HPO: BlogDrive

A Book of the New Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 08:16:25 GMT

Today, Mr Shinzo Abe won the vote of presidency of LDP. I have just read his book, titled "Toward the Beautiful Nation." It was a fascinating book. He who would be the prime minister in quite near future wrote straightly what he thought and insisted.

Shinzo Abe
Bungei Shunjuu 2006-07

by G-Tools

I am going to translate its postscript part where he explained why he wrote the book.

At The End

For any time, any age, many people have been saying "The young people are different from what we were in our youth." When I was in 20's, aged people told me the same thing and my father often told me that he had the same experience.

Sometimes, I feel the temptation to say "What are those young people!" and find out that I have reached the age to lament.

"The present young people are political apathy, or they only have wide show concerns."

Some politicians say.

"When I was young, I was quite active in student movements. In the first place, they are totally apathy in political movements."

One of the baby boomers looked back the 60's and said.

As a politician, I took speak tours all over Japan for many times and had town meetings with the youngs. I have sometimes noticed their cool and nihilistic attitudes. I infer that those attitudes are their own style of expression and one of their characters.

Talking with them in deep, they still want to do something for other people and they want others to need them. A few of them clearly want to improve the society and their desire to participate in national politics come to my seriously.

The future is not fixed and only the efforts of the people can decide the shapes of future. Still, many the youngs are afraid of stepping forward. It must be politicians' responsibilities to encourage them, to indicate what they have to do.

In nineteenth century, Benjamin Disraeli wrote in his novel, Vivian Grey,

"Embarrassments of a young men bring disappointments of the human. Preferably the heritage which our seniors have strenuously built be not wasted." (translated from Japanese, not the original expression.)

My book is not for policy recommendations. I have written honestly at I thought in my teens and twenties, what emotions I have toward this country I was born, and what I should do as a politician. Therefore, this book is for the youngs. I did my best to tell them that I want to make this country where we have belief and pride.

The politics is for the future. It is my sincere pleasure that readers found my emotions in my root.

July, 2006

Shinzo Abe

-Profile @ His Homepage

-Shinzo Abe, barbarian-defeating shogun? by Mutant Frog Travelogue

Earthsea in Japanese Animation Film

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 01:20:48 GMT

I saw "Ged Senki: Tales from Earthsea" animation film yesterday, July 29th, 2006.

It might be strange that Goro Miyazaki, who is a son of Hayao Miyazaki, directed this patricide story. For the most audience, the story of this anime edition of "Earthsea" seems just ordinal film. However, for some, like me, who has to overcome family bondage and tradition, this is quite inspiring film.

EARTHSEA Guild

The story and image of this film is far different from original ones of Ursula K. Le Guin. How can a Ged stand Roman style building? The costumes came form Hayao Miyazaki's "Journey of Shuna." However I can say the core idea of the original author is expressed fully in this film.

One of the core idea is the generation transition. The director faced this serious problem directory and with good conscience. To tell you the truth of life, parents must be "spared" (retirement) in some time, when their children become mature, instead of "killed". This simple principle has not prevailing in modern Japan but is is another story on another wind.

I liked the idea that a girl can change into a dragon. I believe the essential idea why Le=Guin re-started Earthsea series is the dragon. If you love her and respect her, the life-long partner, she can be a dragon. I really feel it and, I believe, the same-aged director as myself, experienced similar story.

I love Miyazaki's "Ged Senki: Tales from Earthsea."

Goro Miyazaki's Blog (in Japanese)
Ged Senki: Tales from Earthsea @ wikupedia

Unspotted "Made In Japan" Products

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:43:41 GMT

I enjoyed reading 5th, April Issue of Newsweek Japan. The featured article titled "NIPPON DAISUKI! ---We Love Japan!---" focused the new meaning of "Made In Japan." As subtitled "Anime and Manga are Old! Neo Japanese Culture Fascinates the World," the article intorduces various "Made In Japan" products that got popular outside the Japan with new usages. SUDOKU got popular in England for training brainpower, a famous actress loves disposable pocket warmers for her painful period, a high-grade KARAOKE compartment in London is the newest and most cool entertainment. Some American girls regard YAOI MANGA, the Japanese homosexual boys story, as "liberation from bondage of gender for women." It seems those "Made In Japan" products set the new way of lives.

Thinking of Japanese style of life, I found I am surrounded by quite unique not-high-tech "Made In Japan" products that I can not think of any counterparts in other world. However, the Japanese companies are enthusiastic in exporting high-tech products and are not interested in the value of Japanese traditional culture and modern life style of the Japanese. There are much business chances because any marketing textbooks tell us selling our uniqueness is the key for success in any business. The standardizations of shipbuilding, iron manufacturing, and semiconductor foundries are quite completed now in the 21st century. Among those once productivity-oriented industries, Japanese companies can not be the unique. Any companies in the world can get the knowledge of production operation and set up factories.

On the other hand, for example, you might start to sell 100% pure KONYAKU as an ultimate diet food. The Japanese people should look back their culture and traditional product in the light of worldwide marketing. They must look aound themselves as if they were foreigners.

During Edo period, the Japanese reached cultural height under long-lasting economic stagnation. As we, the Japanese, must face the aging society with few children, they might find many cultural values and wisdoms in the Japanese history and low-tech products.

the original Japanese article on my Japanese blog.

"rare" PUFFY!!!

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 03:25:58 GMT

I enjoyed "nama" PUFFY on the SUMMER SONIC yesterday. I first knew PUFFY has many many boys-fan than girls, and they makes boys roar, not so different with Morinig-Musume... I gave up to dance in mosh of boys, quit it after the second number. they said a 10-year coming soon, and hope to make a something anniversary. 10 years!! I bought two AmiYumi-Tee. cute.

My feature was a the La's, their gig was excellent! and Im going to stand-alone one tonight.

long tail and power-law degree

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:06:31 GMT

Coincidently, it seems long tail topics got popular both in English blogosphere and Japanese blogosphere.

In Japanese blogosphere, those articles are best.

"Long Tail and Basic-law of the Internet Businesses" by Mr. Satoshi Watanabe

"About Long Tail Theory by Mr. Mochio Umeda

BTW, at the recent session of "Power-law and the net trust money talking night," Mr. Ichiro Nakagawa talked about "Long tail of Self Realisation." His discussion was marvellous.

Hopefully, before continuing to read the rest of this article, please read those discussions or some other articles about long tail theory in English.

I want to discuss weather the long tail phenomena really shows the break of power-law or not.

I was interested in Mr. Asakura's discussion where he used calculus to analyse long tail. As it is possible to approximate Zipf and power-law by exponent function, I thought an exponential index is the key whether 80:20 law by Pareto can be applied to the long tail phenomena or not. I used EXCEL to investigate this problem.

EXCEL FILE

Let's think we are going to open a virtual book shop where we sale 100 books. There must be a top 20 sales books, or "out of top 20 ranking" books. I made 100 hypothesized data on this EXCEL file, using exponential function as power-law. When you open the EXCEL file, please put some index number into the lined cell on left top column to manipulate how the exponential function index changes sales ranking of those item. Clearly, the ranking of sales shows the 80:20, where top 20 items account for 80% of total sales, to 60:20 or lower. I found the index of -1.21 or bigger (+) number shows the long tail portion of our books sales, which are the sales of 20th and lower sales ranking books, makes 20% or more total sales. Vice-versa, -1.21 and smaller (-) index shows more concentrated sales where top 20 sales books accounts for 80% or more.

Though the "real" net book shops like amazon.com have tremendous number of items, the number of items is still finite. The point is that the holding cost and dealing cost of net business is almost negligible, if you compare it for those of legacy "real" business.

One more point is that our virtual shop has only 100 items and I got the conclusion of index of -1.21. However, the "real" net bookshops have tremendous number of items and the index would be different from our conclusion. Still, those items out of top 100 or 1000 ranking can consolidated sales that exceeds that of top 100 or 1000 ranking items.

Long Tail vs. Lessig @ The Long Tail
The Mass Age to Common Nitch Age (1) by ck (Japanese)
The Mass Age to Common Nitch Age (2) by ck (Japanese)

[SHOWBIZ] YAMATO-TAKERU, SUPER KABUKI

Sat, 12 Mar 2005 03:59:31 GMT

YAMATO-TAKERU
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/enbujyo/0503.html
*Click for big picture on above page.

I eye this performance is better than before, because hero of this story is a young man, this time actores are pupils of Ennosuke, so younger, I supporse they play more active...

And I never watch a SUPER KABUKI, so I really try it this time!

[blog] Centrair?

Sat, 12 Mar 2005 02:10:06 GMT

Recently, some of my friends discussed about Chubu International Airport, or Central Japan International Airport. The conjunction city was going to change its name to "South Centrair city" due to the fact that the pet name of Chubu Airport is "Centrair", which is a synthesised word of "central Japan" and "airport." (Later, this naming was rejected by citizens of the city.)

To my surprise, though my friends knew the "Centrair," they did not recognise once-called New Tokyo International Airport had become Narita Airport last April....orz

I should say that public relations department of Narita Airport Authority has not made enough efforts to advertise its name.

http://www.cjiac.co.jp/foreign/english/faq/index.html

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/index.html

Wmn, looking the positions of these two airports, I wonder if the Chubu "Centrair" Airport is "centre" of Japan.

Postscript: Oops, I borrowed this map frim CIA site... there written "Occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, administrated by RUSSIA, claimed by JAPAN."

[blog] Life and the Democracy

Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:02:21 GMT

When I discussed the crisis of Darfur among Japanese bloggers, a friend of mine, Mr. Yamaguchi, told me that my logic and usage of "Democracy" are not persuasive. I explained what I felt about Democracy and he suggested me to write it in English. Therefore, I write.

When I was in the US, in the "Business and Society" class room, an American girl student made an impressive speech. She expressed the world without Democracy was where one cannot walk streets with her heads up.

I find the Democracy is more than a mere political decision-making system. It means that one accept the other's presence and existence. It means that one permit others to survive, to live, and to share communities. It is a reciprocal process. A person has to bother each other from the moment she was born. I believe Democracy has ethical aspects and ethics is the way to coordinate interests among the community members.

On the other hand, "MINSHUSHUGI," which is a translated Japanese word of Democracy, means a little different in Japanese people and the definition of "MINSHUSHUGI" is a little narrower than that of Democracy.

By the way, Mr. Joi Ito wrote very charming essay titled "Weblogs and Emergent Democracy." It shows how our net community affects the real world by emergent power and I found a new hope of Democracy and MINSHUSHUGI.

[Reference]
-Views from Japan
-Joi Ito

[blog] Japanese bloggers and Crisis in Darfur

Tue, 08 Feb 2005 09:07:04 GMT

Some Japnese bloggers introduce English articles about Darfur into Japanese blog society, however, I do not know any case of vice versa. As Mr. Munaguruma suggests in his article (Japanese), it is significant to introduce to English-speaking bloggers on how some international problems are discussed among Japanese bloggers.

I believe the crisis in Darfur is the most urgent problem in the current international problems because it touches the life of Democracy. Those bloggers started a wiki site to collect and share the information in Japanese #1.

I am not sure how the Crisis in Darfur is reported, discussed and treated in English-speaking bloggers, but some might understand there are people who care about this problem in the far east Asia.

#1
Trial translation by Google:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://wiki.fdiary.net/sudan/

It is my regret that Google translates "Darfur" as "dull fool." Also, "Bu logger" means "blogger."

[Website] alpha blogger 11 in Japan

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 23:14:46 GMT

February 2nd, 2005, Future Planning Network (FPN) chose 11 alpha bloggers. "Alpha bloggers" means originally technological mentor on the net, however, they intentionaly meant very affective bloggers to lead opinions in Japanese net world. The event was so popular that FPN site down on the day.

The chosen bloggers are;

[Rondan Blogs] (The Best Opinion Leaders)

Mr. Ichiro Yamamoto on
Kirikomi Tiachou Blog (Drawn Sword Platoon Leader)
http://kiri.jblog.org/

Mr. Finalvent on
Kyokutou Blog (Fareast Blog)
http://finalvent.cocolog-nifty.com/fareastblog/

Mr. R30 on
R30::Marketing Shakai Jihyou (R30:: Marketing Socio Critiques)
http://shinta.tea-nifty.com/nikki/

Mr. Tetsuya Isozaki on
isologue
http://tez.com/blog/

[Antena Blogger] (The Best "Antena" Leader)

Mr. Hajime Taguchi on
100Shiki.com (Dot-com of the day)
http://www.100shiki.com/

Mr. Daiya Hashimoto on
Passion for the Future
http://www.ringolab.com/note/daiya/

Mr. Koichi Orita on
Ad Innovator
http://adinnovator.typepad.com/ad_innovator/

[Tech. Blogger]

Mr. Mochio Umeda on
Eigo de Yomu IT trend (Reading IT Trend in English)
http://blog.japan.cnet.com/umeda/

Mr. Chika Watanabe on
On Off and Beyond
http://www.chikawatanabe.com/

Mr. Naoya Ito on
NDO::Weblog
http://naoya.dyndns.org/~naoya/mt/

[The Best News Site Bloggers]

Mr. Masato Kogure on
[N]Netafuru (Give you a Dope!)
http://netafull.net/

[Lady's Selection]

Ms. Ramune Murayama et al (Group Blog) on
Working Mother Style
http://www.wmstyle.jp/

[Econ] to have or not to have

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 01:55:31 GMT

I just read an micro-economic analysis which maximize our utilities whether we should have two children or, say, four.

http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2005/01/the_selfish_rea.html

Have the number of children that maximizes average utility over your whole lifespan. When you are 30, you might feel like two children is plenty. But once you are 60, you are more likely to prefer ten sons and daughters to keep you company and keep the grandkids coming.

I was so surprised how different people think about the number of children between in US and in Japan. Writing blog articles in Japanese, I found many people in Japan, especially those who write their blogs, do not like the idea of having children. Some of them want none. It seems having children is a burden both economically and psychologically for young generations in Japan.

While people in the U.S. wonder to have their fourth children, in recent article, there is a discussion if Japanese people would have their second children or not.

http://nv-club.nikkeibp.co.jp/members/COLUMN/20050111/105697/
(in Japanese)

I hope someone explain why.

Why I dont like LOTR.

Sun, 23 Jan 2005 06:02:47 GMT

Today, I am trying to discribe why I dont like THE LORD OF THE RING...

I really love to read some fantasy story from a young age, and I had hope would like to read it long time. so I thought it is a chance when I knew its filmization.

But I watched the movie after, unfortunately I didnt enjoy it profoundly.
In that story, I feel have no place for me. and I felt a doubt to expression of Gollum.
But I know it needs a great prepared to render.
I tryed to read the book too, but I gave up. It is difficult for me same as James Joyce or more.

Anyway, Earthsea stories and Narnia now on picturization! I hope I can understand them and fell cozy...

Earthsea Director, Cast Named
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-04/05/16.00.film

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH WALDEN MEDIA TO PRODUCE "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE"
http://www.narnia.com/movie/news/movienews_030104.htm

[NET] The Moment of AHA!

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 15:50:16 GMT

I just made a presentation at our Christmas meeting of "Power-law and Net Credibility Currency Talking Night." My presentation is based on the idea that our thinking process, conversation and social networking process are all similar by "emergence."

The Moment of AHA! (PowerPoint Slides)

Though I finished writing an article on my Japanese weblog, I found Mr. Joi Ito already wrote this kind of idea and made advance to the future democracy. The paper titled "Emergent Democracy " hit me.

Joi Ito's Socialtext Workspace

[Website] Wallpapers for your PC

Fri, 26 Nov 2004 15:05:05 GMT

*iAi-jp
http://www.iai-jp.com/

Japanesque, oriental, beautiful, and amazing wall papers. Fonts also so unique!

[MANGA]BOKUNCHI

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 06:36:25 GMT

"BOKUNCHI" is a comic of Rieko Saibara, who is a famous comic artist. The word "bokunchi" means "my home" in a little boy's way. Her comic pictures seem so comical that no one expect any serious drama. Overall, most of Saibara's pieces are slap-stick comedies. This "BOKUNCHI" is quite different from her other comics, because it reflects her personal history until 7 or 10 years old...

At the time of "BOKUNCHI", maybe 30 years ago, Japanese people were incredibly poor. Most of Japanese worked as fishermen or as farmers, or as factory workers. Due to their poverty, there were innumerous remedies and violence in all the families. Many children had to do gang like jobs, drags, KYOUHAKU, on streets.

This book is about a history of children where mother had left them alone. The children had to support each other in troublesome life. In these years, I believe such poverty rarely exist in Japan. But still we sympathize such children because we share some experience with them.... Our personal history had some episode like the children in BOKUNCHI.

It is quite strange for me that I can be subjective when I wrote about BOKUNCHI in English. On my Japanese version of critiques of BOKUNCHI, I was quite emotional. I could nor write details of this story. My heart almost physically ached. Now, I see this story quit straight...

http://hidekih.cocolog-nifty.com/hpo/2004/09/bokunchi.html

[LINK] Virtual Worlds Update Japan

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 06:04:25 GMT

A friend of mine, Mr. Hiroshi Yamaguchi, began a blog site to introduce Japanese online games ets. He is keen at analysis of online games and its currency system at the same time.

Virtual Worlds Update Japan

[Diary] Fengshui of the drapes

Thu, 23 Sep 2004 15:55:31 GMT

Now, I am picking out the colors of the drapes for new house. Custom-made has many cute patterns, excellent fabrics... but How expensive!! Hus dont accept them, I also understand his advice.
So think again, I importing the color-concept of Fengshui. I checked some issue after, found my original picked is not missed nearly! Great!

And, that is all to find some peaches in ready-made...

[Product] sigmarion III

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 11:04:57 GMT

I happened to get Sigmarion III, which is a Windows CE technology based Hand-Held PC. Though I tried to utilize my portable keyboard for my cell phone, it just arrived.... I forgot to cancel my order for Amazon. Its keyboard is a little too small for my finger. The display is too narrow that my eyes aches when I type.

http://hidekih.cocolog-nifty.com/hpo/2004/09/_fools_samba.html

http://hideki.blogdrive.com/archive/3.html

Have you hearted of a Personal Handy-Phone (PHS) system in Japan? It is like a cell phone, but uses a small area antenna and consume much less electric power than a cell phone does. The small card of PHS is suitable for Sigmarion III. I am using DDI-pocket's PHS card.

[MANGA] Apple Seed 2nd Volume

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 16:14:30 GMT

This Manga - a Japanese comic - is by Shirow Masamune, a famous Manga artist for GHOST IN THE SHELL (KOUKAKUKIDOUTAI). Comparing to GHOST IN THE SHELL, this old comic book is more philosophical. I believe the main theme of this volume is where we can live in a utopia, or an Eden where mistakenly a human mother ate apple and she might have left an apple seed...

- Apple Seed 2nd Volume

"Apple Seed" was on animated film in March, 2004. It was a full-CG. It was popular at that time. However, for Japanese consumers, the quality of full CG animation was not enough and the film could not get the number one position ranking.

I analyzed some aspects of this comic book and found some common spirits of humanity with Faust, a classic novel by Goethe.

- A Trial Critics of Apple Seed 2nd Volume (in Japanese)

[Japanese] Using Japanese on Internet

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 07:48:52 GMT

Long, long time ago, when there is no blogs, neat homepage nor e-bayings, I wrote an article titled "Using Japanese on Internet." At that time, I was at the American University in D.C. from 1993 t0 1995. I only had an email address on IBM host-computer, but I wanted to communicate with my friends in Japan, using Japanese. Therefore, I set up my FTP page and exchanged opinions and techniques.

Recently, I found what I wrote at that time on Google's memory.

-"How to Use Japanese on the Internet with a PC: From Login to WWW" Date: 1995/04/22

There were tremendous problems to transfer Japanese because the original Internet was not designed to handle two-bytes coded languages including Japanese.

What I have done is done. And I truly am feeling so proud of myself I could make this document with so much help of my friends on the net. It is a very good memory of mine that US and Japanese net users could cooperate each other to make the net easier.