ユディちゃんからの最新レポートです。
佐藤錦おいしそうですね  あと山形県は紅花もとても有名みたいです。知らなかったです！ ユディちゃんが日本全国を飛び回ってくれているので、色んなことが分かりますね。 ユディちゃんはさくらんぼをたくさん食べ、紅花踊りを踊り、紅花料理を地元の方々と楽しんで山形を十二分に堪能してきたみたいです。  Check out those delicious cherries that Masanori Ono kun and I picked on his grand parents' farm in Yamagata prefecture! They are the best! Sweet, crunchy and amazing. I just stood under the trees and I ate non-stop for the two days we were filming cherries! Lucky! Although I have lived in Japan for almost 15 years now, I have never bought these delicious Sato Nishiki brand cherries because they are way too expensive. As the Onos told me, most Japanese buy them as summer gifts. Gosh, can't wait till someone wonderful sends me some! ヨロ ピク！  Did you know that Yamagata prefecture is also famous for benibana, or safflowers? Safflower farmers Katsusuke and Michiko Aoki invited their local benibana dance teacher, Ms. Kano to show us the moves. We had too much fun dancing on the street and ended up eating and drinking delicacies made from safflower inside their home till late afternoon.Next I hopped on the Nagai Flower Line train and met supercool train driver Asakura san who saved the little train, the lifeline of the community from bankruptcy. I am writing an article about him in the near future so stay tuned, please.The article about the Onos will be in next Tuesday's Japan Times and I hope you also watch my report on Yamagata's wonderful people and products on NHK TV's Out& About!   |
 Hi Everyone! Have you seen Judit's last article in the Japan Times? If not, please click below and have fun reading about Moe Enomoto, the cute women's shoe designer you see below with Judit chan. They look so great together! Judit was browsing around in Ginza last year when she saw some boots she liked. The young salesgirl brought her a pair, they talked and it turned out that she was not only the selling the shoes, but she was the designer of them! Judit bought the pink gold pair you see on her feet and loved them so much that a few weeks later ordered another one in red. Looking wonderful! Japan Times Sellenatela ユディちゃんの新しいジャパンタイムズの記事読みましたか？ まだでしたらぜひ上のリンクから読んでくださいね！ お二人ともとてもかわいいです☆ お二人の出会いは、去年ユディちゃんが銀座を歩いていた際、かわいいブーツを発見したときに始まります。そこで接客をしてくれた女の子と話をしていたら、なんと！彼女はそれらの靴のデザイナーでもあることが判明しました。ユディちゃんは写真にあるピンクゴールドの靴をご購入。そしてまた後で赤いのも買ったそうです。よくお似合いですね〜。  |
|
CONGRATULATIONS！
川口ユディファンブログ、スタートしてから2年が経ちました。 現時点で 69124名様のアクセスです。 多くの方々のサポート、本当にありがとうございます。そしてこれからも日本応援団長のユディちゃんをどうぞよろしくお願いします。 今回のジャパンタイムズインタビューはユディちゃんも敬愛する宮脇 修氏。海洋堂フィギュアミュージアムの館長です。質にとことんこだわる日本のものづくり精神の継承者です。ものづくりとは、毎回毎回、前回作ったものよりいいものを作り続けていくことだと・・・厳しい世界です。でもこれこそ日本のものづくり魂ですね。全く頭が下がります。それにしても、宮脇氏の奥様は大した器をお持ちの縁の下の力持ちだなと思いました.... 以下はユディちゃんからの皆様へのメッセージです。インタビュー現場での様子がつづられています。ユディちゃんもとても充実した楽しい時間を過せたようです。 Thank you so much for supporting Judit for more than 2 years!!! Thanks to your support, this blog has welcomed 69124 visitors in 2 years. And please keep loving her and give cheer to her in the future, too!!! In Words to Live By, Judit interviewed Mr. Osamu Miyawaki. He is a founder of Kaiyodo company and Museum, a figure museum where so many neat and realistic figure dolls are displayed. It is just amazing to know his pride toward Japanese MONOZUKURI SPIRIT and practicing it everyday. And also, what is amazing almost to the same extent is his wife....enjoy the article! Japan Times, Words to Live By, Mr.Osamu Miyawaki --Message from Judit-- Thank you ALL for your support these past 2 years! In today's Japan Times I introduced Osamu Miyawaki san, who is the founder of Kaiyodo, which is one of my favorite companies. I have so many of their amazing, beautiful, super cool figures that soon I must move to a bigger house...check out some of our collection on the photos below.   I love everything about them so when we arrived at the Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe, I literally ran into Miyawaki san's office, because I was so excited to finally meet him. Once we looked at each other, we totally clicked. He is so wonderful! So straightforward and funny and a protector of Japanese monozukuri and culture. He told me that so many investors have been asking him to increase the number of his artists in order to increase production and basically make money, but he always refuses because he thinks monozukuri's quality is proportional to the time one invests into making it. He doesn't rush his artisans, gives them total freedom of expression and everyone is happy to work there. As he says in the article, no way to run after profit and still make excellent products. Right on! I hope you have fun reading about him in the Japan Times!  |
|
今回は舞台のお知らせです。
タイトルは・・・ 第２４回東京の夏音楽祭２００８ 西郷隆盛〜最後のサムライ〜 −語りと琵琶による創作舞台− 西郷隆盛舞台URL 2008年７月５日 紀尾井ホール 前売り券 ３５００円 （当日４０００円） 出演者 青山伊津美 琵琶 坂田美子 作・構成 斉藤講 そうです。あの西郷隆盛です。NHK大河ドラマ「篤姫」にも登場していますね。 ユディちゃんいわく、“The Coolest Guy in Japanese History!” です。 近代日本を作るため粉骨砕身して働きながら、最後はその見返りを何も得ることなく死んでいった姿に涙をそそられます。実直で純粋な生き方に共感してファンになった方も多いでしょう。 またトム＝クルーズ、渡辺謙出演の映画“The Last Samurai”の勝元盛次（渡辺謙）のモデルが西郷隆盛だって知っていましたか？ ウィキピディア ラストサムライ The Last Samurai Official Site 今回の舞台は“Japan and The Japanese”という世界へ日本を紹介する本を書いた「内村鑑三」の視点から見た西郷像という点がスペシャルな所です。 ぜひ皆様お誘い合わせの上お越しくださいませ☆ |
|
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Tokkotai survivor Hideo Suzuki By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI Eighty-five-year-old Hideo Suzuki is a reluctant survivor. A former tokkotai (Special Forces Unit) member of the Jinrai Butai (Thunder Gods Corps), Suzuki volunteered to be the pilot of an Ohka, a manned rocket-powered aircraft, during World War II. For sailors on U.S. warships in the Pacific, the Ohka was the most feared suicide bomber. Suzuki became an Ohka pilot because he was convinced that the only way to quickly end the war (called the Pacific War in Japan) was to cause massive damage to U.S. military targets. His hope was that news of such attacks would enrage the American public, triggering antiwar demonstrations in the United States that would lead to the end of the war and save the lives of Japanese citizens as well as U.S. militarymen. Before Suzuki could fly on a mission, though, the war ended. Feeling great shame for having survived, he decided to honor his comrades by living long and dedicating himself to rebuilding Japan. Still passionate in his opinion about the war and its results, he keeps his fellow soldiers' memory alive, often visiting Yasukuni Shrine. In war, attacks on civilians are unforgivable. War should be fought only among soldiers. I get angry when I hear Japanese bombers mentioned together with terrorists who attack civilians. We Japanese tokkotai only aimed at military targets. That is the complete opposite of terrorists.  Hideo Suzuki JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Sitting down today will make it harder to stand up tomorrow. I try not to take it easy in my daily life. For example, I don't sit down on the subway, because resting weakens the muscles, which would ultimately cause me to get older faster. I stand straight to stay strong. There are circumstances in which you, me, anyone would willingly give up their life. I wished I had died in an Ohka. For months, I kept seeing my comrades off. They all smiled as they boarded the plane, thinking that we would soon meet in Yasukuni Shrine. Our impending deaths did not feel like a sacrifice but more a chance to do something good for others. Karoshi (sudden death from overwork) attacks those who hate their jobs. People who are reluctant to work have a lot more stress than those who love their jobs and feel happy about contributing to society. I worked very hard every day till my retirement at age 70 and I was never sick and never sick of it. Japan had no way to win The Pacific War. The incredible power imbalance between the U.S. and Japanese forces was obvious to all of us. For example, in 1944, the United States produced 209 times more oil and 100 times more tanks than Japan. And for every Japanese bullet fired, 524 U.S. bullets were fired back. By 1944, the U.S. air arsenal was 8.6 times bigger than the Japanese one, so Japan came up with the idea of suicide bombers to speed up the end of the war. Camaraderie -- especially in the military -- is a powerful force. The pilot sat in the Ohka, which was carried under the belly of a much larger mother plane. Smaller aircraft surrounded the mother plane to protect the Ohka from enemy fire. Once a U.S. aircraft carrier was spotted, the Ohka was released and the pilot navigated it, dodging enemy fire, as it glided at up to 600 kph before firing its rocket engine and crashing into its target. The explosion was enormous because the Ohka's tiny 6-meter body was filled with around 1,200 kg of explosives. At that point, the mother plane would turn back and pick up another Ohka, but sometimes the seven other airmen aboard decided to follow the Ohka and also crashed into the U.S. ship. They wanted to cause even more damage to it, and since they had trained together with the Ohka pilot, they wanted to join him. Tokkotai members were not crazy, brainwashed suicide bombers. Many of us thought that since Japan had won the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, we were going to win this one, too. But as early as 1943, when I was a student at Waseda University, top navy officials had come to our school and told us that even though Japan was winning at the time, if the war lasted another two years, we would surely lose. Victors write their own version of history -- and we are all losers if we believe them. As if the cruel firebombing of Japan's cities were not enough, the U.S. dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. The fact that a completely different type of nuclear weapon was later used on Nagasaki is evidence that the U.S. was performing an evil scientific experiment on the Japanese people. Yet even now the U.S. insists that the atomic bombs saved lives. It's a preposterous idea that has been repeated so many times that many people accept it as truth! I certainly do not. In amarriage, one must feel responsible for the other's happiness. When my wife and I were introduced 56 years ago, we were not in love immediately. But I thought that if I were upright, responsible and faithful, she would be able to love me. I was right. She is always so kind and supportive, and I simply adore her. Of course, I never pronounce this, but she feels it through my actions. We both make efforts to behave so that we never have to feel shame or regret. I always think of her parents, how much they loved her and wished her to be happy. We still go on dates to Ueno Zoo, where we went the first time we met. We are head over heels in love. I'm glad I was pushed into getting married. I was 29 and not very interested in tying the knot when my boss told me that in order to get promoted I would need to be married. The thinking back then was that married people were inherently more responsible than single folk and therefore could be trusted more in the company, too. I am not promoting that idea at all, but I certainly got lucky thanks to it. Japan is still an occupied nation. The U.S. did a great job at deboning the Japanese until most have no spine, no guts and no strength left in them. They couldn't do much to my generation, but most younger Japanese are as weak as one can get. Hanging out with older and much younger people is rejuvenating. I have two close friends who are both 97 years old and who often call me to play golf or the board game Go with them. Because of their age, I always say yes to their invitations. Hey, if they can still swing a golf club, so must I! I also have friends in their 30s who are fun to be with. Japan Times: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 |
 ２００８年４月８日のジャパンタイムズにユディちゃんによる鈴木さんのインタビュー記事が出ます。鈴木さんは海軍の神雷部隊に所属し、特攻隊員として出撃する直前に終戦となり一命を取り留めた方です。戦争体験者の生の声を聞くことのできる貴重な機会だと思います。実は、この方は、ユディちゃんの「盛之助」番組にも登場されています。まだ見ていない方はそちらもどうぞ！ In 2008/4/8 Japan Times, there will be an article of Mr.Suzuki's interview by Judit. Mr.Suzuki belonged to the Navy in the period of WW2. He was a member of Tokko-tai, suicide attack in Jinrai-butai and saved his life because the war ended just before his attack. It is a great chance to listen directly to the story of the person who experienced the war in a forefront. He is also interviewed in Judit's Web-Tv program in morinoske.com. For those who haven't seen it yet, please visit the site! morinoske.com  |
|
ユディちゃんのWords to live byのナカヤマタカヒコさんにインタビューした記事が、あちこちで反響を呼んでいるようです。一つご紹介しますね。
ナカヤマさんは窓拭きを仕事にしておられます。高いところ怖そう。。。 でも窓拭きならではの人間模様も見られるようです。 Judit's recent Words to live by article interviewing Takahiko Nakayama, a window cleaner has been commented by many sites. I will introduce one of them. Mr.Nakayama is a window cleaner. It seems so scary to do the work in high places, but there are things that only they can see. Words to Live By Mr.Takahiko Nakayama http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080219jk.html Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008 READERS IN COUNCIL Inspiration for a working man http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20080228a1.html |
|
ユディちゃんの旦那様の川口盛之助氏が講演します！
今までも日経BPで、日本のものづくりに関するコラムを連載されてきました。 毎回読ませていただいていますが、ものづくり現場でのキャリアと鋭い洞察力により、なるほど！と毎回うならされる内容です。ほんとにオススメです。 日経BPへ 今回の講演会は無料で100席限定です。メールでお申し込みの上お越しいただくようお願いします。 Judit's husband Mr.Morinoske Kawaguchi is going to give a lecture in Ginza, Bunshodo. He has been writing articles on Japanese manufacturing in Nikkei BP Online. I am one of the biggest fan of his article because his insight is very deep and it is well balanced with his own experience of being in the Japanese manucacturing business. You will get totally new inspiration from his lecture!!! Since the seats are limited, please email beforehand to attend the lecture. 文祥堂フォーラム http://www.bunshodo.co.jp/forum.html ● お申し込み 住所・氏名・電話番号を明記の上、FAXまたはEメールにてお申し込みください。 <文祥堂フォーラム係> TEL: 03-3566-3560 FAX: 03-3566-3510 Eメールでのお申し込み → e-mail: forum@bunshodo.co.jp ● 会 場 文祥堂イベントホール 東京都中央区銀座3ー4ー12 文祥堂銀座ビル２Ｆ 地図 ● 時間 ＰＭ6 ：00 〜 ＰＭ8：00《 開場 PM 5：30》 ● 定 員 100名 ●参加料 無料 |
|
私、先日遊就館に行ってまいりました。
たくさんの展示がリニューアルされていて、以前行ったときと印象が全然違いました。様々な映像が駆使してあったり、英語の説明も充実していたり、とても濃い展示となっていました。 お客さんもたくさん来ていて、中には外国人の方も結構いました。 そして、ユディちゃんの番組もちゃんと置いてありましたよ！！！ 特攻隊のジオラマの横です。展示の最後の方にあります。 巨大なipodのようなディスプレイに23分の番組が流されていました。 ぜひ足を運んでみてくださいね☆ I visited Yasukuni Shrine Museum, YUSHUKAN recently. A lot of displays were renewed beautifully and I had quite a different impression from what I had seen before. Lots of movies, English instructions, and so on. There were a lot of visitors, too, including foreigners. AND, ofcourse there were Judit program going on beside big diolama of Tokkotai. It is placed near the exit. It is 23 minute program. Please have a look!  |
|
もうすぐ2007年も終わりになります。2007年、ユディちゃんの各地での大活躍が見られた年でした。最近ユディちゃんは毎週のように靖国神社に行っているようです。そして大晦日、新年の初詣ももちろん参拝にいくようです。これは毎年のお決まりで、2007年の感謝をして2008年の始まりをはじめるために行くんだとか。
ちなみに靖国神社境内にある博物館、遊就館は大晦日は深夜から翌日夕方まで開館しているそうです。初詣のついでに寄ってみてはいかが？ Yasukuni Shrine そして靖国神社では、ユディちゃんがＷｅｂＴＶのために制作した番組が今流されています。 写真はコチラ。いすもあるのでゆっくりできますよ。 また同じ番組が”morinoske.com”でも見られます。   この番組制作を通してたくさんの元特攻隊員の方々から本当に大切なことをたくさん学べてとてもうれしく、また遊就館にて流してもらえるなんてとても光栄に思っているそうです。ユディちゃんも本当によくがんばりましたね。 この番組の主人公は鈴木英男さんです。元特攻隊員のおじいちゃんで、出撃ぎりぎりのところで終戦になったため助かりました。なぜ特攻隊員になったのか、なぜ特攻隊は結成されたのか、戦争をどう見ていたのか、など、当時若者だった鈴木さんが伝えてくださっています。 これからもユディちゃんは戦争体験者の生の声を取材、番組制作して、遺していきたいそうです。でも戦争体験者の方々はもう８０代９０代でらっしゃるので、とにかく急がなければなりません。しかしヘルプ、特にスポンサーが必要なことも確か。皆様ご協力お願いいたします。 The end of 2007 is coming! In 2007 we could see Judit doing lots of activities in various fields. Especially, she visited Yasukuni Shrine so many times this year like every week. Ofcourse she is visiting there for Omisoka(12/31) and New Year to thank for 2007 and begin 2008. She loves there so much. Especially on 12/31, Yushukan(Museum in Yasukuni Shrine) is open from midnight to evening of 1/1. Please stop by when you visit Yasukuni Shrine for Hatsumode(The first worship in a year). You can learn a lot about WWII and Japan. The picture above is TV program made by Judit for WebTV. It is shown in Yasukuni Shrine beside the diolama now. There are chairs, so you can sit, relax and learn. You can also see the same program in "morinoske.com". Through this program, she met so many former Tokkotai(Kamikaze) soldiers and she is really honored that her program is shown in Yasukuni. Good job to Judit, too! The hero in this program is Mr. Hideo Suzuki. He was a former Tokkotai pilot. You can hear about the background of WWII and why Japanese developed Tokkotai and why Suzuki san decided to volunteer to be a Tokkotai soldier.... There are so much unknown information from the point of view of young man at that time. She is going to continue collecting these precious records of the real history, but without help, she can not do it quickly enough as all the survivors of war are in their 80's, 90's so we must get their stories soon and she is searching for sponsors and help. Anyone??  |
|
ユディちゃんのWeekend JapanologyのOut&Aboutは今回で最後になります。
さみしいです。。。しかも12月は一回だけです。。。残念。 でも新番組でのユディちゃんの大活躍を祈りましょう！ In December, there will be only one Out&About by Judit. And also, this will be the last time that we can see Judit in Weekend Japanology. HOW SAD!!! Let's pray for her wonderful activity in the new program. 2007/12/8 Sat. 3:00am〜3:45am NHK sougou (Ch.1 in Tokyo) 「こま犬」 Komainu |
|
今回のヒーローは角田信朗さんです。NHKのOut＆Aboutの石見銀山での撮影にてユディちゃんは出会いました。
道場や人生そのもので学んだレッスンを、教えて下さっています。挌闘家のイメージが強かったですが、それだけではなくて、実は教育家であり、いい旦那様であり、お父さんなんですね。ユディちゃんの視点を通してより生き生きと伝わってきました。お楽しみください。 NHK Out&About website The hero of the article is Mr.Nobuaki Kakuda. Judit met him in filming of NHK Out&About in Iwami Ginzan. He tells us many lessons that he learned through fighting and actual life. I only had the image of "fighter" for him, but through Judit report, I could feel truely that he is a good educator, good husband and good father. Please enjoy! WORDS TO LIVE BY Nobuaki Kakuda By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI  Nobuaki Kakuda JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Nobuaki Kakuda, 46, is a karate fighter with the Seido Kaikan organization and the executive producer of K1, the Japanese sport that matches up practitioners of a variety of martial arts, such as karate, kickboxing, kung fu, tae kwan do and boxing. One of the world's strongest fighters, Kakuda is in the 2001 and 2002 Guinness Book of World Records for breaking 27, and later 33, baseball bats within 1 minute, using only his right leg and super concentration. Although in the ring it was his punches that spoke volumes, in person he tells eloquent tales in fluent English and French. He also speaks Thai and Korean. Kakuda is a licensed high-school English teacher, an accomplished actor, singer and dancer of the tango and rumba who considers his memory his strongest point and credits his wife and two children for all his strength. The best training is in daily life, not in the dojo. How a person lives every day, whether he faces hardships or not, is the test of a true fighter. If they pick the easy way out of responsibilities in life, then escaping inside the ring gets so much easier, too. Just fall down and wait for it to end. Training hard at life — being a life champion — is the best path to success. Fighting in the ring is easier than outside. Right after university I opened a karate dojo in Kobe, but couldn't make it a success and had to shut it down after 2 years. I continued karate training while washing dishes at a ramen shop, till I worked my way up to cooking. By age 28 I was a bouncer in a Nara public bath where I dodged knives thrown at me by the yakuza who were refused entry because other patrons were scared of them and their full-body tattoos. I was so afraid that I stuck a cup in my pants to protect my manhood. I survived 6 months there. If you have a goal, you can endure just about any hardship. Next I worked in construction for a year. At the end of the day I would go up to my boss to thank him for letting me work. It was a routine. He would spit to his side, search his pocket, pull out a 10,000 bill and crush it with his fist. Next he would throw it on the ground, as far as he could. I would thank him, bow deeply and pick it up. I never showed him how I felt, but inside I swore I would rock him. I have never seen him since. I am powerful because my wife is like a mountain — peaceful and relaxed — and like an ocean that envelops and holds life. Because a man is always up front and fighting, a woman should always accept him with warmth. No matter what happens, my wife is there, stable, flexible, fluid and infinite. Don't forget to feel impressed and moved, no matter how old you are. Some people forget what is important and keep talking about disappointments and crises and whatnot. But there are too many good stories to listen to, so I always find scenes that touch my soul. I cry a lot — I'm so emotional that if I see a child laugh on his mom's lap, I burst into tears. Of course, I hide this because I am very shy. Fighting sports are very primitive. If you stay in that world, you can remember what humans are. Outside the ring, technology overwhelms culture, when it should be giving us support. Competition is the destruction of the body and the building of a strong soul. Make it harder. I'm a fighter, so if the hurdle is raised, I will jump it. I'm a chicken at heart. I actually care about what people think or write about me. Still, though I might get angry at a negative review, I take hints from it to get better. For example, some baseball players complained that I broke too many baseball bats for my Guinness World record. Once I heard that, it dawned on me how they viewed my achievement totally differently. I became more adult by looking from their side. A man has to be strong. A group of six or seven kids beat me up for what seemed like no reason. I was 10 years old and maybe not happy, which is why they bullied me. I cried at home. My mom panicked, but my dad didn't even look up from his newspaper, just listened to my sobs. All I saw was his back, leaning over the evening paper. He said that if I felt sad, I must get stronger as a man. That was it for me: at that moment I realized that if I didn't get strong, I'd be miserable like that forever. In elementary school I thought about how I should sign my name, not what I should do. I didn't have a clear ambition of what I would be, but I had a strong desire to be a man who was asked for his signature. Smart people have a sense of whether something is a chance or not. Once you recognize that something is indeed a chance, pursue it. Some can get it, others can't. Make your best effort and stay in control. I never hit my children. Once I told my son that I was going to punch him because he broke a promise. He said that I was right and he was sorry. Parents and teachers are not strict enough. They can't control themselves. They always push the responsibility onto others. For example, if a teacher hurts your kid, it is because your child did something bad. Think of this! In karate it is easy to explain the rules. We tell parents that we are very strict, but it is they who must ultimately show restraint. We cannot beat sense into their kids for them. They gotta do it themselves. Children are great motivators. My daughter's dream is to be more international, which to her translates into marrying a non-Japanese. I told her that her boyfriend must beat me to get her hand. I guess I'll have to ramp up my training routine! Ghosts and spirits are real, so I always protect myself. I carry good luck charms with me at all times. When I fly, I put a necklace on, but keep my most powerful amulet hidden as it might be too strong for others. It is a stone from the Emperor's grave. A good partnership is about different values, different sense, like when magnetic poles are attracted to each other. My wife seems to have no interest in my work at all. When I'm kicking a sandbag on the roof balcony, I can sense her looking at me from inside. I hope she feels proud of me but instead she says, "You look silly," and shuts the window. I don't mind. I go my way. We are good partners. We have been together for 16 years and support each other. Japan Times: Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007  |
|
10,11月は、NHK総合テレビにて、ユディちゃんとここで会えます！
You can see Judit in the following Weekend Japanology in October and November in NHK(channel 1 in Tokyo). 2007/10/19 深夜: 卵かけごはん midnight: Raw egg & rice 2007/11/3 ２：４５am〜 ものまね（江戸屋小猫） Imitating animals 2007/11/24 ３：１０am〜 名水（富山県黒部市） Area of pure water ユディちゃんならではのレポートできっとまた日本文化の新たな発見があることでしょう。お楽しみに！ This month too, you will be able to discover new aspects of Japanese culture through Judit. Coming soon! Out&Aboutinformation! http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/japanese/outabout_j.html  |
|
Bye bye Weekend Japanology and hello Out and About and Nippon Art Walk!From this month, Weekend Japanology ceases to exist as we knew it since 2002. Instead, Judit chan's corner, Out and About, became an independent 30 minute TV show. Finally we can enjoy Judit's reports longer, because this program is nothing but 30 minutes of Judit chan with a guest traveling around Japan. Congratulations, we can not wait to see it!
But unfortunately I have some awful, terrible news for you all: NHK decided to only broadcast Out and About only abroad. Why show it in some 120 countries and not let us see it here in Japan? We pay our dues each month for NHK yet we are not able to watch the programs made with our hard-earned yen. Seems very unfair, doesn't it? Call and write to NHK and demand that Out and About be shown in Japan, too! Especially, since in the this month's Out and About, Judit chan and Nobuaki Kakuda, the famous karate champion and K1 executive producer, traveled to the Iwami-Ginzan silver mine, Japan's latest World Heritage Site. I wish I could see them but I guess I must go abroad to catch the show. So if you are outside Japan, tune into Out and About on NHK World!Here is a photo of Judit and Kakuda san in Iwami-Ginzan:  Out&About http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/japanese/outabout_j.html Judit's article on Kakuda san is here on the Japan Times' link! Check it out! http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/JTsearch5.cgi?term1=JUDIT% Now some good news for those of us in Japan: Judit's other TV show, Nippon Art Walk, is going to be broadcast in Japan on September 28th, Friday, at 08:15 am on NHK BS High-vision. In this new 30 minute show, Judit travels around Japan with a guest, introducing Japanese art so it is very similar to Out and About, actually, but its focus is art. Of course, this show is also broadcast abroad on NHK World, so please check local listings for show times. In this episode, her partner is Mr. Yuji Yamashita, a Professor of Art History at Meiji Gakuin University, who is an expert of the works by painter Maruyama Okyo. The two traveled around Kyoto and have seen the masterpieces by one of Japan's greatest painters. Look at the photo below!  ユディちゃんが出演する番組は、ＯＵＴ＆ＡＢＯＵＴからＮＩＰＰＯＮ ＡＲＴ ＷＡＬＫになります。ユディちゃんのコーナーが３０分の独立した番組になるんです。ここでユディちゃんとゲストの方がたっぷりと私達を色々なところへ案内してくれます。たのしみですね。 しかし、なんと残念なことに、ＯＵＴ＆ＡＢＯＵＴはこれからは日本国内では放送されないことになってしまったようです。ひどい・・・。 みなさま、ＮＨＫに訴えましょう！ 特に今月は、ユディちゃんは有名な格闘家である角田信朗さんと石見銀山へ行ったようです。是非みたいのに見るためには外国へ行かなければなりません。なんてこと！ちなみに明日のジャパンタイムズは、角田さんのインタビューです。ぜひ上のリンクからごらんください。 このＮＩＰＰＯＮ ＡＲＴ ＷＡＬＫですが、この番組は、ＮＨＫ ＢＳハイビジョンで９月２８日（金）午前８：１５から放送されます。この番組ではＯＵＴ＆ＡＢＯＵＴと同じように、ゲストと一緒に日本中旅をしながら、各地のアートに注目してレポートしてくれます。勉強になりますね。たっぷり３０分もです。この番組はＮＨＫワールドでももちろん放送されますので、外国の方は番組表を確認してくださいね。 第一回では明治学院大学教授の丸山応挙専門家、山下先生をお招きして京都を旅してまわります。お楽しみに！ |
|
もうご覧になった方も多いと思いますが、川口盛之助さんの著作の書評が様々なメディアで紹介されています！以下にまとめてみました。ご覧ください。まだお読みになってない方、急いでくださいね☆
Mr.Morinosuke Kawaguchi's new book's book review has been introduced in many medias in Japan! Please see the following. For those who hasn't read it yet, please hurry！  ADL Japan Senior Manager Morinosuke Kawaguchi published a new book titled “Neon Genesis of Geeky-Girly Japanese Engineering” in July. The book has been critically acclaimed in book reviews published in a wide range of media outlets, including Japan’s top 3 quality newspapers. Reviewing in the Yomiuri Shimbun, the daily with the largest circulation in the world, Takumi Sato, Kyoto University Associate Professor of Sociology and one of the most prominent new faces in the up-and-coming field of Public Sphere and Mass Media studies, writes, “…(Kawaguchi) breaks down into 10 principles the ‘otaku’ (geeky) characteristics of Japanese craftsmanship evident in products ranging from automatic flushing toilets to industrial robots. His ideas on the parallels between and the transfer of the unique, world renowned cultural sensibilities of Japanese girls into the development of key industry is a revolutionary business concept.” The book has been thus hailed in a variety of fields as an epochal business book for understanding Japanese industry.  |
|
ユディちゃんの旦那様、川口盛之助さんの本が、2007/8/19の朝日新聞書評で紹介されました！
もうご覧になった方もいらっしゃいますよね？まだ読んでない方、本屋へ急ぎましょう！アマゾンでも買えますよ。 Mr.Morinosuke Kawaguchi's book was introduced in Asahi Newspaper, one of the biggest media in Japan. I guess there are lot of people who already have read it, but for those who haven't, let's rush to a book store, or order the book in Amazon etc!  |
|
ユディちゃんの基地、「盛之助」のサイトがオープンしました！ぜひご確認あれ。すごいサイトです。
Judit's new "Morinoske" web site is open. It is so cool! Please check it out. --------------------------------------------------------------- morinoske.com http://morinoske.com/ morinoske.comでは、ドキュメンタリー映像や漫画などを紹介しており、歴史 からポップカルチャーまで、様々な日本文化の案内役を務めさせていただきたいと思っています。 第一回目の”Morinoske Interviews Part I ,Ohka” では、元桜花パイロットの鈴木英男さん（84歳）のインタビューをお送りします。桜花とは、第二次世界大戦の際、特攻隊の特殊兵器として開発されたものです。1945年3月から終戦までの約半年の間、多くの若者がこれに乗って米国の艦船へ突っ込んでいきました。貴重な映像やお話が満載です。きっと新しい発見があると思います。是非ご覧ください。そしてコメントなどお待ちしております。 ご覧になった感想、どのようにこのサイトを見つけられたか、またどうすればもっと良いものを発信できるかなど、アドバイスも是非いただきたく思ってお ります。お手数おかけしますが、コメント、アドバイスなど感謝して受け取らせていただきます。そして、なるべく早くお返事いたします。 morinoske.comは日本語と英語両方に対応しているバイリンガルサイトです。映像、漫画、テキストすべて両言語で提供しています。ご来訪あ りがとうございました。またぜひいらしてくださいね！ morinoske.com. is a website to show short films, documentaries and manga from Tokyo, Japan. Thank you for visiting! morinoske.com hopes to become your navigator to Japan, with contents ranging from historical to modern pop culture. In our first program "Morinoske Interviews Part I, Ohka" we interviewed Mr. Hideo Suzuki, a former Ohka pilot, now 84 years old. Ohka was a rocket airplane exclusively manufactured for Tokko in Word War II. Tokko is an acronym of Tokubetsu-kougeki, which means special attack and these one-man rocket-like planes attacked US aircraft carriers in Japenese waters in 1944-45. We hope Mr.Suzuki's stories and explanation about the topic will be interesting for you and we would love to hear your comments about it here. Please also tell us how you found our site, and what you thought of and felt watching our contents. Also, please let us know what can we do better from now on. What kind of contents would you like us to make? We would like to learn from you and appreciate you taking the time to post us messages. We will try our best to respond promptly. At the moment morinoske.com is a bilingual site, with texts, movies and soon manga, in English and Japanese. Thank you again for coming and please come back again and enjoy the show!  |
|
ユディちゃんの旦那様、川口盛之助さんの本が講談社から新刊されました！！！
旦那様もNikkei BPにコラムを連載されていること知っていましたか？ 私はこのコラムの大ファンで、読むたびに日本の文化、感性、精神を再発見して目からウロコになります。類まれな洞察力です。 こちらのコラムも是非読んでみてくださいね。かなりオススメです。 Judit's husband Mr.Morinosuke Kawaguchi has published a new book from Kodansha with Mr.Taro Aso's special recommendation!! Did you know that her husband is also writing articles in Nikkei BP? Actually I am a big fan of the colum. I strongly believe that he is one of the most brilliant conslultants in Japan. Everytime I read his colum, it makes me redicover Japanese spirit, sense and culture. I strongly recommend this colum, too! Nikkei BP http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/tech/20070621/128034/  日本のビジネスと社会を元気にするヒントが満載！ 川口盛之助著 『オタクで女の子な国のモノづくり』（講談社BIZ）刊行のお知らせ ロボットも車のヘッドライトも、すべて人間に近づけてしまう「擬人化」の欲求。 トイレで用を足す音も擬音発生器で消してしまう「恥ずかしさ」への配慮。 世界の知的ステイタスシンボルになったプリウスの「地球環境」への思いやり……。 どれも、日本の製造業が世界に誇るべきすばらしい武器なのです。 そして、それらは日本の伝統の上に花開いた「オタク文化」から生まれたのです。 あの麻生太郎外相も、本書の原稿を読んで絶賛されました！ 気鋭のコンサルタントが、豊富な実例とともに日本の真の強さを解き明かします。 （講談社より２００７年７月１９日刊行予定、定価：本体１５００円）* If you would like to order this book, please click the link! ご注文は以下のリンクからどうぞ。 講談社 http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=2820633&x=B Amazon http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4062820633/goodpic-22/ ヤフーブックス http://books.yahoo.co.jp/book_detail/31922876 セブンアンドワイ http://www.7andy.jp/books/detail?accd=R0274206 e-hon全国書店ネットワーク http://www.e-hon.ne.jp/bec/SA/List?cnt=1 |
|
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Horiyoshi III By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI  Horiyoshi III JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Horiyoshi III is revered by tattoo enthusiasts as possibly the world's greatest horishi, or full-body tattoo artist. (Horimono are tattoos done purely for fun, while irezumi are tattoos that mark criminals.) Friendly and too cool for words, the 61-year-old loves digging his needle into people — he definitely gets under their skin while doing his beautiful works. Although Horiyoshi considers the human body as his canvas, he has published 10 books of artwork on both paper and skin. His latest collection of drawings, "36 Ghosts," arrived in bookstores this month. A master knows his own mistakes and wants to erase the evidence. I heard of a swordsmith who was dying and ordered his apprentices to find and destroy all the swords he had made when he was younger. I wish I could do that with some of my earlier tattoos. One must suffer for beauty and for art. Normally women and artists experience such pain, but in my business it is the client, especially since it is illegal to use painkillers while tattooing. Although it's a real pain to be poked at, the results are so amazing that people are happy to lie down to suffer for at least one hour a week for about two years. Some things can never be fixed. Tattoos walk and talk, and the mistakes stay there forever. Of course, that is part of my past, and it reveals the process I am going through. Every creature is beautiful, whether it is a whale or a spider; but for me the most beautiful is the human body. When I met German film director Leni Riefensthal 20 years ago, I complimented her on her photo book on the Nuba people in Africa. I think the Nuba have the world's most balanced and gorgeous bodies, with long, muscled legs and amazing proportions. For some, getting tattooed is healing. To get a full-body tattoo takes years of suffering, and that requires maturing as a human, learning to experience and overcome pain. It is as if with each piercing of the needle, they become stronger and more complete. If you think you'll regret it, don't even think of doing it. Tattoos are serious business. They stay on, they mark you for life, so you had better think long and hard whether you are ready for such a body alteration. The creatures I draw only come alive on somebody's skin. This is why I never show my designs as so-called art. I draw simply for fun and to have samples to show my clients so they can pick a new design. The creatures depicted take the person's breath away once they are on his or her skin — and then the two start breathing together, in unison. Human history alters the look of the animals and plants I paint, and when the person wearing them dies, so too do they. Our lives belong to the young, and they must lead us. To do that, they need to know Japanese history and feel proud of their culture. Only then will they take responsible steps that are worth following. Ghosts are real. I was painting one day in my Yokohama studio, when I saw a figure walk in. I turned to say hello and it disappeared into black powder. I told this to a psychic and he said that in the Meiji Era there was an execution ground where I live, so there were lots of ghosts wandering around my neighborhood. Tattoos should only be seen in private. I have even tattoed the private parts of men. They are really upfront about it but, of course, only to a select few. That is how the whole body should be viewed: in secret. It is pretty when you hide beauty. Japanese put the loveliest designs on the inside of our clothing so that it can only be peeked at, not stared at. Similarly, I only allow photos of my own body as I am proud — as a tattooist — to show my work. If I were not in this line of work, I would never show them to anyone, except my family and buddies who also have tattoos. Matsuri — Japanese festivals — are the best time to feel unity with our fellow men. That is the only chance we have to see yakuza in their full-body horimono and not fear them. It is OK to stand next to them and even take smiling photos with the scariest guys. They transform into cute neighbors for one day. The same guy on any other day is scary. This is the special psychological state of the Japanese. Horimono are cool as they have the smell of the outlaw. People are attracted to criminals because they are scared of becoming one. Fearsome equals strong, so we love such people. Tattooing is part of our national tradition. I feel responsible for keeping the classical repertoire of Japanese designs alive, one prick at a time. The many magical creatures that I portray must not go extinct. Ryu — the dragon — is mysterious. It doesn't exist, but it feels like it should. Studying is not for achieving promotions or improving your circumstances. Studying teaches us how to enjoy life, where to begin and end things and how to behave in between. I respect all life forms, which means I think of others first, then myself. People who talk ill of others make me sick. My goal as a human being is to be nicer to others and care about them more than I care about myself. Women have the power and the responsibility. They are stronger than men psychologically so they can act weaker just to make us feel bigger. Men who have iki — or cool spirit — are scary. They are like hawks who hide their talons — they don't need to show off their strength because they are secure in it. Such men never bully the weak. Real beauty is often hidden. Young men want to show off: their manhood, muscles, jobs, women, cars and tattoos are all on display. As a man matures, he shows off less outside and learns to hide his beauty in his heart. Women should not go to bed quickly. Men are wired to hunt. The longer we have to look for the prey, the more we will see it as a treasure. The same quality that we love about somebody might end up annoying us later on. So choose a partner who is good, as kindness can be forgiven, even in oversized proportions. My wife, Mayumi, loves animals and even after their death she puts food and drinks for them on the altar. I think she does too much, but this is exactly why I love her — she overdoes it but her heart is beautiful. So I just stay calm and quiet and remind myself that this is why I married her. She does drive me crazy, but I do not let her see it. That is a man, and that is love. Those who help others without taking credit have my respect. I heard of a woman who sent money to a coworker but never told him she was the one who helped him out. Now that is what I call super-cool behavior. Japan Times: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 |
|
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Haruko Iino By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI  Haruko Iino JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Haruko "Big Momma" Iino, an independent public relations consultant, became one of Japan's first female advertising account executives back in the 1980s. Even before working at advertising agencies Chuo Senko and Dentsu Eye, the now 63-year-old Iino had understood the potential of the luxury fashion market and ultimately created phenomenally successful advertising campaigns for Ferragamo, Loewe, Bally, Givenchy, Porsche, BMW, and the like that helped generate the all-consuming brand boom that has taken over Japan. Having retired at age 60, she continues to take on advertising projects that make a difference to both consumers and herself, not in terms of profit margin but happiness quota. She says she has already received more than her fair share of bliss with the two daughters whom she raised alone and is still close to. Tougher competition means more fun. For every ad campaign I did, my rivals were the smartest and toughest people in the industry, and yet with every presentation I made, I always got the account. I looked impeccable, yet I have never used my feminine power as a weapon. In Japan, where women were serving tea at the time, I was working in a man's world, and I fit right in; maybe because my brain functions like a man's yet I know fashion much more than the guys. Women do not need to be scared of motherhood over 40. My mother was a movie star, and she had me when she was 40 years old. I see many women around the world having healthy babies later in life. It is time to support and encourage older women who are considering childbirth, instead of frightening them. Women are much harder to work with than men. That is because the type of woman who works is capable and has no need for help from either gender. She can do it all alone, yet even brilliant men need at least emotional support. Even divorce or the death of a spouse is harder on men than on women. Japanese are bad at PR. We have so much beauty in our country that we take it for granted. One day I found Isumi-shi in Chiba, a beautiful beach town with a long history and with so few visitors that I decided to volunteer to help them get more travelers. They have no idea how special their town is and how to appeal to the public. In our government we see the same lack of professionalism since even our prime minister's PR is done by some member of the Diet, not a PR expert. Sexual harassment cases should not be settled with money. I had clients slide their hands up and down my thighs while complimenting my "nice legs." I thanked them and smiled. Since my legs are female but my brain is pure male, I kept on charging forward. I knew my legs were taking me far, yet I hated some of the stops on the road. I wished my harassers would have been punished with time spent contemplating why their actions were wrong, but I still disagree with financial gains from a law suit. To get money, one should put in long, honest hours of work. When you are really desperate, you can always find a way — especially if you are a parent who misses her children. I was 35, divorced, broke and alone. My two daughters were living with their father because the courts gave him custody since I had no income. I was considered an unfit mother, but I knew I was not. I had to make it if I wanted to live with my girls, and I desperately missed them. I needed a job. I had never worked but was bilingual, so I bought The Japan Times, opened the wanted ads, saw an ad for a small advertising agency and miraculously landed the job. I worked like a dog, moved next to my daughter's school so I could see them every morning and lunch time and saved all my money. I got my kids back within a year. Home cooking is the expression of parental love. I was always busy at work and had plenty of money to afford restaurant fare, yet I cooked every meal for my daughters. Nutritious food was my way to connect to them and raise them as healthy adults. Positive energy fuels growth. Inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, all the plants grow humongous because of the powerful energy that is concentrated there. It was designed according to the rules of feng shui. It is dangerous to marry a rich man. These are the guys who tend to be selfish, arrogant and fickle. They are used to setting the pace so the woman had better catch up or she will be left behind. If a woman makes more money than her husband, she will pay for it dearly. My second husband was 10 years younger than me. We met when I was 35, with a 10- and an 8-year-old daughter and about to divorce. I was broke and scared and he helped me through it all. He was such a great friend that the next thing we knew, we were married. It all went well until I was making more than him. We divorced when I was 60. Men and women are so different, but all men are the same every one is the same and, sadly, he is the guy you have already broken up with.My first husband was from a very rich aristocratic family. He was polite and at every meal he asked how the dishes were prepared, what ingredients I used. My second husband didn't say anything about my cooking. After the meals, neither ever helped me clear the table or do the dishes and I know that neither had any real interest in the food, either. There really is no perfect match, so I recommend you stop the search parties. Men should date older women in order to become mature. A typical 30- to 50-year-old Japanese man is on a similar level with a woman in her early 20s: quite childish. In France I see many couples where the woman is a good 10 or 20 years older than the guy, and this seems just right — even in Europe where people are generally more adult than we Japanese. If you cannot keep a love affair secret, you are not ready for it. Love affairs are touchy subjects. If you do it, never tell anyone, ever. Especially not to a friend because since you feel close, you will say too much. People talk and you will be in trouble. One can attract luck. People who have a firm conviction that the here and now matters, and we must do our best at this moment, are magnets for luck. Yesterday is gone, so forget it, and tomorrow is nowhere yet, so do not think of it. Japan Times: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007 |
 今月は残念ながらユディちゃんによるOut&Aboutはありません。 でも姿は現さずとも一生懸命、日本応援団の団長としてがんばっていると思いますので、さみしくならないでくださいネ。 また8月をお楽しみに！ This month, unfortunately, there won't be Judit's Out&About. But still, she is one of the biggest cheerleaders of Japan and making continuous efforts to PR Japanese culture. Please look forward to see her in August! |
|
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Naoki Sakai By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI  Naoki Sakai JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Naoki Sakai, 60, is a designer whose revolutionary ideas have made him an industry powerhouse. After designing Nissan's Be-1, the vehicle that in the late 1980s started the round-and-cute car boom, Sakai came up with concepts for three more popular cars from Nissan — the PAO, Figaro and Rasheen — as well as the SW-1 motorbike for Suzuki and the model for Toyota's Will concept car. Not only does he work with the auto industry, he's helped develop Olympus' O-Product, the camera that made the aluminium body a world standard; mobile phones for au by KDDI; and sofas for Cassina. As CEO of the design studio Water Group, he regularly nurtures great designers and is happiest when they are ready to leave the nest. Success is not a one-person achievement. If a project succeeds, it means the team is great even if, as the face or symbol for the whole group, I am the one taking credit. Subcultures make new standards. The flower children and the gay movement created new identities while mainstream cultures vanished. Japan produces so many creative and peaceful subcultures — from mobile phones, manga, Nintendo, anime to much more — that spread around the world. Improvement sounds good, but actually it is not. Often it simply maintains the status quo and never produces anything new. The news has to be fresh. With computer and mobile phone technology, news is updated every second. Already professional and amateur journalists are fighting it out, and those who are updating their information as it is happening are clearly winning. Newspapers can not survive with yesterday's news. Design is ideology. Through it we can change society. My goal is to improve society via happy design. Although Hitler understood the importance of using architecture and movies to create a national identity, his idea was tragically flawed in every other sense. Hollywood is right on the mark because it portrays Americans as funny, brave, smart people who are also great dancers and singers — through movies, it achieved world dominance: most people like the United States and its people, even if they do not agree with its government's foreign policy. What is good for the manufacturer is bad for the consumer. Before I came up with the design concept for the O-Product camera for Olympus, cameras were made of black plastic. It was efficient and easy on the makers but didn't provide any aesthetic value. A company is a temporary system. Working is like going on a boat trip, with people cruising or speeding to their destinations.They come and go, just like the river, and the water supply never dries up. Of course, I try to make my company charming, so good people stop by, but I do not expect them to stay too long. Japanese don't take enough personal responsibility. Our government is like a sweet parent, taking care of the populace too much. We design and produce super cars, yet we are not even allowed to drive them fast, not because it is fuel efficient to go slower but because it is dangerous to speed up. I think we should have the equivalent of the autobahn and drive as fast as we can. No matter how great a company is, the most talented people all end up quitting anyhow. I have 30 employees in my design office. They are all great, but the best ones all leave sooner or later, regardless of how much they get paid or how well appreciated they are. They want to be independent because they know they can make it. Marriage is a platform for self-development. The more I did it, the better I got. This is my fifth and I hope, final one. At every age I have different opinions, and I change a lot and often, even now. But I don't want to change my spouse anymore. If you want many girlfriends, you don't have enough confidence yet. Once you have had many lovers, you can imagine what others desire and you can fulfill their cravings and your own. That is the time to stop jumping from bed to bed. Now I have a little confidence and I know that variety is not necessarily quality. Lucky streaks always end. I was 19, married and living in San Francisco, making $ 300,000 a month selling T-shirts with Japanese tattoo designs. The more I made, the more I sold, for two-and-a-half years straight. I spent it all, of course, and I have never made that much money since. Product design is repeated incest. Basically, things are copied and copied and copied until somehow they become originals again. I love being copied. Copies are better than the originals. If it's on the market, it is successful. One only knows the success stories, so it's easy to forget how many failed attempts are made for one successful product. In my next life I will never marry or marry only once. Women are great, but loving them causes too many problems. Where we meet is as important as that we meet. Meetings must be conducted in appropriate spaces that inspire us. I spend lots of time and money on taking young designers to beautiful restaurants and showing them objects that are worth seeing over and over again. This is employee education that most companies either do not have the means for or do not think is important enough. It's hard to design luxury when one cannot afford it. Having lots of money allows one to have more beauty in life. Since rich people have many luxurious experiences, some turn into great artists. But unfortunately, most big company's employees don't have enough income to enjoy such pleasures, for example, as buying a fantastic car. Yet they are trying to make the No. 1 sports car in the world, all from their imagination. That is sad, too, as they can never drive what they make. Menopause effects men, too. I exercise and feel young, but sometimes my body doesn't agree. I get hot flashes, mood swings, the whole works, just like my wife. Men and women are the same, after all. Humans can develop forever. At any age, if one works out, and breaks some muscles in the process, the body miraculously renews itself. Same with the mind: the more stimuli, the better condition we will be in. Japan Times: Tuesday, May 8, 2007 |
|
☆June Weekend Japanology OUT & ABOUT Schedule☆
6/3 1:15 am けん玉（長崎), Kendama (Nagasaki) 6/10 1:25 am もちつき（日野市ほか), Mochitsuki (Hino-si) 6/17 2:40 am 節分（新潟県三条市）, Setsubun (Niigata-ken sanjo-si) 6/24 1:10 am 金毘羅参り（琴平）, Konpira mairi (Kotohira) It is in NHK sougou (channel 1 in Tokyo). We can see Judit every week this month! She is traveling all over Japan to report you about Japanese culture. Please enjoy! * The program is on Sunday late at night, so actually it is broadcasted on Monday early in the morning. Please tape and watch it!  |
|
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Yuji Sato By JUDIT KAWAGUCHI  Yuji Sato and Marine JUDIT KAWAGUCHI PHOTO Marine, a 5-and-a-half year-old black Labrador retriever, just might be one of the world's most unexpected heroines in the fight against cancer. Marine's nose is capable of detecting 18 different types of cancer on a person's breath and has already been mechanically replicated as a sensor the size of a mobile phone to detect breast cancer. The manufacturer, Seems Inc., is hoping to have the product on the market within six months and for under 10,000 yen. Marine's supersensitive nose was discovered by her owner, Yuji Sato, 60, whose adoration for the dog opened his eyes to her incredible potential. Sato's insatiable desire to experiment, matched with Marine's love for him, have resulted in one of the more unusual, and fun-loving, research teams on earth. Pets are the best healers. I used to take our smaller dogs to schools and nursing homes, and the minute the animals were placed on the knees of the very ill elderly or sick children, the pets' healing power was apparent. Unfortunately Japan is so behind the rest of the world in this field. We are refused entry to most places and many doctors either do not accept or do not care that animals have beneficial effects on patients. To develop your talent, you must exercise. Marine's nose is sensitive but it is our daily exercise that makes her smelling ability exceptionally great. Every day I come up with new ideas to please her because her moods and my feelings are different daily so we never repeat things. One good exercise was buying two new glasses and letting her smell one after hiding the other on the beach among many other glass bins. She found the match immediately. There is no manual for learning. I only graduated from high school -- since then I have been working and playing around. I do not learn much from others, I have my own ideas. To get scientifically correct data, science is not enough. I know how similar research to mine is done in Europe and in the United States: In an enormous lab, filled with million-dollar machines, a large number of staff -- mostly PhDs -- in white space suits work in a totally pristine environment where temperature, noise, humidity, wind and smell are all 100 percent controlled. A clean dog is let into the room where samples are placed and he or she is supposed to pick out the ones containing cancer. I, on the other hand, work in a messy beach house. Marine runs in to smell samples I place in boxes on the floor, and yet our results are super accurate and, with our help, the world's first sensor that can detect breast cancer on human breath is already being produced. No wonder Marine and I are producing the best results: love and trust create a positive outcome, science does not. Japanese are victims of bureaucrats who suffocate the population. When I first moved to the coast I was shocked by how many people died in the ocean every year, so I decided to train a few dogs to rescue drowning people and offered them for free to the lifeguard's association. They loved the idea -- for a lifeguard, working with a dog is the best combination: the dog drags a life preserver to a drowning person, who grabs it and is then pulled to safety by the dog. If the lifeguard swims alone to someone drowning, in their panic, the person often grabs the guard and not the life preserver, sometimes killing the rescuer. Yet the city government refused to allow the guards to pair with the dogs because, according to them, the dogs would dirty the beach. Even today, Japan has no system for lifesaving dogs. Japanese are not good at communication so their pets develop psychological problems. Since many people rarely talk, pets cannot learn much from them. That is why dogs bark like crazy. A dog's smell is the greatest tranquilizer. Nothing calms me down more than my dog's sweaty front paw. I smell it often during the day and before going to sleep. It is so sweet and the rubbery texture is great to touch. When I smell her paw, I am taken back to some ancient spot in my hypothalamus where life was all about feelings. Even without money, one can produce incredible results. Japan is No. 1 in the world in cancer research even though neither the government nor the medical industry funds many research projects. I get no help, no money, no support from anybody, except a little bit from the sensor's manufacturer. I cannot even get enough samples of cancer patients' breath because, although doctors agree that cancer smells, they do not want to participate in my research. It seems that doctors do not care about saving lives, they just want to save their time. They look down on low-tech research involving a dog and an old man. Dogs understand humans. My dog, Rose, would act according to what she heard us talk about. If we said we wanted a beer or some ice cream, she would just go and get it from the fridge. I guess she understood about 70 percent of our conversation. When she died, I felt as if my daughter had just passed away. I even wrote a book to her, titled "Rose ga Kureta Jinsei (The Life Rose Gave Me)" to tell her how blessed she made me feel. To find happiness, we must throw away rational thoughts and follow our heart. I was making good money in Tokyo working in television and yet I quit and moved to the ocean with my wife and six dogs. I had no plan except to hang out in nature and play with them. Japan Times: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 |
|
ＨＡＰＰＹ ＢＩＲＴＨＤＡＹ， ＪＵＤＩＴ！ 今日はユディちゃんのバースデーです。 ユディちゃんとファンの皆様に感謝の花束をプレゼント☆ Today is Judit's birthday! This bouquet is to express my special thanks to Judit and all the fans who support her.  |