Plaza Homes offers various information about living in Tokyo and is especially
useful for newcomers.
Sports in Japan
December 03, 2008
Ski season has arrived!!
There are many good skiing destinations in Japan such as Hokkaido,
Nagano, Niigata, Yamagata, etc.....
OUTDOOR JAPAN is a very beneficial travel
information magazine issued every 2 months with
various topics and news about Outdoor Sports
and events in Japan.
You will find valuable information not only about skiing, but also fishing,
cycling, camping, golf, scuba diving, surfing, even Onsen (hot spring)
spot and much much more.
'Places to Stay' information on their website, you can easily search
'foreigners welcome' accommodation, English speaking staff resides
at most of the listed accommodation.
You can find this useful magazine from the selected bookstores
listed on their website.
Or you can simply subscribe to OUTDOOR JAPAN MAGAZINE online.
Enjoy your holiday in Japan!! 
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November 10, 2008
from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese Kenpo.
It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee
and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as
knife-hands and ridge-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints,
throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.
A karate practitioner is called a karateka. (from Wikipedia)
Karate is one of the most popular Japanese martial arts
for the expats.
If you are looking for a Karate School in Tokyo,
Daikanyama Karate School has 3 different locations in Tokyo.
Please check their website for details:
http://www.d-karate.com/english/
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October 05, 2007
We have national holidays almost every month.
Coming Monday is 'TAIIKU NO HI (Health and Sports Day)'.
Two years after the 1964 Summer Olympics, the first Taiiku no hi
was held on October 10th. (1966)
In 2000, Taiiku no hi was moved to the second Monday
in October as a result of the Happy Monday Seido.
It is a day to promote sports and physical and mental health.
Many schools and companies choose this day to hold their annual
'Undo-kai (Field Day)' or some events.
Have a nice long weekend
To check other national holidays in Japan,
please see our previous blog:
http://blog.realestate-tokyo.com/archives/50340478.html
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September 27, 2007
Baseball was brought to Japan early in the beginning of
the Meiji period by an American. In 1936 the Professional
Baseball League was formed, establishing organized
professional baseball.
After the Second World War professional baseball began in
earnest. In 1950 the two-league system, with
Central and Pacific Leagues, was proclaimed.
(*6-team of each league)
A pennant race is run from April to October,
the winning teams from each league battling to be
Japan's best in the Japan Series.
In the July All-Star Game the most popular players of
each league are matched against each other.
Japanese enthusiasm for pro baseball is not like in America as it's
used to be. Night games is not popular like before.
In the past, Yomiuri Giants (based in Tokyo) games had been
a boon to the TV station, but because of their poor performance,
people stopped watching games on TV and the station decided
not to continue broadcasting the Yomiuri Giants night games in 2005.
Some popular Japanese players such as
Hideki Matsui (Yankees) and Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners) are
now playing in the U.S. and they are doing very well.
The newspaper sports sections have detailed analysis of
both Japanese and major league games, and the scores are
always reported on the news.
When the local team wins a championship,
the shopping districts and department sotres
hold bargain sales.
So how are they doing this year??
Yomiuri Giants is leading as of today! (Sept. 27, 2007)
If you are interested to see the game 'LIVE',
Tokyo Dome is the place for the games in Tokyo.
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December 15, 2006
SUMO is Japan's traditional form of wrestling.
Competitors enter the ring (dohyo) wearing
only the waistband-loincloth called Mawashi, and
their hair done in top-knots.
The ring's diameter is 4.55 meters. Offensive techniques
include sudden thrusts, pushing, and throws.
The first to be pushed out of the ring or to touch its
surface with anything but the soles of his feet loses.
There are about 70 winning techniques.
Sumo has a long history it's more than 1,500 years old,
but the current form developed in the Edo period.
They don't just fight but take some unique postures
beforehand.
First they toss salt into the ring to purify it.
They rinse their mouths before wrestling for the
same reason. Many elements of Sumo stem from
Shinto and from farming festivals. Not only the
bout, but ritual aspects too, are important in this sport.
A tournament lasts 15 days and is called 'basho'.
Each wrestler (rikishi) has one match a day.
Winning 8 out of 15 matches is a winning record and
the reverse, a losing record. There is a very detailed
ranking system and wrestlers go up or down depending on
their record at each tournament.
Six tournaments are held each year (January, March,
May, July, September and November), three in Tokyo and
one of each in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
Tickets for January 2007 are sold now.
For more information please visit:
Sumo Kyokai Official Web-site
December 07, 2006
CHARITY MARATHON - 'RUN FOR HOPE'
(Posted by Mr. Keiichiro Kobayashi, Plaza Homes agent)
Participated in the annual charity marathon,
RUN FOR HOPE on 11th November
in Kodomono-kuni (Kanagawa prefecture)
with the team members consist of my clients.
Though it was rainy day, we had a lot of fun out of it.
For the information of this annual event, see
http://www.run4hope.net/index.html.
'THE TEAM' (right: Mr. Kobayashi)
Thank you Kobayashi san!
