Recently I was asked to write something up on my experience with the Keio University Judo Team. Below is what I wrote:
One day after class, I spoke with a Japanese classmate about wanting to learn Judo. I wanted to learn one of Japans traditional and most useful martial arts, to stay in good physical shape, and to better my understanding of the Japanese language and culture. About a week or so after talking to that classmate, she introduced me to a member of the Keio Judo Team who encouraged me to come and practice with them. I did.
The members of the Keio Judo Team, in the roughly one year that I have trained with them, took me from not knowing a thing about Judo to receiving my black belt. The members were incredibly kind to allow me to join them and to give up some of their training time in order to show me the ropes. They have certainly increased my level of physical fitness as my fat percentage has significantly dropped and my muscles have become much more defined. I have, as well, learned a significant amount about Japanese culture and language from them.
In the dojo, training is intense. The team trains, at a minimum, three hours per day six days per week. This training includes at least one hour of weight/cardio training and two hours of Judo. While my schedule does not allow me to train everyday with them, I typically train four days a week with them. They are very kind in giving me this flexibility as everyone else in the club trains all six days.
I have also been given the opportunity to travel with the team to Kobe, Kyoto, and all over Shikoku to practice judo and to explore a bit of Japan. The experience was simply amazing and the kindness of both the team members and the alumni is incredible. During this trip, I was treated to so many fantastic treats from local foods and one of the most incredible meals I have ever eaten, to participating in a local dance, exploring castles, and experiencing heaven on earth (onsen). I got to experience a much more traditional side of Japan as we stayed in a Japanese style inn in Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture. We walked around town wearing yukata as we enjoyed the traditional architecture and went to the onsen featured in Ghibli’s Spirited Away.
The Keio Judo Team has given me such an incredible experience that any effort to express my gratitude is simply insufficient. Thank you so very much.
ある日クラスの後、日本人のクラスメートに柔道を習いたいと話しました。日本の伝統的で活用的な武道を習い、そして健康と日本の文化と言語を向上したかったんです。一週間後、そのクラスメートは慶應柔道部員を紹介してくれました。柔道部員は私に柔道の練習をするのを喜んで参加させてくれました。そして私は練習に加わりました。
慶應柔道部員は一年以内に柔道について何も知らなかった私を黒帯まで指導しました。部員はすごく親切で、私に訓練するために彼らのトレーニング時間を放棄しました。部員は私を丈夫にさせて、私は体脂肪がさがって、筋肉が上がりました。しかも日本の文化と言語にかんして、たくさん習いました。
道場の中のトレーニングはすごく激しいです。柔道部は少なくとも一週間のうち六日間、一日三時間練習します。練習では少なくとも一時間はウエートと心臓のトレーニングで、二時間は柔道練習です。私のスケジュールでは一週間に四日しか練習できませんが、部員は皆、六日トレーニングしています。私にその柔軟性を許しているから本当に親切です。
私は柔道部と柔道と観光をするために神戸と京都と四国の旅行をさせてもらいました。経験はすばらしくて、部員とＯＢの親切もすばらしかった。旅行の間においしい土地の食べ物を食べて、土地の踊りに参加して、城を探検して、極楽 （温泉）を経験しました。愛媛県松山市で日本の伝統的なことを経験しました。そこで、浴衣を着て、日本の伝統的な建物を見て、宮崎駿の「千と千尋の神隠し」のモデルとなった温泉に行きました。
慶應柔道部は僕にすごい経験をくれたから、ありがとうと言うのは不十分だけど、本当にありがとうございます。
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Education for Business: U.S. vs. Japan
Below is a paper that I wrote for my Japanese Society and Business class. It reflects what I have come to know of both Japans educational system and the way in which it conducts business. It's a little on the long side but I'm sure you'll find it interesting.
Education for Business: U.S. vs. Japan
When I began studying the Japanese language and culture, I was very quickly introduced to the idea that Japanese universities where very difficult to get into but easy to graduate from. This was further supported as I recently participated in the 61st Japan America Student Conference. My round table during this conference was composed of five Japanese students and five American students and dealt with “Educating a Global Citizenry”. While the main topic was global education, we started off by comparing the Japanese system of education with the American system. As we compared the two, the evidence pointing to the difficulty of getting into a Japanese university but the ease of graduating became even more apparent. The Japanese students further seemed to take a great interest in the contrasting American system. Even after this conference I have had the education discussion with many Japanese students. It was not until just recently that I believe I have come to a better understanding of the Japanese education system and the reasons behind it. It is this understanding that I will present in this paper.
Contrasting methods of entry into universities in the U.S. and Japan and the then required work load was of particular interest to us in our initial comparison of education systems for the Japan-America Student Conference. We American students were introduced to the central test that Japanese high school students take in order to place into a university. Japanese students often study intensely during high school and then even when the school day is over continue on to cram school. They do this in order to memorize various facts that will allow them to score high on the exam and therefore get into a good university. Should the student not be accepted into the school of his or her choice, he or she will often take a year off just to study and once again take the placement exam. Once in that university however, no real hard work is required of them. Often students sleep in class or don’t even attend at all yet they still seem to pass.
While the American system also uses test scores as a determining factor, it is not the only factor. During high school, American students will likely take one of two types of tests, the ACT or SAT in order to measure their acquired knowledge. Universities look at these test scores when making an assessment on whether or not to accept a student. The university however, will also often look at other outside activities when making this assessment. They may look at volunteer work or extracurricular activities such as sports or clubs. The American system is often based on the individual and what the individual has accomplished both inside and outside the classroom. Once admitted into the American university, the story is much different from that of the Japanese. Students are required to study hard. Loads of homework are given to the students to ensure that they do study. If one continuously skips class there is a very high likely hood that they will fail.
My personal experience seems to tell me what I have heard. While going to a University in the U.S., I spend countless hours engaged in homework. My life seems to consist of school, homework, sleep, school, homework, sleep, and on and on. While currently studying at a Japanese University, I am surprised at how little work is required of me. I found myself having tons of free time. I’m not saying this is a bad thing because I personally enjoy being able to sit back, breathe, and truly enjoy my study abroad experience but, the Japanese students with whom I’ve spoken to seem to believe the American system to be a much better system.
Another thing in which we looked at was the way classes are taught in American Universities and Japanese Universities. American Universities tend to emphasize that students think for themselves and teachers encourage this by engaging the students in group discussions. They set out scenarios by which the student can analyze the information and come to a conclusion based on his or her own opinion. Teachers in America often seek to fully engage the student in dialog. According to those students I’ve spoken to, Japanese universities seem to be the exact opposite of this. The great majority of classes are lecture style. Students are required to listen to what the teacher has to say and are allowed little to no opportunity to engage in discussions or express their opinion. It is once again memorization of facts.
After the comparison of the two different systems, we went on to look at global education issues which are many. We tried to narrow down a method with which one could be considered globally educated and for the most part got away from the differences between the Japanese and American school systems except for the fact that we did implement a discussion based class as part of our final project. This was not the end of the discussion between the differences of the Japanese and American school systems for me however.
At another conference involving both foreign students and Japanese students the same issues addressed above where introduced once again. As I had already had a broad understanding of the differences between the two systems, it was at this point that I began to not just focus on the differences between the two systems but to analyze them and the reasons for each being the way it is. I began to draw upon my recently acquired knowledge of Japan. As I have come to understand it, there are very clear reasons why each system is the way it is. In order to understand these reasons one must look at the end result. One must look at why students in both countries go on to universities. Though the systems may be different, the reason for going to university is the exact same. Both students in the US and Japan seek higher education for the sole purpose of obtaining a better job with a higher salary. With that being the case, we must examine businesses in both countries.
In America, companies for the most part, seek specialists in a particular field. Take Company A for example. Company A, is a finance company and they seek to hire graduates who have majored in finance. They seek to hire students who studied hard and truly grasp and understand the finance industry. They want specialists in a particular field, the finance field. These students will enter the company and do just what they have studied so hard to learn, finance. Once these students have gotten as far as they feel they can get in this company they will likely seek to move to Company B where they can advance further and will continue to work as specialists in the finance field. Basically their life is finance and that is what they will continue to do.
According to Yoshida Fumikazu, a Lecturer at the International Center of Keio University and Professor at Sanno University, Japanese companies are quite different. As part of Japans lifetime employment system, Yoshida speaks of the job rotation system. This system is just as it sounds; workers rotate jobs. Companies do not wish to have specialists, they wish to have generalists. They wish to have students that can and will do any and every job that it takes for the company to operate. Once starting in a Japanese company, the graduate, whether he or she majored in engineering or in finance, will work for six months learning every aspect of the company’s operations. After that period they will be assigned to a certain position which may or may not have to do with their major. After a period of three to five years however they will be moved to a totally different position. After the six month company training period, a graduate who majored in finance may start of in the finance section but every three to five years will be transferred to different positions at a company from sales to product research and development.
This can further be emphasized by a case study introduced in my Japanese Business and Society class. In this particular case study, Kenji Hayashi, a student who received a masters degree from Keio University, started work at a large and reputable electronics company in Japan. For the first six months he was trained in every aspect of the business and no distinction was made between him and other newly hired workers who did not have a masters degree. Once he finished this training, he went on to work for three years in the product and development section of the company. This he felt suited him well since he majored in engineering but he was “puzzled and hesitated” when three years later he was transferred to the sales division of the company (Umezu). This case study depicts the way typical big business in Japan operates.
Another way in which to come to an understanding of the difference between America’s Business sector and Japans is in analyzing the way university students search for jobs. In America a university graduate searches by position. Once again going back to the finance student, they will likely search for positions in finance. As for myself, having a certain occupational specialty in the military, I have searched for and applied for positions outside the military for that particular specialty. According to one third year student who majors in European Union Politics at Keio University, the Japanese student does not search for a position or a specialty. They search for and apply to a company with no mention of a position. She further stated that she is applying at various companies with no expectation of landing in a company that allows her to work in some form of politics. She stated that that is how it works in Japan.
In general, businesses in Japan do not wish to employ individuals. They wish to hire members of a team. They wish to hire young minds that can easily be molded to fit the needs of the company. Chie Nakane, in her article Criteria of Group Formation, speaks of the formation of the life time employment system during Japans industrialization. She states that:
Boys fresh from school were the best potential labour force for mechanized industry because they were more easily moulded to suit a company’s requirements…. Men who move in from another company at a comparatively advanced stage in their working life tend to be considered difficult to mould or suspect in their loyalties. (183)
Edwin O. Reischauer in his book “The Japanese Today” states:
Big companies select their future executives through examinations administered to fresh university graduates, often limited to a few prestigious universities. Successful candidates are enlisted for lifetime careers with the firm. In the early years they are all trained thoroughly… through a variety of jobs in order to broaden their knowledge of the company’s activities… (320)
It is easily seen from these quotes that Japanese Corporations wish to employ students who can easily be molded to fit the company’s needs. They seek to employ these young graduates for a lifetime. Unlike in America, once employed by a Japanese company it is rare to quit and be accepted into another company for fear ones loyalties may be lacking.
Taking this back to the education standpoint, if a student was truly required to study hard and to truly learn a specific field in his or her university years, that student may reject the thought of learning or doing something totally different from which he majored in. The graduate may become not as easy to mold. In the case of the Kenji Hayashi mentioned above, Kenji was certainly disheartened and did not initially understand the reason for his being moved. Since the graduate will be employed by the company for a lifetime, it is best suited for the company to move that graduate around from position to position so that he may fully understand the company’s operations and “to bring up ‘experienced generalists’ and good leaders with multiple expertise” (Yoshida).
Furthermore, the memorization of facts and the lack of opportunity to express one’s own opinion that exists in the Japanese education system are mirrored in the Japanese business world. Once hired by the company, the graduate is expected to absorb what the company’s leaders tell him or her without questioning their authority or imposing his own opinions or viewpoints which may be in direct contradiction to those of the company. This is very representative of the Japanese society as a whole. They tend to work collectively as members of a team. They may express their opinion but not in an aggressive way such as may be found in the U.S. There is an old Japanese saying that goes, “The nail that sticks out gets hammered.” This is true when expressing one’s own viewpoints in Japan; the Japanese do not wish to stick out from the rest of the members of whatever social group or organization they are in. This particular aspect of Japanese society is reinforced in the education system.
From my understanding, for the Japanese student, the university years are basically an incubation period. The companies wish to hire mature young adults and universities give these young adults that chance to mature. Furthermore, university years give the student a strong sense of senpai (senior) and kouhai (junior) which is very relevant to the Japanese business’s seniority system. University years give students the opportunity to participate in circles and partake in nomikai’s which is accustoming these students to get ready to perform these roles in the business sector. For the most part however, university years give the student a chance to relax and explore other areas of life that they may otherwise be unable to. Once they enter the company, their life, for the most part, becomes all about the company. They have very little time to seek personal interests but are instead focused on the interests of the company. Without Japans universities being the way they are, hard to get into but easy to graduate, students would not have the opportunity to explore and pursue personal interests. They would not have a chance to breathe.
It is said that Japan’s lifetime employment system is eroding and becoming more like the western system of business. This may or may not be the case. What has become evident to me however is, until the Japanese corporations start seeking specialists in certain fields and stop seeking generalists that Japans education system is suited perfectly for its needs. It serves its purpose of providing moldable graduates who can become those generalists that the Japanese corporation seeks. For the company, it is not what they majored in that is important. What is important is which university they graduated from. According to Ulrich Teichler, composer of an article published in Higher Education, “If specific knowledge is more highly appreciated and examined in the recruitment process, this might challenge a more or less automatic premium put on the university one graduated from” (290). I personally believe that if specific knowledge becomes more valuable to the Japanese company, higher education in Japan as a whole will adopt and become more like that which is found in the U.S. Until that time, Japans education system suits the needs of the Japanese corporate world.
Works Cited
Nakane, Chie. “Criteria of Group Formation.” Japanese Culture and Behavior: Selected Readings. Ed. Takie Sugiyama Lebra and William P. Lebra. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986. 171-87.
Reischauer, Edwin O., and Marius B. Jansen. The Japanese Today. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2005.
Teichler, Ulrich. “Higher Education in Japan: A View from Outside.” Higher Education. 34.2 (1997): 275-98.
Umezu, Mitsuhiro Ph.D. Case 3: Kenji Hayashi. Keio University. 11 Dec. 2009
Yoshida, Fumikazu. Class lecture on the job rotation system. Keio University. 3 Dec. 2009
Education for Business: U.S. vs. Japan
When I began studying the Japanese language and culture, I was very quickly introduced to the idea that Japanese universities where very difficult to get into but easy to graduate from. This was further supported as I recently participated in the 61st Japan America Student Conference. My round table during this conference was composed of five Japanese students and five American students and dealt with “Educating a Global Citizenry”. While the main topic was global education, we started off by comparing the Japanese system of education with the American system. As we compared the two, the evidence pointing to the difficulty of getting into a Japanese university but the ease of graduating became even more apparent. The Japanese students further seemed to take a great interest in the contrasting American system. Even after this conference I have had the education discussion with many Japanese students. It was not until just recently that I believe I have come to a better understanding of the Japanese education system and the reasons behind it. It is this understanding that I will present in this paper.
Contrasting methods of entry into universities in the U.S. and Japan and the then required work load was of particular interest to us in our initial comparison of education systems for the Japan-America Student Conference. We American students were introduced to the central test that Japanese high school students take in order to place into a university. Japanese students often study intensely during high school and then even when the school day is over continue on to cram school. They do this in order to memorize various facts that will allow them to score high on the exam and therefore get into a good university. Should the student not be accepted into the school of his or her choice, he or she will often take a year off just to study and once again take the placement exam. Once in that university however, no real hard work is required of them. Often students sleep in class or don’t even attend at all yet they still seem to pass.
While the American system also uses test scores as a determining factor, it is not the only factor. During high school, American students will likely take one of two types of tests, the ACT or SAT in order to measure their acquired knowledge. Universities look at these test scores when making an assessment on whether or not to accept a student. The university however, will also often look at other outside activities when making this assessment. They may look at volunteer work or extracurricular activities such as sports or clubs. The American system is often based on the individual and what the individual has accomplished both inside and outside the classroom. Once admitted into the American university, the story is much different from that of the Japanese. Students are required to study hard. Loads of homework are given to the students to ensure that they do study. If one continuously skips class there is a very high likely hood that they will fail.
My personal experience seems to tell me what I have heard. While going to a University in the U.S., I spend countless hours engaged in homework. My life seems to consist of school, homework, sleep, school, homework, sleep, and on and on. While currently studying at a Japanese University, I am surprised at how little work is required of me. I found myself having tons of free time. I’m not saying this is a bad thing because I personally enjoy being able to sit back, breathe, and truly enjoy my study abroad experience but, the Japanese students with whom I’ve spoken to seem to believe the American system to be a much better system.
Another thing in which we looked at was the way classes are taught in American Universities and Japanese Universities. American Universities tend to emphasize that students think for themselves and teachers encourage this by engaging the students in group discussions. They set out scenarios by which the student can analyze the information and come to a conclusion based on his or her own opinion. Teachers in America often seek to fully engage the student in dialog. According to those students I’ve spoken to, Japanese universities seem to be the exact opposite of this. The great majority of classes are lecture style. Students are required to listen to what the teacher has to say and are allowed little to no opportunity to engage in discussions or express their opinion. It is once again memorization of facts.
After the comparison of the two different systems, we went on to look at global education issues which are many. We tried to narrow down a method with which one could be considered globally educated and for the most part got away from the differences between the Japanese and American school systems except for the fact that we did implement a discussion based class as part of our final project. This was not the end of the discussion between the differences of the Japanese and American school systems for me however.
At another conference involving both foreign students and Japanese students the same issues addressed above where introduced once again. As I had already had a broad understanding of the differences between the two systems, it was at this point that I began to not just focus on the differences between the two systems but to analyze them and the reasons for each being the way it is. I began to draw upon my recently acquired knowledge of Japan. As I have come to understand it, there are very clear reasons why each system is the way it is. In order to understand these reasons one must look at the end result. One must look at why students in both countries go on to universities. Though the systems may be different, the reason for going to university is the exact same. Both students in the US and Japan seek higher education for the sole purpose of obtaining a better job with a higher salary. With that being the case, we must examine businesses in both countries.
In America, companies for the most part, seek specialists in a particular field. Take Company A for example. Company A, is a finance company and they seek to hire graduates who have majored in finance. They seek to hire students who studied hard and truly grasp and understand the finance industry. They want specialists in a particular field, the finance field. These students will enter the company and do just what they have studied so hard to learn, finance. Once these students have gotten as far as they feel they can get in this company they will likely seek to move to Company B where they can advance further and will continue to work as specialists in the finance field. Basically their life is finance and that is what they will continue to do.
According to Yoshida Fumikazu, a Lecturer at the International Center of Keio University and Professor at Sanno University, Japanese companies are quite different. As part of Japans lifetime employment system, Yoshida speaks of the job rotation system. This system is just as it sounds; workers rotate jobs. Companies do not wish to have specialists, they wish to have generalists. They wish to have students that can and will do any and every job that it takes for the company to operate. Once starting in a Japanese company, the graduate, whether he or she majored in engineering or in finance, will work for six months learning every aspect of the company’s operations. After that period they will be assigned to a certain position which may or may not have to do with their major. After a period of three to five years however they will be moved to a totally different position. After the six month company training period, a graduate who majored in finance may start of in the finance section but every three to five years will be transferred to different positions at a company from sales to product research and development.
This can further be emphasized by a case study introduced in my Japanese Business and Society class. In this particular case study, Kenji Hayashi, a student who received a masters degree from Keio University, started work at a large and reputable electronics company in Japan. For the first six months he was trained in every aspect of the business and no distinction was made between him and other newly hired workers who did not have a masters degree. Once he finished this training, he went on to work for three years in the product and development section of the company. This he felt suited him well since he majored in engineering but he was “puzzled and hesitated” when three years later he was transferred to the sales division of the company (Umezu). This case study depicts the way typical big business in Japan operates.
Another way in which to come to an understanding of the difference between America’s Business sector and Japans is in analyzing the way university students search for jobs. In America a university graduate searches by position. Once again going back to the finance student, they will likely search for positions in finance. As for myself, having a certain occupational specialty in the military, I have searched for and applied for positions outside the military for that particular specialty. According to one third year student who majors in European Union Politics at Keio University, the Japanese student does not search for a position or a specialty. They search for and apply to a company with no mention of a position. She further stated that she is applying at various companies with no expectation of landing in a company that allows her to work in some form of politics. She stated that that is how it works in Japan.
In general, businesses in Japan do not wish to employ individuals. They wish to hire members of a team. They wish to hire young minds that can easily be molded to fit the needs of the company. Chie Nakane, in her article Criteria of Group Formation, speaks of the formation of the life time employment system during Japans industrialization. She states that:
Boys fresh from school were the best potential labour force for mechanized industry because they were more easily moulded to suit a company’s requirements…. Men who move in from another company at a comparatively advanced stage in their working life tend to be considered difficult to mould or suspect in their loyalties. (183)
Edwin O. Reischauer in his book “The Japanese Today” states:
Big companies select their future executives through examinations administered to fresh university graduates, often limited to a few prestigious universities. Successful candidates are enlisted for lifetime careers with the firm. In the early years they are all trained thoroughly… through a variety of jobs in order to broaden their knowledge of the company’s activities… (320)
It is easily seen from these quotes that Japanese Corporations wish to employ students who can easily be molded to fit the company’s needs. They seek to employ these young graduates for a lifetime. Unlike in America, once employed by a Japanese company it is rare to quit and be accepted into another company for fear ones loyalties may be lacking.
Taking this back to the education standpoint, if a student was truly required to study hard and to truly learn a specific field in his or her university years, that student may reject the thought of learning or doing something totally different from which he majored in. The graduate may become not as easy to mold. In the case of the Kenji Hayashi mentioned above, Kenji was certainly disheartened and did not initially understand the reason for his being moved. Since the graduate will be employed by the company for a lifetime, it is best suited for the company to move that graduate around from position to position so that he may fully understand the company’s operations and “to bring up ‘experienced generalists’ and good leaders with multiple expertise” (Yoshida).
Furthermore, the memorization of facts and the lack of opportunity to express one’s own opinion that exists in the Japanese education system are mirrored in the Japanese business world. Once hired by the company, the graduate is expected to absorb what the company’s leaders tell him or her without questioning their authority or imposing his own opinions or viewpoints which may be in direct contradiction to those of the company. This is very representative of the Japanese society as a whole. They tend to work collectively as members of a team. They may express their opinion but not in an aggressive way such as may be found in the U.S. There is an old Japanese saying that goes, “The nail that sticks out gets hammered.” This is true when expressing one’s own viewpoints in Japan; the Japanese do not wish to stick out from the rest of the members of whatever social group or organization they are in. This particular aspect of Japanese society is reinforced in the education system.
From my understanding, for the Japanese student, the university years are basically an incubation period. The companies wish to hire mature young adults and universities give these young adults that chance to mature. Furthermore, university years give the student a strong sense of senpai (senior) and kouhai (junior) which is very relevant to the Japanese business’s seniority system. University years give students the opportunity to participate in circles and partake in nomikai’s which is accustoming these students to get ready to perform these roles in the business sector. For the most part however, university years give the student a chance to relax and explore other areas of life that they may otherwise be unable to. Once they enter the company, their life, for the most part, becomes all about the company. They have very little time to seek personal interests but are instead focused on the interests of the company. Without Japans universities being the way they are, hard to get into but easy to graduate, students would not have the opportunity to explore and pursue personal interests. They would not have a chance to breathe.
It is said that Japan’s lifetime employment system is eroding and becoming more like the western system of business. This may or may not be the case. What has become evident to me however is, until the Japanese corporations start seeking specialists in certain fields and stop seeking generalists that Japans education system is suited perfectly for its needs. It serves its purpose of providing moldable graduates who can become those generalists that the Japanese corporation seeks. For the company, it is not what they majored in that is important. What is important is which university they graduated from. According to Ulrich Teichler, composer of an article published in Higher Education, “If specific knowledge is more highly appreciated and examined in the recruitment process, this might challenge a more or less automatic premium put on the university one graduated from” (290). I personally believe that if specific knowledge becomes more valuable to the Japanese company, higher education in Japan as a whole will adopt and become more like that which is found in the U.S. Until that time, Japans education system suits the needs of the Japanese corporate world.
Works Cited
Nakane, Chie. “Criteria of Group Formation.” Japanese Culture and Behavior: Selected Readings. Ed. Takie Sugiyama Lebra and William P. Lebra. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986. 171-87.
Reischauer, Edwin O., and Marius B. Jansen. The Japanese Today. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2005.
Teichler, Ulrich. “Higher Education in Japan: A View from Outside.” Higher Education. 34.2 (1997): 275-98.
Umezu, Mitsuhiro Ph.D. Case 3: Kenji Hayashi. Keio University. 11 Dec. 2009
Yoshida, Fumikazu. Class lecture on the job rotation system. Keio University. 3 Dec. 2009
Monday, 9 November 2009
JASC 75th Anniversary
Saturday November 7th, I went to the 75th Anniversary of the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) in Tokyo. There I met up with many former JASC alumni and friends. It was an incredible event with many respected, talented, and successful businessmen/women and politicians present. Of those who have participated in JASC in the past, many have risen to lofty positions as CEO’s and Chairmen/women, as well as successful politicians such as Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Both Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote letters to be read at this event. Most impressive to me was Princess Takamado’s speech. She stated that there are people that do things in life and there are those that sit at home and read about the things these people do. She continued to say that reading about those people is still much better than doing nothing at all. She then congratulated those who have participated in JASC as the doers. While I can say that many in JASC have accomplished great things, this is definitely not the case for me. I constantly feel that I am not doing enough. Despite this feeling, I continue to struggle forward and strive to achieve excellence in all I do. Hopefully someday I can look back and say, “I am a doer”. I do wonder how many of my senpai (seniors) have felt the same way in the past yet went on to accomplish the incredible things in which they have.
Both Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote letters to be read at this event. Most impressive to me was Princess Takamado’s speech. She stated that there are people that do things in life and there are those that sit at home and read about the things these people do. She continued to say that reading about those people is still much better than doing nothing at all. She then congratulated those who have participated in JASC as the doers. While I can say that many in JASC have accomplished great things, this is definitely not the case for me. I constantly feel that I am not doing enough. Despite this feeling, I continue to struggle forward and strive to achieve excellence in all I do. Hopefully someday I can look back and say, “I am a doer”. I do wonder how many of my senpai (seniors) have felt the same way in the past yet went on to accomplish the incredible things in which they have.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Matsuri:Traditional and . . .
Since I’ve arrived in Japan, I’ve been to a few festivals. I went to one in Meguro which was a traditional festival. They had miniature shrines (mikoshi) that large groups of people would carry through the streets as whistles blew and people shouted. Upon following the mikoshi, I wound up at a shrine where there was even a Noh (traditional Japanese theater) performance. There were booths set up serving various types of Japanese foods from okonomiyaki (fried noodle pancake) to takoyaki (squid and batter made into small balls) to beer (my favorite!). The other festivals I’ve been to have been of a similar fashion (minus the Noh performance). Today however, I was introduced to a different kind of festival.
I went to Jiyugaoka’s Megami (female god 女神) festival and it did not follow the traditional festivals I’ve seen in the past. No mikoshi being carried around. There were of course the vendors serving various Japanese foods and beer. There were various stages set up throughout the city. Coming out of the train station was the main stage. My girlfriend and I didn’t stick around there to long however and instead went exploring. As we walked we hit Hilo Street where we took a right. A little bit down the road was a Hawaii themed gathering. On the stage was a group of Japanese musicians playing Hawaiian music while a crowd of people sat on the ground drinking and having a good time. Flying high and proud was the Hawaiian flag with “Aloha” sprawled across one of the walls.
After departing the Hawaii festivities we continued to explore. We looked around the many shops that covered every acre of real estate. Along the way we encountered a couple of other themed areas. One was Halloween themed and at another a magician was performing to an enthralled crowd. Down the same road that the magician performed was what can only really be described as a median with table after table, bench after bench, Heineken umbrella after Heineken umbrella, and people taking every square inch drinking beer and wine, talking and laughing.
At this point I finally partook in my beverage of choice, a nice ice cold Heineken. Afterwards my girlfriend and I proceeded back to the main stage where “Nawii” performed. Before they took stage they were introduced as “hip pop”. This was a very suitable description. Nawaii consisted of two males and two females. I think two of each type to appeal to every possible audience. One of the males rocked designer shades, a vest, a Kango hat, and designer denim with the belt buckle cocked off to the side while the other a long sleeve t-shirt with denim and long hair. The females wore different outfits as well. One of the females portrayed the “very cute” image that many Japanese girls emulate. She wore a pink glitter mini skirt with a matching cowboy hat. The other female wore the clothing of a hip yet more mature woman. Together they put on a performance as they had the crowd waving their arms back and forth. The beats even forced my feet to start moving to their rhythm.
About an hour after this performance came the final performance, Aikawa Nanase. According to my girlfriend, a little over 10 years ago this girl was very popular. During the time that I was rocking out to groups like Rage Against the Machine and Korn, Japanese people were rocking out to this girl. The audience grew by hundreds and everyone waited in anticipation for Aikawa to take the stage. As she did, smoke came shooting from the stage and the lighting went off like some kind of alien space ship signaling another. The audience went nuts as they bounced in place to her music and pounded their fists in the air. If this concert took place in America, I could easily see a mosh-pit forming and crowd surfing taking place. The energy was intense. Aikawa’s vocals pierced the air as people in the surrounding high-rises viewed the show from their windows. My favorite however was the bass player. His energy was immeasurable. He bounced all over the stage in tune to the wicked thick lines he was throwing out of his amplifier. When it came time for his solo he went irate, slapping and popping the bass as he rolled backwards on the stage. I became an instant fan of Aikawa.
I've enjoyed every festival I've been to here and I very much like the traditional style festivals. There has got to be something said for the not-so-traditional though. I had a blast.
Hawaii in Japan
I don't think that I'll be given the opportunity to truly miss Hawaii while I'm here in Japan. The Japanese have really taken pieces of Hawaiian culture for their own. I witnessed this when I recently went to Yokohama for the Hawaii festival. As I entered the building where the festival was taking place, I witnessed shop after shop of local style goods. As I walked along the booths, I came to the stage where Hula performance after Hula performance took place. I decided to grab me some mochiko chicken, a Kona Brewing Co. Longboard Lager, and sit and enjoy the performances. After a bit I walked around trying to find a friend's family's booth. I found them and chatted with them for a while. I then proceeded outside where a band played Hawaiian music and several school aged children danced hula. I was very impressed with how even Japanese children have come to love hula. After a while a more mature female began to perform. After the performance, I went to speak with her and come to find out she dances back in Hawaii with a good friend of mine. She stated that there were several dancers out here to perform from Hawaii. While the ocean around the Tokyo area cannot come close to comparing to Hawaiian waters, at least every once and a while I can enjoy Hula, a plate lunch, and beer from the islands I love and call home.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Time Bomb
Ice cream in a balloon, the Japanese can think of some pretty creative things. You cut a small hole in the top of the balloon from which you suck the ice cream out. As the ice cream is in a solid state this is done with some level of difficulty. As time goes by however it becomes easier and easier and even begins to flow out on its own. It was at this phase when I took my last suck from the balloon. I removed the balloon from my mouth and as I did the time bomb went off. This white creamy liquid came screaming out of the balloon shooting me in the face. In the blink of an eye I changed the trajectory away from me and it shot ten feet down the side walk luckily avoiding innocent bystanders. As I now have ice cream all over my face I ask my girlfriend for a tissue. She proceeds to die with laughter and reaches instead for her camera.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Move to Tokyo
Let me tell you, I had a feeling it was going to be painful but I had no idea just how painful. It did not help that I left the arrangements up to my girlfriend.
I landed at Narita International Airport with my carry on (40 pounds), my duffel bag (40 pounds) and my suitcase (70 pounds). I thought this was fairly reasonable considering I will be living here in Japan for a year.My next step was finding my way from Narita to Tokyo. This step was easy enough. I left the baggage claim area and immediately found a place to buy a bus ticket. I purchase one to take me to Shinagawa which is close to where my apartment would be.
As I’m riding the bus, I text my girlfriend to tell her that I had landed and was on my way to Shinagawa. She texts back stating that I was supposed to meet her in Shinjuku. This should have been worked out previously but please do understand that our apartment is close to Shinagawa and not Shinjuku. I arrive in Shinagawa, take my bags from the bus and trek to the train station. At this point I’m still doing good. I’m excited about my trip and barely feel the weight bearing down on my shoulders. My girlfriend arrives at the station carrying just one simple suitcase. I ask here where her other bags are and she says she has mailed them to the apartment. Smart on her part, yes, but easier as well as she was moving from Hiroshima and not the US.
We then proceed to journey from Shinagawa to Shinjuku on the train. Not an easy task with all my bags but it gets worse. At Shinjuku she informs me that we have to make our way to yet another station where our hotel was reserved for our first night (we’d be moving into the apartment the next day). She did not tell me we were transferring to the subway. There are many stairs between the surface of the earth and the subway system. Carrying 150 pounds up and down them is not the easiest of tasks. My shoulders very soon began to feel gravity’s mighty hand shoving the weight of my bags deep into my shoulders. I could feel the sting of my shoulder being rubbed raw from my duffel.
Luckily after riding the subway, the hotel was not too far. As we arrived at the hotel, I could feel anger build up inside me as I thought about my girlfriends lack of consideration for me as she had to of known I’d have several bags with me and yet chose a hotel so far away. I sucked my anger back down and presented her with her birthday gift, an open heart necklace from Tiffany and Co. We then had a pleasant evening as we strolled though Shinjuku checking out the sites. The next day however, it was back to lugging all my bags back to Shinagawa and then to the apartment. As I drag my bags into the apartment, I go to the sliding glass door and look out. What do I see? Business Hotel Ripple* right on the other side of the street.
*Hotel’s with unique names such as Hotel Ripple are typically love hotels. Love hotels are typically more expensive but are incredible. They think of every amenity you could possibly need and provide it for you. There is anonymity to you staying in them as well as you simply pick the room from a computer screen. No human interaction required.
I landed at Narita International Airport with my carry on (40 pounds), my duffel bag (40 pounds) and my suitcase (70 pounds). I thought this was fairly reasonable considering I will be living here in Japan for a year.My next step was finding my way from Narita to Tokyo. This step was easy enough. I left the baggage claim area and immediately found a place to buy a bus ticket. I purchase one to take me to Shinagawa which is close to where my apartment would be.
As I’m riding the bus, I text my girlfriend to tell her that I had landed and was on my way to Shinagawa. She texts back stating that I was supposed to meet her in Shinjuku. This should have been worked out previously but please do understand that our apartment is close to Shinagawa and not Shinjuku. I arrive in Shinagawa, take my bags from the bus and trek to the train station. At this point I’m still doing good. I’m excited about my trip and barely feel the weight bearing down on my shoulders. My girlfriend arrives at the station carrying just one simple suitcase. I ask here where her other bags are and she says she has mailed them to the apartment. Smart on her part, yes, but easier as well as she was moving from Hiroshima and not the US.
We then proceed to journey from Shinagawa to Shinjuku on the train. Not an easy task with all my bags but it gets worse. At Shinjuku she informs me that we have to make our way to yet another station where our hotel was reserved for our first night (we’d be moving into the apartment the next day). She did not tell me we were transferring to the subway. There are many stairs between the surface of the earth and the subway system. Carrying 150 pounds up and down them is not the easiest of tasks. My shoulders very soon began to feel gravity’s mighty hand shoving the weight of my bags deep into my shoulders. I could feel the sting of my shoulder being rubbed raw from my duffel.
Luckily after riding the subway, the hotel was not too far. As we arrived at the hotel, I could feel anger build up inside me as I thought about my girlfriends lack of consideration for me as she had to of known I’d have several bags with me and yet chose a hotel so far away. I sucked my anger back down and presented her with her birthday gift, an open heart necklace from Tiffany and Co. We then had a pleasant evening as we strolled though Shinjuku checking out the sites. The next day however, it was back to lugging all my bags back to Shinagawa and then to the apartment. As I drag my bags into the apartment, I go to the sliding glass door and look out. What do I see? Business Hotel Ripple* right on the other side of the street.
*Hotel’s with unique names such as Hotel Ripple are typically love hotels. Love hotels are typically more expensive but are incredible. They think of every amenity you could possibly need and provide it for you. There is anonymity to you staying in them as well as you simply pick the room from a computer screen. No human interaction required.
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