Typhoon season is coming in Japan. Two typhoons had already been born this month around Japan. They were weak, and their life time were short, but they had great power certainly. So, they could make good waves on the sea. I think you can understand why all surfers are looking forward to the typhoon season.
Now the water tenparature on the sea is very comfortable. On Enoshima beach, there are many people coming to swim or to get suntan. Of course, a lot of surfers are there too.
We can find many surf-school students there now. The sea is filled with a lot of surfing biginners now. Needless to say, their surfing is terrible. Even keeping their balance on the surf board might be very difficult for them. I was so too. Surf instructer is pushing the tail of the surf-board of the students, because they can't paddle well enough. Then they try to stand up on the board, but they drop into the water soon. And, they try again. The loop of push-stand-drop looks endless. However, they look happy. So, I think they will not give up surfing, like me.
On Enoshima beach, now, the rest houses on the beach (uminoie) are under construction. From July 1st, the beach will be open for the people coming to swim.
Of course, even now, the beach is open for them. But, the beach is used mainly for surfers. It's uncomfortable and dangerous for them. So, from July 1st to August 31th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the beach is monopolized by normal swimmers. Surfer's activity is limited.
The rest houses are for the monopolizing swimmers. They searve food, drink and the rest space. Some houses are open for 24 hours. They are used like dance halls! Enoshima beach is unsleeping in summer.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
VS Golden Town
There is an area called Golden Town in Kabuki-cho 1 chome, Shinjyuku. The town is the area for drinking people. I went there last week.
There are over 150 bars in the area. All bars are very small. The average size is about 10 square meters. Each ones have 7 or 8 sheets only. They look very private places.
Golden Town has a long history. After the world war II, the area became a black market governed by Yakuza, Japanese mafia. But, some people started bars around there, and they became popular. And, soon the number of bars incresed very much. Then the area became the biggest drinking area in Tokyo.
A lot of novelists, journalists, poets, publishers, social activists and artists loved the area's atomosphere. So, the area became not only a drinking spot but also a kind of cultural place. I think, my company made the biggest bookstore then in Shinjyuku, for the area's cultural power. Actually the first president of Kinokuniya was a famous regular customer in Golden Town.
I went to a bar managed by a middle-age lady. I heard from others that she was an actress of pink movies. Without asking for my order, she searved soon whisky with water for me. And, without asking, she searved a small vegetable food for me. Perhaps, it is not cool there to order something there. Only I could do was to follow her searve.
When I and my colleagues drunk there, a drama directer came. He seemed to be a regular customer. I gave him my seat to him because I was a visiter. The local has priority. It's a sufer's rule, so I used the rule in the bar at the time.
Basically Golden Town is an old-fashioned place. So, it is for old men. But, recently, young people seem to start to work there. The nostalgic and unique atomosphere would give any impressions to them.
There are over 150 bars in the area. All bars are very small. The average size is about 10 square meters. Each ones have 7 or 8 sheets only. They look very private places.
Golden Town has a long history. After the world war II, the area became a black market governed by Yakuza, Japanese mafia. But, some people started bars around there, and they became popular. And, soon the number of bars incresed very much. Then the area became the biggest drinking area in Tokyo.
A lot of novelists, journalists, poets, publishers, social activists and artists loved the area's atomosphere. So, the area became not only a drinking spot but also a kind of cultural place. I think, my company made the biggest bookstore then in Shinjyuku, for the area's cultural power. Actually the first president of Kinokuniya was a famous regular customer in Golden Town.
I went to a bar managed by a middle-age lady. I heard from others that she was an actress of pink movies. Without asking for my order, she searved soon whisky with water for me. And, without asking, she searved a small vegetable food for me. Perhaps, it is not cool there to order something there. Only I could do was to follow her searve.
When I and my colleagues drunk there, a drama directer came. He seemed to be a regular customer. I gave him my seat to him because I was a visiter. The local has priority. It's a sufer's rule, so I used the rule in the bar at the time.
Basically Golden Town is an old-fashioned place. So, it is for old men. But, recently, young people seem to start to work there. The nostalgic and unique atomosphere would give any impressions to them.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
VS Head Office in Shinjyuku
Yesterday I went to the head office of Aeon, in Shinjyuku, to join a class for Kids-English teacher. It was my first time to visit there. From here, all schools of Aeon in Kanto area are governed strictly or loosely. I was a little excited before visiting.
Outside of the exit of Nishi-Shinjyuku station on Marunouchi line, Aeon staff waited for students. They had a sign to show the direction to the head office. I could go to the office smoothly by them. The office is in a big building. Family Mart is the landmark of the entrance of it. I bought Evian there.
Aeon head office is located on 16th floor of the buliding. It was more gorgeous than I expected. At the entrance of the floor, beautiful staffs waited for us, and checked our name and class. I was introduced to a big room next to their office room.
Before my class, I checked the toilet of the floor. I know the level of the toilet equals the level of the company. The company with a beautiful toilet must be beautiful. The company with an old toilet must be old-fashioned.
The toilet of Aeon head office is very gorgeous, clean and relaxing.
It has the wood-based wall, personal rockers and a wide window. Of course, it has enough toilet papers and a washing-machine in each rooms for a big size.
I wanted to check the gorgeous lunch box which Aeon staffs eat regularly, but I couldn't on the day. And, I didn't check 19th floor where there is a big textbook factory. Many new textbooks are developed there everyday. Zac did it before. We wouldn't or couldn't forget him forever.
The class for Kids English was good as usual. The teacher, Kaoru.T, was professional. I think Kids English is a kind of science, and a hard physical work! At the end of three-hours class, the teacher Kaoru.T looked to be almost dying, but she had kept smiling. Smiling is most important to kids. She was professional.
Next month, I will visit there again. I think I can study Aeon's managing system more then.
Outside of the exit of Nishi-Shinjyuku station on Marunouchi line, Aeon staff waited for students. They had a sign to show the direction to the head office. I could go to the office smoothly by them. The office is in a big building. Family Mart is the landmark of the entrance of it. I bought Evian there.
Aeon head office is located on 16th floor of the buliding. It was more gorgeous than I expected. At the entrance of the floor, beautiful staffs waited for us, and checked our name and class. I was introduced to a big room next to their office room.
Before my class, I checked the toilet of the floor. I know the level of the toilet equals the level of the company. The company with a beautiful toilet must be beautiful. The company with an old toilet must be old-fashioned.
The toilet of Aeon head office is very gorgeous, clean and relaxing.
It has the wood-based wall, personal rockers and a wide window. Of course, it has enough toilet papers and a washing-machine in each rooms for a big size.
I wanted to check the gorgeous lunch box which Aeon staffs eat regularly, but I couldn't on the day. And, I didn't check 19th floor where there is a big textbook factory. Many new textbooks are developed there everyday. Zac did it before. We wouldn't or couldn't forget him forever.
The class for Kids English was good as usual. The teacher, Kaoru.T, was professional. I think Kids English is a kind of science, and a hard physical work! At the end of three-hours class, the teacher Kaoru.T looked to be almost dying, but she had kept smiling. Smiling is most important to kids. She was professional.
Next month, I will visit there again. I think I can study Aeon's managing system more then.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
VS The Origin of 20 years old
"To be alone, and to be immatured, it is my origin of twenty years old." With this impressive sentence, the book with the same titile of this article starts.
This book was published 35 years ago in Japan, and prented again many times. But, it is now out-of-print.
The author is Etsuko Takano. She wrote the book when she was 20 years old. To be precise, she didn't write the book in order to publish it. It was a kind of diary for herself. She wrote down her thinking on a notebook. After her death (She committed a suicide.), her diary-like notebook was found out by her family, and published later.
She lived in the eara of Student Power.
Student Power... This word might be a dead word, so I should write the meaning. In 60's and 70's, the students all over the world had political power, or were seen have the power. They were very critical about their government and society. Vietnam war was a simbolic incident they should criticize at that time.
Student Power means the social movement lead especially by unversity students. Etsuko Takano spent her unversity days in the atomosphere.
She was not a political woman at first. But, she began to commit a political movement soon when she became 20 years old. The notebook was the document of her thinking in the movement.
She was influenced by political activists, but I don't think she was biased. She was very honest to herself. Soon after she wrote her political opinion in her notebook, she understood her bias and wrote down the possibility of her misunderstanding on it. So, she wrote that she was immatured. I like her stance.
Even though she committed a political movement, she was not a strong woman. Under the big pressure of politics, she committed a suicide. Maybe it is difficult for us to understand the reason of her suicide. Because for us, politics is the inncident on TV, not in our real life.
Now, my company is planning to reprint and sell out-of-print books. I recommend "The Origin of Twenty Years Old" to my company. I get tired of too many boring publications in Japan. I think this book is worth to reprint. I don't know it can be sold very much, though.....
This book was published 35 years ago in Japan, and prented again many times. But, it is now out-of-print.
The author is Etsuko Takano. She wrote the book when she was 20 years old. To be precise, she didn't write the book in order to publish it. It was a kind of diary for herself. She wrote down her thinking on a notebook. After her death (She committed a suicide.), her diary-like notebook was found out by her family, and published later.
She lived in the eara of Student Power.
Student Power... This word might be a dead word, so I should write the meaning. In 60's and 70's, the students all over the world had political power, or were seen have the power. They were very critical about their government and society. Vietnam war was a simbolic incident they should criticize at that time.
Student Power means the social movement lead especially by unversity students. Etsuko Takano spent her unversity days in the atomosphere.
She was not a political woman at first. But, she began to commit a political movement soon when she became 20 years old. The notebook was the document of her thinking in the movement.
She was influenced by political activists, but I don't think she was biased. She was very honest to herself. Soon after she wrote her political opinion in her notebook, she understood her bias and wrote down the possibility of her misunderstanding on it. So, she wrote that she was immatured. I like her stance.
Even though she committed a political movement, she was not a strong woman. Under the big pressure of politics, she committed a suicide. Maybe it is difficult for us to understand the reason of her suicide. Because for us, politics is the inncident on TV, not in our real life.
Now, my company is planning to reprint and sell out-of-print books. I recommend "The Origin of Twenty Years Old" to my company. I get tired of too many boring publications in Japan. I think this book is worth to reprint. I don't know it can be sold very much, though.....
Sunday, May 06, 2007
VS Knock Forever
In this golden week, Knock Yokoyama was dead. He was a comedian and a politician, especially popular in the western Japan. It just happen I spent my golden week holidays there. So, I could watch the news on TV many times.
Even for Japanese living in the eastern Japan, he was famous. But, I think, for them, he was jsut one of many popular comedians on TV. It was same for the western Japanese. However, the position of comedians in a society is a little diffrent there.
For the western Japanese, TV comedians are sometimes our relatives. Sometimes, they are our friends, teachers or students. In short, the distance between TV comedians and other people is close.
So, the news of Knock's death was more shocking for the western people.
Unfortunately we couldn't watch him on TV recently. Because, when he was a president of Osaka prefecture eight years ago, he made a sexual harassment to a woman and had to quit his job. After that, he couldn't have the chance to come back on TV at all. Osaka people wouldn't forgive him. Because the relationship with comedians is close, the people would have not forget his crime soon. I think, if the same kind of thing happened in Tokyo, the comedian can come back on TV earlier than Knock.
Other comedians say Knock was shining among comedians' community. It was not only because of his bold head but also his personality. We don't forget Knock forever.
Even for Japanese living in the eastern Japan, he was famous. But, I think, for them, he was jsut one of many popular comedians on TV. It was same for the western Japanese. However, the position of comedians in a society is a little diffrent there.
For the western Japanese, TV comedians are sometimes our relatives. Sometimes, they are our friends, teachers or students. In short, the distance between TV comedians and other people is close.
So, the news of Knock's death was more shocking for the western people.
Unfortunately we couldn't watch him on TV recently. Because, when he was a president of Osaka prefecture eight years ago, he made a sexual harassment to a woman and had to quit his job. After that, he couldn't have the chance to come back on TV at all. Osaka people wouldn't forgive him. Because the relationship with comedians is close, the people would have not forget his crime soon. I think, if the same kind of thing happened in Tokyo, the comedian can come back on TV earlier than Knock.
Other comedians say Knock was shining among comedians' community. It was not only because of his bold head but also his personality. We don't forget Knock forever.
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