A Lion at Home?

In Japan, some point out that recent young Japanese generation tends not to go out of Japan, based on certain stats, which shows prominent decline in the number of Japanese people going abroad to study from around 2000, although other argue that the interpretation of the stats is not right.

Regardless of the argument of incorrect interpretation of the stats, the above observation that the young Japanese people's negative behavior towards overseas seems to be followed by people around the young generation, such as universities' professors or senior people at their companies.  They say that students don't try to study abroad or young employees don't hope for overseas assignments.

My impression is also similar to one that they are not aggressive to go out, particularly when compared to young generations in our neighbor countries, such as South Korea, China, etc.

My feeling might be further supported if the fact, which Japanese currency, Yen, has been much stronger than 80's, is taken into account.  Yen became much stronger in the late 80's, and many Japanese people, including myself, studied abroad, as the strong Yen made tuition and living costs in overseas lower, and going abroad became easier.  Yen is recently becoming weaker, however, it's still stronger by around 30% than 80's.  Regardless, young Japanese are not so attracted by this currency advantage.

One analysis for the young people's passive attitude is that many young Japanese believe they can just live in Japan without taking any risks such as studying abroad or an overseas assignment, if they don't expect huge success in their lives but just expect normal lives.

This sounds very convincing as there seem not to be any other reasons for the younger's negativeness.

But, if the young Japanese really believe that they can stay in Japan without much dealing with foreign countries, it's of course wrong even though they are OK to live just normal lives.  I think they also understand it's wrong and are just making such an excuse not to go out.

Well, what are true reasons for their hesitations then?

Just would like to be "a lion at home"?

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Real Steak Exist in Japan?

I like steak.  But it has to be grilled steak, which can be rarely seen in Japan as far as I know.

Usual way to cook steak in Japan (even at restaurants) is pan-fry, which disappoints me.

I also do not like marbled beef, which is popular in Japan, since it's unreasonably expensive, is not chewy, and makes me sick with the fat included.

Also, I don't like meat to be sliced, which is usually used for meat cooking in Japan.

Accordingly, I don't like the following beef cooking menus as I feel these are sort of substitutions which Japanese created since big steak was so expensive in Japan and was not available.  Regardless of being just substitutions (if my guess is right), these are so expensive, i.e. Japanese price.

Sukiyaki

Shabu shabu

Needless to say, I don't like the Japanese style BBQ using sliced meat, either.

BBQ has to be like the below.

But the below is going far beyond.

Anyways, most Japanese ways to cook beef (or meat) make me so sad...

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Quality Journalism Expected

I knew a few months ago that there have been demonstrations to insult (at least I feel so) certain foreigners living in Japan with hate speeches.  The demonstrations are targeting peoples of certain neighbor countries in relation to the recent territorial issues and possibly others.

I don't want to merely blame these people, but I had been proud that Japanese people seemed to be in a rational attitude regardless of a series of unpleasant actions taken in other countries as reported by the Japanese media and thus was disappointed by knowing these emotional demonstrations.

What I'm more concerned about is that Japanese media seemed not to cover these demonstrations very well.  Those media's inactive reporting attitudes for these demonstrations appear to me weird, particularly if I remember their sensitive reactions to demonstrations towards Japan in other countries.

I'm a strong believer that intelligence of the country could be measured by the quality of the journalism in that country.  As such, I always expect Japanese journalists to give us reports from completely neutral points of views.  I understand that there are so many news to be covered and media need to select which ones to report.  But I still think their selections of news should also be made from neutral standpoints, without being controlled by anyone, without becoming highly commercial, without...

I aspire high quality of Japanese media and would be disappointed if the media is factitive.  I would like them to remember the fact that they could not be neutral and not stop Japan going  the wrong direction in World War II.

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Ramen: Japanese Noodle Soup

Japanese noodle soup, called ramen, is very popular in Japan and seems to be getting popular in some foreign countries like the U.S.

I'm giving you very fundamental knowledge as to this food is cooked, which might be interest of you.

Note that what I'm showing below is basic steps which a ramen restaurant usually takes, not necessarily ones normal people follow when we cook ramen at home, in which case we just buy instant noodles as it is much easier.

1. Soup Stock
Put certain combinations of pork, chicken, their bones, vegetables, seafood, and possibly others into a huge pot and boil them up.

2. Soup Tastes
There are the following basic soup tastes: soy sauce, bean paste, salt, pork.  Put chosen taste source into a bowl and pour the soup stock.

3. Types of Noodles
There are also several types of noodles, including thin, thick, straight, crimpy, etc.  In general, the type of noodle is decided depending on the soup taste.  For example, thick one for miso taste, thin straight for pork, etc.

4. Toppings
There are so many toppings, like sliced pork, boiled egg, etc. etc.  I like simple ramen with just a few toppings whereas a ramen restaurant tries to put many toppings as the toppings are a key to earn profits...

Good combinations of the above should make good ramen.

The above discussion is very high level intending to just give you a general idea of cooking ramen.  I'm not an expert for ramen cooking, but it seems to me there are a lot of rooms for your own arrangements.  Let me know if you create your original ramen!

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Insincere Appologies

In Japan, there are so many occasions that high profile figures apologize "to the public" when they break scandals.

For example, when an actor did an affair and it's revealed to the public, s/he opens a press conference and apologizes in front of media reporters by saying, "I would like to apologize as I disturbed the public by making an affair."

Why does s/he have to apologize to the public?  The persons s/he has to apologize are ones who were directly hurt by the affair.  The general public usually does not suffer major problems from the affair but just have curiosities about the affairs (I don't know about his/her fans though.).

Such an apology in front of media reporters looks to me just a certain demonstration or ritual, with which s/he asks the media or paparazzi to stop chasing or blaming her/him, rather than a sincere apology to the public.

Other type of the public apology, which I'm very tired of seeing, is one done by corporate executives when their company causes a scandal.

Their line is also corny and mentions their apology "to the public."

I agree that corporate scandal would influence more people than the famous individual's affair and the corporate executives' apology to the public might make a bit more sense.

But I feel some similarities in both apologies in terms of "insincerity," that is, they don't actually feel sorry to the public but apologize anyway to avoid making things worse.

I assume those high profiles understand the public, i.e. normal people, desires to be apologized by high profiles to gloat them.  "You earned more money, got better promoted, or are more successful, than I am, but you got what you deserved!"

This is very ugly emotion but I think it is strongly rooted in the Japanese society.  And I think this sort of people's emotion is known to high profiles and leads them to "act" insincere apologies to the public by using ambiguous phrases, such as "an apology to the public (specifically who?)" and "disturbed (specifically how?)."

Open to your thoughts.

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Wrapping Cloth - Wow!

As people's consciousness towards the environmental issues increases, they try to reuse or recycle more materials.  As a part of such a recent trend, the convenience of Japanese traditional wrapping cloth called furoshiki has been revalued in Japan.

This looks just a sheet of ordinary square cloth.

I thought that the way to wrap things with furoshiki was just as below.

However, I have recently known that there are wider variety of ways to use this cloth depending on the things to be wrapped and been so impressed.   Can you believe the square cloth changes to a bag!

It can also wrap bottles, wow!

Large Sake Bottle can be wrapped!

Two Wine Bottles with one furoshiki!

I have also learned how to fold furoshiki to make each of the above and had an impression that it's not so difficult if I follow an instruction, which is easy and doesn't have so many processes.

Besides its high functionality, furoshiki itself attracts me for its designs.

I haven't seen many people around using furoshiki yet.  What I'm thinking is I might use furoshiki as a briefcase.  Not dare it yet, but someday...

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Diligent Workers

Japan has many diligent people in its labor force, and I'm very proud of this.

Many of them have high work ethics.  And they prioritize their business to their private lives in many cases.

These workers' commitments to works seem to impress foreigners too.  For example, many of foreigners who visit Japan point out high quality of services of Japanese workers in many occasions.

Japan has established its educational policy to raise the educational level of the whole population, rather than specific classes or people, after the World War II.

With the policy, the educational level of average people has gone up.  This fact should be able to be proven with high rate of literacy and calculation capability, for example.  Also, college going rate is over 60% now.

Besides the educational level, the people's morale has become high.  Many Japanese try to do their duties first rather than demand their rights.

Money should be important to these people, however, is not necessarily an absolute motivation.  Speaking of money, there is no custom of giving gratuity to a worker in Japan.

Whenever I deal with these Japanese labors with high work ethics, I feel very happy to see their professionalism.

On the other hand, I have many occasions which I'm very disappointed by leaders of this country, including politicians and companies' managements.

The lower quality in their leadership abilities compared to global standards might also be a result of the Japan's educational policy to develop human resources for average people, rather than elite people...

I need to convince myself with the following Japanese proverb:

二兎追う者は一兎をも得ず--> He that hunts two hares at once will catch neither.

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