Jean Pearce - The Japan Times

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Nov 17, 1999

From time to time I have been asked to remind people that although Japan is a very safe country, there are times when it is not. The yearend has always been a time when people should be especially careful. In old Japan, all debts had to be paid by the end of the year, but even a cursory perusal of today's news shows that massive debts have been passed on, often scandalously, from year to year. However, the warning is still appropriate at lower levels. Pickpockets are more active in the safety provided to their profession by relaxed crowds enjoying yearend parties, and robbers know people are likely to have more money around the house.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Nov 10, 1999

Pre-holiday planning

It seems a bit early to be writing about Christmas, but there is a lot of planning to do if you must ship things home, or even pack them to take with you. That's why the Tokyo charity-oriented International Ladies Benevolent Society now schedules its ILBS Christmas Fair even before we have ordered the Thanksgiving turkey. This year it will be held on Saturday Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the American Club in Azabudai. Call (03) 3583-8381 if you need directions. Everything that is on sale has been donated, and all proceeds go to charity. You will find toys, gifts, children's clothes, holiday decorations -- lots of things to brighten the season. You may even brighten your own. Companies are generous in their contributions for raffle prizes, and your 250 yen expenditure per ticket might be a very good investment if you win one of the special gifts. This is a well-attended benefit performance, so go early for the best selection. This year's chairwoman is Barbara Uribe, wife of the Mexican ambassador, who has arranged surprise prizes from there, and publicity is being handled by Kay Brennan, wife of the president of United Airlines, so you can guess what some of the top prizes will be.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Nov 7, 1999

Our troubled world

Only 55 more days to go until the end of this century. It has been a troubled one, yet one filled with new discoveries and hope. More people have been assured of at least the basics of comfort in life while large numbers have been left in devastating poverty. Perhaps it will be remembered as a century of contrasts. My personal feeling is if we can get through the remaining days of 1999 without some catastrophic worldwide disaster, we have a fair chance of founding a better world in the future as we leave this crisis-filled, war-torn century behind.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Nov 3, 1999

For better or worse

November? Already? How different it is for little kids who think there is a generation between one Christmas and another. November is a stepping stone to the yearend holiday celebration, which this year will have both special meaning and reasons for concern. Regardless of assurances, people wonder what will happen to our computerized support system when 1999 turns into the 21st century. With this in mind, I read with interest JAL's recent press release, that the company intended to operate its regular international flight schedule during the 2000 changeover except for variations because of demand trends and air traffic control requirements.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 31, 1999

When there's a need

What is KEEP? a reader asks. Friends in the United States want to know about its activities before making a donation.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 27, 1999

What's going on

Last summer I wrote about Tokyo's upcoming wine event, the prestigious Japan International Wine Challenge, a competition that brings together the world's leading sommeliers, producers, importers and experts, giving devotees a chance to meet leaders in the world of wine and to taste some of the world's greatest vintages. Last year's event was the first to be held in Asia and its success prompted this repeat performance. Once again the setting is the Westin Hotel in Ebisu, culminating in a gala black-tie banquet with Nobu Restaurant's Nobu Matsuhisa, Turandot's Yuji Wakiya and the Westin's Jorg Richter each creating special courses to complement the wines. Guests will be served selected wines from a carefully composed list of 30 distinguished entries from the world's greatest wine-growing regions and can participate in a professional wine tasting conducted by Japan's No. 1 sommelier Hiroshi Ishida of the Otani Hotel's La Tour d'Argent. A charity auction conducted by Christies will benefit the Japan Save the Children Fund.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 24, 1999

Never-ending need

There could have been no better selection for the Nobel Peace Prize than Doctors Without Borders with its volunteers who ignore hardships and dangers and go to the world's most troubled places. Doctors Without Borders is a symbol, standing for many other organizations, groups and individuals who give their time and their skills to relieve suffering beyond what most of us can imagine even with the wide range of disasters brought into our homes by news coverage of catastrophes and wars.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 20, 1999

A bit perturbed

This morning I had a phone call. I'm busy, he said, I just have a few minutes between meetings but I desperately need your help. Well, I was busy too, but I listened. His wife taught at a university, he said. School officials had been wanting her to resign. She is 58 years old. She had, he said, been harassed by school officials and recently was kept in a room for an hour, only allowed out once to go to the bathroom, as they provided all the reasons she should quit. One was that she let her classes out early, but she pointed out that other teachers did too, which is no excuse if your contract prohibits it. His wife is now in a hospital in the States, apparently because of her ordeal. A sure case of harassment, he said. He wants to sue and needs a good labor lawyer.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 10, 1999

Loyalty

A gentleman writes with great affection about his hairbrush. It is, he says, a very nice, heavy hairbrush with a teak back and it is in need of new boar bristles, not surprising since he has used it for 20 years. He hopes to find a shop that can do this kind of work, but where?

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Oct 6, 1999

International outlook

There are a lot of people who would like to get out and see Japan, but often it seems the cost outweigh the experience. Now U.S. citizens can avoid this dilemma, thanks to a wide-ranging exchange program based on one of the first Japan-American cultural exchange projects. It dates back to 1841 when Nakahama Manjiro's fishing boat was lost at sea. The illiterate 14-year-old boy was rescued by a whaling ship captain, William Whitfield, who was impressed by the boy's curiosity and eagerness to learn. During the 10 years he lived in the U.S. where he absorbed the ways of a different world and experienced the opportunities available even to an uneducated Japanese visitor under a democratic form of government. He returned to Japan hoping to share his new values with the shogunate, perhaps the first cultural exchange effort with the West.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 22, 1999

Qualified clarification

Today's column attempts to clarify some common questions about Japanese health insurance. First it is necessary to understand the differences between the two types. Shakai Hoken (SH), or Employees Health Insurance, covers employees/dependents of companies that subscribe to some health insurance plan. Kokumin Kenko Hoken (KKH), or National Health Insurance, is for self-employed people and other nonemployees and their dependents. With the exception of those working for Japanese companies, foreigners are usually covered by KKH. The coverage provided by the two plans is for the most part similar throughout Japan.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 19, 1999

Encounters

Recently I had a minor automobile accident. How often have you seen drivers discussing their accident with the police and felt great sympathy for the participants, who were obviously going to be there for a very long time. This time one of the participants was me, and I was, even though the damage was little more than a small exchange of paint, mine red, his white, on our respective bumpers. We waited quite a while for the policeman to come. After a few questions, he began writing his report. I was surprised that he took off his cap when he turned to me. I hadn't expected such politeness. But then I realized that this was not a courtesy being extended. Inside his cap was a map and he was checking the proper name of our location. Surreptitiously. He was quite embarrassed when he realized I was watching him with, I suppose, sympathetic amusement. I wonder if it will effect the insurance settlement. It does give credence to the popular view that no one in Japan knows addresses except neighborhood postmen.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 15, 1999

Opportunities

Today is Respect for the Aged Day. Once Japan was criticized for not having enough holidays. Now, with New Year's for winter celebrants, O-bon in the summer, Golden Week in the spring and an assortment of traditional and recently created special days in between (with Mondays off if they fall on Sunday), we have a wide selection. So get out and do something. If you are elderly, perhaps someone will get up and offer you his seat. There is even a festival you can go to, and if you are new to Tokyo, it will be a good introduction to Japan's old culture. There will be a parade of portable shrines throughout the neighborhood from around 1:30 p.m. until 3 or 4 p.m., and at night, bon dancing from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Ana Hachiman is a five-minute walk from Waseda Station on the Tozai Line -- just follow the crowds along decorated streets. Tokyo's last streetcar line ends at Waseda. Ride to the other end of the line and you will pass through much of old Tokyo.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 12, 1999

Praiseworthy

My earliest memories of Honolulu include my introduction to Japanese food; it had not yet become a cuisine. It was at a tiny Waikiki restaurant where each day a cook created four or five special lunches on two gas burners. One was for sauteing and frying, the other for simmering, steaming and warming. Piled-up pans were rotated as needed, and everything that was served from them was delicious.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 5, 1999

Late returns

A reader remembers a column about Gen. Douglas MacArthur's office in the Dai-Ichi Insurance building. It was ideally situated for the role he was to play -- it overlooked the Imperial Palace. He established his own imperial pre-eminence when the Chinese carpet he always used in his office was delivered: It was too large for the room. He was asked where he wanted it cut. "Cut?" was his indignant reply. "Move the walls." And so they did.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Sep 1, 1999

Defying changes

Volunteer organizations come and go, often depending on who runs them. Many times a group will cease to exist when the person who held it together leaves Japan. Fortunately, there are still many people who give their time to volunteer organizations. Their number, however, has decreased as more professional women have been sent to Japan and wives have been able to continue their careers here.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Aug 18, 1999

Another farewell

It was a sad Monday last week when I saw the name Andre Lecomte in the obituary column. He was invited to come to Japan in the '60s to be the head pastry chef at the Okura Hotel. Before Andre, the taste of bread and pastry available for those with a Western preference was always somewhat askew. After Andre, as Japanese chefs learned from him, the situation changed and I would not be surprised if now even the discriminating French might want to take some of their favorite products home with them when they leave on their holidays. A lot of the credit for this vast improvement should be given to Andre _ and it has been. He has received honors for his achievements from both the French and Japanese governments as well as international culinary organizations.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Aug 15, 1999

Entrapments

It is essential to have a file of fillers to turn to in times of need, like when I suddenly decide to take a trip, this one to Honolulu to stay in a friend's apartment while she is away and need to have seven completed columns before departure (tomorrow). This is the last one. It starts with a repeat of a poem about my favorite computer program, spellcheck: I have a spelling checker, it came with my PC. It plainly marks four my revue mistakes I cannot sea. I've run this poem threw it, I'm sure your pleas too no, Its letter perfect in its weigh -- My checker tolled me sew.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Aug 11, 1999

Like it is

Language is enriched by people who don't speak it very well, using phrases made up of words that contain the meaning of what they want to say but not the usual form. The result is sometimes quite effective. How about this one reporting a break in the summer heat: The weather is going down a bit, or this: Be sure to hear for it, while what he should have said was to listen for it. A language should never be stagnant, and what we smile at today often becomes accepted in the future. Gradually usage goes up a bit; be sure to hear for it.

COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE

Aug 9, 1999

A learning experience

It is interesting to follow the drinking culture of Japan. In times when "Japaneseness" is being emphasized, sales of "Nihon-shu" (sake) and "shochu" (an indigenous distilled beverage that uses a variety of things that will ferment but mainly sweet potatoes) tend to increase. Beer is seldom affected by statistics. It is international while being considered Japanese, and although beer-making had to be learned from the West, Japanese brands have now become international favorites. Scotch and more recently bourbon have enjoyed considerable popularity especially for gift giving, although these stronger beverages are rarely the choice of the average man -- or woman -- who wants a convivial evening after work. They would be more likely to order a modern, smoother shochu mixed with various fruity drinks, or sake brewed to be served cold, a choice that has sake makers smiling again after a depressing period when people tended to prefer imported beverages. Cold sake will likely find more acceptance in the West. Sake's popularity in Japan is closely linked to the warming effects of the fumes, the heated cup and the hot drink, which have long been on a par with the "ofuro" (bath) for warming the body in rooms unaccustomed to automatic year-round temperature control, which is so common in the West. Now sake can be a summer drink, too.

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