What A Site!

Site Description:
            Tokyo is the largest city of the archipelago that makes up the country of Japan.  It is situated approximately in the middle of the Japanese archipelago in the southern Kanto Area.  The Greater Tokyo Area is made up of Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures; Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba. Tokyo is one of 47 prefectures that compose Japan’s administrative divisions. 
            Tokyo itself is divided into 3 main parts including; 23 special wards, or ku in Japanese, the Tama Area, and the islands.  The ku cover an area of 621 km2and the green space is fast disappearing due to an increase in the number of buildings in the area.  This area is also prone to earthquakes.
            The Tama Area consists of 26 cities, or toshi, 3 towns, or machi, and 1 village, or mura.  This area is covers approximately 1160 km2of lush green space and numerous bodies of water.
            Finally, the islands are filed with marine life and flourishing green landscapes occupying 406 km2.  The two main groups of islands are the Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands. 
Tokyo is known for its bustling activity fuelled by the vast public transit network. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tokyo_metro_history_map.gif


23 ku of Tokyo
Satellite View of Tokyo

Satellite View of Tokyo

Satellite View of Tokyo




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Sakura Sakura!

          My favourite flower is the Cherry Blossom which also plays a large role in Japanese Culture.  Hanami is the traditional celebration of the Cherry Blosson, or Sakura, and it acts as a popular rite of Spring for the Japanese people.  As the Sakura is native to Japan, hundreds of different varieties are cultivated and celebrated.  Television, newspapers and weather reports provide blossom forecast information throughout the Hanami season, keeping all Japanese people in tune with the Sakura's blossoming. Many legends surround the sakura including its recognition as a sign to begin the rice planting season.  Cherry Blossoms are not the official flower of Japan, though a single cherry blossom was the crest of the Japanese Imperial army.








Picnics Taking Place At A Traditional Hanami
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Lost in Translation.

           Last Week, Sam and I visited the famous Shibuya Crossing easily recognized in many Hollywood films, including Lost in Translation. Similar to the recent implementation of the “scatter crosswalk” in Dundas Square in Toronto, the Shibuya Crossing allows thousands of pedestrians to cross in all directions.  When watched from above, the Shibuya Crossing perfectly embodies the phrase “organized chaos.”  At the entrance of Shibuya Station, there is a statue of Hachiko.  When we asked a Japanese woman what it represented, she told us the story of Hachiko.  Hachiko was a faithful Akito dog who would come to the station everyday to meet his owner and continued this ritual even long after his owner’s death.  I also just discovered that several movies were made based on the relationship between Hachiko and the professor including Hachi: A Dog's Story, starring Richard Gere.



Hachiko





Kokoro,
Sim & Sam
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Hello Kitty!


      Our very favourite Japanese character, Hello Kitty! She has taken over markets all over the world as the brand expands to include everything from dolls, to wine, to jumbo jets, to school supplies, to video games, a restaurant and a maternity hospital in Taiwan.

Some facts about our Japanese friend:
  • Name: Kitty White
  • Birthday: November 1, 1974
  • Blood type: A
  • Place of birth: Sanrio, Japan
  • Height: That of five apples
  • Weight: That of three apples
  • Good at: Baking cookies
  • Favourite food: Apple pie made by Mama (mum)
  • Favourite word: "Friendship"
  • Collects: Small cute things like sweets, stars, goldfish etc.
  • Best school subjects: English, music and visual arts
  • Description: A bright and kind-hearted girl, good at baking cookies and loves Mama's apple pie. Very close to her twin sister Mimmy.
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Sushi, Anyone?

        Tsukiji, the world renowned Fish Market in Japan showcases all manners of seafood.  It is located in central Tokyo and is one of the world's largest fish markets, covering 23 hectares and handling over 2000 tons of marine products per day.  We visited the site in the early morning and experienced the incredible tuna auction, which takes place daily at 5:20 am.

The Tuna Auction



Special tricycle carts are always moving rapidly down the crowded aisles with crates of fish strapped to the back.



Map of Tsukiji
Wholesale Area

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Senso-ji with my Sensei


            Today, Sam and I visited the beautiful Senso-ji temple which is one of the best places to take a glimpse into Tokyo’s historic past.  The Buddhist temple is also known as the Asakusa Kannon Temple and it is located in shitamachi, which means “low town.”  A “golden Kannon” is also known as “the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.” Legend has it that the Kannon has been on the same spot for nearly 1500 years, though the temple that exists today only dates back to 1950.




Gambatte Kumasai Sensei!
Samantha & Simona

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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building


            The tallest building in Tokyo is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at 248 meters in Shinjuku.  It is also the best observation deck in Tokyo, making it my favourite place to take pictures.  Shinjuku is the highly photographed area of Tokyo including the buildings covered in colourful bright ads and TV screens.  Shinjuku is also known as the “Neon City,” and everything from business to shopping takes place in this district.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Shinjuku

Shinjuku

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Everybody Has Issues...

          A major concern affecting Tokyo is the environmental crises which they face. The first issue is the threat of damaging people’s health due to air pollution caused by all of the cars on the road due to the significant increase in population. Since Tokyo is such a large city, the high population causes for more chemicals to be released in the atmosphere putting the people at a higher risk for health issues. To improve the air quality in Tokyo, various emission control measures are trying to be introduced to help improve their way of life. The second issue that Tokyo faces is the “heat island effect.” The “heat island effect” is due to the rising heat in the city because of surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, and tall buildings. These block the air from a breeze creating a warmer environment. In order to improve the heat levels in Tokyo, rooftop gardens are now recommended. The Tokyo governor, Shintaro Ishihara, is promoting environmental improvement throughout the city. New “green” rooftops are required for buildings that have a ground surface of over 1000 sq m, and as a result 54.5 hectares of rooftops had been “greened” because of this requirement in order to improve the heat levels for the population of Tokyo. 



Green Roof in Tokyo
Smog in Tokyo


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Samantha-Chan & Simona-San

Ohayou Gozaimasu!
Today is a simple grammar lesson!

"-san" is a title of respect added to a name.  It may be used on male or female names, given names or surnames, and occupations and titles.
Example: 
Mr. Neto - Neto-san
Samantha - Samantha-san
Teacher - Teacher-san
Student - Student-san

"-kun" is a title used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker.  A male might address female inferiors by "-kun," usually in schools or companies.  It is less polite than "-san."

"-chan" is a title attached to children's names when calling them by their given name, or it may be attached to kinship terms in a childish language.
Example:
Marco [little brother] - Marco-chan
Grampa - Grampa-chan -> ojii-chan

Arigato Reader-San!
Simona-san & Samantha-san
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Language Lessons!

Welcome to your very first Japanese language lesson!
Yes - Hai
No - Iie
Good - Yoi
Bad - Warui
Me - Watashi
One - Ichi
Two - Ni
Three - San
Sorry (for a mistake) - Gomenasai.
Cute - Kuwaii
Good Morning - Ohio Gozaimasu
Cherry Blossom - Sakura
How are you? - Ogenki Desuka?
I'm fine, thanks! - Watashi wa genki desu. Arigato!
Goodnight! - Oyasumi nasai!
Excuse Me - Sumimasen!
My Name Is - Watashi no namae wa...
No Problem - Daijyoubu desu.
Japan is a wonderful country - Nihon ha subarashii kuni desu.


My First Words!



Ometedou! Congratulations! You've learned your first words of Japanese!
http://japanese.about.com/library/blphrase.htm
Ganbatte Ne! Good Luck!
Simona & Samantha
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Youkoso irasshai mashita.

Simona & Samantha: Resident Tokyo Experts


Welcome to Tokyo, Japan's largest city! Before we delve into the wonders that make Tokyo so unique, we'd like to present you with some basic facts:






Region: Kanto
Island: Honshu
Area: 2 187.08 km2
Population: 35 327 000 people
Density: 5 796 people / km2
Religion: Shinto, Buddhist
Currency: Yen
Life Expectancy: 81
Literacy Percent: 99%
GDP per Capita: $28 700 [USD]
Industry: Motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals
Agriculture: Rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, fish
Exports: Motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals

And some fun facts...
Buildings are numbered in the order in which they were constructed.
The name ‘Tokyo’ literally translates to ‘Eastern Capital.'
Tokyo was previously known as Edo until 1867.
Someone from Tokyo is called a 'Tomin.'
Tokyo's Municipal Flag

Mata Atode Aimashou!
Simona & Samantha
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