maiko-san

On Sunday, the 10th of April I went to the Osaka Mint House to see double cherry blossoms. This year double cherry blossoms seeing or in Japanese "toorinuke" was held from April 9 through April 15. It usually take 20 minutes or so to reach the Osaka Mint House from my house. But on that day it was so crowded that I had to walk at a snail's pace. I cound't afford to drop in booths where they sell Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki and ice cream. All of a sudden I wasnted to piss. These days I can not endure it when Mother Nature calls me. I was impatient. But soon I found a small hut by the entrance gate. Oh, shucks, it's women's restroom! I was disappointed but at the same time I was surprised to see so many women waiting in line. Then I looked up the other side of the hut. Thank God! It really was a men's room, because a couple of guys were standing beside the john. I was relieved. Then I went down the slope. I was aghast when I saw again a large number of women w...

Good morning, everyone. Today I'd like to talk about school trips in my younger days. You know the month May is the best season for those school trips, as the weather is fair, warm and mild. For starters, let me talk talk about a school trip when I was in the 3rd grade of Seikei Junior High School in Tokyo. The teachers designated our destination as Kyoto and Nara. Actually I stayed at an inn near Kyoto Station Tower. I slept with other classmates on the large tatami mat. My aunt living in Kyoto visited me at the inn. She gave me one of Kyoto's specialities, that is, "Yatsuhashi" as a gift for my mother. On one hand I was very happy to received it. On the other hand I was a little bit ashamed when she spoke loudly the Kyoto dialect. Everyone seemed to be curious to know the relationship between my aunt and me. After sightseeing in Kyoto, we moved to Nara. Just like Kyoto, we visited various temples and shrines, such as Yakushiji-temple, Todaiji-temple and Kasuga ...

Good morning, everyone. Today I'd like to talk about Kansai dialect. When I was a child, my aunt living in Kyoto visited us in Tokyo from time to time. All of a sudden my mother spoke Kyoto dialect. She always said somthing at the end of the sentence " Dosu ". and  instead of Thank you, " Ookini ". I found my mother foreign. The tone of Kansai dialect sounded unfamilliar, uncomfortable and mean to me. When I entered a company in Osaka, I made friends with colleagues from the Kansai district. I sometimes talked with Mr. Katsuki, who graduated from Kobe University. One day he asked me,"What do you think, myself ?" or in Japnese " Jibunwa ?" I was disturbed by his last remark, " myself ". I thought if he asked me for my opinion, he shoud give his thoughts at first. Later on I got to know " Jibunwa" of Kansai dialect meant " you" or in Japanese " Anatawa". My company was located in front of Osaka Stati...

Good morning, today I'd like to talk about nepotism. First of all, let me read to you the definition of nepotism. "(Disapproving) the use of a powerful or influential position in an organization or government to obtain good jobs or unfair advantages for members of your own family" The first time I heard this word  was from an American named Eric Hilton back in 1998. He said something to the effect this word sounds in America derogatory, because it is related with corruption and incompetence. Now I'm going to show you an example. Have you ever heard of Otsuka Canned Goods Company? Mr. Goto, now chairman of the company was in charge of the president for a long time. His father founded the company in 1930s. Then Mr. Goto took over his father's job and pomoted dramatically  the sales of canned sea-foods, "Sea Chicken" which became popular in 1970s. The turnover had been expandig throughout the early 2000s. He had married a woman from Kyoto whose famil...

Last Saturday I visited Japan-German -Society in Sannomiya for a debate in German. Mrs. Dorothea Goda sat next to me. I said, "Guten Tag!" She answered me, "Konnichiwa!" Immediately I noticed a rash all over her hands. I thought it was caused by allergy. But she denied it. It was caused by the strong water in Japan instead. She had taken a blood test and gotten a clean bill of health. I asked her, "Don't you use rubber gloves when you do the dishes?" She said, "No, I have never done that. After all it's not my job." and turned to his Japanese husband. The poor Mr. Goda, he's been washing the dished for about forty years." This incident reminded me of stinging red spots all over my body I had back in May, 2008. I checked out on a couple of clinics near Minoo Station. But their  medical fee seemed to be expensive. I gave up on searching clinics. I said to myself, "Oh my god, I have forgotten an important thing. The key must ...

Good morning, everyone. Today I'd like to talk to you about what happend to me last week. First, bitter incident. Last Monday my wife asked me to buy red rubber gloves for washing the dishes in the kitchensink. It was a raniy day and somehow my left knee ached becasue of the wet weather. I walked slowly to Sugi Drugstore, located Minami Morimachi. It's strange I found white golves on the pavement. I didn't give much thought about it and crossed the street. All of a sudden an elderly woman spoke to me and asked, " Grandpa ! Aren't those white gloves yours?" I shooked my head on the double, but I wondered why on the earth she knew the gloves on the other side of the street. I was depressed all the more that she called me " Grandpa". It's too bad that she let me down. I said to myself, "I am not that old chap and could still hang around with young girls." Looking back on the incident, I must  have probably been  bending over forward be...

On the 1st of March my friend Hidechen and I got together in a seminer room to read "A Diary of a Young Girl" in German. It lasted only one hour because the seminar room fee is expensive. Hidechen, a graduate of Osaka University, now works for Osaka Metropolitan Office is my former classmate at Goethe-Insitute. First of all we read the book aloud in German and translate into Japanese. Then we correct mistakes each other. That's quite a good excercise for me to brush up on German. Wow, one hour passed so fast! We were able to read and translate only 3 pages. After the meeting we had lunch at a coffee shop near Umeda Station. I bought him lunch because he had given me mandarine oranges the last time I saw him. I just wanted to show him my gratitude. Next meeting is undecided. Because Hidechen hinted that there's a possibility of personnel transfer at the end of March. After all I am a pensioner and he is a salaried man. I can not force him to hold the meeting. B...