Health Insurance Guide #2: National Health Insurance

Welcome to the second part of our (weekly) comprehensive health insurance guide. 

In this section, we will be looking at the fundamentals of the National Health Insurance (kokumin kenko hoken 国民健康保険 or simply "NHI"); specifically eligibility, costs and benefits.

National Health Insurance is the basic plan for all of those who are not elegible for the employee health system (which will we cover in the next section). Unlike some developed countries, it is not "free" (i.e. funded by general taxation) but rather paid by a seperate tax based on income.

Although it is referred to as "national insurance" the system is actually very much run locally, with the prefectural governments helping out. The national government issues grants to cover cost deficit, although these have been shrinking in recent years.

NHI is separate from Advanced Age Insurance (後期高齢者医療保険 koki koreisha iryo hoken) which is a relatively new, separate system for senior citizens 75 and older (65 and older if disabled) that covers costs 90 percent of medical expenses. This system will likely not effect most of our readers although you will find yourself paying an extra fee to help out your elderly neighbours. 

Benefits

NHI covers all essential treatment, surgeries, and dental. However it does not cover check-ups, vaccinations, child birth, abortions, elective procedures (i.e. braces, cosmetic surgery), and extras like private hospital rooms.

Having an insurance provider not cover check-ups may seem odd but keep in mind that Japanese schools and work have extremely extensive yearly (usually free) health checks. In addition, municipalities generally offer extras such as vaccination clinics, special check ups for children, and so on. There are also vouchers available for special health checks and cancer screening for those over 40. 

Pregnancy costs are covered in the form of a lump sum reimbursement (shussan ikuji-kin 出産育児金) of around 420,000 yen. This lump sum does not change regardless of the cost incurred by the hospital stay (which can vary by location, doctor, and optional costs) so it is possible to come out of a pregnancy with extra cash or even a net loss. Some hospitals have systems in place where in the money will be sent directly from the NHI provider to the hospital while others demand upfront payments.

Eligibility

Despite being a "compulsory system," there is no automatic enrolment. You should do so yourself at the town hall or ward office (see part 1 of this guide for details).

 

You are eligible for NHI under the following circumstances:

• You are self employed or the sole proprietor of a business
• You run or work in a business employing 5 people or less
• You work part-time, temp work, and/or dispatch work (less than 3/4ths the amount of time a full time employee would work is considered part time)
• You work in farming, agriculture, or fisheries and are not eligible for agriculture or fishery cooperative insurance
• You work in designated service industries or as an outside contractor
• You are unemployed
• You are a student

NHI extends to children and spouses so long as they do not make over 1,300,000 yen a year and/or have his or her own health insurance policy available through work.

Cost

The exact costs of NHI vary significantly from prefecture to prefecture, and even town to town. The costs are adjusted at the end of every tax year (March) and are based on your previous year's income. For this reason, many who have just arrived in Japan will be shocked to find how cheap their insurance is the first year only to find a massive spike in their NHI tax the following tax year. 

Although costs differ, there is a standard formula in use that just about every NHI system uses. 

Medical Care Portion + Senior Citizens Support Fee + Long-Term Care Insurance = (Total Cost x Fee Reduction Percentage) 

• The medical care portion consists of the following formula (Basic Fee x Number of Insurees) + (Basic Levy for All Members x Fixed Percentage). There is a maximum limit of about 500,000 yen for this portion.
• Basic Fee and Number of Insurees refers to a fixed price, usually in the 30,000 yen or more range set by the city. This is multiplied by the number of immediate family members on your NHI.
• Basic Levy is calculated by taking your previous years' household income minus 330,000 yen.
• Senior Citizen Support Fee is the section that goes toward the aforementioned Advanced Age Insurance and is calculated as (Basic Levy x Number of Insurees) + (Basic Levy x Fixed Percentage). There is a maximum of approximately 130,000 yen for this portion.
• Long Term Care Insurance supports nursing care for the elderly but it is only paid by those 40 to 64 years old and is calculated as (Fixed Fee x Basic Levy for Insurees 40 to 64 years old) + (Basic Levy for Insurees 40 to 64 years old x Fixed Percentage). There is a maximum of approximately 100,000 yen for this section. 

There are deductions available for those who are unemployed, below a certain income threshold, have young children, or cannot work. The most common deductions are for low-income earners, students, the recently unemployeed, and the disabled. The Fee Reduction Percentage is generally in the range of 20 to 70 percent. Consult your local town hall for details.

You are liable for payments from the first day of eligibility (i.e. the first day you arrive in Japan) for a maximum of 2 years back payments. So if you fail to sign up after getting your alien registration then you are technically liable for all the back payments up to the day you change your mind and decide to join. Late payments will invalidate your coverage (although not immediately) and many city halls won't allow you to join late if all the back payments are not paid in full.

Finally, don't forget to submit your earning and withholding (gensen choshu shomeisho 源泉徴収証明書) statement during tax time (February-March). Reporting your income or lack thereof is particularly important for students with part time work since they are generally entitled to a hefty discount. Unemployed should similar report a continued lack of income in order to get reduction benefits.

Out-of-Pocket Costs

As we have covered previously, you are responsible for 30 percent of all medical expenses. Children under six only need to pay 20 percent. There is a maximum out-of-pocket expenditure limit (kogaku iryo-hi 高額医療費) of 80,100 yen plus 1 percent of any portion exceeding 267,000 of total medical costs for treatments occurring up to 3 times in a month. For treatments that occur over 4 times a year there is a cap of 83,400 yen. This maximum amounts are higher for those taxed as "high income" and lower for citizens 75 and older and/or those who are exempt from local residence taxes.

Any money paid over the maximum cap is returned in a reimbursement from your city hall. 

If you lack the means to pay for your immediate out-of-pocket expenses, many providers will use a temporary loan (kashitsuke seido 貸付制度) or a charge payment system (inin-barai seido 委任払制度) wherein you arrange for the local NHI system to receive the excess payments directly. Consult your medical provider and local town hall to see if there are any such arrangements in place.

More

• Since NHI is administered on a local level, you must register your address at the city hall. Also, if you change or renew your residence status, make sure to report it to the city hall.
• Once you are in, you generally cannot leave the NHI unless you leave the country. In this author's experience, simply telling city hall that you plan to move to another prefecture is generally enough for you to get out of the system although not every city hall is that forgiving. Some prefectures may require proof of having moved or even a copy of plane tickets home before they let you go. It all is on a "case-by-case" basis, it would seem. For all intents and purposes, don't assume that leaving the system will be an easy task short of leaving Japan.
• Finally, if you get a job that provides health insurance under one of the Employee Health Insurance schemes then you need to show your new proof of insurance to city hall before they let your out of the system.
• Since fees are generally paid in installments, you may be entitled to a reimbursement after you quit the local system (i.e. move to a different municipality). For example, if you move prefectures at the end of the month, you will be liable for the whole month's payment in your previous prefecture in addition to any payments in your new location, but you will receive a reimbursement for the days in which you were not covered.

As you can see, the whole NHI system is more than a bit complex. Welcome to Japan. Check back soon for our next section where we will cover the Employee Insurance System.

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Rice Paddy Art

Rice Paddy art (田んぼアート) has become increasingly popular over recent years; with tiny towns drawing tens of thousands of visitors to view these intricate works of art magically growing out of the ground.


It was first attempted by people living in Inakadate, Northern Aomori, who were looking for a way to revitalise their village and attract tourists to the area. Computers were introduced in 2010 to help farmers with increasingly complex designs over some huge paddies (2,500 sq. metres).

For the first 9 years one simple "View of Mt. Fuji" design was used, but since 2005 the patterns have been getting ridiculously intricate. Using 4 different types of rice, farmers have been able to create (mostly imitate) amazing works of art with every harvest.

Different varieties of rice create these giant pictures

Past years have boasted awesome patterns based on "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", and even the Mona Lisa and Napoleaon have been depicted in rice form!

Thanks to the tourist boom resulting from Inakadate's efforts, many other towns have taken up the practice. It's now possible to see this kind of art all over Japan.

Fictional Warrior Naeo Kanetsugu and his wife Osen, Yonezawa

The 2003 design, Inakadate

And here is a Time-lapse video showing the 2009 design in Inakadate from our friends at Pink Tentacle. Unfortuantly this one has a JAL advert design at the bottom. People got angry about this, however, and it 2009 was the only year it happened. 

I say Po-tay-to... Endless Varieties of Potatoes in Japan

In language school, I learned one word for "potato" in Japanese: ジャガイモ (jagaimo). Turns out, real life isn't as simple as language school would have you believe. In Japanese supermarkets, I've rarely seen the vegetable actually labeled with the word I learned as a student, and the varieties popular in Japan look just different enough from the ones I'm used to at home that at first I had to ask someone in the shop: "Do you have any... ジャガイモ?"

So, what are potatoes called in supermarkets? What varieties are popular here? And what are the differences between them? Read on to find out!


I imagine this situation to be akin to an ESL learner proudly knowing the word "apple" only to walk into a shop and find labels like "Granny Smith" and "Red Delicious." They both look like apples, but what's the difference between them?

Well, if you pick up something that looks like a potato, your curry dinner will probably turn out all right. But, the two most popular varieties of potatoes sold in Japan have different properties that suits each of them to different dishes. Those varieties are called だんしゃくいも (男爵芋, danshakuimo) and メークイン (meekuin). Abroad, they're known as "Irish Cobbler" and "May Queen," respectively.

だんしゃく(いも) are the little round potatoes that usually come in bags of 7 or 8. They're the most common variety in Japan, and if your supermarket only sells one, it's probably this. These potatoes are considered best suited for dishes like potato salad or mashed potatoes. They have an earthy smell and a rustic, potato-ey taste, especially right after harvest. (When you make curry with fresh だんしゃく, it smells heavily of potatoes.) They're popular with farmers because they mature quickly and can be stored for long periods with little degradation in quality. On the other hand, they're tiny things and a pain to use if your dish requires peeled potatoes. Once peeled, they must be used quickly or they discolor. Also, when they sprout, the sprouts run deep inside the potato, making them harder to remove.

メークイン potatoes, on the other hand, are a larger, egg-shaped variety that may look more familiar to readers. Because of their larger size, they're often sold in packs of 3 or 4. These potatoes don't break up as easily as だんしゃく when they're boiled, and thus they're considered better for curries and stews. They have a sweet taste, and their larger size makes them easier to peel. Sprouts are also very shallow and easy to remove. Storing them increases their sweetness, but they spoil, especially if exposed to direct sunlight, more quickly than だんしゃく.

By the way, another label you are very likely to encounter in the supermarket is ばれいしょ (bareisho), usually in hiragana, but it also has kanji: 馬鈴薯. This word is not a variety of potato: It's just another word for potato coming from the dialect of Hokkaido. It's kind of like saying "spud" in US English. Because だんしゃく are often the only variety of potato sold at a small shop (under a sign reading ばれいしょ), it's easy to mistake this word as a variety name for those little round guys.

Finally, although we've introduced the two most popular varieties of potatoes here, they aren't the only types sold in Japan. If you're interested in learning more, here's a list of other potato varieties in Japan. The site is in Japanese only, but its data is arranged in handy columns, including characteristics or cooking suggestions for each type on the right.

WS: "Don't Pick the Flower!" JHS 1st G

About midway through the year (chapter 4 in New Crown), you'll be teaching first graders commands: "Don't use my camera" etc

Here's a fun activity I came up with today.

• First, play Simon Says, incorporating the "Don't" point. Start with basic gestures and icnrease the difficulty in stages:
• Run, walk, swim, jump, fly
• Touch... simple body parts, desk, textbook, friend etc.
• Pick the flower, tree etc.
• Play tennis, soccer, TV games etc.
• Be happy, hungry etc.
  
  
• Then you can move on to part two. Use a soft object/ball and have the kids move their desks to the edge of class and stand in a circle. 
• Throw the ball to one kid and shout "Catch the ball" or "Don't catch", until the kids get it. 
• After that, start using the vocab from Simon Says...
• Student gestures (or does the opposite gesture) and then throws the ball to someone else.
• In some classes, this can be very slow. If so, elect a good kid (or you) to stand in the middle and be "it", telling other kids what to do and then getting the ball back each time.
  
  
• Keep doing that until they're bored.
  

If you need to fill more time, Laura made a quick sheet covering some "Don't..." signs. Students work out what they mean as a class and then design their own. They can then show them to each other and get them to guess what they are, and write out a "Don't..." sentence.

Health Insurance Guide #1: The Fundamentals 2/2

Welcome back to part 2 of AccessJ's Japanese health insurance super guide. In this section, we will continue discussing the fundamentals of the insurance system including how to pay, co-payments, and third party damages. 


Read on...



Premium/Tax Payment
There are several options available for paying your health insurance premiums (in the case of EHI) or tax (in the case of NHI). The options are as follows:

• Deducted directly from your monthly salary (EHI only)
• Pay at an institution (convenience store, post office, etc) in a series of 6-10 installments (NHI only)
• Pay via automatic bank transfer (NHI only)

EHI premiums are split between you and your employer wherein you pay in the form of a monthly fixed premium deducted from your paycheck before taxes. However, if you are on the NHI program, your payments are classified as a tax. This is an important distinction because you are obligated to pay the tax on your own without your employer to deduct it from your pre-tax earnings. If you opt to skip out the tax for whatever reason city/prefectural government you can go to court and ask for a draft or lien on your bank account.  


In the coming installments we will discuss the details of how premiums are calculated.


Costs
Although you pay regularly for your insurance, you are in most cases required to bare some additional costs when visiting the doctor. The magic number to remember for most people is 30%, since that represents the portion of the costs you must shoulder yourself for NHI and EHI. There are deductions and discounts available to the elderly, disabled, and for infants which we will cover later. 



While 30% may seem like a lot, medical treatment prices in Japan are heavily cost controlled and even at full price, most procedures are only a fraction of the price found in the USA. Amounts are subject to change annually as the doctors union haggles with the government over proper pricing. Doctors and hospitals in Japan charge based on a point system (保険点数 hoken tensu) assigned to each treatment, medication, and procedure. Clinics also add extra points for things like a first time visiting fee (which gets reduced if you continue to see the same doctor) and points for writing prescriptions. 


Third Party Damages and Coverage

There are limits to "third party damages" (i.e. stuff caused by the actions of others or circumstances out of your control) when applied to public and private health insurance. For instance, if you are in a traffic accident accident and need medical attention afterwards then you must submit a proof of accident form and/or any settlement papers regarding said accident to your insurance institution. Failure to do so will result in non-payment of your doctor's bill.


The All-Japan Health Insurance Association (全国健康保険協会 zenkoku kenko hoken kyokai) lists the following as grounds for "adjustments" to your benefits:

• Malicious criminal acts and incidents
• Injury resulting from fights, intoxication, and/or "significant misconduct"
• Conditions resulting from failure to follow your doctor's instructions or follow the diagnosis of your health care provider without proper cause
• Receiving or attempting to receive insurance payments via fraud or other improper means (i.e. "borrowing" a friends insurance card for a visit to the clinic)
• Failure to comply with document submission requests and/or inquiries made by the insurer
• When receiving benefits from local or national institutions as prescribed by the Infectious Disease Prevention Act and other related laws.
  

So, long story short, if alcochol tends to give you a bad case of angry fists or you don't take those pills your doctor gave you then be prepared to pay out of your own wallet for treatment. 




Well, that about covers the basics of health insurance in Japan. Tune in to our next installment where we'll cover the system in more detail.

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Japanese Language Online Radio Stations

Exposure to spoken Japanese is an important part of learning, of course. So, if you aren't actually in Japan, how about the radio? More portable than TV and film (that is, if you record it).

And so, here is a list of Japanese online radio stations:

The list comes from site tunein.com, which is, unsurprisingly, a radio streaming site.

For the freshest content, go straight to their site here.

You can filter by genre, so if you want talk radio, or just to listen to enka or J-pop, adjust search settings as appropriate.

Renting a Car in Japan

If you're not quite ready to take the leap to buying your own car in Japan, but you still want access to a vehicle for a few days to travel or move house, consider renting a car. In today's post, we'll mention some attractive reasons to rent in Japan and introduce a site that can set up rentals on your behalf, at a discount and all in English.

The 初心者 mark.

Japanese rental agencies are surprisingly open about who they'll allow to rent a car: I was told that individuals as young as 20 can be the signatory on a rental agreement, and even newly licensed drivers are allowed to handle the vehicle as long as green-and-yellow 初心者 (shoshinsha) markers are used.

Booking
Of course, all of Japan's major automakers maintain rental branches complete with websites and customer service numbers. But, outside of international airport branches, you may have difficulty communicating your request without Japanese.

I recommend trying ToCoo, an independent web-based service that will accept your reservation request in English and make arrangements with a local Japanese rental agency on your behalf. Their website is easy to navigate and includes up-to-date lists of rental agency locations all over Japan.

(By the way, we aren't affiliated with ToCoo--several of our writers, myself included, are just satisfied customers. Furthermore, in my own experience, ToCoo has always been able to provide me with a better price quote than when I called the same rental agency directly in Japanese.)

What are the downsides of ToCoo? You'll have to put in your request at least 48 hours in advance of your intended pickup date. (In contrast, it's sometimes possible to make same-day reservations when you contact an agency directly.) Also, ToCoo tends to be a stickler about each agency's opening and closing times. If the branch you rent from closes at 17:00, ToCoo will insist that you have the car back by 17:00. However, often when you walk into the branch to pick up your car (even after making a ToCoo reservation saying you'll have the car back by a certain time), it's usually possible to negotiate an evening return time: The branch employees will explain where to park the car and what to do with the key if you come back after hours.

Prices
Prices vary based on the class of car you want to rent, but entry level white-plate cars usually run around 6000 to 8000 per day at ToCoo's site. I've seen kei car prices as low as 3500 for the day during discount campaigns. You can expect rental cars from major agencies to come equipped with top-of-the-line GPS navigation systems, which really helps when you're traversing new territory. It's often also possible to pay a little extra for English GPS.


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• You'll need to provide a credit card number for insurance purposes. No charge will be made to the card (so long as the car survives) and cards issued outside of Japan are OK. On pickup, you'll need to provide a copy of your driver's license or passport + international driver's permit. Then, simply pay cash for the days you intend to use the car and bring it back on time with a full tank of gas. If you come back late or with a tank you forgot to top up, inform the agency and pay the difference--it's all a very trusting, customer-oriented experience, and feels great compared to the red tape you'll sometimes encounter elsewhere in Japan.
• On the other side of this very trusting arrangement, I hear that rental agencies keep and share customer blacklists. An accident in a rental car for which you refuse to take responsibility, keeping a car longer than agreed without calling to inform the agency, or failure to pay the balance on a car returned late or without a full tank of gas could prevent you from being able to rent a car from any major agency in Japan again.
• By the way, rental car services are available even if you are not a resident of Japan. However, in that case you'll be asked to provide contact information for the hotel, etc. where you are staying. So, even if you're just traveling here, it's not hard to arrange a rental car to let you occasionally escape the train lines and explore Japan's wonderful countryside.

Health Insurance Guide #1: The Fundamentals 1/2

At first glance, the Japanese health insurance system my seem more than a little opaque; and employers are often unhelpful when it comes to signing up (English conversation schools and dispatch firms being the biggest culprits). 


But fear not, we at AccessJ have your back with our newest guide.




The Basics
In Japan, the term "health care" (健康保険 kenko hoken) refers to a plethora of public, semi-public, and private schemes. There are two main forms of insurance available to the public: National Health Insurance (国民健康保険 kokumin kenko hoken or NHI) and Employee Health Insurance (sometimes referred to as Social Insurance 社会保険 shakai hoken or government managed insurance 政府管掌保険 seifu kansho hoken--both of which are a bit out of date but still used). Employee Health Insurance (EHI) actually covers a whole group of public and semi-public systems (which we will cover in due time).


There is also an optional private component known as Medical Care Insurance (医療保険 iryohoken) which will reimburse the portion of medical expenses not covered by your insurance, in addition to survivor benefits. Cancer Insurance (がん保険 gan hoken) is private and, as the name implies, covers cancer treatment not covered by the aforementioned public and private systems.


Unlike the US, pre-existing conditions are not a factor for NHI and EHI but aren't typically covered by private supplementary insurance.



Who Needs Insurance?
According to the letter of the law, any individual with a valid status of residence (在留資格 zairyu shikaku) residing in Japan for a year or more must be enrolled in NHI or employee sponsored insurance insurance. Your overseas health insurance coverage is not considered sufficient reason to skip out on the Japanese system, although some universities and vocational schools don't require short term study abroad students to sign up provided they have health care back home. There are several firms that cater to short term visitors but they are usually limited to reimbursement payments.


Where to get Insurance
When it comes to NHI and EHI, there are two basic ways to sign up: go to the NHI Division (国民健康保険課 kokumin kenko hoken-ka) of your local city hall (市役所 shiyakusho) or ward office in big cities (区役所) or, in the case of EHI, your employer will do it for you.


If you sign up for NHI, bring your alien registration card (外国人登録証明書 gaikokujin toroku shomeisho) or a passport with a valid status of residence sticker. Also bring your official seal (印鑑 inkan) if you have one, although sometimes a simple signature will suffice. Usually EHI is all done behind the scenes once you are hired, although some companies may have additional paperwork. 





As we will discuss in future instalments NHI differs by prefecture, so some may issue a health insurance card on the spot while others may post it to your house. Some  prefectures only give one card per family while others give a passbook. EHI cards are mailed to you or your employer. 

An example of health insurance certificates

Well, that about covers the first half our AccessJ's introduction to the Japanese health insurance system. 

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Get Cheap ZMA Suppliments in Japan

If you're health-conscious or a fitness enthusiast, then you probably know what ZMA is. If not, here's a blurb from elsewhere:

ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic vitamin and mineral formula. It specifically contains Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate, and vitamin B-6. It is an all-natural product that has been theorized to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels and muscular strength in trained athletes. 

In fact, ZMA is thought to be one of the only natural and completely safe methods of supplementation to significantly increase testosterone and growth hormones. ZMA has also been known to increase muscle mass, strength, power, and even enhance sleep quality.

The following is an article about how to very cheaply (and completely safely) make your own ZMA in Japan.

For my purposes, ZMA promotes deep, restful sleep, and recharges and strengthens my muscles after difficult workouts. It genuinely makes a difference, especially noticeable with quality of sleep. Not only will your sleep be incredibly deep (without any drowsy side-effects), but it will also be littered with bizarre dreams throughout. Don't ask me why, but it's kind of cool (see lucid dreams).

Anyway, in Japan, as in most countries, ZMA is very expensive. You can still buy it, of course.

However, if you know the composition of ZMA tablets, which is very simple, you can buy the component parts much, much more cheaply.

ZMA is composed of Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6 in the following approximate amounts:

• 30mg zinc


• 450mg magnesium


• 12mg B6

The cheapest way to buy these elements from Japan is actually to import them. I've found UK nutrition store Health Span UK to be the cheapest so far. Postage to Japan is only 4GBP/520円 per order (any size).

I recommend you order a year's supply:

• 360 15mg zinc tablets (7.95GBP) x2


• 90 375mg magnesium tablets (6.45GBP) x4


• 360 50mg B6 tablets (7.95GBP) x1

If you would prefer to have the exact dosages (not necessarily that important), then you can order from Nature's Best, who will charge an extra 25% of your order for postage:

• 360 15mg zinc tablets (8.50GBP) x2


• 150 150mg magnesium tablets (11.50GBP) x8


• 180 50mg B6 tablets (8.60GBP) x2

1GBP = about 130-140円

I'm sure there are American/Canadian/Rest of World sites that also offer cheap vitamins. If you track down any good deals, let us know in the comments.

AccessJ is not affiliated with any companies in this article.

Studio Ghibli Museum, Tokyo

The Ghibli Muesum in Mitaka (a short train ride from central Tokyo) is a fascinating visit for any fan of the studios animation.

Several floors of beautifully themed rooms provide a glimpse into the minds of the creators, and almost a step into a completely different world - a place where 'quaint' rules all.

There are hands on and play activities for children (and not easily embarrassed adults), including the wonderful 'cat bus' room, containing a large soft cat bus, complete with piles of little black dust bunnies.

Original short animations are also shown, a great day out for everyone!


Tickets
The most difficult part of the Ghibli experience is actually getting tickets.

For those of you in Japan you should go to your nearest Lawson store and use the loppi machine.
This is only in Japanese, however the Lawson website has a handy guide on how to purchase Ghibli tickets.

Contrary to popular belief, you can buy tickets from outside of Japan. The Ghibli official website has instructions on how to do this: find your home country and follow the links. Here is a link for those wanting to buy tickets from the UK.

When you purchase your ticket you must choose the date, and time slot (am or pm). After payment the date and time cannot be changed.


All tickets, from inside or outside of Japan, go on sale three months before the date, but tickets (especially for the weekend and national holidays) sell out very fast.

Cost is 1000yen for adults and 400 for children aged 4-12. A mere 100 for under 4s. All three of these prices are a stunning bargain.

It's well worth the money, even just for the fact that the ticket is an actual projector slide from one of the movies (awarded at random).

Access
The museum is closed every Tuesday (except July 26, August 16th 2011 and January 3rd and March 20th 2012).

The museum is also closed for new year and maintenance, the 2011-2012 schedule is as follows.
23 May - 3 June 2011
8 - 18 November 2011
New Year Holidays: 27 December 2011-2 January 2012

The museum is located in Mitaka, about 20 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR chuo line.
From Mitaka it is either a short walk to the museum or a 200 yen single 300 yen return trip on the Totoro bus.... you really can't miss it!

You can purchase bus tickets from the vending machine by the bus stop.



More
There's a book shop and gift shop, both worth a visit (but be prepared to part with cash), and the 'straw hat restaurant'. The resturant tends to get incredibly crowded anytime after 11.30am, so it's worth having an early lunch and seeing the rest of the museum after eating.

There is also a rooftop garden with the famous robot from Laputa towering above.

Photography is not allowed in the museum, but as the museum website nicely puts it:

The Ghibli Museum is a portal to a storybook world. As the main character in a story, we ask that you experience the Museum space with your own eyes and senses, instead of through a camera's viewfinder. We ask that you make what you experienced in the Museum the special memory that you take home with you.

Ain't that nice?

WS: Eigo Noto: Spelling

You may find that many Japanese children (and adults) have trouble with spelling. I have friends who still are not quite sure of the correct way to spell their names.

In the 3rd grade elementary, students are taught to convert Japanese to English script. However for some bizarre reason they are not taught the same system as they will be taught a few years later in Junior High School; such as つ being taught as tu and not tsu, ち ci and not chi and し si and not shi.

Todays plan aims to introduce this to students through some fun games, aiming to have them remember these formations in romaji.


Greeting Good morning, how are you, small conversation about summer vacation etc.

Warm up We used the CD accompanying Eigo Noto1 to sing the 20 steps song (the 10 steps version is also on this CD).
The 20 and 10 steps songs are popular songs within Japanese elementary schools teaching number 1-20.
We sing it once with all the numbers, and then again with one number replaced with a clap, again with second number replaced with a jump, and then a spin, etc etc replacing numbers with moves until your students are collapsed on the floor in a heap...

Introduction
After handing out a worksheet with a katakana to romaji chart on I wrote "Suzuki Ichiro and Oshima Yuko" on the board and asked students to read it.
We talked about using capital letters at the start and the "chi" in Ichiro and "shi" in the names.

Writing Although the powers-that-be have said that we are not supposed to teach or encourage the children to write in elementary school.... but I could't resist this perfect opportunity to have the students write their name. I checked it for mistakes and then we moved quickly on.

Activity The students made groups of 4 - 6 students.
We used the karuta cards from the back of Eigo Noto2 which all students should have.
Each group took 3 sets and spread them out on the floor or desk.

I then read some 'English words' i.e. Japanese words used in English (sushi, origami etc), although it took students a while to realise this. Students then tried to make the words using the karuta cards.
The first team to raise their hands get 5 points, then 4, then 3, then 0 (you can give more points but I am mean!).

Below is a list of words I used
Sushi
Sashimi
Karaoke
Doraemon
Anime
Judo
Manga
Karate
Kendo
Futon

Extras As a little extra I asked students to spell my name, Laura. Laura is especially difficult to spell as in Katakana it is written ローラ and translated using their romaji chart this becomes ro ra. And they also don't know how to translate the Katakana prolonged sound mark (ー).
If students do manage to spell it, usually after me writing L _ _ _ _ on the board, I give them plus 10.

This, however, is a great starting place to talk about how easy it is to write Japanese words in English, but how difficult to write English in Japanese and then to translate them back.

Well, that's about it for this week. If you have anything to add, please comment below.

Credit Card Guide #4: Do you really need a card?

Welcome to AccessJ's final installment of our Japanese credit card super series. Now that we have covered the in's and out's of getting a credit card and the application process, lets consider if this whole rigmarole is really worth it.


Read on...

Before getting involved with any sort of financial product, it is always a good idea to step back and think about potential pitfalls and benefits. Like in any other country, Japanese credit card applications are full of fine print and financial minutia. Plus, no one likes going into debt. Let's take a look at some potential pros and cons of getting your own line of credit.


Pros
Online Shopping- While Japanese consumers have been a bit slower to catch on to the Internet shopping wave as compared to other countries, it is still a big deal and only getting bigger. There are many ways to pay for your online goods in Japan (many companies, such as Amazon, offer pay-on-delivery or via a convenience store), but having a credit card will certainly reduce the hassle of paying, give more flexibility in what you can buy, and generally make life easier for the frequent online shopper.



Not Needing Wads of Cash- When I am back home in the USA, I rarely find more than $20 in my wallet at any given time. However, in Japan carrying around 20 times that is a pretty common occurrence. Nevertheless, since credit card terminals are becoming more and more wide spread, having your own card will reduce the potential impact of theft, losing bills, and the dreaded Alcohol-Induced Wallet Displacement Syndrome (AIWDS). Unlike large wads of bills, credit cards can at least be canceled and replaced.


Not Worrying About Currency Rates- As we have discussed previously, you can use your home country credit card just about anywhere domestic cards are accepted. While this will save you the hassle of applying for a Japanese card, it creates all sorts of headaches when trying to figure out currency conversions as well as the potential for incurring large transaction fees.


Travel Abroad- Somewhere down the line, some Japanese bank big-wig thought it would be a great idea to put the bank (ATM) card magnetic stripe on the front of the card, rather than the back. While this may be all quirky and cool, people say it pretty much renders your Japanese bank card useless when overseas. However, Japanese credit cards do have magnetic strips on the back, making them usable at overseas ATMs and shops. If you are a frequent overseas traveler then a Japanese credit card may be a good investment.


Payment Flexibility and Points- When moving into a new place or buying something expensive, it is good to have the option to divide up your payments so you don't totally destroy your bank balance all at once. Plus, like most cards, Japanese companies offer points and rewards in exchange for maintaining your custom at specific stores.


ETC- As we discussed in the previous sections, Japanese credit cards almost always come with a matching Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) card that can be used in any compatible automobile. Not only does this save the hassle of paying at toll gates, but you also get fairly substantial discounts (see our previous article about highway travel) when driving plus the ability to earn points toward free travel. While you can get your own card separate from your credit account if you so desire, the process is a bit complicated and involves putting down a rather hefty deposit.




Cons
Fees- Card issuers aren't in the business of making your life easier for free. Many cards have annual fees ranging from anywhere from 1000 yen to over 10,000 yen. Others might have certain conditions such as signing up for a bank account or charging a certain amount per year. Other card issuers will waive fees only if you utilize revolving credit or divide your total credit line into interest bearing payments. While there are plenty of no-annual-fee cards out there, make sure you do your research or find a Japanese speaker to do it for you.


Money Management- One of the biggest problems with credit cards is the simple fact that when you buy something it doesn't feel like you are spending anything. In absence of forking over cold, hard cash, it is easy to ring up a huge bill. This is by no means unique to Japanese credit cards, but when you just starting to get established in a new country or you are not sure of the cost of living then it is easy to rack up debt fast. Moreover, Japanese credit cards are often payed off in full at the end of the month so you may find your bank account suddenly drained.


Linguistic Barriers- Understanding the terms and conditions of a financial contract is no easy feat, even for native speakers. When getting a credit card, you are agreeing to a whole set of potentially onerous terms as well as putting your credit on the line. Missing payments and the like will ding you credit record, which is especially important for those who one day wish to buy fancy cars and real estate. Moreover, any problems that pop up (fraud, ID theft, etc) will have have to be dealt with in Japanese (with rare exceptions for international banks).




While most of the above info is basic financial common sense, it is worthwhile considering, especially when living in a foreign land. That being said, it is much easier to get by in Japan without a credit card compared to most other countries, and not having to deal with the potential pitfalls of credit finance can be liberating for many. 


Well that concludes our AccessJ super feature on Japanese credit cards! Check back soon for more J-living info and please do post any comments, questions, and/or suggestions.



Other Posts in this Series
Part 1: The Basics
Part 2: Application Pointers
Part 3: Filling Out the Application
Part 4: Do You Really Need a Card?