RECYCLE MARKS IN JAPAN

There are so many things around us and all are made from various substances… 

In Japan, we are requested to separate trash according to each ward regulations so that recycling is possible.  To sort them correctly, it’s important that we              understand what the marks below mean and represent.  Trash sorting regulations   vary according to where you live.  Please contact your local ward office for           recycling details of your neighborhood.

A mark made by the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle          promotion council to   urge active participation and  cooperation towards the       3R movement

List of Environmental labels and identification marks

*Have you ever heard of NPO Ecocap Movement? 
They collect caps of plastic bottles and sell them to recyclers. 
The profit is donated to provide vaccine to children in developing countries.          Please see below for more information:

http://ecocap007.com/aboutecocap.html

JAPANESE FUNERALS

Funerals are never happy news.  We all wish that we
do not have to face our beloved ones in such a
setting.  However, when we do, we want to express
our deep condolences by mourning and praying for
them.  Understanding and knowing the traditional
Japanese funeral manners will help us express
respect to the deceased as well as to their families
and relatives.

Japanese religion lies in Buddhism and although details
of practices can vary depending on sects, general
practice is shared.  Also, even when Buddhism is not
regularly practiced in the family, funerals tend to be
based on the Buddhist style when held

FUNERAL WAKES AND MEMORIAL SERVICE

OTSUYA (Wake ceremony)

“Otsuya” is a ceremony where close family and
relatives regret parting of their loved one by staying
up the whole night in the same room with the
departed.  Originally, only the bereaved and close
relatives attended.  However, in the recent years,
it has become so that persons who are unable to
attend the memorial (funeral) ceremony, stop by to
show their condolences.  Make sure to inform the
bereaved of your visit before hand in this case. 
Wake ceremonies are therefore announced and usually
start from 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. and lasts for 1-2 hours.

SOUGI (Funeral ceremony)

“Sougi” is a ceremony where close relatives gather to
pray for repose of the departed soul and peace for its
spirit. 

KOKUBETSUSHIKI (Memorial ceremony)

“Kokubetsushiki” is a ceremony where friends and
acquaintances gather to say their goodbyes.  

“Sougi” is to be followed by “Kokubetsushiki”. 
However, these ceremonies are often times joined
together as one ceremony.  At this time, this
ceremony would be referred to as
“Sougi / Kokubetsushiki”.

*“Osoushiki” (Funeral) refers to the whole funeral process
including the above ceremonies and the cremation
ceremony.

WHAT TO WEAR

Men

Black formal suit with white business shirt, black ties and
no tie pins.  Belts, socks, shoes should also be black

Dark navy or grey suits are okay for wakes.

Women           

Black formal one-piece dress suit or a black formal
kimono.  Bags, shoes, stockings should also be black.
Shiny material such as enamel, as well as leather
and furs are considered improper (Leather bags/
shoes are okay).  No ccessories should be worn
except for marriage ring, and a single pearl necklace,
if any.  Black or dark colored suits or one-piece dress
should be okay for wakes.

OKODEN (Offering/Condolence money)

Okoden started out when incense was offered at funerals
to comfort the soul of the deceased.  This incense scent
worked as a deodorizer after the earth burial.  In the past,
Okoden has turned into rice or vegetable offerings as
well, however, in the present, since the host of the funeral
prepares the necessities, the offering turned to cash as a
meaning to bear cost of the incense and also, as a show
of mutual support towards the bereaved for their
unexpected expense.

Crisp new bills should never be used for Okoden.  This
comes from the thought that preparation of new bills
suggests unfortune had been foresaw.

The amount varies on your relationship with the
deceased.  5,000 yen or 10,000 yen should be
appropriate for friend/colleague.  Be careful to avoid
the numbers 4 and 9 at funerals.  4 can be read as
“shi” in Japanese, which sounds the same as death
and 9 can be read as “ku” and this can suggest the
word “kurushii” which means suffering.

INCENSE OFFERING

Move to the position in front of the altar and bow to the
bereaved relatives.  Move to the altar and bow deeply.

Take one step forward to offer incense.  After you have
finished offering incense, place the balms of your
hands together in prayer and slightly lower your head. 
Take one step back facing the altar and bow deeply
before returning to your seat.

2 types of incense: MAKKO and SENKO

MAKKO- incense powder

Using the 3 fingers (thumb, index,
middle) of your right hand, take a
pinch of the powder incense. 
Lower your head slightly and bring
it to your forehead before sprinkling
them into the incense burner. 
Repeat this 1-3 times.  The number
of times for this process depends
on the religious sect.

SENKO-incense stick

Pick up the incense using your right hand and light it with
the candle.  Number of incense
here can be 1-3 depending on the religious sect.   Use your left hand to put out the flame.  Take caution never to blow out the flame.

Place it in the incense burner.  
Again, depending on the religious
sect, the incense will be either
laid down or set up.  If you will be
setting up the incense, place it
slightly apart from each other to prevent smoke from
clouding together and also place it in the rear section so
that following attendees will have enough space to place
their incense.

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International Moving

     Santa-Fe

         Phone: 03-3589-6666

         http://www.santaferelo.com
        

Local and International Moving

Art Corporation

         Phone：0120-0123-88
              http://www.the0123.com/english/home.html

Asian Tigers Premier Worldwide Movers

         Phone: 03-6402-2319

           http://www.asiantigers-japan.com/

Crown Worldwide

         Phone：03-5447-2301

         http://www.crownworldwide.com

Nissin Corporation

         Phone: 03-3238-6512
              http://www.nissin-tw.co.jp/nissine/move/index.html        

NITTSU (Nippon Express)
              Phone: 03-6251-6300
              Phone: 0120-1504-22 (Toll free)

         http://www.nipponexpress.com/moving/index.html


Local Moving

Tokyo Helping Hands:

         Phone: 090-6289-5824

http://tokyohelpinghands.com/

      Quoz:

Phone: 03-5932-7777

http://www.quoz.biz/default.asp     


Search for Local Movers:

http://tokyo-movers.com/

Search for international movers:

 http://www.intlmovers.com/ 

 

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Convenient Value-Added Tickets

Here are some tickets good for one day only that can
save you money and time.

 One-day Tokunai Pass
(Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass):

One-day pass for travel on all JR lines (only) within the 23 wards of
Tokyo. It can be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines.

              Adult:  730 yen                      Child: 360 yen                     

One-day “Tokyo Free Kippu”
(Tokyo Round Tour Ticket):

One-day pass for all JR train lines,
subways and Toei buses or classic Toei streetcars in the 23 wards of Tokyo.
It can be purchased at JR Ticket Offices (Midori-no-madoguchi)
and Travel Service Centers (View Plaza)

Adult:  1,580 yen                  Child:  790 yen

For details, check the JR East website : www.jreast.co.jp/e/

Subways: There are 2 different subway operators in Tokyo. One is
called “Tokyo Metro”, and the other is “Toei”, the latter of which is run
by Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Tokyo Metro One-day Open Ticket 

One-day of unlimited travel on all Tokyo Metro
lines.  It can be purchased on the day of use or
in advance.

    Adult: 710 yen                        Child: 360 yen
       

One-day Economy Pass (Toei-Marugoto-Kippu) for Toei streetcars, Toei  subway lines, Nippori-Toneri liner and
Toei buses

This pass is valid for travel on Toei streetcars,
buses and subways for one day, and available
at automatic ticket vending machines in Toei
Subway stations, and Nippori station and also
on Toei streetcars and buses.   Advance
purchase is available at station counters,
pass vending machines and Toei Streetcar/
Bus offices.

            Adult  700 yen                       Child: 350 yen

          
Common One-day Ticket for Tokyo Metro & Toei
Subway

Good for one day of unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro and
Toei subway lines.

            Adult: 1,000 yen                   Child: 500 yen

For details, check the Tokyo Metro
website:

http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/valueticket.html

Buses:  There are numerous “Toei” buses routes within 23
wards of Tokyo.

This pass allows one day of unlimited
use on Toei Buses.
It is valid for 6 months after the date of purchase, (but activates on the day used). 
It can be purchased at Toei bus offices,
Toei bus pass vending machines or on Toei buses.

            Adult  500 yen                       Child: 250 yen
          

For details, check the websites for “Toei” Transportation
Information:

http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/english/

For passengers using Narita International Airport, discount
tickets can be purchased.  Check the Tokyo Metro website
for details:

http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/narita.html#narita1

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

Plaza Homes lists many of the major hotels in Tokyo and
 Yokohama areas.  Please make use the below website
 when you look for accommodation for a business trip or
 vacation trip. You will qualify for the “Special Rate” for
 hotels listed under ‘Tie-up’, due to our business
 collaboration agreement, if you book through the
website reservation form.

http://www.realestate-tokyo.com/info/hotel/

 We, Plaza Homes, provide a variety of information to
 support you for a very comfortable life in Tokyo,
 especially those of you who do not speak Japanese.
 Please feel free to contact us regarding questions
 you may have on Housing and Relocation Support
 Services.

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

6th April (Mon.) - 15th of April (Sun.) 2009

Haru no Zenkoku Kotsu Anzen Shukan
(Spring's National Traffic Safety Week)
starts next Monday.  

Speed limit in most of the local streets in Tokyo
is from 30km/h - 50km/h.  Even on express ways
it's from 60km/h to 80km/h.

You will loose your points and
your license can be suspended if you don't follow the
rules such as driving over the limit, illigal parking,
or ignore signs like Stop Sign.

Drinken driving is strictly prohibited in Japan.
If you drink and drive, your license will be suspended instantly
or you could be convicted or loose your license
from the result of alcohol level in your blood.

To talk on mobile phones holding the hand-set while you are
driving is also illigal in Japan.  Even just holding a mobile phone
without talking you may get a ticket.









During this Traffic Safety Week, police will be standing in
most of the main streets and could be hiding anywhere.

It is important to drive safely EVERYDAY, ANYTIME.

All road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, should be
aware of Japan's road rules.

If you don't know the rules, please get a book called
'Rules of the Road'.

It is an easy-to-read translation of the "Rules of the ways
of the Road" prepared by the National Public Safety Commision.
Road usage diagrams and traffic signs with English translations
of meanings enable understanding of basic driving rules.
It is available in 5 languages 
(English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Hangul)
from JAF offices from 1,000 yen per copy.


Drive safely, and enjoy Spring in Japan!!



TOMARE (Stop) sign.  You must stop at stop signs.

Every country has different traffic regulations.
Please see the Japanese 'Violation of Traffice Reguration' below:

September 1^st is National Disaster Prevention Day
(Bousai-no-hi) in Japan.

The day was established in 1960 in accordance with the a

harsh and bitter experience of the Great Kanto Earthquake
which struck on September 1^st 1923.
The day was also set for the typhoons which often hit Japan
at this time of year.

At your residence, we suggest you to re-check the location
of the nearest evacuation site and also prepare an emergency kit.
The emergency kit should be minimal, light-weight and can be
easily taken out by one person.

Also check the contents at least once a year. If batteries,
bottles of water, emergency canned food etc. are getting old,
you need to replace them.

We also suggest you to store some water, canned and instant food
for a case of emergency. They may not be brought out with you
immediately upon a disaster but can be taken out when
your safety is guaranteed.

After the Great Hanshin Earthquake, there were many reports of
accidents caused by falling furniture and appliances.
Please take this opportunity to check if you have any unbalanced
furniture and hazardous materials, etc. in and out-side your home.

Please also read our previous article to check Earthquake Survival Manual.
http://blog.realestate-tokyo.com/archives/50555003.html



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