Odawara Living

Fujikyu Bus Schedule for Narita Airport

2011-09-06T18:16:00.001-07:00

Fujikyu Bus is the most convenient way to get to Narita Airport. For me at least, it is almost door to door with no need to transfer. Nice.

Here is the schedule in Japanese.

Fujikyu Bus Office
Telephone:

富士急高速バス予約センター：TEL 0465-82-1362（平日09：00～18：00　土・休日09：00～16：00）

Odawara Weather

2011-08-09T03:55:00.000-07:00

Odawara Weather

Check out the real feel temperature of Odawara. Pretty amazing website.

Tomorrow the high temperature will be 31 degrees but the real feel (because of humidity) will be 37!

Check on tomorrow`s weather for your part of Japan.

Hakone`s Yunessun Spa Resort

2011-07-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hakone, near Odawara

The Yunessun is our largest spa resort zone where you can enjoy more than 25 different kinds spa related services and fun water recreational activities (see the complete list below). It is like being at the beach, so bring your swimsuits.

The main Spa facility is called The God's Aegean Sea and will amaze you with its fantastic aqua surroundings.There is a Mediterranean theme for the amusement spas along with the Turkish Hamam and the Ancient Roman Baths.

Read More

Jonah and the Wrestler

2011-07-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

Jonah and the Wrestler

When my son Jonah was just a baby, we took him to Odawara Arena.On that day they had a one day sumo tournament. To my disappointment the only foreign wrestler was Yamato. However it was fun nonetheless.

To have your baby held by a real sumo wrestler is an honor, and is supposed to bestow upon the little one, good luck and good health. It being more than just a sport this makes sense, as it is a kind of Shinto religious ritual. My son was held very carefully by a very large Japanese wrestler.He didn`t cry (my son) not the wrestler.

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子供クラスアシスタント（ボランティア）募集！！

2011-07-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

子供クラスアシスタント（ボランティア）募集！！現在、ケビンズイングリッシュスクールでは子供クラス（小学生クラス）のアシスタントを募集中です。ケビン先生のヘルプと、生徒さんの宿題のチェックなどを行っていただきます。お手伝いをしていただくのは、赤毛のアン校（飯沢）で火曜日と金曜日の午後（4時位から）と、塚原校で水曜日の午後5時からのクラスです。（詳細はお問い合わせください）なお、ボランティアとしての募集となり、お給料はでませんのでご了承ください。授業に参加していただきますので、子供英会話に興味がある方や英語が好きな方にとってはとても勉強になるでしょう。ボランティアをしながら英語を勉強したい方は、ぜひご応募ください！仕事内容について質問がある方、アシスタントご希望の方は、事務までお問い合わせください。 tel&fax 0465-74-4458　事務担当　スガイ（平日　午後3時半～午後7時）

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JIGG Kanagawa Boardgames Club

2011-06-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Gaming unplugged for almost 20 years.

If you enjoy boardgames and other games, join JIGG. Membership is free and there are branches of our club all over Japan. The JIGG Kanagawa group is very active, and we are a great group of people. We tend to hold game days in each others homes. You can host if you want to, but don`t have to. Some people enjoy hosting and others don`t.

Learn more at Facebook.

Italian Food in Odawara: Hideko loves Papillon

2011-06-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite restaurant is Papillon in Odawara (near Tomizu Station).
Ｔｅｌ：　0465-36-9991　　　Ｍａｐ

Papillon serves spaghetti, pizza and salad. I recommend the cold tomato spaghetti in summer.
It is great! The tomatoes are sweet. The atsmosphere is "at home." It is located near
Odawara Arena.

Read More

原子力発電所　放射性降下物への対処　何を食べていいのか？何を食べてはいけないのか？

2011-06-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

原子力発電所　放射性降下物への対処　何を食べていいのか？何を食べてはいけないのか？

おそらく警告もしくはパラノイアが起こるだろうと思っていました。私の健康のためではありませんが、
私は成長中の子供たちが食べているものについて心配をしていました。どのようにして安全を保てばいいのでしょうか。

政府や地域は物が安全だと言っていますか。メッセージを聞いてくれないことが問題だと考えます。
私は本当に国が言っていることを信じられなかったのです。しかし、私はメッセージを送らなければいけません。
そうすれば、食べ物の安全性に関して信頼することが出来るでしょう。

原子力発電所　放射性降下物への対処　何を食べていいのか？何を食べてはいけないのか？

Best Cherry Blossom Viewing in Odawara?

2011-06-18T02:59:00.000-07:00

Best Cherry Blossom Viewing in Odawara?

by Shawn Thir

I love cherry blossoms viewing; what a great
excuse for sitting under a tree and getting drunk.
However, I’m not keen on sharing this experience with a
thousand other drunk and noisy people(the annual carnage
in Ueno Park just turns me off).

One great spot
for cherry blossom viewing is that park(does it have
a name?) behind Odawara High School- they used to
hold the Odawara Jazz festival there years ago. I went
there last year but the place had already been staked
out by 8am! Good luck.

Odawara Castle is an
obvious choice but it is crowded, of course. If you can
go at night(they have lamps set up) you can avoid
the crowds all together. One spot I like is on the
moat. If you cross the bridge where that parapet is and
hang a quick left(you’ll be facing the Odawara Police
Station), there’s a small wooded area there. In that copse
of trees, is a cherry tree that droops down into the
moat(I think everybody ahs taken a picure of it). If
you’re lucky(like I was last year) you can sit on the
edge of the moat under this tree. There’s no space to
spread out but my girlfriend and I enjoyed a few beer
together and had a superb view of the blossoms.

Now to the nitty gritty- my favorite spot. If you’re at
the park behind Odawara High School and start walking
down the road back to Odawara Stn., you’ll come
across a bunch of tennis courts the school uses for soft
tennis. At the end of these courts, you’ll find a set of
steep stairs. Climb theses stairs and walk to the rear
of the courts. You’ll come to a small clearing with
a picnic table /bench. I chose to spread a blanket
under a cherry tree on the edge of the path. NOBODY was
there. Just me, my girlfriend and the cherry trees.

My little secret is out. Or is it? Anybody ever been
there before? I felt like a gold miner hitting the
mother lode; I had the whole place to myself.

Originally posted at the Odawara Bulletin Board

Monjya Jin: Monjyayaki Restaurant
One of my friends has a monjyayaki restaurant in
Odawara. It is called Monjya Jin, and it is across from
Tozan supermarket and beside the McDonalds on the 6th
floor.I went there last night and ate Butakimuchi(pork
and kimchi) monjya and Mochimentai(mochi and spicy
cod roe) monjya plus 2 beer for 1500 yen. The master
is a friendly guy and welcomes foreigners.I
recommend going here.

--from Masako`s post at the Odawara Bulletin Board

Odawara Living is one site of a family of websites owned by Kevin Burns. We hope OL has helped you!

Kaisei`s Progressive Mayor Responds to Questions about Kaisei Town

2011-06-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

Kaisei`s Progressive Mayor Responds to Questions about Kaisei Town

"Kaisei Town is one of Japan`s great ones. When a new shopping mall or an apartment building is built, it comes with a garden. Unfortunately this is all too rare in Japan, but hopefully is a growing trend. (Pun not intended!) Kaisei Town truly is a garden city. "
--Kevin Burns

Photo of Kaisei Town by Sandra Isaka
(Mayor Tsuyuki`s letter was also edited by Sandra Isaka)

This was in response to some questions Kevin Burns
asked at the Odawara Bulletin Board.

Mayor Tsuyuki has written a response IN ENGLISH,
and has asked me to correct it and post it for him.
Here is what he wrote:

Ques #1: Why have
factories been built right next to neighborhoods?

Why do the people living in your town have to smell and
breath that polluted air?

"As you say, factories are usually built next to neighborhoods.
That's true, but now the circumstances are improving by law. Japan
was largely destroyed in WWII, and catching up with
the 'West' became the most important issue for our
country. Japan thought that developing the country was
more important than maintaining the living standards
that existed. This policy caused much pollution and
environmental disruption. Over time, Japan realized that a
healthy environment was just as important as developing
the nation. Currently, two of the top priorities of
our town is to develop a 'Recycle Society' and to
make Kaisei a 'Garden Town'."

Question #2: Are
there zoning laws now that prohibit factories from
being built next to neighborhoods?

"Yes, we now
have a bylaw concerning land zoning, but there wasn't
such a law in the past. In the past, modernization was
our highest national interest and it caused an
environmental crisis. I think that zoning laws are one of the
most important concerns in order to build a beautiful
town. The northern part of Kaisei is our 'agricultural'
zone, the center is our 'living and shopping' zone, and
the south is our 'new town'. Our current 'factory'
zone is beside the Fuji Xerox Research Center on the
border with Minami Ashigara. (The research center
actually lies in Kaisei). Kaisei is currently trying to
attract 'clean' industries, such as digital technology,
to build in that zone. Other possible developments
include are the construction of a very beautiful
agricultural park (like our hydrangea park), and the
reconstruction of a large thatched roof home to be used for
exchanges between urban and rural people. We also have
great plans for the Kaisei Station area, our 'new
town'. The 'new town' has bylaws concerning the
construction of a shopping area, living area, and factory
area. The factory area was mentioned above. The
shopping and living area is currently being built, and a
top priority is 'living with nature'.

Life in Odawara, why live here?

2011-06-18T02:55:00.000-07:00

Life in Odawara, Why Live Here?

by Shawn Thir

I think we’ve established that the Odawara area
is no hot bed of excitement. It begs the question:
Why are we here?
I found Odawara by fluke.

I
originally came to Japan to work as an English teacher at
GEOS(blood sucking vampires!) and they asked new teachers
where in Japan they would like to work. Being an avid
outdoorsman, I chose, in order: Hokkaido(for its nature),
Kyoto(for its history) and anywhere near Mt. Fuji(looking
at a map, I wanted to be near the nature that was
around there). In the end, I got sent to Odawara, in the
shadow of Mt. Fuji.

It’s a great place to live.
I’m only 40 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train. I
live in a valley with the mountains of Hakone on one
side and the Tanzawa mountains on the other. I’m
close to the hot spring heaven of Hakone-Yumoto. There
are numerous places to hike, camp and mountain bike.
The beaches of Izu are an hour or two away. It’s
quiet out here and the locals know me(it can be bit of
pain too because they all ask me when I’m going to
marry my girlfriend).

I know my neighbors. I live near
a river and am surrounded by rice paddies. In the
summer I like walk among them and gaze at the stars and
look for fireflies. My 1st floor apartment has
spacious patio and I’m constantly trying to fight off the
neighborhood cats from eating my tulips. I think this summer
I’ll have a BBQ out back- you’re all invited. Most of
all, it’s quiet. There’s something to be said about
some honest peace and quiet after coming home from
work- no trains or traffic. There is something sublime
about listening to the cicadas or crickets on a hot
summer night.
I think it is the slower pace of life
and proximity of the mountains and ocean that do it
for me. I love Tokyo; it’s one heck an exciting city
but I simply would mad if I had to live there. A good
friend in Yokohama always urges me to move there- move
out of the boondocks and into civilization he says. I
contemplated the thought. More imported food, theatres,
restaurants and shopping. I can’t argue with those creature
comforts. Ultimately, it’s a lifestyle choice. This is
where I choose to hang my hat and I’m happy. What else
do you need?

Originally posted to the Odawara Bulletin Board

Why Live in the Odawara Area?

2011-06-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

Why Live in the Odawara Area?

by Samantha Leggit

Believe it or not, I actually chose to live in
the Odawara area. In 1985, I came to Japan on the JET
program. I was placed in a really inaka town in
Tochigi-ken. I was there for two years, and loved it, but it
was just too inaka.

After returning home for almost 2
years, I knew that I belonged back in Japan. I started a serious job
hunt, which landed me about 5 to 6 offers. The job in Kaisei was just what I was looking for.

Just like Shawn,
I love the Japanese countryside and small town
atmosphere. I also need to be close to Tokyo and everything
that is going on there. After living in Tochigi, I
knew that I wanted to be near the ocean and mountains,
and in a warmer place. The Odawara area was a perfect
match. There isn't much of a job selection here, but
with a bit of ambition and creativity, you can make
things happen.

It is sometimes hard to be a foreigner in
Japan, but it is much easier when you are able to become
part of a community. Because I teach in a public
elementary school and junior high, I have a respected
position in my town. Most of the population knows who I
am, and I am treated very well. It is rare to find
such a situation in a larger city.

Every morning when
I leave my house, I am sent off with 'Iterashai',
and welcomed home in the evening with 'Okaeri'. You
don't have to work in the public schools for this to
happen. The key is to become an active member of your
community. It makes all the difference.

Originally posted to the Odawara Bulletin Board

Nuclear Fallout in Odawara?

2011-05-31T16:34:00.001-07:00

What to eat and what not to eat?

I`ve probably “erred” on the side of caution or even paranoia on this one, and it hasn`t been because of my health but I have been concerned about what my rapidly growing children eat. How can I keep them safe?

The government, local and national has been saying things are safe?

I guess my problem has been I haven`t heard the message. I didn`t really trust them.

However maybe I have to; and in fact maybe they are trustworthy in the case of food safety anyway.

So many politicians disappoint it seems, so it is natural to lose trust in them.

About food though, I think the Japanese government is doing a good job. And if they fail or if the local government fails to inform, NHK or some fifth estate media
source fills in. Read More:

Tokyo Travel Guide on Odawara Castle

2011-05-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Tokyo Travel Guide on Odawara Castle - they have a nice page on our beloved castle with some amazing photographs of "Odawara Jo" throughout the seasons.

It really is one of Japan`s most underrated castles in my opinion.

Tokyo Travel Guide:

An Edo Period castle from the Kamakura Era, it is said that the first person to build the castle was Kobayakawa Tohira. It was seized by Hojo So-un in 1495, became the residence of a Mr. Okubo in the Edo Period, and towered over the city as a symbol of Odawara until its destruction in 1860. The outside of the current keep was restored in 1960 using fortified concrete, and the inside is an exhibition room for ancient books, paintings, amour, swords and other historical documents and artifacts. At its highest point the castle is 60m tall and affords a panoramic view of Sagami Bay - on a clear day, visitors can see as far as the Boso Peninsula.

Read More

Anyone Cycling in the Odawara area?

2011-05-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Gus Duncan an avid local cyclist asks:

Anyone riding in the Odawara area...?
Greetings fellow Bikers...
Is anyone riding in the Odawara area?

I have just moved here from the Gold Coast, Australia.
My name is Gus and I have been watching TCC on and off for a couple of years now thinking that someday I might be able to ride in Japan. That day has truly arrived.
My wife, Michiyo and I have bought a mansion in Odawara looking up towards Hakone. It is truly a beautiful area.
In the last month, apart from setting up the new place, I’ve managed to ride Yabitsu – Sagami Lake, Izu Kogan – Syuzenji – Matsuzaki and Shimoda using a compass and maps covered in undecipherable kanji…!

I’d be interested in joining any rides you have planned. I’m available midweek if anyone has time. I'll be riding most days somewhere around Izu / Odawara area. I'm planing a run to Miura Peninsular.

I'm up for anything... 50, 100, 200kms is OK. I like passes and don’t mind Japanese traffic.

Looking forward to gaining some local knowledge. Read More

Odawara Bike Rides

2011-05-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Odawara Bike Rides

Odawara to Enoshima by bike

Odawara & Hakone by bicycle

It took us I think about two and a half hours to get to Odawara. We were quite hungry when we got there, so we ate lunch near the Odawara train station and looked around a bit. Odawara is quite a big city compared with Chigasaki or Oiso and it's a very Japanese city as there is the Odawara Castle, so it's somewhat tourist-y with lots of shops catering to visitors. After walking around the station area looking at mostly delicious looking foods and sweets, we rode over to the Odawara Castle. These iconic Japanese castles were all built within a period of half a century during the era just before the Edo period if I remember correctly. Not all of them still exist today and of ones that still do, many are ones that have been re-built after they were destroyed in earthquakes and fires. I believe the Odawara castle has been re-built. It stands wide and not as smart looking as some other castles, but when we went inside it was very roomy and it went up much higher than I expected. Read More

Cycling in Odawara

2011-05-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Travis`s recommended cycling course around Odawara from Tokyo Cycling Club

KT7 - Odawara; "147" loop!
Very quick course info:

Start at Odawara…
Head up Rte.74 & then Rte.78 to “Ashigara-toge” (736m).
From Ashigara, we head down along Rte.365, from which we can head straight onto the fabled Rte.147 – and up to “Mikuni-toge”.
From there, down to the lake (Yamanaka-ko), but instead of heading North-East on R413, we head South-West and onto Rte.138 and back down to Gotemba.
From Gotemba, it goes up again to Sengoku-hara, and then to the downhill that we all did on the “Atami” ride (Pucci’s road) – thence back to Odawara.

I haven’t made the map yet, so I can’t give you exact distances, but it looks like an even 100km loop from Odawara over 3 climbs.

>Pucci: I could use your help on this one! This is your area. T

Anyway, once the map is done (probably tomorrow), I’ll post it for all to see!
Should be good!

Travis

湘南の暴れん坊復活へベルマーレフットサルクラブ２０１１新体制発表

2011-05-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

小田原、神奈川

日本最高峰のフットサルリーグに参戦している湘南ベルマーレフットサルクラブ（水谷尚人代表）は今月16日、２０１１シーズン新体制発表会見を行った。

　なお会見の中では、後援会組織『ＦＡＯ』の活動計画や、今シーズンからの新プロジェクト『ＯＤＡＷＡＲＡ　Ｓｍｉｌｅ　Ｐｏｗｅｒ』の概要も発表。今後２市８町の企業や団体がクラブを媒介にして、子どもたちを対象に「体育・知育・徳育・食育」の推進を図っていくという。

　なおＦリーグの開幕は7月30日（土）。詳しくは同クラブ【電話】０４６５（２３）５５５３

Ｒｅａｄ　Ｍｏｒｅ

Local Radioactive Tea

2011-05-24T06:22:00.001-07:00

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Local farmers have been thrown into confusion after the health and farm ministries expressed differing views over shipments of tea harvested in Kanagawa Prefecture after fresh leaves were found to have exceeded government limits for radioactive cesium.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has been trying to restrict shipments of tea leaves from the prefecture about 300 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant due to health concerns. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, however, has claimed that despite the high levels of radioactive material, drinking tea made from the leaves would be safe because the radioactive material would be diluted.

One tea farmer in the prefecture grumbled, "I have no idea what's going to happen. I want them to clear things up."

The radiation safety limit for tea leaves is 500 becquerels per kilogram, the same as for vegetables, while the limit for tea drinks is 200 becquerels per kilogram, the same as for drinking water.

There have been no reports of drinks exceeding the 200-becquerel limit made from radiation-contaminated tea leaves. But fresh tea leaves harvested May 9-12 in six municipalities in the prefecture were found to have been contaminated with more than 500 becquerels of radioactive material.

Read More

JIGG Kanagawa Boardgames Club

2011-05-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

Do you like to play boardgames? Do you live in or can you come to Kanagawa?

Get in on the game!

We play boardgames of all kinds. New members always welcome! Membership is free!

We speak Japanese and English! Come if you love to play games.

JIGG Kanagawa Boardgames Club

南足柄市の放射線　何が安全で、何が危険なのか

2011-05-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

南足柄市の放射線　何が安全で、何が危険なのか？

南足柄市の住民皆、子供たちの安全を維持したいでしょう。
南足柄市加藤市長、何が安全なのでしょうか？

加藤市長、選挙での勝利おめでとうございます。さて、今こそ任務をこなすときです。
事をゆっくり進めている場合ではありません。南足柄産のお茶の放射線量に関するニュースが
NHKで報告されるのを待つべきではないのです。市長が先導するべきです。
あなたが市長なのですから、先導するのは当然です。
放射能がないかどうか、何をテストしたのでしょうか。食べ物は安全でしょうか。水は安全でしょうか。

Read More

Radiation in Odawara and Minamiashigara – What is Safe and What is dangerous?

2011-05-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Radiation in Odawara and Minamiashigara – What is Safe and What is dangerous?

I know that all the residents of Minamiashigara want to keep their children safe.

Mayor Kato, and Minamiashigara City Hall – what is safe?

Congratulations Katosan on your recent election win. Now though, it is time you get to work.

You shouldn`t be slow on things. You shouldn`t wait for NHK to report the bad news about Minamiashigara tea being radioactive. You need to lead!

Read More

The Sea Creatures near Odawara

2011-05-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

Odawara boasts one of the most famous bays in the world, Suruga Bay, which is just south
of Odawara, off the Izu Penninsula. National Geographic has often featured Suruga Bay in both their magazine and TV programs.

The Odawara Survival Guide For newly arrived foreign teachers

2011-04-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

This brief guide is designed to help you prepare for your move to Japan
and give you an overview of Odawara city and the surrounding area so that you
can get acclimated once you arrive. It is undoubtedly incomplete and perhaps
inaccurate in places. It has been assembled and condensed from a number of
sources, but the mistakes are my own. In particular, I have drawn heavily from
similar guides produced by LIOJ, NTT, and the Sagami-Hara board of education.
Please note that there is not a lot of JET-specific information included here. It is
assumed that you will have an avalanche of information coming in from CLAIR
and AJET that is related to the JET program if you are a participant. You will also
find that there is a disproportionate emphasis on American matters. This is due to
the large number of former AETs (Assistant English Teachers) in Odawara who
have been American.
I, and all of the present AETs, wish you the very best of luck and hope that
your time in Japan is as rewarding as it has been for us.
Alexander Halavais

Odawara
Odawara city is located near the southernmost border of Kanagawa
prefecture. Kanagawa is home to a metropolis (Yokohama), Japan's tallest
building (Landmark Tower), and a past national capital (Kamakura). Odawara is
roughly 80 kilometers south-west of Tokyo. While Kanagawa is in one of the
most populated prefectures of Japan, Odawara is sandwiched between the urban
sprawl to the east and natural beauty to the west. Odawara, known for its castle,
is also referred to in many tourist guides as "the gateway to Hakone." Hakone
and Atami, both to the south of Odawara are the oldest resort areas in Japan;
Atami is on the coast, a little over a half hour by train, and Hakone is in the
nearby mountains. We are also at the base of the Izu peninsula, one of the most
beautiful areas of Japan. Odawara's most important products are film (Fuji's main
factory is located here), cosmetics (Kanebo), and fish paste (kamaboko). We
also produce prune extract (Miki), computer products (Hitachi), and handmade
wood products.

The climate in Odawara is perhaps among the most temperate in Japan,
but that is not saying much. The winters drop below freezing and the summer
temperatures soar. While winter and summer can be uncomfortable, spring and
autumn are beautiful, if short. We are also blessed with a rainy season (tsuyu) in
early summer and a typhoon season in August.

Japanese Junior High Schools
Japan's educational system is based on the 6-3-3 grade structure borrowed from the US during the
Allied occupation. Students must pass a test to enter high school and, therefore, little importance is placed
on grades. It is virtually impossible to fail a grade or a class - students are held back only in very extreme
cases. The structure and content of the high school and university exams determine the curriculum.
Students are not (officially) stratified in any way within the grades. You will have learning disabled
students in the same class as English-fluent "returnees." A large number of students attend a juku, or cram
school. The high school tests divide students and place them at different level schools.
The year is divided into three terms (Spring, Winter, and Autumn), the first starting in April.
Students go to school for a half day two or three Saturdays each month, but often spend weekends,
holidays, and each school day until five or six doing club activities. Club activities are heavily centered on
sports - baseball, softball, "soft" tennis, badminton, volleyball, basketball, soccer, kendo, judo, swimming,
etc. - but also include homemaking, tea ceremony, fine art, cultivation, science, and, in some cases, an
English Speaking Society.
Students remain in the same classroom for most classes. Teachers go to different classrooms for
each class. Students are also responsible for collecting homework, finding Read More

Quake Jolts Odawaran`s to Attention

2011-04-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

M5.9 earthquake jolts Kanto region

Odawara, Kanagawa

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted the Kanto region, surrounding Tokyo, Saturday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The 11:19 quake measured upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Hokota, Ibaraki Prefecture, and lower 5 in several parts of Ibaraki, Tochigi and Saitama prefectures, according to the agency.

The epicenter of the quake was some 70 kilometers below the southern part of Tochigi Prefecture, the agency said.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended between Tokyo and Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, according to Central Japan Railway Co. Read More

Odawara Hotel rescued by Hilton

2011-04-15T07:31:00.001-07:00

Odawara, Kanagawa

Hilton Hotels bag white elephant, turn it around

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Getting consumers to part with disposable income has become a national mission, and one success story in this regard is the increasing popularity of higaeri, or one-day excursions where travelers go someplace, enjoy that place, and return home without staying the night. Morning news and information programs are filled with suggestions for higaeri, and one of the most talked about destinations is the Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa, located on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Until Feb. 28, the Hilton is offering a special higaeri deal on weekdays. For ¥4,000, a person can partake of the resort’s lavish all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and use all of their spa facilities, which includes onsen (hot spring), sauna, Jacuzzi, an Olympic pool and more. Normally, the buffet itself is ¥3,850 and access to the spa facilities is as much as ¥3,000 for the day. In addition there’s free shuttle-bus service to the hotel from the JR Odawara or Nebukawa stations on the Tokaido line, about an hour from Tokyo Station.

Odawara`s Futsal Team Shonan Bellmare owns Guinness World Record

2011-04-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Shonan Bellmare is a football club that plays in the J-League and in the F-League of Futsal
or five aside soccer. The F-League is a pro futsal league and Shonan Bellmare plays their
home games in beautiful Odawara Arena (located near Tomizu Station - on the Odakyu Line).

Guinness World Records recognized the world record for the most consecutive futsal penalty kicks was 931 in an event organized by Shonan Bellmare Futsal Club (Japan) at Odawara Arena in Odawara, Japan.

Odawara Resident releases his Wartime Novel in Japanese

2011-04-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

Odawara, Kanagawa

Bret Fisk a long time Odawara resident and owner of Fisk English School in Kamonomiya, Odawara
has released his first novel in Japanese. It takes place during World War 2. I want to read the English version!

Many years ago, Bret taught at Kevin`s English School in Tsukahara, Minamiashigara.
He is a very good teacher and was well liked by his students.

Learn more about Fisk`s novel at his website.

The Quake as it felt near Odawara Castle

2011-04-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Odawara, Kanagawa

The Quake as it felt near Odawara Castle

Keiko Couch can still feel the shaking.

Couch, a local color and image consultant, was in Japan when last week's deadly earthquake and tsunami hit. She and a friend had just finished touring an old castle in Odawara, outside of Tokyo, when the ground started moving.

"You don't know if the whole world is shaking or whether it's just you," Couch said Tuesday, one day after being able to fly back to Texas. "You just think you are having some dizziness, but it feels as though the whole world is shaking.

"It was very scary."

Couch was worried she wouldn't be able to return that night to Tokyo, where she had conducted several color and image workshops, because all of the trains had stopped. Read More

小田原警察　小田原で外国人を呼び止める

2011-04-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

小田原警察　小田原で外国人を呼び止める

小田原市、南足柄市（松田町）の警察はとても小さな町の人です。
町は成長しているのですが、他の国の人たちと触れ合う経験ははごくわずかしかありません。
地方の警察の人にとって、日本人以外の人は映画やテレビで見るものなのです。英語を話す人でさえ、です。
控えめに言いますが、私たちについて彼らは騙されやすいのです。おそらく何人かは外国人がむしろ脅していると
思い、それに対処するために厳しい雰囲気を放つのです。

地方に住む外国人集団は反抗的で危険、このようなスタンスは道理にかなっているかもしれません。
許容性がゼロになってしまえば、犯罪がはびこっていたニューヨークのようになってしまいます。

しかしながら、小田原市は沿岸にある平和な場所です。たくさんの外国人がここで生活し、家族と安心して
過ごしています。

地方の警察も、私たちのことについて学ぶ時期ではないでしょうか。

小田原警察は最近、市内で歩いていた私のアメリカ人の友達を呼び止めたそうです。
１人の女性は犬と散歩をしていて呼び止められ、立ち止まりました。
警察は彼女に外国人登録証明書（外国人身分証明書）を見せるように言いました。
彼女が証明書を差し出すと、警察はそれを奪い、彼女の詳細を書きとめたそうです。

他の２人の友達も同じく呼び止められ、身分証明書を見せるよう言われました。
警察は彼らの詳細も書きとめたそうです。

日本の市民に、ここまではしないですよね。現在、私たちは犬を連れて歩いていても警察に呼び止められるのです。

小田原市鴨宮で、自転車に乗った警察が私を捕まえようとしました。おそらく彼は
私が逃げると思ってその手段に出たのでしょう。彼は明らかに何かの理由があって私を疑っていました。
私はこの地区のアパートや家にパンフレット（私が経営する英会話スクールの広告）を配っていただけなのです。
これが正式に不法だといわれる間は、警察は通常この犯罪で悩まされないでしょう。
日本人のピザ宅配スタッフや、他の会社でも行っていることなのです。
小田原警察に呼び止められている人を見たことがありません。

他にも、パンフレットを郵便箱に入れているときに２人の警察が私についてきたことがありました。
私は止まりませんでしたが、自転車に乗った警察が私の心を乱しました。
彼が歩いている間、通行人にベルを鳴らしているとは思わなかったのです。

小田原はもっと国際的になるべきだと断言します。オーストラリアやカリフォルニア州のチューラビスタの
警官は、勇敢に関係を持ちます。また、インターナショナルラウンジをオープンしています。

ここで生活をし、家族と共に暮らしている市民は敵ではない、と地方警察に言いたいです。
私たちはゲストでもありません。ここは私たちの地域なのです！

Damn!...I think I been mutated!!!

2011-04-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

I think I been mutated!!!!

by Kevin R. Burns

20,20,20 – 4 hours ago,… I think I bin mutated!!!

But my wife thinks its a real improvement, from when – we dated!!!

Just get me to the airport on a cargo plane

Hurry hurry hurry before I GLOW in vain!

I can`t control my fingers I can`t control my brain

Oh no no no no!!!! Read More

Synchronicity and all that Stuff

2011-03-31T00:36:00.000-07:00

Synchronicity and all that Stuff

by Kevin R Burns
(Kanagawa, Japan)

" I'm convinced God put me here to accomplish a certain number of things;
right now, I'm so far behind I'll never die."

--Petya Lowe, Circle of Light

Synchronicity and all that Stuff

"Everything in this universe is part of an uninterrupted sequence of events."

--Mamoru Mohri, Japanese astronaut

Tokyo, Japan
Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri, feels that in the borderless era we live in now, the acceptance of cultural diversity and globalization is very important. "Once people take a broader , more long-term view of the things going on around them, it can give them a totally new perspective on life," said Mohri according to a press report. Read More

On the Future of the Whole World

2011-03-30T04:14:00.001-07:00

Though I agree that we need to start thinking about what kind of alternative forms of power we are going to use not just in Japan, but worldwide. I don`t think now is the time to debate this in Japan. We need to deal with first things first, which is getting the people up north houses and safe, and fixing the reactors or burying them if that is what is needed.

Most importantly we need to stay positive that we can get all of the above done in a timely manner. It is still winter up north and will be cold for a few months more.

Read More

Minamiashigara Resident Helps Earthquake Victims

2011-03-28T17:37:00.001-07:00

Japan Earth Quake
Japan Earth Quake - American Weightlifting Champion helps Victims of 9.0 Earthquake

Chiba,Japan

Two time Kanagawa weight lifting champion; Ukiah, California native Chris Zanella, now calls Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa in Japan home.

The big, affable Californian, survived a hit and run accident in Odawara`s Tomizu area about four months ago, he took just a Friday off of work, didn`t tell his boss about the accident, even though he was very banged up, then taught his students at Kevin`s English School the following Monday, where he has taught children to adults for the past four years. Probably if asked about why he would teach so soon after being hit by car, he would probably just shrug it off. Read More

On Teaching English in Japan

2011-03-27T19:02:00.001-07:00

How do you teach English in Japan?

What are the first steps you should take?

YOUR Stories Your best, worst, strangest and funniest teaching experiences!

How much are the salaries in Japan?

Oikawa san of Keio, keeps us mindful of some important aspects of teaching

Professor John F. Fanselow of Columbia University Teachers College, observes that what you think is happening in the classroom may not be what is happening at all

Jobs in Japan for Americans, the unique American situation

How do you learn Japanese for free or cheaply?

Conrad Matsumoto enlightens us with his "almost no prep activities"

How do you teach young children?

Chris Weber gives us his hard won advice on teaching English to Japanese

David Martin of EFL Press talks about how to be an Effective EFL teacher

Should you teach on the JET Program?

How do you teach English online?

Devanshe Chauhan explains classroom management for newbies

What are the Japanese people like?

What should I know about working visas?

What are the big schools like?

Thomas Anderson weighs in on how he teaches university students

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Japan still needs YOUR Donation

2011-03-26T18:53:00.001-07:00

The fickle media is all ready deserting Japan for other if it bleeds it leads stories.
the biggest disaster in Japanese history continues and we need your help!

Imagine America losing her west coast. This is essentially what has happened for a much smaller and less populous nation. This disaster
is unprecedented in Japanese history.

The Latest News from Japan

Earthquake - I thought I was going to die!

2011-03-20T15:42:00.001-07:00

Earthquake - I thought I was going to die!

Yokohama, Kanagawa, March 11th, 2011

I thought I was going to die. The building I was in was shaking much too much and I was on the third floor. I had met friends for lunch in Yokahama, and then went shopping afterwards. Usually the quakes here last a few seconds, usually 30 seconds is the longest. One minute is really long.

Read More

Reno native Sean Connolly now calls Odawara Home

2011-03-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Odawara, Kanagawa

Friday we made contact with some locals now living in areas affected by the earthquake and tsunamis, to hear what they have witnessed in the last 24 hours.

Many people in those coastal regions said the mood is very reserved and very tense. Those actually in Japan, and those here in the US said it was a surreal thing to experience an earthquake like that, and not something that is easy to get over.

"The truth is I am still a little bit shaky from the whole situation," Reno native Sean Connolly said in a phone interview from Japan. "It has gotten to the point where I can't tell if it's an aftershock, or if it's just me shaking."

Connolly lives in Odawara, Japan--about 300 miles southwest of the epicenter of the earthquake. He said when the 8.9 magnitude quake struck outside Japan, it left people world-wide physically and emotionally shaken.

"All the emotions of fear and what-ifs came after I was safe," Connolly said, "and my brain just processed it. That's when I started to realize that it was really happening."

Read More

Odawara Police Stopping non-Japanese in Odawara

2011-03-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Odawara Police Stopping non-Japanese in Odawara

Odawara, Kanagawa

The police in Odawara and Minamiashigara Shi (Matsuda) are very small town people in general.
Most grew up in the area, and have very little experience with people from other countries.
Few speak little if any English, and for these local police, non-Japanese are people they
see in movies, or on TV. They are naive about us to say the least. Some perhaps find
the large foreigners rather intimidating so give off a tough atmosphere to cope with that.

Were the local foreign population, truly hostile and dangerous, a tough stance might make
sense. Like a zero tolerance stance as they had in New York when crime was rampant.

However this is our peaceful coastal city of Odawara. Many of the local non-Japanese
residents here have made their life and family here.

Isn`t it time to educate the local police about us?

The Odawara police recently have been stopping a few of my American friends while they
were walking the streets of our city. One woman was walking her dog, and stopped.
The police asked to see her gaikokujin toroku shomeisho (her foreign identification card).
She presented it and they took it away and wrote down her details.

Another American friend and his tall friend from abroad were also stopped and asked for
identification. The police wrote down their details.

Haven`t citizens in Japan been through enough lately? Now we must be stopped by the police when we are out walking our dogs?

In Kamonomiya, Odawara, a motorcycle policeman almost appeared to try to run me down. I think he was using some kind of tactic to see if I would run away. He was obviously suspicious of me for some reason. I was putting pamphlets (advertising my English school) in the mailboxes of apartments and houses in the area. While this is technically illegal, the police don`t bother much with this crime usually. And the Japanese staff of pizza restaurants and other companies also do it. I`ve never seen them hastled by the Odawara police.

On another occasion two police appeared to follow me while I was putting pamphlets in
mailboxes. I wasn`t stopped in either case but the motorcyle policeman upset me. I don`t think buzzing a pedestrian while he is walking is called for in any case.

Odawara professes to want to be more international. They have a relationship with Manly,
Australia and Chula Vista, California. They have opened an International Lounge.

Someone may want to tell the local police that the citizens who have made their life and
family here, are not the enemy. We are not even guests. This is our country too!

Odawara is Safe, the way I see it

2011-03-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Odawara, Kanagawa, March 18th, 2011

We are staying put, from what I read from non-sensational media, seems to indicate that we are too far away to be at risk.
Well over 300kms of windy air between us and anything from Fukushima, plus much of the time it is blowing out to sea. The radioactive particles are heavier than air (to my knowledge) so it is tough for them to travel far.

Chernobyl was a unique case, where it was spewing radiation for many, many days and they
kept that secret, and people were not evacuated until much later.

In spite of the so called leaking of radiation, all indicators also say we are safe.

If you are concerned about radiation out here in Odawara, you may want to stop putting
your cell phone up to your ear. Really! That is probably the most radiation you will
get today, tomorrow, next week, and even next month.

I am concerned, I am worried, but I also know how rotten the media can be in causing panic which is exactly what they are doing now.
Michael Moore has often cited this.

It really is unfair. Fox news even got the location of the reactors wrong-had a map of a nightclub. CNN is terrible frankly. Sorry if you like them,
I find them sensational and mistake prone as stated in the article below.

I really don`t think that the British, Canadian, American and Australian governments would lie, and they have all issued statements saying
there is no need to leave if you are in Tokyo. They would err on caution.

We are south of Tokyo.

This may reassure, it is written by an MIT professor:

http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-reactors-pose-no-risk-2011-3#ixzz1GYAeAp1Q

Check my forum for statements issued by our various governments:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JapanLiving

I`m scared too, but I think in a week we will see that things have played out okay for us in the south.

I would stay away from well-meaning friends who scare you, they don`t understand the situation from where they are, and how can they really?
- stay away from the media--most of them sensationalize, even the radio
station in Montreal, that interviewed me last night.

BBC and NHK seem like good balanced sources.

Only the French have advised their citizens to leave, however, America, Canada, Australia and Britain disagree with their take on things. (Excuse Moi,)
Sorry but I trust them over the French.

What do we have to worry about? Perhaps another earthquake. That is a concern. But you can stock up on water and batten down the furniture. Other than that I guess we all just have to live our lives.

If you want to head south on a holiday, then that might give some peace of mind but from knowledgable sources they say the radiation is not a concern.

My Interview and Life in Japan

2011-03-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

I was interviewed at midnight Japan time by a morning radio show in Montreal CJAD 800. I think it went well.

On the Media Coverage of this Tragedy in Fukushima

I think the media is sensationalizing much of the tragedy.
It is HUGE. Probably the worst ever in Japan, but a lot of it is being exaggerated--the radiation and such.
I heard that even some BC (Canada) people are really, really worried.
I was surprised. In my interview, I tried to be honest but hopeful, because I know much of the media won`t be.

The kids around here are great. They don`t realize the full extent of everything, but I think kids are naturally resilient.
They can teach us adults!

Here is our current radiation level.

Japan is not the Soviet Union, I don`t think they would lie about everything "with the world watching," as my brother, Gray has said.
I was asked if I believed the Japanese government on this crisis, and I replied that essentially I did.

That said we are being cautious. Wearing allergy masks outside - which we would do anyway as it is allergy season. One radiation expert said it would help.
We take off our coats at the door and leave them there. And we wash our hands.

I think unfortunately some people back home and especially, the media, make all of this worse. Maybe they mean to help but they spread more panic.
I think it is difficult for people to fathom. And Japan looks so tiny on a map.

I guess too, everyone knows that one day it could be them in this hell. And that really freaks people out!

But we are okay. We are coping. Shanaya and Sennah just went to school. Jonah will leave soon. I am off from the university so have been
securing furniture, light fixtures, and shopping for needed goods.

I realize now how tough Mom and Dad were -during the war years and throughout their lives.

Odawara is Safe

2011-03-16T16:04:00.000-07:00
The following site has the radiation levels of your town in Japan. Right now all is normal in Odawara!

Check it out

Daiyuzan Line Schedule

2011-03-16T15:35:00.001-07:00
Here is the Daiyuzan Line schedule in Japanese.

Check it out

Black Out Schedule for Group 4

2011-03-16T03:50:00.001-07:00
On Thursday, March 17th Group 4, which is Minamiashigara and parts of Odawara will be blacked out
from 6:40PM until 10PM. So you should plan what you are going to eat for dinner. The Daiyuzan Line
will be stopped.

We have avoided the black outs so far, but probably this one really will occur.

Japan Nuclear Update - British Embassy

2011-03-15T14:50:00.001-07:00
Japan Nuclear Update - British Embassy

I have just returned from a conference call held at the British Embassy in Tokyo. The call was concerning the nuclear issue in Japan. The chief spokesman was Sir. John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, and he was joined by a number of qualified nuclear experts based in the UK. Their assessment of the current situation in Japan is as follows: * In case of a 'reasonable worst case scenario' (defined as total meltdown of one reactor with subsequent radioactive explosion) an exclusion zone of 30 miles (50km) would be the maximum required to avoid affecting peoples' health. Even in a worse situation (loss of two or more reactors) it is unlikely that the damage would be significantly more than that caused by the loss of a single reactor. * The current 20km exclusion zone is appropriate for the levels of radiation/risk currently experienced, and if the pouring of sea water can be maintained to cool the reactors, the likelihood of a major incident should be avoided. A further large quake with tsunami could lead to the suspension of the current cooling operations, leading to the above scenario. * The bottom line is that these experts do not see there being a possibility of a health problem for residents in Tokyo. The radiation levels would need to be hundreds of times higher than current to cause the possibility for health issues, and that, in their opinion, is not going to happen (they were talking minimum levels affecting pregnant women and children - for normal adults the levels would need to be much higher still). * The experts do not consider the wind direction to be material. They say Tokyo is too far away to be materially affected. * If the pouring of water can be maintained the situation should be much improved after ten days, as the reactors' cores cool down. * Information being provided by Japanese authorities is being independently monitored by a number of organizations and is deemed to be accurate, as far as measures of radioactivity levels are concerned. * This is a very different situation from Chernobyl, where the reactor went into meltdown and the encasement, which exploded, was left to burn for weeks without any control. Even with Chernobyl, an exclusion zone of 30 miles would have been adequate to protect human health. The problem was that most people became sick from eating contaminated food, crops, milk and water in the region for years afterward, as no attempt was made to measure radioactivity levels in the food supply at that time or warn people of the dangers. The secrecy over the Chernobyl explosion is in contrast to the very public coverage of the Fukushima crisis. * The Head of the British School asked if the school should remain closed. The answer was there is no need to close the school due to fears of radiation. There may well be other reasons - structural damage or possible new quakes - but the radiation fear is not supported by scientific measures, even for children. * Regarding Iodine supplementation, the experts said this was only necessary for those who had inhaled quantities of radiation (those in the exclusion zone or workers on the site) or through consumption of contaminated food/water supplies. Long term consumption of iodine is, in any case, not healthy. The discussion was surprisingly frank and to the point. The conclusion of the experts is that the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, as well as the subsequent aftershocks, was much more of an issue than the fear of radiation sickness from the nuclear plants. Let's hope the experts are right!See More

By: Paul Atkinson http://www.facebook.com/notes/paul-atkinson/japan-nuclear-update-british-embassy/10150111611771235

Rolling Power Blackouts

2011-03-14T14:45:00.001-07:00
We (Minamiashigara) is in group 4. Some parts of Odawara are in group 4 too.
Check with a Japanese friend about which group your area is in.

Monday, March 15, 2011
Group 1: 15:20～19:00
Group 2: 18:20～22:00
Group 3: 6:20～10:00
Group 4: 9:20～13:00
Group 5: 12:20～16:00
About 3 hours of blackout may occur
Monday, March 14, 2011
Group 1: (6:20-10:00, 16:50-20:30)
Group 2: (9:20-13:00, 18:20-22:00)
Group 3: (12:20-16:00)
Group 4: (13:50-19:00)
Group 5: (15:20-19:00)
About 3 hours of blackout may occur
*If your address belongs to multiple groups, please wait for the official announcement from TEPCO.
*We try to update with the latest annoucement, but please refer to the TEPCO web-site for the accurate and latest information.

*This search system is experimentally developed by an individual volunteer. Please refer to the TEPCO web-site for the accurate and latest information.
*If TEPCO announces an official search system, please use it instead.

Search for your area

Odawara News :Car Accidents in Odawara

2011-03-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

There was a big traffic accident in Tomizu, Odawara recently involving a motorcycle.

Plus a friend of mine was a victim of a hit and run. He was on his bicycle. This also occurred in Tomizu, Odawara.

Unfortunately if you are hit, you cannot depend on the driver staying to help you, especially
if he has been drinking.

Let`s be careful out there!

Man killed in hit-and-run incident in Saitama

Tuesday 08th March, 11:58 AM JST

SAITAMA —

Police said Monday they are on the lookout for the driver involved in a hit-and-run incident in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, in which a man was killed.

Police said they received an emergency call from a passing motorist at around 9 p.m., reporting that a man was lying on the road. They found the man, aged between 50 and 70, with serious injuries from an apparent hit-and-run incident. The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

According to police, marks on the road running southwest from the scene appear to indicate that the man had been dragged by a vehicle for several hundred meters. --Japan Today

Shigefumi Matsuzawa, Kanagawa Governor will run for Tokyo Governorship

Thankfully Tokyo Governor Ishihara will step down as governor.

Though the law against smoking is largely unenforced -- you can see people smoking everywhere
in public, walking in front of you while they puff away, they puff in front of the station then
put their butts in the conveniently places public ashtrays.

If Shigefumi Matsuzawa is going to run on a platform of no smoking in Tokyo, the least he could do is get the police to enforce the laws, and get the transportation companies and others to follow them.

"During his two terms as Kanagawa governor, Matsuzawa proposed a ban on smoking in public places and Kanagawa became the first prefecture to have a no-smoking ordinance covering such public facilities as hospitals, schools and government offices."

--Japan Today

What is the point of having laws if no one follows them and no one enforces them?

Banning smoking in public places is a great idea, but you have to have the major companies,
the police and the public on board. Maybe you need a publicity campaign to preach the benefits.

So often in Japan I find that things are kind of half done in terms of new laws.

I have to say though that in Tokyo they have been pretty good about enforcing the anti-public
smoking laws. I have seen a couple of arrests and fines given out.

My lungs are breathing easier.

Dealing with Depression in Japan

2011-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Keeping The “Depression Dragon” At Bay

by Tom Connors

Over the last several years, there has been much discussion in the media about depression, which has been called “the common cold of mental illness”. If people are struggling with depression in their own country, the problem is worse for those who are living in another country and culture such as here in Japan. I recall the story I heard a few years ago about a Canadian woman who came to Japan to teach in the JET program. After six months living and working in Tokyo, she tragically ended her life by jumping in front of a subway train. One could say that depression is a quiet killer which affects people in many ways. I’m not a psychiatrist or psychologist but I am a person who has experienced what has been called the “darkness of the soul”. I want to share a few ideas which have helped me in my fight with the dragon. Read More

Riverside Yoga in Hadano

2011-02-11T00:48:00.000-08:00
Hadano, Kanagawa

Linda Gould teaches yoga in Japanese and English
next to the river at her studio in
Hadano-hence the name. It is a very nice room
to practice yoga and Linda is a
very good teacher. I recommend her if you want
to have more energy, more peace of mind
and be more flexible and healthy.

Riverside Yoga in Hadano
Linda Gould
Riverside Yoga

Slideshow of Hadano: TravelPod’s trip to Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan was created by TripAdvisor. See another Hadano slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

Odawara gets Backpacks from Anonymous Donor

2011-01-31T18:50:00.000-08:00
Inspired by Xmas donation, another anonymous donor leaves backpacks for children

ODAWARA, Kanagawa -- Inspired by an anonymous Christmas donation of backpacks to a child welfare office in Gunma, another anonymous donor has left backpacks in front of a welfare office.

On Jan. 5, six boxes containing children's backpacks were found left in front of the entrance to a prefectural government building that houses the child welfare office in Odawara. Attached to one of the boxes was a note reading, "This is a New Year's present -- Naoto Date."

Read More

Girl who slashed classmate had been bullied over father's nationality

2011-01-31T18:47:00.000-08:00
Girl who slashed classmate had been bullied over father's nationality

ODAWARA, Kanagawa -- A 12-year-old girl who slashed a classmate, slightly injuring the victim, had been bullied over her father's nationality, local education officials have said.

"Before the class, the girl was subjected to similar bullying, and got into an argument with her victim over seating, which appears to have triggered the incident," an official with the Odawara Municipal Board of Education said. Board officials added that the girl had been bullied by her classmates since October last year.

The first-year student at an Odawara municipal junior high school, slashed a 13-year-old classmate in the music classroom with a knife at around 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 26, shortly before class began, the municipal board of education said. The victim suffered minor injuries to her left middle finger.

Local police have reported the girl who slashed the classmate to a local child guidance center on suspicion of inflicting bodily injury.

Read More

Commentary:

Slashing someone is going too far of course. It is a crime, but prejudice and bullying too is wrong. I hope the school will address this. Children of international marriages shouldn`t
be subjected to this anywhere. Japan needs to work harder at promoting multiculturalism,
as the country is changing whether some of the people like it or not.

Japan is quietly changing and the government can do more - use TV commercials to promote
tolerance, newspaper ads, in speeches, and by government action - new laws.

Japan still, is one of the few countries in the world without a law banning racism.
You can still be legally prevented from entering a business based on your race.

Odawara`s Sunny Winter - 小田原

2011-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:00
Odawara`s Sunny Winter - 小田原

"I may not love Japan all the time, and I may not love getting up for work in the morning.
But everyday I get up in the winter, and though it is cold, it is always sunny. It is hard to beat that."

--a non-Japanese Odawara resident

"Really we should be encouraging people to visit Japan in the wintertime, especially the
Kanto area, because it isn`t too cold, and it is sunny almost everyday."

--a Tokyo resident from the USA

I completely agree with the above. I love Vancouver (where I am from) in the spring,
summer and early fall, but Odawara has a fantastic sunny winter that can`t be beat unless
perhaps you live in Hawaii.　　　　Vancouver is a great place and I miss it. But from
November to March it is cold, cloudy and rainy. Sometimes you don`t see the sun for days.

Odawara is bright and sunny everyday. I love it!

Boardgames near Odawara during Golden Week, 2011

2011-01-21T20:50:00.001-08:00
JIGG`s 20th Anniversary KevCon 2011 - Goldenweek May 3rd-5th

1991-2011

It is hard to believe that KevCon has been going on for 20 years!

Am I that old?

Celebrate with me in a beautiful part of Japan. Make new friends and play some games. If you come to one game event this year, Don`t miss this!

For those who have come before I welcome you back, and for those who have never been to a KevCon, I invite you to experience a little JIGG tradition.

Cost: No entrance fee! Free always!

Pictured: Alhambra

I encourage game lovers from far and wide to attend. It is worth the trip. We have had
people come from Kyushu and Niigata for KevCon.

Play games in a riverside cottage in Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa.
Get away from the city and enjoy fresh air and views of Mount Fuji. We are located 70 metres from the Kari River.

(See KevCon venue - pictured on the right)

People have come from all over Japan to attend KevCon!

Starts:
Noon on May 3rd. Finishes the evening of May 5th.

Where:

Kevin`s English School (Tsukahara School)
Address: 2659-4 Tsukahara,
Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers at yahoo.com

*Note to people who have come before, KevCon will not be at my home. It will be at our
Tsukahara School.

What to bring?

Any games you`d like to play plus a sleeping bag.

There is one bed available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want the bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room.

Amenities Nearby:
There is a restaurant next door, several more nearby, and there is a large supermarket across the
street. The train station is just a 3 minute walk away!

How to Get There from Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama:

From Shinjuku Station catch an Odakyu Line train bound for Odawara.

So take the Odakyu Line to Odawara. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book! Be sure that your
train goes to Odawara and not Fujisawa.

Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Iiwahara Station, it takes 10 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, cross the train tracks, turn left at the first street, walk straight and you will
see a cottage like white and brown, house that looks like it came out of a cowboy movie.
We have our store Merry Lue on the first floor and our school and apartment on the second floor.
Come up to the 2nd floor. That is where we will play and sleep.

How to Get There from: Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South:

Take the Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).

**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.

Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh
air.

Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!

I have literally hundreds of games. Most of which I have never played.

Kevin Burns
http://kintaro63.wordpress.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HisSimSouthKanagawa

Kanagawa`s anti-smoking Law

2011-01-01T21:18:00.000-08:00
Kanagawa Prefecture has implemented in April 2010 the nation's first prefecture-wide smoking ban, banning smoking in public facilities, including hospitals, schools and government offices. The ordinance requires large restaurants and hotels to choose whether to become nonsmoking or create separate smoking areas, while mah-jong and pachinko parlors, restaurants with floor space of up to 100 sq. meters and hotels of up to 700 sq. meters are merely required to "make efforts" to prevent passive smoking. Another Kanagawa ordinance last month to ban smoking at swimming beaches expected to be implemented in May 2010.[62] Although still relatively few, there is a growing number of private businesses implementing smoking bans in restaurants, taxis, buildings and bars

From Wikipedia

Odawara Resident Bret Fisk & Another American Launch Archive of US Air Raids on Japan

2011-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00
Editor note:
I hope someone else similarly motivated, might consider doing the same on another topic: Make a well researched bilingual website on: Japan`s history in World War 2.
-a well balanced site that details what happened.

There is a tendancy in Japan to focus on the atomic bombings. While they were important
and terrible incidents, they were not the only incidents to occur during World War 2.

Odawara was the last city in Japan to be bombed by allied aircraft during World War 2,
August 15th, 1945. Unfortunately some employees were killed at the Yuasa
factory, that I used to teach at. I taught there for 8 years and there is a memorial to them there. The factory is now closed. They moved operations to Kansai.

Fisk and Karakas launched this site as they felt some Americans were not aware of what happened during the air raids in Japan. It seems they felt that was glossed over.

I feel if you do not know your own history, you do not know yourself.

2 Americans launch bilingual online archive of U.S. air raids on Japan

The website "Japan Air Raids.org", a digital archive about the U.S. military's air raids on Japan during the Pacific War.

A bilingual Japanese-English website featuring documents, photographs, and other archives relating to the air raids by U.S. military forces on Japan during World War II was launched in late November.

Called "Japan Air Raids.org," the website was created by two Americans who felt that too many of their compatriots knew too little about what happened in the Japan air raids. The archive includes subtitled video footage of survivors recounting their experiences, and allows users in Japan to view official U.S. documents.

The founders are Bret Fisk, 37, who moved to Japan nearly two decades ago and runs an English language school out of his home in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and 39-year-old Cary Karacas, an assistant professor at the City University of New York who specializes in modern Japanese history.

Read their digital archive of air raids on Japan

While doing research for a novel about the Pacific War that he is writing in Japanese, Fisk had come upon heartbreaking testimonies by survivors, including a gruesome account of a father being swallowed in flames as he tried to save his children.

"The only information we have about (the air raids) in the U.S. is from the perspective of the air force," Fisk says. "It's important to understand what the civilians on the ground experienced." Read More

Atelier Hayakawa

2011-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00
A great place to shop for unique gifts in Odawara.

小田原市早川にある目の前に海を臨む共同アトリエです。

元店舗だったこの建物は過去にも彫刻家の作業場などに使用されていました。

建物の老朽化が進んでいた内装をリノベーションし、作業場、ギャラリー、ワークショップスペースとして現在不定期に公開しています。

Map

１F：斧とケーブル［絵画、インスタレーションなど］

２F：ATORIE HAYAKAWA 2F [ 陶、ガラス、イラストレーション、テキスタイルなど］

Email: axandcable at gmail.com

Read More

キアステンウエストはカナダ出身、小田原在住のマルチメディア•アーティスト。手元にあるものなら何でも材料に創作活動を繰り広げることから、作品には本人の周囲の様子、現在の環境などが映し出される。
手染め作品、ときに天然の布を使用したり、タマゴの作品を取り入れた創作を展開する。ヨーロッパ伝統の「ピサンキ」にヒントを得つつ、タマゴの殻と染料の力を活かした独創的作品を生み出している。
Read More

Odawara Orange Project

2010-12-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Pictured: an orange grove in nearby Minamiashigara City by Kevan Hudson

What used to be an empty orange grove Southwest of Tokyo is now booming with volunteers. The farm which lacked successors and eventually became overrun with weeds, is now well cared for through the Odawara Orange project. The volunteers also produce an array of natural cosmetics for sale using these orange blossoms that are normally thrown away.

Watch it

Hawaii JayCees HJJCC on Odawara

2010-12-26T16:51:00.001-08:00

My Japan Stay in Odawara...

2010-12-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Photo: a thatched house in Japan, photo by Kevan Hudson

I was a woman in my mid twenties who was often alone. I have some great memories of the people there! I do not want to come off like I didn't have a good time. I did have a wonderfully good time while I was in Japan.

Read More

Roast Chicken in time for Christmas

2010-12-23T19:23:00.001-08:00
Roast Chicken in time for Christmas in Odawara

You can get roast chicken in various sizes at Frespo Food City (the food
court) the Frespo side, Cresse Odawara City Mall in Odawara (Kamonomiya)
area.

Small roasted chickens were 12-1500 Yen plus you could buy chicken
in pieces as well. I think the pieces are grilled but look good.

They seem to offer this every year on December 24th and 25th only.

Kevin
http://sites.google.com/site/greatpowers1/odawaralivinghome Odawara Living

http://minamiashigara.wordpress.com/ The Minami Ashigara

経験豊かな英語講師をお探しですか？

2010-12-02T01:41:00.001-08:00
経験豊かな英語講師をお探しですか？

あなたの会社に派遣してほしいですか？ぜひ0465-74-4458に電話してください。
ケビンバーンズは日本人に２０年以上英語を教えています。ビジネスイングリッシュを教えることも可能です。
金額：　午前クラス（会社派遣）１時間　８５００円　　　　午後、夜クラス（会社派遣）　１時間　１００００円
南足柄市塚原と関本に教室があります。 TOEICやビジネスイングリッシュ、会社派遣クラスを１９９１年から行っています。
Tel/Fax: 0465-74-4458 問合せ先　ホームページ：http://www.eikaiwa1.com 本校（塚原校）　2500117 神奈川県南足柄市塚原２６５９－４会社派遣クラス　小田原市、南足柄市、秦野市、開成町、大井町、松田町、山北町で可能です。経験豊かな英語講師をお探しですか？

英会話の学習方法について

2010-11-25T19:08:00.001-08:00
How can I improve my English? Part 1:英会話の学習方法について

by Kevin Burns

英会話の学習方法について by Kevin Burns, owner of Kevin`s 英会話スクール日本に居ながらにして英語が話せるようになるのはなかなか難しいことです。だけど、できないというわけではありません。英語を習うに当っては「ローマは一日にしてならず」という諺があてはまるのを忘れないでください。 Kevin & Friends 英語が流暢に話せるようになるには時間がかかります。英会話を習うのはちょうどクラシックピアノを習うようなもので、自転車の乗り方を覚えたり水泳を習ったりするのとは訳が違います。例えば水泳を習う場合はその成果が短期間に分かります

Read More

Samurai Chess Filmed at Odawara Castle

2010-11-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Kintaro and the Gaijin Advantage

2010-11-16T17:40:00.000-08:00
Kintaro and the Gaijin Advantage

By Kevin R. Burns

I live 90 minutes south of Tokyo in a small town called Minami Ashigara. I often say, "Hello" to Kintaro. He speaks English, and he's good at sumo with bears. I heard he won yesterday. There are few foreigners here. The only time I see a "gaijin" is when I look in the mirror. I am happy because Kintaro never calls me a "gaijin." He calls me Kevin, which is great because I am just a person like you. I may look different, but I am really not that different. I have a heart; I love my children; I work hard and I like to play, too. Are we so different? I don't think so. Kintaro isn't afraid of me, and you needn't be, either.

Read More

On Odawara Castle

2010-11-16T17:38:00.000-08:00
Odawara Castle

by Rory McGarity

"Akoboyakawa Clan first constructed a castle about 800 years ago. Later the castle came into the possession of the Omori Clan. In 1495 the great warrior Shinkuro Ise (later renamed Soun Hojo) came from Izu Province and removed the Omori Clan from Odawara using trickery and armed force. He then built a stronger castle at the present site and his influence gradually expanded over the Kanto provinces. From then the Hojo family was prosperous for five generations, as the lords of Odawara Castle.
The castle was gradually expanded in proportion to the clan's power, and Ujino Hojo, the 5th lord, constructed a donjon at the same site in 1580. By that time, Odawara had become the political, cultural and industrial center of the eastern region of Japan and compared favorably with the then capital of Japan, Kyoto.
In 1870, the donjon was completely destroyed. Recently, the donjon has been completely rebuilt and Odawara Castle is second in splendor only to the Imperial Palace and Osaka Castle. Portraits of the castle's feudal lords are displayed on the second floor and ancient armor, arms, and ancient maps are displayed on the third floor."

How can I improve my English? Part 1:英会話の学習方法について

2010-11-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

How can I improve my English? Part 1:英会話の学習方法について
by Kevin Burns
英会話の学習方法について by Kevin Burns, owner of Kevin`s 英会話スクール日本に居ながらにして英語が話せるようになるのはなかなか難しいことです。だけど、できないというわけではありません。英語を習うに当っては「ローマは一日にしてならず」という諺があてはまるのを忘れないでください。 Kevin & Friends 英語が流暢に話せるようになるには時間がかかります。英会話を習うのはちょうどクラシックピアノを習うようなもので、自転車の乗り方を覚えたり水泳を習ったりするのとは訳が違います。例えば水泳を習う場合はその成果が短期間に分かります。 Read More

Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa voted Japan's leading resort in 2010

2010-11-02T20:24:00.000-07:00
Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa voted Japan's leading resort in 2010

Monday 25th October, 04:38 AM JST

ODAWARA —

The Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa has come away with the highest accolade possible from The World Travel Awards (WTA), winning the title of “Japan’s Leading Resort the 2010 World Travel Awards.” Having achieved similar success for four consecutive year from 2005 to 2008, this is the fifth time for the resort property to secure a major award.

The resort is located just 60 minutes from Tokyo and opened in 2004. It is nestled in the foothills of Hakone and overlooks the waters of Sagami Bay.

The World Travel Awards (WTA) is the travel industries’ most prestigious and comprehensive
awards program. Established in 1993, it acknowledges, rewards, and celebrates excellence in all sectors of the global travel industry across over 190 countries. Winners are determined through an online voting campaign which attracts around 167,000 travel professionals worldwide, including more than 110,000 travel agents.

Read More

Japanese Cherry Trees

2010-11-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

(Pictured, the Oranges of Minamiashigara, near Odawara, by Kevan Hudson)

Japanese Cherry Trees

Japanese Cherry Trees

By Tanya Truong

There are many different varieties of Japanese cherry trees and this article will list some of the most common to the area. There are at least 12 different varieties of cherry that will be listed starting with the Somei Yoshino.
This is the most numerous of cherry trees in Japan, and comes with slightly pink or almost white 5 petal flowers. The Yamazuka is a wild, native cherry that grows in mountainous areas with slightly pink 5 petal flowers. The Shidarezakura is the weeping cherry and has five petal blossoms which can be either white or pink. The Ichiyo has 20 light pink petals. The Ukon has 10-20 petals per blossom and these are yellow in color. Kanzan blossoms hold as many as 30 pink petals.
The Fugenzo has about 30 petals per blossom and start out as a white to slight pink that turns into a darker pink. The Shogetsu has white blossoms of 20 petals. And the Kikuzakura has 100 petals per blossom. This is one of the late bloomers as far as cherry blossoms go. Now the times of the year to see these in Japan are as follows: Yoshino - Late March early April. Yamazakura is late March and early April as well. Skidarezakura - Late March - early April. Ichiyo - Mid April, Ukon - mid April. Kanzan blooms from mid to late April. Fugenzo also blooms from mid to late April. Shogetsu blooms from mid to late April and Kikuzakura blooms from late April to early May.
There are also other varieties of cherry blossom trees in Japan. These include Yaezakura, Shidarezakura and Yamazakura. The Yaezakura have large flowers with pink petals, The Shidarezakura has pink flowers. There are also fall varieties such as Autumnalis, which is considered to be a cross between Higan and Mamezakura. Here are some prime places in Japan for viewing the Sakura. In Tokyo, Odawara Castle, Omiya Koen Park, Mobara Koen Park, Kamine Koen Park and Takasaki Kannon-yama Koen are the places to be. In Kyoto, the best places to visit are Nara Park, Hikone-jo Castle, Himejijo Castle, and Akashi Koen.
In Osaka, The Japan Mint Osaka Head Office, Osako Nishinomaru Garden, Banpaku Koen, Kema Sakuanomiya Park and Kishiwada-jo Castle are your best options. In Kyushu and Okinawa the best places are Motobu Yaedake, Kumamoto Castle, Nishi Koen, Ogi Koen and Mochio Koen. In Tohoku region, Hirosaki Koen, Kitakami Tenshochi, Kajo Koen, Sendai Castle and Tsuruga Castle. In Hokkaido, you have Goryokaku Koen, Matsumae Koen Park, Nijukken Douro, Nenohi Park and Maruyama Park. In Chugoku region, you have Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen, Matsue Jozan Koen, Tokiwa Koen, Utsubuki Koen and Senkouji Koen. These are all places that you can visit and see the Japanese Cherry Trees in full bloom.
Tanya is an avid lover of nature. Her interest span many fields but her true passion lies in growing fantastic plants. Find out how you can master the art of growing cherries by visiting how to care for cherry trees [http://cherrytrees.neurofarts.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Truong

http://EzineArticles.com/?Japanese-Cherry-Trees&id=1826878

Local Man Creates WW2 Air Raid Devastation Website

2010-10-08T02:08:00.000-07:00

Pictured the Edo Tokyo Museum

"Once you begin learning the details of what people experienced, rightwing or leftwing political beliefs, historical sensibilities, even nationalities don't really matter anymore," said Bret Fisk, 37.

Former Kevin`s English Schools teacher Fisk has created a very interesting,
historical website by interviewing World War 2 survivors.

Website to document air-raid devastation
Online archive will feature historical accounts of the suffering of ordinary Japanese during World War II

By TAKAHIRO FUKADA
Staff writer

A digital archive of information about the air raids on Japan during World War II is being prepared for launch in late November by two Americans who believe more English-speaking people should have a better idea of how ordinary Japanese suffered.
Read More

南足柄市で車を運転するときは

2010-10-08T01:42:00.000-07:00
南足柄市で車を運転するときは

南足柄に住む人たちへ

あなたがしなくてはいけないことは何でしょうか。
運転しているときに、人以上に重要なことはあるでしょうか。
いつもゆっくり通り過ぎていますか。何でそんなに早く走らなくてはいけないのでしょうか。

ある一人の小さな女の子が南足柄の横断歩道で殺されました。
彼女はまだ４歳でした。ある一人の老年男性は、彼女が横断歩道で待っているのが
視界に入りましたが、止まらなかったのです。 Read More

Driving in Odawara & Minamiashigara Shi

2010-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

To the people of Minamiashigara shi:

(Pictured: Kamakura at night by Richard Baladad)

Is what you have to do so much more important than anyone else?
Is the place you have to drive to, so much more important than
another person? Do you always leave too late? Why not leave
earlier so you don`t have to drive so fast? Read More

Eco Walk in Enoshima Island

2010-10-07T15:16:00.001-07:00
Eco Walk in Enoshima island

10 October 2010 - 12:00pm - 3:30pm

Brief meeting and Eco walk in Enoshima island.

Meeting place: Katase Enoshima Station (Odakyu-line) 12:00

Lunch and Brief meeting : Kanagawa Women's Center 12:20 - 13:30

Eco Walk in Enoshima island : 13:30 - 15:30
We will walk through Enoshima Island watching its nature, putting up “350” banner.
We will walk trying to find blue bird “Blue Rock-Thrush”.
(We will also go to a flower gargen. Fee: 200 yen)

End of Part 1 : Enoshima walk 15:30

Part2 : Optional activity: Enoshima Aquarium : 15:30 - 17:00
(refer admission fee : http://www.enosui.com/index.php )

How to Get Involved Planning the Event: planning: please email to Y Nagai. to participate in this event: Please email to Y Nagai. or just come to the meeting place. You can join from any time.

Odawara Living: Getting to Know Japan with Haiku

2010-07-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

Getting to Know Japan With Haikus

Getting to Know Japan With Haikus

By Elaine Friend

The wind from Mount Fuji

I put it on the fan

Here, the souvenir from Edo.

Basho Matsuo

Haiku poet (1644-1694)
Being Catholic, I didn't realize that Mount Fuji was a sacred mountain for the Japanese who are mostly Buddhists. To them, Mount Fuji is the home of the great kami-sama or gods. They believe it is a mystical gateway between heaven and earth. Pilgrims would climb Mount Fuji's 12,388 feet (3,776 meters) to reach the top and read haikus while contemplating the scenery. In literature, a haiku is a poem usually containing three unrhymed lines, which have 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. A haiku presents a pair of contrasting images, one suggestive of time and place, the other a vivid but fleeting observation.
I can understand the sentiment of the Buddhists. Even for Catholics, a high mountain is the closest place on earth to pray to God in heaven, as exemplified by Jesus in the Mount of Olives. Since I wasn't able to "climb" Mount Fuji while in Japan, I could only hope to glimpse its peak from the train station in Odawara, which is near the Hakone National Park. On our sixth and last day in Japan, we were rewarded with a sunny, clear day and the perfect, snow-white cone appeared like a painting in the sky. What a beautiful souvenir from Japan! My feelings at that moment could be expressed by this haiku:
The older we get

the more easily tears come

on a long day.

Yoshi Mikami Issa

Haiku poet
It is true that when we travel to a place for the first time, we are seeing it thru the eyes of a child, absorbing everything that we encounter. If my last day were sentimental, it's because my first days were a wonder. If I were to describe my experience in Narita airport toilet as a haiku, it would sound like this:
I sit down slowly

and see buttons on one side...

a shower in spring.
Yes, the toilet-bidet combination with seat warmers, called washlet, is very popular in Japan, even in public places. Next came the trains. There was something soothing in the soft, humming sound of a modern train as it chugged along its path. Through the wide windows, I saw many Japanese houses that looked the same, mostly painted white with brown colored tiled-roofs.
Next stop was Shinjuku station, where we made a train transfer. It was a blur of black stockings over mini skirts, leggings, boots, trench coats, pashminas, folded denims with stilleto heels, black coat and ties, chic hairdos. Need I say more about Tokyo fashion? Luckily for our stomachs, we bought a bento box meal from the Ekiben (station bento) and a hot green tea bottle from a vending machine. Yes, local fast food Japanese version.
Just to say the word

home, that one word alone

so pleasantly cool.

Kobayashi Issa

Haiku poet
Have you ever tried sleeping on a mat on the floor? How about eating on a low table with your legs warmed underneath the floor, as in a kotatsu? The part I liked most was wearing Japanese pajamas called yukata, it's almost like a kimono but made of cotton. I was at home drinking green tea and sipping miso soup, eating dried tofu, pickled ginger, maki, sushi, dried local fish and sticky rice. There was so much to learn about Japan and its culture, and thanks to my "foster parents" in Japan, I was home away from home.
How can the heart hold

something to last a lifetime...

long conversations.
http://friendelaine.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Friend

http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-to-Know-Japan-With-Haikus&id=2871112

Odawara Castle & Japanese Cherry Trees

2010-07-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Japanese Cherry Trees

Japanese Cherry Trees

By Tanya Truong

There are many different varieties of Japanese cherry trees and this article will list some of the most common to the area. There are at least 12 different varieties of cherry that will be listed starting with the Somei Yoshino.
This is the most numerous of cherry trees in Japan, and comes with slightly pink or almost white 5 petal flowers. The Yamazuka is a wild, native cherry that grows in mountainous areas with slightly pink 5 petal flowers. The Shidarezakura is the weeping cherry and has five petal blossoms which can be either white or pink. The Ichiyo has 20 light pink petals. The Ukon has 10-20 petals per blossom and these are yellow in color. Kanzan blossoms hold as many as 30 pink petals.
The Fugenzo has about 30 petals per blossom and start out as a white to slight pink that turns into a darker pink. The Shogetsu has white blossoms of 20 petals. And the Kikuzakura has 100 petals per blossom. This is one of the late bloomers as far as cherry blossoms go. Now the times of the year to see these in Japan are as follows: Yoshino - Late March early April. Yamazakura is late March and early April as well. Skidarezakura - Late March - early April. Ichiyo - Mid April, Ukon - mid April. Kanzan blooms from mid to late April. Fugenzo also blooms from mid to late April. Shogetsu blooms from mid to late April and Kikuzakura blooms from late April to early May.
There are also other varieties of cherry blossom trees in Japan. These include Yaezakura, Shidarezakura and Yamazakura. The Yaezakura have large flowers with pink petals, The Shidarezakura has pink flowers. There are also fall varieties such as Autumnalis, which is considered to be a cross between Higan and Mamezakura. Here are some prime places in Japan for viewing the Sakura. In Tokyo, Odawara Castle, Omiya Koen Park, Mobara Koen Park, Kamine Koen Park and Takasaki Kannon-yama Koen are the places to be. In Kyoto, the best places to visit are Nara Park, Hikone-jo Castle, Himejijo Castle, and Akashi Koen.
In Osaka, The Japan Mint Osaka Head Office, Osako Nishinomaru Garden, Banpaku Koen, Kema Sakuanomiya Park and Kishiwada-jo Castle are your best options. In Kyushu and Okinawa the best places are Motobu Yaedake, Kumamoto Castle, Nishi Koen, Ogi Koen and Mochio Koen. In Tohoku region, Hirosaki Koen, Kitakami Tenshochi, Kajo Koen, Sendai Castle and Tsuruga Castle. In Hokkaido, you have Goryokaku Koen, Matsumae Koen Park, Nijukken Douro, Nenohi Park and Maruyama Park. In Chugoku region, you have Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen, Matsue Jozan Koen, Tokiwa Koen, Utsubuki Koen and Senkouji Koen. These are all places that you can visit and see the Japanese Cherry Trees in full bloom.
Tanya is an avid lover of nature. Her interest span many fields but her true passion lies in growing fantastic plants. Find out how you can master the art of growing cherries by visiting how to care for cherry trees [http://cherrytrees.neurofarts.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Truong

http://EzineArticles.com/?Japanese-Cherry-Trees&id=1826878

The Minami Ashigaran

2010-04-20T16:27:00.000-07:00
The Minami Ashigaran is my new blog about this beautiful area. Read the blog
then come for a visit. It is a great area, with hiking, good restaurants and interesting inns.

Minami Ashigara is great for a weekend
getaway in Kanagawa.

The Minami Ashigaran

Pandemonium amongst the Students?

2009-10-30T17:11:00.000-07:00
The Japanese princess is staying home from school according to news reports.
The boys in her class are too wild.

A junior high school teacher was beat up by his student in our area recently.

Students are smoking in some of the classrooms of local junior high schools.
The police are regularly called due to crime by some junior high students.
This is not happening in the roughest area of Tokyo, it is happening in our area--
the Odawara, Oi, Kaisei, Minami Ashigara area.

Pandemonium!

Kaisei area, sorry to say it, seems to be the worst. I don`t know what it is
about Kaisei Town. It is a beautiful area, I admire the mayor there, and I have taught many of the kids there while they were in elementary school or even at my English school but some of the junior high school students are very difficult. Yet the kids at the elementary school were great!

These days it seems:

The junior high students think nothing of swearing at their teachers. We have
monster parents coming into schools and kicking over chairs in the staff room
or screaming at teachers over the phone for forty minutes. There are many fights amongst
students and teachers risk injury to break them up.

Kids need to be kids. If they aren`t allowed to vent their frustrations at home
due to domineering parents or an angry, frustrated home atmosphere, they may do so
at school, with devastating consequences for the learning environment.

I worry about the future of this nation on so many levels. I fear the success
of the past is just that--in the past.

What is it about Japan these days?

So much has changed since I arrived twenty years ago now.

It is a much more violent and angry society. Is it simply
economics?

Some Japanese often seem to have a disdainful attitude towards spiritual
study or religion, however I think we need a good dose of something
spiritual, especially now. We need some kind of spirit of caring for one
another. I think traditionally Japanese had that, but seem to have lost
their way recently.

I think Japanese need to practice being kinder to one another.

I try to instill that by being a good example. But it is tough.

I just saw a high school boy kick another boy in the stomach
on the Odakyu line and then grab his private parts and attempt to take
a picture with the boy`s cell phone. The smaller boy had been complaining to the bigger boy, why do you always bully me?

Of course no one did anything except me.

I got up and asked the bully which school he went to. He mumbled something. Then I took a look at his school symbol on his jacket.
He was a high school student judging by his uniform.

If I hadn`t have been there, would anyone have done anything?

I asked my wife to try to track down the boy`s school. I wanted to report the
incident to the school feeling this to be a better option than the police.

He obviously lives in Matsuda, and the letters on his jacket were stylized either NA or MA--It was vertical like this:

N
A

or

M
A

I think it was NA--being stylized I found it difficult to read.

What has it come to that people here tolerate watching another boy kicked in the stomach in front of them and pretend not to notice? I know people are scared of getting involved, but if we all ignore the bullies the problem just gets worse.

The announcements at all the stations say that we should report anything unusual at the train stations.

But when I reported rough-housing, a chimpira-looking punk was
slapping and pushing a high school boy at Shin Matsuda Station on the platform, the station man refused to look (in spite of my explanation in Japanese and pointing at the altercation only five metres away--just across the platform).

In exasperation I finalled yelled:

"Nihongo ga wakarimasuka?"

To which of course, he pretended not to understand.

"Eh..eh???!"

I told a friend the stories above and he said:

"Oh yah, I see the junior high kids hanging from the rings on the
Daiyuzan line and kicking each other in the stomach all the time."

He doesn`t feel it is a big deal unless someone seems pretty hurt.

I agree I guess but the kid I saw seemed to have the wind knocked out of him
with that kick.

Sometimes I don`t understand this country.

I try to find the good in this country and there is a lot of good here.
But I do wish people made more of an effort to greet others. Made more of
an effort to be kind with strangers and colleagues. Japanese are famous
for their politeness as store clerks and other service providers--offering
an example that I would love to see store clerks and service providers
emulate in my hometown of Tsawwassen; however when it comes to other forms
of kindness I wish people would reach out more and be kinder and gentler--
more friendly.

I always try to welcome the new guy at the tennis school. I am most often the
first to do so--introduce myself and talk to him.

I think Japanese can do the same they just have to try.

Odawara History

2009-09-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Odawara has a long and colourful history. Read about it:

Odawara History in a Nutshell

Laughter Yoga in Odawara

2009-09-18T17:52:00.000-07:00
Hello Everyone,

We would like to let you know of a kind of club which is spreading like wildfire throughout the world and has now arrived in Odawara!

LAUGHTER CLUB (Laughter Yoga)

We all know that laughter makes us feel good. Laughter Yoga combines
laughter exercises and yoga breathing to give you the health benefits
of hearty laughter. It's fun and easy.
After just one laughter yoga session you can experience the benefits
and feel the difference: blood and all major organs are fully
oxygenated, leaving us bursting with energy. High endorphin levels
put us in a great mood and reduce pain. Stress levels reduce by 75%.

Come laugh, make friends, and feel great!

What to bring:

You don't even need a sense of humor, but please
bring some drinking water. You can also bring a snack or something
to share after the session if you like. Place: Odawara-Shi Shougai Gakushuu Senta- "Keyaki" (formerly
Odawara Chuo Kominkan). Shiyakusho Mae bus stop.

Access:

15 minute walk from Odawara station's WEST exit, or bus from
EAST exit. Take any bus from Platform 2. Get off at Shiyakusho Mae (the big white building). The Keyaki Senta- is just behind the
Shiyakusho (City Hall), about a 3 minute walk from the bus stop. The
bus leaves Odawara Station at 1:00, 1:15, 1:30, 1:45. It takes about
10 minutes and costs 160 yen. (There are also less frequent buses
from the west exit.)

Fee: Free (Donations welcome.)

Language: Japanese and English

Reservations:

Please email us your name, phone number, and the
number of people wanting reservations. Please also let us know if
you'll be bringing children.

Susie & Linda, odawaralaughterclub at gmail.com

For more information, please visit:

International site: http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Odawara Lions Club English Speech Contest

2009-09-15T16:55:00.000-07:00
第24回イングリッシュ･スピーチ･コンテスト
日時平成20年9月23日（日）11:00～
場所生涯学習センターけやき

Where: Odawara`s Chuo Kominkan (Community Centre)
When: Noonish on September 23rd

I think the Chuo Kominkan has a new name now too but I can`t remember it.
It is right behind Odawara City Hall--a very big building.

The speech contest is always held in the main hall there.

Well worth a listen for you and your students. Many of the speeches are
very good, and it is a shame that this event doesn`t receive more
publicity.

Admission is free!

Minami Ashigara to close another Asset: The Cultural Centre

2009-09-06T15:28:00.000-07:00
by Kevin Burns

Minami Ashigara City has been in trouble for a while now,
tax-wise. The local pool in Iizawa stayed closed all summer
for the first time in a long while due to "not having enough
money to run it."

For those who don`t know, it was run by students. They
were the life guards. It was a great asset to the town.
The students were presumably not paid a lot, yet we were not
able to have the services of the pool.

The latest news is that the Minami Ashigara Cultural Centre
(Bunka Kaikan) will close due to lack of funds. Apparently
the city hall has tried to sell it! As well, another rumour
is it may be destroyed. What a shame! It is a beautiful
building and a great place to enjoy music or any kind of
performance.

Fuji Film apparently due to losses is due for a tax refund
so Minami Ashigara has to pay that back.

Frankly, if I found my taxes so low, I would understand all of these
closures. But I never feel that I am under-taxed in Japan.

I get so frustrated at times, I think of running for office.
It just seems to me that so much money is wasted on inane
project like cementing the Kari River.

I don`t think Greenpeace would approve.

Paving roads that don`t need paving while leaving
roads that need the stop lines repainted--unpainted and in
danger of causing an accident.

What is the difference between the success of a tiny town like
Kaisei with a population of under 20,000 and a larger city like
Minami Ashigara with a population of 44,000? To me the answer
is good leadership.

The mayor of Kaisei is famous for being innovative and a good leader.
Minami Ashigara lacks that and we are in trouble because of it.

We need good leadership at city hall. Please someone come forward and save us!

Odawara Living gets a Real Homepage!

2009-08-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

Pictured: Former Odawara resident Chris Weber and Erika Saotome`s wedding in Tokyo

The homepage will be easier to navigate than this blog. But of course we will continue to update the blog!

Visit Odawara Living our Homepage

KevCon: Boardgames Weekend, Sept. 12th & 13th, 2009

2009-08-07T17:41:00.001-07:00

KevCon fun starts on Saturday, September 12th and finishes at dinner time on
Sunday, September 13th.

Starts:

3PM on Saturday

Where:

Kevin`s House
Address: Iizawa 242-23 Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers at yahoo.com

What to bring?

Your shoes, games, beer to bribe Kevin (optional)
We have the house to ourselves for most of the day so we can
get a lot of game playing in and say four letter words eh! I love
4 letter words like: four, dice, damn!

There are a few beds available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want a bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room. We have a Canadian,
Victorian style home imported from Cloverdale,BC.

How to Get There from:

Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama or Sakhalin:
Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara and be sure to get into one of the
first four train cars as the train splits. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book!

Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Daiyuzan Station, it takes 21 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, walk straight out to the main street out in front and head left
down that street through the traffic lights (under the covered
pedestrian overpass). Over the bridge and you will see our green
roofed house with "Kevin`s English School" signs plastered all over
the place.

How to Get There:

From Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South: Take the
Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).

**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.

Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh air.

Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. We have three guest beds and some futons.
Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!

Kevin Burns
http://greatpowers1.googlepages.com/jigg%3Ajapan%60sinternationalgamersguild
http://www.jigg-greatpowers.blogspot.com

Yokohama Immigration Has Moved

2009-06-18T03:37:00.000-07:00
Yokohama Immigration as of June 1st has moved from it’s location near Chinatown and
Yamashita Park to Shin-Sugita on the JR Keihintohoku/Negishi Line, and the old offices are closed. From the bus terminal at Shin-Sugita train station, use the Yokohama Kotsu Kaihatsu bus line “Torihama 61” and get off at the new bus stop “Nyukokukanrikyoku-mae” (about 15 minutes bus ride). New address: 10-7, Torihama-cho, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi 236-0002; Phone: 045-769-1720 (General Affairs Division), 045-769-0230 (Foreigner Residence General Information Center Yokohama).
homepage: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/soshiki/kikou/address/03.html#5.

Natural & Organic Food in Odawara

2009-06-18T02:52:00.000-07:00

Try MOA organic food store sorta around the corner from Quatre Feuilles Patisserie in Shiroyama. It doesn't have a huge selection or anything, but you can get typical Jpnese stuff. And surely you already know about Radish Boya or that type of delivery/member service. You can`t pick and choose what you get though.
--Kir

"By the way, I use Radish Boy, an organic food delivery system for our day to day regular products. I've used Co-op before but I switched to Radish Boya (more expensive) for the quality. I could not believe what I was eating was less than acceptible for me, till I tasted the tomatoes from Radish Boya. Picked in the morning and sent to you the same day, when I opend the packages I almost felt like i was in the farm. ie strong beautiful scent of the vegetables."
--Natasha Watts, Tokyo with Kids.com

You can also order from Alishan
Tengu is a mail order service for organic vegetarian foods, environmentally sound cleaning supplies and more to make life just that much happier and healthier. We ship anywhere in Japan in just a few days (all things being as they should). Place your Tengu order now with a few simple steps to share in the goodness:

* CALL! Feel free to contact us with any questions about products' ingredients, manufacture, storage, availability, etc. Someone's always up for a chat.
* VISIT! Tengu is based in the Alishan Organic Center on the banks of the Koma River in Saitama. Do stop by to sample Alishan Cafe's vegetarian organic menu or to shop direct for Tengu products and seasonal organic vegetables at our weekends-only Tengu Store. We're located one short hour from Ikebukuro by train. Check the cafe hours and map. And let us know when you come by-- it's always fun to put faces to familiar names.
* ORDER! Order by post, fax, phone, email, or right here online in English or Japanese. Use our fax or email order forms or make your own. For optimum service, please make sure that your delivery information is clear and complete, and that it includes your postal code and your home, work and fax numbers, as well as your email address, as applicable. If you know what day and time you'll be available to receive your order, throw that in there too! All prices listed include tax. See the Shipping & Returns below for more detailed information.
* PAY! Your orders will be delivered CASH ON DELIVERY. If you'd prefer to pay by credit card, please give us a call or fax us your card name, number and expiry date (UFJ Card, VISA or MasterCard accepted).
* ENJOY!

Happy days,
The staff of Tengu

Another home delivery organic store is Oisix.

The Foreign Buyers` Club also offers some organic food.

A bit of FBC history...
FBC Shop

I came to Japan in 1985 with a "real job" and expected to stay a year or two. After a year I brought Kelly over- we got married - and started our life together in Kobe. Well, Kelly loved all the Japanese food and I was okay with some of it like fried chicken but missed Mexican and bagels and breakfast cereal and peanut butter - those things. So, on the side, we worked on a way to import these items for us and our friends using the personal import system. People were pretty excited and soon we had a couple of thousand families ordering several thousand items every week! In 1989 we completed our first full year of being a business and had our first baby, Kristin, so we started looking for things for her - Barney videos, books for story time, along with the diapers and Earth's best baby food and all that. Then, we had 2 more little girls in under 5 years! Yikes! What were we thinking?! And, so did all our friends! At one point there were 3 of us families and we each had 3 girls - play group was our 9 girls! So, everyone wanted videos and books and games (Candyland!) and that service was born!

Then a couple of the big International schools approached us and said - since you send over containers every week and you seem to be buying from many of the same source we get things from lets work together - so we did and now we do most of the shopping for most of the major International Schools in Japan (and some others around Asia as well.) Its the same concept. We are buyers not sellers and we represent a small group of people and go get what they want and need for them. We enjoy the community aspect of it and know most, well, lots of our members and enjoy a good relationship. So that's our story. We have been doing this now for over 20 years! Who would have thought? Certainly not us! Its good fun though and we enjoy meeting the new members and bringing in new and fun items - from pumpkins at Halloween to thousands of turkeys at the holidays - so let us know who you are and what you need and we'll work on it for you! If you're in Kobe drop by, but now with our cool new website and database we can probably do most things for you from here.Chuck and family

Talk soon,

Chuck, Kelly, Lindsey, Kristin, Sydney, Madiso

Of course there is also Costco in Japan and the Flying Pig will deliver Costco
items right to your door anywhere in Japan!

The COSTCO in Kanazawa (Yokohama
http://www.costco.com/
But here's the address:
2-6 Sachiura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 236-0003
Tel: 045(791)6001 Fax: 045(782)3489

And here's Machida's address:

3-6-1 Oyamagaoka, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-0215
tel: 042(798)6001, Fax: 042(798)6002

I seem to remember that the train station is quite far at the Makuhari store, but that Costco has a bus from the station to their store.
The Costco is very far from Machida Station. You really need to drive or order
from Flying Pig.

Kanagawa Living

2009-05-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out Kanagawa Living, an online zine about living and working in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Check out Kanagawa Living

International Basketball at Odawara Arena

2009-05-10T01:29:00.000-07:00
小田原は遠いいけど、入場無料だし、、、頑張ります。

『第32回李相佰杯争奪日韓バスケットボール競技大会』
◇期間　2009/5/15（金）～17（日）
◇会場　小田原アリーナ
◇日程
　5/15（金）　16：30～開会式、17：00～男子戦第1戦
　5/16（土）　14：00～男子戦第2戦
　5/17（日）　14：00～男子戦第3戦、15：30～閉会式
◇入場料　無料

＊詳細は関東学連の公式サイトへ
　→「大会要項」
　→「日本男子学生選抜メンバー」
　→「韓国男子学生選抜メンバー」

日本学連は、運営できないならクローズしてもいーかも。　＞KCBBFあるし。
と思います。・・・ってか、代わりにやりたいｗ

Man Assaults Girls in Minami Ashigara Shi

2009-04-14T05:16:00.000-07:00
"A 28-year-old man was arrested for assault on Monday, accused of punching a 13-year-old girl in the face and kicking a 9-year-old girl in her face as they were walking home from school.
Police said the second-year junior high school student was attacked by the man just after 3 p.m. on a street in Minamiashigara City, leaving her with a broken nose. The man then attacked the fourth-grade elementary school student about 10 minutes later in the same area, inflicting slight injuries to her right eye, police said."
--Japan Today

The Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa

2009-04-01T00:34:00.001-07:00

"Nestled in the quiet foothills of Hakone is the impressive Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa. Opened in 2004 and awarded “World Travel Award - Japan’s Leading Spa Resort” three years in a row, this resort is the perfect place for a weekend getaway to rejuvenate oneself from the stress of city life.
The lobby is a jaw-dropper – a vast high ceiling, sunlight pouring in from the big windows and a simply decorated, spacious lounge area. The modernly designed guest rooms (rates range from 18,650 yen to 27,650 yen/person) are located in the main wing and all the 172 rooms overlook the Sagami Bay where the spectacular views combined with fresh sea air will knock years off your life. If you want to spoil yourself, you can choose the Japanese or Western-style suites or take it a step further and indulge in one of the 10 cottages that are hidden in the garden."
--Meiko Yoshioka, Japan Today

The view from the plateau where this Odawara resort is situated is breathtaking.

The spa, and pools are amazing as well. For the kids, this resort and Yunessan in
Hakone are hard to beat! I often take my children here to swim and enjoy the sports
facilities--basketball, table tennis, tennis, weight training and more. It is a beautiful
hotel too. Highly recommended!

The Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa is located at 583-1 Nebukawa, Odawara City, Kanagawa, 250-0024. Tel: 0465-29-1000, fax: 0465-28-1233. It is a 15-minute shuttle bus ride from Odawara Station. There is also a regular 5-minute shuttle bus service from Nebukawa Station, two stops from Odawara.

External Link:http://www.hilton.co.jp/odawara

Odawara International Friendship Association

2009-03-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

OIFA was established on June 2, 1982 taking the opportunity of cooperating with Chula Vista, California as a sister city. The purpose of OIFA is to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between citizens and foreigners who have come to Odawara from various countries including Chula Vista, and to make a contribution to the formation of a local international society.
　

Odawara International
Friendship Association

Gang Warfare Hits Odawara

2009-02-24T04:39:00.000-08:00
Odawara:

There was a shooting incident in the parking lot near Odawara Arena
recently. Apparently it was fighting between the Yakuza. A couple
of men were reportedly shot. People living near the Arena
stated they heard the shots ring out.

Yokohama Immigration to Move

2009-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:00
New Address:
10-6 Torihama, Kanazawa District, Yokohama City
Tel 045-661-5120

15 minutes by bus from Shin Sugita Station

International Christian Gathering on Jan. 10th, 2009

2009-01-06T01:12:00.000-08:00
We're a group made of folks from several different countries living
in western Kanagawa. We enjoy getting together with each
other, eating, learning, worshiping Jesus, and helping other
people. Last month, about 20 of us got together.

On Jan. 10th, we'll have a special guest from Thailand! And she and
one of our regular members who went to Thailand recently will talk
about some of the needs there, what they've done to help there, and
how they've experienced God in their lives and by working there.

We'll probably make Japanese curried rice for supper. If you'd like
to help, please bring something that'd go along with that--some kind
of soft drinks or juice, some fruit, biscuits or cookies--those sorts
of things. That'd really help!

We'll start supper about 6:30. Please write here or call 0463-72-1742
if you need directions or a ride. Also, buses leave for the area
where we live at 5:20 and 5:50 from the northern side of Ninomiya
station.

Hope to be with you on Jan. 10th!

John

Facebook Group for Odawara

2008-12-31T01:33:00.001-08:00
There is a Facebook group for Odawara.
To visit the facebook group visit the following link.

Teens Held for Stealing Policeman`s Gun

2008-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00
Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa

Two teenagers were arrested on Sunday, December 21st on suspicion of assaulting a police
officer in Minamiashigara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and stealing his handgun
and handcuffs.

The suspects, a 17 year old male high school student and a 16 year old unemployed male, both members of a motorcycle gang based in Hadano,
allegedly hit a police car shortly after 2 a.m. while riding a motorbike.
They then allegedly assaulted the officer and stole the handgun.

The boys were caught 15 minutes later, police said.
"We take the fact that the handgun was stolen very seriously."
said Shinji Okoshi deputy head of Matsuda Police Station.

Japan Times

Woman found dead on Odawara beach

2008-12-11T22:31:00.000-08:00
Woman found dead on Odawara beach

Thursday 11th December, 09:45 AM JST

ODAWARA —

A woman was found dead on the coast in Odawara City on Wednesday
morning. A fisherman discovered the body at around 7.20 a.m. and
alerted the police. The woman was buried face down in the sand, close
to a downward sloping path which led to the shoreline. Her left leg
remained above the sand and her jeans and shoe were visible.

Police said there was no sign of blood at the scene, but a cord was
found around her neck. The woman is thought to have died several days
before, and police have put her age as somewhere between her 40s and 60s.

The woman's body was found about 300 meters southwest of JR Kouzu
station, about 20 meters from the shoreline, where the waves do not
reach even in high tide.

On Pandemic Preparedness

2008-12-11T22:26:00.000-08:00
US Health and Human Services
Secretary Michael Leavitt said:

"If there is one message on pandemic preparedness that I could leave today that you would remember, it would be this:

Any community that fails to prepare with the expectation that the federal government or for that matter the state government will be able to step forward and come to their rescue at the final hour will be tragically wrong,

not because government will lack a will, not because we lack a collective wallet, but because there is no way that you can respond to every hometown in America at the same time."

Sobering advice for communities in Japan, that will be on the front lines
when a virus eventually mutates and emerges from the Asian continent.

We all need to be better prepared.

Odawara`s Annual Hojo Godai Festival

2008-11-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

If you want to get a taste of old Japan, be sure not to miss
Odawara`s annual festival, on May 3rd every year.

See photos here courtesy of Global Compassion:
http://www.globalcompassion.com/gallery07.htm

Yoga in Odawara: First Class, October 6th

2008-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00
Hello everyone,

I'd like to recommend a yoga course which will be starting soon for
the first time in Odawara. It is perfect for beginners as well as
those with some experience and who are not yet familiar with
Sivananda Yoga, which is classical, traditional, authentic yoga. It
is a system for lifelong physical, mental, and spiritual well being.
There is frequent relaxation between asanas (poses) and an emphasis
on proper breathing and positive thinking. The teacher, Akira
Sugiura, is a certified Sivananda instructor who has lived, studied,
and taught in India. Also a Laughter Yoga leader trainer, he has
traveled to many other countries and is completely bilingual. He
will be coming from Tokyo to teach this class. There will be only a
small number of students, and each will receive plenty of individual
attention. Feel free to ask any questions about the course prior to
reservation. If you provide your mailing address, I'll be glad to
send you a flyer. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Linda
------------
First class: Monday, October 6, 2008
Dates: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month
Time: 10:00AM - 12:00
Place: Itabashi Kominkan #59, behind Hakone
Itabashi station, one stop from Odawara on the Odakyu Line, 3 minute
walk
Instructor: Akira Sugiura, certified Sivananda Yoga
Instructor recognized by Indian government
Fee: 10 sessions for 20,000 yen, or 2,500 yen for
one session
What to bring: yoga mat and comfortable clothing
Reservations: Please reserve by Tuesday, September 30th.
Contact: sivananda.odawara@gmail.com

How to Get to the Yunessun Spa in Hakone

2008-09-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

Pictured: Tree covered walk in Hakone

Odawara to Yunessun:

You can take the Hakone Tozan Bus from Odawara to Togendai and get off at Senkyoro mae.

Or you can do this:

In Odawara, take the Hakone Tozan Bus bound for Hakonemachi and get off at Kowakien (30 minutes, 810 Yen, covered by the Hakone Free Pass). There are buses at least every 30 minutes. Yunessun is just a few steps from Kowakien bus stop.

Yunessun to Senkyoro Ryokan:

From Yunessun bus stop (just in front of the door of Yunessun), take the Hakone Tozan Bus bound for Hakone-Yumoto or Odawara. Get off at "Hotel-mae" bus stop (5 minutes, 240 Yen, covered by Hakone Free Pass, departures every 15-20 minutes).

At "Hotel-mae" bus stop, transfer to the Hakone Tozan bus bound for Togendai, which departs from a different bus stop, a few steps away from the one where you arrive. Take the bus to "Senkyoro-mae" bus stop (12 minutes, 490 Yen, covered by the Hakone Free Pass, departures every 10-15 minutes).

From posts at Japan-Guide.com

Hakone Yunessan Spa Homepage

Game Convention in Odawara, October 25th and 26th, 2008

2008-09-03T18:50:00.001-07:00

The picture of our home was taken in April would you believe!

Everyone welcome!
Saturday and Sunday October 25th and 26th, 2008
Starts: 1:30PM on Saturday
Where: Kevin`s House
Address: Iizawa 242-23 Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers@yahoo.com
http://www.eikaiwa1.com

What to bring?
Your shoes, games, beer to bribe Kevin (optional)
We have the house to ourselves for most of the day so we can
get a lot of game playing in and say four letter words eh! I love
4 letter words like: four, dice, damn!

There are a few beds available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want a bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room. We have a Canadian,
Victorian style home imported from Cloverdale,BC.

How to Get There from:
Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama or Sakhalin:
Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara and be sure to get into one of the
first four train cars as the train splits. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book!

Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Daiyuzan Station, it takes 21 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, walk straight out to the main street out in front and head left
down that street through the traffic lights (under the covered
pedestrian overpass). Over the bridge and you will see our green
roofed house with "Kevin`s English School" signs plastered all over
the place.

How to Get There:
From Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South: Take the
Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).

**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.

Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh air.

Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. We have three guest beds and some futons.
Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!

Kevin Burns
http://greatpowers1.googlepages.com/jigg%3Ajapan%60sinternationalgamersguild
http://www.jigg-greatpowers.blogspot.com

Odawara Living

Fujikyu Bus Schedule for Narita Airport

Odawara Weather

Hakone`s Yunessun Spa Resort

Jonah and the Wrestler

子供クラスアシスタント（ボランティア）募集！！

JIGG Kanagawa Boardgames Club

Italian Food in Odawara: Hideko loves Papillon

原子力発電所 放射性降下物への対処 何を食べていいのか？何を食べてはいけないのか？

Best Cherry Blossom Viewing in Odawara?

Kaisei`s Progressive Mayor Responds to Questions about Kaisei Town

Life in Odawara, why live here?

Why Live in the Odawara Area?

Nuclear Fallout in Odawara?

Tokyo Travel Guide on Odawara Castle

Anyone Cycling in the Odawara area?

Odawara Bike Rides

Cycling in Odawara

湘南の暴れん坊 復活へ ベルマーレフットサルクラブ２０１１新体制発表

Local Radioactive Tea

JIGG Kanagawa Boardgames Club

南足柄市の放射線 何が安全で、何が危険なのか

Radiation in Odawara and Minamiashigara – What is Safe and What is dangerous?

The Sea Creatures near Odawara

The Odawara Survival Guide For newly arrived foreign teachers

Quake Jolts Odawaran`s to Attention

Odawara Hotel rescued by Hilton

Odawara`s Futsal Team Shonan Bellmare owns Guinness World Record

Odawara Resident releases his Wartime Novel in Japanese

The Quake as it felt near Odawara Castle

小田原警察 小田原で外国人を呼び止める

Damn!...I think I been mutated!!!

Synchronicity and all that Stuff

Synchronicity and all that Stuff

On the Future of the Whole World

Minamiashigara Resident Helps Earthquake Victims

On Teaching English in Japan

Follow Us at Facebook or Yahoo Groups

Japan still needs YOUR Donation

Earthquake - I thought I was going to die!

Reno native Sean Connolly now calls Odawara Home

Odawara Police Stopping non-Japanese in Odawara

Odawara is Safe, the way I see it

My Interview and Life in Japan

Odawara is Safe

Daiyuzan Line Schedule

Black Out Schedule for Group 4

Japan Nuclear Update - British Embassy

Rolling Power Blackouts

Odawara News :Car Accidents in Odawara

Shigefumi Matsuzawa, Kanagawa Governor will run for Tokyo Governorship

Dealing with Depression in Japan

Riverside Yoga in Hadano

Odawara gets Backpacks from Anonymous Donor

Girl who slashed classmate had been bullied over father's nationality

Odawara`s Sunny Winter - 小田原

Boardgames near Odawara during Golden Week, 2011

Kanagawa`s anti-smoking Law

Odawara Resident Bret Fisk & Another American Launch Archive of US Air Raids on Japan

Atelier Hayakawa

Odawara Orange Project

Hawaii JayCees HJJCC on Odawara

My Japan Stay in Odawara...

Roast Chicken in time for Christmas

経験豊かな英語講師をお探しですか？

英会話の学習方法について

Samurai Chess Filmed at Odawara Castle

Kintaro and the Gaijin Advantage

On Odawara Castle

How can I improve my English? Part 1:英会話の学習方法について

Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa voted Japan's leading resort in 2010

Japanese Cherry Trees

Local Man Creates WW2 Air Raid Devastation Website

南足柄市で車を運転するときは

Driving in Odawara & Minamiashigara Shi

Eco Walk in Enoshima Island

Odawara Living: Getting to Know Japan with Haiku

Odawara Castle & Japanese Cherry Trees

The Minami Ashigaran

Pandemonium amongst the Students?

原子力発電所　放射性降下物への対処　何を食べていいのか？何を食べてはいけないのか？

湘南の暴れん坊復活へベルマーレフットサルクラブ２０１１新体制発表

南足柄市の放射線　何が安全で、何が危険なのか

小田原警察　小田原で外国人を呼び止める