Japan! Can You Dig it?

Can you dig it?

Japan does it again! We have some great contests in this country. I wrote recently about the contest whereby guys thousands of guys, dressed only in a loincloth, gather together at a temple to try to grab their "sacred wood."


Yeah. That's one that you just don't want to miss.


But I just found out about another contest in Narita that I missed! I had to slap myself in the forehead. It is the All-Japan Hole Digging contest. This contest has been going on for 11 years now and people gather from all over the country to join in the, er, "fun"!

Japanese boy digs it big time!

There are awards given for best hole, deepest hole, most creative digging, and best digging costume.


Entrants have 30 minutes to dig whatever they want and to try to grab the coveted, er, "Hole Award."


There's even rules on how big shovels can be and many contestants are kids and ladies groups.

It is contests like these that help make Japan a wonderful and peaceful place to live. It gives people a chance to get out and meet new friends and work together with the community.

I think I'm going to show up next year and earn one of those trophies! Sounds like lots of fun!


Thanks to Ira Hata!

Egypt Riots and Made in USA... Will Japan Explode Someday Too?

I don't really want to write about what's going on in Egypt as this is a blog about Japan and Marketing... But I do feel that I need to comment as I believe that these events will have serious repercussions in Japan too:


1) I think that what is going in in Egypt and the people power demonstrations and revolutions going on all over the world (especially now all over the Middle East) will have a profound effect on the Japanese people and economy. I think these events point to what I have been saying all along: 2011 is the pivotal year for Japan. Either we default on our debts or we get hit with massive inflation - or both. 

2) The other thing I want to say is that Japan definitely needs to get away from the USA and the American Empire. America is just, as Clint Eastwood would say, "A clusterf*ck, sir." Sticking with the USA, through thick and through thin, is a bad idea. Especially since the government of the USA is stark raving mad. Japan needs independence; unfortunately Japan needs to remilitarize and needs to rejoin her Asian brotherhood as an equal partner. Japan can never do that as America's weak little sister.


The riots in Egypt show us just how messed up US policy is and just how foolish it is for Japan to stick with it... 


The government doesn't allow peaceful assembly in public places so that means that the only alternative for the people is violent demonstrations. Here's what happens when the authorities start to kill:





This will on serve to inflame the people.


The demonstrations are now taking over Europe and the Middle East. The government's response to demonstrations that start out peacefully is violence... In Egypt's case, siding with the USA is a sure loser too. Why? Because while the Egyptian authorities shoot and kill civilians... They also shoot them with tear gas and other weapons... Many of these weapons have "Made in USA" written on them.


Think that makes the Egyptian people the friend of the USA? 


Proof that gas canisters in Egypt have "Made in USA" written on them:

The people are rising up and revolting all over the world. The government's are bankrupting the people and taking our money and giving it the big bankers. Somethings got to give. 


(Read: Former Managing Director of Goldman Sachs: Egyptians, Greeks, Tunisians and British Are All Protesting Against Pillaging of Their Economies)

Egypt today

Narita Japan 1971

People think the Japanese are docile and do not revolt. It has happened before... As they say, history repeats:

Puss TV - Watch Video

Once again, I am reminded of an ancient Chinese curse; "May you live in interesting times."


My friends, we are living in very interesting times.

Thanks to Daily Bail and What Really Happened 

Narita San Shinshoji (Narita Shrine)

There is a diamond in the rough undiscovered by most foreigners visiting Japan and those of us foreigners living in Tokyo and that is Narita San Shinshoji. It is the huge shrine and temple in Chiba prefecture. Er, did I say, huge? I meant, HUGE. Like H-U-G-E. Gigantic. Like you could walk around this place for an entire day or two and still not see everything.


Narita San Shinshoji is about 10 minutes walk from Narita Station. That Narita station; not Narita Airport.


The grounds are, like I said, massive. Besides that, there's a matsuri (festival) feel everywhere around the grounds.


Narita San Shinshoji is one of the top 2 or 3 most visited shrines in Japan around New Year's. That means over 4 million people visit it in the first three days of January every year.


Wikipedia says:


Shinshō-ji (新勝寺 'New victory temple') is a Shingon Buddhist temple located in central Narita, Chiba, Japan. It was founded in 940 by Kanchō Daisōjō, a disciple of Kōbō Daishi. It is a lead temple in the Chisan branch (Chisan-ha 智山派) of New Shingon (Shingi Shingon 新義真言宗), includes a large complex of buildings and grounds, and is one of the best-known temples in the Kantō region. It is dedicated to Fudō myōō ('Unmovable Wisdom King', known as Ācala in Sanskrit), who is usually depicted holding a sword and rope and surrounded by flames. Often called a fire god, he is associated with fire rituals.


My, I was mightily impressed with this wonderful place and thought that I definitely need to bring my family here and friends when they visit from the west... I mean, why spend $400 dollars on a train going to Kyoto when we have a place within one and one half hours train ride from Tokyo


I went there yesterday for the first time and was enthralled.


Every wonderful family and traditional thing you could ever possibly want to do in Japan all in one place.


But enough of my yakking. Here's the photos I took, some videos and other information:

The next big event is April 16 ~ 17 though it is like a festival

there every weekend. Web page URL: www.nrtk.jp

Selling roasted Chestnuts

Toys and good luck for little girls

Kimonos and dolls

Konryubutsu

Main entrance to Narita San Shinshoji

Main Exit at Narita Station. Turn left here.

Japanese style pickles

Some big shot Zazen priest with his entourage

"Irrashaimase!"

Street entertainer with her very funny monkey 

Different view of Konryubutsu

Souvenir and snack shop selling sweets

Shrimp-O-rama

One of the older temples... 

But there are many hundreds of years older than this one

Traditional Japanese wares and chopsticks

I think Narita San shinshoji is a wonderful place that is a must see for travelers and people who live in Japan alike. You can easily spend an entire day or two walking around here and not see everything... And, best of all, entrance is free!

More photo's here: http://nrtm.jp/photoalbum.html

More Event News In English: http://nrtm.jp/whats_new.pdf

Narita San Shinshoji

Entrance: Free

Address: 1 Narita, Narita-Shi, Chiba

Tel: 0476-22-2111

Access: From JR Narita Station / Keisei Railway Keisei Narita Station: 10 mins on foot

Tour and hotel booking information here (There are several moderately priced hotels nearby!)

http://www.japanican.com/japaninfo/Detail.aspx?BookID=A1302270&category=S

Map: http://yj.pn/AHwd5P

Paris Hilton Denied Entry to Japan

Just to show that the Japanese authorities still don't mess around when it comes to drugs and past drug abuse, they have denied Paris Hilton entry to Japan!

As AP reports:

American celebrity Paris Hilton, who is on probation for drug possession, left Japan on a chartered plane for the United States on Wednesday as she dropped her request for entry to Japan following questioning by immigration authorities. Hilton, 29, appeared at a departure gate wearing a T-shirt and sunglasses and told reporters that she was very tired. The great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels, was questioned by officials of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau after arriving on a chartered flight at Narita International Airport on Tuesday evening, and spent the night at a hotel at the airport.





I am not making any commentary about the absurd "War on Drugs" or whether or not marijuana, for example, is good or bad. My entire point is that, in Japan, they are very strict about this sort of thing, regardless of what you or I think.

If you want to do drugs or have a past criminal record concerning drugs, don't even bother coming to Japan... Even if your daddy is one of the richest men in the world.

The Japanese authorities threw Paul McCartney into jail for marijuana before, they'll certainly throw you in jail too if you come to Japan and cause any sort of hijinks. 

From Breitbart

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Keywords: Paris Hilton, marijuana, Paul McCartney, Marketing Japan, Mike Rogers, arrest, drugs, War of Drugs, Narita, Mike in Tokyo Rogers

More Low Cost Airlines Enter Japan's Market for Betterment of Everyone

More new Low Cost Carrier's (LCC) are entering Japan to the betterment of the Japanese consumer. This time a new airlines from Malaysia, AirAsia Bhd, is about to begin services.

From Nikkei Newspapers:
Five overseas budget airlines already operate regular flights to Japan, but with AirAsia Bhd to join the fray, price competition on international routes is sure to take off.

Established in 2001, the Malaysian airline is a trailblazing low-cost carrier. It has grown at breakneck speed over 10 years and now operates 132 routes covering such markets as Great Britain, South Korea, China and Australia.

Japan had been on the airline's radar for a few years, but hefty airport usage fees and limited landing spots at Narita and other airports remained stumbling blocks.

From October, Haneda airport will begin midnight flights for major overseas carriers and this has opened up available slots for other airlines to get into Narita and the LCC are taking advantage of this situation. This is especially good for businessmen as companies are getting very careful about travel expenses in a more competitive market.

Business travelers are also expected to opt for low-cost carriers as companies pare back operating expenses. With Japanese airlines caught up in the web as well, price competition is likely to soar.

All of this is to the better for business and the public at large. Hopefully these LCC can start to get even the majors involved in the price cutting and competition for better services at lower cost.


Original Nikkei article.

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Keywords: Low Cost Carrier, LCC, AirAsia, Narita, Haneda

All Nippon Airways Announces Daily Flights to LA from Haneda Airport

I had just blogged about what a kick butt company All Nippon Airways (ANA) is and then, two days later, they send me some information by e-mail asking me to promote their new service to Los Angeles from Haneda airport. (Besides other flights to America, Europe and Canada - check their webpage!)

See? I told you that this was a world class operation. They even keep up on the Internet chatter about their company and ask me to write about their service. That's the sign of an aggressive company that's going places in this new economy.

I'm flattered that they would check my blog and I'm flattered that they would send me information and ask me to write about it... OK, I will write about it.

Starting October 31 All Nippon Airways is proud to announce direct daily service to Los Angeles (LAX) from Tokyo's very convenient Haneda airport - just thirty minutes from downtown Tokyo! No more having to waste 3 or 4 hours getting to Narita! A person could work their regular day, have a late, relaxing dinner, then pop off to Haneda for a relaxing night trip to LA. What could be easier?

The flights depart from Haneda at 0:05 (5 minutes past midnight) and arrive in LA at 17:55 (5:55 pm the previous calendar day).

From Los Angeles, the flights depart at 0:55 (55 minutes past midnight) and arrive back in Haneda at 5:00 (5:00 am the following day).

For more information, see the ANA website:

ANA webpage in English: http://www.ana.co.jp/asw/index.jsp?type=de

10月31日からの羽田からロサンゼルスのフライトですが、

　羽田　0：05発　⇒　ロサンゼルス　17：55（前日）

　ロサンゼルス　0：55発　⇒　羽田　5：00着（翌日）

　です。

　

　また成田　17：05発　⇒　ロサンゼルス　10：45着

　　　ロサンゼルス　12：35発　⇒　16：25着（翌日）

　の便と合わせて成田・羽田トータルで2便になります。

ホームページ：http://www.ana.co.jp
国内線予約：0570-029-222  国際線予約：0570-029-333

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Keywords: Mike Rogers, All Nippon Airways, ANA, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Los Angeles, Haneda, Narita, Marketing Japan

ANA to Launch budget Airlines!

Great News! Japan's best airlines (no, it's not Japan Airlines)... Japan's best airlines, All Nippon Airways will launch a LCC (Low Cost Carrier).

Japan's ANA to launch budget carrier

TOKYO — Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) is to launch a low-cost carrier that will operate both international and domestic short-haul routes from the second half of 2011, the company said Thursday.

ANA said it had signed an agreement with Hong Kong-based private equity firm First Eastern Investment Group to establish "the first Japanese low-cost airline", adding that it would operate independently from ANA.

The new company will be established by the end of this year, ANA said, with the aim of flying both international and domestic short-haul routes out of Kansai International Airport, Osaka by 2011.

"Regardless of the intense competition in the air transportation industry, we anticipate an increase in passenger traffic demand in East Asia," said Shinichiro Ito, president and chief executive of ANA.

The carrier "came to the conclusion that a low cost carrier would be the right approach to compete effectively in this market" he said.

The airline said the new company will be 66.7 percent owned by Japanese investors, with ANA holding a 39 percent stake.

First Eastern will hold the remaining 33.3 percent stake, the maximum foreign ownership currently allowed in Japan.

From Google AFP

Travelers Do Not Prefer Japan's Airports

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers 


I wrote before about Japan's coming financial disaster and how Japan is missing out due to inept policies by the Japanese government and indecisiveness by Japanese business... Then, when they finally do decide what action to take, it is often the wrong one.

Japan is now is seriously bad shape. 15.7% of the people are now below the poverty line. The Nikkei 225 has lost nearly 1,000 points in the last three months (will be much worse, you'll see). Now those fools in the government want to spend more money and get us more public debt - our debt is already 190% of GDP! The only country with a higher debt problem is Zimbabwe (I am not making that up).

Now, Japan has fallen to #3 after China and there is no good news on the horizon. I must say that I no longer see any Japanese companies with the zeitgeist or gumption (or even desire) to want to be top of the world anymore.

Today, Japanese companies are taking too long to make important decisions, and then, when they finally do, it's the wrong ones.

The only companies in the world who are now inspiring young people are Google and Apple.  It wasn't that long ago that Toyota and Sony were inspiring today's young people. Remember?

Now, here comes some more bad news... This, after 40 years of government infighting and incompetence and indecision concerning Narita and Haneda airport and their bungling of the entire affair. Now, it seems that international passengers are preferring to fly into Inchon, South Korea rather than Japan. 

Inchon? That isn't even convenient to Seoul! Read on.  

The government's civil aviation administration has been criticized for failing to make a clear-cut distinction between the roles of Narita and Haneda airports, while other airports are financially strapped due to cuts in flights and deteriorating government finances. ..

Incheon Airport has strengthened its position as an Asian hub to such a degree that travelers flying from local Japanese airports often prefer to use the South Korean airport to transit to other cities rather than use Narita and Haneda airports.


....Incheon can hardly be regarded as convenient, considering it is 50 kilometers from Seoul. So why is it so popular?

"During the four hours we have to wait before boarding our flight, my wife can surf the Internet free of charge and I can play with my son at the airport's kids room..."This airport has plenty of facilities, so I prefer flights via Incheon [to those using Japanese airports]."

Sure, it makes sense to me. I live in Japan and I hate going to Narita. Narita is a good 1.5 ~ 2 hour trip from Tokyo. It was a government boondoogle to build that mistake of an airport in the 1970's. Today, Haneda (which is 15 minutes from Tokyo) can handle most of our International flights, but NO! Now, just like every other government in the world, the government  cannot admit their mistakes and have to keep a messed up project going to save face.


Yes, they save face and get kick backs... The people get the raw deal, lose money and have to pay for it with increased taxes.

Original article from Yomiuri Newspaper: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100822001711.htm


Keywords: Haneda, narita, Marketing Japan, Mike Rogers, Inchon, Seoul, airport