*****WHAT’S UP, SENDAI?-  BY JUSTIN VELGUS*****

Weekly news, events, and recommendations from Justin Velgus, a long-term resident living in Tohoku’s largest city, in collaboration with Sendai English (https://sendaienglish.com)

Sunday, Nov 24, 2019, Issue No. 25-

• What’s New: What’s Up? Newsletter Goes Sayonara, Fighting For Our Environment, H&M Store Opening
• Upcoming Events: Pageant of Starlight Coming Soon
• Drink of the Week: Great Dane Pub & Brewing
• Connect/Network/Resource: INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center
• Trivia: A “Shrine” in Kokubuncho

What’s New:

  1. What’s Up? Newsletter Goes Sayonara

This is the 25th issue of What’s Up, Sendai? Newsletter, and sadly the last, at least for now. Since June 2nd, I have been curating a weekly roundup of news, events, food/drink recommendations, resources to connect, and local trivia. Thank you for the many personal messages of appreciation. As the newsletter is purely a labor of love and did not bring in any money, those words of thanks helped me push through the 7-10 hours it takes each week to pump each newsletter out. I also learned so much more about my city and felt more in the loop of happenings and resources in the city. I hope you got some pleasure out of it too.

My work promoting tourism experiences in Sendai City, as well as many other personal projects and future, demand my immediate attention. Although I thought things would slow down in many ways by now particularly with work, they have sped up and become more complicated. I am not just busy and stressed, in fact, all things considered, I am doing much better than one year ago in my previous work flying around the world promoting sake. I am having fun sometimes and helping the community more than ever, but still not doing enough I feel. I will also use the break/stop as a form of reflection and the best way to move forward with my life.

“What’s Up?” may return sometime in 2020 with Sendai English, or some other medium, it may even evolve into something new entirely. I have plenty of ideas. If you find yourself thinking “Sendai doesn’t have enough (fill in the blank)” or “Sendai should (fill in the blank),” it may be time to start your own project. That’s what I did. My 25-week streak was a bit shorter than I hoped, but am happy I made it this far at a quality I am happy about. Thank you all for your amazing support.

   2. Fighting For Our Environment

Do you care about the beauty of the city, the health of you or your family, animal and species, or reducing the severity of climate change disasters, such as the recent typhoon? It is good to be informed of things that are affecting Sendai and Miyagi. 

There are a couple issues regarding Sendai on the environmental front at the moment. Thanks to what could boil down to “politics and money,” for a short time there were two small coal plants planning to be built in Miyagi. For the Sendai coal plant, one was built, one canceled and turned to biomass (Sumitomo) and a second large biomass plant is being planned (Renova). Studies already estimate the increase in air pollution and how it will affect many elementary schools within the 4km area.

In other news, Travel Agency HIS is trying to build a palm oil plant in northern Miyagi. Yes, that means destroying orangutan habitats like those in Indonesia in order to power Miyagi. All these new power plant propositions, despite the population going down and much cleaner alternatives being available.

Introducing these issues so briefly may not do much benefit, so please study more if you feel passionate about this issue. Here are some resources:

Trying to stop the new coal plant here: https://stopsendaips.jp/

More information about the palm oil plant: https://tinyurl.com/qwqvh7b

“Fridaysforfuture Sendai Japan” is a group fighting for positive environmental change and protection. Here is their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/fffsendai/

  3. H&M Store Opening

On November 21st a new H&M fashion store opened on the 4th floor of the Parco2 building in front of Sendai Station. Actually, this store marked the 100th H&M store in Japan. The Swedish multinational clothing-retail company sells men’s, women’s, and children’s “fast-fashion,” cheap and trendy clothes that tend to go out of fashion very quickly. This encourages repeat shoppers. This is the second shop in Sendai, the other is located in the ‘The Mall’, in Nagamachi. A line of 300-400 people waited outside in the freezing weather before opening, many from the early morning, to get a free tote bag and bragging rights.

News Source 

Upcoming Events:

1) Pageant of Starlight Coming Soon (Dec 6 – Dec 31)

It’s coming! Each year the Pageant of Starlight warms up the hearts of residents and visitors during the start of the season. Jozenji dori Avenue will be illuminated a magical glow for 26 days!

The main light-up will be held Dec. 6 (Fri) – Dec 31 (Tue), right up to the last minute of this year the final evening!

Here are the times:

Sunday-Thursday: 17:30-22:00

Friday-Saturday, 22^nd Sunday, 24^th Tuesday: 17:30-23:00

December 31^st (Tuesday): 17:30-24:00

On Sunday, December 22nd you can enjoy a parade of hundreds of Santa marching down the street backed up by several marching bands. There will be two sessions: 17:30-17:55 and 19:25-19:45.

Also, Kotodai Koen will have places to eat, drink, and several small illuminations, giving you some chance to spend money.

Website: https://sendaihikape.jp/event/

I Need a Drink: Great Dane Pub & Brewing

At a recent event, I met the American partners behind Great Dane Pub & Brewing. The brewery started in Wisconsin, USA and expanded to several locations that offer their brewed beer paired with delicious foods at a restaurant setting.

Long story short, in 14 months or so Great Dane Pub & Brewing will be opening a production facility in Akiu, right next to Akiu Winery. The pair noted the sense of community and local support as a key factor, as well as their desire to do their part in the recovery process. No, you can’t get this beer in Sendai now, but it is coming! Americans making American-style beer, with plans to open a downtown restaurant to offer tasty comfort food to match it. All I can say is, no longer will we have to stick with “British” style HUB chains. I can’t wait for the Great Dane!!

Read more of the story here: http://chicagoshimpo.com/e-community/19_0405_Tohoku_Update_E.htm
More about the brewery here: https://www.greatdanepub.com/

Connect/Network/Resource: INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center 

Following the 2011 Great East Japan, INTILAQ was built with generous support of the Qatar Friendship Fund. The “Tohoku Innovation Center” is a hub to encourage new start-ups and entrepreneurs to do business in Tohoku, which is a is a form of recovery of course.

The building is versatile: co-working space, kitchen, lecture hall, meeting rooms, media production room, and some fancy techno-toys like a 3D printer and replicator on the premises. You’ll find the location good for networking with others through events or seeking support from others. The website and most staff operate in only the Japanese language, but the manager of the center, Mr. Sasaki, speaks perfect English.

Organization Website: https://intilaq.jp/

Access: 5-minute walk from Oroshimachi Subway Station (MAP)

Weekly Trivia: A Shrine in Kokubuncho 

Inari shines make up about one-third of all shrines in Japan. They are distinguished by their vermillion red torii gates and decorated with many fox statues. Foxes are mystical creatures in Japanese folklore. Here they are representing messengers of the deity Inari.

This Inari Shirne is Toyokawa Inari. This is the namesake of Inari Koji, or “Inari Lane”, located just one street west of Mitsukoshi Department Store where this place stands.

However, this shrine is much more than first meets the eye. Built after the war, along with the street itself, it has become a place to pray for family, wealth, and surprisingly, fire safety! Many decades ago a fire starting nearby began burning everything in its path until it mysteriously stopped right in front of this shrine!

How about a bigger surprise? This is not a shrine, but a temple! A rare Buddhist sect worships Inari as a goddess. This Inari “Temple” is a branch temple of Kozen-ji Temple, located in the Kitayama area.

For my Kokubuncho fans, now I challenge you to find Kokubuncho’s hidden temple. Be careful though, the place is haunted. And I had my own personal encounter! That story is for another day though.

Until we meet again, that’s “What’s Up?”

***

Do you know “What’s Up?” in Sendai? Have an idea to share? Do you want to connect?

Message me at justinvelgus@gmail.com and write “What’s Up Connect” in the subject line.

See past issues of “What’s Up, Sendai?” or learn more about living in and enjoying Sendai on the Sendai English website: https://sendaienglish.com