http://www.seekjapan.jp/on-japan New Zealander, fair hair, blue eyes, kind and friendly personality, love to have fun GMT en-us http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1579/New+Cycling+Laws http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1579/New+Cycling+Laws Sun,6 Apr 2008 GMT News Flash: New cycle laws are due to come into force in June. That's right, June, and as of yet very few people know about them because the advertising and education has been so poor. The law changes themselves are, in a word, crazy. The Law changes include: 1) No cell phone usage while cycling 2) No riding with an umbrella 3) Stricter enforcement of illegally parked bikes being taken away and locked up. 4) Cyclists using the road and not the footpaths unless the roads are too ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1578/English+Education http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1578/English+Education Sun,6 Apr 2008 GMT Having been in Japan for two years now and worked in a number of private english schools and Jukus one thing stands out above all others. That making money is a much higher priority than educating the students that go to these schools. Any native english teacher in Japan will be able to tell you that there is alot of mis-treatment of staff, and a complete lack of english language and culture by the school managers and owners. They employ native English speakers to teach English and the ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1548/baseball http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1548/baseball Sat,22 Mar 2008 GMT While not been big on baseball, I had seen a few Nagoya Dragon games on the television, and thought it would be nice to go and see a game live, just to experience the atmospehere. I was lucky enough to be given to free tickets from my boss, to go see the Dragons vs Carps game at Nagoya Dome, Friday March 21. Because it was a Friday, and possible because the Carp are not one of the top teams, the dome was less than half full, and early indications were that the atmosphere was going to be kinda ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1543/Japanese+golfing+experience http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1543/Japanese+golfing+experience Thu,13 Mar 2008 GMT Being an avid golf fan I was longing for my first game on Japanese soil. In New Zealand I was able to play twice a week, but while living in Japan for the last two years i had not had the opportunity, despite buying a reasonable set of clubs, a golf bag and accessories for a grand total of 2000 yen. I had heard golf in Japan was a rich man's sport, and for many courses you needed to be invited by a member to be able to play. I wondered why this was the case, as in my ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1482/Kafka+on+the+shore http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1482/Kafka+on+the+shore Fri,1 Feb 2008 GMT Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami Murder, a 15-year old runaway, an old man that can talk to cats, leeches that fall from the sky, unaged world war 2 soldiers, this book has it all. The book follows the fortunes of two characters, one a 15-year old boy who runs away from home shortly before his father is found murdered. The other an old man who can't read but can talk to cats and predict leeches falling from the sky. The book is unlike anything I have ever read before, and is written ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1456/Film+Review:+American+Past+time http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1456/Film+Review:+American+Past+time Wed,23 Jan 2008 GMT This is a story about a group of Japanese/Americans living in America who were put into holding camps during World War Two. These people had American citizenship, and their only crime was being Japanese. The hatred shown towards American/Japanese citizens following the Pearl Harbour Attack is well portrayed in this film. Unfortunately even today, the same hatred and ill-feeling towards other cultures continue. How unforgiving is the human race that we need to victimise innocent people just ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1417/Lost+in+America http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1417/Lost+in+America Mon,31 Dec 2007 GMT Starring Danny Glover Great film. For impact and emotion I rate it nine and a half out of ten. This is a story about a Vetnam veteran who takes in a young Vietnamese girl who has lost her family. Overtime the vet's bitterness and anger of life turns into love and happiness because of the girl and her desire to have someone to stay with her. Living in the mountains, along with other veterans who couldn't return to mainstream life after the war, the story tells of the bond between two ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1409/Hakone http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1409/Hakone Fri,21 Dec 2007 GMT Last weekend I went to Hakone for the first time, and I loved it. Coming from a nature rich country (New Zealand) it was great to see similar beauty in a country that otherwise looks dull. Sure Japan has places like Kyoto where the trees look great in the Autumn with their red and yellow leaves, but trees are trees.  I love to see real nature in its natural environment, nature that can hold its beauty all year round. Hakone offers this. Owakudani Valley, well worth seeing ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1408/Shogun,+by+James+Clavell http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1408/Shogun,+by+James+Clavell Fri,21 Dec 2007 GMT For those foreigners wondering about the depth and sanity of Japanese cultures, Shogun is a must-read book. Granted, it is not a new book, actually it  was first published in 1975, but it is still as good a read now as it was then. The book tells the story of an English pilot in charge of a Portugese fleet, but his ship gets isolated from the rest of the fleet in a storm and ends up in Japanese waters. After being captured the crew are thrown into a pit while the pilot tries to ... http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1357/finger+printing http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/1357/finger+printing Fri,16 Nov 2007 GMT The process of finger printing and photographing all foreign visitors and residents entering and returning to Japan is in the early stages, but the talk is rampant. This development has not gone down well with most foreigners, and I for one don't like it either, True, I have nothing to hide and have broken no laws so why should I be afraid. I'm not, but the whole point is I have broken no laws and therefore should not be treated like a criminal upon returning to Japan. The idea behind this ...