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Daily Living Tokyo
May 12, 2010
Did you know that Japanese license number plates have lots of
information?
On the top line, name of the issuing office is indicated mostly by
Kanji and a vehicle class code in numeral. Tokyo is divided into
five regions, Adachi, Hachioji, Nerima, Shinagawa and Tama.
You may notice many cars with number plates indicating 品川
in the central and southern area including Izu Islands , 足立 in
the north-east, 練馬in the north-west, and 八王子or多摩 in
the suburb of Tokyo.
Vehicle Class Codes- 2 digits or 3 digits
10 – 19, 100 - 198 large trucks
20 – 29, 200 – 298 buses
30 – 39, 300 – 396 private cars, over 2000 cc
40 – 49, 400 – 479 small trucks, less than 2000 cc
50 – 59, 500 – 579 private cars, less than 2000 cc
80 – 89, 800 – 879 special purpose vehicles
90 – 99, 900 – 998 special large sized vehicles
The bottom line contains a Hiragana character and a four-digit
serial number divided into two groups. There are certain
regulations for using Hiraganas such as れ and わ for rental cars.
English alphabets are used for vehicles owned by US military
personnel instead of Hiraganas.
Colors are used as another classification;
White plate with green characters: Private vehicles
Green plate with white characters: Commercial vehicles
Yellow plate with black characters: Private vehicles,
less than 660 cc
Black plate with yellow characters: Commercial vehicles,
less than 660 cc
These number plates are issued by the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport of the National Government for
most vehicles while ones with smaller engines are issued
by the local municipality.
What you should remember in case of emergency are the
4-digit numbers, issuing office and color of the car to help
police identify.
Other types of number plates categorized for official use are:
Blue plate with white characters: Foreign Diplomats
White plate with a red diagonal line: Temporary number
White plate with black characters: Military
Official vehicles of the Imperial household are exempt from
displaying number plates.
For more details, go to an article in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Japan
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February 23, 2010
Have you ever seen this mark?
It says a “baby is inside tummy”.
It’s called ‘Maternity Mark’, and
was officially announced by the
Ministry of Health, Labor and
Welfare in March, 2006, in an
effort to help create a friendly
environment for pregnant
women.
It is difficult to recognize women
in the early stages of pregnancy, especially here in
tummies are very popular. It was created in response
from comments by pregnant women who desired to get
‘assistance at staircases’ and be “offered a seat on
public transportion”. This mark also makes it easier to
give assistance or your seat to women displaying this
mark. One does not want to offend a young woman for
misjudgment from her appearance alone.
This item can be obtained from your local ward office
(kuyakusho) when reporting pregnancy to obtain a
‘Maternity and Child Health Handbook’.
Check the website below for more symbols for
priority seats:
http://www.ecomo.or.jp/barrierfree/pictogram/data/seats%20data.pdf
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August 31, 2009
2 New Rules for Riding Bicycles
Effective July 1, 2009
1. It’s now illegal to ride bicycles or motor cycles holding a mobile
phone communicating, an umbrella or anything which may block
your view or disturb your attention. You are subject to pay a fine
up to 50,000 yen.
2. It’s now legal to have 2 children on your bicycle under the
following conditions:
l a driver must be over 16 years old
l both children in the back or front seat seats must be less
than 6 years old
l the bicycle must pass safety tests, be approved by Bicycle 
Association (Japan), Japanese
Industrial Standards Committee
or Consumer Product Safety
Association and have a sticker
from one of above, BAA, JIS, or SG.
Tips for riding bicycles:
l Do not wear shoes with high-heels.
l Select an appropriate helmet for a child. A child under 13
years of age must wear a helmet with SG mark.
l Should fasten safety belt on a child seat when carrying
a child.
l Do not leave the bicycle unattended with a child on it.
l Children under 13 years or anyone over 70 years old are
allowed to ride on pedestrian side walks.
l Keep to the left side of a street.
l When the traffic light for pedestrians is Green, bicycles may proceed on pedestrian’s crossing.
When you are involved in a traffic accident, you must take the following
measures:
l Move the vehicle out of the way to a safe place.
l If anyone is injured, administer whatever first aid you can
until a doctor or ambulance arrives.
l Call the police emergency number “110” and report the
accident to the police, providing information about the
location, the number of injured persons, the extent of their
injuries and damage to property.
Please visit the website for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for details (unfortunately information in English is limited).
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May 24, 2009
The H1N1 swine flu is our big concern today. Here are tips
what you can do to Stay Healthy:
☆ Avoid crowed settings
☆ Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and clean water.
Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
☆ Gargle frequently
☆ Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to keep germs out.
☆ Wear facemask (both to protect yourself and to prevent
spreading your germs when you are infected)
☆ Stay informed
If you have any symptoms of cold or flu
such as runny nose, sore throat,
high fever, headache, dullness or loss of
appetite, contact your physician before
visiting the clinic.
Below is a link to an announcement of
Japanese Bureau of Social Welfare
and Public Health Headquarters of
the Governor of Tokyo Bureau of
General Affairs.
http://www.fukushihoken.metro.tokyo.jp/iryo/kansen/sinpojiumu/presskansen090501/index.html
Q & A for the Influenza A (H1N1) by the Bureau of
Social Welfare and Public Health:
http://www.fukushihoken.metro.tokyo.jp/iryo/kansen/sinpojiumu/SwineInfluenzafaq/index.html
Here are some other useful links:
World Heath Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/
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February 25, 2009
When you move-in to your rental house/apartment, most of the
houses/apartments don't come with the light fixture in Japan.
Please check carefully when you are looking for a house/apartment.
If you cannot find the light fixture that means you need to prepare
the lights at your own costs.
Where to find light fixture & globes:
Any major electronics retail stores such as Bic Camera,
Yodobashi Camera, or major hardware stores near you.
You may need to be careful when you change your electric globes,
there are different shapes and sizes.
We recommend you to keep the old globe and bring it to the store
with you, or write down the size of the globe or Model No. if you know.
Screw type globes are the most popular shape in Japan.
It could be hard to find a ' push & twist-in' type globes in local shops.
(I found those push & twist-in type ones at Bic Camera Yurakucho.)
Even if the house/apartment comes with light fixture, you still need to
replace globes at you own cost as they are expendables.
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February 05, 2009
Japanese salons to be frustrating and
disappointing, that's maybe because they
can't communicate with the hairdresser
who doesn't speak much English.
Here is the list of English speaking Hair-salons
which is preffered by expatriates:
|
Name / Address / Telephone No. / Web-site |
|
Sin Den |
|
A Cute Above |
|
WHO-GA |
|
Hayato |
|
Watanabe Hair Dressing |
|
Tomi & Emi |
|
Dude Harajuku |
|
WHISP |
|
Zooto |
|
MINGLE |
|
Y.S. PARK's |
|
SHINYA |
|
Ken Kobayashi 2-14-6, Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku |
|
beyond-R Salon Kyodo Tel: 03-3425-7440 |
|
genuine |
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February 04, 2009
You may find roaches in your home especially in summer season.
Roaches will encroach wherever there is food.
They have survised for a long long time as they eat anything, and
they get almost anywhere by using their flat body.
I found that roaches in Tokyo are small (average 3.5~4.5cm)
but they move so fast, (sometimes they fly and come at you...)
compare to the ones I used to see in Queensland, Australia;
they were huge but slow...easier to catch...
In Japan, there are so many products to catch / kill roaches
sold in supermarkets and drugstores.
Here are some useful and effective products I personally trust...
"Gokiburi Hoi Hoi" by Earth Chemical Co., Ltd.
Trap type set of 5 'house' 398 yen
You can just leave Gokiburi Hoi Hoi around kitchen area, between
small gaps of kitchen cabinet and such, where the place can be the
path of roaches. This product has a mat of sticky 'smell of food'
thing in a 'house for roaches'. Roaches come insde of the 'house',
where yummy smell comes from. But once they get in, they are trapped!
All you have to do is just check the 'house' sometimes and if there are
any roaches trapped, you through away the whole thing. Easy.
"Goki Jet Pro" by Earth Chemical Co., Ltd.
Aerosol Spray type 450ml 980 yen
This is the most effective product if you actually found a cockroach
in front of you! There is a thin, long spray nozzel attached and by using
that nozzle you don't have to face much closer to a cockroach.
Great injection effect kills target in a short time. Scent-free.
"Goki Earth Red" by Earth Chemical Co., Ltd.
Smoking agent type
Room Size:
6J - 8J (about 10 sq.m - 13 sq.m) 730 yen
12J - 16J (about 20 sq.m - 26 sq.m) 1,150 yen
18J - 24J (about 30 sq.m - 40 sq.m) 1,520 yen
30J - 40J (about 50 sq.m - 66 sq.m) 2,310 yen
*J = Jyo 1J is one tatami mat
This product is to sparge chemical in the whole room and
kill cockroaches hiding behind kitchen and furniture. 
←Photo is for 12J - 16J
[How to use Goki Earth Red]
1. Take out aluminium bag from the plastic container and open it,
take out aluminium can from the bag.
Do not take off the red sticker.
2. Pour water in a plastic container up to black dash line.
Do not pour over the line.
3. Leave the plastic container in center of the room,
then place the aluminium can in the plastic container.
Face up the red sticker surface.
4. Put the ring-shaped lid on.
Smoke/steam like chemical will start to come out in 1-2 minutes.
Please do not touch the can as it gets hot soon after you set up
in water.
5. Please go outside of the room and close the door within 2 minutes.
Do not go back in the room or open the door for at least 2 hours.
*Please be careful of mechanical errors in fire and smoke detectors.
Please cover your nose and mouth with a towel when you go back
in the room, and open windows or leave the kitchen fan on for a while.
This product is harmless for pets, but I won't recommend for a
household with small children. Do not leave your pets in the room
while this product is in use, of course.
(You may find dead roaches after few hours up to few days...be warned!)
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January 20, 2009
do not forget to contact post office for mail forwarding serivce.
Please fill out a change of address card which is available at any
post office so that your mail will be forwarded properly inside
Japan for one year. When leaving Japan, we suggest you to
arrange to forward your letters to your friends in Japan.
Please note: Forwarded address cannot be the company address.
It needs to be an address of individual house or apartment.
Procedure at post office
you may initiate the procedure at the post office close to your residence.
You are required to present your ID such as driver's license or
alien registration card.
In case you can not be at post office
Simply fill in the form and post it. In this case, postman might visit you
to ensure your move.
*Form is available at any post office.
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January 13, 2009
Mold starts to grow in the temperatures from 20 - 30 degrees C
and humidity around 75% or more. You must be very careful
especially from the rainy season (June) till it gets cool and dry (Nov.). 
To prevent growth of mold, please take notice the following:
1. Ventilate rooms with a ventilation fan and prevent moistrure
accumulation.
2. Remove any condensation at once.
3. Remove dirt by regular cleaning.
Detergent for removing mold:
Commercial chlorine bleach or acid detergent is effective in removing
mold.
How to remove mold from vinyl wall coverings/tatami mats/carpets
[wallpaper]
Wipe with dampened cloth with diluted mild detergent.
[Tatami mats & Carpets]
Remove mold on the surface by using a cloth dampened with a
fungicide and wrung out well. If mold spreads to the core of tatami
or the felt side of carpet, they will need to be replaced.
Please note:
If you fail to remove condensation or mold on wallpaper, tatami or carpet
they become a big damage such as peeling off or needs to be replaced,
you will be required to pay for the replacement cost.
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it gets cold early in the morning and late at night.
You may notice that window surfaces, wall and even closets get
dew condensation. That is because there's a significant temperature
difference between inside and the outside air.
To prevent condensation, please take notice the following:
1. Room temperature should be kept at around 20 degrees C.
(68 deg F.)
The higher the room temperature, the greater the amount of
water vapor in the air. Warm the entire residence,
do not leave a spot it gets too cold.
2. A ventilation duct should be open in each room, also the bathroom.
3. Leave windows open for ventilation on sunny days.
4. Avoid hanging washings in a room.
5. Avoid using a humidifier.
6. Remove any water caused by condensation when you notice it.
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