May 13, 2008
We would like to inform that our website
http://www.realestate-tokyo.com
has been renewed with new features.
Now you can search rental properties in Tokyo
by combining condition of train line, station,
pet availability, musical instrument permission,
or 'furnished lease'.
Click >> http://www.realestate-tokyo.com/residence/search/
Number of searchable apartments and houses
has substantially increased.
Please try the new features to make your home search
more efficient!
Plaza Homes, Ltd.
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April 30, 2008
SHIBU-KASA name stands for 'Shibuya - Kasa (=umbrella)'.
Shibu-Kasa is a new eco-project started in December, 2007.
Aoyama Gakuin University students volunteer group established
a 'Shibu-Kasa' project.
When people are caught in a sudden shower,
they often run into a convenience store close by and
purchase a plastic umbrella which costs around 500 yen.
And after a shower, at convenience stores and Izakaya bars,
people often leave their umbrellas behind.
Most of them just forget about picking it up later.
Those 'left-behind' umbrellas were used to be collected from
the metropolitan government collector as a large waste and
convenience stores had to call them and pay collection fee.
Students from Aoyama Gakuin Univ., located in Shibuya-ku,
found out about this situation and decided to recycle those
plastic umbrellas as 'ECO' (ecology).
They picked up left-behind umbrellas from convenience stores
and bars in Shibuya with no fee, and put a 'Shibu-Kasa' sticker
on each umbrella.
They asked shops such as bookstores and cafes in Shibuya
to give them a small space for 'Shibu-Kasa'.
Anybody can use 'Shibu-Kasa' for free and if they return to
any shops have a space for 'Shibu-Kasa' in Shibuya,
they receive a ticket called 'Earth Day Money'.
Every time they return an unbrella receive '50r' ticket which is
50 yen discount ticket can be used at any 'Shibu-Kasa'
project support stores.
At the moment there are over 70 stores in Shibuya have a space for
'Shibu-Kasa'.
Please look for a logo like below for 'Shibu-Kasa'
when you are shopping in Shibuya and get caught in a shower,
it will help you and help environment as well.![]()
You can find shops with Shibu-Kasa here: (sorry, only in Japanese)
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March 26, 2008
‘Thermal Recycle’ Project starts in 23 wards
in Tokyo from 2008.*
Thermal Recycle:
Plastic products (excluding plastic container and wrapping),
rubber products, and leather products used to be an
incombustible waste, landfilled solid waste.
In 2008, those products will be collected as combustible
waste and will be incinerated, recovering thermal energy
and will be used for hot water and generate electricity.
New rule as it’s called ‘Material Recycle’ is starting in
Material Recycle:
Producing polyester fiber from reclaimed
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles
Please click here to see example for
how you separate recyclable resources and waste.
(from Chiyoda Ward Office web-site)
New rules start from April 2008:
Adachi-ku, Arakawa-ku, Itabashi-ku, Edogawa-ku,
Katsushika-ku, Kita-ku, Koto-ku, Suginami-ku, Chuo-ku
New rules start from October 2008:
Sumida-ku, Setagaya-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Toshima-ku,
Taito-ku, Nerima-ku, Bunkyo-ku
Areas already started new rules before April 2008
or will start in 2008:
(already started in all districts) Ota-ku
(will start in 2008) Shinjuku-ku, Shibuya-ku,
Chiyoda-ku, Nakano-ku, Minato-ku, Meguro-ku
You must use 'Recommended garbage bag for
Tokyo 23-ward' which you can purchase from
any supermarkets in Tokyo.

For more information, please contact your ward office.
*Please note: Some districts already following new rules as ‘Model Area’.
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February 05, 2008
Standard fares now start at 710 yen per the first 2 km (1.25 miles)
and then 90 yen per 288m additional or 105 seconds of waiting time.
A late-night 20% surcharge is applied to all fares during the
10pm - 5am period. (used to be 30% surcharge during 11pm-5am)
Also from January 2008, ALL taxis in Tokyo became
'NON-SMOKING'.
If you are a smoker (like myself...),
I recommend you to carry a pocket ashtray.
You can purchase at most convenience stores.

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January 23, 2008
- Sightseeing / Place to go -
-Tourist information = Kanko annaijo
-Tokyo Tower = Tokyo Tawah
-Zoo = Dobutsu-en
-Amusement Park = Yuenchi
-Museum = Hakubutsu-kan
-Art gallery = Bijutsu-kan
-Aquarium = Suizoku-kan
-Botanical garden = Shokubutsu-en
-Park = Koen
-Baseball ground = Yakyu-jo
-Temple = Tera
-Shrine = Jinja
-Golf course = Gorufu-jo
-Theater = Geki-jo, Eiga-kan (Cinema)
-Shopping Center = Shoppingu Sentah

Where is Ueno Zoo?
=Ueno Dobutsu-en wa doko desuka?
Which direction = docchi
Is it far from here? = Koko kara tooi desuka?

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January 10, 2008
At the New Year in Japan, 'HATSUMODE' is the custom
to worship at temples and shrines. We pray for the family
well-being, prosperous business, and so on.
Most people go on New Year's Eve and the first of January.
If you were in Japan on those days you probably saw
thousands of people walking towards temples and shrines.

One of the most wide spread poplular religious
beliefs among the Japanese is devotion to Inari.
Shrines honoring this god are to be found all over the
country.
The main shrine is Fushimi Inari at Fushimi in Kyoto.
It is famous for the Torii (sacred gates) donated by
believers in such numbers that they form a veritable tunnel.
Inari shrines are dedicated to Inari Daimyojin (the Great
God Inari), and the god of grain, Uganomitama no Kami.
The derivation of the name Inari goes back to legends of
the god appearing carring a bundle of rice plants on his back.
(Rice plant in Japanese is 'INE'; 'RI' means burden.)
This shows that rice cultivation was a very important
undertaking to the Japanese in ancient times.
In the Middle Ages, with advances in commerce and
industry, merchants and artisans joined the farmers in
their devotion to Inari; the god came to be widely
worshipped as a god that brings good fortune.

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December 27, 2007
teachers and relatives at New Year's. After postcards
were issued early in the Meiji period, people began
sending a greeting on a card, and the Nengajo of today
became established.
Nengajo are handled differently from ordinary mail.
All the cards put into special boxes at the post office
between 18 and 28 are delivered together on New Year's Day.
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December 13, 2007
It's Bonenkai season now.
Bonenkai is a typical kind of party held at the
end of the year. A few people get together,
boisterously eating and drinking a lot, in order to
look back on the year's events, forget the unpleasant
things and look ahead to the new year with a fresh spirit.
There are departmental bonenkai and other for those
who entered the company together, that's for work bonenkai.
Then privately, they are held among close friends, by local
hobby groups, so you go to one every two or three days.
Students and housewives also have bonenkai with their friends.
So in December, bonenkai are being held all over Japan.
They are usually held at Japanese restaurants or
Western-style restaurants or bars.
For such places the bonenkai season is the busiest time
of the year. After the bonenkai, people often go to Karaoke
bars for 'Nijikai'. Nijikai means second party.
Enjoy your 'bonenkai' and don't drink too much!
And please remember, if you drink, don't drive!!

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November 30, 2007
2007 CHRISTMAS SALE starts from Dec. 1
Tokyo Lease Corporation
Churistmas Sale starts from tomorrow
Save up to 50% off on great selections of high quality
import furniture!!
Print out 5% OFF COUPON and receive
5% discount on all items* in their showroom.
*some conditions may apply. Please check on their web-site.
TOKYO LEASE CORPORATION / AZABU INTERIOR
Address: 1-9-7, Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3585-5801
Access: 5 min. walk from Kamiyacho station on Hibiya Line.
10 min. walk from Roppongi 1-chome station
on Namboku Line.
Hours: 9am - 6pm (Mon. - Fri.)
10am - 6pm (Sat. & Holiday)
Closed on Sundays and Year-end holidays

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November 28, 2007
- Post Office -
- Post office = yubin-kyoku
- Stamps = kitte
- letter = tegami
- weight = jyu-ryo / omosa
- express mail = sokutatsu
- mailbox, postbox = posto/yubin-posto
- registered mail = kakitome
- size = saizu/ookisa
- air mail = ea-me-ru, kokusai-yubin
- Where is the post office? = Yubin-kyoku wa doko desuka?
- How much does it cost to send this to ~ ?
= Kore wo ~ ni okuru niwa ikura desuka?
- I want to send this letter to ~(country).
= Kore wo ~ ni okuritai no desuga.
- I want to buy stams.
= Kitte wo kudasai.
COUNTRIES IN JAPANESE
- America = Amerika
- UK/England = Igirisu
- France = Furansu
- Germany = Doitsu
- Switzerland = Suisu
- Spain = Supein
- Italy = Itaria
- Australia = O-suto-raria
- New Zealand = Nyu-ji-rando
- Russia = Roshia
- Korea = Kankoku
- China = Chu-goku
- Hong Kong = Hon-kon
- Taiwan = Taiwan
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