30 December 2012
Another "This year's Kanji"
The year 2012 will be end in few days. In December, there are many year in review events. As I introduced 2 years ago on this blog, this year's Kanji was selected as usual.
This year's Kanji was "金". It means "gold" or "money", and we read it "kin" or "kane" in Japanese. This is because there were some issues related to money in this year such as scam on expand pension asset, and illegal vesting of social security. Also, there was annular solar eclipse first time in 932 years in Japan. We call it as "金環日食(Kinkan-Nisshoku)" and that include "金".
Another Kanji of the year
I thought they are the only one organization which is releasing this year's Kanji, but this year I found another organization which is releasing similar thing. Last weekend, I was watching TV news rarely at that time I found it. The organization named JA Hokkaido Chuokai(JA北海道中央会) are releasing year's Kanji since 2009. I didn't know this because I was not in Hokkaido until last year.
JA Hokkaido Chuokai is Hokkaido area's central union and main operator of agricultural co-operatives. Well, I'm not sure about these organization, but they are part of Japanese Agricultural Group. Anyway, they are releasing this year's Kanji which represent Hokkaido's agriculture. This year's Kanji was "変". It means "strange" or "change", and we read it "hen" or "kawaru" in Japanese. This is because strange weather in Hokkaido area which effect to Hokkaido's agriculture. And the ruling party changed to the Liberal Democratic Party from Democratic Party of Japan.
Anyway, I will back to Tokyo on 31 December. I need to ride aeroplane but wether looks bad, according to weather forecast 31 December and 1 January would be snowstorm. I hope my aeroplane will fly as usual. Then this might be the final article which I will post in this year.
Thanks
25 December 2012
The government of the aged, by the aged, for the aged?
16th December was the election day in Japan. The Democratic Party of Japan's(DPJ) about 3 years and half of ruling told the end, and back to the Liberal Democratic Party's(LDP) era.
This election held to elect lower house member and we elect 480 member of lower house. DPJ had 230 seats but reduced to 57 seats after this election. On the other hand, LDP won 294 seats that increased 176 seats from before the election. Also, the Japan Restoration Party(JRP) won 54 seats that increased 43 seats from before the election, and became the third largest party in Japanese political party.
Even in this major victory of LDP, the LDP leader Mr. Abe told reporter that "We recognize that this was not a restoration of confidence in the Liberal Democratic Party, but a rejection of three years of incompetent rule by the Democratic Party of Japan,". Some political analyzers analyzed that the LDP won because voters elected them by elimination.
Candidates
A record number of 1,504 candidates and 12 parties stood for this election.
Here's some short introduction of each party
- Liberal Democratic Party of Japan
(Centre-Right) Previously the party ruled the whole diet except recent 3 years. In this election they won 294 seats, and came back as ruling party. I thought they are tending to more right-wing biased. This is because they are thinking to reform JSDF(Japan Self Defense Force) into "regular" Defense Force.
- Democratic Party of Japan
(Centre-Left) From 2009, they used to be the ruling party, but now they decreased 173 seats in lower house. So I believe most of Japanese disappoint on 3 years and half of ruling, then they couldn't win this election.
- Japan Restoration Party
(Right) Former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara became the leader of this party, and Osaka-city governor Toru Hashimoto founded this party as "Osaka Restoration Party". Well, some people might know about that but Shintaro Ishihara has strongly right-wing nationalist. This was the first election in lower house for this party, but they won 54 seats.
- New Komeito Party
(Centre-Right) The party was supporting LDP before and I believe the party will support them again because the LDP became ruling party. This party has strong support from the buddhist organization Soka-Gakkai. They won 31 seats because strong support from Soka-Gakkai.
- Your Party
(Centre-Right) In 2009, split from the LDP. Won 18 seats in this election.
- Tomorrow Party of Japan
(Centre-Left) Former chief secretary of DPJ Ichiro Ozawa and Shiga governor Yukiko Kada formed this party before the election. They won 9 seats, but they reduced seats in lower house. Some say the power of Ichiro Ozawa lost his power in politics.
- Japan Communist Party
(Left) The party have the longest history. They won 8 seats in this election.
- Social Democratic Party
(Centre-Left) They won 2 seats in this election.
- People's New Party
(Centre-Right) They were supporting the DPJ before, but they lost most of their seat and now they have only 1 seats in lower house.
- New Renaissance Party
(Centre-Right) In 2009, split from the LDP. But now there are no seats in lower house.
- New Party Daichi
(Left) I think, they are not working for whole Japan, they are working for Hokkaido. They have 1 seats in lower house.
- Happiness Realization Party
Currently they have no seats, they were supported by religious movement "Happy Science".That's 12 parties which stood for this election, but mostly they have weird party name. Also, their policies are a little difference in each other. I though, they are making Japanese politics much complicate one by themselves.
Voting rate
The voting rate of this election was 59.32% and it was the lowest voting rates after the World War 2. 9.96% decreased from previous election in 2009. Here's another interesting chart.
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| Age specific voting rate (from The Association for Promoting Fair Elections) |
In this chart, there are no statistics on the latest election's voting rate yet.
But mostly it didn't changed I believe. The young voters' don't vote, but aged voters' vote much more.
The Government of the Aged, by the Aged, for the Aged?
Because many aged voters tend to voting, most of political parties tend to take aged friendly policy, I though. For instance, the pension plan need to change drastically but aged people can get pension and they are not worried about that, then there are no political party which will reform the pension plan drastically.
I couldn't get enough references, but I think there are more aged politicians in Japan. In my opinion, we need age limit to become politician. The leader of JRP Shintaro Ishihara is already 80 years old! He suggest young Japanese people need to do military services in a few years, but I don't think so. Also here's word that I heard, "The war decided by aged, operated by middle age, and young dies".
Some say this is exactly the same theory that what happened in world war 2.
I though, young Japanese like me need to observe the politics, and we need to change to prevent to become the government of the aged, by the aged, for the aged.
Thanks
30 June 2012
Bye risky food "liver sashimi"
Due to that food poisoning, 181 people were infected, 32 people were severe injured and 5 killed. After this extremely serious incidents, Japanese government decided to tighten the health code and executed it last October.
Liver sashimi
レバ刺し(Liver sashimi) is also available to eat at many Korean-style BBQ restaurants in Japan. It is raw beef liver eat like sashimi(sliced raw fish). Well, mostly campylobacter the offending bacterium of food poisoning are included in liver.
Which means it's really risky to eat raw liver. The useless Japanese government decided to prohibit to supply liver sashimi. The prohibition of supplying liver sashimi will be applied from tomorrow (July 1st). I don't know why Japanese government didn't consider the availability of disinfection by radiation, but they "just" prohibit liver sashimi.
New regulation will start from tomorrow, so we can eat liver sashimi in restaurants today! Also, it's Saturday then many people might go to restaurants which are offering liver sashimi! According to some news sources, some restaurants which are offering liver sashimi were fulfilled with reservation on Friday and Saturday. I hope they are safe!
Fake one
From tomorrow liver sashimi will be not available at any restaurants in Japan, bus some Japanese want to eat that. Due to such demands, some food companies made fake one. Fake raw beef liver is made with konjac.
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| (Image from http://item.rakuten.co.jp/earth-shop/50024) |
Well, well, well, I don't want to eat this fake one, but it seems like there are many people who want to eat this! I searched this on the Internet shopping site, on that site I need to wait more than 2 weeks to get this due to popularity. Well, I did't order this one at this time, but if I have a chance, I want to try this one! lol
Thanks!
22 May 2012
One big tower's opening day
One big tower's opening day
Today is the opening day of one big tower which named "Tokyo Sky Tree". It's located in Tokyo.
Also it's the talest stand-alone tower with 634 metres high.
Most of TV programees of today were fulfilled with this story, I thought. Well, I thought that they should think their own programees much better one.
There's two skydeck in the tower, one of them is at 350 metres high. Another one is at 450 metres high
To go to skydeck at 450 metres high, visitors needs to pay extra money and need to ride different elevator to go there.
I didn't know that but according to the news, today was windy and rainy day in Tokyo. Then visitors couldn't see views from skydeck clearly.
Also there was big problem, the wind was too strong to continue operation of elevators. The elevators skydeck at 350 metres high between and skydeck at 450 metres high stopped the operation at 14.30.
Due to that trouble about 200 people who were at skydeck at 450 metres high stuk there for a while. The operator of Tokyo Sky Tree also decided to stop the operation of that elevators at 19.30.
I felt that it seems like many Japanese people like this tower, but I think "It's just a tower". This tower's main purposes are to broadcast radio.
Thanks
06 May 2012
Off-line
Now Japan is in without nuclear power. It's the first time since 1970 when reactors in Tokai Nuclear Power Plant and Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant went to routine inspection.
And for now, there's no specific schedule that go on-line in any other nuclear reactors in Japan.
Well, no policy, no gain. It seems like that Japanese government could not find any good reason to put some of nuclear reactors go on-line yet.
Finally, cherry bloomed!!
By the way, cherry trees bloomed in this week! I've been waited more than a month!
Well, it's beautiful. But rainy drops most of petals... My boss told me that cherry trees in Sapporo is short life. Cherry trees bloom in rainy season, then we cannot enjoy the blossom so long...
Look at the photo above, trees on right are cherry trees but most of them became leaves.
I upload some photos that I took today, I hope you can enjoy "short-life" cherry blossom in Sapporo.
Thank you.
18 April 2012
My favourite coffee time
Well, I was in really busy days, but it's not good way to make excuses that I did not update my blog such a long time...
April and cherry blossom
I'm feeling weird these days. It's April and soon Golden Week(consecutive holidays in May in Japan), but cherry trees are not bloomed yet. That weird for me. Usually, cherry blossom fall down in this season for me. But there's no cherry blossom yet.
This is because I moved to Sapporo last year. Sapporo is far north from Tokyo that I lived until last August. I didn't care about "桜前線(Sakura-zensen; front line of cherry blossom)", after cherry bloomed in Tokyo. But I found that cherry tree needs more than a month to bloom in Sapporo, compare to Tokyo!
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| Front line of cherry blossom; from http://tenki.jp |
Which means I need to wait about 2 more weeks to see cherry blossom here! See cherry blossom in May!? Well, it might become my first experience to see cherry blossom in May... lol
I hope I can upload some photos of cherry blossom in May.
New coffee experience
Anyway, let's back to today's title. Coffee!
I love coffee. I drink it mostly everyday. lol
These days, I added new stuff to my collection of coffee tools. Here it is.
This is my new stuff. BIALETTI moka express!
It works simply and tasty. I love this! My friend told me about this, but it's awesome! If you like to drink coffee, you should try this! It's worth to try.
After I bought moka express, my coffee time changed drastically.
By the way, I'm planning to go trip this year. I'm checking following cities, Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore. I'm focusing on these cities because I think I cannot take much time to take holidays. So I'm planning to trip east asian countries.
Well, which city do you think the best?
Thank you.
Masaya
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