An irresistible vanilla yogurt

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

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

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

Good reading books when you live in japan

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.