The e-Japan Journal is the electronic webletter of the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago (CGOJ) and the Japan Information Center (JIC). We hope it proves useful, interesting, and exciting as a window into Japanese culture in the Midwest. As always, your feedback, comments, and suggestions are encouraged and can be sent to our editor, Daniel Drake, at jic@japancc.org.

©Imperial Household Agency of Japan

As we mentioned last month, the 20th Anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor's Accesion to the Throne just passed on November 12. There have been many activities held in Japan to commemorate the event. Please check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website for information, as well as photographs of the festivitites.

On January 7, 1989, upon the death of Emperor Hirohito (posthumously Emperor Showa), His Majesty Emperor Akihito acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor of Japan. The Ceremony of Enthronement was held at the Imperial Palace on November 12, 1990. From abroad, representatives of 158 countries, including monarchs, heads of state, and the heads of two international organizations attended the ceremony.

January 7 of this year marked the 20th anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor's Accession to the Throne. The ministries and agencies concerned, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, plan to organize various events to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of His Majesty the Emperor's Accession to the Throne.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce activities carried out by the Imperial Family to foster friendly relations with foreign countries.

The Imperial Family, including His Majesty the Emperor, facilitates the fostering of good relations on an international level through visits to other countries and by receiving foreign monarchs and presidents.

They also receive other foreign dignitaries or leading figures from abroad, exchange correspondence and telegrams with foreign heads of state, dispatch representatives to foreign countries on the occasion of celebration or sorrow, and receive diplomatic missions residing in Japan. For more information, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' index of information about the Emperor.

For the month of December, Navy Pier will be the center of Chicago's holiday and seasonal festivities as it once again hosts the Winter WonderFest. As in years past, many of Chicago's foreign consulates will be sponsoring activities and decorating trees that are displayed throughout the pier. And the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago is no exception: from Friday, December 4th to Sunday, January 3rd, come to Navy Pier to see the Japanese-themed Christmas tree.

A particularly good time to come see the tree will be on December 21st, when local performer Ikuko Armandi will be leading a shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) ensemble at the Pier. Since 1998, Ms. Armandi has taught and directed "Fu-in," the only classical bamboo flute troupe in the United States, and one of only a few in the world. This will be an amazing opportunity to see not only several shinobue players, but also a shakuhachi-ist and several singers. They will be performing a beautiful program of Japanese folk songs, contemporary music, and several seasonal classics.

Coming in January, the Japan Information Center will be playing gallery to some of 2009's best advertising photographs, as selected by the Japan Advertising Photographer's Association. The exhibition will be open during the day from January 19th to February 4th, and is an excellent opportunity to see some of the most technically precise and sharp photography happening in the world today.

This month's offering from the Universtiy of Ilinois at Urbana-Champaign's Japan House is a presentation on Zen Buddhism with the Rev. Elihu Genmyo Smith of the Prairie Zen Center. The presentation is free, and will be followed by tea and a chance for conversation with other Japan enthusiasts. Plus, any opportunity to visit the Japan House is one worth taking.

The Japanese American Service Committee's annual winter festival is back again this December! Come for a chance to see handmade, Japanese crafts of every variety; stay warm by eating a variety of Japanese cuisine; and entertain your kids with an extensive program of Japanese performing arts, including the Tsukasa Taiko drummers and the Fujima Ryu dance troupe.

In early December, the always-interesting Gene Siskel Film Center will be bringing us an in-depth program of contemporary and cutting edge film, video, and digital work from Japan. Featuring work by artists such as Tomonari Nishikawa, Wada Atsushi, Maya Yonesho, Hiroshi Kondo, and Stom Sogo, it is a unique opportunity to see some of the latest trends in Japanese video art and cinema.

The Japan America Society of Chicago's 23rd Annual Holiday Fundraiser and Bonenkai is to be held on December 10th. With over 250 attendees each year, the event is a celebration of the goodwill and close friendship between the Society's Japanese and American members. This dinner is always exciting as it is held on the 80th Floor of the Aon Center. RSVP by December 4th (November 20th for Corporate Groups) to reserve a space!

The Japan America Society of Minnesota will be holding their annual bonenkai (end-of-year party, if you remember our last few issues) on December 17th. Come for a chance to have good food and drinks with friends, and say goodbye to 2009! Space is limited, so call ahead for reservations!

Each winter, the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago invites the local community to witness the creation of mochi, or sweet rice cakes, on their grounds. A staple of New Year's feasts, the sticky rice paste in a mochi cake is made by pounding it repeatedly with a heavy mallet. I will say without hesitation that it is absolutely one of the best things in the world for a pre-adolescent child to watch. Plus, afterwards the temple will be selling the freshly made mochi, which are delicious. Be sure to arrive before 11:00 AM; it's been known to get crowded!

One of the most-loved Christmas traditions will this year be an opportunity to see one of the world's premiere Japanese ballet dancers, Principle Guest Artist with England's Royal Ballet Miyako Yoshida. Throughout December, the St. Louis Ballet will be performing "The Nutcracker," and on December 20th and 22nd, Ms. Yoshida will be the featured performer.

Monthly Economic Report (November, 2009)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2009nov.html

Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2009/10/1196770_1144.html

Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by Dr. William J. Perry, Former United States Secretary of Defense
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2009/10/1196754_1144.html

Meeting Between Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsuya Okada and Secretary of Defense of the United States Robert Gates
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/security/meet0910.html

U.S.-Japan Global Peace Operations Initiative Senior Mission Leaders Course
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/event/2009/10/1196611_1168.html

Comment by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on the Award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/comment0910.html

Here are three questions regarding news stories about Japan in October and November. The first person to send us the most correct answers wins a little Japanese prize. Don't forget to send us your mailing address with your answers!

1. How did a Tokai University racing team win a "green" checkered flag?

2. What is the name of Tomotaka Takahashi's newest robot, notable because it can walk, run, and jump?

3. Why are Kit Kat bars selling out across Japan as exams loom?
   
   
   To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.

Answers from the October Quiz:
In an exciting development, this month's quiz was won by two people, long-time victors Irene Schechter and Dick Stump. With their emails coming in mere minutes apart, I decided to resolve a dead heat into a tie: everyone gets a prize!

1. How have tailors with the Haruyama Trading Company joined the fight against H1N1? Tailors of the Haruyama Trading company made a suit which kills the H1N1 virus.

2. How is the 7-patty Whopper at Japanese Burger King opening a whole new window onto dining? Burger King is selling a Windows 7-themed Whopper across Japan for 7 days.

3. What kind of change has sushi chef Ken Kawasumi brought to his culinary repertoire? Mr. Kawasumi created a sushi roll that looks just like President Barack Obama.

The following is a list of all educational visits our office will make in the next month. For more information, or if you would like to register for a cultural presentation, please visit our website.

• November 20: At the Japan Information Center

Hyperdia

Since I started editing the e-Japan Journal, we've covered many topics in the Website Highlight section: Japanese film, Japanese food, the Japanese language, and much more. So maybe now it's time to collect all of that knowledge and carry it over the Pacific. For the next few issues of the e-Japan Journal, I'll be highlighting websites and online resources that will come in handy for an English-speaking tourist taking a trip across Japan.

First up? Hyperdia, the staggeringly informed online train schedule. It's a common trope in Japanese travel literature that the Land of the Rising Sun has an extensive yet impenetrably complex rail network. This is maybe a little true, and certainly true for first-time visitors to, say, Tokyo, a city with no fewer than 5 private train companies in addition to the Japan Railway and Tokyo Metropolitan networks. Needless to say, a paper schedule would be unwieldy at best for cross-country navigating. Which is where Hyperdia comes in. Simply select your language (Japanese, English, or Chinese), enter the station you'll be departing, your departure time, and your arrival station. Click search. Hyperdia will tell you down to the minute, and arranged by cost, length of trip, and number of transfers, the myriad of ways to get from point A to point B on Japanese trains. It covers all rail lines, public and private, its schedules are always up-to-date, the search can be modified to include or exclude bullet trains, planes, buses, night trains, etc., etc., and did I mention it is ALWAYS RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME?! Amazing.

If you ride a train in Japan, Hyperdia is a necessity.

So this, the omnibus November/December e-Japan Journal, will be our last issue for 2009. It has been a pleasure writing for my many readers in the Midwest, and I have appreciated every piece of feedback you've given me. I will add, though, that I always welcome more; if you've ever wanted to see an event listed here, please email me! Or, if you've spotted a typo, let me know. And, of course, be sure to enter the monthly quiz--those chopsticks and mousepads don't come for free.

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I look forward to writing to you all again in the New Year!

Daniel Drake, Editor