www.alientimes.org

Alien Times October 2003

October 2003.

The Red Planet
Under a Bright Moon

Volume 17, Number 9

3 More! 2 More! And Take it to the Left! ... Shaney Crawford
Looking for a place to exercise?
Online Fax Machine ... Yash Ito
Receive faxes for free.
Science Projects for Big Kids ... Nicolas Delerue
Fraudulent activity?
Frugal Japan ... Shaney Crawford
Pinch your yennies.
Helpful Hints: Smelly Garbage ... Amy Nakazawa
No one likes smelly garbage.
Recycle Your Books ... Wendy Jonas
What goes around, comes around.
Webster ... Shaney Crawford
Ready to face your doom on December 7th?
The Holy Grail? Foreign Movies with English Subtitles! ... SS
If you're willing to go to Roppongi...
Travel Websites ... Shaney Crawford
Travel cheap if you do your homework.
Ushiku Library Extends its Hours ... Yoneyama
Curl up with a good page-turner.
Quick and Dirty Guide to Cellphone Companies ... Shaney Crawford
J-phone? AU? Docomo? Help?
Test: Are You a Native English Reader? ... The Internet
Can you read it?

Don't forget to check out
Tsukuba LIVE!

3 More! 2 More! And Take it to the Left!

If you gained a couple of pounds over the summer holiday from all the barbeques, ice cream, and festivals, you might be looking for a gym to help you get back to your pre-summer svelteness. There are a few gyms in Tsukuba that are more than willing to help you with that goal.

Acqua Serena
www.acquaserena.co.jp [J]

ACT (connected to Tsukuba Medical Center)
www.tmch.or.jp/act/top.htm [J]

Joyful Athletic Club
www.joyful-athleticclub.co.jp [J]

Tsukuba Total Health Plaza: Phoenix (connected to Tsukuba Memorial Hospital)
www.tsukuba-kinen.or.jp/wellness/phoenix/ [J]

Those are the ones I knew about, but when I sent a message to the people on the TAIRA list, I found out about the following:

Peare Tsuchiura (at the intersection of Tsuchiura Gakuensen and Route 6 bypass)
www.peare.or.jp/peare/frame/f_tsuchi.html [J]
Submitted by Tomomi at the Tsukuba Information Center

Pureness (north west of Tsuchiura, near Kandatsu)
www.t-tec.co.jp/pureness [J]
Submitted by Leslie Tkach Kawasaki

Hotel Marroad Tsukuba Fitness Clube
www1k.mesh.ne.jp/toto/tsukuba/esport.htm [E]
Submitted by Mike Jones

Mike also recommends NAC in Tsuchiura:
I used to belong to NAC club in Tsuchiura. They have very good facilities including a really nice pool and it's not as crowded as Joyful. If you want to check it out, it's on the junction of the old route 6 and route 125 bypass, near Gakuen bowl. I can't find a web page for but it's listed along with some others in the area at www.hajimail.jp/search/08_ibaraki/list.html [J]

And I found one more list that you might find useful, although it is all in Japanese.
www.cmnw.com/cgi-local/clublist.cgi?edit=&pref=31 [J]

Shaney Crawford

Online Fax Machine

If you use fax very sporadically and only wish to receive, but not send them, there is a useful service on-line.

It is called d-fax at www.d-fax.ne.jp. You will need Japanese language capability on your computer to use this service.

If you subscribe to their service, you will recieve a fax number other people can use to contact you.

If somebody sends a fax to this number, you will receive the fax images attached to an email address of your choice.

Registration, receiving a fax number, and fax transmission are all free. The only catch is that the sender has to pay a small fee each time he/she sends you a fax transmission.

I generally receive faxes from companies and they don't really care about the small additional cost.

The image will be in TIFF format. It is as clearly legible as it is on paper.

Yash Ito

Science Projects for Big Kids

Is the Yeti a brown bear?
A Japanese mountaineer claims that the abominable snowman is in fact a Himalayan brown bear. This claim is based on a 12-year study he did in the Himalayan Mountains, interviewing local tribes and sherpas. According to him, the legend of the Yeti was built in the 1950s and has attracted many tourists to the area. This claim comes while a Japanese expedition is on the slopes of the Himalaya to try to find the famous Yeti...
More details can be found at http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20030918b4.htm

Silk absorbs CO2
Researcher from the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Tsukuba have found that silk worms and silk spiders use carbon dioxide to produce silk. This carbon dioxide is incorporated in the acids (amino acid and aspartic acid) that form the thread. This is the first hint that animals also can absorb carbon dioxide, so far only plants and bacteria where known to absorb carbon dioxide (the carbon used by the animals comes from their food).
More details can be found at http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20030911b4.htm

Lucky or unlucky at the Tsukuba Matsuri lottery?
(Or how to use statistics to show that the lottery booths are cheating)
A careful player at the little lottery stands during Tsukuba Matsuri (festival) would have noticed some interesting facts. First, the (claimed) value of the prize seemed to lead to a "expected payoff " much higher than the cost of the ticket (the "expected payoff " is the product of the value of the prizes times the probability of winning them). In one booth, for example, you had to draw numbers between 1 and 100 at a cost of 300 yen a try. If you got a number between 90 and 100 (10% probability) you would win a prize that was worth 2000 yen, and between 60 and 90 (30% probability) the prize was worth 1000 yen. Otherwise, you got a smaller prize worth 100 yen (60% probability). Thus the "expected payoff " at that booth was around 560 yen, almost twice the cost of playing!
Thus one could think that it was a good deal to play there, but after a few minutes one would notice a puzzling fact: all number drawn were below 50! Lack of time did not let me check that fact during the Tsukuba Matsuri, so I went the following week to the Ishioka Matsuri to further investigate. In a first booth, I spotted in a basket the numbers which had been drawn previously: out of 14 numbers, only one person (instead of the 4.2 expected) had won a medium-sized prize. This has a probability of 0.1% (errors included) of happening if the drawing was fair. In another booth, out of 12 players, all got a "small" prize by drawing a number below 70. The probability of such an event is only 0.000076% (7.6x10-5%) and in a third booth where I stayed longer, out of 24 customers, none got better than a small prize, whereas I should have seen 4.8 get a medium or big prize. This happens with a probability of 4.1x10-9%. Thus, it is possible to claim (with confidence level of more than 95%) that the lotteries during the Matsuris are cheating... Who cares?
Note: Probability calculations were done using the classical frequentist approach; errors have been included. More details on the probability calculations can be found at http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9711021 (Feldman and Cousins on confidence intervals with low statistics).

Nicolas Delerue

Frugal Japan

If you want to save money on groceries...
...Try to shop later at night when many items are marked down.

If you want your vegetables to last longer...
...Buy special blue/green plastic bags to store them in.

If you want to save money on haircuts...
...Offer to be a model for a hairdresser in training in Tokyo.

If you want to save money on sleeping medication...
...Have some ground clove. (Shake a little into your palm and swallow it. Makes your tongue go numb, but it's a great soporific.)

There is always a way to spend less money. And if you get into a routine, sometimes it doesn't even hurt. If you are interested in finding out some interesting ways to economize, please have a look at the Frugal Japan mailing list.

groups.yahoo.com/group/frugaljapan

They are building a website soon which will include tips that members have mentioned on the list. Stay tuned.

Shaney Crawford

Helpful Hints: Smelly Garbage

Rinse and dry all recyclable bottles and cans, as well as non-burnable garbage, before chucking them in the bin.

Wrap all burnable garbage before throwing it in the bin, and double-wrap wet kitchen waste (if you're not composting it). Small-size plastic shopping bags are perfect for this. This took some getting used to, since I used to refuse plastic bags when shopping. I still feel guilty for using so much plastic, but it has made a big difference. And, since the bags are so eagerly given away by all the stores, it doesn't cost a penny.

Keep a large shaker jar (available at 100yen shops) full of baking soda next to the garbage can. Shake a bit in the bag each time you add something. (Large boxes of baking soda can be found at Costco, and can be ordered from FBC and The Flying Pig.)

The same can be done with dried coffee grounds. After making coffee, split open the paper filter and lay it on a large styrofoam try, and dry it outside. Add the dried coffee grounds to a jar and use to sprinkle into the gargabe bag. The grounds can also be added to ashtrays if you have smokers in the house, it will help reduce the stink and also prevent ash from flying around. The dried paper filter can be used to line the garbage can- just add it, coffee side down (otherwise the grounds will stick to the garbage bag and make a mess when you take out the trash), to the bottom of the can. It will deodorize and help absorb any liquid if the bag leaks. Replace the filter whenever a new one is dried, or when it gets wet and stinky. (Kaldi Coffee Farm, by the way, sells good coffee cheaply, those who don't live near one can order online: www.kaldi.co.jp/shopping.html)

Sprinkle kitty litter into the garbage can (and into the bag too). The cheap gritty kind is fine. I don't have a cat so I just buy little bags of it at the 100yen shop; the truly frugal (or those blessed with lots of storage space) can buy bigger bags at discount stores. Change the litter once or twice a week, then wash the can when the litter no longer helps.

Amy Nakazawa

Recycle Your Books

Go to www.bookcrossing.com and have a look at this unique system. If you are like me, and have tons of extra books but don't necessarily want to sell them, why not consider "releasing them" at coffee shops, airports, and the like. I have frequently done this, with no idea as to where the books went after that. BookCrossing picks up from that, and let you "register" your book with a printable book plate before you "release" it. Once you release it, you enter "release notes" at the website, and whoever finds the book can pick it up again and "track it." You can see whose read your books! It seems, altogether, pretty interesting!

Wendy Jonas

Webster

Did you apply for the dreaded Japanese Proficiency Test? The applications were due on September 19, 2003 and the test will take place on December 7, 2003. This test is only offered once a year, and only in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Sapporo, etc.

There are a large number of websites out there that will help you on your way. First of all, there is an official website for the test itself maintained by the Association of International Education, Japan (AIEJ) at www.aiej.or.jp/examination/jlpt.html. Probably the best website for materials is www.mlcjapanese.co.jp, a site maintained by the Meguro Language Center (MLC) in Tokyo. You can also find good information on these sites:

Kanji-A-Day
Full lists of vocabulary and kanji for all levels. (Please note that the lists may have some mistakes in them as they were electronically created by a non-native Japanese speaker. They seem to be mostly correct, but I noticed a few mistakes when I glanced at the lists.)
www.kanji-a-day.com

Kanji Study Guide
www.kanjistudyguide.com

Unicom
I can recommend the "Power Up" series of books by Unicom. I think these offer very good coverage of all areas and all levels of the test.
www.unicom-lra.co.jp

Kanji Clinic
www.kanjiclinic.com

And if you didn't apply in time for the JLPT, perhaps you might consider taking the JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test (JETRO Test). Details can be found at www.jetro.go.jp/it/e/bj.

If you know of other useful sites, please email us!

Shaney Crawford

The Holy Grail? Foreign Movies with English Subtitles!

The other day I went into Tokyo to see "Ciudade de deus", a Brazilian film (really cool, by the way!), and was very surprised that the film was side-titled in Japanese and subtitled in English! For all of those who like to see a bit of "world cinema" i.e. non-English films, I recommend the Virgin Cinemas in Roppongi Hills. The theatre is really nice -- THX even on the smallest screen! -- and they have screenings at 2 and 3am! (Cheaper than a love hotel or capsule...)

However, not ALL films are sub-titled in English, only the big ones like "Terminator 3" and "Hero", and not at all times of the day. The schedule is available online (www.virgincinemas.co.jp/roppongi) but it's only in Japanese, which means you need to know the film title in Japanese and need to know how to read "eigo jimaku" (English sub-titles) in Japanese. I suppose you can find some information on English sub-titling at metropolis.co.jp though.

SSt

Travel Websites

If you are planning a trip, be sure to check all of your options before booking. Here are some websites that I have found useful for comparison shopping.

www.gendai.co.uk
www.statravel.com
www.aviatravel.com
www.roundtheworldflights.com
www.travel-nation.co.uk
www.bridgetheworld.com
www.sta-travel.co.uk
www.bootsnall.com/tripplanner.shtml

Do you have any to add? Please email AT to let us know!

Shaney Crawford

Ushiku Library Extends its Hours

The Ushiku library is open from 9am to 9pm from Monday to Sunday. It is closed on the second and fourth Monday of each month. It is quite convenient to go there after work. The Ushiku library as fewer books than the Tsukuba library, but there is still a large variety available. The reference room is on the second floor.

It is easy to get to the library in Ushiku. Follow Route 408 towards Ushiku. After crossing Route 6, you will find an intersection with the Ushiku Fire Station on one of the corners. Turn left here, and you will see the Ushiku library on the right hand side. Parking is available behind the building.

Yoneyama

Quick and Dirty Guide to Cellphone Companies

One of the first things that people notice about Japan is that EVERYONE has a cellphone. It is practically impossible to live in Japan without one, as life seems to revolve around that funny little piece of plastic technology. If you have just arrived and are trying to decide which cellphone company to go with, here are some quick tips.

If you can't speak Japanese, use J-phone (www.j-phone.com). They offer English phones with English support. I have heard that their rates are good too.

Paul Granberg adds:
The big multi-national cellphone company Vodafone purchased J-Phone last year and is now in the final stages of rebranding to Vodafone. J-Phone was always known for its up to date phone models and competitive pricing plans, and Vodafone is expected to continue this tradition. On some pricing plans, you may even be given a free or low cost phone.

If you can speak Japanese, and you are a student, I would recommend AU (www.au.kddi.com). They have a student discount that is worth looking into. Also, if you sign up for a contract, you can sometimes get a phone for 0 yen. (This is what I use.)

If you want extremely cool functions, and you're not really concerned about money, go for Docomo (www.nttdocomo.co.jp). They are (or were? or think they are?) the leader in cellphones in Japan.

Paul Granberg adds:
Docomo is more expensive than the other companies but it has by far the most extensive network coverage. This is an extremely important consideration in Ibaraki (and the hills and valleys near Tsukuba) as many areas that the JETs live in have marginal reception at best. There's no point in having a cellphone if it doesn't work where you live! About 80% of the phones for this network are capable of bilingual operation but it does pay to check before purchasing. The cost for a good phone (the previous years model with all the bells and whistles) should be about 10-15000 yen. DOCOMO has also started the rollout of FOMA the new 3rd Generation (3G) cellphone network, promising higher data transmission speeds and full speed video. The coverage of this new network is nowhere near as extensive as the older network, and the pricing plans are somewhat more expensive.

I don't know enough about Tu-ka to make any recommendations, but here is an article about their position in the market. www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20030624a4.htm

If you are only here for a short time, you might be tempted to go the pre-paid route. Depending on how short or long your stay is, this may be your only sensible choice. But if you are going to be here for at least one year, you might find that you will pay less in the long run because of the lower rates and special discount plans offered with contracts.

Here is an article about cellphone company satisfaction that appeared in the Japan Times recently (August 29, 2003): www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20030829a6.htm.

Make sure to get the email options as you will be surprised how often you can make use of it. (But you will have to start exercising your thumb muscles 'cause it's hard to type on those little keys in English!)

Shaney Crawford

Test: Are You a Native English Reader?

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

If you could read that, your reading skills are probably at the "native English" level.

The Internet