Happy New Year

2008 has come. I spent the end of '07　to the beginning of '08 with my grandparents in Toyama.

I annually spend the New Year and the Bon in Toyama and feel relaxed in a silent country instead of a busy city, Osaka.

On the New Year Day, when I woke up in the morning, there was snow around the house. So I wore hot and ran out to the rice field on the back of the house. I played with snow with my sister like a little kid and made a snow man.

In the afternoon we went shopping to take some fukubukuro to IEON. There was a huge number of people and in addition it was warm inside the building. So I felt pretty sick and had the worst New Year Day ever.

On the second day, we paid a visit to a shrine. Then I drew a fortune ship and it was Daikichi. It was the first time for me for several years to draw it so I was super happy. After that we went see a big statue of Buddha. My mother told me that the statue in Takaoka was one of the three biggest statues of Buddha in Japan but it was located on the corner of the street so snow was piled on his legs and it felt kinda pitiful to be exposed outside. But I felt welcome to see it on the early year day.

Umeda Sky Buliding

Last Saturday, I went to see Umeda Sky Building with my friends.
My friends are from Kyushu and Shikoku and not familiar with Osaka so I guided them Umeda.
First, we ate okonomiyaki in Yukari near Izumi no mae hiroba and loitered around underground shopping arcade in Umeda.

Then I heard one of them wanted to see Umeda Sky Building and went to see there.
When we reach there, Germany Christmas Market was held there.
We saw a beautiful Christmas tree and bought some German food at stands.
We couldn't go up to the Floating Garden Observatory because it was out of time but enjoyed fine illuminations.

Can I kick it?

Today I'd like to introduce a video, 'Can I kick it?'



Actually the title of this blog is quoted from this song.
The song is by A Tribe Called Quest, one of my favorite rap groups, and from their 1st album "People's Instinctive Travels."

Yakuza

I have to write an essay about yakuza in this class. But actually I don't like this topic so much because they are just scary. I feel scared every time researching the topic with their rugged and scar faces, showy suits, tattoos on the most parts of their bodies. So I found funny yakuza on You Tube. Check it.



They are yakuza in Osaka..., no, just comedians in Yoshimoto.

SAW 4

Have you seen the SAW series? This month, the movie SAW 4 was released. The series has been released on Halloween season since 2004 and it was the 4th series this year. The 1 was praised with its tensing and thrilling story in a film festival even though it cost less budget and the other series won top one of the week in the movie office box chart.

When I watched the first series on the DVD, I got pretty huge a shock with its story and I watched other 2 and 3. People say SAW is the best and others are not so good but if you see the 1, you must want to see the next, or will be made to want to.

I can't write about the detail of the story because it is a big secret. What's more, I can hardly predict how the story goes this time. These days I'm so busy with the university and my part time job that I don't have time to go see it. I feel like I couldn't see the old year out and the New Year in without seeing the movie.

A response to “Tired of getting stopped”

The author of “Tired of getting stopped” seems to be an African American and knows the meaning and the importance of the so-called gaijin cards well. He follows the Foreign Registry Law and always carries his card. He is just one of foreign residents living in Japan.

However, he feels discriminated against at a particular place in Nagoya by the same female police officer. He is always stopped for a police check by the female police in front of Takashimaya. He says that she has stopped him as many as thirteen times even though it was six months since he came to Japan.

There are no ideas about his looks, age or job but probably she has a kind of a stereotype or, worse, a racial prejudice against African American people. She seems to misunderstand that all African Americans are from ghetto, has been committing many crimes since they were young and can be criminals and he is also about to break into Takashimaya. In order to prevent the happening crime, therefore, she tries and stops him every time. This act may be caused by a responsibility as a police officer but it is also involved with her personal emotion.

A responce to "Not so welcome to Japan any longer"

Today I am going to respond to this article. In the article the author mentions a coming Act which obliges all foreigners to take fingerprints and pictures of their faces.

However, taking fingerprints is also considered as “a violation of basic human rights.’’ In Japan, taking and submitting fingerprints were one of obligations in the process of the Alien Registration. Through the 80th to 90th, however, the obligation was loosened because of some movements against it and eventually it was abolished in 2004. In other countries, this kind of policy is adopted but gathering criticism from foreigners and leftist organization as well.

Basically I agree with the Act. In my opinion, it is non sense to claim taking fingerprints to be “a violation of basic human rights.’’ People usually don’t care about their fingerprints every day. Today human rights are clamored strongly but the issue is just on today’s tendency.