Muslim women in Japan

An irresistible vanilla yogurt

2010-06-09T08:19:00.003+09:00

One of my favorite yogurts in Japan is "vanirayouguruto - バニラヨーグルト" or vanilla yogurt in english. It is creamy and really delicious. Really an irresistible yogurt. For the price, it is sold around 200 yen for 3 pots but if go shopping on a sale day, you can find it much cheaper (150 yen).
Its ingredients are powder milk, sugar, eggs, agar and flavors (乳製品、砂糖、卵黄、寒天、香料).
More information in Japanese: http://www.nipponluna.co.jp/products/yog_01/vani.html

Gathering in front of Israel Embassy in Tokyo

2010-06-03T16:51:00.001+09:00

There will be a gathering near Israel embassy in tokyo to protest against Israeli's raid on the humanitarian sea convoy aiming to reach Gaza with food, wheel chairs, medicines and building materials.

The demonstration is organized by a collective efforts by many Muslim organization in Japan, e.g., Islamic Center japan (ICJ), Japan Islamic Trust (JTI), Muslims Students Association of Japan (MSAJ), Pakistan Peoples Party Japan (PPP-Japan), Friends of Pakistan in Japan (FOP), etc.

The information is as following:
Date: June 4, 2010 at 3:00 pm.
Location: In front of Israel embassy.
Access: Tokyo-Metro Yurakucho Line Kojimachi Station (exit 6)
Gathering place at exit No. 6

Content of silent gathering for protest:

- distributing some papers about what happen,

- rising some pictures, and play card,

- speech in Japanese language,

- condemnation letter.

Tsumra-Ladies Cycling Tour - May 9, 2010

2010-05-08T11:00:00.006+09:00

Whether you are a novice or an avid cyclist, you are more than welcome to join us on our next cycling tour.

Destination: Suzumeko farm. (website: http://www.suzumeko.com/ichigogari.htm)

Address:

すずめっこ森マルヤ観光農園
〒315-0067
茨城県かすみがうら市下佐谷978-1

Activity: Picking strawberries and enjoying time together.

Meeting Point: Parking area (1st floor) of Tsukuba University International Student Center (筑波大学留学生センター)

Date & time: Sunday 9th of May 2010, at 09:00

Weather: http://weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/8/4020/8230/3150067.html

Distance: 14 Km (one way)

Required time: About 75 min (one way)

What to bring: Hat, water or drink, 800円(cost for picking strawberries), sweets or food (light lunch in a small park near the farm)

Remarks: Don't forget to pump your bicycle before the tour :) - We may visit park and temple (Houunji) in our way to take a prompt rest.

Map: See below. The blue line is the way that we are going to take. You can zoom in the map to have closer look.

View Tsumra-Ladies Cycling Tour - May 9, 2010 in a larger map

Useful words for pregnant women in Japanese-english-french

2010-05-04T12:43:00.005+09:00

Good reading books when you live in japan

2009-12-09T16:17:00.003+09:00

I found two interesting books, one about food buying in japan, and the other one about kids in Japan.

A Guide to Food Buying in Japan by Carolyn R. Krouse
I recommend this book to foreigners who care about what they eat. This book has a lot of information about the food available in Japan with the japanese names and how to read them. The books axplains also how to read the labels on food. This is really a good reference for muslims living in Japan.

Japan for Kids: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Their Children by Diane Wiltshire and Jeanne Huey.

This is also a good reference for parents mainly if you live around Tokyo. The book contains many useful addresses.

Description
Every year, thousands of families visit or relocate to Japan. Fourteen years ago, Jeanne Huey and Diane Wiltshire made the crossing. Five children and six years later they wrote the first complete guide to entertaining and raising children in this fascinating but often baffling land. Now, eight years on they offer a fully updated version, with hundreds of new additions on:

AMUSEMENTS festivals, theme parks, cultural centers, zoos, aquariums
OUTINGS museums, beaches, parks, playgrounds, gardens
TRAVEL TIPS moving, coping with jet lag, getting around town, day trips
SHOPPING where to buy anything, from food to fashions to futons
HEALTH CARE dentists and doctors, pregnancy and childbirth, medical emergencies
EDUCATION daycare, international schools, the Japanese system, bilingualism
ACTIVITIES talent agencies, sports, Japanese traditions, and extracurricular classes
MAIL ORDER listings, catalogs, and the Internet...and much, much more Compact yet bulging with priceless information and hundreds of tips, the new Japan for Kids is essential reading for families heading for or living in this part of the Far East. From planetariums to petting zoos, educational materials to interactive museums, this handy reference book remains indispensable-a guide that no parent can go without.

Topvalue/Bestprice shokupan

2009-12-09T13:09:00.005+09:00

I have already written a post about Bestprice bread by Topvalue to say that all the ingredients of this bread are from plants except of course milk. Now, I deleted it and replaced it with this post.

I received an email from a muslim sister living in Japan telling me that Topvalue uses margarine containing pork fat in the trays of the bread for baking.

A sister living in Gifu asked Topvalue, they said that there are many factories of Topvalue in Japan, each one uses its own ingredients. If you want to be sure about the ingredients of the bread and the type of margarine used for the trays, you need to call the topvalue factory in your area.

At the end, the factory in the area of Gifu uses only margarine containing ingredients from plants in the tray and no animal ingredients in the bread except milk.

One of my friends who can speak Japanese called the factory in Tsukuba and asked them about the margarine used in the trays. We live in Tsukuba. The company said that margarine containing pork fat is used in the trays of the bread for baking.

This is the list of the ingredients of Bestprice bread by Topvalue in japanese, as you can see, there is no information about the type of margarine used in the trays for baking:

小麦粉、砂糖混合ぶどう糖果糖液糖、マーガリン（大豆を含む）、イースト、食塩、砂糖、脱脂粉乳、発酵種（乳成分を含む）、乳化剤（乳成分を含む）、酢酸Ｎａ、イーストフード（小麦を含む）、香料（乳成分を含む）、ビタミンＣ、カロテノイド色素

Hiroshima marks 64th A-bomb anniversary

2009-08-06T21:35:00.003+09:00

I was just watching NHK news on tv, they were talking about Hiroshima atomic bomb since today it is its 64 th anniversary. Old persons who witnessed Hiroshima atomic bomb were crying.
During the ceremony, a list of nearly 264,000 victims, as well as survivors who died this past year, was put into a cenotaph at the city's Peace Memorial Park. The participants observed a minute of silence at 8:15 AM, the time the bomb was dropped.

Many persons living far (arround 15 km) from were the bombing took place have cancer or some abnormalities in their chromosomes. Within 20 to 30 minutes after the bombing, a heavy black rain began falling in areas to the northwest. This rain contained large amounts of radioactive soot and dust, thus contaminating areas far from the hypocenter. People drunk water and ate vegetables from their gardens after the bombing, they did not know that every thing is contaminated.

I wish to see our world free from nuclear weapons and wars.
This is a documentary about Hiroshima atomic bomb.

Coop, a convenient way to have grocery delivered to your home

2009-07-29T09:21:00.007+09:00

Coop (or Co-op) is a Japanese Consumer Co-operative, the largest consumer union in Japan. For more information, this is their website in english: http://jccu.coop/eng/

This is a list of all coops in japan:

After you enter the coop website of where you live, click on Co-op Deli link to go to the online shop website.
This is coop of niigata: http://niigata.coopnet.or.jp/index.php
Ibaraki coop: http://ibaraki.coopnet.or.jp/

You need first to join coop by registering using their website(in japanese): https://f.coopnet.or.jp/webapp/form/11881_zor_7/index.do?ref=9

Then a person will call you to take an appointment with you (japanese only). The person will come to your house and give you some papers to fill in, you need to give them your bank account number.

Once a week you can make an order (bread, butter roll and anything else you need), the items will be delivered to you the next week. Each week they will give you the catalog containing what they are selling and the order form. Each item in the catalog has a number, to order write the number of the desired item (for example the number of the butter rolls) on the order form with the quantity (how many do you want to take) and give it to the person of Coop the next week he will come to your house.

The shipping fees are not exceeding 200 yen. If you have a child under 3years old, the shipment will be free of charge.

2009-07-28T23:45:00.007+09:00

Oishii shokupan by Seven eleven (おいしい食パン）

2009-07-28T14:35:00.008+09:00

It is sold at Seven Eleven convenience stores.
This bread contains margarine. Some of my friends (we live in Tsukuba) asked about the margarine, it is from plants. But each factory of bread of 7/11 uses its own ingredients. To be sure you need to call 7/11 factory bread in your area.

Homemade flan

2009-07-19T18:07:00.002+09:00

If you miss your favorite flan because you cannot find Halal flan in Japan, you can make it at home. The recipe is very easy and the result is almost similar to the flan you can find in shops.

The recipe:
400 ml warm milk (the milk has already been boiled)
1 egg yolk
3 (or as you want) table spoon of sugar
4 table spoon of cocoa powder (or use halal vanilla if you want )
1 tea spoon agar-agar

Mix every thing together, put in a saucepan on a medium heat. Keep stiring until you see the mixture rising. Remove from heat. Pour into individual ramquins and put them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

That is all!!!

Fares and time table of Japanese trains

2009-07-11T15:30:00.003+09:00

Salam, I am back again.

It is summer, time for trips. If you are planning to take trains, there is a very useful website called Hyperdia which is a search engine that allows you to do specific point-to-point rail searches for travel in Japan. It covers virtually all train services in Japan. It allows you to know, for each course proposed, the time required, the distance (km) and the total amount of money.

The english version : http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

The japanese version : http://www.hyperdia.com

Have a nice trip!

Japanese sweet Potato

2008-09-15T14:07:00.009+09:00

Japanese sweet potato is called in Japanese Satsumaimo. Satsumaimo potatoes are mainly harvested in fall. Satsumaimo have dark-pink skin and are slightly sweet.Satsumaimo are sold fresh at grocery stores and are also used to make shochu (distilled liquor) in Japan.

Satsumaimo is a common ingredients for tempura. Also, adding diced satsumaimo when cooking steamed rice makes imo-gohan (satsuma-imo rice). Usually, satsuma-imo are used to make desserts or snacks.

Easy ways to cook are grilling or steaming. Grilled satsuma-imo is called yakiimo. Grilled/steamed satsumaimo are simple but are popular snacks in autumn/winter in Japan. Candied satsuma-imo, called daigaku-imo, are also delicious snacks. Japanese sweet potato cakes are simply called sweet potato. Sweet potato cakes are usually oval shaped and are golden yellow.

Sweet potato is very cheap in this period in Japan, in addition, it is very nutritious. So I decided to try this recipe (Sweet Southern Potato Casserole Recipe) with some modifications. It was very delicious.
I forgot to take a photo, hehe.

Potato Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups sweet potatoes, boiled & mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shredded coconut

preheat your oven to 350 F, or 175 C.

In a large bowl- mix together the sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, white
sugar, vanilla extract, coconut & butter. Scoop into your favorite baking dish.

Spread some sugar on top of sweet potato mash and you're ready to bake your
casserole for 30 minutes.

"Morning Selection" bread

2008-09-02T10:16:00.003+09:00

I received this information

"We bought by accident the bread called Morning Selection.

We asked the company and unfortunately it contains animal fat"

This is the photo of the bread

Tanabata, the star festival

2008-07-03T11:57:00.000+09:00

Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

During Tanabata, Japaneses write two wishes on two colorful pieces of paper (called tanzaku), and hang these pieces of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree. They believe that the wishes will become true.

I remember that my sensei during the extensive Japanese course explained to me why they put their wishes on the bamboo tree, she said that the tree will take these wishes to god. She asked me then to write two wishes and put them on the tree. So, I said that I cannot because my religion forbids me to do that, if I want to ask something from god, I should ask him directly. Elhamdulileh, she respected my opinion ^_^ without any problems.

The problem with Tanabata is that Japaneses celebrate it in schools, teachers asks children to hang their wishes on bamboo trees and tell them different stories on Tanabata. For a muslim child, believing that the tree will make their wishes true is not good. It is very difficult to raise a child islamically in Japan, since Japaneses still believe in such matters. The good thing with Japaneses is that they respect other religions, when a muslim asks teachers that his child will not participate in such celebrations, they accept without any problem.

History of Tanabata:
Tanabata originated more than 2,000 years ago with an old Chinese tale called Kikkoden. Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they were playing all the time and forgot their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on July 7th. This is why tanabata is also called the Star Festival. People say that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet each other if July 7th is rainy, so they pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves. From (http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/tanabata.htm)

2008-07-02T23:55:00.008+09:00

How to clean toddler teeth?

2008-06-28T18:59:00.003+09:00

I think it is not safe to use a toothpaste for a toddler even if the manufacturer says it is safe. I never used a toothpaste for my son who is a toddler, as the dentist has recommended to wait until he can spit the toothpaste out.

In Akachan honpu and Kawachi, it is possible to find wet tissues for cleaning toddler teeth, I think it is the safest one. The tissues are called in japanese: HAMIGAKI NAPPU (歯磨きナップ）.

Mugi-cha

2008-06-27T16:16:00.008+09:00

Roasted barley tea is the best drink for summer, called also mugi-cha in japan (麦茶), it is a popular tisane made from roasted barley. In Japan, it is regarded as a summer beverage. Many people in Japan believe that mugicha helps to cleanse the body.

You can buy prepared mugi-cha from shops, but I prefer to prepare it at home. I bought a bag of roasted barley (198yen, topvalue brand), the bag contains 52 small bags. I put one small bag in 1.5l of water and put it in the fridge for about 1 or 2 hours and the mugi-cha is ready.

You can give mugi-cha to children, it has no side effects. In the nursery school where my son is, they start to give mugi-cha from age 6 months. In shops specialized with baby food, it is possible to find mugi-cha for babies.

How can you travel cheap in Japan

2008-06-21T11:04:00.005+09:00

You might be interested in discovering the beauty of Japan. Have you heard that traveling in Japan is very expensive? Well, traveling in Japan is not necessarily expensive. Fortunately, there are cheap ways to enjoy traveling in Japan.

Transportation: Japan Railway (JR) provides very cheap tickets that you can use to take JR trains anywhere in Japan. These tickets are called 18 kippu. They are usually sold during vacation (see here). 18 kippu are sold as a set of 5 tickets. You are allowed to share with other people. One 18 kippu costs 2.525 円 (about 24 $) and you can use it for 24 hours with different JR trains! So convenient. You can plan your trip in advance by using this database of transportation in Japan.

Hotel: There are youth hostels (Japanese website, English website) everywhere in Japan. Usually, one night costs around 3000円 (about 29$). Youth hostel is a dormitory, where you share your room with other people. An excellent opportunity to make friends. Women dorms and men dorms are separated in Japan. In some youth hostel you can stay in family rooms, but usually they are more expensive. I personally like staying in youth hostels because they are clean, cheap and offer a friendly environment, like a home!

Food: Generally, the managers of youth hotel provide you with sanitary hot water if you ask. Now, you may ask what you can do with hot water. What about having Nescafe with sweets that you brought from home as breakfast? What about having sea food cup noodle as dinner? Moreover, some youth hostel have shared kitchen. So nice, you can cook your dinner and prepare sandwiches or obento for lunch.

Finally, is it safe to travel in Japan? Yes it is! Actually, Japanese are glad to meet foreigners that are interested in their local customs and sightseeing. If you behave politely and respectfully then you receive warm welcome and generous help.

Enjoy your trips :) !

A website to share Crime Announcement in japanese forums

2008-06-13T10:31:00.005+09:00

I read that Japanese launched a website to share Crime Announcement on internet. The website is Yokoku.in where anyone can share crime announcements that can be found on any Japanese online forums.
I tried to see the website but it looks that it is not working for the moment

This is inspired by the stubbing in Akihabara on june 8, to prevent another crime at an earlier stage. The 25-year-old man went on a killing rampage in central Tokyo on Sunday, he posted a series of messages on an online bulletin board from his cellphone. He wrote that he intended to use his vehicle and knife to kill people in the central Tokyo district of Akihabara. Seven people died and 11 were injured. Kato was splattered with blood when he was arrested during the attack.
I started to feel that Tokyo is no more safe for families, may be it is exaggerated but when I think about the victims who died on that day, they did know that their lives will end like that. May be they were just walking or shopping. May Allah protect us inshallah.

日本語で読みましょう！

2008-04-04T18:44:00.005+09:00

You might be interested to improve your Japanese by reading. Fortunately, there are novels dedicated to foreigners who are learning Japanese language. 日本語読む　series are created by 日本語多読研究会. The topics of these novels are mainly legends of Japan. There are four levels: level 1 and 2 are for beginners, level 3 is for lower-intermediate and level 4 is for intermediate. I used to read these novels. I found them quite helpful to enrich my vocabulary.

If you live in Tsukuba, you can find these novels at Tsukuba University Central Library. Or, you can buy them from Maruzen.

Have a sweet reading.

My Japanese home stay family and my burqa?!

2008-03-28T18:34:00.006+09:00

The day of my meeting with the home stay family came.　We decided to meet at the station. Then the mother would take me by car to her home. In order to be recognized, she told me that she would be wearing a red hat. I told her that I would be wearing a black coat. I thought that being a foreigner with my every day black coat can’t be missed in a small town! However, given I am Muslim, my Japanese mother imagined that “black coat” means “black burqa”, like she saw them on TV!

I was few minutes earlier. I saw her coming with her red hat. I waved to her with my hand but she seems to be so absorbed in her thought (or perhaps worries J) that she didn’t notice me! When I was close enough to her, I called her “いさん,　いさんファドワですよ！！”. Finally she noticed my existence!!

We had a nice chat on our way. She is communicative woman. I immediately felt easiness to speak to her. Upon arriving, she introduced me to her husband and daughters. We talked a lot! Only after deeper acquaintance, my Japanese mother told me that I look normal. “Look normal”? I asked her surprised how she was expecting me to look like. That moment, I knew that my Japanese family had not been well informed that there are different Islamic branches, conservative ones as well as liberal ones. She laughed when I told her that I am sorry to disappoint her since she was expecting a more "exotic" visitor.

I discovered that my Japanese family had borrowed books about Tunisia. They seemed to be studying them. My Japanese mother showed me Bourguiba’s picture and told me: “The book says that he is your hero!” Surprise, surprise, this is exactly the person who is responsible of making me look "normal" to her! To be continued…

Things you need to bring when travelling to Japan

2008-03-20T19:53:00.007+09:00

I thought may be it will be interesting for muslims who are coming to japan to know what things they should bring with them:

Medicines: bring with you all the medicines you need or may need (in case of flu, headache, ...). It is may be impossible here in Japan to find the same medicines that you use in your country. Medicines here are sold under doctor prescription. There are drug stores where you can buy drugs without doctor's prescription but when you are new and do not speak/read Japanese it is difficult to find what you are looking for. If you have a baby, it is better also to bring medicines against fever because doctors here refused to give drugs against fever for my baby .
Clothes: it is difficult for a Muslim woman to find suitable clothes for her (I mean long skirts, long jackets, scarves...). It is more difficult if you wear large sizes, most of clothes here are size S, M or L and sometimes LL. LL is considered a very large size here. The same thing goes for shoes.
Bring lace-less shoes or shoes you can easily slip on. You’ll be surprised to find how often you'll be taking them off.
If you have problem to speak English, bring with you a dictionary to translate from your language to English. But do not worry because Japaneses do not speak English well so you will need to talk in English occasionally.
It is difficult to find Halal vanilla and gelatin, so if you need them, bring them with you. Tahini and Nigella sativa (black seeds) are also difficult to find. I recommend also to bring dried herbs like Oregano, verbana, mint.
Bring some food with you if you do not know any muslim where you are going to live, it is difficult in the beginning to know which food is halal .
Bring with you your official papers (translated in English) like the driving license, original transcripts and degree, vaccination record for children....
Many institutes pay salaries at the end of the month, it’s important to bring quite a bit of cash.
Gifts: it is appreciated to give a gift for your professor.

Things you do not need to bring with you:

Electrical appliances like a hair dryer because you will face electrical compatibility problems. Japan operates on 100 volts. In addition, used appliances are very cheap here and can be found easily.

Once you are in Japan and realize that you need things for your new home like plates and spoons, batteries, pens..., you can buy them from 100yen shops, these shops sells things at 100 yen, very cheap when you are in Japan.

The suicide forest at Aokigahara on Mt Fuji

2008-03-12T16:22:00.009+09:00

This is really a place to avoid, the forest of Aokigahara (青木ヶ原) , also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海 Jukai), is an old, dense and dark forest bordering Mount Fuji, so dense and thick that from just a few kilometers inside it no sounds can be heard other than those produced by the forest itself.

In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, replacing the previous record of 73 in 1998. It is a popular place for suicides, due in some part to the novel Kuroi Jukai (Black Forest), which ends with the lovers of the novel committing suicide in the forest. The high rate of suicide has led officials to place signs within the forest, urging those who have gone there specifically with the purpose of suicide in mind to seek help and not kill themselves.

"The perfect place to die." That's how Aokigahara was described in Wataru Tsurumui's bestselling book The Complete Manual of Suicide. Aokigahara is famous throughout Japan as a popular spot for those taking their final journey. By May of 2006, at least 16 new suicides had already been found. More than a few of them were even carrying copies of Tsurumui's book. No one knows how many bodies go undiscovered.

Behind this, there is evidence to suggest that growing numbers of Japanese people are clinically depressed. Statistics from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry suggest that one in fifteen suffer from depression at some point in their lives.

Japanese society puts more pressure on individuals to show outward happiness and this may explain why depression is more likely to result in suicide in

Japan

; if depression is less acceptable, suicide might seem to be an easier option than seeking help.

There is also another factor helping the suicides, Internet. The Internet in Japan is a space where depression sufferers can find similar individuals and make arrangements to meet up and commit suicide as a group. The Aokigahara forest is one of the suicide hot spots.

I was really surprised to know this side of the japanese society, I was always thinking that they are the happiest people on earth, since they have almost everything to make them happy, peace, wealth and prosperity and not many crimes! Ok, it seems that I was wrong.

My Japanese home stay family and my food

2008-02-28T21:53:00.005+09:00

My first home stay experience in Japan was two years ago with a warm family. Although they hosted several foreigners in the past, they have never been in contact with a Muslim person. As many Japanese, their only experience with Islam was through TV or newspapers. Media is not always trustful source of information. Although, it is easy and practical way for widening our knowledge, it can be responsible of negative stereotypes and prejudices.

First, when I applied, I had to specify in the form my religion. Furthermore, in the same form they asked whether I have restrictions in food. At the beginning, I was not going to mention my preferences in food. I said to myself that I will try to avoid eating food that are suspicious to me and have sweets and cracks in my bag in case I find nothing to eat. Eating sweets and cracks for two days will not kill me, I can bear that. Furthermore, I am going for the cultural and social purposes. Food is not my priority along this home stay experience. But, I changed my mind; I want to enjoy Japanese homemade food!! Therefore, I mentioned that I would greatly appreciate if alcoholic drinks and meat are withdrawn from my meals.

Few days later, I received feedback from the host family. They accepted my application. Moreover, they included a questionnaire: “Do you drink milk?”, “Do you eat cheese?”, “Do you eat raw fish?”, “If we cook a soup with meat than we remove meat, can you eat the soup?”…

Oh!! So many details!! They could compete Ghada and Hafidha in their accurate selections of Halal Japanese products, just joking :) ! I really didn’t want to cause so much disturb! I am kind of person who does not feel comfortable in giving requests to unknown people. Having no choice, I replied to their questionnaire and politely thanked them for their care. To be continued…

Interactive website to learn Japanese using illustrations

2008-02-22T12:10:00.006+09:00

I found a good website to learn Japanese http://www.languageguide.org/nihongo/
What I like in this website is that when you move the mouse over a picture, you can hear how to pronounce the word and in the same time you can see how to write the word in japanese and its reading in english. This website is ideal also for children to learn Japanese.

For the hiragana : http://www.languageguide.org/im/alpha/jp/hiragana.jsp
For the katakana : http://www.languageguide.org/im/alpha/jp/katakana.jsp
For the body : http://www.languageguide.org/im/body/jp/, http://www.languageguide.org/im/body2/jp/
For farm animals: http://www.languageguide.org/im/farm_anim/jp/
For birds : http://www.languageguide.org/im/birds/jp/
For fruits: http://www.languageguide.org/im/fruits/jp/
For vegetables: http://www.languageguide.org/im/veg/jp/

There are other languages also, check here: http://www.languageguide.org/

Really a wonderful website!!

Miso soup

2008-02-20T15:07:00.004+09:00

Few weeks ago, my husband saw his friend buying Miso paste (a fermented soybean paste originating in Japan). Since we are here in Japan, we have never tried miso soup, so he asked me if I want to try. My answer was NO, NO, NO!!!
But after searching about the health benefits of Miso paste, I changed my mind. This is what I have found:

Because Miso is fermented with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, miso has been commonly recommended as a B12 source for vegans.
Miso is quite high in sodium (1 ounce contains 52% of the recommended daily value for sodium), but a little miso goes a long way towards providing your daily needs for the trace minerals zinc, manganese, and copper.
A single tablespoon of miso contains 2 grams of protein for just 25 calories. An impressive nutrient profile for a flavoring agent!
Miso's Minerals Support Immune Function, Energy Production, Bones and Blood Vessels
Protection Against Breast Cancer

After knowing all these benefits, no way I can say no to Miso.

The Miso I am using is called 純正こうじみそ (jyunsei-kouji-miso). This one is Halal, it contains only soybean, rice, and salt. As you see, no preservatives or additives which means more healthy (BTW, I am trying to avoid eating products that contain long term harmful additives).

Miso soup is very easy to make, just take a cup of warm water and add 1 table spoon of miso paste, then you can add the mixture to a vegetable soup, to noodles, or just drink it as it is.
For more information about Miso, see the following website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=114#healthbenefits

A Few Quick Serving Ideas: (from the previous website)

Miso soup is quick and easy to prepare. Heat miso paste and water over low-medium heat. Eat as is or add in some traditional fixings including shiitake mushrooms, tofu, scallions, burdock, carrots, and daikon radish.

Miso-tahini sandwiches are one of our favorites. To make your own, just spread miso on a piece of bread and then top with tahini. Enjoy as is or add sliced avocado.

Use miso as an ingredient in marinades for meat, fish, poultry or game.

Carry dried miso soup packets with you and enjoy them as a pick-me-up coffee substitute.

Combine a little miso with olive oil, flax seed oil, ginger and garlic to make an Asian-inspired dressing that can be used on salads or cold grain dishes.

Japanese Toilet Training for Kids

2008-02-12T12:35:00.000+09:00

Do you want to know how the Japaneses train their children for the potty, see this video, it is a Japanese cartoon to teach children how to use the toilet. Nothing can surprise me here in Japan!!

Online Japanese language tools

2008-02-07T14:08:00.001+09:00

This a list of my favorite (and may be the best I know) online Japanese language tools:

Translator, to translate from Japanese to English and from English to Japanese: http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/
To read a Japanese text (Yomikata):

Dictionary (eng-jap, jap-eng, kanji+kana+romaji): http://kanjidict.stc.cx/dict

Have a nice Japanese reading!!!

How to send items through post office

2008-02-05T15:56:00.000+09:00

Many times, I want to send some items through the post office but each time i found it difficult because I do not know all the possible options available and I could not ask because I cannot speak Japanese.
So I decided to search on internet about shipping in Japan. This is a summary of what I found.
For a summary about shipping rates through post office, see the following page: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/fee/simulator/kokunai/parcel.html#02

1-Yuu-pack ( ゆうパック)

Use for: heavier items over 500g
Cost: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/fee/simulator/kokunai/parcel.html#01
More information: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/parcel/you_pack/index.html (Japanese)

For heavier items, postal Yuu-Pack is probably the best option. You need to fill in a blue form with the receiver's and the sender's details, including phone numbers. You can specify a certain time of day for delivery. The fee will depend on the overall size, not the weight, of the package, so try to squeeze it into a small box! You receive a 100yen discount on the price if you take it to the post office by yourself,rather than having the parcel picked up from your home. A few days later you will receive a postcard to let you know the package has been delivered.

Options for Yuu-pack:

Yuu-pack can be sent 着払　Chakubarai　(in english, COD for cash on delivery) or 　代金引換　daikin hikikae　(in english POD for payment on delivery).

Chakubarai: The receiver pays the Yuu-mail rate, plus 20 yen for this service. sender fills out a pink COD form. The receiver's phone number is needed. sender can specify a time of delivery (morning, afternoon, late afternoon, evening).
Daikin hikikae: Payment on Delivery allows the sender to post the parcel to the receiver at the receiver's expense AND collect an extra amount on top of the postal fees.

For more details about options available for Yuu-Pack:
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_pack/add.html

2-Yuu-mail (ゆうメール), called before "sasshi kozutsumi "（旧冊子小包）

Use for: books, magazines, cds, dvds, videos up to 3kg, H+W+D limit: 1.7 m
The flat rates for anywhere in Japan are:

up to 150 grams: 180 yen
up to 250 grams: 210 yen
up to 500 grams: 290 yen
up to 1 kg: 340 yen
up to 2 kg: 450 yen
up to 3 kg: 590 yen
For more information about Yuu-mail (in japanese) http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/index.html
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/use.html

Yuu-mail can also be sent chakubarai (in english, COD for cash on delivery), entailing an extra 20 yen collection fee or sent Daikin hikikae (POD for Payment on Delivery) (see Options for Yuu-Pack for more information).
For more details about options available for Yuu-mail : http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/add.html

3-EXPACK500（エクスパック）500
Sometimes it is possible to cram something that would be going for the top rate of 590 yen of the Yuu-mail into a 500 yen ExPack envelope, saving 90 yen.

Use for: anything that will fit inside the envelope
Fix cost: 500 yen for whatever you can fit inside the envelope (248mm×340mm) and the weight limit is 30 kg.
More information (japanese) http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/expack/index.html

There is a flat 500 yen charge nationwide, as long as the parcel fits inside the envelope provided. There is no need for complicated postage calculations and affixing stamps, and in addition to collection by postal workers, the "EXPACK 500" can also be mailed in a post box 24 hours a day. Moreover, by entering the barcode, tracking information can be checked via PC, and a seal to confirm receipt can be obtained from the recipient.
You can track EXPACK500 on the internet or cell phones. There is no insurance for these so you should not use them for valuable or irreplaceable items and it is not permitted to use them to send money. These envelopes will not fit in the mouth of some older mailboxes.

Halal Milk for babies

2008-01-31T10:38:00.000+09:00

Few months ago some muslim women asked me about halal baby milk. A japanese mulim woman helped us to get more information about the baby milk prouced in Japan.

Unfortunately, the only confirmed halal milk for babies we know is "Chirumiru" of Morinaga: from (9months to 3 years)(http://www.hagukumi.ne.jp /products/chirumiru/chirumiru .shtml)

The japanese sister, asked the maker Morinaga about "HAGUKUMI" suitable for newborn until 9 months, this is Morinaga answer:

"Lecithin is from soy bean, but unfortunately, Hagukumi contains enzyme from pork (or lard)."

The milk of Meiji is Haram (confirmed form ingredients).

All the other brands could not confirm if their products are halal. The japanese sister has asked both of Bean Stalk Snow (group comapny of Yukijirushi) and Wakoudou (group company of Asahi Beer) about their baby milk, unfortunately, their replies were not satisfactory.

Both of them said that as ingredients, haram materials are not included, but they do not have total control on the manufacturing process of their suppliers of ingredients. Enzyme or other ingredients may have been produced or extracted utilizing the material derived from pig.
Therefore they cannot guarantee if their products are halal and they request consumers who have religious restrictions shall not use their products.

If you want to use the baby milk for a baby from 0 month until 9 months and to be sure that the milk is confirmed Halal, I think the only choice you have is the soy milk baby formula, I do not know the brand names but I think it is easy to find it in the store. But, I have been told that soy milk is not good for baby health if used for long time.

I do not know if it is possible to import baby milk from Islamic countries but I think the muslim community here in Japan should consider this option since the only halal baby milk we know is "CHIRUMIRU" of Morinaga and it is only suitable for babies above 9 months.

Fish names in japanese and english

2007-12-30T19:18:00.001+09:00

This is a useful list of fish names in japanese and english when you are shopping. (the list was taken from http://japanese.about.com)

sakana 魚	fish
kai 貝	shellfish
awabi あわび	abalone
ebi えび	shrimp
hamachi はまち	yellowtail
hirame ひらめ	sole
ika いか	squid
iwashi いわし	sardine
kaki カキ	oyster
kani かに	crab
karei かれい	flounder
katsuo かつお	bonito
maguro まぐろ	tuna
masu ます	trout
nishin にしん	herring
saba さば	mackerel
sake 鮭	salmon
tai 鯛	sea bream
tako たこ	octopus
tara たら	cod
unagi うなぎ	eel
uni うに	sea urchin

Free guided tour of Akihabara!

2007-08-30T09:22:00.000+09:00

From “New Discovery of Akihabara” (website)

Free tour ”New Discovery of Akihabara” on every Saturday, will take you the places where is the most excited in Akihabara such as, pop culture ( Kotobukiya ,Tokyo Anime Center ) , electric town and duty free shop.

Period : Every Saturday
July 7, 2007~January 19, 2008
Tour guide language : English

Meeting place : 1st floor of Radio Kaikan
(30 seconds from the Akihabara Electric Town Exit )
Meeting time : 0:50PM
Departure time: 1:00 PM

Tour course
(please visit the New Discovery of Akihabara website for details):
*1 Radio Kaikan
*2 Electric Town / Shopping District
*3 Tsukumo Robot Kingdom
*4 Overseas model products
*5 Knowledge Field at UDX building
*6 Radio Kaikan (disband)
Fill out a questionnaire and disbands at Radio Kaikan.
( Gift will be given at the end of the tour.)

The tour takes approximately 2 hours.

* The tour course may change due to weather.
*Let us remind you that you may be interviewed by Japanese TV or newspapers due to strong popularity of the tour.

Halal Food Seminar for women in Tsukuba Mosque

2007-08-21T15:39:00.000+09:00

Fresh Vegetables in Tsukuba

2007-06-20T10:56:00.000+09:00

Imagine you can find Farmers buying their fresh vegetables here in Tsukuba.

This fresh mini-market is in Namiki Park every Saturday morning. Namiki area is in the other side of AIST. You can take south direction in the Higashi Odori , after AIST you will find a benzene on the right side, the one in the picture.

Turn left and another left in the narrow street. after you pass the first bridge you will find this sign on right....

Turn right and go strait in this road till you find Namiki Shopping Center on the right side, and you will find the farmers in the left side. The official time for this fresh market is early morning from 10:00 to 12:00. Usually the farmers go their about 8:30 to 9:00. Remember to take bags with you, they are farmers so they don't have many bags to serve all.

You can spend a good time their with your family, there is a nice lake view and small area for children to enjoy playing.

Origami 折り紙

2007-06-09T16:35:00.000+09:00

Origami is the Japanese paper fold art. The word origami is composed of two words: 折り(ori) which means folding and 紙(kami) which means paper.
Starting from a piece of paper and using only hands, origami artists, called origamist, can create impressive paper works.

Origamist provide diagrams of their works called orizu. By following the orizu, everyone can create several objects. You can give them as handmade present or use them to decorate your space or teaching you child how to make them. Origami is simple, enjoyable and easy to practice. I selected for you the following origami’s websites, enjoy!

The famous tsuru or crane diagram in 3D animation:

http://www.origami.org.uk/

Diagrams for beginners:

http://www.origami-usa.org/fold_this.html

http://www.origami-club.com/en/

Finally, it is important to mention that origami can be fun as well as educational for children. Actually, origami is considered as a tool for geometric constructions. In Japan, origami is used as an interactive way for teaching geometry to children.

Braille block “点字ブロック（てんじぶろっく）”

2007-06-07T15:12:00.000+09:00

One thing you notice when you are walking in Japanese cities is the yellow lines on some pedestrian roads. These yellow lines are called "braille blocks", in japanese "Tenjiburokku"(点字ブロック（てんじぶろっく）). They are made for people who are visually impaired.

The line is composed of many raised directional tiles or pavers. There are two types of tiles, one with protruded rectangle patterns which means "go". And the other type with protruded dots which means "stop".

You should not park your bicycle on this yellow line because it may cause an accident for persons with visual imparment.

Yamazaki Rolls　(味付けﾛｰﾙ) are Haram

2007-05-31T21:23:00.000+09:00

The following Yamazaki Rolls (味付けﾛｰﾙ) are not Halal (forbidden) because the margarine in not from a Halal source.
Please be careful from the margarine, it may contain fats from pig. Margarine is not always Halal.

Japanese schools

2007-05-23T10:40:00.000+09:00

I am a mother of 3 children, i have twins two girls and one boy.

My daughters now are in a governmental Japanese primary school ,grade 2.

They received their education in kinder garden also in japan.

1-About the primary schools in japan; about my case, Japanese people depends on the activities especially ORIGAMI; some colored papers they can make some shapes from them, all the kids like ORIGAMI, Japanese people are very good in making a lot of shapes, they also teach the kids how to make them. They have also every week one subject for making a new idea, like to make a bag a doll and the children should prepare all the materials to make the idea.

2-Japanese school has a curriculum and they have Japanese language, story, math, activity, music, sports.

3-They have everyday cleaning time after lunch time; they should clean the class after eating by groups, also during the lunch time there are groups for distributing the food to children.

4-they teach them also music, they have some books and they can read by themselves.

5-the children can share in any ceremony with his effort.

6-they can prepare the child to has self-confidence .

7-in kinder garden they can make activities only, no study.

Written by sister Shahira

All Pasco pans are Haram(forbidden)

2007-05-17T11:20:00.001+09:00

I have bought Pasco Pan roll (超熟ロールパン) by mistake.

In the ingredients, there are no emulsifier or shortening, however there are "processed oils" in japanese "加工油". Processed oils may be haram if the source is from animal.

so, I wrote an email to Pasco to ask about the origin of the oils, but unfortunately, they said that they cannot answer my question.
this is their email:

Shortening and emulsifier are made from almost vegetable oil　on products of Pasco. Generally speaking, most bakery ingredients contain some amount of those items coming from animal fat, e.g. emulsifier, shortening, etc. Besides, it is very difficult to say what items are free from animal fat. We are very sorry we can not answer you exactly which items fit your needs because most of the Japanese bakery ingredients have great opportunities to contain animal fat or even have a chance of contamination in the ingredients.

so, I searched in the website of Pasco and this is what I found here http://www.pasconet.co.jp/community/index_faq.html

加工油脂は何の油ですか。

私どもの商品に使用している「加工油脂」は、大豆油、パーム油、菜種油、コーン油、魚油、豚脂などの各種食用油脂を混合したマーガリンなどの製パン用油脂です。植物性の油脂のみ使用した場合と植物性と動物性を混合している場合があります。

the meaning of what is written in japanese is: " the processed oils in all Pasco Pan can contain vegetable oils and animal fats and precisely from pig and fish"
So as a conclusion, all products of Pasco are Haram(forbidden).

Tylenol or paracetamol in Japan

2007-04-27T23:23:00.000+09:00

It is possible to find Tylenol (also called in some countries paracetamol or acetaminophen) in the drug stores in Japan (like Kawachi).

Tylenol is a drug for relieving pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough and the flu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyleno l).

There are 3 types of Tylenol in Japan:

1. Tylenol A (タイレノールA　20錠)

The price of Tylenol A (for Adult, over 15 years old) is around 1100yen.

2.Tylenol FD (タイレノールFD “anywhere”24錠)

The price of Tylenol FD (for Adult, over 15 years old) is around 880yen.

3.Tylenol FD for children ( タイレノール FD　小児用 )

There is also Tylenol FD for children (between 5 and 14 years old).

You can find more information about these products on the following website (japanese): http://tylenol.jp/products.html

Some kinds of fish in Japan.. How to cook?

2007-04-25T12:07:00.000+09:00

The first type ; Aji　 (あじ)
There are small and big Aji the small one is more taste and you can fry it after clean and put it with flour .
The price of packet around 100 – 200 yen .
Your can buy a good FISH from Kasumi or Jusco or market in Lala garden

Second type; SANMA (さんま)

This kind of fish is not for fry because it has fat and oil so you have to use the grill or oven to cook it but there is a notice put it at net of oven and in the plate under it put water to avoid the bad smile of fish. it is tasty and very good for health and it is famous in Japan in special season.
One piece of it around 50 – 100 yen

The third type; Iwashi (いわし)
The very small iwashi is the most taste and you can fry it .
One packet around 100-200 yen

The fourth type; Salmon （サーラムン）
It is with orange color and it is very very taste and you can put it at oven or grill 、Japanese people eat it for breakfast every day it is healthy .

You can find it at market like a small slice and each one cost 75-100 yen .

The fifth type; SABA (さば)

It is not small and very big and you can cut it and fry or by grill but Japanese cook it with sauce like boiled fish and I think it is better ,

The sixth type; The MAGRU (まぐろ)

It is the very big fish and it is famous in Japan they eat it with out cook for sashimi and you can cook it grill like KABAB or you cut it small piece and fry with onion and vegetables or tomato it is

like the meat of chicken in taste and it is sold by small pieces but it not cheap comparing with other types two or three piece 300-400 yen or more

The seventh type; SUZUKI すずき
It is a big one and it is good for grill and it is cost 400-500 yen

The eight type; bori ぶり
It is with small slice and it is to grill and it is tasty also three piece 300-400 yen

This kind u can grill it and Japanese cooked like boiled fish .
There is a small and big size and it is good for grill , it is tasty .

This is the most popular fish and there are a lot of kinds but I don’t know the names but I will add pictures,

This kind u can grill it and Japanese cooked like boiled fish .

Collected By sister Samar

How to say in Japanese (Cleaning Vocabulary)

2007-04-23T11:08:00.000+09:00

Cleaning Vocabulary:

ant spray - ari no sacchu zai
baking soda - juso-u
bath heater cleaner - furo kama yo senjo zai
bath tub cleaner - furo yo sen zai
bleach - hyo haku zai
chlorine bleach - enso kei hyo haku zai
color fast (non-chlorine) bleach - sanso kei hyo haku zai
carpet cleaner - jutan yo sen zaide
humidifying pellets - shiikke tori
dish washing liquid - shokki yo ekitai sen zai
drain cleaner - paipu kurina
dust mite or tatami mite killers - dani no kujo
fabric softener - junan shiage zai
floor cleaner - fuki soji yo sen zai
floor wax - juka yo wakkusu
furniture polish - kaguno tsuya dashi
laundry soap - sentaku yo sekkennon-phosphorus
laundry soap - murin sentaku yo sekken
soap powder - konasekkendetergent - gosei sen zai
mildew spray - kabi kira
moisture collectors - joshitsu zai, shikke tori
mosquito coil - katori senko
electric mosquito repellent - denshi katori
moth repellent - bochuzai
roach hotel - gokiburi hoi hoi
room freshener - hoko zai
sink cleaner - nagashi yo sen zai
spot cleaner - bubun araiyo
stain remover - shimi nuki yo sen zai
starch (goes into washing machine) - sentaku nori
starch spray (used while ironing) - sentaku nori supure
for toilets - toire yo
toilet cleaner - toire yo sen zai
toilet cleaner, neutral type - toire yo sen zai chusei
toilet cleaner, chlorine type - toire yo sen zai enso kei
toilet cleaner, acid type - toire yo sen zai sansei taipu
toilet cleaner, antibacterial type - toire yo sen zai jokin senjo
toilet plunger - tsumari tori ("blockage take out")
wool cleaner - uru yo sen zai
washing machine tub cleaner - sentakki so kurina

Reference: http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/cleaning.html

Stain removing bleach for colorful clothes

2007-04-20T11:52:00.000+09:00

I have recently discovered a powerful bleach called "Super Temanashi Bright" that can be used also with colorful clothes.
This bleach can remove stains from clothes. Just put a little on the stain and put the cloth in the washing machine, you will see, the result is perfect!!!

Haram Ingredient List

2007-04-17T18:17:00.000+09:00

While you are in Japan, you will find most of the progucts contents written in Japanese,

so this is most of Haram (not good to eat or drink as a Muslim) ingredients. If you find any of these items in any products so search for alternative.

click on the list Image to find out the whole list........

Marriages Lead Women into Islam

2007-04-17T15:26:00.000+09:00

One of my friends sent to me the following mail to contribute to the blog. I found it interesting, I hope you too you will like it.

My friend wrote:
"Since the blog is about sharing experience of muslim women in Japan, I suggest the following article from Japan Times which was written a long long time ago by Lynne Y. Nakono, Staff Writer, Japan Times, published November 19th, 1992 :
http://www.jannah.org/sisters/japan.html
or
http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=184
The article describes the difficulties that Japanese Muslim women encounter in Japan. The majority of those difficulties still remains nowadays. I hope it is helpful."

How to say in Japanese (In the Store)

2007-04-17T11:08:00.000+09:00

Dose any one here speak English?
Eigo o hanasu hito wa imasu ka?
えいご　お　はなす　人　は　いますか。

I do not know how to use it.
Tsukai kata ga wakarimasen.
つかい　かた　が　わかりません。

It is expensive, make a discount
Takai desu ne. mousukoshi　yasukushite kudasai
たかいですね。もうすこし　やすくして　ください。

I will take / buy this
kore ni shimasu.　
これにします。

I will not take it
warui desukedo mata ni shimasu.
わるいですけどまたにします。

Could you wrap this one and this one separately
kore to kore betsubetsu ni tsutsunde kudasai
これ　と　これ　べつべつ（別々）に　つつんで（包んで）ください。

Do you have a cheaper/bigger one than this?
kore yori yasui/ooki no arimasuka.
これより　やすい（安い）／大きいのありますか？

Do you have it in different color?
kore no iro chigai arimasuka?
これ　の　いろ（色）　ちがい（違い）　ありますか？

Yukijirushi Neosoft Margarine (雪印ネオソフト)

2007-04-17T08:50:00.001+09:00

The following margarine Yukijirushi Neosoft Margarine （雪印ネオソフト） is HALAL.
This is the ingredients contained in the margarine:

食用植物油脂、食用精製加工油脂、食塩、粉乳、乳化剤、香料、着色料（カロテン）、（原材料の一部に大豆を含む）

The nyukazai (乳化剤) and the purified oil (食用精製加工油脂) are from plants. Sister Amina jazaha Ellah kheiren for all her efforts called the company and asked about the ingredients.

So the Margarine is Halal

How to ask in japanese if the ingredients are from plants

2007-04-12T17:18:00.000+09:00

When we live in Japan, it is important to know how to ask a company if one of its products is from plants or animal.
This how you can ask:

Is the ingredient (X for example) of the product (Y for example) from animal or plant?

In japanese: Yの原材料のXは、動物由来ですか。それとも植物由来ですか。
Reading: Y no genzairyou no X wa doubutsu yurai desu ka? soretomo shokubutsu yurai
desu ka?

Are all the ingredients from plants.

In japanese: 原材料はすべて植物性ですか。
Reading: Genzairyou wa subete shokubutsusei desu ka?

Is anything from animal contained in the ingredients?

In japanese: 原材料に動物性のものは含まれていますか。
Reading: Genzairyou ni doubutsusei no mono wa fukumarete imasu ka?

List of some online Halal food shops in Japan

2007-04-11T15:41:00.003+09:00

siswahyu food shop : www.siswahyu.com

Azhar Halal Foods Store
Halal food
(http://mall.azhar.jp/ihf/mise)

Couscous Online Store
Products from Tunisia (Halal)
http://www.mandpcorp.co.jp/web_eng/tun_prod_products.htm)

Grand Bazaar - Online Food Store
Halal food (most produts are from Turkey
(http://www.baharu.com/e-shop/indexen.htm)

NABI San Halal Food
halal food and egyptian food.
You need to see the price list and contact him by email (http://www.geocities.com/nabisan2000/)

Online store baticrom
Halal food (http://http://baticrom.com/)

Piyopiyoland / Asian World Shop
Online Store where you can buy halal food
(http://www.piyopiyoland.com/)

Spice House
Halal food, not expensive (http://www.spice-house.com/)

Tengu shop
Tengu is a mail order service for ORGANIC vegetarian foods.
NOT ALL FOODS ARE HALAL
(http://www.alishan.jp/shop/nfoscomm/catalog/)

Tonmoy grocery
Halal food shop (http://www.tonmoygrocery.com/index.php)

Tukina international
Halal food shop (http://www.tukina.com/)