tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257106682011-07-28T13:04:10.691-07:00Social problems are everyone's problems, and everyone's problems are social problems. There are many social problems in the present Japanese society that I really want all the people living here to be aware of, discuss and try to solve. Let's all get together and make Japan a better place for everyone to live.Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.comBlogger571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-46833014812611919082010-07-06T06:32:00.000-07:002010-07-06T06:36:21.231-07:00

One disturbing feature of Japanese society is the under-representation of women in the workplace. Although Japan has become a modern nation, the old social norm which stresses women should learn to self-cultivate the Confucian ideal of ryosai kenbo (good wife, wise mother) still has some validity.Attitudes of male chauvinism still exist in some companies. Women employees are generally referred to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-29607918713622756532010-06-02T09:36:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:40:41.670-07:00

As an author and illustrator of juvenile literature, I often visit schools to read my books to children. I am always amazed at the small number of students at Japanese schools. One elementary school I visited recently was built to accommodate 400 students, but there were only 10 children enrolled.Japan is facing a crisis. The fertility rate is now less than two children per woman. At the same

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-22194397394522630302010-04-20T04:27:00.000-07:002010-04-20T04:31:38.094-07:00

April is a month of colorful flowers and green shoots. It symbolizes rebirth and boosts new signs of life. My spirit is usually warm and serene during this month. I feel especially this way when I see a kimono-clad mother and her 6-year-old child walk to an elementary entrance ceremony, as beautiful cherry blossom petals fall on their shoulders. I feel hopeless, though, when I hear many Japanese

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-80226284584696966132010-03-25T08:07:00.000-07:002010-03-25T08:09:19.761-07:00

The Japanese education system is seen by many critics as fostering rote learning over creativity and critical thinking. Preparing for entrance exams is the main purpose of schooling in Japan, and that is simply a matter of technique. Students develop successful methods to retain required knowledge and regurgitate it during the test. There's almost no room for understanding and personal

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-7704864680207999152010-02-09T05:24:00.000-08:002010-02-09T05:28:15.106-08:00

Since ancient times, humor and laughter have helped calm people's minds, smoothing human relations all over the world. Humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope, connects us to others and keeps us alert. Nothing works faster or can more dependably bring the human spirit and body back into balance than a good laugh. There is a great deal of meaning inherent in long-established adages such as: "

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-16507089631948488222009-12-29T03:14:00.000-08:002010-01-12T06:51:54.311-08:00

As English essayist Charles Lamb (1775-1834) said, "New Year's Day is every man's birthday." January 1st certainly witnesses one of the world's biggest annual celebrations. It is the beginning of a new year, so our eyes are filled with new dreams and our hearts are replete with expectations. Many of us use the opportunity to make New Year's resolutions.The New Year makes me think about time,

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-67682250331409223722009-11-27T08:32:00.000-08:002009-11-27T08:37:33.548-08:00

Lately, Japan has been dominated by serious socio-economic problems. Unemployment, poverty, homelessness, discrimination, divorce and murder-suicide — all these heartrending issues are in our communities, or at least in our newspapers and on our television screens — threaten us every day. It seems that in spite of wealth, affluence and education, something is wrong.Thousands of people are crying

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-84274179340771272272009-10-22T21:28:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:32:02.902-07:00

Fall — with its dazzling foliage in a palette of red, orange, yellow and gold — inspires me to paint colorful pictures, write spirited poems, and curl up with noteworthy books as often as possible. Still further, I regularly travel around the nation during this season to promote the importance of reading good books among children, parents and educators.As an ice breaker before starting a reading

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-62996731649399777492009-09-14T23:36:00.000-07:002009-09-14T23:41:11.782-07:00

Japan's democracy has frequently been described as immature, its citizens as apatheticand uninterested in politics. What does it mean when a considerable number of the Japanese electorate does not vote? I hear various excuses: "The state of politics is awful," "There is no one worth voting for," "Nothing will change no matter which party I vote for," and so on. For the latest Lower House election

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-53688912887631094982009-08-11T08:47:00.000-07:002009-08-11T08:50:18.803-07:00

While talking about World War II with a group of Japanese high school seniors the other day, "Who started the Pacific War?" I asked. I got answers ranging from the Chinese to the Americans, but not the Japanese. They all knew well about the atomic bombings and the hibakusha's suffering, but none of them seemed to know much about invasions and acts of human cruelty committed by the Imperial

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-41666712298200316432009-07-14T03:33:00.000-07:002009-07-14T03:38:08.893-07:00

Summer is the best time for teenagers to take a break from the school environment, and experience the world of work. In North America, junior high and high school students are given the opportunity to learn the value of a hard day's work, through various summer youth employment programs. In Japan, however, youngsters are confined to school club activities and prep schools; otherwise they are left

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-68972830137935734562009-07-06T21:31:00.000-07:002009-07-06T21:40:26.294-07:00

Tuesday, July 7, 2009HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO, The Japan TimesBy JOEL ASSOGBAChikugo, FukuokaDear Japanese lawmakers,In mid-March, I opened up my newspaper to find an article about the government granting one-year temporary resident status to Noriko Calderon, an ethnic Filipino girl. I was shocked by the news because Noriko was born and raised in Japan. And just like most of her ethnic Japanese

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-35001075964855601072009-07-02T07:47:00.000-07:002009-07-02T07:51:05.971-07:00

Sunday, June 28, 2009READERS IN COUNCIL (The Japan Times)By JOEL ASSOGBAChikugo, FukuokaIn mid-March I found an article about the Japanese government granting one-year temporary resident status to Noriko Calderon, a Japanese-born Filipino girl. Noriko's parents, facing deportation for being undocumented workers, thought it was better for their daughter, who speaks only Japanese, to stay in Japan

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-72729711923128598352009-06-07T23:09:00.000-07:002009-06-07T23:13:53.170-07:00

It happens so many times in Japan; an elementary school kid, a middle school boy, or a high school girl — is driven to suicide by ijime. At some point, every kid has been teased by a classmate or a friend. Teasing is usually harmless when done in a friendly and mutual way. But when it becomes hurtful and incessant, the teasing crosses the line into bullying.Taro, a teenage boy who attended my

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-49632414373054950412009-05-20T23:56:00.000-07:002009-05-21T00:03:28.070-07:00

SPECIAL TO THE ASAHI SHIMBUN2009/5/21Racism is certainly not a part of human nature. A newborn child does not instinctively have prejudice against others. Prejudice and racism are learned from the society that raises the child. These attitudes are derived from fear and ignorance, and it is only by combating them that we will ever achieve a truly multicultural society based on mutual respect.One

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-10219670067672986522009-04-30T05:18:00.000-07:002009-04-30T05:21:03.413-07:00

On March 17, I opened up my newspaper and found an article about the Japanese government granting one-year temporary resident status to Noriko Calderon, a Filipino-Japanese girl. Noriko's undocumented parents, who were facing deportation, finally returned to their native Philippines on April 14. The couple thought it was better for their daughter to continue her studies at her junior high school

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-10408399113470716792009-03-24T07:02:00.000-07:002009-03-24T07:05:58.053-07:00

The most eagerly awaited forecast of early spring in this beautiful archipelago, is the Japan Meteorological Agency's announcement of the "cherry blossom front." Armed with the JMA's prediction of when to expect blossoms in each area throughout the nation, millions of families, friends and office workers start planning where to go for the year's hanami, or cherry- blossom viewing.Japanese people

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-35027963868283830212009-02-24T21:07:00.000-08:002009-03-26T08:34:01.351-07:00

The other day, a Japanese mother asked her 8-year-old daughter to pick up after their dog. "Why don't you do it yourself?" she fiercely replied. To my great surprise, the mother just smiled and went to clean up the mess herself. Then, embarrassingly looking at me, she said: "Asking children to help with chores is a big hassle. It's easier and faster to just do the work ourselves."Every year, I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-41950790362843299462009-01-16T06:57:00.000-08:002009-03-28T00:28:42.430-07:00

We are living in perilous times. TV news speaks of the ominous dangers the world is facing. Soldiers and civilians alike are being killed every day in Afghanistan, Iraq, Congo and Sudan. Still, there's military buildup in other parts of the globe and fear of more confrontations. In the midst of all these problems, what is the attitude of the average person? What should be our attitude?When I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-49844406222037794292008-12-29T07:49:00.000-08:002008-12-29T07:51:03.170-08:00

Juvenile delinquency is on the rise in Japan. Searching for the causes of this social problem, many Japanese parents focus on how little teachers discipline children. But I believe parental discipline should come first.A preschool boy and his pregnant mother walk into a doctor's waiting room. There are two seats available: a big chair for grown-ups and a stool for kids. The little boy takes the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-83188313322558793992008-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:002008-12-29T07:47:54.716-08:00

"Exercising too much is bad for one's health." This maxim is largely ignored on the playing fields of Japan. Sports club activities occupy an inordinate amount of time in Japanese students' life. Many children go to school even on weekends and during summer vacations to practice sports.When I began teaching in Japan, I was disturbed to see that students were allowed to doze off in the classroom

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-55964077680959432612008-12-29T07:40:00.001-08:002008-12-29T07:45:20.908-08:00

Unconscious racial arrogance and disdain for ethnic minorities are pronounced throughout the world. It is more evident in countries where different races live together, but I believe racism is a worldwide attitude and is perhaps strongest in areas where, because of little contact with other races, it has neither been brought to the surface nor challenged.In Japan, the part of the world where I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-3483957375909805532008-12-29T07:40:00.000-08:002008-12-29T07:42:46.201-08:00

The recent arrest of an elementary school vice principal in Hokkaido on child porn charges has highlighted the tragedy of children being used for pornography and prostitution in Japan. When police raided the vice principal's home, they found many obscene images of underage girls. He was even selling them online. I shudder to think of how many cases like this have gone unreported.Pedophilia is

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-64502655373428015432008-12-29T07:31:00.000-08:002008-12-29T07:34:44.484-08:00

One day, a Japanese friend of mine, his 2-year-old son and I were about to go to the amusement park in their car. The little boy was not in his safety seat; he was just standing in the front passenger seat. To my great surprise, the father did not feel it was necessary to restrain his toddler in the safety seat before moving off."Hey! Why don't you put your son in the safety seat first?" I asked.

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1159899382045547332006-10-03T11:11:00.000-07:002006-11-18T10:38:02.280-08:00

One beautiful afternoon, I went for a bicycle ride along a brook not far from my residence. I saw three grade-school boys sitting under a tree near the brook. They had a creel and a landing net. I knelt beside them to look into the creel. It held seven crayfish; four alive and three dead.They proudly recounted to me how they captured each crayfish along the brook. My attention was much more of a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1158693570841841952006-09-19T12:16:00.000-07:002006-09-19T12:19:30.843-07:00

Recently there have been many television news reporting the exploitation of young schoolgirls, who are lured by “telephone clubs” into the nadir of pornography and prostitution. According to statistics compiled by researchers, many schoolgirls in Tokyo, including elementary-school girls, have experienced solicitation for sex by older men, in many cases by intellectuals like teachers, doctors,

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1158693186797355572006-09-19T12:04:00.000-07:002006-09-19T12:13:07.316-07:00

I can't understand why many Japanese folks are not really condemning pedophilia. It is very shocking and shameful to know that there are still many adults (even parents) in our communities who are doing almost nothing to fight against this vice. Don't we all need to take care of our children and protect them from the negative influences of society? If we don't; how can they earn respect and

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1158175043185506812006-09-13T12:08:00.000-07:002006-09-13T12:17:23.246-07:00

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to Yasukuni Shrine, an arson attack on a house of a lawmaker who criticized him, the popularity of the hawkish Shinzo Abe (for sure the next Premier of Japan) who is obviously promoting extreme nationalism and militarism in Japan, Former Prime Minister Nakasone and other Japanese lawmakers’ nuclear ambitions…all are signs that this nation is taking a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1157286032233181212006-09-03T05:14:00.000-07:002006-09-03T05:20:32.236-07:00

The exposure of a pedophile ring in Belgium and the children's summit is Sweden several years ago have highlighted the tragedy of children being used for pornography and prostitution. This is an international problem that is finally receiving the attention of the media and ordinary people in "advanced" nations.We can only hope that the outcry will prompt the Japanese government to truthfully

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1157285489718016882006-09-03T05:02:00.000-07:002006-09-03T05:11:29.743-07:00

Voltaire is great! I would like to share some of his quotes with all of you:1) "...the safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death."2) "A witty saying proves nothing."3) "All sects are different, because they come from men; morality is everywhere the same, because it comes from God."4) "Animals have these advantages over

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1156967509980113662006-08-30T12:47:00.000-07:002006-08-30T13:17:48.786-07:00

Here we go again with another shocking incident involving teenage boys. A high school boy conspired with a friend to murder his mother. What on earth is happening to these teenage boys?Boys, whose eyes always sparkle with inexhaustible curiosity and wonder, regardless of the weather—rain, snow, sunshine or storms—are invaluable treasures of this world. Their liveliness and vitality are like force

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1156512393032885422006-08-25T06:21:00.000-07:002006-08-25T06:26:33.123-07:00

Uncle Phil told me the following story on the phone last week:[Next door to him lives a boy of kindergarten age. One day he found him squatting in the tiny yard of the apartment building, working earnestly at something with a trowel in hand. After a while, he stood up and then reverently chanted something with small palms joined together. When asked what he was doing, he said "My pet hamster died

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1155841485298225182006-08-17T11:59:00.000-07:002006-08-17T12:04:45.310-07:00

All who read will know the answer to a simple question that concerns Japan's cultural heritage. In this respect, I want to make known a striking reality -- many young people in Japan don't know who their emperor is.I will set the scene that brought me to this, well, appalling realization. I recently asked a group of middle school students (all of them were of Japanese ethnic background, born and

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1155840415798380322006-08-17T11:41:00.000-07:002006-08-17T11:46:55.803-07:00

In any fast changing society there are curious and sometimes uncomfortable contrast between traditions inherited from the past and new characteristics produced by new technologies and institutions. Japan having moved faster and farther than any other nation during the past century may be subject to particularly severe strains of this sort, but they are not different in kind--only in degree--from

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1155839847587964292006-08-17T11:27:00.000-07:002006-08-17T11:37:27.610-07:00

While exchanging ideas about wars with a group of Japanese high school students the other day, I asked who started the Pacific branch of World War II. I got answers ranging from Korea to China to America, but not Japan.-"Have you ever heard of Pearl Harbor?" I asked.- "Yes!" a boy replied while giggling, "It is an upscale jewelry shop in Hawaii."(How could he joke about an atrocious event like

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1155838814059583492006-08-17T11:15:00.000-07:002006-08-17T11:20:14.070-07:00

Before and during the Pacific War, many Asians died in their pains and cries. Some of them were tortured and murdered by the Japanese imperial military.The grandfather of a Chinese-Canadian friend of mine once burst into tears while touching the scars on his face, talking to me about the Pacific War: "These are the scars from slashes made by Japanese soldiers, and I will never forget the bloody

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1155492029967391722006-08-13T10:56:00.000-07:002006-08-13T11:02:51.273-07:00

Albert Einstein was not only a great scientist, but also an awesome philosopher. The great harvest I have personally reaped from Einstein is his words of wisdom.Einstein words of wisdom are imperishable; and they are great sources of inspiration.Questions:1)What do you think of the following quotes?2)Which one is your favorite? Why?Einstein's quotes:"Nothing that I can do will change the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1154863864725971052006-08-06T04:25:00.000-07:002006-08-06T04:31:04.726-07:00

I believe prejudice cannot be defeated entirely; but it can be fought with fearless courage and stamina, and with a "Great Soul."I spend as little intellectual and emotional energy as possible on lunatic fringe movements and other idiocies. Instead, I travel all over Japan to give lectures in Japanese on antiracism, nonviolence and peace. To my great surprise, I receive a lot of encouragement

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1154863091027664762006-08-06T04:14:00.000-07:002006-08-06T04:18:11.036-07:00

I once opened up a Japanese newspaper to read the top story about the Japanese government possibly letting "foreigners apply for chief posts." I was upset because I knew damn well that they weren't talking about me (an African-Canadian and permanent resident of Japan). They were talking about my buddy, "Lee," who was born and raised in Japan, attended a Japanese school, speaks, reads and writes

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1153850302524955462006-07-25T10:51:00.000-07:002006-07-25T10:58:22.536-07:00

A sense of separateness is not easy to measure. Most people have no idea how their own feelings would compare with those of other peoples. Nationalism runs rampant throughout the world. Unconscious racial and cultural arrogance and disdain for others is pronounced in many nations around the world. But I think the Japanese sense of distinctiveness -- is itself very distinctive.The strength of the

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1152814368887460132006-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:002006-07-13T11:18:19.203-07:00

The Japanese education system is in horrendous condition. My children attend a Japanese public school. I talk to many parents and teachers. I also have 5 years experience as an inspirational speaker, and I have given more than 150 lectures to teachers, students and parents all over Japan. I have exchanged ideas on education, bullying, suicide, violence in the school and juvenile crime with more

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1151161451318416012006-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:002006-06-25T11:43:55.513-07:00

It is not uncommon for me to feel disgust at the way women are treated in this country. I am often amazed not only at how men treat women, but also at how women treat women and how children view women. I am appalled and shocked by women’s subordinate position in Japanese society.I am well aware that in other “advanced” nations too, there are a handful of problems between the sexes, from domestic

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1150260128679193852006-06-13T21:35:00.000-07:002006-06-13T21:42:08.690-07:00

A revolution is going on in marriages and families. Psychologists and sociologists tell us that one of the overriding problems in our contemporary societies is the family--tensions within the family, leading to divorces and separations and uncertainties within the family. Magazines and newspapers are filled with articles titled "How to Hold Your Marriage Together," "Spice Up Your Sex Life to

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1150206963096768882006-06-13T06:51:00.000-07:002006-06-13T06:56:03.110-07:00

I believe the nature of an animal is very simple and easy to grasp. In comparision, a human being's nature is like a bamboo forest that is extremely hard to penetrate.Human relations are not easy to handle. Misunderstandings between husbands and wives, conflicts between couples and their in-laws, arguments between parents and children and so on are as old as human history, but they still remain

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1149256971934029342006-06-02T06:40:00.000-07:002006-06-02T07:02:52.403-07:00

How can Japan, a nation which depends on foreign countries for its very survival succeed in closing doors to immigrants? Aso, Abe, Koizumi and "Kozumi children" must be kidding!Even a "not-so-smart" layman can see that if Japan limited the number of immigrants to 3% or less, its future would surely be gloomy. If the Japanese are to maintain their relative position in the world or even avoid a

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1149052025915221052006-05-30T22:02:00.000-07:002006-05-30T22:11:22.930-07:00

In any event, since ancient times laughter has contributed to the calming of people's minds, smoothing the course of human relations. Laughter sometimes becomes derisive and deplorable, revealing the vicious and inhumane tendencies, but I do not think that the essence of laughter exists in such humor. I think it is an exquisite expression of man’s spiritual richness and is also his good companion

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1148649233806746112006-05-26T06:02:00.000-07:002006-05-26T06:18:06.736-07:00

The entrance exam war appeared in Japan about the time Japanese postwar baby boomers, dubbed the "dankai" generation came on the scene.Study for entrance exams is a matter of technique. Students simply develop a successful method to retain the required knowledge and regurgitate it for test. This pattern of "shallow" thinking is molded in just two generations. So, it can be argued that members of

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1147842334290903702006-05-16T22:02:00.000-07:002006-05-16T22:05:34.323-07:00

"Exercising too much is bad for one's health," but this maxim is largely ignored on the playing fields of Japan. When I began teaching in Japan, I was disturbed to see that students were allowed to doze off in the classroom or be excused from participation because they were tired. However, I came to realize that most students were not at fault.A simple English conversation class became a form of

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1147009811350189862006-05-07T06:48:00.000-07:002006-05-07T06:50:11.363-07:00

A very rich, powerful and famous man was near death. He had all the material possessions most people spend their lives trying to gain: money, castles, pleasure boats, planes, a beautiful wife...Yet, as the end of his life approached, his last words from his deathbed were, “All my possessions for a moment of time.” The wealthy man now saw time as the most precious thing in the world. Unfortunately

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1146988916385070352006-05-07T00:59:00.000-07:002006-05-07T01:04:48.880-07:00

Here is a simple notion: Children are the foundation of human security. The world cannot build a peaceful and stable society without teaching its youngest citizens to respect differences and live together as one. Yet, this basic idea is ignored by many adults around the world.Every day, many children are the victims of violence, abuse, bullying, sexism, discrimination and racism. Also, many

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1146657815135772312006-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:002006-05-03T05:03:35.143-07:00

Japanese society is remarkable, if anything, for its homogeneity, orderliness, and adherence to strict patterns. Though constantly changing, it remains thoroughly and distinctively Japanese. If there is an underlying psychological malaise in Japan, it surely comes from the uniformity and strictness of the patterns society fixes on the individual.A tightly knit social system leaves many tied down

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1146381027256582782006-04-29T23:46:00.000-07:002006-08-17T11:53:08.703-07:00

EXCERPT FROM A BOOK PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 6, 2005 ( 60 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA)FOREWORDWe, human beings, possess great inner qualities which can illuminate the whole world, and also tragic flaws which can pull the whole world into the abyss of violence and destruction. We can either succumb to these tragic flaws, or light the torch of humanism that will shine

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1146287668719604272006-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:002006-04-28T22:14:28.730-07:00

Japan is experiencing a surge in gruesome crimes committed by juveniles. The other day, a 15-year-old boy, probably after a trivial argument, killed a 13-year-old girl, whose body was found abandoned in a vacant pachinko parlor. This is a shocking incident which has struck terror into hearts of parents and teachers around the nation, especially those with children of the same age, who must have

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1146027864115747792006-04-25T22:02:00.000-07:002006-04-28T22:22:06.193-07:00

(9 / 13 / 2003 Mainichi Weekly)On my way to work one day, I met a group of grade-school kids with their teacher. As soon as they saw me, the children shouted, “gaijin da!” ("alien!") The teacher scolded them, saying that it is rude to call foreigners gaijin (aliens) and that they should call them gaikokujin (foreigners).“Hey, don’t assume I am a foreigner!” I interjected in Chikugo dialect. “

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1145196973635557302006-04-16T07:09:00.000-07:002006-04-16T07:19:58.960-07:00

One day, a Japanese friend of mine, his two-year-old son and I were about to go to the amusement park in their car. The little boy was not in his safety seat; he was just standing in the front passenger seat. To my great surprise, the father did not feel it was necessary to restraint his toddler in the safety seat before moving off.-"Hey! Why don't you put your son in the safety seat first?" I

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1145105188028839222006-04-15T05:40:00.000-07:002006-04-15T05:46:28.040-07:00

Did you know that March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination? With that in mind, I would like to share this with you. A week before my eldest daughter started elementary school in 2002, I went to her school and talked to the Principal, Vice-Principal and all the teachers about the importance of teaching children to respect individuality and accept others who

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710668.post-1145104508252268602006-04-15T05:29:00.000-07:002006-04-15T05:35:08.260-07:00

Fathers should try to understand mothers, and mothers should also try to understand fathers. I deeply believe it is the harmony, peace and mutual love between husbands and wives that brings happiness and peace to the family and the society.We want happiness in our families and communities, but we do not lead exemplary lives. If children have taken the wrong path these days (smoking, drinking,

Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343184093390344589noreply@blogger.com0