Studio Ghibli Museum

When in Tokyo, Studio Ghibli Museum is a must visit for Spirited Away movie fans of Japan’s most celebrated Hayao Miyazaki, who has transformed feature animation movie making into museum art. 

Ghibli Museum Tickets click HERE on Viator site.

There are Ghibli tickets available once a month at Lawson’s (ubiquitous Japanese convenience stores) for a much better price, but we haven’t figured out how to reserve them in advance. Patricia’s research turned up this site when we needed to lock in reservations on a specific date.  



Lawson's $10 Ghibli Ticket Instructions click HERE using Loppi Ticket Machine
I'll try this the next time I'm in Japan (on the tenth of the month).

How to Browse the Blog

There are two ways to use this blog.

1. Use the Interactive Table of Contents.  --------->

Click on a title that takes you in a flash to that specific site.  As of November 2021, this Interactive Table of Contents is 15% complete.

2. Normally one browses through a blog by using the Blog Archive in the right column. --------->

Click on a date range and click again on a specific date to pop up the title.  The earliest posts are at the bottom.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

*    A Toto in Your Water Closet
*    Tokyo Car Culture
*    The Giant Wave of Kanazawa
*    Wonder Filled Japanese World Heritage Sites
*    An Unforgettable Journey by train.
*    “This Is The Land Of Your Ancestors.” —Yuji Ishihara
*    Why Get Married in Japan #6
*    Why Get Married in Japan #5
*    For Rochelle’s Family is headed to Tokyo
*    Table of Contents 
*    Can a Foreigner Buy a Home in Japan?
*    May 1, 2019 First Day of the new Japanese Era
*    Finding Japanese Ancestors
*    Space Saver

Tip 34
*    10,000 People: Japan Art Book Project
*    Forging a Katana (Samurai Sword)
Tip 33 The Narita Express (Train)
Tip 32 Book:  Meeting With Japan by Fosco Mariani 
Tai Chi and Mount Fuji

Tip 31 Mobile Passport: breezing through customs.

Tip 30 Jet Lag Part 2
*    How To Get Married In Japan
*    Moon Restaurant: 58th Floor of the Mori Museum Building
*    Senju Shrine: Perfect for an Intimate Shinto Wedding
*    10,000 People Art Book Project:  Misata
*    Discovering Immeasurable Treasures
*    10,000 People Japan Art Book Project:  Milo @ Beer To Go
*    Eyes Open Wide Day In Tokyo

Tip 29 The Thirty Types of Japanese Restaurants

*    The Diaries of Patricia and Tobias 
*    Jim Reed: "What is Shabui and Wabi Sabi?"
*    Chucky Thomas in Asuka Village
*    Shinto Wedding Purification Ritual
*    Tai Chi Wedding Sendoff
*    The Diaries of Patricia and Tobias
*    Patricia's Fan Fold Temple Book
*    Sakura Zensen in Tokyo:  Following the Cherry Blossom Wave
*    Godzilla & Staying at the APA Shinjuku Kabuki-cho Tower 
*    36 of Japan's Most Stunning Places
*    Japanese Phrases for Your First Day
*    First Kimono
*    Calligraphy and Sumi (Japanese Ink Making)

*    10,000 People: Japan Art Book Project # 10

*    10,000 People: Japan Art Book Project begins.  

Tip 28 Cherry Blossom Report: Sakura Zensen Tracking

Tip 27 Nara:  Miwa Mountain of 1,000 Shrines

Tip 26 The Great Buddha of Todai-ji 

Tip 25 Folding steel for Samurai Swords and bringing home a fine folded steel kitchen knife from Nara

Tip 24 Akiko and her new Tour Company (highly recommended)
Tip 23A No need for Electrical adaptors and drinking water

Tip 22 Hiroshima:  Peace Park and ringing the Peace Bell

Tip 21 Using Google Translate

Tip 20 Temples, Shinto Shrines and Japanese Culture

Tip 19 Way Finding in Japan and Restaurant Culture

Tip 18 “Do not hesitate to ask when you need help.

Tip 17 Google Maps: A great way to navigate Japan

Tip 16 Kanji: Japanese Writing

Tip 15B My Friend Yuji Short Documentary

Tip 15A Home Stays: the best way to learn about Japan

Tip 14 Japan Rail Pass

Tip 13 Pasmo card for easier Subway use

Tip 12 Travel Light: Using Roll Aboards

Tip 11 Conversion of $ to Yen

Tip 10 Ghibli Museum: Home of Japan’s greatest director/animator.

Tip 9 Tokyo Subway: A wayfinding introduction.

Tip 8B Copious ideas to build your own Japan Itinerary including World Heritage sites.

Tip 8A Miyabidado Takemine Ryokan in Tokyo, wedding night.
Tip 7 Introduction to Ryokans: Japan’s historic, traditional inns. 

Tip 6 Hotel APA Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower 

Tip 5 Portable charger for you phone and Pocket Wifi

Tip 4 Pocket WiFi across Japan, Google Translate, & Maps

Tip 3 Hitching Rides with Buddha: a first book to read.

Tip 2 b Shinjuku Station, busiest in the world. 3.5 million passengers each day.

Tip 2 a Japan Rail Pass (perfect for beyond the big cities)

Tip 1 Minimizing Jet Lag April 16, 2018

000   In the beginning: Jotaro and Taka Kobayakawa  Nov. 17, 2015

Car Culture

My cousin Albert has a far ranging interest in cars which means he’ll one day visit Tokyo’s Car Culture.

You Can Buy an Akiya Home in Japan

Discover Akiya Homes in Japan in four articles.  Warning: Reading these articles could be a hazard your routine, you might find yourself living in Japan.

1. Dreamers Click HERE for a video about buying a Japanese Home.
About 13.5% of Japanese Homes in the country are abandoned.  Akiya Bank is ready for those who are interested in becoming part of a community under a 5 year contract.

2. Japanese Homes Click HERE

3. Best Article Click Here

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/buy-abandoned-house-in-japan/

4. How to Buy A Japanese Home Article https://www.homes.co.jp/akiyabank/b-5536/


Today’s Puzzle
Enter the location for this photo.

The Reiwa Era begins May 1, 2019 a landmark day as Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the new emperor of Japan. He accedes to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019.
Click HERE for details. Reiwa means Great Harmony.

Crown Princess Masako Owada

www.reuters.com

TOKYO (Reuters) - “Crown Prince Naruhito, set to become Japan’s emperor on May 1, is known as an earnest, studious man who wooed and won his ex-diplomat wife, Crown Princess Masako, with a pledge to protect her."

"...with a pledge to protect her."  Reading this line, I was swept back to the day I met Gassan Sadatoshi whose father made the Samurai sword presented to Naruhito on the day he was born. As we sipped tea with Sadatoshi he taught us:  "Swords are not for fighting."  I've come to understand that the deepest character imbued into a samurai sword is the spirit of "protection." The sword he received the day he was born was meant to protect him (his family and the nation) throughout the journey of his lifetime. Seems the spirit of his birth sword has guided Crown Prince Naruhito in pledging to protect the Crown Princess Masako.

”Naruhito, 59, will be ...
1. the first Japanese emperor born after World War Two 
2. the first to be raised solely by his parents,
3.  and the first to graduate from a university and pursue advanced studies overseas.”

Japanese Ancestors

Charles Thomas and a few of my former students have thought about exploring their Japanese ancestry... these posts are the perfect starting point for anyone considering such a quest.  Thanks to Matthew Mori, my principal advisor when I launched my first journey to walk in the footsteps of my grandparents Jotaro and Taka Ishihara Kobayakawa.  Click HERE to go to Ancestors Chapter 1

Michie Kobayakawa my mother's first cousin from Niimi, Okayama Japan. Photo circa 1919. Below ... 100 years later in Tokyo, April 6, 2019


It looks like my second cousin Michie is standing next Charles Thomas, separated here by only 100 years, the blink of an eye. Makes me wonder if her photo was taken on her wedding day, 100 years ago.

Movies about Japan

Departures, the movie, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Click HERE for the trailer

“Looking into the employment ads, Daigo finds a promising offer [Departures Agent] at what sounds like a travel agency. Daigo applies at a quiet little office, the interview is brief. He gets the job and a cash advance. He discovers the agency handles travel, all right -- to the next world. It is an "encoffinment," or undertaking, business.” --Roger Ebert

                 Click HERE for Roger Ebert’s full review.

From Wikipedia:  a nōkanshi is a Japanese ritual mortician.  Yukan is the ceremonial cleansing of the body prior to encoffenment. Japanese funerals are highly ritualized and generally conducted with Buddhist rites and involves a professional nōkanshi preparing dressing the dead in white.

Other movie recommendations coming soon.