Japan News This Week 13 November 2016

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Japan Uses Speed, Not Size, to Take Women�s Basketball to New Heights
New York Times

US election 2016: The view from Japan
BBC

The school of flesh: erotic portraits of Yukio Mishima � in pictures
Guardian

Washed up? Tokyo�s iconic communal bath houses face an uncertain future
Japan Times

Has Komeito Abandoned its Principles? Public Perception of the Party�s Role in Japan�s Security Legislation Debate
Japan Focus

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Statistics

Amount of chemical fertilizer used for agricultural purposes by country (kilograms/hectare):

1. China (17.8)
2. South Korea (13.1)
3. Japan (12.1)
4. Chile (11.6)
5. Belgium (11.3)
6. New Zealand (9.9)
7. Holland (8.8)
8. Italy (7.4)
9. Malaysia (7.2)
10. Portugal (6.4)

18. United Kingdom (2.8)

23. USA (2.4) 

Source: Faostat

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Kobe Mosque

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Kobe Mosque was the first mosque in Japan and opened in 1935 in the Kitano district of the city close to the many ijinkan or foreign residences. Kobe mosque was designed by Czech architect Jan Josef �vagr (1885-1969), who also designed a number of other places of worship in Japan.

Kobe Mosque came through US air raids unscathed during World War II and also survived the devastating Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995.

Kobe Mosque
2-25-14, Nakayamate-dori
Chuo-ku
Kobe 650-0004
Tel: 078 231 6060

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Hosenji Temple Seto

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Hosenji Temple is located in the east of Seto City in the quiet Kamagaki district of the city close to Kamagaki-no-komichi, the Kamagaki-no-komichi Museum and the Seto Hongyo Kiln.

Hosenji was founded around 750 years ago in 1252. It became a Zen-sect temple in 1648.

Most impressive are the Sanmon or entrance gate and the paintings on the ceiling of the main hall done by pottery craftspeople. The main hall also holds an image of the thousand-armed Kannon.

The large and ancient bell in the temple was taken as part of the war effort in the 1940's and was replaced thanks to donations by parishoners after the war.

In early November, the temple hosts the Amenbo Festival dedicated to the Buddha of Healing.

Hosenji Temple
30 Teramotocho
Seto, Aichi Prefecture 489-0838
Tel: 0561 82 2316

Hours: 9am-5pm; Free admission.

Seto city is best accessed on the Meitetsu Seto Line from Sakae-machi Station next to Oasis 21 in central Nagoya or from Ozone Station, also on the Meijo Line of the Nagoya subway. By express train the journey time is 31 minutes or 38 minutes by local from Sakae-machi Station.

Other places of interest in Seto city include Seto-gura Museum and the Seto Ceramics and Glass Art Center.

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Kyoto Heian Hotel

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The Kyoto Heian Hotel is located on the west side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Gosho). The highlight of a stay here is the lovely Edo Period garden on the premises. The 1,650m� garden was created by Jihei Ogawa in the 1920's over what was once the garden of a court noble. The strolling garden contains a pond, a waterfall, a stone bridge and various stone lanterns.

The Kyoto Heian Hotel has both Japanese-style tatami rooms as well as Western-style rooms. There are two restaurants at the hotel: the Japanese-style Hofune facing the garden and the French-style Cafe Arbois.

The Kyoto Heian Hotel is a short walk south from Exit 6 of Imadegawa Station on the Kyoto subway and a short walk north from the Kyoto Garden Palace Hotel.

Kyoto Heian Hotel
Karasumadori Kamichojamachi-agaru
Kamigyo-ku
Kyoto, 602-0912
Tel: 075 432 6181
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Pig & Whistle Kyoto

The Pig & Whistle pub on Sanjo is something of a Kyoto institution among foreigners in the city and will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this December.

The Pig hasn't changed that much in its 30 years of service, the dart boards are still there, as is the fish and chips and draft Guinness; an extra bar and table football are later additions. The interior decor is descibed on Japanese review stes as "retro" which I suppose it is, as it celebrates 30.

Now part of a small chain of British style bars which include the Man in the Moon pubs near Kyoto Station and others in Shijo Karasuma, Gion and Rokkaku.

Pig & Whistle
Shobi Building 2F, 115 Ohashicho
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0009
Tel: 075 761 6022
Hours: Monday-Thursday & Sunday 5pm-2am; Friday & Saturday 5pm-5am

The Pig & Whistle is very close to the north east exit of Sanjo Station on the Kyoto subway.

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Japan News This Week 6 November 2016

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3 Japanese Shipping Companies to Merge Container Businesses
New York Times

US election 2016: The view from Japan
BBC

Japan to conduct racism survey after record rise in foreign residents
Guardian

Paris global warming accord kicks in but Japanese ratification delayed by TPP
Japan Times

The Showa Emperor�s Tour of Tokyo, March 18, 1945
Japan Focus

Last Week's Japan News on the JapanVisitor blog

Statistics

The number of foreign tourists has skyrocketed in Japan. In particular, in mid-size (Kyoto, Hiroshima) and smaller cities (Nara, Nikko, Kamakura), the flood of tour buses and camera-toting visitors can be overwhelming in many locations.

As of October 30, 2016, the number of foreign tourists had topped the 20 million mark.

80% of those visitors come from four countries: China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. The government is expecting the total to double to 40 million by 2020, in which Tokyo hosts the summer Olympics.

Source: Yomiuri Shinbun

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Bungalow & Beer House Craftman Kyoto

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Craft beer bars are increasing in Japan's major cities and have become something of a fashionable trend as more and more young people turn away from the standard fare served up by Japan's big four brewers.

Two such craft beer bars in Kyoto are Bungalow on Shijo Horikawa and Beer House Craftman just south of Shijo Karasuma close to the Starbucks and the Karasuma Kyoto Hotel - both are rather different in style.

Bungalow is a fairly informal, reasonably friendly, low key joint with plastic sheeting for walls whereas Beer House Craftman is a rather snooty, upmarket affair complete with stiff wait staff and that familiar unwelcoming Kyoto welcome. Both serve excellent craft beer, however, which is should be your main purpose for visiting.

The two establishments serve decent food as well. Bungalow is heavy on the meat - the carved beef looked delicious - and it was the first time I had seen tripe on a Kyoto menu. Vegetarians would be limited to the French fries. The potato salad comes with ham and egg.

Beer House Craftman offers a set of three beers - all good - for 1500 yen or larger glasses on tap. The food is Italianesque and small in portion delivered by waiters in white coats with all the charm and refinement of trainee lab technicians.

Both places have two floors with the more informal drinking taking place on the first (ground) floor and the serious eating on the second floor. Bungalow has a few standing tables as well for that Kansai tachinomiya feel.

Bungalow
15 Kashiwayacho
Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Tel: 075 256 8205
Hours: 3pm-2am (weekdays and Saturday); 12pm-11pm (Sunday)

Beer House Craftman
643-1 Nijo Hanjikicho
Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8412
Tel: 075 371 7676
Hours: 5pm-2am

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