Invisible Evidence

I have a Zippo lighter made in U.S.A. Although the outside cover is as it is, the inner unit had been replaced by the imitation which I got at a discount shop while I had been convinced that even a cheap imitation of 100 (1.2USD) could work almost as well as real one. Japanese "100 yen" discount shops sell the well-imitated no brand oil lighters, which is elaborate enough to cheat customers.
However, it shows that it is a cheap imitation when I try to ignite although its appearance looks like the inner unit of a real one. The imitation is incredibly hard to ignite. It gives off sparks. Nevertheless it won't ignite easily.
As soon as I gave it up and replaced the inner unit by a real one, it ignited easily by a single action.
The real one has a reason why it is called a real one although even if it is invisible.

from Tokyo

Doll Festival

Today is the "Doll Festival" in Japan.
There has been a custom of displaying "Hina" dolls (or imperial-couple-like dolls set) for the festival in Japanese houses if they have girls. It is said this custom began during the Heian period or more than 1,000 years ago. People believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits.
However lately almost 70 percent of Japanese families seem to have given up displaying it for a lot of reasons. Some complains "no room for it". The other says simply "it's nothing but tiresome".
I wish the ornamental dolls in the closet which are believed to have a spiritual power would wash the mind of such people as disregard Japanese traditional custom of Japan.

from Tokyo

Spare 5 Minutes to Survive 40s

A standard guy will experience the hardest time when he is 40s. Days and nights are much tougher than ever, while vigor is declining mentally as well as physically. Nevertheless he has to climb up the slope which is becoming steeper as time goes by.
The one and only weapon he has got might be intelligence. Fortunately he has acquired a lot of knowledge through experiences, which might generate new wisdom.
Hence he'd better spare a time to think deeply for at least five minutes a day. Wisdom will help him when he finds himself in times of trouble as the Beetles sang a long time ago. The old way was "Let it be". The latest way must be "Think for 5 minutes".

from Tokyo

What have you bought through social media?

There come so many invitations for the seminars on social media marketing. I find such messages on my Twitter's timeline almost every day, every hour.
A seminar organizer emphasizes that social media easily promotes the sales of products and services. Sometimes such an organizer earns fee of the seminar itself, or they are watching eagerly for a chance to promote their consulting and tools even if the seminar is free.
However, looking back on myself, I have bought nothing through social media so far. How about are such people who are eager to join such kind of seminars? Have they bought anything through Twitter or Facebook?
If they haven't they had better review the advantages of social media, which budding missionaries have been advertising.
Be calm and think again.
Have social media marketers ever fascinated you?
What have you bought through social media?
Do you know anybody who bought something through Twitter?
Unfortunately I've never seen such a consumer so far.
That's why I don't trust the seminar organizers who emphasize the advantage of social media marketing.

from Tokyo

Don't say "this country"

Lately Japanese people often say "this country" when they mention their own country. Not "Japan", not "our country", but "this country". It is easy to find "this country" not only in ordinary conversation but also in blogs, Twitter and Facebook.
The one who often uses "this country" is just like an employee who is not satisfied with its company and tends to say "this company" not "our company". If such employees increase, the company will fail soon as a lot of historical examples have shown.
Malaise lingering along Japan might be nothing but such irresponsibility symbolized by "this country". It's such an unfavorable feeling which is spread all over "this country" that allowed a mob party to win more seats than a majority in the last election.

from Tokyo