|
Last Up Date（2006/09/11）
Pre-departure Information
Sept. - Oct. Weather in Soma/Iwaki Area
You will be arriving right at the point where summer turns to
Autumn, so it should be a reasonably comfortable temperature in
the mid-20s, warm during the day, but cooling down at night.
About SOMA and IWAKI
 Soma(相馬)
and Iwaki（いわき） are the 2 areas which make up Hama-dori (浜通り),
the coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture. Soma is a collection
of smaller towns, with the most well-known items being the local
pottery, and the Soma Noma Oi (Wild Horse Chase) Festival held
in July every year.
The major city in Hama-dori is Iwaki City, with a population of
354,617. It's an historically famous city home to one of the major
international ports in Japan, Onahama Port as well as many small
fishery ports. It is blessed with abundant nature such as beautiful
beaches, valleys, & hotsprings. The city that once flourished
through its mining industry and fishery has become an important
industrial center in Fukushima, and houses many company bases
for manufacturing, chemical & heavy industry sectors. Agriculture
& fishery also makes up a large part of the city's industry. Rice,
leeks, cucumbers & strawberries are major agricultural products,
while the daily catch at Onahama Fish Market includes heaps of
fresh seafood such as bonito fish, green eyes, sea urchins & abalones.
It's also a popular tourist destination with both traditional
& modern places of interests such as hotspring resorts, a marine
museum/aquarium providing learning opportunities on cutting-edge
marine technologies, golf courses and last but not least, scenic
Pacific beaches. Iwaki has a relatively mild weather & temperature
throughout the year and lots of sunshine compared to other parts
of Fukushima. Such climatic features may be responsible for the
nature of the Iwaki people who are friendly, easy-going & open-hearted.
 |
Iwaki Statistics (as of 2005)
Population: 354,617
Total area: 1,231.34 square kilometres
Yearly average temperature: 15〜16 degrees centigrade
Yearly
precipitation: approx. 1,400mm | | | |
What to bring - Handy hints! Clothing
Late summer - autumn is one of the best seasons for travellers to Japan. Many
Japanese enjoy summer & autumn festivals that are all unique to the locale,
and give thanks for the seasonal blessings of the harvest. Although the climate
is still warm in September, the temperature may drop sharply & get quite chilly
in October evenings. Please bear this in mind when packing.
Formal to semi-formal wear is advised for the school visits on
September 25, 27, 28 & October 2 and also for the courtesy
visit to the Fukushima Prefectural Government Office on October
3 before your departure from Fukushima. (Most of the school visits
will require just tidy clothes as opposed to suits which are likely
to become dirty through the extra activities offered throughout
the day). As for the farewell party, smart/casual attire would
be the most appropriate. For everyday use, you may like to bring
both long & short sleeved shirts with collars, pants, informal
dresses, light sweaters, an umbrella (you can buy cheap umbrellas
here), a cap and sunglasses.
Travellers
Cheques and Credit Cards
Japanese people use cash for shopping. Credit
cards like Visa, Master card and AMEX are used in Japan and most hotels and inns
accept it. However most small shops do not accept them. Almost all shops do not
accept traveller's cheques. In addition, you cannot get cash advances with your
credit cards. However, you can buy Japanese yen with NZ dollar T/C at most banks
in Japan. You can also buy yen with NZ cash but the exchange rate is not as good
as that of T/C. Check today's exchange rate here. Gifts,
photos and other things to bring
You will meet many volunteer helpers
for culture classes. We recommend you bring 20 or so small and inexpensive gifts
such as pins, pencils, New Zealand chocolates, erasers, stickers (the children
love these sort of things!) and a larger gift for your host family such as a box
of cookies or native crafts. (A custom in Japan is to present your host families
with a gift when you arrive and to thank them for looking after you... if I remember
rightly it is the opposite in New Zealand). See "Gifts for host families"
below.
For unexpected situations, you can buy NZ chocolate at a small imported
food shop in Fukushima railway station. Photos will help you to introduce your
life, family, town, school and New Zealand to your host family and students of
the schools that you will visit. Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionaries
may also be useful.
A small carry bag will be very convenient for short trips,
visiting the schools or when staying with your host family (your suitcases will
be kept at the hotel). Gifts for your
host families
You may be wondering what to do for gifts for your host
families. Well, we are happy to give you some pointers. No.1, you shouldn't be
worried so much about gifts... Small things from your country with words of thanks
for their kindness & hospitality are the greatest gifts you can give. No.2,
instead of bringing large expensive gifts, we would like to recommend that you
bring photos of your own family, schools & where you live. Please share lots
of interesting aspects of Kiwi culture & customs. While spending time together,
your host family will be very happy to show you the real Japanese lifestyle and
be eager to learn from you in return. No.3, they are not 100% volunteers. The
FIA pays them a 5,000 yen allowance to cover your meals. You will homestay with
a teacher from the first school you visit in Iwaki.
Anyway,the best gifts
you can give is your smile and words of gratitude. They are not heavy to carry
in your suitcases, either...:) From Narita
to Fukushima - your first and second day in Japan
When you arrive at Narita Airport on September 24, you will find
a staff member of the IRG holding a sign with "Fukushima"
written on it. You may like to exchange your money to Japanese
yen at the airport, since you will be leaving for Tomioka early
the next morning. (Please bear in mind that the airport does charge
a higher rate than standard banks). From the airport you will
take an Express train to Tokyo where you will spend the night
at a hotel. There are no specific plans for this night, just have
dinner and relax, ready to depart for Tomioka at 8:00 the following
morning. You will travel to Tomioka on the Super Hitachi Express,
it will take around 3 hours, arriving at around 11:00. You must
carry all your luggage with you so the weight and type of suitcase/
bag you bring is something to bear in mind. Other staff members
will join you in Tomioka, and we will head straight to Tomioka
High School. We apologise for the busy schedule right from the
start, but this was the only day that suited the school. A Welcome
party is planned for the evening.
Accommodation
You will participate in a homestay in Fukushima City for a total
of 2 nights. The rest of the time, apart from one night in a Ryokan
(traditional Japanese inn), will be spent in business hotels.
You will be staying in single rooms at the hotels.
Free time from October 4th
to October 6th
We thought that you would like some
time to travel by yourself to other areas. This is why we have left the last three
days as "free time". We will provide about 10,000 yen in transportation
fees for your journey from Fukushima to Narita airport. Other costs during this
free time must be paid by you. We will help you arrange your schedule and bookings.
Tourist information is available at the FIA. Coin
laundry
Coin Laundry machines will be available at or near your hotels
in Soma/Iwaki, and also near the FIA in Fukushima City.
Internet Access Internet
will be available at your hotel in Tokyo and Sunrise Inn Tomioka,
You can also access the internet using computers at the FIA office
during your time in Fukushima City.
Travel
Insurance
It is your responsibility to pay for your own travel insurance
and NZ airport tax. We buy insurance for volunteer helpers and participants; this
covers any damage that you or the helpers may cause during volunteer and home
stay activities. Additional costs you
must pay
The amount that you have paid covers round trip tickets between
NZ and Japan. We pay for your transportation costs between Fukushima
City and Narita Airport and most of your basic needs from September
24 to October 3, such as transportation within Fukushima Prefecture,
home stay including breakfast and dinner, hotels, the Japanese
inn, commuting, the farewell party and culture class materials.
When meals are not provided, we will provide you with 1000 yen
for each meal so that you can dine out wherever you like. Unfortunately
this fee does not cover accommodation and other costs that you
may incur on your free days in Tokyo from October 4th to 6th.
If you require accommodation for two nights in Tokyo please let
us know. We hope this will not inconvenience you much.
|
