Meishi is the item you should always have some on you
if you're working in Japan. 

It is very convenient.  For example, when you are
introduced to several people at once, you can't remember
all their names, but with their name cards on the table
as you talk, you can match the names and faces.

Also if you file the cards properly, you can find
addresses and so forth quickly and easily when you
need to get in touch.  There are also a handy reference
when writing Christmas cards or New Year's cards.

You can find a variety of meishi folders and cases at
any large stationery shops.  One of the best stationery stores
is the 'Office Depot', and there are 21 stores in Tokyo,
one in Yokohama, one in Osaka, and another one in Nagoya.
You may also find American stationeries there.
http://www.officedepot.co.jp/ (Japanese) 

OKONOMIYAKI - JAPANESE PANCAKE

Okonomi = as you like it
Yaki=grilled

Okonomiyaki is a simple dish to cook.
There are 2 types of Okonomiyaki, one is 'Kansai style',
and the other 'Hiroshima style'.

Kansai style is more common way of cooking,
it's mixing all the desired ingredients into the batter,
pouring it onto a grill and cooking it like a pancake.

Hiroshima style has yakisoba-noodles, layering all the
ingredients as well as adding a layer of noodles and
a fried egg on top of it. 

Both quite easy to prepare and cook, so why don't you try
at home?


INGREDIENTS:
(for 4 people, Kansai style)
Okonomiyaki flour or normal white flour: 200g
egg: 2
water: 200cc
thin sliced pork: 150g
cabbage: 1/4 small size cabbage
onion: 1/2

Extra ingredients:  
beni-shoga (pickled ginger), shrimp,
squid, cheese, corn....as you like it!

How to make okonomiyaki
1. mix well okonomiyaki flour (normal white flour), water and eggs.
2. add chopped onion, cabbage, and extra ingredients you prepared
    into a bowl of mixed flour 1.
3. heat up a pan or hot plate, put some cooking oil, then
    grill all of '2' in a bowl and make a circle shape.
4. after 3-4 minutes, put sliced pork on top of it and flip over. 
5. wait few minutes until the ingredients are cooked.










Topping:
okonomiyaki sauce (Otafuku brand is popular)
mayonnaise  
katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flake) 
aonori powder (dried green laver powder)

KAISEKI RYORI - TEA-CEREMONY CUSINE









The literal meaning of Kaiseki is
'stone for the kimono bottom'.

The word derives from Zen priests' practice of
putting heated stones inside their kimono next to their
stomachs to help them forget cold and hunger during
long hours of practice.

This idea was carried over to the tea ceremony developed
in the Muromachi period.  They served a simple meal that
would warm the stomach and stave off hunger to about the
same estent that a warm stone would.

In Kaiseki, each dish is prepared with the utmost care.
The menu should be simple.  It centers around a soup and
three dishes.

The natural flavor of each seasonal food - from sea, mountain
and land -  is brought out to its fullest.  And the primary
consideration in preparing the meal is enhancement of
the flavor of the 'thin' and 'thick' ceremonial tea.

The first course, a bowl of rice, a bowl of broth,
and some raw fish on a porcelain dish called 'omukou'
is put in front of the guest on a legless tray (Oshiki),
along with cedar chopsticks.

Next, a pot of sake holder and cups on a tray are
brought out, and the host serves the first sake to the guest.
After that comes a bowl containing a stew dish.

Then the rice container is set out and, after a bit, grilled dishes
and 'shiizakana' are served.
 'Shiiru' means [press a person to do something],
and 'sakana' is [a dish that goes with sake].
So shiizakana means [a dish that guests are urged to eat].

Usually it's boiled vegetables with various dressings
or a vinegar marinade.

Next there is a soup called 'hashiarai',
(hashi=chopsticks, arau,arai=rinse)
and a hassun with two kinds of snacks.

And finally, pickled vegetables and a container for
hot water or tea (yutou) are brought out.

For more information about Kaiseki Ryori, please click here.

New ticketing system for public transport in Tokyo
will start from the 18th of  March, 2007.


PASMO








PASMO is a rechargeable contactleess smart card
ticketing system for public transport to be introduced inTokyo
from March 18, 2007.

Pasmo is a development of the Passnet system used by
many NOT JR railway lines in the Tokyo region.
The system will offer interoperability with the JR SUICA system,
as well as integrate private bus companies into the existing
Passnet network. (from Wikipedia)

For more information about Pasmo, please click here.


SUICA









SUICA is a rechargeable contactless smart card and
it was introduced in 2001.
The card is usable currently in the Kanto region at
JR East stations near Sendai and Niigata, and in the Kinki
region on JR West. 
The card can also be used interchangeably with
JR West's ICOCA card in the Kansai region.

The card is also increasingly being accepted as a form
of electronic money for purchases at stores and kiosks
within train stations.

Suica stands for 'Super Urban Intelligent CArd'.
An additional meaning comes from the expression
'sui sui', meaning 'smooth' and an abbreviation for 'card',
'ka' intended to highlight the smooth simplicity of using the
card compared with traditional train tickets. (from Wikipedia)


So from the 18th of March 2007, you can use either
PASMO or SUICA card for most of the transportation
in Tokyo.

However, many people already have Suica card which's
been around for over 6 years.  It might be easier just charge
Suica card and use it for JR or Subways or buses.

It is totally up to you which card you choose to use, but 
just remember that you cannot use both cards at the same time.
When you use 1 card, the other card shouldn't be in a same
pass case otherwise the automatic ticket wicket system 
can't pick which card to read!!

For more information about Suica, please click here.





Now, there is a tip for TOEI BUS.
You can use Pasmo or Suica for Toei Bus, if you purchase
Common Bus Card, you get a credit.








For 1,000 yen card, you pay 1,000 yen but  get
extra 100 yen credit.  If you purchase 3,000 yen card,
you get extra 360 yen, and if you purchase 5,000 yen card,
you get 850 yen extra!

There are individual rules and conditions with each card,
so please read them carefully and choose your favorite card!


For information about Real Estate in Tokyo, click here.
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in Tokyo, click here.

SHOGI ranks with GO among the traditional games
of Japan.

Two players take turns moving pieces on a board with
81 squares; the first to capture the opponent's king wins.

Not only is it a popular game but there are also official
rankings set by the Japan Shogi Federation.

Currently about 130 professionals belong to the Federation.

Shogi seems a lot like chess.  It's believed that both
go back to the same Indian game which traveled to the
West through Persia to become the basis of chess.

Introduced into Japan through China around the 8th
century, special rules were added, and it became what
we now call Shogi.

The pieces (Koma) are five-sided oblong tablets
with the name of each piece in black characters on
the face and red on the back. 

A special feature is that players can use captured pieces,
setting them down anywhere on the board.  

So you have to anticipate what the other player will do 
with a captured piece.  And pieces that reach the
opponent's territory can be turned over and used in
advantageous ways.







For the rules, please click here 

-LIST 3-

TOKYO