maiko-san

Good morning, everyone. As I promised, today I'm going to talk about mutil-lingual's benefits of the language learning. Before I go into that I have two points to cover. In the afternoon of the 17th of May I went to an elemnetary school nearby to cast my vote against integrating Osaka Prefecture with Osaka City. Actually I haven't gone to the polls for a long time. Because I'm not interested in  politics. On the contrary my wife and my daughter are against the policy of Osaka Mayor, Mr. Hashimoto, as he's cut drastically costs for cultural matters, such as museums, orchestra and ballet. To be honest with you my wife bribed me, or rather she gave me one thousand Yen on that morning. She said, "Go to the polls and vote against Hashimoto." As you all know that I'm an obedient hen-pecked husband. I just did what my wife told me to. Unfortunately within the Kita-District in Osaka City the affirmative votes exceeded the negative ones.But the results of ...

At last my wife went to my favorite dentist on Tuesday afternoon last week. It was a raniy day because of the Taifun, though. For years my wife used to go to the dentist in the neighborhood. All of a sudden he insisted that my wife needed treatments this and that like installing bridges and covering teeth with rubber objects、which my wife thought  unnecessary. She decided not to go to that denstist again. In the meantime she suffered from the swollen gum. From time to time, she said, "It's time to go to a skillful dentist. My tooth gum aches. Moreover I want to have them get rid of tartar and cleaning up the teeth." Of course I suggest that she go to my favorite dentist in Minoo, because the dentist is a nice woman. But my wife didn't feel like going to Minoo, because Minoo is located a little bit far from Osaka City. Well, last month all the participants of Harry Potter Club, to which I belong for years, went to Ganko Sushi Restaurant in Ishibashi for lunchen to...

In May, 1995 I flew with my company colleagues to Atlanta, Georgia to attend a World Sales Conference. The five-day-meeting was held Monday through Friday. By Friday most of my colleagues left Atlanta for Japan. My Japanese boss and I stayed on a weekend at a hotel, as we were going to visit a customer in Chicago on the next Monday together with an American counterpart. Unfortunately my boss was up to his ears in his work at the hotel. I was allowed to go on a sight-seeing trip alone. Immediately I sent for a taxi and visited the Atlanta Theater where they performed the American Civil War-Play. You know, Atlanta was the fierce battlefield between the Yankees from the northern part and the Confederates from the sourthern part. Then I went on foot through the Piedmont Park to Atlanta Zoo. I took a break and sat on the bench. A decent American woman with a baby baggage appeared out of nowhere. She said, "Konichiwa!" I said, "You speak good Japanese!" She said she u...

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...