We Love Japan!

Let’s learn the number-counting way in Japanese KANJI - by introduction of our position in the world ranking -

2009-08-02T17:00:00.002+09:00

This article is continued from the previous one.

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/48/9/34483698.pdf

No. 5
Wow! Japan is no longer a well-off country, because we got ‘5’th worse-ranking of poverty. Actually this poverty raking is calculated based on the income-gap between among the nation. To mitigate the income-gap is one of the urgent subject in our Government now.

No. 4

http://www.fujikawayuri.net/

What a beautiful lady she is, isn't she!
Besides, to make us be astonished furthermore, she, Yuri Fujikawa, is a politician of municipal assembly. She was selected as “4”th rank of the World Beautiful Politician (as of April 2, 2009) in accordance with the on-line vote conducted by Spanish newspaper: minutos.es.

No.3
Now every country is seeking green-energy resources. The most realistic resource is Solar Power. Japan has constructed many solar power generation plants, which capacity is 197 Million kw in total. This is the “3”rd largest in the world, following Germany: 540 Million kw and Spain: 230 Million kw.

(Sharp HP: http://www.sharp.co.jp/sunvista/industry/index.html)

No.2
Japan is in the “2”nd largest economic country based on the GDP. However it is said that China will take over the position soon because of its drastically economic development.

(Night View in Tokyo: http://tokyoyakei.jp/airship/airship.html)

(Photo from: http://www.amazon.co.jp/)

No.1
Please see the above sisters. They were 107-year-old twins!! recorded as the longest life of twins in the world. Their name are Kin Narita (age at death: 107) and Gin Narita (age at death: 108), and they were most famous and loved twins as our national grandmothers.

When they reached 100 years old, many medias took up the twins; accordingly they got much money. Then one day a reportor asked them “What are you thinking of how to use the money?” They answered together “We would like to save them as securities in our old age!!”

It’s very funny, isn’t it!
That is way they could live longer, that is way We Love Japan!

Let's learn the number-counting way in Japanese KANJI - by introduction of our position in the world ranking

2009-08-01T16:00:00.003+09:00

The above is the number counting way in Japanese KANJI. (from one to ten)
Today let’s learn them one by one, by means of introducing rankings of Japan in the world so that you can impressively remember each of numbers!
Shall we start from ten.

No. 10

The number of population in Japan: 127,580,000 is “10”th in the world. Please see the list of countries ordered according to population.

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

No. 9

According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 by World Economic Forum (WEF), Japan is ranked “9”th in the world. We are dropping every year. Something must be done to recover!

http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Competitiveness%20Report/index.htm

No. 8

We succeed to get 9 gold medals in Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, which ranked “8”th among participants. (For information: 1st is China, 2nd is U.S.A. and 3rd is Russia.) However, the rank was actually worse than the previous Olympic in Athens; we ranked “5”th with 15 numbers of gold medals at that time.

No.7

According to the annuncement of FIFA World Rankings on Women's association football dated on March 27, 2009, our Japanes women's association has succeeded in 7th rank! This is the highest order ever! On the other hand, mens' one is still in competition among the Aisian countries (around 40th).

http://www.jsgoal.jp/photo/00023500/00023505.html

This result reflects the truth of the current situation in Japan. Namely it means that men are not stronger than women in every field no longer...

No.6

According to THE-QS World University Rankings 2008, we succeeded to be awarded in ‘6’th rank, this is mainly because Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT), like MIT in U.S.A., has been evaluated much more higher than previouse year.

http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2008/safe_system_strength/

We are trying to beat a current recession by developing our science and technology furthermore!!! That is why We Love Japan!
(TIT:http://www.titech.ac.jp/english/index.html)

To be continued.

Let's glance at Japanese souvenir! - in Narita International Airport -

2009-07-26T15:00:00.005+09:00

When you visit Japan, you will be at a loss to select Japanese souvenirs, because we have so many unique goods, such as traditional ones, characters, electrical products, etc.

So I am introducing some of our Japanese souvenirs today. What I show you today is from Narita International Airport, where is the last place you can buy souvenirs prior to departure. Please check the following souvenirs in advance so that you can save your time in the airport!

1. Small articles

- Stand mirror designed by Japanese famous places and characters (Left)
- Magnet clip with Japanese traditions (Center)
- Chopsticks with Japanese design (Right)

- Traditional handy mirror(Left)
- "Sensu": Japanese traditional handy fan (Center)
- Japanese lacquerware (Right)

"Maneki Neko": Fortune Cat (They bring you happiness!)

2. Character goods

- KITY-chan (Left)

- TOTORO from a famous animation film (Center)

- POCKET MONSTERS (Right)

3. KANJI/Family Crests

- KANJI T-shirts

- KANJI Letter (Left)

- Phone Strap with Family Crests (Right)

4. Kimono

- Kimono for summer season (You can easily put it on without any skill!) (Left)

- Pouch for Kimono (Center & Right)

- "Sensu" for Kimono Shoes for Kimono (Left)

- Shoes for Kimono (Center)

- Kimono lady (If you/men don't have your girlfriend...) (Right)

5. Samurai/Ninja

- Samuai armors (You can put on) (Left)

- Samurai armors (miniature) (Center)

- Samurai doll

Ninja Mask

These are just a part of our various souvenirs!!

Please present these Japanese souvenirs for your families, friends and partners, because We Love Japan!

"KAMON" : Japanese Family Crests

2009-07-25T14:00:00.002+09:00

KAMON: Family crests are one of the Japanese traditional culture.

During the Warring States period, each Daymyou* had their own Family Crests and they put the crests on their armor, flag, letter, and so forth.

Nowadays KAMON is used for symbols of shops and design of goods.

If you want to have your own KAMON, we can arrange for you,

because We Love Japan!!

*Please see: http://we-love-japaaaaan.blogspot.com/2009/07/japanese-tradition-osaka-castle.html

Japanese Lord: Hideyoshi Toyotomi

2009-07-19T14:00:00.001+09:00

(Toyotomi Hideyoshi)

As the master of Osaka Castle, Hideyoshi Toyotomi is a famous historical hero in Japan.

He succeeded to settle the upheaval during the Warring States period (15th - 17th Century) . Actually he was the man who got the most successful life in Japan. He was born of peasant-warrior family. Normaly such child could not change his job easily due to social rank system.

However his talented and witted character was found out by his lord: Nobunaga Oda, then he started to his success story. He was so fascinated with an ambition of Nobunaga that he exerted himself for Nobunaga's trial of unification of Japan. Then he succeed the ambition from Nobunaga and consummated it, after Nobunaga was killed by his vassal's rebellion.

This is the symbol of Toyotomi family: "Family crests". Actually this crests are originated from the Emperor of Japan and this is still used for the Emperor's Family now.

The design of the crests is from a Chinese parasol tree: blue-paulownia. Blue-paulownia is known as something good luck, because it is said to be a perch of Chinese phoenix.

The main reason why Hideyoshi Toyotomi could succeed in his life is he was extraordinary diligent in his work with optimistic character. Since such mind/attitude is succeeded to our generation, we are called worker-ants in the business fields!

Only hard working lead us a lofty goal; that is Japanese sprit!!!
That is why We Love Japan!

Japanese Tradition: Osaka Castle

2009-07-18T13:00:00.000+09:00

Samurai: it's one of the symbol in Japanese tradition.

They were born in 8th century and activated till 1867, when Edo period finally ended. During the long history of Samurai, they were at their best in the Warring States period (15th - 17th); therefore the Warring States period attracts many Japanese strongly.

At that time Japan was divided by many autonomous feudal lord (called "Daimyou") and each Daimyou constantly tried to enlarge their influence by armed conflict in order to unify the nation. This upheaval had been finally settled by three consecutive Daimyou: Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Iesasu Tokugawa. They are very famous in Japan as the heroes of making history.

This is the Japanese castle, named Osaka Castle, established by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1583.

Hideyoshi constructed this castle as a symbol of unification of Japan at that time. The castle itself is 8 stories-building, and you can enjoy a beautiful Japanese garden, moats and solemn gates and castle walls!

Many foreigners visit here and they are lost in thought on the era of 410 years ago. (Just like pigeons as the below photo!!!)

I am going to introduce many kinds of Japanese castle and our Samurai's histories, because We Love Japan!

It's summer time!

2009-07-15T12:00:00.002+09:00

Now it is more than 33 degrees Celsius in Japan, even if it is evening time. Many Japanese business persons become so thirsty that they cannot bear drinking on the way back to their home!!
So many temporary street drinking stalls emerge during summer seasons.

These foods are not so cheap, but they attract the business persons...

But it seems that most of the business persons who enjoy enthusiastically are men of more than 50 years.... I guess if they come back their home earlier than their wife's expectation, they would be treated as a nuisance!!! That is why they have to spend time in the outside with their young fellows, even if the young men don't want to join!!!

Is it funny custom in Japan?? But We Love Japan!

Night Bus

2009-07-13T11:00:00.003+09:00

Since a bullet train, i.e. a super express train, called as "Shinkan-sen" is one of the famoustransportation system in Japan, many foreigners asked me to give them an opportunity to experience it.

However today I would like to introduce another unique transportation vehicle: night bus.
Please see the night-bus photo that I have just took from Osaka to Tokyo yesterday.

There are two lines of sheet in the bus, and each sheet is designed like a capsule for your comfortable sleeping!!

The space of the sheet is almost same as a business sheet in an airplane, however it is 5 times cheaper than air ticket! When you take the bus at 23:00 p.m. form Tokyo, your will reach most of major cities in Japan at 7:00 a.m. next morning.

Many people, especially for young men/women use the night bus.
Please try to take the night bus so that you are familiarize with the Japanese younger generation, because We Love Japan!!!

Japanese Brand-new Technology No.2 - Water Oven -

2009-07-10T10:00:00.001+09:00

When you hear a word of "oven", what kinds of oven pop up in your mind?

Gas oven? Electric oven? or Microwave oven?

I bought the below brand-new oven in Japan. The appearance is just same as a standard microwave oven, however this oven equipped with an advanced technology developed by SHARP Corp, which is called as "Water-Oven".

Water-Oven!

Can you imagine that water can warm, grill, roast and sometimes fry food??

Yes We Can!!

The principle of mechanism is this:

When water is heated up more than 100 degree Celsius, it is turned into steam, then steam is heated up furthermore, the steam become "heating vapor". Since this heating vapor has latent heat of 539cal/g, it can transmit the heat to substances by contacting. That is why water can be the leading role of an oven.

Water-Oven has mainly three advantages compare with other heat-oven technologies.

1) Cutting fat

Thanks to heating vapor, foods are swiftly heated up; consequently any fat inside of the food are dissolved and flow away.

2) Desalt

The condensed heating vapor, which lost it latent heat and became dew on the food, can absorb salt and remove it from the food.

3) Preservation of nutrients

Because the inside of oven is saturated with heating vapor, airless circumstances is made. Accordingly, oxidization of oil in the foods are prevented, then as a result, nutrients are preserved.

Now I enjoy healthy meals thanks to Water-Oven!

Let's join the new life style with us, because We Love Japan!!

*Please see the detials of Water-Oven provided by SHARP. http://www.sharp.ph/morehealsio.htm

"KANJI" No.3 - Creation -

2009-07-07T09:00:00.011+09:00

I am fond of this letter pronounced "Sou-Zou", which means collectively "Creation".

"創造" is established by combination of "創/Sou" and "造/Zou".
This is because "Creation" is, in Japanese, defined by the two thoughts:
1) Invention: Invent something new ideas that don't exist before, and
2) Embodiment:Make such new ideas be formed as tangible ones

Thus, "創/Sou" means invention and "造/Zou"means embodiment.

When you put this letter on your clothing, you need to be the person with creation!!
You, namely, have to be men/women with action-oriented mind as well as abundant ideas!

Thanks to this ideology, Japan has succeeded in bearing many global company, such as TOYOTA, SONY, CANON, etc. That is why We Love Japan!!!

"KANJI" - No.2 - "Dragon"

2009-07-05T01:50:00.011+09:00

I think the above KANJI is relatively famous for foreigners, because many KANJI T-shirts are used this letter for its design, as per below.

(cited from http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/graphic-art/1moji-ryuu-t.html)

This KANJI is pronounced "RYU" in Japanese, which means a dragon.
This letter is used for some of Japanese names for men, because parents wish that their child will grow powerfully like a dragon.

This KANJI looks cool! When you have this KANJI in your T-shirt, please behave with strong-mind and confidence!!

Japanese KANJI is very unique and stylish.

That's why We Love Japan!!!

Japanese Brand-new Technology -part 1-

2009-07-03T00:27:00.006+09:00

What is this???

Japan is known as one of the advanced country on its tehchnology, especially for robotics.

This is a part of our brand-new robot, called GUNDAM. Someone may know GUNDAM, becasue this, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, is a famous "manga" in Japan and exported overseas.
(Please refer to the details in the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam)

For many years, Japanese tehcnical experts wish to produce a real GUNDAM, and finally our Japanese technology has realized their dream as per the below pitcture!!

Can you imagine this GUNDAM* is 18 meters tall in height and 35,000kg in weight equiped with laser bean weapons!! No nuclear attacks can devastate Japan, no invaders can conquer Japan, because we have GUNDAM!!!

I reitrate Japanese technology has finally developed an ultimate weapon.

Please come and see the actual GUNDAM, because We Love Japan!

* See the details of GUNDAM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM6nUX57gCg

Brand-new Japanese beer is released for losing our weight!?

2009-06-30T22:31:00.005+09:00

This is advertisement for a Japanese brand-new beer!

Generally speaking, drinking beer is completely conflict with diet. But bran-new Japanese technology can finally solve this contradiction. We can enjoy beer as long as we are satisfied without care of calorie calculations!!

Are you really able to imagine that this beer will help you to lose your weight?

But Japanese have a nature to challenge any contradiction in order to enhance their standard of living step by step!!

So, because of such kinds of character, We Love Japan!

"KANJI" - Japanese character - No.1

2009-06-29T21:43:00.027+09:00

These days we see many foreigners who put on the shirt designed by Japanese characters: KANJI, like the above picture. Of course it is happy for us to spread out our culture throughout the world!

KANJI originated from China is different from the other characters, like English, in terms of its symbolic expression. This means that any character in English is devised from phonetic standpoint, on the other hand, KANJI is from hieroglyphics. For example "a" is just a sound of voice and has no meaning itself, however KANJI is given its meaning by itself.

I suppose why many foreigners are fond of KANJI is its stylish shapes, and we fully agree that. Besides, Japanese has an another reason for the love of thier character: its meaning! We enjoy using KANJI for expression of the meaning. Please see the KANJI in the right-side picture. This KANJI means "Transition" and it was selected as "The Year of KANJI, 2008". When this KANJI was publicized on the last day of 2008, every Japanese thought about many fluctuated circumstances in 2008, such as change of the Prime Minister, economic changes, personal changes, etc.

So, if you understand the meaning of each KANJI, you can enjoy KANJI furthermore!!

I am pleased to introduce many KANJIs in my blog.

Let's enjoy our unique character: KANJI! because We Love Japan!

What is this advertisement?

2009-06-20T12:20:00.006+09:00

Can you understand what this advertisement means??
This is a medicine specialized for Japanese commuters!!

Many Japanese in a large city commute to their office/school by train. So you know!? the train in the morning are full of people and people without any affordable space. Then, imagine! if you would suddenly feel defecation in the train while you are pushed into the congested mass. What you can do is just waiting to a next stop for several minutes with fighting desperately against unintentional elbow beats by other passengers!!!

Please do not laugh at this funny story. This is a serious problem in Japan.

In such a stituation this medicine become the God, because it immediately alleviates the acute feeling of excretion. So many Japanese commuters have this medicine, even if they sometime forget to bring an important report for their boss!!

Is this a stupid custom???

But We Love Japan!

*This medicine, named "Stoppa A Anti-Diarrhea Medicine," is manufactured by LION Corp.(http://www.lion.co.jp/en/products/html/pro00201.htm#15)

Hard work exhausts Japanese

2009-06-16T01:06:00.008+09:00

Since many Japanese business persons are exhausted by their hard working, sometime hard drinking-communications!?, a midnight train in Japan is a relaxing place for them in order to recovery physical power for another hard work with their wives!

They are very funny! But We Love Japan!

[Note]
1) Because I am Japanese, it would be very helpful for me if you would advise incorrect English sentences, if any.
2) Please let me know any unique character in your country!