Japanification today and yesterday

Japan was once said "Japan as No. 1" in the late 20th century but it has been losing the position after the collapse of bubble economy.

"Japanification" is the word when Japan was in such strong economic status but now not any more.

Another meaning for the word seems to appear, the NYtimes says;      

Still, as political pressure builds to reduce federal spending and budget deficits, other economists are now warning of “Japanification” — of falling into the same deflationary trap of collapsed demand that occurs when consumers refuse to consume, corporations hold back on investments and banks sit on cash. It becomes a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle: as prices fall further and jobs disappear, consumers tighten their purse strings even more and companies cut back on spending and delay expansion plans.

The Great Deflation: This is the first in a series of articles that will examine the effects on Japanese society of two decades of economic stagnation and declining prices.

NYtimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/asia/17japan.html?scp=1&sq=Japanification&st=cse

Mr. Ito in the cerebral palsy opens the door of the new bar examination passing judicial officer by one finger.

Shoichi Ito who passes this year's new bar examination. The cerebral palsy is held, and Sapporo City during day when the keyboard of the personal computer was taken to the strike examination by one index finger of the left hand.

The man in Sapporo City where a serious disability existed in the cerebral palsy passed this year's new bar examination. The keyboard of the personal computer is stricken by one index finger of the left hand, and the thesis is written. It was a heroic deed the third times that were the upper bounds of the examination frequency.

"I want to become an all-round lawyer who can digest any event."It is Shoichi Ito in the same city south district eagerness (37).

Excerpt from Kyodo press

cerebral palsy 脳性麻痺
new bar examination 新司法試験
disability. 障害

Everlasting life

Little Charo 2 Episode 28 ' Everlasting life '

Numtaka said to Charo,

" To live is to have limited time to shape the future, to have limited time to follow your dream.

   Do you understand me?"

Charo didn't understand what Numtaka said but he began to cry without reason.

Numtaka went on talking to Charo knowing he couldn't understand but he would later.

" Life is beautiful because it ends."

" Nothing lives that does not die."

I'm very impressed by Numtaka's words.

It reminds me of the movie" Green Mile" originally from Stephen King's.

Numtaka and the main character of the movie were both given everlasting life as well.

They seem unhappy and suffered from the long life which never ends and had to see off many people around them. As time goes by, ordinary people live and die but they never end their lives.

Everlasting life does not always make us happy and beautiful.

In other word, we might live to make the happy end of life.

Then, what is the happy end of life?

The answer is in you.

I'm still asking myself .....What about you?

Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China

A Japanese young guy is the most famous Japanese in China.

He lives in China and work as a writer after graduated from the university in China and published several books in Chinese.

He speaks Chinese fluently and his Chinese is not less than native speakers'

His name is Kazuyoshi Katoh and he is called"an envoy to Tang China Now".

He has been trying to make better understanding between Japan and China by giving his note to column. His column is very popular among people and works hard traveling around the country.

He knows how hard it is to let the people what it is around the world because Chia is not open nor free for the people to express. The government still control all the information from the Internet.

He won't give up his mind until his mission will be pursued.  

Tribute John Lennon

October 9th is John's 70 years old Birthday.
Yoko Ono is giving message to keep his memory alive.

Think peace, act peace, spread peace and imagine peace !


I LOVE YOU.




Imagine

English words originally from Japanese

We have a lot of adopted words from English called ' gairaigo ' which are spelled with katakana.
While letting some Japanese words exported instead.

Almost of all the English words originally from Japanese are Names and special in Japan.
We tend to borrow or lend new words to share each other. It makes faster as the globalization goes.

I will pick up familiar words first.

Sumo, Judo, Geisha, Samurai, Shogun, Kamikaze, Shintoism are popular which doesn't exist in other culture and are accepted as symbols of Japanese culture.
Recently new word are rushing into the world, for example, Tsunami, Anime from Japanese animation, Karaoke all over the world and so on.
My American friend Jimm let me know a new word ' Japanmation ' from Japan animation.
It seems really popular among anime fans.

I've also noticed another word which is introduced into English I had never expected.
It's ' Satori ' from Zen.
I think it's a really deep and specific word in abstract, spiritual and religious category.
It is explained that is " enlightenment in Zen Buddhism."
I'd like to translate it " a great achievement given by yourself "
I can say Satori is not brought by chance but caused by yourself having had an effort.

I'm glad to know one of Japanese solemn word is universal.
We need to be proud of our culture and share the goodness with people in the world.        

Weekend reading

I'm very interested in different culture, especially Chinese recently.
I've known a man who immigrated to Japanese after he had lived in Japan for more than 20 years and he really got to like Japan and made up his mind to throw away his Chinese nationality.
I was searching his website and checked one of his books.
I finally found two books of him at the library which were both discussion about Japan with other two immigrants from Taiwan and Korea.

The books are ' Traitors ' and ' Japanese Immigrants '
They are Seki Hei from China, Kou Bunyu from Taiwan and Oo Son Fa from Korea.
They talked a lot about Asian history, each different custom, education, and their own biography.

The three foreigners from Asia seem like' traitors' who fell in love with Japan because they became Japanese but I found braveness and real broad mind who will be expected to be the bridges between the  different cultures.
They frankly described their opinion of the bad point of their mother countries  and really worried about the future of the mutual relationship with Japan.

All of them are already admire Japanese culture and Japanese life.

From their view, Japan has a soft animism which could lead Asian with old and new waves and technology. Without Japan no China, no Taiwan, no Korea and no other Asian countries now.

But two of the countries, China and Korea don't take it but they hate progressive Japan above them and blame the post war. They think Japan should be inferior country to them because of the history, Japan had been effected by the civilization of China and Korea far from the ancient days.

Anyway,the three immigrant Japanese are saying that Japan is very wonderful country.
I feel like confident of being Japanese after reading these books.