Mainichi Daily reports that cigarette vending machines outfitted with face recognition designed to thwart under-aged smoking can be hacked using a simple frown. Does a frown make one look older? Perhaps in Japan, but other reports have shown that using a photo from a magazine also works to trick the system. Unlike here in Florida where smoking is banned in all dining establishments, many places in Japan don't even have a non-smoking section. Nothing beats breakfast at McDonald's, but if I don't want it to taste like cigarettes, I best order it To Go.
JapanToday reports that KDDI will be making 1Gbps fiber-optic internet service available to select regions of Japan starting Oct 1. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the average internet speed for the U.S. is around 7Mbps. This new service will be about 142 times faster!
With the resignation of the previous prime minister, Taro Aso will assume the responsibilities. Not only is he the president of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, but also an avid manga fan (some reports mention he even reads Rozen Maiden). In 1977 he was listed as the best dresser in the political world, and professes faith in Roman Catholicism, though still visits Yasukuni Shrine annually. [Read more...]
Here's an interesting site with general stats on people's belief in God broken down by country. I don't know how accurate this is, but it's still thought provoking nevertheless. Our prayer would be that you might give others a reason for the hope that you have.
Bloomberg reports Japan has the world's best infrastructure for broadband services, helped by its fiber-optic networks, according to research conducted by two European universities. One of our initiatives will be to make use of the web for outreach.
Wired Magazine has an insightful article on the differences between the way Americans look at things compared to how Japanese may interpret the same images. In the US, we quickly filter anything that isn't the main thing (at least from our cultural perspective) whereas an Asian person would linger on areas less prominent in a scene. Understanding how they "see" the world is important for how we present the Gospel. Perhaps the biggest hurdle to effective evangelism in Japan is they typically need more detail and time to get the big picture. How can we share the Gospel in a succinct way that gives them the bigger picture they need to make the right decision?
This video clip is from a movie entitled Tokyo Story which we just watched via Netflix. This movie was released in 1953, yet it's still relevant today. This is one of my favorite scenes where drunken friends are contemplating life. It's their drinking-induced clarity of thought that was so profound. As relevant as the dialog sounds, the truth is the post-war working class is what skyrocketed Japan out of oblivion. Thanks to their work ethic during the 50s to present, Japan enjoys its position as the third wealthiest economy. But their means to that success (apart from God) adds to their own demise - especially the 30,000+ who commit suicide each year.
I love Japanese nostalgia and this movie deals with some tough issues, so I encourage anyone with a couple hours to spare to watch this relaxed-paced film.
In looking over our budget, we've decided that we're going to avoid having a car the first year we're in Japan. The cost-savings alone is important, but also the fact that we'll meet more people if we walk, ride the bus or train, or ride our bikes. Speaking of bikes, check out this robotic bicycle garage video.
Self-injury in Japan is a sobering look at the degree of darkness that looms over Japan. This photo essay by TIME Magazine is a graphic reminder of who we are trying to reach. God does not want anyone to perish. II Peter 3:9
A trip to your local Chinese take-out wouldn't be complete without the traditional fortune cookie. But just how 'traditional' is that cookie? The modern day fortune cookie was introduced by Japanese immigrants in San Francisco in the early 1900's.
Babies cry as they are lifted up by amateur sumo wrestlers during the "Aka-chan Naki-zumo" (crying baby sumo) competition at Karo Shrine in Tottori on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. The competition, to pray for the healthy development of children, has been held annually since 1989 as part of the shrine's autumn festival. About 80 babies participated in this year's competition. In a "bout," the winner is the first to cry. (Mainichi)
On the surface, it would appear that the average salaryman spends an exorbitant amount of time at work. The Mainichi Daily News site offers an insightful look into some of the underpinnings of Japan's workforce. Some of it might surprise you.
Japanese salarymen, the overworked and hard-drinking corporate warriors, are facing a new danger as they near retirement: divorce. A change in Japanese law this year allows a wife who is filing for divorce to claim as much as half her husband’s company pension. When the new law went into effect in April, divorce filings across Japan spiked 6.1 percent. Many more split-ups are in the pipeline, marriage counselors predict. They say wives — hearts gone cold after decades of marital neglect — are using calculators to ponder pension tables, the new law and the big D. Skittishly aware of the trouble they’re in, 18 salarymen, many of them nearing retirement, gathered at a restaurant here recently for beer, boiled pork and marital triage. The evening began with a defiantly defeatist toast. Husbands reminded themselves of what their organization — the improbably named National Chauvinistic Husbands Association — preaches as a sound strategy for arguing with one’s wife. "I can’t win. I won’t win. I don’t want to win," they bellowed in unison, before tippling from tall schooners of draft beer. So, what does an old salaryman got to do to save the marriage? Some of them are trying to be nice to their old ladies: When his wife told him eight years ago that she was "99 percent" certain she was going to dump him, Amano said, the only things he then knew how to do in the kitchen were to fry eggs and pour boiled water over noodles. Since then, in addition to learning how to listen and talk to a wife he had ignored for two decades, Amano said, he has learned how to take out the trash, clean the house and cook.
Ellissa was part of the 7th grade open house performance. She's in the front row far left. She also has a role in the upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream this November.
