The Shiokari-Touge Pass

I like the stories and essays of Ayako Miura. I read many her books and like her books. I really recommend her books, especially, "Hitsujigaoka(the Hitsujigaoka Hill in Sapporo)" and "Hyoten(Freezing Point)". If I had not read her books, my life could have been different. The accident in the Shiokari-Toge Pass was happened 100 years ago. It was on the February 28 1909. The 100 Anniversary Event is held in Asahikawa yesterday and today. I want to attend at the event.
A Christian conductor was killed in the line of duty. He threw his own body on the rail in order that his overdriving train stopped.

Ivan Pavlov

Oxford publishes the great biography's series. I cannot help but the higher level of Oxford. Ivan Pavlov won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1904.
I'd like to read this series more. There are many great scientists on this series.

Falling Rational Nature

Many people worship money in the world. The people believe capitalism won socialism 20 years ago but the capitalism seems to be collapsed now. Yoshikazu Akabori suggests it's impotant that people have to think by themselves without depending on any ism.

Buyology

have you seen the warning on the cigarette box. Martin Lindstrom told that the waning is the best ads for continuing to smoke. Smokers feel to quit smoking when they see the warning, but the warning inspires to want to smoke more in their brains. In addition, the ads of cigarettes in the Formula One was got rid of the logo. Many people believe the logo is the core of ads, but the getting rid of the logo inspires much more. Martin told there are many methods of the modern ads such as products placements, perfume and spending the nights. I recommend to read this book if you're marketing stuff.

What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here?

If you interview with someone or you're interviewed, or neither, you should read this book asap. Cynthia Shapiro will tell you how to get better evaluations. If you were not any interviewees or interviwers, you must have many meeting with your colleagues, managers, stuff or clients at the offices. You have to take care of everything everywhere and anytime. You're examined. However, you don't worry the examinations because nobody is perfect. I think her suggetions are true as far as my experiences.

She told 4C to get your best situation or position.

• Courage
• Clarity
• Craft
• Consistency

Corporate Confidential

Cynthia Shapiro tells how to grow up in your organization. I've been in several organizations for about 25 years. There are many brilliant tips on this book. Many people seem to think that this book tells how to survive and promote in their organizations. However, I think this book tells how to grow up my organization. I recommend this book strongly.
One of the most important essentials would be to follow orders from my superiors, because inharmonic works will bring only small profits.

Clinical Essay

If you went to hospital, you should read this book as soon as possible. Hisao Nakai told us many tips and inside stories in the hospital.
For example, if you want to protect yourself from the hospital inflection, you should do a nasal douching, paint the menthol medicine into your nares, and take sleeping a pills your doctor prescribed.

Selecting Photos for the First Grade's Memories

My daughter selected her photo during her first school from last April because her teacher ordered it to her class in order to craft the first grade's memories. I like the first photo that my daughter shook hands with her teacher on her first day.

Early Spring 2009

There are many floweres in the Hamarikyu Park in the early Spring. I wanted to go to the park in order to see the Japanese plum. There are many flowers of the field mustard. The Spring will come soon.

Saga-Kita High School Baseball Team, Summer 2007

The Saga-Kita High-School won the championship of the Japan high-school baseball game. The Saga-Kita high school is a public high-school in the Saga prefecture. Nobody didn't expect the team. In addition, the team had only 1 hit until the seven inning. The team got five at the eight inning with a ground slam homer.
Kei Nakamura explained the team's history. The mass communications didn't tell the team would have enough equipments as many as other strong teams, but Kei told it's not true and they had enough equipments and practices. The Saga-Kita high school is come as a flesh reminder that the fundamentals are very important.

My Road to Japan

I took the seminar "My Road to Japan" of the Global Understanding Course in English by the Kawasaki International Associaction in the Kawasaki International Center today. The speaker is a trumpeter "Joseph Motter". He grow up in Texas where is his mother's land, but he contacted to the Japanese culture when he went to California where is his father's land. He learned the Japanese language. He's really loved the Japanese culture. He can't expalin the reasons.
However, he tells there are no good south American restaurnts in Tokyo. I want to eat Gumbo.

Made to Stick

Kazuyo Katsuma who is one of the most popular essayist in Japan wanted to write the commentary of this book. This book was her most favorite book in 2007. She used the list of "SUCCESSs".

SUCCESSs

• Simple: Find out a core, Telling the core to others.
  
• Unexpected: surprising, keep interesting
  
• Concrete: memorizing better, collaboration
  
• Credible: from internal and out of group
  
• Emotional: relativeness, profits, identity
  
• Story: simulations
  

How to Give Your Brain a Rest

A brain needs to have many and deep rests with many ways...

Relaxation: Sleeping, Deep breath, Aroma massage, Listening relaxation musics

Imagination: a cottage by the sea, a bird view, staying a hotel, spending a million dollar.

Warming oneself: hot towel, taking a bath

Something different: washing a dish, taking a bath in the half-light, eating favorite foods, buying expensive goods, studying different are from my speciality.

Having a medical check: heart race, blood pressure and body temprature

Concentration: shining up, drawing up.

Exercise: walking, stretching

Traveling: having a usual hotel, back to my hometown.

PTA

Hiroto Kawabata explained the prod & cons of the Parents and Teachers Association in Japan. The association is the one of the largest groups in Japan. The number of the member would be about 10 million. However, the PTA seems a dead letter. There are many, many problems with educations in Japan. The academic ability has been lower. Some teachers were criminal in and out of the school.
I will start a subscription of the educational magazine "President Family", and my kids start to subscribe the Z-kai which is the best correspondence course in Japan.

Morning Habits of Good Companies

Masayuki Konishi recovered a house reform company which the job separation rate of was about 60%. The sales of the company became 300M USD for 10 years. His opinion seemed young, but his actual achivements was established, and his main words is favorite.

"Continue what everybody can do easily, until everybody give it up."

His Check List for a Good Company

1. Give someone the time of day loudly.
   
2. Have a lunch with the stuff.
   
3. Do employees can work cheerfully.
   
4. Do employees hold their own study sessions?
   
5. Repeat the company's policies and visions many times.
6. Are there any evaluation standard on the policies?
7. Are there any cultures for challenges?
8. Have any consultants give good accounts of employees?
9. Do you have any actions for contributions to society?
10. How many good mentors are there?

Quark

This author is Prof. Yoichiro Nanbu who is the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008. He released this book which tells "Quark" easily. If you've got the physics and math on the college level in Japan, you could understand this book. It's very useful. He wrote the 1st edition in 1981. The 2nd edition was released in 1998. It's amazing.
I could understand what I had been sured, but I can understand only 1% of Quark as you can imagine easily.

Politics Manual for Juveniles

I've taken the lecture by Prof. Jiro Yamaguchi when I went to the university. He'd been a famous professor already. However, I can't remind his lecture at all because I was not a good student as you might imagine easily. He told the ten rules to attend at the Japan Society politically.
As he mentioned, my generation was called the Apathetic. The reason why my generation became apathetic, The political movements in 1960's in Japan became the terrible duel, and then my generation was on the rebound. My parents didn't tell that I had to attend at any politic activities when my family watched the news of the politic movements. However, we're on a large turning point. The global financial crisis was occurred. Obama was elected. How will be Japan?
I was impressed the words in the movie "Le Mari de la Coiffeuse" Prof. Yamaguchi told.

Life is simple, and you can get what you've wanted, and nothing you've got are what you've not wanted.

Credit Bureau System in Japan

Do you know the Annual Recommendations between USA and Japan? The latest USA version was released in October 2008. The US Government has recommend to introduce on the credit bureau system in Japan. If you've been in USA, you could know the credit score very well.
However, if you were a Japanese, you might not know it well. I thought it'd no problem for me because I've not use credit cards so much and I've never brought cash on credit except my housing loan, but it's on the Japanese common sense. The credit score on the US common sense could be risen after I use credits  as much as possible. The credit bureau system must be introduces in Japan in the near future. I should take care of my credit score.

ITOI Organiser

I've used the ITOI weekly scheduler . I bought the new fiscal year's one. The ITOI Organizer is very useful, you can buy it in LOFT or the "1101.com" only. I don't want bring the heavy full organiser. I always buy only the weekly scheduler for my private time. Though the weekly scheduler is very compact, there are the weekly memo, 7days' 24 hours scheduler, daily & weekly check boxes and monthly calendar on the two-page spread. You can know holidays and full moon. I really recommend it.

DOT COM LOVERS

There are many single forties in Japan. The number has been increased. An incredible report on singles was released. 15% of men and 7% of women in Japan would have not got married in their lives. It's been a social problem in Japan. Some TV drama on the single forties became a boom last year.
Mari Yoshihara told the blind dates in USA with the Internet services. She used the match.com which is the most popular site in USA. She met about hundred men and wrote down the stories. I was interested in the views of the intelligent woman. She is a professor in the Hawaii University! These Internet services have been promoted in Japan, too. It's a campaign by the Japanese government, isn't it?

Arguments about Stupid Company Owners

Sakumichi Yamada mentioned there would be many stupid managers because the managers must cut necessary costs and assign the best person in the company to the worst business.
He showed many examples of the stupid decisions on this book. However, his main oprinion is very simple.
Result = Period x Ability x Cost @ Timing
Nobody must doubt this principle.

Practical Honorific Words in the Japanese Language

It'd be hard to use the honorific words in the Japanese language, because there are three kinds of honorific words.

• Respect Words: on having someone in honor
  
• Modest Words: on playing down
  
• Polite Words
  

Native Japanese speakers have to use the honorific words in their ordinary life. It's very important in the Japanese society. However, even native Japanese speakers often make mistakes on using honorific words. One of the reasons why people make mistakes would be that there are many distinguished honorific words. For example, there are three kinds of honorific words to eat "Taberu".

• Respect Word: Meshiagaru
  
• Modest Word: Itadaku
  
• Polite Words: Tabemasu

As you might imagine, there are the greatest honorific words for Emperor as same as Royal.

That's complex, isn't that?

Fossil Hunt

My wife and my son joined into a fossil hunting by the Kawasaki Science Museum. I submitted the hunting tour, but I caught cold and I gave up the tour.
They climbed the Masugata-Yama and went into the Tamagawa river side. They hunted some fossils of shells. I wanted to join the tour...

Don't Drink Water Too Much.

Some doctors tell to drink water as much as possible. Average people should take a half gallons of water everyday. However, Dr. Yumi Ishihara tells people have drunk enough water already. Water cools off our bodies. The cool body would get ill. Dr. Ishihara tells people have to warm their own bodies more and eat something to warm themselves.

Eat more for warming ourselves
Cheese, Buckwheat Noodle
Red Wine, Black Beer, Japanese Sake, Chinese Rice Wine, Brandy, Whiskey & Hot Water
Japanese Sweets, Rye Bread, Brown Rice, Tea, Oolong Tea
Muscovado, Root Vegetables, Sea Weed, Northern Fruits
Fish w/ Red Flesh, Red Meat

Eat less in order to cools off ourselves
Milk,  Wheat Noodle
White Wine, Beer, Cakes & Cookies
White Bread, Polished Rice, Green Tea, Sugar, Leaf Vegitables
Fish w/ White Flesh, White Meat

Success for the New Global Manager

Many skills and knowledges are necessary for the global managements. The Creative Center for Leadership told many skills and techniques from their researches. The global manager has to deal with different cultures, attitudes, work styles and of course, languages and timezones.
As fas as I see my experiences, it's easy to know the differences. However, it's hard to understand and accept the differences. It's necessary to communicate a lot with many methods such as oversea travel, telephone, video conference, email, chat system and sending small gifts sometimes.
I think the global management would become much more necessary and important by this global crisis, because the global company will have to throw away or give up their old business processes and the company will built the new effective processes in the world. In addition, workers will have to accept the new process in order not to lose jobs completely.

Practical Fashion Top 1% Get On

Hiroshi Okano was the top makeup artist in the Japan Public Broadcast "NHK". He's made up 110,000 famous persons. He told many tips of the business fashions on this book. I haven't seen these a useful fashion book. Many books addressed the great fashions for the main actors or the top managements. It's very necessary for many ordinary business persons to tell how to choose or get on the fit business suits, shirts or shoes in the specific case.

Slopes in Tokyo

There are hundreds slopes in Tokyo. Please access this site which shows Tokyo Slopes (sorry, Japanese only). Actually I go up and down three slopes "Hiyoshi-Saka", "Tenjin-Saka" and "Hijiri-Saka" on commuting. "Saka" means slope in the Japanese language.
Tamori told his opinions and the stories on some famous slopes. I also like the slopes because the Tokyo Metropolitan government puts up guideposts at the slopes. You could see the name and histories of the slopes in Tokyo. It's cool!

Hiyoshi-Saka

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Tenjin-Saka

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Hijiri-Saka

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ATOK 2009

The newest ATOK 2009 was launched yesterday. I've been the ATOK user for about 10 years. ATOK. ATOK is the best IME in Japan. It's much better than MS-IME. ATOK has been developed by JustSystems since 1983. I think JustSystems is only one company that can develop general and business software in Japan. Other companies has gone or withdrawn from the business applications such as office soft.

ATOK 2009 has the new function for writing English. It's very convenient. When I type in English, some options are popped up. Please see this movie .

In addtion, when I want look into Longman, I can only push the "End" button, and then the content on Longman is popped up.

When I forget a English word, I should type the Japanese word with Alphabets, and then some options with translating into English are popped up. It's great, isn't it? Please see this movie .

The Breakthrough Company

There are millions small companies in the world, but a few of them could become the brealthrough companies . How could they become extraordinary performers?
Keith R. Mcfarland researched many success or failed companies and found some reasons. In addition, he told there are a lot of business books on the biggest companies but the researches would be unsuitable for small companies. I agree with this opinion.

Characteristics of the Breakthrough Companies

• It's not "the president becomes a king", but "the company puts on a crown."
  
• Sometimes a large gamble could decrease large risks.
  
• The adequate scale's organization of the company should be built. The advantages on the small scale would be lost.
  
• The company should have footholds outside.
  
• The company should grow up the insults inside.

European Arts for Beginners

I've been in more than ten famous museums in the world except the Hermitage Museum. However, I didn't have enough knowledges on the arts though I've preferred to see the arts. I should have read more guidebooks before my visiting the museums.
There is a museum in my mother town. It's the Ohara Museum of Art. I sometimes visit this museum. It's not so large as the national museum in Europe, but I've seen the great arts for 40 years. I'm proud of the Ohara Museum though it's been built in a small town.


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Survival

Bunsho Hattori is a famous climber in Japan. He is also a writer on climbing and survivals.
He could reach the summit of K2 in 1996. What a great climber he is! As you might know, K2 is the most difficult mountain in the world. K2 is called "the Savage Mountain".
He sometimes tried to traverse the mountains longitudinally without any supplies. He got water, foods and other daily goods from nature on traversing for ... That's incredible! So he is called "the Survival Climber".

3 Minutes Networking Administrator

This book is not easy though the title is "3 minutes Networking Administrator", because each complicated networking technical term is explained for a few pages only.
If you read only a few pages about OSFP. Please access to OSFP on Wikipedia. You could give up to understand it if you've not learned the networking technology.

3 Minutes Networking Lesson

This book is very easy to understand the basic network technology which was developed 30 years ago. It seems old-fashioned, but it's based on the Internet.

Recovering Your First Impression

If you felt that you could make an worse impression, how could you recover your worse impression? Many books told that the first impression would be most important. It's true. However, nobody could always make the best impression. There are some tips...

• Sometimes the second impression for the opposite side of the first impression is more effective.
  
• You always have to praise others for small good points.
  
• You should extend to communicate with 5W 1H.
  

No Changes Even Though You Change Your Stuff

Some managers always complain of their stuff, and the managers want to change your stuff. Atsushi Fujimoto told the managers must change themselves in the beginning. 99 percentages of these problems are caused by the managers.

Important Manager Roles

• Reconfirmation for your stuff tasks.
  
• Adviser to your stuff
  
• Educator for your stuff
  
• Leading senior managements well

Chinese New Year's Festival 2009

I had wanted to go to the Chinese New Year Festival "Shun Setsu" in the Yokohama China Town. My family went to the festival for the first time. I want to go to the countdown.

White & Black Cats Date in the Night

My daughter's picture represents her class. My family went to watch the children's art show.

The night sky is drawn very well, I suppose.

Every children's pictures and crafts are very well. I was surprised.

Search Engines Bring Shallow-Brained

The book title is different from the contents. I had thought this book could mentioned the issue of the Search Engine Addiction. However, the main theme on this book is an issue in the Japan Society to read between the lines. Japanese people usually don't like the definition, and the people hope to read the lines or atmosphere. This custom doesn't matter in my ordinary life, but it matters on business. However, almost all Japanese managers don't define anything on business. It would become problem, especially in a global team.