Hiroshima Gab- American Jabber From Hiroshima, Japan

Tokyo University Decision Effects Education, Reflects Industry Trends

2012-01-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

An interesting development for anyone involved in education in Japan, Todai (Tokyo Daigaku) has announced that it will change its school year to start from September in line with most other universities around the world (Yomiuri: "Other universities may follow Todai's lead").

The reasoning behind this decision of course is something that has been talked about for a few years by internationally-minded business heads like UNIQLO's CEO, Yanai. In this Asahi newspaper interview, he boldly stated last year that any Japanese worker who cannot function in English will not be able to find a job in 10 year's time.

As 2011 was a nightmare year for any major industry that was Japan based- Panasonic, Sony and all automobile companies took staggering losses due to the combination of the strong yen and the Tohoku disaster. This in combination with the shrinking Japanese working population and strict immigration policies leaves Japanese little choice but to move factories and major operations overseas. This in turn means that most jobs available for Japanese university graduates may be indeed be abroad in the next few years. Whether these graduates choose to work for Japanese companies abroad or foreign companies, it is imperative that they be able to function in at least English- a better bet would be English and Chinese, Korean, French or Spanish.

In many ways, this will update a very stuck-in-a-rut Japanese school system and hopefully create positive changes in all of the educational curriculum in Japan.

If the Japanese Board of Education wants to make sure future Japanese can be successful aborad, they will immediately hire curriculum experts from around the world who can start to implement changes in language education in this country. All JET program teachers hired must be qualified teachers in their own countries before coming to Japan and be allowed to take a leading role in their classes once they are placed. No more foreign teachers as eye-candy, they will be expected to teach immersion style (all English) classes at least once a week for all students.

Since these changes will be implemented quickly, BOE will have to scrap assigning all the textbooks and leave that up to each individual school and teacher. The first 5 years will also have to be a training period for the Japanese teachers who will apprentice in this new style of teaching (to hopefully be able to take over most of the classes someday- we need some jobs to stay in Japan after all).

The same system as JET should be implemented with native Chinese, French, German and Spanish teachers as well.

It is sad that the made in Japan brand will be a thing of the past on the larger scale but as there is little choice it seems for large companies to remain competitive in the global market, this fact needs to be accepted and new ways to still retain a strong economy needs to be created. There is still hope that some companies will maintain their highest quality industry in Japan.

Some major Japanese companies (Toyota's Prius, Mazda cars, etc..) that have boasted about keeping the highest quality components of their products strictly made on Japanese soil, there is hope that they keep at least some manufacturing here.

There are many smaller industries like Kumano brushes (Hiroshima), Kyocera's ceramic knives, and Evisu jeans (Osaka) which all claim they retain a competitive edge by keeping to the highest skilled craftspersonship of their products.

One booming industry that will always stay in Japan is care for the elderly. This is good news for the less than motivated students who cannot speak another language and want to stay in Japan. Although, it does seem that many youngsters would rather work at a convenience store than an old-age home or clinic outside the city, this is another area when immigration regulation may have to become more relaxed.

No matter what changes occur, the Todai decision is likely to send far reaching ripples of change all over the country- and that is a good thing.

Government (Board of Education) to Release Flawed, Inaccurate "Radiation Information" booklet

2011-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the continuing radiation problems being experienced in Japan from Fukushima where they core of the nuclear problems occurred after the 3/11/2011 Earthquake and Tsunami (to as far as the city of Yokohama hundreds of kilometers away from the plant) the government is still going ahead with a book of pro-nuclear propaganda to Japanese students.

According to the Daily Yomiuri (10/15/2011) in their article "Students to receive radiation info booklets" they report that there was a pro-nuclear booklet created last year, but it has been updated since the crisis in Fukushima. However "the latest materials focus on basic radiation knowledge, and only mention the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant in the foreword." Fortunately, the information stating the safety of nuclear power plants even in cases of Tsunami disasters has been taken out. However there is still misleading mis-information in the booklet and it certainly does not offer an un-biased view. The Yomiuri article goes on to explain:

The materials geared for primary school students say there is no definite evidence people who were exposed to radiation of up to 100 millisieverts at one time developed cancer or other diseases solely because of the exposure. But it warns the amount of the exposure should be kept to a minimum.
The new materials for primary school students are 18 pages long, while those for middle and high school students are 22 pages each. The government plans to print 80,000 copies of the materials, including the instruction manual for teachers, and distribute a copy to all public and private schools as early as later this month.

Full details of the booklet are released (in Japanese) on the METI website.

The blog: Fukushima update has a good discussion of the problematic points of the booklet's claims and their responses as well as links to official information.
Education in Japan blog has updates on the latest radiation reports and updates on the Fukushima area situation and issues for students, teachers, schools and communities affected.
NHK World English report on the Radiation Information Booklet

Building on Strength- Making use of a strong sense of community to rebuild Japan

2011-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

We have seen how in the face of utter devastation, the Japanese people in the area did not lose their strong spirit. It is not only in the directly affected area, people around the country have a commitment to change. Now is the time for new government policies to be made for more sustainable energy as a significant part of Japan’s power. Policy must also be made to encourage a change in the national workforce and government representation, seeking more balance in gender equality and flexible working structures to encourage work-life balance and more secure environments for raising children. By building on the strength of the bonds of Japanese community, making tough choices changing to sustainable energy now and encouraging more women to leadership roles- the future of Japan can be a much stronger one economically and socially.

In many ways, the tragedy of the earthquake, tsunami and radiation in Tohoku can be looked at as a pivotal point for Japan to reestablish itself as a world economic leader and role model to the world in efficiency, productivity, environmental issues and social responsibility.

World leaders who visited the disaster zone have commented that the Japanese people have a “spirit” which remains unbroken despite this horrible tragedy. There is certainly a sense of pride and enthusiasm to rebuild the country and there is evidence of the national commitment to recover.

Anyone who visited an electrical appliance store in Japan after the government announced a plan asking all companies and households to voluntarily cut energy use by 15%, would be surprised to see how the populace took the government plea to heart; appliance sections were completely sold out of fans. So many in Japan changed voluntarily, no matter how far away they were from the disaster they lived, they were switching to fans and were limiting use (or stopping completely) of their air-conditioners.

The sense of a nationally shared community, responsibility and common purpose seems strong among Japanese people, especially when it comes to recovering from disaster. With this kind of public support to help the country as a whole, given the right leadership that has a clear vision of what will benefit Japan in the future, change should happen a lot more quickly and easily.

The next step is to develop a strategy for redevelopment that the public can understand, support and start adapting to.

Workforce remodeling for future efficiency and competitiveness
As the Japanese birthrate has been declining and the number of pensioners in Japan increasing each year, there is a greater need to remodel the traditional workforce to maintain a strong economy through a large number of working age tax-paying residents, maintain international competitiveness and improve overall workplace efficiency.

More women in Japan are choosing to go on to university and enter the workforce each year, however there is still a “M” curve when looking at the lifespan of women in full time employment as many still drop out during their 30’s to have children or take care of their families. Declining revenue in the pension has also been a concern for the growing numbers of the working population reaching retirement age. Some countries, like France, have tackled this problem by extending the retirement age. However to cater to the needs of many different lifestyle obligations working people have, the option of offering flexible employment opportunities seems a more viable one for the Japanese model.

Although critics argue that this calls for less life-long contracts- which have been the backbone of the Japanese labor industry success, flexibility has many positive benefits including the ability to reduce unemployment and increase public spending. In theory, adding more flexible time contracts to a business makes it easier to hire and fire employees which should maintain a higher level of efficiency. The most attractive feature of the flexible contracts is that they allow for working parents.

Not all women want to give up their careers or work less, so more opportunity for women who want to have a career and hold leadership positions should also be supported. In the US, companies that have a higher percentage of females in upper positions of management and leadership are also more profitable. According to Hiroshima’s UNITAR director, a higher percentage in the number of women represented in higher government positions has shown less corruption and more spending on health care and education. Japan needs a government that supports society more than ever now, having a woman’s point of view represented in government leadership is essential. The recent insensitive comments and obvious disregard for struggling communities trying to recover- made by visiting government officials- shows the need for women to be put in these leadership roles. Women leaders are more in touch with community issues and better at showing compassion and understanding social problems. This is the time for women to be utilized in leadership roles in the rebuilding of Japan.

Sustainable Energy for Japan’s future

The biggest issue of the year is power and how can Japan move forward with an energy plan that is clean, safe, efficient and made in Japan. Luckily promoting solar through higher rates paid from electric companies has been set in motion since Prime Minister Hatoyama for residential solar, Prime Minister Kan’s government and Softbank CEO Son recently helped changed policy to allow private companies to also sell their power to the utilities.

Since the Fukushima disaster, the public is against further development or use nuclear power- this has brought urgency to the choices the present government must take. It is time to move forward with choices that allow Japan to be self-sufficient- by looking at power that is readily available all over the nation that can be harvested from technology we already possess, the clear choices are wind and sun. If Japan is to tap more sustainable power, however, a more flexible national grid system that allows for the fluctuation of power from the wind and sun will have to be created if these energies are to be tapped on a large scale. There are successful models to look at in other countries. Denmark has found a way to deal with the fluctuations of wind and solar power as a part of their national grid by creating a computerized fluctuation monitor that adjusts the demand on fossil fuel generators to maintain steady, reliable power despite sourcing from over 30% of wind and solar power. California is hoping that their flexible power grid created on the Danish model will allow them to have 33% of power from renewable energy by 2020. Although alternative energy sources increased by 15% in 2010, the sustainable energy target was missed and solar, wind and geothermal power currently makes up only about 1% of power production in Japan.

An argument against solar in Japan is the lack of space to put up panels, but there are some ideas for dealing with this problem. For one, making use of available space is an option- if all rooftops were covered in panels covering a big percentage of commercial and residential electricity demand and supplying nearby buildings with excess energy, targets would be easily met and reliance on expensive, imported fossil fuels would be less of a concern. As a part of the government’s “Sunrise plan” targets to put solar on top of all eligible rooftops in Japan by 2030- a law requiring all new buildings to be built at least with solar power, solar water heaters, eco-cute water heater systems or other government approved energy saving devices which significantly reduce a household’s electrical usage. Many countries have met energy targets by insisting on this new building code regulation.

In terms of adding solar power to the grid and allowing companies to sell solar power to utilities, there has been a clear voice calling for a break of the electrical monopoly in Japan. Softbank’s CEO Masayoshi Son has established a new pro-sustainable energy organization, the ‘Japan Renewable Energy Foundation’. He has been creating agreements with local governments to get solar farms (Mega-Solar in Japan) up and running within the next few years. Son wants to use 20% of Japan’s unused farmlands to host solar farms which would generate the same output of energy during peak hours that TEPCO (Tokyo Electric utility) can provides for Tokyo- or an impressive one-third of all Japan’s electricity needs.

Another plentiful resource around Japan is wind, yet the wind power being utilized in Japan is only at .5%. This means there is huge potential for expansion in Japan as many areas along the coast have a consistent and rather constant supply of wind day and night.

Luckily, newly set purchase rates, called FIT: feed in tariff, for commercial production of geothermal, wind and solar power is providing opportunity for new companies to get into the sustainable power industry. However, industry experts claim that if the government sets the rates too low, the industry will not grow or be profitable- they are hoping for a 20 yen per kilowhat FIT deal guaranteed for the next 20 years. It is an exciting prospect to imagine areas that cannot be used for anything else, like the uninhabitable, evacuated areas around Fukushima, to become sustainable energy power stations by covering the area in Mega-solar and wind farms.

Conclusion

Overall, Japan has been on the right track in the last few years in terms of increasing the number of women leaders and making aims for a sustainable energy future. However, in light of the huge challenges we face, only baby steps have been made up to now. The current Japanese government and influential business leaders need to make bold decisions now to make significant changes in redevelopment and recovery of this Japanese nation. The Japanese people have demonstrated that they are ready for big changes to be made to their government, industries and lifestyles. Leaders need to tap into this enthusiasm and inspire the public to back bold changes in government, industry and energy policy.

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References

Smart Grid technology & conference: http://www.smartgridapplied.com/

Masayoshi Son: (June 23, 2011) “Softbank’s CEO Wants a Solar-Powered Japan”- BusinessWeek

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_27/b4235016555525.htm

Government law and regulation for renewable energy: (August 27, 2011)

“New law forcing utilities to buy renewable energy expected to give wind power a boost” The Mainichi Daily News

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110827p2a00m0na008000c.html

Japan missed sustainable energy targets in 2010: ecoseed.org

http://www.ecoseed.org/business-article-list/article/1-business/10445-japanese-power-firms-miss-renewable-energy-target-in-2010

Sustainable Power in Japan: “Japan must revise renewables law to get results- experts” Eco-business.com (9/14/2011)

http://www.eco-business.com/news/japan-must-revise-renewables-law-to-get-results-experts/

Moving toward a Nuclear-Free Energy Future for Japan

2011-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has visited an electronics store in Japan in the last couple of months will tell you that Japanese consumers are making serious efforts to cut their energy consumption as the shelves usually full of fans are almost always empty. I don't know if it comes from a sense of community deeply embedded in Japanese culture or something else, but I wouldn't expect to see that kind of public reaction in other countries to such an extreme.

Japanese companies have also been very quick to make new policy and change the workplace culture to cut energy consumption. Mazda's change of workdays has had a big impact on our city of Hiroshima as many parts suppliers and companies affiliated with the automobile giant have also changed their off days to Thursday and Friday. Despite the hardships this has caused families and working mothers in particular (what do you do with school-age kids when there is no school on the weekend?) ,who are scrambling to find suitable 'weekend' child support, and the fact that most people still must work on their off days because their international colleagues haven't changed their work week- they still forge ahead to adapt to the new energy-saving policies.

In the US, I am sure companies would fight government regulation and create delays in making a change until they were forced to by law because they fear damage to their businesses or personal liberties- but in Japan, when the government asked companies to cut energy by 15-20% they started holding meetings to create a working plan to figure out how they could do it. In fact, there was a great article about when a government official argued that the 15% energy cut target was too high a week after the proposal was announced, it was the industry heads that complained because they had already taken on the new target and set their plans to achieve it in motion. Now that IS impressive!

Compare this scenario to the mess over the public transport project in my home state of Hawaii, on the main, grid-locked island of Oahu. Despite having gotten approval for the project years ago, they are being blocked from breaking ground and getting starting with the work on the project by lawsuits and government coalitions working tirelessly to stop it.

Despite having good arguments against how the contracts were given and other legalities, it is really frustrating for everyone involved. I would like to throw in my 2 cents in here and ask that they try to be less argumentative, smooth over the problems as best they can and look for solutions to the current situation which will get the project in motion.
If they can find a way to move ahead, they can give the island a decent public transport service by 2015 no matter what the previous beefs were, but can they? will they? It remains to be seen.

Since when did American politics become completely useless at getting anything done?

In contrast, this makes me all the more optimistic about Japan taking a huge step to leave nuclear power behind and forge ahead with a new smart grid for power that will allow a break in the utility monopoly and allow independent businesses to profit from creating clean, safe and necessary power from wind (can provide 100 times more than is needed), the sun (solar is estimated to give us 100 times more power than we need during the day), the temperature of the earth (geo-thermal) and even the waves.

Japan is made up of a community of people who are for the most part, loyal and hard-working; heavily invested in their communities. As a long time resident, I have seen this proved time and time again. The "spirit" of the people here is geared to overcome difficulties and work together to solve problems and achieve a better future. Sure the society is not perfect, there is corruption and scandal as in any part of the world, but the ability to motivate groups of people and businesses to action in a short amount of time is truly unique and highly valuable.

Let's just hope the politicians can work past the arguments against the change - which is more based on greed and personal interest than common sense and the reality of sustainable power.

I have faith in the future of Japan. I am impressed by Prime Minister Kan's convictions - a reflection of public sentiment- for a nuclear-free future. If any country in the world can change a disaster into a pivotal point for progress and a stronger future economy, Japan can.

Japan Post Redelivery Website Updated

2011-07-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

If you miss a delivery from the post office, you can sign up online for redelivery on a mostly bilingual (Japanese and English) webpage but finding the link to the page you need is a bit hard to find so follow the link above.

The funny thing is that if you choose the ENGLISH icon at the top of the page, you are taken to a rather useless page full of English information and reference Kanji, but not actually given a link to the redelivery page you need.

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If you are ever puzzled by the (undeliverable item notice) left by the post office on your door or in your postbox, you can now set up a redelivery time at your convenience on the Japan Post Yubin website.

At the top menu bar, you will see the "English" link, but that doesn't help you much, you need to first find the 再配達のお申し込み　"Sai haitatsu o moshikomi" kanji on the left hand side of the page, click that and you should be sent to a page that (you need to scroll down first) has an online form with the information you need to enter. At this point, it is bilingual and there is helpful English for you to follow.

Some of the information is necessary (*) and the rest is not, but make sure you choose a time and day you will be in and enter your e-mail address to receive confirmation that you have done it correctly.

Press the button on the bottom center of the page once you have entered the information and after filling in information on the next page, choose the button on the right bottom to complete the process.

Japan's Renewable Energy Blogs and Resources

2011-06-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Are there any good blogs and websites covering the latest news and issues about renewable energy in Japan? Here are some of the best I have come across, if you know of others- please let me know, thanks!

"goodbye nuclear power" @greenpeaceJP

Greenpeace Japan: while so much of what the government is reporting is still questionable, Greenpeace has some great articles on 3rd party investigations of radiation, nuclear power and alternative energy in Japan that is hard to find from other reputable sources. Unfortunately, some of the most interesting reads on renewable energy in Japan is only available in Japanese, but you can understand the main points of the articles by using google translate for these pages.

CNIC Japan (EN) (Citizens Nuclear Information Center) is mostly concerned with the nuclear problems in Fukushima and around Japan, but also has links to renewables research and resources around Japan.
ISEP: One of the CNIC members, Professor Tetsunari Iida started the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) This ISEP website has some press releases and titles in English. Detailed articles, links and policy proposals submitted to the government are in Japanese. Our World 2.0 (UN university) has the full interview video and transcript (including links) on this page of their website. I have embedded the interview with Professor Iida from Youtube below.

Martin J.Frid's "Kurushii News from Japan" (martinjapan.blogspot.com) is an interesting resource. Frid is an ex-pat resident in Japan blogger who often blogs about energy issues and has a great article on the smart-grid system being proposed in his city in Japan and the products from Japanese companies that would support someone wanting to live off-grid. From this site, I discovered Tokyo Green space- a delightful bilingual blog about incorporating plants into living spaces to reduce heat, improve air quality and overall atmosphere.
Japan for Sustainability is a great bilingual resource- full of easy to read articles provided by a non-profit organisation (NPO) in Japan that was established in 2002.
The East Asian Forum often has interesting articles on renewable energy policy in Japan and this region of the world. A recent article by Professor Haruo Shimada from Chiba's University of Commerce is an interesting read. Shimada has been a consultant to the government on policy and proposes that a huge area of Tohoku be used for a solar-power economic zone.
In Japanese: Eco-Japan blog has interesting news and links about the latest renewable energy information from around the world, but most of the news is focused on Japan.

Are Husbands Out of Fashion in Japan?

2011-06-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mother @GeorgeEastmanHouse

Ten years ago many of my female university students had no interest in having a career, their goal in life was to become wives and mothers. Five years ago, the students started showing an interest in pursuing a career of their own choosing and encorporate working into a life as a wife and mother.

Yesterday, however, a completely different version of their dream for the future was illuminated, showing a new reality and way of thinking among young Japanese women today. And, well... husbands simply do not enter the equation at all!

The presentations were about what female role-models you want to emulate in your life. Many students chose famous singers and super-stars like Madonna who has become a single mom icon as she manages to work a thriving career and raise multiple kids.

They also introduced the lives of superstar singer and dancer Namie Amuro and Japanese talento stars like Rie Miyazawa- both of whom were raised by single moms to be amazingly successful. Other students chose to talk about the lives of movie stars like Angelina Jolie who like Madonna, has multiple children in tow whenever we see her fabulous life even without Bra-pi.

Some other students talked about the lives of famous Japanese Olympic medal winning skaters like Mao Asada and Midori Ito who were both, like Amuro and Miyazawa also raised by single working mothers.

As I was listening to their presentations- a recurring theme was making itself clear- many of these famous people they admire come from single mother families and yet didn't seem to be limited in their success or stardom. Many of the others who were discussed are single working mothers themselves like Madonna and Angelina Jolie.

It dawned on me for the first time how the family situation has changed for many Japanese children in the past ten years as the divorce rate has been steadily increasing. At the end of their presentations, they highlighted reasons they admired the women they chose and here was the real shocker- a few said they also wanted to become single working mothers in the future. Wow, that really was unexpected.

It makes me wonder if the Jido-teate government's subsidy of new births by giving monthly payments to mothers have been supporting women who want to have children, even if they choose to raise them on their own.

This monthly support may help release many women who do want to have a career and children, but not necessarily a partner, from the necessity of marriage for financial security.
However, if this is the case, I hope this does not cause unnecessary hardship in future for many single mothers as the subsidies are now being cut back to divert funds to rebuilding Tohoku.

Unfortunately, raising kids as a non-celebrity single mother is far from glamorous in Japan. Fathers are not expected to pay child support after kids reach the mandatory school age of 15. On the other side of the coin, even a doting father will have trouble seeing his kids regularly as visitation rights seem to be completely at the discretion of the legal guardian.

There are even more complicated issues which play a part that are hard to imagine when thinking of a romantic dream of a future as a single (of course successful) working mother.

A couple of years ago, when I went to the public office for registering for government child subsidy, a single mother next to me was trying to get the support for her 3 kids who were living with her. But she couldn't receive any money as legally the father who holds the house register was receiving the money. She didn't want to legally change her residency as she said her husband was violent and she was worried of the safety of her and her kids. It was truly heartbreaking.

I hope that when Japan signs the international Hague agreement on child abduction, (which would ensure that no children can be kidnapped back to Japan without due process) more rights of the child and more support for single parents can also be established in the system.

At the moment, emulating a celebrity single working mother who has a lot of resources and money to burn on child care and parental support is not a sensible choice.

However, feeling a desire at such a young age to cut out a partner from your future parenting and working life, without consideration, is a real statement on current gender roles in Japan.

Be Part of the Power-Saving Solution: Easy Ways Households Can Cut Down

2011-05-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Silver Tip by Kimshi

On Friday the Japanese government officially announced its 15% nationwide power reduction target for both industry and residences. Although it has just started to become warm, and we are enjoying the warmth after the cold, damp of winter- soon it will be unbearably hot!
Here are some ways to reduce your power consumption and survive the summer months ahead.
Japanese Government Recommendations for Household Energy Reduction

Mid-day (10-4 is peak consumption) use of fans instead of air-conditioners to reduce consumption by 50%
If using air-conditioning, raise the temperature 2C higher than usual =10% reduction in consumption
Turn off all lights in the day & use only lights in occupied rooms at night =5%
Unplug TV when not in use and reduce the bright screen setting =2%
Set timer for the rice cooker to cook enough rice for the day before 8am =2%
Turn off power at main switch, not by remote control Unplug all appliances not in use =2%
Lower cooling level of refrigerator and freezer to lowest setting possible to retain normal functions =2%
Unplug toilet heater, washlet (bidet) attachments =1%

(Advice and Percentages from the Daily Yomiuri newspaper Sat, May 14, 2011)

Good Investments to Save Money and Greatly Reduce Energy Consumption

Solar panels: You can reduce your electricity bills by over 100% with an investment in solar panels. The Japanese government has been helping residences invest in solar through government pay-back systems as well as guaranteed higher FIT (feed in tariff) rates of payment back for excess solar power generated and sold to the grid. A 3KwH system (usual size for family of 4) costs around 1,500,000 yen but after government pay-back schemes at the national and local levels, costs just over a million yen. (compare to 2 million in 2009). Although it seems a steep initial investment, unlike a car and other major purchases, it pays itself off in less than 5 years due to the generous FIT pay-back scheme.* Part of the set-up involves connecting the system to the electric grid. Solar companies will also help set customers who don't want to pay the amount outright up with loans (foreign residents too of course) if they want to pay the price of the panels off slowly. DeoDeo also became an agent for solar panels in most areas of Japan- many customers feel more comfortable setting it up with them. User-friendly Kyocera company has a good reputation for honesty and high-quality products among customers.
Solar Water Heating Systems : Reduce your energy bills by more than 60%. Since apparently 60-70% of all energy consumption in a house is because of water heating for washing up, bathing,

Solar Water Heater

etc.. Solar water heating systems like those from Asahi solar and Chofu companies are a very economical investment (just over 200,000 yen / $2,400 USD). The initial investment is much cheaper than for a Solar Panel Electric System, but only supplies hot water, not electricity.
Eco-cute: Reduce your energy bills by over 50% with an "eco-cute" water heating system that only heats up a home's hot water at night (when electricity is cheaper) and stores it in an insulated hot water unit. Once the hot water is used up, there is no more available until it is heated again for the following day. (We have a 5 year lease with Hitachi and pay 5,000 yen ($60 USD) per month). There are many similar products on the market recently. You can see the latest line-up and pricing at DeoDeo.
Insulation: Many houses in Japan are built with very poor insulation, this is a problem for winter as well as summer. One of the biggest problems is through the roof (solar panels help insulate the roof a little), but one of the easiest and most economical ways to fix insulation is by adding another window in front of it. Called "In-Plus", it can be ordered directly from Tostem or DeoDeo as well as many other Reform remodeling companies in Japan. It costs around 30,000 yen (US $370) per window and at the moment you can get eco-points back from the purchase which reduces the cost by around 20%. Once the appointment is made, a rep comes and measures all the windows and gives an estimate, materials are ordered and a couple of weeks later workmen come and are able to install each window in around 20 minutes. Not only has it helped keep our rooms cooler (warmer in winter) but it has also significantly reduced noise.
LED light bulbs- to be honest, regular light bulbs should at least be taxed to make the LED's more
competitive, most people don't invest in them because they are 10 times more expensive than conventional bulbs. They are however made to last more than 10x longer and save you money in energy use along the way. All new buildings should at least be fitted with the bulbs at outset as is policy in some countries and states in the US.

Other Summer ideas to make a home cooler, Save Electricity & Money

Eco-monitor: In Japan, these only seem to be sold with solar systems at present to show how much energy is being used and generated on a digital display. Plug in versions which display a home's energy use for normal households is readily available from Amazon the US. It is a good way to see what appliances and household activity take the most energy in your home. You can also see the truth about energy savings if you increase the a/c temperature or compare other energy saving techniques.
Bamboo window shades, blinds either inside or out. You can buy these bamboo shades in light or dark colors at most supermarkets, DIY shops and 100 yen shops in Japan. Hang outside windows about an arms-length out to allow the breeze to pass through the window in the shade created by the blind.

Living green shades in front of windows: Grow Ivy, Morning Glory and other fast climbing plants outside your windows- water in the morning and evening and enjoy a heat reduction inside the house during the day.
Hanging washing in front of the sunniest windows of the house. As the damp clothes dry, they will have a cooling affect on the inside of the house. If you do your clothes washing after 8pm or before 8am, you will save money as these times have discounted electricity rates in most areas.
Paddling pools- whether it's you sat with your feet cooling in the pool in a shady place next to your house, or the kids splashing around- it's a great way to cool down on a hot day.
As everyone is trying to meet targets and stay cool without using air-conditioning, we are bound to be inundated with "cool" everything in stores soon. Already, advertising for "cool" pillows, sheets, futons, clothes and shoe inserts can be seen in most stores.

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* Compare average annual electricity bills for normal family of 4 in a house before solar panels were installed in 2008: 360,000 yen to less than 60,000 yen per year with solar panels. As the costs of electricity are expected to climb, the difference in savings will be much more impressive. (After 5 years without solar: 1,800,000+ / After 5 years with solar: 300,000)
Read On
Japan Photo Blog: why Japanese houses are made without insulation
AccessJ: Insulation ideas for the home: bubble wrap and tape for covering draft
SCCJ: Insulated houses using styles from abroad becoming popular in Japan

More Solar Reads
2009: Solar vs Nuclear: HiroshimaGab
Oct, 2009: Make Twice as Much Money with Solar: HiroshimaGab (FIT)
2009: It Should Be Earth Day Everyday: HiroshimaGab
2008: Using Even a Little Solar Can Help: HiroshimaGab

2 Months After Fukushima: Positive Developments

2011-05-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

Japan Society Tohoku Relief Fund

It has been two months since the horrible 3/11/2011 Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear disaster has occurred in the Tohoku region. Good news has been breaking in recent days championed by Prime Minister Kan as he is determined to put Japan's nuclear problems behind it. He strongly suggested to the precariously placed Hamaoka plant (near Nagoya) recently to shut down since scientists predict it has an 85% chance of having a crippling earthquake strike it in the near future.
And remarkably enough, the company agreed to take his advice and the plant will be shut this weekend. Kan has also pledged not to accept any salary until the nuclear crisis is over. Just today, the Guardian newspaper reports that Kan has further promised that renewable energy (wind, solar and biomass) will be at the forefront of Japan's future energy policies. Currently Japan's overall renewable power output is at 20% of the total. There is a distinct tone that at least Kan's administration is taking big steps away from a further commitment to nuclear power.
Since the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami, a surprising 60% of nuclear power plants in Japan have been taken offline (only 22 out of 54 are currently creating energy in Japan) for either regularly scheduled safety checks or emergency shut-downs resulting from the quake. Although he has not abandoned all plans for nuclear power- which previous to shut-downs provided 30% of energy needs, he has shown a strong commitment to making sure nuclear is safer and Japan has more reliance on safer, renewable energy in the future.

This is positive (and popular) move, but will be a hard adjustment in the short-term as this means a safer place to live, but greater problems for power supply as the weather turns hotter. According to a Daily Yomiuri newspaper article, it will be the first time in over 35 years that Japan has demanded a decrease in power use from companies. Violators could face fines of up to \1,000,000.
Japanese industries have already been asked by the government to curb energy use by 20-25% (15% for households) which has led to radical and creative business policies, which actually seem quite positive in many ways like:

Curbing working hours- starting earlier and ending earlier to use less lights, more daylight at work is an idea of big firms like Sony and Nissan.. Daylight savings was proposed nationally as an energy saver, but considered too confusing.
Heavy industries like steel works and automobile factories taking turns for operation days.
"Cool biz" becoming "t-shirt biz"
Coca-cola has decided to shut off vending machine's power at peak times each day to reduce energy use by over 30% Suntory company will follow similar practices.

Volunteering & Coordinating
While there have been problems with some areas getting too much of something and other areas not enough, some websites have been set up to help coordinate donations and minimize waste. Other groups that have gone up to the region themselves have personally created networks and are directly in touch with schools and town offices to coordinate exactly what they need. In Hiroshima, a group is collecting school musical instruments and supplies as well as money donations to be delivered to an effected town: Details of the effort are on the GetHiroshima Blog, "Direct Aid to Tohoku". Kumi Lipman of Cleo Hair International and 3 other hair salon owners in Hiroshima, drove up in a van full of supplies for Tohoku area hairstylists and barbers to get them back to work again. They also volunteered cleaning houses and helping people find keepsakes before their damaged homes are demolished.

One of the few ways for foreigners to volunteer to help whether they speak Japanese or not is through the Peace Boat Organization. The report in the beginning of May of the group's Fish Retrieval project: removing over 18 tons of rotting fish from an area that was hard hit by the Tsunami is an example of the daunting work that still needs to be done. They had an amazing 660 volunteers during the 3 days of the golden week holiday.

Useful information Links

Fantastic information by Public Nozbe in English by category for everything you would want to know about in the case of an emergency, living in a shelter and all the related problems.
Tasukeai Japan - useful information and links in English and Japanese
Education Japan, community blog- more details, links and information on the Tohoku disaster, aid organizations and other useful advice.

Amazing Stories of Love & Luck in Japan

2011-04-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

There are so many stories that make your heart break almost everyday in the news, but there have been a few I've discovered recently that are so lovely, I hope they make your day too!

A young mother, Yuko Sugimoto, was separated from her 5 year old son, Raito, after the earthquake and Tsunami and she feared the worst that his daycare had been destroyed and all the kids lost. For days after the crisis, she was unable to even make it back to where his school was because of the damaged roads. All the while, she kept hearing conflicting reports- some saying the kids were fine, others saying only some of the children survived. She was on an emotional roller coaster- feeling hopeful one minute and devastated the next.
What Yuko didn't know yet was that amazingly, the teachers at the school Raito had been at not only kept all the kids safe by getting them all up to the roof, but then they kept them warm with stuffed animals and gym mats to shield them from the cold wind until they could be rescued- what a heroic effort!
Three days after the tsunami, Yuko heard that the children from Raito's school had been evacuated to a university. When she was finally reunited with him, they couldn't let each other go all day and she just kept repeating よかったね！"Thank goodness, what a relief!"
I hope everyone who hears of Yuko and Raito's reunion and amazing story of their survival are reminded of how fleeting life can be and how lucky they are to have people around to love and be loved by.

Another mother, Yoshiko Yamasaki, was reunited with her 3 year old son after they were separated for 4 days when she couldn't get to him with all of the roads destroyed. I couldn't find out any details, but she was probably in a similar situation as Yuko above, many parents worked in the next town over from where they lived and their kids went to school.

Pet lovers across the world love this story of a dog that survived for 3 weeks by floating on the debris of a destroyed house that was floating out to sea. When the dog was finally rescued and reunited with his owner, the owner said, "We'll never let go of her again!" During the interview with the owner about being separated from her companion, the dog could be seen next to her constantly wagging her tail happily.

This has also been a time of great sacrifice and heroism. Daiikichi Abe is one of many kids who's firefighter fathers are now on rotation working in the search and rescue operations and nuclear plant damage control alongside with the Japanese Maritime Self-defense force and the US military's Operation Tomodachi. In this picture, you can see that he drew this picture of his favorite character (Doraemon the futuristic Robotic Cat) with the words パパ大すき "I love dad!" to cheer his dad on if he saw it.
A university student in Hiroshima also told me her dad has done 2 tours at the Fukushima nuclear plant since the earthquake and tsunami of March 11th (for a few days each time). Even though there is very little in the news about their dedication and putting themself at personal risk, most firefighters in Japan are also taking part in the dangerous job of keeping the plant under control.

They are doing heroic work, but as their efforts are rarely mentioned in reports- it usually details the work of the Self-defense force and US military. I hope they will get official government and public recognition for the stressful and dangerous work they are doing. This is important not only for the people of the affected Fukushima region, but is also helping protect the rest of Japan by keeping the nuclear power plant situation under control.
Let's hope they do not suffer the same fate that the volunteer firefighters in New York did when their health problems were not insured by their government health insurance policies despite their heroic search and rescue efforts on 9/11. Or some of the Hibakusha who are still trying to get their retribution from the government in the courts since they don't technically fit the official definition of people affected by the nuclear blast (there were just outside a specific zone). Thankfully Japan's national insurance system covers most medical expenses, however, there are many cancers and serious illnesses which have only limited coverage.

It was also refreshing despite the urging of Tokyo government official Ishihara that all Hanami, Cherry Blossom viewing should be canceled this year out of respect for the deaths of the crisis. The local residents of hard hit areas in Tohoku did in fact reportedly enjoy Hanami parties. They were able to use the chance to gather with their community and be grateful for the blessings they still had. Many reportedly enjoyed seeing and thanking others in the community for their help. It was also a good time to network and make plans for necessary projects that still need to be done. Sounded like there was an enthusiastic, positive and optimistic vibe developed in the area because of the traditional get-together.This is how Hanami should be celebrated across the country every year.

Nuclear Power Plants are Yucky

2011-04-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am no scientist or expert, I am just someone who cares about the community, in this case- our worldwide one. After reading countless articles on nuclear power plants over the last few weeks since as we have seen the uncertainty of nuclear power in crisis along the northern coast of Honshu island in Fukushima, Japan. It just seems like most people are fed up with the lack of information and the handling of the situation. It makes you wonder how we let nuclear power become so depended on around the world without safety checks and monitoring of this obviously dangerous energy. It basically leaves you with a sense that, nuclear power plants are yucky and we really shouldn't be allowing ourselves to have quite so many of them around.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesperson for the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency:

We said all along [nuclear power] was absolutely secure thanks to its multiple layers of protection and five-layer barriers, and I believed this, but we brought this situation on ourselves. We need to review everything to ensure safety, regardless of precedents."

April 10: Tomorrow will mark the 1 month anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Fukushima. In today's news, there are plans to install a filter/barrier into the sea around the plant to stem the flow of contaminants in the sea. But putting in a barrier after the first dump (causing levels 63,000 times the legal limit in the surrounding water) surely means they expect to dump more. The damaged reactor is still a mystery even to TEPCO it seems. As plant workers still can't get near enough to do assess the situation, the company has said it will send in an unmanned helicopter to assess the damage inside the reactors.

Just after the dumping, the US military, complained their navy wasn't told when the contaminated water was being dumped in the sea (where their ships were) which left their personnel at risk. It makes you wonder if anyone really is in charge of the situation at Fukushima. It is a huge mess and looks like it will continue to be a major problem for some time- some say months (lowest estimate) some say generations (more than 30 years).

There is no question that nuclear bombs are a mistake and should never ever be used on people, no matter what. I actually feel fortunate to live in Hiroshima and have almost daily remember how horrendous a weapon nuclear bombs are- this should never be forgotten.
I never met or was around anyone when I was growing up who was passionate about Chernobyl, 3 mile island or nuclear power issues. Due to the problems in Fukushima, I hope open discussions about nuclear power and its dangers are now happening all over the world- from school classrooms to government debate halls, we need to talk openly about how we can safely balance our energy needs and energy producing options.

Becoming a parent has been a learning process on many levels- in many ways it comes with a responsibility to care about the future your own kids will have to be a part of, what legacy will we leave them.
There was a great article by Jacob Darwin Hamblin, a natural history professor at Oregon state, wrote a book on the history of nuclear waste, Poison in the Well discusses the legacy of our energy choices in What will our energy legacy be?. About Fukushima, he writes:

Nuclear power advocates are quick to say that the compromised Japanese reactors were of an old design. But Japan is a sophisticated, technologically savvy nation. If a nuclear catastrophe can happen there, it can and will happen anywhere.

It is the issue of building new nuclear plants that seems most important in light of what is happening. There are a lot of projects waiting to be approved right now in the US, check the list and if you're in the US and live in or neighbor these areas- make sure to ask about the nuclear waste problem, safety issues and possible alternatives before signing on. Japan currently uses nuclear power for 30% of electricity and there are plans to build many more plants in the next 10-20 years. I hope the current situation has at least put these projects on hold.

Nuclear power is mystical in its workings and many scientists tout the many other advantages of nuclear technology. Here are also some very cool ideas nuclear scientists and pro-nuclear power advocates have up their sleeve, but they are always in the future.... always safer and better down the road... that just isn't good enough for the here and now. In the comments, Justin Tutter responds to a glowing report on Gizmodo.com's Nuclear Technology Isn't All Bad

Yes, the indiscriminate impacts of this industry must be addressed with respect and precaution, but when applying these principles, let’s do so with our eyes focused on the realities of the reactors currently dotting the globe, rather than the promises (fantasies) about next-generation designs.

I love it when you read somethings others have written and decide there is no need to write a comment because that was just so perfectly expressed.

Whether to allow for nuclear power should be based not only on our present energy requirements, but also a healthy view of energy in the future for the next generation.
I watched Gattaca recently and marveled again at the crisp beauty of a futuristic world where everything is clean and everyone drives around in electric vehicles.
Of course I want to live in a world that is free of pollution and everyone uses clean energy, but I just can't trust scientists who convince governments to rely on and invest heavily in a technology that is so obviously doing damage right now.

There are so many people, myself included, who are just sick of hearing about it and can't wait till life gets back to normal and we can be concerned with the fun trivial things again. But maybe that is why it has become so accepted, if it doesn't bother our everyday routine, then it doesn't call for change.

Let's stop the future projects for nuclear power plants and try to update the ones we have running now to be safer in the event of a natural disaster like we've had here in Japan. While these projects are on hold, (most nuclear power plants take 7-10 years to build before they start making energy), lets invest more in wind and solar- technologies we have (which can be up and running in 2-3 years), know they work and are already connected to the national grids. Spend more on researching geo-thermal, wave and other clean technologies and look 20 years down the line and estimate which forms of energy will be best for all of our future.

At the moment, many of us are stuck with a strong feeling that nuclear power is simply rather yucky, just a bad choice to have outside of every major city worldwide. Especially those of us who live in Japan and eat everything from the sea which seems to be a big dumping choice in the event of disasters like we are seeing now.

Looking back to the last huge natural disaster in Japan, the 1995 great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe was horrible. But a much simpler rebuilding process, pieces were being put back in place days after, volunteer students from around the world and Japan rushed to the city to help. These days our young people are being warned of dangers even visiting the capital city hundreds of kilometers away from Fukushima. Many want to help, but they can't because of invisible dangers of radiation and contamination.

If we all invest in solar panels for our roof on our homes and offices and approve government solar farms and wind farms in our cities while we work this all out; we will simply feel and live healthier, less streessful lives. The comfort of knowing even if the worst mother nature has comes right at us and hits us with the full force of an earthquake or tsunami, or both; we will only have to rebuild in order to recover.

Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami: 16 Days On

2011-03-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/03/12/japan-fear-in-fukushima/

It has now been just over two weeks since a huge earthquake off the coast of the North of Honshu island was followed by a huge Tsunami wave that swept over the coastal area. It is still hard to talk about the facts of devastation as thousands of people are still missing, according to NPR (3/27)

The official death toll stood at 10,489 on Sunday, with more than 16,620 people missing, police said. The final death toll is expected to top 18,000.

The American military's "Operation Tomodachi" have been working alongside the Japanese self defense force to cool down the nuclear power plants, find survivors and bury the dead, bring food, water and other supplies to the survivors as well as work on clearing roads and airports. It's been an amazing effort. According to US Ambassador John Roos,

The Air Force (PACAF) has generated 265 sorties moving 3,315 passengers and more than 2,512 short tons (5,025,600 million lbs) of cargo in support of Japan Relief Efforts.

When the Tsunami hit, we were in a community of Australians who are no strangers to natural disasters. Since the start of 2011, these people in the Queensland area suffered horrible flooding, a powerful cyclone and had been strongly affected by the disaster in neighboring Christchurch (NZ). However, it was the nuclear radiation fears that made the Japan situation seem so much worse, even hopeless to them.

Thinking back, the problems of the Hanshin earthquake in ‘95 (which killed 5,100 people) which was easier to move on from because there was no Tsunami devastation or nuclear radiation to worry about. The problems this time will be much longer lasting and affect the economy in many ways. The “made in Japan” product image of high quality is already losing status abroad.

In recent news, seawater around the nuclear plants that they are still trying to cool down has been contaminated with high levels of radiation. This means that not only the seawater but perhaps also the fish and seafood stocks in the area have been contaminated; the extent of problems are still unfolding each day. Taiwan and other countries have detected radiation levels in beans imported from Japan this week and according to NPR (3/26),

"Radiation has been seeping from the plant since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11, making its way into milk, seawater and 11 kinds of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and turnips. "

"IAEA experts said the ocean will quickly dilute the worst contamination. Radioactive iodine breaks down within weeks but cesium could foul the marine environment for decades. "

Conflicting Information
Foreign media including the WHO (World Health Organization) have stated that the Japanese government and press have not told the public of the extent of the danger of radiation. French scientists estimate the contamination area could be around 100 km from the nuclear power plants due to the weather. In fact, after a day of rainfall last week, Tokyo's tap water was contaminated with radiation above a level deemed safe for children (which is over 200 km away from the Fukushima nuclear power plant).

However, the Japanese government has not increased the contamination zone and maintains the contamination zone is within 20-30km of the power plant and asked people to leave voluntarily.

Despite these developments and the overwhelming public opinion displeased with the handling of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, recent news says the public opinion for Prime Minister Kan's government is higher than it was before the earthquake.

It is still not over, according to today's Reuter's article,

Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cautioned that the nuclear emergency could go on for weeks, if not months more. "This is a very serious accident by all standards," he told the New York Times. "And it is not yet over."

Personally, we have so much invested in life here and love our community, but this nuclear disaster has made me question whether this is where we belong. I have to think of my children’s future as much as my own and if the Japanese government continues to make bad choices about nuclear power and public safety in general, it may be time to go.

Resources and Further Reading

Panic Buying and Securing Emergency Supplies: GetHiroshima 3/26
Potassium Iodine medication should be kept "just in case", prudent advice from the US State Department Dr. Peter Molberg
Nuclear reactor #3 could be breached: "Worse than 3 mile island" - Michio Kaku PHD interview 3/26/2011
Fukushima radioactive fallout nears Chernobyl levels: New Scientist 3/24
Earthquake links, resources and how you can help: Surviving Japan
Water contamination readings around Japan: ATMC.JP
Nuclear Gypsies- The subcontractors who do the dirty work by Tim Shorrock

The Quake that Shakes

2011-03-20T02:22:00.000-07:00

Where were you on March 11th when the Quake and Tsunami struck Japan?

It was a normal, sunny day in Queensland as we were finishing up our final week abroad when the kids program was interrupted by news of a huge earthquake causing fires in Japan. While I tried to calm the kids who were of course outraged by the interruption to "Yo Gabba Gabba".
My head was spinning- where was it? how bad was it? God, it looks bad!

Then as we were just getting used to the bad news of the quake, more horrible footage of a Tsunami sweeping across the coast, engulfing farmland, cars and buildings without slowing down... unbelievable.

As I was responsible for 25 students from Japan, my thoughts went to them and how I needed to let them know what had happened in case they hadn't heard and needed to contact friends, family or loved ones in the affected regions. Once I talked with the director and we contacted the students, we were both shocked by how nonplussed they were by the tragedy.
I guessed they weren't aware of how serious the situation was at first. Sure enough, a few days later, students came to me very upset and showing strong emotions for what had happened and some showing concern for friends or family in affected areas that they couldn't get in touch with.

The Australian CBS had frequent updates on the crisis and when they started detailing the nuclear threat in the following days, it raised concerns for our safety returning to Japan.
This led to serious discussions between myself and the Japanese university staff but no matter what I said, they were dismissing any danger and as far as they were concerned it was "business as usual".

The wonderful Australian homestay families, on the other hand, all volunteered to keep our students longer until things seemed safer to return. The caring and generosity shown to me and the students was very powerful. This area of the world had also had a hard time with mother nature. Having recently been hit by a horrible flood, the coastal area where many of their friends and relatives live had been hit by Cyclone Yasi and many others knew people who had died in the Christchurch earthquake only weeks before. These were people very familiar with tragedy and they were full of compassion.

Since returning to Japan, I have had a mixture of strong emotions. A bit outraged by the head in the sand approach many people seem to be taking. I wrote that I had bought Iodine supplements before coming back to Japan (since they were unavailable here) only to be berated by some saying "it hasn't been advised by the government" or "don't overreact!" This drives home the negative aspects of denial and group-ism in Japan. Some people seem to find it hard to think for themselves in emergencies or to take the continuing risks seriously. Since the danger is now an invisible kind (radiation) and the nicer Spring weather is coming, it is understandable for people to start feeling that everything is fine.

One nasty development in recent days is the "attack" on the people who have fled affected area of Japan or the country as a whole to try to get to safety. People who have stayed in affected areas and some who even walked 3 hours to work when public transport stopped have certainly made a hard choice, but their choice is no better or worse than people who have left. My enthusiasm toward positive exchanges of information about the quake and aftermath has been deflated by the negative commentary on Twitter and TV slamming people who fled Japan in fear as being "chicken." As if there is some kind of patriotism or heroism to putting your life in danger. Attacks on French residents who were advised by their government to leave Tokyo has been particularly nasty.
Japan Times writer, ROBERTO DE VIDO, who fled with his family to Kyoto wrote in his article Judge not, lest you be judged

everyone's case is different, and everyone's perception of and strategy for dealing with risk is different. Who am I to judge you? Who are you to judge me? We all want the same things: that the brave workers battling to get the situation at Fukushima under control will succeed, that Japan will avoid the crippling economic blow that would result from a worst-case outcome to the crisis, and that Japan can quickly begin rebuilding, with renewed vigor.

I would say that it does seem we are still far from "business as usual" and we should keep those emergency supplies updated and have an escape plan in place in the event of the situation taking a bad turn.

Perhaps I feel more sensitive to the radiation issue since we have lived in Hiroshima since 1998 and are often reminded of the dangers of radiation and nuclear power. Disappointingly, the focus of many here on the news, Twitter, Facebook and official company line has just been on the quake and they disregard any of the dangers of the nuclear radiation that may be spreading. Maybe it is too daunting to even think about.

However, people are dealing with it as best they can. When we went to donate bottles of water, tea and vitamin fortified sportsdrink to the Carp baseball stadium today, we were greeting by enthusiastic volunteers and surrounded by like-minded do-gooders. It was exciting to be surrounded by so many people empowered by helping others.

We only have one life, we have to live it the best as we can with each day's personal circumstances. Tragedy unveils the best and the worst in our human character for sure.

Can we somehow draw on some positive effects of the quake: the respite to the fish stocks in the north, the decision to stop whaling in some towns, and the move to cleaner energy solutions. The poisoning of the Tokyo, Chiba and surrounding area's tap water (which led to panic-buying and hoarding of bottled water, diapers, toilet paper, gas and other essentials), contaminated vegetables and the global loss of consumer faith in the once coveted "made in Japan" brand are all reminders that nuclear power and nuclear weapons can ruin an entire country's economy and stability as well as their nearest neighbors. We can do so much better now relying more on solar, wind, wave, geo-thermal and many other solutions for a safer future.

We need to be taking care of those effected by the quake but also thinking about how to make better decisions for our future.

Surviving Japan has great information and links to updates and information for people in Japan and outside Japan who want to keep up and help if they can.
Second Harvest Japan is doing a great job getting supplies, food and water up to the people who need it.
The US military is doing a great job with Operation Tomodachi clearing roads, helping drop water on the power plant and get emergency supplies to evacuees. Ambassador to Japan, John Roos is doing a great job updating people on the situation and US aid on Twitter.

Students Favorite Japanese Authors

2011-01-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

It is wonderful to live in a country where there are so many avid readers. I am sure this can at least in part be attributed to such wonderful Japanese writers. Here are some female university students suggestions for Japanese authors to read, some of their books have been translated into English, but many others haven't - hope to see English versions soon.

Kaori Ekuri (1989~) a children's book author who is well known for her adept descriptions of the feminine viewpoint in Japanese society. Ekuri's popular book about a sham marriage between a reclusive woman and a gay man, "Twinkle Twinkle" (English & Japanese) gives insight into gender and homosexual discrimination in Japan.

Ogawa Ito's book食堂かたつむり (Japanese only) about a woman who opens up her own Shokudo Japanese style eatery sounds like a Japanese version of "Chocolat" with strong themes of family, independence, community and the importance of familial bonds in life.

Atsuko Asano became famous with young Japanese with her stories about baseball and other manga illustrated stories about growing up in Japan. Although the baseball series Battery is only in Japanese, the story of a young couple doing the Japanese style stand-up comedy, Manzai is a popular book now also available in English.

Momoko Sakura created the kids classic Chibi-Maruko chan which is seen on Japanese television as well as in the manga book form, but only seems available in Japanese. Although since it is written simply and the stories are not complicated, it might be a good choice for someone studying Japanese. The language is informal and the stories reflect Japanese cultural themes in a way children can understand. I was surprised that a high level student said she loved these books so much, but she then explained that reading Sakura's books gave her a strong love of reading as a child, so these stories have always remained dear to her. She said the book Momoko's Story: ももこの話 really moved her and is one that she has read many times.

Other writers that sounded interesting, but the students had trouble explaining about were Takuji Jikawa's Be With You love story which sounds very mainstream as many of his stories have been adapted into Japanese top grossing films. Another soon to be movie and pop sensation judging from the amount of gushing over Yasutaka Tsutsui's love story amid Science-Fiction, action and adventure is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Historical writer Yunosuke Akitagawa's book that all junior high school students have to read 羅生門・鼻 Rasshomo sounds like a traditional story of community, society and selfishness. Usually school prescribed reading offers students a glimpse at how to better themselves in society and this seems to follow a similar theme.

I'm looking forward to reading some of their recommendations and learning more about Japanese culture and their favorite author's perspectives on life, love, death and romance.

Amazon.co.jp ウィジェット

Tondo-Matsuri とんど祭り January 2011

2011-01-16T00:34:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 14th, Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th this year (2011) were the days designated for Tondo-Matsuri at local Shrines around the country.

New Year's eve and day is when everyone buys the good luck charms, amulets and decorations for the coming year, but Tondo is the ceremonious bonfire to give a proper send-off to last year's charms.
It is the time for shrines to hold religious blessings and ceremonies followed by sacred bonfires burning last year's amulets, good luck charms and other religious decorations people bring back to the Shrine to dispose of.
Everyone is then invited to roast the Pounded rice- mochi- over the fires to eat by using long bamboo sticks that are sliced open at the end to hold the mochi in place.

Hiroshima Mayor Akiba Won't Run for Re-Election

2011-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Photo of Mayor Akiba by Getty Images

Many foreigners who live in Hiroshima wouldn't recognize Hiroshima politician's names, but the Mayor of Peace, Tadatoshi Akiba is one exception.

I first saw him speak at the International Animation Festival many years ago not long after he took office in 1999. I didn't realize that he spoke such excellent English until the English translator got a bit muddled with what he had said. He took over the job gracefully, speaking both in Japanese and a very natural English to all of the competitors and attendees at the event. I later learned that he went to high school in America and went on to study at Tufts University in Boston, he later received an honorary doctorate from the same university.

Tadatoshi Akiba has also made a name for himself around the world as the "mayor of Peace" and recently has been in the international news for his bid for the Summer Olympics to be held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2020.

He also traveled to the head offices of the Lonely Planet to thank them for listing Hiroshima as one of the top 200 cities in the world to visit. Hiroshima is listed as city #133 in The Cities: A journey through the best cities in the world

Mayor Akiba was one of the winners of the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Award, for his efforts in promoting peace through encouraging an end to all war, global disarmament and a worldwide campaign to abolish all nuclear weapons.

According to the Ramon Masaysay Award foundation website:

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given to persons - regardless of race, nationality, creed or gender - who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions which have transformed their societies for the better.

Although many argued that the mayor's position lacks power to make real changes for the city of Hiroshima, it is clear that a dynamic person like Akiba has been in the position can highlight the issues of peace worldwide and keep the issues related to the Hiroshima bombing current on political agendas.

Mayor Akiba has said he is not running for a 4th term which he explains in a YouTube Video that he didn't answer reporter's questions using the mass media, but instead posted privately on Yasuwo53. The video is only in Japanese.

I hope the next mayor of Hiroshima is as effective not only in Hiroshima, but worldwide in promoting issues of peace and encouraging leaders to stop making nuclear weapons and disarm the weapons they already have. It seems like an impossible battle, but there needs to be someone who at least raises the issues and keeps the topics in the mainstream media worldwide.

Charitable Christmas

2010-12-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to Christmas holidays as a time for peace, love, family and friendship but for many people around the world- winter holidays are a stressful time. Feeling fortunate to have a job, be relatively healthy and want to share some of your good fortune or do a good deed to help out some people who are having a rough time? It's good for your soul.

Here is a list of successful charities around the world you may be interested in donating to, volunteering at or supporting them in other ways. There is also information about donating clothing, food and other things you may not need to help others.

Successful charities around the globe
Since Christmas is supposed to be a magic time for children, a lot of the most popular charities to support this time of year help out children in need. Although there are more charities than could ever be listed on a single page, these charities have stood the test of time, proving to be highly ethical and effective in getting funds and assistance to children and their families in the most dire situations around the world time and again.
A problem many people have with charities that have not proven themselves over time is being unsure if they are legitimate or a scam and whether your donation will be used as you intend or not.
Even if some of these charites aren't active in your area, or aren't involved in your area of interest, I hope it will at least prove informative and perhaps inspiring to read a little about the kind of work they do.

(International) Room to Read building schools for communities in need, training teachers, providing books and other learning materials to kids who want to study but don't have any way to study. Online donations go a long way to help kids in R2R programs all over Asia and Africa.
(International) UNICEF fighting for children's rights, medical care and other basic needs in the most neglected situations around the world.
(International) ICAF International Childrens Art Foundation helping kids around the world explore their own creativity despite frustrating or miserable situations.
(US & International) Save the Children started in America in 1932 to help families survive the great depression and has been helping children and their families in need in the US and worldwide ever since.

Other international charities worth considering

(International) Habitat for Humanity one of the most fundamental needs in the world is decent, safe housing- volunteer or donate to help.
(International) Red Cross often political in their activism getting communities water rights, medical help and food despite government boycott or conflict.

Successful children charities in the US and UK

(UK) NSPCC working to stop child-abuse in the UK. Donate 5 pounds and get a personalised letter from Santa sent to your child. Purchase other Christmas gifts or donate to their activities. Become a volunteer or get information & advice about child abuse warning signs and help.
(US) Toys for Tots has been going since the 1940's in the US and military bases worldwide sponsored by the USMC (US Marine Corps). A great, simple idea- drop a newly bought toy in one of the donation boxes outside most US malls or on military bases and it will be delivered to kids in need who normally wouldn't be able to get presents at Christmas. If you aren't able to donate toys in your area to the program, you can donate online to buy toys for the program.
(US) Make a wish foundation- granting kids with terminal conditions a special wish.

Environmental Charities

(International including Japan) Second Harvest- eco meets ethical. Such a simple yet fantastic idea to reuse food waste from supermarkets, restaurants and other food businesses by redistributing it to the people that need it the most. Active in Tokyo, Japan and major cities worldwide. You can volunteer to help out, donate food, equipment or money through their website.
(International) Greenpeace- some disagree with their tactics and politics, but few argue with their conviction and commitment to helping solve the world's environmental problems and representing the rights of animals and other creatures without a voice.
(International) WWF- world wildlife federation is working to protect endangered animals around the world. You can sponsor an endangered animal, purchase gifts and donate to help their activities online.
(International) 350.org international grassroots eco-movement trying to hold world leaders accountable for their environmental actions. Scientists say if we can't get below the 350 parts per million CO2, we are doomed.

Other ways to help others without donating money

Giving your old UNIQLO clothes back to be re-used and recycled. Uniqlo has started a great campaign worldwide through their stores to reuse good quality, but unwanted clothes by giving them to refugees living in camps around the world. Clothes they are unable to use are recycled for raw material or burned for fuel.
Volunteer with GoMad - started by JET program participants in Japan to encourage budding activists working in Japan to fund their own way to locations around the world that are in great need of volunteer assistance.
Donate clothes, volunteer your time or money to the Salvation army In Hiroshima, like many cities worldwide, the Salvation army provides food, clothes and supplies to local people in need.

Does Facebook membership do more harm than good?

2010-11-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

Join a website and re-unite with long lost friends, keep up with friends and family's busy lives that you can't see as often as you like. Sounds like a wonderful idea!

Socialmediarockstar has a fantastic history of social networking starting from the 70's, continuing on to the early 90's when online networking started. According to socialmediarockstar's article, the first social networking site of the facebook kind was "friendster" (which I couldn't find online) but whoever started the trend, there are now thousands of social networking websites online.

But almost as soon as the web became popular, there were chat rooms, forums, and other websites where people could "find" people or register personal information for others to see and comment on or to make connections and become "friends".
As a part of running a website, we had to deal with problems with anonymous forums. To be honest, I thought if people had their name to their comments they wouldn't be so bold, dishonest, insulting to others or even do things which are unethical and even sometimes illegal. This has proven to be true in most cases, but there are still instances of people crossing the line who may end up regretting it. Unfortunately, there is no true way to delete information once it is written on the internet. Try out the WayBackMachine internet archive to see what I mean.

Now that most people we work with and are connected to socially are using facebook, if the line is crossed even only online- harsh opinions, criticisms or bullying, posting scandalous or embarrassing photos, videos or information carry a lot of value in modern life. It is much easier in our online world to hurt, shame or even destroy someone's real life.

As part of researching facebook and social networking issues, you're bombarded by information about the negative aspects of Facebook and its integrated "extras" (apps/applications, integrated games, quizzes and other personalize-able options associated with facebook). Being the biggest and the most popular makes it an easy target, it also makes it pretty easy for critics to pick apart.

Negative Press & Reactions about Facebook

Asia online writes about "When Facebook destroys lives"
TechCrunch breaks the story Zynga CEO Mark Pincus: "I Did Every Horrible Thing In The Book Just To Get Revenues" Escapist magazine takes it further adding extra commentary to the story in Zynga CEO Admits to Being a Scammer
There is even a page on Facebook titled Facebook destroys lives listing news articles from around the world as well as personal testimonials about how Facebook has destroyed these people's lives.
WebProNews writes of the new "not now" type of rejection of friendship as not being a much better option
More seriously: Cases of murder because someone put too much personal information on facebook or even because they changed their marital status. Horrible flaunting of rape where photos or video have been posted online have also occurred. Humiliating and embarrassing photos posted on facebook have also led to suicides.
Newsweek outlines 10 Ways Facebook Can Ruin Your Life including many of the legal, ethical and social issues many users might not consider when writing comments, posting links and pictures without a second thought as to possible future consequences.

When I asked on twitter if anyone had negative experiences on facebook, @matigo replied about why he quit facebook:

my fool family could see my friends, and I *had* to friend my stupid brother. It doesn't get much more negative than that

Despite all the negative press and shocking stories in the media which seem to label facebook as purely evil, the fact that the most people online are using it everyday for information as well as social networking shows there are many aspects users feel they cannot live without. It has been hailed as a great way to rally support for causes as well as a means of uniting like-minded people and raising awareness amongst your peers about issues you feel are important.

Positive Press & Reactions about Facebook

Alternet points out that although flawed in many ways, facebook can raise social awareness and gain momentum for important issues like their group had done to support a campaign for a democratic Burma/Myanmar.
The Barking Robot talks about positive influences on young people (from a psychological perspective) that being a part of social networks like facebook can be on their lives.
Study of college students finds that facebook membership and activity increases overall psychological well-being and social capital.

As far as using facebook as a platform to build an active local community around your interests, or to get people involved or at least to know about issues or causes you care about- there is no doubt of the benefits of facebook membership.
The fact alone that more people are using facebook now than any search engine is a sign that facebook is where most people get all of their information. However, as far as keeping up with the daily ins and outs of friends who don't share your interests, values or who's lives are too far removed from yours- facebook becomes an inconvenient source of stress.

Privacy settings
One thing is clear, if you decide to join or continue on facebook, it's a good idea to make sure your security on your account is as limited as possible to those you really want following your every update.
One easy way to see what others see of you online is to log-out then search on google or another web-browser to see how much information about you is online.
One of the best step-by-step privacy setting how-to pages I have seen online is from SickFacebook.com which runs through the main privacy concerns in "10 Facebook Privacy Settings You Should Know".

Interestingly enough, even if your page's security is very tight- quite a lot of your activity on facebook friend's pages (who have a totally public account or rather light security) or group pages which are public are likely to display your information and contributions to their pages on a search. So, one of the best ways to protect yourself online, in terms of what personal information is available about you, is to choose your friends wisely.

Some people's rules for "friending" or "de-friending"

"If I've ever talked to them in person and thought it was worthwhile..."
Gawker.com outlines the 8 types to delete or defriend on facebook or twitter
I follow the three strike rule, if someone insults me in front of my family & friends or sends me aggressive e-mails more than twice- they're out!
The Redroom.com's blogger talks about anguishing over de-friending someone, but bases her decision on: "one of my criteria for friendship whether Facebook or Real is a shared set of values."
The New York Time's Social Q's gives advice on a nasty de-friending despite it being with an ex-girlfriend.
Vergepipemedia's survey of facebook-ers who had defriend-ed someone found: "60% said they would defriend someone because of their political, religious and personal posts versus just “hiding” that person."
Silly Christmas "gag" gift Why won't he friend me on facebook gum on Stupid.com

CNN's article talks about how de-friending bruises your digital ego stating that "rejection online may have the potential to sting even more." Some people choose to "hide" certain annoying friends instead of deleting them because they don't want to hurt their feelings, but that still allows them to comment on your updates and interact with your real friends on subjects you care about which may prove problematic.

Of course our online ego is important to most of us because we spend a lot more of our time invested in our twitter accounts, blogs, SMS messages, online profiles and yes facebook updates than ever before. Since we are putting ourselves out there much more personally than what you probably do in person, being rejected, dismissed, ridiculed, teased or embarrassed hurts even more at times than it would if it happened to you face to face. Written words don't disappear as easily as spoken ones, we can read it over and over- agonizing about it- which is quite unhealthy.

If you notice that someone is no longer your friend on facebook, it hurts- especially when their comments show up on your mutual friends pages and you think "hey, why him/her and not me?". This really shouldn't hurt as bad as it does, but humans personalize everything, otherwise sappy advertising for telephone networks, diapers or airlines wouldn't make us cry- so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

This might be a good thing for facebook to update- if you are not "friends" with someone for whatever reason, none of their comments or online activity should be visible to you.

Facebook etiquette
When discussing facebook etiquette, some online experts think it is better to write an e-mail explaining "why" before defriending. In more general terms, many advise you have to be extra sensitive and clear in how you write. The CNN consultant Celia Sepp gives great advice about online communication:

"You have no facial expression online; you have no tone of voice online; it's very easy to misinterpret phrasing in an e-mail. You have to be very careful about your wording and be more explicit with people when you're making or removing connections," Sepp said. "That's why it's so important to connect with people that you actually know."

However, there are some people that don't seem to properly read e-mails no matter how painstakingly sincere, careful and polite you are when writing to them. Once they realize its a rejection they react to that, nothing else.

Some online guru's and popular media figures advise not to agonize over it, just cut ties that don't suit you, many refer to as "friendship fat", and move on with your life. In fact, mega-popular comedian Jimmy Kimmel started a National Un-Friend Day (NUD) campaign this November which got over 40,000 people involved in un-friending people they weren't really friends with. Kimmel suggests announcing on facebook that you need help doing something like moving to find out who your real friends are.

In the same article, Mehmet Oz says:

"Facebook friends can lead to severe anxiety, hypertension and even possible death. This National Unfriend Day, let's stamp these silent killers out once and for all," says Dr Oz.

For many of us who befriended everyone from high school and some from even earlier in our lives, maybe we should have gone to the reunion caught up on their lives there and it may have been easier than trying to create an online friendship. Usually catching up on someone's life only takes 5-10 minutes. After that, many of us were left with nothing to talk about. Makes you want to create a new social network to reunite old friends that only aimed to catch you up every 3-5 years. It would be so much nicer to be able to say: It was great to find out you are doing well, looking forward to an update again in a few years than to have to choose to un-friend someone on facebook.

For people who want to write a letter to explain your un-friending actions, there doesn't seem to be any "form letter" available online for this sort of thing. Although cliche, it might be useful to have some sort of letter ready if someone asks us "why did you un-friend me?" Or if you want to warn them or give them the courtesy in advance of severing your online relationship:

It's not you, it's me- my facebook account is overwhelming me and I need to simplify my friendship lists. Please don't think this is a personal attack, I appreciated your kindness of accepting my facebook friendship, but this is something I feel I need to do. I hope someday you can forgive me.

But if that doesn't suit you, just say Kimmel made you do it!

* Facebook logo image by Benstein courtesy of creative commons license

Autumn in Japan

2010-11-11T17:06:00.000-08:00

I love watching the trees burst into color this time of year, here are my favorite pictures of fall around Hiroshima, Japan.

I caught this leaf stuck in the fence this morning and it looked so amazing in the red light of the morning sun with a background of a nearby mountain.

Looking up to the sky from under these great trees, the view of a variety of hues of yellow, orange, gold and red against the backdrop of a blue sky is so rewarding.

Miyajima is the most famous place to view the leaves in Hiroshima, for good reason- it is truly wonderful. The early weekends in November are proving to be the best times this year to see the island at its most spectacular. Be prepared to be surrounded by large groups of tourists when you go, Spring and Autumn are the busiest times to visit. Go early in the morning to catch the best light for photographs or later in the afternoon to catch the evening sun and avoid most of the visitors.

Gokurakuji-yama (up from Itsukaichi station just outside of Hiroshima's city center) is a fantastic place to spend the day wandering around enjoying the rich colors. There are also a few local resident Koi fish lurking at the bottom of the pond who pop out occasionally from under a leaf to say hello. An interesting temple, shrine are interesting to explore and at the end of your cold wanderings, head in for some food and an onsen hot bath at a welcoming inn (Arcadia Village) nearby.

Mitaki temple is another lesser known gem in Hiroshima city. Located along the river, just up from the Mitaki-ji train station. There is a nice hike to Mt.Mitaki just above the shrine's grounds.
You won't be disappointed.

Photo credits: Cute FatJizo Photo by Rebecca Schmidt, other photos by GetHiroshima

Blood type Harassment

2010-11-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

ブラハラ Blood type harassment doesn't seem to make sense, but in Japan where many people believe there is a connection between your blood type and personality, harassment ranges from friends teasing each other to employers bias against certain workers.

Interestingly, on Amazon.com there are 412 books written about blood type and what you should eat for your type, how certain types are connected to certain characters, and so on. These are things many people think are only taken seriously in Japan, but there is obviously a wider international market for these ideas. That said, it is somewhat incredible that if you search for blood type books in Japanese on Amazon.jp, you will find over 3,000 books listed.

When I posed the question to my twitter group, I got some very interesting comments:

Blood type character telling and BT harassment exist in Japan. My boss at my old job(BT A) believed BT B people were not organized.
(@expatbutnot) I've come across light teasing but not harassment. Probably because no one knows your blood type unless you tell them.
(@nikimurata) not sure it's harassment but ppl do seem to make judgments about others reg. their blood type.. quite a few women i know for eg ..

Wikipedia talks about scientific racism in the field of blood type stereotyping in Japan. It seems to date back to the 1920's when Japanese scientists first started theorizing about the idea of character and blood type being related.

Interestingly, according to Melanie Shintaku writing on the subject of blood type and personality for Bella online, the Rh factor plays no part in character, so most people have no interest in knowing about whether they are + or - in their type. Unlike many westerners whom, if they are aware of their blood type, would know the Rh factor as well. In the same article, she also lists the characteristics each blood type is supposed to have if you are interested. It sounds very similar to astrological charts.

While trying to assist one of my university students who was trying to research the significance of blood type on successful people, we soon ran into a big problem.
It was nearly impossible to find out a non-Japanese person's blood type through online research. Some websites even discussed disclosure of blood type as sensitive information, in the case of politicians- national security. Maybe exposure of your blood type to your friends and coworkers should be kept more private in Japan as well.

In Japan on the other hand, blood type is usually listed after name and age in any standard expose or biography.

* Blood type chart courtesy of New World Encyclopedia

Halloween Costumes Japan 2010

2010-10-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

Thinking about getting a Halloween costume to Hiroshima, or anywhere in Japan this year? Here are some ideas and options available in town and online:

Companies based in Japan
*** NEW ** Ebay now has a new Japanese base- you can search in English or Japanese and bid or buy outright (Ebay style). Called Sekaimon, you can use it from within Japan as well as from other countries (thanks for the great tip Mai-chan) ***

Most of these crazy Japanese "fancy dress" costumes listed on "Cracked.com" can be found year-round at Tokyu Hands and sometimes the 100 yen stores (Daiso for example). It seems they are used for bachelor parties, farewell parties, wedding receptions, team building "meetings" and parties as well as after-project parties and other celebrations.
Many of these can also be purchased online from Rakuten (now in English as well as Japanese for residents as well as international buyers) if you search for "Halloween," but it is quite pricey and most of the costumes seem more for a romantic date night or a working girl's party than a more general public Halloween party.

Yahoo auctions (only in Japanese) if you enter "ハロウィーンコスチューム" (Halloween costume) you can find some good deals, sometimes the sellers on yahoo offer better deals on lightly used costumes or handmade costumes than other sites. However, some are still pricier than costumes you can get on Ebay USA or other discounted costumes shops that deliver internationally like Halloween Costumes.com (especially with the amazing yen strength against the the dollar, even including shipping you are laughing), just make sure you use sellers that are okay shipping internationally.
Another Japan based costume company is Rubies Japan (started in the US, but has recently become popular in Japan as well). The prices seem a little high, but you can get your costumes really fast (if you live in Japan) and the discounted items are very good value. It is also a good place to get Halloween goods and accessories.
ToysRUs Japan (Japanese interface only) has also gotten into the game, supplying kids through teen costumes and some cute adults ones too (in smaller sizes).

Another place to consider is FBC 's Halloween Page, based in Kobe, this importer of all good American and sometimes British or Australian, is also a good place to pick up teaching supplies for Halloween themed classes, pumpkins, decorations for parties and some costumes for kids and adults. They are taking orders for pre-order pumpkins now and start delivering from October 13th for those of you with early parties this year.
The Flying Pig, a Fukuoka based Costco supplier that ships all over Japan also has some decorations and Halloween treats available. Also try this second Halloween page on TFP's site.

Amazon Japan also has a variety of accessories, books and costumes for Halloween this year. Some bargains can be found here compared to other companies selling Halloween goods online in Japan. Many of the companies listed above (Rubie's Japan especially) are using the Amazon Japan site as another way to get more customers, so you will find the same items listed here from them. Another company Eventec.co.jp has discounted Halloween costumes of a less sexy, more Japanese coy variety including the "Halloween Maid" costume (which actually looks exactly like a regular "maid costume" but hey it's Halloween, so role-play costumes are perfect).

Companies that ship to Japan from Abroad
Buying from abroad can take a bit more effort and time, so plan ahead. But if you make your orders before the end of September, you should easily receive your costumes by mid October.

Ebay International
Let's compare prices of new costumes on Ebay USA to companies with the same costumes in Japan. Apparently, the most popular woman's costumes are the "super sexy" ones - okay single ladies, it gets attention- nuff said. Ebay has a "Sexy Samurai" for $56 + express shipping of $60 = $116 = ¥9,740 yen) at Rubies, the same costume is on offer for ¥9,135. But do they have your size here at Rubies Japan (S, M or standard size- if that is you, great. If not, you can get a cheaper price by ordering from Ebay "standard delivery").

If you are shopping for lightly used costumes from non-commercial shops/ private sellers, you can get a steal at Ebay US, UK or Australia (now all on the same site). And if you are looking for specialty handcrafted, vintage, unique or larger sized (and even plus sized) costumes than those offered here in Japan, Ebay is a great option for good value from the commercial and private sellers alike. Many sellers do reasonably priced shipping to Japan, you usually get discounts if you buy more than one item from a particular seller at one time. Many items are listed for quick or "immediate" sale, but others you bid on competitively with other shoppers interested in the same item.

Halloween Costumes.com is another great costume company that delivers costumes year round. Their discounted costumes section is great if you are not picky about what type of costume you are looking for, you can find a great bargain. They do reasonably priced shipping internationally (and to Japan of course).

Happy Halloween Costume hunting!

Autumn Adventures in Hiroshima

2010-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

It dawned on me the other day that after years of being an on again, off again gym member that I most enjoy the kind of exercise that doesn't actually cost anything.

I had a frustrating but funny experience when I tried out CURVES for the first time and just when I was starting to get a workout going they kicked me out. A friend later said, it's not really for people who enjoy exercising, its for people that need that kind of structured exercise routine to burn calories. I would much rather go for a run or walk around the river or around my neighborhood, get some fresh air and release the stress of the day.

I loved doing a Yoga seminar in the mountain retreat of Dharamsala, India as it gave me a personal connection to yoga and how it can help you maintain a balance emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically.
However, I have since found most Yoga classes are either too chatty or too structured like an exercise class for my liking. Yoga for me has always been a way to get in touch with my inner self and thoughts that are being overridden by the day to day stuff. I enjoy my day more if I can wake up a bit earlier (best before anyone else) and do even 10 minutes of posing, breathing and enjoying the quiet.

In Hiroshima, there are many great places to enjoy a quiet stroll or run or even to do some Yoga in a tranquil place. Here are some places I recommend if you are looking for places to exercise, meditate or simply enjoy the outdoors for free:

Miyajima: The island can be busy in the town area, Hondori shopping and eating street and around the shrines and temples, but if you wander back into the forest and gardens (on the way up to Mt.Misen) you will find many beautiful, quiet spots to enjoy and appreciate. The island is especially wonderful in the Autumn when all the leaves change color.

Renting a kayak from Miyajima Paddle park is not free, but it won't break the bank and is a great way to explore the island from a different perspective. It is also quite meditative being in a Kayak on the open water, the sounds of the water lapping against the boat is quite relaxing.

Mitaki-dera: You won't find a nicer area to wander around Jizo statues and Japanese shrines than at Mitaki temple. The walk to the top of the mountain through the temple grounds is really nice and the cooler months of Autumn mean the mozzies will leave you alone, the views are usually clear and the trees are soon bursting with colorful leaves.

Hiroshima castle: You can find people enjoying brisk walks every morning and evening in this area, especially along the "running route" that loops the castle (1200 meters long). If you cross the street on the west side of the castle, you can continue on a longer run or walk around the Chuo-Koen, Hiroshima's central park. If you are interested in picking-up a game of touch rugby, groups get together here and in Kure each week.

If you continue past central park onto the riverside paths by heading to the right (north). These great paths are now all traffic free as they connect under the bridges, so you don't need to wait at any lights (on the sidewalk) for 10 km. Fantastic routes to explore on bicycle, for runs or walks and very family friendly too. **We hope the city will expand this idea and make all riverside paths traffic free by bypassing traffic lights going under the bridges and become more like our European cycling friendly sister city of rivers, Amsterdam.

Yokogawa town (accessible by streetcar or JR) is full of history and walking around the backstreets, main shopping street and into some of the small shops is interesting and fun. Ujina is the port area- a large dog park has been made opposite the port which is suitable for kids to skate or for short walks or family picnics. It is not the most relaxing spot, but it is the shoot-off point for exploring the outer islands. Hiroshima city is famous for its rivers that cut through the city, it is also famous for its many interesting and beautiful island that surround it.
Miyajima is the most famous of these island, but there are also adventures to be had on Etajima or Ninoshima. Although it is not a good time for swimming, the beaches and towns nearby are interesting to explore, some have great restaurants and venues like ArtEco. This cafe-bar-art space and live-house is run by a long time Hiroshima resident, originally from the US- it is well worth a visit.

Hiking around Hiroshima:

Akinofuji (little Fuji on Ninoshima)
Peace pagoda and Ushita-Yama (near Hiroshima Shinkansen station)
Kinomune-yama
Shiraki-yama
Tenguiyo-yama
Rengeji-yama
Mikurai-kyo
Soko-yama (Mitaki-yama)

These are some great hikes everyone would enjoy.

There is a group called Gansu that organize hikes that foreign residents and visitors are welcome to come and join each month. They have been to most of the famous spots around Hiroshima and always have a fun group of people taking part.

Exploring the Seto-naikai Setoda-cho is a charming seaside town full of culture, museums and interesting shrines and temples.

There is so much more to do, see and enjoy in Hiroshima than just Miyajima and the Peace park- I hope this article can inspire you to spend a bit longer enjoying this great area of Japan, whether you are visiting or living here for a while.

Enjoy this Hiroshima in Autumn slideshow from some of our local, talented Hiroshima photographers on FlickR:

Eco-Lifestyle Comparison Japan and France

2010-09-23T22:09:00.001-07:00

Surely one of the biggest global topics is garbage management and waste reduction. This summer was a great opportunity to try out living in another country and culture and it challenged my views of how eco-friendly we are on a daily basis in Hiroshima (Japan).

Compared to Hawaii where most garbage is still put in the garbage together, Japan always seemed far more advanced in how much we separate our garbage. I was worried about it seeming troublesome to our French visitors to have to put plastics, burnables and bottles and cans in different containers and put it out on different trash days, but they found it easy and I soon understood why.

French residents have to separate more than we do in Japan. In Japan, only PET bottles, aluminum cans, newspaper and cardboard boxes are recycled by the city.

In France, for recycling pick-up from the city trash collectors, all residents put into the recycling bin: all cardboard (including cartons or cereal or margarine boxes) and newspaper, hard plastic bottles (for milk, juice), cans and bottles. There are pictures on the lids of all the garbage cans showing what is supposed to be inside (and what is not). It is very clear, easy and straightforward to figure out even if you don't read or speak the language.

There are two other bins: burnable waste and wet kitchen waste (生ゴミ "nama-gomi" in Japan) or garden waste. This is taken to farms for compost to be used to boost the quality of soil or is used for animal feed.

In contrast, in Japan, this type of kitchen waste is not recycled (by the city) anywhere in Japan that I know of. Although some individuals do compost their own kitchen waste or use electric compost-er machines to turn it into usable soil. It seems most people just throw out this usable waste with their burnable (燃える moeru) garbage in the paper bags.

This is a problem as the kitchen waste is normally wet and heavy and goes straight through paper garbage bags if you don't wrap it in newspaper or milk cartons (or plastic bags as some people do) before putting it in the paper bag. Therefore creating more waste of resources that could be recycled (or in the case of plastic bags which shouldn't be burnt at the low temperatures used for "burnable garbage" disposal). If you have a garden, a cheap and efficient option is to dig it into your garden every few days, improving your soil and reducing your garbage.

It was interesting to see how ahead of the eco-game French people are in using EV (electric-vehicles) and plug-in charging infrastructure. I saw a few carparks that had plug-in options for EV drivers and I saw a few EV cars driving around, especially quite a few delivery and official cars and small trucks which were EVs- perfect for inner city driving around pedestrians.

One thing I didn't see much of in France was solar panels on rooftops. Even in southern areas where there is adequate sunshine year long, there weren't any solar panels even for water heating apparent. This is one area that Japan seems to be further advanced in the eco-race. Although, according to Renewable Energy websites, this may change by 2020.

What's it like being an American resident in Hiroshima?

2010-08-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It was a Friday morning at around 8:15am.

Cycling home tonight along the riverside from town, passing the peace park and the mangled 原爆ドーム A-bomb dome, the streets were quiet and peaceful. I heard laughter and as I headed out of the city, I saw a lot of people enjoying late night barbecue parties along the river bank. Their laughter and chatter traveled up to me on the path reminding me of any other summer evening in Japan. Further on, kids were setting off fireworks and enjoying a late night play outside with their families. Tomorrow is also a Friday and a workday for most people in Hiroshima and every other city in Japan, yet there was a holiday atmosphere tonight that made me think of what the people of Hiroshima must have been doing the night before August 6th- going about their lives, struggling with the heat, thinking of what they needed to do for the next working day, preparing their clothes and bags for work or school the next day, perhaps even having a drink with friends on the riverbank.

I am an American, I grew up in Pearl city, Hawaii and visited Pearl Harbor many times when friends or family visited. I always thought it strange how Japanese tourists (and indeed other tourists) would stand in front of the Pearl Harbor memorial smiling for pictures using the peace sign. Now I see people standing in front of the Peace park everyday smiling for pictures in front of the A-bomb dome and it seems even more bizarre.

My first experience in Japan with the issue of the bombing came on my first day of work as a JET participant in a high school in Oita, Kyushu where I was placed. The day I was supposed to greet the students for the first time was on August 6th. I remember walking to my new office and meeting my colleagues for the first time while listening to a documentary about the bombing of Hiroshima blaring from the gym. Despite not being in Hiroshima, being an American and hearing that documentary being shown to students and realizing what day it was... it was overwhelming.
I was shocked that they would want me to come to meet students on such a day, but when I said that to the head teacher, he waved his hand and said "Oh, they won't care- they are young, YOU are young. It was such a long time ago- don't worry!"
I knew he was just being kind, but I was still in shock when greeted by cheerful students waving at me and shouting out "Hello" "Nice to Meet you" "I am a pen" and other set phrases I would hear many times from that day on.

I was so impressed by the spirit of the people in Hiroshima and the positive atmosphere of the city on a visit here that when a job opportunity came up years later, we took it. One class I taught had a few survivors of the Hiroshima bombing in it which I didn't realize until the topic of Peace came up. One of the students described his experience when he was living in Kure at the age of 4. He was outside playing after breakfast and looked up at the bright blue sky and saw white parachutes floating down. He said he can't recall any memories after that until he was in his twenties.
I've met other survivors' family members like a student who said, "Gran never talks about it and we all just leave it at that, there is no way we could understand what she went through".

Sitting in a cafe on Hondori today with our 8 year old son who was born and raised in Hiroshima, he has a real sense of belonging here despite the fact that he will never be officially considered "Japanese."
We saw a group of right wing nationalists walking by wearing their matching military camouflage trousers, chanting anti-foreigner slogans and carrying signs saying "This is not America" while glaring over at us through the window. When our son read the sign, he said in Hiroshima-ben ホンマよアメリカじゃないけん "Of course this is not America". Then he looked over at me with concern and said, "Maybe they've never been to America?!"

We had a great discussion about discrimination and hate and how the whole idea of the Peace movement is to get away from hating others. It was a wonderful, enlightening, optimistic and forward-thinking discussion with a thoughtful 8 year old that made me wish that more people could understand his point of view. He has been born and raised in Japan, but also has the benefit of a global perspective due to his travels, studies, experiences and family and friends abroad.
One of his conclusions was that we probably shouldn't have killing with blood on video games and TV shows. "Falling down to get points is acceptable, but not blood and death- nobody needs to see that."

Reflecting on our experience at the Peace memorial ceremony in previous years, it was hot- there were a lot of speeches and silence for pondering peace- it is quite a powerful day. However, the most touching thing is the kindness of the countless volunteers who are there giving out cold washcloths and water to everyone who attends the ceremony.
There is no looks of judgement or resentment- only concern that you might be dehydrated or heat-stroked. There are protests on the day, there are many tear streaked and serious faces, but there is also hope. Most people seem to be very positive about Peace and the feeling that a forward movement can emanate from right here in Hiroshima.

So, what is it like being an American resident living in Hiroshima? It's a great place to live to be reminded that all life is sacred. War, bombs, killing, discrimination and hate is never the answer. And most of all, that we all have to play a part in trying to make the world a better, more peaceful place.

Alternative Perspective of Japanese

2010-08-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

There are no absolute definitions that define us, this weekend's festival was a wonderful example of the concept. Being at the Sundance festival on Miyajima this year at the beach park all day surrounded by foreigners and Japanese people that don't fit into the stereotypical mold was a fun way to remind me that people are unique and different no matter where they are from.

Working and living within the cultural constrictions of Japan can make you think that "all Japanese are ..." especially since many Japanese people you talk with will say the same stereotypes to explain away a frustrating circumstance you find yourself in. Thankfully, there are exceptions to every culture and every nationality, allowing the world to remain a fun and interesting adventure to explore.

There were some people in beautiful Samba costumes, but the festival reminded me a bit of a costume party in a more general sense, as the festival goers donned their favorite summer festival attire and seemed to take on a new persona with it.

It seems at festivals like this that people are able to shed their dull careers or lives in the process and allow themselves to be more free, even if just for a day. Leave the stress of normal life behind, escaping their 9-5 (or 9-10 for many workers who live here) for a while.

There was a positive, friendly vibe as I walked through crowds of the US military who had come to enjoy the festival from Iwakuni, a bit rowdy perhaps, but good natured and despite lifestyle differences, everyone seemed to blend and mingle with ease.

Some Japanese friends, students and colleagues would say it is counter-culture to have tattoos (if they are not a part of the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza) or wear bikinis in public leaving little to the imagination, do body piercing- they might be surprised and shocked to see other Japanese people at the festival proud of their differences.

It does make me wonder how it must make some of their lives difficult here- perhaps especially as Japanese; as they face conservative and old-fashioned rules of their own community.
Unable to enter a hot-spring, sports gym, bath or even public pool in Japan with a tattoo must make living within conservative Japanese rules so frustrating. By getting body tattoos, they must feel strongly about their individual choice, no matter the hardship.
How long before personal expression is more accepted by the mainstream in Japan, I wonder?

Until then, festivals like this which integrate the alternative Japanese festival goers with the international community here in Hiroshima of Latin Americans, Indians, Americans (including the US military), Australians, Canadians, British, Europeans among other nationalities may be the only situation that people can really relax and be whomever they feel they want to be.

As a kid, I'm happy my mom read me Free to Be You and Me by Marlo Thomas & Friends. It is a 70's flower-child hippie bedtime story that celebrates the freedom of being who you are and who you want to be- not limited by gender or any other constraining stereotype or limitations on individuality of any kind. It is what every kid needs to hear no matter how much they seem to fit within their society or culture's range of "normal", most of us never truly seem to feel accepted for who we are or what we want to be.

Although simplistic (this is a children's storybook after all) it may be just the kind of reminder we all need to be more accepting of our own individuality and variation in others, heck we need to celebrate our differences- no matter what society we may live.

I see a land bright and clear and the time's coming near ...