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.

Hiroshima marks 64th A-bomb anniversary

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.

A website to share Crime Announcement in japanese forums

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.

The suicide forest at Aokigahara on Mt Fuji

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.

How to send items through post office

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).

1. 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).
   
2. 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.

Origami 折り紙

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）”

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.