Hiroko's Hitokoto

Have you seen the TV commercial in which a woman says to the man who is about to smoke, "If you want to smoke, go to Japan!!". Then the scene cuts to a newscaster announcing "In Japan, smoker refugees are increasing....." with some footage of people on a rubber dinghy being welcomed by Japanese guys on the beach. I think it's very funny. The plan of increasing taxes on tobacco and low malt beer was suspended this time at the Diet (Japan's parliament), but they went ahead and approved the consolidate taxation for corporates. Also they increased the medical costs that have to be paid out by patients. I can understand that the government has to increase their "income" by increasing the tax, but if it were a company this business model wouldn't work. You can't put prices on your services up year after year and not cut your own costs. Maybe the politicians think they're making sure the nation doesn't go bankrupt, but when they don't ...

How often do you take a taxi? One night, I was too tired and took a taxi back home, and was more than a little surprised. The taxi had a car navigator system but even so, the driver was about to fail making my turn-off, it I hadn't noticed and told him where it was. Obviously he was a new driver and didn't know the back roads as well as me. Then the next surprise was that he also had a speed radar detector. Suddenly a machine voice announced, "Slow down, slow down, danger, danger! and after a couple more minutes we passed by a police car. I might have been impressed except that we were only doing 20 km/h... The newspapers say that the Japanese unemployment rate for October reached 5.4%, which is the worst since 1953. I bet that there will be a lot more new taxi drivers in Tokyo over the coming months. While they may not know where they are going, I hope they at least will drive carefully, and make their customers comfortable.

I bet most of you have noticed a lot more dogs in the streets these days: especially miniature dachshunds and chihuahuas. I love dogs and if I had to choose I would go for a dog rather than a cat. But since my apartment prohibits pets, I can't have any, unfortunately. But for those people who are really stuck on the idea of having a dog, how about a virtual experience? Sega made a simulation game of walking your dog! You walk the trend mill, holding the leash. You'll encounter obstacles and accidents throughout the course, but you have to reach your goal without irritating the dog, and you can't simply pat it to calm it down. Sounds like fun, but I can't help feeling that there is something missing in these types of games...

My husband and I went to Asakusa the other day, to check out Kimono for men. It was very interesting for me because usually I'm looking at women's kimono, not men's. And even when I do, what most department stores carry is formal, for weddings and other celebratory use, so there isn't much variety. We checked several stores in the back streets of Asakusa. Of course, thinking about it, clearly people used to wear kimono on a daily basis so it is natural to imagine that there are lots of styles, materials, colors, etc. Nevertheless, to actually go see the selections available is quite eye-opening and educational. If you're at all interested in Japanese traditional clothes, you'll definitely get a kick out of going to Asakusa. What we saw were kimonos made out of almost every conceivable fabric, including: silk, wool, synthetics. There were used ones and new ones, and interestingly, some which although men's kimono were imprinted with women's fabric pattern...

Saturday is Teddy Bears' day. There's a famous story that the stuffed bears were originally named after Theodore Roosevelt, and this Saturday is his birthday. The original teddy bear (not necessary known as a Teddy Bear back then) was made by Steiff, a German stuffed animal company, back in 1880. An original old Steiff bear is now worth more than a few million yen. I use to make some stuffed animals, and it's very hard to make one with a good smiling face. Positioning the eyes is especially difficult! It might be one of the reasons why I can't help buying cute stuffed animals whenever I see them -- because I know it's almost impossible to make the exact same face. My mania for stuffed animals sometimes makes me the target of fun by my male friends. But then, I have to ask them, "What's up with all your toys: robots, pikachu, PCs, audio equipment, and such...?" That usually shuts them up!

Mobile phones have advanced amazingly in the last few years, but the other day a unique new accessory caught my eye -- a mouse pad phone! This strange looking device is a fully functional push phone made out of a flat rubber molding. It has a microphone and ear phone built in, so that you can use it hands-free. It's got 2 modular jacks so that you can connect a regular phone and modem. You can even pick a color scheme of blue, green, red, and yellow. I've seen unique mouse pads, such as one with a calculator, one made of china, etc. But seeing one with a built-in phone really takes the cake....

Polaroid in the USA applied for Chapter 11 protection last week. They've announced their restructuring plan, but given the market trends of digital cameras, it's hard to say whether they can really make any improvement. Digital means that there is no more anticipation while you shake the photo to speed up its development -- instead you get instant gratification.Easy and fast were the key phrases used by Polaroid. No longer is either adjective true when used in comparison to digital cameras. Recently I've been hearing that even some professional photographers have given up using manual cameras. And that teachers at some photography schools are telling students not to bother with the courses about exposure or lighting, because they can correct the photos digitally later. On a personal level, a man who runs a photo store in NY told me he has to shut down soon, because he can't keep up with digital camera techniques and technology. He's an old guy and started his career...

Autumn Equinox has passed, the air is becoming cooler and a little drier everyday. I tend to walk a little longer than usual these days to feel the air and the fragrance of Kinmokusei (Oleaceae/Osmanthus) which has started to bloom. The sweet scent of the flowers makes me feel that life is not that bad. I can walk, see, hear, eat and smell. Maybe this is a kind of aromatherapy after the brutal heat of Tokyo summers. It's often said that lavender is good for relaxing, but there are some other smells that I love, such as the smell of coffee in the morning, roasting tea leaves, tubs made of Japanese cypress, new green tatami mats, and martini -- even though I don't drink. Close your eyes, and enjoy your favorite aroma -- Fall in Japan is the right time to do it.

I'm sure everyone's shocked at the sight of the World Trade Center towers crumbling and collapsing in real time. It wasn't a movie, SF nor CG. Who could've thought they would fly an airplane into those buildings? I was there just 2 weeks ago, wondering why the security check at the airports was much looser than it used to be. As I have Japanese passport, and also obviously am Japanese-looking, usually my security check is easier than for passengers from other countries, but I somehow felt it was much looser than it should be. The search for the missing is still going on, and I believe some of may have friends or family in that area. I do have some relatives and friends living in Manhattan, and fortunately we found them all safe after sending them e-mail. The phone system was overloaded most of Tuesday, and the only communication tool that worked was e-mail. If I didn't have this, I would've really panicked.... Technology is great but somehow it scares me how it ...

This weekend (by the time you read it, last weekend) is the Azabu Juban Festival -- a pretty big festival in central Tokyo. I'm going to wear my Yukata (Summer kimono) and just walk around, absorbing the atmosphere of the festival. This is the almost the only chance these days that I get to wear my Yukata. So it's getting harder and harder to recall how to wear it. When I used to live with my family, my grandma use to dress me. She still wear her Yukata all summer, and it's nothing but a normal piece of apparel to her. But I tend to forget how tight the belt should be, or the length of Yukata, how to fold it, etc., -- all those trivial details. What I can't forget, though, is the joy of wearing it to go to festivals or fireworks displays. Of course, I know that the wearer will suffer, especially females, from the heat, tightness, and difficulty in walking with the crowds. But, somehow, it still excites me to wear one.

For the last 2 weeks, it's been bargain season at Japanese department stores. I, of course, went to Ginza and did some shopping. I assume most men in the company get bored going out with their partners for shopping. I saw lots of dads and boyfriends lounging around on couches, chairs, stairs and anywhere else they could sit down at stores. They were typically half asleep or gazing dazedly at nothing in particular. On the other hand, I saw hundreds of women actively hunting for new clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, etc. It was like watching a swarm of ants working a picnic lunch... There is no doubt in my mind that women are the key for Japan to increase its consumption rates, if only because for many of them, they have almost 100% disposable incomes. We've been hearing in the media for some time now about "parasite singles" who live with their parents, while the boyfriend pays for the dates. What a great, if not rather boring life it must be to be a parasite.... As f...

Boy it's hot! In the evening, even with the air conditioner on, the evening heat has been keeping me awake. I know that it's not really good for you to keep using the aircon all night, but I don't think I could function at work the next day if I didn't. So of course, I'm expecting to get a summer cold because of the temperature fluctuations. I can't really remember what it was like before we had air conditioners, but I do remember loving to have my mother gently fans me at night as I went to sleep. Was it the light touch of the fan's breeze or the fact that my mother cared enough to do it? Believe it or not, the real summer isn't due for another month or so! What will you do to survive the next 8 weeks of heat in Tokyo?

Did you notice a huge orange box in Ginza for about an year? That was the construction facade for the biggest Hermes shop in Japan, which finally opened on June 28. More than 1,000 people were waiting in line before the opening at 11:00am, including one 25-year-old woman who waited since 22:00 the night before! The sale of such brand name goods slowed back in '97 due to the instability of the Asian economy, but it's been climbing back upwards record levels since '99. While it's amazing that people are willing to pay so much for such expensive goods, it's also amazing how much money these big brand names have been plunking down for Tokyo prime properties. For example, Cartier spent about JPY7bn to purchase their building in Ginza. Prada Japan paid about JPY6bn for land for a building they are constructing in Omote sando, and Hermes Japon paid JPY9bn for the new store in Ginza. The top selling brand is Louis Vuitton and their sales result was JPY720bn for 1999, follow...

One of the discussions at the Diet has been about how to improve regional revenue sources. So, how about this unique event to boost the regional economies? Nakayama Restaurants Association in Nakayama-cho, Yamagata prefecture is organizing a "Town Drink Triathlon" for June 29. Participants have to finish 23 dishes and drinks designated at each restaurant in town, such as Udon, Soba, Beer, etc. You can start anything you want. Additionally, you have to sing Karaoke at one of the 5 Karaoke bars in town! The event is limited to 100 participants, and only costs JPY3,000. If you want to join this digestive organ triathlon, call 023-662-2207 by June 26 to enter...!

How many people were aware that yesterday was Father's day? Compared to Mother's Day, it looks like fathers get short shrift from the marketing and business world. According to some news reports from department stores, popular gifts this year are drinks, snacks, beer servers, and summer clothes such as polo shirts and Jimbe-e (a kind of short, separated kimono two-piece). But I just wonder if these rather tawdry goods will really cheer up a stressed out father. It hardly seems worth the effort. Personally, if I'm going to give a polo shirt to my father, then at least I want to make the actual experience pleasurable for him. My tactic is to take him to a museum or somewhere else where he feels it's worth going, and on the way, suggest stopping by some golf clothing stores. Like most Japanese men, he doesn't buy his own clothes and doesn't have any idea what to do, so I let the store clerks take care of him. Of course, taste-wise he doesn't listen to his famil...

How do you prefer to travel: by airplane or Shinkansen? News is that JR East has started trying to win customers away from the airlines by serving breakfast on the Akita-Tokyo Shinkansen, from June onwards. Their problem is that it takes 4 hours by train versus 1 hour by air, to get to Tokyo. Their strategy is to pamper customers with breakfast, tea, oshibori, and slippers -- all free of charge. Their target is business people, who take the early train to Tokyo. Over 40% of the passengers travel early in the morning. So, although you can eat breakfast in comfort, or even take a nap on the way to work, the problem is that if you have to be in the office by 9:00 a.m., then you have to leave home before 4:30 a.m.! Personally, I would rather sleep than have a free meal. Do you think this marketing ploy will work? We'll find out in a month or two, I guess.

Do you go out lunch by yourself or with your "lunch mates"? Recently the newspapers have been reporting that young people are unhappy to have lunch alone but are not brave enough to ask others to join them for lunch. The phenomenon even has a name: "Lunch Mate Syndrome". Doctors say it's because of the low social ability of some people, and their being too sensitive to develop their interpersonal skills. Some high school students are even dropping out school because of this syndrome. Some OLs ("Office Ladies") even make lunch appointments several days ahead, fearing that if they simply ask just before going to lunch, that they will be rejected. Another new syndrome is the "Idle Conversation-phobia Syndrome". This is where a person is scared of taking lunch or some other break, because they can't think of idle conversation to enjoy with their friends. Overall, both phenomenon are due to the lack of forming proper human relationships, not h...

The long Golden week holiday is over, and it's kind of hard to recall what was going on before hand at work. One of the seasonal terms these days is "Gogatsu-byo (May sickness)". It's slang for the symptoms a student has when they return to school: a sinking, helpless feeling. Since the Golden Week is so long these days, a new version of Gogatsu-byo has appeared, and is called (of course!) "Rokugatsu-byo" (June sickness). It refers to people have burned out and reach a stage of no stress and no tension after a long holiday. I believe it's rare for LINC Media people to catch Rokugatsu-byo, because of the excitement of the job itself. But even so, if the type of person who finishes each day feeling really tired and drained, then maybe a break is in order, before you get the dreaded July sickness. Don't ask me what the symptoms are...!

Did you make a plan for the golden week holidays coming up next week? For those of you who are not going overseas, there are lots of interesting towns in Tokyo where you can hang out. The newest one is Harumi Triton in Kachidoki. It's a group of apartments, office buildings, shopping mall, restaurants and a theater -- which just opened last Saturday. Last year, Odaiba opened and it became THE place to go on a date. Before that, Queen's Square in Yokohama was the place to be seen. QSY is located right next to the ocean, and still looks good 6 years after it opened. Then of course there is Ebisu Garden Place, Tokyo Disneyland, and Universal Studios in Osaka. The only problem? Lots and lots of people... But anyway, let's hope the weather will hold for Golden Week!

I commute on the bus every day, and often see freshmen off to their new offices and little kids going to kindergarten. One morning, I saw a kid doze off on the bus. Poor little tike was obviously really tired and looked like he was going to miss his stop. But somehow he woke up just in time, and got off at the right stop. Amazing. He's definitely got the Japanese habit of being able to take a nap on the ride, though he is only 5 or 6 years old! I believe it's one of those Japanese habits, being able to fall asleep while commuting -- just like bowing your head when speaking on the phone, even though the other person can't see you. Yes, if you live Japan too long, you too will start to fall asleep on the train....

Have you been seeing lots of freshmen on the streets while out and about visiting clients? I see them as being the "Springtime" of the employment cycle. It's the custom that all freshmen wear new suits and shirts and carry a huge bag around. They really stand out, giving new meaning to the word "Fresh-men (and women). As you may know, the number of job seekers and the jobs available are mis-matched. These days companies are looking for more skilled/experienced people, and so the employment environment for these freshmen is becoming rather severe. I wonder if these people will see the next generation like I see them... recalling our own first spring in our careers.

The funding for Layer-8 Technologies (which we're nicknaming L8T to keep it short) will have closed by the time you read this newsletter. There are still some more documents for me to handle, but now L8T is on its way. Time for the team to now do its thing, and accelerate the business forward. The expectations by the investor are high, and everyone who is involved in the deal hopes that L8T will have a major part to play in the upcoming mobile market both here in Japan and overseas. Now Goro's team needs everyone's support. Please wish them the best of luck!

Do you go to "Kaiten Zushi" often? If you want to try a new "on demand" type of sushi, you should know that a new place just opened in Osaka has customer touch screens for ordering. The screens have fishes swimming around on them, and you press a fish to order it in your favorite Maki. The images even include short notes, such as "rich in vitamins," and "good for stomach and head aches." Plus it also includes the biology of tuna and other species. This rather radical advance in sushi ordering has had good reactions from families with kids, who are less likely to get bored. Although you now don't need to search through the rotating plates to find what you want to eat, you do still have to wait for the plate you ordered to show up. In terms of human psychology, this new system reminds me of a Kaiten Zushi I went to in Chiba. There I saw a lot of sushi on the rotating belt, but they were all made of wax, not the real thing. The cook was there, a...

Do you use bus card and other pre-paid cards for transportation? Ten years ago, JR started issuing iO cards. Then Metro cards and bus cards followed. At first I thought it was pretty convenient, but I found a problem. The fact is that these days, you probably don't use your phone cards often, because most of us have a mobile. Well, there was a news item recently that mobile phone users will be able to buy credits on their cell phones, that will act like tickets/cards for your daily transportation needs. Every time you exit a ticket gate, even without showing your phone, the ticket machine will let you through and record the transaction via your cell phone -- which you can just simply leave in your bag. As some of you might have noticed, Japanese are not used to using credit cards, but instead tend to overdepend on cash. Debit cards certainly haven't worked well here, and the preference for chash may be one of the reasons. Maybe the banks should try to add debit card functions t...

On the weekend, I took a walk around Azabu Juban. It's about 15-20 min walk from my home and I enjoyed it because there are lots of small stores with "natsukashii" stuff from the old days. It's been a long time since I was there last, and I was surprised that the street was filled with lots of tourists. It looks like they come down on the Ooedo line. Even the bread store I often go to was filled with people, and I gave up trying to buy bread. Everywhere I went was crowded, and I ended up buying nothing. It must be good for the stores there that they have more customers coming, but my feeling is complicated: the town I used to know is changing. The new Mori building in Roppongi will bring even more people in future too. I think everyone has their favorite town, and somehow you call it your own. I know it's selfish, but somehow I wish my space would just stay the same as it always was. I guess it's time to make an expedition to a new area -- and become one of th...

The other day, I took a bus home from Shibuya, and the bus stopped because the engine overheated. Luckily another bus soom came to pick us up, so the passengers didn't have to wait in the cold weather too long. I don't remember the last time I was in a bus in Japan that actually broke down. So it was a kind of unique experience and in a strange way a little bit enjoyable... I remember that I loved taking the very front seat of the bus when I was in elementary school. I guess I wanted to feel like I was driving the bus. Somehow, I started choosing the seat in the very back of bus in high school. You can see that the other kids and students have the same tendency if you're on the bus. Some people don't like taking the bus because it's never on time and some drivers speed and drive like crazy, but I like it because I can check out different views of the city which I can't see from the train. With only JPY200, you can go almost anywhere in Tokyo by Toei Bus. Time fo...

I heard the news that Converse filed for Chapter 11 protection, meaning that effectively they went bankrupt. I remember when I was in 5th and 6th grade at school, we all joined the basketball team as part of our school activities. Everyone wanted Converse basketball shoes. But as time went by, I stopped wearing my Converse shoes and never really bought any more. Even though the brand recognition of Converse is still pretty strong, maybe we're entering an era where just brand image can't drive a business anymore. In which case, operators with strong corporate and brand management experience, like RVMC, will start moving in even more aggressively and buying up yesteryear's famous companies...

We had a group of students from France in the office other day. It was part of their MBA course to come visit real companies in Japan. They went to some big Japanese outfits such as NTT Docomo, but commented that they liked visiting us best, because they could ask lots of questions to "real" people doing "real" work. The other companies tended to show off their beautiful office space, expressing how great they are. On the other hand, our office has used office furniture's almost everywhere since cost-effectiveness is key to making profits. The students were excited about how we run our own servers and make websites, programs, magazines -- in fact, we do pretty much everything by ourselves. They are so young, and don't know what kind of challenges they'll face in future, but I hope that we could stimulate their interest in being entrepreneurs in the future.

As you might can see/hear I "scream" quite often these days. Yes, I'm working on yet another company incorporation: Layer-8. This time the process is much easier than last time with daijob.com, because now I know how it works. Time flies. The anniversary of daijob.com's incorporation is just around the corner, on Jan 21st. I won't forget the days and nights we spent on the daijob incorporation/funding last year.... Now that DJ is doing so well, and I can happily let them leave the nest soon. I'm thinking now how to get others to help me work on this stuff, particularly how to set up new companies. Of course, we could just use a consulting or law firm to take care of all the procedures, but the thing is that once the job is done they leave you. So later on if you need to know why certain decisions were made or how the company was described in the articles of incorporation, you have no knowledge within the company. In other words, you lose the flexibility to cha...