(Remember how I said I was going to just write about stuff without so much unnecessary nitpicking? Yeah, my computer crashed and burned a little while after that and I still haven’t got it fixed. I have bad luck with them.)

What if your whole life depended on a test? I’m not talking about a medical test in this case (though I’m willing to bet that quite a few people have had their lives hang in the balance of one of those). Instead I’m talking about an educational test. I can’t quite fathom the amount of stress that must get put on a person when they know that their ability to to pass an examination could be a huge determining factor in the groundwork for the rest of their life.

What were you like when you were a high school student? I think I was a pretty average kid. I did pretty well in school, took some honor classes, and had some friends. I generally did my homework, played some sports, and hung around my house doing normal teenagery things. If you had told teenage me that my entire future could potentially depend on a test I’d be taking my senior year of high school with no real chance for a “re-take”, I’d probably have been a little worried.

Yes, American students do have the SAT test, which is a general aptitude test. Some might argue that the SAT is a future-determiner of a test, but I disagree.

I remember my very first full day in Japan. Jet-lagged though my Grandmother and I were, we hopped on our trusty yellow Hato Bus and took a day tour. That tour included a visit to Meji Jingu, right smack dab in the heart of Tokyo. Part of just about any religion I can think of is prayers (or some variation of that; you might call it a “wish”). Shintoism incorporates prayers/wishes as well. At shrines, visitors can purchase small wooden placards, write their desires on them, and hang them up in the shrine, hoping to get a little extra attention from the powers that be.

Our tour guide asked us what we thought was the most wished-for thing. Of course, we guessed: “Health?” “A happy relationship?” “Money?”

Nope.

The #1 wish is to pass the university entrance exam.

Every year, in winter-spring, universities have tests. Part of the application process for university in Japan means you take this test (and pass) to become a student. There are some tests that can be applied to several universities, but many universities also have their own tests year after year that students must study specifically for.

Yesterday (February 25th), happened to be “shiken” day, or “test” day at Tokyo University, where I work one day a week. For reference, Tokyo University might be considered the Harvard University of Japan, and they take their exam days seriously. I had to show ID to gate guards just to be let on campus in the morning. Motley crews of what were obviously high school students milled around looking nervous.

It’s easy to forget what it’s like to be a high school student when you are not one yourself, and you don’t really spend much time around one. Could you imagine being that high school student and being asked to take a test that might determine the rest of your life? One of my coworkers explained that there really are no options for “transfer” within universities, or “community college” options for students who cannot pass these tests. Admittedly, some tests are much more rigorous and difficult than others, but could you imagine what life must be like in the lead-ups to these exam days? When I was teaching, I remember learning about how some of my senior-year high school students no longer studied regularly for the last half of their final year. Instead, their curriculum shifted exclusively to studying for these tests. Thankfully, my students all passed their university tests and got into universities they were very happy about.

I suppose when this sort of educational culture is what you grow up in, it’s perhaps a little less terrifying to think about (but maybe only slightly). I’d have been  a ball of stress and angst at that age without the fear of such a test looming overhead, but I like to think I could still have done it.

It’s an interesting and different approach to higher education, and it makes me think about what sort of programs and curricula are in place in other countries.

What do you think? If your future, your education, your job, and your livelihood could all potentially ride on a pass/fail on a single test, do you think you could pass? Or would you turn into a shriveled ball of terrified humanity? Would you even try?

I hope everyone out there is enjoying their holidays, whether you’re with your friends, family, a random group of strangers, or, if like me, you’re on your own this year.

Purple is not a color I associate with this season, but a work event recently gave me a reason to (however loosely) think of the holidays in a different hue.

While my company is a beer importer, we do a couple other things on the side too. One of these “side projects” is tequila. We have one guy working for us who is dedicated to a few brands of tequila. This guy is originally from Mexico, and when he’s not working for our company he’s also a DJ and an event coordinator. One of his events was December 22nd this year.

The super-premium tequila our tequila dude promotes is called “Casa Noble“. It’s an organic, really, really good drink that comes in a couple different styles (all aged a different number of years). The company is owned by none other than Carlos Santana.

Tequila in general has kind of a bad rap in Japan; people are afraid of it. Sure, it’s a strong drink. But it doesn’t always have to taste like paint thinner. Actually, this is a tequila you can sip if you want (though probably not for the first-time drinker). Promoting tequila and getting people to drink it is a bit of a challenge in the Japanese market. In the past, at events where I’m helping promote Casa Noble, I’ve manned a table where a small army of champagne glasses stand, each with about a half-shot worth of the drink inside. People approach, interested, and I offer a glass, smiling. Then, they ask:

“What is this?”

I reply: “It’s Casa Noble! It’s a premium organic tequila!”

They then literally shake their head, put their hands up, and walk away (admittedly, while smiling sheepishly).

I don’t think I have ever walked away from a free drink. Ahem.

Anyway, the realization came that as long as you don’t call it “tequila” most people will try it. Many people have started requesting it at clubs and bars, not knowing it’s tequila. They know it only as “Casa Noble”.

This year team tequila gave the all new “Purple Christmas” event a shot. A club in Aoyama was rented out for the night, the place was decked out in a bunch of purple decorations, a few DJ’s signed on, and people were invited. It was an evening to introduce people to Casa Noble, and it was also an exercise in event planning.

The venue for the night, “Velours” in Minami Aoyama. Photo by Gen Okamoto

Mr. Tequila himself, one of the DJ’s for the evening.

I arrived around 8:30 PM, and much to my surprise, had my hair and makeup done. I spent my evening either wandering around from room to room, chatting with my coworkers (about half my company showed up), or working at the door letting people into the club (I switched off regularly with two other people doing this). We wrapped up at 5:00 in the morning on the dot, took an hour to pack up our things, and went out for a bowl of breakfast ramen in Shibuya at about 7:00 AM.

Photos by Gen Okamoto

The next day, at about 3:00 PM a delivery guy woke me up ringing my doorbell, Christmas present from my family in hand. I, wearing my pajamas, peacock hairstyle and purple glitter, somewhat ashamedly grinned as I opened the door and said “oh, good morning”.
Long nights like these are…well, long. Like I said in one of my previous posts, I’m really bad at staying up all night. Somehow things worked out this time around (I’m guessing because I was working, not imbibing).

Nothing a good bowl of ramen at 7:00 AM can’t fix.

The Purple Christmas event was a learning experience for all in attendance; some things went as planned, other things did not. We’ll move forward into 2013 with a whole bunch of exciting ideas and interesting events on our schedule.

Though… I think I’ll probably stick with red and green for my holiday festivities.

A few weeks ago, I saw this comic from The Oatmeal about making content for the web. If you are a content creator in any capacity, whether you write, make videos, draw, sing, whatever…take a few minutes and click the link. Even if you don’t consider yourself a creator, go check it out. Maybe you’ll learn something. Or maybe you’ll just be entertained. It highlights a lot of the struggles content creators encounter. The portion that stood out most to me was this section regarding inspiration and when it strikes (or doesn’t):

Source

The act of creating something isn’t necessarily difficult. In theory, a person just has to put pen to paper, hit the “record” button on their video camera, or start typing into the word editor of their choice. One of the struggles, however, comes when a person DOES create something and they hate it.

We all have standards for our work. We all try to put out something we find “acceptable”, or even “good”, and we all have different ideas of what “acceptable” means. Of course, we all also have different styles. It’s how we determine what sorts of content we choose to create and/or consume; our standards.

I haven’t updated the blog in a little over a month,  but it isn’t because I haven’t been writing or taking photos or experiencing things. I have. It also isn’t because I’ve been “too busy to write”. That’s also not true. I’m very busy, but I still have time to write a few times a week, and I do it.

See? I’ve been writing.

My blog hasn’t been updated because, like the bottom frame in that comic above, I really don’t like most of the stuff I produce. I have a certain standard for the content I share with the internet. I can’t articulate that standard in words; I just know something is “pretty good” or “sucks” once I’m done and look it over 2 or 3 or 18 times. Every time I write a post or share a tweet or a photo, I try to make sure it has some sort of value for whoever is taking the time to look at it. Value can manifest in many ways; via education, humor, emotional impact, etc.

I love the idea of a daily blog. I love the thought of putting up a little post or a recap of some interesting tidbit of information from the day, but realistically, I know there is little to no chance of me ever doing that. I’d just never be able to keep up. Besides, the information in those posts would likely not be particularly valuable, since I’d be spitting out some half-assed BS once every 24 hours.

The point of this increasingly essay-like post is this: I want to be producing more content. I like producing content. It is fun and it gives me the unique opportunity to interact with people from all around the world.  There are so many people sharing so many great things out there. They inspire me to share more and to do more. So, I’m lowering my standards for myself. Has anyone ever said that? Eeep.

NOTE: I am aware that there is a chance this post reeks of arrogance. When I say “lowering my standards for myself,” please read this as “I will try to be a less nit-picky, perfectionist twerp about my own creations.” When I say “standards” I am referring to my own expectations for myself, not any sort of comparison to anyone else’s work. Most of the nitpicking I do is likely very, very stupid stuff. I would like to NOT do that anymore. Or at least, not do it QUITE so much.

I’m not making a resolution, really. Or at least, I’m telling myself it’s not a resolution. Every time I seem to label an action with something like “resolution” or “lifestyle change” or “healthier diet choices” I fail miserably. So this is not a resolution. This is just a thing I now do.

One of the things that motivates me most to go jogging in the evenings when I get home from work is this: “You never regret the times you get up off the couch and go for a run. It’s all the times you don’t go that you find yourself regretting.” If you don’t put any of your energy out into the world, how can you ever get anything back? We can’t just hang out doing nothing and expect good stuff to happen to us. We have to take action and move forward. That’s what I’d like to do.

This post is my first example of my lowered standards. I am typing this post directly into WordPress rather than writing everything down in one of my stack of notebooks, which is making me feel antsy. I keep facepalming and asking myself: “WHAT IS THE POINT OF POSTING THIS SELF-CENTERED DRIVEL?” I guess the answer is just that I want there to be a clear line between my previous content and what I want to try to do more of in the future. Also, I guess I hope that this post might inspire someone else the way The Oatmeal’s comic inspired me. I actually DO have stuff to write about, and I DO write about it. I just don’t post it because I am weird and a bit scared, I suppose.

All right, this needs to wrap up. I have no idea how to end this post. How about: If you, like me, have a “non-resolution”, SHARE IT! Try beginning with the comments section of this post!

Oh, right: Happy Holidays and have a great New Year!
(We’re off to a good start!)

I suck at partying. I’m honestly just really, really bad at it. I have never understood the appeal of mashing my body up against a bunch of sweaty strangers while listening to robot orgy music. I do enjoy music, having a drink with my friends, and going to cool venues. I do not, however, dance, and I do not say “woo”, save to mock individuals who actually do say “woo”. I am terrible at staying up past 3 AM. It is for these reasons I have recently found myself very troubled. You see, I enjoyed myself at two parties last month.

To be fair, I suppose I should point out that while I did, in fact, attend two Halloween parties, I did not, in fact, “party” at either of them. Rather, the experiences served to highlight the fact that (just as on the internet) I am a lurker.

Showcased here is my inability to take decent photos in dimly lit venues with my iPhone.

By about 9 PM more people were arriving. My boss brought me another drink. I secured an excellent lurking place directly underneath an air vent, and “watched” the costume contest (I say “watched” because I was too short to see everything). I chatted with my coworker, took my picture with a Sith (thanks, dude!) and called it a night at 10PM. Yes, that’s right, 10. Did I mention I suck at parties?

I liked this one because the people there were (mostly) civil, the venue was cool, and the music wasn’t stupidly loud in every corner of the place. People were wearing genuinely creative costumes, too. But 10 PM was enough for me. I enjoyed the time I’d spent people watching, and decided to end the night on that good note.

That Saturday night a work opportunity afforded me the chance to go to another costume party; this time at Shibuya’s Legato, another 15^th floor venue high up above the city with amazing views. I did a little work by helping at our company’s tequila sample table, then I spent a little time moseying around the club.

This party was, in theory, exactly the kind of party I’m not built for. It started at 11 PM. People were still pouring in the door at 2:00 AM, when I made my exit. I think the only reason I enjoyed this event was because I had options.

Because I was event staff, I had access to a large room behind the stage with a long table, cushy chairs, an amazing view of the city, and several bottles of liquid (both alcoholic and non) to enjoy to my heart’s content (within reason, they were for sharing among all the staff). Two of the sales guys from my company and our tequila representative were there with me, so after we concluded our work for the night we shared a couple drinks in the staff section. I wandered around the venue for a little while, taking photos of our products and promotions. I had my photo taken again at this event by the cameraman they had hired, and a few other party-goers.

Behold the mass of humanity that is the late night Halloween party-going crowd in Tokyo.

When the crowds got to be too much for me, I went and hung out on a raised balcony area to the side of the dance floor. The whole section, reserved for staff and VIP only, was guarded by security. I contentedly watched the people dancing to the music the DJs played, going into the staff room for a sit-down or a drink from time to time. Around 1:45 AM I thought it’d be good to know where the bathrooms were and what the lines were like, since I would inevitably have to pee at some point.

Very much in character. The flair was historically an integral part of the military’s strict flamboyance compliance measures.

I mashed my way through the now-thick crowd toward where all the signs for “toilet” were pointing. On my way, I ran into a girl I had seen at the entrance and chatted briefly with. She exclaimed “Oh, you’re like, sooo in character!” I assume she must have seen me standing to the side of the dance floor on the balcony level, where my non-dancing, non-smiling, surveying behavior looked out of place. “In character”. Yep. Sure. Nothing to do with my inability to party like a regular human.

I found the bathroom, or rather, the line. The men’s side was short; maybe 2-3 people were waiting. The women’s side? About 30. 30 costume clad women standing there in line. I guessed if I went to the end of the line at that moment I’d have to pee by the time it was my turn to use the facilities. I decided then to call it a night. I found Mr. Company Tequila Representative to say thank you, for without him, I would not have been able to enjoy the evening. I also found and thanked the event organizer, who, coincidentally, I knew due to a chance meeting a year or two ago in a teeny bar in Shibuya. I hopped in a cab home and arrived at my place about 3:00 AM. I slept well and got up the next day to clean house, cook delicious food, and enjoy some good relaxation time.

I’m still genuinely surprised. I do not have a good track record as far as clubs and parties go. Overwhelmingly, the places I’ve been to in the past are sleazy places filled with sleazy people, and I end up drinking more than I should in an effort to stave off the sheer discomfort of the situation. This usually means I abandon (with zero warning) whichever group of people has managed to convince me to come along with them at about 3 AM, at which point I either visit a Yoshinoya or sit on the steps to the train station with my head on my knees, waiting for the morning trains to start.

These events had an entry fee, which I suppose at least helped keep out some unsavory types. Additionally, the events both had no-nonsense security guards and staff keeping things in order. The venues themselves were clean, nice, and great backdrops for a fun time. While yes, I still made my exit early in both cases, I left having actually enjoyed my time going out rather than feeling I’d just escaped from something icky. Since one was a work event, I got the added bonus of having my company reimburse me for my taxi ride home.

I plan to go to more events like these as time, money, and work allows. My recent exposure to the “nice” party scene here has made me re-think my previous decisions regarding going out and having fun. Maybe I’ll meet some fun new people! Maybe you! If you look around the venue at 3 AM and don’t see me, however…don’t bother looking anymore. I’m probably already home in my pajamas, cozied up in my happy place where there’s always a place to sit down and there’s never a line for the toilet.

Beer is the third most popular drink in the world. The only things that beat it out are water and tea. Still, #3 is pretty high up there. Countries all across the globe have a variety of their own brands, styles, and tastes. In recent years, the craft beer sector of the beer world has seen an incredible amount of growth, especially in places like the USA and Europe. Small to mid-level brewers have begun making their names known (some globally) to resounding success. Japan is not exempt from this trend, and while growth has been slow for craft beer here, it has certainly been steady.

Beer in Japan is dominated by the “Big Four” – Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and Sapporo. These four companies make up about 96% of the Japanese beer market, and it’s been that way for a very long time. Beer was first introduced in Japan sometime in the mid 1800’s, and the first brewery was established by a western dude shortly after, in 1869. A few years following the creation of this brewery (1884), the place was bought by Japan Brewery Company, which later partnered with Meiji-ya to market Kirin, which we still see in stores today. From that period until the mid 90’s, beers produced by the “Big Four” dominated the brew world of Japan.

In 1994, however, Japan’s strict brew tax laws were relaxed. Suddenly, if you could produce at least 60,000 liters of beer a year, you could sell to the nation! Hallelujah!

Interest was there, absolutely. From 2003 to 2009 demand for craft beer increased in Japan a whopping 100%. Pretty impressive for a relatively new industry. Today, in 2012, Japanese craft (or ji-biru, as it is called here) is popping up in supermarkets, convenience stores, and hundreds of festivals celebrating this awesome range of adult beverages. The industry grows somewhere between 8 and 15% each year.

Despite all this awesomeness, there are still some challenges. Craft beer still has somewhat of a reputation in the minds of many as a bad-tasting old man’s drink. In addition, the distribution chain here is a complex web built on tradition, faxes, and existing relationships. Wholesalers, distributors, and retailers all have cooperated for decades, and getting involved in the mix can prove to be a difficult task. It’s especially difficult if you’re a small brewer with a small team whose primary goal is to make good beer; having a sales/promotion team often simply isn’t part of what you’re capable of. Yes, the larger craft brewers like Yoho Brewing, Kiuchi, and Ginga Kogen have these resources, but there are literally more than 200 brewers out there who do not.

That’s where we come in. About 41% of craft beer sales come from online stores. 27% come from craft bars, and another 18% or so are direct from the brewer at their on-site pub or restaurant. The online sales section of the craft beer world consists largely of small websites put together by brewers. These sites, like the brewers and their products themselves, have not been experiencing resounding success due to low levels of promotion.

This summer I joined the team at CraftBeerTrader.com. We’re setting out to help these brewers in Japan, educate people about craft beer all over the world, and of course, allow all of us the opportunity to drink delicious, interesting, locally produced beer. If we’re able to help better support the industry, it can lead to expansion of the industry within Japan(and the rest of the world, someday)!

The site is made up of four basic parts: a shop (where you can buy beer), a media library (where you can educate/entertain yourself with information related to beer), an industry directory (where industry-connected individuals and businesses can form partnerships both domestic and international), and an events page (where you can see craft-beer related events going on around Japan).

Our work consists of reaching out individually to each brewer within Japan(and by no means have we accomplished this yet). In many cases, we meet the brewers in person via a brewery visit or at a festival. We share our concept with them, and ask if they’d like to be a part of it. As of writing this post, we have 11 breweries selling their beer on our website, and we’re adding more nearly every week at this rate. Everything that gets ordered comes directly from the brewer. We don’t have a warehouse or keep any stock; the brewers themselves are in control of everything that goes out, so you know it’s fresh! To say we’ve had a busy summer is an understatement. We’re still working hard on building, adding, and getting more new brewers on board!

If you’d like to, you’re more than welcome to come and check things out! You can post your own favorite media, contribute to our events section, and if you’re a business or someone connected to the industry, you can stick a listing on our site too. Oh yeah, and you can buy beer. Head over to craftbeertrader.com and check it out! By all means, send us your feedback. We’re constantly working on ways to improve our existing website. It’s available both in English and in Japanese, so be sure to tell all your friends about it too!

If you want to learn more about what we’re doing, feel free to leave a comment or email me! Additionally, if you’ll be attending the YouTube Live event this Saturday, be sure to come find me! I’m bringing some special goodies available exclusively to those at the event, and one lucky person will take home a very tasty prize.

I hope you find this as interesting and fun as I do! If you do, put down the Super Dry, go drink something good, and don’t look back!