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(Gall stones)
"Shortly after my recovery from attacks of gout, I picked up another
illness, cholecystitis," says a senior member, "and now I'm recovering
from it too." He is here Sunday afternoon in the meeting just breaking
out from the hospital where he must spend the last few days before being
discharged. "Two weeks ago, I had my gall bladder taken away,"
he continues, "the cholecystectomy was an easy one, a surgical operation
aided by an endoscope." He was given general anesthesia during the
four-hour operation. He had on his abdomen four holes each the size of the
thumb. Through these holes, the fiberscope, surgical laser, pneumatic tube
to blow up the intra-abdominal space and other utility cables were inserted.
"I heard from my doctor," he further says, "this was a stressful
operation for surgeons because we must do things all on the TV screen without
directly viewing and touching the really affected parts." Recently,
there was a case that a surgeon scratched by accident the colon of a patient
who was undergoing cholecystectomy aided by an endoscope. The patient died
a few days later. The conventional abdominal surgery gives doctors a broader
view of the area they are physically tackling. But under an endoscopic operation,
they see only the localized spot, which gives them a lot of stress. "Anyway
I was treated perfectly," he says, "I had eleven gall stones in
my removed cholecyst. People can live without gall bladder as they do without
appendix." Some of the herbivorous animal, such as horses and cows,
do not own cholecyst. It looks this organ is just needed for the carnivorous
animal. Cholecystitis seems to attack more westerners than Japanese. In
Japan, it says one out of ten owns gall stones while in the western countries
one out of five has them. Those people who are expressed in 4F are more
likely to suffer from inflammation of gall bladder; female, forty, fat and
fecund.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Japan officially ratifies Kyoto climate protocol)
"As the Johannesburg environmental summit in early September nears,"
says a senior participant, "major countries are making arrangements
to ratify the Kyoto protocol at home." A few weeks ago, Japanese lawmakers
finally ratified the treaty. although they had taken time waiting for America
to come back on the same stage. Fifteen European countries have also ratified
the protocol. Some other countries such as Canada are still hesitating or
reluctant to push hard to ratify it. "And the United States who is
responsible for one quarter of the world total emission of greenhouse gases
left the treaty last year," says one lady, "it offers instead
its own proposal to tackle problems of global warming." The proposal
seems nothing innovative but accepting wishes of the local industry who
wouldn't like to spend too much cost for the environmental campaign. Developing
countries like China wish first to push their modernization programs rather
than to join the group who worries about global warming. Under the protocol,
Japan is obliged to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 6 percent
of the 1990 level on average between 2008 and 2010. "It's an awesome
task," says a young member, "today, you see, CO2 emissions have
increased by about 10 percent over the 1990 level, so on balance Japan will
have to achieve cuts of 14 percent." Is it possible to achieve such
a reduction? Here, our own lifestyles must be questioned. "Efforts
are already being made to reduce emissions through various energy conservation
campaigns," says a senior member, "it's interesting the government's
March guide line asks family members to stay together in the living room
as long as possible to save air conditioning in the individual rooms."
The guide line also touches saving of the standby power of household appliances
and introduction of a carpool or park-and-drive system on commuting to and
from work. The car industry is putting importance on energy conservation
vehicles (ECV) such as hybrid cars and fuel cell powered vehicles. Like
in Europe, Japan will eventually introduce the carbon-emissions tax to drive
people more positive towards energy conservation in their lifestyles.
(Japan's sovereign debt rating downgraded)
"A few weeks ago, Japan suffered a humiliating downgrade by Moody's
to its sovereign debt rating," says a senior participant, "and
this infuriated the government." Japan, the world's largest creditor
with the largest savings surplus, the biggest current account surplus and
largest foreign exchange reserves, has got the demotion of its rating to
the same level as those of Poland and Latvia, or even a level below that
of Botswana who is receiving every year Japanese ODA allocations. The world's
second largest economy picked a fight with the world's three leading rating
agencies, Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, about their inconsistency
in rating the sovereign debt of a country. For example, when the United
States was very much in bad shape in early 1990s suffering from so-called
twin deficits, these rating agencies kept the country's sovereign debt rating
at the top level. One of major securities houses in the United States also
commented that the Moody's move was inappropriate. "But look at our
present situation coolly," says a middle-aged member, "today we
have nearly 700 trillion yen as the country's overall sovereign debt, namely
140 percent of GDP." And the national budget must get 40 percent of
its revenue every year from another issuance of the government bonds. Unless
the country could enjoy again a bubble economy, no drastic improvement is
possible. "Under these circumstances,, the government started to drive
a campaign asking its local people to buy more the government bond,"
says a senior participant, "this reminds us of the wartime nationwide
campaign of the patriotic war bonds." People in Japan are said to own
1.4 quadrillion yen as their private savings. The government wants now Japanese
to buy the bond that has become unpopular among those investors abroad.
"With more globalization, however," says one lady, "Japanese
would also prefer foreign currencies to local bonds when yen becomes unpopular
and they even foresee so-called bond-dystopia in the future." If a
capital flight becomes rampant, the country would plummet really into a
catastrophe. Then, it will head for the only solution, hyperinflation!
(It's fragrance society)
"All sorts of artificial smells assail our nostrils today," says
a senior participant, "and people are snapping up deodorizers and deodorants
because they now prefer artificial fragrances to natural odors." The
peculiar human-waste odor of public restrooms on the street or railway stations
has been completely replaced with a deodorant. An adequate sewage system
meantime introduced everywhere has largely contributed to the odor-free
street. "You should know however one of the important components of
an aromatic substance is a thiol compound," says a young member who
is chemist, "and thiol is also contributing largely to human-waste
odors." When such thiol compounds are properly modified and nicely
formulated into a deodorant, it assails our nostrils effectively and pleasantly.
So, the same thiol compound assails our nostrils badly or pleasantly up
to its concentration. "It's natural we take a bath almost every day,"
says a young lady, "my French friend once asked me how Japanese could
do it paying the expensive water bill." Perhaps for French people,
it looks spraying perfume over themselves must be cheaper than taking a
bath every day. Only up to about ten years ago, we were disturbed by human-waste
odors from toilets of individual houses and public places, from honey buckets
working on the street or from fields covered with the night soil. "But
if a little boy tells his mother he smells toilet when he comes across blooming
blossoms of Kinmokusei (an oleaceous tree)," one lady says, "we
know how we are distorting the atmosphere of natural fragrances." We
must become more sensitive to natural scents. These days, many men wear
perfume or eau de cologne. One woman says I love that gentleman because
he wears perfume particularly attracting me. This must be wrong. She loves
him first and that is why she likes his smell. If she doesn't like him,
anything first-class perfume he wears must bother her.
(Strong math skills boost salary)
A recent survey indicates that Bachelor of Art graduates in Japan who are
strong in mathematics tend to earn higher salaries than those who have hated
the subject in school. The proficiency gap could translate into a salary
gap of as much as one million yen in a year. The survey doesn't touch the
salary gap between humanities graduates and science course graduates. "Graduates
of the science course were regarded as specialists," says a senior
member, "and, in general, they were not competing with humanities graduates
aiming at promotion to higher managements." It is understandable that
employees who are strong in math could deal with day-to-day problems at
worksites more rationally than those who shy away from the subject. "And
as the result of such activities, they could demonstrate a higher productivity
for their business sectors," says a middle-aged participant, "they
are, therefore, rated as those for a higher position in the company."
Under the present economy circumstances in Japan, however, companies have
become not interested any longer in employees' individual academic records.
Merit system or performance-based wages are going through the whole industry.
The above study also indicates that graduates who are strong in the English
language could also enjoy a positive salary gap. "It's clear,"
says a senior participant, "these days, to achieve success in business
situations with more globalization, we must utilize 'rational thinking'
in solving problems, we must be strong in English, and we must be able to
use those electronic gadgets for the Internet." It is said that logical
processing and languages are handled by the function of human's left brain.
"I think logic alone couldn't make people get a breakthrough,"
says one lady, "inspiration is important for an innovative development
and it is believed to come out of the right brain." Scientists say
women have a more developed right brain than men while they have an equally
developed left brain.
(Death sentence sought for accused woman)
At the end of the long-lasting trial, prosecutors demanded the death penalty
for Masumi Hayashi, 40, accused of murdering four people with poisoned curry
at a community festival in Wakayama four years ago. "It seems no one
cannot understand the prosecution," says a young participant, "but
we should know the poisoning case is based only on circumstantial evidence,
because there were no witnesses and Hayashi remained silent throughout the
investigation." When the case took place, the news media spotlighted
overly the woman as the most fishy character. People in general were then
brainwashed into the woman's peculiar character with the impact of almost
tabloid articles in daily series in those days. It is said only Hayashi,
whose husband used to work as a termite exterminator, had easy access to
arsenic. "It was one of the main focuses of the trial whether components
of arsenic left in the curry pot matched those of the chemical found in
Hayashi's house," says a member, "here, even Spring-8 in Harima,
the world's largest third-generation synchrotron radiation facility, was
used for spectroscopic analysis of these arsenic compounds." Prosecutors
say they are chemically identical and must have been manufactured at the
same time and by the same production process. "Motivation of the crime
for Hayashi is still not clear," says a senior member, "prosecutors
conclude she just lost control of herself when she was accused for her tardiness
by the community people." In her behavioral record, Hayashi is known
to be short-tempered. She must be suffering character disorder. "If
Hayashi was known to be a blowtop and character disorder," says one
lady, "there should have been somebody else as a custodian who should
be responsible for the murder case." Around us, there are potential
criminals who are graded as a security risk. They should be firmly taken
in custody either by their family members or by the medical institution.
In those murder cases at Ikeda Primary School last year and the bus hijacking
in Saga two years ago, for example, psychiatric hospitals having been treating
the criminals do not indicate their intention to take responsibility for
the cases.
(IF Osaka)
(Rice-planting machines in Asian countries)
"I have some experience planting rice," says one lady, "in
those days, people had to habituate themselves to hard farm work."
It is tough for them to plant rice by hand in a half-sitting posture in
paddy fields. To cover all of their own rice fields, they had to spend several
days planting rice with their twelve-hour day labor in the paddy field.
"Today, there are many weekend farmers who can finish their jobs smartly
on Saturday and Sunday," says a senior member, "modern farming
equipment enables them to keep their family farming business while they
work for a company as salaried man." Rice transplanters work most busily
in May and June throughout the country. The rice planting song is no more
sung by the farmer. Nevertheless, the view of the carpet of water-filled
rice fields offers wonderful feeling of the season. "In Asian countries,
the farm work has also improved," says the senior member, "people
use many farming machines." In such hot and humid countries, people
can enjoy a three-crop a year farming. Introduction of farming equipment
has given them heightened productivity. "One third of their farming
machines are those stolen in Japan and sold by the car theft cheaply in
such countries," says a middle-aged participant, "and these machines
are working more efficiently here for their triple cropping." In Japan,
the cost of production of rice is incomparably high. But the price for consumers
is politically set lower than the cost by farm subsidies. At the food summit
now held in Rome, leaders of developing countries are accusing such strong
farm subsidies kept by the United States, EU countries, China, India and
Japan. They say such subsidies would discourage developing countries from
their competitive local farming.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Postman in the mountain still needed)
"Last week, I went to a Chinese film, Postman In The Mountain,"
says one lady, "I was much impressed by it." The popular movie
produced in 1999 depicts the beautiful mountainous area in early 1980s in
China where a wounded postman makes the last three-day delivery trek to
underpopulated villages together with his son who is going to succeed his
father as the postman. Because of his job, the father had been away from
home at all times of the year as he repeated the three-day 120km trip on
foot with a heavy postbag. The son couldn't even recognize the postman as
his father. But in this mail delivery trek, the son becomes aware how his
father has been playing an important role for people living in such underpopulated
villages. "Then, the son had his father in honor," the lady continues,
"throughout the trek, he could establish quite a rapport with his father."
In the film, no gifts of civilization are shown, no vehicles, no electric
appliances, no telephones and so on. The movie shows, however, natural beauty
and high-touch contacts among the local earthborn people. "The film
must encourage those lawmakers who are against the Koizumi postal reforms,"
says a senior participant, "they insist the postal service should cover
all such underpopulated villages." Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
is criticized by lawmakers from his own Liberal Democratic Party over his
long-held goal to privatize the nation's postal services. Such conservative
lawmakers claim offering services based on the market mechanism principle
cannot coexist with providing equal and universal postal services. "In
the current home delivery services offered by the private sector, however,"
says a middle-aged member, "I think, such underpopulated villages are
equally covered without being charged extra." So, even that nice film
couldn't be a textbook for denying the postal reforms.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Statusy hotel goes bust)
"Just recently, I was surprised," says a senior golf player, "to
hear that Kawana Hotel with its two major golf courses has gone bankruptcy."
The Tokyo-based firm that runs the Kawana Hotel, an internationally known
resort in Izu, Shizuoka, filed for court protection with the aim of rehabilitating
itself under different ownership. The company is estimated to have liabilities
of some 67 billion yen. The seaside hotel, established in 1928 by officials
of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, was the venue for the April 1998 meeting
of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
In 1954, Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio
spent their honeymoon there. "Its golf courses are touted as the best
in Japan," he continues, "but the economic slump dampened enthusiasm
for expensive golf." Around 500 companies have membership contracts
at the hotel's golf courses, but demand has dropped very much. The hotel
and golf courses will continue operating. However, the membership, the cost
of which used to be the most expensive in Japan, has suddenly gone down
in the drain. "For playing golf there," says the senior member,
"you even needed 70,000 yen a day." They were mostly corporate
expensers. Such entertainment expenses amounted to 7 trillion yen totally
in Japan in a year in the bubble era. In those days, they commanded a considerable
share in the country's GDP, nearly 1.4 percent. "For up to 90 percent
of golf courses in Japan," says one lady, "the bottomline is in
red today." The membership loses its value drastically. "We have
too many golf courses in Japan," says a middle-aged participant, "without
those expense-account players, they couldn't run the business." These
days, if you have the membership of a golf course, you can play on a budget
of 5-7,000 yen a day. It is no more imaginable that the cost of membership
of a statusy golf course would be boosted again to tens of millions of yen.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Copy products made in China)
"In China, motorbikes branded with 'HONGDA', not HANDA, are racing
round," says a senior participant, "home appliances with carrying
a nameplate with 'HATICHI', not HITACHI, are overflowing." SOVY also
attracts falsely those customers who wish to buy a SONY product. So far,
Japanese companies with their brand authority has not taken a tough attitude
towards such schlenter articles believing that quality would tell in the
end. "But they couldn't keep their easygoing attitude any longer,"
he continues, "because the quality of such copy products is getting
close to the real McCoy." Japanese manufacturers fear the case that
bad money drives out good. Those me-too products will soon become no more
bad money in quality. Japanese manufacturers have also their own affiliates
and OEMs in China which must compete with the local suppliers of copy products.
"The copy manufacturers don't have to pay an expensive license fee,"
says a middle-aged member, "they can run without such a costly top-heavy
organization that normally exists in Japanese affiliates." The Japanese
government is concerned about the intellectual property owned by its local
industries being ignored by the Chinese unlicensed manufacturers. "30-40
years ago, we were in the same situation," says a senior member, "motorbikes,
for example, branded with HONDA, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha were said in
Europe to be the crude copies of BMW or Harley-Davidson." But, about
15 years later, these me-too products from Japan overwhelmed the world market
and became genuine among the competing products from other countries. "Perhaps,
in 2015, nobody would feel uneasy," says one lady, "seeing many
HONGDA motorbikes racing about here in Osaka." How would HONDA be positioned
then in 15 years in the world market?
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Do-it-yourself delivery)
"This subject has been talked about in my country more than 15 years,"
says a young lady from Australia, "and some still believe unassisted
birth is an ideal choice." To have mother's hands be the first ones
to touch her baby seems so important for those advocating to go giving birth
alone.. Most expectant mothers feel uneasy on visiting obstetrics. They
are uncomfortable with the coldness and sterility of some hospitals. "We
are improving in line with the desires of expectant mothers," says
a lady who works at a hospital, "we are trying to make birthing rooms
cozier and to treat them medically as little as possible." To gain
a reputation among women, some hospitals are offering a first-class delivery
package stay these days providing a gorgeous bedroom and good feed. "I
think the prenatal care I'm receiving today at a hospital is very helpful,"
says one lady who is nine months pregnant, "doctors and nurses are
very kind there and I don't feel uneasy at all although this is my first
time." In Japan, unassisted birth seems to happen today only accidentally,
not intentionally. "In olden days, of course, most mothers went giving
birth at home either assisted by a midwife or only by women in their family,"
says a middle-aged participant, "childbirth is a working of nature,
nothing disease." Nowadays, even in Japan, husbands join their wives
in a prenatal training. They join their wives in the birthing room and share
the birthpang with their wives. They keep encouraging their wives in labor.
Some groups would continue to support a do-it-yourself delivery. At the
same time, however, the present care system can be said to have largely
contributed to reduce the number of stillbirth cases and health problems
of the puerperant.
(Far-right conservatism burgeons in Europe)
"I couldn't believe it happened in France," says one lady, "with
its long-lasting image of liberty, a far-right political group begins also
to take a seat in the most liberalistic country in the world." In the
last presidential run-off election in France, the one who ran for against
Jacques Chirac was not Socialist leader Lionel Jospin, but far-right leader
Jean-Marie Le Pen. Although Mr. Chirac could win a landslide victory in
the final battle, it is still pointed out that Mr. Le Pen could have about
18% of the vote which is not negligible. Far-right political parties are
gaining popularity in some European countries such as Austria, Denmark,
Germany and the Netherlands. "They are supported by those people who
suffer a high jobless rate and hardships of life in the drawn-out local
stagnation," says a senior participant, "people are driven to
hate immigrants for their taking over local job opportunities." Some
say, however, immigrants are not stealing jobs from the local citizens.
"They do mostly the dirty work that is no more liked by an ordinary
citizen," says a young lady who has been just back from Paris, "these
countries need the immigrant to a certain extent." Population of immigrants
must be much smaller in Japan. Besides so-called cultural barriers, Japan
is legally tight defensive against incoming foreigners. "If we look
at the recent case of five North Korean asylum-seekers having tried in vain
to flee into Japanese Consulate in Shenyang, China," says a middle-aged
member, "it's clear we are not basically friendly to foreigners."
It seems the Japanese government tries always to stay out of issues relating
to the exile and refugee. As the world second biggest economic power, it
is time for Japan to become involved more positively in such international
issues.
(Import of whale meat from Norway)
"I didn't know that our government was under negotiation with the Norwegian
counterpart on import of whale meat," says a senior participant, "I
think we've already dropped our old habit eating whale. Do we need whale
meat?" Now, some concerned consumers and antiwhaling groups are asking
the government to give up its idea of allowing whale meat to be imported
because of potentially high level of pollution. These people are concerned
about mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. "Whales are at the end
of the food chain and accumulate all the hazardous substances of the earth
in its blubber," one lady says, "and if we eat them, we are the
last who must get the joker." A study of blubber from minke whales
killed by Norwegian whalers averaged 3.7 parts per million of PCBs, exceeding
the Japan's food safety standard. However that may be, it is strange a country
which took no account on the IWC resolution on whaling moratorium some years
ago and had started whaling as much as it likes, now exports whale meat
to a member country who has been not allowed to hunt whales for many years.
"We've protected whales too much and now face an ecological imbalance
in the marine life," says a senior member, "whales eat too much
sardines, saury and mackerels, and reduce our fish catches." Whale
population must be regulated properly to the extent they don't take the
share of human food. "Whales could be high-protein foods for Japanese
who have not enough land space for cattle breeding and must therefore depend
on import from other countries. "It's funny we couldn't eat whales
that were accidentally stranded on some beaches in Japan recently,"
says a middle-aged member, "local governments had to spend substantial
amount of taxpayers' money to break down and bury them." Some scientists
say such incidents that whales are driven ashore may be attributed to a
disordered sense of orientation developed in their brains due to population
explosion.
(High cholesterol damages memory)
"Our single biggest fear about growing older is losing the ability
to think and remember clearly," says a senior participant, "now,
a study finds people with high level of cholesterol are likely to have problems
thinking clearly." Cholesterol damages the brain in much the same way
it damages the heart. It collects on the walls of tiny blood vessels, making
them narrower and reducing the flow of blood. Without enough blood, the
brain cannot function properly. "At the last health check-up, I was
diagnosed as having a hypercholesterolemia," says a middle-aged member,
"I was suggested not to have high-cholesterol meals." A healthy
cholesterol level must be under 200. "You don't have to worry too much
about the number," says a member who works for a pharmaceutical company,
"there are goodie and baddies in cholesterol." The beneficial
cholesterol largely contributes to our hormonal secretion and endocrine
system. It gives us, for example, a clear complexion. "One egg a day
gives you no problem," he continues, "at the same time, you should
take more dietary fiber in your meals and do some physical exercises."
Anyway, this is a pressing issue for only people 65 or older who must be
cautious about becoming dementia. For younger people, they have still enough
time to recuperate from potential brain damages.
(IF Osaka)
(The World Cup soccer nears)
"On May 2, I worked for one of the Kirin Cup soccer games as a language
volunteer ," says a middle-aged participant, "the newly constructed
soccer stadium, Kobe Wing Stadium, was more than full for the match between
Japan and Honduras with tens of thousands of soccer fans." The local
FIFA organizer tried do draw a lesson from this game to prepare itself for
the forthcoming three World Cup matches scheduled in the stadium. The first
match is between Russia and Tunisia scheduled on June 5, followed by the
match between Sweden and Nigeria on June 7. And another match for the second
round, which is possible to involve the Japanese team, will be held on June
17. "For the Kirin Cup match, although the game started at 18:00,"
he continues, "we volunteers were at the stadium already at 13:00,
and we were there until 22:00."" He worked at one of the ticket
adjustment counters. Fans were allowed to enter the stadium already at 15:00.
For a two-hour match, people must spend much time before and after the event.
Visitors must go through the metal detector and baggage inspection. Their
tickets are carefully inspected. "Here I felt the difference in the
attitude between those with box seat tickets and those with economy tickets,"
says the member, "people heading box seats are tend to make insolent
gestures to the ticket inspector while people for public seats behave with
their heart in their boots." Most of such arrogant people did not buy
the first-class tickets by themselves, but were given them by companies
who bought up the booth tickets. "They must be the good customers of
the FIFA cosponsor companies," says a senior member, "they are
simply entertained as corporate expensers." On June 5, 7 and 17, there
will be no train services on the JR Wadamisaki Line. Although the line runs
most conveniently to the Kobe stadium, the local railway has too small capacity
to take care of the massive soccer viewers. Attendants must move through
the crowds either from the nearby subway station, Misakikoen, or from the
JR Hyogo station.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Discount tickets for railroad trips)
"Last week, we, a family of five,, made a one-day trip to Tokyo by
the Shinkansen," says a senior participant, "we held a Buddhist
memorial service for the dead parents at the family temple in Itabashi."
The one-way Shinkansen ticket costs us 13,950 yen for 'Hikari' express trains,
or 14,920 yen for 'Nozomi' superexpress trains which link Osaka and Tokyo,
about 515km, in 150 minutes. "The JR Tokai doesn't worry about its
ability to pull in more passengers," says the senior member, "they
are not offering a big discount for their tickets." The Tokaido Shinkansen
is the busiest railroad line in Japan and makes always a reasonable profit.
Many other lines drive an attractive discount campaign attempting to compete
with busses and airlines. "For this trip, we used the business coupons,"
he says, "we bought them at a discount-ticket shop in Osaka."
There are many such shops nationwide where all kinds of tickets and cash
vouchers are sold at a discount rate. "The one we got was 12,120 yen
for Hikari, about 13 percent discount," he continues, "after visiting
several shops in Umeda, I learned this was the cheapest ticket." The
business coupon is mostly used by corporations to economize their traveling
expenses. Some companies sell the book of such coupons to the discount-ticket
shops at a price below cost just in order to produce an off-the-book fund.
"I use the Zipangu Club card," says one lady, "this gives
you a 30 percent discount for all JR lines. You can travel to Tokyo for
9,770 yen only." If you, either yourself or your spouse, are over 65
years old, you, or as couple, can join the Zipangu Club. On your club card,
you can buy your ticket covering distance more than 200km at JR stations
at a 30-percent reduced price. "This however doesn't pay for people
who make just one trip in a year," says another member, "you must
pay the membership fee of 3,600 yen each year, and the first three trips
are not discounted at 30 percent, but only 20 percent." The club offers
20 trips a year which can be made at a 30-percent reduced price. Therefore,
the system seems to be only attractive for a person who makes a lot of railroad
trips in a year. "It will still pay if you make a couple of long-distance
trips, such as a journey from Osaka to Hokkaido or to southern Kyushu,"
says a senior member, "but I think you would choose an air travel in
the case, unless you are a railway buff." So the Zipangu system seems
to be not so attractive for the elderly.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Tigers at high speed)
"Hanshin's magic run will end sooner or later," says one lady,
"nobody can believe it wins the 2002 pennant race." The Hanshin
Tigers may still be the best team in the Central League, but they are no
longer undefeated. However, people rooting for the Tigers are excited this
year about the team's unusual good start. "Last Tuesday I visited the
Koshien ballpark," says a member, "it was already filled to bursting
when I could get a seat in the upper infield stands." He says he joined
the fanatic audience singing the victory song 'Rokko-Oroshi' in chorus for
a while when the game was over. "Hanshin frenzy is boosting sales with
those goods featuring the Tigers at the Hanshin department store in Osaka,"
says a lady, "I heard the frenzy would effect a 200-billion-yen inflation
for the local economy if the team could keep its powerful advance."
Since its last victory in the league in 1985, the team has stayed mostly
in Class B, below 4th place. But its attendance at the team's home did not
drop below two million each year during the past 16 years. "At least
once every year, Hanshin gives us hope for the year's victory," says
a middle-aged participant, "but it quickly peaks out." Having
the new manager in the team, Senichi Hoshino, however, people think it is
different this year. Ballplayers are highly motivated in the team. While
the team does not have a high batting average, it still keeps its pitching
strength. "I think Hanshin shows its real value now," says a senior
member, "the new manager is taking it out smartly." Because of
the team's onset in the local league, the TV audience seems to have shifted
back from the MLB games in the United States where many Japanese players
besides Ichiro are now active. "It's good anyway for us Kansai people
suffering a far higher jobless rate than the national average," says
one lady, "the Tigers will cheer up our spirits."
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Discovery of gold mine)
"Since the moratorium of the payoff system has been just lifted by
the government," says a senior participant, "those rich people
having more than ten million yen in their bank accounts are shifting their
assets somewhere else." As of April 1, each fixed deposit account in
the savings-bank will be only guaranteed up to 10 million yen when the bank
goes bankrupt. In order to protect monetary assets, some people keep them
in hard cash or in bullion stored in the safe-deposit box. "I have
six gold bars in the lock box of the bank," says another senior member,
"I have to pay 14,000 yen a year to keep the safe-deposit box for use
in locking personal valuables." During the past few months, the price
of gold has soared to 1.4 million yen a kilogram, 40 percent higher than
the price one year ago. It is estimated that the world has about 120,000
tons of gold accumulated on earth in the past several thousand years. And
there will be only 60,000 tons left in the ore deposit around the world.
"Yield is very low in gold mining," says a middle-aged member,
"we can produce only 5-20 grams from one ton of gold ore." And
in Japan, we have very little output from the local gold mine, totally,
about 9 tons a year. In Japan, however, we have an excellent gold mine.
That comes from recycling of electronic gadgets. "We can get 100 grams
of gold by recycling one ton of mobile phones," says one lady, "gold
is much used industrially in electronic components." Lead wires and
connectors used in the electronic circuits are mostly gilded to achieve
an absolute reliability. Out of one ton of scrapped personal computers,
100 grams or more gold could be collected. "Although it's a costly
operation for workers to dismantle a personal computer," says a lady,
"it will pay as far as the market price of gold keeps attractive."
If we look into those gold mines around the world, it seems we will be bankrupt
shortly in gold resources. "No worries," says a senior member,
"we have billions of tons of gold concentrated in seawater." Of
course, it is a minute amount of gold that is solved in seawater. For extraction
of one gram gold, we need about 5 million tons of seawater that would brim
four times the Tokyo Dome ballpark. Some day, however, such a technology
that can take gold economically out of seawater will be developed.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(First salary not so memorial)
"Nearly one million college and high school graduates enter the workforce
tomorrow, April 1," says a senior participant, "firms and government
offices nationwide will hold ceremonies to welcome those new members."
Such recruits faced severe competition for jobs. About 80 percent of university
students have found full-time jobs. Many graduates who failed to get permanent
jobs have instead opted for part-time positions. "Now, I remember,
I often gave a speech at the initiation ceremonies," says the senior
member, "and each time, I told new hirees how their first salary should
be spent." Newcomers were recommended to return their thanks to parents
by presenting a gift bought with their first salary. In those days, this
was almost a standing phrase for a company manager to include in his welcoming
speech. "But it didn't happen with me," the senior member says,
"I have two sons who gave us nothing when they got their first monthly
pay." And most other participants in this meeting say they were neither
given anything by their children on that occasion. "I expected a tie
for my husband and a kerchief for me," says one lady, "but my
daughter didn't give us anything and instead we had a commemorative dinner
together on parents' account." Children are not trained well how to
express their thanks to parents. "I have my daughter who is working,"
says a middle-aged member, "she's a so-called parasite single who thinks
that's the way it goes everywhere." Many kids stay with their parents
without paying for foods and rooms. They don't do the cooking and cleaning.
Their earnings are at their disposal. "I live a life just like that,"
says a young man, "and I think it's all right as long as my parents
can afford to do so." So, this year's first monthly pay given to those
company recruits will not be spent for ties and kerchiefs though some parents
are still dreaming for them.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(
Surf and turf delicacies in season)
"We are losing sense of the season these days," says a senior
participant, "cucumbers, for instance, are available on the table in
all seasons." Tomatoes and all kinds of vegetable are sold in all seasons.
They are crops grown under glass. Deep-frozen fish replaces delicacies of
the season. Eventually, people lose enthusiasm on the quality of foods.
"We'll be satisfied with a quick-fix meal," says one lady, "nobody
takes a serious view on in-season vegetables and delicacies." People
can really taste the difference between hothouse tomatoes and garden-fresh
tomatoes. "There must be difference in quality between garden-grown
vegetables and greenhouse-grown vegetables," says a lady, "I think
seasonable vegetables would contain something good for our health."
Since many years ago, people have been living too much an unseasonal life,
not enjoying delicacies of the season and staying mostly in air-conditioned
houses. "We must have altered our physiological system by ignoring
the change of the seasons," says a senior member, "in old times,
we used not to suffer from hay fever so much." By overcoming the change
of the seasons and losing feeling of the season, people must have developed
negative physiological reactions in themselves to chemical substances and
some natural products. It is important for us to get back to nature. We
should enjoy those surf and turf delicacies in season.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Japan's population to peak in 2006)
Based on the estimated long-term birthrate of 1.39, the government predicts
Japan's population to fall to about 100 million in 2050. It is expected
to peak already in 2006 at 127.7 million. "With such a very low birthrate,
calculation further tells we will be 64 million in 2100," says a senior
member, "and only around 500 people in 3000." In the long view,
population would not continue to decrease to that extent. The birthrate
will spring back when the society becomes more friendly to those families
having many children. "70 million people are not a bad idea,"
says another senior member, "we were just like that in the 1920s."
Considering Japan's limited natural resources and food self-support rate,
60-70 million people are an appropriate number that can make its home in
the small area. Big problem, however, is in the transition period of the
country's demographic shift. For the next fifty years, the top-heavy demographic
structure must be forcing the decreasing working population to support the
aged. "To keep Japan's position as the world second biggest economic
power," says a young participant, "immigrants should compensate
for the loss of workforce." As the result of the long-term reduction
of population, Japan would be shifting to another country where it will
be kind to families with many children, it will be open and flexible to
immigrants, and its society will become accepting multiculturalism down
the road.
(Parents are responsible for truant students)
In some cities in the United States, parents are strongly asked to take
responsibility for their own children playing hooky." For example,
if a child has more than five unexcused absences from school in a month,
parents can be arrested, charged with a misdemeanor, and face up to 60 days
in jail. Such a tough anti-truancy campaign appears to be getting through
to local parents. School attendance has improved and is at a 10-year high.
And the number of juvenile crimes has dropped dramatically. "In Japan,
we are also trying to involve parents in the truancy problem," says
a middle-aged participant who is teacher at a middle school, "there
are increasing number of parents who don't care if their children are kept
in school." Most mothers are working away from home during the daylight
hours. Those latchkey kids are free from eyes of their mothers and, also
in these days, from eyes and peer pressure in the community. "But it's
too much to say that truancy relates to juvenile crimes," says one
lady, "there are many cases truancy happens by other reasons than simple
hooliganism." Not only at home, there must be reasons in school and
society to yield a truant student. We must look into carefully the individual
case that causes truancy. And we must doubt if the current education system
is suitable for children.
(Swiss welcomed in the United Nations)
Switzerland can no longer stand on the sidelines but must face international
issues jointly with other members in the United Nations. Under the name
of neutrality, the country kept its independence of the international community.
But with the end of the Cold War, being neutral has been losing its significance.
The entry will solve a long paradox whereby the UN based some of its important
institutions in a country which was not even a member. Although the referendum
of Swiss people narrowly approved the entry, the country showed its feeling
that it can no longer endure isolation from the world community under globalization.
The country's next agenda is of course whether it should join the EU community.
"But what's the merit for other countries," says a lady, "does
Switzerland extend more financial supports to the UN than its present contribution
being given in the second largest UN capital, Geneve, next to New York?"
Or, would the country be able to exercise leadership in the UN which is
getting more at the mercy of only one superpower these days? Besides the
slight regret that we are losing a unique country on the earth, the issue
would not effect any impact on us.
(Bank of Japan buys government bonds)
In an attempt to pump more money into the financial sector and breathe life
into Japan's ailing economy, Bank of Japan just decided to buy up more government
bonds. With this decision, BOJ is going to purchase about 40 percent of
the government's planned bond issuance (30 trillion yen) for next fiscal
year. The bank says it would combat deflation by increasing bond purchases
further if necessary. "This is a mechanism where BOJ prints extra banknotes
and release them to the financial market based on the government's guarantee
for refunding in future," says a senior participant, "but this
is a dangerous drug that will lead the country to a state of hyperinflation."
In wartime, people experienced the government's false guarantee. The government
issued many wartime bonds to finance the mounting military expenditure.
Those bonds became no better than waste paper immediately after the war
because of hyperinflation. "I doubt if so-called controlled inflation
is applicable to the present scene," says one lady, "inflation
could not be regulated so easily as we like." Inflation will run quickly
out of our control once the market hits a turnaround. In the present gloomy
situation where the government's reform plans could not advance despite
the strong desire of the public, we may have no other way than this palliative
medicine. And everything goes wrong, don't worry, it's us who foot the bill
in the end.
(Must be ready for environmental summit)
"I don't know if the Kyoto Protocol would be ratified in time by the
lawmaker in Japan," says a middle-aged member, "industries became
tough on the issue after the United States announced it wouldn't agree to
the treaty." The Kyoto Protocol which had been proposed at the COP3
in 1997 and obliges developed countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse
gasses, was finally agreed at the COP7 in Morocco last November. Industrialized
countries have been working on ratifying the protocol and hope to put it
into effect before the Johannesburg summit in August. Japanese industrial
circles, however, present an objection saying that they are unable to compete
fairly with the American counterparts who would not follow the protocol
and do not have to spend as much environmental cost as Japanese do. "The
alternative proposal presented by the United States looks not acceptable
by other countries," says a senior member, "because it still admits
a certain growth in the gas emission in accordance with the development
of the GDP rate." America is responsible for the world biggest share
of the greenhouse gas emission and global warming. Without the major player
in the picture, the Kyoto Protocol will lose its significance very much.
"For Japan, the obligation has been eased by half," says a middle-aged
participant, "as we can calculate the rate at which forests assimilate
carbon dioxide." It is estimated that the demand of oxygen for a person's
aspiration can be supplied by twenty 30-year-old cedar trees. And carbon
dioxide the person breathes out is also assimilated by them. But this is
only a biological exchange. People emit severalfold greenhouse gasses in
their civilized lifestyle. People's attention to environmental problems
should be taken seriously. At the same time, the environmental issue offers
opportunities to industries to develop various eco-friendly products and
business models.
(IF Osaka)
(ADSL achieves fast communication)
"Last Saturday, I started subscription of the ADSL, Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line," says a senior participant, "I don't have to
dial anymore the local access point each time I browse homepages on the
Internet and exchange e-mail messages with my friends." His personal
computer had been paying the monthly phone bill around 6,000 yen. To connect
the Internet, the computer first dials the local access point. One local
call costs us about 10 yen for the first three minutes, then 10 yen for
every one minute afterwards. In addition, he had paid Nifty, the Internet
provider, a monthly fee, 1,200 yen. "In the ADSL contract, I only pay
Nifty about 3,000 yen a month," says the senior member, "and I'm
charged nothing by NTT." The computer is now hooked on the Internet
around the clock. And the telephone is not bothered anymore by the Internet
communication. Both the Internet and phone can work together on the same
wire. "On top of the economical improvement, I can now enjoy a very
quick browsing," he says, "it's no more a problem for me to see
my colleague's e-mail messages that often contain many big size pictures."
Subscribers of ADSL system are rapidly increasing these days. They already
outnumbered those subscribing the cable TV network. "I'm sorry, however,
the telephone company loses the substantial monthly bill sent to me,"
says the senior member, "this nationwide fashion would certainly damage
its bottomline." In fact, the share price of NTT has become very low.
It is only 15 percent of its peak price in the market. "And there,
I've lost 85 percent of my capital," he says, "so from now on,
I would be compensated for the loss gradually month after month."
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Starting campus life)
"My elder son just starts his campus life in Kusatsu," says a
middle-aged participant, "fortunately, he could get into one of the
prestigious universities based in Kyoto." Recently, Kyoto-based universities
moved their major school site to the suburban towns. "Kusatsu is no
more a commutable area from our house in Hirakata," says the participant,
"therefore, my son has to shop around for an apartment in the town."
For students who spend a four-year campus life, there are many one-room
condominium buildings in Kusatsu. The rent for such an apartment is around
40,000 yen a month. Still, there are some old-fashioned lodging houses available
for a monthly rent around 20,000 yen. But they are not popular among students.
Students like those modern bed-sitter buildings. Students are considered
by the renter to be a good customer. Parents go security for them. College
students move at a high rate of turnover. And on every new contract, the
renter gets a reward worth three-month rent. "Anyway, we parents can
rest easy now at least for the time being," says the middle-aged man,
"as my son is going on the right track." His son will soon find
a part-time job to get a little extra spending money. Parents will support
their son financially throughout his campus life. "Time flies,"
says a senior member, "your son will face another big subject in four
years." Japan suffers now from a high jobless rate, particularly, for
younger people. Nobody knows if the country's economic situation recovers
in four years.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Household accounts very hard up)
One of the current best-selling books, "If the world were a village
of 100 people" is written in a way easy to understand the prevailing
inequality in the distribution of wealth in the world. "Similarly,
we can learn how Japan's economy is ailing," says a senior participant,
"if we shorten the big national numbers by seven digits, they bear
easy comparison with those numbers in our household accounts." This
is a family budget where the household expenditure amounts to eight million
yen while the income is below five million. The family has been living this
way for nearly ten years and got deeper in debt. The family's debt now amounts
to 70 million yen, 14 times its annual income. "For example, a housing
loan worth 14 times the annual income is never accepted by any banks,"
says the senior member, "the family has no other way than to collapse."
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sticks to his campaign pledge that he would
not expand the government bond issue beyond 30 trillion yen every year.
But this still means the family continues borrowing three million yen every
year against its annual income of five million. Now, the Bank of Japan has
just raised its monthly bond purchases to 1 trillion yen.. "It means
40 percent of newly issued government bonds are taken up by the bank,"
says a middle-aged member, "instead, newly printed bank notes flow
into the market attempting to shape a certain excessive liquidity."
Nobody in the world has experiences with an effective method of controlled
inflation to end such a deflationary spiral. "Some people already sniff
out a hyperinflation," says a senior member, "they are lining
up for buying gold in mass." In the past, deflation was solved only
by social upheavals such as wars and national economic disasters where people
should almost lose their accumulated assets. And another game started from
the beginning.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Filing tax returns)
"It's time for us to do a tax return," says a senior participant,
"a new tax return form has been introduced by the authority this year,
but the system is still complicated." Most newly retired people have
no experience in filing a tax return by themselves since companies did all
the job for them while they were employed. Most Japanese companies are deducting
tax from the salaryman's income at source every month. "Actually, in
every December, companies do tax returns for each employee," says a
participant, "and in the month, some pay an extra tax, some others
get a return fortunately included in their monthly paychecks." Company
employees do nothing about calculation of their own tax liabilities. Only
in some cases, for example, when their spouses, or children, have big medical
expenses, they should file the tax return with the amount which can be deducted
from the annual taxable income. "Every spring, we face that big annual
job disturbing our retirement haven," says a senior member, "we
must study the tax system each time and give thought to all possible itemized
deductions." He says now finally we feel a sense of involvement in
all kinds of public issues as taxpayers. The new tax return form starting
this year includes a signature block for the tax attorney who has prepared
the document for the taxpayer. "This implies we should more use licensed
tax accountants for individual documentation," says a middle-aged member,
"yes, the elderly is rich enough to employ such a specialist."
And most of such tax attorneys talked about in the public are the retiree
of regional taxation offices. In the United States, such returns are quite
often prepared professionally by tax attorneys. "But for cost reduction,"
says a member, "many software programs are sold there that can cost
considerably less than most professionally prepared returns. In the United
States, more than half the population now has Internet access. No matter
how computer-literate Americans have become, many still fear taking the
plunge into tax preparation. In the coming digital age where we must pay
our taxes on the Internet, we need definitely a user-friendly program that
can solve all tax problems and make us feel happy about the returns.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Knockout allergy season; cedar pollen)
"Before the pollen monitoring equipment on top of a building in downtown
Osaka tells the allergy season is just around the corner," says a middle-aged
participant, "we know it well. Ah-choo!" The pollen count is getting
higher. As we had higher temperatures in January. People have been already
hit. The eyes give it away first, being the telltale signs of allergy sufferers
who have been zombies for about a week now. "Some did research on weather
and pollen, hoping to forecast the start of the season," says a senior
member, "it's the day when the cumulative temperature exceeds 400 degrees
Celsius, summing up the maximum air temperature of each day after January
1." And the season becomes hotting up after passing the cumulative
temperature of 450 degrees. So, the sniffle-and-sneeze hotbed has dug itself
in Japan. "Rain occasionally washes the pollen away," says one
lady, "but it can't cure the sufferer immediately." It seems the
prescription is meteorological, not medical. "We must lie still until
the tree-spawned pollen settles all on the ground," says a member,
"but the season benefits ENT clinics and drug companies very much every
year." As the number of allergy sufferers is increasing, therapeutic
research and development of new drugs continue endlessly. Almost every year,
new drugs together with a new theory come out in an attempt to remedy the
sufferer. "Hay fever is not a fatal disease," says a senior member,
"with its somewhat cartoonish nuance, allergy sufferers couldn't be
too serious." They will try every new curative again this year. And
each year they could not have enough time to confirm its positive effect
before the season is over in early summer. Like other lifestyle drugs for
obesity, baldness and sexual impotence, such medicines for pollenosis provide
the pharmaceutical industry big money.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Speeches here and there)
"Last week, Makiko Tanaka, the questionable foreign minister, was sent
to the showers," says a senior participant, "and without the most
popular cabinet member, Koizumi now faces his approval rating slipping below
50 percent." Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave his policy speech
at the House of Representatives. He said his "resolution to carry out
reforms remained unchanged. "Koizumi's 50-minute policy speech was
not so impressive," the senior member says, "it contrasted in
quality Bush's State of the Union address last week." The 48-minute
speech given by President Bush was interrupted 75 times with applause and
standing ovations. The text would have been read through within 20 minutes
if there was no interruption by the audience's upsurge. "Bush's performance
was perfect," one lady says, "the speech show must have been prepared
carefully and produced correctly by the stage director. Both the speaker
and audience acted and showed exactly into the TV camera according to the
stage direction. "It must be a tiresome physical exercise," says
the lady, "for elderly attendants greeting the speaker so often by
a standing ovation." Bush's State of the Union address was telecast
live all over the world. "I don't totally agree to the content of Bush's
speech," says a middle-aged participant, "but I must admit Bush
is a good speaker, certainly far better than Koizumi." Japanese politician's
speeches are mostly a page-by-page reading. Western speakers recite their
text by rote and try to be interactive resonating the audience with their
clear-cut messages. "We are not trained for a public speaker,"
says a senior member, "we are not habituated to making an impromptu
speaking." In general, the speech text written for Japanese politicians
is nearly a book language, not a sparkly spoken language. In days of globalization,
those leading people in the society should be enough communicative to convince
the public and talking partners of ideas they wish to sell. Makiko Tanaka
is regarded as one of the few good speakers in the political world. Dismissal
of the foreign minister has, therefore, disappointed the public very much
.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Restoration of Barmian's Buddha)
"A few months ago, I quit watching TV," says a middle-aged participant,
"and I feel no inconvenience." Instead, he could make more productive
time for reading and other purposes. "Blessings of civilization are
not always enriching people's lifestyle," he continues, "but obstructing
people's creativity in life." Industries and politicians threaten the
public with a possible economic catastrophe and ask them to spend their
money for unnecessary products and services. "They say we must buy
more make-work articles and services to boost the nation's economy,"
says a senior participant, "but in this process, we are creating a
deepening gap in the world between the rich and the poor." As civilization
is sold to developing countries from the one-sided viewpoint of economic
powers, the spoon-fed lifestyle could not settle among the local people
in a harmonious manner but broaden the gap among them between 'have' and
'have not' creating animosity against each other. "I felt it rather
strange," one lady says, "that the last international meeting
on Afghanistan in Tokyo agreed to list the restoration of Barmian's Buddha
among other pressing normalization issues." Is the restoration program
really wished as a higher priority subject by the Afghan people who are
mostly Moslem? The Iranian film director, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, recently wrote
a book titled "The Buddha Was Not Demolished In Afghanistan; It Collapsed
Out Of Shame." "Why that peaceful , idyllic local existence some
30 years ago has become completely lost?" says a senior member, "if
the western power didn't touch the country, Afghanistan would have lasted
as Shangri-la even today." Those who had damaged the country during
the past 20 years sat together last week to discuss how to help the local
people to revive, but again, to the taste of the world superpower. The earthian
must conclude a proper global concept for harmonious coexistence until the
day capitalism collapses out of shame as communism did a decade ago.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Daiei takes a tough challenge)
"Banks have just avoided the collapse of what once was the nation's
biggest retailer, Daiei," says a senior participant, "but its
revitalization plan is not an easy one." Out of Daiei's overall debts
today, above 2 trillion yen, banks give up their claimable assets of about
400 billion yen. Daiei plans to reduce its debts down to 1 trillion yen
in three years. With its projected annual profit, around 50 billion yen,
this goal seems to be too high. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had
mentioned his understanding over the collapse of Aoki Construction last
autumn as a positive outcome of the reform campaign in some business sectors,
extended his concern this time to the fate of the giant retailer. "In
the United States, the collapse of Enron is very much talked on the media,"
says a middle-aged member, "this biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history
took place suddenly last December without much prior discussion although
the country's largest energy company had strong ties to the Bush administration."
And the case left thousands of employees without jobs and their retirement
savings all but gone because the funds had been tied largely to now-nearly
worthless Enron stock. Other investors and creditors also have lost hundreds
of millions of dollars. "The accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, is now
the target of criticism for its poor auditing," says a senior member,
the complicated bookkeeping among Enron's group companies concealed the
true picture of the general business performance." Accountants always
take the side of their clients rather than investors or consumers. If accountants
and auditors work well in conformity to the law, such a big bankruptcy or
a corporate blunder would be prevented from happening.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Brand authority becomes vulnerable)
"It's no more a great help for companies sticking to their brand authority,"
says a senior participant, "Kirin, having long been the local best-selling
beer, will soon be lost to Asahi." It is estimated that Kirin Beverage
Corp., Japan's largest beer supplier, slips first time from the top position
in sales in the business sector this year. During the past 10 years, while
Kirin was on automatic pilot having enjoyed its overwhelming market share,
always above 60 percent, for decades, Asahi Beverage made a drastic effort
to increase its market share from its miserable position in the market as
perennial loser 20 years ago. Asahi made it big with a hit product, Super
Dry Beer, and started stepping up its position in the market. "A signature
brand can't stand on its name alone," says one lady, "efforts
to protect it are always needed." With time, Toyota may be taken over
by Honda in sales who looks more aggressive and innovative. Ford has just
made a management decision to stop its production lines for several historic
luxury cars such as Lincoln-Continental. "Hanae Mori also sold her
apparel business to a trading house," says a middle-aged member, "Mori's
brand authority couldn't keep strengthening her business." Hanae Mori
could not stay long in the market as the apparel mogul since the design
was subject to competition with others and the attacks of cut-rate apparel
suppliers such as Uniclo. "Talking of brand authority," says a
senior man, "brand-name colleges still exist in Japan." People
graduated from several prestigious universities are still treated better
in the Japanese society, only because of their attendance record. The academic
record-oriented society will not be promoted for the time being if the present
economic depression further advances in the country. We know people with
a beautiful academic background are not always the winner in the era of
reform.
(ESD Takatsuki)
(Harry Potter writes another Cinderella story)
"The books of Harry Potter already sold 150 million copies worldwide,"
says a senior participant, "the author is getting the heroine of another
Cinderella story." Being a single mother in the depth of poverty and
living on social benefits, J K Rowling started writing the fantasy fiction,
Harry Potter, about five years ago. And Harry Potter soon became the best-selling
hardcover in England and the United States. It advanced rapidly into many
other countries in many languages. With its unprecedented popularity, Harry
Potter has become the most circulating book in the world besides the Bible.
The nation's poorest welfare mother five years ago has now turned out a
billionaire in her mid 30s, one of Britain's few high-income earners even
topping Queen Elizabeth. "After her first success with Harry Potter
five years ago," says a middle-aged member, "the mercantile system
followed to drive the boom further." The publisher effectively utilized
the Internet and media in making readers think long for the next volume.
The story is of course structured smartly, precisely and attractively to
draw attention of young readers who have been considered to be no more bibliophile
these days. But some still criticize it for being tinted with classism that
can't be accepted in the present society. "Then, Japanese translator
of Harry Potter had also a substantial share of the success," says
a senior member, "Yuko Matsuoka, the translator and local publisher,
could save her husband's ailing publishing company thanks to the book."
Harry Potter already sold 8 million copies in Japanese translation. It was
her luck that Yuko could win the exclusive right to translate all Harry
Potter books into Japanese. "Something luck still happens," says
a member, "nobody should say I'm too late." Let's wish Happy New
Year the one that must give us a big positive surprise!
(ESD Takatsuki)