07 May 2013
Cold Golden Week
It's the last day of this year's golden week. Unfortunately, I was mostly working through this golden week. This was my second time to spend golden week in Sapporo. I believe last golden week was warmer than this year. Or I should say this year's golden week was chilly.
What is Golden Week?
I though, I wrote about golden week before, but I'll write about it in this article. The golden week was large consecutive holidays in Japan. There are 4 national holidays in this week. These are "Showa day(昭和の日):29th April", "Constitution Memorial day(憲法記念日):3rd May", "Greenery day(みどりの日):4th May" and "Children's day(こどもの日):5th May".
Also 6th May was off too because "Children's day" fall on Sunday.
Of course, 1st May is May day then some people take day off on that day.
So, in this year we could take 10 days of consecutive holidays, if you take holidays on 30th April and 2nd May.
In fact, I don't like these kind of consecutive holidays. Most of people are in off and they go somewhere popular. Then they make traffic jams in main roads, also the price of flight ticket get high. So I prefer to take my holidays in different time.
The Weather
Unfortunately, weather while this golden week was bad in Sapporo.
Here's the weather in Sapporo during this golden week.
- 27th April (Saturday)
- Rainy occasionally cloudy
- 28th April (Sunday)
- Rainy occasionally cloudy
- 29th April (Showa day)
- Rainy, later, occasionally cloudy
- 30th April (Tuesday)
- Rainy occasionally cloudy
- 1st May (Wednesday)
- Rainy, later, occasionally cloudy
- 2nd May (Thursday)
- Cloudy, later, occasionally rainy
- 3rd May (Constitution Memorial day)
- Rainy
- 4th May (Greenery day)
- Rainy
- 5th May (Children's day)
- Rainy occasionally cloudy
- 6th May (Makeup holiday)
- Rainy occasionally cloudy
Mostly rainy in this golden week... Also the temperature during the golden week was terrible.
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| Temperature data from Japan Meteorological Agency |
It's cold. The temperature during this period were 10 to 3 degrees lower than average year. Anyway, according to weather forecast the weather getting better in this week and the temperature will back to around average. I hope so too.
Thanks
14 March 2013
Living in Snow Country
There are many differences between Tokyo and Sapporo. Sapporo is cold and snow so much in winter, but in Tokyo snow is really rare even in winter. I've been here for 1 and half years due to my work, and this winter season was my second time to spend in Sapporo. I mean this is my second time to spend whole winter season in such a snowy place.
The Second Season
Yesterday, I heard the news that cherry blossoms started to bloom in Fukuoka. Yeah, it's middle of March and I believe the spring is coming. Also I believe we can sense spring. Yes, I sense spring because the temperature getting higher (but around 0 degrees in Celsius) and less snow days. But every weekend of March I experienced snowstorm... I'm not sure about this weekend, but according to weather forecast the weather of this weekend would be good, and I hope so. I don't need snow any more!!
This is my second time to spend whole winter season in Sapporo, and I felt that this season has much snow than previous season. My feeling is true, here's some data that there were much snow in this season than previous or average season.
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| Depth of Snow from City of Sapporo |
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| Depth of snow (accum.) from city of Sapporo |
I hope next season would be less snow than this season... Or I might move to not snowy country... lol
As Season Change
These days the weather getting better and warmer. It's nice, but there also some problems in this place. There are still a mount of snow in many places. On the roof of apartments, road sides and etc... There are some unfortunate accidents in such days. The snow on the roof slip to ground and hit someone or something.
Here's photo which I found these days. The car unfortunately broken by slipped snow from the roof of apartment. I hope it will not happen to my car.
The apartment next to the car park is 4 stories, and I don't want to imagine the result if there was someone and snow hit someone...
Anyway, these kind of accident might be increased in season changes. We should care not to become whether assailant or victim. I hope spring will come to me soon.
Thanks
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!
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