Book Review & Giveaway 25: Beyond The Tiger Mom

I have received another book from Tuttle Books!
And, as always, they have agreed to give (given) one free copy to a random visitor to my blog!

The book I’m reviewing today is titled “Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age” by Maya Thiagarajan.

“Beyond The Tiger Mom”

I will put the details of the free drawing for this book at the end of this post.

Ms. Thiagarajan was born in India and then moved to America after she graduated from high school. She went to college in America and, afterwards, became a school teacher there.  Eventually, she moved to Singapore with her husband and their children and she became a teacher there.

From this, she has become familiar with the American way, the Indian way and the Chinese way of parenting and teaching children.

With her knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn’t work best for children’s education, she has written this extensive, easy-to-read guide.

“Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age” can be purchased through Amazon here.

But, as I said above, Tuttle Books has agreed to give (given) one random visitor to my blog a free copy of this book.

***** Updated February 14th, 2016 *****

This special promo ended on 2016 February 14th. One random winner was selected and contacted directly by Tuttle Publishers (via email) with the details about the free book.

Thank you to all who entered, but only the winner was contacted.
*****

 

Postcard Lottery 2016

New Years is the biggest holiday in Japan.  There are many traditions…one of which is sending 年賀状 (New Years Postcards) to friends and relatives.  A bit like Christmas cards in western countries.

One the back of “official” Japanese New Years postcards (which are the only kind that anyone sends) is a six-digit serial number.

Every year on January 15th, the Japanese post office chooses random numbers as winners in the お年玉 (New Years postcard lottery).

People who have postcards with winning numbers win nice prizes.

(Click here to read a post I’ve written about this before.)

Here are the winning numbers for the 2016 New Years postcard lottery:

2016 New Years postcard lottery winning numbers

★　First place – cards with the number 667085 – the prize is ¥100,000 (approx. US$1,000).

★　Second place – cards with the last four digits of the number being  9648 – the prize is one of several wonderful things such as an onsen (hot spring) stay, a TV, a computer, Nintendo DS, etc.

★　Third place – cards with the last two digits of the number being either 69 or 90 – the prize is commemorative “Year of the Monkey” postage stamps.

 

Snowy Day in Tokyo

The weather forecast yesterday said that it was going to snow in the Tokyo area this morning, so I wasn’t surprised by this morning’s snow.

It snows a lot in northern Japan, but only a couple of times each winter in Tokyo. And when it does snow here, it’s normally not very much. I have seen blizzards and heavy snow in Tokyo…but not so often.

Because it doesn’t snow so much here, Tokyo isn’t as prepared for it as they are up north. Most people don’t own a snow shovel here. You can often see people using dustpans to move snow from driveways.

And, the buses and trains will often be delayed when there is a lot (by Tokyo standards) of snowfall. There were a lot of delays this morning.
Though train and bus delays are an inconvenience that we’re not so used to in Japan (due to the extremely punctual public transportation system here), no one complains…everyone understands that the train and bus workers are doing their best to deal with the weather. Better “safe than sorry”.

A picture I took this morning of someone’s flower garden covered in snow.

Train runs for one kid

CityLab website ran this story about a train in a very rural area of Japan that makes only two stops—one when a lone high-school student leaves for school and the other when she returns.

For years, there’s only been one passenger waiting at the Kami-Shirataki train station in the northernmost island of Hokkaido, Japan: A high-school girl, on her way to class. The train stops there only twice a day—once to pick up the girl and again to drop her off after the school day is over.

It sounds like a Hayao Miyazaki film. But according to CCTV News, it was a decision that Japan Railways—the group that operates the country’s railway network—made more than three years ago.

At that time, ridership at the Kami-Shirataki station had dramatically fallen because of its remote location, and freight service had ended there as well. Japan Railways was getting ready to shut the station down for good—until they noticed that it was still being used every day by the high-schooler. So they decided to keep the station open for her until she graduates. The company’s even adjusted the train’s timetable according to the girl’s schedule. The unnamed girl is expected to graduate this March, which is when the station will finally be closed.

People are tipping their hats to the Japanese government for making education a top priority. “Why should I not want to die for a country like this when the government is ready to go an extra mile just for me,” one commenter wrote on CCTV’s Facebook page. “This is the meaning of good governance penetrating right to the grassroot level. Every citizen matters. No Child left behind!”

Others, like the creator behind this YouTube video, grieve over the struggling railways of rural Japan. With the country’s record-low birthrate, aging population, and the threat of losing a third of its population by 2060, Japan faces a number of crises including a surplus of vacant housing and a shrinking workforce. The nation’s railroad system is being hit by these shifts.

The train’s time-table. One train at 7:04AM and another at 5:08PM.

Japan’s impressively efficient high-speed rails have continued to expand to the outskirts of the country, rendering many of Japan’s older, low-tech railways obsolete. Kami-Shirataki station, for example, sits in the town of Engaru in the rural part of Hokkaido, which lost at least 20 rail lines in the past few decades, according to Fortune.

But if this story of a young girl and her special connection to the Kami-Shiratki station is any indicator, Japan’s disappearing rural railroads will be remembered for their service to even the most remote parts of the country.

 

Japanese Firefighters Ceremony

Every year in January there are 出初式 (Japanese New Years Firefighters Ceremonies) around Japan.

Every January 6th, the 「東京消防出初式」 (“Tokyo Fire Department’s New Year Ceremony“) is held. Today is 2016 January 5th, so it will be held tomorrow.

I have been to this (and a few other Japanese Firefighter Ceremonies). Click here to see my post (with photos) about it.

The 「横浜消防出初式」 (“Yokohama Fire Department’s New Year Ceremony“) is on the second Sunday of January every year…so it will be held on January 10th this year.

If you’re unable to attend one of those festivals this month, there is a similar one in the Asakusa area of Tokyo in May every year.
It’s not as grand as the New Year’s ceremonies. And it’s actually a memorial ceremony for fallen firefighters.
It’s called the 江戸消防慰霊祭 (Edo Firefighters Memorial Ceremony).

I watched this ceremony a couple times. Click here to see photos I took of it almost six years ago. (There are also photos of the Tokyo Sky Tree under construction in that post because it’s near where the ceremony is held, and it was being being at that time).

Here are some videos of last year’s 「横浜消防出初式」 (“Yokohama Fire Department’s New Year Ceremony“):

“Pay It Forward”

The Christmas feeling of “goodwill towards others” should be all year in everyday life!

From Rocketnews24:

Celebrate the season of giving (and receiving!) all year round.

 

So you’ve probably heard of customers “paying it forward” at restaurants before. One customer offers to pay for the customer after them, and then they offer to pay for the customer after them, and it continues on and on until potentially hundreds of people end up “paying” for each other.

As nice as “paying it forward” may sound though, usually all it really ends up being is the first customer paying extra, the other customers paying more or less the same, and then the last one getting the free food. Their hearts are certainly in the right place, but the end result is rarely all that different.

But one restaurant in Japan does “paying it forward” a little differently. They have a system set up wherein, if you’re feeling generous, you can buy as many meals as you want. You don’t eat them all yourself of course; instead the restaurant adds the number of meals you bought to a sign, and anyone who needs a free meal can order one of them, for free.

Here’s the sign outside the restaurant so you can see for yourself: (sign translation below)

▼ “Saw this amazing place in Obihiro, Hokkaido. It’s a system where you can pay for someone else to eat for free if you want. So when you’re out of money you can still get a meal, and when you’re feeling generous you can treat others. Absolutely wonderful.”

帯広の商店街にすごい店があった。誰かが先払いしてくれてるのでご馳走になれるってシステムなのかな。金欠の時はご馳走になって余裕がある時は自分が先払いして誰かにお返ししておく、みたいな。帯広は善意で出来ているみたい。素敵。 http://t.co/DDy72HLl0C

—
アヅマヤ (@Ko__JaM) October 10, 2015

Pay It Forward Menu!

You can eat any of these for free (someone else has already paid)

Currently available:

· Udon – 2

· Soba – 2

· Hokkaido Brown Rice – 1

Sides:

· Fried Oysters – 3

· Egg – 3

· Natto – 1

· Curry – 0

· Beer/Sake/Wine – 0

The numbers on the sign indicate how many of those meals have already been purchased by others and are available for free to anyone who wants them. Now that’s kindness in action!

Here’s what Japanese netizens had to say about the “Pay It Forward” Menu:

“What a wonderful idea.”

“I’d like to try that! Both pay and receive!”

“Nice. I just hope no one takes advantage of it.”

“This is how society should be.”

“I wish every restaurant in the world did this.”

Agreed on that last point! It’s such a simple idea that, with a little bit of work, it could probably be integrated into a lot of different restaurants, cafes, and even other stores too. Random acts of kindness could happen so often they wouldn’t even be “random” anymore, they would just be “kindness.”

2015 in review

In ten days, this year will be over.  Time flies!
Google have compiled the biggest news stories for each of the past twelve months by country, according to the most popular internet searches in each country.

All links below are to related posts that I’ve written. By all means, click the links and read (and comment on) my posts!

The Biggest News Stories of 2015 in Japan:

1. (December 2015) – Star Wars
2. (November 2015) – Paris attack
3. (October 2015) – Rugby World Cup / Water on Mars
4. (September 2015) – Volkswagen emissions scandal
5. (August 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
6. (July 2015) – Women’s Soccer World Cup
7. (June 2015) – Japan’s Constitution change
8. (May 2015) – Respiratory Syndrome that started in South Korea and killed 36
9. (April 2015) – Nepal earthquake
10. (March 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
11. (February 2015) – “The dress”
12. (January 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)

“The dress”

The Biggest News Stories of 2015 in America:

1. (December 2015) – Star Wars
2. (November 2015) – Paris attack / The Royals won the baseball World Series
3. (October 2015) – Water on Mars
4. (September 2015) – The Pope visited the U.S. / Volkswagen emissions scandal
5. (August 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
6. (July 2015) – Women’s Soccer World Cup / Cecil the lion / Iran nuclear deal
7. (June 2015) – Caitlyn Jenner
8. (May 2015) – Mayweather vs Pacquiao boxing match
9. (April 2015) – Nepal earthquake / Same-gender weddings legalized
10. (March 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
11. (February 2015) – “The dress” / The Oscars awards show
12. (January 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)

Review 24: Tokyo On Foot

Here’s another book I received from Tuttle Books!
And, as always, they have agreed to give (gave) one free copy to a random visitor to my blog!

The book I’m reviewing today is titled “Tokyo On Foot” by Florent Chavouet.

“Tokyo On Foot” by Florent Chavouet

I will put the details of the free drawing for this book at the end of this post.

This is the first book by Mr. Chavouet in which he chronicled his adventures in Japan with his gorgeous hand-drawn pictures and in writing.
He has another book about his second trip to Japan titled “Manabeshima Island Japan“. (Click here to read my review that book, and enter the drawing for a chance to win a free copy!)

Mr. Chavouet is a French artist who stayed in Tokyo for six months while his girlfriend had an internship at a company here.  During the days, while his girlfriend was at work, Mr. Chavouet bicycled around the city and stopped at random places that he found interesting to sit and carefully draw what he saw.

Everything in Japan was new to him, so it was fun for me to read the book and see the city I live through the eyes of a visitor!

A small 八百屋 (fruit & vegetable shop) in Tokyo, as drawn by Mr. Chavouet.

This book can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in Japan, especially Tokyo. As well as those who like quality drawings of people in their daily lives.

“Tokyo On Foot” can be purchased through Amazon here.

But, as I said above, Tuttle Books has agreed to give (given) one random visitor to my blog a free copy of this book.

***** Updated January 10th, 2016 *****

This special promo ended on 2016 January 10th. One random winner was selected and contacted directly by Tuttle Publishers (via email) with the details about the free book.

Thank you to all who entered, but only the winner was contacted.
*****

Star Wars director pays respect to Tokyo

Today is 2015 December 18th…the day that the latest Star Wars movie premieres in Japan.

Poster in a train station in Tokyo advertising the new Star Wars movie.

Star Wars has a lot of inspirations from Japanese movies and Japanese culture.
For instance, click here to see some photos my daughter took of Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and lightsabers done up to more closely resemble the samurai and katana swords that they were modeled after.

Well, members of the cast and crew of the latest Star Wars movie were recently in Tokyo to promote the movie.
Actor John Boyega (who plays the new character “Finn“) expressed how excited he was to visit and shop in Tokyo:

Tweet by actor John Boyega on his last day in Tokyo.

And, it turns out, that there is a planet in the new Star Wars movie named in honor of Tokyo.

Tokyo is director J.J. Abrams “favorite city” and he named a planet in Star Wars “Takodana” after the 高田馬場 (Takadanobaba) college-town area of Tokyo.

He was quoted in an interview about it:

“There’s a planet in this movie called Takodana and I named (it) after the first time I came to Tokyo (and) we stayed in a hostel in Takadanobaba. So it was a nod to my favorite city.”

— J.J. Abrams

Near Tokyo’s 高田馬場駅 (Takadanobaba train station)

2015 Kanji of the Year

Today is December 15th, the day that the Kanji of the Year is chosen in Japan.

The JapanToday website wrote:

The kanji character 安 “an,” meaning peace or safety, has been chosen as the character best representing the sentiment and events in Japan in 2015.
The character refers to the controversial security legislation that the government passed in the summer.

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, a Kyoto-based organization that promotes kanji, conducts the survey nationwide every year. The foundation said 129,647 submissions were received this year, with 安 being the most popular, garnering 5,632 votes.

In an event held on Tuesday, Seihan Mori,the head priest at the world-famous Kiyomizu Buddhist temple in Kyoto, drew the character with a large calligraphy brush, whose bristles were the size of a bowling pin, on a huge piece of “washi” (Japanese paper).

The second most popular character was 爆, “baku” (explosion), a reference to “bakugai,” meaning explosive buying (shopping sprees) by Chinese tourists visiting Japan.

The third most popular kanji was 戦, meaning war, referring to the many conflicts going on in the Middle East and the war on terror.