China-Japan relationship over East China Sea (10-10-10)

With Fujita Corporation’s four Japanese workers released from detention two days ago, the hostage game between China and Japan has finally ended, which began with a Chinese trawler ramming into two Japanese patrol ships on September 8th.

Notwithstanding the upshot, the impact of the incident was heavy enough to keep Japan concerned about the whereabouts of the neighbor, like its military expansion, even more, as the world’s attention is paid to the country and Japanese broadcasters continue to provide issues about it.

Diplomacy and democracy are the key things China needs to better practice, to prove a global leader, though.

China is no longer considered an emerging economy, having taken over the world No. 2 economic status from Japan. China is already a major market, and the demand for appreciating the yuan is constant to make trade relations with other countries better balanced.

More and more Chinese are becoming global-minded and indeed going overseas. Meanwhile, it’s ideal for Japan to have a mutually beneficial partnership with China, as, although public concerns about it have been developed through the Senkaku (or Diaoyu in Chinese) islands issue and an incident in which toxin-spiked frozen dumplings imported from China were sold and consumed, the two neighboring countries have been building a better relationship as well.

Doubtless, there have been unwanted cases for Japan in its relationship with China, though, it’s also true that many Chinese expats in Japan are pretty friendly. While it’s telecast that there was a slew of cancellations of tour packages from China to Japan as a reaction against the detention of the trawler’s captain, according to my experience no Chinese resident in Japan has been blamed by Japanese. (In turn, if there are Japanese companies which position Chinese workers under exploitative conditions such as marginal wages, they should immediately address the situation.) When I was studying Mandarin, the cheerful atmosphere between the teachers and the students was identical to that in English classes. Indeed, despite intensified tensions between the two countries, mid- or upper-class Chinese tourists continue to come to Japan.

As long as China keeps showing economic growth, meanwhile, to see their military scaled up and strengthened may be normal. When the objectives of the military expansion are uncertain (about rightfulness, for example whether the forces are intended to fight the Taliban and/or Al Qaeda), surrounding countries have a fair reason to have reservations, though, China, with the renewal of the economic status and the recognition from the world, can and ought to be receptive to their opinions and avoid stoking their concerns. In the context, in the autonomy issue in Tibet for instance, China should not press its brutality on the weaker. Instead, China must recognize and practice the greater sense of responsibility and leadership, respecting the global perspective and standards.

Back to the trawler incident, what the crew insist is actually out of question. It’s insensible for China to claim the territorial right of the Senkaku islands, because according to what was telecast in the Japanese media, the territory has been under Japan’s authority since the Treaty of Peace with Japan was concluded in San Francisco in 1951.

To reinforce the credibility of this information, in the October 6th edition of the International Herald Tribune had an article on the matter, which read: The day Mr. Zhan [the trawler’s captain] returned to China, he said he planned to go back to the Diaoyu islands. About three years ago, an official document circulated in Shenhu County, where Mr. Zhan lives, telling fishermen not to go to the disputed waters, said Mr. Chen, an employee at a local information center. But there has been no such warning in recent years, he added. [what’s the significance of this quote vis-à-vis your thesis?]

If China’s military is a manifestation of cracking down on its citizens, censorship is the other. There is no way to credit Beijing as a global leader if it doesn’t allow its people broad access to world affairs.

Unfortunately, yet, China is much behind other developed countries in the area of providing citizens with the right to learn the facts, as Google, for instance, has moved its search engine to Hong Kong and the service is not accessible to ordinary Chinese.

Besides this fact, Beijing’s imprisoning one of the most influential dissidents against it, Mr. Liu, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, was also disappointing to the world. [or perhaps just US allies...?] Being aware of universal sentiments, Beijing must reconsider the manner of treating him.

It’s the colossal Communist Party which manages to bind its citizens. However, as of something seeming to be a watershed moment, China is asked which course it opts to take—toward either greater communism or greater democracy. To whatever extent Japan’s structure of democracy can be seen as demonstrative, there are items China with its people can take into account:


1. Openness to world information


It’s disappointing if the immediate shutting down of airing the nomination of Mr. Liu on the NHK (Japan’s semi-national broadcaster) TV news in the land of China is true, while Chinese tourists in Japan or some country else are free of the restriction.


2. Freedom of speech


3. The government’s heed to citizens


Under healthy democracy, people’s opinions should be reflected by the government.


4. Education


5. High Quality of Life (Q.O.L.)


Citizens in all social classes should ideally receive each decent set of those entitlements.


While being able to have a greater say, China sees its presence felt more than ever, as its compliance with universal norms is becoming more meaningful. If it chooses to become a country with greater democracy, it should definitely happen that its citizens are entitled to have larger freedom of thought and expression, and responsibility with a sense of independence.

The New York Times article on the Diaoyu islands dispute also read:

The Chinese Navy uses civilian vessels in several ways. One is to command militias consisting of fishing vessels. Another is to coordinate operations with five maritime law enforcement organizations similar to coast guards, most notably the Fisheries Law Enforcement Command, which is charged by the Agriculture Ministry with enforcing fishing bans and operates regularly in disputed waters. Some fisheries officials now go out on boats wearing uniforms and carrying firearms. [why is this quote important?]

Then, my question is: Which social class their soldiers and marines belong to in general?

Takeko's air-borne journey (10-6-10)

The sky drops dark early and the cool air breezes through Tokyo’s jungle of high-rise buildings.

Though in step with the arrival of autumn’s climate, the seasonal switchover of clothing came appreciably early this year. Seen here and there around the necks of women were warm scarves; boots were active as if they were swings. All the attire was making a remarkable contrast to that worn in one of the most sweltering summers on record.

Takeko, a female Cavalier, had harbored future visions with her recently-turned, but already ex-, boyfriend. In a casual conversation, Takeko was emphasizing the concept of a family. In the simulation, Takeko was a mother while he was a father. There were two kids. Takeko was a homemaker while he went to work and the kids did to school. All of these pictures ended up in illusions, however. He was yet gone, even when the periodic recurrence of such a dream of Takeko kept afflicting her mind.

Mike sometimes met her when both of them could afford to make time sometime in the p.m. He did so today, the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

An Italian-style restaurant was located near Ryogoku Kokugikan, the traditional stadium for sumo. The weather was bad, as rain was beating the stadium’s green roofs. Nonetheless, the bewitching air spewing from the stadium was powerful enough to cover the entire Ryogoku and color the area to be distinguished. Despite the rain, many foreign visitors wrapped with strips for holding cameras and other electric items were excited to begin moseying around right off the ticket gates of the Ryogoku station.

Inside the restaurant, most of the tables were occupied by customers as today was a public holiday. The square table between Mike and Takeko was covered with a white cloth, yet it reflected orange light which equally provided a sense of warmth to all the customers.

“What would you like, Takeko?” When Mike had to speak up against noisy chit-chat from other tables, his face was effectively hidden under the brim of a cap to avoid confusion after disclosing his celebrity status.

“Are there any dishes for a dog?” said Takeko.

C’mon, Mike grumbled in mind and he ordered the boiled vegetables for a starter, the spaghetti with tomato sauce, a margherita pizza, and a piece of cream-covered cake, assuming that she had a sweet tooth. All these dishes were of course on his treat, as he hoped again that they would help shorten her convalescent period.

After lunch, holding umbrellas and having avoided splashing in the rows of puddles on each sidewalk section, Mike and Takeko arrived at the entrance to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, set in a colossal building that, suspended by four giant legs that extended to the fifth floor, resembled a spacecraft.

The museum showcased historical events that had happened since the beginning of the Edo era (1600~). Two major events, the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Great Tokyo Air Raid (1945), made for remarkably popular exhibits. Although the visitors partially assimilated with the common touch of Japanese people who lived in each difficult period, as they were not refugees it was not the case that the museum had to rescue them by flying away. [nonsensical]

The whole fifth floor was looked over by people from a balcony on the sixth floor: it was all the universe of darkness bearing down on lit showcases and other things on display. The ceiling was so high that cool convection was allowed to flee from the fifth floor up.

The fifth floor was divided into The Edo Zone and The Tokyo Zone. The former zone was composed of Daily living of bushi, Life in the city, Publications and information sources, Cultural city Edo, Beauty of Edo, Theaters and geisha house settlement, Four seasons in Edo and amusement quarters, Commerce in Edo, and Villages and islands associated with Edo. The latter zone was composed of the Industrial revolution and Tokyo, Mass Culture and Entertainment Hall, Historical background of Westernization, The Great Kanto Earthquake, Westernization of Tokyo of the Meiji Era, Modern Tokyo, Air raids and the masses, and Reconstructing Tokyo.

Along with dioramas which showed miniature old-style houses and clothes, there was a family tree of the Tokugawas, the shoguns.

“Do you know Tsunayoshi, who prescribed the Edicts on Compassion for Living Things?,” Mike pointed to the fifth shogun in the tree.

His following attempt to assuage Takeko’s sadness went with, “How about Francisco Xavier who first brought Christianity to Japan?” As Mike ostentatiously raised the brim of his cap, his face with a proud goatee pretty resembled that of the founder of the religion.

“Actually you may not be so funny, but thank you,” although Takeko was perplexed into momentary dumbness by his unexpected action, she soon translated her gratitude into a smile. Surely, whether consciously or not, Takeko respected Mike as personally important as a psychological mainstay, beyond just a palm-reader, a consultant, or a celebrity. Simultaneously, Mike knew how she thought about him and could not forsake her.

Just at a short distance from the model of a two-storied building, The Choya Newspaper Publishing Co., Mike and Takeko were side by side on a two-seater rickshaw in The Tokyo Zone. The real sense of sitting down on a seat helped imagine what service with the sleek black taxi people in the past paid for.

“If you could fly to wherever you wanted by this, where would you? Close your eyes,” said Mike in the hope of helping Takeko get out of the persistent thinking circuit based on her ex-boyfriend.

And, she was feeling a little easier with her eyes closed.

“Just imagine, we are floating off the floor slowly but surely. The roof of the museum is opening to give us a way. We are soaring higher and higher through the opening, and let’s see, already getting past thick dark clouds which had rain fall. The skies are unimaginably clear and infinite. Yes, these are infinite. We are flying above the ocean which is harmlessly blue, and heading for somewhere very pristine and safe. Look! What is that ahead? Is that not an island?” Mike kept whispering into the ear of Takeko.

Such a ruse of his seemed working well until the moment when a ringtone went off.

That was coming from Takeko.

“Oh, someone sent me a text message,” Takeko furrowed her eyebrows, but awkwardly fumbling with her cell-phone obviously indicated that she had expectations about her former boyfriend.

“It’s from him!” yelled Takeko. The grade of her exhilaration was a sign that the message was the first after the break-up.

“What does he say?” asked Mike as he couldn’t guess what the message was.

While reading it nervously, Takeko didn’t make a word out.

Only seconds later, she was willing to say something.

“Mike, I understand that it’s quite an asking, but could I possibly borrow some money?”

Mike immediately felt as if his face was trampled down after all his pro bono dedication to her, but luckily he had professional skill to put his temper under control: he scotched the emergence of frustration successfully. And he thought that she would have been exploited if she didn’t quit the fruitless relationship with her ex-boyfriend.

“No, you can’t,” Mike snipped the asking off.

As Takeko turned her wavering eyes down from a small stage on which the rickshaw was placed, there were families of humans too.

“I still have future plans with him,” Takeko was in tears.

“I understand your feelings, but I’m sorry. I can’t lend you money.”

Seeing the dog sobbing and unable to move on her own, Mike gave the fluffy body a piggyback and descended the steps of the stage for her future.

difficulties in finding jobs for high school grads (9-23-10)

The probably common phenomenon across developed countries is that as a result of each increase in the number of universities, job offers to high-school grads are fewer.

At least in Japan, the situation seems true in which stronger emphasis is put on what university students have entered and followingly graduated from rather than actual productivity they will exercise in workplaces. Indeed, many high-school students acknowledge how essential a diploma of university, hopefully that of a prestigious one, is in securing a job. Further, it’s said that once students enter university in Japan, it’s easy to get a degree, in comparison with the cases in other developed countries.

However, as a result of universities which have flourished over 800 nationwide, some of them are given a competition ratio less than one and threatened with bankruptcy.

In the meantime, most examiners in job interviews are university grads themselves. In this situation, it’s plausible that the examiners favor university grads more than high-school grads. This mechanism must be another driver to urge the importance of graduating university on high-schoolers.

Yet, while prestigious universities constantly yield competitive grads who will be contributive in each professional field, a question could be cast at some of the rest of Japanese universities: What differences do they make of their grads to high-school ones? One of the answers to this question might be social skills, for example. In university, students communicate with a wider variety of people including representatives of companies in a job fair to make it essential to abide by etiquette.

Most high-school students have high morals, meanwhile. Most of them are fairly disciplined even when they don’t aim to enter university. In their school life, club activities may teach good discipline while the process of dealing with mandatory study must also test self-control. (Facing textbooks and reference books to pass the entrance exams of university must add to stress.) However, high-school students with high degrees of morals would be unfortunate if they were subsumed under the same reputation smeared by other students who didn’t have them, especially when all of the students wore the same school uniform.

Mastering the contents of compulsory subjects found just in textbooks is mostly not enough to make students competitive against passing a series of entrance exams of university. Students must use additional books. In a mid-level public high school in Tokyo, in classes the pace and depth in each subject are far short of cram schools’. In other words, just graduating from an average high school is usually not so difficult. Notwithstanding, while practicalities tested by the entrance exams of university, like those about English and classic Japanese, are often discussed also by experts, it’s an interesting scene that the minds of some students who barely survive semester exams fall in the state of desperation as they, in the senior year, find themselves wanting to advance to university. Students of this kind may likely lack both morals and social skills.

Still, some universities are reputed high for the practicality of their students/grads despite their not highest ranking based on the standard deviation, a grading system on which the marks of top-tier universities like the University of Tokyo are somewhere around 70 while those of average universities are 40 or 50. According to a spin-off book of PRESIDENT magazine, these practicality-minded universities provide programs that meet the requests from companies, about gauging students’ abilities, and those from students, about appealing their caliber to companies.

A case out of the magazine is the following:


“Although my university has a nice outlet, its contents are completely unknown to the public,” begrudged Koji Furuya, the chief of Kogakuin University’s Global Engineering section.

“It isn’t true that industry-oriented universities can’t promote students to renowned companies unless the university’s rating on the standard deviation is high,” he insists.

At 40 or 41, standard deviation-based marks of many industry-oriented universities are not so high to high-school students, according to Yoyogi Seminar, one of the most known cram schools. However, the graduation ratio of such a kind of university is close to 100 percent every year and a range of companies which give unofficial decisions on employment includes Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Isuzu, Toshiba, Hitachi, Fujitsu and Canon.

The most prominent feature of the GE section in Kogakuin University is its governing principle, being different from one of a typical industry section. That is: To make students focus chiefly on laboratory work.

“Whether it’s the science and engineering course, universities appeal their laboratories which students belong to. But companies prefer flexible students who can adjust to a change in markets’ need to students who follow an isolated theme assigned by the professor. ”

There are two points of note in the GE section’s education: one is studies in collaboration with companies and another is emphasis on English. In addition, instead of being similar to sections at other universities, in which students take laboratory education focusing on the professor’s own research interests, in the GE section, joint industry-university education and a research program named ECP--Engineering Clinic Program--are implemented during the junior and senior years. Based on themes presented by 11 companies like TDK and Nissan, students tackle assignments together with the companies’ engineers. They deal with studies keeping the actual manufacturing process in mind, like the development of (a line of) medical robots, or software. This situation is identical to letting students participate in development projects inside companies, and companies evaluate students highly as their “colleagues.”

Another focal point is English.

“Now engineering is active around the globe. Although many science and engineering majors are not good at performing English, they will lose a chance after entering companies unless they overcome the difficulty,” says Mr. Furuya.

Being scared of English and avoiding travel overseas will result in limited performance in the maker and adverse effects on promotion. In the GE section, studying overseas is mandatory in the third year regardless of the concentration on engineering. Students who were initially not appreciative of the plan talk about their experiences once they come back, and will start engaging in English study enthusiastically. In cooperation with Berlitz--a major English-conversation school--classes are twice as many as those at typical engineering-oriented universities, and such five classes are held each week during the first and second years. Amongst the students who have shed antipathy toward English, there is an example who improved his TOEIC score to 905 from 385. Mr. Furuya insists that high English skills with an engineering major will help go far ahead of colleagues after the student joins a company.

“Makers can’t survive hiring on the standard deviation. My students are rated high because they have learned basic things and can adapt to changes. I want to expand the recognition across the examination industry and parents,” says Mr. Furuya.

Like the cases of the engineering section doing well giving graduating students an edge in their job-hunting activities, it must be best when applicants for university have researched the features of academies and ideally take the perspective of potential companies to work for.


Unlike the excerpt above, universities which don’t offer substantive programs for arming students with practical skills look as if squeezing the throats of hopeful high-school job-seekers during the job-hunting period of uni students which mostly start in the third year. It’s untrue that this sort of universities do nothing for society, as students find jobs around the campus and there are concerned staff, like professors and recruitment agents, who make a living around it. However, it’s probably time that the government should heed to the voices of high-school students confronting the difficulty.

It was telecast that the business of a zero-interest loaning program for high-school students with an eye to matriculation was facing difficulty after an increase in the demand began imposing more constraints on the budget. (Meanwhile, private loans with the same kind of function for high-school students require an interest rate of 4 to 5 percent.) The Democratic Party of Japan’s plan for nullifying the fees of public high schools will help households save money and allocate the surplus for the fees of a cram school or those of a university. It’s just highly improbable that this scheme will solely be sufficient to reduce the unemployment rate which is currently standing about five percent. Including this, still, every possible measure should be carried out holistically.

Despite the general perception of the difficulty in finding jobs for both high-school and uni students, what has yet been made known is that around four small- to middle-size companies give offers to one university student while about one major company does so.

However, smaller companies are relatively vulnerable to collapse in maintaining their businesses. In the case of Japan, meanwhile, changing companies halfway less likely leads to better conditions like a higher salary and easier working hours unless the worker’s skills, which are suggested by educational and occupational records on the resume, are prominent. Being hired by a major corporation usually necessitates passing a series of tests and a job interview, yet still many uni students opt to rally up to the narrowest and thorniest, but most promising entrance.

I just wish that companies had high acumen or serendipity, and leniency. There must be many talented high-school students who can contribute to the productivity of each company. Why do companies not make more job offers to high-school students? Given how old they are, those may not perform as skillfully as mature employees. Yet, neither may many uni students. Regardless of what school he or she has come from, the aptitude for each job is tested during apprenticeship. After starting from the common square one, he or she may be successful down the road. Otherwise, it’s a flop. There is no need to be overly pessimistic in the earliest stage, before light comes in. There are some exemplary presidents heading major companies with no uni diplomas. They deserve honor.

Meguro sanma festival (9-14-10)

Japan is a secular nation. Although she has mostly been following Buddhism since it was introduced to Emperor Kinmei from King Song Myong, or Seimei of Paekche, in the sixth century, memorial services have come to have only the vaguest religious undertones for many. This reduced popularity of Buddhism is an understandable result after the living standard of the public has shown dramatic improvement. On the contrary in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), for instance, stressful living conditions of ordinary people had them seek hope through the easy access of reciting a prayer to Amitabha to elevate the popularity of the Zen sect.

Just reciting a prayer was the easiest method but therefore accompanied binding power enough to embolden ordinaries to rally up against feudal lords and intimidate them into the mental state of paranoia.

Indeed, the three-time risings of Buddhist peasants against the government of Nagashima in present Mie prefecture between 1570 and 1574--which followed the suppression of temples’ intervening into politics mandated by Nobunaga Oda, the shogun--resulted in the destruction of many other temples, as the famous Enryaku Temple in Shiga prefecture, the base for militancy with Buddhist monks, was destroyed by the military force of Nobunaga in 1571.

However, high taxes and food shortages were fueling the popularity of Christianity to urge the Edo shogunate (1600-1867) to persecute the religion. In reaction, a number of protests were staged against Buddhism from the Edo period through the Meiji period (1868-1912). During the Edo period, with the shogunate’s aim to proscribe Christianity, temples were commissioned to administer people by registering their activities such as traveling, moving and marriage. This restriction also angered people to vandalize Buddhist statues and sutras.

Yet today, Japan is secular. Take dress codes for example. Just on occasion garb connotes a religious inclination incontrovertibly. I, meanwhile, take myself to Tokyo’s city-centers as often as every other weekend, not to wear an expensive outfit, and see other people, including couples, looking better in a designer one.

Through my recent weekends, a question popped out regarding those well-dressed-up people. That is, “What do you all mean to me, by sprucing up yourself every weekend?” I can even implore them, “Please lower the quality of your clothes for me!” Of course, such an outburst would never be heard by anyone. Yet it’s a fact that Japan remains amongst the top economies and its citizens have the right to spend on what to wear. And sure, weekends are supposed to free men and women from wearing formal attire, and this freedom of choice diversifies people’s appearances to help complete the trendy atmosphere in each entertainment place, say, those in Tokyo. Meanwhile, it’s probable that each outfit usually doesn’t accompany any special meaning.

From the universal viewpoint, meanwhile, the general personality of Japanese people is often described as reserved. At a cost to uniqueness, they less likely push their opinions forward unless the situation is right and there is a purpose.

Even if this given stereotypical image of Japanese is true and regular Japanese don’t look so interesting, however, they have a strength in teeming up.

With a look into public places, there is a perceptible sense of safety, which is made by modesty and community-mindedness. Architectural works themselves were built by not only the finesse of construction workers but also cooperation between them, architects and project executives. Those buildings look organized well to underline (relative) peacefulness.

Still, Japan has so many traditions like festivals and a multitude of historical structures, thanks to which the citizens can more easily identify themselves. Foreign visitors can take advantage of Japan’ almost secular, or quasi-Buddhist status, and high safety standards too, when the country has thus lots of attractions, though at present the strong yen is working negatively in tourism.

***

Amongst numerous summer festivals which ranged over sorts and sizes is Meguro Sanma Festival. It was held a week ago in Meguro, a three-rail-station distance from Shibuya, one of the most condensed transportation hubs in Tokyo. Set up on an urban street, the source of a mouth-watering smell afloat in the air was sanma, or sauries which was ceaselessly sweating juice on the grills. Hand fans were being busily flipped for allowing the smell to travel far. People bothered waiting and queuing up in long lines to receive delicious dishes for free. A stage of Awa dance close by the section was easing their impatience.

In immersing myself in the festive mood, I first quelled my hunger with skewered pieces of beef. Then, although a saury dish was really a giveaway, a view of long lines of waiting people dissuaded me from joining them. Instead, I bought a cup of shaved ice shot through with lemon juice from the top.

Street vendors who lined the street were selling not only saury-related dishes but several other varieties. They were yakisoba--stir-fried noodles with Worcester sauce--tonjiru--miso soup with pork and vegetables--takoyaki--a small round piece of pancake, containing a tiny piece of octopus--and others, seen in seasonal festivals of Japanese local communities. The sellers kept yelling to draw the attention of prospective buyers. On the sidewalk along the queues, the human-size mascot character of a feudal lord symbolized that in an old anecdote which had made Meguro known for sauries: A feudal lord bumped into a cooked saury, a food for the hoi polloi. It tasted good enough to make him obsessed about the food.

For this season, the implementation of the festival was traced back to the effort of sponsors as Miyako, Iwate prefecture, which transported sauries to Meguro met with a small catch. It was reported that the catch was smaller than half the usual figure and 7,000 sauries, which had been frozen since July 31st, helped make up the preparation. Although a number of saury-featured festivals were canceled nationwide, Meguro Sanma Festival was spared the deficiency and held successfully.

***

After the festival, the expensive-looking outfits of passers-by threatened me to head for Ikebukuro and buy clothes. I bought two shirts, a short-sleeve one and a long-sleeve one, and a belt at an apparel shop. The price-tag of the long-sleeve shirt on the shelf suggested 1,900 yen. But at the checkout counter, the actual price turned out to be about 2,900 yen. The discovery was shocking, but I bought the shirt.

Arrietty in East Asia (9-1-10)

I saw “The Borrowers Arrietty,” an animated film by Studio Ghibli, at a movie theater in Tokyo two weekends ago. I envy the small bodies of those pygmies in the film; if I were Arrietty, a melon would become a much greater deal. On the other hand, Arrietty wouldn’t seem tasty to real me by any cooking method.

I wish Japan had a commensurate population to its size. The living standard of the nation would be more sustainable by the same load of exports. Anyhow, a host of grandpas and grandmas whose brains suffer from dementia, roaming around disoriented, wouldn’t come in the market for international marriage. [nonsensical]

Unfortunately, the situation is converse. As the yen hit the record high of 83, exporting goods remains difficult.

In the ’80s and ’90s, the production of compact automobiles sporting the utmost comfort, and high-quality electronics goods, like audio systems, accrued according to Japan’s caliber while greatly helping open the door to the country’s economic boom. Symbolized by the rising sun, Japan saw the summer solstice only once. Yet thereafter, it’s now preparing for winter while a snowballing number of retired protagonists in the economic heyday appears to be putting out a sense of being endangered. [??]

When home-oriented machines that look satiated in quality satisfy buyers, often coming into eyes and ears are those of Samsung. With the well-performing airline hub Incheon, South Korea, the weakness of the currency, won, champions the yen.

It was written early this year that the total amount of international freight at Incheon airport already surpassed that of Narita. Furthermore, the airport is slated to grow five times in size, double its runways to four, breed the annual customers to 100 million, and increase flights to 480 thousand.

Meanwhile, China’s economy, with its 1.3 billion people, has unseated the second-highest status of Japan. Leaving alone continuous nagging from other developed countries to appreciate the renminbi, a situation which goes with membership in a group of countries with least expensive exports and labor force, emboldened by rich resources like rare earth metals, China sees the enthusiasm of its engineers for mastering skills and technology of front-runner countries dwarfing the presence of Japan. Surely, China is drawing the attention of the US more than ever.

Despite the widening wealth gap, the Chinese upper class has money and their traveling is extensive.

Take a look into downtown areas in Japan. Flocking amongst electric appliances on display are scores of Chinese tourists. Considering that the issued application sheets for receiving a refund in eco-points after purchasing environmentally friendlier machines are losing momentum to pique potential buyers’ impulse while supplies are fulfilling their demand, resorting to tourists from China is an alternative strategy. Not to mention that an announcement of putting off the closing of the eco-points scheme may have given another encouragement to Japan’s market, bumping up the weight of the tourist industry is a way to run the country’s economy more smoothly.

In line with this idea, it’s a convincingly lucrative arrangement that has been already decided to lower the required minimum annual income of Chinese tourists to 60,000 yuan from 250,000 yuan.

In addition, the more flights to Japan airlines make available, the more Chinese will come to the country. While the transportation minister, Mr. Maehara’s recent verbal pledge to develop the medical tourist industry to treat visitors to medical facilities at the meeting between China, South Korea, and Japan, remains a question, there are pieces of good news. One is the inauguration of the fourth 2,500-meter runway at Haneda airport, thus increasing the capacity for international flights. Another is the growing number of Low Cost Carriers. These strategies lead the government to project a tenfold increase in Chinese tourist visas to upwards of 16-million Chinese households. (More than one million Chinese people toured Japan last year.) And there is All Nippon Airways’ determination to double its customers and increase the freight amount sevenfold in sales. This mindset sounds ambitious in the economic overcast of Japan.

Still, Japan has concerns in China.

Although rare earth metals imported from China are the mainstay of electric products (as the reliance ratio rises up to 90%), Japan suffered a 70% drop through the July-September period from the same period last year. And, to provide China with advantages could also mean to back its repression on Tibetans about the autonomy issue and the authoritarian state of North Korea when China doesn’t stop aiding it.

Despite these, well-heeled Chinese tourists can possibly give Japan suffering from such an adamant yen a bit of salvation. The relatively short distance between the two neighboring countries is a boon. While universal views should be respected, signing up mutually beneficial deals with China will help Japan make a living.

(Give it rare earth metals, please.)

Japanese pension system; Hatsushima (8-15-10)

Seeing seagulls cutting through gusty winds, I was on a ferry off Hatsushima Island in Atami, in the eastern tip of Shizuoka, when one of my limited male friends from high school forwarded to my cell phone a word, “Free?,” meaning, “Could you make time for hanging out together?” Though, considering his asking difficult to meet I didn’t make any quick response.

I don’t clearly remember when we shared conversation in depth the most recently, but at least several years ago he was a part-timer at an outlet of a major convenience store chain, working the nightshift and receiving a decent hourly wage.

A lack of deep knowledge about his family doesn’t help explain his case, but scads of self-employed and part-time workers are said to be negligent in filing a final income tax return and paying into the national/public basic pension plan. To support the latter, the Daily Yomiuri, the morning edition of today, cites 60% of the population who meet the pension duty.

The national pension plan is intended for anyone who wants to become a beneficiary, while the employees’ pension plan or the mutual-aid society pension plan (for public servants) is added on top of the national pension plan. The pensions of the last two plans depend on the pensioners’ incomes.

Back to my high-school friend, again it’s so far unknown to me whether he complies with the government’s intention to make all the population fulfill their pension duties. Yet at least his case piqued my curiosity and led me to consider how individuals should contribute to our society, involving consumption.

Excuse me for hypothesizing that he regularly visits neither the tax office nor the ward office, but even in this situation his prodigality shown back then convincingly reflects him as a contributor to Japan’s aggregate consumption and economy, possibly effective enough to cover the lack of paying pension premiums.

While some people might not have any fulfilling hobby to spend money on, Morning Musume, an all-female Japanese pop band, became his raison d’etre. Back then, I and he went to a karaoke room in our area almost every Saturday night. If there was any rational reason, not a glass but two of Kahlua and milk ordered were reposing on the table, before him. He thus nicely imparted a mood of idiocy to the room. Such a place was communal also for us.

After being formed in a then-popular TV show akin to “American Idol,” which selected singers through a series of competitions, the girls band, to be followed by other ones and singers, was getting all the rage to prompt even young men and women who don’t go to concerts to sing in karaoke rooms.

Although he was initially in this kind of group, with his fervor for Morning Musume further fanned by its more redoubtable popularity, he later began telling me what concerts he had gone to. (He had quite a few times.) For example, he told me that he had made use of two consecutive days off, staying overnight outside a hotel, a little stupid act; On a separate day, he explained to me how the audience had made a somewhat rambunctious parade from the concert venue to its closest station and police officers had been called in to deal with the mess.

I am sure that he didn’t save money. Here, another piece of evidence: In an attempt to collect the photo cards of all Morning Musume members, he ran trial and error, buying one box of cards after another. He even deigned to grant me overlapped sacrifices. [??]

Again, it remains unclear whether he volunteered to report his annual income which is subject to taxation and pay for the national pension plan. Nevertheless, his such economic contribution--obvious, counting in the five percent consumption tax--could point to another probable demographic in contrast: there must be some who don’t fail to do bureaucracy to pay a final income tax every year, but don’t buy things so much.

Despite the favorable economic results after the introduction of the eco-points program, which would encourage the buyers of eco-friendly products to purchase additional items, it’s said that some experts project the phenomenon won’t last long because the economy-stimulating plan is going to end in this year. In addition, while it’s said that flat-panel TVs are selling well due to the systemic switchover from the analogue to the digital next year, a sales downturn will likely ensue after a good performance.

However, in view of sustaining the lives of aged citizens growing in number, constant consumption is increasingly becoming important for the upkeep of the nation’s money flow, as part of the aggregate revenue is to be allocated for pensions.

I was shocked by a fact: I had believed that I had been paying for both the national and the employee’s pension plans for my own future. Yet in actuality my expenditures on them are for helping present beneficiaries make a living. This mechanism even doesn’t specify a self-employed person whose business performance might not be so good. Moreover, the future return will already generally be lower than the monthly payment of 14,660 yen in the national pension plan. The sentiment of those who refrain from visiting ward/town offices may have some understandable part.

Notwithstanding the above, retired elderly people should never be forsaken. In the face of the stark 60%, the government has to make the national pension system more bindingly collective.

The leading Democratic Party of Japan with its coalition partner has been suggesting Sweden’s model as ideal in budgeting pensions. Under this model, a minimum distribution is guaranteed for low-income earners in collaboration with tax revenue while beneficiaries in the middle- and upper-class brackets are unspecified. (The model differs from the Canadian one in which pensions for people in the middle-class are also augmented.) With the Swedish model, although the wages of the high-school mate of mine are decent, to me he with a certain degree of contribution to the national economy seems to deserve the entitlement.

To avoid paying into the national pension plan and instead save money while living frugally may be a way formed due to present financial difficulty and/or fear about surviving the future, a decision made by knowledge about pension schemes in Japan. Nevertheless, unless overall consumption is kept at a satisfactory level and a pace apart from spikes formed after each economic stimulus is taken into effect, Japan’s future prospects are not bright.

As my friend demonstrated, finding something critically important for his or her life will likely lead to unfettering them from being stingy.

Several years ago, he was after Morning Musume. And now, I believe he is after AKB 48, a separate band of the same ilk. And, my answer to his question is that I got this essay done after coming back home on Sunday.

Acting for life (8-2-10)

On a recent day, a semi-comatose guy in his 20s asked me, an X-ray technician, at work: “Is there any reason to live?” Although his condition, which I was not completely familiar with, and the unexpectedness of the question took me by surprise, my life of 35 years and both physically and psychologically normal state helped almost improvise a reply: “Because there is a reason, you live, I suppose.”

Momentarily thereafter, I considered my answer as perhaps irresponsible and too simple to such a profound question, after recalling the dire living situations of certain developing countries with scores of people suffering. Followingly, yet, my somewhat indifferent manner of perceiving him created another irresponsible remark, “You will be ok.” He had a tattoo on his shoulder, something unusual for regular Japanese who are doing well in society, and the casual outfits of his companions (a middle-aged man and a young lady) had me speculate in what environment and how he had lived to date. I might have overestimated his psychological state, but I felt he would be ok looking at his good physique and sanguine skin, and projecting how energetically he would move.

Although I was neither his personal mentor nor close friend and therefore my response was able to become provisional, to some extent I could afford to sympathize with him since my younger days had not been immaculate too. I had mornings when I really hated to come back to reality which ruthlessly filled me with anxiety, waking up.

Mornings can really divide people into either a happy world or the other. They in the latter are unfortunate for individually different reasons. Yet at the same time, their desire to escape from difficult situations can prove genuine and powerful when and because these are real. When the strugglers demonstrate upturns or recoveries, therefore, memoirs can supply a lot of encouragement to an arid world.

In daily life, people sometimes look for motivation from seeing inspiring stories and exemplary acting. Such pieces are successful because of a consistent story and the depth (in expression) of actors who understand the reason behind each inch of action and each word. As for a quality play, the audience are permitted to sentimentally assimilate with key characters, and non-fictional stories can effectively be encouraging and/or uplifting. All this is why actors must grab the details of given situations. (Fictional works, especially those with unearthly settings, must rely much on acting skills.)

While some actors are innately gifted, the rest dominate the majority. At an amateurish level, across a range of professions, genders and ages, a significant number of people define an acting school as their another home place. The reason for going to the kind of school depends on the individual.

On a personal note, more than a decade ago, a major acting school in Shinjuku, Tokyo, assigned to a class the scripts of only the climax scene of a fictional story. The provided scripts started from a scene, in which Soji Okita, the protagonist, a samurai who really existed in the mid-nineteenth century and was a member of Shinsengumi, a special police force of the late shogunate period, had time-traveled to the present time and was somehow chasing Yuki, the heroine, to a park, having left a party. “Wait, Yuki!” Soji shouted, but she was ballistic.

“You should keep dancing with those ladies!”

But Yuki asked Soji why he was eventually favoring her.

Soji’s response was straightforward: “Because I love Yuki!” And they ended up hugging each other with Yuki’s exclamation, “Soji!” (These are just the gist. The real scripts were lengthier.)

Although the given text was just part of the entire story, students had better research who Soji was and what circumstances he lived in, in order to deepen the understanding of his personality and characteristics, and then to adapt the optimum combination of emotion and an expression to each action scene by scene. This kind of research was much more demanding than today as there was no Internet technology available. Just some limited number of students looked to have done a good job.

While professional actors can move the hearts of an audience, stories with realistic scenes can be the most effective denominator. Take the case of a film, “My sister’s Keeper,” for example. A couple, both of whom suffer from leukemia, nevertheless (or therefore?) offer lessons about what life means. Real patients racked with leukemia must have helped craft the story, but in return the couple’s instructively good attitudes on-screen should work as additional medicine for them.

Back to the young guy who asked me the question, I must admit that my response was a bit at levity then. My retrospection soon followed: a person whose birth was primed well by the parents with good vision and who has been raised under their high logic must confront fewer unnecessary troubles down the road. Although there are still inevitable obstacles in the course of life, if the right living manner is practiced he/she is not alone as somebody must keep an eye on the subject. Additionally, to rescue sufferers from some psychological trauma onto the right track, professional counselors are supposed to be able to activate high sympathy to get in the shoes of patients or clients, armed with special skills and knowledge. Parents or friends with genuine affection for the subject may be able to play a role as counselors as well.

After all, I think Yuki possessed absolute qualities as a human and Soji found them conspicuous amongst women he had seen in both time zones. Vise versa, according to records, despite the factual slaying of his enemies Soji was distinctively humane—a quality that enables his character to be interpreted so that it can resonate with Yuki’s.

Although I may have been as mature as my age suggested, making an adequate response was still a difficult job.

Yet I only hope someone will give the young guy this message:

“Even if you could return to the past to change your status quo, the actual encounter with your younger self would end up causing a massive explosion. Instead, it will be safe to meet yourself in the future and receive an answer to your question.”


PS: I still remember that acting scene in which I played Soji and hugged a young lady. Going back to the small group of her female friends, she said something like, “He is kind of muscular!” Thank you very much.