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Ken Watanabe performed the comical role on a TV commercial.

He is the Japanese famous actor, 渡辺　謙(Ken Watanabe).
He is very much in the public eye on the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio.

May, 2010, NTT DoCoMo Inc. released the new product campaign to promote their mobile phones and services in the commercial.

Ken Watanabe teams up with young actor Okada Masaki for a NTT DoCoMo's TV commercial.
The spot in the series features actor Ken Watanabe as the cell phone of a young salaryman.

 

CM of the NTT DoCoMo Inc.

1. "I am his cellular phone."

He is introducing himself on this TV commercial.

"I am his cellular phone, and I'm with him at work and during private time."

He "vibrates" when there's a call, which in the case illustrated happens to be from the young man's boss, who wants to know where he is.

"I'm shaking, but I'm not cold."
"This is a vibration."

 

2. "My body is soaked."

 

Watanabe's owner is in his office, and he is looking for his cellular phone(Watanabe).

"Your cellular phone is ringing somewhere now."
" !!!"

Watanabe's owner suddenly recalls Watanabe's whereabouts.
The outside of an office is downpour.
Watanabe's owner goes out to look for Watanabe.

His cellular phone (Watanabe) sits on the park bench.
Watanabe's body is soaked.
The cellular phone keeps ringing (Watanabe is singing the ring tone).

"Sorry! You are soaked!"

Watanabe's owner wipes Watanabe with the handkerchief.
His cellular phone (Watanabe) says to him, "Please wipe me neatly."
They go back to the office.

"Really I'm sorry"
"I don't hate rain(Because the cellular phone of Docomo is a waterproof), so don't worry so much."

 

3. "I can pay the price in the convenience store."

 

Watanabe is in the convenience store with the young man who is his owner.
His owner is speaking the grumble in work to Watanabe.
And, His owner says payment by the cellular phone.
Watanabe press his forehead (window to read ID) against the computer in a hurry.
After shopping, the cellular phone comforts his owner.

"Things don't always go as you wish, but you should carry out your intention."

 

 

Ken Watanabe: Profile

Watanabe was born in Koide, Niigata prefecture.
His height is 6.037 feet, and 176.4lb in weight.

He is a famous movie star in Japan.
He might be one of the best-known actors in the Japanese in worldwide.
His activity is remarkable in the movie and TV drama and the television commercial of Japan.
His daughter is fashion model 渡辺　杏(Anne Watanabe).

He is taking an active part in the Japanese movie and Hollywood picture.
He has a good reputation for his roles in Samurai movies.

Especially "御家人斬九郎(Gokenin- Zankuro)" ,which lasted 5 series, must be one of his most important works.
In the last and 50th episode he even directed and starred himself.

Another work which should be mentioned is "壬生義士伝(Mibu- Gishiden)".

 

It was a 10-hour samurai TV drama that aired on January 2nd, 2002.
This touching story and his incredible performance moved a lot of viewers to tears and created sensation.

Currently Ken aggressively continues to make good works and enjoys playing distinct personalities such as a serious cop, a typical Japanese office worker, a violent gangster, a cool and attractive samurai, a dignified feudal lord, a charismatic Heian-period nobleman, .a sharp professional soldier like a razor blade and a Hojo regency of dignity and monarchy.

He continues his active career today as one of the few contemporary actors with a broad range of works.
Further successes in many fields are expected.

 

Lastly, this is "TV commercial of Renown Inc." in which he performed.
His role is "Trumpet".

This is a video up-loaded to YouTube about three years ago.

 

 

Hararie

 

 

"The actual cost of plastic bags" and "Japanese people's change"

 

One thing you may be surprised in Japan is the excessive packaging of products.

When you buy a pack of cookies in Japan, the cookies inside may be individually wrapped.

 

When you buy clothes at an apparel store in Japan, they may first be wrapped in a plastic bag and then put in a paper bag.

The main purposes of this excessive packaging are probably to handle the products carefully (so they won't break), to make the products look nice, or to show customers some respect.

 

But, it's obvious that excessive packaging is against the global trend towards environmental protection.
So, these days, more and more Japanese are becoming conscious of how they can reduce the amount of wasteful packaging.

One of the easiest and most effective ways is to carry your own bag (called "エコバッグ[eko bag]") and not receive plastic bags at stores.

Especially at supermarkets.

In the supermarket in Japan, a thin bag "Plastic bag (called "レジ袋[Reji bukuro]")" to take the commodity that the customer bought home has been always offered to the customer free of charge.

Most Japanese supermarkets have long been providing their customers with free plastic bags.

In Japan, the number of sheets of consumption was 30 billion a year.

Not only the generation control of garbage but also decreasing the use of plastic bag because the raw material of plastic bag is crude oil leads to the saving of the resource.

So, more and more supermarkets are now encouraging customers to carry their own bags.

Though some supermarkets give discounts to customers with their own bags, and some charge customers for the actual cost of plastic bags, plastic bag of most supermarkets in Japan is customer's actual cost as of May, 2010.
[Customer's actual cost in Japan is 3-5yen (3.3-5.5cent)]

 

Consumers are also making an attempt to carry their own bags.

Some bag makers have made cute, colorful and design-conscious shopping bags.
These shopping bags are now called "エコバッグ(Eco-bags)" and they have attracted consumers.
Especially the younger generations.

For them, to make efforts to protect the environment is not only something they "have to" do, but also something they can enjoy doing as part of their fashion.

 

Present-day Japanese people is very egocentric.

If plastic bag was not customer's actual expenses, the Japanese might not have used Eco-bags.

The Japanese tends to love new product, and to spend money for a new product.
A lot of energy-saving products are spreading to Japan.
It is true the spread of energy-saving products is a great thing, but, almost all Japanese don't have "Mind that makes an effort only for the environment".

-Paying the expenses out of one's own pocket for the environmental protection.

I think the Japanese lacks this mind.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to know what's good for the environment and what's not.

 

Hararie

 

 

 

Why are Japanese poor at English?

If you are in a big city like Tokyo, then most likely you will find some people who can speak english well.

But, all most Japanese people speak English a little, but our (the Japanese) English is not useful at all.

It is because English is very text-based in the Japanese school system.

Whoever said that the Japanese school system is horrible is wrong.

Japanese uses over 600 imported English words in common speech.
But, we(Japanese people) also refers to mispronunciation of English in a funny way.

In spoken Japanese, for example, Michael Jackson becomes "maikeru jakuson", "Apple" becomes "appuru".

Japanese has only five vowels.
It might be one of the causes that the pronunciation of Japanese people's English is strange.

But, the real cause is a public education system for Japan.

"Cramming; education that places emphasis on memorization".

Between after World War II and 1990, this was general in Japan.
And, only "theory, calculation, and writing" has been valued.

Therefore, the Japanese has studied "Difficult English to writing in the examination".
As a result, Japanese's English is very unskilled.

 

 

A cultural propensity towards reticence

In many countries, fluency in English can mean a better-paying, more rewarding job or the chance to make a living from foreign tourists, but this is very rare in Japan.

Japanese has assimilated a great deal of vocabulary from English recently, and many popular Japanese songs and television themes will feature a disjointed phrase or two in English among the mostly Japanese lyrics.

As a result, strange Japanized English is made in Japan.

In Japan, there is copious information available in Japanese about every possible subject, real Japanese don't speak English.

When the foreigner asks something in English, most Japanese say, "I cannot speak English".
And, they run away from there.

I might do instinctively so, too.

 

Challenges to English teaching at elementary schools

While other parts of Asia, including South Korea and China, have already introduced compulsory English teaching in elementary schools, Japan hasn't officially introduced it yet.

In fact, English teaching at Japanese elementary schools began in 2002.

Since then, most schools throughout Japan have introduced it, but it's not mandatory, and so its frequency and the curricula vary greatly from school to school.
Finally, from the spring of 2011, the English Activities curriculum will be officially introduced to every elementary school as mandatory for fifth- and sixth-graders.

The curriculum is planned to focus on improving children's communicative skills in English, rather than focusing on grammar or vocabulary.

Now schools are trying to prepare for the change, but it seems many teachers are worried.

English education in Japan has long focused on reading and writing, rather than speaking or listening.
So, many of the English teachers are not confident of their communicative skills.
They say they need more training before the curriculum starts, but it seems that time is running out.

The people that might be able to allay their concerns are private English teachers.
Teachers with a "J-SHINE" qualification are especially well trained for teaching English at elementary schools.

J-SHINE:
The conference of the recognition of an English leader of the elementary school (Abbreviation: J-SHINE) is NPO that applies to the Cabinet Office as "NPO" in February, original and 2003 of the outline "The spread and the development of English Language Education in the elementary school are supported" in Japan, and recognizes the qualification of the English Language Education leader established by private initiative.

Education various groups in the whole country cooperate to promote English Language Education in the elementary school in Japan in this conference, the training of the leader in elementary school English is aimed at, and the system to support an elementary school English activity on an educational site in the whole country is made up.

Many of them have already been helping out in English classes, and it seems more and more people are now trying to get the qualification to be J-SHINE teachers.

It may not be easy at first, but teachers with different qualities and experience can work together to overcome the challenge.

 

Hararie

 

 

What is Black-tailed gulls?

うみねこ/ウミネコ[umineko]:Black-tailed gulls

Black-tailed gulls has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill.
This gull takes 4 years to reach full adult plumage.
As the name suggests, it has a black tail.
The bird has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name ― Umineko, "Sea cat" and Korean name ― Gwaeng-yi gull, which means "cat" gull.

 

The black-tailed gulls in the Kabushima Shinto shrine are very accustomed to human.

 

The Kabushima Shinto shrine was constructed in 1269.

The Kabushima Shinto shrine is a Shinto shrine to enshrine the benzaiten who is the god of the business prosperity and the child giving.

Moreover, the benten is a guardian deity of the fishery.
The black-tailed gulls are messenger of the benten, and it is loved as "Bird that informs them of the shoal of fish".

Because the local population gives the black-tailed gulls food, the black-tailed gulls of Kabushima are very accustomed to human.

But, it is said that the current state that the black-tailed gulls don't fear human is one of the causes causing a decrease of the black-tailed gull.

 

Precincts in Kabushima Shinto shrine

Then, I show you the Kabushima Shinto shrine.
[Moreover, there is my video at the end of this page.]

This is the stairs to the Kabushima Shinto shrine. Can you see that red TORII? The TORII is a gateway commonly built at the entrance to a Shinto shrine.	This pillar is made of the stone. The name of Kabushima Shinto shrine is carved for it. And, it is being carved by the engineer of the stone.
This stairs are very long. But, if I don't climb this stairs, I cannot see the Kabushima Shinto shrine. Now, let's go!	The sea is seen here. It is a wonderful view. There is a fishing port in Hachinohe City. The squid and the mackerel in the Hachinohe fishing port are famous in Japan.
This is a direction board. It is written that the black-tailed gull is a natural monument of Japan. Moreover, it is written, "The black-tailed gull is a messenger of the bentzaien".	This is Kabushima Shinto shrine. The Kabushima festival is held in the Kabushima Shinto shrine on the third Sunday April. It is very crowded with the local population and the tourist.
This is sacred water that is called 手水舎[CHOUZUYA]. To tell the truth, this water is tap water. The springwater is originally used for CHOUZUYA. But, the springwater might not be to our regret here.	The explanation of Kyusei Kigaku is written in this guide version. 九星気学[Kyusei Kigaku}: Kyusei Kigaku is old fortune-telling China with 3000 years of history.

 

 

Snacks that are loved black-tailed gulls in Kabushima Shinto shrine

The black-tailed gulls in the Kabushima Shinto shrine like to get food from human.

This is snacks in Japan of the name of "かっぱえびせん[Kappa Ebisen]".

The black-tailed gulls in the Kabushima Shinto shrine understand the wrapping bag of Kappa Ebisen.

When human has this wrapping bag, the black-tailed gulls come near to our sides.
And, when man throws out Kappa Ebisen to the black-tailed gulls, the black-tailed gulls in the Kabushima Shinto shrine gather all together.

And, it becomes a terrible fuss.

かっぱえびせん[Kappa Ebisen] is a Japanese snack food produced by Calbee of Japan. It is a crunchy, shrimp-flavored snack resembling french fries that is very popular in Japan.
The primary ingredients of Kappa Ebisen are wheat flour, vegetable oil, starch, shrimp, sugar, salt, baking powder, amino acid and sweetening.

 

 

Then, at the end, this is my video.

 

It is originally a prohibited activity though I gave the black-tailed gull food.
(I'm sorry, because I wanted to show you black-tailed gulls' loveliness.).

 

 

 

What is Internet cafe?

The term "Internet cafe refugees" refers to people who don't have a fixed dwelling place and constantly stay in Internet cafes.

It began to appear in the media from early 2007, and now is used to show one of Japan's social problems.

Before we consider the issue, perhaps we'd better explain what the Internet cafes are like in Japan.

Internet cafes in Japan are not just a place to connect to the Internet.

They also have a massive amount of comic books and magazines, and some are equipped with comfortable reclining chairs, video games, or even shower rooms.

The personal privacy is defended because there are a lot of private rooms.	The reclining chair and PC are put on each private room.
Here is a free drink bar. There are various drinks such as the juice and coffee.	There are a cake and a cup instant noodle, etc. though it is charged, too. There is an ice cream, too.
In the Internet cafe of Japan, there is a large amount of magazine.	In the Internet cafe of Japan, there are abundantly DVD and game software, too.
This is a menu of the meal, various meals can be ordered.	This is a rough sketch that shows the structure of the Internet cafe of Japan.

People can enjoy reading comics, netsurfing, playing video games or just relaxing very cheaply, while taking advantage of a wide variety of free drinks.

During the night is especially reasonable, you can use a small compartment all night for only about 10-15 dollars.

 

What is internet cafe refugees?

It may be no wonder that people use the Internet cafes almost as their dwelling place.

But you may also be wondering why those people don't rent a cheap apartment instead.
Actually, renting an apartment in Japan costs a lot.
With all kinds of fees, gratuities and deposits, you usually need the equivalent of six times your monthly rent just to pay for moving.
That means you need to have about 3,600 dollars to move into an apartment that costs 600 dollars a month.

So it can take some people a long time to save enough money to be added to move.

Actually, people who are staying in Internet cafe can hardly save up money.
It is because their work is "Daily employment labor".
They who is homeless cannot have a steady employment.
They always only have only a little money because the income is unstable.

All their incomes disappear by the room charge of Internet cafe and their food costs.

 

The deterioration in Japanese economy increases the number of net cafe refugees.

It might not be so bad if it was only young people staying in the Internet cafes temporarily, but among Internet cafe refugees are also people in their 30's, 40's or even their 50's and above.

It is said that many of them work part-time, but some don't have a job, while some others have steady jobs and still stay in Internet cafes.
Japan has been known as a "rich" country for a long time, but when you talk about the quality of people's lives, maybe the richness is relative.

The cause of the decline of Japan is misgovernment of Japan.