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.

VS Playing Sepak Takraw

What is Sepak Takraw?
When I said "I played Sepak Takraw.", five to ten people gave me the question.
Another five people could know it is a sport. But, even they could not describe it exactly. "I know we use our foots to play it. And, . . . That's all I know!"

Sepak Takraw is the sprot like valley ball. But, we don't use our hand, but our foots. The court size is as same as badminton. One team is three players.
The ball was originally made by bamboo, but now by plastic. So, it is a little hard.
I played the minor sport recently in Atsugi for the first time.

One guy is working in Atsugi, and manage the only one Atsugi Sepak Takraw team. And he is the only one player in the team. He always practices alone!
But, recently, by chance, Aeon student Akira introduced me and other friends to the team (or, him). So, I could have the chance to play.

As you imagine easily, it is very difficult to control a ball on your foot. The ball size is smaller than a soccer ball, so we tend to fail to kick the center of the ball. In addition, as I mentioned above, the ball is hard. So, my ankle was damaged when I played, because my kicking-point was not good.
However, even though our playing-level was low, the game was exciting and interesting. I don't know why, but we like to maneuver something by foot. So, when I could kick the ball well, I felt happy.

Spring is the good season to start something new. I started this season with a new sport I've never experienced.

VS New School

Endless working days are continueing on me. This month, I am very busy for my work. Actually I am always busy. But, this month is special.
Now I am working for a new-born school which is open from this April. The school's major is the oriental medcine. Now the school is rushing to prepare for their opening.
I sold them a huge number of books, magazines, book-shelves and so on. They need their library in the school. So, they bought many things related to library. It's good for them, and good for my business.
Unfortunately, and every so often, there is no librarian there, even though they made a library. In Japan, librarians have been a difficult job to be, since before starting this economical recession. The job of librarian is one of victims in a cost-cut strom in schools.

I sold a large number of books to a new library.
But, there is no people there.
And, there is empty book-shelves there.
Who have to set up the many books on it?

My customer told me, "You are professional. I trust you."
Oh my God. It means the setting-up is my job!

Medical books might be an unfamilier type of book for you.
The character for the content is that the book is for medcine.
The character for the physicality is that it is large and heavy!
So, it is a very taugh work to carry a lot of medical books. In addition, the books in a library have to be categorised. It is also taugh to sort books I can't understand.

Anyway, I finished the work without taking holidays in this month.
The people in the school look happy to the new, beautiful library.
But I worry about who manages the library after this April? I cat't ask them when looking at their happy face, though.

VS Mobile Culture

Today I made my mobile blog. By chance, I found the mobile blog service in Google.
Honestly, I don't have to use it. But, I will use it for a while because it is good that I am familier with a new technology.

When it comes to my business, book-sales, mobiles novels are becoming popular among the young people in Japan. The market is becoming larger every year. The comparison with the old publishing market in Japan (it's shrinking now.) is interesting.
I read some mobile novels recently. To be precise, I tried to read some.
For me, they were boring.
The sentences in the novels are short, to fit them to the mobile's small screen. So, the novels are actually easy to read. But, I thought the novels don't have the depth of language expresson.

However, I wouldn't deny the new genre. The sentence shortage can be the energy for new arts. In fact, Japanese culture has two traditional styles of short wards poem, Waka (within 31 characters) and Haiku (17 characters). Limited usage of words can be an advantage.

I have to add my practical problem at last. Because I don't have a televison and a computer, I relay on my mobile very much to get informations in this world. So, I have to master my mobile to survive...

VS Surfing Extra Cold

The season seems to move from winter to spring. But, the move is not smooth. One day is warm, we think spring hascome. Another day becomes cold again, we wear a sweater again.
Depending on days, the air temparature changes. Thanks to this change, strong wind and air pressure are born on the sea. The power of air hit the sea strongly. This is the origine of wave.
The wave born on the Pacific Ocean is very raugh. You can't control your ship there. But, the closer the wave comes to the beach, the milder the shape of the wave becomes. Surfing is the sport to ride on the mild wave.

Last week, I went to Enoshima beach with Akira 1 to surf. It was my first surfing in this year. It was a fine day. The air temparature was over 20. We didn't have any problem to go to the sea. Before going to the sea, I checked the wave information on internet. Good waves were coming now! I rushed to go to Enoshima.

There were many people in the surf shop my board was kept in. Many seemed to come from the early morning. I have the handycap that I have to drink every single night, so I couldn't get up early the day, but anyway I tried to catch up with other surfers. But...

I say to you that enough warming-up must be needed on the winter sea! At the first moment when I went insede the sea, I felt something inside my body stopped.
Although it was a warm day, the water wouldn't catch up with the air. It was still very cold! I was shocked not to the cold water but to the lack of my immagination before going into the sea. I rushed to puddle soon to make my body warm! Don't stop on the cold sea. Move for survival!

Human body is strong. I could saty on the sea for 2 hours and a half the day. I could enjoy surfing very well. I recomend you to give a shock to your body sometimes. You can know the body is taugher than you think. Maybe.

VS The first wind

Today, strong winds blew in Tokyo. We call it "The first wind". It is the sign that Spring is coming. Actually it is 25 degrees in my area. It is alomost like early summer! There are many people walking without their coats.
Of course, the king winter is taugh. He will come back soon in a few days. It is too early for you to bring your coats to a cleaning shop. But, it is the time to start to search for your spring clothes.

Spring is the season for change in Japan. Students graduate from their school. Many start to study or work. Some new people will come to my office.
For book-salesmen, this season is for textbooks. Now, I am preparing for many medical textbooks for a school.

In this season, I have to say good-bye for some. Recently I joined a good-bye party for one of my company's staff. She worked for my company for 15 years. When I stared to work, she had already worked in my company. So, I remembered many things in my old days in the party.

Only hey-fever is annoying in this season. I sometimes sneeze recently. It is also the sign of spring. I had better regard the allergic phenomenon the gift from spring. I will take medcine though.

VS Pauwel Kwak

My trip to the best beer in my life is endless. Thanks to strong yen, I can drink many types of beer from other countries. My weaker salary in this economical recession is a problem though.

I asked a beer pub manager near my company to import a very strange beer from Belgium, and drunk it recently.
The beer is Pauwel Kwak.
The glass for the beer looks very original. The bottom of the glass is not flat, so it can't stand alone. It needs a special wooden stand to stand vertical.
The strange shape of the glass makes it difficult to wash the glass. In addition, it's a little difficult for us to drink the beer.

Long time ago, a crazy beer lover wanted to drink beer when riding a horse. But, there was no place to put a beer galss on his horse. The beer lover was not only crazy but also genius. He invented a special galss to fix on the stirrup ( the place his foot is on when riding a horse).
The bad habit of driving drunk might be started by Pauwel Kwak.

The taste was sweet. But, the alchool percentage is high. Too much drinking is dangerous even when you don't drive.

VS Unversity Goods

Busy days have passed from the beginning of this yaer on me. January is the first month of the last quarter in a fiscal yaer in Japan. For all book-salesmen, everydays in this season must be busy if they want to survive!

I had some meeting recently with my business partners. One is with some librarians from an association in U.S. They developed a very progressive library system. We discussed about the possibiity to apply to Japanese libraries. The topic was very technical, and I had to listen to their talking in English. Although there was an interpreter, it was a taugh situation for me. But, of course, I could enjoy it.
Another meeting was with an American pulisher. She expalined me for their publications. I like to talk with publishers because they are very interesting. But, this time, the American publisher's publications were about Physics. And, I don't know Physics at all. I tried to study Physics very much in my high school days, but I gave up soon. So, the meeting was also taugh for me. However, as you can imagine, I could enjoy the situation.

In this economical recesion, fortunately, my business is ok. I can spend busy days on my business. But, in general, book-sales in Japan is growing down, due to decreasing population. My company is also on this trend.
Recently my company's store in Shinjyuku has an event to display and sell many goods made by universities all over Japan. Now, most of Japanese universities are producing their own original goods; for example, mag cup, sake, beer, wine, soup, sweets, T-shirts, rice and so on. The aim of this event is to gather the people into the bookstore. For the students of each university, the goods are not rare, but for most people, they are unknown goods. So, it seems that many people are coming to our store.
Book store can't survive without selling new things except books. I am living in a funny era.

VS Gaza

We are enjoying a happy new year enough well in Japan, but there are many people far from happiness in Gaza. Neither Israel nor Hamas can stop fighting. They don't listen to UN call for cease-fire. Only we can do is to watch their battle on TV with drinking beer. But it is less exciting than watching K-1 fighting match. So, we will change the channel and watch a comedy program.

For Israel and Hamas, what is their new year's destination? To kill their enemy? If such a destination could be achieved, nobody can fell happy. They will continue to worry about the revenge from somebody.
I know they have thier own aim to fight. I can't understand it, though. But, I don't think they imagine the result after the war. They don't know how to end their conflict.

Compared with their sad situation, Japan starts this year with a very peaceful condition. Economy is not good, but not too bad. The weather is fine from the beginning. I feel the air is clean. It's due to Japanese environment technology? I am not sure.
When thinking about the people in Gaza, I can't complain for anything in Japan. I must be happier than them. Although it was the coldest day in this year in Tokyo, I felt warm.

VS Year End

It's the peak of year end parties now in Japan. Shibuya on last weekend was filled with more people. I had a year end party with my coworkers in a crowded restaurant. 20 people shared a table for 15. The unmovable condition could make our relationship tight. It was a good party.
This month, I have many year end parties. Although I don't arrange the parties, many people ask me to have a drink to celebrate the end of this year.
Why do we celebrate it so much?
To be correct, we don't celebrate. We try to forget it.
Year end party is "Bounenkai" in Japanese. The meaning is the gathering for forgetting the year.

I got a Christmas card recently. It says "Merry Christmas, and a happy new year." For the west, The end of this year and the beginning of that new year are seamless. But, for Japanese, it is important to decide the end, to forget the past.
After the Christmas day, we try to clean up everything about Christmas, and prepare for the coming new year. Christmas tree in a town has gone to somewhere. We might look to try to forget the existence of the Christmas.

For Christmas party, this year's party in Aeon was held in the school. It was a nice idea. In this season, all restaurant are crowded and noizy. If we don't refuse to clean up the room after the party, the school is the good place to have a party.
Aeon staff prepared for foods, and we brougt the drinks by ourselves.
I think we had better bring something we can share, for example the bottle of wine, in this kind of party. But, many brought the drinks for themselves. It was okey, but we had better a little know what the party is for.

Back to year end parties, I don't have anything I have to forget. Maybe because this year was the good one for me. Or, everyday's day end parties make me forget everything? I hope it's not true.

VS Microfilm

Most people might have no oppotunity to use microfilms. But, for book-salesmen, they are one of the comodities to sell. A huge numer of books, journals and manuscripts are made microfilms, by publishers or libraries.
To read microfilms, we need a special machine, Microfilm reader. Most people don't have such a machine. That's why we don't have the chance to read microfilms.

Recently, I sold two microflms to my customers.
One is the big collection of Japanese newspapers published from 1945 to 1949. During this periods, GHQ had collected all publications in Japan. And, University of Maryland preserved them in their library.
Now, the newspapers are made microfilms by American company, and we can buy it.
But! The price is very high.
Instead of the microfilms, we can buy a house in Tokyo!
Because an university really really wants them, I sold them. Tokyo lost one house.

Another customer will buy the microfilms of many manuscripts in Arabic countries. This microfilms are not as expensive as the collection of Japanese newspapers. But, the price is as same as the house in Atsugi.
I think the value of the Arabic microfilms is higher. Because, there are no libraries or institutes with them in Japan.
Because my company opened a new shop in Dubai, it might be becoming popular to study Arabic culture in Japan.
Anyway, Atsugi lost one house.