Japanese New Culture

Hi,you! This is the THIRD section of my presentation about Japan. If you REALLY want to start from the beginning, move back to the "Discovery Japan" section! Thank you☆

Now, let’s see the new Japanese culture. I picked three of them which influence U.S. First, Manga! Manga is a Japanese word for comics and cartoons. Some of them are so popular that you can see these animated versions on American TV. I have a friend who is a thirteen-year-old junior high student. She wants to study Japanese because she loves Inuyasha(A manga's title)! I guess you have seen the Pokemon’s, or Dragon Ball’s pictures. Not only American, but also many European, South American, or Asian people know Japanese manga animations a lot. I think people who are engaged in Manga animations are very influential Japanese ambassadors. We can’t imagine how greatly Japanese Manga animations effect young people all over the world.

Second…if you don’t know how to greet in Japanese, you know this Japanese word…Karaoke! We say, Karaoke. But you pronounce it, Karaoki? Anyway, Ka-ra-o-ke is an original pronunciation. Whenever I read the TGIF in Friday’s newspaper, I can find some advertisement of Karaoke nights at clubs or bars.

However, in Japan, the most popular Karaoke style is the Karaoke Compartment style. We call the place “Karaoke Box.” Basically, Japanese are shy people. So we don’t want to sing in front of many unfamiliar people. Thus, we go to the Karaoke Compartment! Depending on how many people you have, you can choose the size of the compartment. This room in the first picture is for 5-6 people. I love Karaoke! Sometimes I go to there in group of over ten, but sometimes with one friend who also loves singing. Then, we can sing for several hours! The Karaoke Compartment is very comfortable. You can order drinks or food.

Also, Japanese Karaoke machines are really advanced. I took the second picture when I went to a Karaoke compartment in Japan last month. This is a remote control of a Karaoke machine. Of course you can change the key of the music, and you can add the “applause” sounds when you want to have applause. If you are not sure of the melody, push “the guide melody” button. The machine will emphasize the guide melody. If you want, the machine can grade your singing! Whether you are in tune, or have the right vibration, rhythm, dynamics, and so on!

There is one Karaoke Compartment in West Lafayette. It’s not Japanese, but Korean. The name is Jojo. They have Korean songs, Japanese songs, and American songs. If you want to enjoy Karaoke among friends, I recommend you check it out!

Third, Japanese fashion. The right picture is Japanese high school girl’s uniform. However, nowadays, some girls create their original clothes based on the uniforms, and wear them in private! If you visit Harajyuku, which is in Tokyo, you can see many fancy, flashy girls. Actually…Do you know who Gwen Stefani is? Yes, she is a popular American pop singer and one of the American fashion icons!! She said her fashion had been inspired by the Harajyuku girls. In the album, “Love.Angel.Music.Baby,” there is a song whose title is “Harajyuku Girls.”

Japanese Traditional Culture

Hi,there! Now, you are at the second section of my presentation, "Discover Japan!"

Let’s move to the traditional Japanese culture. First, the tea ceremony. (The image is from;http://www2.pref.shimane.jp/kouhou/esque/14/menu03c.html) A Tea Ceremony is literally the way of serving tea or having tea, but it is based on a kind of Buddhism, so every action has a meaning. I said Japanese people are not religious, but cherish morals. In Japanese morals, it is important to be humble and caring. If you go to a tea ceremony, you should follow many rules, and these rules are based on “caring about others.”
For example, you should make a bow toward the next person before you eat a Japanese cake. Every Japanese tea bowl has a beautiful picture on one side. The tea server gives the bowl to the guest with the picture facing the guest. But before the guest drinks it, he should turn the bowl to make the picture face the server because it shows the guest’s respect to the server.
Have you ever seen a movie, “The Last Samurai?” Samurai means a Japanese soldier. It was important for Samurai soldiers to do tea ceremonies. Basically, they were like athletes, so they wanted to show their sophisticated aspects. If they served tea ceremonies artistically, they were considered smart people. Nowadays, a tea ceremony is not our daily activity. But it is also popular as in traditional culture.

Second, Japanese Flower Arrangement. The left one is a western flower arrangement. (The image is from;http://www.kasyo-nobu.jp/omakase-arr.html)The right one is the Japanese way. (The image is from; http://ikebana.jugem.cc/) Can you see the difference? Western flower arrangements are mostly gorgeous and brilliant. Japanese flower arrangements have many groups, so some of them look like the western style, but the traditional groups prefer not to be gorgeous, but to be chic. The Japanese flower arrangement started in a Buddhist temple, and they are used in the tea ceremony. Therefore, the Japanese flower arrangement also has a theory of being humble, and caring about others. In Japanese traditional morals, to be outstanding is not so good.

Even being outstanding was not good, Geisyas were exceptional. (The image is from; http://www.cosmonet.org/nhonda/nhonda6site/traditional/geisya.html )I love watching movies, so I’m going to ask you again.. How many of you have watched “the Memoirs of a Geisya?” Thank you! I guess some people may have wondered whether geisyas still exist or not. The answer is “yes.” Geisyas are still active in Japan. There are no Samurai soldiers anymore, but there are from 10,000 to 20,000 geisyas in some certain areas. A geisya means an artist. They have been trained as entertainers. They can sing, dance, and play some traditional instruments at the dinner parties. Hiring a geisya is very cultural, but also expensive. If you hire a geisya for a two-hours party, you should pay at least 200 dollars. However, they don’t come alone usually, so you have to hire several geisyas. Then…how much? To see the geisyas’ entertainment is one of the prestigious pleasures among Japanese people.

At the end of the traditional culture section, I will introduce you to traditionally popular sports. Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It is a kind of wrestling. (The photo is from; http://rd.nikkei.co.jp/net/news/photo24/headline/u) The object is to force the opponent’s body out of the ring. Their physical characteristic is ..the wrestlers are very big and …look fat. The bigger the better to force and push their opponents out. So far, the biggest wrestler was 700 pounds. (He is from Hawaii! Konishiki!!) However, they are strong athletes, and their games are really exciting! Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport, but we have many international sumo wrestlers. Unfortunately, there is no American professional Sumo wrestler now, but some of them are from Russia, Brazil, China, Korea, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazahstan, and so on. Right now, the highest ranking wrestler, Yokozuna, is the only one. His name is Asasyoryu, from Mongol. (The right picture)His smile is good, but my favorite Sumo wrestler is Kotoousyu. (The left picture. Both pictures are from; http://www.sanspo.com/sports/sumo/profile) He is cute, isn’t he? Actually, he also is not a Japanese. He is from Bulgaria, Europe. It is interesting for us that Sumo, is a Japanese sport, but the strongest one and the most popular one are from another countries.

However, there is another popular sport that many players go oversea, here. U.S. It is baseball. Last year, 13 Japanese baseball players were registered in the Major Leagues. I think the most famous player is Ichiro Suzuki. He has been the right fielder for Seattle Mariners since 2001. He became the first Japanese-born everyday position player in the Major Leagues. His is our hero because of his magnificient performance. He has been winning a gold glove award and also every year All-Star selection for 6 years since he came to the U.S. In 2004, he marked 262 hits. Ichiro completed the 2004 season with 262 hits and an MLB-leading .372 batting average. It shattered the previous all-era record of 206, set by Wee Willie Keeler in 1898. When he did it, many American medias celebrated him. I said Japanese people cherish morals. Because his fruitful results in the U.S. are so impressive to us that his stories are referred in some moral textbooks in Japanese elementary schools. We have learned a lot from his effort and persistence.

Here is another major leager who lives near my town. He is Tadahito Iguchi. He has been the second baseman for the Chicago White Sox since 2005. In his rookie year, his team won the World Series! He is the first Japanese player who won the World Series. Actuall, I met him in Chicago’s Japanese supermarket. You know, Japanese society is not so large here. He was with his wife and four year old daughter. He is a nice guy.

Last year, St.Louis cardinals reigned the World Series. (All three players pictures are from; http://www.sanspo.com/mlb) You can also find a Japanese player in this team! His name is Sou Taguchi. He is 38-year-old player, not so young, but he played four of five games in 2006 World Series.

Japanese national team won the first world Baseball Classic last year. Ichiro was the team leader, and Sadaharu Ou was a team manager. Now he is 67 years old. This picture is when he was a professional baseball player. He is famous worldwide because his record of 868 career home run is 113 more than Hank Aaron’s. However, Japanese baseball fields were shorter than MLB fields at that time, so we don’t know whether he was geater than Hank Aaron. However, while I was watching live WBC games, announcers addressed him “Ou-san.” San means sir in Japanese, and many MLB American players asked came to him to get his autographs. (His photo is from;http://mbs.jp/jounetsu/2006/03_12.shtml)Thus, I knew how he is admired in the U.S. Also,his father is a Taiwanese, so he is a baseball icon in Taiwan and China as well.
Incidentally, this is our custom. When Japanese won big games or cases of celebrations like weddings, we toss the most valuable one into the air. (The photo is from; http://www.tandai.ichinomiya.ac.jp/blog/archives/2006/03/index.html)Sadaharu Ou get accustomed to be tossed because he was a popular player in the most popular baseball team, and he has been a manager of a strong team. It is not so easy to stretch your arms and legs straight and keep smiling like him while you are tossed! It is hard to keep the balance in the air! But his style is always beautiful, so he was also called “the best Japanese of being tossed.”

Discover Japan

Two weeks ago (Oops! It has been long time since the last time I published the blog!), I gave a lecture at the Purdue University. ...It isn't a lie! The class is the "Global Awareness." Students' majors are agriculture, but they have learned about various culture in this class. Every time, they have a guest speaker who are from another countries. On February 27th, a speaker was...me! who are from Japan! My friend, Junko had been the speaker. However she moved California, so I took this role from her.

When I heard this offer from Junko, I hesitated to do it. Because? "Introducing Japan" seemed too broad! I think Junko is one of the best girl who represents "the Japanese." She has certifications of the tea ceremony, Japanese flower arrangement, and calligraphy. She is intelligent enough to answer various questions, and speaks English fluently! On the other hand...me!? I can speak anything about the "Japanese weddings," but I am not sure I understand "the Japanese traditional spirit!" I am one who quit calligraphy class because it was boring. I am one who belonged to a tea ceremony club, but didn't go to lessons. I went there only when they had drinking parties! I was afraid if I was not qualified to be a representive of Japan...but, as an "international emcee-to-be," I wanted to seize a chance of ANY big presentations! So, I spoke up, "I will!"

Before the presentation, I decided to have these three objectives.
1. Don't make the students bored!
2. Don't go deep into specific aspects! Explain many topics briefly!
For example, I would talk about tea ceremony. But I wouldn't explain their sects, like "Ura-senke" or "Omote-senke."
3. Make them feel "Wow! I want to go to Japan!"

I divided my presentation into four groups. 1. Basic information about Japan 2. Japanese traditional culture 3. New culture which has influenced in the U.S. 4. Nowadays Japanese situations. Now, let me write my script here! Would you like to know..."the basic information about Japan?"

Do you know where Japan is? Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia. It’s a very small country, isn’t it? (The map is from;http://swdcwww.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wdc/acmap/japanmap-j.html) The size is a little bit smaller than California, but about 128 million people are living here. Japan has the world's tenth largest population. Because of this small size, the density is about 12 times that of the U.S. The capital city, Tokyo, has almost 10% of the Japanese polulation. Tokyo is very big city. Very crowded. Therefore, when we commute, we have to endure crowded trains. My husband was one of the crowd before we came here... It may look terrible, but Tokyo is an exciting city. We can find many intriguing places and interesting people. I love Tokyo! Before I got married, I lived in Sapporo. Sapporo is the capital city of the northernmost island. Sapporo looks like this. (The image is from; http://www.hankyu-travel.com/guide/hokkaido/festival.html) It’s a cold city. Sometimes it is colder than Lafayette. Also, we have much much more snow. Therefore, we have an annual snow festival in Sapporo. If you go to the festival, you can see many buildings or sculptures made of snow. However, if you go to Okinawa..it is not on the map, but it is a southern island. (The image is from; http://4travel.jp/dynamic/search20.php?q=%B2%AD%C6%EC&h=1 )The weather is very hot like Hawaii. Additionally, Japan is a mountainous island. The highest mountain and the most popular one is Mount Fuji, which is located in Yamanashi Prefecture, near Tokyo. The fields are green tea fields. I think this scenery represents a Japanese characteristic well. (The picture is from; http://www.scenery.jp/alps/index-17-1.html This Web-site is pretty amazing! You should visit here!!)We have many mountains and fields. As you can see from those pictures, even if Japan is a small country, we can enjoy various nature depending on a city.

Next, language. Japanese language has three kinds of writing. Hiragana (おおはし　けいこ）is the easiest one. Many children start to learn the language by using Hiragana. Katakana（オオハシ　ケイコ） is used mostly when we describe Japanese-English words, like a cake, bus, Christmas…But we can also describe our name in Katakana. Many Asian people share Kanji, Chinese characters（大橋　恵子）. So, if my Chinese friends or Korean friends see my name in the Kanji version, they can figure out “Oh! Your name means Big Bridge, a Blessed Child.

Let’s talk about food. Traditionally, the main Japanese food policy is we should take “one soup, a bowl of rice, and three side dishes” at every meal. Our staple food is rice. However, many of us…especially, young people also love to eat pasta or breads. One soup means basically miso soup. Miso is fermented soybean paste. In the case of this picture, the main dish is meatballs and some veggies I guess. This side dish in the middle is vegitable and seaweed salad, and the other one is pieces of boiled potato. My mother was a nutritionist. She said we should have over 30 different kinds of food in a day. To have many kinds of food, the “One soup and three side dishes” theory is good for us. Especially, I think most Japanese people have been trying to eat fresh vegetables as many as we can.

Next, religion. Which religion do Japanese believe? There is no formal record, but one private survey says, “45% of the Japanese believe in Shinto: Have you ever heard of Shinto? Shinto is the ancient religion of Japan. Our ancestors believed there are many gods in the world, not only one. When I was a child, my grandmother told me, “You will be scolded by a nature-god if you spoil the flowers.” Or “You will be punished by a fertility god if you leave your food.” and so on. In Shinto, two gods gave birth to the Japanese islands. Back to the survey, 49% are Buddhist: 1% are Christian: The other 5% believe in other religions. However, I am not sure this survey is correct because many Japanese don’t think they are religious, including me. A typical Japanese pattern is like this. When she was a child, she was celebrated at a particular age like one, three, seven, at a Shinto shrine. But she celebrates her wedding as the Christian style. And when she dies, her funeral is organized as the Buddhist style. I am not a specialist of religion, so please don’t ask deep questions about that. However, in my personal opinion, many Japanese cherish our ancestors’ customs and morals instead of religion.

By the way, I was a wedding emcee. Many people celebrate their weddings based on their religion. However, we are not so religious, so many Japanese choose their favorite styles. According to a “Wedding Trend Survey” by a Japanese bridal magazine, in 2006, 68% of newlyweds chose the Christian ceremony style even though our Christian population is just 1%. 16% are the Shinto style. 15% are the Intimate style. The Intimate style is not related to religion. Couples swear their eternal love, not to a god, but to their families and friends, intimate people. It was a trendy wedding style when I got married, 6 years ago. However, now, many people want to reminisce about the traditional Japanese style. So, the Shinto style wedding is getting popular again.

Now...are you ready to move "the Japanese traditonal culture" section!?

Oscar Prediction 2007

Well, I know I am in the LAST minutes before the annual Academy Awards 2007 will be presented! When you read this article, you and I are supposed to know all of the results. However, as the biggest fan of Hollywood movies, I am going to predict who will win tonight!!

Among nominated movies, I have watched Volver、Babel、The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, United 93, The Devil Wears Prada, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Dreamgirls. I REALLY have wanted to watch The Queen and Notes on a Scandal!! But while we were having severe weather conditions, they finished in the theaters.

I am going to present TWO kinds of predictions today. First, winners who are supposed to win tonight. It means many critics, TV shows, or enthusiastic movie fans predicted like that. I can say..."The real prediction."

Second, winners whom I hope to win. I would say..."The dream prediction."

Let's start "The real prediction" first! The Oscars go to...

The Best Picture: The Departed
The Best Director : Martin Scorsese(The Departed)
The Best Actor: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
The Best Actress : Helen Murren (The Queen)
The Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
The Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson(Dreamgirls)

Next, my "dream" Academy Awards! Winners are...

The Best Picture: Letters from Iwo Jima
The Best Director: Clint Eastwood ( Letters from Iwo Jima)
The Best Actor: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
The Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
The Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
The Best Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza (Babel)

The orange names are in both of the "real" and "dream" predictions. Except for two awards, all of them are different!

I know American people don't like movies with captions like Letters from Iwo Jima, nor movies talking about other countries. That's why not many people predict The Queen as the best movie. However, I hope Letters from Iwo Jima gets the best picture award! That is not because I am a Japanese...maybe... I was so impressed how greatly this movie used some motifs effectively, and the actors were great! I have watched all movies which were nominated with "the best director award." I think Clint Eastwood(The first picture: this image is from http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/column/i/21/ ) did a fantastic job! He doesn't speak Japanese, but he selected all of the Japanese actors by himself. Also, he talked and discussed it a lot with Ken watanabe, who is the main actor in the movie to overcome the communication barrier between the American and Japanese movie staff. Additionally, his main message in this movie series ( Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers,); "There is no hero in the situations of wars. We are all human beings who have the same feelings even though we are divided into allies and enemies." is tremendously great. I think he described exactly this message in this movie.

I like Babel and Little Miss Sushine as well, but...I am not so impressed with them like Letters from Iwo Jima. They are a little bit..dull to me. The Departed (the second picture. The image is from: http://beingtheremag.com/blog/?m=200610) is an exciting move. I think the actors did great jobs. But I don't remember which role the nominee of the "best supporting actor award" is, and this movie is too bloody. I don't like the movies whose characters die a lot because the producers want to make them exciting. In the Letters from Iwo Jima, many people also die, but the movie has an..."elegy," like "We should fight for our country." (I feel it maybe because I am a Japanese. ) But, in the Departed, I felt that they killed people in vain! Oh, it's just my opinion.

I have no idea about who will get the best actor award because I haven't watched any nominated movies. However, when I watched the trailer of the Last King of Scotland, Forest Whitaker (the image is from: http://www.filmtotaal.nl/module.php?section=newsDetails&newsID=8587&titel=The_Last_King_of_Scotland)seemed )seemed good. So, I vote for him. I am sorry Leonardo Dicaprio has become a nominee the third time, but not many people predict that he is going to win.

Maybe Helen Mirren will get the best actress award. But unfortunately, I haven't watched The Queen. The Devil Wears Prada is one of my favorite movies, and Meryl Streep (The image is from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_page_id=1908&in_article_id=406321 )is fantastic! She acted as a solitary & strict fashion icon REALLY greatly. Among nominees, I watched Volver. Penelope Crus is an amazingly beautiful actress and she did a GOOD job. But not so GREAT like Meryl Streep.

I have watched three of five movies of the best supporting actor nominees. I agree with many other movie fans. I think Eddie Murphy (The image is from: http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_cast.php?IDfilm=10400 )is stunningly outstanding. It was like "Only HE can do this role." He acted as an eccentric popular singer. His songs also...you should watch Dreamgirls! Also, we shouldn't forget Alan Arkin(Little Miss Sunshine)! He is also GREAT!!!

Jennifer Hudson (The image is from: http://www.570news.com/news/entertainment/article.jsp?content=e011533A) is also good at singing. However... WATCH the Americal Idol! This season, there are so many high-quality amateur singers!! Last week, an African American girl sang one of Jennifer's song in this movie. Then, I was amazed! "Wow! Sorry Jennifer, but she is better than you!!" Jennifer Hudson was also a contestant of the American Idol in 2004 season. She wasn't successful at that time. I am glad she took this second chance, and many people have praised her good job. I know she is great, but I think she is not great enough to be an Oscar winner. When I watched Babel, I was attracted to Adriana Barraza (The right picture. The image is from: http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=279202) 's acting. She was not so outstanding. Nobody predicts she is going to win. However...when she was in trouble in this movie, I was drawn into "her world." I felt it was like her REAL situation. I think her acting skill is great.

But it depends on the Oscar voters' perspectives.! If many voters think winners should act well AND influence a lot of the Hollywood world, maybe Jennifer Hudson will win. I know many winners in the past were selected not only because of their acting, but also their popularity. It is reasonable! Popular actors can bring many people to the movie theaters!! I also hope a Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (The left picture. The image is from: http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/5161/Events/5161/RinkoKikuc) will win... but as a TV host said yesterday, "Rinko KIkuchi! Sorry, nobody knows you! So you are out!!" Unfortunately, probably it will be true.

Three hours later!? The Academy Awards Show will start... My predictions will come true!? Which one? The real prediction? or the dream prediction!? I suppose you know already!!!

I MADE IT!

Yeah! I made it!! I received the TOEIC result. I took it in Sapporo, last month. Then, I got...a 900 score! Was it my biggest resolution this year? Yes! I fulfilled it even though it's just the second month of the year! (You know, it seldom happens to me...)
The picture is not clear, but it says my listening score is 455(It hasn't changed from the one of two years ago...that's why I always think my listening is not good!!), and my reading score is 445.
Last October, my score was 815... It's been just three months, and I haven't prepared a lot this time! What happened? Probably, my adjustment to the old TOEIC in the U.S. was not succesful last time. Also, I have studied mostly using Japanese reference books. So, I saw some famillar questions from those books in the Japanese TOEIC.
Anyway, now, one of my dreams of "getting a full score on the TOEIC" has become realistic to me! If I get more 90 points, it would be a full score! I should work harder to get them, generate some strategies, and teach those to people who work on the TOEIC in Japan!!

I learned two things from this result.
1. We should have the HIGHEST objective in OUR field. Before I came here, my TOEIC score was 450. It was hard for me just to listen to and read English at that time. I thought "I want to get an 800 score before I go back to Japan! But maybe it's too difficult for me..." However, after I got this score, I started to think about "getting a full score, and being a TOEIC teacher someday." If I had been satisfied with an 800 score, I wouldn't have thought I could get a 900 score. If we kept seeing higher positions, the height we could jump would be higher...I guess. However, the objective should be realistic.
Ten years ago, I studied to be a kind of lawyer. However, it was TOO hard for me and it was not MY field! That was unrealistic. So... have the highest objective in YOUR field!!

2. Dreams (or resolutions) could be changed. Sometimes we should be flexible.
Just after I came here, I only wanted to be involved in WEDDINGS like I used to be. However, even though I hoped... the wedding business requires communication skills. Language is an important key of the communication. So, I went to English schools everyday. Sometimes it was frustrating that I couldn't speak well, or couldn't understand what people said. Also, I was not sure it was OK If I wasn't in actual wedding scenes.
However, the more I went to Elglish classes, the more I was impressed how classes changed depending on a teacher. I have met many English teachers...more than 15? maybe... A few of them were not good teachers (even though they were good people.) They didn't think about how they can improve their students' English, or didn't like to have questions... But some teachers are...REALLY admirable people! What makes them different? The answers are...( I know, they sound TOO dramatic..)love,passion, and professionalism, I think.
I want to put what I learned from those great teachers to account after I go back to Japan. I know it is hard for me to compete with professional people in the English educational field using GENERAL English because my English career has just started. But getting a full score on the TOEIC is realistic a dream to me ( I know it takes time! though...), so I want to make it "my field!" (Oh! Of course I want to continue my wedding emcee job! Weekends: wedding emcee, weekdays: TOEIC teacher, is my ideal life!)
My point is...we can take advantages of where we live, or whom we meet. Our dreams could be changed by their influence!
Thus,be flexible and take the advantages as much as you can!

Surviving in this world is not so easy...but having a dream can be a nice REFRESHMENT in our lives. Even though some will never come true!? No, it can be true! I want to believe so...

Virtue

Do you know..."Doraemon?" This is a VERY famous Japanese animation which has been popular for 35 years(It is amazing!) Doraemon has been broadcasting in many Asian countries and South American countries even though I don't know the "title" (maybe it isn't "Doraemon"...)in those countries.
Doraemon (In the picture, the middle one of the front row)is a name of a robot who came from the 22nd century. He came to this world to make one boy's life better. The boy's name is "Nobita." "Nobi" means stretching or relaxed in Japanese. Nobita, who is an elementary school boy in Tokyo, is kind, but he is always lazy. He doesn't do homework, hesitates to do sports... If he keeps his laziness in the future, he can't be a good adult! So, Doraemon came to the world to help & support him using many future inventions. That is an outline of this story.

Sometimes Nobiita relies on Doraemon too much. He believes Doraemon will make his dream come true. (But, life is not so easy! This animation is also an allegorical, educational one) His dream? That is...getting married to Shizuka, who is the right girl in the picture! One day, Doraemon got mad about Nobita's dependent attitude. Doraemon threatened Nobita,
"You know, the future could change easily! If you make no effort, Shizuka could get married to another guy! Let's see what is going on in the future!"
...So, they went to the day before their wedding day using the "time machine." The time machine can take people to anytime in the past, or future...this brought Doraemon to the 21st century from the 22nd Century.

Doraemon and Nobita peeked at Shizuka's parent's house when she and her father were talking the night before the wedding. Suddenly, she said...
" I am gonna quit this marrige to Nobita! I will stay with you, Dad! "
Doraemon and Nobita were really surprised! But she said it not because she disliked Nobita, but because she missed her parents.
Then, her father said... Actually, I LOVE his words!!!!!
"Shizuka, I think your decision of getting married to Nobita is right. He is a wonderful person who can congratulate people on their happiness, and sympathize with people's unhappiness from the bottom of his heart. I think this is the most important virtue of a person. "
... Doraemon and Nobita were moved by his words completely. After that, Nobita decided to be a good guy for Shizuka and her trustworthy father. Actually, it was the first time for him to be complemented... Oh, but isn't it in the FUTURE!? Are you really OK about getting married to him, Shizuka!? I am just kidding ☆

Anyway, I saw this episode when I was little. But nowadays, sometimes I recall Shizuka's father's words. When we were elementary school students, our lives were not so different, compared to our friends' lives. However, as we get older, our lives become different more and more. Then... sometimes I feel some people envy people's happiness, and delight in people's unhappiness even though they are friends.
This is really...unbeliebable.
I met many friends in Japan on the recent trip. This time, I realized how I can distinguish between people whom I want to socialize with and people whom I don't want to. (Oh, don't forget, people whom I met this time were the former!! )
"The most important virtue of a person is to be able to congratulate people on their happiness, and sympanize with people's unhappiness from the bottom of the one's heart. " The words of Shizuka's father shows exact my policy.

Everyone has "his own way." Also, the definition of "happiness" is different depending on the person. A person should pursue his happiness, and go his own way. We can do it at each other's pace, and we can just support our friends' ways on "their roads to happiness." We don't have to envy successful people because we should just walk our own ways.
If I am surrounded by people who agree with my opinion, I AM VERY HAPPY!!!

Sapporo on Ice

Hi, guys! I came back to the U.S from Japan!! It's been almost a week, but I still feel jet lag... Although I am a night owl basically, I am REALLY sleepy at night lately!! But I got the FOURTH AWARD of the Toastmaster's meeting last night ! Yeah♪

I spent most of the time in Japan, in Sapporo. Sapporo is my hometown which is a capital city on the northernmost island, Hokkaido. Because of the cold climate, the island is abundant in seafood!! I ate a lot of Sushi, Sashimi, crab☆

What did I do in Sapporo? I met my friends, relatives, went to Karaoke, and...SHOPPING!! I was looking forward to going to BIG SALES after the New Year's Day! It is like a "Black Friday" in U.S, even though shops open at almost their regular time.

I went to the biggest department store in Sapporo 15 minutes before the opening time. However...there were almost 150 people who were already waiting !! After the department store opened, they rushed into the store!! Look at the photo!!
Do you remember my article, "Midnight Madness?" After all, I think I LOVE going to big sales...

Hokkaido is famous for having lots of snow. We don't have so much snow in Sapporo if we compare it to other cities in Hokkaido, but we always have about 1.5 feet of snow. However, this year,(because of the global warming, maybe?...)we had less than 1 foot of snow. But the temperature was still less than 30°Fahrenheit, so...the roads were very ICY!! The left picture is my neighborhood. Can you walk here?
Me? Off course I can!! Actually, people who live in SNOWY areas have some survival secrets. I got fancy boots with high-heels at the sale in Sapporo, but I can walk with them on the icy roads☆　　Take a look at the right photo! They are not clear...but, the soles of boots have treads. We always ask for treads to be attached when we buy winter shoes♪

I also went to the "Stars on Ice" show in Sapporo. "Stars on Ice" is an American figure-skating show. Professional skaters (most of them were winners in the Olympics) have gathered for this show, and they have been giving performances mostly in the U.S. However, in the beginning of January, they came to my hometown...Sapporo, with many Japanese famous skaters! I saw the performances of Shizuka Arakawa (the gold medalist of the Torino Olympic,) Mai Asada(Mao Asada's older sister,) Yuka Sato, Daisuke Takahashi, Noburari Oda, (All of them are Japanese famous skaters!), and Alexei Konstantinovich Yagudin(Russia,) Philippe Candeloro(France,) Michel Wise (America,) and so on. All of them were spectacular! But there was an expecially popular athlete. She is...Mao Asada! You'll never recognize...but, the left picture is her!! (Her clear picture is the right. I picked this photo from her Web-site: http://www.maomaiasada.com/index.html )Mao Asada is a 16-year-old amateur skater, but she is really popular like a pop idol. She won the final grand prix last year, so she was considered as the most potential gold medalist of the Torino Olympic. However, the contestants in the Olympics were limited by age, so she couldn't participate in the Olympics because she was too young. She keeps winning many competitions, so she has been expected to be the gold medalist of the next Olympics, like Kimmie Meissner or Kim Yona!
I was astonished not only at her performance, but also her popularity.
When she appeared, the skating rink became full of cheers! Especially, it was impressive that many children were excited to see her. After I came back from the show, all of my relatives envied me! "Oh, you saw Mao-chan? I support her like my DAUGHTER!!"
In contrast to her energetic performances, she looks & acts like a little innocent girl. She loves chocolate, her dog, Legos...
As you can see from what my relative said, many Japanese love her like their families. Will she get the gold medal in the next Olympic? Check her out!!

By the way, do you think the ticket of this show must be expensive? Actually, it's...not! It was 30 dollars. If you reserved a good seat, it was $250. However, I noticed the show day of the performance! So, I went to the skating rink just before the show started, and got a cheap ticket at the last minute. It was a standing ticket, but there were not so many people, so I could lean on a pole comfortably.

If it had been Tokyo, many peole would have rushed into the show, so I don't think I could get a cheap ticket that day! However, Sapporo is the fifth largest city in Japan. So, not TOO MANY people came to the show! It is one of the unconcious advantages of living in a middle-sized city☆

After I came back to Lafayette, it became REALLY cold outside. This photo is the outside of my house. The temperature today is...11°Fahrenheit!!! I have to survive here, in a cold city...but I'm fine! I am from an ICY city, and people who live here are WARM-hearted☆

My friends whom I met in Japan...thank you for giving me a great time!!!