/3/20120314210927484-142105.html
Categories: Living in Japan Tags:
When an earthquake in Japan is reported overseas, the problem is that they only report the magnitude of the epicenter (usually offshore). They don’t usually report the magnitude in the populated areas. This is actually more important than the epicenter’s magnitude (unless the epicenter is under a populated area). A magnitude 6+ quake was reported today. That’s very strong, but it was only magnitude 3 in Tokyo. If it were magnitude 6 in Tokyo, we might be in rubble. To find out the intensity of the affected prefectures, check this: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singendo_index.html
Click on the time when the quake occurred, then you can see a map of the prefectures which were affected and their color-coded intensity. Magnitude 4 or lower is minor. Here’s the map of the one we got tonight at 9:06 pm: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/3/20120314210927484-142105.html
Categories: Living in Japan, Pet Peeves Tags:
Ganbaro Iwate!
Prayers, a minute of silence, and memorial services were held at many places. Most of the TV stations aired 3/11-related programs for most of the afternoon. Despite their unimaginable and tragic loss of family, people who were interviewed about their experiences still had moments to smile or laugh. Somehow that brought me great relief.
Categories: Living in Japan, People Tags:
People refer to 3/11 as a triple disaster. But it really was a quadruple disaster. The fourth disaster was the sensationalist and negative press coverage by the overseas media. The mainstream media did severe damage to Japan’s economy by frightening away foreign residents/students and tourists alike. As if the entire country of Japan were in peril when in fact, only the Tohoku area was affected. Even faraway and safe Kyoto suffered a major decline in tourists. The economic impact was severe on local businesses. The Japanese government, tourist agency, and local tourist bureaus also did little or were helpless in getting official word out that the majority of Japan was still safe. It was disgusting to see the sensationalist media taking over the country.
And now for the 1st anniversary, I’m afraid of another mass media aftershock of more negative images of only the destruction, debris, dirt (contaminated), darkness, decline, and death. The normal side and recovering bright spots in Tohoku will be largely ignored. Imagine a film crew coming to your city to film your local garbage dump and presenting it to the world as the only thing in your city. That’s what they did a year ago in Japan.
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Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku has recently scored a brilliant PR coup with its “Udon-ken” (うどん県) tourism PR slogan/campaign. Kagawa is seeing a sharp increase in tourists as a result. It goes to show what an original idea and some imagination can do.
Unfortunately, most local tourist bureaus in Japan lack fresh ideas and imagination and remain in a humdrum, mediocre rut. Kagawa got multiple sectors (even the post office) and Kagawa-bred celebrities involved in the campaign. A fine example of great PR teamwork. Too bad “Udon-ken,” which means Udon Noodle Prefecture in reference to Kagawa’s most famous product, works only in Japanese. Hope they figure something out for foreign tourists.
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Konosu Bikkuri Hina Matsuri doll festival at Konosu City Hall, Saitama.
Happy Grrlz Day! Saw Hinamatsuri at Konosu City Hall in Saitama Prefecture for the first time. The lobby had a huge pyramid (7 meters high) of 1,800 hina dolls flanked by more doll displays on both sides. And the front porch had 2,000 dolls (displayed only on weekends). Awesome.
On weekends when it's not raining, they also display 2,000 hina dolls on the front porch.
More photos: http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=838
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Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki, Fukushima is a Hawaiian-themed, hot spring and water park that suffered heavy earthquake damage on March 11, 2011. They partially reopened in Oct. 2011.
Finally on Feb. 8, 2012, they fully re-opened after the water park was repaired. The main attraction is their hula girls who have been traveling around Japan in the meantime to promote Fukushima. The popular comedy movie “Hula Girl” in 2006 also made them famous again.
Visit Spa Resort Hawaiians.
Japan Times article about the reopening: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120210n1.html
Categories: Hawaii in Japan Tags:
I made this to compare Japan with the US East Coast. Area-wise, Japan is about the same as Montana. But as you can see, it is very spread out, making it look much larger. That’s why it takes a lot longer to travel around Japan than in Montana. This comparison also matches the latitude, so Hokkaido is like New York.
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