feb 2009 fukuoka now

1 Fukuoka Now #122 February 2009

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2Fukuoka Now #122 February 2009 2Fukuoka Now #122 February 2009

4Fukuoka Now #122 February 2009

5 Fukuoka Now #122 February 20095 Fukuoka Now #122 February 2009


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Kyushu Headline News Get Kyushu News Now! !Mobile phone: http://www.fukuoka-now.com/mobileHP: www.fukuoka-now.com/news

English language summaries of last month's top Kyushu area news stories. 1

Group Formed to Promote Kyushu Green TourismThe Kyushu no Mura Tabi Oendan (Group to Support Village Travel in Kyushu) has been formed by private sector groups from throughout Kyushu that conduct green tourism and trips to agricultural villages. The objective is to promote green tourism through PR activities in the regional cities and to train personnel to work in this sector. This reportedly will be the first private sector-led, region-wide effort for this type of activity in Japan.

Sharp Drop Foreseen for Condominium SalesA Fukuoka-based company surveying housing sales in the region has compiled projections for new condominium sales in Kyushu in 2008. The projections call for a 24.2% drop in year-on-year sales to 8,201 units. The primary reasons cited for the decline are the greater expense caused by the higher cost of construction materials and the increasing difficulty in obtaining loans for condo purchases from financial institutions.

Record Highs in Asian Trade for Kyushu in 2007The Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry has released its Kyushu-Asia Internationalization Report based on economic activity between the two regions in 2007. The report states that Kyushu's exports to Asia that year jumped 16.2% from the year before to 6.4625 trillion yen, while imports from that region climbed 11.7% to 6.456 trillion yen. Both of these figures are record highs. The report said that further growth in Kyushu depended on the region responding to the vitality in China, India, and Vietnam.

NCB Business Ties with Vietnamese BankFukuoka City-based Nishi-Nippon City Bank (NC Bank) announced it has signed a b u s i n e s s a g r e e m e n t w i t h O r i e n t Commercial Joint-Stock Bank of Vietnam. NC Bank's objective is to provide banking services to local companies establishing a presence in that country. It is the NC Bank's fourth business agreement with an overseas financial institution.

4 Small Businesses not Thinking of SuccessorsThe Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed the results of its survey that shows roughly 40% of the people in charge of small and medium-sized businesses in the prefecture haven't given a thought to possible successors. In contrast, 44% say they have considered the problem, while 14% said they are thinking of shutting down the company when they retire. The Chamber of Commerce is calling on companies to prepare for a handover and train successors ten years in advance.

224 32%One-Third of Primary Kyushu Companies to Cut Capital InvestmentsThe Kyushu Branch of the Development Bank of Japan revealed the results of an emergency survey it conducted of 224 Kyushu companies. They report that 32% of the surveyed companies plan to reduce their investment in plants and equipment this year from the amounts allocated in their original budget. The ratio rises to 60% when only automobile and semiconductor companies are considered. The cutbacks are attributed to the worsening global economic climate.

Adachi Sendensha Performs Chin-don in ParisThe Fukuoka City-based chin-don musical group, Adachi Sendensha, performed in the streets of Paris on the 10th to publ i c i ze the prev i ews of the f i lm Tchindon, which commemorates 150 years of Japanese-French friendship. The movie, which is in French, was filmed from February to September in different locations throughout Fukuoka Prefecture, and features a story involving a chin-don group. Reports say that most of the Parisian passersby were surprised to see the street performance, and some people offered tips. The Fukuoka City premiere will consist of three showings on December 21 at Ajiba Hall.

1,000 Fukuoka MK to Hire 1,000Fukuoka MK, a member company of the MK Group which operates low-fare taxicabs in the Kansai and Kanto regions, announced plans to hire about 1,000 drivers and other employees after it opens its Fukuoka City office later this month. This is part of a group-wide project to create employment nationwide by hiring about 10,000 people in 10 locations in Japan. The company is both providing a place of employment for temporary workers recently laid off by other companies, as well as accelerating their own business expansion.

Cyber-Business Conferences PlannedThe Chambers of Commerce of Fukuoka City and Busan, South Korea, have agreed to launch business conferences over the Internet in March. The conferences are designed to strengthen ties between the two groups as part of their efforts to create a supra-regional economic sphere. The South Koreans suggested the idea as a way to save time by eliminating mismatches during face-to-face meetings between companies offering products that customers don't need or want. The two groups will use the provisionally named Cyber Business Talk system developed by the Busan Chamber of Commerce for the conferences.

Remaining Sleeper Express Trains to be EliminatedJR Kyushu announced it will eliminate the remaining limited express sleeper trains it operates between the region and Tokyo next March. These are the Fuji, from Oita, and the Hayabusa, from Kumamoto. The elimination of service will bring to an end a half-century of Kyushu railroad history. Japan's first limited express sleeper train was the Asakaze, which began running between Fukuoka and Tokyo in 1958.

Kyushu's Longest Pier Built in NagasakiThe Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport f inished work on the construction of a 360-meter pier at the Port of Nagasaki. The pier, which is the longest in the Kyushu-Yamaguchi Prefecture region, will be capable of serving as the berth for the world's largest ships (100,000 ton-class). In conjunction with the work on the pier, Nagasaki Prefecture is building an international passenger terminal building that will open in 2009.

Remodeling Fukuoka City Commercial ComplexesWork is going fu l l s team ahead on remodeling commercial properties in Fukuoka City's Hakata and Tenjin districts to prepare for the opening of the Kyushu leg of the Shinkansen in 2011. Emblematic of this work is the full-scale remodeling and redecoration of Hakata Deitos, which will be a tenant of the new Hakata Station building. The retailers hope that the new Shinkansen will help them attract customers, but they are also worried about the recent downturn in individual consumption.

4 IC Saga Putting Chips in Driver's LicensesSaga Prefecture began issuing driver's l icenses on the 4th with embedded m e m o r y c h i p s , t u r n i n g t h e m i n t o smart cards. The objective is to prevent counterfeiting and protect personal information. This adds 450 yen to the cost of renewing a license. Saga was one of 27 prefectures nationwide that began issuing the new licenses on that date, bringing to 37 to total number that offer them.

Sasebo Plans on Issuing Shopping CouponsIn an effort to boost local consumption and promote retail business, the city of Sasebo plans to issue shopping coupons. The impetus will be the stimulus package that the national government will provide citizens this year. If a consumer purchases the coupon with the 12,000 yen subsidy, they will be able to use it to purchase 13,200 yen worth of merchandise in local stores. City officials say it is unusual in Japan for municipalities to conduct these programs.


Rare Metals Can be Absorbed with Fruit RindsA team of researchers at Saga University announced they have developed an absorption agent made with materials from fruit rinds and old paper, which is capable of the selective recovery of platinum, palladium, and other rare metals used in the manufacture of PCs and cell phones. The process costs less than half that of conventional recovery methods and does not produce toxic substances. There are so many disposed consumer electronic devices in Japan that cities are referred to as "urban mines", which means the new technique has the potential to be useful and profitable.

JR JR Kyushu to Ban SmokingIn conjunction with its schedule revisions to take effect next March, JR Kyushu will ban smoking on all its special limited express trains. The railroad has retained smoking cars on some of its longer runs, but decided to eliminate them at the request of its passengers. Smoking is already prohibited on the Kamome, Midori, and Sonic trains.

Kirin Wins Award for Environment PolicyKirin Beer's Fukuoka Plant in Asakura has received an award from Japan's Environmental Minister for its successful efforts to cut down on CO2 emissions to help reduce global warming. The Kirin plant has been implementing a program to create a "21st Century Green Factory". One part of the program has been reusing the methane gas created in the production of beer as an energy resource. They were the only Kyushu company to win an Environmental Minister's award this year.

Produce Market & Restaurant Zone for Island CityFukuoka City revealed plans to establish what it called a "Nigiwai Zone" on Island City, an artificial island in the city's Hakata Ward, with a new produce market, an area selling locally grown fruits and vegetables, and restaurants and shops offering meals using the produce as ingredients. The objective is to promote Fukuoka foods among the local population and the growing numbers of Asian tourists. The city plans to open the zone in 2014.

News source: With permission from the morning editions of the Nishinippon Newspaper.

Foreigners to be Auctioned OffA foreign-owned local publisher will reportedly auction off foreigners at an upcoming event. Rumor has it that many Kyushu resident foreigners will offer their services and will be sold on stage to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going to a local charity. Language lessons, surfing lessons, and portrait drawing are just some of the pledges up for auction by these generous volunteers. For more details access www.fukuoka-now.com/valentine

Local Foreigners To Be HonoredFukuoka Now, Thai Airways International and Royal Orchid Tours present the inaugural "Kokusai-jin Awards" recognizing outstanding achievements in various fields including community service, Hakata-ben (!) and entrepreneurship. Nominations are accepted until Feb. 7 online at www.fukuoka-now.com/valent ine. Every nominator is entered into a lucky draw for a trip to Thailand.


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Parking

Gas Station Info Desk

Post Office Cinema

Hotel

Convenience Stores

Car Rental

Bank

The map is split into areas for your convenience. For a full list of the map numbers and letters, please see page 27 for Map Index.P27

Available everywhere home, office, or outside! Check time schedules and fare information for buses and trains in English Real time bus location and arrival information Highway bus time schedules and fare information in English Free service! (No costs are passed on to the users except mobile phone users who are charged access fees per minute)To access from your computer, simply go to www.nishitetsu.co.jp/Follow these steps to access from your mobile phone:

Nishitetsu

Time Schedule Information Nishitetsu


Time Schedule Information

Click here for

English or

Korean!

Click here for

English or

Korean!

Click here for

English or

Korean!

TimeSchedule

(English Ver.)

DoCoMoi-mode

i /

Soft BankYahoo!

auEZweb

HOT INFO!HOT INFO!HOT INFO!Yanagawa Tokumori Ticket

Special discount round

trip train tickets to

Yanagawa including

a gondola trip and

choice of local cuisine

lunch set. This is an

excellent deal and

opportunity to see

scenic Yanagawa.

More info: www.nishitetsu.co.jp/train/ticket/i_yanagawa_tokumori.htm


Available everywhere home, office, or outside! Check time schedules and fare information for buses and trains in English Real time bus location and arrival information Highway bus time schedules and fare information in English Free service! (No costs are passed on to the users except mobile phone users who are charged access fees per minute)To access from your computer, simply go to www.nishitetsu.co.jp/Follow these steps to access from your mobile phone:

Nishitetsu



Time Schedule Information

Click here for

English or

Korean!

Click here for

English or

Korean!

Click here for

English or

Korean!

TimeSchedule

(English Ver.)

DoCoMoi-mode

i /

Soft BankYahoo!

auEZweb

HOT INFO!HOT INFO!HOT INFO!Yanagawa Tokumori Ticket

Special discount round

trip train tickets to

Yanagawa including

a gondola trip and

choice of local cuisine

lunch set. This is an

excellent deal and

opportunity to see

scenic Yanagawa.

More info: www.nishitetsu.co.jp/train/ticket/i_yanagawa_tokumori.htm


Poplar

Police

Chiyo

-Kench

oguch

i

Fukuoka International Congress Center

Fukuoka Kyotei

Chikko-honmachi

Sekijo-machi Bayside Place Big Air

Fukuoka Kokusai Center

Fukuoka Sun Palace

Marine Messe Fukuoka

Marizon Seaside Momochi Park

Fukuoka Tower

TNC RKB

Momochi Elementary School

NEC Matsushita

AI

Fujitsu

Hitachi

Twins Momochi

Fukuoka City Museum

Hyatt Residential Suites

Pietro

Fukuoka City Public Library

Chuo-Park

Fukuoka International School

Seinan High + Middle School

Bon Repas

Seinan Gakuin Univ.

Nishijin Elementary School

Nishijin Palace

Praliva Nishijin

McDonald's

Daiei

Shuyukan High School

Rosarian

Doutor

KFC

Best Denki Ten Good City

Post Office Poplar Police

Freshness Burger Don Quijote

Yahoo! Dome

Zepp Fukuoka

Hawks Town

Namco

Toysrus United Cinemas

Fukuoka National Hospital Organization Kyushu

Medical Center

Korean Consulate

Chinese Consulate

JAL Resort Sea Hawk Hotel

Fukuoka

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Nanakuma Subway Line

Kuko Subway Line

Tenji

n Mina

miW

atan

abe-

dori

Yakuin

Yaku

in Od

ori

Sakur

azaka

Ropp

onma

tsuBefu

Chaya

ma

Kana

yama

Nana

kuma

Fuku

dai-m

ae

UmebayashiNoke

Kamo

JiromaruHashimoto

Meino

hama

Murom

i

Fujisa

kiNis

hijinTo

jin-ma

chi

Ohori

-koen

Akas

aka Ha

kozak

i Sub

way L

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Ohashi

Takamiya

Hirao

YakuinNishitetsu Fukuoka Gion

Higashi-hieChange for JR & Shinkansen

Fukuoka kuko(Airport)

NakasukawabataGofukumachi

Chiyo-kenchoguchiMaidashi-kyudaibyoin-mae

Hakozaki-miyamaeHakozaki-kyudai-mae

Kaizuka

Tenjin

Hakata

Nishitetsu Omuta Line

Some articles and ads have a 'See Map' symbol. Use this list and the grid references to locate them.

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Bars, Cafes & RestaurantsMap# Grid .

2 Bandar B2

26 Bar Eternity D1

16 Benten B2

36 British Pub Morris B2

19 Delgados B3

32 El borracho A2

42 El Taller A3

18 Fasika B2

40 Fireball Cafe B2

29 Gossip B1

9 Gumrundee B2

61 Hard Rock Cafe (Momochi map)

23 International Bar B1

13 Kamontei A2

14 Kuzushi-Kappou Itochihisaki A2

3 La Boheme Qualita B2

15 Off Broadway B1

22 One Way B1

17 Prawjai B3

38 Rakuten-an A2

16 Rhythm Music Lounge B2

33 Sala Rim Naam A3

21 Sancho Panza B2

25 Sam & Dave B2

48 Tapas Oki B3

6 The Craic and The Porter B2

35 The Faces C1

41 The Hakata Harp C1

1 Three Kings B2

11 Xaymaca B2

28 Zaeka A2

Travel AgenciesMap# Grid .

27 LTK C2

27 No.1 Travel C2

HotelsMap# Grid .

37 Greenland ESPA E2

12 With The Style Fukuoka F3

Health ServicesMap# Grid .

30 Dental Office Lily C2

31 Dental Office Plumeria C3

VariousMap# Grid .

5 Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy A2

8 Daimaru C2

24 Foreign Talent Club B1

7 Thai Trade Center, Fukuoka C2

20 NIssan Jyutaku C1


fn122 binder

feb 2009 fukuoka now

Documents

kyushu news

kyushu green tourismthe

kyushu headline news

kyushu bureau of economy

kyushu area news stories

year sales

g r e e

b u s i n e s s