1. Kyoto Toh-ji Tower special exhibition
2. Yokohama Marine Tower and Hikawa-maru closed
3. Yubari Coal Musuem closed
4. JR East to implement service disruption maps
5. Electronic paper ads in Tokyo trains
6. Norovirus at large
7. Warm December

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1. Kyoto Toh-ji Tower special exhibition

Toh-ji ("East Temple") of Kyoto will invite visitors inside the wooden
pagoda, tallest in Japan, erected in 1644.  This tower appears on the
cover of many a 'Japan guide', often with a bullet train in the
background.  (Jan 13- Mar 18 2007.)

Toh-ji:
http://www.touji-ennichi.com/info/tohji_e.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To-ji

Three other Kyoto temples, Toufuku-ji, Daitoku-ji and Myoushin-ji, will
also bring out treasures normally closed to public view.  (Same dates.)

Web-sites and wikipedia pages of the temples follow (English text).  As
of this writing, there is no notice of the special exhibitions.

Tofuku-ji:
http://www.tofukuji.jp/english.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofuku-ji
The Ryougin-an cottage and garden, a medieval bathroom and toilet will
be open.

Daitoku-ji:
http://zen.rinnou.net/head_temples/07daitoku.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daitoku-ji
Tourists will be allowed to see Jukou-in and Shinju-in, and paintings
therein.

Myoushin-ji:
http://www.myoshin.com/english/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoshin-ji
Tourists will be allowed to see Gyokuhou-in and Ryuusen-in, Rinshou-in.


2. Yokohama Marine Tower and Hikawa-maru closed

Yokohama Marine Tower and trans-Pacific ocean liner Hikawa-maru closed
doors to visitors in late December.  Both are near Yokohama Chinatown.
The City of Yokohama wants to refurbish the tower and reopen it in a few
years.  Once popular, its lure faded under the shadow of the newer and
much taller Landmark Tower of the Minato Mirai district.  The fate of
Hikawa-maru is unknown.

NYK Lines MV Hikawa Maru
Reuben Goossens
http://www.ssmaritime.com/hikawamaru.htm

Official site:
http://www.hmk.co.jp/ (J text)


3. Yubari Coal Museum closed

The public Yubari Coal Museum in central Hokkaido closed recently due to
financial difficulties, along with the Yubari Melon Castle, Yubari Robot
Museum and the Yubari Steam Locomotive Museum.  The city's huge debts
will prevent any of these facilities from reopening anytime soon.


4. JR East to implement service disruption maps

East Japan Railway Company (JR East), the nation's largest rail company,
will start installing service disruption displays in major stations in
the Tokyo area.  JR East runs the Narita Express, the Yamanote Loop Line
and Shinkansen services north of Tokyo.  (But not the Tokyo subway, run
by two other companies.)

See images at the bottom of this Japanese-language PDF file:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2006_2/20061205.pdf


5. Electronic paper ads in Tokyo trains

Three JR East Yamanote Line formations are running with electronic paper
advertisements.  The posters are placed on the wall behind the driver's
cab.  The graphic content changes every two minutes.  Hitachi provides
the technology.  This experiment will go on till mid Jan.

There are in all 52 formations on the Yamanote Line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper


6. Norovirus at large

A virus is bringing down thousands with severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Some deaths are reported among the elderly.  It appears that people are
getting the virus from the air, or from food prepared or eaten with
dirty hands.

This virus appears in nature in the digestive tracts of clams.  The
price of oysters has plummeted by the scare.  Health officials say
seafood is not a risk as long as it is thoroughly heated.

Doctors say the best protection is washing hands thoroughly.  Also stay
away from vomit on the pavement.  If you sight a spill in a hotel or any
public facility, notify the staff and have them seal off the premises.

Newspaper articles in English:

EDITORIAL/Norovirus epidemic
The Asahi Shimbun Dec 23 2006
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200612230125.html

Gastroenteritis reaches menacing level
The Mainichi Daily News Dec 9 2006
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20061209p2a00m0na009000c.html


7. Warm December

Due to an unusually warm December, many ski resorts in Honshu are 
starting slow.

Wine from Nagano-ken and Yamanashi-ken are unfortunately thin this year, 
from a cool and rainy summer.  Daikon radishes are cheap and sharp.