Date: 30 March 2012

Location: Odakyu line Gotokuji (Setagaya)
Age: 5 to 15
Direct your inquiries to: info@meme-com.jp
Or call 090-2459-2209

The Tokyo Junior Playhouse’s mission is to creatively enriches the lives of youth by offering education in the art and craft of theatre written for youth, performed by youth and presented to the public. Its mission statement is as follows:

Self-Confidence: We enhance students’ life-long ability to express themselves with clarity and conviction.

Friendship: We provide a safe environment where students interact and form lasting relationships.

Responsibility: We promote a team environment in which students rely on each other and themselves to fulfill their goals.

Creativity: We foster individuality and unique ideas expressed on stage and beyond.

Inclusiveness: We make programs and performances accessible to all.

Fun: We believe that theatre arts should be enjoyable and that FUN is essential to our quality of life.

More information can be found on its facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/JuniorPlayhouse
All updates will be posted on the facebook page until its website is up and running.
Please feel free to contact Nami Sasaki if you have any inquiries.

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Onigiri Recipe - How to Make Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Onigiri recipe: Follow along with YouTube sensation Cooking with Dog and learn a quick and easy, step-by-step onigiri recipe that will teach you how to make Japanese rice balls, the classic Japanese snack food!

Onigiri rice balls are a favorite picnic and snack food in Japan. Onigiri is a popular carry out food item in Japanese convenience stores, and is a common item found in bento boxed lunches. Simple to make and delicious to eat, onigiri is a staple food item in Japan. 

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Welcome to our Hello Kitty Goods page! Hello Kitty is the famous, adorable character created by Sanrio. You’re no doubt familiar with the cute little kitty, who is instantly recognizable by her innocent black eyes and pretty red bow.

Today, Hello Kitty, or Kitty-chan, as she is sometimes called, can be found on every imaginable product, everything from fashion and beauty accessories, clothing items, and even home appliances!

Click below to visit our EJG Hello Kitty Goods store, where you can find your favorite little kitty on dozens and dozens of cute and adorable items and accessories! Browse and enjoy!

Click Here to Visit Our Hello Kitty Goods Store!

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Japanese Recipes - How to Make Agedashi Tofu

How to Make Agedashi Tofu (deep-fried tofu in dashi broth):

Follow along with YouTube sensation Cooking with Dog and learn step-by-step how to make healthy, easy-to-prepare agedashi tofu, a classic Japanese dish.

Agedashi tofu is a classic, healthy, easy-to-make Japanese dish that you’ll often find at the dinner table as well as in many restaurants in Japan.

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The shattered economy of Japan grew from the rubble in the aftermath of World War Two into the
world’s second-largest economy (behind the United States) in just a few short decades.
This period of rapid growth culminated in a “bubble economy” in the 1980s, during which land prices doubled
and the Nikkei stock index skyrocketed in an era of wild speculation and ambitious investment.

Japan’s economic bubble burst at the end of the decade as a result of tightened monetary policies
and higher interest rates, which sent the stock market crashing to earth and plunged Japan’s economy into a
deep and painful recession that lasted the entire decade of the 1990s. In recent years, however, the economy
has again begun to show signs of growth.

Japan Imports and Exports

Due to its lack of natural resources, Japan is highly reliant on imports of raw materials, foods,
and other essentials from China, the U.S., and other countries.

Japan is among the world’s leading producers and exporters of such items as automobiles, electronics,
metals, machinery, and chemicals. The primary recipients of these exports are the U.S., China, and South
Korea.

Agriculture and Fishing in Japan

Japan’s leading agricultural crop is rice, Japan’s main food staple, although rice growers are
heavily subsidized and protected by the government from foreign competition.
Since only about 15% of Japan’s land is arable, the country is unable to grow enough food to feed
its population, and as a result
must import wheat, soybeans, meat, and other essential food items from abroad.

Japan is one of the world’s leading countries in terms of annual tonnage of fish caught.
The center of its active fishing industry is Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market,
the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world.

Education in Japan is administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and
Technology (MEXT), and includes kindergarten and nursery school, elementary school, junior high school,
high school (including vocational schools), college, and graduate school. Compulsory education runs through
junior high school, and although high school is not compulsory, most Japanese students finish high school and
a high percentage attend college.

Japanese Entrance Exams and Cram Schools

One prominent characteristic of education in Japan is its rigid system of entrance examinations.
While many people are familiar with Japan’s infamously rigorous college entrance examinations, you may be
surprised to learn that entrance exams can also be required in order to get into some of Japan’s more
prestigious high schools, junior high schools, and even elementary schools!

In order to gain admission to the best schools, many students at all levels of education
(even kindergarten!) attend special cram schools, called juku (塾), on top of their regular
school studies. The singular goal of these schools is to prepare students for their entrance examinations.

College Life in Japan

A unique attribute of Japanese society that affects its system of education is its emphasis on
college entrance exam results, rather than actual college performance, as the primary determining factor for
the type of career college students can look forward to after they graduate.

In fact, so strenuous is the process of studying for and passing entrance examinations in the years leading up
to college, that the actual college years are regarded by many students as a thankful four-year vacation
between the exhausting high school years and the highly demanding career following college. As such, study for
many college students takes a distant back seat to participation in a school club focused on an area of
personal interest, such as sports, music, or art. These clubs, or “circles” as they are referred to in
Japanese, often become the focal point of the students’ social life and activity during and even after college.

The University of Tokyo (Todai) and Kyoto University (Kyodai) are regarded as Japan’s two most prestigious universities.

Pros and Cons of Education in Japan

As evidence of the success of its education system, Japan boasts a literacy rate of 99%,
which ranks among the top globally. Japanese students also tend to score near the top in internationally
ranked math and science tests.

Japan’s education system is sometimes criticized as being too focused on rote learning and group conformity to
the detriment of individual creativity and self-expression. However, recent curriculum changes have attempted
to address these issues. Another serious issue in Japan’s education system is the problem of bullying,
which in the most serious cases have resulted in the bullied students committing suicide.

Toshogu Shrine, located in Nikko, Japan, is home to the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan’s first shogun. Toshogu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, features ornate, colorful, architecture and lavishly decorated wood carvings influenced by China, and as such is a unique and exciting Japan attraction well worth visiting.

Highlights of Toshogu Shrine

Large Stone Torii Gate (Ishidorii)

Ishidorii, the towering stone-made torii gate at the entrance of Toshogu, greets visitors as they walk up a lengthy path leading to the shrine. Ishidorii was dedicated in 1618 by Kuroda Nagamasa, a Daimyo of Japan in what is today Fukuoka Prefecture. The stone material used in building the shrine was shipped by boat from Kyushu, and then transported over mountains and through forest land by laborers to Nikko before being assembled.

Five-Story Pagoda (Go-juu no Tou)

This colorful red Nikko structure was dedicated in 1648 by Japanese daimyo Sakai Tadakatsu who ruled over what is today Fukui Prefecture. The structure burned down in 1815, and was rebuild in 1818. The Nikko five-story pagoda stands 36 meters in height.

Yomeimon Gate

This incredibly ornate and detailed gate contains 508 sculptures depicting various human and animal scenes. Designated a Japan National Treasure, Yomeimon Gate is often regarded as the most impressive building within the Toshogu Shrine compound.

Sacred Stable (Shinkyusha)

The Sacred Stable houses a white imperial horse, and is most famous for the carving of the three wise monkeys (see below). In ancient Japan, it was believed that monkeys are the guardians of horses.

Three Wise Monkeys (Sanzaru)

The wood carving of the three wise monkeys who “see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil” is perhaps the most well-known feature of Toshogu Shrine. The three monkeys sit atop the entrance to the Sacred Stable and guard the white imperial horse.

Sleeping Cat (Nemuri Neko)

Thought to have been created by master sculptor Jingorou Hidari, the Sleeping Cat naps atop the entrance to the Okusha Inner Shrine.

Crying Dragon (Nakiryu)

Nakiryu is a stunning painting of a dragon on the ceiling of Yakushi-do. Visitors gather in silence under the dragon as a resident priest strikes a clapper, resulting in a mysterious sound that suggests the cry of a dragon.

The above is just a small sampling of all there is to see at Toshogu.

Guided Tour of Nikko, including Toshogu Shrine

Nikko National Park Day Trip from Tokyo

Explore the scenic shrines and countryside of the Nikko National Park on a day trip from Tokyo. Nikko has been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for centuries, and is famous for its shrines, mountain landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.
More Info!

Toshogu Shrine Access

See our page on Nikko for access to Nikko from the Tokyo area. In order to get to Toshogu and the other famous Nikko shrines and temples, take the bus from Tobu Nikko Station. Bus fares are 300 yen each way, 500 yen for a day pass, or are covered by the various Nikko passes offered by Tobu (see Nikko page for details).

Toshogu Hours and Admission Fee

Hours

April 1 – Oct. 31: 8am to 5pm

Nov. 1 to March 31: 8am to 4pm

Entrance Fee

Toshogu Shrine Compound: 1,300 yen (children 450 yen)

However, a 1,000 yen combination ticket is also available, which includes entrance to Rinnoji, Futurasan Shrine, and Taiyuinbyo is also available (a separate fee of 520 yen required for entrance to Ieyasu’s tomb and the Sleeping Cat carving). See our Nikko page for details.

Toshogu shrine is a remarkable monument to a remarkable figure in Japanese history located in a beautiful part of Japan, and is well worth the journey to Nikko to see and enjoy for yourself!