Japan's 5th largest city lures young families with neat, compact living environment

December 22, 2016 

Japan's 5th largest city lures young families with neat, compact living environment

The park is located amid the fashionable Tenjin district, one of the most bustling areas in Fukuoka City, Kyushu, southwestern Japan, but it used to be a haunt of homeless people with unsafe dark spots here and there. Local business owners and people got together to improve the environment around the park with the help of researchers and designers, and their years of efforts contributed to fully redeveloping it as a comfortable urban park in 2012.
Kego Park becomes a small illuminated amusement world in the winter time. Visitors enjoy skating and watching various events and shows.
Kids and their mothers and fathers can also enjoy riding on a colorfully decorated electric train.
Operating the train ride is a team of five young male and female attendants wearing the Santa Claus costume. "We don't have many customers on weekdays, but we are busy all the time every weekend," said one attendant. Charges for the 5-minute ride are 300 yen for kids 5 years old or older and 200 yen for younger kids, with no charge for toddlers.
"We have to run the train almost uninterruptedly during our service on weekend. Our young passengers sometimes don't like to get off after finishing the ride, and they ask their parents to let them ride more," he said smilingly.
The Kego Park project is a success model of refurbishment in Tenjin in the heart of Fukuoka, as the city's population has grown continuously in recent years. City officials proudly announced in February this year that Fukuoka became Japan's fifth biggest city in 2015, with its population growing 5 percent in the past decade to 1,538,000.
Fukuoka, the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, follows Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo in that order.
The influx of new citizens from around the city is attributed to various reasons, but people familiar with the situation equally cite Fukuoka's compactness as a city.
Despite its big size, the city has various urban systems and facilities available within an easy reach. Among them are an airport, a subway network, a ball park with a dome, a succor stadium, a bay side amusement area and a scenic seashore. Business areas which accommodate public offices and other buildings and shopping areas are geographically close to each other.
Because many brand businesses have offices and shops in Fukuoka, items and goods newly released in Tokyo quickly become available in the city.
The neat, compact living environment makes Fukuoka even more attractive to young men and women, including those with children.
Fukuoka's population growth is quite unusual at a time when Japan's society is aging due to a declining birthrate. Its expansion is not an entirely welcome phenomenon, some experts say. Actually, not a few citizens are said to be unenthusiastic about its population growth.
The city's prosperity comes along with years of population decreases in many other parts of Kyushu. Observers also say many big commercial projects in the city center are led by outside capital businesses, noting these projects will not necessarily contribute to boosting the local economy.
Kego Park is called Tenjin Hikari (light) Square in the winter time, from late November to early January. The facilities and services to be provided during the period are managed by the "We Love Tenjin Council," a group of businesses operating in the Tenjin district.
The illuminated train runs from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekend. "Our job is tough but exciting, We can see many kids and parents, and it's fun," said the train attendant.

Spread of bird flu reports alarms bird watchers in Japan

November, 28, 2016

Spread of bird flu reports alarms bird watchers in Japan

Bird watching is one of pleasures for Japanese, particularly around this time of the year. About 500 to 600 species of birds migrate to Japan or stop over in Japan on their way further down to the south from late autumn to winter. Their habitats can be found at marches, lakes and elsewhere. Their annual visits delight the eyes of bird watchers, but they are getting a little nervous about changes in the environment around their habitats.

One of their concerns is avian influenza cases reported in Japan almost every year. Big colonies of hooded cranes in Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, attract many bird watchers every year toward winter, but highly pathogenic bird flu viruses were detected from samples taken around their habitats in the middle of November.
This was followed by reports of bird flu cases involving poultry in Aomori and Niigata prefectures, both in the northern part of Japan. The cases have forced affected farms to kill almost 300,000 chickens and ducks.
This year's bird flu scare began with reports of a wide-spread avian epidemic which occurred in South Korea, located north of Japan, early in November. The incident in South Korea eventually led to the killing of 2 million birds of poultry at over 40 places across the country.
In a dam lake and an adjacent reservoir in Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, about 40 kinds of birds can be seen, among them mallards, teals and other migrating ducks.
The one can find plates showing the habits of wild birds living in the area placed on a promenade around the dam lake.
There have been no reports of avian influenza cases with wild birds or poultry in Fukuoka this year.
The situation in areas with avian colonies, such as Izumi, or at big poultry farms is regularly monitored. This is why any bird flu viruses can be found quickly in such areas, said a bird watcher who is familiar with the environment around the lake.
"Should habitats of migratory birds and poultry farms in other areas monitored carefully and systematically, more bird flu cases would be found," he said.

The Lake of Ohmi. Plovers drifting on evening waves right there! When you chirp, my heart languishes, and my memories in the old days come to me.
(A personal translation)

This is a waka poem made by Kakinomoto Hitomaro, a great poet who was active in the 7th century. Called a "saint" in Japan's waka poetry tradition from the ancient times, he lived a mysterious life.
Birds migrating to Japan, summer birds and winter birds, have entertained Japanese over centuries, impressing them with signs of the transition of the four seasons.
The habits of some wild birds in Japan are said to be changing in recent years.
A few birds earlier believed to be migrating are seen almost throughout the year in many parts of Japan.
Bird watchers have come to realize that it will be even more important to monitor the ecology of wild birds in Japan in order to keep signs of irregularities from affecting the environment for their habitats.

Lantern display decorates autumn shrine rite in mountain village in southwestern Japan

October 29, 2016

Lantern display decorates autumn shrine rite in mountain village in southwestern Japan


The centuries-old Shinto shrine is located in a usually quiet area behind a main street in Toho Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, but its autumn rite attracts many worshipers, with thousands of bamboo and paper dedicatory lanterns placed.
The Sentohmyo lanterns, as offerings to the shrine, were set up on an alley near the main gate and on both sides of the stairs leading up to the hall of worship.
The autumn festival at Takagi Shrine, the place where the guardian deity of the village's Koishiwara district is enshrined, features a "kagura" sacred dancing, performed at the old wooden hall of worship.
The Koishiwara kagura dancing was restored by a group of villagers in the 1980s after a hiatus of 80 years. Performed by about 10 kagura dancers, the rite was quietly watched by about 50 spectators for over an hour into the night at this year's festival late in October, as the temperature fell close to 10 degrees centigrade.
The night's rite included 10 programs, led by a performance by a female dancer holding a sakaki branch and a bunch of bells designed to purify the shrine hall and all worshipers who gathered there the day.

Worshipers were impressed by a fantastic atmosphere created with the clusters of bamboo and paper lanterns when they pass by the "gardens of lights" toward the performance stage.
Candles for the dedicatory lanterns were kept lit by members of an organizer group, mainly young villagers.
A young mother, accompanied with her daughter, was seen carefully inserting new small candles into holes of some bamboo lanterns. "We come here from time to time to check the candles about to die,"she said.

Further enlivening the festival
was a drum performance by a group of local children.
The night's performance was played by 14 kids, aged from four to nine and clad in blue happi coats, in front of dozens of people.
The Yamabiko (echoes) drum company has been active for about 20 years, said a man who serves as an instructor.
"Our kids have practiced since the summer holidays to perform at community events and for this shrine festival," the man said.
Toho Village, a largely mountainous region, was born with the merger of Koishiwara and the neighboring district of Hoshuyama in 2005. Koishiwara is famous as a traditional pottery producing area.
The village's population initially came to about 3,000, but it has fallen to around 2,300 this year.
As is the case with many other small municipalities across Japan, the village is doing all it can to keep the population from declining further.
Young villagers were seen happily welcoming worshipers and spectators at the festival site, hoping their endeavor to preserve a series of traditional events will help improve the difficulties facing the village.

Local officials, residents in Fukuoka trying to adapt "yatai" food business to new social trends

September 29, 2016


Local officials, residents in Fukuoka trying to adapt "yatai" food business to new social trends

A food service using "yatai" mobile stalls by vendors in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, has become a part of the city's food culture over years. Local officials and interested citizens pin hopes on the yatai business as the city's tourist asset, expecting it will help further enliven the city, but the food business is faced with a variety of problems, particularly allegedly poor hygiene, obstacles to traffic on the sidewalk and account-related oomplaints. Allegations also have indicated links with some crime syndicate members.
Fukuoka, the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, the biggest in the southwestern Japan region of Kyushu, came up with an ordinance in 2013 requiring yatai vendors to follow proper ways to maintain hygiene, clearly put up menu and price lists and observe regulations on business hours.
The current style of yatai food services in Fukuoka dates back to the years just after the end of the Pacific War. Yatai vendors in the city served junk foods like noodles and grilled chicken mainly for laborers working at ports and people in amusement areas at that time, but after that, they expanded their business among salaried workers and other ordinary people, on the strength of cheap prices and user friendliness.
In recent years, many tourists are seen enjoying their time at yatai stalls on busy streets in riverside and office areas.
Yatai stalls in Fukuoka can be found in three districts, Tenjin, Nakasu-Haruyoshi and Nagahama.
Tenjin, in the heart of Fukuoka, hosts many shopping and office buildings. When it begins to get dark, yatai vendors start fabricating their shops at designated locations, usually in front of bank offices, clinics and big stores. Passers-by carefully get through beside yatai stalls, while yatai fans stand in line before famous yatai stalls.
As of 2014, about 120 yatai vendors were operating in Fukuoka at designated locations. This represented about 40 percent of such yatai vendors across Japan.
In line with the new ordinance, the city is attracting applications for newly opening yatai stalls from interested citizens. The city plans to select 28 new yatai vendors, hoping to see better, more attractive styles of yatai business to be proposed. A briefing session held  in the middle of September for prospective applicants is said to have attracted over 170 people, including some foreigners living in the city. Successful applicants will be announced in late December after examinations and interviews.
The acceptance of applications has become possible because part of the existing vendors will give up their licenses for difficulties in continuing under the new rules. New licensees will enter the market in April, as yatai fans and supporters are eagerly waiting to see their menus and styles.

"Vegetable Day" draws renewed attention amid decline in vegetable intake in Japan

August 30, 2016


"Vegetable Day" draws renewed attention amid decline in vegetable intake in Japan

Japanese are one of the most health-conscious peoples in the world and they are trying to eat more vegetables to be healthier. They believe their vegetable consumption is actually on the increase. but statistics show a quite different picture.
The 31st day of August is "Vegetable Day" in Japan. This is a kind of a play on words in the Japanese language. The day was so designated by nine grocery and food traders' associations in 1983.
This had been relatively less known until a few years ago when major food distributors and food makers began to promote the day in a campaign to encourage consumers to eat more vegetables, fresh or processed. A similar campaign was launched by the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association last year.
Japanese people's eating habit has been largely westernized in the past decades. Their intake of meats and oil and fat foods has been on a steady increase, while their vegetable consumption has been declining over the past 20 years.
The per-capita vegetable intake comes only to 277 grams a day, falling far below the government-set target of 350 grams.
Japanese consumers have become more aware of the importance of vegetables for their health. The intake of greenish and yellow vegetables is widely recommended, because they contain important pigments and nutriments. Related recipes and meals are available for health-conscious consumers. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 people are qualified to be Vegetable Sommeliers.
The consumption of greenish and yellow vegetables is holding level, but overall vegetable consumption has been on a decline, due in part to wide fluctuations in vegetable prices.
This causes vegetables to appear to consumers to be comparatively expensive and this leads to the decline in overall vegetable consumption, despite the quite opposite general belief.
A study by a national health and nutrition research institute suggests that the lower the family income is, the smaller their vegetable intake is. This phenomenon is said to be pronounced for males.
This theory, if true, can be taken to suggest it is only natural for Japanese to consume less vegetables, at a time when income is declining for many families.
Imported foods are becoming more available than ever, but 80 pct of fresh vegetables consumed in Japan are domestic products.
Japanese vegetable farmers and distributors as well as government people are all out to increase vegetable consumption in Japan, their efforts are expected to become important for Japan to achieve a healthier society in the years to come.

People trying to inherit time-honored bamboo ware techniques in southwestern Japan

July 30, 2016

People trying to inherit time-honored bamboo ware techniques in southwestern Japan

The front yard of a community center in a small town in Kyushu, southwestern Japan, becomes a "classroom" for local people who gather every Saturday to learn bamboo ware making techniques from an old man.
The class starts at 9 a.m. with a remark by the 82-year-old "teacher" to his students. About 15 members, mostly in their 60s and 70s, attend the class, opened as part of activities at the Minagi community center in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, in October 2015. They call their teacher a "master of bamboo ware."
Tomoki Kurachi, the old craftman, weaves strainers, baskets and other items for farm work with fine "higo" strips of bamboo. He writes no plans or sketches, because 60 to 70 patterns are in his head. "His bamboo ware skills are just great, and his works are cool," said one member.
He starts with a job to split a bamboo with a length of 5 meters or more crosswise into four. Then, he thins the split parts into four layers to make higo strips.
He uses about 10 kinds of tools for various processes, among them knives and picks. A specially designed "habayose" width setter is used to make higo strips with a certain width, usually 10 to 15 millimeters.
"I have three habayose devices, all handmade by myself," he said. The oldest of them was made about 60 years ago, when he was young, but it is still usable.
The higo making process is a basic and  important job, but it is very difficult to perform, said another member.
The master uses "madake" bamboos. "I use only fresh madake bamboos, because they are soft and pliable." This makes his tightly knit products strong and smart.
Kurachi started learning bamboo ware making from a man in the neighborhood when he was a schoolboy. He then lived by making bamboo tools on order for local farmers.
At that time, several persons were making bamboo tools in the area, but bamboo items became unpopular in later years following the appearance of convenient, plastic products.
His business was threatened from the 1960s to the 1970s when bamboo groves in the area died successively due to an inevitable reason. It is known that bamboos die when they bloom and bear fruit, every 50 years or so. It takes 15 to 20 years for bamboo groves to revive.
Bamboo groves can be found anywhere in Japan, and bamboo forests have been an important part of Japan’s traditional culture and landscape. Japanese eat "takenoko" bamboo shoots, and their skins are used to wrap foods
Bamboos have a strong fertility, but this means that bamboo forests grow fast, sometimes too fast. As a result, poorly managed or unattended bamboo forests have emerged across the country.
These bamboo groves spread over an estimated 90,000 hectares across Japan, surpassing 60,000 hectares for cultured bamboo forests.
Several reasons can be cited for this phenomenon, among them changes in Japanese people's life pattern.
The bamboo ware techniques hare been inherited and preserved in some areas, where bamboo-made folk handicrafts have caught on well with tourists and other people. Among them are finely fabricated items like flower baskets, lunch box containers and lamp shades.
Kurachi sticks to jobs to make items for actual purposes, notably farm work.
His class was launched out of fear that his skills would vanish soon unless successors are grown. His steady, time-honored bamboo ware art is expected to help local people better understand the traditional life in the region toward the future generation.

Pickled "ume" apricot plums delight Japanese in tsuyu rainy season

June 28, 2016

Pickled "ume" apricot plums delight Japanese in tsuyu rainy season

The month of June brings gloomier days to Japanese as it falls on the "tsuyu" rainy season, but pickled "ume" plum lovers are excited about the arrival of the season. Pickled ume plums, called "umeboshi" in the Japanese language, can be made by soaking ume Japanese apricots in red perilla leaf juice for a few weeks.
Perilla leaves have sterilizing power and are rich in minerals.
Shoppers can easily find a corner with fresh ume plums displayed together with red perilla leaves and bottles for pickling around this time of the year.
The year of 2016 is the year of the monkey as one of the 12 zodiac signs. People familiar with the zodiac sign culture say umeboshi plums made in the monkey's year are a luck bringer.
Ume plums can also be jammed by boiling and sweetening. Ume brandies can be made with white liquor and crystal sugar.
Japanese also enjoy various other pickled vegetables, which help maintain their appetite toward the hot, steamy summer days.

Japanese cucumbers, gourds and scallions are among them. They can be pickled by lightly preserving in salt or rice bran.
Sometimes, sake wine lees in a cask are used for pickling or fermenting vegetables.
Pickled and fermented vegetables are traditional foods loved by Japanese over centuries.
Because Japanese are becoming even more health-conscious and the "vegetable-first" meal life is recommended, the traditional foods should attract their attention more.