2011年9月10日土曜日
North Pole Scramble; the future of Inuit and Arctic nature
“Operation Nanook is one of the biggest northern operations the Canadian Forces conduct each year.”
Defense Minister Peter Gordon MacKay was addressing the opening ceremony held in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, on August of 2008. The operation was to exercise Arctic sovereignty and prepare for emergencies in the North. “The elders of our town have opposed the construction of the port for warships. They conduct this maneuver because they expect a war, don’t they? I really hate it,” An Inuit middle-aged woman who was one of the audiences said.
Inuit accounts for 85 percent of the population of the northernmost territory and the economic depression is a serious problem. Therefore, there are voices which are concerned an influence on the environment and Inuit culture, while the voices that this operation will be a good opportunity for support of such problems and infrastructural development aid are getting louder.
The preface to Inuit’s distress is a scramble for the sovereignty of Arctic between 8 countries including Russia, U.S. It is believed that Arctic ice will disappear in 2030 or 40 and the Arctic sea has a potential of big business chances such as oil. So, Canada’s government has also aimed for rights and interests of Arctic through Operation Nanook and some Arctic strategies.
This North Pole scramble has changed the circumstance surrounding Inuit. Inuit used to set up with mostly hunting on a dog sled. However the recent melting ice disturbs their hunts and sometimes invites accidents that an Inuit hunter falls into the sea. It also deprives wild animals like a polar bear of a place to find their food. Their life is connected with nature strongly but it’s becoming difficult to live in the classic way.
See the case of Inuit in Kaktovik, the city which has the largest wild life sanctuary in Alaska. The U.S. government has been exploiting the oil field and helping Inuit residents in the area economically in spite of the concession. The residents had prohibited from tapping this sanctuary but now, they have modernized their life-style and buy an air conditioner and a computer thanks to the oil money. As the expense, their culture and a once wild paradise have gone forever.
On July of 2006, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, which every Inuit delegates assemble, was held in Utgiagvik, Alaska. On one hand there were anxieties about damage from the climate change; on the other hand a lot of hope of the oil money spouted out in the meeting. Eventually, they decided to join the oil exploitation like Alaska. An attendant said at the end of the meeting.
“Should we get an immediate profit and destroy our culture which has been come down until now? The exploitation will end soon. Then, I’m sure that they will end up deserting us again.”
But, nobody could hear his grief.
Facebook-a-holic, Find the Best Way of Communication
“You can say that I’m Facebook-a-holic. I cannot say like hours, I spend all my day on just Facebook. I turn on the switch of my cell phone and check Facebook as I take classes. Actually when I wake up, I first open my Facebook page on the cell phone before I wash my face and teeth…Sometimes I’m late for my college.”
Fast growing social network, Facebook has over 100 million users in the world and the number has still been increasing day by day. Proportionately, the number of Facebook addicts has been rising up too. They use it to a pathological degree. Sometimes they prefer sending and receiving a message on Facebook rather than talking face to face. Nevertheless, some Facebook-a-holic says that it’s “the best way to communicate with people”.
Khalid ALamire, a student of Columbia College, started to use this social net work two years ago when he was in Saudi Arabia at his age of 24. Surprisingly, he became addicted after he had come to Vancouver to study Computer Science.
“When I was in my country, I used (Facebook) once a week or once a month but, now I’m in Vancouver. I have been living far away from my family for almost two years. So I can go to Facebook and share feelings” said ALamire “also, I made lots of friends from various countries like from Japan, HongKong, and China. Most of them went back to their country, so I don’t have any ways to connect with them except Facebook.”
Current world is globalized. Friends not always live in same country or near your house. Especially in Vancouver, one of multicultural cities in the world, you can be acquainted with people from a variety of nations. They often have their own country’s social net work service like mixi (Japanese) and QQ (Chinese), or don’t have even a cell phone, but even so they have a Facebook account. Consequently ALamire takes advantage of the social network to commune together with his friend live abroad.
“Last weekend, my Korean friend went back to Korea. Then she had a farewell party and posted it on Facebook and it (the party) was fun. If there wasn’t Facebook, I would have never known that party because she didn’t have cell phone.” He said.
The terms like “addict” and “-aholic” sound negative. In fact, technology-based addictions are getting serious as a new addiction problem lately. Video-game addiction, for example, makes a number of Canadian youths stay indoors and tend to withdraw into their shell while, most of Facebook-a-holic became addicted because they are sociable. ALamire is also one of them and he believes that he can learn different cultures with intercultural communication on Facebook.
“The most beautiful thing that I found on Facebook is (that) I learned new cultures. When I was in my country, I didn’t know much about China, Japan and this country (Canada). When I opened my Facebook page, my Japanese friend was talking about Chinese New Year, so I searched it on Google and I knew that.”
“I feel like I’m bonded to my friends and become closer and together. In the class, we don’t talk too much…On Facebook we can talk and discuss many things that happened in the class, even our feelings and our future.”
ALamire’s old friend, Mohammed is also a student in Vancouver and Facebook-a-holic. He says that Facebook is “like society”. Facebook is no longer just one of social networks. There may be pros and cons about Facebook-a-holic but, the definition of our relationship is certainly changing due to the new society.
2010年9月12日日曜日
Profile of TAKESHI KITANO As A Filmmaker
He was born January 18th ,1947 in Tokyo. He is one of Japan’s great filmmakers known to the world. Also he is a comedian, actor, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter. Before he jumped into the world of entertainment, he had worked at the playhouse in Asakusa, Tokyo as an elevator boy. Here, I will introduce him as a filmmaker.
The first movie he directed is Sono Otoko, Kyoubou ni tsuki (English name is Violent Cop) in 1989. It stars himself. He likes violent movies, so he often makes Japanese gangster movie and Samurai movie. His way of making film is a little strange. He thinks of the violent scene first. Next, he makes stories and setting linking the scenes.
His first international success of movie was also violence, crime movie which called Sonatine in 1993. This movie won numerous awards. Four years later, he won the Golden-Lion award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. In that festival, his movie received a standing ovation from all participants. After that, he has been making fabulous films, but he is still a famous as s entertainer not only a filmmaker. His newest movie, Outrage, will be released this year.
For his achievement, he was named a Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters of France. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields. He will publish his autobiography in France.
The first movie he directed is Sono Otoko, Kyoubou ni tsuki (English name is Violent Cop) in 1989. It stars himself. He likes violent movies, so he often makes Japanese gangster movie and Samurai movie. His way of making film is a little strange. He thinks of the violent scene first. Next, he makes stories and setting linking the scenes.
His first international success of movie was also violence, crime movie which called Sonatine in 1993. This movie won numerous awards. Four years later, he won the Golden-Lion award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. In that festival, his movie received a standing ovation from all participants. After that, he has been making fabulous films, but he is still a famous as s entertainer not only a filmmaker. His newest movie, Outrage, will be released this year.
For his achievement, he was named a Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters of France. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields. He will publish his autobiography in France.
My Top 5 Horror Movie
I like horror movies. That’s why I chose this topic. I don’t want to meet real ghosts and scary scene, but sometimes I seek thrill. Many Japanese also like horror. Talking about the scary stories and a test of our courage are the things Japanese in summer night. So, there are lots of horror movies which have high quality in Japan. Some of them are so horrible that Hollywood remade them. Now, I’ll show you.
1 BATTLE ROYALE
Director – Shinji Fukazawa
The original novel – “Battle Royale” written by Kousyun Takami (1999)
Genre – Horror, Violent, Thrill
Release – 2000 in Japan
Tagline – Can you kill your best friend?
Casts – Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Beat Takeshi (Takeshi Kitano)
It was the megahit movie that raised social phenomenon. In those days when the movie was released in Japan, it was so shocking and brutal topic that the government prohibited under-18 children from watching it. This movie was based on Takami’s novel Battle Royale, but the setting is a little different between the movie and the novel. In the novel, people live in the imaginary country called the Republic of Daitoua (It was the old name of East Asia which Japanese called in the World War 2). In the movie, people live in future Japan. Here is the summary of the movie below:
In the future, Japan unraveled. Most children didn’t respect and believe adults, and have become delinquent. Then, the government enforced a law called the BR (Battle Royale) Law. It forced a ninth-grade class selected randomly to kill each other until one survives every year. This year, the class that Syuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and forty-one other students belonged to was selected. They were taken to an isolated island. There was a former teacher (Beat Takeshi) as a director of this murder program. From now on, three days survival started….
Some people may say this movie is not horror. In general, it may be right, but I was so scared about the madness of normal people, even classmates. After I had watched it, many times I imagined what I would do if I were under the condition. I cannot kill my friends, NOW, but I don’t know if I were selected by the BR Law…. I’m afraid of that the future like this movie will come because it is possible! Actually, the most cruel and dangerous thing is human not ghost.
2 CHILD'S PLAY
Director – Tom Holland
Awards – Saturn Award 1 win/3 nominated
Genre – Horror, Thrill
Release – 1988 in America
Tagline – You’ll wish it was only make-believe
Casts – Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent
This movie has had four sequels until 2004, and a remake movie will release this year. The story is simple. A doll that has a murderer spirit kills people to obtain human body. The doll’s name is Chucky. The murderer who possesses the doll is Charles Lee Ray. It said that this name came from three real murderers. Incidentally, the doll made in Japan. I think the story is too fantastic, but really scary. Especially, the face of the doll is so horrible that it cannot be a doll for children. When TV showed this movie, I was a child. I couldn’t watch his face at close range. I watched it from the next room. Ever since, I has been afraid of dolls for a long time. Now, I ‘m OK.
3 RING
Director – Hideo Nakata
The original novel – “Ring” written by Kouji Suzuki
Genre – Horror, Mystery
Release – 1998 in Japan
Tagline – I didn’t expect that I was killed by a Videotape.
Casts – Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani
It was remade as The Ring in Hollywood, 2002. The core of this story is an urban legend about a videotape. It is, “Unless you have someone watch this videotape within seven days after you watched it, you will die.” A reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) found a videotape at a cottage in Izu. Two girls had stayed there before they were killed mysteriously. Reiko was investigating the reason of their death. She tried to watch the videotape, but it was the real videotape curse…
The scariest scene is when a woman ghost Sadako, who kills people comes out of TV. Her appearance became the representative of Japanese ghost. It was the first horror movie I felt scary. This movie treats an urban legend. It attracts people’s curiosity strongly because it is mysterious and is close their lives. A videotape is common electric equipments. (Currently, DVD is more common and popular, but…) It is not dangerous. However, it is a curse of serial killing in this movie. People may conceive how about their videotape after watching it. So, their fear continues even though the movie finishes. That’s why this movie succeeded.
4 CHAKUSHIN-ARI
Director – Takashi Miike
The original novel – “Chakusin Ari” written by Yasushi Akimoto
Release – 2004 in Japan
Genre – Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Casts – Kou Shibazaki, Shinichi Tsutsumi
“Chakushin” means receiving the call on a mobile phone in Japanese. Along with this title, the mobile phone is the key item of curse. I regretted that I had watched this movie on the big screen in the theater. The sound of curse calling was so terrible. There are 2 sequels and Hollywood remade it as One Missed Call in 2008. It is mystery, but it was confusing for me to understand. Anyway, I’ll introduce briefly:
Friends of Yumi Nakamura (Kou Shibazaki) died one after the other. They all had received the strange call on their mobile phone. The calls came from the future, and each character was called by their future self. Each character hears their own last words. Yumi also received the call. She started to search the mystery of the slaughter calls.…
The main topic that people received the call from the future will die is a creative idea matching the current social. Every people of today have a mobile phone. It is, rather, rare that you meet a person who doesn’t have it. However, the mystery part of this movie is difficult to understand. I couldn’t know why this curse happened and also the end of this movie (I can’t tell you). If you have a opportunity to watch it, please tell me!
5 I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
Director – Jim Gillespie
The original – “I Know What You Did Last Summer” written by Lois Duncan
Genre – Horror, Thrill, Crime
Release – 1997 in America
Casts – Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.
This film was big successful. It was nominated and won multiple awards such as nominated Saturn Award of Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films USA, and won ASCAP Award of ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards. There are two sequels. You can feel thrill as if you are chased by a killer. Don’t watch alone. Here is the general:
Two couples had an accident and killed a man last summer. They dumped the body into the ocean, and decided not to talk about that anymore. One year later, Jennifer got a letter written that “I know what you did last summer”. She visited her friends with same secrets about last summer. However, the race with mysterious murderer was already started…
My heart pounded all the time I watched the movie. I don’t know when and from where the killer will appear. It was like a test of my courage. This movie doesn’t have theme. It only provides us thrill and fear. If you feel thrill, this movie is the best!
1 BATTLE ROYALE
Director – Shinji Fukazawa
The original novel – “Battle Royale” written by Kousyun Takami (1999)
Genre – Horror, Violent, Thrill
Release – 2000 in Japan
Tagline – Can you kill your best friend?
Casts – Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Beat Takeshi (Takeshi Kitano)
It was the megahit movie that raised social phenomenon. In those days when the movie was released in Japan, it was so shocking and brutal topic that the government prohibited under-18 children from watching it. This movie was based on Takami’s novel Battle Royale, but the setting is a little different between the movie and the novel. In the novel, people live in the imaginary country called the Republic of Daitoua (It was the old name of East Asia which Japanese called in the World War 2). In the movie, people live in future Japan. Here is the summary of the movie below:
In the future, Japan unraveled. Most children didn’t respect and believe adults, and have become delinquent. Then, the government enforced a law called the BR (Battle Royale) Law. It forced a ninth-grade class selected randomly to kill each other until one survives every year. This year, the class that Syuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and forty-one other students belonged to was selected. They were taken to an isolated island. There was a former teacher (Beat Takeshi) as a director of this murder program. From now on, three days survival started….
Some people may say this movie is not horror. In general, it may be right, but I was so scared about the madness of normal people, even classmates. After I had watched it, many times I imagined what I would do if I were under the condition. I cannot kill my friends, NOW, but I don’t know if I were selected by the BR Law…. I’m afraid of that the future like this movie will come because it is possible! Actually, the most cruel and dangerous thing is human not ghost.
2 CHILD'S PLAY
Director – Tom Holland
Awards – Saturn Award 1 win/3 nominated
Genre – Horror, Thrill
Release – 1988 in America
Tagline – You’ll wish it was only make-believe
Casts – Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent
This movie has had four sequels until 2004, and a remake movie will release this year. The story is simple. A doll that has a murderer spirit kills people to obtain human body. The doll’s name is Chucky. The murderer who possesses the doll is Charles Lee Ray. It said that this name came from three real murderers. Incidentally, the doll made in Japan. I think the story is too fantastic, but really scary. Especially, the face of the doll is so horrible that it cannot be a doll for children. When TV showed this movie, I was a child. I couldn’t watch his face at close range. I watched it from the next room. Ever since, I has been afraid of dolls for a long time. Now, I ‘m OK.
3 RING
Director – Hideo Nakata
The original novel – “Ring” written by Kouji Suzuki
Genre – Horror, Mystery
Release – 1998 in Japan
Tagline – I didn’t expect that I was killed by a Videotape.
Casts – Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani
It was remade as The Ring in Hollywood, 2002. The core of this story is an urban legend about a videotape. It is, “Unless you have someone watch this videotape within seven days after you watched it, you will die.” A reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) found a videotape at a cottage in Izu. Two girls had stayed there before they were killed mysteriously. Reiko was investigating the reason of their death. She tried to watch the videotape, but it was the real videotape curse…
The scariest scene is when a woman ghost Sadako, who kills people comes out of TV. Her appearance became the representative of Japanese ghost. It was the first horror movie I felt scary. This movie treats an urban legend. It attracts people’s curiosity strongly because it is mysterious and is close their lives. A videotape is common electric equipments. (Currently, DVD is more common and popular, but…) It is not dangerous. However, it is a curse of serial killing in this movie. People may conceive how about their videotape after watching it. So, their fear continues even though the movie finishes. That’s why this movie succeeded.
4 CHAKUSHIN-ARI
Director – Takashi Miike
The original novel – “Chakusin Ari” written by Yasushi Akimoto
Release – 2004 in Japan
Genre – Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Casts – Kou Shibazaki, Shinichi Tsutsumi
“Chakushin” means receiving the call on a mobile phone in Japanese. Along with this title, the mobile phone is the key item of curse. I regretted that I had watched this movie on the big screen in the theater. The sound of curse calling was so terrible. There are 2 sequels and Hollywood remade it as One Missed Call in 2008. It is mystery, but it was confusing for me to understand. Anyway, I’ll introduce briefly:
Friends of Yumi Nakamura (Kou Shibazaki) died one after the other. They all had received the strange call on their mobile phone. The calls came from the future, and each character was called by their future self. Each character hears their own last words. Yumi also received the call. She started to search the mystery of the slaughter calls.…
The main topic that people received the call from the future will die is a creative idea matching the current social. Every people of today have a mobile phone. It is, rather, rare that you meet a person who doesn’t have it. However, the mystery part of this movie is difficult to understand. I couldn’t know why this curse happened and also the end of this movie (I can’t tell you). If you have a opportunity to watch it, please tell me!
5 I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
Director – Jim Gillespie
The original – “I Know What You Did Last Summer” written by Lois Duncan
Genre – Horror, Thrill, Crime
Release – 1997 in America
Casts – Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.
This film was big successful. It was nominated and won multiple awards such as nominated Saturn Award of Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films USA, and won ASCAP Award of ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards. There are two sequels. You can feel thrill as if you are chased by a killer. Don’t watch alone. Here is the general:
Two couples had an accident and killed a man last summer. They dumped the body into the ocean, and decided not to talk about that anymore. One year later, Jennifer got a letter written that “I know what you did last summer”. She visited her friends with same secrets about last summer. However, the race with mysterious murderer was already started…
My heart pounded all the time I watched the movie. I don’t know when and from where the killer will appear. It was like a test of my courage. This movie doesn’t have theme. It only provides us thrill and fear. If you feel thrill, this movie is the best!
Review of Movie
SUMMER TIME MACHINE BLUES
Rating – 5/5
Director - Katsuyuki Motohiro
Based on - A stage played by theatre troupe Europe Kikaku
Genre – Science comedy
Release – 2005 in Japan
Tagline – It’s waste of using a time machine
Casts - Eita, Ueno Juri, Yoza Yshiaki, Dijiro Kawaoka,
Munenori Nagano, Tsuyoshi Muro, Youko Maki
Which age do you wanna go if you got a time machine? Past? Future? And why?
Rating – 5/5
Director - Katsuyuki Motohiro
Based on - A stage played by theatre troupe Europe Kikaku
Genre – Science comedy
Release – 2005 in Japan
Tagline – It’s waste of using a time machine
Casts - Eita, Ueno Juri, Yoza Yshiaki, Dijiro Kawaoka,
Munenori Nagano, Tsuyoshi Muro, Youko Maki
Which age do you wanna go if you got a time machine? Past? Future? And why?
This movie is my most favorite movie I ever seen!! I like the director Motohiro’s other work, it is the mega-popular cop drama Bayside Shakedown series. He had taken a breather from supervising them. Finally, he started to direct new movie in 2005, Summer Time Machine Blues, which his fans had waited for a long time. Of course, I was one of them. I guess you have seen some time machine movies, such as Back To the Future. This movie is also one of them. It is smaller scale but more interesting and exciting. It is only two days occurrence in hot summer. The characters repeatedly go and back and forth between past and present, just to get the remote control for the air conditioner in their clubroom. Here is the brief story:
That summer, there was the heat wave. Takuma Koumoto (Eita), Masaru Niimi (Yoshiaki Yoza), Shunsuke Koizumi (Daijiro Kawaoka), Atsushi Soga (Munenori Nagano), and Daigo Ishimatsu (Tsuyoshi Muro) spent the whole day keeping themselves cool with an air conditioner in their clubroom, although it was summer vacation. They belong to the same college sci-fi club. Incidentally, they know the least bit about science fiction. Even the meaning of science fiction, they don’t know. Next the sci-fi clubroom, there is the photo club with only two female members, the bespectacled Yui Ito (Youko Maki), and her shutterbug pal Haruka Shibata (Juri Ueno). They also visited there often to develop their pictures.
On the hottest day, they broke the remote control of their air conditioner. They tried to find some electric fans, but all of them had been broken. Then, for some reason, a mushroom-hair man appeared in their clubroom unexpectedly. He escaped somewhere quickly. A peculiar machine remained…it was a time machine! They decided to go back to yesterday and to get the remote control. However, there was a serious problem about using time machine….
Do you think what would happen in the future if you changed the past? Maybe the future would also change. You might be forced to live in another future or to die. Although, only four of them noticed this problem after other three students already had gone to yesterday. Four students chased them to prevent them from changing past.... The main highlight of this movie is spectacle of time. In the end of the movie, you will be surprised and know what time is. At once, I am sure their short adventure will remind you of your youth age. It is comedy, but makes us sentimental mood. Especially, five sci-fi club guys are so funny and cute because they always romp as if they are merry children. Contrary to them, two girls are so smart and cool to calm childish men down. Funny exchanges between them are other highlight. Of course it's better to watch this movie in summer or just before summer.
Preview of Movie
THE OTHER GUYS
Director - Adam McKay, an American writer, director and comedian
Written by – Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy
Genre – action comedy
Release – August 6th in Canada, Greece, America
Casts – Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson,
Samuel L. Jackson
It’s an exciting action comedy of two guys. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a detective. He is a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than being active. While, another detective, Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) has been stuck with Allen as his partner. They are mismatched but good partners. They also respect the city's top cops, Danson and Manzetti (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson). The two detectives seize an opportunity to step up like these ace cops. One day, Gamble and Hoitz stumbled into a seemingly innocuous case that no other detective wanted to touch. However, it could turn into New York City's biggest crime….
McKay has been selected to direct the film adaptation of the comic book, The Boys. It is an American creator-owned comic book series, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. Actually, Will Ferrell and he have teamed since the feature films Anchorman (2004) which is one of his notable works. They made two more masterpieces. So, I am sure that this movie will be also an excellent film!
Director - Adam McKay, an American writer, director and comedian
Written by – Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy
Genre – action comedy
Release – August 6th in Canada, Greece, America
Casts – Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson,
Samuel L. Jackson
It’s an exciting action comedy of two guys. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a detective. He is a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than being active. While, another detective, Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) has been stuck with Allen as his partner. They are mismatched but good partners. They also respect the city's top cops, Danson and Manzetti (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson). The two detectives seize an opportunity to step up like these ace cops. One day, Gamble and Hoitz stumbled into a seemingly innocuous case that no other detective wanted to touch. However, it could turn into New York City's biggest crime….
McKay has been selected to direct the film adaptation of the comic book, The Boys. It is an American creator-owned comic book series, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. Actually, Will Ferrell and he have teamed since the feature films Anchorman (2004) which is one of his notable works. They made two more masterpieces. So, I am sure that this movie will be also an excellent film!
Annoying Gifts
“Honno o shirushi de gozaimasu ga”
This is the typical greeting when Japanese gift someone. It means that “It only amounts to a symbol of my appreciation, but…”
Japanese really love exchanging gifts. I know some other countries people feel strange about this custom. In fact, my former English teacher from Australia really hated our giving present act because it has strict and confusing rules. Is it annoying or troublesome? Exactly it is annoying and troublesome, but it is the significant way of expressing our heart. We Japanese consider that we should care about our surroundings all the time. Plus, to tell our heart directly doesn’t suite the disposition of the Japanese, who like to be polite and modest. Gift-giving is the proper way of expressing our feeling. I am proud of this traditional custom.
If you lived in Japan, you would often meet the scene that people present gifts politely. For main examples, the scene is marriage, entering school, and even someone leaves Japan for study abroad and etc. I can’t count. In fact, I also received some gifts from my relatives and friends before I left Japan. Even if the sad scene such as a sickness or a funeral, we never fail to give gifts included condolence. We convey congratulatory or encouraging or any feelings by gift-giving. Also, there are two big gift-giving seasons in a year. One is in summer, which called the Midyear Gift, and another is at the end of the year which called the Year-end Gift. During each two seasons, we give presents as our gratitude with any relationships that the people have been looking after us through a year such as our parents, relatives and so on. We include the hope their health and happiness in these gifts.
You will probably be surprised that there are so many complex rules. Maybe it is the biggest different point from gift-giving custom in other countries, and that is why other countries people feel annoyed about our custom. When I worked in a department store in Japan, I had to learn all the rules. For instance, I had to remember main kinds of noshi (a long, thin strip attached to gifts). We must change it according to the condition. The gift for a pleasant event requires red noshi, but for sad events it’s black. The design and the words written on noshi also have to be changed case by case. Sometimes I wrapped consumer’s gifts with incorrect noshi as well as I was confused about their questions of gift-giving rules. Moreover, we should be careful about visiting manners. Before visiting the house, you had better bring gifts in a bag from the shop where you bought it. You take it out of the bag when you meet the person you will give, and hand him/her it with your both hands. (Handing with single-handed is really impolite manner!) Then you can say the words I said at first of this essay. Naturally, he/she have to reciprocate with a present equivalent to a present you gave. Also, you should send a thank-you letter or call him/her soon after you receive a present. Mistaking of these rules or manners often occur misunderstanding and makes people who receive gift bad feeling.
Actually, sometimes this custom seems to be used as a bribery. Furthermore, it has been become just a ritual, not reflected in the heart. Some people think that such meaningless gift-giving must be needless. I also think so. In fact, many people, especially young people don’t care these complicated manners. So, the better way is to make these rules simpler such as just exchanging gifts without any manners. We can give anything we want to give, and we don’t need to care about strict manners. Nevertheless, annoying and strict gift-giving will have been one of important Japanese communications because we love annoying relationships.
If you want to learn this culture and manners more, check this web site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Japan#Gifts_and_gift-giving
This is the typical greeting when Japanese gift someone. It means that “It only amounts to a symbol of my appreciation, but…”
Japanese really love exchanging gifts. I know some other countries people feel strange about this custom. In fact, my former English teacher from Australia really hated our giving present act because it has strict and confusing rules. Is it annoying or troublesome? Exactly it is annoying and troublesome, but it is the significant way of expressing our heart. We Japanese consider that we should care about our surroundings all the time. Plus, to tell our heart directly doesn’t suite the disposition of the Japanese, who like to be polite and modest. Gift-giving is the proper way of expressing our feeling. I am proud of this traditional custom.
If you lived in Japan, you would often meet the scene that people present gifts politely. For main examples, the scene is marriage, entering school, and even someone leaves Japan for study abroad and etc. I can’t count. In fact, I also received some gifts from my relatives and friends before I left Japan. Even if the sad scene such as a sickness or a funeral, we never fail to give gifts included condolence. We convey congratulatory or encouraging or any feelings by gift-giving. Also, there are two big gift-giving seasons in a year. One is in summer, which called the Midyear Gift, and another is at the end of the year which called the Year-end Gift. During each two seasons, we give presents as our gratitude with any relationships that the people have been looking after us through a year such as our parents, relatives and so on. We include the hope their health and happiness in these gifts.
You will probably be surprised that there are so many complex rules. Maybe it is the biggest different point from gift-giving custom in other countries, and that is why other countries people feel annoyed about our custom. When I worked in a department store in Japan, I had to learn all the rules. For instance, I had to remember main kinds of noshi (a long, thin strip attached to gifts). We must change it according to the condition. The gift for a pleasant event requires red noshi, but for sad events it’s black. The design and the words written on noshi also have to be changed case by case. Sometimes I wrapped consumer’s gifts with incorrect noshi as well as I was confused about their questions of gift-giving rules. Moreover, we should be careful about visiting manners. Before visiting the house, you had better bring gifts in a bag from the shop where you bought it. You take it out of the bag when you meet the person you will give, and hand him/her it with your both hands. (Handing with single-handed is really impolite manner!) Then you can say the words I said at first of this essay. Naturally, he/she have to reciprocate with a present equivalent to a present you gave. Also, you should send a thank-you letter or call him/her soon after you receive a present. Mistaking of these rules or manners often occur misunderstanding and makes people who receive gift bad feeling.
Actually, sometimes this custom seems to be used as a bribery. Furthermore, it has been become just a ritual, not reflected in the heart. Some people think that such meaningless gift-giving must be needless. I also think so. In fact, many people, especially young people don’t care these complicated manners. So, the better way is to make these rules simpler such as just exchanging gifts without any manners. We can give anything we want to give, and we don’t need to care about strict manners. Nevertheless, annoying and strict gift-giving will have been one of important Japanese communications because we love annoying relationships.
If you want to learn this culture and manners more, check this web site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Japan#Gifts_and_gift-giving
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