VS Animal Rights

Even though the word still sounds too radical, the word "Animal Rights" becomes popular recently.
Literally the word means that animals has rights.
If you think so, you couldn't eat any animals. Even if you like sushi, you could be inhibited to eat it. The rights can throw us into a food crisis.
That's why, if you say "Protect animal rights!" in Japan, people might think you are strange or dangerous. But now, we can't ignore the idea at all.

Animal Rights. This idea was claimed by philosophical thinkers or social activists at first. Politicians, lawers, government officials or the people living in the realer society have no interest in it. For them, it's a crazy idea. To be honest, me too. I can't agree with it, without any conditions. But I can agree taht this idea actually gives us a new perspective to our world.

A few years ago, the court of Amami black rabbits was held in Japan.
A local government planed to make a new golf course in Amami isiland, which is located near Okinawa.
On the land, a lot of rare animals lived at that time. Amami black rabbits were one of them.
Some NGO tirying to protect nature refused the golf course making plan. But, they were not the residents on the island, so under Japanese law, they didin't have the right to rufuse the plan.
But NGO got a miracle idea soon.
They became a representive of rare animals living in the island like Amami black cat, and fought against the local government.

The representive of rare animals. It was a crazy idea at that time. So, everybody thought NGO would lose in court. And, actually, they lost. the Court refused their claim soon.
However, in the judgement, the Court accepted the significance of the right of rare animals a little, and added an opinion to the judgement.
"Law can't protect the animal's right. But, we shouldn't ignore it at all."
The court itself was unique at that time, and in addition, the opinion of the Court was unique too.
So, the court was broadcasted very much, and people started to be interested in the plan, and criticize it.
Therefore, the making of the golf course was stopped, and the nature has been kept until now. The NGO substantially won. It's an interesting example to show that a new idea, or a new word, can change the world a little.

VS Winter Surfing

If you hear that somebody says winter is a good season to surf, you must think the person is crazy. Yes. You are right on a global standard.
But, not in Japan. Real surfer should surf here in the winter sea.
The cold wind from the north is actually cold, but it becomes an off-shore wind on the beach of the Pacific Ocean side. The wind make the shape of wave better, because the wave coming from the Ocean (from the south) hit the wind from the north, and at the point, the wave grew bigger rapidly. It bocomes surfer's preference.

As usual weekends, I went to Enoshima to surf yesterday.
These days, it becomes cold gradually in Japan. So, before going to Enoshima, I didn't want to surf. I wanted to stay in my bed. But, once I reached the sea, my surfer-spirit suddenly and naturally emerged.
I rushed to go to the beach.

The water temparature was.....higher! Higher than I imaged before going into the sea. And, my full-body wet suit could protect me against the cold wind. I felt very comfortable in the sea. Great.
As winter coming closer, the air seems to be clear.
On my surf board, I could clearly see the outline of Mt.Fuji existing far away. It was very beautiful.
The water of the sea is also more beautiful now than in summer time.

Although the water temparature is still okey for me to surf now, it is also true that the chilliness make me more tired than before. That's why I should buy a thicker wet suit soon, for the coming real winter.
The staff in the surfshop I always go to said, "During winter season, the day after rain or snow is good for surfing. The wave is very good."
Surfing after snow.
For me, it still sounds like a suicide. But I have watched the picture that Santa Claus surfs. I think the picture was about the Chirsitmas day in Austlaria.
He made it. So, I should challange it.
I will spend this Christmas day on the sea.

VS Coup d'etat

Two months ago, a coup d'etat happened in Thailand. The country's army made it to beat the government. The president escaped to a foreign country. Now, a new government is established, and most of Thai people seem to support it.
But, because the government change was certainly undemocratic, other countries blamed for the coup d'etat soon. Even if the previous president was a bad person, a coup d'etat can't be agreed with from the view point of democracy.
I can understand the idea to some extent. Basically, politics shouldn't be infulenced or changed by army. It's right.

Recently, by chance, I had the oppotunity to talk with a co-worker working in Thailand now. I asked him about the social situation in Thailand.
I had thought it was very dangerous especially during the days of the coup d'eter. But he said very honestly, maybe too honestly, that the social situation was good at that time because Thai people can't concentrate on serious things for a long time, even if it's a coup d'eter and revolution.
Mmmmm, really?
If it was truely so, it's surprising and disapointing.
For me, social change is like a festival. So, it have to be dynamic and energetic. As I wrote above, I can understand an undemocratic social change is not good. However, to be honest, I can sympathize with it easily. Because I know festival is important for our life.

Anyway, I knew form him that the coup d'etat in Thailand was very peaceful. He said," Thai people are Buddists, so they wouldn't kill people."
I think his understanding of Thai people and Buddist is too extreme, but he would get a point.

VS Dubai

Latest newspapers say that my company will open a new bookstore in Dubai next year. Of course, I knew it before the news.
But, I didn't know the scale.
The bookstore will have 500 thousands of books on the floor.
Although maybe most people can't image the amount, I know it's a crazy amount of books.
And I knew from the newspapers that the bookstore in Dubai may be the biggest one in the world.
Oil money will change into a huge number of books? If so, it's good, at least for book-salesmen.

Why does my company make a new store there?
I don't know the detail of the reason, but I heared that the government officials came to the head office of my company a few years ago and asked for a new store in Dubai.
Not only for my company but also for Japanese publishing business, it must be a challanging job. My company decided to make a now store there. Now my company is searching for new staffs to work there.
Unfortunately I am not in the branch for the new job now. So, I think I don't have a chance to go there for business. However, someday in the future, I want to try to live in Arabic countries. It must be fun.

In democratic countries, publishing business can make a success. So, in Dubai, my company can succeed.
But in some other countries, still now, it's difficult to do a publishing business and book-sales. Because some people see free publishing dangerous. They regulate the business a lot. So we have to avoid the business in undemocratic countries.
But, on the other hand, I think it is also true that publishing make the country more democratic. That's why, in a difficult business situation in such a country, doing a publishing business must be challanging and fun.
Ok, next target should be North Korea. I think it's the most challanging.

VS Mental Illness

Now I am reading a science book, "Warped Passages" written by Lisa Randall, a physicist studying extra dimensions. In this book, we can know the possibility of the existence of another world. We can recognize only this three-dimension world, but she says we can expect that there are other dimensions we can't see if we think of this world more logically. It means there is another world.

Without any scientifical background, I can believe in the idea. Because I myself live in another world everyday.
In the world, I am a super hero, a successful man, very intellectual, strong and rich. I am very confident there.
This another world seems to have the connection with our real world. Sometimes, I in the another world infulence on me in this real world. So, I can be sometimes confident here, even though I am an ordinary man.

The another world the book treat is the challenging topic of pure science. My another world is, maybe, my goal or ideal.
They are very positive.
However, the another world one of my friends will live in is different from them at all.
Now, the person X is going to another world. It looks to give bad influence on X.
I realised X is getting mental illness.

X can read my blog, but I write this article.
One day, suddenly, X called me. I think X's last call was over one year ago. The call was very sudden.
X told me that X found out a fact.
X found the fact that there is a relationship between sexual desire and pimple.
Without any context, even without saying hello, he told taht to me. And, X said to me, "Everybody knew the fact long time ago. But although I am an adult, I know it now. So I am fool."
X regreted it, then X apologized me.( I don't know why?)
It was certain that X's talking was the crazy person's.
I think X is on the first stage to become mentally sick.

I talked about this episode to my friend. He told me that anybody including us have the possibility to have mental illness. We have to know that some percentages of people in our society have it. So, we have to get along well with the people.
I can understand it in general.
But, I think illnees has its reason. If we can identify and want to remove the reason, first of all, we should do it.

I think X is a typical Japanese, who is inconfident, tends to compare itself with others, follows others easily and/but has pride very much. And lonely.
I thought X cared for others too much. That's why X is very negative to speak frankly with others.
X looks always protecting Xself.

My advice in the call was "Don't compare you with others."
I am not sure whether X understood my advice at that time.

When I was a child, I requested my mother to give me a gift on Christmas day. Because my friends got it from their parents.
But my mother said with or without a smile, "They are they. You are you."
From then, I have finished comparing me with others.
It's silly.

VS Wedding Party

I am writing this article in Fukuoka now. I came here to join my best friend Nomura's wedding ceremony.
The ceremony and party had continued almost for 14 hours, and finished successfully this early morning. I enojoyed very much, so I was not tired at all last night.
Even now after a short sleep, I am still excited.

Everytime I join my friend's wedding party, I think about the friend's life until now. Looking at the participant surrounding the bride and groom, we can know the life of them. Parents, Friends, Colleagues, Teachers etc. Great people are surrounding them.
In a wedding party, I look like a part of their life. I am proud of it. And, I can know other parts there. And, all parts are combined completely there. I can understand my friend more deeply.
For Nomura's party, he has a lot of parts in the life. And, his wife Maki has them too. Actually the party was very big. Over one hundred people joined it.

After the long party night, I walked around in Fukuoka city with another Nomura's friend. I saw him the night for the first time. I asked him to go to eat Ramen. He took me a Ramen shop. After that, we went to a business hotel by taxi, and stayed there for a short time. He paied everything for me.
I said "I can pay! You don't have to pay for me!"
But, he refused me to pay.
Because, he said "You are Nomura's friend. So, in Fukuoka, I can't allow you to pay money."

Friend. It's great.

VS Promotion

I got promotion suddenly this week. I was surprised very much, because I didn't expect for it at all.

I belong to Unchained Dogs Four in my company. It is composed of four members, including me. We work very hard for theirselves and for their customers, but/and are very critical to their bosses. That's why their relationship with the bosses are totally and utterly bad.

When I started to work in my company around ten years ago, I realised soon my boss at that time shouldn't manage my branch for the lack of his management skill. And soon, I asked a head office to change my boss.
This request from a new comer seemed to be shocking for my company. Needless to say, the relationship between me and the boss became very very bad later.

So, I had not expected for promotion, and I had thought it had no meaning in my life.
However, suddenly, all the members of UDF were ordered to promote by the head office. What's happened with my company?
I asked my present boss why I would promote, but he didn't know the reason, and even my promotion! Gash.

VS Sales Job

Very nervous feeling in my mind had continued in the last month, because of a lot of taugh businesses. But now, all my struggles are almost coming to the end with successful results. I am very relaxed at this point.
I beat my business competitors. I negotiated successfully with my customers. I convinced my boss of my decision. From the successful results, now I think I am a natural-born salesman.

Not so long time before, sales job was regarded as a men's job in Japanese companies. However, recently, in my company, the number of sales-women are increasing rapidly. Why? Because, a lot of new famale staffs in my company hope to work for a sales division. My company's human management policy is very simple. The person who wants to do the job is the best person who should do the job. So, a lot of ladies are working as saleswomen now. On the other hand, a lot of men don't hope for the job. Why? Mmm, I don't know.
I heard that more new female workers will come to my division next year.

This month, a lot of universities in Japan are going to have their students' festival. I like them. They remind me of my first experience of sales job.
When I was a student, I sold frankfurt in my university's festival. I searched for a good meat shop, negotiated with the butcher for the meat price, calculated the cost-benefit balance, decided how many to buy and how much to sell, and even cook them by myself.
Maybe my management and cooking were terrible at that time. The commodities produced by me were often too salty, and sometimes still cold. Frozen-frankfurt would have been original, but immatured, literally. When a customer complained of a cold frankfurt to me, I had nothing but to give him an additional cold one free.
Even though the management of the frankfurt shop was crazy, fortunately I could get a little bit of revenue. It was a funny experience.
That's why I am looking forward to going to some university festivals in this season. I might see a funny business by students.

For book-sales, I don't have to cook books. It's an easier job. I don't know the reason why guys don't want the job.

VS Dog House

As usual, I took part in Aeon's Halloween Party last weekend. Altough Halloween becomes pupular in Japan, the costume party still makes us nervous a little more than relaxed. In the party, we have to be in strange. However, we don't like to be seen strange. So, we tend to weaken our strangeness even in Halloween party. But, we know weak strangeness mekes us boring, and bored. That's why we have to break something in my mind before the party. Therefore, we become nervous. And, I was nervous then.

Recently it becomes easy to find and buy costumes for Halloween. For example, we can buy them in Tokyu Hands, which has a special selling area for it. But, it is risky to buy our costume there. Because, other people can easily buy their coustume there. Same Costume. It is a fatal mistake not only in Halloween party. Even if the costume is a great one, when we find others in the same one, it loses uniqueness. In Halloween, we have to be the only one. It makes us nervous more.

Without a good costume idea, the party day had come. My friend told me to wear a surfer's costume, but I refused. Now it's not a costume for me. It's my uniform. Halloween party is not an uniform party. So, I can't wear it.
When I walked around a home center, I found a small dog house. I checked it.
It was light, and I thought I could make a hole on the bottom.
I thought I could wear the dog house.

Fortunately nobody weared a dog house in the party. I could be an only one.
It was confortable to stay in the dog house, but inconvenient to drink, eat and chat with others in the party. So, I kept my head out of the house from the entrance. I understood the feeling of dogs to want to take a walk.

Also as usual, the party continued until midnight.
The last stage was a Sushi restaurant. Halloween and Sushi must be an unique combination. Compared with other Halloween parties, our party could be original.

VS Turkey

When I checked my blog, I found I wrote 99 articles here, and this article becomes No.100. It is not a surprising thing because some people are writing more. But certainly it must be a memorial one for myself.
In this memorial article, I want to write something memorial. Have I? Yes. I had something memorial last weekend.

It might be the sign of the memorial thing coming. Last week, Orhan Pamuk, a famous turkish novelist, got Novel prize of literature. When I got the news, soon I took the list of his works and tried to sell them to my customers. "He made it! Buy for him!" Any prize can be a business chance for booksales. Of course, the effect of Novel prize is best of best.
Some Japanese novel lovers expected Haruki Murakami to get the prize this time, but he couldn't. However, we can use the fact that he failed to get the prize. I tried to sell Haruki's books too. "He lost! Buy for him!"

Who is Orhan Pamuk?
I want to cite an introduction of him.
"who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures"

I've never been to Turkey. I don't know about Turkey at all. But, for a long time, the country has existed in the center of my interest. Why? I don't know the exact reason. Maybe I am interested in their exotic atomosphere. (And, the exotic women.) So, I had a desire to see Turkish for a long time.

Back to my something memorial.
At last, my desire was achieved last weekend.
The last weekend, after English discussion class (The topic was about Japanese emperor system and the new-born baby.), after buying a photo book of an American gravure model (She is a half of French and Philipina.), after eating Ramen (Yokohama style), after surfing (Good size wave effected by typhoon), I went to Takadanobaba in Tokyo, in order to listen to a rock band.
The band was three players; British man(vocal & guiter), Japanese girl(drums) and Turkish lady(vocal & bass).
Needless to say, my aim was to see the turkish lady.

To be honest, I would have fallen in love with her in a second after seeing her, unless I heared that she has a boy friend, the british guiterist. Fortunately, love affair is not my business. So, I could contact her as a gentleman.
I enjoyed the conversation with her. I could know about Turkey from her. It was nice.
However, now I think she was diffrent from my imaginary Turkish. It has no bad meaning at all. What I want to say is that I could see real Turkish. Before meeting her, my image of Turkish was both extremely passional and extremely polite. (I'm not sure where this image came from.) I can say I met an ordinary person like me then.

This memorial contact with the Turkish woman I met first in my life is making me being more interested in the country more and more. Now I am reading a cheap tour guide to Turkey. Someday I will visit there. By Turkish, I am seen the same as their imaginary Japanese?

VS Election

Today, the ticket to vote was sent to my house by mail. I knew an election would be held in my prefectue this month.

The political scene in Japan looks to become boring after the prime minister Koizumi left the government. He had very well directed an interesting political show for five years. I think his show was a B-class drama, but it was certainly interesting. Altough I don't support him, for now I miss him a little.
It must be an unlucky thing to be compared with Koizumi. Anybody looks less attractive than he. So, our new prime minister Abe will have a difficulty of appealing himself. I am not sure he has any appealing points, though.

During the five years, The Democratic Party in opposition had been weakend by the magic of Koizumi. After his leaving, altough now is the chance to get power again for them, their shadow looks still thin. They also don't have an enough appealing point. I think our political show is going into a new stage without main characters.

Looking at the world politics, I guess the president Bush feels lonely now.
Because, Koizumi finished his job happily and had gone. Blair wouldn't be happy, but he will be able to escape from a heavy duty soon.
However, Bush have to continue to stand alone more for a while. As we know, it is fashionable to come late to a party. And in addition, I think it is also true that early getting out of the party is cool.
For Bush, the cool way was difficult to choose.

Back to our new prime minister Abe, he will go to China and Korea tomorrow. I don't know why the two countries agreed with meeting him. I think his visiting has no more the meaning of saying-hello. I don't expect for any honest conversation among them in his visit. Only typical political performance will go.

I am not sure I will go to the election because this month I am very busy not only for business but also for barbecue, surfing, Halloween party and so many attractive events on.
I hope the candidates will give me the motivation to the election.

VS World Travel Fair (2)

I thought Korea and China booth was aggressive to the passangers in the fair, and I thought that was a good thing. When I walked by their booth, they always tried to talk to me,or give me some pamphlets. Of course, it was welcome for me. I could easily get many informations and chances to communicate with them.
They understood very well the reason why they were there; they did come to Japan and join the fair, in order to introduce their country's charming points to Japanese.
I think they made their mission completely.
On the other hand, as I wrote in the last article, the Arabic booths were not exciting. I was looking forward to an exciting conversation in Iran booth, but I couldn't have a chance to talk with the stuffs. They looked not to have the interest in Japanese customers. Or, they might lack the passion of their business, even though their booths were very gorgeous.

* When I talked about this experience and my impression
to my English teacher Sudhan, in my discussion class, he
said it's natural for them. Not only Arabic people but also
South Asian seem to have not so strong interest in unknown
other people, even in such a business fair. But, I heard from
Sudhan, they seem to be very passionate in a private
situation.

The conversatin in Belgium booth was good. Although I didn't ask the stuff for alcholic matter, she started soon to explain Belgian beer. I don't know why. I might have alcholic smell at the time.
Anyway, if you can drink beer but haven't taste Belgian beer yet, I can say it's a tragedy. Belgian beer is Art, the art of liquid. Like French respects their wine, Belgian respects their beer. It has its history, variety and unique taste. Honestly speaking, I know nothing for Belgium but the beer. My opinion is that drinking can break the barrier of language. So, I know I can share the same perspective of this world with Belgian, even though I don't have Belgian friends.

Many African countries had their own booths in the fair.
For Japanese, African countries are the most unfamilier ones. Maybe same for all people in the world but African.
Africa is the forgotten area.
So, I was a little surprised when finding many African booths.
I could have the oppotunity of talking with the stuff in Uganda booth. However, she was not African. She was just a representative of African tour company.
What is the appealing point of the tour in Africa? I didn't have any idea. She recommend me of Mountain Gorilla watching tour. In Africa, Mountain Gorilla lives near the human. She said they are very peaceful, not dangerous, so we can even touch them.
Compared with other countries, African countries have less resources for tourism. It might be taugh for them to compete with other develping and developed countries in a business exhibition.
I had complex feelings to listen to the Mountain Gorilla tour from her. The image of Africa is certainly fitted to the Gorilla plan. However, Gorilla is really only one resource for their tourism? Or, they are trying to adjust their business to our stereotype image of Africa?
In the booth, I became to want to know Africa more.

Travel fair must be a good oppotunity to compare with many countries' culture. On the day, Tokyo Game show was held in other place, but if you want unexpected surprise and finding, Travel fair must be better.

VS World Travel Fair (1)

World Travel Fair 2006 was held last weekend in Odaiba, Tokyo. This fair is produced once a year by JATA, Japan Association of Travel Agency. Because I heard that it is not only convenient for getting together the travel information, but also good for knowing a lot of diffrent countries' culture, I joined the event.

Each country has its booth in the exhibition area. At first, I went to Iceland booth with my friend Akira II. He is planning to go there this new year to experience minus 30 degrees. His problem was not his crazy desire but the lack of the information about the country. Fortunately, he could have a chance to talk with the persons who know the country very well. In winter season, the country's social infrastructure is freezed, therefore it becomes difficult to move freely. But he could know some bus routes are alive even in winter. His desire will be satisfied next year.

I visited China booth soon. I went there many times before, but I know only a small portion of the huge country.
China booth was divided into the smaller booths of many cities and areas. So, total China booths were as very big as the country itself.
I talked with a chinese staff in Shandong booth. Shandong is located almost between Beijing and Shanghai. She explained the city was the hometown of Chinese old philosopher, Koushi (This is Japanese pronunciation.). However, because we all didn't know his philosophy, we talked about famous beer, Thin Tao, which is made in the city. The beer is programmed rationally to fit to Chinese foods. Maybe, we talked about a kind of science matter then.

In Nepal booth, I talked with the staff about the country's political situation. This year, an inside war happened there.
For me, Nepal politics is very complex and difficult to understand. It was good to hear from the staff that now the social situation is peaceful.
Through the inside war, the king of Nepal lost thier political power, then the people in Nepal is discussing whether the king system should be left or not. I recommend the stuff to make the king just only a symbol of the country. Needless to say, it's the same system as Japanese emperor.

The most disappointing booth was UAE's. Now, Dubai is one of the most developing cities in the world. A learge number of oil money is coming to the city. I herad that my company will make a branch there. It means I can possibly work in the city, so I wanted to know it.
The booth was very crowded and there was a long line. I waited on the line for a long time. But, all I could get was just the hotel informations.
My impression is that not only UAE booth but also other Arabic countries' were gorgeous but not appealing. To be honest, within my short-time experience, compared with other countries, I thought they don't have enough skill or idea to introduce themselves to the people who don't know them at all. Still now, for me, they are secret. What different from me do they have? What same things do we share? I couldn't get them in the fair. Should I work in Dubai someday to know them more?
Hm, maybe it's a good idea.

(To be continued.)

VS Labour Market

Japan and Philippine had recently the agreement to open their labour market a little. Japan will get one thousand philippene nurses in two years. I heard that the hospitals in Japan don't have enough nurses now. So, I think the agreement is very good.
Now the population in Japan is decreasing, so my opinion is to open the labour market in Japan more to foreigners. We will need to get more labour power from foreign countries, and actually we know foreign workers have already been necessary in some industries. I hope Japanese government will have such agreements with much more countries.
For the agreement with Philippine, it doesn't seem to be an enough one. The worker from Philippine have to clear some high barriers to enter Japan; for example, the workers have to have a Japanese language lesson for a long time. I am not surtisfied with such barriers, but I can understand step-by-step immigrant policy is good for Japan because we aren't familier with immigrants. However, needless to say, the step should be accelerated.

VS Reprinted books

Most people wouldn't be familier with reprited books, even if they like to read books. Every year, a lot of books are published, sold, bought, left over unsold, thrown away and at last to be out of print.
The existence of such books were once forgotten, and the time had passed, and then one day somebody found out these books on a shelf in a dark library. If the somebody is a publisher, he must think about the possibility of printing and selling it again.
That's why a lot of reprinted version of books are published every year too. One of the important jobs in my book-sales is to sell these reprinted books.

I knew an university (it's my customer) has a large number of rare books in their library. These books were preserved in a special room in the library. Most people in the university didn't know the existence of them. They had not been used and read by anybody except for a few librarians for a long time.
Luckily, I am a book-salesman. I could have a chance to go to the library many times, and enter the special room several times. One day, I heard that the people in the library have the desire to introduce their collection of rare books to the public. So, my company offered them the plan of these books' exhibition. They recieved our offer soon.
Next year, the library will have the book exhibition in my company's gallery in Shinjyuku. They will exhibit a lot of antique books and photos for Japan study. Most books were published in 19 centuries, and written by the foreigners visiting Japan.

Now, I am recommending the people in the university to publish these rare books. But, I and they know it is so difficult to sell such special books though easy to reprint. If the sales is bad, they have to hold a lot of stocks in their warehouse.
So, I am offering them to publish digital version of these books. I think it's a good idea because they can escape from the risk of stock. As Google is doing, the digitalization of books is a big trend now. The technology itself is not special. The most important thing I think is what is degitalized.
Now I am not sure whether they are interested in my offer.
But I think these books are worth read by many people. It's a good business chance for them, and for me.

VS Cat Killer

Thinking about the world-wide risk of terrorism and complicated problems related to it, this topic is a good example of how Japan is peaceful. Now in Japan, not Human-killing but Cat-killing is a hot issue.

The issue began with an economical newspaper.
A Japanese novelist wrote an essay on it. She said in the essay that she killed a baby cat.
To be more precise, she has a female cat, and the cat had a baby cat. She, the novelist, throw away the baby cat near her house. Maybe the baby cat was dead after that.
Why did she do such a cruel thing?
First of all, she doesn't want to have more cats in her house. In this case, most cat owners make their cats sterile.
But, the novelist thought it was a bad thing. She thought her cat could have a right or something to experience bearing.
So, she permited her cat to become pregnant and bear a baby. However, she doesn't have a desire to have more cats. So, she threw away the baby cat soon after it was born.

As we can easily imagine, many people reading her essay started to criticise her soon. She doesn't have or know the spirit of animal protection!
But, some people started to protect her.
Now 400 thousand cats a year are killed in Japan. Why can we criticise her?
And more radical suporter says we have to think about human abortion first. Abortion is a legal human-killing. Why do we have to think her behavier is a big problem?
Suporter's point is that we have bigger problem before criticising her.

For me, the surporter's point is like a illegal parking car driver's excuse. "Other drivers do the same!" or "No parking space! It's the failure of city design!"
I can understand what they say, but first of all, the problem is you. You shouldn't be an annoying car driver, and a neighber. So, we shouldn't throw away a baby cat near our house.

The novelist has started to object the criticism to her in a magazine. I don't have an interest in this issue much more, so I don't read it. I am worrying that Japan is too peaceful.

VS Long Board

September is a good month for the people who want to start surfing in Japan. During summer time, the sea was heated by the high air temparature. Thus, now, the water temparature becomes very high. It is warm and will be kept until November( till the end of Fall). We can paractice to surf very well in the season.

At last, I bought my own surf board today.
It is a long board, 9.2 feet. The body color is cocoa, and the edge is cream with a thin yellow line.
Until now, I rented a surf board. Because I didn't know what kind of surf board is good for me.
But, I decided what is best for me today.
My surf life launched out on a new stage.
I bought it in my favorite surf shop in Shonan beach.
The board is cool and a little retrospective.
But the shop's staff said it look "delicious".
Ok. I name this board Delicious.

I rent a space to keep my board in the surf shop. It costs \5000 a month. I can keep my wet suit there too.
So, I can come to the surf shop without anything, and play surfing anytime I like. It's very convenient.
When I used Delicious for the first time, the wave was weak as usual in Shonan beach. But, I sometimes could catch waves very well. I don't know it's because of my skill up of surfing, or because of the new surf board. But anyway, my first riding on Deicious was good. I think we can be good partners.

VS Honeymoon

I'm planning a honeymoon now.

Recently, the couple without a wedding party is increasing in Japan. The party costs very much, and it is sometimes not only for the couple, but also for their families, in Japan. Even now, some Japanese think a marriage is not an individual matter but a family's one.
It is not bad in general to respect their family, but sometimes, Japanese wedding party is too formal and boring. So, the people who disike such a party, don't want to have a wedding party. I can understand it.

But, a honeymoon is diffrent. Many new couples like to have it. The first travel with his/her partner is a very important event. It must be a great memory for them. Moreover they can understand each other more in an unusual situation and place. It must be a good chance to test their partners for their long life. And, needless to say, the first travel includes the first night. All couples have to make a rule, a style, a format, a manner or something on their bed at the night. That's why a honeymoon can't be missed by all couples.

My friend Marcy will get married on Nov. And, another friend Kosei will on Dec. too.
Now I'm planning "their" honeymoon. Because, I want to attend them.
It is very good for me to know what kind of honeymoon is successful or not. By arranging it, I can sharpen my honeymoon skill for my honeymoon coming someday.

Now I present my plan to the two friends.
One is confused. Another is asking his wife.
They don't seem to understand why I can attend them. But, they will know the merit of my plan soon.
As we know in general or from our experiece, two persons' travel is very risky for their relationship. They can't escape from fighting.
Therefore, the existing of the person on a neutral position is very helpful for the couples' long time relationship.
I am waiting for their answer "We follow you."

VS Monkey Park

Still hot and humid in Japan. To wipe away our sweat on the face, blue handkerchiefs are needed still. But, we are also feeling a slight change of summer. It looks to prepare for leaving. The festival season is certainly gradually finishing.

I used a few holidays to go to Kyoto, my home town and the most classical city in Japan. I don't always have anything special when visiting my home town, but I go there a few times a year. What I do there is only to see my family, friends and a dog. For I'm not a traveller in Kyoto, I don't have to go to many sight-seeing spots. I can just be relaxed there.

However, as we know, when coming back from a trip, our friends usually ask us a lot about the trip; where did you visit?, what's happened in the trip?, how about the food? etc.
They must have many questions.
But, my answer can be "I visited my parent's house, watched TV with them and ate the dishes my mother cooked." That must make my friends disappointed easily.

That's why, though I didn't have to and want to, I went to a sight-seeing area with my friend. The aim was to make a special episode in this travel.
I went to Arashiyama area.

The area is located in the north-west in Kyoto city. It's famous for beautiful forests and rivers. In fall, the forests bocome yellow, orange and red beautifully. Many people visit there to see the beautiful nature in the season.

Even in summer now, certainly the nature in Arashiyama was beautiful. The air was cool, and the sound of rivers were comfortable. They were nice.
But...., to be honest, I prefer Human to Nature. So, I wanted more attractive events there.
Looking at a travel map for a short time, I found out a good event spot. There are a monkey park there.
Monkey. It's a human...in the future. So, it looked fitted to my preference.

In front of the park, we can see a notice soon.
"Don't look at monkey's eyes. If you do it, they think you are hostile to them, and will attack you."
Ok. I tried not to look at them in the park.

A few problems happend.
First. A lot of monkeys lives there. So, it was very difficult to avoid looking at them.
Second. The monkeys were often looking at me, maybe because they think I have something to eat.
Third. Only when looking at the sky, I could escape from the risk of looking at monkey's eyes. But, it was very boring. "Why am I here now?"

In the park, I tried to only "glance at" them, not look. And, I sometimes whistled to show my peaceful personality to them. I think(or I hope) they could understand my message.
But, maybe, their interest was only whether we have foods or not. So, they didn't seem to have any interest in me, because I didn't have any foods.
At the end of my walking in the park, no monkey looked at me. (They looked at only the people with some foods.) It might be good for me because I could easily avoid looking at their eyes.
However, I want to say, they were impolite.
They should study social manners a little more if they want to be a human someday.
I was a guest in the park, and they are staffs or something there. So, they sould show their politeness to a guest a little more. They shouldn't ignore the guest. They were disappointing.

Conclusion: Monkey has't been Human yet.

VS Samurai Base

Japanese has the desire to be boiled regularly with high-mineral water. So, we invented hot springs.
Last Saturday, I and my friends went to a Japanese restaurent with hot springs, JINYA.

This restaurant has not only hot springs but also hotel rooms, party rooms, a bar and a beautiful garden.
In addition, it has an unique history.
Long time ago, it was Samurai's base. It was used for Samurai's sword practice, in Kamakura eara, about 800 years ago. The existing houses are not the ones built such a log time ago, but they are 250 - 400 years old! Yes, historical enough. We can see Samurai's armors, swords and many other old stuffs there.

You might know TOTORO, an Japanese animation. I found a picture of TOTORO there. I didn't know its relation to the restaurant, but soon the restaurant manager explained it to us.

Fact 1: The restaurant was owned by Mr. Miyazaki.
Fact 2: TOTORO was directed by a famous animation director, Hayao Miyazaki. But, he doesn't manage a restaurant.

Answer: Hayao Miyazaki is a JINYA's relatives.

I heard from the manager that he is the restaurant owner's cousin.
He spent a lot of time there, and got the inspiration of his animation. That's why the picture of his animation character is displayed there.

We used only hot springs there this time, but didn't use the restaurant. When I used it with my co-workers for a party before, the dishes were very good. We could enjoy authentic Japaese foods there. And, the place's classical mood made the party very gorgeous. If you want to have a special party near my area, JINYA is good and reasonable(it's important).