Waiting To Find Out If I Made The JET Programme

So... here it is the beginning of February, and my buddy Vincent tells me that Japanese consulates around the world are beginning to e-mail JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme applicants to inform those lucky few that they have made it to the interview process.

Naturally people are quite nervous as, I will personally attest (and my friend Matthew, too, perhaps - he got married there!), that the experience in japan is life-changing for the better.

Vincent asked me about my own personal recollections regarding the waiting and interview process, and so... you ask, I do...

After giving the lust of my college life a lift home one evening, she mentioned that she wanted to go to Japan to teach English on something called the JET Programme. I had never heard of it, and had never given much thought about the future except to hope that one day I might actually get laid for the first time.

She also mentioned that she was going to apply to the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program - we were both in our second-year of a two year journalism program in college after we each graduated from university - and while I had heard about this, I never gave it much thought because what were the odds the best newspaper in Canada would ever hire students from a community college when there were so many respected journalism schools in our Canadian universities.

So... over the next few days, I pumped her... unfortunately only for information, though I was still trying for the other.

JET Programme. I told my mom about it, and she actually found all the information for me, and even requested the documents to be sent to me, but the Japanese consulate in Toronto said it would be best if I picked them up, as time was running out.

Now... this was in 1989 and before e-mail and the Internet became everyday things. And, since I was in school and my mom worked reasonably close to the consulate, she picked it up for me.

The key things needed for the initial application were that I had to be a Canadian citizen  - check; have graduated from university - barely with a BA in Political Science - check; and be between the age of 18-34 - at the time of my application, I was 25, so - check.

I filled out the required information, got transcripts from my university and some from the college, noted that I had coached women's soccer for seven years, taught piano and clarinet for three... and added a photo and had some people swear I was a decent person: a neighbor; the Dean of Humber College Squee Gordon; and a adult female piano student.

And then came the tough part. I had to state WHY I wanted to go to Japan.

Despite my new-found penchant for telling the truth (since I turned 18), telling the Japan Consulate of Toronto that I wanted to go to Japan because a girl I liked was also trying to go and I desperately wanted to get laid - was out of the equation.

So... I got creative.

I had never, ever wanted to go to Japan. Never. Even now I was doing this because I felt the effort would appease my folks. I had only ever wanted to go to see the pyramids of Egypt, and check out the temples of the Aztec, Maya and Inca. That's it.

I never had a dream about Japan. Never knew anything about the place except from the somewhat racist, but incredibly funny episodes of Gilligan's Island (Japanese soldier played by Vito Scotti - who certainly didn't have a Japanese name!), and an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati - where I learned that OHIO - where Cincinnati is located means 'good morning' in Japanese.

Okay, I also knew about that line: Domo arigato, Mister Roboto from some group I didn't really listen to (at the time) - Styx. 

That was the extent of my knowledge of Japan. Pretty sad, eh?

Well, I did know some stuff about Japan and World War II because I loved to learn a few things about history. I knew all about the atomic bombs (not really... I knew that two were dropped, and that the Enola Gay dropped the first one over Hiroshima thanks to a Revel plastic model airplane kit I built).

But... rather than go to a library and read up on Japan, I decided to be raw and honest. Since World War II was what I knew most about Japan, I thought I would work that into my response about why I wanted to go to Japan.

The exact words are lost the files of the Japan Consulate of Toronto's filing, but essentially I said I wanted to go to Japan to meet and talk with people about World War II. I know that history books are always written by the winners, but I wanted to go to Japan to talk to people about their experiences of the war.

Pretty naive, I'm sure.

I had my mother type up my statement and correct all my spellers and bad grammar - my mother was a saint - and mailed it off. Okay, my mother actually dropped it off in person. Saint, I tells ya!

Now, unlike most of the other people applying to the JET Programme, I didn't really have that much a vested interest in the whole thing, and could have cared less if I made it or didn't. I still wasn't getting laid and had moved on to some other fruitless pursuit (insert whatever woman's name you want HERE).

So... I wasn't worried or fretting over a damn thing.

The same with my application to the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program. I just didn't care. I just wanted to get laid.

So... imagine my surprise five weeks later when I was informed that I had an interview with the Toronto Star, who were coming to our school for the chat. Apparently they only interviewed five people from the journalism program.

A day later, in February, I received notification that the Japanese Consulate wanted to interview me.

Awwwwwww crap.

Since going to Humber College for the journalism program, everything had been coming up Andrew.
Excluding not getting laid, I was like Ferris Bueller - I was winning. First time ever. Not bad for a kid nearly two years younger than everyone else in high school and who was bullied so much he wanted to kill himself or kill everyone else. But... this being Toronto, getting guns, at that time, was difficult. And I was just frustrated and angry, not certifiable.

So... I had my interview with the Toronto Star.  I told them I was also being considered for a teaching position with the JET Programme in Japan.

The next day I went to the Consulate offices and told them I had just had an interview with the Toronto Star for their prestigious Summer Internship Program.

I played one off the other.

Each was impressed that the other thought highly of me, and perhaps they each liked the ambition I was showing. Or maybe they liked my ability to communicate.

Being bullied for years, I learned to bullshit people. I also have a BA in BS, also known as Political Science. I know how to talk, and I know how to sling it. Still do.

At the Consulate, they brought up the written statement of WHY I wanted to go to Japan and suggested that the people of Japan may not be so open about their role in the war. I asked why and turned it around asking my questioners about whether their parents had served - and lo and behold, they started talking... they answered my queries about the war and their parents. I expressed my belief that while I am not a forceful person, I can talk to anyone about anything... from farmers, businessmen, kids, adults, seniors, rich, poor, men, women, whatever...

I think they believed I really could. I could. I can. I think that part about being a good journalist-in-the-making was showing here.

Being in the JET Programme, and indeed in life, is all about communicating effectively. If it's not, it bloody well should be. I did see eggheads in Japan who knew everything about Japan, had always wanted to be in Japan, and were super smart - book smart... but they were the most boring people I had ever met.

Me? I might be an egomaniac to some, confident to others, but I am NOT boring. I'm not stupid either, but at this time I was only just getting over being a lazy bastard.

So... with the newspaper and teaching interviews out of the way, I did what I in Toronto. I went to school and excelled at editing newspaper articles written by others, I wrote my own stories, I was the nice, friendly guy that would talk to anyone anywhere anytime about anything, I helped anyone who needed help, I did my school internships (got fired from one after the girl I liked  - the one who told be about JET - got there and stole a full-time job from me and was a bitch about it), put out the school paper, partied heavily with the journalism students, coached the women's college soccer team, tried to date a gorgeous athletic director, dated a couple of other women, taught piano to eight students, clarinet to one, and excelled at school.

I was a busy guy and my parents were proud that I was no longer being a punchline to a William Shatner Saturday Night Live skit (Hope THIS works), as I lived in my parent's basement.

Then came the news that I was accepted in the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program, becoming the first Canadian community college student to be accepted into it - ever.

The next day, I found out I was accepted by the JET Programme to go and teach in Japan.

Let me tell you something... the Japan thing scared the crap out of me. Here I was accepted to be a reporter for the best newspaper in Canada and I was going to have to cut it short to go and work in Japan - a place I still didn't want to go to.

What if I never got a chance to work for the newspaper again? As well, they often hired interns to work full-time once the summer was over.

I really didn't want to go to Japan.

But... this time it was my Dad who calmed down. Do the newspaper internship and then quit to go to Japan for the one year contract - and then, when I get back to try to get back into the newspaper business.

Right up until the very last night when I was to go to Japan, I had to be convinced this was the right thing to do. I really didn't want to go to Japan.

I stayed in Japan for three years and pretty much loved every minute of it. I had highs and lows, but I was constantly learning - and you can't beat more knowledge. Ever.

And, as it turns out, there was a major recession that hit Canada in 1990... the Toronto Star didn't hire any interns to work full-time that year. The recession continued the next year, and when my one-year contract was up for renewal, I knew that job prospects in Canada were slim - thanks Dad - so I signed up for a second year. I signed up for a third and final year - the most one can do on the JET Programme - without consulting anyone but myself, because I was really enjoying learning.

So... I suppose I was the exception and not the rule as per the average JET applicant. I didn't want to go except to get laid, and they took me anyway. After one month in Japan I finally did get laid, by the way... and I never worked as a newspaper reporter again. And it didn't bother me one bit.

Go with the flow, people. Go with the flow. If you get in - great - enjoy how ever long you decide to stay. If you don't get in this year - apply again next year. And the next, if you really want to go. Or... just go to Japan and try and get a job teaching English at one of their many teaching schools. I know of at least four people who did that and had a great time. But please - have some personality. One should be enough.

And, just so you know... I did ask a number of Japanese people about Japan and World War II. Despite being private and shy, people would open up to me and tell me everything. A bottle of shochu (the real term for rice wine - that everyone mistakenly calls sake) is a great ice breaker, by the way.

Somewhere writing about Japan 22-1/2 years later,
Andrew Joseph  

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Japan Nose Comedy

I was actually scanning the world wide interweeb thingy looking for something strange--and didn't find what I was looking for.

That in itself was strange because the Japanese do a lot of weird stuff, and I thought for sure there would be someone doing it, but for my friend Vincent - sorry man - I couldn't find it anywhere.

That said, or not said, because I still hold out hope that I will find what I am looking for, I did come across something strange.

It's Japanese all right, and while it is also strange, it's funny ha-ha, rather than funny-strange. Cute almost. Which given the Japanese propensity for all things cute nearly made me puke.

But having reflexed that gag, what I found is still worth sharing.

Some gaijin recorded a Japanese comedy act from his television and placed it on YouTube, describing Japan Nose Comedy.

Using cutouts, he... well... just watch the clip. It's pretty inventive.

I also thought that the drawings he used were pretty good, too. Think he did it himself? Who knows.

I'm unsure who this comedian is, but he does make me wonder how he came up with the act. While I am unsure if it is original, I've not seen anything like it before.

About all I can do with my large nose is have my tongue touch the tip of it. And, despite having a somewhat large nose (compared to the average Japanese person), my trick has more to do with the length of my tongue.

Many people (women) around the world know what I am talking about. Others... you know my name, look up me number.

By the way... because I utilize a c-pap machine to combat (successfully) my sleep apnea, I wear a mask that covers my mouth and nose. For the record, my mask is a medium. Who would have foretold that?

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Hojojutsu

I have my secret skills with rope and binding, but it seems as though the Japanese have me and the Boy Scouts beat all to hell.

Hojojutsu, is supposed to be an way of binding, done in a way so as to become its own martial art.  

I saw a blog written about Hojojutsu, and rather than put my own unique skill on it, I think I will instead direct you to the site where it was admirably put together.  

Please check out the Lingualift blog HERE. It is written by Holly Daffurn.

Ahhh, blogging. The ties that bind.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Canadian and Japanese Companies Form Energy Partnership

Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based AltaGas Ltd. and Japanese energy company Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. have agreed to form a partnership to export liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Asia.

According to terms from the deal, each company will own 50 per cent of the enterprise to be called AltaGas Idemitsu Joint Venture Limited Partnership.

"We are excited to partner with Idemitsu, a global leader in the supply of energy, petroleum, lubricants and petrochemical products and services to the people of Japan. Idemitsu has a proud heritage of creating value for the benefit of Japan and the societies, consumers and communities in which they operate,” says AltGas chairman and chief executive officer David Cornhill.

The companies are looking to develop long-term natural gas supply and sales arrangements to meet the growing demand for natural gas in Asia, particularly Japan, Asia’s largest LNG consumer.

The joint venture will undertake feasibility study that will be completed in early 2014 for the development and construction of liquefaction facilities as part of the proposed exporting project.

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd., a wholly-owned AltaGas subsidiary, will provide the pipeline capacity required to transport natural gas to the liquefaction facility.

Following consultations with Canada's First Nations, and the completion of studies and various regulatory hurdles, the companies forecast exports ready to begin in 2017.

LPG exports will also be pursued, which would involve logistics, plant refrigeration and storage facilities. A feasibility study is to be completed this year, and with approvals in order, exporting could begin in 2016.

The two companies intend to extend the partnership to owning and operating other infrastructure assets for other energy businesses in North America.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Let Them Eat Dirt: A Restaurant Review

Everyone has a dirty little secret. Some of us share it (most of it) with the world, others keep it locked up in their brain fearing a Julian Assange has moved into the neighborhood (WikiLeaks founder). And still others don't care if you know all their dirt. In fact, they revel in it. Some love to hear dirt... but do people want to eat dirt?

Let's look at the French restaurant Ne Quittez Pas (translates in English to 'Please Don't Leave'), a place located in Tokyo, Japan that has a whole specialty course involving dirt as an ingredient.

No, there is no alternate definition for dirt, in this case. It's exactly what it sounds like. Dirt. As in the stuff you might walk on and be asked to scrape off your shoes before your mom lets you into the house.

Dirt.

Okay... maybe it's not just an ingredient one digs up in the backyard.

According to Torii Saeko (surname first), a representative of dirt manufacturer Protoleaf: "The dirt is called Kuro Tsuchi and it's volcanic ashes mixed with soil and plants from the Kanto District in Japan."

The Kanto district is that large swathe of area around Tokyo going up to Tochigi-ken (where there was a fair bit of radiation after the Fukushima-ken Dai-ichi nuclear accidents back in 2011). Other prefectures include Gunma-ken, Ibaraki-ken, Saitama-ken, Chiba-ken and Kanagawa-ken.

I think it's always good to know exactly where your dirt is coming from.

Torii adds, "It (the dirt mixture) has good bacteria, healthy minerals, and is natural and pure."

Can't argue with natural and pure. By the way, arsenic is also natural and pure, but it may not be good for you. It's always good to have someone else try the food or elements of the periodic table first.

According to Rocket News - a decent Japanese website - they sampled the wares at Ne Quittez Pas.

They say that while the dishes do look 'dirty', none tasted like dirt and were actually described as 'delicious' and 'divine'. Dead emperors were considered divine before the end of World War II, but if I ate one, would it still be delicious or sacrilegious?

Anyhow, they (Rocket News) sampled such dishes as:

• potato starch and dirt soup;
• salad with dirt dressing;
• aspic made with oriental clams and a top layer of sediment;
• dirt risotto with sauteed sea bass (see photo at the very top);
• dirt gratin, and;
• dirt ice cream.

What the hell is with the aspic? Where's the dirt? Sediment is not necessarily dirt, my friend! But, I suppose it's moot. Aspic? I hate that gelatin with food crap. Yuck.

Salad with Dirt Dressing. Someone make sure the leaves are washed, though.

But what about drinks, Rocket News? I'm sure Ne Quittiez Pas has plenty of drinks at their establishment, but none dirty. But that's okay - tell them to put your beverage in a dirty glass.

Rocket News says that the dirt they tasted had coffee grinds and palm fiber. Hopefully someone spit in the coffee grinds and had a monkey pee on the palm fiber. If you're going to go natural and pure, let's use all of Mother Nature.

While Protoleaf says their product is safe to eat - how do you know? How do you know what is really in your dirt? Could there be bits of glass (fused sand), toxins (I'm thinking arsenic) or rocks (like stones, but different). :)

Seriously folks, the restaurant and Protoleaf expect that by saying the dirt has good bacteria in it, that people will come running. The runs may be involved, but if you need bacteria (and we do), rather than lick a handrail at a train station, you could have a yogurt.

I've also heard that good bacteria is also in tempeh (not the one in Arizona), olives (not Popeye's girlfriend, but who really knows - guh-guh-guh-guh-guh-guh), pickles (Buddy's wife from the Dick Van Dyke TV show - why do I even know her name?!) or sauerkraut (too easy a joke). (I've got a million of 'em. Now... take my wife... please!)

And, if it's just dirt you want to eat, come to my house. It's filthy.

But if international dirt is more your thing, I'm sure its worth the drive, flight and walk and ambulance ride) to Ne Quittez Pas.

To wash down the meal - Dirt Ice Cream.

And, because it's been a while... I once ate at a French restaurant in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken. My bosses at the OBOE (Ohtawara Board of Education) took me there for my 26th birthday. They ordered the most expensive thing on the menu for me. They smiled evil-like as they did so and said they would tell me what it was after I ate it.

Okay, I'm gamey. I was served a tall glass of chilled tomato consomme with some whitish grey froth on top. Okayyyyyy. I purposely dug down past the white froth to get at the red chilled consomme. I dipped a spoon in and say 'Mmmmm" because I am a consummate consomme professional and already dislike the consistency of this.

Still, because it's my birthday and because I don't want to disappoint these Japanese gentlemen who have befriended me these past several months - and I want to be the best gaijin (foreigner) possible and not cause trouble - I ate it. Froth and all - in several gut-wrenching spoonfulls.

As I swallowed (gulped in fear, actually) quickly, and was finished, I leaned over towards Mr. Kanemaru (the one boss who could not speak much English - as Mr. Hanazaki the better English speaker was off getting us more beer).

Kanemaru-san smiled at me and said in perfect English: "Delicious?"

When did he learn to do that?

Crap. Be nice, Andrew: "Hai (yes)."

"Would you like another?" - again with the perfect English.

"Oh no... that was good. So... what was it?"

Using his Japanese to Englih dictionary, he painfully found each word and translated it for me: tomato... consomme (I had no idea what consomme was back then, to be honest)... and then I asked what the stuff was at the top... he smiled an evil smile and showed me - he had this page folded (heathen - you don't wreck books!)... and pointed with his nicotine-stained pointing finger to: 'sea turtle'. Was he mocking me?

"Honto (really?)" I asked.

"Yesss," he hissed.

Whew! I thought... and then he flipped to another folded page and pointed ominously.... nodding that I should look if I dare... but because I had no idea he was being ominous, I looked...'phlegm'. That's spit...

Say what?!

I looked again... "Honto (really)?" I asked again.

He nodded, as I turned green as the algae growing on the back of a... what... crap... sea turtle.

I slumped back into the chair and wondered why they hated me so. If they wanted a new assistant English teacher, just tell me - don't kill me.

And... then I wondered.

What if the chef ran out of sea turtle phlegm? Would he just cough up a lougie (heavy chunk of spit)? Who would know?

Ugh.

I never ate French food in Japan again. Except for French Fries, though I preferred to call them Freedom Fries after the panicky U.S coined 11 years later.

It was my birthday! Couldn't they have let me eat cake?!

Somewhere wondering which tastes worse (in my head): Dirt or sea turtle phlegm.
Andrew Joseph

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Canada and Japan Discuss Free Trade

Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper and Japan's Abe Shinzo (surname first) say they will work together to create a free trade agreement between the two countries.

In a January 28, 2013 phone call to congratulate Abe on his recent election, Harper mentioned that enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations between Canada and Japan is important to the prosperity of both countries. They also discussed the potential for energy co-operation and matters of international security.

So… Canada's Stephen Harper is calling Abe now to congratulate him on becoming prime minister?! Abe was elected back on December 16, 2012, I think!

What the hell took him so long to call?! You win hockey's Stanley Cup - he calls immediately. Evidently, becoming the prime minister of Japan is not as important as sports in the squinty little eyes of Canada's leader).

Harper also offered his condolences to Abe and the families of Japanese nations who were killed after militants attacked a remote gas plant in Algeria earlier this month.

I think the media is spying on these two guys…

Harper’s conversation with Abe came just hours after Japan announced it was relaxing restrictions on imported beef from Canada and three other countries a decade after raising barriers amid the so-called mad cow disease scare.

Ah, so desu ne. Thanks for letting out cows back onto your dinner menu, Japan! We should now do business. We wouldn't do business with you before because you weren't willing to do business with us. And Canada is the third-largest exporter of beef in the world!

Japan’s Foreign Ministry said it will allow imports of beef from cows up to 30 months old, effective February 1, 2013. The previous standard was to ban imports of beef from animals older than 20 months.

The Canadian government estimates the potential market value of beef exports to Japan will rise to between $140 million (¥12.6 billion) and $150 million (¥13.5 billion) a year, about double what they have been.

Yeee-hah!

Canada gets some money and you gist our sick beef.

I'm kidding… Canadian beef rules - all else drools. 

Free Trade with Japan and Canada? Will that make my television purchases cheaper? How about my cars? How about air tickets so I can have all this beautiful Japanese women come and visit me (in secret, of course. Shhhhhh).

Time will tell… but really… what the hell was Canada's leader waiting on before calling and saying 'hi'?

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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New Movie Coming Up: Emperor

There's a new movie coming out on March 8, 2013 called Emperor about the days following the surrender of Japan ending World War II.

The flick - which actually premiered a few months ago in Toronto at the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) looks at life in Japan during early days of America's occupation of its defeated foe, with General Douglas MacArthur suddenly in charge.

Historically correct, the movie looks at MacArthur having General Bonner Fellers - an expert in Japanese culture - quietly determine if Japan's emperor Hirohito should be punished for war crimes or saved.

The main problem regarding Japan and its Emperor - see, it could also be MacArthur as the ruler of Japan - is that the Emperor up until this time was revered by the Japanese people as being divine.

The movie Emperor stars Tommy Lee Jones (Academy Award winner) as MacArthur, Matthew Fox (formerly starring in the television program Lost) as Fellers and Hatsune Eriko (surname first), a gorgeous Japanese actress who plays Aya, the foxy love interest to Fox.

Directed by Peter Webber, the one-hour and 38-minute Emperor also stars: Nishida Roshiyuki (surname first) as General Kajima; Momoi Kaori (surname first) as Kajima Mitsuko; and Colin Moy as General Richter.

Here are a trailer of Emperor for you:

Oh, and because you care, here are some figures on Hatsune Eriko (初音映莉子)
Birthdate: March 24, 1982;
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan;
Height: 170 centimeters (5'-7");
Blood Type: A
Education: Horikoshi High School
Hobbies: Shopping, reading, listening to music
Specialties: Distance running, volleyball and waking up early (??!!??!!).

Cheers,
Andrew Joseph
Thank-you Matthew for the nod in my general direction.

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Mascot Dancing Earns World Record For Japan

First off, I just want to state for the record that the Guinness World Records ain't what it used to be. I recall when you could flip it open and state in awe at the World's Heaviest Man, Tallest Woman or Shortest Person. And, if you were so inclined, you could see the man with the longest fingernails, longest hair,Siamese Twins - stuff that made you go, 'cool'.

And then there's this... what I like to call American Kabuki, or what the rest of the world knows it as 'mascots'.

The photo above - I have no idea where those two mascots are from - Mario and Luigi? Why is there a band-aid on the penis head?

Seems that this past Sunday, January 27, 2013, a bunch of Japanese mascots set a Guinness Record for most number of mascots performing a synchronized dance.

Oh, that the race of man could sink so low.

You can tell I am not at all down with this record.

There were a total of 141 people dressed up as a mascot - and, if you know who any of them are, please let me know so I can do additional mocking - and, setting the record were 134 of them who danced continuously and in unison for five minutes.

That was the gist. Continuously and In Unison. For FIVE minutes.

The American Kabuki - mascots - were the domain of sports teams. The Phillie Phanatic and the San Diego Chicken were perhaps the two most famous mascots in the history of sports - both in the National League of Major League Baseball.

Twenty years ago, there was even a Simpson's episode where Homer was called to the big leagues to be a baseball team mascot... but failed, as hick town antics failed to impress the high-falooting City dwellers.   

Anyhow, these Japanese mascots are known as yuru-kyara (it means 'loose characters) and danced to a descent enough musical tune - something called The Beard Dance - which sounds slightly dirty, now that I think of it... yes... I'm having a flashback... arms flailing from side to side... no wait... I'm just falling off my chair. Always keep the feet of your chair on the ground.

The Beard Dance is something done by The Drifters, a Japanese comedy-rock band (a part of me wants to say - is there any other? - but I have heard some good stuff via Marketing Japan!). Isn't there a 50s American doo-wop group called The Drifters? So much for Japanese originality!

Anyhow... 'loose characters' doing the beard dance? It sounds like a typical night out for old Andrew back in Japan and for quite few years afterwards here in Toronto. It's not so much 'dirty' as it is full of sexual innuendo. Even the word 'innuendo' is full of innuendo.

So... the mascots set the record on their third attempt. Whew! That's a lot of dirty dancing by these mascots in big, sweaty costumes. Is that vomit I smell?

Anyhow... once Japan discovered the cuteness factor that could be obtained via American Kabuki, it has taken over the genre. Excluding the government, Japan never does anything half-assed. That can't be right. I should have looked up some numbers, but I didn't feel like I had to.

Nowadays, Japan uses mascots to promote product brands (sure, McDonald's did it!), recycling (America had Woodsy Owl - Give a hoot! Don't Pollute! - obviously the campaign worked, if I can remember that and can hoot), tax collectors (uh... does it look like the Sheriff of Nottingham?), and even the Liberal Democratic Party is looking for one (I say it should look like a horses ass).

I have no idea how anyone can know this, but there are an estimated 1,000 yura-kyara in Japan.

Why Japan?

It's this love of cuteness that makes Russia and China want to club you over the head like a baby seal and steal your islands.

Oh well... here's a YouTube video of the Guinness World Record. I watched it twice to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

Somewhere hooting for Alec Guinness - these aren't the mascots you are looking for,  
Andrew Joseph
PS: Special thanks, as always, to the beautiful Caroline for the heads off to the mascot story.
By the way... the very first story I ever wrote for the Toronto Star newspaper was a piece on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meeting Domer (the Toronto Skydome Turtle). While the story sucked - mascots are not allowed to speak, so my interview with those pizza-eating adolescent martial-arts Chelonii was rather one-sided with me having to creatively ask and answer questions so they could nod 'yes' or 'no' or point to their nose with a bulbous finger - I did enjoy hitting on the moms who were at the event with their Little Monsters. My own Guinness Record for futility (ie more virgin than Jesus' mom) held strong and true for another few months until I got to Japan and came out of my shell.

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LDP: A Different View From An Outsider

Wow... this blog has been taking a hit the past few days, as readership is down. WTF? Maybe I need more girlfriends?

Speaking of which, politics - bedfellows, and all that.

I've been hard on the Liberal Democratic Party - the leaders of Japan - recently. But let me play Devil's Advocate, and look at things from their side.

The LDP wants to increase its military presence to protect what it believes to be their islands in the southwest of Japan. To protect it from incursions by China who have now decided that Japan has too much on its plate to adequately look after these islands.

If America or some other country suddenly said - hey, Canada... those islands to the north... they are out of your jurisdiction and we think they belong to us, and we're sending ships to claim it... I would, as a Canadian, be pretty pissed down here in Toronto.

I would want my country to stand up to the bullying nation and make sure no one steps on us to take what belongs to us (some island I've never been to or even know what it does).

I would want my country to prove that it has the guts to not back down from a fight!

And... that's what the LDP is doing for Japan.

And so, I understand why it's being done. I think I even understand why China is doing this now.

You and I can love the LDP all we want, or we can hate the LDP all we want. This is going to play out, one way or the other. The US will become involved, or perhaps the United Nations. There will be political discussions, sanctions, possible conflicts. People may die.

But... if you believe that the land is yours, why wouldn't you want to protect it? If you give in... what's to stop China, or anyone else from stepping in and saying that another set of islands is theirs? If you show weakness, that weakness will be exploited. Again and again.

I may have a political science degree in international relations (does sleeping around count?), but I don't know how this conflict can be settled to avoid China getting a closer foothold to Japan...

But, at least this exercise has taught me that I should at least be fair in how I spew my venom.

And... I haven't even looked at China's side in all of this.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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More Military For Dispute With China

Japan is set to boost the number of military personnel, Defence Minister Onodera Itsunori (surname first)  said on January 27, 2013, as the new government led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) tackles a territorial spat with China over East China Sea islets.

I assume that means more Japanese military personnel, and not U.S.

Yeesh,

Andrew Joseph

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Howling Like The Japanese Wolf

Here's an interesting story about the boy who cried wolf - except that this time he is searching - for 40 years now - for a wolf long thought extinct in Japan.

For 40 years! Wow! While I am unsure if he has gathered any solid evidence to make his search more palpable, Yagi Hiroshi (surname first) is tenacious.

I mean the last official capture of one of these creatures was back in 1905 when hunters killed one in Higashi-Yoshino in Nara-ken (Nara Prefecture), and no one has seen one - not even the hairs of its chinny-chin-chin - in all that time.

So... what made Yagi think the Honshu Wolf (also known as the Japanese Wolf or Nihon Ōkami was still alive?

A howling he heard when he was 19-years-old in a beech wood forest on Mount Naeba, a volcano on the border of Nagano and Niigata prefectures in central Honshū, Japan situated about 200 kilometers from Tokyo.

Yagi Hiroshi

I think I am impressed by Yagi... because he has found something he truly believes in and is willing to dedicate his life to it.

The Japanese Wolf does not, in my opinion, look much like the typical wolf I think of, that are in the wilds of Canada or in the cartoons I adore. This Japanese wolf looks like a fox, as you can see from the Wikipedia image photographed by Momotarou2012. 

If you look at the photo of the taxidermied Japanese Wolf, it has a pointy face and a curled tail tip, and the black 'socks' that sure make it look fox-like. They are 35-inches (89-centimeters) long and about 12-inches (30-centimeters) high at the shoulder and are the smallest known sub-species of the Grey Wolf.

As an extinct species, the Japanese wolf is on the Japanese Red List of the Environment Ministry.

The Japanese Wolf population took its first major hit when a rabies outbreak decimated it in 1732.

Diet-wise, the creature ate animals larger than it like deer and wild boars, as well as rodents and rabbits - hares, actually, which made it something the local Japanese farmer actually appreciated because it helped reduce farm pests.

In fact, the Japanese Wolf is/was thought of kindly by many regions of farmers thanks to its ability to help control deer and boar and others which would eat their crops. So much so, that it was worshiped as a guardian god.

But, by the time the Meiji-era came about in 1868, the Japanese government said the Japanese wolf was a threat to livestock and ordered it exterminated as another pest. The Japanese people's expansion into the forest areas also so its habitat affected.

And so... by 1905, the last Japanese wolf was gone.

But, maybe there's a small enclave out there. That's what Yagi hopes for. It would be a shame to have to come to grips with yet another animal being wiped from the face of the Earth just to have us dumb humans put up another house.

So... in Yagi's travels, he decided to visit an area of Japan where there are a lot of shrines to the Japanese wolf... and then went searching.

And... back in October of 1996, Yagi this photograph below:

This wolf is alive and walking about. It doesn't have the exact markings of the wolf specimen in the photo at the top... but it's close.

A zootaxy expert (someone who classifies animals) has said that it "is possibly a surviving descendent of the Japanese wolf."

The image was taken in the Okuchichibu Mountains, a huge range of mountains that covers the western part of Tokyo, the western part of Saitama Prefecture, the southwestern part of Gunma Prefecture, the southeastern part of Nagano Prefecture, the northern part of Yamanashi Prefecture.

Here's a Japanese-language YOUTUBE Video.

Since then, Yagi says there are 10 or so sightings of a Japanese Wolf every year, but even he admits he must take such data with a grain of salt.

He still hasn't found definitive proof that the Japanese Wolf is still alive, but that photo and others he took during that outing in 1996 have at least given him - and us stupid humans - hope.

I'll take that for now.

Cheers,
Andrew Joseph

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Toyota and BMW Are Green Collaborating

The Toyota Motor Corp. and BMW Group are working together on next-generation batteries for green vehicles called lithium-air as their collaboration, first announced in late 2011, moves ahead in fuel cells, sports vehicles and other fields.

But both sides said January 24, 2013 that their partnership will not involve a capital alliance while spanning a wide range of technologies for green vehicles.

So... it's not about the green... it's about the green.

The Japanese and German automakers aim to complete a fuel-cell vehicle system by 2020, and a concept for a mid-size sports vehicle by the end of this year.

They will also work together on developing lightweight technologies such as composites, which will help make cars greener.

First up, for the combo is to create a lithium-air battery - not a lithium-ion battery like what has downed the fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jets.

No, the lithium-air battery will simply be much more powerful than the lithium-ion batteries currently (no pun intended) used in electric vehicles. (Okay, maybe a little pun.)

Of course, the technology has not yet been created, but in theory it must be more powerful than the lithium-ion battery which severally limits the range a vehicle may travel. Not to mention the speed, which I won't. Slllllllooooooooowwwwww.

Toyota and BMW are not alone in trying to develop this technology, but the plan is to have the battery's energy-making process come from the oxygen in the air.

Breathe, damn you! Breathe! It's aliiiiivve!

BMW AG board member Herbert Diess says cooperating with Toyota makes sense, saying the cooperation will help both companies boost competitiveness in new technologies.
“We really share the same vision,” says Diess.

Toyota vice-chairman Uchiyamada Takeshi (surname first) feels that the team-up will mean faster development.

Uchiyamada says both companies share a corporate culture and they have built trust over the past year when an agreement to work on technologies together was signed in June of 2012.

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen and General Motors Co. of the U.S. also have a deal to share in the purchase of parts and services to cut costs.

Toyota already has a joint venture with Peugeot Citroen.

Politics makes strange bedfellows, what with everyone eating popcorn in bed, but so to do automakers. Especially in the backseat.

Will the Toyota-BMW partnership pay dividends? Perhaps.

BMW has a reputation for designing and building sportier, popular vehicles, while Toyota is known for innovation and excellent engineering. Of course, Toyota sometimes has a reputation for producing dull vehicles.

What will be the result of this unholy union? Let's check back in a few months and see what the ultrasound shows.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph
Schematic of lithium-air battery from www.treehugger.com.

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Toshiba Partners With GE To Create A Power Generation Force

GE's FlexEfficiency 60 Combined-Cycle Power Plant. PHOTO: GE

Two of the world’s largest, most wealthy conglomerates have agreed to join forces and develop select combined-cycle power generation projects around the world.

Indeed, corporate giants GE (General Electric) and Toshiba Corp. have signed a MOU (memorandum of understanding)to explore the formation of a strategic joint venture for the development of next-generation combined-cycle power projects with higher levels of thermal efficiency.

GE, with a market capitalization of $232.38 billion, and Toshiba, with its $1.61 trillion market cap, have cooperated in gas turbine combined-cycle power generation systems since 1982.

The two monoliths won a contract in 2012 to supply FlexEfficiency technology to Chubu Electric Power’s Nishi Nagoya Thermal Power Plant in Japan. This jointly configured system can achieve the world’s highest thermal efficiency of 62 per cent in peak conditions.

Combined-cycle power generation systems achieve very high fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions as compared to conventional thermal power plants by capturing the exhaust heat from a gas turbine to produce steam that drives a steam turbine and generates more electricity.

GE’s FlexEfficiency technology portfolio harnesses natural gas and enables greater use of renewable energy.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Japanese Lithium-Ion Battery At Heart of Boeing's 787 Problems

Boeing has been having issues with its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet lately - most of which can be shrugged off as birthing pains for the plane - but a recent battery fire aboard a jet has fueled overall concern—especially after Japan ordered a grounding of all 787 planes.

Luckily, the fire occurred aboard the 787 while it was on the tarmac of Logan International Airport in Boston. No one was hurt during the small but intense fire that was only 20 centimeters in width.

For a look at the 787 incidents that led to the grounding, click HERE.

The culprit for the fire is a lithium-ion battery - you can read about that and see a photo of the burned out battery HERE.

The Japan Transport and Safety Board, along with the U.S. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) have been looking into possible causes for the lithium-ion battery fire, and while they still don't know what caused it, they do know one thing that did NOT cause it.

After a battery used to power many electrical systems overheated aboard an All Nippon Airways (ANA) 787 Dreamliner earlier this month, they noticed there was a quick and sudden drop in voltage. They suspected that it was overcharged.

Turns out, those suspicions were not validated.

Japan Transport Safety Board chairman Goto Norihiro (surname first) says that the plane's data recorder showed the main battery did not exceed its maximum voltage.

The highest voltage recorded for this battery was 31 volts—below the 32 volt limit. So

Okay… so... the easiest solution is not the answer.

The lithium-ion battery is not generally utilized in aircraft, and the hopes for Japanese company GS Yuasa who manufacture the battery have taken a beating with the recent debacle. You can read about that HERE.

All 50 of the 787 Dreamliners delivered globally by Boeing have been been grounded, with Boeing holding back on further deliveries until the electrical battery problem is resolved.

Next up, the FAA and Safety Board will look at the 787's auxiliary battery to compare its data with the damaged one. They are also using JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for help, looking into the inner workings of the burnt battery via CAT (Computed Axial Tomography) scans to create a 3D image of the inside of the battery. 

Lastly, the schematic drawing of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet comes from www.flightglobal.com.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Record High Trade Deficit in 2012

Here's a great BBC News story about Japan's record high trade deficit in 2012.


HERE.

It's the second year in a row that the trade deficit has gone down in Japan which has caused major concern for the country after 30 consecutive years of trade surplus.

Chief factors include lower trade with Europe and China.

Causes - squabbles with China over some islands and Europe... I'm still guessing that everyone is wary about buying Japanese products for fear of getting contaminated.

Also... a lot of businesses in Japan were affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and near nuclear meltdowns, and so production was lower.

With bans on products from Japan due to radiation contamination - Japan suffered. As well... with a damaged infrastructure after the disasters, Japan is spending a lot of money it doesn't have to get the country (northeastern part) fixed up...

And... with a worldwide recession - people are buying less.But Japan needs more. Deficit.


Ugh... I'll be back to normal with articles in a day. I've been playing too much Epic Mickey 2 on the Play Station 3. You're welcome Sony. Easy game to play with tough challenges! Sound like Japanese economics.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Japanese Government Says Hurry Up And Die Old People!

All I can say, Japan, is that you voted these idiots into power.

Aso Taro (surname first), Japan's finance minister and deputy minister sure doesn't like old people, even though he is 72-years-old himself.

Aso (pronounced pretty close to "asshole") said this past Monday, January 21, 2013, that if he has his way, he, himself, would refuse end-of-life care because he would 'feel bad' knowing that he was being a leech on the government's back.

"I don't need that kind of care," says Abe, mentioning that he has written instructions for his family to not provide him with any life-prolonging medical treatment.

That's noble, but why deprive others of something good just because he's rich enough not to need the help?

Showing complete disregard for the fact that Japan is an aging nation - and thus possesses millions of senior citizen voters, Aso used the term 'tube people' to refer to the elderly who can't feed themselves and must rely on nutrition fed to them via a tube in a healthcare facility.

According to data from Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry, Aso says he is "well aware that it costs several tens of millions of yen" a month to treat a single patient in the final stages of life. (¥10 million = ~Cdn/US $112,000).

Aso is with the Liberal Democratic Party which was elected into power weeks ago.

Again… Japan… you helped put people like this into power. People with no compassion or common decency.

I understand Aso's point - too much money spent unwisely - but cutting social services is not the way. Especially when you want to build up a war machine army but having Japan's constitution changed to allow it to build up a military again (since the end of WWII, Japan has not been allowed to have its own military - just a special defense force for humanitarian services).

But really, you Aso… you just called the senior citizens… the ones who helped build Japan into a dominant world power… a drain on Japan's finances.

What a heartless bastard.

Here's the best part: Aso says Japan's aged should be allowed to "hurry up and die" to relieve pressure on the state to pay for their medical care.

"Heaven forbid if you are forced to live on when you want to die. I would wake up feeling increasingly bad knowing that (treatment) was all being paid for by the government," says Abe during a national council meeting on social security reforms. "The problem won't be solved unless you let them hurry up and die."

Do you get the feeling Aso is going to start visiting hospitals to personally place his Napoleonic foot on the breathing tubes of the elderly?

Aso hates you sick, old people and wants you to help save Japan money by dying now. Now, dammit!

But, why stop there? Why not form your own euthanasia clinic (like Belgium has - state sponsored) and start knocking off anyone who doesn't want to live.

How about young people with cancer - any type of cancer - even the curable ones - just so Japan can save a few bucks of government money?


Or, perhaps death camps! Got a sick kid? Let's kill him!


In a wheelchair? How could you ever be a contributing member of society? You can't! Not in a wheelchair!

Riiii-iiight.

Let me mention three letters: F-D-R. Former U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He may have died months before the end of WWII, but he was the commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces that helped kick Japan's ass (along with the rest of the Allies, of course!).

The photo at the very top - that's FDR's chair (photo found at the US National Park Service website.


Seriously, though… where does it stop, Aso?

Now… while Aso's comments were directed to the aged in Japan, about 1/4 of Japan's population of 128 million is in the senior citizen bracket. And… the last time I checked, the Liberal Democratic Party (it sounds like an oxymoron) hasn't revoked the voting privileges of that population segment yet.

And, with fewer children on the way, Japan's population is expected to get older and older, with feeble grasp of 40 per cent of the population within the next 50 years. Of course, Abe, thanks to his deal with dark forces will be 122-years-old.

Liberal Democratic Party leader and current Japanese king prime minister Abe Shinzo (surname first) must be a bit concerned. Abe was Japan's prime minister for about one-year in 2007, but was forced to resign thanks to his chosen cabinet ministers screwing up.

As for Aso, the old man who looks pretty good for his age, I must admit, but he did try to soften his comments a bit a few hours later: "I said what I personally believe, not what the end-of-life medical care system should be. It is important that you be able spend the final days of your life peacefully."

Important yes, but just know that Aso hates you.

"I see people aged 67 or 68 at class reunions who dodder around and are constantly going to the doctor," he said back in 2008 when HE was prime minister. "Why should I have to pay for people who just eat and drink and make no effort? I walk every day and do other things, but I'm paying more in taxes."

What? The rich have to pay taxes? Man… you screwed up, Japan. The rich don't pay taxes - not if you are doing it 'correctly' - nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

Here's a brief list of Aso's previous comments:

• 2008, as prime minister: called 'doddering' pensioners tax burdens who should take better care of their health.
• tube people.
• sick should hurry up and die.
• Japanese doctors lack common sense.
• made a joke about Alzheimer patients.
• poor men are unfit for marriage. 
• wants Japan to be a successful country where the 'richest Jews would want to live'.
• called the opposition party Nazi-like.
• thought Japan's rule in Taiwan was cool.
• as foreign minister said that because U.S. diplomats had blonde hair and blue eyes they would never be trusted in Middle East peace talks.

You know… this guys says a lot of interesting stuff. And yet, he keeps getting elected into positions of power. How the hell does that happen?

Can't buy me love, but it does help with the quality of life. Aso is one of the richest politicians in Japan.

Some of that fortune came about from a coal mine business his family ran during World War II when it forced 100s of Allied POWs (prisoner-of-war) to work. Wasn't that against the Geneva Convention?

Of course, Aso doesn't talk about the war in that way, because Japan never hurt anyone and no one can prove otherwise because all witnesses were killed. I'm making that part up, but seriously, he doesn't talk about any wrong-doings of Japan during the war.

Later, that business became Aso Cement, and he himself was company president between 1973 - 1979.

Aso's political lineage, despite his shoot-off-the-mouth and fend-off-questions-later approach, is solid. He grandfather was Yoshida Shigeru, a former post-WWII prime minister.

I've never said this before, but I hope Aso gets a taste of his own medicine (or doesn't get any medicine), and hope he gets some very painful and slow-moving, incurable illness. Painful being the operative (but not operative) word.

And yet… Japan… is this what you had in mind when you elected the Liberal Democratic Party into office? Again? It didn't work before, why would it work now?
I'm glad I was in Japan 20 years ago and not now. The place is beginning to scare me.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Japanese Company Made Battery That Caused Boeing 787 Fire

Geez, is a Japanese company the heart of Boeing's problems?

Recent trouble with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner passenger jet - specifically its lithium-ion battery catching fire led to Japan grounding its fleet of 787 planes.

But... who makes the lithium-ion battery? Say hello to GS Yuasa Corp. which hoped its huge sale to Boeing would allow it to make its first profit from that style of battery.

You can see a YouTube Japanese-language news video of GS Yuasa seeing a big drop in its stock prices recently:

Meanwhile, Japan's Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) traveled to GS Yuasa's head office to discuss the lithium-ion battery in question.

You can see a photo of the burnt battery on one of my blog's HERE.

As well... you can read the full story of the FAA and Japanese government question GS Yuasa in a Japan Times story: HERE.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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A Mosaic At Kaneda Minami Chu Gakko

The photo here is one I took in 1993 of a new pained tile mosaic situated on the wall of Kaneda Minami Chu Gakko (Kaneda South Junior High School) in their new library in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan.

It's huge! It was actually painted by students at the school.

At that time, Kandea Minami was being rebuilt, as the previous building was just too old... and not quite air-tight. This school was fantastic - warm in the winter and with looks of huge windows in the summer so students weren't affected too badly by the extremes of the weather.

It was at this school that I got a chance to drive a mini excavator and dig up dirt to make a track for athletics - it was being created by the teachers!

Yes... the teachers in their spare time were putting the finishing touches on the school - running heavy machinery!

The area was full of farmer families - and rich ones, so the farmers helped foot the bill for the new school.

And, just so we all know, the kids there were super friendly, always treating their foreign teacher (me) with tremendous respect. They were good students too - smart, charming and witty - and to me, it spoke volumes for the future of Japan.. kids who are now adults in their 30s.

I hope they do themselves proud.

Cheers,
Andrew Joseph
   

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Sumo Legend Taiho Is Dead

Sad news indeed, super-legend Taiho, the grandest grand champion (Yokozuna) of sumo has passed away on January 19, 2013 at the age of 72.

Taiho won a record 32 tournaments in the 1960s - a record that still stands today.

He stood tall in an era of sumo untainted by scandal and proved his championship mettle again and again with his style and class.

For a full story, click HERE.

You can also see a video below showing some of his battles. That second one was awesome - he looked like he was toast a few times only to pull one out of nowhere for the win!

Andrew Joseph


 

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Students Forced To Drink Acid As Punishment

I've seen and heard of some ridiculous punishments forced by teachers onto students in my day from all over the world, but this one in Japan takes the proverbial cake.

A junior high school teacher with the Gamagori Board of Education in Gamagōri-shi, a city in Aichi-ken (Aichi Prefecture), is reported to have forced two third-year students to drink diluted hydrochloric acid in his science class late last year as a punishment for their failed experiment.

Hydrochloric acid (see photo to the left) is a strong corrosive - but it is found in the human stomach. One of the key uses of hydrochloric acid is to remove rust from iron ore and steel before further processing. Of course, the proper concentration of acid is required...

Read the full story HERE from The Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

Holy smokes! Can't we just fail the class? That's what happened to me in Chemistry back in high school.I was lousy in chemistry - never studied in school - and was never punished in any way except with a failure to pass the course meaning I still needed to acquire another credit for my high school diploma.

The stupidest punishment I ever received in school was for the time I skipped a week of school after having had enough of bullying. Caught on my birthday, my punishment (as if I hadn't been punished enough from bullying by students) was to be suspended from school for a week.

So... let's see... I skip school for a week, and to stop that from happening again I get to miss ANOTHER week of school? Cool!

Idiots.

My friend Rob and I once got caught for not going to a school assembly. As punishment from the vice-principal, we were told to each pick up a garbage bag's worth of trash from around the school. Bordering a highway, there was a lot of trash. We picked it up quickly and left the trash bags on the desk of the vice-principal (he was out of the office) and left. It was never mentioned again - except by Rob and myself marveling at our audacity to leave the bags on top of his desk piled with work.

You can tell... I wasn't really bad. And neither were those two Japanese junior high school kids. Drinking a corrosive!

Yes, the teacher mixed the concoction perfectly - but he might not have. He's a junior high school science teacher - not a Nobel Prize winning chemist!

This teachers deserves some serious punishment himself, but I leave that up to the powers that be to determine what. At least a new job placement in another city.

As for me - what did I learn from my punishment? Teachers are idiots sometimes, I suppose. You all know I was a teacher for three years in various junior high schools in Japan. I also taught piano and clarinet after journalism school, and 'taught' or coached women's soccer for eight years. I've also been teaching readers via this blog coming up to four years.

Luckily for me, I also grew a 30 centimeters (12-inches) taller, developed a more in-your-face attitude (since tempered) and stood up for myself so as to not be bullied again.

I can't even imagine what these poor kids in Japan are going through.

But... if you are reading this... it gets better. And telling someone about the abuse is the right thing to do.

Oh... The photo above is from Wikipedia, courtesy of http://woelen.homescience.net/science/index.html. It shows a 30 percent solution of hydrochloric acid.

The acid the kids were forced to drink was a 35 percent solution.

Industrial-grade solution consists of 30-34 percent - higher solutions evaporate quicker.

Household cleaners and such using hydrochloric acid tend to contain between 10-12 per cent solutions.

Hydrochloric acid is used in the production of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and as a Table II precursor, is listed under the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Those kids had a pretty strong solution to imbibe...

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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The Economist Looks At China and Japan Relations

Here's an article from my friend Em who saw it on-line published on January 19, 2012 from their recent print magazine edition of The Economist.

It pretty much reiterates my feelings about the Senkaku Islands (Japanese) or the Diaoyu Islands (China) conflict and how the whole thing could destabilize Asia.

My op-ed article on that topic is HERE where I take on Japan thinking about changing its constitution to ensure it gets its own military and the right to call for military conscription. Feel free to read my sarcastic take on the situation, should you be so inclined, but really, since you've all read my long-winded thoughts, go ahead and read The Economist, one of the finest magazines on the planet - HERE.

Sorry, I'm a little low on wind today, but if you'd heard me earlier yesterday, I wasn't short on it as I seem to have got some bad mojo from a baconater. Must be getting old.


Cheers
Andrew Joseph
 

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Tokyo Skytree And the View From On High

After a recent post about a chunk of snow/ice falling from the Tokyo Skytree and plowing through the roof of a local (read about that HERE), I was reminded of a tweet sent to me last month by my good friend Matthew Hall.

That's it above.

The photo is of the Skytree and its enormous shadow, taken on April 7, 2012 by one of DigitalGlobe's orbiting satellites. DigitalGlobe is a leading global provider of commercial, high-resolution, world imagery products and services. Click HERE for their website.

What strikes me about the photo is the fact that it is right in the midst of the city... there's buildings and homes and businesses all around the darn thing.

Here in Toronto, he have the CN Tower which for decades was the tallest free-standing structure in the world. When it was built, there were buildings around it of course, but none that were beside it like is evident in the Skytree picture.

How would you like to live or work in the shadow of the Skytree tower? Having it blot out the sun for a while everyday?

It's pretty effing huge, isn't it? It's the second-tallest free-standing structure in the world at 634 meters (2,080-feet) in height (trailing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 829.8-meters/2,722-feet). It's shadow extends for blocks and blocks and blocks.

I can see why Godzilla 'likes' Tokyo. Photo by Atomark.

Anyhow... for reference purposes, here's a shot of the Toronto skyline featuring the 553-meter (1,815-feet)  CN Tower.

Toronto Skyline - photo by Francis Fogliani.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Another Former MLB All-Star Joins Japanese Baseball

It's no surprise that many MLB (Major League Baseball) players join the Japanese professional baseball circuits for one last payday, but it is interesting to see the number of former All-Stars arrive looking for yen.

Pitcher Vincente Padilla, 35, who was an All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002, has signed with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League.

Last year, the right-handed free-agent relief pitcher tossed in 56 games for the Boston Red Sox going 4W-1L and a 4.50 ERA (earned run average).

Padilla will earn $3.25-million with the Hawks.

In his MLB All-Star season of 2002, Padilla was a starting pitcher for the Phillies going 14W-11L with a 3.28 ERA.  

His career record is 108W-91L with a 4.32 ERA.

Padilla joins former Chicago Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair on the Hawks, who signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million in November 2012.

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Skytree Snow Smashes House

Skytree, Japan's  broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Tokyo and the tallest structure in Japan at 634.0 meters (2,080 feet), is a menace to residents in the area.

The tallest tower in the world (and the second-tallest structure in the world) had some snow on it after snow on after the recent nasty storm swept through this weekend.

That snow turned to ice and broke off the tower on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, plummeting some 100 meters south and crashed through the roof of a house leaving a 30-centimeter hole covering a veranda.

No one was hurt, thank goodness.

Tokyo Skytree officials placed some 60 security guards around the tower warning passersby of possible danger from falling ice.

Although the Skytree only opened up in May of 2012, last winter there were four other incidents of falling ice crashing through homes and commercial buildings.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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NTSB releases picture of charred 787 battery box

Japan Airlines will now be serving dinner - burned lithium-ion battery.

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a photograph of the lithium-ion battery that caught fire on a JAL (Japan Airlines) Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet at Boston's Logan International Airport.

The 42.3 centimeter (19-inch)-long, 25.9 centimeter  (10.2-inch) high lithium-ion battery feeds the jet's auxilliary power unit. After smoking - and the passengers were told to depart - the battery exploded, igniting a small (20-centimeter) area that was described as being 'intense'.

The fire caused severe damage to the aft electrical compartment where it was stored. 

The battery is part of an investigation by the U.S. (Federal Aviation Administration), France and Japan.

The NTSB says the battery has been X-Rayed and compared to an undamaged battery for analysis. It is being sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for further inspection.  
  

Other components, like the battery's charger and the burnt wire bundles, are also expected to be examined to determine how the battery malfunctioned.

As of January 16, 2013, after an incident with another 787 Dreamliner jet (see story HERE) Japan has grounded its entire fleet belonging to JAL and ANA (All Nippon Airways). Despite the battery incident last week, JAL continued to fly the Boeing jets shrugging it off as mere 'growing pains'.

The battery fire on-board the plane was also interesting. While the fire was contained by spraying a non-reactive agent called Halotron, fire and rescue crew say it was difficult to put out the fire because it was difficult to get access to the area where the battery was situated.

"They reported experiencing difficulty accessing the battery for removal during extinguishing efforts," the NTSB says.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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Japan Grounds Boeing 787 Dreamliner Jets

Wow… Japan has halted all flights of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Wednesday, December 16, 2013 after an ANA (All Nippon Airways) flight was forced to perform an emergency landing.

Full story HERE.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph
Thanks to Matthew for the heads up!

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Japan Visits America And Canada - Photo

My favorite picture of my very good friend Matthew and his family taken by myself at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Made-in-America Matthew (far right), with his wife, Takako (squatting), holding onto their daughter Michelle (Miki) who is 2-years-old, I'm guessing, with Takako's step-mom Kiyoko Kurita standing beside Matthew, and her father Yukitomo Kurita on the far left.

On that visit to Niagara Falls, Matthew and I ventured off by ourselves and found a Star Trek exhibit. The exhibit was not very busy that day, for some reason, so I hopped over a barrier and sat down in the real Captain's Command Chair from the original Star Trek series. The mock-up of the bridge was scene... and I have to admit it was a thrill!

Ahhh. Good times, Matthew!

How long ago was this photo taken? Michelle graduated from high school last Spring and is now participating in some post-secondary education.

I feel old. Though, since I have a seven-year-old son now, I probably don't feel as old as Matthew.

I'm lying. That kid tires me out.

Cheers
Andrew Joseph

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