Eat well.

For those who feel terrible about Japanese eating whale, try to watch this British program.

Could you eat an elephant?

You will learn so many creatures are eaten in several countries.


All look terrible to those who aren't in the culture, including myself in, oaky, the famous whale eating country. However, people who actually live there have certain reasons of eating those things. If you watch it, you wouldn't even think about making some noise on those issues.
What I learned from this program is that:

Too much impact can blow away our common sense or justice or anything.

It's like:

"Oooookay, you eat them, and I don't."

That's pretty much it.


What I liked the program is that they showed local people's comments of why they eat cobra, maggots in cheese, mashed jewelry beetle, elephant and more more more... Each of them don't look like they feel guilty or they are against anything. Well balanced. It may be a food channel program, but I think it's made journalistically.


I haven't eaten whale before, but I think if it's eaten for many years, we don't have to feel guilty about our culture.

But Japanese are too passive against any criticism even against those who unjounalistically poked them to make little money out of it.


This is my simple opinion:

French people eat rabbit.

Rabbit is cute enough and close enough as a pet to me.

But my reaction is the same as above.

Okay, you eat them and I don't.


That's it.

I wonder...

I read this article.

40 years later, a proper graduation


If you haven't read the article, have a look. Especially, take a look at the photo. Folks who finally got a proper graduation ceremony after 40 years all throw up peace signs.

I wonder if they remember what their signs are all about.
I wonder if they remember why their real graduation in 1970 were called of.

I wonder how many of folks have thought about OKINAWA lately...

Takeshi Kitano's message to Europe

Takeshi Kitano, one of famous filmmaker in Japan, is in Paris. I just watched a TV news and learned it. The TV news reported mainly about his award from France government (sorry, at this moment, I don't have time to check what the name is or other detail). But what impressed me the most is his exhibition in Paris.

The news said his main mission in Paris is this exhibition.

The TV news I watched only showed its brief scenery of the exhibition, but I definitely noticed his very strong message to Europeans who are about to set the rule of Tuna-fishing ban.

I cannot go there to see the exhibit, but I want whoever read this blog (I am not sure if there's any....) to know the message is not offensive, but the straight and honest feeling of us, Japanese. Okay, we love Tuna. Therefore, we don't eat them often. Japanese fishermen keeps the regulation. Someone who don't really follow the history, tradition or love we have over centuries, are the ones who break international rule. I was so worried about the CITES meeting and how Japan's reaction would go through.

I honestly cannot imagine if any of Japanese representatives can at least send our true and sincere messages to other countries at the meeting.

But we still have a hope. Takeshi's exhibition would definitely send a message to more people. I really hope his message will reach them without any twisted mind.


Well, I have no time to check my English or my writings' clearness. But let me anyway upload it.


My strong message to Europe is this: "how about rabbit? We keep rabbit as a cute pet and we don't consider them as a food at all.

AND

Have we ever said anything about that to you?"

Hooray!! Viva Japan!!

Yayyay!


WBC, the World Baseball Classic! The Team Japan won the game against the team Korea!!


Hooray!


For those who don't really know or who don't really care, here's brief FYI: The world-wide baseball tournament is now going on. And the team japan won the baseball game just now against the team korea in San Diego, LA. It is like a soccer World Cup in baseball. That means it is very important for Japanese baseball fan. Now, they are one of the top four in the world.


Then, the background of today's game. It was their forth time to play against each other during this year's WBC. Japan was 1-2 against Korea so far, and today, Good, they won! I mean WE won!! yayyay.


I was there in SD three years ago to cover the WBC 2006. When the team Korea beat Japan, they started running around the field and they ended up putting their petit korean flag on the mound. I thought that was too cliche. So I am more than happy not to see that scene again this year. And good that team Japan didn't do so, too.


**



But there's one thing I feel so awkward every time I watch baseball games on TV. Even today, you know, even on such a very very important game in the world, the TV broadcaster said that "Our apologies. This program will be over in eight minutes."

You know what? they said that on bottom of the 9th! The Japan was nearly winning and the ninth inning was, I mean, I don't even have to explain anything, tho, IS THE FREAKIN' CRUCIAL MOMENT! How come the next program could not just wait for another ten minutes or so and show us the moment they win!!


Luckily, tho, the game is over right before the program time is up. And the team Japan safely and quickly closed the game.



But what happens if the Korea hits, say, 3R-homers or something and suddenly ties the ninth? I guess the Nation will crash anything around us. And it happens all the time. I am not sure if any of TV people knows the rule of the baseball or feels that which point has the highest rating percentage. It's not a succor game which has time limit and everybody can tell what time the game is over.


THe US has much better broadcasting system. They have ESPN which only shows sports related event from hot dog eating contest to kids' spelling contest (I am not sure if both of them could count as sports, tho, anyway). So baseball game is on air from the very beginning to the very end. They even stop the game while they show CM on TV. True. During the TV commercial, the game is stopped for some seconds. I mean, the stadium waits until CM is over. Then all couch potatoes don't miss any pitches. THis is the very different point from what we have in Japanese system. Audience have to be driven by TV. Strange, isn't it?


If all couch potatoes can see all pitches at home, I guess more people get more excited on games. And if more people get more excited on games, they may go to ballparks to cheer for their favorite teams. And if more people get more excited to go to the ballparks, they may buy their favorite team's cap, T-shirts, bags, etc.



"This is how sports business works," said one of my instructors at the Columbia College Chicago, journalism school.



So here comes Japan. Not only we miss the best moment on games, but also we may miss the best opportunities to recover our financial situation.


Now is the most excited moment on baseball. I hope anyone could notice that and make a good use of this.

Being far away

Bad thing: is that I cannot hang out with my buddies.

Good thing: is that I can call them in midnight.

Nothing lasts indefinitely

Yep. We all know.
Nothing lasts forever.

But things always come to an end when people stop thinking what we are supposed to know.

Yet, therefore, good thing is that new things always start unexpectedly.

Paper bags work more than the advertisement

How many paper bags do you keep in your room?

Do you separate them as 1) good one and 2) bad one?

The other day, one of my friends found that I used a little navy Bulgari paper bag to put all my medicine, and she screamed that I was so stupid. She also "advised" me that such a "good bag" may wanna be used when attending some fancy occasions, she said, "Well Hiro, you don't wanna smash such a good bag..., I mean at least, in Japan"

Okay, I agree that little Bulgari one may be rare for me, because I don't go there that often, plus, that bag wasn't the one I've got from my shopping anyway. I once stopped by the store and got some brochure or something. I mean, free paper bag from Bulgari.

But, here in Japan, paper bags are no longer just a shop's ad bags.

We use them as fashionable sub bags. And therefore, we do have to choose the coolest one matched with our outfits of the day.

I attended one of my friends' wedding reception the other day, and noticed that all girls did carry paper bags. Somehow smart idea, tho, coz, normally party dresses don't look good with a big tote bag or a a briefcase. We can only carry small purses, yet, need to bring our makeup stuffs, cameras, and cell phone etc. And so, paper bags work perfectly.

When looking around girls at the reception, tho, I found that they all carried brand paper bags, like, paper bags from Gucci, Bulgari or Hermes. Hunting World seemed to be popular that day, too. Yeah, my friend advice was right.

Yeah I understand that supermarket one doesn't match, but I also wondered why we cannot just go to convenience stores or stationary shops to buy "just a paper bag" with no name on it.

I mean, I know, and guess you all know why we wanna carry an orange Hermes paper bag, navy Bulgari one or red Cartier one in public. This is the statement to the world of: "Hey, I often go shopping at this shop so I have a plenty of extra paper bags to use as a sub bag" ...., right?

I still feel awkward to follow the path, but, I guess I have to return Bulgari to get another brochure :)