Museum: Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum

Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum

The Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum is one of the "World's Three Great Dinosaur Museums.” It holds remains of over 40 species (not just dinosaurs). Getting to the museum can be an adventure, but it is well worth the visit. The museum is inside a large park. Just outside of the entrance to the museum is a small playground filled with dinosaur statues. The slide even ends with you stopping just short of a T-Rex, waiting with an open mouth.

The inside of the museum is just as impressive. You first take a long escalator down to the bottom floor. It ends with a hallway filled with fossils on the walls. As you walk down the hallway you eventually come to a representation of a fossil bed from Wyoming, USA. Then you enter the main hall, filled with dinosaurs. Some are actual fossils, and some are replicas. There are also some automated dinosaurs in the back part of the room.

In addition to the dinosaurs, there is also an exhibit on various rocks and minerals. The second floor has a timeline of the history of life, including early organisms, leading up to modern animals. You can see how animals have changed over time, and the link between dinosaurs and birds.

The second floor has a fossil lab, where you can watch people cleaning fossils. There is also a room, called the Dino Lab, with fossils you can hold and touch, as well as some quizzes (Japanese only). You can see how your weight compares to dinosaurs. In the middle of the room is a replica of a T-Rex.

How to get there:

By car- Parking is free at the park.

http://www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/guide/vehicle.html

On the Hokuriku Expressway, get off at either the Fukui Interchange, or the Maruoka IC.

From the Fukui IC it takes about an hour. Take route 158 to route 157.

From the Maruoka IC it takes about 30 minutes. Take route 416.

There are maps and more detailed information (in Japanese) at the link above.

By train/Bus- http://www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/guide/access.html

From Fukui station, take the Echizen Tetsudo for Katsuyama station. It will take about an hour. From there, take the community bus to the museum (about 15 minutes).

Or, you can take the JR Etsumi-Hoken line from Fukui station to Echizen Ono, and take a taxi from there (about a 20 minute taxi ride).

The link above has the bus times (Japanese only).

Restaurant: Osaka : Mexican

If you've lived in the Kansai area for a while chances are you have heard of El Pancho in Osaka. It is a popular Mexican restaurant among foreigners and Japanese alike.

The restaurant opened in 1979. The inside is dark and the walls are covered with messages and signatures of former patrons. This isn't a high class dining experience, but certainly worth the price.

The menu has all of the dishes that most people expect - tacos, quesadillas, fahittas, nachos, etc., There are also some that I have never seen in restaurants back home - pork sandwiches for example. The prices are decent and the sizes are rather large (especially for Japan). Lunch is usually 1500 yen per person, although you can get things cheaper (I usually spend about 1000 for lunch, and that includes my drink). At dinner time you will get free chips and salsa, but not at lunch. Another great thing - the cups they use are huge, even the ones for water!

The drink menu is also extensive. I recommend the Mexican Honey (vodka, honey and your choice of fruit flavor). There are plenty of flavors to chose from for your margarita or daiquiri (some better than others), which are often on the strong side.

Happy Hour is from 11-5 everyday. Margaritas and Coronas are half price during this time.

Dinner on the weekends is often very crowded, especially if they are holding a concert. Lunchtime (and Happy Hour) is usually not too busy and you should be able to get a seat easily.


Directions: The easiest way is to take exit 2 from Shinsaibashi Station. You will take the escalator up and out of the Crysta underground area. The restaurant is in the roundish building (Shinsaibashi Tower Building) on your right, just across from the Loft. El Pancho is on the 8th floor.
Hours: 11:30-11:20, everyday

Restaurant: Osaka : Italian

When you think of Osaka, you don't always think of fancy restaurants and fine dining. But there are plenty of amazing restaurants, upscale and cheap, all over the city.

One of my favorites is called OLI. While there are hundreds of Italian places in Osaka, this one is special.



OLI is situated on the 8th floor of the Tenmabashi Keihan Mall, giving it a view that overlooks the river and part of the city. Many of the tables are situated against the windows, while most others are in direct view.

There are a variety of dishes - from pasta to pizza, as well as desserts. The menu separates the pasta and pizzas out based on the base (tomato or cheese). There are also meat dishes (fish of the day or steak for example), and appetizers (such as salads). The drink menu is extensive as well, with a fine selection of wines and cocktails.

Unfortunately the menu is in Japanese only. If you go with a date (recommended) they will often separate the portions into 2 so that you can easily share.



Directions: Take the Tanimachi Subway Line for Tenmabashi Station. The underground exit connects to the mall.
You can also take the Keihan line.
Hours: 11AM-11PM

There is also a branch in Shibuya, about a four minute walk from the station.

Garbage Day

Apparently, Diane Sawyer came to Japan and visited some of the refugee centers. I haven’t seen the clip, but she is amazed when she sees that the refugees are “recycling.”


What people seem to be mistaken about is that, yes it is recycling, but it is a required practice here. Japan does not have enough landfill space.


Therefore, anyone living in Japan is forced to separate their garbage into a dizzying number of categories (plastics, burnables, plastic bottles, clear glass, dark glass, batteries, cans, old newspapers, cardboard, cooking oil, etc.,). If you don't separate your garbage properly, it won't be collected. Many places require you to write your name on your garbage bag. There are central collection places - each apartment complex has one, and otherwise there are centers in each town (always within walking distance). Each city is different - some have enclosed areas, some have the garbage areas out in the open.


Below is a sample calendar for my city.

As you can see, the garbage collection days are spread out over the month, and that we must sort our garbage correctly.

• Burnable garbage is collected every Tuesday and Friday.
• Plastic garbage (food wrappers and containers, some plastic bottles, others marked with the “Pura” symbol) is collected every Monday.
• Waste paper (old newspapers, magazines, cardboard) and cooking oil: 4^th Wednesday of the month.
• Non-burnables (small but un burnable items), spray cans: 3^rd Wednesday of the month
• Cans, plastic bottles, glass, etc.,: put into separate bins, collected on the 1^st Wednesday of the month

Bigger items you can either take to the landfill yourself, or call and have a service collect them.


When you put out your plastic bottles, they ask that you rinse them out, remove the labels and the caps (those go in plastic garbage) and then put them where they go. Some places take the bottles in plastic bags, others have a separate bin for them.

Below are two of the places to put out garbage in my town.



Hime city in Toyama has an excellent site that breaks down what fits into each catagory.


This video should help explain some of it as well.

Engrish in Okinawa

ATTENTION
There are snakes living here.
Please don't Throw stones or trash at this snakes.


In Okinawa World.

Be careful in the sky!
Carefully!! Dropping fall!


From Neo Park Okinawa.

Black lemur which is in this area are breeding seasons and become nervous now.
Please do not touch it with a Black lemur.
Please do not give feed.


From Neo Park Okinawa.

Afurican savanna


From Neo Park Okinawa.

There is a doggy.


From Neo Park Okinawa.
Talking about the kids/petting zoo area. They had other signs along the same line (There is a sheep!), but this was the funniest.

CAUTION
Railroad crossing is dangerous.
It slips.



From Neo Park Okinawa.

Gas Sucks
Ride a bike.


T-shirt in Okinawa.

More Engrish

Typical hotel toilet operating instructions. The best bit is at the end.
"When you sit on the seat, automatically the cold water flow. Wait for "off" the lamp to wash."

Toilet instructions at a rest stop. In case you didn't know how to use the toilet.











There is a town by the name of "Obama" in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The rest stop near there sells these Obama style rolled cakes. Complete with Obama caricature.

Sign in an elevator, Ishikawa.

Typical hotel warning. Don't leave the door open when you shower or bathe.

"Turn to right after finished paper
Lever not turn when paper remains."

Pretty sure this was in a public restroom.

Hotel and travel Engrish

 Sign in the lobby of a hotel in Sapporo, Hokkaido
Not sure what an erevator is, or why it needs a hall.

Too bad my picture of the hotel map, complete with our "Here place" didn't come out.

In a restroom in the Sapporo airport.
"The toilet will flush when you place your palm the point."

My toilet seat has been "sanitarized"
At a hotel in Kanazawa, Ishiyama.

 From the Nagasaki Bio Park.
"Please be careful to attack of cranes."

 From the Nagasaki Bio Park.
"Please do not fishing here."
Yet no one seemed to stop any of the people fishing for crayfish. There were plenty of staff wandering around.

An advertisement for the "lundry" area in a hotel in Saga.

Engrish 4 All

Kids T-shirt

"FOAMING
Because I am dangerous, please do not approach."

 T-shirt
"Hunting Honey
It's Just what I wanted
the Sweetest Honey is
Loathsome in his Delicious
and in the taste cofounds
Love Moderately!!
the appetite therefore love
to swift arrives as terdys
Manager in forest"

T-shirt
"I'm all up on you"

 Long-sleeved T-shirt
"Specials
Make your own
Change the world"

 Long-sleeved T-shirt
"The experience (the more difficult the target is the better)
Becomes
My provisions (the road is open if it doesn't fear failure)
in above All"

 Long-sleeved T-shirt
"Only her maximum Arms
Smiles & Her Newsy Lip
The is loved by
the chat more than Anyone
by everyone Because She is Love"

Long-sleeved T-shirt
"Don't Take the Girl
Angry
All The Time
Illegal
Smilin'
She'll Have You Back
Unbroken
Chelsea
You Can't Take It With You (When you Go)
When She Wakes Up (And Finds Me Gone)"

School Schedule

There are either five or six classes a day in junior high.  Some days there are five periods, some days there are five periods.  The classes are generally 50 minutes long, although some days they are shortened to 45 minutes for special events.


The average junior high student studies a number of different subjects.  Besides the main five subjects Japanese, English, math, science, and social studies, the students also study music, P.E., art, vocational classes (home economic and business, computers or wood shop), and many schools also have a general (or global) studies course (labeled G in the chart) that is sometimes also a meeting within the grade or homeroom.  The meetings can address some problem in the grade, introduce extra material (for example, about high school) or be used for extra classes, to name a few.  Some schools also have elective classes, but generally those are reserved for extra classes in one of the main subjects (and sometimes either English or math).  This is all during one term too – not spread over their three terms.  With only five of six periods it is numerically impossible to have those classes every day.  Once a week the students also have a moral lesson and a longer homeroom meeting (labeled study).  The longer homeroom meetings, grade meetings, or global studies can also be changed to extra classes, if the teachers desire.  Sometimes the teachers can ask for a specific class and then take that time.

Below are two sample schedules for two different homerooms at my school.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1st	Vocational	English	Social Studies	Japanese	Japanese
2nd	Vocational	Science	Japanese	Math	PE OR Art
3rd	Art	PE	Study	English	English
4th	G	Math	Music	Social Studies	Science
5th	Moral	Japanese	Math	Science	G
6th	N/A	Social Studies	N/A	PE	G

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1st	PE	English	English	Math	Moral
2nd	English	Social Studies	Math	Art	Math
3rd	Science	Vocational	Social Studies	Elective 1	PE
4th	G	Science	Japanese	Elective 2	Science
5th	Elective	Japanese	Health	Music	G
6th	N/A	Study	N/A	Japanese

Lunch is almost always between forth and fifth periods, except on special occasions such as the entrance ceremony or last day of classes for the term.  There is a short break after lunch, in part to give the students some time to return the lunch materials.  Cleaning time can either be after lunch or after the last classes.  In elementary schools they all have a 20 minute recess after second period.  It is called ni-jikan me yasumi (break after second period).  Generally, the schools have homeroom twice a day – once in the morning and once in the afternoon (after their last class).  In many schools they have ten minutes between classes (except in the morning when it is five).


After their classes are over the students go to clubs (junior high) or go home (elementary – although some elementary schools have occasional club activities for the students).  There are some clubs in elementary school, but most join starting from junior high.  In junior high, they leave between four thirty and six, depending on the season.  In warmer weather, when there is more daylight, the students leave later than the winter, when the sun sets early.  On certain days, with some special events or a teacher’s meeting, the students may leave as soon as the classes are done.  Students may also leave earlier during and just before mid-terms and finals so that they may study.

School lunch, December 13-21, 2010

Japanese school lunch from December 13-21, 2010.  It includes the special lunch for Christmas.  In Japan, Christmas eve is a time for Christmas cake and fried chicken.  So, as a special meal for us (early) we got the traditional Japanese Christmas dinner.

White rice
Milk
Rolled omelet
Light soup with burdock, onion and other vegetables
Boiled dark seaweed and soybeans

Bread
Milk
Pumpkin croquet
Chicken and vegetable stew with macaroni
boiled broccoli and corn

White rice (not pictured)
Milk
Grilled shishamo (a type of smelt)
Sukiyaki (thin slices of beef, cooked with various vegetables and tofu in a pan)
Natto (fermented soybeans)

Bread
Milk
Hamburger patty
Carrot potage
Tuna with stir-fried corn and cabbage

White rice
Milk (not pictured)
Wakasagi (Japanese pond smelt) (probably pickled, not sure as I didn't eat it)
Devil's tongue gelatin (red and regular) with other vegetables
Light soup with carrots, onions, other vegetables (turnips and bamboo shoots for sure)

Rice
Milk
Mackerel grilled with salt
Pumpkin miso soup
Chinese cabbage stir-fry

Noodles
Milk
Fried chicken
Meat sauce (you put the noodles in it)
Christmas cake (I believe it was chocolate)

School lunch (kyushoku), December 2-10, 2010

Here are the lunches served at my school from December 2-10, 2010. Click on any picture for a bigger image.

 Bread
Milk
White fish fry
Minestrone soup
Cauliflower salad with sesame dressing

 White rice with seaweed
Milk
Pork and onion stir-fry
Egg soup
Sweet potatos

 Rice
Milk
Salmon grilled with salt
Soup with konyaku (jellied devil's tongue), beans, taro, deep fried tofu, etc.,
Burdock saute

 Bread
Milk (not pictured)
Plain omelet
Milk soup with vegetables
Spinich saute

 White Rice
Milk
Fried octopus
Nabe (light stew)
Black beans

Sliced bread with apple jam
Milk
Shumai (steamed meat dumpling)
8 vegetable soup
Green bean stir-fry

White rice
Milk
Chicken cutlet
Japanese curry
Mandarin orange