Archive for 2016

Wonderful Oshoro Maru Ship

Hi, My name is Dewi Mutamimah Graduate student of Aquatic product technology, Fisheries and Marine Science in Bogor Agricultural University.
This was my other experience in Hakodate Hokkaido Japan "Training Oshoro Maru Ship".
The Training ship held in 17-19 August, 2016 about 3 days 2 night in Oshoro Maru Ship.
I got new experience trough this activities, got new friends from other University in Japan and USA also from high school student in Hokkaido Japan. Really exciting Join this activities. Learning many thing such as self defense for during in the ship, fish and squid fishing, plankton collection and observation and many other thing.






Fig 1. Oshoro Maru Crew
They are really kind crew. I got to tearn many thing from them how to make rope for self defense, got to eat plenty of delicious food from the chef of the ship, also how to explain abou the ship sections really exciting for me. 

Fig 2. Me, Nafisa (using glasses) and Rachel 
They are my roommate in the Oshoro Maru Ship, Rachel who come from Museum and Preservation Specialist, Fish Collection in University of Washington and Nafisa from Food science in Bogor Agricultural University same University with me. they have interesting personality so I really glad to meet them and be friend with them.

Fig 3. Plankton observation (Grace and Me)
Here is Grace who come from Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in University of Washington. we are doing Plankton observation together. I get to learn more about plankton from grace. she is friendly and kind. 


Fig 4. Training participant and Oshoro Maru Ship





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Interesting Camp in the "Southern of Hokkaido"

Hello everyone, here Dewi, I would like to continue my stories when i stayed at Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. In August 5th-6th, 2016, I participated an event that held by Onuma International Seminar House. It was Camp in the Southern part of Hokkaido. They held this event for International student who interested in cultural exchange. really enjoyed this event because i got to know many Japanese student, International student and local people that lived there. Our destination was Matsumae and Kikonai. 

fig 1. With International student in front of Matsumae Castle

First we went to Matsumae Castle Park for lunch.  I got to see beautiful Castle while taking lunch with everyone. Its really good experience for me. After finished lunch, we got to go inside the Castle for sightseeing. For entering the Castle every people need pay about 300 yen. Then we continue our journey to Matsumae Koryu no Satozukurikan one of our main goal. Our activities in Matsumae was Fishing, cooking together with local people, trying yukata and finally sport competition (table tennis). 

Fig 2. All member who join the camp in Matsumae Koryu no Satozukurikan

Fig 3. Place for fishing in Matsumae

Fig 4. trying Yukata with the help of local people

The next day we went to Kikonai, our second and last destination. With local people in kikonai, we experienced fishnet and seafood BBQ for our lunch. I got to know how to use the fishnet for capturing the seafood. This event make me know many thing that i don't know before, i got much friends, understanding little of Japanese local people and also got very exciting experience that be my wonderful memories.

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Living in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan

I stayed in Hakodate about 5 month for my exchange student in Hokkaido university. My first time at 23rd March, 2016 in Japan, was pleasantly surprised about the difference between Indonesia and Japan. Firstly the weather there was very cold till I had to use several layers of cloth and thick jacket. when new Indonesian people arrived in Japan in winter season, they will think that living there will be difficult when they come in winter season. It was very cold, need gloves, heater, winter shoes and many other things. Secondly about the language. they use Japanese language. It is very different with English and Indonesian language. Hakodate is rural area that make them do not speak in English. Kind of difficult when i speak English with them but they do not understand what I said. So, I need to study Japanese language for communication with local people. Not only for communication but also for reading. when I want go go some place, I need to take bus to go. But, because I can not read Japanese character I need Japanese student to accompany me to go that place. 



http://www.hakodate-area.jp/jinzai/kyoikukikan.html
Fig 1. Fisheries Faculty of Hokkaido University

Still, I like Japan especially Hakodate. I like the condition of Hakodate. Fisheries faculty of Hokkaido university is different location with other faculty. The main University is located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan while Fisheries faculty located in Hakodate, Hokkaido Japan. they put Fisheries in different place because it is near with the Sea. Hakodate is Beautiful city. The air condition is good and no pollution, that's what i thought when i stayed there. there is popular place called "Hakodate Yama" or Hakodate Mountain. from top of the mountain we can see wonderfull night view of Hakodate Sea.
Hasil gambar untuk view of hakodate mountain




https://www.ana-cooljapan.com/destinations/hokkaido/nightviewsfrommounthakodate
Fig 2. Night view of Hakodate Sea


Fig 3. Me and Hakodate Sea from Hakodate Mountain

Hakodate has beautiful "Cherry blossom" or called "Sakura". Goryokaku one of Hokkaido's top cherry blossom viewing spots in springtime. I like that place, full of Cherry blossom and there is Traditional Japanese architectural mastery called Hakodate Magistrate's Office (Bugyosho). Magistrate's office, a restored building that was once used as a government office run by samurai. There is Tower located in Goryokaku Park called Goryokaku Tower. A magnificent panoramic view of the entire star-shaped estate we can see at top of tower. 

Fig 4. Cherry blossom and Me in Goryokaku Park
Fig 5. At Magistrate's Office (Bugyosho) Goryokaku Park

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Field trip, Hokudasai and Ramadhan Karim in Hokkaido


Welcome June, this is the third month I stayed in Sapporo. The weather is getting warm and also there is so much beautiful green scenery in Hokkaido University. This month, there is a lot of activity that held in June. The first one is my laboratory field trip, than Hokkaido University Festival (Hokudasai) and Ramadhan Karim, the holy month of muslim community that start in this month also.
First, I’d like to tell my laboratory fieldtrip experience. In the beginning of June, 2 and 3 June, I have laboratory fieldtrip. Our laboratory member, students and professor join this trip. In my laboratory we have eleven students, two Indonesian, two Japanese, four Chines and one Vietnamese than two professor. In this field trip, we spent two days and one night. In the first we visited Hokkaido Research Organization, Agricultural Experiment Station. In this place we are looking for the crop technology that farmers in Hokkaido used. To manage the farm, researcher and farmer collaborate each other by using GIS technology, so farmers can easier manage their farm. After that, we take lunch and went to outdoor school. This kind of school usually using for out bond activity and we stay one night in this place.

Figure 1. Fieldtrip Laboratory Member

Second day, we continued our trip to Takinoue Park. In that place there is a beautiful waterfall and also lot of flower. After that we continued to Ainu Museum. This kind of museum provide us about the history of Japanese people in the past like what the wear, what kind of tools that they use for transportation and other activity. After that we are going to fruit and vegetable company. The name of the company is J-farm. In Hokkaido, maybe it’s hard to plan some vegetable or fruit because of the weather is little bit extreme. J-farm build a greenhouse technology to plant tomato and the other vegetables and also they make some product using their crop like ice cream tomato, tomato jam and etc.
The next day in 3 June, there is Hokkaido University Festival held in campus. Hokudasai start from 1 June until 4 June. This festival provide a lot of entertainment like cosplay, dance, and the best things is food festival. Indonesia Students Associations of Hokkaido University also participate in this program. We make Indonesian food stand during the festival. At least four kind of Indonesian traditional food and one kind of drink we sold in Hokudasai. The festival was very attractive. There are so many people came to the festival because not only we also can tried the others food from the other country like Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, India, China, Thailand and many more.

Figure 2. Hokudasai

Figure 3. Indonesia Food

Figure 4. Indonesia Students Association

In the last, the important things that happen in this month is Ramadhan, the holy month of muslim community. We have to fasting from sunrise until sunset. It’s the first time of me to fasting outside Indonesia. In Indonesia actually we fasting around 12 – 13 hour but in Sapporo, I have to fasting around 17 – 18 hour per day. But the weather in Sapporo is cool and sometime warm so it’s not too hard fasting here. I hope I can complete my fasting until the earlier of July.がんばて。

Figure 5. Iftar Party







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Hokkaido and Marine Animals



About 3 weeks ago, I went to Usujiri Marine Biological Research Station, helping my friend for sampling sea urchin. Usujiri Marine Biological Research Station is research station of Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University. The station is located in the southern part of Hokkaido. It takes around 1 hour to reach the station from Faculty of Fisheries Hokkaido University in Hakodate by using car.

I’m not so familiar with coastal area before, so it’s very interesting for me, especially when we were looking for sea urchin. Sea urchin is called as uni in Japan. When you saw sea urchin, maybe you are curious about how sea urchin moves. Sea urchin can move freely by using adhesive tube feet in under the body. Gonad of sea urchin is eatable and has been widely processed into delicious food around the world. In Japan, sea urchin is served raw as sushi and also sashimi. I heard that sea urchin from Hokkaido is popular as high class ingredient for sushi. ‘Ezo-Bafun-Uni’ and ‘Kita-Murasaki-Uni are popular sea urchins that come from Hokkaido.

Fig 1.Not only found sea urchin, we also found many star fishes (picture from Li-san)

During my stay in Hakodate, I get opportunity to see (directly) and eat many kind of marine animals that I never seen before, such as sea urchin, sturgeon, sea cucumber, rockfish, star fish,  zebrafish and etc. Not only can see them directly, I also gain some interesting information about them (thank you for sensei and also my friends that gave me interesting information about that animals). The most interesting one is sturgeon. Sturgeon is common name of fish that come from family Acipenseridae. Sturgeon can live very long time and also the length of the body can reach more than 5 m (depend on species). Some species of sturgeon have ability to produce egg that is called caviar, a luxurious food. Believe me, caviar from sturgeon is expensive. The price may differ among sturgeon caviar, depend on the quality. But I heard that the price of the most expensive sturgeon caviar on the record is about 35.000 US Dollar per kg. Can you imagine? Therefore, sturgeon that able to produce caviar is referred as one of the most valuable wildlife resources. For your information, I don’t know before about caviar from sturgeon and also the price that can be so expensive. Before this, I only know about caviar from salmon. But some people said that salmon’s egg is not caviar.

Fig2. I and sturgeon picture

Another interesting marine animal is sea cucumber. Like star fish and sea urchin, sea cucumber also belongs to echinoderm. It has very soft and cylindrical body. We call it teripang in Indonesia. Sea cucumber is not only utilized as food, but also widely used in pharmaceutical. It has been utilized as folk medicine in Asia and believed as medicine for several illnesses. Sea cucumber has all necessary fatty acids which are important for tissue repairing. Therefore, sea cucumber can regenerate and heal the body parts very quickly.

One of my friends is doing research by using zebra fish, small fish with blue stripes on the side of the body. Zebra fish (Danio rerio) was the first vertebrate that can be cloned and also popular with its regenerative abilities. Not only that, zebra fish also had been modified into several transgenic strains. Zebra fish has been widely used as model in scientific research about vertebrate development and gene function. And nowadays, zebra fish is popularly used in medical research such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune system, and also infectious disease. Moreover, by using zebra fish as model, researcher not only can identify gene that is responsible for a disease but also can develop therapeutic agent or drug for a disease. Sugoi ne!

Fig 3.Zebra fish

Hokkaido is popular in fishery industries, so I get opportunity to see many kinds of fishery product. Every year, Hokkaido produces high quantity of marine products. Based on data in 2008, salmon, scallop, and seaweed are the top three marine products from Hokkaido, in the term of production value. Seaweeds become important materials in Japanese food. Aonori, Aosa, Umi-Budou, Mozuku, Wakame, Konbu,Hijiki, Matsumo, Nori are several kinds of seaweed in Japan. Some of them are expensive and can be found only in fancy restaurant. There are thousands species of seaweed in the world, but they are divided into 3 main classes based on the color : green, brown, and red. Among them, brown seaweed is the most abundance in amount. From a lecture, I just knew that seaweed is originally come from Indonesia.

Overall, I recommend you to eat fishery products of Hokkaido. You should try Hokkaido scallop (hotate), oishi. And also, when you were in Hakodate, don’t forget to visit Asaichi fish market. Asaichi is located near Hakodate station. You can see many kinds of fishery products at there. Many seafood restaurants also can be found there.

http://japan-magazine.jnto.go.jp/jnto2wm/wp-content/uploads/hokkaido2_01.jpg
Fig 4.Asaichi fish market in Hakodate, Hokkaido

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