VS Internship

This summer, an unverdity student worked in my office for a short time. It was the unversity's internship program. She worked very well and experienced many things.
Today, I had the good oppotunity to join the university's class. In the class, many students including her reported their experience working in many companies. I was very interested in their image to jobs and companies.

I think recent Japanese students are very straight. They are not critical to society and companies. Looking back to my younger days, I hated working in a company. I was very skeptical to the social structure and the rules made by the older people. Still now, even though I have worked in a company for a long time, I continue to be, to some extent.
But, the young student I met today were different. They think it is their duty to hurry to adjust to the companies. It might be a good thing for them.
Actually it becomes difficult for students to get their job in Japan now.
To survive, they have to adjust soon.

Anyway I enjoyed listening to their report very much. After the class, we had a small party in the restaurant in the university.
Because all students were female and it was a day time, we were served cakes and juice only. The party without beer was my first experience. The students looked happy. How I looked was...

A student asked me about working in a company. She joins a newspaper club. I thought she likes to communicate with many people at first, but her desire was different.
She asked me how to find the job without communicating with the people she doesn't know. Perhaps, she seemed to have a bad experience in her internship. It was a silly question. But, I didn't think it is not good just to say "Silly." That's why we tried to find such a job.
How about the accounting division? Oh, no, they have to talk to the banker. How about the programmer? No, they have many meetings with their cliants. How about the job to make a pottary? Can you do it? No.

In the end, she realised there are no job fitted to her desire. And she looked to realise her desire was wrong.

To be honest, her desire is not always wrong. She can choose any life style. So, I did't want to say "Silly" or "Wrong". But on the other hand, as the man with more experience, I have to give the person like her another viewpoint, in this kind of case.
I am not sure she was filled with my advice. But at least of all, I could learn many things.

VS Kyoto Life

Two months has passd since I moved to Kyoto.
I seems to be accustomed to my new life.
I am finding out the beauty and uniqeness of Kyoto again, even though it was my hometown.
I like this city's darkness.
To keep the atomosphere of Kyoto, it seems to be restricted to use the lights.
In addition, the hight of bulidings is also regulated. So, in night time, the sky is wide. We can look at the mountains surrounding Kyoto city very clearly.

My job is same here as Tokyo. Book sales. My impression of customers here is that they are classic.
Based on thier religious backborn, thier respectation to books is vety high. They have collected great books.
For booksales, this kind of customers are excellent. That's why I can enjoy my job here.

Thanks to Kyoto city's compactness, my living place and my office is very close. And, the drinking area is also close!
The biggest night spot GION is near my house. I can go to Kawaramachi street on foot. It is a big shopping street.
If I have the same benefit in Tokyo, my living cost must be high. But, in Kyoto, the cost is not so high. The reason might be because there are many students living here. Actually the number of schools and universities in Kyoto is same or more, compared with Tokyo.

My language is a little strange. I sometimes speak Eastern Japanese and sometimes Western Japanese. On business, the tendency to use Eastern version might be strong. For emotional conversation, Western Japanese is useful. But, for logical communication, Eastern is better.
And, English! It is the great tool in Kyoto because this city is the one for travellers from all over the world. I can have many oppotunities to talk with many countries' people here.

I should go to many historical places during I stay in Kyoto. To be honest I don't know temples and shriens so much, because I was not interested in them in my childhood.

VS Change & Unchange

I stay in Kyoto now. I have to find my living place here soon. I have to be accustomed to my new working place soon. The time to leave Atsugi is gradually and certainly coming close to me.
I feel my life is changing now. My life is moving to the next stage.
"Next stage!"
I remember I shoutd the phrase many times in Atsugi.
After the drinking party, I always go to another place for more drinking.
Although I somtimes sleep drunk in a party, I like to continue the party.
I might think life is like a party.
It does not mean I don't see it serious. Reversely, I see it what I should truely and utterly enjoy from the bottom of my heart. I learned how to enjoy it in Atsugi.

Now I sit on the chair in Tully's coffee in Kyoto. I drink coffee and watch the passangers on the street.
A beaitiful woman looks at me. No, she looks at the window to look at herself.
This kind of laughing thing has happend in Atsugi too.
It is an unchanging part of my life.
Maybe, I will sleep drunk in a bar in Kyoto. I should love such an unchanging part of myself.

VS Human Relatinship

This month, I am drinking with my friends, business pertners, coworkers and so on every
day.
From September 5th, I start to work in Kyoto. So, this month, I have to drink with the friends around Tokyo, Kanagawa and Atsugi. This month, I don't refuse any drinking offer. And, on the no-offer day, I give the offer to my friends.

One thing I realised recenly is that my leaving can tighten my human relationship. I can know my friends' honest thinking. I can exchange the contact information with some people. Change might be a chance.

When I look back to the first day when I came from my hometown to Atsugi, I think human relationship is intersting. There was no friends and relatives here on the day. Although I forgot the process, I realised I am surrounded by more finds here than in my hometown.

Yesterday, I exchanged the contact information (e-mail address, mobile number and Twitter account) with a surfer. We sometimes see near the sea, but we didn't know each other well. We always just say Hello. But, he will give me the information of Shonan beach after I go to Kyoto. On the other hand, I promised him to send Kyoto information.
Now I am enjoying this kind of change or renewal of my human relationship.

VS Atsugi Library

Before leaving Atsugi, I have to clean up many things. Human relationship is one of them. But it was and has been very clear for me in Atsugi. I don't worry about it.
What I worry about is my books.
During 15 years in Atsugi, I bought many books. Basically I didn't throw away the books after reading, so my small room is occupied by them. I have to make decision for their future.
Some will be moved to Kyoto with me. But many books have finished their role for me. That's why I decide to give them to Atsugi Library.

I am not sure the library likes my books. But I think I can give them some good collections. Because I am a professional book-salesman, I sometimes buy or get "rare" books. They are actually not rare. We can buy them easily. But I mean it is rare for Japanese public library to buy them. For their small budget, they always buy only popular books.

Today I brought a magazine collection to the library. The magazine started to be published only for the limited reader. It was not a commercial magazine. So, nobody couldn't buy it at that time. After some volumes were published, it became to be sold in bookstores. But its publication was finished a few years ago. The magazine's last volume was not in any bookstores. But I have it!
I hope Atsugi library can understand the value.

VS Transfer

I got a transfer order to Kyoto from my boss.
It was too sudden. I did't anticipate it at all. So, I was very surprised.
For my book-sales business, Kyoto is a good place. That's why working in Kyoto is good for my career. And, also, Kyoto is my home town. I must win in my home town game.
However, to be honest, I feel sad to lose something here in Atsugi.
My Atsugi life is long. It's about 15 years. Even though the city is not my home town, it is now more comfortable than my home town.
My history in Atsugi is long. At this moment I am not sure how my future life is without Atsugi. It will be a good memory? If so, it's very good and it's a little sad.
Anyway, I have to prepare for my future life. This summer, I will be very busy.
Like my many friends who left Atsugi, I have to close my Atsugi life beautiful, with beautiful Sake.

VS Electric Books

My company released Android version of new electric book service last month, and then iPad/iPhone version this month. The market of this new publication style in Japan is very small now, but will become bigger soon. Actually, the sales of electric books are bigger than the one of paper books in US. It must be the strong trend of publication.

When I talked about this new service with Japanese publishers, some had a strong interest and some were skeptical. A man of editorial job liked the new publication style. He seemed to think many new expressions can be made by authors and editors. On the other hand, a man of sales job seemed to think the sales would continue to be small. In fact, the sales of electric books in Japan is now just 4% in the market. His forecast of sales is low.

As a professional book salesman, my forecast is positive. Maybe the reading experience in electric books is different from paper's one. People can enjoy both styles. And, types of books will choose their publication format. Big and heavy dictionary should be electric, but for child books, paper is better because kids can bite, punch and throw them.
I am looking forward to the change of publication and my sales job. 

VS Samurai Sheath

I watched Japanese movie, Samurai Sheath (Sayazamurai, in Japanese) directed by a comedian, Hitoshi Matsumoto.
It was a very strange movie.
The story was about a samurai without sword. He always has only the sword case, sheath.
Only he can do is not yo fight, but to run away.
The character is very unique.
In addition, the casting is also unique.
The main character in the movie is not performed by a professional actor, but by a complete amateur person. Thus, he doesn't talk so much in the movie.
To be worse or better, he hadn't known he was acting in a movie until the half of the movie. He didn't know the reason why he was in a samurai wear for a long time.

This movie's story is funny. The main character was arrested and sentenced to die. But if he could make a governor laugh within 30 days, he can be released. So, he tries to make it.
If you like comedy and movie, this movie deserves to be watched.

VS Nagaya-kun

I have the friend who is not my friend actually. His name is Nagaya-kun. Even though I have no reason to meet him, I sometimes meet him. He is one of the colleagues of my friend Akira Ito.
He is an engineer. I think he is working very well. I think he is a reliable person in his company. But, I always try to escape from the chance to drink with him. Because he is strange.
When drinking, he is always checking women. If the women look at him, he thinks they are fallen love with him. Even when the staff in the drinking place look at him to check his glass to offer another drink, he think the staff loves him.
As you can easily understand, we are embarrassed in that case.
Nagaya-kun was a boxer. I think his brain was damaged very much at that time. So, his strange thinking must be acceptable.
Unfortunately I had the chance to drink with him last night. We talked about many topics then, but I think he focused only on the female stuff in the drinking place. Of course no female staff looked at him. They looked at his glass. If it was empty, they would offer another glass to him.

Nagaya-kun was criticized many times by his friend for his behavior, but he wouldn't change his policy. I respect him. Even though no women is interested in him, he is always happy. And thanks to his strong imagination, he can feel loved by all women in the world.
I don't think we have to fix his damaged brain. He can speak. He can move his body. His brain works well. I think he can live in his imaginary world. If you want to know Nagaya-kun more, please contact Akira Ito. You can get the sample of the typical Japanese single male.

VS Bubby's

Today, I went to Bubby's in Yokohama. It is the restaurant born in America. They opened the first Japanese franchise in Minatomirai, Yokohama.
I had known the existence of the restaurant in Yokohama, but I had never been to it for a long time. But, when I read METROPLIS, the free magazine published in Japan, last month, it informed us of its high quality hamburger. So, I had the strong desire to eat it, when I read the magazine.
By chance, I had the opportunity to go to Yokohama today. I went there to sell books in the annual congress of the Japanese neurological surgeons. Of course, I didn't truly and utterly know what kind of the books they bought. But it was not a problem. My purpose to go to Yokohama was just to go to Bubby's.

After the boring job to sell the books I could't understand, I went to the restaurant and ordered the hamburger and the black beer.
It took about 20 minutes for the burger to come. I thought it was too long, but the taste and quality was very good. Fortunately we Japanese are accustomed to McDonald or other chain burger restaurants. So, it is very difficult to imagine the taste of truly very different kinds of hamburger. This time, I could enjoy Bubby's burger very much. Its thick and medium rare hamburg was fitted to beer. And, because I think a hamburger is the symbol of the fast food, I ate it very fast. The style of eating is also important.

VS Golden Week

Golden week started. Many Japanese has one week or ten days holiday in this season. One of my friends has half a month holiday. I have only continuous three days holiday, but it's enough for me.
I was surprised when I knew from the newspaper that many Japanese are going to the North-Eastern Japan for voluntary works in this Golden week. From the newspaper, the supply of voluntary workers are more than the demand in the disaster areas now.
At this moment when the people is reconstructing their life lines and fighting against the danger of radioactivity, the things I can do as a book salesman is little. So, I have to wait for the timing for a while. But, as a liquor lover, I can do many things now. Many liquor shops have the fare for cheering the disaster areas. They sell many types of Japanese sake because the area is the great place to brew sake. That's why I will try to drink it much more during my holidays.

After Golden week, my company will start cool biz. It is one month earlier than the last year. The aim is to prepare for the electricity shortage in this summer season. I will not wear tie and jacket from May. It's fantastic.
Now, I think, summer should be hot.
Until now, our summer was strange. We use air conditioners too much. In the too cool office, some people wear cardigans even in the summer. I think this year is the good chance to change our life style. If it's too hot to work, we should go to the sea or the river. I will go to buy a new beach wear this holidays.

VS Unification

After the quake, I feel a kind of new unification is emerging in my country. People realize we have to help each other to protect themselves. Share the resource. Don't monopolize it. Donate for the victims. Contribute to their recovery.
This movement is very strong. On the every corners of the city, we can watch the donation in Japan. As usual in this season, Aeon students in Atsugi have a cherry blossom party in the student Koji's house. This year, some portions of the participant fee is used for the donation.
One reason of this kind of movement is the weekness of our government.
Unfortunately the government of Democratic Party of Japan is amateur, amateur and amateur. They can't handle this situation. However, fortunately Japanese looks matured. They know how to handle useless bosses. Maybe they are trained this kind of skill in their work place. I am happy to know we Japanese are very calm even in this bad situation.

last weekend, I joined the discussion class in Aeon. The teacher Sudhan gave us a interesting episode about the day of the earthquake. He was in a building in Tokyo, with many Japanese and many foreigners. When and after the quake happened, all Japanese stayed in the building, but most foreigners went out from the building.
The difference of their behavior was due to the difference of the trust to the strength of the building. It was a funny difference.
Now, this difference occurs in the attitude to the nuclear problem, I think. I want to keep the room in my heart to enjoy this difference. 

VS Rakugo

I have been to Rakugo for the first time in my life. Rakugo is one of the classical Japanese art, so I have watched it on TV. But I did't have the chance to go to listen to it. Maybe the reason is because the image of Rakugo is old men's hobby. Actually the story in Rakugo is almost about the old Japanese.

But, recently I met some publishers, and I knew they like to listen to Rakugo. And they invited me to go to Rakugo together. I was not sure I could enjoy it, but I decided to go with them because any new experience must be good.

The place we went to was a good place for Rakugo beginner. It was a Hokkaido food restaurant in Shinbashi, Tokyo. It is a small restaurant, but has a small stage. We can listen to Rakugo there, with eating delicious Hokkaidou foods and drinking Sake.

Because the story of Rakugo is mostly about the old Japan, it is sometimes difficult to understand the story's details without knowing old words, culture and social backgrounds of Japan. Of course, the store teller (Rakugoka) helps us know it, but too much explanation lose the tempo of the story. That's why we have to cover many parts by ourselves with our imagination.

I enjoyed and laughed very mush then. However, I forgot everything about the story now. Perhaps, before the Rakugo, I drunk too much. So, I will go to Rakugo again at the end of this month. Drinking time will be after Rakugo.