2023/03/31 16:25

LIFE

Introducing Yamanashi Prefecture

LIFE

 

Introducing Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi prefecture is located near the center of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It has an area of 1,723.8 mi2 and a population of 890,000. Surrounded by 6,560-9,840 ft high mountains and rich in nature, 78% of the prefecture is covered by forests--including those of its three national parks and one quasi-national park, such as the famous Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Kofu city, the capital of Yamanashi, is located in a geographically important area, connecting the industrial areas of the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea coasts. Kofu continues to develop as a political, economic and cultural center, especially thanks to the completion of the Chuo Expressway, which offers easy access to the national capital, Tokyo. Yamanashi is well noted as an inland industrial prefecture with both advanced technological and traditional industries.

Among the various products of Yamanashi, the fruits grown in its favorable environment are some of the most famous. Its harvest of grapes, peaches and plums is ranked as the best and most beautiful in Japan, and the wines made of Koshu grapes are well known all over the world. In addition, kaiki (traditional weaving of silk textiles), crystal crafting, and the production of washi, or Japanese paper, are all very popular. Techniques refined in Yamanashi for cutting precious stones are among the most advanced in the world, as well.

Mountain climbing and hot springs are among the most popular forms of recreation in Yamanashi. The many hot springs in the area offer health benefits and relaxation. The largest spring in the prefecture, located in Isawa, is only one and a half hours from Tokyo.

Mt. Fuji and the five lakes for its breathtaking scenery, the southern alps for its serious mountain climbing, the Chichibu-Tama area for hiking and beautiful ravines, and the Yatsugatake highland area for pastoral surroundings--these are the gateways where many people find their chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. After hiking, tennis, field athletics, or fishing, why not try one of our delicious local specialties? Hoto made of thick noodles and vegetables in a rich miso soup will warm you up on even the coldest winter day.

Yamanashi is an inland prefecture, holding no ocean coast. People in this area have learned to overcome the severe elements of inland climate over a long period of time. This is said to have built a character of patience and endurance in the populace. You will find people warmhearted, caring and conscientious.

http://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/index.html

World Heritage　Nikko’s shrines and temples

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World Heritage　Nikko’s shrines and temples

Tochigi Prefecture abounds with tourist resources – historic and cultural attractions, beautiful natural environment and many hot springs. Its historical and cultural significance is represented by Nikko’s shrines and temples that have been designated a World Heritage Site. The scenic beauty of each season is particularly impressive in Oku Nikko, Nasu Highland and Shiobara Valley. Hot spring resorts include the Kinugawa and Kawaji area that is called the “inner sanctum to the Kanto Region.” The great accessibility from Tokyo is another factor in drawing many tourists here. Men and women of all ages can relax on their own and amuse themselves here – by appreciating the natural splendor, soaking stresses away in the hot bath, visiting leisure facilities and enjoying delicious foods. Tochigi is truly a place of comfort. We look forward to having you here soon!

「TOCHIGI Visitors Guide」download [PDF 7,949KB]

a city with historic and cultural assets and natural richness.

Nikko, an international tourist city representing Tochigi Prefecture, has exquisite history and culture. The two shrines and one temple here, including Toshogu Shrine, have been designated a World Heritage Site. This area is also blessed with natural beauty; Lake Chuzenji, Senjogahara and other scenic sites show different aspects by season. Hot springs with an atmosphere unique to spas also lure many tourists.


Sightseeing spot navigation

Senjogahara
The high moor extending over a plateau 1,400 meters above sea level is one of the most renowned wetlands in Japan. A variety of plants and animals live here, and the alpine plants are particularly beautiful in summer. In autumn, the entire grassland is colored red and yellow.

Odashirogahara
This marsh, approximately 650,000 m2 in area, is located to the west of Senjogahara. There is a well-kept promenade for hikers. Car traffic is banned here to protect the national environment, and hybrid (low-emission) buses are in operation from Akanuma along the national highway route to Senjugahama.


Mt. Nantai
Since Priest Shodo successfully climbed this mountain in 782, Mt. Nantai has been the most important religious site for believers in Nikko Shugendo (ancient Japanese religion of mountain asceticism). The summit commands a panoramic view of the entire Kanto region. As can be seen by the fact its eruptions resulted in the formation of Lake Chuzenji, this mountain can be considered to be the origin of many topographical features of the present Oku Nikko.

Lake Chuzenji
This lake located high on a plateau with an altitude of 1,250 meters is one of the most famous lakes in Japan. Lava discharged from the crater of Mt. Nantai during its past eruptions dammed the Daiyagawa River, forming Lake Chuzenji. It boasts of being one of the most transparent lakes in Japan, with the seasonal changes of the surrounding area beautifully reflected on its tranquil surface. Kegon Falls is the outflow of this lake.


Ryuzu Falls
This waterfall, located upstream of the Yugawa River that flows from Lake Yunoko into Lake Chuzenji, falls 210 meters over the lava spewed from the crater of Mt. Nantai. A teahouse at its basin offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding area, which is particularly beautiful in spring when azaleas are in full bloom and in the autumnal foliage season.

Kirifuri Falls
Kegon Falls, Urami Falls and this Kirifuri Falls have been included in the three most renowned waterfalls in Nikko since long ago. The observation platform in front of the waterfall offers a spectacular view. This waterfall also shows different facets depending on the season, each of which blends in perfectly with the surrounding scenery. The view is particularly impressive in the foliage season from mid to late October.


Kegon Falls
Kegon Falls, one of the most famous waterfalls in Nikko, has both dynamic and elegant aspects, with its falls plummeting some 97 meters, while retaining exquisite beauty created by nature. It is included in Japan’s three most renowned waterfalls together with Nachi Falls (Wakayama Prefecture) and Fukuroda Falls (Ibaraki Prefecture). Visitors can go to the bottom of the gorge by elevator. Although its view never fails to enchant visitors throughout the year, Kegon Falls is particularly dazzling when it puts on autumnal colors and when it forms huge icicles in winter.

Nikko Kisuge
Nikko Kisuge, the alpine flora bearing orange flowers, grows in clusters in the Kisuge Plain of Kirifuri Highland, where the entire slopes turn yellow from late June to early July, with tens of thousands of Nikko Kisuge blossoming all at once.


Toshogu Shrine
Constructed as the mausoleum of Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1617, this shrine was later rebuilt into the present impressive shrine under the reign of the Third Shogun Iemitsu. All the buildings here have been designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Assets. In December 1999, the Toshogu Shrine and other shrines and temples in Nikko were officially designated as a World Heritage Site.
One of its gates Yomeimon is also called Higurashimon (twilight gate), because viewers never get tired of admiring its beauty all day till twilight. Visitors are also overwhelmed by as many as 5,000 ornate woodcarvings, including Nemuri Neko (Sleeping Cat) and San Zaru (Three Monkeys), which are the culmination of the supreme craftsmanship in the Edo Period.

Rinnoji Temple
Rinnoji originated from the Shihonryuji Temple established by Priest Shodo, the founder of Nikko mountain worship. This temple prospered as a mecca of mountain worshippers coming in large numbers for religious training. Rinnoji became an important religious center following the death of Ieyasu Tokugawa and the construction of Toshogu Shrine. In December 1999, Rinnoji and other temples and shrines in Nikko, including the Toshogu and Futaarasan shrines, were registered as a World Heritage Site.
This temple has many must-sees, including the main hall called the Sambutsudo (Hall of Three Buddhas), the Shoyouen garden, the Houmotsuden which stores 30,000 treasures and the Taiyuin Mausoleum dedicated to the Third Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu. It is almost impossible to see all of them in one day.


Futaarasan Shrine
The origin of this shrine is believed to date back to 790, when Priest Shodo established its main shrine. Futaarasan Shrine was esteemed as the most important shrine in Shimotsuke (now called Tochigi) in ancient times. In the Kamakura Period, this shrine came to be considered to be the guardian god of the Kanto Region by the Shogunate and baronial families. The Haiden (oratory) and the Honden (sanctuary) are maintained as they were at the time of their construction in 1619. This shrine and other temples and shrines in Nikko, including the Toshogu Shrine and Rinnoji Temple, were registered as a World Heritage Site in December 1999. There are many must-sees, including the Bake-Doro (Goblin Lantern), the Futaara Reisen (Miraculous Spring) and the Daikokuden (Main Temple).

Memorial Park of the Italian Embassy Villa
The former site of a villa used by Italian ambassadors to Japan until 1997 was purchased and converted into a park by the Tochigi Prefectural Government. The attached International Summer Resort History Museum displays furniture and furnishing goods used in the villa, reminding visitors of days when this area prospered as a summer resort from the middle of the Meiji Period to the early Showa Period.


Memorial Park of the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Residence
This residence was originally part of the Akasaka Detached Palace in Tokyo, and moved here in 1899 for Emperor Taisho (then prince) to stay there for his health. The building was refurbished and is now opened to public as a memorial park. This is one of the largest wooden imperial residences constructed in the Meiji and Taisho periods. Built in Japanese style, this residence uses carpets and chandeliers as part of its interior, indicating the semi-Western lifestyle back then.

Yayoi Festival
This traditional Futaarasan Shrine festival is said to have originate around 770. It is now held annually from April 13 to 17, heralding the arrival of spring in the mountain city Nikko. Of a variety of religions events organized during the festival, the greatest attraction is the parade of 12 flowered festival floats from the different areas of Nikko assembling from the east and the west.


Nikko Yumoto Hot Springs
This hot spring resort is located deep in Senjogahara along the northern shore of Lake Yunoko. Priest Shodo, the founder of Nikko, is said to have found this place in 788 and named it Yakushinoyu (“medicine man’s hot bath”). Hot springs can be seen gushing out from the springhead located in the nearby marsh.

Great Spring Festivals of Toshogu Shrine
Of many annual events at the Toshogu Shrine, this festival is the greatest religious occasion. The 1,000 Samurais Parade (Hyakumonozoroe Sennin Gyoretsu) on May 18 is particularly impressive, by reproducing the huge procession formed when the remains of Ieyasu Tokugawa were moved to Nikko. Locals dressed in Nikko’s traditional warrior costume parade through the city. On the day before (May 17), Yabusame (the art of shooting arrows on horseback) is performed.



Reference

yamagata　has　lots　to　Offer

LIFE

 

yamagata　has　lots　to　Offer

上山城

  

文翔館

山寺

高畠

黒川能

  

Yamagata has much to offer both the domestic and the international traveler. The forms of the Japan of the past can still be seen here, along with everything that modern Japan has to offer. Alongside the cultural offerings here exists the great natural beauty of the area, replete with mountains, forests, hot springs, streams, and valleys that are ideal for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities.

 
In order to experience everything that Yamagata has for travelers, one must first make their way here. Fortunately, getting here is a snap. Yamagata has two airports, one near Yamagata City and another on the Shonai seacoast, allowing for easy travel from the countries' other major airports. Yamagata is also served by the Yamagata Shinkansen, or bullet train, that runs from Tokyo through Yamagata City and up to the northern city of Shinjo. For those who prefer to drive, Yamagata also has expressways and an extensive road network.
 

Yamagata Prefecture can be divided into four areas: Mogami, Murayama, Okitama, and Shonai. Each of the different areas has a charm of their own. For more detailed information about these different parts of Yamagata and what you can do there, follow the links below.


Welcome to Yamagata (Data Base of Tourism Information)

A Guide to Beautiful YAMAGATA

 

山寺２

 

 

  

足湯

  

夕陽　銀山温泉

WORLD　HERITAGE　IN　WAKAYAMA

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History / Scenes About The World Heritage
"Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, and the Cultural Landscapes that Surround Them"
1.Outline
Kumano Ancient Road Kumano-san-zan of Kii Mountain Range, Koyasan, Yoshino, and Omine is a unique example of sacred sites of the Shinto and Buddhist deities remaining widely in very good condition forming various beliefs such as Shintoism based on the nature worship, Buddhism which has been descended from China and showed original deployment in Japan, and Shugendo which has the origin of the connection of both with pilgrimage routes such as Omine Okugake-michi, Kumano pilgrimage route, and Koyasan-choishi-michi. Moreover, they are very precious also in the point of having still rooted among people.
2.About the registration for The World Heritage
Process and procedure before registration
Since the set-up of The World Heritage Registration Team at prefectural office in Apr. 2000, Wakayama prefecture have executed many procedures necessary for the recommendation such as designation of the recommended sites, enactment of scenic ordinance, and their decision making panel or forum with municipal governments, Nara Prefecture, and Mie Prefecture.
And at the liaison conference of relevant government ministries and agencies for The World Heritage (*) held on Jan. 16, 2003, the governmental recommendation of "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, and the Cultural Landscapes that Surround Them" was determined, and the recommendation was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on Jan. 27, 2003.
Also, the future schedule is: After on-site investigation by specialized agency, ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites in 2003, pros and cons of the registration to the list of The World Heritage will be decided at the 28th World Heritage Committee held around June, 2004.
(*) Consisted of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Forestry Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Momotaro　hero　in　okayama

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The myth of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura passed down through the years, is said to have been the root of an old tale called “Momotaro”. The myth is as follows. “The Prince Ura of Kudara (Baekje: A country that existed from the 4th to 7th centuries in what is the present day Korean Peninsula), used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and caused trouble for the people living in the village. In order to defeat Ura, Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto was delivered to Kinojo by the emperor’s government. After a blistering battle, Ura was defeated by Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto. In the old tale “Momotaro”, Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto is portrayed as Momotaro, and Ura is portrayed as the defeated devil.
Kibitsuhiko Shrine which is still majestic now is said to have been occupied by Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto when he battled Ura.
There are buildings and ceremonies in Kibitsu Shrine which come to us from the legend; Okama-den (palace) is the place in which the neck of Ura is said to have been buried, and the holy Yatate Ceremony is for warding off evil spirits. There are many places connected with the old tale as well, such as Yagui-no-miya (the place where an arrow shot by Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and a rock thrown by Ura were said to have crashed and landed), Chisui-gawa (literary translated, “blood-sucking river”; after being shot out by Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, the blood from Ura’s one eye was said to have colored this river red), and Koikui Shrine (a carp-eating shrine where Ura, who tried to escape by transforming himself into carp, was said to have been held in the mouth of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto who had changed to a cormorant bird).

http://okayama-japan.jp/en/history.html

iphone　Rent Calculator

LIFE

賃料計算機　Rent Calculator　 日本房租计算机　英語・中国語・韓国語・フランス語にも対応。

賃料計算機

賃料計算機は順調にバージョンアップしております。現在は、日本語・英語・中国語（簡体）・中国語（繁体）・韓国語・フランス語の６言語対応です。詳細：賃貸物件探しでお役立ち！無料で手軽に計算出来る賃料計算機。

無料でダウンロード中です。下記のＵＲＬのiTunesストアよりダウンロードお願いいたします。

http://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id385498258?mt=8

Rent Calculator

The rent calculator has been version up.

There are Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, and French.

Detail: It's helpful for room search. You can get it by free.

Location Calculatrice

Le calculateur de loyer a été la version en place.

Il ya japonais, anglais, chinois, coréen et français.

Détails: Il est utile pour la recherche chambre. Vous pouvez l'obtenir en libre.

http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/id385498258?mt=8

 

日本房租计算机

日本房租计算机渐渐进化中。现在支援日文、英文、繁体中文、简体中文、韩文、法文等六国语言。帮助您在日本寻找房子!日本房租计算机可以免费并轻松地算出初期费用及每月平均租金。提供免费下载。请点选下列网址至iTunes store下载。

임대료 계산기

임대료 계산기는 순조롭게 버전업하고 있습니다. 현재는 일본어 영어 중국어 (간체) / 중국어 (번체) - 한국 프랑스어 6 언어를 지원합니다. 세부 사항 : 임대 찾고으로 - 도움! 무료로 쉽게 계산 할 임대료 계산기.

무료로 다운로드하실 수 있습니다. 아래 URL을 iTunes Store에서 다운로드 부탁드립니다.

http://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/id385498258?mt=8

 

 

 

Why don’t you try Yanbian food for your beauty?

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Why don’t you try Yanbian food for your beauty? [Enshan-kan]

Have you heard of “Yanbian food”?

Yanbian is a Korean autonomous prefecture located in Jilin Province in northeastern China, near the border with North Korea. Many immigrants from the Korean Peninsula came, and people there enjoy spicy and sweet-sour dishes based on both Korean food and Chinese food.


MS　TASAKI　＆　MS　CHOU　KEIKO
stewed pork bone
This time, I enjoyed Yanbian food with Chou Keiko, a simultaneous interpreter and narrator, who came from Yanbian.

She is elegant and she speaks Japanese fluently I, who use Japanese for occupational purpose think. What she recommended me first is “stewed pork bone”, which is one of her favorites.
She, who is elegant, wore plastic gloves quickly and said “Come on! Why don’t you break this bone and bite into it, Ms. Tazaki? It’s tasty.”

Though I felt overwhelmed, I tried it. Meat was tender and tasty. And it was very spicy, not hot.
She told me that Yanbian food was well known for its specialty, lamb dish because it came under the influence of the north such as Mongolia and cumin, which was usual for curry, was a spice that was essential for such meat dish. No wonder it was spicy and odors were cleaned away.
“Cucumber and beef slice with salt” was not too heavy and salty-sweet-sour.
“Cilantro leaf and pork slice with hot pepper” was mild.

She told me that Yanbian food was home-style dish mixed with advantages of Chinese food and those of Korean food and that she could enjoy a taste of home in this “Enshan-kan.”
Her skin is so smooth, and I asked her why. She said to me with an air of embarrassment, “I eat kimchi before bedtime and eat tonsoku three times a week, which is one of her favorites.”
She told me that these also had a taste of home. I want to try them.

Why don’t you try Yanbian food for your beauty?

Study hard and make true friends who help each other along

LIFE
I interviewed Mr Charley Stockman, a graduate from Lakeland College Japan, who works for Lakeland College Japan, about the importance of studying abroad and students studying at Lakeland College.
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Mr Stockman, who is American, wanted to work for hotel internationally. When he served his internship at a hotel in Korea, he was affected by Korean staff there that could speak English and Japanese as well as Korean, and decided to enter Lakeland College Japan because he wanted to be international.
After studying in Japan, he joined a Japanese hotel. After 2-year on-the-job training with Japanese, he worked for a hotel hard struggling with the Japanese language.
He thought he wanted to get involved in someone’s life more, and now he works for Lakeland College Japan, providing consultation for prospective students.

What Lakeland College Japan is like?

This is a small college with a family atmosphere.
There are students from Asia and Europe whose mother languages are anything other than English and Japanese, but they feel connected with others through the strict curriculum.
Even students whose language level was not so high at school entry study late every day at library. I’m touched by students who study together with friends to be one step closer to their own dream.

Environment where they can make true friends

It’s important to make friends at college, but it’s great that a friendship develops as they go through the curriculum helping each other along.
Environment where they can make true friends who can share various feelings while developing one’s ability in English exists at Lakeland College Japan.
It is also a feature of this college that many graduates visit it after their graduating.
College where they spent their time in studying together with friends to be one step closer to their own dream is spiritual home even after they go out in the world.


Lakeland　Uni.　Japan　Campus　website

Multicultural Delivery⑦

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Acceptance of foreigners as staff
Trainees from Indonesia began to be accepted in the nursing care environment. However, the fact is it’s difficult for them to become substantial part of workforce very soon because there are a lot of problems to be solved and restrictions on the human resource development and the employment in Japan.

Many people don’t agree on hiring foreigners as staff in the medical environment. That’s because they don’t speak Japanese as their first language. It is a given fact that staff working in the medical environment where any mistakes would not be tolerated should pass on information correctly, understand it and get into action. There are also political, educational problems to be solved, and it’s difficult to explain what the core of the problem is. On the other hand, many foreigners visit hospitals as patient. To be brief, they are not permitted to provide medication though they are allowed to receive it in Japan.

Recently many foreigners deliver their children in Japan, and it may be in the parturition environment that foreign staff is required most. Now there is a shortage of obstetricians, and the development of medical equipment has caused them to depend on such equipment which is useful and accurate. In an extreme case, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that we will deliver a child surrounded by high-tech equipment in the future. However, I think human beings should be involved in the birth of a new life, and beginning of life should be supported by human beings. There must be some people we, without words, can communicate with or we can rely on. It doesn’t matter whether they are Japanese or not. Delivering a child supported by those we rely on is important and it’s the very “satisfactory delivery, I think.

There are a lot of problems to be solved on hiring foreigners as staff. However, there are a lot of advantages. Things have two sides of the same coin. Something deceptively wrong may be something good from a different point of view. If those having different nationalities work together, that helps the mutual understanding. If any foreigner gets employment without restriction, that helps the co-existence of diverse cultures, I think. I hope foreigners would be accepted as staff in the medical environment as well as in the nursing care environment.


Food analyst report from Beijing

LIFE
Let me introduce a Thai restaurant I never fail to visit when I go to Beijing. Many ethnic restaurants are located near MinZuDaXue (University for Nationalities) which ethnic minority in China attracting attention in the Beijing Olympics attends
The Beijing Olympics and Paralympics successfully ended. I went to Beijing to watch the Olympics for both coverage and pleasure. I was very surprised to see beautiful streets and airports which were not what they were two years ago when I studied there. What impressed me most is about 50 thousand students worked as volunteers. They worked smart and cheerfully as interpreter at airports and stadiums by making use of their fluency in foreign languages. They said they had done preparatory study deliberately on culture as well as language of the country which they took care of. That’s why the Beijing Olympics is highly praised from overseas, I think.


Let me introduce a Thai restaurant I never fail to visit when I go to Beijing. Many ethnic restaurants are located near MinZuDaXue (University for Nationalities) which ethnic minority in China attracting attention in the Beijing Olympics attends, and especially this restaurant is very popular among students and has customers lined up. It serves dishes which are not too heavy, and Japanese living in Beijing like it. I like potato croquette (10 yuan) best, deep-flied mash with vinegar and soy sauce seasoned with garlic. Beer and original bitter-sweet sake are nice additions to it. You can enjoy meat dish such as steamed pork (14 yuan) which is juicy and not too heavy. And you can enjoy pineapple rice (22 yuan) to fish up with, which is served in a whole pineapple. Sticky rice matches up with sweet-sour pineapple. Although there are many kinds of Chinese dishes, it’s in Beijing, capital of China that we can enjoy many kinds of ethnic dishes. When you go to Beijing, why don’t you enjoy ethnic dishes?

Restaurant 　 JinKongQueDeHongTai
"BeiJingShiHaiDianQuWeiGongCunMinZuDaXueBeiLu16Hao
(Just a five-minute walk from WeiGongCun bus stop. You take the road on the southern side of MinZuDaXue to north gate of MinZuDaXue, and you can find on your left.)"