[NEWS] Fire Ants Found in Yokohama

Fire ants have found in various places (mostly international ports) in Japan recently. And they were also found in Honmoku Pier, Yokohama.

The Japan News:
Over 500 fire ants found in Yokohama

Press release by the city (PDF in Japanese)
Report on the fire ant investigation at Yokohama port (July 14th, 2017)

(quote and translation from the report)
When you find fire ant, stay away and don't touch or try to break the nest.
When you were stung by fire ants, stay calm and rest for about 20-30 minutes. If it gets worse, go immediately to the doctor's.  Tell the doctor that you were stung by fire ants and you might have an anaphylaxis.


Other fire ants news in Japan:

Nikkei Asian Review:
Fire ant scare gives Japanese pesticide stocks a boost


About the fire ant

National Institute for Environmental Studies
Solenopsis invicta

[SPORTS] Yokohama Outdoor Swimming Pools and Baby-friendly Pools in Kanagawa(2017)

The outdoor swimming season is coming!

You can search your closest outdoor swimming pools here (choose your language （言語）from the list (English is 英語)).
https://www.hamaspo.com/reservation/list

*The opening hours and dates depend on each pool. Mostly from July 9th to September 4th.

*You may be able to bring your young children who haven't finished potty training to the pool for free, but they can't enter the water for hygiene reasons.

*Kishitani Park, Yokodai South Park and Morimachi Park have an inflatable pool for young children with diaper.

*Honmoku Citizen's Pool is always closed. They're considering the reconstruction as the facility is getting too old (they're also considering the reconstruction of Yokohama Pool Center).

Looking for baby-friendly swimming pools?

Kodomono Kuni Pool
They ask caretakers to use swim diaper for kids who haven't finished potty training and to check the inside frequently;-)

Tsujido Kaihin Park Jumbo Pool
Kujira no umi (くじらの海Whale's Sea) and Taki no pool (滝のプールWater Fall Pool) accept swim diapers. Both are a sort of water-play yard.Young kids under/before potty training can't use other pools including the toddlers' pool.

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun
If your children are not potty-trained yet, they can put on the swim diaper and swim suit over it. You can buy swim diapers at the shop there. You cannot bring them into the bath area (Mori no Yu: where you are supposed not to wear swim suit).

Sagamiko Pleasure Forest 
Jabujabu Paradise
This is not a swimming pool but a water-play yard, so you don't have to wear swim suit. Young children must wear swim diaper if they haven't finished potty training and can play only at the toddlers' area.

Oiso Long Beach
The same condition as Yunessun (swim diaper and swim suit).

Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa
Bade Zone
You can bring children over 1 year old with swim diaper. Babies under 1 year old are not accepted.

[WELFARE] Child Allowance Present Condition Form 2017

Have you received another yellow envelop from the city yet?
That must be the Child Allowance present condition form.

The form seems to be the same as last year's, so please refer this post to fill in.

Please remember that the deadline is June 30th (FRI), 2017!!!

If you bring it to your local ward office, they may have a letter box to collect the present condition forms (so that you don't have to pick the ticket to be called to the counter). In that case, be sure to write your name (basically the recipient's name, so it may be your partner's name) on the envelop and seal it with glue.

*If you are new to the city, you have to sign up at the ward office to receive the allowance.

[LESSON] Japanese Cooking Class for Non-Japanese People

"Let’s Cook Healthy Vegetable Dishes of Japanese Style

“Shojin　Ryori” is a cooking style derived from Buddhism, mostly using vegetable and beans as ingredients. It has gained popularity in Japan. Please join us in cooking vegetable tempura, sesame tofu, etc."

Yokohama Madoka Group will hold a Japanese Cooking Class for non-Japanese people in May. To sign up, contact Yokohama Madoka Group (yokohama.madoka@gmail.com) with your name and telephone number.

Date: Saturday, May 20th, 2017

Time: 10:00-13:00

Place: Honmoku Community Center Cooking room

https://goo.gl/maps/924ZWD1yPay

Fee: 600 yen

What to bring: an apron and a hand towel. 

No child allowed. 

*This information was provided by Yokohama Madoka Group.

[ACTIVITY REPORT] Sakura-mochi Cooking Party

 

We had Sakura-mochi Cooking party at Furocho Chiiki Care Plaza Cooking room, not very far from Kannai or Isezaki-cho. 

The frying pan was iron, not teflon-coated, so the crepe sticked and burned a bit, but it was yummy in anyways! Older kids enjoyed rolling bean paste and wrapping it with the sakura-colored crepe. Most of the participants had never cooked sakura-mochi before but the found it easier than expected. 

We hope to have another cooking party again soon!

[WORKSHOP] Sakura mochi (Cherry Blossom Crepe Roll) Cooking Party

Let's make Sakura mochi (a crepe roll with sweet bean paste covered with a cherry blossom leaf) together!

WHEN: Saturday, April 22nd, 2017 (14:00-15:30)

WHERE: Furocho Chiiki Care Plaza 3F Cooking room and Volunteer Room

(about 10 minutes from JR/Blue Line Kannai station or 5 minutes from Blue Line Isezaki Chojamachi station)

CHARGE: We'll split the material cost (should be 300 yen or less per person)

PLEASE SIGN UP!

Send e-mail to us (imcy.info*gmail.com) (please replace * with @) 

with your name, the number of your company (the number of children and their ages), and your contact (cell phone number). 

FOOD INFORMATION:

Flour, rice powder, sugar, red bean (azuki) paste, red food coloring, vegetable oil, salted cherry blossom leaves (edible) 

FACILITY INFORMATION:

Please take off your shoes and use the slippers at the entrance. Strollers can enter. There's an elevator as well. 

The Volunteer room is a sort of semi-open space, but they'll install a barrier to avoid little ones to get out. However, no baby-sitting this time, so please watch your children. 

The cooking room and the Volunteer room is on the same floor but not next to each other. And the cooking room is not very large, so we won't be able to have everyone cook at the sometime. 

Our plan is that adults prepare the crepes and children roll bean paste with them and cherry blossom leaves. 

[ACTIVITY REPORT] Yumegaoka Strawberry Farm Visit 2017

We visited Yumegaoka Farm in Izumi-ward, Yokohama, again on 19th March. 

Unfortunately, some families couldn't make it for sick kids (lots of kids, even adults, fall sick in this season) . 

For 30 minutes, we continued eating strawberries!!

Since kids wanted to play, we walked to the river-side park in front of Izumi Chuo station (Sotetsu Line, next stop from Yumegaoka station). 

As it was a beautiful Spring day, kids enjoyed playing in the water!

The park is just in front of the station: we the train runs on the bridge. There are a lot of cherry blossoms in the park, so it must be very beautiful in a week or two. 

It was a wonderful outing!