The book titles below was the most sold ten books in Jpan in 2006. As a book-salesman, I have to check the trend of Japanese publishing world.
1. Kokka no hinkaku, (The dingnity of the nation)
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Tokyo tawaa okan to boku to, tokidoki, oton, (Tokyo Tower, me and my mom, and sometimes my dad)
4. Enpitsu de oku no hosomichi,("Oku no hosomichi" traced with a pencil)
5. Byooki no naranai iki-kata,(How to live without becoming ill)
6. Oide yo doubutsu no mori. Kanpeki gaidobukku,(The complete guidebook for "Come in to the forest of the animals")
7. Hito wa mita me ga 9 wari,(The 90% of information conveyed without using words)
8. Shin ningen kakumei,(The human revolution, 2nd series, Vol.15 an 16)
9. Ko-sodate happii adobaisu(1)(2)(3),(Three volumes of advice on how to bring children up happily)
10. Kagami no housoku. Jinsei no donna mondai mo kaiketsu suru mahou no ruuru,(The rules of the mirror. Magic rules for solving any problems at all in human life)
No.1 is the book for Japanese national identity. Shit.
No.2 is a too long story. No.3 is the novel for Tokyo people. Unfortunately I'm Kyoto people. No.4 is not a book but a notebook. No.5 is none of you business. No.6 is a guidebook for a game. Shit. No.7 is the book for biasist. No.8 is for religious people. No.9 is for mothers. No.10 is for the people who can't think about their life for themselves.
All books are out of my interest. Therefore I've never read all these books.
I can be a good book-salesman?
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
VS Tissue Paper
After Aeon discussion class, in front of Hon-Atsugi station, I watched Aeon staff gave passangers the tissue paper with the advertisment of the school. I didn't have to get the school information because I am its student, but I wanted to get a tissue paper, so I came close to the staff and I got it.
The advertisement said "20% off, Until today."
I was excited a little even though I didn't know what is 20% off. Actually this tissue paper advertisement system has magical power.
When I got the tissue, I was completely free. I didn't have any plan at the moment. So, I continued to watch her working.
I didn't have any idea of the tissue giving job. Usually except for hey fever season, I don't get such a tissue on a street. So, I didn't know who get the tissue, what the technique of the job is and how hard the job is.
Standing next to the staff, I realised that old men and women got the tissue easily. Young persons ignore the tissue offer more, but old people don't refuse the offer.
In addition, some old people came close to the staff, and asked her to give them the tissue.
An old woman, who realised the tissue was the advertisement of English conversation school, started to talk about her son working in America for five years. He seemed to tell her to come to and live in America someday.
"Do you think the old woman like me can study English?"
She asked me. She seemed to think I was the school staff.
"Of course, Madame. It's no problem."
I answered with smile.
My answer didn't have any knowledge for old people's study, and my smile could include a natual reaction and intension of salesman. However, I don't think it was a problem. If she can trust her own possibility by my answer, it's ok. If she will decide to study English someday, I hope 20% discount extend until the day.
The advertisement said "20% off, Until today."
I was excited a little even though I didn't know what is 20% off. Actually this tissue paper advertisement system has magical power.
When I got the tissue, I was completely free. I didn't have any plan at the moment. So, I continued to watch her working.
I didn't have any idea of the tissue giving job. Usually except for hey fever season, I don't get such a tissue on a street. So, I didn't know who get the tissue, what the technique of the job is and how hard the job is.
Standing next to the staff, I realised that old men and women got the tissue easily. Young persons ignore the tissue offer more, but old people don't refuse the offer.
In addition, some old people came close to the staff, and asked her to give them the tissue.
An old woman, who realised the tissue was the advertisement of English conversation school, started to talk about her son working in America for five years. He seemed to tell her to come to and live in America someday.
"Do you think the old woman like me can study English?"
She asked me. She seemed to think I was the school staff.
"Of course, Madame. It's no problem."
I answered with smile.
My answer didn't have any knowledge for old people's study, and my smile could include a natual reaction and intension of salesman. However, I don't think it was a problem. If she can trust her own possibility by my answer, it's ok. If she will decide to study English someday, I hope 20% discount extend until the day.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
VS First Pay Day
April is the first month of a fiscal year in Japanese companies. Many new things start. New works start. New people start to work.
For booksales, this season is a textbook-sales season. As well as Japanese companies, the schools in Japan start a new educational year in April. So, all students need new textbooks. It's a big business for me. I am busy now.
New workers (a man and a woman) came to my office this month. I and other old staffs have to teach them many things. They don't know the system, the rules, the common sense or the way to live in a company world. The world has many interseting points and many boring points. If they will know only boring things before finding out intersting ones, they would quit and change their job soon. Actually, recently in Japan, around 33% of new workers quit the job within 3 years. It's very bad, at least in Japan. Nobody want such a situation. Everybody want young people to stay longer in their working place.
What kind of working place is comfortable for young Japanese? Recently I read an intersting survay in a newspaper.
Veteran workers think young people want to work free, as they like. So, the veteran don't say anything to the young.
But, from the survay, working free is not so much prefered by the young workers. What do they want?
The young workers want them to be taught very kindly by the veterans.
"Do it as you like." seems to be a bad order. "Do it as I explain how to do." seems to be requested by Japanese young workers.
Yesterday was my company's pay day. For new workers, it was their first pay day. I talked to them, "First pay day will not come again. So, this day must be something memorial. So, you have to eat something memorial. Now, you have two choices. Good fish or good beef. Which?"
They looked to undertand what I said.
Female worker's answer was "Beef." Male worker's answer was "I follow her." That's why we went to a good korean yakiniku restaurant. We ate top three expensive meats on the restaurant's menu. The meats' quality was very nice.
Maybe, the memory of the good yakiniku will be left in their mind for a long time. The bill was also memorial.
For booksales, this season is a textbook-sales season. As well as Japanese companies, the schools in Japan start a new educational year in April. So, all students need new textbooks. It's a big business for me. I am busy now.
New workers (a man and a woman) came to my office this month. I and other old staffs have to teach them many things. They don't know the system, the rules, the common sense or the way to live in a company world. The world has many interseting points and many boring points. If they will know only boring things before finding out intersting ones, they would quit and change their job soon. Actually, recently in Japan, around 33% of new workers quit the job within 3 years. It's very bad, at least in Japan. Nobody want such a situation. Everybody want young people to stay longer in their working place.
What kind of working place is comfortable for young Japanese? Recently I read an intersting survay in a newspaper.
Veteran workers think young people want to work free, as they like. So, the veteran don't say anything to the young.
But, from the survay, working free is not so much prefered by the young workers. What do they want?
The young workers want them to be taught very kindly by the veterans.
"Do it as you like." seems to be a bad order. "Do it as I explain how to do." seems to be requested by Japanese young workers.
Yesterday was my company's pay day. For new workers, it was their first pay day. I talked to them, "First pay day will not come again. So, this day must be something memorial. So, you have to eat something memorial. Now, you have two choices. Good fish or good beef. Which?"
They looked to undertand what I said.
Female worker's answer was "Beef." Male worker's answer was "I follow her." That's why we went to a good korean yakiniku restaurant. We ate top three expensive meats on the restaurant's menu. The meats' quality was very nice.
Maybe, the memory of the good yakiniku will be left in their mind for a long time. The bill was also memorial.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
VS Enforcement
Don't push me, Mike. I need 15 days to think about and write political issues here..........
Now Japanese Government seems to be very sencitive to the word, "Enforcement". Two recent issues related to the perspective of historical facts have us know it.
The first issue is the one which Chinese people, Korean people and American Congress are interested in. The sexual slave in World War II is it.
Some Japanese politcians including the prime minister Abe denied recently that Japanese army and government "enforced" Asian women to be sex workers to Japanese soldiers during World War II.
This opinion made the people above be surprised at it and get angry with it.
But, in Japan, I think most people weren't surprised at it.
It doesn't mean they agree with the opinion. It means they are accustomed to listen to it.
The politicians don't say there were not sex workers to Japanese soldiers. They say Japanese army didn't enforce Chinese and Korean women to do it. What's their point?
They think about this issue like this:
Japanese army invaded the cities in China and Korea. In the cities, there had already been sex workers. They worked originally in their country. Japanese army hired them, and gave sexual services to the soldiers. In short, it was business, not enforcement.
They ask, "Are there any documents to certify the enforcement of Japanese army or government? I know the answer. The answer is Not."
Document. It's the key word.
Their asking is right to some extent.
For historical facts, the existence of documents is important.
In order to understand historical facts, historicians value the documents written soon when the facts happened.
An incident happend one day.(For example, A farmer met Alien.) The article for the fact in newspaper is very important for historical study.(A young farmer in Idaho could contact Alien this morning.) The diary for it written by somebody is also important. (Gash! Tommy was talking with Alien in his farm today. He is heavy!)
Alien's official report is very important.( Project code 1988. Mission: To calculate the farming ability of Earth people. Result: They can make only potatos.)
But, the importance of the book written later about the incidents is seen less. (In this summer, I had a trip for U.S. I met the person who said he had seen Alien in his childhood. He told me that they came to the earth to steal his potatos.)
Historicians think a historical fact or story will change gradually after it happens, depending on the talkers for the fact. So, they value the document written soon when the fact happened.
In this case of sex workers or slaves to Japanese soldiers, there are not this kind of documents. There are just testimonies given by the old women who were sexual slaves during the war, but the value of thier confession is seen low from the view point of historical studies. That's why some Japanese politicians deny the issue even though many people in the world get angry to them.
Testimony. It's the next key word.
It's really valueless? It is always the wrong description different from the real fact, like that Tommy explained Alien's purpose wrong?
There is the place that people value testimony very much. It's the Court.
Most criminals wouldn't make official documents to commit a crime. From the testimony by Tommy, we can know the Alien stealed( or, at least tried to steal) his potatos. But, from the official document written by the Alien, we can't know the fact. To judge this crime, we have to depend on the testimonies by the related people. It is clear that no document doesn't mean no crime.
Back to the sexual slaves problem, we can know the two diffrent viewpoint of the problem. Oviously, Japanese government sees it the problem of Historical Studies. But, Korean, Chinese and American Congress see it the problem of War Crime.
For Japanese government, the opinion of K, C and AC might be too emotional and not logical. But, for Korean, Chinese and American Congress, J's thinking might be cold, too self-defensive or foolish.
In addition to this issue, Japanese government recently erased a description in the textbooks of Japanese history: Japanese government and army enforced the people in Okinawa to commit suicide in the case that they couldn't fight against US army.
Actually, many Okinawa people committed suicide before they were captured by US army. We can know the same kind of story from the movie "Letters from Iwo Jima".
But, Japanese government says that it is not clear whether there was such an enforcement or an order by the government during the war. So, they erase such a discription in textbooks.
For this issue, the value of documents and testimonies are key words again.
In this article, I tried to show the point of the historical and political issues in Japan. Historical Study vs War Crime is the key point.
If I say my opinion, I think the viewpoint of Historical Study is more important. Because the things in the war are just histroy for me. However, over 60 years has passed after the war. If Japanese government thinks Historical Study is important, they should have studied it more earlier.
To be honest, I think they were not interested in these issues for a long time after the war.
So, I think the person over 60 years old can't have the right to insist on the viewpoint of Historical Study.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the prime minister Abe is under 60 years old. He might have the right to say his own opinion for history free. But he has a big problem. His talking is boring. That's why I want to recommend him not to use his right.
Now Japanese Government seems to be very sencitive to the word, "Enforcement". Two recent issues related to the perspective of historical facts have us know it.
The first issue is the one which Chinese people, Korean people and American Congress are interested in. The sexual slave in World War II is it.
Some Japanese politcians including the prime minister Abe denied recently that Japanese army and government "enforced" Asian women to be sex workers to Japanese soldiers during World War II.
This opinion made the people above be surprised at it and get angry with it.
But, in Japan, I think most people weren't surprised at it.
It doesn't mean they agree with the opinion. It means they are accustomed to listen to it.
The politicians don't say there were not sex workers to Japanese soldiers. They say Japanese army didn't enforce Chinese and Korean women to do it. What's their point?
They think about this issue like this:
Japanese army invaded the cities in China and Korea. In the cities, there had already been sex workers. They worked originally in their country. Japanese army hired them, and gave sexual services to the soldiers. In short, it was business, not enforcement.
They ask, "Are there any documents to certify the enforcement of Japanese army or government? I know the answer. The answer is Not."
Document. It's the key word.
Their asking is right to some extent.
For historical facts, the existence of documents is important.
In order to understand historical facts, historicians value the documents written soon when the facts happened.
An incident happend one day.(For example, A farmer met Alien.) The article for the fact in newspaper is very important for historical study.(A young farmer in Idaho could contact Alien this morning.) The diary for it written by somebody is also important. (Gash! Tommy was talking with Alien in his farm today. He is heavy!)
Alien's official report is very important.( Project code 1988. Mission: To calculate the farming ability of Earth people. Result: They can make only potatos.)
But, the importance of the book written later about the incidents is seen less. (In this summer, I had a trip for U.S. I met the person who said he had seen Alien in his childhood. He told me that they came to the earth to steal his potatos.)
Historicians think a historical fact or story will change gradually after it happens, depending on the talkers for the fact. So, they value the document written soon when the fact happened.
In this case of sex workers or slaves to Japanese soldiers, there are not this kind of documents. There are just testimonies given by the old women who were sexual slaves during the war, but the value of thier confession is seen low from the view point of historical studies. That's why some Japanese politicians deny the issue even though many people in the world get angry to them.
Testimony. It's the next key word.
It's really valueless? It is always the wrong description different from the real fact, like that Tommy explained Alien's purpose wrong?
There is the place that people value testimony very much. It's the Court.
Most criminals wouldn't make official documents to commit a crime. From the testimony by Tommy, we can know the Alien stealed( or, at least tried to steal) his potatos. But, from the official document written by the Alien, we can't know the fact. To judge this crime, we have to depend on the testimonies by the related people. It is clear that no document doesn't mean no crime.
Back to the sexual slaves problem, we can know the two diffrent viewpoint of the problem. Oviously, Japanese government sees it the problem of Historical Studies. But, Korean, Chinese and American Congress see it the problem of War Crime.
For Japanese government, the opinion of K, C and AC might be too emotional and not logical. But, for Korean, Chinese and American Congress, J's thinking might be cold, too self-defensive or foolish.
In addition to this issue, Japanese government recently erased a description in the textbooks of Japanese history: Japanese government and army enforced the people in Okinawa to commit suicide in the case that they couldn't fight against US army.
Actually, many Okinawa people committed suicide before they were captured by US army. We can know the same kind of story from the movie "Letters from Iwo Jima".
But, Japanese government says that it is not clear whether there was such an enforcement or an order by the government during the war. So, they erase such a discription in textbooks.
For this issue, the value of documents and testimonies are key words again.
In this article, I tried to show the point of the historical and political issues in Japan. Historical Study vs War Crime is the key point.
If I say my opinion, I think the viewpoint of Historical Study is more important. Because the things in the war are just histroy for me. However, over 60 years has passed after the war. If Japanese government thinks Historical Study is important, they should have studied it more earlier.
To be honest, I think they were not interested in these issues for a long time after the war.
So, I think the person over 60 years old can't have the right to insist on the viewpoint of Historical Study.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the prime minister Abe is under 60 years old. He might have the right to say his own opinion for history free. But he has a big problem. His talking is boring. That's why I want to recommend him not to use his right.
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