American Accent

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has a little Japan in him

2011-12-05T02:20:00.003+09:00

Charlie Manuel - not old school, but good school.

...It may be strange to discover Charlie Manuel received a lot of his coaching savvy from Japan (a country that had appropriated the game from America almost a century after its appearance in America). It wasn’t an easy task for Manuel, considering Japan is notorious for its xenophobia. In fact, circumstances for the first few foreign ball players in Japan could be compared to Little Rock and by Manuel’s appearance things were only slowly improving...

Read the rest of the article:

Charlie Manuel has a little Japan in him

English Education in Japan (and Why It Doesn't Work)

2011-07-28T11:00:00.001+09:00

English is muri.

So, rounding up two years teaching English here on an island in Hiroshima, Japan I have a few things I like to say about the failing English system in Japan. As a JET some think I will swoop in to a town and everyone will speak English fluently. Others look at the track record of English programs and how little has improved and are already guessing the fateful outcome. The problem is that there isn’t such a definitive correlation between native English teachers in Japan and “successful” students. (The quotes are there to question what success means in Japan which is based on the short-term goal of written tests scores—you can already see how the road to success has become rather complicated).

Wait, native English teachers don’t really affect the English system in Japan? Well, I’ve tried my best (and did a damn-good job) getting students enthused about English learning while pushing students to understand the absurdity of those of their classmates that are unmotivated to learn or even try in class. Also, for students that are truly motivated, I give them special attention in and out of class to reinforce their English and praise their success. Furthermore, I’ve paid special attention to phonics and native English patterns to teach such points that normally go under the radar of traditional education. But my method only goes so far in terms of molding perfect English speakers.

Seriously though, all interests should be encouraged.

In fact, when I leave the class and when the student goes home that day and for the whole week (or two) I don’t see that student he is flooded with the Japanese language and usually only English that has undergone the 5 vowel-sound transformation of Japanese. So when I teach “How is the weather today?” the students are learning by environmental reinforcement to change it to “Hau isu za weza- tude-?” One teacher can only influence so much. Imagine if outside of Japanese class, students had no one from which to learn or hear native Japanese. Then everyone would realize how little class actually does to reinforce the subject. How much trigonometry or chemistry do you actually remember? Not much if you’re not currently in a field related to one of those subjects.

Wait, there are plenty of opportunities to learn English outside of the classroom:

In my opinion Japanese is taught rather poorly in Japan. Sure, it’s enough. And sure, there are Japanese intellects birthed from this system that excel in grammar, seem to know every kanji and are specializing in archaic Japanese. These students are exceptions which occur with no help from said educational system. Well then, why can everybody speak Japanese in Japan? It’s pretty obvious that considering a student’s family and community already speak fluent Japanese that each student has constant reinforcement of a subject that is under-taught and overestimated. Again, it’s enough, and even not-so-bright students pop out of the system with fair language skills. Evidence of this is in dialects like Hiroshima-ben which aren’t exactly cool dialects (considering old people love using it) but some people can’t stop using a dialect which their community and family has taught them.

The other reason a native English teacher in Japan has no weight in the educational system of Japan is that a lot of times their suggestions (and gripes) go unheard. Case in point: I talk with my team-teaching teacher about next year’s text book. I suggest choice E even though it is a little challenging because A and B (the normal choices teach in a way I think would confuse the students, while choice C is way too difficult, and D has grammatical errors (come on, you can’t start a sentence with “and”…and you’re teaching this to 7^th graders?). So even though I have influence my team-teaching teacher, and her in-depth report makes it to the principal, there seems to be an interruption before the recommendation hits the Board of Education (which further elucidated the excess of Japanese paperwork that gets stamped and goes overlooked).


Good luck to all you new JETs!

What happened to my good intentions? I spent nearly a full day reading through textbooks A to E and made intellectual recommendations based on my two years working in Japan. Maybe the B textbook company has given the BOE a can’t-be-beaten offer for their 2011-2012 set (which hasn’t changed much since the previous year). Or maybe they just stuffed some money in their pockets. The truth is the BOE has little connection to actual schools even though they make all the final decisions concerning education. So, even though there are continual gripes about education such as the lack of focus on English speech, the focus remains on writing and nothing can be changed. (Our students need good test scores, you know.) When I push a little I am met with such responses as, "The problem is that English is just really difficult." What they have neglected to say is, "English is a language just like Japanese. So it's reasonable that we teach them in the same rote methods." Yappari.

How Not to Learn Kanji - Tips from Tofugu

2011-07-19T17:19:00.001+09:00

I ran across something a few months ago that I'm hating myself for not seeing years ago. The guys over at Tofugu wrote a piece on "The 5 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Learning Kanji". It's a real eye opener and well, I'm only going to summarize here, but I recommend you check out the article for yourself.

That silly guy from Tofugu.com

Failure #1: Worrying about stroke count. If you worry too much about separating different stroke count kanji in your head, you're wasting your time. Stroke order, though, is important.

Failure #2: Ignoring the kanji radicals. Although sometimes radicals connect to form completely unrelated meanings, you can usually grasp the general meaning without knowing the kanji. Also, it helps to make up mnemonics.

Failure #3: Rote kanji memorization. Don't write the same kanji down the side of the page and expect to be able to use said kanji. Alternate between a whole page of different kanji and try to say each one. Avoid auto-piloting.

Failure #4: Learning kanji like Japanese children. Young Japanese kids learn kanji with the easiest meaning first. You should be learning kanji that's easiest to write first. Duh!

Failure #5: Drum roll please... not using the free internet tools available to learn kanji. I suggest Read The Kanji.

Ta Da! Now, go check out the article and learn kanji the correct way!

Ramen in America

2011-06-27T17:22:00.001+09:00

Bon appétit! - photo

America, freshman year of college, 2003. This was my first experience with ramen. You know, the cheap brick of noodles you can buy in economy packs. I remember the high-sodium seasoning packets, stepping on dropped and forgotten noodle bits, and dorm room arguments about whether ramen was meant to be a soup or a pasta dish. I even remember ramen bargains dropping somewhere around 15 cents an individual package! My understanding of ramen has come a long way since then.

Ramen is basically a Japanese noodle dish appropriated from Chinese hand-pulled noodles (hence its katakana/loan word writing (ラーメン). Its original name, "shina soba", was actually an ethnic slur. That's a good change, good change. Ramen as we know it today was first produced by Nissin Food Products who still have the majority of the market at 40 percent. Ramen was especially popularized in Japan after WWII with the influx of cheap flour from the US and the subsequent return of Japanese soldiers from East Asia countries with a taste for the noodles.

Normal ramen in Japan. Whaddya think, 15 bucks or so? 110? photo

In Japanese ramen restaurants it isn’t uncommon for a quality bowl of the noodles/soup to run somewhere between 10 and 20 dollars. An average bowl includes bean sprouts, green onions and a few slices of pork. The list of uncommon ingredients is infinite, spanning from hard-boiled egg halves to fish cakes to cheese and curry. The most expensive bowl of ramen tops at about $110 a bowl in Tokyo at Fujimaki Gekijo which consists of 20 different ingredients (the actual noodles being free).

Of course, Japan has the square blocks like Maruchan and Top Ramen as well as cheaper $3-a-bowl restaurants. But you can see how some things have been appropriated and/or lost in translation. Peering back stateside, there is actually a big community of people who invent new recipes with ramen. Imagine: the ramen burger, ramen spaghetti, ramen pizza, ramen hotdogs, etc. Yeah, that definitely sounds like the good ol’ US of A. I'm not sure I'd hop on this bandwagon though, considering that most packets of ramen come close to (or exceed) the recommended dietary allowance of sodium in a day. Yikes.

If you're still interested in the starchy dish, peruse this endless blog of "official" ramen news, miscellany and DIY recipes.

The Japanese: Cute and Physically Fit

2011-06-16T19:34:00.002+09:00

Here are some super-genki pre-schoolers. photo

This time of year happens to be the time for Sports Festivals at most (if not, all) schools in Japan. (It really irks me that an outdoor sporting event like the Japanese Sports Festival would happen to coincide with the beginning of the rainy season. But that's another topic.) So, when I say "all schools", I mean all schools from high school on down to nursery schools. Everyone spends about a month practicing strange events. (If you're a little lost now, please refer to my Undokai Article—if only for the pictures...)

Every Friday I travel to one of my farther elementary schools to teach English.There is a nursery school right across the street. From where I sit in the teacher's office, I can hear when all the little nursery kids are outside playing. Now, you may or may not know that I love kids, especially the little ones. I gush over the new first graders that when given a chance to ask me any question can't seem to form a complete sentence or ask a real question. It goes something like this:

Teacher - Okay kids, now you can ask Mr. Dan anything you want. What food does he like? What's his favorite color? Let's find out!
Me - Ummm, you! (pointing to one of the serious-yet-seriously-interested face kids).
1st Grader - What's your favorite bug?
Me - Hmm, I like butterflies and ants! Okay, next...you!
Next 1st Grader - (stands up, pushes his chair in) I go to English class on Wednesdays.
Me - Oh really?
Teacher - That's not a question. Nice try. Remember, ask Dan-sensei a question.
Me - Ok, you, in the back!
Another 1st Grader - This morning, I woke up and my dog was barking at the. (sits down with blank expression)
Teacher - That doesn't make any sense. We can understand what you are trying to say. Okay, hmm... Kotaro, ask Dan a question.
Kotaro - Do you like bugs?

I guess my problem here is with the teacher. Either that or the confines of my job. I just wanna lay down on the floor and help these kids build a block castle while they tell me about their barking dogs.

This kind of conveys my feelings.

But this scene is very low on the adorable scale when compared to nursery school kids participating in Sports Day. They have their little reversible red or white hats on. They march like dandy little soldiers with their arms swinging higher than their heads. There's always a few kids that are either just too young or they forget everyone is watching them so they tend to drift off into la-la land and/or pick their nose. This is especially funny when the gun sounds for a race and one kid is left standing at the starting line until the teacher scrambles out on the field and gives him or her a push in the right direction. And that's not to mention when the kids finally does start running it becomes obvious he hasn't exactly fine-tuned his motor skills yet and is still about 5 years off from understanding the concept of "dork". So, his strides are way too high and wasteful while his small arms (ending in plump fists) pump in strange directions.

I could just squeeze that kids cheeks till they split open. Out of love, of course.

So, every Friday, sitting in the teacher's room, I can here those little romper-stompers lining up for the pre-Sports Day stretch. Now, it may be important to know that Japanese schools seem to be underfunded, and nursery schools seem to be in an even worse position financially. You can tell this by the Dumbo-like character statues planted in the playground right next to jungle-gym equipment that make John Travolta (circa Saturday Night Fever) seem like someone from I-Robot. This school also has a fantastic metal slide from the second floor balcony all the way to a sandbox in the playground. (I haven't seen this used, though, so I'm guessing it was outlawed along with lawn darts and the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab which included uranium ore).

So, of course, their warm-up/stretching song is this little gem called "Hoto Poppo" maybe from the 1950s or 60s. Please, indulge in this throwback, and imagine it blaring at unsafe sound levels out of scratchy speakers.

Pigeon Coo Coo

(roughly translated)

Coo, Coo Coo
Pigeon coo, coo
If you like beans
Come down
Let’s eat altogether

Coo, Coo Coo
Pigeon coo, coo
If the beans are delicious
Eat one and fly away

You might not have noticed, but everyone is laughing because these brave actors are mimicking little preschool kids. Now imagine that song with these kids:

Now what's funny about warm ups like this is that it's not just cute little grade-schoolers and toddlers doing these stretches. In fact, they're quite common in the Japanese workplace. Here, a bunch of construction/factory workers (?) warm up with their work belts on.

And this next clip is of the business man variety with the most popular "Radio Calisthenics" which used to be broadcast every morning (it might still be).

Go Go Japan! Stay Genki! Let's healthy body! This concludes the Japanese lesson. Bow. Thank you.

Traditional American Clothing, or, Lack There Of

2011-06-13T21:50:00.001+09:00

Jeans: very representative of the US but not very traditional

In one of the JET language course books there is a dialogue on the International Festival (国際フェア). Kim Sonho—a favorite language workbook character and close friend to Nancy Nagai—provides some photos from last year’s festival. Notice how warm and comfortable it feels when you study a language with a full cast of characters? So, this dude Sonho describes how all the English teachers in the area gather for the International Festival. They introduce their country, cook traditional food, put on folk costumes and take pictures with the area residents. At this point, I begin thinking, “いいな!” An interesting foreign cultural event like that would be impossible on my small island; me being the only native English teacher, and as for foreign cultures this place is relatively homogeneous.

I stare at Sonho’s black and white photographs of various ethnic costumes and feel a revitalization of my anthropological background. There’s a kimono, a Korean chima chogori, what looks like a Dutch dress, something possibly Chinese and another unidentifiable dress. (Don’t mistake my ignorance for disinterest, on the contrary…)

Hailing from the U.S. of A.—my mottled ancestry tracing back to five European countries—I wonder what I would wear to such an event. When I try to think of traditional American clothing, the only thing that comes to mind is jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball hat. Other than that, I feel like I wouldn’t be representing America as a collective whole. American jeans have only become popular in the last 60 years…and mostly every country in the world knows and wears jeans. So can jeans be considered traditionally American? Probably not. Moreover, they are plain, not festive, and don’t represent anything but current casual or working styles in America.

A lot of American’s wear basketball shoes, too, but does that represent America? The same goes for Ugg’s, Northface, Gap, Aeropostale and anything from Walmart or anything NASCAR. I bet a lot of Americans sport the Snuggie (blanket/shirt infomercial extraordinaire) in the safety of their own homes as well. But I’m not sure any of those represent “America”.

Another problem, which I’m sure you’ve picked up on, is that none of these popular clothing items sound “traditional”. Granted, America is a snot-nosed toddler compared to the historical giants of the world. China has written documents tracing back at least three thousand years; that just blows us out of the water. Although the U.S. has been scrapping with our global parents, relatives and neighbors for 400 years we still haven’t pieced together any semblance of “traditional clothing”. Oh, we have old clothes. What we don’t have is a nation proud of those moth-eaten relics.

Look at this chump...he was dead serious.

America has a lot of historical clothing. Civil War fatigues are honorable to certain groups, but most Americans share my current mind frame: “Who would follow such a specific section of American history so closely? Don’t they have a life?” (The word otaku comes to mind.) Besides, I heard the dirtier and oilier the Civil War fatigues get, the more realistic they seem. I don’t want any part of that. Have you seen the Family Guy episode To Love and Die in Dixie where small-town southerners participate in a Civil War reenactment? It wouldn’t be too much of a leap to say Family Guy represents a good portion of America, especially when they make it tradition to make fun of our past.

So, old war clothes are out of the question. We also have some European vestiges like knickerbockers, Puritan attire and such, but they’re not “American”; they only temporarily represented our fashion sense. Hmm…America was once ruled by tribes of Native Americans and their traditional clothing is beautiful! But we can’t use moccasins and beaded deerskins to represent America, especially considering the shameful things we did to these early inhabitants. So, where does this leave us?

As a nation, the U.S. tends to compartmentalize each fashion to its respective era. Anything old is out of style and thus, embarrassing to wear. (Granted, fashion designers love to recycle.) When the 1960s ended, we threw away our Austin Powers clothes. When the 70s ended, we threw out our Saturday Night Fever get-ups. When the 80s ended, we stopped wearing neon fitness wear, Thriller jackets and stopped emulating Madonna. When the 90s ended, we realized The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Zack Morris didn’t represent us anymore. If we conjure up an MC Hammer costume in this day and age, it’s pretty obvious we’re attending either a Halloween party or an 80’s party.

Chief Little Crow, very festive, but not very representative of America

I wore a hakama to my wedding celebration dinner in Japan and (although I don’t exactly have an authoritative voice on the goings-on in Japan) it seemed quite normal—even impressive for a foreigner. Granted, I’m sure some younger Japanese may dread wearing zori to the local festival. I’m sure some think wearing a kimono to a wedding is boring or out-dated. But could you imagine a normal American getting married looking like a pilgrim or a Civil War general? Could you imagine a large section of Japan cynically ridiculing people that master the craft of tying a kimono or those that perfect the application of geisha makeup?

A surprising amount of culture has been preserved and remains respectable in Japan. This pride in culture and ethnicity is prevalent in many other cultures as well. As for the U.S., we have a very young country—also a country that is very fast to drop any sort of burdensome cultural ties. Our pride lies within the here and now. The past is something only to be recalled for nostalgia, history lessons or funny parties. It is a presence that generally slows us down and, with each passing year, needs to be shed like a fox’s winter coat. I’m not ashamed that we don’t have a homogeneous culture like Japan. I’m not upset that we don’t have traditional American attire to wear to the International Festival. But, it leaves a little to be desired, doesn’t it?

A Huge Step Forward for Health - My Plate Unveiled

2011-06-03T11:38:00.001+09:00

Michelle Obama has been spearheading the crusade against obesity which yesterday birthed a simpler and healthier update for the Food Pyramid. The new “My Plate” design is laid out like a sectioned plate so we can easily compare the suggested servings with our own dinner plates. And look at that chique low fat milk up in the top right corner. Simple, and great. What’s beneficial about this design is that even grade school kids can understand the inconsistencies between the My Plate portions and their own large meat and potato servings.

A good point of reference here is that kids from age 2 to adults obesity rates have doubled since the 1970s. The number of states with adult obesity rates over 25% has risen from zilch in the early 90s to 32 states in 2008!

Remember the 2005 USDA food guide travesty? It was a bunch of thin, colored wedges with foods crowded at the bottom (a version without titles or any information had been popularized on everything from cereal boxes to posters). Climbing the pyramid stairs was a clip-art guy—a symbol for the importance of exercise—seemingly conquering the food pyramid. That’s right, America, no matter how much High Fructose Corn Syrup and deep fried Oreo garbage you eat exercise will give you perfect health.

Before - a little crowded, confusing, Clip-Art guy beats the Pyramid

After - All kids are confused and guy walks over the rainbow parachute

Why did this no-brainer design take so long to come to fruition?

Up until recently, the USDA-approved Food Pyramid has been fundamentally based on the 1956 model. The 1950s model was intended to ensure people were eating enough. You can guess why this ideology has been outdated for more than 60 years. Even at the time of this make-sure-you-eat-enough model, roughly 33% of adults were overweight. The only problem in the ‘50s was that obesity hadn’t yet been recognized as a disease.

Fast forward to 1992 when the meat and dairy bigwigs started lobbying to keep their large suggested servings (lest they might lose a few dollars keeping America fat).

Fast forward again to January of this year when the newest dietary guidelines were released after a 2 year struggle against aforementioned lobbyists. Nice work, Depart of Health.

Since the release of My Plate on June 2^nd, the USDA has spent $2 million to design and promote the plate. I think the U.S. deserves a high-five.

Did you know?*

Before vitamins and minerals were discovered Protein, Carbohydrates, Oils, and Mineral Matter comprised the first USDA food guide (the latter category of which consisted of ashes from charred meat and vegetables as well as salts).

1920’s food group updates included four cost-levels and shopping suggestions for the Depression.

From 1943 to 1956, one of the seven food groups was butter.

Vegetables were a recognized category only since the 1992 Food Pyramid.

*Source

The Beast that is TEPCO

2011-04-11T19:42:00.006+09:00

TEPCO, or Tokyo Electric Power Company, is the fourth largest power company in the world. It is the largest supplier in Japan servicing approximately one-third of the nation. While thermal energy (oil, coal, LNG, and geothermal) is more than half of their output, they have been forging their way into greener pastures (reduced carbon emissions) by way of nuclear energy.

With a quick pop over to our friend Wikipedia, we are allowed a glimpse of their backwards ethics. On August 29, 2002, the government cried out that TEPCO was falsifying radiation output records, government inspections, and hiding incident reports. The next day, two chairman and two advisers stepped down. The subsequent suspension of power generation was lifted by the end of 2005. In 2007, the company announced another bundle of unreported incidents and a unit criticality in 1978. The company made no attempt to identify those at fault.

Nighttime light usage before and after the quake

Fast forward to the ongoing nuclear scare at Fukushima. There was the March 11th huge earthquake, the huge tsunami, the flooded generators, the American media scare, and the baby nuclear reactors farting out some radioactive material. On March 15, TEPCO announces a fire at the number four reactor broke out at around 9am. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports the fire broke out the night before, just before midnight. A 9-hour-late report…maybe TEPCO thought they could extinguish the fire before reporting how extreme the situation was.

Monday, April 4^th, TEPCO began dumping tons of radiated water (100 times the legal limit) into the ocean. TEPCO insures this is “no major health risk” as they have set up an underwater silt fence for this “inevitable” dumping as well as the known yet undiscovered leak in the same area. The silt fence “can contain a large portion” of the dumped radioactive water.

Uhh, fill 'er up!

On Tuesday, April 5^th, TEPCO admitted that iodine-131 was found at levels 7.5 million times the safe level in seawater near the plant. Also, the amount of cesium-134 was 2 million times the maximum amount permitted and cesium-137 was 1.3 million times the amount allowable. Cesium-137 has a half-life of around 30 years. This was information recorded on Saturday, April 2^nd, before the TEPCO began releasing radioactive water. Despite protests from the South Korean government, Russian scientists, and Japanese fishermen, Japan authorized the release of the 12,700 tons of less radioactive water into the ocean to make room to store more highly contaminated water in the storage areas. TEPCO took the first steps to repair a leak on April 6^th (a leak that was evident on April 2^nd).

I understand that TEPCO has some serious priorities. Apparently, letting the world know about radiated water leaking into the ocean was not one of them. This situation is especially detrimental to Japan, a culture based around fishing, marine life, and the health of said ecosystem. The Cesium-137 will especially become concentrated in the upper food chain of the sea. Masayoshi Yamamoto, a professor of radiology at Kanazawa University, said such radioactive materials are likely to be detected in fish and other marine products in Japan and other nations in the short and long run, posing a serious threat to the seafood industry in other nations as well. All of Japan's sea products will probably be labeled unsafe and other nations will blame Japan if radiation is detected in their marine products," Yamamoto said. Although many fishing boats are out of commission due to the tsunami, much of the remaining fishing may be coming to a halt due to the radiation.

Now, if you’ve been paying careful attention to the news you may have noticed a media lag between what Japan knows about the situation and what foreign countries know. I’m not talking about Fox News folly or the “LEAVE JAPAN NOW” headlines. By this, I mean the Japanese are being somewhat left in the dark as to the important and sometimes shocking findings. This is due to government intervention, Japanese politics, and a Japanese national sense of “what is right for the country is right for you…keep working”.

All cross-cultural joking aside, there is an evident information lag between what TEPCO knows and what they tell (any) media source. The government seems to be in on it, considering their constant withholding of radiation levels (while foreign countries are forced to take their own readings). Also, there is obvious media corruption (Shingetsu).

TEPCO is a major source of advertising revenue for all the major dailies and none of the big media organizations want to deny themselves a share of the spoils…TEPCO is thought to spend about US$120 million annually for advertisements on Japanese television, radio, and major newspapers. Even the public “apology” being offered by the company is bringing more cash into media coffers, according to reports from freelance journalists.”

It seems they feeding information to the Japanese public on a need-to-know basis…and, well, maybe Japan isn’t even getting all they need to know. They have an untrustworthy track record to say the least. Maybe, あやしい (suspicious) explains it. Considering the Nuclear Alert has recently been raised to 7 (on a scale of 1-7) it might be pertinent to adopt an honest policy. It's funny that in a few days the alert was raised from 4 to 5, then 5 to 7. The problem has been slowly getting worse...why the sudden jump in disaster rating? Maybe public pressure (domestic and foreign) has forced the company to admit the severity.

(At a level 7 alert, the Fukushima incident is now tied with the Chernobyl incident--the difference being Fukushima has experienced a release of radioactive material one-tenth that of Chernobyl. It might be also pertinent to mention that some towns on the north border of the evacuation radius have received 14 times the yearly allowance of radiation in about half a month. Shouldn't the evacuation radius be expanded?)

Now, regardless of the fact that the company president had last month visited evacuation shelters to apologize ~~for positive media exposure~~ to the evacuees, the company now has gone as far as to hide their empty employee housing with duct taping over one of the signs. It’s empty anyway; can’t you fit some evacuees in there? Evacuation centers are overcrowded and in short supply.

There are rumors the company is forcing families to stay quiet about their health and work conditions inside the plant. TEPCO reports 40,000 daily complaints coming into their office. I wonder why. As a result, the company has placed guards at the perimeter of their headquarters.

In slightly better news, Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to pay 20 million dollars in partial provisional compensation to residents and farmers living around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. The 20 million offered to larger towns will pay for living costs, losses and medical bills. This sum equates to around two thousand dollars per household. This and promises of future reparations seem promising, but I would guess the company is begrudgingly shelling out its money that is has clawed and scraped so hard to get.

Hmm, what about the severe economic impact? The marine life impact? The impact on neighboring countries? It seems they would have to throw in the white towel of bankruptcy if all amends were actually made.

Sources:

http://podcasts.howstuffworks.com/hsw/podcasts/sysk/2011-03-22-sysk-nuclear-meltdown.mp3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Electric_Power_Company

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html

The Japan Times - Seawater radiation shoots far past limit

The Japan Times - Tepco dumps toxic water into sea

The Japan Times - Tepco plans to pay partial compensation

3yen - Empty TEPCO housing

The Japan Times - Fukushima disaster holds lessons for future

The Daily Yomiuri - Government withholding radiation info

Japanese Media Corruption

April Fool's!

2011-03-30T12:47:00.003+09:00

We all have heard and experienced our share of April Fool's pranks and hoaxes. Whether it be the baby powder in the hair dryer, or the dried nail polish on someone's laptop, it's great to see the shock and even hate on someones face. I remember telling my brother over the phone that I broke my ankle tumbling down two flights of stone steps at our college. I also remember dipping my mom's toothbrush in the toilet. Sorry mom, I was only 6.

April Fool's was found to have been first mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

Museum of Hoaxes lists the top April Fool's Hoaxes, most of which were played on the public. Some notable mentions were McDonald's left handed Whopper and Taco Bell's purchase of the Liberty Bell. Here is a good one I found relating to our Japan audience:

#20: The 26-Day Marathon

1981: The Daily Mail ran a story about an unfortunate Japanese long-distance runner, Kimo Nakajimi, who had entered the London Marathon but, on account of a translation error, thought that he had to run for 26 days, not 26 miles. Reportedly Nakajimi was now somewhere out on the roads of England, still running, determined to finish the race. Various people had spotted him, though they were unable to flag him down. The translation error was attributed to Timothy Bryant, an import director, who said, "I translated the rules and sent them off to him. But I have only been learning Japanese for two years, and I must have made a mistake. He seems to be taking this marathon to be something like the very long races they have over there."

Some of these hoaxes are great but it usually involves access or even ownership of a mass media source. One of the problems of such hoaxes is the Boy Who Cried Wolf effect when real, shocking news happens on April 1st. Here's a few notables:

The Gremlin car (Garth's car from Wayne's World) was introduced on April 1, 1970.
The death of Greece's King George II on April 1, 1947.
The split of the Canadian Northwest Territories into Nunavut on April 1, 1999.
The launch of Gmail on April 1, 2004.
The 165 people on Aluetian Island died in a tsunami April 1, 1946. In Hawaii, it is now considered the "April Fool's Day Tsunami" due to the drowned skeptics.
The late reports of Mitch Hedberg's death on March 29, 2005.

Radiation Poisoning and You

2011-03-15T19:57:00.006+09:00

Now, as you may have read from my updates on the Japan situation the highest recorded radiation from the Fukushima Power Plants to date has been 8,217 microSieverts. That roughly translates to 0.008 Sieverts or 8/1000 Sieverts. What does that mean?

Well, the radiation that is being vented from time to time includes some radioactive gas. This gas has a very short half life and becomes non-radioactive very quickly. BNC puts the lack of danger in perspective:

A very small amount of Cesium was released, as well as Iodine. If you were sitting on top of the plants’ chimney when they were venting, you should probably give up smoking to return to your former life expectancy. The Cesium and Iodine isotopes were carried out to the sea and will never be seen again.

If you are exposed to this 0.008 Sievert amount it may affect your health but will most likely have no lasting damage. Now, if you are exposed to 1 to 2 Sieverts, you will have (Wikipedia):

a 5 - 50% chance of nausea and vomiting lasting 24 hours
no Diarrhea
a slight headache
maybe a fever
a decrease in the number of white blood cells
fatigue
weakness
and you have a 0-5% chance of mortality (with or without medical care)

How can you prevent Radiation poisoning?

You can't. Basically, you want to be exposed from as far away as possible and for as little time as possible. Also, you want to avoid consumption of anything possibly contaminated. When radioactive compounds enter the human body, the effects are different from those resulting from exposure to an external radiation source. Especially in the case of alpha radiation, which normally does not penetrate the skin, the exposure can be much more damaging after ingestion or inhalation.

What should you do if you live in or close to Tokyo?

Well, this is a tough question. I have no solid answers and although I would definitely be more worried than I am now, I still would be very torn. Again, the reactors are not a serious danger. Even if there was a core meltdown, which seems highly unlikely, there are very safe steps to seal off the core and wait until it cools into a solid again thus minimizing any hazardous emissions.

What you should be doing while considering your options is this:

Stay indoors. In order to prevent exposure from gases indoors, close all windows doors and stop all ventilation. (It probably wouldn't hurt to have wet towels under each door.)

If you have to go outside, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel. Also, your skin should be exposed as little as possible. Change clothes and wash once you return indoors. Don't eat food or drink open water from outside (NHK).

The Japanese Government has been preparing iodine tablets. Will this help?

Yes and no. Administered orally immediately after exposure, may be used to protect the thyroid from ingested radioactive iodine. But this, of course, only minimizes Thyroid Cancer.

What is the treatment for radiation poisoning?

Nothing. Just like the common cold, there are no cures, just drugs that will help with certain symptoms (while creating others).

Hey, Dan, do you have anything else you'd like to share?

Why, of course, I'm glad you asked. As I am currently learning Japanese in this great country of Japan...
I figured there is about a .001% chance someone reading this blog would want to know this:

Houshasen ni sarasaremashita no de tasukete kudasai.
I have been exposed to radiation so please help me.

Why did Devo wear radiation suits?


Pearl Japan impersonates Devo in radiation suits. Whip it Good!

No clue.

Daylight Saving Time Around the World

2011-03-13T21:35:00.004+09:00

William Willet's pamphlet promoting DST went through nineteen editions.

Today, (March 13th) Daylight Saving Time has begun in the U.S. at 2am. If you are unaware, you probably don't work...or you still can't figure out why you were the first to arrive at work. Since "Fall Back, Spring Forward" we can all celebrate in the decadence of the extra hour. But, as people without clocks or view of the sun have been studied, the brain generally runs on a 25 hour schedule anyway. This means the hour is lost under our noses, while in the fall, everyone complains.

Actually, DST has caused controversy since it's induction in April of 1916.
Here's a very incomplete list of arguments:

It has mixed health effects.

More Vitamin D
Raised Skin Cancer Chances

It causes people to spend more money on food and leisure activities.
In some places is saves on energy (such as street lights)
It can adversely affect farmers who work by sunlight
It hurts prime-time broadcast ratings.
It may positively affect traffic safety.
It causes problems in computer installations
It is complex.

Wait, wait. It is complex? How complex could it be? "Note to self: set clock back," doesn't seem so complex!

Well, let's jump into the politics.

The countries in Blue observe Daylight Savings Time

Although the DST system is unused by most of the world, the it is common in the Northern Hemisphere. The red countries here don't observe DST. The orange countries don't observe DST anymore. Confused yet?

Also, observing countries observe it in different ways. Some countries start on different dates or at different times. Kyrgyzstan and Iceland observe DST all year round. Unless you're a DST expert, I'm sure you're confused now.

Also, consider the differing time zones--some operating on different hour scales. For example, if it's 5pm in Khazakistan, it will be 5:30pm in India and 5:45 in Nepal!

Now imagine a business man who regularly travels to 5 different time zones. This is absurd, compared to some of us Americans that wake up early (or late) and say "Oops" and all is cured.

Ohh, timezones, how uneven your lines are. Really, it's like a first-grader crayoned a hammer in the Pacific Ocean. That's our International Date Line. You'd think the difference between a whole day would be a bit more scientificly demarcated.

The Recent Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Power Plant Updates

2011-03-12T18:15:00.158+09:00

A view of the Tsunami waves striking Japan's Eastern coast

*Updates in Bold

Updated 10:30pm 3/27 (Tokyo Time)

On March 11th, following the catastrophic 9.0 magnitude earthquake of the eastern coast of Japan, waves of tsunamis greatly affected most of the eastern seaboard of Japan. Residents are quoted as being surprised not by the intensity of the earthquake, but the over 3-minute duration. The earthquake is the biggest in Japan's history and tied for the 4th strongest ever. Considering the overall magnitude, damage and people affected, this is the worst earthquake to date.

The seabed off the coast of Japan was split into an over 100 meter long crevice. Also, the Earth's axis is said to have been tilted 10 cm (Japan Times). The Meteorological Agency said more than 250 aftershocks have occurred so far, more that a dozen over 6 on the Richter scale. After shocks are still continuing. The Bank of Japan estimates 235 billion dollars of damage from this "Great East Japan Earthquake".

Generally, the Tohoku region was hit by waves up to 24 ft high sweeping inland dragging cars, houses, factories, boats and burning debris. Record 46 ft tsunami waves have been measured at the Fukushima Power Plant. Scientists say a record 52.5 ft. tsunami wave hit a coastal town in Miyagi Prefecture. The tsunami traveled at around a mile every 6.5 seconds and waves surged over 6 miles inland in the Tohoku region and over 12 miles inland north in Hokkaido. Examining before and after pictures in the Fukushima area, it is clear the Tsunami created new bays and waterways where whole towns once where. Check NY Times for before and after shots.

Here is an animation of the tsunami wave propagation in the Pacific provided by NOAA.

The earthquake, occurring at 2:46pm local time, has done massive damage especially around the Tokyo, Chiba, Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures. Although Japan is specially adept at handling earthquakes and other natural disasters prone to such an area (with stringent building codes and widespread use of advanced seismic dampening technology), 10,901 are confirmed dead and 17,649 people are still missing. There are currently 500 foreign nationals reported missing. Around 285,000 people are staying in approximately 2,000 emergency shelters, both of which have decreased. 23 people have died in the shelters, most sick or elderly with lack of medications. The National Police Agency says at least 18,000 houses were destroyed by the quake and tsunami, and about 140,000 homes were damaged.

The marine products industry on the Pacific coast of central and northern Japan suffered serious damage in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The fisheries ministry says 2,338 fishing boats had been reported damaged across the region as of Sunday. The ministry says the number of damaged boats is certain to rise, adding that it has yet to form an overall picture of the damage. It says almost all the fishing ports in the 3 northeastern prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima have suffered severe damage.

The red X was the epicenter of the quake, but lower inland was the worst tsunami impact (credit)

The earthquake epicenter is marked with a red X on this map. The tsunami advisory warnings in Japan have markedly decreased but still remain. The aftershocks of the earthquake are expected to occur for months to come. The tsunami's bark seems to have been louder than it's bite as it's waves spread to other countries.

Japan's Meteorological Agency is urging people to continue to be alert against powerful aftershocks following the March 11th earthquake. The initial quake had a magnitude of 9.0 -- the country's highest ever. The agency says it observed more than 60 aftershocks in a wide area of eastern Japan that registered 4 or more on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 through Monday evening. On Saturday, a 5-plus aftershock jolted Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo (NHK).

(credit: BBC)

Fukushima Nuclear Reactors

The current concerns are with the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The earthquake and consequent tsunami impaired the cooling system of several nuclear reactors. All people have been evacuated from the 20 km radius surrounding the Fukushima 1 Power Plant (refer to map above). The Fukushima 2 Power Plant has been stabilized. People from 20 to 30km have been asked to stay indoors. The US Embassy has just advised a 50 mile radius evacuation due to .17 millisieverts per hour measured 18.6 miles Northwest of the plant. The NISA has prepared iodine tablets to hand out to residents in order to limit the thyroidal intake of radiation.

The earthquake that hit Japan was 8 times more powerful than the worst earthquake the nuclear power plant was built for (the Richter scale works logarithmically; the difference between the 8.2 that the plants were built for and the 9.0 that happened is 8 times, not 0.8). So the first hooray for Japanese engineering, everything held up (BNC).

Before and after of Fukushima's Daiichi reactor (BBC)

The quake disrupted the electric power the reactors used to run their cooling facilities, which pump water into the reactor core to cool the fuel rods there. The reactors switched to backup diesel generators, but the tsunami then swept in and shut down the generators used for the second nuclear reactor at Fukushima Daiichi. The unit then tapped excess steam in the core to power a turbine and switched to battery power, which would last only a few hours (WP). Japan, bereft of oil and gas reserves, has developed an extensive nuclear power industry.

Due to high temperatures, high pressure, lack of fuel/batteries and general havoc, Reactors 1 through four have all experienced serious problems. Due to the high temperature and resultant high pressure, slightly radioactive steam has been released from all reactors in turns as a preventative measure. The radiation in the Fukushima power plant area is currently unsafe limit and has at times jumped to the height of 3 years worth of normal exposure in one hour at 8.2 millisieverts at 8:31 AM Tuesday. It is 4 times the healthy limit of radiation and such levels can lead to the loss of white blood cells (NHK).

NISA has been measuring cesium and iodine levels in the surround area to monitor radiation. All reactors at the Fukushima 1 Power Plant have overheated at one point since Friday causing either an explosion or fire. Workers are currently using firetrucks filled with sea water and boron to cool the exposed rods. The current cooling system is running on borrowed batteries and the supply seems limited.

Video of explosion at First Reactor, and explanations

The Number 1 Reactor was the first concern. While the air-release and water-pumping work was continuing on Saturday, the housing of the No.1 reactor suddenly exploded. The building's ceiling and walls were blown off, and 4 workers sustained injuries. The explosion was due to the build-up of hydrogen and is now releasing hazardous radioactive material.

The Number 3 Reactor had the biggest explosion at 11am Monday. It was also a hydrogen explosion and the wall of the building collapsed. 11 were injured including TEPCO workers and Self Defense Force members. The reactor is now releasing hazardous radioactive material. Firefighters have spent over 25 hours spraying water on the waste pool. It has been releasing gray smoke recently.

The Number 4 Reactor, although out of commission for maintenance, had an explosion at 6am Tuesday. The fuel rods were left in a nuclear waste pool. The pool was naturally giving off heat and due to the cooling system having failed, a fire occurred and the roof was damaged. The reactor is now releasing hazardous radioactive material.

The Number 2 Reactor currently has the most serious radioactivity. After running out of fuel to pump water to the fuel rods, the rods became fully exposed for 2 hours on Monday. There was a hydrogen explosion 6:10am Tuesday. TEPCO says it is highly likely the containment vessel has been damaged. The radiation has reached 400 millisieverts per hour--enough to affect human health. The Japanese government has instructed 47 prefectures to report daily radiation measurements. It has been releasing white smoke recently (most likely water vapor).

Some are fearing a Three Mile Island or Chernobyl disaster re-occurrence. Why is this not like Chernobyl?

The Chernobyl reactors' design was very unstable compared to today's standards and allowed for massive release of radioactive material. The Fukushima reactors (as most modern reactors) have safe-stops for such possibilities.
The Chernobyl reactors had no containment whatsoever. The Fukushima reactors have 2 lines of containment. The explosions have happened within the outermost containment.
The Chernobyl reactor core was exposed. This is very, very unlikely at Fukushima.
The Chernobyl reactor was designed to speed up power as the heat rose. This is the opposite of the Fukushima "light water type boiling water reactor", or BWR (SMC).

While American media is over-dramatizing the situation, some are worried the Japanese officials may be watering down the severity of the situation. TEPCO has been supplying late information to the Japanese government.

Tuesday, a University of Tokyo facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, has reported radiation levels at 5 microsieverts per hour before 8:00 AM and the radiation level continued to exceed the yardstick figure designated by a law for 10 straight minutes. The facility 68 miles south of the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. The facility says the radiation level later fell to 3 microsieverts per hour. It says normally the reading is at around 0.05 microsieverts per hour.

Wednesday, the radiation levels spiked to 10 millisieverts for 30 minutes and then fell to 2.7 millisieverts and hour. TEPCO has raised the "permissible level of radiation exposure" for workers to 250 millisieverts. Any exposure above this level is said to pose health risks.

TEPCO has tried dumping water on Reactor 3, but the plan was aborted after radiation levels above the plant were found to have largely exceeded 50 millisieverts (or 0.05 Sieverts) -- the maximum permissible for SDF personnel on a mission.

The reactors are cased in primary and secondary containers. Recent explosions have only affected the secondary containment.

Thursday, efforts continued to cool the Number 3 Reactor. TEPCO has used riot fire hose trucks to spray 30 tons of water on the building and the nuclear waste pool for 30 minutes. The progress has been little. By installing high voltage power lines, TEPCO is looking to have power restored to the area as early as Friday. This will relieve the power situation and allow TEPCO to run continuous power to not only run the cooling turbines but also the circulation pump for the spent waste pool in the Number 3 building.

Friday, TEPCO has continued to douse the Number 3 reactor with water. The radiation has reportedly fallen slightly. TEPCO now hopes to reconnect power to two generators Saturday. They hope to finish laying cables Friday.

Countries are bracing for the nuclear leakage. Russia is currently checking radiation on an hourly basis. NHK reports that France has sent 12 nuclear accidents experts to Fukushima. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has also sent 10 experts to help. South Korea has agreed to send 53 tons of boric acid to help cool the reactors following Japan's request. General Electric in America will be sending 10 gas turbines to help cool the reactors.

The Japanese government raised its rating on Friday of the problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the same level as the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency revised upward its evaluation of the severity of the disaster by one notch to Level 5 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Level 5 is the third highest on the 8-notch scale and the worst for any nuclear accident to have happened in Japan (NHK). The agency says it raised the rating because more than 3 percent of the nuclear fuel has been damaged and radioactive material is leaking from the plant.

A "children version" explanation of the current radiation. Actually very helpful.

Friday, the World Health Organization said they find no public health reason to avoid travel to Japan, except to the affected areas, or to recommend that foreign nationals leave the country. Also, there is no risk that exported Japanese foods are contaminated with radiation.

External power was extended to the electricity distribution panels of the No.2 and No.5 reactors on Sunday, and power can now be supplied to reactors number 1, 2, 5, and 6. In order to get the electricity back on at the No.2 reactor, the power company plans to check various measurement devices and lighting systems in the central control room -- the heart of the plant -- and check for electricity leakage in the battery charging room. The No.3 and No.4 reactors, where high levels of radiation are forcing workers to exercise extreme caution. It may be some time before finally switching on the power.

Radiation scanning of evacuation shelters has begun. 22 people so far have been affected by the radiation. These individuals have been asked to shower and throw away their clothing. They are undergoing treatment in separate tents. Officials say these low levels of radiation will not pose health problems but they are taking all precautions.

The US Navy's 7th Fleet says 17 crew members have been exposed to low-level radioactivity released from a plume from the Fukushima power plant. The crew was aboard helicopters flying in relief missions in a 160km off the coast of Sendai. Their helicopters were also coated with particulate radiation that had to be washed off. The members seem to be in good health.

Radiation in the form of iodine-131 has been found in levels over 3 times the standard in Fukushima drinking water. On Friday, iodine 131 at a then-record 1,250 times regulated standards was detected in seawater collected in the same place 330 meters south of a plant water outlet. Whereas iodine quickly decays, the cesium's effect on marine life will have to be monitored. In areas 12 miles away from the crippled Fukushima Power Plant, radiation has been measured at 1,600 times the normal amount. Also, radiation has been detected in cow's milk and cabbage in the area. Japan's science ministry says radiation exceeding 400 times the normal level was detected in soil about 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

View of reactors 1-4 from the sky

TEPCO says it has detected radioactive materials 100-million-times normal levels in water at the No.2 reactor complex of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. They measured 2.9-billion becquerels of radiation per one cubic centimeter of water from the basement of the turbine building attached to the Number 2 reactor. The level of contamination is about 1,000 times that of the leaked water already found in the basements of the Number 1 and 3 reactor turbine buildings. TEPCO surmises the extremely contaminated water may stem from damaged fuel in the reactor, and are trying to determine how the leakage occurred. The suppression chamber of the N0.2 reactor is known to be damaged and is currently the prime suspect for the recent leak.

TEPCO plans to pump the water from the reactor basements into the turbine condensers for storage. They are trying to drain the basement of the Number 2 reactor turbine, and are studying ways to drain the basement of the Number 3 turbine building. The problem is cleaning the water as well. At the troubled Fukushima Daiichi plant, workers continue to pump fresh water instead of seawater into the Number 1 through 4 reactors to flush out salt.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano pledged all-out efforts to prevent the highly radioactive water from leaking into the ground water or the ocean.

Many other Japanese power companies are having troubles restarting their generators due to lack of government oversight and/or lack of proper fuel transportation. Other plants are wary of starting and are looking to up their safety specs.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has reassured his country's people that radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will not affect them.

On the first day, Naoto Kan is blamed for making TEPCO wait (before they could vent the reactors) while he flew his helicopter over the Fukushima Plant. Shortly after, the first explosion happened from releasing hydrogen too fast. Many suggest TEPCO's late start has snowballed things to the disaster it has reached now.

Money and Energy

The earthquake has led to the shutdown of 11 of the Japan's 55 nuclear power plants, representing nearly 20 percent of the country's capacity. Naoto Kan has asked the public to conserve as much power as possible. It has just been announced that Japan is 10 million kilowatts short and officials are asking residents to severely limit their electricity use. To conserve energy, Tokyo electric supplier TEPCO will hold scheduled blackouts in metropolitan areas. Also, due to the lack of energy, railways in the Tokyo region have been canceled.

The Sendai Airport was deluged by tsunami waters (credit)

The circumstances will deal an economic blow to Japan, which relies on nuclear power for one-third of its electricity generation, and could complicate economic recovery efforts. The economy is expected to drop and some theorize it will more than rebound with the jobs creating in the clean-up efforts.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in regards to the emergency response:

Our priority is to save lives and we expect the 200 billion yen ($2.4 billion) budget reserve for the current fiscal year to suffice. We cannot comment on the size of the necessary extra budget for the next fiscal year (starting in April) for now, it will need deliberations in parliament. (Reuters)

Reuters also comments on the Japanese economy HERE stating there will be a temporary economic slump--the span of which can not yet be predicted. Here is a summary quote:

While few expect the damage to exceed that of the Kobe earthquake in 1995 when the economy shrank by 2 percent before rebounding even further, the concern is that Japan's economy is much weaker today. It also is weighed down by the largest public debt among advanced economies, double the size of its $5 trillion gross domestic product.

Also, some Japanese stocks plunged Monday morning. The Nikkei dropped 635 points, or five percent. On Tuesday, it dropped 10%. Asian stocks are also down across the board. Since Monday, the Bank of Japan have supplied around 490 billion dollars to the financial market to ensure ample market liquidity thereby avoiding further economic downturn. They are willing to supply more money if necessary. The Yen had risen to a record 76.25 yen per dollar. Government officials are worrying the Bank of Japan has been infusing too much money. Friday, the money officials have taken steps to stop the dangerously rising yen.

The G7 countries agreed on a coordinated intervention to curb the yen's surge following the disasters. On the Tokyo foreign exchange, the government and Bank of Japan immediately began selling yen and buying dollars on Friday. The Nikkei rose 2.72 percent since Thursday's close.

Japan is asking oil wholesalers to prioritize distribution to hospitals and shelters. Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have shut down all national factories and many other car companies have followed suit. Oil delivery has proven difficult as many roads are closed and many others are scattered with debris.

Help and Overseas

Currently, over 31000 people are taking shelter in schools and public institutions. Many residents were forced to wait outside and on roofs overnight through snow and below-zero temperatures. Currently, convenience stores and supermarkets are nearly out of bottled water stocks due increased panic. The lack of drinkable water seems to be the largest aide barrier. Many are struggling to find food as well as the demand far outweighs the supply. Supermarkets can only stock to about as high as 60 percent depending on late, and unavailable shipments. The cold weather and snow is now posing a threat to many of the survivors, many who are without heat.

A Japanese highway mysteriously ripped right on the road lines (credit)

Rescue teams from 12 countries have been sent to assist in relief operations. Collectively, 94 countries have offered assistance. US Ambasador John V. Roos spoke with the press on Wednesday saying:

In the military support area, we have delivered over 7,000 pounds of food and water to the disaster area and more is on the way. Nine ships are assisting in the relief operations, and helicopters and other aircraft have now flown over 50 missions to conduct survivor recoveries, transport passengers, and distribute food and water supplies in the most needy areas. With regard to some of the other assistance that's being provided by USAID, at this point in time more than 5.8 million dollars of United States aid has come to Japan so far and more is on the way. Urban search-and-rescue teams are working under the instruction of the Japanese and are coordinating with UK and Chinese teams to ensure a coordinated international response. So, this is just obviously a small piece of the incredible resources that the United States is providing to this human tragedy.

Naoto Kan has sent 100,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel into the devastated areas around Sendai, a city of 1 million people, for search-and-rescue efforts. About 190 aircraft and 45 vessels were deployed to transport injured people and supplies.

The Japanese government and the Democratic Party say they will begin to prepare an extra budget first for the most urgent reconstruction projects next month, when fiscal 2011 starts. Allocation of funds for less urgent projects will follow that. The government has already allocated about 430 million dollars from a reserve fund for fiscal 2010, which ends on March 31st. The money was used to provide relief goods to quake survivors.

The scale of the extra budget is expected to exceed the 37 billion dollars allocated for reconstruction projects after the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. But another emergency fund is needed for the clean up of debris, repairs to damaged roads and water supply and sewerage systems, and financial assistance to help small- and medium-sized companies recover (NHK).

Japanese search-and-rescue forces

Overseas, more than 35 boats have been crushed and destroyed by 6.5 ft waves hitting the California coast in Crescent City, 350 miles north of San Francisco, according to Cindy Henderson, the area's emergency services manager. Some individuals were carried out to sea by the tide. The cost of the damage is estimated at over $50m. Hawaii reported over 3 million dollars in damage.

These events have spurred debate, notably in France and Germany, over the stability of nuclear power.

Please refer to NHK World English before you check American media sources!

The Snapple Myths

2011-03-09T00:58:00.005+09:00

There's the slave ship!

Snapple, that delicious beverage I used to savor many moons ago. I think it was the early '90s when I began purchasing a Snapple and a Butterfinger from my neighborhood Wawa to round out the perfect snack. Together, they totaled around $1.25 and were cheap enough to coax my pops into making a "Wawa-run". Each tasted so delicious, yet when combined, the bitter chocolate made the sweet corn syrup drink taste less than stellar. I never learned.

Any who, I recently heard this myth about Snapple that immediately piqued my interest:

The ship on Snapple's old label was a slave ship. In fact, when people started to catch on, they quick changed it to a happy sun.

And like any plain, feebled-minded American I grasped the rumor as if it was written in bone. The fact is, Snapple, just as many other large corporation label products, has been the center of various rumors and urban legends. Over the years, Snapple has been accused of supporting the KKK, favoring Jews, supporting Osama Bin Laden, etc, etc, ad infinitum.

Snapple is a KKK deity. Mythbusters proved it.

The only truly bad thing about Snapple is that is that there is no actual fruit, only corn syrup, which happens to not be "All-natural" as advertised.

Where did the Slave Ship rumor come from? The fact is that early on Snapple was owned by a Boston investment firm. The ship on the label is actually a portrayal of the Boston Tea Party. Snapple was only forced to change the label due to the bad publicity. First, a smiling sun, then all sorts of fruit slices for each flavor.

I leave you with a quote involving drug dealers and Snapple...

I'm walking out my door to get like a Snapple, and someone's like 'yo man, you want to buy some heroin?' 'No... got any Snapple?' - Mike Birbiglia

The English Education Debacle in Japan

2011-01-27T19:58:00.000+09:00

Yeah, try reading the Japanese.

Japan spends a lot of time pushing students to learn English and setting the standards high.Why is English so important in Japan? Well, Japan wants to keep up in the world economy, and the best way to do that would be to follow America. This may have recently become even more crucial considering China surpassed Japan in the global race. So what might Japan’s reaction be? Pushing students to study harder to pass high school and college entrance exams that focus on only written English. And how does a JET like me react to this? We complain and try to stress verbal English, conversational English, native pronunciation, etc.

Us JETs meet with brick walls when first confronting Japan’s rote-memorization educational style. Opinions are not welcomed in the classroom and even with the recent stress on group work, teachers seek correct answers, not creative thought processes. Also, in groups, I find that students are as speechless as before because of such a drastic change in environment. How does a student maintain interest in something if his opinion isn’t valued—if he has nothing to add, nothing to stimulate his thought processes. Students will lose interest or revert to rote-memorization if they are silenced. I know for me, that I have trouble learning Japanese words and phrases that don’t relate to my life. But, man, was it so easy to learn to talk about music, skateboarding and food—my current interests.

Anyway, this detrimental cycle turns round and round again, and we are left with educated adults that can only mutter broken English phrases (and any other mis-phrases learned from television) despite their years of hard work copying English sentences and also despite the government money spent on such undertakings. So, unless a student has great preservation, interest in English, and the right teachers, connections, and native English resources the student will blossom into an adult with the average English comprehension the current education guidelines should be steering away from.

An English cram school poster

A quick-fix to this problem is something I realized recently after attending a JET conference. If most students will forget most of their English after graduation, why don’t we focus more on culture? After all, isn’t culture equally as dividing as language to a country seeking globalization? I think back to my Spanish, German and French classes since Jr. High School. What do I remember besides “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” the real pronunciation for “Volkswagen”, and “Un, deux, trios…”? Well, all the culture, of course. We learned about different attitudes toward punctuality, different foods in each country, holidays, clothes, etc. These interesting pieces of cultural knowledge have been more beneficial to me than learning, “Hay uno gato en mis pantalones,” or foreign curse words I learned from my friends. My Japanese students might not remember how to use the past subjunctive tense, but they will surely remember big American pizzas, the long 3-month summer break in the states, and the Christmas spirit their JET teacher exuded every year. If English teachers aren’t keeping the students interested, they are not following one of the most important English education guidelines covering elementary to high school.

Spanish people have accents in America, but we generally understand them. But then there is the issue of racism and pigeonholing immigrants of certain ethnicities into low wage jobs, no medical coverage, and any other way companies can make a buck. French people have accents in America, and we generally understand them. We don’t necessarily have a bias against the French in America, and so generally a French person can be hired according to his skills and English ability—with no glass ceiling.

So, for the not-so-quick fix, I suggest the government pave the way for young English students rather than bringing out the whips. Ultimately, their goal is to be able to communicate with English speaking cultures. So why don’t they take some money from their diminishing foreign language funds and throw it ahead of students instead of behind them. The possibilities here are endless, but what about helping Japanese culture flourish in America? Promote cultural centers, and foot the bill for the American public. This kind of thing is happening now but only on a very small scale.

Also, maybe they can buy some sort of media space or air time to speak English with a Japanese accent. I’m not talking about promotional commercials. I’m talking about some sort of informative cartoon series about Japan. Send it to America for free. Give Japan a voice. Think of the influence America has on Japan through TV. Spongebob, 24, House, not to mention Harry Potter and most of our cinema hits. Then, think about the absence of popular and influential Japanese programming in America. Power Rangers, Pokemon, Godzilla, MXC—some of these may be popular but they are definitely not an influential, “cool” image of Japan. If we can easier understand the thick Japanese accents, then the burden of education would be lifted off the current round-peg-in-square-hole system. Japanese students would have a more positive attitude toward English if using it in a foreign country stopped seeming like an impossibility.

The general internet community's image of Japan, Exhibit A


Exhibit B

Exhibit C

I know, as an average American, I was unaware of the importance of such a country as Japan. Concerning Japan, I think most of America thinks, “Yeah, it’s really far away and the language is really hard. Don’t they have like a million letters? Oh, they have really weird pornography, too.” This sounds funny even for me to write, but these are the current avenues through which Japan is reaching America. I’m sure this isn’t the message Japan wants to send. Why not mend the image. If Japan’s image seemed more important, more culturally diverse, more interested in America, then their image would shine a lot more than current result of being the butt-end of a few ignorant jokes.

But like I said, the confidence in English education is dropping off. The JET program is on the chopping block, while smaller, cheaper, yet less supportive English teaching programs are becoming more popular. The strong support, network, and knowledge of a program like JET is just what Japan needs to foster culture exchange—even if the direction is from the English teach in Japan back to his home country. The large JET community in America is working wonders for Japan’s image, through conferences, books, education, and even just conversation. (Most JETs are stand-out members of society so the impact of their message is that much stronger.)

America has global power; Japan has health.

So, why should Japan invest in an area that has been failing for years? Maybe the real problem is not the students’ interest in English, but the government’s interest in English. In this case, we have reached Solution #3. Let English education fall by the wayside to meet changing budgets. Japan won’t have to worry about English anymore, but they also won’t have to worry about being important in the global sphere (unless creating some form of massive global demand for Japan and/or its products).

Well that’s it. The answers seem so simple, so clear. Maybe I have oversimplified the problem. What are your thoughts?

How to Catch One's Death

2010-12-21T20:48:00.001+09:00

So, it’s winter and I’m beginning to loathe the 20 minute scooter rides to my farthest school. I step inside and before I de-layer, I stand by the space heater for a few minutes trying to resuscitate my hands and ward off hypothermia. The other teachers (who drove ten minutes max. in their heated cars) agree, “Samui!” It’s cold. But then they step away from the space heater and sit down waiting for the morning meeting like normal human beings. I try to avoid causing a scene with my intense shivering while I sit down with fogged glasses. Also, I’m still wearing my scarf, one set of gloves and my jacket. “Baiku wa samui ne!” Yes, Kawamoto Sensei, it’s very cold for me because I ride a scooter over the mountain. That means half of the ride is in the windy shade. So you can stop the small talk. I get it, you want to be friends. This conversation stopped being fun last winter.

Now, really, I like to complain, but I’m not overdoing it when I say it’s freaking cold in my schools. Central heating—only poor people don’t have it in America. Why don’t you guys have it? Oh, here’s one reason. The Japanese like to leave the doors open to let the germs out. So, in the dead of winter, when we are allowed to turn on the space heaters, the front doors are still wide open. That’s fun. “It also lets the fumes out so we can breathe fresh air.” Hey, Tanaka Sensei, we wouldn’t have to worry about toxic fumes if we had central heating.

One especially cold day about a week ago, I asked in the teacher’s room when we could turn on the heat. The teacher’s searched each other’s faces for permission as if they were toddlers asked to eat the cookies from the cabinet; can we really do that? Most schools have strict rules about using the space heaters. It must be so-and-so degrees before considering using the space heaters. For most schools, this is below freezing.

HEATER USAGE RULES

1. Children can’t turn on the heat at their own convenience.

2. If it’s less than 12°C (53.6°F), you may turn on the heat.

3. If it’s less than 20°C (68°F), you may ready the heaters.

4. If you are leaving the class, turn off the heat and open the windows to ventilates.

*If you don’t follow these rules, just know we have been known to ban heater usage.

So, on this especially cold day, I watched one of my 9^th grade classes freeze outside playing softball for gym. (You remember those days in gym class where you forgot to bring winter clothes--your skin deathly white, your posture either that of a hunched, flexing caveman or Billy Banks trying to warm up, and a cold, awkward baseball glove on your hand...you remember that feeling?) Most students had only their undergarments and their cotton athletic jumpsuit. I’m guessing this has something to do with the strict uniform policy. The average Japanese person is much better suited for the cold than I am. Maybe it’s because my lack of body fat. In the dead of winter, it’s not rare to see students with skirts and stockings, shorts, and those thin white indoor shoes (standard uniform) sometimes without socks. I walk around with four shirt layers. “Look, why is Dan Sensei wearing a scarf?” It’s because the temperature in the hallways is the same as outside. Now put some socks on or you’ll catch your death, too.

So about these shivering 9^th graders…We have English together right after their gym class and some of the students look troubled. Shivering, sneezing fits, a few coughing outbursts. We have central heat in our middle school, but only in the classrooms, and only when it’s truly cold enough, and maybe after a certain date (which means not yet). After the class, I asked the other English teacher about the sickly students. “Can’t we turn on the heat?” After a long discussion he mentions that, oh yeah, he remembered hearing a few complaints that they couldn’t hold their pens to write. Wouldn’t that be a hint to turn on the heat?

Well, let’s just make sure the sick students wear the surgeon masks. And, for the sake of prevention, you healthy students should wear them too. And if the influenza spreads as rapidly as it did last year (did you ever see the movie Congo?) we can cancel classes again.

Addictive Personalities

2010-11-03T19:43:00.001+09:00

When I first heard the term "addictive personality" it was from a high school girlfriend who heard it from her shrink. Needless to say, she had some problems, and caused some problems for me. Maybe that's an understatement. Upon hearing this term, I thought my girlfriend had mixed up the words.

"What do you mean you have an addictive personality?"

Well, that was what her psychiatrist said.

"Yeah but what the hell does that mean? I don't see people flocking to hang out with you."

No, she gets addicted to things easily.

"That's horseshit."

Now, I wasn't upset about the fact that my girlfriend had addictions to various things. No, that was old news. What I was upset with is this ass-backwards psych terminology.

It's as if a bunch of recent psych grads were sitting around naming personalities.

"Shy."

"Crazy."

"Ooh, good one, Marcus. Addictive."

"Addictive?"

"Well yeah, someone who gets addicted easily..."

"Well, why don't we just say that? Someone Who Gets Addicted Easily."

::sigh:: "Because, Trent, it won't fit in the easy-to-read graph we're putting in the next Psych 101 book."

"Oh, I see."

And that was the last question asked about it.

Let's refer to Mr. American Heritage.

1. Causing or tending to cause addiction: an addictive substance.

2. Characterized by or susceptible to addiction: an addictive personality.

Number two is the polar opposite of number one. How can one word mean two opposite things? It's as if someone confused cretin had some strong influence over Merriam Webster. You know that second definition must have been added much later than the first one. Moreover, probably sneakily added.

"Ahem, attention. Attention, please. These are the following words to be added to next year's Silver 1950 version of the Oxford Dictionary. They are as follows:

"Crankshaft

Freeze-dry

Weeble-Wobble

Microwave

Cantankerous

Ant-i-bi-otics

Zamboni

and addictive persahumphh.

That will be all"

"Mayor, wait! What was that last one?"

"Didn't you hear me?! Addigmdn persmdmfphh. No more questions."

Japan News, Japanese Dogs and Other Bits

2010-08-25T15:57:00.000+09:00

Japanese Karaoke is not fun like in America.

Even dogs kneel here.

The Yen is amazing right now and the government is doing nothing about it.

Yes We Kan ~~> No We Kouldn't. The new Prime Minister. They change like every year. Maybe quicker.

Dogs supposedly say Wan-Wan in Japan. Not that "Bow-Wow" is any closer.

This summer was a scorcher. Still kinda is.

The Horn as a Curse Word

2010-07-16T22:17:00.000+09:00

Japan is the land of humility, modesty and downplaying one’s own abilities. Uniformity is the key in a country where “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” This is very evident in school assemblies, business attire and the extreme formality of many rituals. This uniformity goes hand in hand with manners; respect everything and everyone. When a cultural taboo is stumbled upon apologize for your mistake. If it wasn’t your mistake apologize for the awkward occurrence (because it was embarrassing to all parties involved). The Japanese has learned to absorb foreign culture at and alarming rate yet they have been very resolute in regards to their ethos. Baseball enthusiasm, McDonalds (Macadonarudo), and even the left-to-right reading style have all invaded Japan, yet it’s no wonder the road rage habits of America have not carried over. Rather, road rage has been lost in translation.

Japanese students exemplifying their obedience

In America, the car horn has many meanings and can be “read” as a word or phrase. As well as “danger” a beep can mean, “Go ahead/You first”. It can mean, “Pay attention” as a polite way to notify a driver of a light that has changed to green. Sometimes a double beep can be a simple “Hello” to an acquaintance or roadside promoter. The horn conveys emotion with the increased intensity of the honk. Rapid honks can celebrate a sports team or your wedding day. The honk has many positive and useful usages but Americans are better known for their notorious negative honks. There is “Get out of my way”, “Speed up”, “You are driving dangerously”, “Don’t cross in front of me”, “Go, (traffic,) I’m late!” etc. The more aggressive of these honks is coupled with, or followed by, an angry shout, a graphic or tasteless gesture, and expletives including sexist, racist, and ethnocentric insults. Negative horn honks represent curse words and sometimes even result in a physical altercation. I’ve personally had a man pound the hood of my car when I wouldn’t let him merge illegally (he drove on the side strip far beyond the merging point to avoid traffic).

Comparing this knowledge to what I have experienced in Japan is almost embarrassing for me noting that Japanese even bow while seated in their cars. In Japan, the automobile horn is used only to indicate danger. I have heard only one beep in my two months in Japan. In my scooter “Rules of the Road” course and examination it was pounded into my head to not only be extremely careful but to be extremely courteous a d thoughtful of other drivers. It’s not surprising that this respect and civility mirrors their language. I am still finding new ways and situations to say, “I’m sorry”. It seems the Japanese also express gratitude through apologies. “I’m sorry for leaving work before you” is an common expression often coupled with “Thank you for your hard work”.

"Harmony" - the crux of Japanese society

Japanese society is full of modesty and appreciation to the extent that the more respectful one is, the more he/she considers their thoughts and comments to be an interruption. I often hear “Excuse me but…” when something is said in the morning meeting of my schools and the often important comment is ended with “Excuse me” or “Sorry” and “Thank you (for listening)”. These ending apology is anything but negligible: “Gomennasai, arigatou gozaimashita” followed by a standing or seated bow. Also, a student has to say, “I am being rude” when entering the teacher’s room and “I was rude” when leaving. Apologies go hand in hand with gratitude much more so than in Western culture. Respectful phrases are many in Japan and are a key facet to the mutual respect and “We” society ubiquitous in the Japanese ethos.

The communicative systems of the automobile horn in America and Japan can be closely compared to each culture’s respective curse words. American language is full of curse words. These words vary from talking-to-yourself utterances to crude, sexually explicitly and outright disgusting language. America is an “I-first” society where capitalism, Darwinism, and showing your emotions are prevalent. It is a show of strong character to stick up for oneself and this sometimes means angrily cursing (and fighting, to a lesser extent). In a strong contrast, the Japanese are pacifists and see outbursts as a loss of face. Japanese language doesn’t have many “swear words” or dirty words. Rather, there are many words of varying rudeness in varying contexts and are correspondingly censored from television. These “curses” are often words or phrases like “Shut up”, “Idiot”, and other common putdowns. I suggest even actions are considered “curses” and are often situational (e.g. interrupting your boss in front of a board meeting). Interesting are the comparatively large selection of words that denigrate one’s ethnicity or lineage. It is dishonorable to be a foreigner, a person of mixed ethnicity, or to have a “dirty” job (remember, it’s bad to be different).

Japanese curse words aren’t used nearly as frequent or as fervent as in America much like the automobile horn. Japan is a well-oiled machine of social interactions and nuances. To showcase your temper and honk in anger would be to throw a wrench in the spokes of the ever-present machine. Japan smooth relations and community feel are written into the country’s ethos. If the countries in this world where the characters in Moby Dick, Japan would be the composed and introspective Ishmael whereas America would be the theatrical and impulsive Ahab. The greedy, dog-eat-dog ethos of America and capitalism is displayed on the road. How many times have you glared into the car of an aggressive or idiotic driver to find a businessman or woman deep in a conversation on their cell phone? If you’re answer is zero then you are either foreign, haven’t driven on an interstate road or are, in fact, the cell phone user. In America, one’s actions are controlled by consequences and aren’t necessarily tied to a national code. One can have and display road rage but will only have to answer to authorities if caught or reported. Anonymity, the occasional absence of accountability and maybe the increasing absence of moral education make this possible. In summation, the Japanese beep is supportive and advantageous whereas the American honk is often a curse word.

The Ever-So-Shy Japanese

2010-06-29T22:58:00.002+09:00

Recently, on a crowded train to Hiroshima, I sat reading a book. A lady sat down next to me after entering the train. After about 2 minutes, she placed her large purse in between us both. The purse was a boundary between her and I; between a Japanese person and a foreigner. I wasn’t sweating. I didn’t smell. I didn’t accidentally rub arms with her. A stop later, someone left from the seat in front of us. The lady stood up and sat in the empty seat. So, instead of sitting next to a gaijin (foreigner), she preferred to change seats and sit next to a Japanese person (who she didn’t know either).

Situations like this occasionally happen to us foreigners in Japan. Now, I’m not so worried about the treatment of foreigners. I’m worried about the attitude of Japanese. In a sharp contrast to Americans, the Japanese seem very nervous about talking to foreigners, strangers, and even people they see on a weekly basis. For example, Yours is a small grocery store on my island. I (and most of the residents) know all of the workers in the store. We have seen their faces a thousand times while they serve us. In America we would ask these workers, “How’s your day?” “How’s the family?” or simply talk about the weather. In fact, most Japanese grocery stores restrict their workers from using small talk with customers.

This small talk is almost absent in Japan. In America, we sometimes even use small talk with strangers waiting at a bus stop, waiting in a line, or almost anywhere. The guy next to you is wearing a Rangers shirt, so you amiably tell him he’s not welcome here. I find that one of the pleasures of living is talking to people. Discussion. Communication. It seems rather solitary to not talk to different people everyday. Is it so invasive to ask a friend, “How’s the wife and kids?” Besides uchi (inside/close friend) groups and the concept of haragei (reading others’ thoughts) it seems Japanese don’t know each other very much at all. Of course, this is only my perspective as a foreigner…but this communication seems important in an increasingly global economy.

How do Japanese businessmen accomplish global relations? They don’t speak in contradiction to their companies, especially in meetings. They follow one chosen plan of action from the start to finish (but who chooses?). During meet and greets they’re most likely either very shy, or considering the enchantment of foreigners, maybe very talkative. And then, at the after party, beer is always a saving grace that allows them to open up and ask sometimes very intrusive questions. Remember, in Japan, all is forgiven and forgotten at drinking events. Well, unless you’re a foreigner.

Japan has an exploding population (98.5% Japanese, 10th largest in the world) on a small island (the size of California, 73% mountains). The Japanese have a tight knit society…but not in the American standard. They are closed away from outsiders, then from Japanese strangers, then from people they don’t work with, and last from everyone that doesn’t reside in their own home. They have concentric rings of personal relations in which only very close to the middle (their home) do they actually open up…and even that space seems rather sad and lonely at times. (We’ll at least they’re avoiding this).

In my experience, Japanese adults usually have around two to four close friends. These are friends with which we share secrets, go out to eat, stay at home and watch a movie, and have inside jokes. In America, I have around eight close friends. It’s not uncommon for girls to have 10 or more close friends. It seems rude and almost invasive to be concerned about someone’s personal life in Japan and I’m there’s a correlation with the low friend to acquaintance ratio. I feel like I’m not an anthropologist when I have found a part of a culture with which I just can’t come to terms. But, the average Japanese person, to an extant, seems lonely, overworked and a little controlled.

A few anthropologists (Japanese and foreign) think the government has a lot to do with the inside/outside ethos as well as the views on work-ethic and personal relations. To make a metaphor, it seems each Japanese person is blocked off in their own cubicle and can only engage in the necessary business communications. Their personal life, inside jokes and fun are limited to the pictures and personal affects pinned on their wall. To be fair, this dull existence occurs in America too but not nearly to the extent it does in Japan.

To be fair, while Japan is busy worrying about not inconveniencing other people by what they say, some Americans are doing the exact opposite. After you comment on the weather, these people tell you their whole family history. They tell you about their grandchildren, show you the photos, and then almost slightly intrigue you with a story about their cat’s intestinal problems. You have to sternly cut them off just to make it home to catch some Adult Swim (is that still on tv?). Some Americans don’t know when to shut up.

Also, some Americans may spread themselves too thin with their countless friendships. My brother, for example. You need to text an invite, be on a list, and have luck on your side just to buy the dude a beer…and even he’s focusing more on the girls that just walked in and he eventually just wanders off. What the fuck! Maybe there is a happy medium between the shy/scared Japanese and the overconfident/talkative/annoying Americans.
Any thoughts?

Take Notes America, This Will Be On The Test

2010-05-25T19:32:00.005+09:00

So, yes, I live in Japan, and I’m approaching my 2nd year term but in no way do I feel myself shifting to the dark-side-Ex-pat status. No, no, that’s 3 or 4 years down the road. Nor am I in the mind frame that Japan is better than America (U.S. is number one, bitches!). With that being said, Japan has a few tricks up its sleeve…a few idiosyncrasies America should be taking notes on.

Where the Japanese suck in the areas of individuality, confidence, sandwiches, hoagies, pizza, Mexican food, large scary bugs, sweet candy, militaristic rigidity, bureaucracy, English pronunciation, English grammar on t-shirts, house insulation, the consumption of whales/dolphins, and a general distinction between mature adulthood and cartoon characters…

…they compensate for in the areas of comedy, hospitality, general health, low obesity rates, sanitary toilets, socially condoned drunkenness, legal public consumption of alcohol, literacy, reading/book sales, a public sense of tourism, peanut cream, Indian cuisine, horse/chicken/crab/whale sushi and sashimi, mind-boggling animated movies, lush scenery, explosive crop yields, fashion, and the general humbleness that usually goes hand-in-hand with incidents such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I guess some of those could really go either way.

This scribble is about the “General Health/Low Obesity” of Japan.

(I want to quickly mention that I don’t intend to be on any sort of “high horse” here; I know it’s easy for a skinny person to wax and wane about health but I must preface that I simply cannot gain weight. Although this is not as plaguing a problem as obesity, its not exactly a walk in the park considering I’m addicted to sports and athletic activites, have dangerously low fat and currently live in one of the healthiest, low calorie countries.)

If you’re sitting at home thinking how sick you are of hearing about America’s waistline, you may actually find some cool breezes (in awkward places) in this article. Starting now.

Japan teaches health to its population starting from preschool. Kids are presented with the ingredients of each school meal sorted into one of the Carbohydrate/Protein/Vegetable groups on a large board with colorful food magnets. And guess what, you usually find the vegetable group with the highest content of each meal. And, My! What variety! They’re taught why each dish is healthy. Kids aren’t served hotdogs, mystery meat or chicken nuggets; they’re given small servings of protein and carbs in each little dish.

A normal Japanese school lunch includes vegetables, rice, soup, milk, and a small meat or fish portion (in descending order of quantity). No buffets, no desert menu.

Here is one of many varieties of school lunches. Milk, Rice, Fish Tempura, A Salad with Tunafish, a Seaweed and Seed Salad.

The lunch ladies make everything fresh (nothing frozen) and pull together a school lunch that’s around $2.50--although I can't attest for the high schools. Also, kids grow their own vegetables right outside the school while almost all Japanese have a garden (or if pressed for room, at least a few scattered house plants). The idea of nature is linked with their culture.

I don’t think Japan has had this master plan of fresh ingredients from the beginning. I say it’s a happy mistake that Japan doesn’t have the room for massive cow farms (only a few expensive beer-drinking cows in Kobe)…a happy mistake that Japan happens to have a sea or ocean three hours from any place in the country…that Japan has one of the most fertile soils in the world (growing rice with something like 20 times more productivity than most rice growing countries)…that with the endless supply of rice and noodle varieties they have no market for freeze-dried French-fries, etcetera, ad nauseum.

Another example: my local grocery store plays a horribly catchy song that roughly translates to:

fish, fish, fish
we’ll eat fish
and we’ll get smarter

fish, fish, fish
we’ll eat fish
and we’ll get stronger

so everyone let’s eat fish
the fish are waiting for me

Talk about health education.

Japan is basically a magical dreamland for health activists like Ann Cooper. This hyped-up lesbian lunch-lady knows her shit and has an agenda: get kids involved in the lunch process. If you don’t have the twenty minutes to watch her TED video, just know she makes some damn good points about the USDA problems and the dubious food pyramid we currently use... "Go ahead kids, cheesesteaks have meat and bread, the two most important food groups. Eat up!"And here's the truth.

Dan Buettner, who studies the oldest living people in the world, and is considered a “longevity coach”, has some great insight about the common denominators including but not limited to gardening, portion control, and eating plants. He sites Okinawans as one of his long living focus groups. Check out his TED Talk.

I can't speak for other countries, but I know the problem with America is we consider school lunch to be outside of our control. And, after working in a daycare and a gym program, I know many parents think, “As long as my kid isn’t complaining and isn’t hungry, I’m not worried.” This isn’t the kind of attitude that will help alleviate a diabetes crisis. We’re a bit lazy and our plates are already full with various other priorities. Good thing we have a few rabble-rousing Ann Coopers running around…but I think we might need a few more.

Monthly Music Recommendation

2010-04-29T01:59:00.005+09:00

I say monthly, but...who knows? Any shit, I stumbled upon a gem when I was perusing youtube. I was actually looking for that college choir that covers indie songs (they make guitar sounds and all). I still didn't find them. Does anyone have a clue who they are? [Update: Off the Beat] But this is what I did find:

A kid's choir cover of Listzomania by Phoenix.
If you don't like kids just skip this one.

If you have been caught up in the recent Phoenix boom, do peep the steez. The first is "1901" in front of the Eiffel Tower. The second is "Listzomania" on the ride to the Eiffel Tower riding atop a double decker bus.

And here's the aforementioned "Gem". A string quartet covering the whole "Deloused in the Comatorium" as well as the three songs off of the "Tremulant EP" from The Mars Volta. If you're not currently in the know, The Mars Volta and Sparta are the split offspring of At The Drive-In. (Also, Sparta has updated their sound...what do you think? hmmm.)

So this TMV cover is really, well, exciting. Granted, this Vitamin String Quartet doesn't play the full 7 and 12 minute length songs that TMV has in this two album span. But the four stringed instruments combine to mimic Cedric's vocals, the guitar and rhythm, and even the bass. It's like that beautiful opus that made us all very, very scared of drugs in Requiem for a Dream. The sound ranges from a seductive bossa nova take on Inertiatic ESP to a cover of Drunkship of Lanterns reminiscent of Animal Collective and Dj Spooky. Or maybe, their is no spin at all and the sound is all just Mars Volta's weird style still shining through a stripped down cover.

If you aren't in the know about the real The Mars Volta sound, well, I will put my surprise on hold and offer their website...you can stream a few new songs (although not quite the punch of previous albums). Still, it's quite different from the String Quartet's version.

This string quartet has supposedly covered around 232 albums so far including Tool, Tupac, AFI and even MJ. They have quite a discography.

Also, if you haven't played RainyMood.com in sync with a few of your favorite songs, you're missing out.
Christ, why did N'Sync have to ruin that expression for everyone?
How about some others band names that hurt to hear?

"Here, your change is a NICKLEBACK."
"I have a real SIMPLE PLAN."
Or any reference to a SLIPKNOT.
I also avoid using the words CREED or EVANESCANCE.

I hope you all have horrible days now. I feel like a guy who just remembered all the shitty songs stuck in his head from the day before.

I'd like to leave you with this new series that interviews people that make music from weird sounds.
Sound Builders on the band Peaking Lights.

Ketchup: A Problem That Didn't Need Fixing

2010-04-13T17:40:00.015+09:00

So ketchup used to be in those nifty glass bottles, remember? The ones that they sometimes refill again and again in diners...even though it's illegal. Then I guess some people got into the habit of complaining about not being able to control the flow of ketchup. Either too much or nothing at all. Maybe these same people were jerks so their peers and colleagues neglected to offer the ol' Tap-Er-On-The-57 advice. So instead of overcoming their own shortcomings, these grouchy wrong-side-of-the-bedders pushed forward the movement for the plastic squeeze bottle. Or at least that's how I picture it went down.

Plastic is cheaper. It recycles better. And those morons could now control the flow of ketchup on their hamburgers and hotdogs using their own palsied hands. Yay, everyone wins.

But wait, this wasn't enough. Some whiny bastard cuts in and says, "But when I forget to shake it up, I squeeze the water and vinegar all over my bun. Look how soggy it is." (I imagine this guy to look something like Napoleon Dynamite's brother Kip.) Maybe it was those previous grumblers with just another bone to pick. Maybe it was the big wigs at Heinz 57 who decided they weren't pushing enough ketchup down America's throat. But we happened upon the spin-off of spin-offs to liberate us from our worries: a bottle that stopped the terrible plight of watery seepage. (Imagine if QVC or those other bastards got their hands on this idea!)

But again this was not enough. They had to turn the bottle upside down (something many of us had been doing any way) and make the bottle all fat and squat like a fucking beer can. Such ingénue...such a revolution! I would be riding the bandwagon too if it wasn't a worse gimmick than green ketchup and a worse innovation than hotdogs served warm at the Hess gas station...Christ, they’re bad.

The reason I have a stick up my ass is there is absolutely no way to control the flow of ketchup now. It’s either nothing at all or a firehouse-blast. You wind up with a deluge of Catsup on one side, and then, to remedy the accident, you don't squeeze any on the other side. Then you spread it around with your finger, or, if you’re smart, use the hotdog and the bun in a fornicative thrusting and spinning motion. (Does anyone actually say "catsup" these days?) You wind up with tomato shrapnel on the counter and stains on your new boat shoes. Snazzle-fraz! is what I say.

We don’t have to stand for it. But I’m terribly lazy, so I’ll just be a nice consumer and a bad cookout guest as usual. Oh, check out this hot dog.

Things To Do Before I Die

2010-04-01T15:53:00.048+09:00

Bucket List. Let me start off by saying I hate that phrase. Call me old-fashioned but I was brought up with the “Things to Do Before I Die” list. The first time I actually heard Bucket List was when I saw the trailer for that mildly entertaining movie in which Morgan Freeman didn’t narrate or play God for the first time since the 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (…tell me you watched that whole video…I did). Everybody loves this guy. With his kind face and those specks of mud I want to scrape off his cheeks. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good actor, but not quite the “chameleon” the media makes him out to be. He’s always playing some serious sage who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can play an authoritative ruler or an oppressed yet authoritative peasant—either way he is steadfastly just and morally correct. And then that smile creeps across his face when he breaks character and steals a cookie from the jar, oops, how cute!

See: Invictus, The Dark Knight, A Raisin in the Sun, Bucket List, Evan Almighty, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, Bruce Almighty, Deep Impact, Amistad, Se7en, Outbreak, Shawshank Redemption, The Power of One, Robin Hood (these are just the ones I've seen...or could take a pretty damn good guess about, ahem...a raisin in the sun).

And recently, there’s been the I’m-old-now-so-it’s-cute role which has been simply timeless and adorable. Other movies pulling this romantic-comedy stunt and getting away with it: Meet the Fockers, Grumpy Old Men, Coccoon, and anything in the last 10 years with Robin Williams. Why can’t all men grow old like Willis, Rourke and Eastwood? Anyway, you can see my disgust for the ‘Bucket List’ phrase.

Here are some other things I'm not fond of due to their associations:

Beanie Babies because I first saw them in McDonalds Kid's meals.
Marylin Manson because of the goth trend he pioneered.
Polo shirts because of people like this.
Crocs because of those same people.
Wearing sandals in winter because of those same...well, this needs no explanation.
Michael Jackson because of Japan's obsession.
Billy Blanks for the same reason.

Anyshit, I found this list in the caverns of my slowly-expiring, AARP-aged computer. I revised it and crossed off the ones I did. But, since Blogger doesn't support 'strikethrough' I used bold. Of course, I had to censor the numerous R-Rated entries…and I’m not talking gentle Christina-Ricci-rating, but I am talking Christina-Ricci-sexual-encounter-frequency. Without further ado, here is my edited Bucket List.

Climb a building
Punch a politician
Be a contestant on Supermarket Sweep - Every contestant who participated in the final supermarket sweep race failed in my eyes. I could do so much better.
Start a band that has at least an e.p.
Own a dog
Have two children
Have a successful marriage
Hold a stickbug
Successfully carve a large wave (in Hawaii?)
Be able to jump and get fingertips on a basketball rim
Read the unabridged Moby Dick - i recommend it
Read Dante’s Inferno - halfway there
Read the Bible
Live in Hawaii or Australia
Be able to do 5 flares in a row while breakdancing
Participate in Nick's spontaneous riot - my old roommate
Go to Chicago, California, Canada, Egypt, Japan, and Paris
Hitchhike - Japan, baby!
Skip a stone all the way across a lake
Road trip to California
Go through with a senior prank - lost the chance
Make a piece of art worth selling
Write a book
Hug random people in a city
Successfully pick a door lock
Jump off cliffs into water - Samoa, baby!
Spend a few days in a ballin' tree house
Revise this list a while down the road
Get sponsored for skateboarding - Almost 25 now...I think I'm past my prime on this one
Sport a Mohawk - Boom!
Have a girlfriend with sleeves
Write and direct a funny b-movie
Quit Myspace - 4/13/10
Date a girl that has a girlfriend
Own a Rabbit
Go skydiving, and none of this guy-on-guy nonsense. That doesn't count.
Have a girlfriend with dreads
Go on an archaeological dig
Ride a Bullet Train - Japan

Now, if I had some more control of my life, I'd actually start pursuing some of these goals. Someday, someday.

Indie Pick of the Month

2010-03-31T11:09:00.042+09:00

So Ricky Martin came out of the closet. Was anybody fooled? I think it was the skin tight white bellbottom pants, his penchant to show off his chest (preferably with hot wax dripping on it) and the frosted tips of his perfect gay-style hair. Maybe it was just that whole Livin La Vida Loca video. Don’t be fooled by the hot girl. Hot gay guys always have a few hot girls nearby. It helps attract other men. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay. But imagine if he came out in 1999…all of the brainwashed TRL preteen girls’ heads would have exploded…and Carson would have exploded too, for converse reasons.

Speaking of super hot artists, here is a band of not-so-popular, average-looking guys. (I pride myself on transitions). The Brooklyn-based indie quartet to which I’m referring is Grizzly Bear. Their sweet, sweet harmonies puts barbershop singers to shame—even with those snazzy hats, armbands and bowties. And, ohh, the layers. Collectively, the band plays approximately [embarrassingly large number] of instruments and utilizes them in a way that will make you start to hate guitar rock monotony and find fault in the sometimes crowded Arcade Fire/Godspeed You! Black Emperor sound. And they accomplish this with ear pricking tones similar to when Andrew Bird lowers his violin to grace you with his whistling. Yeah, goosebumps.

I first got wind of these geniuses on Daytrotter last year before it became a membership site. Grrr (That's my grizzled hatred of memberships...even though you can listen without being a member and membership is free). Well, I scrolled past their name and decided a shitty band would be doing the name Grizzly Bear an injustice. Let’s be real, we live in a moderately-talent-soaked age where you can select artists by any number of irresponsible ways; mine just happens to be band names. I’ve come to be sort of good at matching skill and the genres I like with band names, so you could imagine my surprise when I stumbled across Neutral Milk Hotel (weirdos?) and My Bloody Valentine (trendy hardcore?).

They surely made the inde star-status rounds, with their strangely soothing Blogotheque set from a bathtub, their David Letterman appearances, and I’ve seen them twice featured in Spin while only having read a handful of recent-ish issues. (Am I the only one to notice Spin’s fervent recycling of material? Is every Featured artist plucked from the previous month’s Reviews?) As the band’s sound ranges from haunting and yet melodic vocals in “Colorado” to the whispered lyrics and soft melodica hidden by blips and cracks reminiscent of a turntable in “Shift”…you may need a few informal meetings with the sound before you can add them to any normal playlist of yours. They are a well-oiled machine which is daunting considering I heard (maybe on NPR?) that they practice on tour.

That being said, some of their music videos might haunt you dreams. Makes me shudder.

I'm not in love with all of their songs, of course, but I'm sure you'll find a handful that will top out your last.fm charts for at least a few months. If you're very critical of lyrics you might have a few disagreements with Grizzly Bear's vaguely depictive style. There's the persona and some other person, there's some sort of friction and you get a grasp of some images that lead you somewhere in your mind. Here's an example of the vagueness and simplicity in the complete lyrics to their "Knife" song:

I want you to know
when i look in your eyes
with every blow
comes another lie

you think its alright (x4)
can't you feel the knife? (x4)

Granted, not all forms of creative writing need to be fleshed out and I do appreciate their sometimes witty writing style.

Also, if you've been caught in this recent indie-turned-electronic fad, their complete Horn of Plenty album has been remixed by other bands. Take it or leave--there are a few gems. And, they did a savory collaboration with Leslie Feist of Feist fame. I had know idea that was her last name. They've toured together and covered each other's songs which makes me all the more antsy-in-my-pantsy to see this band live.

If you're not sick of clicking (or avoiding) links by now, I just found their interesting website today.

Our Two-Party System and the Okie-Doke Shuffle

2010-03-30T19:44:00.013+09:00

Every time I delve back into a reminiscent history lesson, I become more discouraged by the things I don’t know and/or didn’t remember. I’m struggling to wrap my head around this idea recently-found nugget that the Republican Party once stood for the abolishment of slavery. I’m not talking about the earlier Federalist vs. Republicans era where their Republican Party name was as vague and absurd as the Democratic-Republicans, the Federalist-Republicans, and the Federalists (who the F is who?). Oh, and they were quite fearful, at first, of that “Democratic” title because it had come to be linked to the mob rule mindset of the French Revolution but it was eventually tacked on.

No, that’s not the period I’m referring to. I’m talking more around the time of Honest Abe and the royal ass-fucking Dred Scott received in 1857. Poor bastard.

In the wake of the dying Whig Party (what was the obsession with weird names?), the Republican Party arose with a “primary demand…that slavery be excluded from all the territories”. In fact, the Republican Party nominated Good ol’ Abe as their 1860 presidential candidate—the platform of which “declared that slavery could spread no farther”. Of course 8 days after he was elected the confederates were a-hootin and a-hollerin, shot up a federal garrison and started the Civil War.

Why is this a shock? The ideologies of the two main parties have turned a full 180 degrees since then. The Republican Party used to stand for the compassionate side of the Divided Nation—antislavery free-soilers who distrusted bankers, cared little for commerce and manufacturing, etc. Even jumping back to the Hamilton/Jefferson period, Jefferson projected an eloquent democratic radicalism against Hamilton’s instinctive conservatism. Hint: Jefferson was the Republican…I might have consulted some sources to obtain such knowledge.

Also shocking, in 1862 virtually every democrat in Congress voted against eliminating slavery in the District of Columbia and prohibiting it in the territories. Much of this sentiment came from the poor and weary immigrants who feared a massive migration of newly-freed slaves would sweep up all their jobs. They shouldn’t have been so afraid, the blacks were only used for quick seasonal jobs and then discarded—like an ugly mistress before the bosses' friends caught them, how dirty, yuck!

Now if my memory serves me correctly, the horrors of “The Jungle” happened and then Nixon was elected and then Clinton played his saxophone and then some overestimated black guy told us what we already knew about George Dubbya. Somewhere in that short time frame, the country's conceptualization of the two parties switched. I guess my worry is that when you, sir, do invent your time machine, take caution not to run into the Democratic Party Headquarters donning your fanny-pack and “Had Enough” pin shouting “Free the slaves!” Get your shit straight. If I offended either party, conservatives, liberals, or modern-day confederates that still talk like Yosemite Sam, refer to the picture.