About Tokyo
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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July 11, 2007
After Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun in 1603
and established the shogunate, in Edo, it flourished
and was actually the center of Japan, although the
Emperor continued to reside in Kyoto.
It was a planned city with Edo Castle in the center and the
estates of the various domainal lords located around it.
Merchants and artisans concentrated in an area
that became the center of shopping and entertainment,
and by the latter half of the 18th century, its population was
over one million, making it the world's largest city.
Highways leading to Edo were build, the five main roads
converging at Nihonbashi. The 53 way stations on the Tokaido,
the highway connecting Edo and the Kamigata (Osaka-Kyoto)
region, bustled with activity.
The Edo period was characterized by the expanded influence
of the townsmen, whose core was the merchant class.
This environment saw the flourishing of townsmen's culture,
as typified by Kabuki and Ukiyoe, and the appearance of a
new aesthetics of chic(IKI).
In 1868, the year after the Restoration of Imperial Rule brought
on end to the shogunate, Edo was renamed 'Tokyo' (Eastern Capital),
the emperor moved to Tokyo, and the city became Japan's official
as well as de facto capital. The Imperial Palace in Chiyada Ward
occupies the site of Edo Castle.
EDOKKO - Edoite, Tokyoite
The term Edokko, which is still in use, reflects the strong sense of
fraternity of the townsman residents of the shopping, entertainment
and residential district. To be considered a true Edokko,
one's parents on both sides of one's family must have been in the
city for three generations. The Edokko is characteristically
open-hearted by nature, with a forthright attitude and a readiness
to fight. And his lack of attachment to money is expressed
in the saying, "The Edokko doesn't go to bed while ther's money
in his pocket."
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June 14, 2007
Tolls for expressways and payments
Tolls for Japanese expressways are the most expensive
in the world.
For example, when you go to Nagoya from Tokyo by driving
ordinary car, you have to pay toll of 7,800 yen.
From Tokyo to Osaka, it's 11,600 yen.
Payments will be made either by cash, or by credit cards without
limitation of amount, or ETC below.
You can use the following cards for payments:
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Nicos, and Diners Club.
ETC Process
ETC=Electronic Toll Collection
If your car's ETC system activated, you can go through the
blue 'ETC only' gate. If your car doesn't have ETC system
or you wish to pay cash or by credit card, please go to the
green gate. Some gates have the sign like above right
'ETC(blue) / OTHER(green)', you can go through this gate
with or without ETC system.
1. Application for ETC card to credit card companies
2. Acquire ETC card from credit card company.
3. Purchase and installation of ETC device. It costs about
30,000 yen - 40,000 yen.
4. You can start to use ETC on expressways.
*Late night discount, early morning discount or mileage
discount are available in selected areas. Please contact
East Nippon Expressway Company Ltd for more information.
http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/ (Japanese)
Metropolitan Expressway Company Ltd.
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December 08, 2006
Found some interesting data about Tokyo
(from Tokyo Metropolitan Government web-site)
Average numbers per day in 2004:
* 274 babies were born
* 233 people died
* 232 couples got married
* 79 couples divorced
* 14,172 tones of garbage were disposed
* 4,550,000 CBM of water were used
* 2,852.3 '119' (fire & amburance) calles were made
* 18.4 cases of fire / killed 3.7 people / burned 115.3sqm
damaged total amount of 27,275,000 yen
* 1,852.9 ambulances were called out
* 5,066 '110' (police) calls
* 774.1 crimes (as recognized)
* 230.9 car accidents (84,513 per year)
killed 0.82 people /injured 262.6 people
* 5,347.4 reports of things were found
* 1,640.8 reports of things were lost
Population in Tokyo (from 2000 census data)
12,064,101 people: 6,028,562 male / 6,035,539 female,
5,423,551 households
Registered foreigners in major part of Japan
(as of December 2005)
Tokyo 342,437
Osaka 211,491
Aichi 167,270
Fukuoka 44,049
Hiroshima 33,814
Hokkaido 17,852
Miyagi 16,608
DIAL THREE DIGITS
(Small charges may apply except Police, Fire & Amburance)
* Police - 110 (FOC)
* Fire & Amburance - 119 (FOC)
* Check someone's phone number - 104
(Japanese only, you must know at least the name & address)
* Time tone - 117 (Japanese Only)
* Weather forecast - 177 (Japanese Only)
Disaster Message Dial / Dengon Dial (guidance in Japanese only)
This is worth memorizing when the big earthquake or
other disasters strike Japan, everybody starts calling everyone
at the same time and sometimes the phone lines go dead.
1. Dial 171 (listen to the guidance)
2. Press '1' for leaving a message.
(or press '2' to listen to the message)
3. Punch in the phone number (incl. area code) of
whom you wish to contact.
4. Listen to the guidance, then press 1#.
Listen to the guidance again and leave a message
after the beep. (message can be recorded up to 30 seconds)
5. Hang up the phone.
December 04, 2006
TOKYO PREFECTURE
Located in the southwestern part of the Kanto district.
Japan's capital, comprising 23 wards (ku), 26 cities (shi) and
13 town/villages (machi/mura).
Includes the Izu and Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Although the third smallest prefecture in area, it has
12,000,000 people, almost a tenth of the entire population.
The prefectural capital is in Shinjuku Ward.
Edo / Tokyo has flourished as Japan's center for nearly
400 years, since Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo
shogunate early in the 17th century.
In 1868 Edo was renamed Tokyo, and the emperor
moved there from Kyoto, making it the nation's true capital.
Now most political, economic and cultural functions are
concentrated in Tokyo, and in this international era,
it is a world center as well.
Tertiary industry predeominates, with a remarkable
concentration of information services in recent years.
Most companies listed on the two sections of the
Tokyo Stock Exchange have headquarters in Tokyo
which gather information, control production and trading,
manage finances and such.
The problems created by the concentration of various
government agencies in the city are much discussed recently.
The excessive density of businesses and population has
driven land prices to incredible levels. In Tokyo, which
experienced the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923),
earthquake risk is high, and a movement to dispearse
overly concentrated functions is growing.
Areas in Tokyo
Marunouchi
Japan's representative business district,
directly in front of Tokyo Station.
Kasumigaseki
Government agencies are clustered here.
Ginza
Tokyo's oldest shopping district. Its exclusive clubs
and bars also make it a famous nighttime haunt.
Akasaka
Known for top-ranking Japanese restaurants
where meetings among politicians often take place.
Shinjuku
East of the train station, which handles more
passengers than any other in Japan, is a major
shopping entertainment district. To the west rise
the skyscrapers of the Shinjuku business center.
Shibuya, Harajuku, Aoyama
Fashionable areas that attract many young people.
Azabu, Roppongi
More foreigners gather here that in any other
neighborhoods in Japan. Many restaurants and
night clubs with cosmopolitan atmosphere,
catering to the young.
Kanda, Ochanomizu
Kanda is famous for bookstores, especially
secondhand book stores. Many high schools and
universities are in Kanda and Ochanomizu.
Akihabara, the Main retail center for electric consumer
goods is in northeastern Kanda.
Ueno
On high ground west of the station is Ueno Park,
a center of culture dotted with museums.
Ameyayokocho (Ame-yoko) has hundreds of shops
offering everything imaginable at discount prices.
Asakusa
This neighborhood has flourished around the temple
Sensoji since the Edo period. Old shops selling sweets,
toys and other things line the route from
Kaminarimon Gate to the temple,
which bustles with each seasonal event.
November 13, 2006
You cannot just dispose large-sized trash or electric household
appliances with other ordinary garbage in Japan.
If you have unwanted furniture with dimensions of
30 cm or more, electric household appliances,
bicycles and such, you need to call your local
Large-sized Waste Reception Center and
make an appointment for collection.
They will tell you how much it'd cost on the phone so
you must purchase a Large-sized Trash Fee Sticker*
at a convenience store, write your name on the sticker
and attach the sticker to your garbage before disposal.
They will also tell you the garbage collection point and
pick up date on the phone.
Do not leave the garbage outside before the collection date.
For more information, please contact your local ward office.
Also see this Shibuya's 'How to Sort and Dispose of Resources
and Garbage Properly' list:
http://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/env/gomi/pdf/gomi_eg2.pdf
* called "Sodai gomi shori-ken"
Tokyo Sodai gomi shori-ken (sticker colors may vary)
"Sodai gomi shori-ken Sold Here"
Look for this poster at your local convenience store
[Example of collection fees - please check with your local ward office]
- chair: 500 yen -
- bicycle: 1,000 yen -
- bed: 3,000 yen -
- video player: 500 yen -
- PC: 2,000 yen -
- TV: 2,500 yen -
