Schnell

The ie is a traditional Japanese family system that was produced during the rural society. Its power is decreasing and facing the danger of disappearing. The ie was protected by central power before and the ie usually cannot feed itself with its land. The head of the ie usually finds himself a job and leaves the land to other members or empty.  However, some modern companies reuse the idea of ie system. The managers in the company are treated as upper family members and the system runs to help staff build the royal for the company as a whole. Commonerization is the opposite of democratization among the samurai class and samuraization is the democracy of commoners. The rice is related to commonerization by being the staple grain and a major food in Japanese culture. However, since the main area of Japan is mountain area, the rise growing places are limited. Hida is a place that the residents there are almost isolated from the outer world. Tsuchi is a novel about the house owner and tenant problem and their reflection to the centralization power. Nihonjinron is dangerous because the culture itself is still undergrowing.

Weekly Blog No.2, swimming pools

The Fukushima power plant disaster left long term effects to its surrounding area. The nuclear radiation could damage the health of some residents for as long as 30 years.  Residents in Fukushima Prefecture are angry on their government radiation standard and worry about the radiation in the environment. The students from Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture will not be able to swim in an outdoor swimming pool.

The education ministry is concerning about the outdoor pool radiation standard while there are increasing worries about the nuclear radiation level in swimming pool.  The government standard allowing students taking outdoor gym classes is 3.8 microsieverts per hour, which is considered too dangerous for children by their parents and experts because the possible total annually exposure is 20 millisieverts. As a result of parents anger and data from experts, on May 27^th, a new annual radiation exposure limit is set as 1 millisievert, which is much lower than the previous standard. Due to the new limit, most of the outdoor swimming classes are suspended in Fukushima Prefecture. The data from Asahi survey shows 30 out of 33 cities will stop their outdoor pools. The uncovered 26 cities are either close to the power plant where people are almost evacuated or far away from the power plant. What is worse is that the residents living in Fukushima are losing their confidence on the government because the new limit is much lower than previous one and it was published suddenly. The various opinions that contradict with each other from many experts also confused people.  

In Koriyama, one of the most populous cities in Fukushima Prefecture, students will go to indoor pools instead of outdoor ones at least once and some swimming clubs are asked for lending their indoor pools to the schools. However, due to the limited space, students have restricted time for the swimming classes and have to walk to several swimming clubs.

Not only Fukushima Prefecture, residents in Kanto area also worried about the nuclear radiation effect there. Several cities in Ibaraki Prefecture prohibit the use of outdoor school pools and wait for the decision of the higher level government. In some of the cities, researches are run to check the radiation in school pools. The tests are performed in elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools. The officials stated earlier that the radiation level was safe and was not suppose to have any health effect on people. However, a private research group had different conclusion that the radiation in atmosphere is still in a dangerous level. There are also worries about the rain water with radioactive ashes falling into the swimming pool and accumulated. The radiation check is still incomplete and there are several more schools need to be inspected.  The Tokyo education office stated that the radioactive materials in pool is much lower than the safe level and tap water and rainwater are also safe.

Nuclear disasters leave long term effect. Not only the power plant itself is dangerous, the radioactive materials left in the air and soil will also result long time pollution.

Reference:
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106170203.html

Movie

In the movie we saw today, conch shells are used to make horns and perform the symbolic "ahn" sound during serious ceremonies. People believe the sound has the power to excess evil. Conch shell horns are the income of Yamabushi. It is generally believed by Japanese that Yamabushi can gain power by doing shugendo on the mountain for 4 months. There are articles in other countries showing that the people go through tough environment on purpose will obtain mystery power. These are probably made by people living in uncontrollable cruel environment to comfort themselves. Therefore all the unexplainable suffer they had will be the source of their inner power. At the end, the Yamabushi said that doing everything by himself is originally part of Shugendo procedure, which kind corresponding to the self-conforting theoery.

Reader & Tanabe

The most common shichifukujin are Ebisu, Daikoku, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Fukurokuju and Hotei.
Ebisu is most respected by small shopkeepers and merchants. He wears a hat and field clothes and holds a fishing pole.
Daikoku is usually portrayed with angry face and stands on rice.
Bishamonten is a Buddhist guardian deity who always dressed in armor
Benzaiten is connected to wealth and talent and have usually four or eight arms.
Fukurokuju is the old man and close to the south pole. He also has white bearded.
Hotei is known for fun and happy. He has a round face and always laughs.

Vlastor will point out the fact that shichifukujins are modern re-invented figures because they have about 130 new routes between 1975 and 1985.

Question for presentations 2

1. Lucy - Living style
What forms the working males & housewives family structure in Japan?

2. Kristina - Japanese cosplay
Is the perfectionalism/ serious cosplay style related to Japanese culture?

3. Julian - Jazz
How would the serious Japanese people accept Jazz?

4. Chenghan - nuclear
What you think the future of nuclear in Japan will be?

5. Leonard - Okinawa
Does the military base in Okinawa bring any benefit to Japan?

6. Chi Hai
Junko-san wans to work because of her personal interest or the family need money?

Weekly Blog No.1 - Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant

After the Fukushima nuclear disaster,  Japanese reconsidered their situation and nuclear power plants. The Hamaoka power plant, which was partly destroyed by the earthquake happened on August 2009, has canceled its resumption plan for #5 reactor and shut down other two reactors. The residents near Hamaoka city are worried about the safety of Hamaoka power plant. However, they have no other choice. A woman in the supermarket told their situation - since Japan is a generally energy scarce country, Japanese have barely other choice but to use nuclear power.

Questions for Presentations

1. Chenghan - Judo
How is Judo changed after it became an Olympic Sport?

2. Leonard - Labour management
What is HRM?

3. Lucy - Geisha
Where will the odoriko girls who were not becoming Geisha go?

4. Kristina - Osechi Ryori
Any specific person who pushed the change of this meal?

5. Me

6. Chi Hai - Prince Shotoku
How Buddhism and Confucianism affect Shinto?

7. Julian - Japanese domesticity
What is the family in Japan looked like before western style was introduced?