♥ MIKERU ON JAPAN TODAY ♥

Rookies the Movie: Graduation works overtime to please, and the film's blockbuster status indicates that fans were indeed satisfied. Non-fans, however, may only be partially convinced. The sequel to a popular 2008 TV drama that was based on a popular manga, Rookies continues the story of the Futakotamagawa High baseball team, a group of thuggish delinquents who were once suspended for getting into a massive on-field brawl. However, as related in the TV drama, the team learned to trust their new coach Koichi Kawato (Ryuta Sato of Gachi Boy) and resolved to make it all the way to Koshien Stadium, the home of Japan's yearly high school championship. Along the way they learned about life and love, plus overacted and got all teary while talking about their dreams. Yep, just like every other J-Drama about reformed delinquents. Tough high school thugs who cry with their teachers - it's practically its own genre.

In keeping with that, Rookies presents a cinematic continuation of the television drama - minus the "cinematic" part. Sure, the movie is shot on film and features the moments where a film camera moves. However, presentation here is only slightly better than normal television, with everything rendered in an obvious and self-indulgent way. Characters don't converse in Rookies - they explain, and everybody seemingly has the infinite patience to hang around and listen. The film also relates its pet themes in constantly repeated dialogue, with characters frequently talking about pursuing their dreams, hoping to see their dreams come true, and likely the dreams they had yesterday as they were having a dream about pursuing their dream. Every time a character talks to another character about their dreams or their respect for someone else's dreams, the music swells unbearably, and sometimes this can happen two or three times within the span of five minutes! As an accomplished piece of cinema, Rookies lacks.

Christmas in Japan is different from western countries like the USA or Australia. The major religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shinto, so Christmas is more commercial event. The main celebration revolves around Christmas eve and not Christmas day.

In Japan it is common to give Christmas presents. Within the family parents give presents to their children, but the children do not give presents to the parents. The reasoning behind this is that only Santa bring presents, so once the children no longer believe in Santa the presents are no longer given.

Most Japanese families would have a Christmas tree and now it is becoming very common to have lights on the outside of houses as you would see in the USA or Australia.
Christmas in Japan for Single Women

For single women in Japan it is really crucial to have someone to spend Christmas eve with. It is also really important for them where they spend Christmas eve and what present they receive. The whole evening must be very special, gorgeous and romantic. Japanese women who have a boy friend tend to show off, so women who don't are not happy to talk about the topic.

There also used to be a sarcasm that Christmas is compared with a woman's age. Cake shops throughout Japan always try to sell all their Christmas cakes before Christmas eve. Any cakes left after Christmas are seen to be very old or out of date. Women over 25 years old used to be said 'unsold Xmas cake.' It's a bit bad joke, though. However, nowadays, the average age for marriage has changed, getting older and older, and it is a history.
Christmas in Japan - Business & Shopping Hours

The shops are open Christmas day and all other days up to New Years day, except they close early on the 31st.

Most shops are then closed on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd. After this it depends on the shop, some will stay closed longer. The trend is towards shops opening on the 2nd of January.
Christmas in Japan - Language

How to say "Merry Christmas" in Japanese - easy - "Merry Christmas"

How to write "Merry Christmas" in Japanese - メリークリスマス

Kitakyushu is located at the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park.

Access: Get off JR Train at Orio Station of Kagoshima Line. Leave the station by the West Exit and take the bus for KSRP from the opposite side of the road, numbers 61 or 65. The nearest bus stop to CUK is ‘Hibikino Minami'.


Kitakyushu: Where Does Your Old Used Car End Up?
Over at Treehugger, we continue talking about Japan’s Eco Model Cities. This time, we take a closer look at Kitakyushu, the industrial city in south western Japan that used to be known as a very polluted place to live. That started to change in the late 1970s when a group of housewives formed an environmental group and lobbied the city to combat pollution from the factories. Amazing what a bunch of dedicated people can do sometimes. Some 30 years later, Kitakyushu is seen as a model city, having received the Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1990. In 1992, it got the UN Local Government Honours during the Earth Summit. Kitakyushu is active abroad (pdf), and is seen as a human resource development base for sustainable development in Asia.

For example, there is the Kitakyushu Industrial Eco Complex to recycle resources and energies and generate new industries as citywide activities, through the use of local industrial infrastructures.

If you own a car in Japan, this is most likely where it will end up, after you sell it.

Date Time Event Venue Organiser
16 & 17 December 8:30pm- Min'yo - Echoes of Japanese Folk Songs - Auditorium, Dewan Bandaraya KL, Menara DBKL1, Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 KL Embassy of Japan
Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur

5 & 19
December 5th Dec.: 3:00pm-
19th Dec.:10:00am- Weekend Japanese Cinema Shows
5th Dec. "Poppoya-Railroad Man"
19th Dec. "Young Girls in Love" Pawagam Mini P. Ramlee, FINAS,
Lot 1662, Bt. 8, Jalan Hulu Kelang,
68000 Ampang, Selangor
Tel: 03-4104 1375 / 76 (Unit Latihan) Japan Foundation Kuala

このコーナーでは、毎週、東京のＨＯＴ！な情報をお届けしていきます。
東京の“今”が味わえる、さまざまなジャンルの情報満載です。
今週も魅力的なイベントスポット情報がたくさん。
このチャンスをぜひお見逃しなく！！
ライブラリーストラスブールのマルシェ・ド・ノエル2009
ホンモノのノエルがやってくる！
日時 2009年12月11日（金）～12月25日（金）
11：30～21：30
※初日（12月11日）は16：00から、
　日曜日は20：30まで
交通 JR：有楽町駅より徒歩1分（国際フォーラム口）、東京駅より徒歩5分（京葉線東京駅と地下コンコースにて連絡）
地下鉄：東京メトロ有楽町線有楽町駅より徒歩1分（D5出口より地下1階コンコースにて連絡）

エコプロダクツ2009
時代のキーワード「エコ」の最前線がわかる！
日時 2009年12月10日（木）～12日（土）
10:00～18:00（最終日は17:00まで）
交通 りんかい線「国際展示場駅」より徒歩約7分
ゆりかもめ「国際展示場正門駅」より徒歩約3分

奥多摩大丹波イルミネーションフェスタ2009 点灯イベント
手づくり感が心温まる奥多摩のイルミネーション
日時 2009年12月12日（土）
18:00～21:00
交通 JR青梅線「川井駅」より当日はシャトルバスを運行

赤穂義士祭
浅野内匠頭と赤穂義士を偲ぶ供養祭
日時 2009年12月14日（月）
開門7:00～
※義士祭当日のみ閉門は22:00ごろを予定

交通 都営地下鉄浅草線「泉岳寺駅」A2出口より徒歩1分

Kodomo Music & Art Festival '09
子どもたちを音楽とアートで結ぶ野外フェス
日時 2009年12月12日（土）・13日（日）
11:00～16:00
※雨天決行
交通 JR山手線「原宿駅」より徒歩5分
JR山手線「渋谷駅」より徒歩12分
東京メトロ千代田線「代々木公園駅」より徒歩5分
小田急線「代々木八幡駅」より徒歩5分

東京都と全国自治体が連携して、日本各地域の魅力をＰＲする“全国の情報発信拠点”として、都庁第一本庁舎２階に「全国観光ＰＲコーナー」を運営しています。ぜひ、ご利用ください。《イベントコーナー情報》
秋田県平鹿地域 『秋田県南観光PRと物産展』
《期　間》 平成21年12月9日（水）～12月15日（火）
《時　間》 午前9時30分～午後6時30分
※初日は午前11時00分から。
※最終日は午後4時まで。

《イベント内容》
目玉その１ 秋田県の美味しいものや伝統工芸品を販売！！
○ きりたんぽ、米粉パン、米粉たいやき、稲庭うどん
○ 若がえりまんじゅう、ずんだ大福、シフォンケーキ


○ 大屋梅の梅干し、漬物各種
○ とろろ昆布、おぼろ昆布、根っこ昆布他、多数！
○ ぐいのみ、箸、ストラップ他、伝統工芸品も多数！

※ 特産品は日によって変わりますので、ご注意ください。
目玉その２ 秋田県の観光PR！！
○ 秋田の冬まつり（かまくら、犬っこまつり）などのパンフレット配布
○ DVDで秋田のまつりの他、観光地のPR映像を放映
○ 秋田県のマスコット（すぎっち）や、なまはげもやって来る！


《今後の予定》
【12月】 12月22日～25日 栃木県
【1月】 1月6日～8日 千葉県南房総市
1月9日～12日 新潟県長岡市
1月13日～15日 神奈川県
1月18日～24日 福岡県・福岡県北九州市
1月27日～2月2日 長野県

※ 上記のスケジュールは予定ですので、変更になる場合もあります。

1 開設場所及び営業時間
東京都庁第一本庁舎２階
午前９:３０から午後６：３０まで　年中無休（年末年始は除く）


2 主なサービス内容
（１）ＰＲコーナー（各道府県の最新の観光パンフレットを設置･配布）
（２）イベントコーナー（各道府県が交代で観光・物産等をＰＲ）
　　 ※イベント内容は各県により異なります。
（３）各地域のポスターの掲示やＤＶＤ映像の放映
（４）相談カウンターで観光情報などを提供

※当コーナーでは、宿泊施設、レストラン、各種チケット等のご予約のお取次ぎはいたしませんので、ご了承下さい。