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| Wisteria and a bee at the Wisteria Festival in Fujieda, Shizuoka |
There has been a lot of information the past two weeks, so much so that I've hardly been able to share everything via Twitter or Facebook worth sharing. So today we've got 45(!) links, tips, and news about Japan. Everything from where Japan ranks as a place to be a mom; to where to find Reese's peanut butter cups in Japan; J.Crew offering free shipping to JAPAN; how to prepare to leave Japan; a guide to those crazy icons (kaomoji) that are sometimes difficult to understand; a fabulous self-cleaning, tankless toilet; Tokyu Hands now has a cafe; rainy season activities in Japan; and relevant, informative news.
Enjoy!
Living in Japan
The Lord Of Umbrellas. One かさ to rule them all. 晴雨兼用傘 (Dual Use Umbrellas A Must For The Rainy Season) (Japan Subculture Research Center) - Sun or rain, an umbrella comes in very handy.
Among developed countries, Japan ranks 30 out of the best places to be a mom, but third for the children's index, according to Save the Children.
You may have heard, already, but Reese's peanut butter cups can be found at Seiyu. They also have an online store, but you have to register to use it, and it seems that you can only register if you live in certain areas. For some reason, my neighborhood isn't on their list, so I can't register with my real address. You can also find Reese's pieces here.
Nishimatsuya (西松屋), a popular baby store chain, carries the Cherokee brand (USA) as of January this year. (Americans, you might know Cherokee from Target, etc.) Some cute, extremely cheap baby clothes.
Attention J.Crew fans! Free shipping to Japan, free returns and duty-free shopping through May 30 - no code required.
'Population clock' forecasts no children after year 3011 (Japan Times) - If things continue at the rate they've been going, that is. Hopefully policy (and systemic) changes will be made in the coming years to address this.
Declining Birthrate Changing Japan’s Schools (Nippon.com) - Did you know that, because of the birthrate, schools are closing at a rate of 400-500 a year?
Steep rise in expressway tolls likely as funds run out ahead of schedule (Japan Times) - If you enjoy the current discounts, you might want to know that it's possible they could disappear in the future.
Softbank develops blimps for floating emergency cell towers (The Japan Daily Press)
If you're planning to leave Japan anytime soon, you might want to check out The Stress Free Guide to Leaving Japan - updated for 2012-2013 - for some useful information and checklists as you prepare to leave.
Japanese Font With Stroke Order (Asiajin) - This particular font lists small numbers next to each stroke so you can see the stroke order.
Remember that tornado that spun its way through Ibaraki earlier this month, causing a lot of damage and actually injuring several, killing one? @BleuDressNJapan shared this video of it:
And speaking of tornadoes, the accuracy rate for tornado predictions lower than 10% (Japan Times)
Smartphones
SoftBank And PayPal Join Forces In Japan For Smartphone Payment Solution (Asiajin)
If you've ever wondered what exactly all those faces mean, you might want to check out this Visual guide to Japanese kaomoji (emoticons) (JapanSugoi)
KDDI offers movie and TV show streaming to smartphones (The Japan Daily Press)
Fujitsu phone tool to scan skin tone (Japan Times) - I'm wondering just how effective this might be...
Setsuden
This Automatic Door Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Electricity! (RocketNews24)
Toto Unveils Tankless Toilet that Saves Water, Power and Cleans Itself (Japan for Sustainability) - I want this toilet.
Power-saving looms again for this summer (Japan Times)
Aeon supermarkets to open earlier (Japan Times) - Aeon stores are taking advantage of the early morning hours to save electricity and allow folks to get their shopping done while it's cooler outside.
High-tech
Toyama to plant first pollen-free cedar in fall (Japan Times)
AOKI Releases Business Suits for Bicycle Commuters (Japan for Sustainability) - Seems like a cool idea to me; would you wear something like this?
Pioneer reveals new windshield display navigation system (The Japan Daily Press) - Like something out of a video game...
Food
Nikujaga Recipe (No Recipes) - One of my favorites!
Did you know that Tokyu Hands now has a cafe? Only in two stores (Shibuya and Umeda), but it looks pretty good! (Tokyo Eats)
Small fry spawn big dreams (Japan Times) - A fascinating history of salmon in Japan.
Breeding Bluefin Tuna in captivity: A recipe for success? (Ethical Nippon) - Given that Japan could very well eat the Bluefin Tuna to extinction, what do you think?
Travel and Recreation
Luxury restrooms – you’ll want to visit Shibuya Hikarie just to use the ladies’ room! (RocketNews24) - I love me a nice restroom.
JAL builds a social media campaign, one block at a time (Japan Pulse) - If you're looking for a chance to win air miles or a pair of tickets between Tokyo and Boston, check this out.
Lots of airlines launching new services: Peach is now connected to South Korea via Osaka (Japan Times); Hawaiian Airlines will start flying to Sapporo (Japan Today); and China Airlines introduces three new services from Taipei to Kagoshima, Shizuoka and Toyama (Japan Daily Press). On top of that, ANA is now more popular than JAL when counting passengers, and a new runway has been approved for Naha (Okinawa).
Also, you might want to check out The Best and Worst Airlines for Redeeming Rewards Miles (Lifehacker).
Universal Studios Japan to get Harry Potter attraction (The Japan Daily Press) - I'm sure kiddies, and adults, are excited about this one.
This presentation goes into some pretty average, run-of-the-mill Japan travel tips, but aside that, it's surprisingly fun and well-designed:
Travel Tips Learned from Japan! - EP
Here are some things to consider when riding a long-distance bus in Japan, after the awful tour bus crash that occurred during Golden Week. (Japan Times)
Will you be in Japan during the rainy season this year, and not sure what to do, especially if the weather refuses to cooperate? Check out Exploring Japan: Rainy Season Activities for some ideas (by yours truly). (Japan Daily Press)Here are some things to consider when riding a long-distance bus in Japan, after the awful tour bus crash that occurred during Golden Week. (Japan Times)
Fukushima Nuclear Crisis/Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami
Japan nuke-free for first time since '70 (Japan Times)
'Hot spots' detected at 20 schools [in Fukushima] (Japan Times)
Most willing to accept disaster debris (Japan Times)
Cesium spikes in Tokyo Bay samples (Japan Times)
NISA, Tepco knew in '06 of Fukushima tsunami threat (Japan Times)
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