Hiroko's Hitokoto

It's said that the people are seeking better forms of relaxation and relief from the stress of working. The engineering department of Ibaraki University made some firefly robots. They even tested the robots effects on the public and the result was that people did indeed relax. Actually, many of them were surprised when they were told that the fireflies were not real. The boom of aibo and the other pet robots is probably because people are looking for alternatives to their current life style. Particularly, they're looking for easy-to-be-around pets, but without the inconvenience in their small apartments of having to feed and take care of them. I'm still scared of robots because they're not natural. Think about it: 20 years ago, robots couldn't walk by themselves, and now Honda has one that even walks naturally. Maybe we'll be able to make an Astro Boy in the 21st century....?!

I had a chance to go to a small pearl trading company to help one of my friends do some Christmas shopping. It's run by a foreigner who's been here for about 38 years, and they offer pearls with pretty much your own design for a very reasonable price. The owner told us a story while we were waiting for my friend's pearls to be set. Apparently, one day, a 15 year old kid came to the store, looking for a present for his girlfriend. He could afford only 10,000 yen which was a little short for what he could get at the store. Of course he was hesitating, but the owner was a real smooth talker and said to the kid, "You know, sonny, of course you could buy her nice clothes, bags, or books... but you're not going to win her with something so common. If she wants a real pearl, how badly do you want her?" Of course the kid bought the pearl (with help from his mom), and the shop owner successfully made another sale. I had to smile at the story, when it comes to women get...

I went to the wedding of one of my old friends from kindergarten last weekend, and found it very interesting. I'm happy that she found someone good for her, and can share their lives together. But at the same time, I had this haunting feeling that I didn't belong to their culture anymore. The ceremony was a typical Japanese one. She married a man whom she met at the office, which is the Tokyo Waterworks Department. They're both government employees, and of course, there were many people from their office. Both their bosses gave long, dry Japanese speeches (you know what I mean...), started karaoke, etc. All the guests looked like they were enjoying themselves with the conversation, food, and drink. Of course the older Japanese guys forced everyone to drink beer even though the person didn't or couldn't do so. Many of my old friends were there, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with them a lot, but I also felt like a stranger. Half of the girls are married, and what ...

Do you play Shogi/Japanese chess? Nov. 17 is Shogi day, which hails back to the annual Shogi competition held by the Shoguns from Edo era. The origin of Shogi is "Chaturanga" in India around BC200 - BC300. Chaturanga passed to the West as Chess. It also spread East, the you can see many similar games in Asia: Shatranj in Arabia, Makrook in Thailand, Karton in Vietnam, Tjyangi in Korea, Xiangqi in China, etc. The original game "Chaturanga" is a game for 4 people with 8 x 8 grid chess board, and it has 4 different forces, infantry, cavalry, tank, and elephant troops. It reflects the battle scenes around that time where many small nations fought with elephant troops. Likewise, Shogi has its characteristics influenced by the Japanese way of war. You can use the opponents pieces after you capture them. It might reflect that they use to accept captives as their slaves. We use a 9 x 9 grid chess board for Shogi now, but there use to be more variety in size and rules: 12 x ...

I watched a documentary of Seven Eleven Japan on TV the other day. It was very interesting how they grew their business to not only become the top convenience store, but also the top retailer. The story goes like this: 2 employees from Yokado went to the US to purchase the brandname license for Seven Eleven, and over 100 folders of manuals. Since 7-11 US didn't plan to enter the Japanese market at all, they instead suggested a very expensive royalty. Although they staked their fate on this deal, Yokado, their employer, wasn't happy about it at all and became negative about the whole project. So, in the end the company decided to finance only 50% of the capital for the 7-11 Japan project. Those 2 employees left Yokado, dumped their savings into the new business, took out mortgages on their houses, and approached the banks to loan money. For two years, they worked more than 16 hours a day. They started the business with the whole world against them. The concept of "convenien...

It's getting chillier and chillier, and the season of food and reading is on its way. In case you haven't been watching the calendar, we will have a national holiday "Cultural Day" on Friday, Nov 3. I am eagerly looking forward to this 3-day weekend -- where I'll curl up with a good book and eat some delicacies that my husband Ren (are you reading this?) will make for me!

There have been several Korean movies showing in the theaters lately, and I noticed the recent boom compared to a situation 2-3 years ago, where we never saw a Korean movie. In 1998, the Korean gov't decided to deregulate Japanese movies, videos, and publications: gradually allowing the Japanese pop culture back into that country after 50 years. Korea is close geographically, but it's very far from us mentally. Of course, WWII is the biggest and the worst reason why the two countries have taken so long to come closer together, but still, it's surprising that we haven't even exchanged pop culture until recently. My hope is that this kind of cultural exchange will it help people to develop a better understanding of each other's countries so that we get past the stereotype of Korean people eating Yakiniku everyday, and start a meaningful interaction between our two very unique nations.

Do any of you have a JPY2,000 bill? I've seen one, but never owned or used one. When I was on the bus, I saw a notice saying "This bus does not accept JPY2,000 bills" stuck to the ticket machine. I remember that the media made a big fuss when the MOF decided to release the new JPY2,000 bills with the picture of Okinawa, but it turned out that they're not that popular. The MOF Printing office printed 270m notes through to the end of August, but information sources say that only 120m notes were actually transferred to public banks. The remaining 150m notes are in the Bank of Japan vaults gathering dust. Amazingly, the MOF Printing office still plans to print another 10 billion notes by the end of next March. So now everyone has to make new machines which can read JPY2,000 bills, including: ATMs, vending machines, etc. Or maybe not. Apparently, a lot of key players have said that they'll just ignore the bill's existence altogether. When Japan's ex-prime minis...

The other day, I did a personal experiment of how housewives spend their time during weekdays. I had a compensation holiday during Terrie's business trip. I did laundry, cleaning, washing dishes, fixing my bicycle, buying groceries and consumables, and cooking meals. Many of you might think that housekeeping is not a professional job, but I can tell you that it's a lot of work. It's easy to imagine that the more family members you have, the more work you have to do everyday. A few months ago, a book that bashes housewives was published, and I read that a lot of housewives strongly reacted to the ideas covered in the book, such as that they are: lazy, have no motivation, get 3 square meals and a nap everyday (Sanshoku Hiru-ne tsuki). I believe it's their choice to stay home and do housework, just like the other people working in the office choose their jobs. But this doesn't give others the right to accuse housewives of having it easy. I guess that housekeeping is an...

For those of you who grew up in Japan, did you have raw eggs on rice when you were little? The Chiba Egg Center will start selling eggs specially designed for those who like raw eggs. The new eggs are called "Kenta-kun" and come in two varieties: Red and White. The Red ones are rich in DHA (Docosa Hexaenoic Acid) which helps the performance of your brain (makes you smarter?!). Meanwhile the White ones have much less possibility of causing salmonella food poisoning. I guess that most people from overseas have never thought about eating raw eggs for breakfast, but it's very common for Japanese. I use to eat this dish almost everyday, and for that matter for almost every meal. However, I had to stop after becoming allergic to eggs! Maybe Rocky/Sylvester Stallone will love this news and drink raw eggs to beef and brain UP. Do you want to try?

Did you know that September 14th is "Man's Valentine's Day"? As if White Day wasn't enough, now we're faced with a marketing plot from the Japan Body Fashion Association. The day is 6 months after the real Valentine's Day, Feb 14, and is supposed to allow men to approach their lovers and spouses and show how they feel. But what really burns me is that they are supposed to give a present of "underwear" instead of chocolate. This may be a good promotion for the underwear market, but could also be the source of sexual harassment. What would you think if you got an underwear present from a secret admirer?

I heard on the news that due to the water shortage, an old sunken castle has re-emerged from the waters of Biwako. This is the biggest lake in Japan, but its deepest point is only 8m in the south part. The castle is called Sakamoto Jo, which was built by Mitsuhide Akechi. If you are familiar with Japanese history, Akechi-san killed his Shogun after doing "kireta" (flipping out) after being bullied by his boss. Sound familiar even with the young people of today, doesn't it? There is one interesting story that Akechi's men hid the family gold and treasure in a temple near the lake, after being attacked during an ensuing battle. I wonder if there will be anyone out on the lake with a metal detector-equipped dinghy this weekend?

The other day, people from a VERY major company came to LINC without an appointment. It's not so unusual for sales people to drop by without appointments, but these people looked different: distinguished looking, aged in their mid-40's, and with gray hair. Of course they were looking for our president, but he was out. Then they asked me to find our "Number Two". I thought that was strange for them to use that term, because it's not polite speech and you normally wouldn't use such a term in front of customers and clients. The usual term is "vice president" or "senior manager". Anyway, I suggested that they leave their meishi so that I could pass their message on to Terrie, and maybe arrange an appointment in the future. But, they insisted on meeting the "Number Two", even though they admitted they were just dropping to say hello. Plus, and this is unbelievable, they forgot to bring business cards with them! I suppose that they didn...

Have you noticed only female employee in banks and the other large corporations wear a common uniform? Since the for Equal Employment Opportunity Law was passed, and because of the slow economy, more companies are letting female employees decide on their own clothes. It can save a company about JPY200m per year. On the other hand, those women who have to buy new work clothes spend JPY20k to JPY50k per month. This money goes to the Department stores and the apparel industry in general and is probably helping the economy. But I do feel sorry for those women who have to spend a big portion of their salary to buy new clothes. It use to be a very typical office scene that men wore a suit and women a uniform. I think it would be much easier if I had a uniform so that I didn't have to think what I should wear every morning. Of course, in a way I do have a uniform: T-shirt and jeans. I'm seeing a lot more people dressed in such a uniform at LINC Media recently!

The obon season is coming, and I believe many of you are taking a vacation during this period. The word "bon" came from an old Sanskrit phrase "ura bon e", originally meaning "agony". It came from India via China, and eventually reached Japan. The term came from the fact that your ancestors' spirits come back to your home town during obon, and you have to be careful not to have any accidents least the spirits try to take you back [to their] home with them... Please take care and enjoy your vacation.

I found out that August 4th is the "Day of Chopsticks." Eight is "hachi," and four is "shi." Thus 8/4 can be read as "hashi" (Japanese for chopsticks). Hashi are very popular tool worldwide, and I guess that many of you may be even more comfortable using hashi than regular cutlery. I know that for our foreign staff, though, you must get sick of Japanese who keep asking if you can use hashi. From New York to New Delhi, Japanese and Chinese food is both popular and usually served with chopsticks. So I wonder why Japanese are stuck with the notion that somehow they are the only nation using them. One of my friends from US was sick of being asked over and over about his hashi handling abilities, and started responding by asking his hosts if they could use a knife and fork. Since cutlery is widely used here now, their initial reaction is to wonder why he'd ask such a silly question... and then, they realize what he is trying to tell them. Being at...

Can you name the all official Olympic sports? There has been one sport which hasn't been played for over 80 years: tug-of-war. It was an official sport from the 2nd Olympics in Paris in 1890 through to the 7th in Antwerp in 1920. The rules were very simple, but when some competitors started wearing special spikes, the organizers decided to drop the sport. Tug-of-war is still very popular at Japanese gym festivals. I recall my father use to join the tug-of-war team when I was in elementary school. I personally didn't like it because it's a very "collective effort" sport and your contribution is barely noticeable -- meaning that we always had people who pretended to pull but didn't really. And since we couldn't tell who they were, we couldn't weed them out and consequently got beaten (pulled over) a lot!

I'm back from the vacation this week, and thanks to all of your support, there were no major problems in the office! During my vacation, I found some very useful tools for having BBQs, while wandering through a mall in US. One is a big Serving Fork with a built-in Thermometer. The other is a spatula which tells you when to turn the hamburger. I saw a lot of people buying groceries for BBQs, but didn't see anyone buying these tools... It was not hard to imagine that a lot of fathers were planning BBQs during the weekend because the weather was great. Maybe I should've bought them for my father since he loves BBQs, too. Kawai-soo, I missed his Father's Day this year because I was on vacation.

17 years ago, Nintendo started selling Fami-con's (Family computers). I can recall the sensation it caused, because now you could play games at home instead of having to go to an arcade and slip in coins every time you wanted to kill off a few Space Invaders. It was impressive to see how in a few short months, Nintendo became very popular overseas, too. I read an article recently that says the young generation of Japan is now used to playing with computers (through games), by using thumb controlled mini joysticks, rather than keyboards or mice. Since DoCoMo was smart enough to include such a user interface device in the i-mode, this apparently is one major reason why the phones have been so much more successful than pen-operated devices. Compared to the games of today, the early games look so easy and simple. The new complexity is thanks to thousands of programmers and designers who make a living by playing games. But sometimes I wish that I could go back to the old days, especiall...

When I went shopping the other day, I found Rika-chan dolls with tanned, bleached hair, and in a high school uniform! Rika-chan is like Barbie here in Japan, and almost all girls of my age used to play with one. So you can imagine our surprise when we see her in a high school uniform with a short skirt, tanned face and pearl lips! The amazing thing is that these dolls come with the correct uniform of any high school in Japan. You can even order one from a "catholic high school in Kobe". I didn't have chance to see what kind of people buy these, but it looks like the most popular one is a Rika-chan complete with cowboy hat and short pink skirt. Maybe you've seen her on the street in Shibuya?

Have you ever locked yourself out of your apartment or lost the key late at night? Well, now there's a service that you can use by just keying in your entry code on your mobile telephone. An adaptor and electronic lock on the door will open with the right call. The company running the service is called 3D, and will start selling the electronic key and 1.2V battery-powered adaptor in June. The price is JPY4,000 for both the adapter and the key. My problem is that if I stopped using regular keys and instead just relied on the adapter set, I'm sure that I'd forget the the cell phone, or run out battery power... What I really need is a microchip implant in the brain that can be scanned by my apartment locking systems and the TV!

Bridal season is coming and the latest trend is viewing designs as miniature wedding dresses in show cases. Now there is even a service which offers to duplicate school uniforms in miniature. Called "My Puchi," the service is offered by a uniform maker called Excell in Okayama. They supply miniature uniforms ranging from your from your kindergarten through to high school. To have a proper replica made, you send the original uniform to them, and about 3 months later they deliver the 1/3 size replica for JPY12,000. What you'd use a miniature copy of your school uniform for is beyond me... Talking about "memorial goods", I saw dog dolls made from geniune dog hair taken from pets after they die. The owner's order their dolls from an elderly lady in England, purportedly to remind them of their lovely pet. But you have to wonder what kind of person would shave their dead dog?!

The golden week is starting (probably already started for some of you) and those who joined us recently can take a long break. Those of you who've been working for LINC Media for a while, I'm sure the break will be more than welcome. It's a well known fact that some freshmen joining in spring to a company, tend to have negative thoughts about their job -- because they have plenty of time to think. Apparently this is an instinctive thing, where the brain tries to protect you from danger, by simulating the worst scenario you could have in your life so that your brain can prepare. It's like gaining immunity to a disease. Of course there are some people who have positive thoughts and seek to do what they really want to do. I hope you can re-charge your energy and enthusiasm for work, during the holidays, and come back to LINC Media with even more energy and spirit than before.. What I'm going to do over Golden Week? Easy! Sleep, eat, relax, feel like a human being agai...

Do you have problems getting up in the morning? My sister who lives with me doesn't get up even after 4 alarm clocks have gone off and I've kicked her a couple of times! I've been thinking for a while about trying something else other than noise. Now there is an alternative: a vibrating mattress avilable from a major bed maker from May 1. The produce targets bed-bound older people who have difficulty healing bed sores, and/or with waking up. The vibrations get stronger and stronger over a 4-minute period, until you think you're in the middle of an earthquake. The price is JPY75,000, and the maker expects first year sales of around JPY3m.

Spring is the season that university students who will soon graduate start looking for jobs. Even LINC Media receives phone calls by students looking for job. One of the often asked questions is if certifications is an advantage towards getting hired. I usually answer yes to that question, but tell them that maybe the capability to do your work and contribute to the business will be more highly valued that just having a certification. Japanese do seem to like getting certificates. To my amusement I found what I think is the world's most un-useful certification -- an Onsen/hot spring travel exam. If you get the top mark, you will have the honor of receiving a doctorate in Onsen Travel. The certification is being planned by the Travel Certification Association, and they are expecting about 2,000 people to take part. This association also hosts a very popular Travel Exam and Train Trip Exam -- which is widely sought after by train schedule nerds and kids. If you want to add a unique c...

The cherry blossoms are in the full bloom these days. There is a tiny park near by my apartment, and they have a huge cherry tree. I don't have much chance to watch it under the sun, but when I come back home at night, it's very beautiful, shining in the moonlight. I can spend hours and hours under the tree at night. The neighbors probably think I'm insane, but the blossoms have a kind of mysterious power that catches your eyes and won't let you leave. I hope that most of you had a chance to do Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) this weekend with lots of beer and friends. But,personally I like a quiet Hanami at night better. Be sure to catch the cherry blossoms before the end of this week, or they will be gone for another year.

I found a small news item about an "amateur" abduction in Chiba. A 17-year old woman was abducted by a group of three other women in their 20's. They called the victim's family for a ransom of only JPY1m. The Police found them in a family restaurant in Saitama, and arrested all 3. The victim was safely returned home. Don't you think this is weird? Who would kidnap someone, hide out at the local Denny's, and ask for a ransom of only JPY1m?! Amazingly, the 3 called the woman's family and told them to bring the money directly to the restaurant where they were drinking coffee. Don't they watch TV? Just following a good movie plot, they could have done better. Apparently, the core of the plot was that the victim and one of the 3 had the same boyfriend... Ok, so now I understand, they really did follow a TV plot -- one of those flamboyant, tragic Venezuelan soap operas. Okashii ne?

It's getting warmer and warmer, and this makes me feel like going out for a picnic. But, some poor souls can't go out even if they want to, due to Kafunsho allegy (hay fever). The reason is because the Japanese cedar tree pollen (JCP) will increase to 2900-3300 grains/cm2 -- which is about about 1.5 times the average. Kafunsho/Pollinosis because of Japanese cedar pollen is said to be one of the three worst causes of pollinosis in the world, resulting in a plague of severe symptoms and hospital outpatients. In Japan there are about 50 manifestations of pollinosis. There are a number of therapies: self control, drug therapy, allergen-specific immunotherapy, and operations. The standard therapy now is self control combined with drugs. "Self control" means to prevent yourself coming into contact to pollen (and other allergens) by staying indoors, wearing a mask and goggles, and maintaining a careful life style... Hmmm, sounds worse than the sickness!

The news people seem to be reporting a new police scandal every other day, and you can't stop wondering how stupid they are. But the thing that makes me wonder the most is the abduction crime, of a 9-year old girl being held as a slave for 9 whole years. It's insane that this could happen and that the police couldn't find her. But in light of all the other scandals, the abduction has fallen out of the news somehow. I wonder why? Are the press focusing on the police scandals in order to get some action, or are they getting a social conscience and have decided to protect the abducted woman from more intrusive coverage? I hesitate to say that the Japanese press know how to control themselves, but compared to previous big breaking stories, this one has been very well controlled and restrained. What is really going on here?

When I was 5 years old, I loved a TV show which featured 5 super heroes dressed in different colored capes. The show is still running today even though it looks somewhat cheap compared to today's super computer graphics -- but it has certainly has captured some hearts. The super heroes are cute and warm-hearted. When the kids sit down to watch the show on TV, naturally their mothers sit down with them. And now we hear in the news that some of them have actually fallen in love with the super heroes(?!). Apparently mothers have been going to live shows, such as those at amusement parks, just to meet their heroes from TV. They write love letters, take photos, and generally behave like idol-crazy fans. I think it's pretty interesting that mothers and kids both have the same enthusiasm to catch their super heros in action on TV -- even if it's for different reasons. So, what, I wonder, are the fathers doing that their wives fall for this level of substitute?

I've been working late these days, and had dinner with the other people in the office every night. It's said that to eat together ties the connection of the group. Talking about eating, it reminds me of the Greek myth about Virgo. Persephone (in Latin Proserpina), a daughter of the Goddess of the Harvest, Demeter, was abducted by the God of the Underworld, Hades (Pluto to the Romans). This shocked Demeter, and she locked herself up in a cave. Once Demeter went underground, all the green plants of the earth shriveled up. The other Gods begged Hades to release Persephone so as to recover the harvest. Hades was a tricky type, and in releasing Persephone, he offered her 4 pieces of pomegranate/Zakuro, and said "Have these to eat before you go." Being a novice to Godly ways, she ate the pomegranate, but didn't know that when you eat something harvested in the underworld, you are forever locked into the place. In the end Demeter successfully begged Hades to release her ...

February is the season of Fugu (blowfish). In some places, this fish is also called a "gun": if you are unfortunate, and get some of its poison, you die almost as quickly as if you were shot. In Chiba, the nickname is "luck", in that you can never tell when your lucky day will be. Some areas also nickname the fish the "coffin": i.e., prepare a coffin before you eat it. The Fugu has poison in its liver and ovaries, which if you eat those parts will attack your nervous system, and can kill you (death by Fugu is caused by "dyspnea"). Now, it's risky to eat Fugu, but it tastes so good, it's worth it. Apparently bones found in archeological digs show that people have been eating Fugu since before christ. Like the rose, the Fugu holds a nasty sting, but somehow it has an irresistable power to draw people to it.

This week we had Setsubun Day, the eve of the beginning of spring. Many of you are familiar with Mamemaki, where you scatter soy beans in the house, to drive demons away. But, did you also know it was Norimaki (sushi roll) day, too? I guess some of you may remember a Sushi chain restaurant TV commercial, which offered a seasonal Norimaki set a couple years ago? I didn't believe there was a Norimaki Day, but apparently it really does exist, in Kansai. On the night of Setsubun, you face toward the source of the god of fortune, and eat a whole Norimaki without cutting it or talking. The practice started in the Edo era, and I'm sure that even then there was a Nori-sea weed committee conspiring how to get consumers to eat more Nori! Kind of like Valentines day in Japan, which is now the largest chocolate sales day of the year.

Bunkyo-do, one of the major book chain store, and Doutor Coffee will open a book store that has a cafe -- just like North America. The cafe will occupy about 30% of the total floorspace, and customers will be able to enjoy their books while drinking espresso. The cafe is called "Excelsior Cafe" and it has a green and white logo with nice furniture. I'm sure that you are aware that this cafe looks similar to a famous coffee shop chain from Seattle... The purpose of combine cafe and book store together is to increase the time that customers spend at the cafe. The idea is good, and it is already successful in the USA. But, the Japanese system does have a difference: you can't bring books into the cafe if you haven't paid for them yet. This is different to North America, where you can read any books you want at the cafe in the book store. I guess this is a classic example of how concepts can translate differently.

Did you receive many Christmas cards last year? The season's hit product was cards which have a small ceramic piezo speaker that plays music when you open them. Well, now there's a new product called "Melody Bag", very creative name (NOT). It has a switch in the handle, and plays music when you open the bag. You can have music of your choosing, and they only cost JPY600 each for a minimum quantity of 5,000. If I was going to add a tune to a shopping bag, it would have to be the Beatles tune, that starts with "You never give me your money..."