Currency converter

I haven’t used American money for many years…so I don’t pay attention to the ¥en ←→ US$ exchange rate.

US dollars and Japanese Yen.

But I know that many foreign visitors in Japan like to know what the prices of things here equals in their home currency.
So, I just added a “Currency Converter” to my Smart-phone app.

Do you use my “Tokyo Five Smart-phone app“?

If you install it on your phone, you can enter a Japanese Yen amount in the Currency Converter and it will tell the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars.

There are many other useful features on the app too.

Click here to learn how to install the app.

If you install it…leave a comment here and let me know how you like it.

Ichiro was traded to the Yankees

I’m not a big baseball fan but I have written a few baseball related posts…including two about Ichiro Suzuki.
( Click here to read the post I wrote about Ichiro playing baseball in Japan against Japan…and click here to read my post about Ichiro and the rest of the “Samurai Japan” team).

Even to someone (like me) who isn’t a baseball fan, it’s well-known that Ichiro was a member of the Seattle Mariners MLB team…but that’s no more.

Ichiro was just traded to the New York Yankees.

(Picture from the New York Yankees website).

And, in a bit of ironic fate, his first game as a player for the Yankees is today…against his former team, the Mariners!

The life of Japanese college students compared to that of American ones

Look at this video of A Vision of (American) Students Today:

______
And compare it to A Vision of Japanese University Students:

70 years after the day of infamy

Today is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It was 1941 December 7th in Hawaii when the attack occurred…but, due to the time difference, it was December 8th in Japan.

So in Japan, December 8th is considered the anniversary of 「真珠湾攻撃」 (the Pearl Harbor Attack), but in America it’s December 7th.

Here are some American World War II propaganda posters made after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor.

(the images in the post were found on “Google Images”)

2010′s Top Baby Names

My daughters were born in the early – mid ’90s, so it’s not really relevant to me but it’s still interesting to see how the most popular names people chose for their babies changes over time.

The most popular names of my generation are no longer popular with today’s parents.

When I was born, the top five boys names for American babies were:
Michael, David, James, John and Robert.
The top five girls names in America that year were:
Lisa, Michelle, Jennifer, Kimberly and Melissa.

At the same time, the top five boys names in Japan back then were:
Makoto, Hiroshi, Osamu, Naoki and Tetsuya.
For Japanese baby girls, it was:
Akemi, Mayumi, Yumiko, Keiko and Kumiko (names ending with ～子 (-ko) used to very popular for girls in Japan…now, not so much).

These days, I guess those names are considered “old-fashioned” in both America and Japan.

In America, the top five boys names for babies born in 2010 were:
Aiden, Liam, Noah, Jackson and Ethan.
For American baby girls:
Sophia, Charlotte, Ava, Addison and Olivia.

This year (2010), the most popular baby names for boys in Japan were:
Ren, Hiroto, Souta, Yuuma and Sora.
For Japanese baby girls in 2010:
Yua, Yui, Aoi, Hina and Riko.

You can balance an egg today

Last Monday was a holiday in Japan, called 「敬老の日」 (“Respect For The Elderly Day“). On this day, people often give gifts to their elderly parents or grandparents. Many kindergartens invite grandparents to have lunch at the school with their grandchildren.

Shoulder massages are common "gifts" to grandparents on this day.

Today is another holiday in Japan…「秋分の日」 (“Autumn Equinox“).  On this day in Japan, and on the 「春分の日」 (“Spring Equinox“) in March, it is common for people to visit their family graves to pay respects.  This custom is called 「彼岸の中日」 (“Higan-no-chuu-nichi“).

The actual date of 「春分の日」 (Spring Equinox) and 「秋分の日」 (Autumn Equinox) varies slightly. Spring Equinox is around March 20 or 21 and Autumn Equinox is usually September 22 or 23. I read online that in 1931, the Autumn Equinox occurred on September 24 and the next time it will occur on that date will be in the year 2303.

But in Japan, 「春分の日」 (Spring Equinox) is always celebrated on March 20th and 「秋分の日」 (Autumn Equinox) is always on September 23rd. The only time the dates change is when one of those dates fall on a Sunday…then the holiday is observed the next day.

「敬老の日」 (“Respect For The Elderly Day“) is celebrated on the third Monday of September. Last year that holiday and 「秋分の日」 (Autumn Equinox) were only one day apart, so the Japanese government made the day between them a one-time temporary holiday so that most people in Japan could have a five-day holiday period that was called “Silver Week“.
(I wrote a post about last year’s “Silver Week” here.)

Yesterday someone asked me if the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes were holidays in America like they are in Japan, and how they’re observed in America.

I know that Spring and Autumn Equinox, as well as Summer and Winter Solstice in June and December, aren’t legal holidays in America. But they’re considered the date that the seasons change. Americans say that the first day of Winter is around December 21, the first day of Spring is around March 20, the first day of Summer is around June 21 and the first day of Autumn is around September 23.
So, in America, today is the first day of Autumn.

In Japan, the first day of every three months is considered to be the beginning of the next season.
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn each start on December 1st, March 1st, June 1st and September 1st, respectively.

But maybe the American dates are more accurate. Because yesterday was a very hot and sunny day in Tokyo. It was about 33°C.
But today is a bit cold and rainy. The temperature dropped down to 23°C! And tomorrow is forecast to be even colder…20°C.

Another thing that is said about the equinoxes in America is that they are the only days of the year that you can balance on egg upright.

I don’t know where that came from. But it’s an American urban legend that eggs can be easily balanced on the day of an equinox.

How is Autumn Equinox (and Spring Equinox) celebrated in your country?

(Also, if you want to know more about Japanese holidays, read my F.A.Q.).

America discovered good mayonnaise

I grew up in America. So I grew up thinking that mayonnaise was the bland white stuff in American supermarkets.

One of the most popular brands of "mayonnaise" in the U.S.

Growing up, I had no special attraction to “mayonnaise”. I put it on tuna or ham sandwiches…but that was it.
I would have never dreamed of eating mayo as a salad dressing or on noodles.

But when I came to Japan, I learned what mayonnaise is supposed to taste like.

Japan's 「キューピーマヨネーズ」 ("Kewpie Mayonnaise")

Japanese mayonnaise looks and tastes totally different than the American version.
In Japan, mayonnaise is made with egg yolk and rice vinegar so it has a yellow color and a sweet / sour taste.
American mayonnaise is made with egg whites and tastes like whipped egg whites.

By far, the most popular brand of mayonnaise in Japan is 「キューピーマヨネーズ」 (“Kewpie Mayonnaise“).
It tastes good on sandwiches, spaghetti, Okonomiyaki, Tako-yaki, Yakisoba, salads, celery, and so much more.
It’s sometimes even used in place of tomato sauce as a topping on pizza here in Japan.

Another big difference is the containers.
In America, mayonnaise comes in a glass jar. It’s a pain to get the mayonnaise out when it’s almost empty.
But Japanese mayonnaise is in a plastic squeezable bottle. Much easier to use.

(Ketchup is sold in similar plastic bottles in Japan…unlike the glass ketchup bottles in the U.S.)

Well, it was on the news here in Japan that America people have discovered Japanese mayonnaise.
It said that “Kewpie Mayonnaise” from Japan has become the number one selling mayonnaise on Amazon.com‘s condiment section.

Have you ever tried Japanese mayonnaise? What brand of mayonnaise do you like best?
What do you eat mayonnaise on?

World’s Oldest Person is Japanese

An American woman named Gertrude Baines was the oldest person in the world.
But, unfortunately, she died yesterday.
She was 115 years old.

The late Gertrude Baines (1894 Apr 6 - 2009 Sep 11), RIP

(I wrote a post in which I mention Ms. Baines (and I also mention the world’s oldest man in the post)…click here to read it).

Gertrude Baines was born on 1894 April 6 and lived until 2009 September 11. One hundred fifteen years and 158 days.
She held the world record of oldest living person from 2009 January 2 until she died.

On her last birthday, she was asked what her secret of longevity was and she credited eating bacon, fried chicken and ice cream!

Now, since yesterday, the world’s oldest person is a Japanese woman named 知念カマ (Kama Chinen).
She was born on 1895 May 10. So, as of today, she is 114 years and 125 days old.

The world's oldest person, as of 2009 Sep 11...Kama Chinen of Japan.

It’s a coincidence that the world’s oldest person would go to a Japanese person in September, as September 21st is the Japanese holiday 「敬老の日」 (“Respect For The Aged Day“).
(Click here to read my short FAQ about it).

Japanese Prison

I’ve never been arrested and I don’t personally know anyone who has.
So anything I know about America’s, Japan’s or any other country’s prisons or penal system is from what I’ve read.

As with most everything in America and Japan, these two countries’ prison systems are quite different.

In America, each state has it’s own unique laws governing the penal system, including capital punishment (the death penalty). The U.S. Government abolished capital punishment for the entire United States in 1972…but reinstated it in 1976. Currently, nineteen U.S. states and territories (such as Hawaii, Alaska and Guam) have laws against capital punishment…so they don’t allow the death penalty. The remainder of the U.S. states either use the electric chair or lethal injection as the means for carrying out capital punishment.
The state of Texas has the most people on death row.

In the case of Japan, the federal government makes the laws concerning things such as the penal code for the entire country. Capital punishment is used as a punishment for crimes such as murder (usually multiple murders) in Japan, and it is supported by the majority of the people.
But, unlike America, the method of carrying out the death penalty is the gallows (hanging by noose).
And, also unlike America, convicts on death row aren’t notified of their execution date until the morning of the day it’s carried out.

Regarding general prison life, the image of prisons in America is cells with bars that prisoners can see out of their cell.

And prisons in America have an image of being loud and violent with prison riots and prisoners murdering guards and other prisoners. And the prisoners in America are allowed to spend their ample free time almost as they choose…watching TV, playing games or sports, exercising. And they meal portions are quite large.

Is that inaccurate? I don’t know for sure…as I said, I’ve never seen inside a prison (except in the movies). But I recently read a newspaper article about prisons in America…and it seemed to support this image.

Prison life in Japanese prisons is quite different. In Japan, a prisoner’s daily routine is quite regimented and the slightest infraction (for example, eye contact with a guard) is often met with physical punishment and/or solitary confinement.

The cells themselves in Japanese prisons don’t allow prisoners to see out.

There are no beds. Prisoners sleep on a futon on the floor…when they’re told to. During the day, they may not even sit on the bedding.
In Japan, prisoners may not speak unless asked a question. And they are given meal rations with the minimum daily calorie intact that a person needs to live.
The whole purpose of the prison system is to give the prisoners discipline and work experience to help them reform. So Japanese prisoners spend their days working…making furniture or clothes, etc.

But before prison, the whole judiciary system is different from America’s.

In Japan, the stigma of being arrested is great. Even being interrogated by the police can give you a bad image. So, the police in Japan take their time to be sure they arrest the right person. American police might bring many suspects in for questioning. That’s not how it’s done here, though.
Since Japanese police only make an arrest when they’re certain it’s the right person, 99% of the people who are arrested get convicted in Japan.

And when the police arrested someone in Japan, they’re allowed to keep the person in custody for interrogation for up to 72 hours…before that person is allowed a phone call or access to a lawyer.

Another difference is that in court trials in America, the defendants fate is left to be decided to a civilian jury. Until later this year, in Japan a judge (or in some bigger trials, more than one) makes all rulings. But starting this year, juries will be used in courts here in Japan. This is quite an unpopular idea with a large portion of the population…so we’ll see if it lasts.

Anyways, I don’t usually give this much thought. I’ve never been a victim of a crime (I certainly hope it stays that way), nor have I ever committed a crime (that will stay that way), I generally agree that capital punishment is right…but I’ve heard convincing arguments against it—so I’m not positive.
And sometimes foreign media paints a picture of Japan’s prison system and judicial system in general as being medieval…but I think it must work. Japan has a very low crime rate…and when prisoners are released here, most stay out of prison.

America, on the other hand, has more people incarcerated than any other first-world country…and a high percentage of repeat-offenders.

Fourth Interview

I just did an interview with Jerry Yellin.

He was a fighter pilot in World War 2 and fought against Japan.

The interview is here.

The pure purpose of war, in my opinion, is to kill

[Jerry Yellin]