| Travel |
 |
 |
Anthony Bianchi Brings A Little
Bit Of Brooklyn To One Japanese City
 |
October 17, 2005
With municipal
elections right around the corner, it's an appropriate
time to ponder why there's a little bit of Brooklyn in
one Japanese town.
It’s not the Brooklyn Bridge
or the East River, but for one transplanted New Yorker,
it seems to work just fine. Anthony Bianchi likens his
adopted home in the city of Inuyama, Japan, to a great
ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn.
“This would be
the greatest ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn if we were
in Brooklyn,” he says. “So that’s why I love this city.”
Anthony is so fond of Inuyama, he ran for public
office two years ago, and holds the distinction of being
the first North American to get elected in this city of
72,000, or Japan itself, for that matter. He's not the
king of the castle, but it's a pretty big
accomplishment, being one of this city's 25 council
members, and the only one who speaks Japanese with a
Brooklyn accent.
A local celebrity, Anthony is a
favorite with the mayor, who respects him for his
outspoken ways.
“I have a tendency to point out
things that Japanese might not normally take notice of,”
he says.
Anthony is at his best when he's
showing off his town, and if he wasn't into politics,
he'd make an excellent tour guide.
Inuyama is
home to Japan's oldest castle, as well as the Meiji Mura
outdoor museum which consists of 60 buildings dating
back to the 19th century which have been moved here from
around the country, including the Tokyo Imperial Hotel
built by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Inuyama is also one
of the few places in Japan that still carries on the
controversial tradition of cormorant fishing.
Although Anthony now puts his Japanese
constituents first, the walls of his office show that
like a zebra, this New Yorker can't change his stripes.
When it comes right down to it, he's still the same guy
who graduated from Xaverian High School.
“I’m
Anthony from Brooklyn,” he says.
Inuyama is in
the center of Japan, about a 30-minute drive from
Nagoya. You can fly into Nagoya or take the bullet train
from Tokyo. For the Inuyama City Visitors Bureau, visit
http://www.inuyama.gr.jp/.
Here's a "D'Elia Deal" you don't want to miss for
fall fares to Tokyo or Nagoya. Go online to http://www.jtbusa.com/ and click on
"Deals from the East Coast."
For more “D’Elia
Deals” and travel information, visit http://www.travelwithval.com/.
- Valarie D’Elia |
| |
 |
 |
 |
October 17, 2005 Anthony Bianchi
Brings A Little Bit Of Brooklyn To One Japanese
City
|
October 12, 2005 Travelers
Need To Be Prepared In Case Of A Hotel
Fire
|
October 10, 2005 Extension
To Atlantis Resort Offers Up A Taste Of New
York
|
October 05, 2005 Puerto
Vallarta A Picture Perfect Setting For A Film
Festival
|
October 03, 2005 With
So Many Airlines Filing For Bankruptcy, Travelers Must
Learn To Protect Themselves
|
September 28, 2005 Visit
Takayama For An Authentic Japanese
Experience
|
September 26, 2005 Tips
To Help You Weather The Storm When Traveling During
Hurricane Season
|
September 21, 2005 Mind,
Body, Spirit Program At Cap Juluca Can Teach You About
Past Lives
|
September 20, 2005 Dresden
A City On The Rise Decades After World War
II
|
September 15, 2005 Gulf
Coast Tourism Industry Tries To Recover From Hurricane
Katrina
|
 |
 Valarie D'Elia
NY1 Travel
Consultant Valarie
D'Elia is the host of "Travel with
Val." |
|
 NY1 On The Go
Take NY1 News
with you on your browser-equipped PDA or cellphone by
using our free NY1 To
Go service. |
|
 Out In The Street
Searching for a
street festival this weekend? Take a look at our Community
Calendar listings. | |
