Matthew Stavros Blog

Direct, Personal Help to People in Sendai

2011-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yuji as MC at our
wedding in 2002

Yuji Igari is a good friend who lives in Sendai, the major city closest to the earthquake's epicenter. A music therapist by training, Yuji runs a small private practice called "Commuon" helping the developmentally disabled learn to interact better and express themselves through music. Needless to say, his fledgling business is now gone with no realistic hope of revival in the near future. Yuji's house is in ruins. He spends his days waiting in lines to collect rations of food and water for his wife and little boy. They spend their nights sleeping in his car.

Hearing from Yuji via Facebook brought the tragedy in Japan home for me. This morning, I asked him to put aside his pride and accept some money as help. Much to my surprise, he did not refuse. On the contrary, he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He and so many like him really need direct and immediate assistance, quite frequently in the form of money.

With his son
before the tsunami

I sent Yuji some money and have offered to send more if I can solicit the help of others. In turn, he has promised to share what I collect with the most vulnerable in his community. Being a person who has dedicated his career to helping those with special needs, I trust Yuji can and will do much good for those around him. But he needs our help.

Please donate $5 or $10 right now by clicking the link below, more if you can afford it. I will personally match every dollar that is collected between now and 24 March up to $500. Then, on the 25th, I'll send half of the total to Yuji and the rest to the Japanese Red Cross, which is doing amazing things in the Tohoku region.

Don't hesitate to give. Even a small amount will help.

Together, you helped me raise $1,090 for Yuji and the Japanese Red Cross. Many thanks.
The fundraiser is now closed.

Imagine if...

2010-12-11T12:54:00.001-08:00

Imagine the reaction to the WikiLeaks scandal if Julian Assange were
Jordanian, or Palestinian, or North Korean. Right now, the outrage of
US and other politicians is directed at a despicable individual who
did a despicable thing. But what if he did the exact same thing, yet
instead of being a white Australian (and probably Christian),
happened to be, for example, Arab or Communist? My guess is that the outrage would
be directed not just at him but perhaps even more virulently at "his kind of
people," or even more likely, his country. Who knows, it might even
justify a retaliatory attack of some kind.

"Some Questions To Consider" Ron Paul Defends WikiLeaks "Killing The Mes...

2010-12-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

Gosh. It's not every day you hear this kind of straight, rationality on the floor of congress. I've never counted myself as a fan of Ron Paul but this is pretty powerful stuff.

WikiLeaks Outcry (much ado about nothing)

2010-11-29T02:29:00.000-08:00

I'm taken aback by the media furor surrounding the newest WikiLeaks post of US diplomatic cables. There are a few novel, quirky, and indeed embarrassing things in there, but on the whole, very little of it sounds new to me, and even that which is new isn't particularly surprising. A few examples:

"Saudi King urges US to confront Iran over nuclear program"

Is this supposed to be shocking? Should I be appalled that an ally would agitate for violence? How about when US senator Lindsey Graham does it habitually, or that other American hawk Joe Lieberman? I think it says something quite good about the American government that, despite the pressure, the US has not attacked Iran.

"Putin called 'alpha-dog'"

Okay, so this is a new way of saying something people have been saying for years. Everyone knows Putin's a manly man, that he's the domineering type, that he's a... well, an alpha-male, or "alpha-dog." What's the big deal?

"Angela Merkel is 'risk averse'"

Good for her. She should thank them for the compliment.

"US diplomats spy on UN officials"

Embarrassing? Yes. Reprehensible? Yes. Surprising? Not at all. World leaders are spied upon, whether they be leaders of countries or world organizations. That's what happens. The US does it; every country with the means probably does it. Is it a good thing? I think not, but it's the truth and it should not surprise us.

"Karzai paranoid"

Wow. Really? This is supposed to be news? I read this in the NYT and Bob Woodward's new book months ago.

"Karzai's brother a narco-trafficker"

Sorry, I knew this too.

Why all the drama and indignation over this new cache from WikiLeaks?

Some photos of my lecture at Meidai

2010-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

The nice people at Meidai sent me these photos of my lecture and the panel discussion. Thought I might share.

Conference on Classical History and Literature at Meiji University

2010-11-24T01:47:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to take part recently in a conference at Meiji University in Tokyo called 交響する古代 ("Harmonious Classicus"?). The program at Meidai on "Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Japanese Studies" is remarkable for its organization, the wonderful facilities, and most of all, the very fine people. I gave a talk on the emergence of the concept of "rakuchu-rakugai" (洛中洛外) in medieval Kyoto, arguing that it was related to the need to use a new word to describe an urban landscape that no longer resembled the classical imperial city.

Japan's Economy in Perspective

2010-09-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Writing from Tokyo, Paul Krugman puts Japan's economic woes into perspective: "the US should be so lucky."

The Dear Leader Would Marvel

2010-09-07T04:11:00.000-07:00

This marching demo by a Japanese group is worthy of a North Korean army propaganda roll.

Madam Prime Minister

2010-09-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

Julia Gillard was sworn in today as the first elected female prime minister of Australia. She now leads the nation--deemed by International Living magazine to be the second best place on earth to live--with the slimmest majorities in parliament.

I was giving a lecture this afternoon on Japanese colonialism when the news broke of the historic decision made by 2 key independent MPs to back Gillard's Labor party, thereby securing her delayed victory (17 days it took!). Knowing I was interested, a student who was watching things unfold on his iPhone, rose his hand and delivered the news to the entire class. I tried not to show how relieved I was in front of an audience that undoubtedly included many supporters of the opposition Liberal party. One student, I was later told, stormed out because he was so upset the Liberals didn't win.

My first election as an Australian was one hell of a roller coaster, but what a ride it was! Can't wait to do it all again (in 9 to 12 months). What are the odds that a state and federal election run within weeks of each other next autumn?

(image cross-posted from crikey.com.au)

Come to Australia

2010-09-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Russel Crowe wants you to visit Australia. To most, this will look like little more than a string of vulgarities but to the initiated viewer, it's one classic cultural reference after another. Enjoy.

The Sanjo-bomon Temple-Palace Complex

2010-09-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

The locations in Kyoto where the founding members of the Ashikaga shogunate lived, worked, and engaged in public religious activities is largely unknown. This study seeks to rectify this problem by introducing the significance of the Sanjō-bōmon palace and the Zen temple of Tōjiji to initial Ashikaga power in medieval Kyoto. The Sanjō-bōmon palace was Ashikaga Tadayoshi's (1306-52) first residence in medieval Kyoto. It was there where the shogunal deputy established and administered the earliest bureaucratic organs of the Ashikaga military regime. Adjacent to this structure was Tōjiji, a Zen temple that Tadayoshi made into a public venue of Ashikaga memorial rituals. This study finds that these two sites comprised an integrated architectural complex that provided Tadayoshi the physical infrastructure to exercise sweeping and largely autonomous political, religious, and familial authority. So central was this "temple-palace complex" to institutionalized warrior power that, by the 1350s, it had become the nucleus of the capital's most substantial warrior enclave. An examination of the site's origins, physical traits, and functions sheds light on the foundational role Tadayoshi played in both the establishment of shogunal institutions and the creation of religious traditions critical to the Ashikaga family's long term success among the capital elite. The campaign to oust Tadayoshi that was launched in 1350 by Ashikaga Takauji (1305-58), who was both shogun and elder brother, was as much about asserting political dominance as gaining control over the Sanjō-bōmon complex, the first base of Ashikaga political and familial authority in Kyoto.

Thousand Autumns of Historical Fiction

2010-08-29T00:02:00.001-07:00

David Mitchell's new novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, is being praised widely by the literary world. Since the setting was premodern Japan, and because I had just come off two excellent historical fiction novels on Japan by James Clavell, I gave it a read. It's a good enough story but as historical novels go, it left much to be desired. Mitchell clearly did not research his twin topics carefully (the VOC in Nagasaki and the Tokugawa regime), and was obviously not fussed about making the book appealing to those well informed on either topics. In fact, anyone with the slightest interest in Japan would have noticed some cringe-worthy moments. One that stands out was the author's naming of almost all the captive nuns resident at a secluded Shinto shrine (where they are forced to ritually conceive children who were doomed to human sacrifice) after characters in the Tale of Genji. It made me wonder if Mitchell completely mid-read Genji and the status of women depicted therein. In his defense, he probably did not read it at all.

One saving element was that fact that de Zoet's love for Aibagawa Orito remains unrequited and unconsummated unto the end. This, if anything, was true to a good Japanese story, and probably close to what would have likely happened in real life.

I give the book 2.5 out of 5 stars. Read it if you like fiction, but not if you're looking for something compelling on Japan, and definitely not if you're looking for something akin to James Clavell's treatment of Asia. Asia and Asians appear only peripherally in this book, and almost always in the stereotyped motifs of traditional Western literature.

(I've gone back to reading Conrad's Lord Jim on the train and some Sherlock Holmes before bed on the iPad.)

Monocellular Americans (or just "simple")

2010-08-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Japan's Ozawa Ichiro, a leader of the Democratic Party, called Americans "simple minded" and "monocellular" in a speech. Ozawa is known for being ridiculously brilliant, albeit bumble-prone, but this was quite unwise for someone who aspires to be prime minister. Let's see how quick and vehemently he retracts the statement.

Well Hung in Australia

2010-08-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

The election yesterday resulted in a hung parliament. This is bad news for the ALP but worse news for the country. Things will stand still until this gets resolved.

I wonder if this is a trend: After the conservative Bush era, one by one, countries swung to the left: Spain, the UK, the US, and Australia. Now, just recently, the UK swung, not to the right again, but to a nail-biting middle, ending up with a hung parliament. Now we have done the same. And there can be little doubt that the US will do something similar in the upcoming midterms. Could this be a pattern?

Election Day in Australia

2010-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today is election day in Australia. All citizens of this country of 22 million are legally compelled to vote today for their federal members of parliament, and guess what, this time 'round, that includes me! I'm thrilled and honoured to participate in this sacred rite of democracy, especially in a society whose system is so throughly democratic.

Because voting is a duty, not a (just) right, the tone of the campaign (which is freakishly short at about 35 days) is infinitely more sober and sane than what I'm use to in the US. The reason is that pollies here don't need to turn out the vote by galvanizing their bases with wedge issues. Instead, they are mainly competing over the question of which party can provide better government. This seems so enlightened to me.

Sure, there are some wedge issues involved (climate change), and a fair bit of fear mongering (boat people), but at base, the election has been about how each party will spend federal money to improve society. I'm gobsmacked.

So who will I vote for? Honestly, I'm not yet sure. Of the two big parties, I simply couldn't vote for the Liberals (who aren't very liberal), but Labor isn't all that enlightened either, although they are quite a bit better than the Libs on education and health care policy. No, I'm debating with myself about whether to vote for the Greens or Labor.

The Greens are a much more enlightened party but there is the attractive incentive of being able to vote for Australia's first elected female prime minister in Julia Gillard (Labor). But it's not just a simple either-or for at least two reasons. Due to the way the voting system is set up, which I don't totally understand yet, a vote for the Greens can cascade down to actually help Labor and hurt the Libs. Second, I can't vote directly for Julia anyway. She's not my MP and we don't have general elections. So what to do? I'll decide at the polling station this afternoon, where I'll also be grilling up snags on the barby to raise money for my daughter's school.

Edit Google Docs on your iPhone or iPad, perfectly

2010-08-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of both Apple and Google, which makes me unhappy about the current corporate clash. I'm guessing that it's this clash that has led Google to make Google Docs (the word processor docs, at least) un-editable on the iPad and iPhone. You can view Google Docs with an Apple mobile device but not edit them.... UNTIL NOW. And this changes everything!

Office2 HD, an app from the little-company-that-could, Byte Squared, is not only a smooth, fast, full-featured office suite for Apple mobile devices, the new update CAN NOW EDIT GOOGLE DOCS. This releases me to work on Google Docs anywhere, anytime, with perfect integration. Never again will I need to sync my docs or deal with the dozens of other hassles I have working on multiple computers. The interface is beautiful and intuitive too.

If your work life depends on Google Docs, this updated app changes everything. You're now free to go and do, without ever being out of reach from your docs, perfectly synched at all time, and in perfect harmony. I recommend Office2 HD highly.

Japan becomes world's 3rd largest economy

2010-08-15T22:59:00.001-07:00

The New York Times reports that China's economy has surpassed Japan's to become the world's 2nd largest economy. I'm not fussed by this, except to say that it's a shame my own industry has shifted so decisively to supporting work related to China, while leaving number 3 feeling like a 3rd-class-citizen.

VP Day

2010-08-15T03:46:00.001-07:00

In Australia, August 15th is "VP Day," meaning Victory in the Pacific. I wonder why it's not called VJ Day like back home. Anyone know?

A Truly Multidisciplinary Project

2010-08-09T03:10:00.001-07:00

I've been giving some thought lately to the question of how to launch a truly multidisciplinary project. My initial idea is to pick a thing, such as a building, a city, or maybe even a technology, then to have scholars from various disciplines each write essays on the object from the perspective of their respective disciplines. Then, after each scholar reads the essays written by everyone else in the team, write a brief, follow-up essay on how the work of the others might inform a possible rethink of their original essay.

Variations on this plan might be to pick a decade, a century, or maybe even a person or famous family.

Sounds interesting to me and intellectually challenging.

Inventing units and writing history

2010-03-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

Rereading Hermann Hesse's Journey to the East, I came across this passage that captures well the feeling many historians must have when writing a book.

"Instead of a fabric, I hold in my hands a bundle of a thousand knotted threads which would occupy hundreds of hands for years to disentangle and straighten out, even if every thread did not become terribly brittle and break between the fingers as soon as it is handled and gently drawn.

"I imagine that every historian is similarly affected when he begins to record the events of some period and wishes to portray them sincerely. Where is the center of events, the common standpoint around which they revolve and which gives them cohesion? In order that something like cohesion, something like cohesion, that some kind of meaning might ensue and that it can in some way be narrated, the historian must invent units, a hero, a nation, an idea, and he must allow to happen to this invented unit what has in reality happened to the nameless."

Alternate ending of The Lost Symbol

2009-10-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

"Peter slipped away to his sister's secret noetics lab. After an hour, he returned to the capital building to rejoin Robert and Katharine, who were just then watching day break over the city.

With a look of strength and renewal, Peter approached Robert briskly. Extending his right hand, he gave his old friend a warm and hardy handshake. His gold mason ring glinted in the early morning sun. A new day had dawned."

This would have blown minds

The Health of a Nation

2009-08-09T02:05:00.001-07:00

In the end, the debate over health care reform is less about what is best for people's health or the economy and more to do with fundamentally differing views on what constitutes a strong, successful, and yes, a healthy nation.

On the right you have the argument that America is a strong, rich country because it has a large number of strong, rich individuals and corporations (albeit less of both lately). On the left, you have the view that a nation's overall success is best measured not by the wealth or well being of a few but rather the quality of life of the majority.

Besides the fact that the conservative position fosters inequality, I worry that such a world view--one that echos "every man for himself"--will lead to the creation of a society composed of people largely detached from those around them; individuals who, even if successful, are lonely, isolated, and pathetically, tragically selfish. Alas, such a condition would make for no real "society" at all. Moreover, we can be sure that the world would be a darker, more depressing place; where the misery of detachment is tempered only by the momentary thrills of consumption: more TV, more beer, a nicer car, a bigger house, a newer iPhone, more stuff, more things, more, more, more...

We must not fail to recognize that the underlying debate on health care reform is not just about health. It's about the health of a nation, one in which we either see ourselves as fundamentally linked by common hopes and dreams, shared histories and values, and a sense of community, or one where we do not. Which will you pick?

Thanks for commenting.

That Sinking Feeling on Health Reform

2009-07-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

News that the Senate Finance Committee will be putting forth a health care reform proposal that omits a public option and does not compel businesses to cover employees is disastrous. If this report is accurate and a bill such as this goes forth, the insurance industry will have won, yet again, and the American public will be much worse off for it.

Mostly, I feel a deep sense of regret. Another small part of me, however, chuckles at the pitiful plight of Americans so enamored by the ideology of free markets that they are willing to hurt themselves to uphold the ideal. I honestly and earnestly hate to say it but they get what they deserve.

But what do you think?

Returning soon

2009-07-10T06:49:00.001-07:00

I'll be returning to work next week and should be back to blogging regularly. Thanks for staying tuned.

Why didn't waterboarding work?

2009-05-31T06:43:00.001-07:00

It seems increasingly clear that waterboarding was conducted to force a confession about ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq. After all the recent accounts on how effective waterboarding can be in getting people to say whatever the interrogator wants, why didn’t it work? Why didn’t the Bush administration succeed in getting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to say he was involved with Al Qaeda, despite waterboarding him 183 times?

Perhaps they did get a confession yet knew it was inadmissible (or invalid) due to the circumstances under which it was elicited. But then why waterboard if the results couldn’t be announced proudly to the world: “IRAQI OFFICIAL ADMITS TIES TO AL QAEDA!”?

Perhaps the only explanation is that Bush officials honestly thought there were ties and that waterboarding worked. This is a defense but not a good one because it shows, in yet another way, how they were not listening to so many military and intelligence professionals who knew both.

What do you think?

In Praise of Taxes

2009-04-19T04:51:00.001-07:00

Getting the poor and lower-middle-class to vote against their interests has been one of the great successes of the conservative movement. I wonder, however, if the twin mantras against taxation and large government won't someday (perhaps soon) come back to bite the elite who've promoted them.

Smaller government means less oversight but fewer public services. The rich thrive with less oversight and can manage just fine without public services. The more vulnerable members of society, however, will suffer profoundly without good schools, unemployment insurance, hospitals, public libraries, paved roads, and checks on pollution and abuses of power (read discrimination and police brutality).

Less taxes and smaller government will make the rich richer and the poor poorer. At what point will the poor and lower-middle-class realize that the paying of taxes and the existence of a robust public sector is good for them? At what point will the rich and powerful alienate their base beyond repair?

I think the recent tea-baggers and many others need a lesson on how taxes benefit them directly and immediately. They also need to be taught that the government institutions and programs taxes fund are absolutely critical to their livelihood, safety, and general well being.

But what do you think?

(PS: As a side note, the US Department of Defense is terribly inefficient, consistently over budget, and replete with corruption and cronyism. Nobody suggest we "starve" or "shrink" that beast. On the contrary, most call for better and greater funding to rectify problems, improve oversight, and increase efficiency. Why doesn't the same principle apply to government in general?)

North Korea's Missile Test: A Multiple Choice Quiz

2009-04-06T03:43:00.001-07:00

What does North Korea's launch of a long rang missile mean to the US and Japanese defense departments?

A) They both really dropped the ball
B) The countries they are meant to defend are now under grave threat of imminent destruction
C) They just received justification for massive budget increases and are currently popping champagne corks in celebration

What do you think?

.

Are term limits bad for democracy?

2009-03-25T06:27:00.001-07:00

Term limits are elemental to a functional democracy. But can they also have ill effects on the public good?

One of the top priorities of a president's first term is to be reelected. During that period, it's critical they remain broadly popular by looking out for the interests of as much of the electorate as possible.

During a second term, all bets are off. Because reelection is not possible, a president can spend that time rewarding friends and allies with little regard for the political ramifications. Being in a position to accumulate vast and sustainable private influence, favor, and wealth can be well worth the cost of grave yet temporary unpopularity.

In principle, presidential terms are good for "capital-D Democracy." But are they good for our democracy?

Immigrants, Sacrifice, and a Brighter Future for our Kids.

2009-03-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

For a variety of reasons, I've been thinking quite a bit lately about one of the guiding principles of good parenthood: the hope that our kids have a better life than we do. We all share this hope, don't we? It's only natural. But do we all feel it equally? More precisely, do we all make the same effort?

I don't think so.

Lately, I've had occasion to be around a few working-class foreigners here in Japan. Immigrating from the Philippines, China and elsewhere, they, like immigrants around the world, endure profound hardships. They don't speak the language; they following a strange religion; they look different; they have no family or close friends nearby, and they are often quite poor. Society looks down on them: they are the suspects of crime, depredation, and immorality. They suffer discrimination and ridicule at every turn.

But they endure these profound hardships because they know their kids will benefit by growing up in a country infinitely safer and more prosperous then their own.

Lately, I've begun looking at working-class immigrant families with a sense of awe. I wonder honestly if I have the same mettle. They endure so much and sacrifice so greatly to ensure their kids have a better future. What do I do? I read to my kids before they go to bed. I try to tell them creative stories and listen when they have something to say. I stash away a few dollars for their education. That's about it and it's nothing compared to the Herculean efforts of so many immigrants here in Japan, the US and around the world.

I wonder how different the world would be if all made the same sacrifices; if we all put the same effort into our kids' futures as do so many working-class immigrants.

What do you think?

Secret Legal Memos and the Meaning of "War"

2009-03-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

The explosive legal memos of the Bush administration released yesterday justify presidential privileged that supersedes many laws and constitutional protections. They assert that president could unilaterally abrogate foreign treaties, ignore any guidance from Congress in dealing with detainees suspected of terrorism, and conduct a program of domestic eavesdropping without warrants.

The justification for such strident executive privilege is based on the notion that the president, as Commander in Chief, has the right to take any and all action necessary in a time of war to defeat an enemy. The word "war" appears in the memos several times such as in the following example:

"First Amendment speech and press rights may also be subordinated to the overriding need to wage war successfully."

I don't mind if my dentist wants to call the campaign against Al Qaeda a war. I don't even mind if the talking heads on cable news continue to go on about the "War on Terror." Everyone knows what they mean.

It should not be forgotten, however, that "war" has a specfic legal meaning in the United States. War can only be declaired by the Congress and, indeed, in a legal state of war, the Commander in Chief is endowed with certain special privleges. But, in a state of warfare or "virtual war," such as we've been in since 9/11, the Commander in Chief has no special legal authority.

I would not expect Joe the dentist or Sean Hannity to be sticklers for the legal definition of war. Fighting is fighting. It's all some form of war. I would, however, expect that the president's legal council makes that distinction. If he or she does not, who will?

The very reason the Founders gave Congress the sole prerogative to declare war was to prevent the president from abusing his authority as Commander in Chief. If the president had the right to declare war at will and in so doing be granted special legal privileges that enabled him to circumvent the constitution, we would have a serious problem on our hands: a dictatorship in all but name.

The secret legal memos just released suggest the administration was operating as if in a legal state of war despite there being no congressional declaration. This to me is one of the most disturbing breaches of the constitution committed by the Bush administration and the key reason why the legal arguments are inherently and absolutely indefensible.

But what do you think?

...

Just in case you missed it.

2009-03-01T05:22:00.001-08:00

This is a clip from the president's weekly address where he explains his plan to meet campaign promises with the new budget, despite the objections of special interests. If this clip does not send a chill down your spine, I can't imagine what will.

Accurate Images of Japan: Finally.

2009-02-27T06:48:00.001-08:00

One of the most important aspect of my job as a teacher of Japanese history is dispelling the erroneous images so many have of the Japanese and Japanese culture. With films like "Memories of a Geisha," and "Last Samurai," Hollywood is no help at all... until now.

Finally, it looks like a film on Japan is about to be released that will finally set the record straight. I think this will be a critical component to all my classes from now on. I'm so relieved.

The GOP's triple false axioms

2009-02-25T00:54:00.000-08:00

The GOP launched a new front in its battle to appear multicultural with the decision to have Bobby Jindal do the Republican response to the president's address to congress.

I bring this up because the only thing novel about this Republican sound bite was the race of the person giving it. Other than that, it was the same old set of false axioms about governments being inherently dysfunctional, lower taxes being manifestly good, and that national health care is, well, bad for our health.

Government institutions can and often do fail to function effectively. But precisely the same thing can be said about capitalist institutions (companies). No one proposes shrinking or disposing of those, let alone "drowning them in the bathtub." Moreover and most important, some governments DO function effectively. Born, raised, and educated in the US, I now divide my time equally between Australia and Japan. While these systems are not perfect, I can say without equivocation that state and local institutions in my two adoptive homes work exceptionally well. Very, very few people in Australia and Japan would suggest that governments are inherently dysfunctional. Because they are not.

On taxes, I'm consistently struck by how unhappy people are about paying taxes. I understand this on a very superficial level. Who wants to give money to someone without getting something handed right back? But the fact of the matter is that if we did not pay taxes, our lives would be less safe, less comfortable, and even more unhealthy. More bridges would collapse, fewer levies would be built, fewer towns would have libraries, the streets would have more potholes, and on and on. There'd be less control over pollution and even less financial oversight. I know this again from living in societies where we pay far more taxes than in the US but where far fewer people complain. Why? Because we feel we get what we pay for. That and because we realize tax money that goes to programs we don't use personally improves society as a whole, thus benefiting us profoundly, albeit indirectly.

Finally, a word on the tired GOP claim that "health care decisions should be made by doctors, not government bureaucrats." This notion is purely disingenuous. Under the currently dominant HMO system, doctors are not deciding who gets health care and how. Company bureaucrats are, and they're single priority is profit, not people's welfare. In fact, I think the GOP is most resistant to precisely the idea of doctors, not companies, making decisions about health care. Under a single payer nationalized system, government bureaucrats don't, in fact, make decisions about who gets what health care. They just pay. It's not rocket science. It's not abstract. It's a simple fact. Try living in Australia, Japan, or someplace even more exotic: Canada. The GOP is lying to us about this.

It's time to push back against these false GOP axioms about government, taxes, and health care.

But what do you think?

Obama: Judged on what you build

2009-01-27T17:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, in his first interview as president, Barack Obama reiterated a line from his inauguration speech directed at the Muslim world:

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

It's a good line but when I first heard it, I was struck by how the second half of the sentence was a threat of imminent demise, not by the power of US bombs and bullets, but rather by a people who realize their leaders' policies and methods are bankrupt.

Again, Obama was addressing the Muslim world but I suspect he is aware that his statement is just as equally applicable to the former US administration as well as himself. To be sure, Bush tried to achieve presidential greatness through destruction. Whether it be terrorists, Social Security, FEMA, welfare, or banking regulations, Bush was always on the side of tearing things down. (To be fair, I suspect he honestly thought doing so was in the best interest of the country but alas, we know now that it was not, good intentions aside.) And sure enough, the people judged him accordingly and he was ran out of office with his tail between his legs: perhaps the closest we can get in a democratic system to a coupe.

Obama, I think, knows that people will judge him too by what he builds rather than what he tears down and I believe that his choice of words at the inauguration exhibit a degree of intellectual subtlety, nuance, and self reflection we have not seen in a while.

Thanks for commenting.

The Saudis: US Allies / Terror Sponsors

2009-01-27T17:17:00.001-08:00

After 9/11, the US administration (and pretty much the whole of America) began lumping together terrorists into the same basket with those countries and groups that support terrorist organizations. In this equation, the Saudis were always the most problematic since the kingdom is a major sponsor of various kinds of terror, not least of which includes that directed at their own people (sound familiar?). Yet the Saudis are also staunch allies and friends of the US.

Well, here's yet another example of this profound irony.

At the close of the recent Israeli-Hamas "conflict," the Saudi king Abdullah pledged US$1 Billion to rebuilt Gaza. After seeing the horrific images of death and destruction that flowed out of the Palestinian territory over the past several weeks, few would object to such a gesture. But let's think about this a little deeper. How will the Saudi's donate this money to Gaza? Do you suppose they'll drop it from helicopters? Probably not. How about sending in Saudi diplomats to pass it out from door to door? Nope! Perhaps some NGOs will get a cut, maybe even the Red Crescent, to be sure. But almost without a doubt, the ones who will be entrusted with the largest portion of that huge sum of cash will be the territory's legal and democratically elected government: Hamas. Yes, the same Hamas that the Israelis and the US tell us incessantly is a terrorist organization.

The Saudis are close allies and friends of the US.
The Saudis give money to terrorist organizations.

Any questions?

Thanks for commenting

American images of Australia, in jest

2009-01-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Jon Stewart's joking about Australians but probably correct about Howard.

"Historian" among top ten jobs in the US

2009-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

Being an historian is among the top 10 best jobs in the US, according to a survey reported on in the Wall Street Journal today. I wonder how my profession fairs in Australia; top 5 perhaps?

Ordering a Cappuccino from the driver's seat and other bunk ways to save Detroit

2009-01-04T02:14:00.001-08:00

In a New York Times opinion piece published today, a Stanford professor of computer science (Sebastian Thrun) and a product manager at Google (Anthony Levandowski) propose four ways Detroit can "save itself." The suggestions are striking for their prohibitively high costs and complexity, and frankly, I can't see how any would address the American automotive industry's single biggest problem: how to make cars that have fuel efficiency high enough to counter the rising cost of driving.

In a nutshell, they propose the following:

Prevent fatal traffic accidents by installing WiFi technology into all the nation's cars, traffic lights, bridges, and intersections, allowing each to "communicate critical information" with each other.
Fix the problem of highway congestion and allow people to relax behind the wheel by building robotic cars that drive in a tight formation automatically, creating what's called a "highway train."
Build cars covered with photovoltaic cells to save fuel and "reduce our dependence on foreign oil."
Connect cars to the Internet. This will enable people to (ready for this?) make restaurant reservations or place takeout orders all from their cars. They will also be able to purchases instantly the songs they hear on their new Internet radio. Installing sensors on such things as parking spaces too, the authors suggest, will help drivers save time and fuel.

Suggestion 1 does nothing for fuel efficiency and the task of equipping the nations cars, traffic lights, bridges, and intersections with WiFi devices would be a monumentally complex project of enormous cost. It would also take many, many years. Sure it would save some lives but remember the assignment was to save something else: Detroit! How many people decide not to buy an American car because, as the article suggests, fog can be such a terrible hazard at intersections?

Suggestion 2 is just plain ridiculous (as is the accompanying sketch of a "highway train" made up of robotic cars, all lined up in an orderly file on the highway). I'm not an engineer but I think this one belongs to the realm of science fiction. If it were feasible, as it may be in a decade or two, I think cultural issues would prevent it from functioning well. Moreover and yet again, the complexity and cost of pulling such a thing off would be enormous.

Suggestion 3 is probably the best of the bunch but the authors themselves acknowledge that as a technology, it's far from perfected. It's not a short-term solution to anything, really.

Suggestion 4 is the most puzzling, not only because it echos suggestion 1 so closely (yet with a different but equally insulting image) but because it's entirely unnecessary with smartphone technology already achieving most of what it suggests.

Overall, I think these suggestions reflect the professional mind-sets of the authors. Notice how each relates to the advancement of computer infrastructure and Internet use? There's absolutely nothing on new legislation, bio-fuels, or alternate business models.

The biggest failure of this piece is that it lacks a clear problem to solve. They claim to want to "save Detroit" yet give no explanation for what's broken about it.

I have my own ideas on this topic but what do you think? What is the problem and how would you "save Detroit?" More fundamentally, should it be saved at all?

Thanks for commenting.

Building National Unity, One Rick Warren at a Time

2008-12-29T15:50:00.001-08:00

Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to do the invocation prayer at his inauguration is a bitter pill that we should try our best to swallow.

Bush's biggest domestic debacle (yes, bigger than Katrina) was his failure to unite a nation bitterly divided along political, religious, and racial lines. This is true in spite of the unique opportunity he was given in the wake of 9/11 by a people resolved, practically begging, to be united.

The reason Bush failed was because he thought unifying people meant convincing opponents that they were wrong and that he was right. On issues as critical as education (evolution vs intelligent design), medicine (genome research), sexuality (gay rights), and war (justifying preemptive war), he simply did not compromise. That stance, of course, only deepened the gulf that divides us and solidified our partisanship. As a result, we are more divided then ever.

Rick Warren's stance toward gays and his views on a whole host of other issues run counter to core progressive principles. Most people reading this blog and probably Obama himself disagree with them. But the fact of the matter is that there are million upon millions who do not. To them, Warren's views are orthodox, they are correct.

By choosing Warren to do the invocation, Obama has decided to say to these very people, nearly 50% of Americans who sit on the other side of the political spectrum, I don't agree with you but I respect you and I'm willing to give you a place at the table. He's keeping his promise to "be their president too." This means more than just giving them tax cuts too. It's a much more profound and ultimately more difficult commitment to represent them and their views.

It's a whole new kind of politics. Obama sees that compromise is perhaps the most effective way to soften peoples' stances and to start a dialogue that might just lead to greater unity. If we really want to be a more perfect union, we need to take the difficult step of accepting that there are profound differences, attempt to tolerate them, and seek ways of finding common ground. Merely opposing them and trying to change the views of others would only be making the same mistake Bush made. And it would bring the same outcome.

But what do you think? Thanks for commenting.

PS: Incidentally, the web site of Warren's church has already taken down it's statement on gays! See, compromise has already begun to work in our favor.
PPS: And isn't it infinitely more Christian of Obama to tolerate opposing views?

Ahmadinejad, Bush, and the Presumption of Good

2008-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered British Channel 4's alternative Christmas address yesterday, sending a message of "happiness, prosperity, peace and brotherhood for humanity." On cue, the broadcast ignited a storm of criticism from those who site the Iranian president's
nuclear ambitions, his hardline views on Israel, and resolute rejection of homosexuality. But the message was moderate, with none of the harsh rhetoric for which he has gained notoriety. God, he said, had created "every human being with the ability to reach the heights of perfection". He also urged Muslims and Christians to work together towards a world of "love, brotherhood and justice".

Why the outrage? I tend not to watch but doesn't President Bush give a televised Christmas address each year? He is a resolute defender of his country's right to possess nuclear weapons (and his is the only country that's ever used them, twice). He threatens countries in the Middle East and even invades them, illegally and unjustly, killing tens of thousands of civilians. And yes, he absolutely rejects homosexuality and publicly supports legislation to limit the civil rights of gays.

I believe the difference is not merely hypocrisy or a double standard. It's something I've come to call a "presumption of good." When Iraqis, for example, kill civilians, it's their natural predisposition, it's just what they do. When the US uses predator drones in northern Afghanistan to kill civilians, it's an anomaly, a terrible misfortune, albeit a necessary one. The former, our enemies, are presumed evil; they mean to do bad and they do do bad. The latter, the US, is presumed good; "we" mean to do good but sometimes there are bad outcomes: Gotta break eggs to make an omelet!

Bush's Christmas message of peace and love is acceptable because that's the real him up there on the box, telling us to spread joy and goodness. This essentially very good man, however, due to the nature of his job, is sometimes forced to order missile strikes and even invasions that result in the deaths of thousand, even hundreds of thousands of people, and the destruction of the ways of life of millions more. But that's just his job. And he needs to do such for the greater good. Even his evil deeds are conducted out of desire to do good, or so we presume.

But Ahmadinejad! There's a different story. This man's fundamentally evil. He's just plain bad; there's not a good bone in his body. Therefore, the man we see on the television spreading a message of peace and love is a hoax. He's a liar. A fake. He's putting that face on to trick us; to distract us; to try to hide who he really is: a murdering bigot who is essentially bad.

One is presumed to be good. The other is presumed to be bad. But I think something is wrong with this picture. Neither, of course, is essentially good nor bad. Only our perceptions are twisted.

For Bush, "proper" pardons only.

2008-12-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, George Bush pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie, a felon who pled guilty and was convicted of making false statements to the Housing and Urban Development Department and of mail fraud. On Wednesday, that pardon was revoked because the White House (a metanym for “Bush”) wanted to avoid creating “an appearance of impropriety,” after it was discovered that Toussie’s father was a major RNC contributor.

Let’s put this in perspective. Pardon’s are a special privilege that empowers presidents to basically say, “fu*k the law and courts, I’ve decided to let the guy off scot free!” There can be almost no pretext about the use of this privilege to set things right or “do the right thing,” even thought I’m aware that it has, in fact, been used in such a way in the past (draft dodgers, Confederate vets, etc.) Usually, it’s a way of helping out friends, allies, or colleagues.

So why is it all of a sudden not okay to pardon Toussie because his dad was an RNC contributor or that he might have been a bit more unsavory then expected? He’s a criminal and Bush sought to get him off the hook. So he’s a bribing criminal and that’s over the line?

My question is this: Bush is trying to avoid impropriety but are any pardons of convicted criminals really "proper."

Thanks for commenting.

JR Tokai tugs at my nostaglia bone

2008-12-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

Only some of you will appreciate these but for those who do, I challenge you not to choke up at least once.

1988-1992

2000

Is Japan in the Realm of a Dying Emperor?

2008-12-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

The Japanese emperor, who turns 75 today, is reportedly not feeling well and is suffering from stress.

The part of this news article I found most interesting was the last sentence that suggest a possible imperial schism. Wouldn't that make things interesting?

AusAid near top of Clinton Foundation Donors List

2008-12-20T23:12:00.000-08:00

Last week, the Clinton Foundation released its donors list. Doing so was apparently a stipulation attached to his wife's being offered the Sec. of State position.

Very near the top of that list was an acronym that many Americans scrutinizing the list would not have recognized: AUSAID, Australia's official aid organization. It apparently donated an amount somewhere between 10 and 25 million US dollars. A search for "USAID," unfortunately, turned up only one hit. Yes, "AUSAID." Hum, conspicuously absent? Probably not. I also noticed that Norway gave a hefty sum (but Norway's flat stinkin' rich).

Reflecting on my Impending Trip to Japan

2008-12-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Dark Knight: Watch it

2008-12-12T04:12:00.001-08:00

The Dark Knight is out on DVD. Watch it. It's the best film I've seen in too long.

Top Brass Measuring Up Obama (and talking about it)

2008-11-30T01:28:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post reports:

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went unarmed into his first meeting with the new commander in chief -- no aides, no PowerPoint presentation, no briefing books. Summoned nine days ago to President-elect Barack Obama's Chicago transition office, Mullen showed up with only a pad, a pen and a desire to take the measure of his incoming boss.

Sounds reasonable enough. We all measure up a new boss, hoping to get a sense for how smart they are, how you'll get along, and frankly, whether or not they deserve to be your boss. But how many of us feel comfortable publicizing our impressions? How appropriate is it to stand around the water cooler and speak loudly and boldly about how good or bad the new CEO is? Probably not a good idea. Would you go on TV or speak to reporters? No again, right? It's simply not good employee citizenship.

Now imagine that your job dealt with matters of life and death and that your new boss was in charge of telling you, let's be honest folks, who to kill, how and where. Imagine the profound importance of your real and perceived relationship with that new boss. The utmost care must be put into ensuring things go smoothly and that everyone knows their place, the chain of command is without question. Not doing so puts people and property in real risk of injury, destruction, or death. Now let me ask the same question. How appropriate would it be in this case to publicize your impression of the new boss? Probably not so much, I'd say.

Nevertheless, as the article goes on to explain, some very top people in the military are flagrantly and very publicly passing judgment on Obama. While their comments tend to be generally positive, I can't help but wonder if such open verdicts are not completely out of place and, I'll use the word again, entirely inappropriate. Besides the issue of politeness (you wouldn't do it about your own boss even at McDonald's) and the stakes (we're talking about a job that entails protecting and killing potentially large numbers of people here), there is the matter of degrees of superiority. The divide that separates a corporate CEO and a line worker is big, indeed, but qualitatively, it pails in comparison to that which separates a commander-in-chief and an Army or Marine general. I believe that they have no place whatsoever, at least not in their capacity as military personnel, commenting publicly about their impressions of the new president's intellect, personality, or predisposition. It's simply not their place.

The reasons such comments are deemed okay, I believe, is that there is a bias that Democratic presidents are impotent wimps who either loath the military or don't know what to do with it. I wonder if the top brass passed judgment on Bush the same way? My guess is that they did not.

But what do you think? Thanks for commenting.

Will the University of Michigan Save the World?

2008-11-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists at the University of Michigan claim.

Read all about it.

Any guesses how long it will take for the project to be either shut down completely or marginalized into oblivion?

Just do it, right now

2008-11-27T02:14:00.000-08:00

Almost a quarter of a century since Ethiopia suffered the devastating famine that led to Live Aid concerts around the world and an outpouring of global generosity, a tenth of Ethiopia’s population is at risk of starvation.

After three successive years of drought, the landscape is parched and desolate and temperatures soar above 50 degrees.

For the first time in a generation famine has hit the capital Addis Ababa. The price of food has increased three fold. People queue throughout the night for government subsidized wheat.

Save the Children is leading the way in providing relief to Ethiopians suffering. Don't wait. Don't make an excuse. Just pick up your credit card right now and make a donation of $25 with the widget to the left. Thanks.

Get Your War On

2008-11-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

This series from 23/6 Video is brilliant.

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

2008 a Good year to Buy Property

2008-11-24T20:53:00.001-08:00

I've long thought that CNBC's Jim Cramer was kind of a wacko and his "predictions" largely worthless but this video from January really takes the cake.

"The language of today's international markets."

2008-11-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Watch Obama endorse the importance of linguistic and cultural literacy, particularly with respect to China and Japan.

No one's laughing anymore

2008-11-23T00:23:00.000-08:00

This clip is now a part of presidential history. Notice the laughter. No one's laughing anymore. I also love the forced smile on Hillary's face. I think she might have known she was in trouble (or not, which was the real problem):

How to Kill the GOP: Give people what they want.

2008-11-22T21:55:00.001-08:00

Those who read my blogs know that I like to deconstruct things to their most basic terms. HuffPost, via The Kos, is reporting that the passage of universal health care would destroy the long-term political prospects of the GOP, just as it killed conservative parties in England. James Pethokoukis, at U.S. News and World Report, writes: "After the [British] Labor Party established the National Health Service after World War II, supposedly conservative workers and low-income people under religious and other influences who tended to support the Conservatives were much more likely to vote for the Labor Party when health care, social welfare, education and pro-working class policies were enacted by labor-supported governments."

In essence, the GOP would be ruined if people got what they wanted, or more simply, if they failed at preventing people from getting what they want. And once they had it, they'd never again be fooled by the erroneous rhetoric about how big government's manifestly bad and how taking charge of your own life (or not) is always better than getting help [from uncle Sam].

A Scholars' Dirty Little Secret

2008-11-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

A trusted senpai shared this with me. It's the teaching scholars' dirty little secret: Run effective classes and provide satisfying learning experiences while minimizing the time and effort put into teaching. As much as I'd like to disagree, it's pretty much necessary. Failing this makes research almost impossible, especially if you have a family. So the question is how to pull it off. I have some ideas, in no particular order:

Use video podcasts. You could even substitute a whole week of lecturing with a series of 15-minute podcasts.
Minimize testing. One mid-term and one final should do the trick. Other assessments could be done online (but avoid spending too much time setting those up unless they can be used year after year).
Don't change assigned readings too often for the same classes. Introducing a new reading or two each semester's okay but don't get too over-zealous. Go with what works and stick with it. Saves prep time.

I'll think of more and add them. I'm doing this more for myself than anyone out there. Add your ideas to comments if you like. Input from students is particularly welcome.

Can you pardon the innocent?

2008-11-22T03:26:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of speculation swirling around about Bush's potential presidential pardons. In particular, people are wondering if he'll preemptively pardon any and all unnamed individuals in his administration or their agents who had anything to do with torture, extraordinary rendition, and warrantless wiretaps. A "blanket" pardon of unnamed people is not unprecedented but earlier examples were all part of a national healing process after a time of profound social and political upheaval. I feel this is very different.

The immediate problem is that the pardons would be for acts that undermine our constitution and are contrary to our fundamental national values. They are violations of human rights and, no doubt, have placed our country in greater danger by enraging people with their audacious flouting of international law.

For me, however, I see another fault, one that cuts to the core of the problem with the Bush administration. How can you pardon people for "crimes" before those people have been found guilty in a court of law? If they are not guilty of a crime, they are innocent, no? And therein lies the problem I think. The Bush folks for years now have been chasing, capturing, wiretapping, torturing, and locking people up on pure suspicion. No longer is guilt necessary to be nasty to people. Tangentially but related, I've noticed lately how the White House has altogether stopped using the word "suspected" in sentence such as "US aircraft bombed the camp of a [suspected] terrorist with ties to Al Queda." No trial needed. He's a terrorist!

Admirably, they are applying the same standard to themselves. They presume their people are guilty of a crime, thus in need of pardoning. But I say, how can you pardon "innocent" people? Or has they very ideas of "innocent until proven guilty" become a trite nicety, no longer valid in America?

Slaughterhouse Palin

2008-11-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Some videos you just have to see to believe. On Thursday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin appeared in Wasilla in order to pardon a local turkey in anticipation of Thanksgiving. This proved to be a slightly absurd but ultimately unremarkable event. But what came next was positively surreal. After the pardon Palin proceeded to do an interview with a local TV station while the turkeys were being SLAUGHTERED in the background!! Seemingly oblivious to the gruesomeness going on over her shoulder, she carries on talking for over three minutes. Watch the video below to see for yourself. Be warned, it's kind of gruesome.

I laughed so hard I cried:

Mitt Romney and Socialism

2008-11-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney might not have realized it but in the first three paragraphs of his editorial in today's NYT, he makes a strong case for nationalized universal health care and stronger social security entitlements. After all, health insurance costs and retirement pensions are the two biggest burdens the US automakers must shoulder that their foreign competitors do not.

Sacrifice

2008-11-19T05:03:00.001-08:00

Obama's landslide victory has left me speechless with elation. My faith in the American people is restored. They decisively chose to reject the almost reptilian reactionism of the past 7 years; choosing hope, progress, and change over fear, negativity, and a backward world view. I like most of all Obama's emphasis on sacrifice. To be sure, I believe the Bush era, politically and economically, can be characterized perhaps best by selfishness. He and his cronies believe firmly that a "me-first" attitude is what makes America and Americans strong. But I believe a world where every man is an island who cares none about others and only wants to protect himself and those he loves, is a very bleak and lonely world. I also believe that this might be their objective. Lonely people, who have little hope or sense of community spend their days stuffing themselves with stimulation: more tv, more food, more movies, more alcohol, more sex, more travel, and on and on. Thus, capitalism thrives! But the great challenges of our age--global warming, dependence on foreign oil, and disaster capitalism-- can only be solved if people begin to live in moderation and with a stronger sense for their duty to be more responsible citizens. Yes, this requires less consumption, more thoughtfulness, in a word: sacrifice. Obama, I believe, has inspired me and many millions more to make those sacrifices.

It's a New Day

2008-11-19T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a very long time away.

Celebrating the election of Barack Obama.

Watch this video from will.i.am:
It's a New Day

Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Bulgarian Makes Sumo History

2008-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today is a momentous day in the history of Sumo. For the first time ever, a person of European descent (okay, let's just say "white guy") has won a grand Sumo championship competition, one of six held annually. Over the course of 14 days, the 25-year old Bulgarian native, Kotoōshū (琴欧洲), only lost 1 bout and defeated both Yokozuna grand champions, Asashōryū and Hakuhō. He's only the 7th non-Japanese in history to win a championship and he's the first non-Yokozuna to win since 2006.

While the Mongolians and Polynesian-Hawaiians have long been well represented in the world of Sumo, Kotoōshū has just made a huge contribution to making it truly an international sport.

Here's a clip of the historic bout with Ama that clinched it for him. You see his father stand up after the win waving a Bulgarian flag and receiving a round of applause.

"Lance" Corporal fails to Lance Himself

2008-05-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Japanese media are reporting that a 20-year old lance corporal of the Japanese Ground Self Defence force (the army) tried to commit ritual suicide (hara-kiri) on the steps of the parliament building in Tokyo.

Goes to show that the spirit of the samurai remains alive in modern-day Japan (written with tongue pressed firmly to my cheek).Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Ronin in Newtown

2008-05-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have always taken a guilty pleasure in listening to people explain the meanings of their Chinese character tattoos. They're usually either wrong or skewed just enough to make them look ridiculous. Of course I never say anything because that just wouldn't be nice.

I found this one in Newtown (Sydney) just the other day. It reads "Ronin," which roughly translates as "masterless samurai." I didn't bother to ask her what it means but no doubt it would have been interesting to know if she had any idea what an historical ronin really was. The samurai of the Tokugawa era (1600-1868) who for one reason or other lost their master were essentially unemployed drifters, usually homeless and probably flat broke. Sure they lived lives unrestrained by bonds of loyalty and subservience but at the end of the day, most were probably not proud of who they were.

Times sure have changed. Today, the notion of being a "masterless samurai" seems to appeal to some Westerners, perhaps due to Kurosawa films and the Hollywood depictions of samurai (yes, Tom, I mean you). It sure doesn't bother me. In fact, it's just another thing that makes Japan seem "cool" and it keeps me in a job...Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

The "T" Word

2008-04-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Japan Airlines sponsors an annual scholarship program that sends several students from each of the countries of Asia and Oceania to Japan for 17 days in June to take part in an international forum to discuss themes critical to the future of the region. Last week, I had the pleasure of serving as a judge on the Australian selection panel and I have to say that the experience was profoundly encouraging for several reasons. Not only were all of the 8 finalists extraordinary human beings (future leaders, one and all), each possessed a vision of the future that was remarkably progressive and optimistic. I was deeply heartened.

The theme of this year’s JAL forum is “The World in 20 Years: Problems and Solutions.” Scholarship candidates were required to submit a short essay on this topic and at the interview we interviewed them and had them engage in discussions and planning sessions with their fellow candidates. Everyone agreed universally that global warming was one of the greatest challenges facing the world over the next 20 years. A large part of the day was spent discussing methods for reducing carbon emissions through better transport practices, recycling, and increased energy efficiency. Other challenges that were discussed include aging populations, growing economic inequity, poverty, starvation, and the threats inherent in media consolidation.

Overall, I was impressed by the sophistication of students’ thoughts on these and other issues. As the day drew to a close, however, I became increasingly aware of just how many things remained unsaid. There was, regrettably, no mention of genocide, energy independence, or religious extremism. Even more striking, it was not until the last session of the day when, in a discussion of how Australia and Japan might cooperate to face the challenge of the next 20 years, one candidate finally mentioned terrorism. But to be precise, he didn’t even say it; he merely said, “should we be thinking about the ‘T’ word?” Some might think it appalling that the leaders of the next generation are not keenly aware of the threats of terrorism but I was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. It seems that they had not bought into the alarmism that seems to dominate the news and public discourse. George Bush and John Howard called the War on Terror the “defining battle of our generation” and talking heads, pundits, and a host of others have parroted this same sentiment more times that any of us can possibly count. It’s everywhere. Nevertheless, the next generation seems to either be wholly aloof or entirely unconvinced. My bet (and my hope) is that it’s the latter.

I think more people are becoming aware that terrorism, while hardly not unimportant, is far less of a threat to us than matters such as the environment, health care, and more equitable economic structures. Moreover, I think many are coming to realize that the war in Iraq (which WILL be a challenge of the next 20 years) has almost nothing to do with fighting terrorism. While there were some things I wish the scholarship candidates had not left out of the discussion, I found the absence of terrorism wonderful refreshing and profoundly reassuring.

But let me ask you: What are the biggest challenges facing Australia and the Asian-Pacific region over the next 20 years? Please take part in the survey at the top left and/or add a comment HERE<--. Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

A super advanced robot!! It's probably Japanese!

2008-04-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

I had a giggle at this mention of Japan in the trailer for the motion picture "Transformers." Watch and listen to the comment at 13 seconds.

Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Unconstitutional!!

2008-04-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

The High Court in Nagoya has ruled that Japan's dispatch of air force troops to Iraq was unconstitutional. Article 9 of Japan's constitution states that the "Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes." Sounds pretty clear. Nevertheless, Japan has about 210 air force personnel in Kuwait who airlift supplies to the U.S.-led forces in Baghdad and other places in Iraq. I wonder what the "supplies" are. Water? Sun-tan lotion? Sushi? Let's not forget that Japan is the US's 5th largest buyer of military equipment, to the tune of $890 million!! This is odd in light of the fact that Article 9 also states that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained." I can't help but wonder if some of that military equipment becomes "supplies" sent to coalition soldiers fighting in Iraq. That would mean that while Japan's not "fighting a war" per se, they ARE facilitating the fighting of a war by another country. So what's the difference? I just don't see it myself.

One of the most high profile plaintiffs who brought the case before the High Court is the former Japanese ambassador to Lebanon, the Honorable Amaki Naoto. Mr. Amaki became a vocal critic of Japanese support for the war while still serving as ambassador before the invasion began. His penning of two public letters of protest to the Ministry in Tokyo led to his abrupt dismissal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Today, he continues to fight Japanese war policy through public speeches, writings, and legal action. I bring up Amaki-san because I'm proud to say that while I was working for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs myself between 1996 and 1998, he was my boss. He was the person who hired me, in fact. Good on you Amaki-san. Keep up the good fight. I'm with you a hundred percent.Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Whaling War?

2008-03-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

The ABC (Australia) reports that the captain of the Sea Shepherd ship, the Steve Irwin, claims to have been shot at by the crew of the Japanese whaling ship, the Nisshin Maru. He's reported to have discovered a bullet lodged in the kevlar bullet-proof vest he wears. Here's the spot, aired 7 March 2008:

I'd be very surprised if this is true simply because police and other law enforcement agencies in Japan almost never shoot at criminals or aggressors. And let's face it, the Sea Shepherd causes the Japanese whaling fleet all kinds of grief, to be sure, but they are hardly endangering people's lives. Are they? Could the Japanese actually have meant to KILL someone on board the Steve Irwin? I doubt it but what do you think?

Here's how the activities of the Sea Shepherd are reported in Japan. This extended feature from NHK (aired 8 March 2008) discusses Australian views of whaling within the context of the environmental policies of the new Labor government of Kevin Rudd. This is one of the few cases when I've seen whaling treated in the Japanese media. It's hardly ever discussed.

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Whaling and the Sea Shepherd

2008-03-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

The Sea Shepherd is up to its old tricks again, this time attacking the Japanese whaling ship with "biological weapons." Okay, in fact, it was bottles full of rancid butter that they threw at the Nisshin Maru but nevertheless, they made a clear and powerful statement in their ongoing battle against Japanese whaling practices in the Southern Ocean

The video of the encounter is posted here. There's something puzzling: The video itself was shot from a camera on board the Nisshin Maru yet the clip is posted onto the Youtube channel of someone who appears to be anti-whaling. I wonder how the video got from the "Japanese" camera out into the public domain. Could there be a sympathizer on board? A spy?

There are at least two things rather ironic about this recent engagement: One, notice how the Japanese vessel keeps warning the Sea Shephard over loud speaker that they will be "taken into custody and restrained as illegal intruders under Japanese law." I wonder if the Japanese think the crew of the Shepherd actually cares. Say what you want about the activists but they clearly have no respect for Japanese law. Moreover, their being "restrined" (notice they don't say "arrested") would be a boon for their cause, attracting even greater attention to Japanese whaling. Second, let's think about what the crew of the Shepherd is doing: They're throwing butter at the Japanese! Butter comes from milk, which comes from cows that are generally enslaved, drugged, and milked incessantly until they are too sick to stand. After that, they are beheaded and processed into dog food. Way to go Sea Shepherd! Good on you for making a statement about animal rights. Save the whales but to hell with the cows?

But what do you think?

Appended: News of the "attack" by the Sea Shepherd is coursing through the news media and blogosphere with great energy. There was even a major feature on the Japanese news today, which I'll try to post. Check HERE for realtime news updates. Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. Matthew Stavros. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

The Start of the Semester

2008-03-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

The new semester begins tomorrow and I'm looking forward to teaching, for the second time, "The Origins of Japanese History," a cultural history of premodern Japan. Here's part of the course description from the syllabus:

This unit of study (UoS) explores some of the key motifs of Japanese “tradition.” Through the liberal exploration of primary historical sources, including texts, pictorial sources, and material artifacts, students will learn of such diverse topics as early religion, imperial authority, the lives of the court and military elites (samurai), Zen monastic practice, medieval aesthetics, geisha, and the tea ceremony. By separating stereotype and cliché from history, we will attempt to construct a more sober yet ultimately more viable narrative of premodern Japanese cultural history. A key intellectual objective of this unit is to grasp how traditions are created, deployed, defined and redefined over time; and how they are often the products of identifiable political, social, religious, and economic circumstances.

As is evident from this description, I'll be toying with the idea of tradition. I hope to be able to demonstrate well that "tradition" is not necessarily tied to the distant past but rather that it's often fabricated, recapitulated, disseminated, and recreated for the sake of meeting certain pragmatic aims, be they political, economic, or otherwise.

I'll be asking a lot from my students but based on past experience, I think most will be up for it. Stay tuned: I'm sure to be both praising and deriding them here (anonymously, of course).

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Barack Obama

2008-02-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

It's off topic for this blog but I simply cannot resist posting this add for Barack Obama. I think he is the best hope America has for restoring its dignity, its prosperity, and its hope.

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Japan at #5. Who's Number 1?

2007-12-30T04:55:00.000-08:00

NHK reports that Japan is the world's fifth largest buyer of weapons from America, having purchased a whopping US$890 million in goods last year alone. As unfathomable as this number is, it's even more remarkable when we remember that Japan is a country that is not at war, does not plan to go to war, and, by constitutional law, is incapable of waging war. So what are all those ships, guns, and rockets for? Hum.

The thing about the report that struck me even more than Japan's #5 ranking was the four countries that beat it out of the top spot. Some are to be expected but one in particular really surprised me. So here's my challenge to you. Watch the clip below and try to answer the following questions by leaving a comment (push HERE).

1) List the top 4 buyers of US weapons in order from 1 to 4.
2) How much (in dollars) did the top buyer spend?

Correction: In an earlier post, I misquoted the dollar amount of weapons Japan purchased from the US. The amount above is correct.Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Made in Japan = "Not made in China"

2007-12-24T06:16:00.001-08:00

I've been in Japan about a week and only now is the Sharp TV commercial beginning to make full sense. There are many aspects of the commercial that I can't deconstruct in a short entry on this Christmas eve such as those brought up by some of my readers such as the use of the word "quintessential" and the melding of garden, city, and technology. All these are very interesting and worthy of further enquiry.

Here, however, I'd just like to register my view that I think the spot has a clear political subtext. By saying the TV is made in Japan, the markerters are, essentially, emphasizing that it's NOT made in China (or any place else). Besides making a strong suggestion about the superiority of Japanese technology vs that of China (and Korea?), I think, in this respect, Sharp's piggy-backing on the current anti-Chinese sentiment emerging in several Western countries.

It's unfortunate but I guess I have to admit that it's a marketing strategy that makes sense in the current climate.

But what do you think?Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Cool Japan?

2007-12-16T02:41:00.001-08:00

Those of you who have taken my classes know that I often speak of the stark contrast that separates "strong Japan" from "weak Japan."

Lately, I've been considering the evolving nature of Japan's strengths and have been struck by how, increasingly, that country is being depicted as a cultural, rather than an economic, superpower. This is hardly a new phenomenon, however; it's been around since at least 2002 when Douglas McGray discussed it in his article "Japan's Gross National Cool" published in Foreign Affairs magazine. What's interesting, however, is that it seems the "cool" factor that we see evoked so frequently in popular media has not necessarily supplanted the earlier discourse about Japan being a technological giant. So what? I guess it doesn't have to. But I wonder if there aren't new reasons for emphasizing Japan's technological savvy.

Take for example the following commercial for the new Aquos LCD TV from Sharp. In a 30-second spot aired on Australian TV, Japan is mentioned three times and the word "Japan" shows up in print twice. We are shown a Japanese garden complete with cherry blossoms, Japanese-style roofs, and a koi pond. What's going on here? Why make such a big fuss about the TV's Japanese nativity? What are the advertisers trying to tell us? What is the subtext? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. And take part in the survey at the top-left. <------. I'll post my own interpretation later but for now I'll reveal that I think the message is a little political in nature.

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Readers in Council: The Japan Times

2007-11-29T02:10:00.000-08:00

It seems that I've unwittingly picked up a side occupation writing commentary for the Japan Times. Read my newest contributions here and here.Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Disappointed by Kevin?

2007-11-28T04:31:00.000-08:00

A good number of people with whom I’ve shared my enthusiasm for Kevin Rudd have said the same thing: “I hope he doesn’t let you (or us) down.” I can understand very well what they mean and to be sure, I hope he doesn’t let me down too. But so what if he does? Let’s think about this in context. There will always be things that politicians, even those with the strongest convictions and will power, are prevented from achieving. Economic, political, and social pressures will always exert force on the course of policy decisions. But let’s look at the starting point. Kevin wants to ratify Kyoto, shorten hospital waiting times, provide better funding to public schools, provide a computer for every senior highschooler in the country, lower the turn-away rate at homeless shelters, pull out of Iraq, bolster the rights of workers, ensure civil liberties, strengthen ties with China, etc. He might very well be prevented from achieving some of these objectives for one reason or another and, just to be fair, that would be disappointing. But let us not fail to realize that the Iron-men themselves, John Howard and treasurer Peter Costello, too were prevented from achieving all their political objectives: Despite their concerted efforts over the course of 11.5 years, they were not able to completely destroy trade unions; they could not convince the public that Kyoto was a bad idea; they failed to privatise as many public industries as they had hoped; they did not entirely destroy the public school system; they didn’t get even close to dismantling Medicare (as they had hoped but rarely mentioned); they could not “dissolve the welfare state” (which was code for “screw the poor”), and on and on. The political opposition was too feisty and the Australian public too progressive. We like our rites and privileges. So John failed at some of his objectives and Kevin probably will too. But let’s look at what the objectives are and compare them on equal terms. While I pray Kevin succeeds, I thank God John did not. And that’s the limit of my religiosity.

On another topic but with a related degree of sarcasm: I think it’s worth noting that the US and Australia are both experiencing a serious financial crisis right now. The US dollar is imploding due to ballooning foreign debt; the mortgage crisis has slashed the housing market and today a Middle Eastern investment funds announced its plan to bail out the largest US bank. Australia is likewise in a state of crisis because it has to find a way to dispose of a $60 billion budget surplus without causing rampant inflation. Although this is a serious situation, the contrast with America is striking. Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Japan and Australia Under Kevin

2007-11-26T02:54:00.000-08:00

Kevin Rudd's landslide victory in the Australian election on Saturday could have a profound impact on Australian-Japanese relations. For one, as a former diplomat once stationed in China and a fluent speaker of Mandrin, Kevin’s a certified Asia-phile. He is much more likely to see Australia as an integral part of Asia than his predecessor and, as a result, promote all kinds of economic, cultural, and intellectual programs between Australia and Asian countries. One of the key elements of his so-called “eduction revolution” is the promotion of Asian Languages, which means more money to schools and universities (like mine) that teach Chinese, Japanese, and, I suspect, Indonesian. This signals a clear admission of the reality that has been clear to many outside the Howard government for quite some time: that Australia’s economic future is tied intimately to Asia; perhaps more so, in fact, than it is to our “traditional” partners, Europe and the US.

There are some who look at Kevin’s close personal and professional ties to China as a potential threat to Australian-Japanese relations. There is the fear that he will be sympathetic to Chinese economic, diplomatic, and military aspirations, many of which, some feel, can only be achieved at Japan’s expense. Although not many are spelling it out, I think the main question on people’s minds is whether or not Kevin will be able to tame his Sino-centric sympathies enough to recognize that China is a potential threat. They want to know what side he’s on? Will he stand with the good guys (US-Japan) or the “bad” guys: China?

I fear that this is the intellectual extent of the debate.

To really assess the potential course of, let’s say Rudd-Japan relations, we should consider the (true) nature of Howard-Japan relations up to now. First of all, I think it’s fair to say that Howard was personally disinterested in Asia. During his 11-year term, he divested substantially in Asian language education (which, despite everything, continues to be the best in the English-speaking world) and consistently focused his energies on nurturing closer diplomatic, economic, and military ties to the US. It was in terms of this last area, the US-Australia military alliance, where Howard’s interaction with China and Japan was defined. Howard became party to the anti-China rhetoric promoted by the Bush administration. He was not nearly as alarmist about the so-called “rise of China” as his Yankee counterparts but he nevertheless toed the line. Look at his most significant foreign policy decisions regarding Japan: not free trade, not scientific cooperation, most certainly not the environmental protection (he rejected Kyoto). Only stronger defence cooperation! Howard’s main interest in Australian ties with Japan was part of the ongoing US-led project to contain China.

I suspect Kevin will embrace Japan warmly but that he will do so for reasons infinitely more positive than those of his predecessor. Rather than anti-Chinese sentiment, his interest in Japan will likely be informed more by a genuine interest in Asia and a profound understanding of the political, historical, and cultures issues of the region. Rather than lead him away from Japan, I suspect Kevin’s love of China will take him, and Australia, closer to Asia more generally.

These are my personal thoughts but I want to know what you think. How will Kevin Rudd approach China? How should he? What do you think is the future of Australian-Japanese relations under labor? Please add to the comments below and vote in the anonymous survey at the top-left <----. In closing I'd just like to say that I think Kevin's mastery of Chinese and his ability to use it so publicly is remarkable. With all my proficiency in Japanese, I honestly wonder if I'd have the confidence to whip it out on the world stage like he does so regularly and with such impressive fluidity. Check out this interview on Chinese State TV. Anime and manga. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Japan Tourism and Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Japanese Whaling

2007-11-12T03:02:00.000-08:00

Many Australian and others from around the world are deeply opposed to Japanese whaling. Rather than bow to international pressure, however, the Japanese Fisheries Agency has announced that this year it will be expanding its operations in the Southern Ocean. In addition to the regular 1000 Minke whales approved for culling every year (in the name of science, of course), this summer, Japanese whalers will also be able to capture and kill up to 50 hump-back whales as well. And, as if to add insult to injury, they have requested that the Australian and New Zealand navies protect their ships from the aggressive actions of environmental action groups such as Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd.

I don't have enough knowledge on this topic to form an informed opinion but I can't help but wonder why it's so taboo to kill whales if they're not endangered. I don't deny that it's rather grizzly and unpleasant but why do so many people oppose it while not raising similar complains about, for example, the killing of cows, sheeps, or kangaroos. Is it because whales are intelligent? But does that mean it's okay to kill animals that are not intelligent? If so, why? What about people? If someone is born with severe brain impairments, is euthanasia okay? What about brain damaged people? I have my own thoughts on these questions but I'd like to hear what you think about the whaling issue in the comments below. And please vote on the top left <---- [voting has ended.]

Japanese whaling comes up almost every semester in my classes. A student will often ask me if I've ever eaten whale meat in Japan and I, aware that many are deeply opposed to the Japanese hunting and consumption of whale, take a certain pleasure in my answer. After having spend more than 8 years living in Japan and over 15 years commuting back and forth, I have never eaten whale. I've never met anyone who’s eaten it and I've never seen it for sale in the markets. I've never even met anyone who's heard of anyone who's eaten it. That's how big it is. Yes, there are some seaside towns in the far north of Tohoku where the people do eat whale but it's absolutely not part of the mainstream Japanese diet. While I tend to applaud activism of all kinds, I can't help but wonder if the work of Greenpeace and others wouldn't be better spent on a more large-scale problem. But what do you think? Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Learn kanji. Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Airline tickets. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese antiques. Japanese Movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. WWII. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Japan's Reemergence?

2007-11-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Two new books address the topic of Japan's re-emergence as a political and potential military world power. Kenneth B. Pyle, professor of history and Asian Studies at the University of Washington, has published Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power And Purpose, which, according to Sheldon Garon, a leading historian of Japan, is the "most comprehensive history of Japan's international relations to date." Richard Samuels has published Securing Japan: Tokyo's Grand Strategy and the Future of East Asia, which I gather from the title and description, gives particular treatment to Japan's military potential. There can be little doubt that both are worthy of our careful attention in light of Japan's huge military spending, continued political tensions with her neighbors, and a government set on revising the constitution to make military action permissible.

Visit my Amazon store to get more information on these titles and to purchase. Buying used and shiping to Australia can still be cheaper than buying new in Australia. Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Learn kanji. Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Airline tickets. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese antiques. Japanese Movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. WWII. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Yokoso Japan: Now give us your fingerprint

2007-11-08T21:45:00.001-08:00

From November 20, Japan will begin fingerprinting all non-Japanese citizens who enter the country. The measure, according to the Justice Ministry, is to thwart terrorism. This violation of privacy is interesting in light of real circomstances. Japan has never, to my knowledge, sustained a terrorist attack by citizen of a foreign country (And no, abduction by North Korean spies cannot be categorized as terrorism by any standard legal definition). The country has, however, suffered numerous terrorist attacks by Japanese citizens. The Japanese Red Army caused death and destruction on numerous occasions right up till the 1980s; and Aum Shinrikyo executed the Tokyo subway gas attacks of 1995, which killed twelve, severely injured fifty and caused temporary vision problems for nearly a thousand others. So why are they fingerprinting foreigners? Because they can, I suppose. Moreover, it's a nice way to heighten xenophobia, which can function to make people afraid and therefore more docile to authority.

Tell me how you feel by taking part in the survey to the top-left of this page <--- [voating closed].
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Nova Lives!

2007-11-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

It looks like that fiesty bunny will live to annoy another day. The Mainichi newspaper reports that the Nagoya-based G.communication grp. will take over the more than 200 failed Nova schools and employ all former employees at their ORIGINAL salaries!

So all those ESL teachers who were "stranded" in Japan are suddenly "saved by the bell."

I have only one question: does the chief of G.communication get to use the swanky office of the former Nova president?Teach English in Japan. Jobs in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Study abroad. Japanese Language. Learn kanji. Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Ski Hokkaido. Airline tickets. Hotels in Kyoto. International dating. ESL. TOEFL. Japanese antiques. Japanese Movies. DVD. Otaku. Samurai swords. WWII. Kamikaze. Geisha. Japanese friends.

Death of the Nova Bunny

2007-11-06T02:47:00.000-08:00

The Australian newspaper (and a zillion other news outlets) reports that NOVA Corp, Japan's largest foreign-language teaching company, has collapsed with debts of more than Y42.9 billion ($415million) leaving about 1000 Australian (and other native English speaking) instructors stranded in Japan.

Nova has always seemed to me to be a shady business but when news emerged several months back that they were not paying their employees, I really began to worry. Apparently, the board had been hiding insolvency for quite a long time. What makes the bankruptcy even more scandalous is the finding that the president of the company maintained an office with all the amenities of a penthouse salon, complete with bar, bed, and sauna! He enjoyed all that while denying pay to his employees.

While I feel for the foreigners who lost their jobs, I am surprised by the accounts of former teachers being "stranded" in Japan. Weren't they saving any money? Not even enough to get a flight home? Remember that flights from Japan to Sydney, for example, can be had for as little as 50,000 yen (about AU$550).

Nova's collapse will have a far-reaching impact on Japan's English conversation market because there are now thousands of teachers fervently looking for work. They will flood the market, resulting in lower wages and higher unemployment. Many good teachers will be left with little or nothing to do, I fear.

But there's good news too: No more of those annoying Nova Bunny commercials constantly plaguing the airwaves.Teach English in Japan. Work in Japan. Study in Japan. Learn Japanese. Japanese Language. Learn kanji. Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Ryokan. Tea ceremony. Ski Hokkaido. Airline tickets. Hotels in Kyoto. Japanese Friends. International dating. Japanese antiques. Japanese Movies. DVD. Otaku. Idol. Samurai Swords. WWII. Kamikaze. Geisha. Meet Japanese.

Whither Article 9?

2007-11-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

Article 9 of Japan's consitution reads as follows:

Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. 2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. (emphasis added)

These photos were taken several weeks ago at a Self Defense Force Base near Tokyo. Anything strange here?
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Only in Japan?

2007-11-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

This clip speaks for itself. I could only shake my head in utter amazement. 渋谷に行きたくなるね。

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Tokyo at #4 in "Most Livable City" Survey

2007-11-04T03:15:00.002-08:00

Tokyo has claimed the #4 spot in a survey by Monocle Magazine of the world's 10 most livable cities! It was the only city outside of Europe in the top six and was a full two ranks above Sydney, which regularly dominates these kind of lists. Monocle hearlded Tokyo's "integrated transport, breathtaking technology, great service and the best bars," all of which made it their "top big city."

Sure, Tokyo's wonderful, and what they write about it's spot-on, but is it truely among the world's most "livable" cities? I might have to dissagree. Obviously, the people who did the survey didn't try to buy property. And I'd bet they didn't try commuting over an hour to work every day (which is about standard) on trains that are packed like sardine cans.

I love Tokyo and I'm tickled pink that I live in two cities ranked among the world's best. But I can't help but wonder why the list didn't include San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, or Paris. Go figure. Anime. Manga. Work in Japan. Travel. Jalpak. Qantas. Cheap Flights. Hotels in Tokyo. Airlines tickets. Hotels in Kyoto. Japanese Friends. International dating. Japanese antiques. Japanese Movies. DVD. Samurai. Swords. WWII. Kamikaze. Geisha. Meet Japanese.

Enola Gay Pilot Dead

2007-11-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the U.S. bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, died on Thursday at age 92, a newspaper reported.

Tibbets is famous for having no regret for taking part in an action that resulted in the instant deaths of over 100,000 people. It's amazing what wartime propaganda can get people to do.

May he rest in peace, like so many of those who he killed.
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Eiheiji Temple

2007-11-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Eiheiji is the headquartere temple of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan. It was founded in the 15th century by the monk Dōgen 道元. Please enjoy the video of the temple.