Well, they’re doing a number of things: team building, stamina training; problem solving; working with location-imposed restrictions (no parking for trucks close by); building up an appetite for refreshingly crisp, fizzy Japanese beer; and moving furniture into the new Kyoto, Osaka, West Japan Office in deepest central Kyoto.

The reason for maintaining a THE J TEAM DMC office in Kyoto is the advantages it brings you, our business partners, to have on-the-ground presence in both Japan’s number one and number two MICE destinations.

In Kyoto more than anywhere else in the world the difference between success and outstanding success depends primarily upon the relationships in the destination that is being managed. Here it is essential that we constantly develop and nurture our ties so that we can (as happened the other day) telephone a local dignitary and arrange to bring our guest 10 minutes from now.

Before we began unloading the van we went through that other most Japanese of rituals and took Jaffa Cakes and tea (well that bit was a British twist on the tradition) to our new neighbours. Not only was this the first step in greasing the wheels in the immediate vicinity it also began a relationship with a kimono dealer that looks to bode well for your future room gifts … … …

Letting it all hang out, of course!

That’s what a high-octane incentive group did this spring – they lived their Tokyo Dream by drifting high-performance race cars inches apart from each other around central Tokyo. It was like a scene from “Need for Speed” or “Gran Tourismo” but with 100% real smells and shrieks of joy.

FAST FACTS:
– 150 thousand tonnes of water protected the car park from tyre damage
– Race circuit also recommended for longer drifts
– Professional drivers demonstrate their skills in cars just a hair’s width apart – ultimate white-knuckle ride for guests
– Race-tuned cars are a considerable step up from road-legal version

The J Team got up close and personal with the race cars over the summer.

THE J TEAM DMC is delighted to congratulate the inscription of Mt. Fuji on to the list of World Cultural Heritages compiled by UNESCO. This act confirms once again the importance of this mountain of mountains to the culture and psychology of Japan and its people.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418

FAST FACTS:
– 981 properties on heritage list world wide
– 17 in Japan make it one of the most listed countries
– Mt. Fuji inscription June 2013
– 20+ Japanese Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
– UNESCO cultural heritages are highlights of events in Japan

Mt. Fuji is often one of the first landmarks recognised as your plane descends into Narita or Haneda international airports. Moreover she takes the breath away for several minutes on the bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya, Kyoto & Osaka. Not only that, she is an ever willing presence overlooking events that take place in Tokyo.

THE J TEAM DMC has had the pleasure of bringing Fuji-themed elements to many an event over the years. From a team building climb to the top, through taking in the vista over a glass of champagne from nearby lakes, to Fuji-centred calligraphy workshops. There is so much to explore with this mountain and we invite you to work with us on a Fuji meditation and breakfast, or a Fuji sunset; pushing whichever boundary your event needs.

Mt. Fuji is not the only UNESCO-listed phenomenon that can be used in your next Japan event. Many of the Buddhist temples and castles in Kyoto can be used as special event venues. There is also a vast array of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity that make a stunning feature in your event programme: Noh theatre, kabuki, and Kyoto’s Gion Festival are just three from this list that counts more than twenty.

Mountain of Mountains
My first breathtaking sight of Mt. Fuji was from the saddle of my mountain bike, writes Mr. Tea. Having ventured to Fuji’s foot on a 500km ride, and in doing so passing thousands of Japan’s tens of thousands of sharp-peaked mountains (many of which are bright green from the tea fields on their slopes), I was frankly sceptical that I could be impressed by ‘just another mountain’. How wrong I was. It continues to take my breath away each time I see it from bullet train window, Tokyo skyscraper, and crater edge. And that is the reason that Fuji is the mountain of mountains – are there any other natural monuments in this world that can be appreciated on a daily basis by more than half of a nation’s population?

Mai, a staff in Tokyo recently tried Soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles). Here is her report.

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I had a noodle lunch with my friends the other day. The meal was buckwheat noodles, which in Japan are called ‘Soba’.

You may not have heard of Soba noodles, but they are one of our favorite dishes.

Something which makes Soba particularly interesting is that there are many different ways of eating them. The ‘Zaru Soba’ shown in the photo below is served cold and the noodles dipped in ‘dashi’ sauce before eating. This ‘dashi’ sauce is made by boiling dried bonito flakes and sea kelp (think seaweed) in water.

And, you may be surprised but we ‘slurp’ when we eat the noodles! Yes, making noise while you eat may be considered bad-manners in other countries but certainly not in Japan.
Slurping noodles is a way of expressing how tasty the dish is, and, believe it or not, slurping allows you to enjoy the noodles even more.

Soba are served not only cold but also boiled in a warm soup. Noodles in warm broth topped with tempura (crispy deep-fried prawns and vegetables), or Duck Meat are particularly well known.

On New Year’s Eve, we eat ‘Toshikoshi Soba’. ‘Toshikoshi’ literally means ‘passing the year’. And, since soba are easier to cut than other noodles, eating them on the last day of the year symbolizes ‘cutting the past year’s misfortune, rather than carrying it over into the New Year.

In some regions of Japan, people moving into a new neighborhood present their new neighbors with soba noodles. By presenting something ‘long’, people show that they hope to enjoy a ‘long’ and good relationship.

If you’re in Japan, you may come across ‘Tachigui’ Soba (literally, ‘eating-standing-up’ soba) stands, where you can very simply order Soba, and eat them while standing at the counter. Tachigui soba stands can be found at many Japanese train stations, and are cheap and tasty – Japan’s very own ‘fast food’.

In front of some restaurants, you can see noodles being made in a show-window, with the noodles served in authentic Japanese rooms inside.

And in the countryside, where the natural water is pure, there are places where visitors can make and eat their own soba.

One important thing that you have to be aware of, however, is that buckwheat can induce a severe allergic reaction. Also, vegetarians may not prefer noodles served in dashi, since as described above, the soup usually contains fish stock.

But, if allergies and fish-stock aren’t a concern, I highly recommend you to try soba! And even slurping!!