VS Bouts in Zama

I went to Zama camp.
The aim was not to show my idea about the reconstruction of US army in Japan; Okinawa base shuld be relocated to Narita, but to watch professional wrestling bouts there!

New Japan Pro-Wrestling comes to Zama camp every year for the communication of Japanese and US army. "Camp Zama SlamFest" was held there last weekends. I enjoyed it very much.
When I was a child, professional wrestlers were my hero. Every week I watched their bouts on TV. Especially, a New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrestler Antonio Inoki was hero's hero.

Of course, now, fortunately or unfortunately I know, all bouts are fake.
That's why I lost the interest of professional wretling. I haven't watched it for a long time.
However I don't know why, but I sometimes check the information of wrestlers on magazines until now.

This time I realised the reason for my unlost curiosity to professional wretling. Their bouts must be fake, but their taughness and physical performance is true. In addition, their communication skill with the audience is so great. The young, the old and many kids were excited with their fight.

After the bouts, it was lucky that I could go inside the wrestler's dinner party.
I could get many wrestlers signature and took pictures with them!
They are really big and gentle. Now, I have no reason why I will not be interested in professional wrestling again.

VS Octoberfest 2009

Recently my post is about Beer. The reason is because I always drink beer, but it's not all. My post is based on a social backbone. This month, October, is one of the important season for the world beer drinkers.

Octoberfest is one of the biggest beer-drinking festival in the world. It started originally in Germany. Now, the festival is held in many places in Japan too.
Today, I will go to Octoberfest in Yokohama. Today is the last day. I am afraid whether some beer have already been out of stock. So, I have to hurry up! I wanna enjoy great German white beer and sausages. It's the best combination like Sake and Sashimi in Japan.

Time to go.

VS THE GRIFFIN

I sometimes go to THE GRIFFIN, a bar in Hon-Atsugi. This bar is new, opened in February. The bar looks like a typical beer bar, but we can drink wine and whisky too. Especially its collection of whisky is great. There are some bottler's whisky, which is the whisky before brending. Of course the price is high. But here is Atsugi, a local city in Kanagawa. So, compared with the bars in Tokyo, the price must be attractive.
However, because my favorite is beer, I go to drink beer before going home after hard work.

This bar is inside a business hotel. So, I thought many people staying the hotel use the bar, but the bar master Kyojima-san says over 90% of customers are outsiders including me. I don't know why? Sometimes there are no customer but me. I worry about the management of the bar.
The former prime minister Aso liked to go to hotel restaurants and bars. But the present prime minister Hatoyama likes Izakaya. Izakaya style and price is convenient and reasonable. So I like it too. Under this economical situation, cheap Izakaya mught be the trend.

Recently THE GRIFFIN started their community in MIXI. The member is increasing gradually. I hope their success in Atsugi.

VS Beer Brewing

I went to Ibaraki prefecture last week to brew my original beer with my friends. We visited Kiuchi brewery, which is originally an old Sake brewery, and now making much original beer. Nest beer is their brand.
It was our first challange to make beer, so we were so excited.
Although it took three hours to drive to the place, it was no problem for us.

The old brewery is located in a rural area in Ibaraki. It looks like an old Japanese warehouse. When we arrived there, their staff took us inside the brewery, and explained us how to brew beer.
Before making beer, we tasted some beer to decide what kind of beer we should make.
Ale? White beer? Staut?
After our discussion, we decided to make red ale.

We used five diffrent types of malts, and three diffrent types of hops.
The taste and aroma must be very rich!
During boiling them, we learned the difficulty of controlling its temparature. If we failed to control the temparature, we could kill the beer taste.
After the boiling, the mixture of malts, hops and water was going to be made cold soon. What we did the day was that's all!
After this, yeast is going to be put into it by the staff. We have to wait for around three weeks. Now we are waiting our beer coming.

At the end of this month, maybe at Halloween party, we will enjoy our new beer. Cheers!

VS Alumni Association

I went to Kyoto again last month to join my university's almuni association. It was held for my university teacher's 50th anniversary and the celebration for the teacher's getting an award for his book recently published. He wrote the book about Adam Smith.

Many students gathered to a hotel in Kyoto, and waited the teacher's family. The party was originally planned as a surprising party, so prepared with only his family. But, it is diificult to keep secret. A student called our teacher before the party, and said "Hey teacher, I am busy the day. Can you change the date of your party?" Of course, everybody got angry.
But the party itself was great. Our teacher's speech reminded us of our university days. He was still energetic. I think it encouraged us to be challenging.

For me, to meet an old teacher or friends is Merkmal for my life. I can realise people's change and unchange, and I can realise my change and unchange. My change is going toward a right direction? My unchange is keeping a good principle? Everytime I meet old friends, I can ask me such questions.

After the party we went to Kawaramachi street for the second stage. The street is one of the main streets near Kamo river in Kyoto. I drunk many times there in my days in Kyoto. I remembered my memory of Kyoto very much. I don't think about the past so often, but drinking in a hometown is so nice.

VS Soy Sauce

I went to KInokuniya in Shinjyuku with my friends. Now university goods fair is held there. We browsed many goods there.
The fair is named Gaku-ichi Gaku-za. This name comes from a word in Japanese history, Raku-ichi Raku-za.
Raku means "free" and Ichi is "market". And Za means normally "gathering place" but historically it had the meaning of exclusive economical communities.
So, Raku-ichi Raku-za means Free market and Free from exclusion. The word was used from 16C to 18C in Japan.

Now the famous word in Japanese history is changed a little to name a bookstore's fair. Gaku means "study". So, maybe, Gaku-ich Gaku-za means "Study the market. Study the gathering place." And maybe it means "Study Universities." Or, it can have no meaning.

I bought soy sauces made by some universities. One is made of blowfish(Fugu or Fuku in Japanese). I don't know how to make fish soy sauce. Maybe it's a result of the study of fish in an university. I wanted to buy soy sauce of sea urchin(Uni in Japanese). But it was out of stock.
And, I bought vinegar made of sweet potato. I have not tasted it yet. I can't image the taste.

The studies in universities are interesting. Although I am not sure the studies make our society progress, I think they can make our daily life interesting.

VS Something

Long time no post!
Now, the new Japanese government starts. Because the governments new policies are too agressive, many Japanese think they are impossible. But, at least, we are excited.

The sound of "Change" is similar to "Challange". (You don't think so? My ears think so.) I am not sure that the government's attempt to change will be success. Only I can do is to enjoy their challange together.

This summer, I was too busy. I had helped a woman challange a new business for a few months. The business was related to privatization of Japan's public sector. Maybe you think it sounds difficult. Yes. It is too difficult! So, we were too busy.
When I am busy, I tend to drink and eat a lot.
That's why my weight is now going up!
From today, I eat Tofu only. Weight controll is sometimes important.

Time to go. This is a short post.

VS Transition

Around one week before the coming election day, it is reported on the research of media that it is going to be certain that Japanese Democratic Party will win. The point is now not whether they will win or not, but how much they can win.
I have already decided to vote for DP, so the report is welcome.
Safely I add that I don't support DP's policy fully and their ability to manage our government is still low, yet I will support them. Because LDP's management is too terible. Their governance is very bad. Change is needed in Japan. So, many will support DP now.

As I wrote a few articles ago, I am disappointed with DP's lack of interest in Japan's immigrant policy. Thay talks about Free Trade Agreement with US or Asian countries, but they don't say anything about human. Free Trade includes Free move of human. But, they ignores it.
Or, from the view point of decreasing population in Japan, immigrant policy is needed for our country's growth. But they looks not interested in such a thing.
DP's future vision is still unclear.
However, again, I will support them. To change Japan, we need strong inpact on politics.

During summer vacation I watched a TV program for Japanese politics by chance. It was a debate by many citizens. For Japan's defense, some said we should have nuclear weapons to fight against North Korea. This opinion is not majority, but becoming popular now.
I don't agree wtih it. Even in the era of cold war, we didn't have nuclear weapons. If now is the more critical era than the days of Soviet vs America, I could agree with it. But so?
I think the argument about the national defense is usually too imaginary and non-realistic and boring. So, we can ignore the diffrence of national defense policy as the factor of the decision to vote. Some complain for DP's unclear national defense policy, but I don't care it.

I'm looking forward to this election day for fun.

VS Short Vacation

This year, my summer vacation was short. It was five continuous days only. Today it was finished.
I spent the vacation in Kyoto as usual. I saw my family and friends there as usual. I tried to invite a special guest to Gozannookuribi(fire relay among five mountains), a classical event in Kyoto. But, it was canceled. So, my going back to Kyoto this time was utterly as usual, not special.
Thanks to the discount of highway fee, trains were not crowded. It was reported on TV that highway was very crowded during this summer vacation. I am not sure the government's proce policy is good.

The reason why my vacation was short is that I have a job to train young coworkers this week. Although it is an interesting job, I have to prepare for it very much. So, I am busy.
Busy days seems to effect on my life pattern, especially my food-eatig cycle. My parent told me that I became fat. I didn't think so, but when I checked my weight, actually I got new 4 kilograms. I don't care that, but it might be better to check my weight sometimes.

VS Festival

Yesterday, I went to the summer festival in Camp Zama with my friends. Camp Zama is close to my town, but I didn't have many chance to visit there. I have ever been there only a few times.
Basically we can't go inside without the invitation from the camp's resident. But, on the festival day, we can enter the gate after the easy check by NP.
When reaching the center of the camp, the atomosphere was filled with festival mood! People was enjoying drinking beer, eating BBQ, wearing Japanese Kimono and dancing.
We could sit on the VIP seats, thnaks to Camp Zama worker Haruka's innvitation. We watched Japanese dance by American people. It was fun.

We also visited a family's house in the camp, and enjoyed a home party. Because I like to eat and drink in other's house, I enjoyed the party this time. Maybe, I am a good guest. I ate a lot, and drunk a lot. The family laughed at me.

Yesterday was the Ayu festival day in Atsugi too. This year, I couldn't watch the fireworks, but I went to Aeon student Koji's house after Camp Zama fesitival, because many students were there. We enjoyed Takoyaki party there.

As usual, I drunk too mush on the festival day. I don't remember most thing on the day, but I certainly enjoyed the day. It's enough.

VS Social Enterprise

The term of "Social Enterprise" is becoming popular in Japan. My company recently arranged a book fair for social enterprises, supported by Keio University. It was a good fair. Like many, I am becoming interested in it.
Yesterday, by chance, I met a person who worked for my company before. Now he is working for an university. His job is now mainly for pubishing books, but he has many other things to do. One of them is to make a scheme to encourage students to start social enterprises. I was inspired by his idea.

Many universities have been trying to establish a new business with enterprises last ten years in Japan. But, most of them were failure. It was ovious that university men were not good at business. Maybe, the mission of universities is not to earn money. Their mission is to contribute to our society. Of course, they have to earn money to keep their organization. But they don't have to be rich.
Social Enterprise is a good category for universities.
Although it is profitable to some extent, its mission is not to be competitive in the market, but to be good for our society. Such kinds of business is fitted to universities.

Now I am using Twitter. Recently a person follows my twitter, and from the person I knew Causecast.org. It seems to be a portal site for many social activities. Fmm, interesting. There are so many activities to do good to the world.
Tonight I will join Aeon's summer party. I will do good to others. I will pour beer into others' glass. My social contribution will start with the small first step.

VS Surprise Birthday Party

Yesterday I went to Tsukuba for my friend Peter's surprise birthday party arranged by her wife and friends. The party was held in a mexican restaurant.
It takes around 2.5 hours from Atsugi to Tsukuba.
I got up early morning, bought a canned beer in a convenience store and got on the Romance car on Odakyu line with Mr.Miyajima-kun. 2.5 hours was long. Of course, before arriving at Tsukuba, we were drunk.
Fortunately we arrived at the restarant one hour earlier, so we could have a time to cool us down. I waited for everybody's coming with drinking coffee.

The party was great. Around 20 people joined it. Peter's age seems to be a special one in Australian culture or in Western culture. It's like Japanese Kanreki (=60 years old). From the view point of Japanese, his age is too too young. But anyway, it is great to cellebrate him at an turning-point age.

After the party, I went to Izakaya and Karaoke with my old friend Scott. By chance, we met a German guy coming to Japan last day for the first time. The man looked happy to listen to Emglish conversation between me and Scott. So, we invited him to join us, and went together. He could experience Japan's two biggest culture, Izakaya and Karaoke. He was lucky.

I and Miyajima-kun went back to Atsugi on Romance car again on the day. Of course, we continued to drink beer on our way home. We were keeping on the cellebrating mood for Peter whole the day. We admired us by ourselves.

VS Docomo

My mobile was broken.
After sending an email to my friend from my mobile, during waiting for the reply from her, my mobile's monitor's display suddenly became dark, and soon black. Because the mail was important, I was in a panic.
I tired to fix it, but the symptom became worse. Once I turned it off, it didn't work again.

I rushed to a convenience shop to buy a battery, and tried to charge an energy to it. And...it was back, imcompletely though.
Although I couldn't use email, I could call.
Frotunately I could call her midnight. And we could conform our nexy day's meeting.

Next morning, when I woke up, I realised my mobile was dead. Both emailing and calling was impossible. It seemed to be back for a very short time last night.
It was a miracle for me to call last night.

I brought my mobile to a Docomo shop soon.
A staff checked it, but he couldn't fix it. To be worse, he told me that it might be impossible to fix it. I thought I should buy a new one. However, there is a problem. Because the mobile I use now is completely dead, the new one can't get all data from it. It means I lose all my friend's information!

Now Docomo is checking my mobile. Kindly the checking fee is free. Docomo guarantees my mobile for three years. It's a good service. I love Docomo again.

I hope Docomo can make it.
But in the case taht they can't make it.....God.

VS Twitter

I don't know what Twitter really is at this moment, but I joined it and made my address (http://twitter.com/AkioKobayashi)
Is it interesting? Is it useful? I don't have any idea. But I heard that many people against the vote in Iran have used it. And, recetly, my company's young staff are trying to use it for their business. Maybe this new media? or tool? has much possibility.

VS Troubling Friend

Recently one of my old university friends called me suddenly. The last time we met was over five years ago. That's why I was surprised and felt nostalgic. At the time, he had met another friend, and been in a baseball stadium. They seemed to enjoy a baseball game. We talked about the news of each other on the phone, and finished after promising the seeing next time.

After a few hours, the same friends called me again.
And he said,"Can you rent me money?"

He seemed to have a trouble with Yakuza. Even though he has a wife and a kid, he had a love affair with another woman. Unfortunately she is a Yakuza's wife. Their relationship was soon found by the Yakuza, and he told that he would sue my friend.
My friend worried that his wife know the incident. So, he tried to reconcile to the Yakuza, and promised to pay money. But, the amount was huge. He rent money even from his parents, but he couldn't gather the money. That's why he called me. Before calling me, he asked another friend in a baseball studium but his negotiation seemed to fail.

He might have been unlucky. The trouble with Yakuza could be planned by the Yakuza.
But the problem is his attitude to solve the trouble. It is the weak point that he can't disclose the problem to his wife. So, he have to pay the money he can't pay by himself.
I asked him how to pay the money back to your parents and friends in the future? His answer was unclear. I knew the answer must be "impossible", though.

I decide not to rent money to him. He will not be able to gather the money. The Yakuza will sue him. The problem will be known by his wife. As the result, if she will divorce him...., I think he should accept the result. If he need to make unfair dealing with Yakuza and hide many things to his family to keep his family, what is the family?

VS Coming Birthday

Everything is fast. A month ago, we talked about the born of the new flu in Mexico. Now, it is reported that many Japanese get the flu.
During this time, the leader of Japanese Democratic Party changed, the new court system that ordinary people join judgements has started, a famous rock singer, Kiyoshiro Imawano, was dead for cancer, and a popular comedian, Hitoshi Matsumoto of Down Town, got married.
Many things happened. And time has passed fast.

I am facing the coming of my birthday soon. I feel the last birthday was like yesterday, so I am surprised that a year is short. I am going to be thirty seven years old. It means sixty three years are left for my life.
When thinking about my father's eara, the person of 37 looked more adult. But, when looking at my generation, they are still like university students.
Last night I drunk with my friends, went home, drunk more listening to the radio, slept midnight, got up late, got shower soon, and rushed to the lesson of English...
Actuallly my life style doesn't change from my school days.
Maybe also after the next birthday, my life style wouldn't change.

For birthday gifts, I don't request anybody to give me. However, I tried to make some memorized my birthday last year. Maybe some can't ignore it. I am the man with tactics. This character also doesn't change from my school days...

VS Swine Flu

I had been thinking of writing about the news that the member of SMAP, Japanese TV star, was arrested because he was drunk midnight to be naked in public, but the news about swine flu must be important on both the global level and the local level.
I had thought pigs are the most safety animal to eat. Actually they had no schandal for illness for a long time. Cows got BSE. Birds took flu. But, pigs were always fine even though they were sometimes seen as a dirty animal. So, we didn't have to worry about eating pork.
However, the time has come. Even pigs are not perfect. Now, swine flu start to widen from Mexico and America. This flu seems to influence human-being easily. It is reported that some people were dead in Mexico. It's scarly.

My town Atsugi is becoming famous for its original pork cuisine. Last year Atsugi got No.1 in a B-class food competition. After that, many new restaurant serving pork dishes were open. That's why, if swine flu spread all over the Japan, Atsugi's economy would have a serious damage. So, Japanese government must protect Japanese pigs. The prime minister Aso directed the government officials to collect the information about the flu today.

Compared with bird flu, I feel the news of swine flu is treated bigger on Japanese media. I wonder pork is more popular than chicken in Japan.

VS Beer Discussion

Today, in the disucssion class in Aeon, I became a MC to organize the class. Because the topic of the discussion was about Japanese beer, my teacher Sudhan thought I deserve to be the orgaqnizer there. It was my first time in my 10-year experience in Aeon that I sat down on the chair of teacher. So, I was excited.

Talking about beer in English was great. All students have their own experience of beer drinking. We couldn't stop talking about it.
At first, I asked them when or where they want to drink beer, which kind of situations are good for beer? : Midnight, before the dinner, With food, Without food, Near the sea, After working. Each has their favorite situations.
I think beer is the most flexible drink to the situations. So, anytime and anywhere is my answer.

Last night I drunk with two female coworkers in an izakaya. They got angry with their boss during their working time. So, I invited them to drink beer.
After a few glasses of beer, their anger became calm down. I thoght beer is a magical drink to make us happy and peaceful.

In the discussion class, I explained for Chimey. It's a worldwide popular beer brewed in Belgy, but no people in the call knew it. For the most Japanese, beer is Asahi, Kirin, Suntry or Sapporo. But there are a huge numer of types of beer in the world. Japanese beer career is still on the start line.

Anyway, I could know that it is a tough work to organize one-hour discussion. I sometimes have to summurise the talker's opinion. I sometimes have to encourage students to talk more. And, sometimes I have to change the flow of the discussion. Fotunately all students in the class were the people with experience. They supported me very much.
Next week, I will re-recognze the seat of a student is more confortable.

VS Contemporary Art

Now Cherry blossoms are full. Spring and drinking season have come. It's the season that we feel something new will come. The missile from North Korea is no thank you though..

Due to the feeling of something-new, I went to a museum suddenly one day, even though I am not the person to familier with the art. I watched the exhibition of Japanese contemporary artist, Teppei Kaneuji. I didn't know him at all then, but I could enjoy his many works.

He uses a lot of things we use in our daily life, to create his works. He combines them, and make something new. It's sometimes a patchwork of other artists' work, and sometimes a re-use of toys. His style might be new, but at least for me, it was not surprising, but comfortable. Because his theme, interest, motive or subject is something we have already know. For example, a stain of coffee.
He makes a design by using a lot of stains of coffee. The stains are things we are familier with in our daily life, so we can watch his works feeling close to our life.

I spent much time to watch his animation work, Tower. The work itself has no meaning, I think. But, I could enjoy meaningless time in front of the work. Please jump to the site I link above, if you are interested in it. You can watch the work.
Art is good to make my brain refresh! Now my mood is light. It's good for this new season.

VS The Asiatic Society

My friend invited me to the meeting of The Asiatic Society of Japan, which is one of the oldest society for the foreigners living in Japan, established 137 years ago. Originally the society was for foreigners, but now many Japanese joins it.
I am not the member of the society, but I could participate in the meeting in Shibuya as a guest.

The day's meeting was for the photography in Edo era. The topic is so academic that I couldn't understand it in English, but I could enjoy it, thanks to the help of many visual images.
It is known that there were many foreign photographers visiting Japan from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period, and many Japanese photographers were born influenced by the foreigners. But the study of the "old" photography is not active in Japan, because the study of photography itself is minor here.
So, the meeting seemed to be impressive for the most audiences.

After the meeting, after some Q&As, drinking time started soon!
I can understand very well that drinking is good for our mind after listening to hard topic.

The next day after the meeting, I went to a museum with the friend in order to sell some old photos of Kabuki acter. They were very beautiful photos, found out in Europe. Now my customer is thinking about buying it. I hope for my business success.