Planned Blackout Schedule:

※これは東京電力管轄内で予定されている計画停電のスケジュール情報を外国人の方向けに
翻訳しているページです。日本語が読めなくて困っている外国人の方をご存知でしたら教えてあげてください。

source:http://five-wits.jp/midoryza/?p=844

A big earthquake occurred in the northern part of Japan at 2:46PM of March 11th 2011. Because TEPCO’s facilities have been seriously damaged, power shortage is expected. TEPCO announced on March 13th that the rolling blackouts is necessary to restore the electric power for Kanto and Tohoku area.

TEPCO = Tokyo Electric Power Company / Tokyo Denryoku

Last Update: March 14 21:33

Please check which “Group“ your area belongs to by looking for your address in the following PDF file.

*Your address may belongs to 2 groups. It is better to prepare for both groups.

**Original data we used is released by TEPCO on March 13th 21:00.

Tokyo
Saitama
Chiba
Kanagawa
Tochigi
Ibaraki
Gunma
Yamanashi
Shizuoka

The planned blackout schedule for Tuesday, March 15th.

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 during the period above.

*Start and End time may be outside of the schedule above.

*Unexpected blackouts may occur outside of the schedule above.

*If you can’t find your address here, your area may be exempt from this rolling blackouts, or waiting to be added.

*TEPCO is keep updating the information, so it is always better to check with their latest information from their website. (only in Japanese now)

TEPCO official website (Japanese)
http://www.tepco.co.jp/index-j.html

*We try to update with the latest annoucement, but please refer to the TEPCO web-site for the accurate and latest information.

*This translation is provided by volunteers. Please refer to the TEPCO web-site for the accurate and latest information.

the Earthquake in Japan

Images on TV are devastating.
There are still people without lifelines,
without shelters, waiting to be rescued.

All I can do is wait and pray for those to be rescued,
pray for people to stay strong.

Hearing that people are sharing and in order at the
shelters at least relieve a part of the tension in my heart.

Japan is strong.
But we do need help.
I still do not exactly what,
but when I know, I will let you know.

Even the thoughts, help.

All I can do is wait.
Till the time to act.

spring has come...really?

It was almost 20 degrees(celcius) in Tokyo yesterday, nice and warm,
springy air, containing lots of pollen. People sneezing, scratching eyes,
wearing masks.

A strong gust of wind, called HARUICHIBAN (first gust that blows to
announce spring), blew few days ago.

Chiffony, dress season!

But NnnnnnnnOOO.
It snowed. Yes, today.
Cold cold cold.

Back to down jacket days...

Coooooooold...
Brrrrrrrrr.

Waiting, longing for gentle picnic weather...

SETSUBUN why dry soy beans are sold everywhere today

SETSUBUN(節分) literally means a change in season,
and refer to an eve before the first day of each season.

SETSUBUN today is the day before the first day of the spring,
which is Feb 3 this year. It changes since it is set according to the
old Japanese calendar.

And the soy beans and ONI(鬼) masks at stores.
We throw soy beans at a person wearing ONI(devil) mask,
usually dads, to drive away the bad luck, saying ONIWA  SOTO(鬼は外).

Throw some within the house saying FUKUWA UCHI(福は内),
telling luck to stay in.

We call this MAME MAKI(豆まき).
Be careful if you have dogs. They might be happy going after the beans,
but they are hard to digest!

After the MAME MAKI, we eat the same number of beans as the age for
good health and longevity, but I kind of doubt that since I don't think it is
hard on stomach of elderly...I don't think it's a good idea for people over 80 to
eat more than 80 beans...

Starbucks in Japan; the first store is in ...

Starbucks.
Everywhere in Tokyo.
Subtle addiction. Like sugar.

First store in HK:exchange square,
Canada:Seabus(Vancouver)

And where did it all started in Japan?

Ginza Matsuya Doori Store
map
Right behind the prestigious department store, MATSUYA.

Yes, I am a Starbuckolic.

NENMATU 年末 end of the year in Tokyo

2010 is ending soon, but hmmm, what happened to my new year's resolutions?
Well, carry overs aren't the useful method for accounting only :)

So NENMATSU is pretty busy in Japan. People usually end the year's work on Dec 29th, getting ready to return to their hometown -SATOGAERI （里帰り）/ KIKYO　（帰郷）-
, fly off for short vacations, or just stay in Tokyo like me. NENMATSU in Tokyo's nice and empty, trains with empty seats even around rush hours.

And what we do in NENMATSU? Here's my list.

1) OHSOHJI (大掃除)　massive cleaning up to clean up this year's mess and
for fresh new year. It's been said that we clean up to for TOSHIGAMI sama （年神様)
a god of harvest and fortune who visit every cleaned up household, with KAMIDANA （神棚）, on new year's.

2) OSECHI(お節)　New Year's Dish(or more like BENTO) preparation.
I've read some where that is was developed to give break for hard working housewives in Japan. OSECHI, is filled with food symbolising good luck,
 but also that had been cooked to last few days. Making dishes
at the end of the year that last for the New Year's holidays enable
housewives to stay away from the kitchen!

3)Purchasing TV guides, with NENMATSU special TV shows

4)NENGAJO (年賀状) war. This New Year's post cards are like Christmas cards
in the western countries(esp. N America). You send post cards, with
New Year's greetings. You will receive wedding photos, baby photos, from
those got married and gave birth on New Year's day or so.
Japan Post recommends people to post the NENGAJO by the 25th to have
them delivered on the New Year's day, but you can get by maybe till the 27th
from the information I get from my friends :)

Now I am off for more cleaning up...
年神様、きてくれるかな。。。

what we do on TOJI:winter solstice

Christmas is almost here and Tokyo's illuminated for the season.
December is filled with events, both foreign and japanese traditions.

This year, this year's TOJI(冬至) pronounced TOH-JI, is today.
The tradition is originated from lunar calendar from China, but
it has been modified to suit gregorian calendar hence the date of TOJI in Japan
differs from that of China.

There are lots of things we do without knowing the exact reason on such a day.
For TOJI, we take YUZU bath, and eat KABOCHA(japanese pumpkin/more like acorn squash).

So you see a lot of YUZU today at grocery stores in Japan!