http://www.city-cost.comWed, 17 Jun 2026 08:09:53 +0900Hello everyone, how do you do!? I love Japan, full of green landscapes and flowers blossoming all year round. I would like to tell everyone about its interesting places, tasty food, beautiful beaches, and I hope that readers will find my articles useful.enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/wNxA0-living_sustainablelife_chibaJapan is a country, which thinks and lives ECO-style. Now, I understand how important it is to handle our gentle nature and try to reduce human being's influence on natural processes.Japanese people do many things to keep the environment clean and safe. Only after coming to this country, did I understand the importance of sorting garbage. I come from Russia and there people generally dispose of all their garbage together: plastic, glass, organic products and so on. That said, nowadays Russian thinking regarding ecology is changing and in big cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg, they set special bins to separate garbage. Little by little, Russia then will also raise its 'eco' standards. It will take some time, but the process has just begun.So several years ago for me it was normal to dispose of everything into a bin without sorting and cleaning. Then I came to Japan and when I found the announcement about sorting out garbage and got to know that I could get rid of plastic garbage only once a week I was extremely surprised. For several weeks, I had to get used to the 'sorting system.' It was very hard to see plastic garbage in a specially prepared bag standing for the whole week in the corridor waiting for the day when I could finally throw it away. The same situation was with bins and cartons, and some other items of garbage.When I was buying something in supermarkets I began to think about how and when I could dispose of the packaging. My way of thinking was changing; I started thinking more thoroughly before buying something, paying more attention to the food's packaging.One day, being a student of a Japanese language school in Tokyo, our class went for an excursion to the Shinjuku Recycle Center. There I learnt what they do with the plastic and glass garbage and understood the importance of sorting it. I got to know that they recycle and reuse some garbage in other spheres of life. For example, they make sparkle powder from glass and put it on the surface of the asphalt used to make roads to make them more visible in the darkness. From the lectures and explanations I came to understand how important it is to reduce paper consumption by using both sides when printing documents, to wash plastic properly before disposing it, and much more. By the way, eco style is not only about saving nature but also about saving money. Just remember when you go to supermarket you probably often forget “my bag” and buy a plastic one at the cashier. I agree, the cost of a plastic bag is tiny but if you go to supermarket almost every day and buy a plastic bag 5-7 times a week?! Actually many people go to supermarket every day and if all of these people buy plastic bags, the amount of plastic garbage will become catastrophic. However, if you don't use a new plastic bag there is no need to dispose of it. Plastic is very bad for ecology but by using a “my bag”, we can help to reduce the process of recycling the plastic bags and save money at the same time. The same can be said of disposable chopsticks. Generally, in Japan, we eat three times a day, so may be it could be cheaper and kinder on nature to use “my chopsticks” which can be reused after washing. In Japan I have noticed lots of shampoo, soap refills called called 詰め替え (tsumekae) which are also a part of the policy to be eco friendly. And again this soft package refill is cheaper so you can save your money.Japanese people do smart things as they are guided by the 3R rule that goes: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!In my opinion, in order to save the eco system of our planet everybody should follow this rule and always think about the consequences of their actions.Japan has changed my way of thinking, may be it will also change yours!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/wNxA0-living_sustainablelife_chibaFri, 05 Oct 2018 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/wNxA0-living_sustainablelife_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MY7Vx-living_nagareyama_shi_chibaMy first visit to Nagareyama city was several months ago and I completely fell in love with the place. From that time, I visited Nagareyama several times and every time I enjoyed the atmosphere, food, souvenirs and many others.Let`s start with what Nagareyama city is and where it is situated. Nagareyama is situated in Chiba prefecture and it is a small city with the atmosphere of Edo period, its traditions and way of life. On the historical part of the city, they set special paper lanterns, which turn on in the nighttime, and their yellow lights make the place mysterious and romantic. These paper lanterns are called “kirie-andon” 切り絵行灯, which were created due to Mr. Iida Nobuyoshi and Mr. Hasebe Toshiharu in 2012. They created the lanterns to make people who visit Nagareyama feel the ancient history and remind about city`s role in Edo period. Each lantern has a black and white picture of the place where it stands indicating the historical significance, delicious Japanese foods, traditional craft shops, cafes and many others.By the way, in Nagareyama city, there are many delicious restaurants and cafes, I have visited only few of them but I liked the food, atmosphere and surrounding, that is why I always return to the same places to have my lunch there. One of the places where I recommend you to go is an Italian-French restaurant called “Choujiya” 丁子屋. First, I was amazed by the building exterior design resembling Edo period style and after entering I understood that I would return here. When you come in, you are supposed to take off your shoes and wear the slippers prepared for you. Then follow one of the halls on the first floor (there are tatami room and European style room with tables and chairs) or take a quite steep stairs to climb up on the second floor. The building was constructed in 1923 and originally there was a “tabi” shop (“tabi” are Japanese traditional socks with the shape where one big toe is separated with the others). Later the building was restored and now it is a restaurant in it. The prices are quite high but the dishes are so splendid to their look and taste, so that it is worth eating here. When I was there last time several month ago, I had lunch for 2700 yen (appetizer, seasonal soup, fish or meat as a hot dish, freshly home baked bread with anchovy butter, dessert, which you can choose by yourself, tea or coffee). Dinner at the restaurant was from 5800 yen.Check their site and don`t forget to make your reservation as the restaurant is very popular and sometimes full of guests.Address: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 1-5How to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu line To order the table: 04-7192-7953*Reservation for dinner should be done 2 days beforeDay off – Monday (If there is a national holiday on Monday the day off will move on Tuesday)Lunch timefrom 11:00 〜 14:00 reservation is possible Dinner time 18:00 〜 20:00 reservation onlyOne more place which I can recommend is a Japanese cuisine restaurant called «Kura-no Cafe+Towa Gallery” 蔵のカフェプラスギャラリー灯環. The building was constructed in 1898 and it is one of the most ancient warehouses of Nagareyama city also it is registered as culture heritage of Japan. Here you can try dishes of different color and taste, also you can try some sweets made with addition of sweet rice wine for cooking – mirin. Website: http://kuratowa.com/Address: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 1-155Working hours: from 10:30 to 17:00Days off: Tuesday, WednesdayHow to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineIf you want to drop into a café and have a nice chat with your friends I can recommend TRONC café. This place is super nice! Beverages, cakes, a tost with mirin butter were splendid. Here you can spend time drinking wonderful coffee or tea. This café is not big but very popular that is why people often queue in order to visit this place. Websites: https://www.cafe-tronc.info/menu-foodAddress: 270-0176 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 6-1300 KaWorking hours: from 13:00 to 21:00Days off: Wednesday, ThursdayHow to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineIf you want to have a drinking party “nomikai” then a tavern called "Japan" 日本 is just the place where you can spend time in a friendly atmosphere and enjoy tasty foods and drinks.Address: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 2-282-2Working hours: from 11:30 to 14:00; from 16:00 to 22:00Days off: TuesdayHow to get there: 64 meters from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineIn Nagareyama city there is something like Fuji-san, the place is called Fuji-zuka, near which there is a shrine Sengen Jinja. Fuji-zuka was created for those people who cannot climb up a real Fuji-san which height is 3,776 meters.How to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineAddress: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 1-153Not far from hill Fuji-zuka there is a shop called “Bamboo leaves” 笹屋商店 where Mr. Tagami - artisan in the 5th generation works. He manufactures mattresses, blankets, pillows, aprons, smartphone covers and etc. Here you can purchase his pieces of works and sometimes very cute things, for example, a bed set for you lovely kitty.Working hours: from 10:00 to 18:00Address: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture, Nagareyama-shi, Nagareyama 1-155Days off: Every Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of the month.How to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineWebsite: https://sasa-ya.jp/　In a 5-minute walk from “Bamboo leaves” there is a shop where tatami is made “Murata tatami” 村田畳. Here you can find different kinds of products made from tatami materials. They have colorful tatami! They sell articles of interior made from «igusa» - soft rush that is used as material for tatami and also little cute things made from tatami binding.Address: 2700164 Chiba prefecture Nagareyama shi, Nagareyama 1-272TEL: 04-7158-1271How to get there: 3- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineIn 10-minutes walk from “Murata tatami” you will find “Kaleidoscope Gallery Misekura” 万華鏡ギャラリー見世蔵. The building was constructed in 1890 and at that time, there was a teahouse “Teradaen Chaho”. Now they exhibit and sell kaleidoscopes made by Nakazato Yasuko. This artist lives in Nagareyama city and goes all round the world with her kaleidoscope collection to exhibit them.This building is registered as a National treasure of Japan. Here you can look into the kaleidoscopes, touch them and buy the one you liked. They also sell some cute things like moumin`s super soft handkerchiefs, bags, postcards and etc. Several weeks ago, I bought this cute little thing. It`s a necklace-tailedoscope, using which you can see usual surroundings transforming into the world of kaleidoscopes. They told me that it is also worth using it when you watch fireworks “hanabi” in summer. Working hours: from 10:00 to 17:00Days off: Every Monday and TuesdayHow to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu lineAddress: 270-0164 Chiba prefecture Nagareyama shi, Nagareyama 2-101-1Website: http://www.issasoju-leimei.com/misegura/misegura_index.html 　In 10-minutes walk from “Kaleidoscope Gallery Misekura” there is a memorial house «Issasoju» 茶双樹記念館. A Mr. Akimoto used to live in the house, he made his status and money by selling Japanese mirin, he was composing verses and was a friend of Kobayashi Issa, who came to the place to participate in tea ceremony sit in Japanese garden, spend time with his friend. In that Japanese Garden in autumn you can enjoy the beauty of red maple leaves – momiji, and moss bonsai “kokedama”. You can also participate in the Japanese traditional tea ceremony.Working hours: from 9:00 to 17:00Entrance fee – 100 yenDays off: Every MondayHow to get there: 8 minute walk from Heiwadai station, Ryuutetsu line Website:http://www.issasoju-leimei.com/issa/issa_index.html One more interesting place of Nagareyama city is «Nagareyama akarikan» あかり館＠雑貨konocono – here you can find pretty lanterns and other things made from «minowashi» paper, which was invented in Gifu prefecture. The building was constructed in the 80th of 20 century. Not long ago, it was restored and they sell articles made of Japanese paper and other cute things like pins, wallets, necklaces and etc.Working hours: from 10:00 to 18:00Entrance fee– 100 yenDays off: Every Monday and TuesdayHow to get there: 5- minute walk from Nagareyama station, Ryuutetsu line Websites: http://konocono.jp/za_huo_Konocono/index.htmlhttp://konocono.exblog.jp/Every summer in Nagareyama city they organize Fireworks Display 流山花火大会 which is held near Edo river. You can watch beautiful fireworks standing on the Edo river embankment also famous for cycling. However, the number of people is incredibly big so that you can choose whether to come beforehand: several hours in advance or try to get on the top of embankment when there are many people. There also seats which you can purchase in advance and enjoy the best view of the fireworks. Just one recommendation take a drink with you when you go there, last time all vending machines’ PET bottles with water were sold out.One more Nagareyama`s famous event that takes place every year is “Hinameguri” ひなめぐり. These almost 2 weeks of displaying “hina dolls” for Hina Matsuri event are very exciting as you can find beautifully decorated dolls almost everywhere. For example, they decorate Nagareyama station of Ryutetsu line, restaurants, galleries, shops, signboard and etc. They distribute special leaflets for the event where you can find a map where hina dolls` presence is indicated. That`s all I wanted to tell you about such a wonderful place called Nagareyama city and I wrote only about places I went to and events I participated in but I believe there are lots of other interesting places and things. For example, a wonderful plant called “tarajo holly” 多羅葉 which is growing in Nagareyama city and sometimes you can see some writings on the leaves. This plant is a Nagareyama`s nature monument. In the city you can also see a big shimenawa 大しめ縄made of rice straw ropes decorated with Japanese paper washi, it leads to Akagi Jinja 赤城神社.For me Nagareyama is a nice and beautiful place where I often prefer to spend time, so probably this is not the last article about Nagareyama. Thank you very much for reading.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MY7Vx-living_nagareyama_shi_chibaFri, 14 Sep 2018 17:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MY7Vx-living_nagareyama_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GORL7-living_food_transportation_choshi_shi_chibaThere are lots of cycling routs in Chiba prefecture and if you love this kind of sport, you can get many chances to spend your time in a wonderful way! So going on cycling you can choose whether to drive your own bicycle or rent it. Of course, both have advantages and disadvantages.If you take your own bicycle, you will have to disassemble your bike and put in a special bag in order to transport it on the train and then after coming to the site, where your cycling journey will start, assemble it. It takes time, knowledge and abilities to do the procedures right, but you will drive your own bike, which traveled a lot with you, that means a lot! If you prefer to travel light and buy lots of souvenirs, it`s better to rent a bike, but in case of rent you usually cannot predict what bike you will have, whether it is a high speed running bike or it is a “mamachari”- ladies` bicycle with a basket in front. In addition, you will have to return the bike to the rental place until the decided time so you cannot plan your cycling time freely.Today I would like to tell you about cycling to and in Choushi city, which is located in Chiba prefecture. Chiba prefecture has a mascot called Chiba-kun, it is a red colored dog very funny and cute. If you look at him when he is standing with his left side to you, you can recognize Chiba prefecture shape as on the Japan`s map. If you look on Chiba`s map, Choushi city is on the very east of prefecture, which forms Chiba-kun`s ear. And Chiba-kun`s ear is one of the places where you can enjoy your cycling.There are 3 main bicycle courses of Choushi city: long, middle and short courses.Long course is 66 km long and I recommend you to take your own bicycle with you on the trip. Your journey will start from Matsuo station松尾駅 and last till Choushi station　銚子駅. You will have a wonderful sea view while cycling the route, because you will ride along The Pacific Ocean and it is always marvelous. However, sometimes there are some roads which are narrow with lots of cars, so be careful! While riding along Kujuukurihama beach line 九十九里浜 don`t miss “Michino eki orai hasunuma”　 道の駅オライはすぬまit`s a road station where you can buy local foods and souvenirs, have some break and food, a little further you will see “Hasunuma Kaihin Koen” park　蓮沼海浜公園. By approaching the easternmost spot you will find Cape Inubo with Lighthouse犬吠埼灯台 and Chousi Port Tower　銚子ポートタワー both of which you can climb up to see a wonderful sea landscape. Drop in Wosse 21ウォッセ21, there you can have a tasty lunch and free Wi Fi. If you think that long course is too much, then there are 2 more options: middle or short courses. Middle course is 49 km long and your journey will start from Higata station　干潟駅, this time I also recommend to use your own bicycle as the distance is quite long. Short course is only 19 km long, but very comfortable and it will give you a chance to concentrate on Choushi city`s places of interest. You will start and finish your cycling at the same place - Choushi station by driving around the city, but always along the Pacific Ocean. If you take this short route, I can recommend you to rent a bicycle near Choushi station in a local information center or bicycle shop. Choushi is a port city where a smell of fresh fish is in the air. It is a perfect location for fishing and it is famous for soy sauce production (you must taste soy ice cream), temples, shrines, several spots of observatory, hot springs, wet sembei called “nuresembei” and many others. A local train line “Choushi dentetsu” goes through the city, so you can enjoy its beautiful flowers and landscapes while using it. By the way, every year in Choushi city they organize horror train programs on their local train routes. It is so trilling but always in the nighttime so be prepared to spend a night at a local hotel! Check this summer horror program and be prepare for the next!Choushi Denetsu website (in Japanese)Have a nice trip! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GORL7-living_food_transportation_choshi_shi_chibaWed, 12 Sep 2018 14:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GORL7-living_food_transportation_choshi_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/zVOQ7-living_food_shopping_tateyama_shi_chiba_kamogawa_shi_chibaDuring Summer vacations it is worth visiting Southern Boso Area, as it is one of the best tourist places in Chiba prefecture. There you can find many interesting places, have some Japanese culture experiences, try delicious food and many others. I would like to tell you about the places I visited last year (Kamogawa and Tateyama cities).Let me start with Kamogawa city. Kamogawa is a seaside city so it is an ideal place for summer vacations. The southeast of the city borders on the Pacific Ocean, so fish gourmets and beach lovers will like the place for sure. In Kamogawa city there is a famous temple called Daihonzan-kominato-tanjoushi. First, it was built in 1276 in different location but in 1498 and in again in 1703, it was almost destroyed because of an earthquake, tsunami and it was moved to another place, where it remains now. Daihonzan-kominato-tanjoushi temple was selected by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment as a place with an "aroma landscape," making a list of 100 such places around Japan. When you are in the grounds of the temple, you can certainly feel the smell of incense sticks and the sea breeze. If you visit the temple, I strongly recommend that you have a look inside as you can feel the atmosphere of Japanese Buddhism. Unfortunately, taking photos inside is prohibited but you can take very nice pictures of the temple architecture and complex outside. This is their official English site: http://kominato.tanjoh-ji.jp2 minutes’ walk from Daihonzan-kominato-tanjoushi there is another very interesting thing to see. It is a boat station for cruise Tainoura. Once you get on the boat you can see the wonderful sea landscape and holly sea breams, which first appeared when a legendary Buddhist priest Nichiren was born. When the boat takes you to the place, where these holly sea breams live, the boat will stop and you will be told to go inside the boat and to open the window in order to see this wonderful fish. Staff will start throwing some food for holly sea breams to make them show themselves. When I saw them, I was very much surprised as they were glittering in the water and moved extremely fast. Before taking this voyage, I recommend you check the website for if the weather is stormy they will not go out to sea. This is their official Japanese site: http://www.tainoura.jp/price.htmlAfter these excursions, you will probably become hungry. I recommend you this place where we had our lunch. «Iso Ryori Amimoto» serves splendid Japanese seafood dishes. We tried «Oraga Don» it is original local Donburi - fresh fish sashimi on the rice. The restaurant does not have its own website. How to get there: 5 minutes’ walk from Awakominato station of JR Sotobo line. They are working from 11：30－21：00 but the time can be changes please check beforehand. Wednesday is a day off and on week days they work till 18：30. Address: Kamogawashi Uchiura 1906.If you come to Kamogawa it is a must to visit Kamogawa Sea world! It is a super interesting place for those who love sea flora and fauna. This sea thematic park-aquarium was opened in 1970 and it is extremely popular especially because of the killer whale performance. The show is awesome! Only one thing to note, if you do not want to get wet you had better sit above the six row of the seats. But, if you do desire to get wet by the water from the pool during the show, I recommend the seats in the first row on the right if you stand with your face to the pool. Before the show, they are selling special vinyl coats.You can check their English website: http://www.kamogawa-seaworld.jp/englishNext, let me tell you about Tateyama city!There is a beautiful place called Okino-shima, it is an uninhabited island where you can sunbathe, swim in the sea, search for different kinds of shells that are taken out by the sea waves to the shore, and explore a little forest that looks like a jungle. If you want to do some shopping in Tateyama, I recommend visiting Roadside station Biwa club. Biwa in Japanese means loquat, it is a small round yellow sweet fruit. Therefore, they have many products such as cosmetics, juice, jam, ice cream made out of loquat. If you want to buy some of them, you should drop in someday!If you go to Chiba's Minami Boso for more than 1 day, I can recommend you to stay at a very nice hotel in Tateyama. Familio Tateyama Hotel, which is located near the Pacific Ocean, is one of the places where you can enjoy wonderful sunsets and sunrise, delicious suppers, Japanese ofuro and more. At the hotel, you can rent a bicycle and have a nice trip along the sea! They have different kinds of rooms; we stayed in a room with a mini kitchen (so you can cook by yourself) and a Japanese room with tatami. The room was quite big and comfortable with your own toilet and bathroom. On the 1st floor you will find yukata to use it as a gown or if you want to use the public ofuro (bath). You can check their official English website: http://www.familio-tateyama.com/en/However, the thing I liked most about the hotel is the dinner at restaurant Buono! It was awesome! You can choose from a Japanese or European menu! Both are splendid, but we chose Japanese cuisine and it was delicious.Therefore, we spent 2 days in the Minami Boso, tried delicious food, visited interesting places, took many pictures and got a lot of wonderful memories. If you decide to visit Minami Boso I can recommend you to visit the places I depicted, try local food and buy some souvenirs like curry with loquat and etc.Have a nice trip!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/zVOQ7-living_food_shopping_tateyama_shi_chiba_kamogawa_shi_chibaWed, 16 May 2018 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/zVOQ7-living_food_shopping_tateyama_shi_chiba_kamogawa_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/z3l5P-living_transportation_medical_tokyoIn Japan it's absolutely normal to wear a medical mask in public places. In Japan a mask is a useful and necessary thing of every day life. When I came to Japan for the first time I was surprised and a little shocked when I saw many people wearing masks.In Russia people wear medical masks only in special circumstances, for example in case of epidemy or when they want to hide something on their faces like bruise or injury. But Russian people don't wear masks when they have a cold or influenza, not because they don't care for others, just this custom is not familiar for Russians. And when you see a person in a medical mask in Russia, and there is no epidemy and the face of a person has no wounds it looks rather suspicious. Why did then he or she put a mask?! In other words in Russia the custom of wearing masks in everyday life doesn't exist. Though there is no place for masks in Russian society, still on some special events, connected with Japanese culture, some people wear masks to enjoy Japanese atmospere and culture, for exampe on cosplay parties or J-fest events and so on. These masks sometimes differ from those we got used to see on streets and public transport in Japan. They sometimes have a weird design and color. For example I saw a boy in a black mask, a girl in a mask with cat's mouth picture on it. As for Japan, people wear masks with practical aims, I would rather say, that masks are necessary things in their every day life. Let's see on what occasions you may need a mask in Japan.If you are ill, it is better to wear a mask in order not to infect others. This is a reflection of Japanese traditional culture and politeness which I like and value so much in Japan.If you don't want to become infected from people who cough and sneeze around. Well, we should take care of ourselves by ourselves.If you have an allergy. I can not say for sure, but may be more than half of Japanese population wear masks by this reason. This is one of the most effective mean to avoid contact of your nose and throat with air full of flowers' and trees' allergens. Lots of people in masks of this category appear from February to May as during this period most allergenic trees, plants and flowers are blossoming, disturbing sensitive people.If you suffer from dry air you can use a mask. Some masks can help to moist your nose, throat and face they have special lotion or something like that in their texture. I was always told that Japan has extremely moist climate with 100 % humidity, but such situation is only in summer, in winter it is so dry so you have to use cream for body, face and hands every day in order not to have rough skin and damages.If you don't like the person you are talking to. I suppose, in this way Japanese express their despise to the people they don't like.If you feel ashamed or some guilt. This is how you can avoid people seeing you face.If you want to hide something on your face like bruise or injury.May be there are some other reasons why Japanese people wear masks. But this cultural phenomenon exists in Japan and doesn't seem to disappear. I don't think that the custom of wearing a mask is bad, for me it is very convenient to wear a mask, especially in transport. But I noticed that I got used to masks　too much and now I feel that I depend on them.One day when I got off the train and as usual started walking home I realized that I was still in mask. I forgot to take it off! (I usually use a mask only in transport and take it off as soon as I go out of the station.) And at that moment I got frightened, because I understood that the mask became a necessary part of my life, so that I even didn't notice it. When I first started using masks in Japan I felt some kind of discomfort as I never used them in Russia, I was suffocating. But after wearing it for some months I got used to them and don't even feel something on my face. So it became a part of me...Let's clear it up! what is the main fuction of a medical mask?In my opinion it is one of the means of protection. Yes, first of all it is protection! Protection from illness, allergens, somebody's curiosity, dry air, somebody you don't like and etc. Human being has always been protecting himself in order to survive. But, please wait! Isn't it too much to put on a mask to go outside just to do some shopping, walking and so on?I admit, I've got used to masks too much andprobably lots of Japanese people got used to them too. We just forget to take off our masks! May be we should take off the masks more often, in order not to lose the perception of real life?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/z3l5P-living_transportation_medical_tokyoFri, 13 Apr 2018 21:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/z3l5P-living_transportation_medical_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GLdxN-living_sakae_machi_chibaIn Sakae town, Chiba prefecture there is a unique open-air experience museum Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-Mura. Here you can dive into the atmosphere of ancient Japan, enjoy wonderful landscapes and experience lots of Japanese traditional crafts, by taking part in workshops like making Japanese cakes, tatami, pottery, chiyogami candles and so on. Near Boso-no-Mura you can find another facility with food court and Japanese dress rent shop, which let you make even more splendid photos and make wonderful memories of your visit here. I can recommend this place for those who are interested in ancient Edo period and those who are interested in Japan in the whole. However, you can not only participate in various workshops you can also have an excursion to samurai house, Japanese craftsmen house of Edo period and many others. After you pass all the houses with workshops, you will see a small river and many sakura trees nearby. Spring is probably one of the best time of the year to visit this place.Here is the link to English website: https://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/MURA/e/index.htmlThere are several ways how to get to Bosonomura:1) By bus from the JR Narita Station on the JR Narita Line: about 20 minutes by "Ryukakuji-dai-shako". Get off at "Ryukakuji-dai-2-chome." Walk about 8 minutes.※There are 1-2 buses going in either direction every hour.2) By bus from the JR Ajiki Station on the JR Narita Line: about 10 minutes by "Ryukakuji-dai-shako". Get off at "Bosonomura." Walk about 3 minutes.On the site you can see the bus schedule:https://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/MURA/information/busschedule.pdfNot far from Bosonomura there is a historical memorial place called «Kofun №101».Kofun in Japanese means ancient burial of aristocrats in 6-7 centuries. Around this burial place and on its top there are ancient funeral figurines called «haniwa». Around Bosonomura there are lots of kofuns but they don’t have haniwa and look like just hills.In just a few steps from «Kofun №101» there is a building of an educational facilities used by the members of Japanese emperor family and aristocracy. The institution was built in 1899 and it is Japanese cultural property now.So if you want to feel the Japanese ancient atmosphere, take part in Japanese crafts master-classes, put on Japanese costumes, enjoy beautiful nature, I can recommend you to visit this place!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GLdxN-living_sakae_machi_chibaTue, 10 Apr 2018 22:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/GLdxN-living_sakae_machi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MgPmK-living_food_tateyama_shi_chibaLast summer I went to South Boso in Chiba prefecture. There I discovered very tasty honey and wonderful dressings for salads. In Tateyama city there is a honey-producing place Hifumi Apiary, called "Hifumi Yohouen", where you can take part in a workshop on making candles from wax, taste honey bee ice cream, have a splendid lunch in "Cafe123" and of course buy different kinds of honey. They sell small and big weighted bottles of honey from 300 to 1200 grammes.Workshop on making your design wax candles was held by a French woman who has been living in Tateyama more than 10 years; she speaks wonderful Japanese and admires bees very much. Before you start making the shape of your candle, you need to make it soft. Therefore, you are to put a piece of solid wax into a hot water of 55 degrees. It is extremely important not to raise the temperature of water as wax can lose its flexibility when the degree is too high. After the wax became soft, you can make a small ball of it and then just follow your imagination. Don’t forget to make a hole for a wick when the wax is soft.After the workshop, you can taste delicious food at "Cafe123". The pride of the café is a baked chicken in honey, salad with original dressing, vegetable soup, and bee ice cream.Near the workshop and café facilities, there is a honey store where you can buy different kinds of honey rape blossoms, loquat, lavender etc. Beside honey, they sell royal jelly, propolis, original salad dressings and many other things. They have a dressing with a mixture of rape blossoms, honey and sweet tangerine, a sauce with tomatoes and honey. They also have confiture with ginger and honey, hand honey cream, Belgium chocolate with honey etc. They have beautifully packed gift sets of honey to present them as a precious and tasty gift.Official English website:http://123-832.com/e-index.htmlTime of working: from 9.00 to 17.00Day off – WednesdayAddressс: 515 Yawata, Tateyama city, Chiba 294-0047Hot to get there: 20 minutes by foot from Tateyama station Uchibo line (approximately 1.3 km)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MgPmK-living_food_tateyama_shi_chibaMon, 09 Apr 2018 21:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/SutekinaNihon/MgPmK-living_food_tateyama_shi_chiba