Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Look Back on 2021 & New Year's resolution】

Well, it is the last show of the year today as we are very quickly approaching 2022. How was the past year for you?
Mine was pretty good. Camping has become quite the popular activity over these last two years due to not being able travel internationally and so there has been a lot of focus on camping supplies in shops and online. As a result, I've found so much great camping equipment and managed to go camping a few times this year. There are so many wonderful campsites in Kyushu, we went to a few in the Kuju area and even did a camping van trip in Hokkaido this year. I think next year we'll continue with this new hobby of ours.
I also started a patisserie course at Nakamura Culinary School in Hirao. I'm always really impressed with the cakes and other confections I see at shops around town and decided to give it a try myself. We're only halfway through the course, but I've made so many different things and I think I'm getting better at it although recent attempts at cake decorating haven't been as good at home as at school.
Some exciting news over the year that happened in Japan was the opening of Super Nintendo World at USJ. Well, personally, I found it exciting. I don't really play games but grew up with Super Nintendo and Mario and it feels like my childhood come to life. I haven't been yet, but I'm planning on being there tomorrow. Fingers crossed it's everything I've always imagined it to be.
Generally speaking, I guess a lot happened around the world this year, some good, some bad. For me, I thought these two stories were nice. First, the Perserverence touched down on Mars back in February which was a huge event. And the mini helicopter Ingenuity that Perserverence carried to Mars even flew on the planet, which is just amazing technology. And, new animal species were discovered, including a tiny nano chameleon, small enough to sit on the tip of a person's finger.
At home in the US, the biggest news was that my great aunt turned 100! My family turned out to celebrate with her, they gave her a big surprise party. Otherwise, it was life as usual for the folks back home it seems.
There was a lot of other news but rather than reliving some of the things we'd probably rather forget, I guess it's time to move on to 2022. So what do you think 2022 will be like? Fingers crossed we can get out of this pandemic, I know there are a lot of people who haven't been able to meet friends and family in person due to travel restrictions and I hope next year that people will be able to meet up again. I imagine next year we'll see more technology, that seems to be changing so fast all the time anyway.
Is there anything you want to do in 2022? I'd like to learn how to bake bread like I see in the bakeries here, guess I'll have to find a good course for that. I'd also like to get my Japanese level up a bit higher, I took the JLPT exam earlier this month but I'm so out of practice that I don't think I did that well. I guess my new year's resolution is to study harder!
I guess we still have a few more days before we have to make our new year's resolutions though, plenty of time to think about what to do in the new year.

Well, enjoy these last few days of 2021 whatever you do, whether it's a bit of travel, spending time with family and friends or getting some quiet “me” time in.
Thank you as well for joining me throughout the year for Life in Fukuoka. I hope the information has been useful and interesting for you.
There will be plenty more of it next year as well, so hopefully we can continue helping you out with information on how to make life a little more comfortable here in Fukuoka City.

【Strawberry】

Well, you know it's coming up on the holidays here when you start to see strawberries in the supermarket. Actually, they start showing up as early as mid November in some places but as we really start feeling the holiday spirit and head into December, it's nearly impossible to miss those rows of red, shiny fruits. The actual season for strawberries that are grown outside is from April to June. During the cold winter months, the strawberries are dormant and as the temperature rises in the spring, they wake up and begin to bear fruit from spring to early summer. However, the technology to create a spring-like environment in greenhouses has become widespread making it possible to harvest strawberries in November and December.

It seems this all was thought up in order to be able to harvest high quality strawberries in the winter season in line with Christmas, when the demand for strawberries skyrockets.

In Fukuoka Prefecture, a strawberry called Amaou has become rather famous. The name comes from the beginning of the Japanese words Amai, Marui, Ookii, Umai, which mean Sweet, Round, Big, and Delicious. In English that would sound like Swrobide...I guess. Amaou is a much better name for sure and it's actually an original Fukuoka Prefecture strawberry. One fruit is about twice the size of a regular strawberry and has an exceptional flavor. It's cute round shape and it's rich taste are the secrets behind its popularity.

Hopefully I can get my hands on some Amaou at a reasonable price this season, I've been taking baking classes and have promised Christmas cakes to a few people this year!!!

【Ward office consultation and putting out the garbage over the New Year Holidays】
Now, I have some information from Fukuoka City. Over the new year holidays, there are a few changes to ward office consultation hours and the days on which you can put out the garbage. For ward offices and the Health and Welfare Center, please be aware that these places will be closed from Wednesday the 29th of December to Monday the 3rd of January. The last day they will be open in 2021 is Tuesday the 28th of December. They will reopen in the new year on Tuesday the 4th of January. In the days before and after the new year holidays, the ward office consultation counters will be busy so make sure you give yourself plenty of time when you go there.

Also, from the Friday the 31st of December to Monday the 3rd of January, please do not put your garbage out for pick up. Burnable garbage can only be put out on your area's scheduled garbage day up to Thursday the 30th of December and then after Tuesday the 4th of January. For nonburnable garbage and glass and pet bottles, if Sunday January 2nd is your regular day to put them out, instead they can be put out beforehand on Thursday, December 30th.
For areas where Monday, January 3rd is a regular pickup day, garbage will be picked up instead on Friday, January 7th.

Also, applications and pickup for oversized garbage will be stopped between Wednesday, December 29th to Monday, January 3rd, so please be aware of that.

【Spend the New Year's Holiday safely】
Fukuoka City wants you to enjoy your winter holidays safely and enjoyably and has a few tips to share.
From the end of the year to the start of the new year, there are a lot of opportunities to drink alcohol. So, make sure, 100%, that you don't drink and drive, don't make others drink and drive, never allow someone to drink and drive and don't ignore someone who would drink and drive. Even cycling after drinking is against the law.
And it's important to remember that even the next day you might have some alcohol in your system or will be hungover. In that case, even if you think you only have a little bit of alcohol left in your system, it doesn't mean you should drive, because you shouldn't.

Also, every year, the end of the year sees more and more traffic accidents. If you are out late at night, make sure you are wearing bright or reflective clothes that are easy for drivers to notice. And if you are driving, make sure you turn your headlights on earlier in the evening.

Next, we have a warning for you about bag snatching incidents. There have been a number of these crimes from the evening to midnight in places where there are few people around. A lot of these incidents have occurred with the criminals riding motorbikes and snatching bags as they pass by. To avoid being involved in such an incident, make you carry your bag on the side opposite to the road and pay attention to your surroundings, making sure you look back behind you if you sense signs of people or hear a motorbike.
Protect yourself and the things that are important to you and have a safe and enjoyable winter holiday.

【Telephone Establishment Day】

I've got a little bit of history for you today. Apparently, December 16^th is Telephone Establishment Day. A slightly awkward title for the day, but it was on this day in 1890 that Japan's first telephone service began. Now, there are phones all over the country and it's convenient and easy to even call people anywhere in the world, but at the time the first service was established, phones calls could only be made from Tokyo to Yokohama. And there were only 200 households that were subscribed to the service, a minuscule number compared to how connected we are today!

To make a call in those days, you had to connect to a telephone operator who would patch you through via a telephone exchange. It was a very analog process. The caller would first tell the operator the number of the person they wanted to call. They would then hang up and wait for the phone to ring again to connect. Now, 130 years later, we've all got our own personal phones. And, they're not even just for talking, if you've got internet on your phone, you can connect to anything you want across the world!

So, a little bit of trivia for you about phone calls now. The frequency of telephones ranges from .3 to 3.4 Kilohertz which is the range in which people can hear voices well. In other words, you can't hear things that are outside of this frequency over the phone. So sounds made by cicadas, crickets and wind chimes can't be heard as their frequency is too high. So if you want to share these sounds with friends, it's better to take a recording and send it....over your smartphone!

Announcements from the Fukuoka City International Foundation.

【Call for Applications for International Student Housing: Family Rooms】

Currently, there are some student housing family rooms open to applications for international students enrolled at Universities in Fukuoka City or the Fukuoka Metropolitan area.

To be considered, applicants must be enrolled in a University and also be willing to participate enthusiastically in projects conducted by the Fukuoka City International Foundation. The lease period is for 2 years and single tenants will also be considered.

For more information about the application and other requirements, please visit the Fukuoka City International Foundation's homepage or send an email to dorm@fcif.or.jp with any questions you may have.

【Why don't you “Come and Enjoy the Charms of Thailand”!】

On January 8^th, you can feel like you've taken a quick trip to Thailand at the “Come and Enjoy the Charms of Thailand” event. At this event, Thai students studying in Fukuoka will teach you useful Thai expressions that you can use when traveling as well as hear about everything Thailand has to offer from the Fukuoka Branch of the Thai Tourism Authority. 

It's a great chance to prepare for when we can all travel freely again. You do need to apply in advance to participate in this event, so please check the Fukuoka City International Foundation's homepage for application information and event details. Whether you just love all things Thai or you're thinking of going someday, definitely check out this event.

【Fukuoka City International Foundation End and Start of Year Holiday Closure】

Finally, the Fukuoka City International Foundation will be closed for a period of 6 days, from Wednesday, December 29^th  to Monday, January 3^rd . It will reopen on Tuesday, January 4^th at 8:45 am.

The appointment-based free legal advice service for foreigners will not be available on

Saturday, January 1^st , the next time it will be held will be on Wednesday, January 19^th.

The consultation services with the Gyousei-shoshi or administrative lawyer for matters

related to immigration, residency and nationality that don't require an appointment will

resume on Sunday, January 9^th.  For more information please call 092-262-1799. Again,

that number is 092-262-1799. You can also check the Fukuoka City International

Foundation's website for information.

The staff members at the Fukuoka City International Foundation hope to continue being an

antenna to gather and provide a wealth of information and support to you, the foreign

residents of Fukuoka, in order to make life here in the city even more comfortable in 2022!

【The Big Clean】
There's only just a bit of 2021 left, how time flies. And in December, in Japan, many people typically do a big, thorough house cleaning. It's called “O-souji” in Japanese.
This is a custom that has been followed for a long time in Japan and the purpose of it is to get rid of the dirt that has accumulated over the year in order to welcome the kamisama or Japanese deities into your home on New Year's Day. The two key points to doing this big clean is preparation and the weather. A clear day with just a bit of a breeze is perfect. A lot of water is used for cleaning so saving your bath water to do it is an eco-friendly way of doing things. Plus, having lukewarm water will save your hands from freezing as you clean, which means you get things done faster!
You'll, of course, need cleaning supplies like rags and a mop, but make sure your cleaning liquids are stocked up as you might think you have enough but end up finding out that you've run out in the middle of the job.
When doing O-souji, the order in which things get cleaned goes from top to bottom, meaning ceiling, then walls and then floor and back to front, so the back of the closet, to the cupboards and under and around the TV, which makes sense and ensures that you don't dirty up a place that you've already cleaned. It sounds like a big job but once you get done, you'll have a clean and tidy house to welcome in the new year. I'm mentally prepping myself to get it done this year. We managed to kind of do it last year but may have got distracted midway through. Good thing my vacuum robot always works so hard for me!

【World Human Rights Day and Human Rights Week】

 Next, I have information from Fukuoka City about human rights. Human rights are the the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being from the time they are born.

December 10^th is Human Rights Day and this isn't something just in Japan, it is something that takes place all over the world and is a day to think about Human Rights. And from December 4^th to the 10^th is Human Rights Week, and here in Fukuoka City, a Human Rights Respect Week is held with the goal of creating a comfortable, discrimination free place to live.

In the same way that we recognize ourselves as individual, irreplaceable beings, at the same time, others are also individual, irreplaceable beings. And so this is an important week to recognize that all of us are valuable, precious beings.

In order to realize a society where no one is left behind as laid out by the Sustainable Development Goals for countries, we need to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against women, children, the elderly, foreigners, those with disabilities and all others who may face that negativity. Simply, we need to respect one another's human rights.

So let's keep compassion and a person's irreplaceability in mind as we move through this last month of the year.

【COVID-19 Vaccination Information】

 As you know, Fukuoka City has been working toward making sure everyone who hopes to be vaccinated can do so with peace of mind. In Fukuoka City, anyone over the age of 12 who is registered as living in the city and is eligible for vaccinations will receive COVID-19 vaccination notice in the mail. If you have not yet been inoculated but hope to do so,

please visit the Fukuoka City homepage for information on where you can get your vaccination done.

The vaccine is free. You will be given 2 of the same dose, 3 to 4 weeks apart.

After you receive your vaccination, a sticker will be placed on your vaccination sheet. This shows that you have been vaccinated and which vaccine you have received. This is an important document, so make sure you do not lose it.

For information on vaccinations or to make a reservation, you can call 092-260-8405. Again, that number is 092-260-8405. Calls will be taken between 8:30 am and 5:30pm every day. 7 languages are available at that number, including English, Chinese, Nepali, Vietnamese and Korean.