A Video: Magical Japan

Here is a beautiful video shot by Scott Gold during a January trip to Japan with his wife.   This is what we see every day and on excursions...a fast-paced, modern life mixed with Japan's rich traditions and history.  We have not yet seen snow monkeys but we have seen lots of snow!  A friend has invited me to take a trip with her to the mineral baths called onsens.  I am looking forward to that experience very much.   (Onsens are usually separated by gender.)  As you watch, enjoy the architecture, lights, bullet trains, culinary arts, sumo tournaments, and more.  It truly is this magical! Click the link...

 

http://vimeo.com/87008050

Chaotic Address System Requires GPS

Ready for Taxi Drivers

Running very late for an appointment, I grabbed a 
 taxi to avoid a 13-minute walk.  But the driver did not speak English or read Romanji letters and I do not speak Japanese or write Kanji characters.  So he had no clue where I needed to go or how to get there.  I jumped out and he sped off.   To get around this problem in the future, I now have the address written in Japanese. 

Tokyo has a very chaotic address system and even long-time taxi drivers get lost. When they do, they "lose face" and feel shame.   But with such an out-dated and illogical system, it seems that getting lost is often excusable.  

Long ago the first building constructed in a neighborhood was # 1.  Then the second building erected became # 2.  Because of growth and development, today those buildings might be far apart.  So, building # 2 might sit right next to building # 13!  On our street a high-rise structure was just demolished and a new one will soon be constructed.  Does the new building keep the original number?  I don't know the answer.  Why doesn't Japan change the system?  Likely answer:  It would be very expensive and the country has other priorities.  Besides, we now have navigational systems to show the way.  Everything will come to an abrupt halt if GPS systems go down!! 

Using our apartment address, this is how the Tokyo address system works...

 

Teetering Wardrobes

We had a little earthquake this week but the seismic situation has remained unusually quiet since our arrival in Tokyo.  Still, I wonder how we can better prepare.  Notice how the cabinet that can't fall over because it is secured by the ceiling (left), is bolted to the wall but the large wardrobes towering over our bed are not?  This needs attention.

They teeter when we open the doors.

 It won't require much swaying to knock these wardrobes over.

Peek Inside a Dressing Room

This is how finer dressing rooms look in Japan.  All women are required to wear this hood to protect clothing from make-up smears.  It adds one more complication to the trying-on process.  At least this dressing room didn't require shoe removal.  

National Healthcare Card

My national healthcare card arrived today!  Though I would like to learn how well the medical system works in Japan, I don't want to learn about it through experience.  Thankfully we have been healthy and safe thus far.  

Always Uniform

During after-school hours the subways fill with school children.  Some commute alone but most travel in groups, some with three or four kids and some large enough to fill a train car.  This is very typical scene.  Children stand in circles and interact with one another in quiet conversation and occasional giggles.  They are instructed by their schools to interact only with one another.  Every item of clothing is carefully fitted to the child--including their stockings--and issued by the school.  Backpacks and supplies are also issued by the school so that everything is standard.  Each school has a different uniform.  Some have more economical uniforms and relaxed dress codes.  I have noticed again and again that the type of uniform often correlates with the type of behavior the children display in public, for example, how they respond to a crossing guard's instructions.   When a child travels alone, he or she usually does homework or reads a book. 

New Taxes and Texts Coming April 1st.

April 1, 2014 marks an important day for Japan when a hiked sales tax takes effect and a new moral textbook is issued to all public school youngsters. 

Adults dislike the tax. How will the children feel about the text? This is no April Fools joke.

Apparently the moral textbook contains new content on such great historical figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa.  News stories report that lessons cover "information ethics," "traditional Japanese culture," and bullying prevention.  From personal stories communicated directly to me (and from what I have read), bullying is a significant issue in some schools.  To the contrary, some of our non-Japanese friends say that their foreign-born children attended public schools and experienced NO bullying, that they were treated by teachers and peers with great kindness.  It appears that like U.S. public schools, quality is variable from one building to the next.  A graduate student who attended Japanese public schools told me that in some classrooms students do NOT respect the teacher; they do not obey and do not want to study or learn.  The government estimates that is the case in 10% of the public school classrooms.  Despite its nationalized curriculum, Japan has permitted considerable latitude in terms of how students are taught and how moral/ethical conduct is enforced within individual schools.  Perhaps the current goal is to tighten standards and improve accountability.  I don't really know but hope to find out.

Now THAT'S a MARATHON!

I am very glad that I didn't take the subway to north of our apartment to do some Sunday afternoon shopping.  The February 23, 2014 Tokyo Marathon had high security and 36,000 runners!!!

Widening Trade Gap and Weakening Yen

If you follow the news, you may have read that Japan's trade gap reached a new record.  This is BBC's story from February 20, 2014.  I thought it worth copying for the blog to increase awareness. 

Japan's monthly trade deficit has more than doubled to a new record after a weakened currency drove up the cost of fuel imports while exports slowed.

Japan's trade gap rose by 71% to 2.79tn yen ($27.3bn; £16.4bn) in January from a deficit of 1.3tn yen in December.

This comes after imports rose by 25%, outweighing a 9.5% rise in exports.

Japan has posted large trade deficits for 19 straight months, raising concerns the government's stimulus policy may be having a counter effect.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been looking to weaken the value of Japan's currency to stimulate economic growth and end nearly two decades of deflation.

His measures - which have come to be known as "Abenomics" - include increasing the money supply in the country to drive down the value of the currency.

Theoretically, a weak yen should boost exports by making them cheaper for foreign buyers, and increase the profits of exporters when they repatriate overseas earnings.

The Japanese yen has lost nearly 20% of its value against the US dollar over the past year, but the weak currency has also made imports more expensive and affected the country's trade balance.

The world's third-largest economy has had to import most of its energy needs after it shut all of its nuclear reactors in the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake in 2011. 

Japan posted a record annual trade deficit last year, and some economists say that this may widen further following a controversial sales tax increase in April.

A Country Without an Official Name

日本   This is the symbol for "Japan." The first character is a pictograph of the sun and refers to "day."   Two challenges exist when using Kanji.  The first is remembering their meanings.  The second challenge is that they give no clue as to the actual pronunciation.  Did you know that the Japanese people do not agree on how to pronounce the name of their country??  Is it Nihon or Nippon?  But the West calls it "Japan" which literally means "Well, bread."  The western name is owed to Marco Polo's adventures in China.  He heard about--but never actually visited-- the island country to the East that the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty) tried and failed to conquer.  (You may remember that Japan was saved from Chinese invasion by a typhoon called a kamikaze.) The Chinese dialect pronunciation sounded like "Jipen" but in his book, The Travels of Marco Polo, he wrote it "Zipangu."   

Originally the Japanese called their country "Wa" or "Yamato."  In the late 7th century the name was changed to "Nippon" or "Jippon."   When polled today, 61% of Japanese say their country is properly pronounced "Nihon" while 37% refer to it as "Nippon."  What confusion!  Of course, the Diet (parliament) could settle the matter but has chosen not to for reasons that are not entirely clear to me.  So, I guess we are free to call it whatever we choose?  Wa, Yamato, Jipen, Zipangu, Jippon, Nippon, Nihon, or Japan.  

A Strong, Caring People

At 200 mph, this train is not much slower than the fastest!

We took the world's sixth fastest train, the Shinkansen, to Sendai, city of about one million people roughly 400 km north of Tokyo.   The strange-looking long nose reduces vibration and sound when passing through tunnels.  The ride was quiet, smooth, clean, and hassle-free.  

Once in Tokyo Doug met with world-renowned seismology experts.  He spent valuable hours with his colleagues exchanging ideas and recent developments in the field of earthquake research.  

 Tohoku University's Prof. Dapeng Zhao, who worked with Doug as a research scientist 18 years ago, and his wife Lucy

Sendai is the closest major city to the March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake's epicenter.  You will surely remember that the 9.0 magnitude quake and videos of the devastating tsunami that followed, resulting in about 30,000 casualties and the displacement of another 340,000.  Then the Fukushima nuclear power disaster added to the terror.    Many of the displaced people still reside in temporary housing and suffer great hardships.  For example, farmers are unable to sell their produce because of a fear that crops from the prefecture (region) might be radioactive even though the food is not grown along the affected coastal area and is safe to consume.  

Town of Fukushima

Some people described the harrowing tsunami event to us in vivid detail.  One woman said that she had lost several friends in the disaster, "One of my friends drove her car to high ground when the earthquake struck but then she thought about the dog that she had left behind and drove back to get him.  A wall of water hit her."  Many people live in fear that another earthquake will happen but "it is the way we live," she said.    While there is a general sense amongst the experts that the "faulty" situation has calmed around Tohoku's coastal region, there is considerable concern that Tokyo's seismic situation is far more unstable. 

Have you ever wanted to know more about the very brave individuals who went into the nuclear plant during the crisis to deal with the emergency situation?  Some were retired nuclear plant workers but beyond that, not much is known to the public.  Their identities are a state secret and that is the way the heroes want it.  During television interviews, their faces are blurred and only voices are heard.  They have even refused offers of government compensation for their courageous efforts.  They exemplify the

 true Japanese spirit of sacrifice for the nation.  

On my own to explore this cold, windy city, I took the "Loople" bus, appropriately named for it loops around the city making about 15 cultural site stops.  I met many friendly, kind people, beginning with the woman seated next to me on the Loople.  Using her phone to translate, she typed,  "It is pleasant sitting next to you. If you need more leg room, please stretch."  She made certain that I could read the scrolling announcements and understand the hop-on-hop-off bus system.  Mid-day a woman fell on the icy sidewalk and I stopped to offer assistance.  Then she helped me read the bus schedule--so I would stop missing buses--and gave me a free bus pass.   

Seven Generations (of Date Family Rule)

A volunteer guide at the Sendai City Museum provided a grand, personal tour, even placing this ridiculous samurai helmet on my head.  She laughed at my childish excitement when I successfully read two Kanji characters in a display caption... 

The guide even answered sensitive questions like, "How is the Emperor perceived by Japanese people today?"  Her answer:  It is not like in the days before the war when we were taught to believe everything the Emperor said. He was always right. Not anymore.  We just respect him.  And we like his commoner wife too.  Maybe his baby girl will become Empress someday!  We used to have empresses a long time ago, you know.  That evening the guide followed up with this email message...

Hello, Debra san,

Thank you very much for coming to Sendai Museum !
Are you enjoying Sendai and many places ?
This is Mrs. Yuko Fujita, a volunteer of Museum.
I can not explain lots of things in details today.
Please come again any time to Sendai Museum.
From March 1st, a special exhibition of Horyuji-Temple
of Nara Prefecture, near Kyoto-Fu, will be opened.
  Any way, please have a good time !
Best,                                     Yuko, a volunteer

 

The real spirit of the nation is also found in the warm, welcoming hearts of the Sendai people. 

 

Bride and Groom Western-Style

We live on Platinum Street with its many wedding chapels and very fancy cars (I don't even know the names of some they are so expensive.)  For several blocks it is quite a wedding promenade.  Brides and grooms in western-style gowns and tuxedos, along with crowds of resplendently-coiffed, exquisitely-dressed women and dark-suited men mill about before and after each event  Today we caught a bride and her groom just before entry.   They were delighted that I took their photo and gave me very happy smiles.  Unfortunately vending machines and trash cans are the back drop because they hadn't quite reached the red carpeted steps and water fountains. 

Many families sacrifice a tremendous amount financially to provide both a Japanese wedding for family and close friends, AND a western wedding for a much wider circle of friends and family.  The western wedding service is often performed in a mixture of English and Japanese and includes religious elements borrowed from a typical Protestant wedding ceremony.  It is easy to see into the large windows from the street to get glimpses of the ceremonies and receptions.  Often the chapel is candle-lit and the procession includes bridesmaids, groomsmen and sometimes children.  There are vows and an exchange of rings.  I don't know how often prayers are offered and Bible passages are read.   The romantic receptions look like cheerful events with tables full of food, elegant decorations, activities and games, toasts, and many-tiered cakes.   The guests who arrived with fancy envelopes of money, return home with bags of gifts from the bride and groom.  It is expected that much of the money the couple receives in cash gifts will be returned to the guests in the form of showy gifts! 

Canned Bread in Disaster

The following message arrived from our apartment management office.  We arrived too late to grab free goods but even if we had, we don't own a can-opener!

Our lodge office provides an emergency kit and three days' worth of preserved foodstuffs for residents.  They are distributed to residents for free:
1.Canned Fruit
2.Canned Bread
3.Canned Tuna

What is canned bread??  I looked on the web and found the following advertisement.  

"Are you prepared for an unexpected natural disaster?  When the electricity, water and gas all stop...? We would face many problems in such a disaster, and food is one of them. Akimoto-Pan's Canned Bread is just as soft and delicious as fresh bread, can be stored long-term, and easily opened when needed!  This yummy bread is made using a special process allowing it to be stored long-term. There are three to choose from; orange, raisin, and strawberry. You can have your favorite flavored fresh baked bread anywhere, anytime, you want!"

The Japanese plan well for disaster.  They live one of the most seismically-active parts of the globe!

No Words for This

We had our first private Japanese language lesson and I feel like a cockatiel.  While I can repeat phrases, I have no idea what they mean.  However, that may be an unfair comparison with our beloved cockatiel "Pavi" because he could at least associate sounds with ideas.  For example, he recognized each family member's car engine and appeared to correctly associate the car with the driver.  From the volume of chirping and the degree of wing flapping, we could tell if  Mom, Dad, or one of the kids was approaching home.  Sometimes I feel like flapping about too when I don't have the words to say.   It can be so frustrating!!  I will provide a story as an example of how things can go here...

I went to the Japanese Post Office to mail an important U.S. government document. I enclosed it in the envelope provided, the kind with little holes punched through the front, presumably to speed machine processing.  But the holes proved entirely unacceptable to the persnickety postal clerks.  During much head-shaking, hand-wringing, and Chotto matte kudasai-ing (Wait just a moment, please),  the envelope was passed around the entire office.  Three postal workers shook their heads over the envelope error. As they prepared to return it to me, a fourth clerk noticed the return address.  Oh, no, no, no.    A business return address--Tokyo University?   Unacceptable!  The others agreed, "So, so, so."  Only an apartment address would do.  Oh, how desperately I needed Japanese words!!  I pointed and repeated "U.S. government envelope" over and over with increasing volume, hoping that the U.S.A. would bring some authority to the situation.  But they were not dissuaded.  So I took the envelope home to place Scotch tape over the vexing holes.  Upon returning to the post office, I exclaimed,  "Todaimae"!  Faces fell.  The American lady had plugged the holes but she had changed the return address to include Todaimae, Tokyo University's subway station??!  Faces were horrified.  Having carefully rehearsed my return greeting, I was dismayed.  Next time I visit my friends at the Japanese Post Office, I will get it right... Todaima! (I'm back!!)  They will be delighted. 

My frustration diminished as I began to contrast this experience with that of the U.S. Postal Service in its failure to carry out a simple mail-forwarding request.  Before moving to Tokyo I filled out the postcard with our forwarding address.  Then I waited in line for service at the local post office.  I asked the clerk if all the information was clearly written and properly completed.  She pronounced it " good" and assured me the mail would be forwarded.  But the mail was NOT forwarded, inconveniencing our friends and requiring numerous international calls to clear up the error.  Incompetence and careless work is not the Japanese way.  I much prefer the persnickety clerk over the lax worker any day.  

A Simple Shopping Trip

While I grow accustomed to navigating crowds, they never cease to astonish and sometimes annoy.  A shopping excursion just to purchase basic household items can take hours on foot and subway, ending in fatigue and frustration.  This is a photo taken outside Shibuya subway station late on Sunday afternoon.  Every time the traffic light changes, all vehicles halt as pedestrians undulate across the pavement like electrons generating current.  Today the crowds were positively charged and I, negatively.   Though pedestrian streams flow with relative ease, avoiding too much friction, admittedly they sometimes wear me down. 

Heaviest Snowfalls in Over 40 Years

TOKYO, Saturday, February 15 — 

Yesterday morning snow began to fall in Tokyo.  When we opened our curtains this morning, another 26 centimeters had accumulated, much of it beginning to melt, turning Tokyo streets and sidewalks into pools of slippery slush.   The second storm comes just one week after 27 centimeters of snow fell on parts of Tokyo and eastern Japan--the heaviest snowfall in 45 years.   Japan's road, rail and air travel services experienced major disruptions.  Many people were stranded, some seated on park benches waiting for services to resume.   Over 187,000 households lost power in the region.  An elderly woman and her adult son  froze to death in their home this week.   This is not a country accustomed to such cold and wet conditions.  The combined snowstorms  contributed to 14 deaths and over 2,000 injuries.   Forecasters predict that high winds will continue and snow will return mid- week. 

Eeyore's Optimism

Hot Springs in Nikko

Again, heavy snowfall postponed a weekend visit to the town of Nikko located at the entrance to Nikko National Park with its  mountainous scenery,  waterfalls, hot springs,  wild monkeys, hiking trails, and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last of the three great shoguns.    

So, I feel a bit like Eeyore...

Heartless Timing

An inexpensive bar of chocolate found in our cupboard.  Cold and heavy snow dampened my enthusiasm for going out to take a photo of fancy chocolates.

Roppongi Hills on Valentine's Day

Along with many cities in the U.S., snowfall arrived in Tokyo with heartless timing.  It is February 14 on this side of the dateline and tonight is the evening when youthful multitudes of Japanese lovers celebrate Valentine's Day with the exchange of gorgeous chocolates, lavish dining and perhaps a stroll past the red lights of Roppongi Hills.   On this day women give dark chocolates to men.  Some specialty chocolate shops (like the one next door to our apartment building) have lines of women for several days trailing out the door and down the side walk.   If women do not consider the chocolates a gift of true love, they often make the chocolates themselves and wrap them in beautiful paper.  One month later on March 14, men return the gifts on "White Day" with a package of white chocolate. 

A Shortage and Split-Toed Boots

Near our apartment on Platinum Street a lot of demolition and new construction is underway.  Every day I walk back and forth in front of guarded sites where swinging cranes rip apart multistory structures.    At the nearest site workers in blue parkas silently guard a temporary, white vinyl wall behind which an entire building is collapsing.  The men look considerably beyond middle age.  They extend their arms to protect pedestrians and wave trucks through.   I am always struck by their very worn, tired faces; these are not men in the strength of their youth!  They have been placed on the sidewalk as the last outpost of their careers.   

After making eye contact, I look immediately at their feet hoping to see a pair of Japanese workers' boots called a "Jika-Tabi" (jee' kah tah bee).  (They are one of the idiosyncrasies I have heard about but yet to see.)    Since the early 20th Century, construction workers and artisans have worn split-toed, calf-length, cotton boots with a rubber roles.  These boots have several advantages.  They are breathable, flexible, grippy, and protective when walking on ground debris.   Today some have reinforced toes. The men on the sidewalk do not wear this foot gear but rather an insulated boot with protection from the cold.  Perhaps that is one of the perks of seniority and consolation for doing pedestrian (literally) work.

Japanese news reports a critical shortage of construction laborers.  Building contracts are way up and supply of laborers is way down.  With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics planning underway, the situation looks dire.  It takes 10 years to become a skilled artisan.  I doubt that Japan's education system, with its emphasize on math and science, is preparing a pipeline of future constructions workers.  With so many laborers nearing the mandatory retirement age and not enough youth to fill the jobs, Japan has a critical problem.   And I'm not sure if sending  government child-subsidy checks to each couple that chooses to have kids is enough to solve the dilemma for the long term.  

Like most developed nations, Japan has many divisions: conservative-liberal, urban-rural, young-old, rich-poor, private-public.  It probably has a split opinion over immigration as well.   Honestly, I do not see how government leaders can alleviate this acute problem unless the country develops a breathable, flexible immigration policy. I do not believe that such a plan is incompatible with the economic and social interests of this great nation.  But then again,  I come from a land of immigrants.  

Are you well, Kikuchan?

The Yusakuni Shrine prints letters from the war dead sent before their deaths.  Read this sad letter below. Think about how young men were taught in schools that service-to-the-death for the Emperor and his government would bring glory to Japan.  They were merely string puppets in the hands of manipulative military generals and political leaders.  They and their loved ones paid the ultimate price.  

This is a letter written by a Maintenance Petty Officer, 2nd Class, Japanese Navy, to his younger sister.  At age 24 he was killed in action on February 6, 1944 in the South Sea Islands.  

Kikuchan, please forgive me for not writing to you for so long.
I am in increasingly good spirits and working for the sake of the nation.  Are you well, Kikuchan?
And are you going to school every day?
How time passes so quickly.  It is already two years since I departed.
During that time I am sure that you listened carefully to what your teachers and Father and Mother told you, become wonderful, and have grown much taller.
If it were possible, I would really like to see you.
It is now a busy time so you are probably babysitting after returning from school.
But you must not forget to study hard even when you are babysitting.
Kochan must also be well.
Please live happily together.
Well then, I'll write again sometime.

Tomio Manakata Mikoto

Kamikaze Souls "Meet Again at Yasukuni"

Yusakuni Shrine

Yesterday Japan celebrated National Foundation Day, formerly called Emperor's Day.    As one of the nation's four official holidays, schools and businesses closed.  Families took outings or simply stayed home to rest.  Like Memorial Day, it is a cherished time away from work.  But unlike Americans who visit cemeteries of fallen soldiers on this holiday (including Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers), some pious Japanese make the annual trip to the Shinto shrine, Yusakuni, to worship the spirits of those who died in the service of the Empire.

First, a little history...
One day each year was set aside to celebrate the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.  According to legend, Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne in 660 AD.  No historically reliable records can verify his dates or reign since the oldest historical records come from ca. 720 AD.    According to Japanese mythology and Shinto beliefs, Jimmu is the direct descendant of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and the universe.   The current Emperor is said to directly descend from this "great god who shines in the heavens." 

After years of feudal rule under the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (now Tokyo), when the Imperial family again returned to power, the Emperor needed to legitimize his rightful rule.  To unify the nation and boost its claim to power, the new Meiji government declared "Emperor's Day" an official national holiday.  In 1869 it also built the Yusakuni Shrine to commemoration the souls of those who died in defense of the Emperor.  And so the holiday continued until after the end of World War II when it was renamed "Foundation Day."   

Thousands of Japanese still visit the Yasukuni Shrine.  It now commemorates over 2,466,000 souls who died in the service of the Empire.   And it is this very shrine that Prime Minister Abe visited last year creating, in effect, a great international disturbance.  This greatly disturbed China and other countries in the region that suffered Japanese invasions and atrocities.  It is this shrine that has served to unify the people of Japan and lift morale during times of war and conflict.  To better understand the situation, Doug and I paid a visit to the shrine.  Not to worship the spirits of the deceased, of course, but to study and observe.

Mitsubishi Zero Carrier-Based Fighter

Controversy surrounding the Yasukuni Shrine...
Located in central Tokyo, this shrine has a long, combined sacred-secular tradition.     Over time the role of the shrine expanded to commemorate all those who died in military service, beginning with the Boshin War of 1868 and continuing through the end of World War II.  The shrine holds great significance for soldiers and civilians alike.  In fact, military soldiers believed that they would gain the status of a national hero if they gave their lives for the Empire.  And so Kamikaze pilots preparing for suicide missions commonly said "meet again at Yasukuni."   

The original main gate (Otorii), presumably also made of steel, was taken down in 1943 to be used in the war effort.

But the post-war U.S.-led occupation of Japan did not look favorably upon this shrine nor its role in society.  So it insisted that the shrine become either a religious institution or a secular one.  Not both!   A complete separation of church and state was demanded.  Actually, the Occupation's preference was to burn the shrine down and put a dog race park in its place but Roman Catholic Church leaders intervened, arguing that every nation has the duty to honor its war dead.  So the shrine continued but it was placed under the supervision of an independent religious corporation.   However, this newly independent administration could not guarantee freedom from political pressures.

Making Peace with Two Imperial Soldiers

Initially, convicted World War II criminals were excluded from enshrinement at Yasukuni.   However, the Japanese government gradually pushed for inclusion of World War II Class B and C criminals.  Finally, in 1978, in a secret ceremony, fourteen supreme Class A war criminals were enshrined at Yasukuni.  These fourteen souls included the top World War II generals and prime ministers.  Since this event the emperor has not visited the shrine though several prime ministers have made visits to worship the spirits of Japan's war dead.   

What is your view on visits by public officials to this site?  This will make a lively history class discussion!  


 

Porcelain-White Faces

There is a baffling array of lotions and cremes in the store.   Though I can read labels in Katakana and Hiragana I still don't understand products well enough to purchase them.  But this "Elixir White" really got my attention.  It appeared to be more than a moisturizer.

What is a "white lotion?"  It sounds like something pale women don't need.   The Japanese news ran a story this week about the popularity of such whitening lotions so now I understand.   And I went to Wikipedia to learn more...

 Bihaku is a Japanese marketing tool meaning "beautifully white" and it was first coined in the 1990s with the emergence of skin whitening products and cosmetics.  Most of these items are facial cremes and not for the entire body.  For centuries the Japanese have considered unblemished porcelain-white facial skin to be the ideal.  There is an old proverb that "white skin covers the seven flaws," meaning a fair-skinned woman is beautiful regardless of her many unattractive features. Whitening cremes are particularly popular with middle-aged women, teenagers and those in their 20s.  Apparently some Japanese women even resort to unhealthy surgical procedures to whiten their complexions.  I saw one woman that truly achieved that ideal look; she had a porcelain-white doll face and seemed like she should be sitting on a shelf.  Indeed she drew many sideways glances.  Now I understand what many women are hoping to achieve.     

Duck-and-Cover Desks Fetch Big Prices in Japan

The "antique business district" of Tokyo is within walking distance of our apartment and I enjoy window shopping there.   Early to mid-20th century U.S. furniture and household items fill the stores, and go for BIG prices.  One of the owners told me that he does not negotiate prices because U.S. nostalgia items are in such high demand.  I am shocked to see "junk-tiques" fetching such high prices! (And these store owners tell me that their prices are low by comparison with more upscale antique establishments.)   Even the most fashionable stores in downtown Tokyo scatter antique and retro items throughout their merchandise.    the Japanese have no sentimental attachment to these items yet they are in demand merely because they are American. This school desk will go for 29,000 Yen or $290. 

If you went to school in the 1950s and '60s, do you remember these desks??  Do you remember watching the "duck and cover" civil defense film about Bert, the Alert turtle who was prepared for an atomic bomb attack upon his school at any time??   

Do you remember hiding under these desks during bomb drills and asking yourself:  Why would the enemy choose this town to bomb?   How are these desks gonna save us?!    Now that you've been reminded of these pointless exercises, how about watching the 5-minute film once again and thanking God that the world has not suffered nuclear devastation ever again?  Click the link and be reminded of the happy music and the terrifying message.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=120wGLgCTkg

A New Governor In Town

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

In late 2012, after 15 years of economic deflation, Japanese citizens voted for Liberal Democratic Party rule leading to the return of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose bellicose, nationalist rhetoric is world-renowned.   Just as well known is "Abenomics", his economic plan credited with improving the Japanese economy through well-reasoned fiscal and monetary policies.   Yet, while Japan's economy is increasingly intertwined with China's economy, Abe has escalated tensions with its behemoth neighbor--and sent shock waves throughout the world.    In late December 2013 Prime Minister Abe increased hostilities by paying a visit to Yasukuni Shrine to honor the souls of Japanese who died fighting in World War II, including fourteen leaders convicted of Class A war crimes.   Though Abe has made several past visits to the shrine, this visit, which fell on the first anniversary of his second term in office, provoked outrage from China and scoldings from the U.S. with whom Japan is trying to tighten relations.  China declared that Abe is "unwelcome by Chinese people...and leaders won't meet him anymore."  

And then there are the disputed islands.  They are administered by Japan which calls them "Senkakus" but they are also claimed by China which refers to them as "Diaoyu."   Escalation of the island conflict actually began back in 2012 with Abe's predecessor, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Yudo, when he ordered the Japanese government to purchase the islands from a private owner (allegedly to keep the islands out of the hands of ultra-nationalist Japanese who were making their own plans to purchase and build up the islands).  This action was like sticking a red hot poker in the eye of the Chinese government.  Then-President of China, Hu Jintao, warned Prime Minister Yudo to immediately halt acquisition plans.  

Once Japan moved to purchase the islands, and thereby make a legal claim to ownership, China woke up with a roar.  China decided to end its quiet, decades-long acceptance of Japanese occupation and would no longer allowing the issue of sovereignty to hang in the Asian air. Now the issue is how to calm the situation.   If only China and Japan would ask the International Court of Justice to settle the dispute legally, perhaps peace would prevail. 

The election for Tokyo Governor was held yesterday, Sunday, February 10, 2014.  I had predicted that the heavy snowfall would have a substantial impact upon voter turn-out just as is does in the United States.  And indeed, it did.  It was the third lowest turnout in Tokyo history (46% versus 62.6% in the previous election).  Just over 2 million ballots were cast for Yoichi Masuzoe, giving this former health minister 65% of the total vote--and victory over 15 other candidates.  

This 65-year old, pro-nuclear-power, independent candidate received the backing of both ruling parties.  But energy policy did not seem to concern the voters as much as aging population, low-birth rate, education, and business-related issues.  Governor Yoichi promises to make Tokyo the envy of the world through its disaster preparedness, improved daycare and public education (hopefully placing less reliance upon cram schools to prepare students for rote university exams), and renewable energy.  Gov. Yoichi also has grand plans for the 2020 Tokyo Games, declaring that they will be "the best in Olympic history."