Today is the first day of my kids’ 夏休み (Summer vacation). They don’t have school again til September 1st!
(But unlike in America, in Japan—the new school doesn’t start after summer holidays. So my kids will be in the same grades until April (which is the start of the school year in Japan)).
Today we’re gonna go watch the 「ゲゲゲの鬼太郎」の映画 (“Ge-Ge-Ge No Kitarou” movie).
(I mentioned this movie is this previous post here. )
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In the news, I heard that an Australian rent-a-car business painted “Save a whale…harpoon a Jap!” on one of their vehicles.
That’s out of line, in my opinion. Even if they’re opposed to Japan’s whaling practices.
I found a picture of the vehicle online. This is it:
Why would someone…especially a company, think that it’s alright to write derogatory remarks about other people?
I considered writing my opinion on whaling on this post…but decided against it. I’m not trying to start a controversial website.
Tokyo Five 
Gene Ordanza…
Thanks for visiting my site again.
>I doubt it very much that the owners would do something crass as paint their van with such derogatory remarks (probably vandals).
No, the company decorated the van like that. It was in the newspaper…plus I found the picture of the van from the company’s very own website.
Australia and New Zealand are probably the strongest opponents to Japan’s whaling.
That’s fine.
But I think insults, like that van, and also attacking whaling ships (endangering the lives of those onboard) are wrong.
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MB…
>I wonder if the teachers in Japan find it difficult having such a long break in the middle of a school year. It seems like it would be hard. I know that here kids begin to forget things during the summer, so parents are encouraged to enrich their children’s education over the summer in order to help prep them for the next year.
Japanese kids get homework on Summer, Winter and even Spring break (after Spring break, the new school year starts…but they get homework, regardless).
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sfrunner…
>please send me a private e-mail. I’ll be more than happy to e-mail the company and give them my two cents worth.
I’d like to email you sometimes…but you don’t need to email the company (unless you want).
I don’t know your email address though. You don’t need to post it online…just fill out the Contact Me form on my site. It’s at:
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~tokyo5/contact.html
>You have an outstanding blog
Thank you!
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Agree as well. As with most controversial topics, a lot of folks have trouble separating issues from people especially when emotions are running high. I stayed in Australia for quite a while, and have a number of Australian and Japanese friends, I doubt it very much that the owners would do something crass as paint their van with such derogatory remarks (probably vandals). For one, Japanese customers there are big business.
–gene
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Hi B,
Well, some people, like that rent-a-car company, are just yucky people. How unfortunate.
I wonder if the teachers in Japan find it difficult having such a long break in the middle of a school year. It seems like it would be hard. I know that here kids begin to forget things during the summer, so parents are encouraged to enrich their children’s education over the summer in order to help prep them for the next year.
-Sis
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Hi tokyo5. I agree. That’s totally uncalled for (regarding the ad). If you like, please send me a private e-mail. I’ll be more than happy to e-mail the company and give them my two cents worth.
I agree that doing it on a blog would stir things up. You have an outstanding blog that a lot of people read. There are a lot of people that are educated by the things you’ve mentioned. It makes all of us better people as a result.
Speaking of being educated, I didn’t know the school year started in April. See folks, you learn something new every day. Have a good Sunday!
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