July will be finished soon...

July is my "birth month" and I swear to myself that I would write one thing on this site everyday at least this month as a kind of celebration. Now, here comes the end of July and this is the 31st post this month.

In fact, I feel I could write more carefully if I have more time to consider. But it was my priority of this month that I should "record" what I feel on everyday basis. You might feel the wave of my mind when you read from the start to the end of this month.

I am going to write many things from now on including interesting news topics and personal reviews on society and culture.

Learning French

I have started to learn French by myself by watching French conversation program. Today's lesson is the situation in trouble. J'ai mal (Ouch), is a today's expression. Because I was busy these days so I was away from this program for almost two months (I recorded on videos though). The speed of the program seems faster than before... need practice more, I think.

You are what you eat

My television in my room works weird recently. When I turn on, it is suddenly turned off. Many times I try but the situation is the same. So now I am watching TV by my mobile phone. It is actually good to have TV on phone. I can use my time efficiently during I get on my train.

Right now, I watch an English conversation program. It introduces one sentence: You are what you eat. The teacher on the show tells us that this sentence means to be careful of foods to take.

I got weight after coming back to Japan... just looking at my stomach when I hear the explanation... feels like I am just my life style. My body seems to reflect what I have eaten and how long I train myself mentally and physically.

Early morning

I just went to the office at 6am this morning. Tokyo was still calm but morning sunshine created good atmosphere. I felt summer in that scene. Few people just walked in the street and the signals were turned off.

I wrote 11 articles today from 7am to 5pm and collected my colleagues to organise a meeting for 20 minutes and made some plans to write for this week. Felt tired even though today is just the beginning of this week.

Ready For Summer Vacation

I am now planing for my summer vacation. It will start this Saturday... yes too late for preparation.
Anyway, I just checked the railway company's website to check the availability of trains. In order to check it, I was required to be a membership of their web services. Then I became a member.

Put the station names and wait for results... it said this checking service is not 24 hours one so please check during 5am to 10:30pm. And it also said some trains were not available to check through the Internet. Hmm... inconvenient at all.

I need to wake up 4:30 am tomorrow and the day after tomorrow... a tough week will start. We'll see, what will happen.

Corporate Communication

I went to my friends' home party last night. I stayed there for about 5 hours with eating and chatting. There are a few foreigners more than Japanese, so everybody speaks English. During the party, I was thinking of the topics which were talked. I tend to talk about jobs, but everybody has a variety of topics such as hobbies, the unique aspects of Japanese culture for them, summer plan...

Conversation in different language takes a little time for me. I need some translation time when I reply or join the continuous conversation. It was fun, but at the same time, I felt I needed to brush up my English.

Anyway, some were saying the short sleeve shirts (business shirts） were out of fashionable. A woman said "I understand it feels cool during the hot day, but please stop to wear... it's for middle aged men who has no sense of fashion". Hmm... I have three or four short sleeve shirts and I go to my office. I think some have really nice colour and design.

In addition, another person said "in my culture, no one put pens in the pocket of business shirts".
It may be pathetic but very useful during business hours. Hmm... it seems difficult to be fashionable.

A Survey

The Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan announced its survey on Japanese communication yesterday (on 24th). It shows a certain aspect of Japanese.

One question was like this: How do you respond when you are talked by a foreigner?
The answer like "I will respond in Japanese" was 51.8%. The same answer in 2001 was 43.6%.

Another question was as follows: What do you think foreigners who live in Japan should use Japanese in communication with Japanese?
The answer like "It is better for them to use Japanese" was 78.8%.

The article on one Japanese economic daily reported with words that most of Japanese seemed to hesitate to communicate foreigners with other languages.

I personally think that this survey is reflection of Japanese minds... not open to others, but just be interested in their own world. Japan is one of the wealthy countries in the world and most of them can stay there without moving out for searching better situation to live. In a sense, they do not know the reality of the world. In this earth, of course, many people who are different in terms of skin colour, minds, religion, custom, and the like, live together, but if their mind is not open to others, they tend to forget the fact. According to this survey, I am afraid to say that Japanese seems to forget it.

Working for a media company

BBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Thomson Reuters, The Financial Times... each media company has trust between viewers and readers and the companies. And the journalists who works for those companies are easy to access to news sources with saying their companies' names. Because of the trust, those journalists has special advantages compared with citizen journalists, especially here in Japan.

But now, because of the growth of new media such as web, the power of viewers and readers is increasing. If they want to learn something on a certain issue, they can go to the Google site and collect information on it. They can compare much information, and they can train themselves to get the ability to judge what the point is on it. Many experts have their own weblog, so people can learn and sometimes ask questions to those experts directly through the Internet.

Brand has a strong and influential power. Including me, journalists must thank the elder generation to raise the brand. The viewers and readers already know that current journalists working for famous news media companies are kinds of free-riders in a sense.

The Internet websites are generally free service to provide information. On the other hand, many media especially newspapers are not free service. Competition grows so fast, and what I should do for my future? This question stays in my heart recently.

For Happiness

I think people need somebody who can share their own visions, thoughts, and opinions. Family, friends, teachers, bosses and whoever can be the ones. But when I hear the news on murder here in Japan, the criminals tend to say they feel isolated. I am not sure it is because of the nature of current days. They say those who cannot communicate with others is increasing.

When I get stressed out, I talk to my friends and family about it. I can take another type of opinions through communication and I believe it will change my way of thinking. It is sometimes tough process because it is not always that my opinion are agreed by them. It may take time to understand each other. But when it comes to the question as "what is the happiness for people?", I would answer that having people who always admit and understand the one.

In Reality

There are some people who do not like to work as a journalist even though they chose it as their work. Many people may not believe this fact, but there are actually some. I am in the position to let them work but sometimes feel my limitation. It is up to themselves to make a change and they need to understand it is a matter of themselves by their own efforts.

I know a guy who was eager to be a journalist and had tried to take entrance examination of many newspaper companies. He failed many times but I am sure he still has his own dream to write something by himself. He might say he could not believe those people who do not work as a journalist at news media companies actually exist.

Today was a national holiday

Today was a national holiday to celebrate oceans... what we call "Umi (oceans) no (of) hi (day)". It is good to have another holiday after Sunday. I could forget my job totally and have tried to clean my room. It was hard to keep things tidy up in my hot room. I have many books and magazines and need to throw away... but tend to read them with sentimental feeling like "this would be a historical entity for me to remind me of the time".

Anyway, I can feel relaxed today.

My Friend Introduces Me This Video

My friend recommended me to watch this video. I think this guy actually feels the globe. It is amazing to create this type of a video from zero basis. I am just wondering if Japanese can have this type of sense of humour. I think of myself and yes, it seems good to let myself free to act like him...sometimes.

All Night Karaoke

The long run for writing this weblog everyday is now stopped because I sang many songs at a karaoke place with my friends. We kept singing almost 80s such as Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Footloose main theme song, Journey, Asia, The Jets, Billy Joel, and more.

When we sang Nirvana, we were shaking our head with screaming no meaningful things, and when we sang the Footloose, we jumped and twisted. It was simply fun.

Press Conference

I think a press conference is a stage for psychological game. The one seems to try to explain with sincere feeling, but I know that will be a fake, and journalists need to be careful and cautious of the one's every little action. In addition, journalists need to control of what he or she feels during the press conference. Sometimes need to get angry, and sometimes tend to get nervous.

I joined one tonight, and asked a couple of questions. There was a silence during I said my question, and it was natural. But I could feel my heartbeat... even I am not a freshman in this job.

News Program on TV, Does It Need To Be Entertainment?

It is about 5am here in Japan when the US stock market closes in its summer time season. I am living Japan, so it is limited to get information of what has happened in the US market which has big and influential power to the Japanese market. Website, news flow through electric media, and TV are the main tools for me to get information quickly.

From 5:45, a program on economy starts from Monday to Friday. I watch this almost everyday, but I feel frustrated actually. The TV anchor does not seem to be interested what she reports at all. For example, there is a part of live report from New York, and the reporter just tells the results of the markets of stocks, oils, bonds and the like. The most important information is the reasons of the movements: why the oil future price climbed up today, or why the financial sector declined only in the stock market. But if the anchor does not care those points, of course, she or he cannot report or explain at all.

Unfortunately, in the program, they never show their insight on market movement in general. And I am also annoyed of the section in the program which the caster in New York tells on the US newspapers' topics. I need the information just related to economy, but she explains the entertainment news in detail... I like the Showbiz in general but not in the morning when I prepare for the day's work. The other day, the US financial situation was worried because of the concern on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, she mentioned about the scandal of Madonna and a baseball player.

The program is on economy, and I am sure the most of viewer is just people who are interested in economy. Why she had to introduces the scandal? Because of ignorance? Or laziness? News as an entertainment?

The word, viewers includes a variety of people. I can feel an assumption that most people are not interested in hard and technical news but like sports, entertainment and weather. The hard news such as politics or economic policies sometimes invite strong reaction, and it seems that TV anchors are intimidating to talk in depth without their deep knowledge. But it is hard for me to say this is not journalism, sad to say.

Everyday Is A Trial

It seems a trial for me to go back home by a crowded train after working everyday. I am always tired and want to sit down on a chair with taking some sleep to get rested, but it is difficult. Now it is getting hot and I need to stand closely with unknown people. Yes, I can feel others' hot body and that makes me tired and annoyed.

In that circumstance, it is actually hard to be kind to others. Tend to be hostile to others. But now, be at home and reflecting myself, and a question comes up in my mind: Why did I get angry so easily now? Because of work? Because of lack of sleep? Because of living Japan?

It is easy to express my own feeling in any circumstance, but it might be a trial to control the feeling. I can see many people who do not have a sense of manner... do I have to show my frustration or no need to say anything? The environment gives me many agendas on communication with others.

One Favorite Song

I understand that there is at least one song which everyone cannot forget. I like songs in general, and suddenly some songs come up in my mind. The recent one is "Not Even Blinking".

This song was released here in Japan almost 10 years ago, written and sung by Miyuki Nakajima. So the lyrics is in Japanese. But the singer, Miyuki set the English translation in her CDs. I know some nuance might be different from the original, but I would like to introduce some parts.

It's such a modest life, similar to mine
It's such a humble life, could it have been yours
As you go along the way
Don't you see such people

As our eyes blink life goes by so fast
Stars flicker brightly and disappear,
As we do
Life is so precious
Not even blinking, not even breathing
We seek others
Because our time is so short

Get The Talented People

According to Asahi, one of the Japanese newspaper, many countries have started to collect those who have special ability in a certain area. Human resource is considered as one of the national power, that's what it means I think.

The article mentions about the UK system: they set the point system. For example, if you have a PhD, you can get 50 score, then if you are young enough under 28, you can get the score of 20, and the like. It says, if you can get 95 or more than that, you will be free to get any jobs without regulations. In Singapore, entrepreneurs and investors who continue to put money into the country, they will get the right to live there forever. Germany and France also have some criteria to make them cheerful in terms of human resources for the countries.

It says, the competition has started to get the intelligence in the world. Simply, it is necessary for them to come to a country, people need to be open or accept the diversity in some level. In Japan, the number of people will decrease more in near future. The aging society has started here and the birth rate has been low for a couple of years. And the number of being a single is increasing.

Personally it will be good for me to have many talented people here... it will give us the chance to open our eyes to the new world through them.

To Welcome Grandparents

Today, we welcome our grandparents in traditional way. The grandparents already died, but we believe they come back during Bon period. I think the Bon comes from philosophy of Buddhism. During the Bon, the soul of people who died already come back to their home.

Two little models of horses were put in front of our house, and Father set some fire woods with fire. I had a kind of bell, and Mother had some incense sticks.

I am not so religious but felt good to have this opportunity. We believe they, I mean our grandparents will stay a couple of days here.

Haircut

I had a haircut this evening. I went to a barber where my father always goes. The barber is a tiny place run by a family. When I went there, all three chairs were full so I need to wait for a while. The hair cutters are the family: father, mother and their son. I maybe look young, so my cutter has been the son when I go there. But today was the father who was very good at cutting. Professional.

He moved around me many times with checking the length of each hair was settled. During I was on the chair, two more gentlemen came into the shop. It seemed popular, I think. It was around 7pm on Saturday.

It is okay for me to cut my hair at sophisticated and trendy place, but it is also good to be in a homelike atmosphere.

My Birthday

July 11th is my birthday. I work from 6am to 8pm today... and my lunch was just a cup noodle. Today's Tokyo stock market movement was strange. I mean, it moved so volatile. I finally said to my boss "today is my birthday, and I am really sad to have a cup noodle as birthday's lunch".
Then he replies to me with saying "okay, if you are free tonight, I will treat a glass of wine".

So we just went to a small and cozy restaurant and grabbed a couple of glass wine. I ordered red wine, but they brought white... it is okay. Anyway, it seems that everybody gets frustrated at my workplace including this guy. So we just talked about only job things... typical Japanese business people's chat!

Anyway, I got tired because of long work time. I have tried to catch a series of information about what has happened whole day, and also I have taken care of my 8 people. For example, giving some advices on his/her work, letting people feel good with a sense of humour, protecting them from unreasonable bosses...

When I look back my birthday today, it is fine for me. Well, maybe happy.
The guy who treated wine for me said "generally speaking, a birthday should be the day to thank one's parents who gave one's birth"... hmm I think it is a good phrase. I know this already, but again, it remains in my heart firmly.

To Save Children's Lives

I watched an interview program of one pediatrician last night. He saw a lot of patients and most of them were children. He said the expression of their feelings were great and pure. He has tried to help lives as many as he has been able to. He sometimes talks about disease with a little kid with encouragement. I was feeling his job was one of the most valuable and precious in the world.

Being a journalist sometimes knocks me out. Losing the sight of why I work as it is, and what to do it. Then back to the memories of pleasure as a journalist. One might be a letter of appreciation for my article... yes, it is a tiny memory but I still remember it.

I would like to be one' side who needs some help. I am not finding the exact way to practice it, but always think of it.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I would like to thank many people who support me.

How to Survive

At my workplace, there seem to be at least two people who got mental disease. They have been absent from work these days. One guy was scolded by my boss a couple of time. He has just learned a new area at the office, and it is natural to make some mistakes. I could feel a kind of atmosphere that everybody feels relieved to see that type of guy... he or she can feel himself or herself as an upper level person in terms of ability at work. It is unbelievable for me to write like this, but I think this is an aspect of my office. I have worked with 100% energy when I need to finish some work within the deadlines and I have not been able to help him. Only I could hear some strong and strict words from my boss to him.

Yes, my office sounds like a military. The commander is the strongest and I am just like a middle-aged soldier. What can I do in this circumstance? One solution which I am doing is that I try to use some sense of humour and to be careful of others' feelings. It is actually difficult to practice.

What is the G of G8?

People say "the G8 summit has held in Hokkaido, Japan". Now here is the question; What is the G of G8? I guess G is about Great 8 Countries in terms of influential power. If so, what kind of message do they express?

The stock market has not reacted by this summit so far. Many investors seem to care of the US economy and financial system as well as the impact of inflation including the sharp movement of oil prices. Why the gap between rich and poor happens all the time? I remember that Ethiopia faced with poverty in 1984-85 when the aid movement came into being among artists in the UK and US.

The answer might lay inside of our mind. Selfish, lack of kindness, careless...

July 7th --- Tanabata

The G8 summit has started in northern part of Japan. Today is July 7th, a traditional event day for Japanese. We call it Tanabata and celebrate the peace. I found the explanation website written in English.

http://www2.gol.com/users/csr-kts/hiratsuka/tanabata/

I did not do anything special today, but I know I should. When I was a child, I tend to write my wish in a long and narrow paper (we call it Tanzaku) and hang it on the leaf of bamboo.

I watch a news program tonight, and I learned the G8 participants such as Bush, Brown, Fukuda and others also wrote their wishes on Tanzaku. They wish peace and I know it might be a kind of nonsense, but I would say, it is okay to wish vague things with discussion in concrete words and solution. We understand to protect the environment, and now we need the political leadership and reflection of each of us what we have done to the earth and what way we need to change. When we can get this type of message from G8 summit, I personally think it will become the valuable one.

Hot day

Today it was very hot. Trying to get some good sleep but I netsurfed until late at night yesterday, so it was getting hotter during my sleep hours. No good habit.

I am a guy who cannot tidy my room. Many books, CDs, Videos, newspapers and clothes... I wish I could get a couple of extra holidays, I will do my best to clean my room but I know that I need to change my nature to have some courage to take things away. I tend to think "oh this is my memory in preparation to study in the UK" or "I cannot throw this away because it reminds me of my effort to do my best at the office"...

I went to the cleaner's to take my suits for winter season today. I walked to the shop and I got hot and tired. I feel I need to be more healthy both body and mind.

Japan and Singapore

In 2007, Singapore becomes no.1 country in Asian region in terms of GDP per a person. I read this article today, and the newspaper says this is based on the IMF data. Japan becomes no.2, and the article mentions that Singapore is eager to invite many foreign investments to stimulate the economy.

The message from this article is like "so what to do, Japan?". What does it mean to compete among countries? Well, I think it has some meaning. This trend has possibility to lead decline of Japan in the world and it will affect our lives in Japan.

In Singapore, they speak English and they are able to get much of western culture and information from the U.S. or the U.K. based on the assumption that there is no censorship. Yes, it is easy for Japanese to get that as well, but I am still doubtful that we are sometimes late to notice some very important change because of lack of ability in English. I mentioned about this before, I think...

People here tend to think within their own common sense, and it is important. However, I would say, we need to be interested in the outside of our own world which is very interesting.

Reflection

Now it is midnight, and I tend to reflect my behavior of today. Most of the time, I feel "oh I should not say that to her" or "oh I should not say that word to him". But of course, it is too late.

To have good quality of communication, I found one simple thing necessary. That is a sense of humour. The feeling of joy will lead people to be happy, I believe. At office, people act differently from their action with friends. For my case, I have some weird bosses, and their philosophy of communication does not suit for me. But I need to keep the communication with them to move my work forward. In this case, a sense of humour and yes, patience are the keys of smooth communication.

Metabolic Syndrome

I took medical examination in May, and a couple of weeks ago, I got my results. It says, I am the one of Metabolic Syndrome.

People call "Metabo" the guys whose stomach is big enough. I was always said a skinny guy when I was 20's. I understand to do some exercises...

When I was in Leeds, the U.K., I was not aware of this syndrome. When I got back to Japan, I had noticed everybody had talked about it too much. But now, it sounds more serious to me. This syndrome has a strong linkage to diseases.

Please Do It at Home

This is an ad on the wall of subway station in Tokyo. It says "Please do it at home".

The number of women who make themselves up in the train.

It is generally considered as shameless behavior among people before.

I talked this topic with my friends before. One of them said,

"women have become busier than before, so people should take in consideration this point".

What do you think when one guy starts to shave? I personally think it is a matter of manner. Or a matter of one's definition of disgraceful behavior. Those who do their faces tend to say "I am not hurting anybody, so why people can criticise my behavior?" And I understand there is an opinion like "simply, what's the problem?"

Some people start eating, some listen to music loudly, and I know some talk over their phone even train companies set a rule not to do it. The elderly people say they cannot believe women starts making up according to Japanese culture. It may be up to ourselves to think what kind of behavior is "matured".

The Most Satisfactory City for Japanese Travellers

A survey shows that Vienna is the most satisfactory city. A Japanese magazine for travellers called "AB-ROAD" announced the result of its survey on foreign cities.

In addition to Vienna, Las Vegas, Rome, Cairns, and Chiang Mai were in the top 5 in terms of the satisfaction. Those who like Vienna say "concerts were great" "the atmosphere of the city was really good".

On the other hand, cities like Gold Coast and the Alps got high rate of unsatisfied stay. I do not know the reasons.

The most popular country for Japanese travellers is Italy no matter he or she is a single or has own family. Among single guys, Dubai gets popularity. It ranks No. 11 of the place where they wish to visit from No.36 last year.

When I visited Venice in 2006, the atmosphere was really amazing and it was just like arts as a whole. I understand people like to visit Italy, and I wish I could visit other places in Italy with some knowledge of its history and arts.