Archive for 'Lifestyle' Category

Common IC tickets for 10 ski resorts in Nagano

A brand ski resort group “Hakuba Valley” consisting of  ten ski resorts in Nagano prefecture started a new service of  issuing a common ticket for all of its member resorts(http://www.hakubavalley.jp/english/).  The president of the   group’s promotion board, Hikari Takanashi announced at the press conference in Tokyo on Nov.24.

This new ticket is called “Hakuba Valley Tickets” can be used at the members resorts by implementing  just one purchase procedure of  such a common ticket, namely,  Jiigatake,Kashimayari,Sanosaka, Goryu,  Hakuba47, Happoone,Iwatake,Tsugaikekogen, Hakubanorikura, and Cortina.

The primary purpose of this new service is to increase the number of  foreign visitors to those resorts. The number was 85,000 in 2005, but increased  up to 225,000 in 2015 which raised by 163.5%, which account for 15% of the total number of the visitors there.  The group has an intent to increase such international visitors’ number up to 300,000 which will account for 40% of the total number within 3~4 years. Currently, Australians are 60%, Asians are 30%, and westeners and others are 10%. The group especially would like to increase the number of Asians.  As for the prices of Hakuba Valley Tickets, the one-day ticket is ¥5,700(3,200 for a child), the two-day ticket is ¥10,000(5600 for a child), and the three-day  is ¥14,900(8300 for a child). The tickest are available at the tickt booths in the each resort and travel agents appointed by the Hakuba Valley.

 

 

 

The First JAPAN Incentive Travel Awards

JNTO (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/) lauchned a new prize system to promote inbound tourism, called “JAPAN  Incentive Travel Awards” on Dec.21st. And three travel agents have been conferred the first awards and ceremony was held at the International Meeting Expo 2016 on Dec.7th(http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/ime/2016/eng/index.html) .

The grand prix was given to a tour of 6500 participants visiting Hokkaido hosted by LionTravel in Taiwan(http://www.liontravel.com/). The planning award was given to “Chaumet – Hurry up for sales” hosted by  teamtravel premium GmbH in Germany. That tour included 55 participants visiting spots related to jewelry using ipad services in Tokyo in style of a rally competition. And the Contribution award was given to “Millennium Achievers Tour” hosted by JTB Australia Pty Ltd. including 25 participants visiting Tokyo,Okayama,Kagawa, enjoying cultural activities of each local areas.

 

 

A new hotel with an outer bath near Tokyo Sky Tree

 A new hotel grandly opened near Tokyo Sky Tree  on Dec.23rd. This hotel “Budo- no Nagaya(/The Terraced House of Grapes)” is equipped with a special outer bath facility on its roof so that guests can command the breathtakinbg view of Tokyo Sky Tree while soaking. (https://www.facebook.com/%E8%91%A1%E8%90%84%E3%81%AE%E9%95%B7%E5%B1%8B-1414142378884322/)

The hotel is located near Hikifune station where you take about 5 minutes from Asakusa by train and is alos near popular shopping streets.So, the hotel is quite convenient for sightseeing and shopping as well.  A mascot cat Hokuto is ready to welcome you at the reception of the hotel as an “animal receptionist”.

 

The hotel charges are 10,000 yen for one guest and 12,000 for two includng bath fee for one night but also you can take bath without staying the hotel in certain limited time slots.   the  guest rooms are decorated in a mixed  style of oblects of both western and Japanese. The each facilities don’t have level gaps on the same floors so that even the older people or young children can enjoy staying at this hotel.

Visitors to Japan, 21,988,400

  The number of  the international visitors to Japan made the record high over 2,000 by the end of this October, and amazingly supposed to have reached 21,988,400  by the end of this November, according to the official report of JNTO(http://www.jnto.go.jp/) .  The total number of the year might be even over 22,000,000 by the end of this year.  The number of this year has increased by 22.4% compared to that of last year.

“The Art of Zen~from mind to form” at

An special exhibition about Zen Buddhism was held at Tokyo National Museum in Ueno park  in Tokyo Oct.18-Nov. 27 (http://zen.exhn.jp/en/).

This exhibition is “The Art of Zen~ from mind to form” ,commemorating some historical zen monks birth anniverssaries. Zen Buddhisim is one denomination of  Mahayana  Buddhis which prevailed 6~12 centuries in China and introduced in Japan in 12 century. The  essential idea is purifying your spirit to find out simple and fundamental yourself through meditations. The concept was welcomed and accepted by Japanese especially Samurai warriers in the Kamura Period (1192-1333)  mainly due to the similarity between Zen and  the warriers’ Bushiod or Japanese chivalry. So, Zen has given huge influences on generatiosn and developments of Japanese culture and art, such as tea ceremony, pottery, Indian ink paintings,  dry landscape gardens and so forth.

 

 

Tokyo Metro hosted a mystery rally event of quiz concerning Zen in collaboration with the exhibition at its subway stations during the same period.

Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival 2016 in Tokyo

A talk show event related to Japanese culture is being held Nov.24-27 at Tokyo Taiikukan(Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnagium) in Tokyo. (http://fes16.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/about.php)(http://www.tef.or.jp/tmg/en_index.jsp)

At the event, various celebrities, officials of big businesses, artisits and so forth give lectures and discussions of how people should promote Japanese art, culture and young peoples’ potential to the world.

Kyobashi Edogrand grand open

A new skyscraper of  commercial and office complex opened in Kyobashi, a central area so close to Tokyo station and Ginza on Nov.25th. This is “Kyobashi Edogrand” that is 170m high and has 32 floors groend and 3 floors underground, provided with 34 renowned shops of foods and stuff. (http://www.edogrand.tokyo/en)

 

Kyobashi Edogrand consists of  newly built part of the higher rises and old Meijiya Kyobashi Building which has old history. This facility’s building project started 15 years ago as a redevelopping plan of the area led by owners of shops and lands of the area to reinvigorate the old office and shopping streets. The building has the state-of-the-art technology of quakeproof systems to keep things very safe and secure. the new building is expected to draw a lot of attention from people both in Japan and overseas.

 

Japan Rail Pass tentative sales even after arriving in Japan

JR group announced their new policy of starting tentative sales of  Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)  from  the next March for one year even after foreign tourists arriving in Japan on this 11th. (http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/)(http://japanrailpass.net/en/index.html)

 

 

JRPass is a very convenient pass service that is able to be received only by a short- stay foreign tourist to Japan. You can buy various JR train and bus service tickets at discounted prices using this pass. If you would like to get one, you have to buy a coupon of the pass from your tarvel agents in your own countries before you leave for Japan and you will have to exchange the coupon at Japanese airports or majoy JR stations after you have arrived in Japan. Currently, you cannot buy the pass after you have aarived in thsi country, but in order to increase international visitors to Japan for inbound industry, JR has decided to change its policy for a while and, now starting the new service of avilability of the pass even after your arrival in Japan March 2017- March 2018.  The transporting services for foreign travelers to Japan is highly expected to improve due to this big change.   

 

 

“Shibuya Stream” construction project

Information about  construction project of  a new comemrical skyscraper at the open space where Toyoko Line’s station  once stood was announced on Oct.24th.

Tokyu group(http://www.tokyu-fudosan-hd.co.jp/english/) that owns the lands in the central areas of Shibuya holds six huge redevelopping projects of the Shibuya area and the new skyscraper plan is one of them. The name of the building will be “Shibuya Stream” and is to be  a highrise of 180 m and the total floor squares will be 116,700 ㎡.  According to Tokyu, 1~3 rd floors will be for commercial facilities,4th floor is for incubation offices, 6th is for conference rooms, 9-13rd are for hotel, and 14-35 floors are for office areas. The developper says, the new building is expected to make dedications and contributions for promoting the unique culture being born in Shibuya.  The project is to finish its first stage in 2019 and all stages will be finished and open to public in 2027.

Nintendo’s new game machine “Nintendo Switch”

  Nintendo annnounced the name and basic specs of its new game machine on the Oct.20th. The name of the machine is “Nintendo Switch” and the new console will be released in march 2017. (https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/2016/161020.html)

The new machine is a stationary type console but you can take it out with you when you go out from your home using a portable functions. you don’t have to  keep seated in front of  your machine at home to play games. The imformation about the prices and more details will be released from now on bit by bit by the company.

driving school vehicles with anime design on the body

ODS, a driving school in Saga pref., Kyushu (a region in the southwest part of Japan)  has begun to adopt so-called “Ita-sha”(a vehicle of pain ,implying  subcultural ideas or objects of bad but cool taste) for its driving lessons since this October. (http://www.oomachi-ds.jp/main/)

ODS now has started using two “Itasha” out of  its 24 driving- lesson cars, expecting to draw attention from especially young people in the local area. the design is about Hatsunemiku, a popular two-dimensional virtual female idol character and other subculture-related depictions.  Itasha is gaining popularity  among the subculture lovers and may influence other industries like driving schools and the like.

 

 

Tsukiji Fishmarket postponed relocation

Tsukiji, the world famous fish market in Tokyo was to be relocated to Toyosu on Nov.7 2016, but now Yuriko Koike, the new Tokyo Governer delared the plan being postponed on Oct.31.

The reasons of  this postponement  are  environmental conditions, costs, and questionable points in the plan. according to Koike. Now the relocation time will be in Feburuary 2017 ,but sources have not been solved and the real moving time has not been decided yet. Meantime, people can enjoy visiting the world’s biggest fish and other foods market in the central part in Tokyo.

The First female Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike

There was an election of Tokyo Metropilitan Govenor on Jul.31, and Yuriko Koike has been chosen as the 20th Tokyo Govenor. She is the very first female Tokyo Govenor in the history of Tokyo Metropolice of 70 years (or about 150 year history since the very first year of the modernization of Japan as  Edo Metropolice, Tokyo City,and Tokyo Prefecture).

Originally,she was a TV castor and an interpreter of Arabic language, and conducted a lot of  coverages and interviews with people in the international community. And she served as a Diet member and Minister of  Environment, Minister of National Defense and other cabinet member’s posts for years. Now she is a proponent of the “Non-pole” movement,which is clearing streets of electric poles and put electric wires underground in order to enhance scenic attractions of streets and improve secure and comfortable environments in society. In addition,  she made remarks in which she expressed her eagerness of preparing and organizing upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Therefore, some positive changes in tourism- related environments in Tokyo area and circumstances of hosting the huge international sport events in four years may take place from now on.

The Fireworks Display festival at Sumida River

The popular annual summer event of the fireworks display festival at one of the main rivers of Tokyo, Sumida River was held Jul.30th.

Totally, various fireworks of  20,000 were displayed with various colors and types, some of which were related to sports such as upcoming Olympic games. There were no panic or any accident and visitors there enjoyed the huge summer event.

 

International Tokyo Toy Show 2016

The International Tokyo Toy Show 2016 was held at Tokyo Bigsight Jun.9-12. This was the 55th of the event series.(http://www.toys.or.jp/toyshow/2016_files/company_html/name_a.html) 

The first two days were for business meetings and stage shows and the latter days were for open for public and lay visitors and shows, such as concerts and release of new information about new toy products or TV anime programs.

 

About 30 toy related businesses,such as toy manufacturers, animation studios, amusement parks, and so forth  particiated in the show preparing booths to promote their products and activities.  And totally about 160,000 people visited this event.