The August issue of Japan CLOSE-UP has been published.
Japan CLOSE-UP is an English-language monthly magazine bringing you the latest news on Japanese business, products, culture, society, trends, and people.
One of featured articles on the issue is "Hokkaido: The Other Japan."
Hokkaido, literally "North Sea Circuit," is Japan’s largest and northernmost of its 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, the largest island in Japan, although the two islands are connected by the underwater Seikan Tunnel, which is a 53.85km railway tunnel, with a 23.3km portion under the seabed, the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
It has wonderful natural gifts, not the least of which is wide open space to stir the expansive imagination that tends to get stifled in Tokyo. Its population density, 72.5 people per square kilometer, is one-fifth the national average.
Why, one wonders, is Hokkaido not flourishing?
Read more http://www.export-japan.com/jcu/sample/index.php
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Fortitude to Not Sell Something
Keihoku Super is the name of a small chain of supermarkets with eight stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area. When they first opened, almost anything that was for sale could be found on their shelves. The stores did very well at the time.
Today however, Keihoku Super carries almost none of the mass produced items that sell well at other stores. Mr. Ishido as the founding president of Keihoku says, “We decided that even if we know it is a good seller, if it's not good for your health then we will not sell it.” This policy has been well received by customers and Keihoku is doing even better than before.
One of the vendors that supplies Mr. Ishido's stores is a kamaboko fish paste manufacturing and sales company. Its president Matoishi was too mixed up in partying as a young man to be much interested in the business. But ever since the day that a customer requested a kamaboko fish paste without any additives in it, he became passionate about the business.
The resulting kamaboko product was costly to develop and had to be sold at a premium price, but boy, did it sell. A number of urban department stores came with head bowed to ask if they wouldn't consider opening a sales kiosk. But they were turned away.
The reasoning was if distribution were expanded the company would not be able to use only local fish for its product. If they used fish from non-local areas the product would lose freshness, and the integrity of local production would be compromised. Mr. Matoishi shares with Mr. Ishido the fortitude to not sell something they don't believe in.
The media hypes the age of nothing selling, or the age when only cheap goods sell. There are certainly many goods of this type in the home electronics field. But is it really true?
Even in home electronics, the higher priced goods that excel in safety, reliability, and energy consumption are what's selling. Bicycles and smaller cars that are easy on the environment are also selling at a reasonable pace.
In contrast to the discount supermarkets that are going under one by one, the convenience stores which sell at full price but are quick to respond to customer needs are actually increasing sales. Goods that sell even during a depression all share something with the customer, and that is a sense of value.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
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Today however, Keihoku Super carries almost none of the mass produced items that sell well at other stores. Mr. Ishido as the founding president of Keihoku says, “We decided that even if we know it is a good seller, if it's not good for your health then we will not sell it.” This policy has been well received by customers and Keihoku is doing even better than before.
One of the vendors that supplies Mr. Ishido's stores is a kamaboko fish paste manufacturing and sales company. Its president Matoishi was too mixed up in partying as a young man to be much interested in the business. But ever since the day that a customer requested a kamaboko fish paste without any additives in it, he became passionate about the business.
The resulting kamaboko product was costly to develop and had to be sold at a premium price, but boy, did it sell. A number of urban department stores came with head bowed to ask if they wouldn't consider opening a sales kiosk. But they were turned away.
The reasoning was if distribution were expanded the company would not be able to use only local fish for its product. If they used fish from non-local areas the product would lose freshness, and the integrity of local production would be compromised. Mr. Matoishi shares with Mr. Ishido the fortitude to not sell something they don't believe in.
The media hypes the age of nothing selling, or the age when only cheap goods sell. There are certainly many goods of this type in the home electronics field. But is it really true?
Even in home electronics, the higher priced goods that excel in safety, reliability, and energy consumption are what's selling. Bicycles and smaller cars that are easy on the environment are also selling at a reasonable pace.
In contrast to the discount supermarkets that are going under one by one, the convenience stores which sell at full price but are quick to respond to customer needs are actually increasing sales. Goods that sell even during a depression all share something with the customer, and that is a sense of value.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Mr. Issey Miyake's Op-Ed "A Flash of Memory"
Mr. Issey Miyake, a prominent clothing designer wrote op-ed, “A Flash of Memory” on New York Times on July 13.
It is about Mr. Miyake’s experience of the atomic bomb over sixty yeas ago. He was in Hiroshima and seven years old.
Japanese news media extensively reported his op-ed because many people did not know that Mr. Miyake is an A-bomb victim.
Neither did I.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/opinion/14miyake.html
“When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should every experience: a bright red light, the black cloud soon after, people running in very direction trying to desperately to escape—I remember it all. Within three years, my mother dies from radiation exposure.” He told.
Mr. Miyake had not revealed his memories and thoughts of August 6, 1945. He disliked to be labeled as “the designer who survived the atomic bomb”.
But, President Obama’s speech in Prague changed Mr. Miyake’s state of mind. Mr. Obama asserted to quest peace and prosperity without nuclear weapons in the world.
Mr. Miyake says, “The President’s words awakened something buried deeply within me, something about which I have until now been reluctant to discuss.”
He also hopes that President of the USA will accept to attend Universal Peace Day on August 6.
When I was a college student over 20 years ago, I went to Hiroshima from Tokyo as a translator for an American professor who interviewed dozens of Hiroshima survivors. Before visiting there, I thought I had known about Hiroshima’s August 6 through books and pictures. However, through meeting, interviewing the survivors and translating what they told, I realized that I had not known much about shocks, tragedies and pains that they had received.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
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It is about Mr. Miyake’s experience of the atomic bomb over sixty yeas ago. He was in Hiroshima and seven years old.
Japanese news media extensively reported his op-ed because many people did not know that Mr. Miyake is an A-bomb victim.
Neither did I.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/opinion/14miyake.html
“When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should every experience: a bright red light, the black cloud soon after, people running in very direction trying to desperately to escape—I remember it all. Within three years, my mother dies from radiation exposure.” He told.
Mr. Miyake had not revealed his memories and thoughts of August 6, 1945. He disliked to be labeled as “the designer who survived the atomic bomb”.
But, President Obama’s speech in Prague changed Mr. Miyake’s state of mind. Mr. Obama asserted to quest peace and prosperity without nuclear weapons in the world.
Mr. Miyake says, “The President’s words awakened something buried deeply within me, something about which I have until now been reluctant to discuss.”
He also hopes that President of the USA will accept to attend Universal Peace Day on August 6.
When I was a college student over 20 years ago, I went to Hiroshima from Tokyo as a translator for an American professor who interviewed dozens of Hiroshima survivors. Before visiting there, I thought I had known about Hiroshima’s August 6 through books and pictures. However, through meeting, interviewing the survivors and translating what they told, I realized that I had not known much about shocks, tragedies and pains that they had received.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Monday, July 13, 2009
LDP's Difficult Campaign on Tokyo Assembly Election
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election was held yesterday. 221 candidates aimed at 127 seats. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was majority with New Komeito, another political party before the election. LDP had 48 seats and New Komeito had 22 seats.
However, LDP has lost 10 seats. Instead, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) had gained substantially 54 seats from 34. It became a majority party.
With regard to LDP, distinctive election result was that legislators of influence were defeated.
One is Mr. Shigeru Uchida at the age of 70. His constituency is Chiyoda ward, the very center of Tokyo. Mr. Uchida is the Tokyo LDP’s Secretary General and former Speaker of the Assembly. He has been a legislator for 24 years. Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Shintaro Ishihara said, “Uchida-san is the most reliable politician for me.”
Another is Mr. Naoki Takashima at the age of 59. His constituency is Adachi ward, eastern part of Tokyo and near Saitama prefecture. Mr. Takashima is the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Secretary General for LDP. He has been a legislator for 12 years.
Mr. Nobuteru Ishihara, a member of the House of Representatives and son of Governor Ishihara expressed his resignation as Chairperson of the Tokyo LDP to bear the responsibility for the defeat of LDP.
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However, LDP has lost 10 seats. Instead, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) had gained substantially 54 seats from 34. It became a majority party.
With regard to LDP, distinctive election result was that legislators of influence were defeated.
One is Mr. Shigeru Uchida at the age of 70. His constituency is Chiyoda ward, the very center of Tokyo. Mr. Uchida is the Tokyo LDP’s Secretary General and former Speaker of the Assembly. He has been a legislator for 24 years. Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Shintaro Ishihara said, “Uchida-san is the most reliable politician for me.”
Another is Mr. Naoki Takashima at the age of 59. His constituency is Adachi ward, eastern part of Tokyo and near Saitama prefecture. Mr. Takashima is the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Secretary General for LDP. He has been a legislator for 12 years.
Mr. Nobuteru Ishihara, a member of the House of Representatives and son of Governor Ishihara expressed his resignation as Chairperson of the Tokyo LDP to bear the responsibility for the defeat of LDP.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A Mission from Iraq
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, H.E. Dr. Sami Al-Araji: Chairman of the National Investment Commission, H.E. Dr．Hussain Ibrahim Al-Shahristani, Minister of Oil, and H.E. Mr. Fawzi Hariri: Minister of Industry and Minerals have arrived at Tokyo from Iraq today.
They are a mission to invite Japanese investments to Iraq. They will stay here for four days.
On July 10th, the Iraq Investment Seminar will be held with the mission cosponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Yesterday’s NIKKEI NET (a Japanese newspaper website) said that Japanese trading companies, oil corporations, and enterprises related to infrastructures would participate in the seminar.
At last, economic opportunities would come for them.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
They are a mission to invite Japanese investments to Iraq. They will stay here for four days.
On July 10th, the Iraq Investment Seminar will be held with the mission cosponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Yesterday’s NIKKEI NET (a Japanese newspaper website) said that Japanese trading companies, oil corporations, and enterprises related to infrastructures would participate in the seminar.
At last, economic opportunities would come for them.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Next Issue Is About "Nuclear Weapons"
Next issue is "How Can We Realize a World Free of Nuclear Weapons? Also, Can the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Guarantee World Security?"
Experts who comments on the issue are as of today:
Experts who comments on the issue are as of today:
- Dr. Ian Anthony (Director of Research and Head of the Arms Control and Nonproliferation Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)
- Dr. Kurt Gottfried (Union of Concerned Scientists and Cornell University)
- Mr. Seiji Maehara (Vice President of the Democratic Party of Japan, Member of the House of Representatives)
- Dr. Katsuhiko Mori (Professor of Politics and International Relations at the International Christian University)
- Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak (Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies and Associate Professor of International Political Economy at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University)
- Mr. Prabir Purkayastha (Vice President at All India Peace and Solidarity Organization)
- Mr. Kazuo Shii (Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party and Member of the House of Representatives)
The issue and comments will be posted on July 6, next Monday Japan time.
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