Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I currently translate business documents from Japanese to English and vice versa, but used to work as an in-house interpreter at a US company. There are two conventional ways of interpretation, i.e., consecutive interpreting and simultaneous interpreting. A consecutive interpreter listens to what the speaker is saying while taking notes and translates the message verbally into another language after the speaker pauses. A simultaneous interpreter listens to what the speaker is saying while concurrently translating it into another language.
However, there is another more popular way of interpreting in this increasingly busy world, i.e., whispered interpreting.
Whispered interpreting or whispering is similar to simultaneous interpreting. An interpreter listens to what the speaker is saying while whispering the message translated in another language. However, there's a big difference between the two forms of interpreting. Simultaneous interpreters usually demand scripts while whispering interpreters not, which means users don't have to worry about script preparation for whispered interpreting.
So, simultaneous interpreters usually work at big conferences. They usually receive scripts beforehand and interpret what speakers say generally based on the scripts. On the other hand, whispering interpreters usually work on-site for businesses, sitting next to CXXs at meetings to whisper in their ear so that the meeting doesn't have to stop for interpretation. (A meeting using a consecutive interpreter takes about two times longer than otherwise.) Given a shorter time of a meeting combined with no need for script preparation, it's understandable that more businesses prefer whispered interpreting.
One another thing people often misunderstand is that anyone speaking fluently speaking English can be an interpreter/translator. This isn't true. Interpretation/translation requires two sets of skills, English skills and a deep understanding of the subject matter, and the importance of the latter is much higher than you think. The US company had many employees who, having lived or studied in the US or UK, spoke English more fluently than I did, but I was hired as a project interpreter after two interpreters being fired not because of my English skills, but my good understanding of the subject matter, i.e., financial business.
I did a lot of whispered interpreting and liked it for a reason. I could be "mu," i.e., immerse myself in the present while whispering as it requires full concentration. It has a downside, however. Not only whispering, but also the other types of interpretation is exhausting! I had flu almost every year when I was an interpreter.
今はほとんど翻訳専業ですが、以前、ある米系の会社で社内通訳をしていました。通訳に逐次通訳と同時通訳があるのはご存知かと思いますが、ウィスパリング通訳というものがあるのはご存知ですか。
ウィスパリングは同時通訳と似ています。スピーカーが話すのと同時に通訳を必要とする人の耳元で訳を囁きます。ただ一つ大きな違いがあります。同時通訳には原稿があることが多いのですが、ウィスパリング通訳に原稿はまずありません。
ですから大きな会議などでは、原稿を見ながら話すスピーカーの話を同時通訳者が原稿を見ながら訳す。一方、ウィスパリング通訳者は会議で偉い人の隣に座って原稿なしにその場でごにょごにょ囁き（訳し）ます。「通訳は現場で起きている！」わけです。（吉兆の女将ではありません。）
よく勘違いされていることがあります。通訳と翻訳には英語スキルだけでなく、内容に関する理解が求められますが、内容理解の重要性は英語スキルと同等、いや英語以上なのだということです。米系の会社には私よりペラペラの人がいっぱいいたのにどうして私が通訳することになったのか。ご推察の通り。私に金融業務やリスク管理業務に関する知識があったからです。英語スキルのなさ（苦笑）を金融知識が補ってくれたわけです。
当時はウィスパリング通訳ばかりしていたのですが、好きだったのには理由があります。「無になれる」んです。集中しなければならないので当然といえば当然ですね。ただ、ものすごく疲れます！社内通訳やっていた頃は毎年インフルエンザにかかっていました。
Flu and Japanese Diplomacy - Is Japan Really Independent? インフルエンザは自立のチャンス？
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The winter flu in Japan is peaking. All Japanese broadcasters have been reporting almost everyday about how to protect us from this seasonal disease and what to do after catching it.
This made me wonder if flu patients follow the Japanese doctor's general instruction. Stay home for three to seven days. A doctor in a TV program also said that flu patients shouldn't go out for an about five-day period to prevent the spread of flu viruses. My gut, however, says otherwise. Not every, but many, in particular employees, go to office no matter how sick they are because they can't afford to take such long days off. How come they can take sick “vacation” knowing that they will have to do accumulated work anyway after recovering from flu?
This gets me to think about another thing. Who are responsible for this epidemic in this small archipelago? Patients? Of course they are. But companies are also responsible.
Corporations are required to have an annual leave system in place and under the system, employees should be allowed to take days off whenever they want to take without explaining why. You may wonder why I am saying this, but in Japan, most businesses have such system, but practically don’t allow employees to use it as they like.
Company policies of most Japanese businesses require employees to report beforehand to supervisors and/or colleagues when and how long they want to take days off and why. It sacks, isn't it! But this is Japan. And this is why so many Japanese take vacations twice a year at the same time, i.e., mid-August and year-end/new year. This causes another problem. Everywhere across Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa is so crowded during these periods!
Can't anybody come up with an idea to stop such Japanese group behavior of doing things always together, i.e., taking vacations for the same period, going to the men's/ladies' room together, having lunch together, and leaving office together?
But this makes me again wonder why, despite such a collective mindset, they don't unite to fight to increase wages, reduce overtime or take vacation? The percentage of labor union members in Japan has been gradually decreasing over the last five years. Japanese do things together with others, but for what?
Here is my answer: they believe that as long as they do what they are told to do and do things together, they would be protected by somebody, like supervisors. That’s why employees ingratiate themselves to (i.e., sontaku) their superiors.
But here is a real problem. What if they no longer have such "somebody"? It’s been happening to Japan. Japan is losing or has already lost powerful "somebody," i.e., the U.S.
Japan has been irresponsible for its own actions since the end of the war, doing whatever the U.S. wants it to do in exchange for its protecting Japan. But this won't work anymore. Although Prime Minister Abe hasn't noticed or doesn't want to notice it, Japan needs to change to be responsible for its own actions by building not vertical, but horizontal relationships with not only the U.S. and other G7 members, but also Asian countries, especially China and South Korea, because, like it or not, they are Japan's neighbors.
So, here is what Japanese need to do first. Take days off whenever they want, have lunch anytime and anywhere they like, leave office as soon as they finish working, and spend time with families or enjoy solitude to be independent as a person.
However, there is another scenario. Japan has recently seen an increasing number of non-Japanese trade union members. So, as pressured into opening the country in the Meiji era, Japanese, very weak to external pressure, but very good at mimicking others, will again be pressured into learning from these immigrants how to fight and say to no to be responsible for themselves and be independent in a real sense.
インフルエンザ真っ盛り。そこで考えました。インフルエンザに罹った人ってちゃんと自宅待機しているのでしょうか。してないと思います。だって、戻ったらたまった仕事をしなくちゃいけないのかと思うとおちおち休みなんか取れないでしょう。
ということは、この日本列島インフルエンザは、もちろん患者のせいではあるのですが、企業の責任も大きいのではないでしょうか。ほとんどの企業では、取得時期や理由を言って事前承認取ることを義務付けてるでしょ。これじゃ有休取れません。お盆と正月に全国混むのもこのせいですよね。
誰かこの、一緒に休んで、連れランチして、連れ退社するという連れション体質を変えてくれませんかね。
でも不思議なんです。そんな連れション体質にもかかわらず、労働組合員数は17～18％ぐらいに低迷している、というか減っているらしいのです。じゃあ、労働者諸君は何のために人と同じ行動をとるのか。権力と戦うためではないのです。そう、権力に好かれるため。忖度ですね。
でもね、権力者がいなくなったらどうなるのってことを考えてください！だって日本の「上司」だったアメリカはもうだめでしょ。
だから言いたいのです。もう「アメリカだけ」は古い！これまではアメリカについていく甲斐もありましたが、これからは「みんな」と上手くやらないと。特にお隣の中国と韓国とです！
というわけで会社員の皆さん、有給休暇を好きなときに取りましょう。特にインフルエンザになったら絶対取りましょう。ランチは好きな時に好きなものを食べましょう。そして定時に帰りましょう。
でもね、実際は違うかもしれません。最近、外国人の組合員数が増えているんですって。ということは、開国の時と同様、移民の人たちからの「外圧」で、「真似」するのがうまい日本人は自分の行動に責任を持ち、戦うことを学び、自立を余儀なくされるのかもしれません。そう期待します！
The winter flu in Japan is peaking. All Japanese broadcasters have been reporting almost everyday about how to protect us from this seasonal disease and what to do after catching it.
This made me wonder if flu patients follow the Japanese doctor's general instruction. Stay home for three to seven days. A doctor in a TV program also said that flu patients shouldn't go out for an about five-day period to prevent the spread of flu viruses. My gut, however, says otherwise. Not every, but many, in particular employees, go to office no matter how sick they are because they can't afford to take such long days off. How come they can take sick “vacation” knowing that they will have to do accumulated work anyway after recovering from flu?
This gets me to think about another thing. Who are responsible for this epidemic in this small archipelago? Patients? Of course they are. But companies are also responsible.
Corporations are required to have an annual leave system in place and under the system, employees should be allowed to take days off whenever they want to take without explaining why. You may wonder why I am saying this, but in Japan, most businesses have such system, but practically don’t allow employees to use it as they like.
Company policies of most Japanese businesses require employees to report beforehand to supervisors and/or colleagues when and how long they want to take days off and why. It sacks, isn't it! But this is Japan. And this is why so many Japanese take vacations twice a year at the same time, i.e., mid-August and year-end/new year. This causes another problem. Everywhere across Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa is so crowded during these periods!
Can't anybody come up with an idea to stop such Japanese group behavior of doing things always together, i.e., taking vacations for the same period, going to the men's/ladies' room together, having lunch together, and leaving office together?
But this makes me again wonder why, despite such a collective mindset, they don't unite to fight to increase wages, reduce overtime or take vacation? The percentage of labor union members in Japan has been gradually decreasing over the last five years. Japanese do things together with others, but for what?
Here is my answer: they believe that as long as they do what they are told to do and do things together, they would be protected by somebody, like supervisors. That’s why employees ingratiate themselves to (i.e., sontaku) their superiors.
But here is a real problem. What if they no longer have such "somebody"? It’s been happening to Japan. Japan is losing or has already lost powerful "somebody," i.e., the U.S.
Japan has been irresponsible for its own actions since the end of the war, doing whatever the U.S. wants it to do in exchange for its protecting Japan. But this won't work anymore. Although Prime Minister Abe hasn't noticed or doesn't want to notice it, Japan needs to change to be responsible for its own actions by building not vertical, but horizontal relationships with not only the U.S. and other G7 members, but also Asian countries, especially China and South Korea, because, like it or not, they are Japan's neighbors.
So, here is what Japanese need to do first. Take days off whenever they want, have lunch anytime and anywhere they like, leave office as soon as they finish working, and spend time with families or enjoy solitude to be independent as a person.
However, there is another scenario. Japan has recently seen an increasing number of non-Japanese trade union members. So, as pressured into opening the country in the Meiji era, Japanese, very weak to external pressure, but very good at mimicking others, will again be pressured into learning from these immigrants how to fight and say to no to be responsible for themselves and be independent in a real sense.
インフルエンザ真っ盛り。そこで考えました。インフルエンザに罹った人ってちゃんと自宅待機しているのでしょうか。してないと思います。だって、戻ったらたまった仕事をしなくちゃいけないのかと思うとおちおち休みなんか取れないでしょう。
ということは、この日本列島インフルエンザは、もちろん患者のせいではあるのですが、企業の責任も大きいのではないでしょうか。ほとんどの企業では、取得時期や理由を言って事前承認取ることを義務付けてるでしょ。これじゃ有休取れません。お盆と正月に全国混むのもこのせいですよね。
誰かこの、一緒に休んで、連れランチして、連れ退社するという連れション体質を変えてくれませんかね。
でも不思議なんです。そんな連れション体質にもかかわらず、労働組合員数は17～18％ぐらいに低迷している、というか減っているらしいのです。じゃあ、労働者諸君は何のために人と同じ行動をとるのか。権力と戦うためではないのです。そう、権力に好かれるため。忖度ですね。
でもね、権力者がいなくなったらどうなるのってことを考えてください！だって日本の「上司」だったアメリカはもうだめでしょ。
だから言いたいのです。もう「アメリカだけ」は古い！これまではアメリカについていく甲斐もありましたが、これからは「みんな」と上手くやらないと。特にお隣の中国と韓国とです！
というわけで会社員の皆さん、有給休暇を好きなときに取りましょう。特にインフルエンザになったら絶対取りましょう。ランチは好きな時に好きなものを食べましょう。そして定時に帰りましょう。
でもね、実際は違うかもしれません。最近、外国人の組合員数が増えているんですって。ということは、開国の時と同様、移民の人たちからの「外圧」で、「真似」するのがうまい日本人は自分の行動に責任を持ち、戦うことを学び、自立を余儀なくされるのかもしれません。そう期待します！
Japanese Emperors Are Korean as Swedish Kings Are French 天皇は朝鮮人でスウェーデン王はフランス人
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I've been reading Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede and was amazed. In 1809, the nobles of Sweden deposed King Gustav IV, whom they considered incompetent, and invited Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general who served under their enemy Napoleon, to become king of Sweden. In short, the current Swedish King is French and this has been accepted as a fact.
In Japan, on the other hand, many still believe or want to believe "bansei ikkei," i.e., the imperial line has never been broken, and that the current Emperor Akihito is the 125th emperor of such a line traced back more than 2,600 years.
They also believe or want to believe that emperors are "purely" Japanese despite that the imperial family tree of Asuka Historical Museum in Nara prefecture, where the oldest capitals of Japan were situated and the imperial system started, clearly shows that they are from Korea.
Believing in the current imperial line never being broken for more than 2,600 years and that emperors are all "pure" Japanese is so unbelievablet like believing in creationism, isn’t it? And this is more serious than it appears because it suggests that Japanese value purity more than diversity despite another fact that people have to be diverse, not pure, to be stronger and survive in this global world. Look at the end of the Hapsburg dynasty!
Interaction with others make people more flexible, stronger and even purer. No wine can be made without dregs or sediment. What do you think?
「Cultures and Organizations: Software office the Mind（Geert Hofstede 著）」を読んでいてびっくりしました。1819年、スウェーデンの貴族は無能な王を追い出してフランスからナポレオンの部下を招聘したんです。つまり今のスウェーデン王は元を正せばフランス人だってこと。
それに引き換え、日本ではいまだに万世一系を信じている（または信じたい）人が多いですよね。そういう方には是非奈良の飛鳥資料館に行ってほしいです。皇室の家系図が展示されているのですが、天皇のルーツが朝鮮にあることが書いてあります。それに今どき、一つの家が2,600年以上も続いていると信じるなんて創造説を信じるのと同じぐらいアンビリーバブルじゃないでしょうか。でもこれって案外深刻な問題です。だって日本ではいまだに多様性より純粋を重んじていることの証でしょ。このグローバル時代、生き残るためには交流しなくちゃいけないことは自明。ハプスブルグ家の例を見ても分かると思います。
人は交わってこそ強く、逆に純粋になれるのでは？ 滓や沈殿物なしにワインは作れないと思うのですがいかがでしょう？。
I've been reading Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede and was amazed. In 1809, the nobles of Sweden deposed King Gustav IV, whom they considered incompetent, and invited Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general who served under their enemy Napoleon, to become king of Sweden. In short, the current Swedish King is French and this has been accepted as a fact.
In Japan, on the other hand, many still believe or want to believe "bansei ikkei," i.e., the imperial line has never been broken, and that the current Emperor Akihito is the 125th emperor of such a line traced back more than 2,600 years.
They also believe or want to believe that emperors are "purely" Japanese despite that the imperial family tree of Asuka Historical Museum in Nara prefecture, where the oldest capitals of Japan were situated and the imperial system started, clearly shows that they are from Korea.
Believing in the current imperial line never being broken for more than 2,600 years and that emperors are all "pure" Japanese is so unbelievablet like believing in creationism, isn’t it? And this is more serious than it appears because it suggests that Japanese value purity more than diversity despite another fact that people have to be diverse, not pure, to be stronger and survive in this global world. Look at the end of the Hapsburg dynasty!
Interaction with others make people more flexible, stronger and even purer. No wine can be made without dregs or sediment. What do you think?
「Cultures and Organizations: Software office the Mind（Geert Hofstede 著）」を読んでいてびっくりしました。1819年、スウェーデンの貴族は無能な王を追い出してフランスからナポレオンの部下を招聘したんです。つまり今のスウェーデン王は元を正せばフランス人だってこと。
それに引き換え、日本ではいまだに万世一系を信じている（または信じたい）人が多いですよね。そういう方には是非奈良の飛鳥資料館に行ってほしいです。皇室の家系図が展示されているのですが、天皇のルーツが朝鮮にあることが書いてあります。それに今どき、一つの家が2,600年以上も続いていると信じるなんて創造説を信じるのと同じぐらいアンビリーバブルじゃないでしょうか。でもこれって案外深刻な問題です。だって日本ではいまだに多様性より純粋を重んじていることの証でしょ。このグローバル時代、生き残るためには交流しなくちゃいけないことは自明。ハプスブルグ家の例を見ても分かると思います。
人は交わってこそ強く、逆に純粋になれるのでは？ 滓や沈殿物なしにワインは作れないと思うのですがいかがでしょう？。
Loneliness - Be Alone Not to be Lonely 寂しさを減らす 一人になろう！
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Do you live your own life? Do you do what you really want to do? If you do, you would never feel lonely, so if you feel lonely, you aren't living the life you want.
Next, can you tell why you want to do what you think you want to do? Have you been wanting to do it since you were a kid? If so, maybe you are living your life and may not need to read this post anymore. Keep pursuing your dreams. But if your answer is to be rich or famous, you may need to rethink about your life and goals because being rich or famous can't be what you want to do. It's how you want to be and money/fame shouldn't be what you go after, but be a by-product of what you do. If you don't have enough money to live independently, you may need to do something you don't like, but if you already have a proper house, food and clothing, why don't you stop to think about what you really want to do?
Lastly, what should you do to figure out what you really want to do? I can't tell you this or that, but can tell you at least one thing - Be alone.
To stop feeling lonely, you need to be alone. Sounds contradictory? But as long as you are always with someone, you would only see your reflection in their mirrors, not the real you. So, why don't you be alone to see the real you and figure out your real goals and what to do from the following day to achieve these goals? It may require some courage to face up to what you really are, but is worthwhile as it clarifies the direction and purpose of your life. The only thing you have to do after that is to follow the direction and do what you decided to do to achieve the goals. You will have no time to feel loneliness.
The most important but difficult thing is to find out what not others, but "you" want. So, be alone to have time to be yourself. People usually don't want to be alone, misunderstanding that being alone makes them lonely, but it’s wrong. Being alone is part of the process of reducing loneliness which gives you in return a real and unique life perspective. So, be alone to stop feeling lonely.
By the way, in Japan, people usually see no difference between being alone (hitori) and being lonely (sabishii), which I believe is a major reason for their weak sense of independence, resulting in various social issues, including sontaku and ohitorisama.
孤独対策です。そして早速質問。したいことしてますか。してたら寂しくないと思うので、寂しい人は自分の人生を生きてないってことだと思います。
もう一つ質問。どうしてそれをしたいか説明できますか？子供の頃からの夢？だったらこれ以上読む必要はないかと｡｡。頑張ってください。夢を追いかけてください。でもお金持ちになりたいとか、有名になりたいとかなら、ちょっと違うかな。だってそれって「したい」ことではなく「どういう状態になりたい」かってことでしょ。それにお金ってしたいことをやった結果ついてくるものではないでしょうか。もちろん、お金のために働くことは多いですが、衣食住整ったら本当にやりたいことを考える時なのではないでしょうか？
じゃあ、どうすればいいのか？ああしろ、こうしろとは言えませんが、一つだけ言えることは「一人になってください」ということです。
寂しさを減らすために一人になるなんて矛盾してる？でもいつも誰かと一緒にいると他人に映る自分しか見えないんです。だから本当の自分と目標を見つけて、その実現のために何をすべきか決めるには「一人」じゃないといけないんです。勇気いります。自分と向き合うって結構しんどいんです。でも価値はあります。だって方向と目的がはっきりするともう悩まなくていいですから。寂しさ感じる暇もなくなります。
大切なのは、他人ではなく「あなた」がしたいことを見つけること。一人は寂しいと勘違いしている人は多いですが違います。「一人」になって初めて本当の自分、人生が見えてくるのです。だから一人になりましょう。寂しさを減らすために。
余談ですが、日本ではこの「一人精神」が不足しているせいで、いつまでたっても個人が確立せず、忖度やらおひとりさま問題につながってしまうと考えるのは私だけでしょうか｡｡｡
Do you live your own life? Do you do what you really want to do? If you do, you would never feel lonely, so if you feel lonely, you aren't living the life you want.
Next, can you tell why you want to do what you think you want to do? Have you been wanting to do it since you were a kid? If so, maybe you are living your life and may not need to read this post anymore. Keep pursuing your dreams. But if your answer is to be rich or famous, you may need to rethink about your life and goals because being rich or famous can't be what you want to do. It's how you want to be and money/fame shouldn't be what you go after, but be a by-product of what you do. If you don't have enough money to live independently, you may need to do something you don't like, but if you already have a proper house, food and clothing, why don't you stop to think about what you really want to do?
Lastly, what should you do to figure out what you really want to do? I can't tell you this or that, but can tell you at least one thing - Be alone.
To stop feeling lonely, you need to be alone. Sounds contradictory? But as long as you are always with someone, you would only see your reflection in their mirrors, not the real you. So, why don't you be alone to see the real you and figure out your real goals and what to do from the following day to achieve these goals? It may require some courage to face up to what you really are, but is worthwhile as it clarifies the direction and purpose of your life. The only thing you have to do after that is to follow the direction and do what you decided to do to achieve the goals. You will have no time to feel loneliness.
The most important but difficult thing is to find out what not others, but "you" want. So, be alone to have time to be yourself. People usually don't want to be alone, misunderstanding that being alone makes them lonely, but it’s wrong. Being alone is part of the process of reducing loneliness which gives you in return a real and unique life perspective. So, be alone to stop feeling lonely.
By the way, in Japan, people usually see no difference between being alone (hitori) and being lonely (sabishii), which I believe is a major reason for their weak sense of independence, resulting in various social issues, including sontaku and ohitorisama.
孤独対策です。そして早速質問。したいことしてますか。してたら寂しくないと思うので、寂しい人は自分の人生を生きてないってことだと思います。
もう一つ質問。どうしてそれをしたいか説明できますか？子供の頃からの夢？だったらこれ以上読む必要はないかと｡｡。頑張ってください。夢を追いかけてください。でもお金持ちになりたいとか、有名になりたいとかなら、ちょっと違うかな。だってそれって「したい」ことではなく「どういう状態になりたい」かってことでしょ。それにお金ってしたいことをやった結果ついてくるものではないでしょうか。もちろん、お金のために働くことは多いですが、衣食住整ったら本当にやりたいことを考える時なのではないでしょうか？
じゃあ、どうすればいいのか？ああしろ、こうしろとは言えませんが、一つだけ言えることは「一人になってください」ということです。
寂しさを減らすために一人になるなんて矛盾してる？でもいつも誰かと一緒にいると他人に映る自分しか見えないんです。だから本当の自分と目標を見つけて、その実現のために何をすべきか決めるには「一人」じゃないといけないんです。勇気いります。自分と向き合うって結構しんどいんです。でも価値はあります。だって方向と目的がはっきりするともう悩まなくていいですから。寂しさ感じる暇もなくなります。
大切なのは、他人ではなく「あなた」がしたいことを見つけること。一人は寂しいと勘違いしている人は多いですが違います。「一人」になって初めて本当の自分、人生が見えてくるのです。だから一人になりましょう。寂しさを減らすために。
余談ですが、日本ではこの「一人精神」が不足しているせいで、いつまでたっても個人が確立せず、忖度やらおひとりさま問題につながってしまうと考えるのは私だけでしょうか｡｡｡
Growing Oligopoly - Japan Taxi 寡占化する日本 ジャパンタクシー
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Taxis in Japan have been changing. They used to be generally sedans, but have been replaced by van taxis, so-called "Japan Taxis," manufactured by Toyota. The problem is that these van taxis, which look like taxis in London, have no space for snow chains, so if it heavily snows, these taxis are useless.
What troubles me most is that it's the government that decided to use these vans as taxis knowing they can't carry snow chains. It's also decided to give a grant of up to JPY600,000 (about USD6,000) for a replacement of a sedan taxi by a Japan Taxi. These vans may be more friendly to physically challenged people as long as the weather is fine, but what will happen if it snows, i.e., when the physically challenged most need taxi services?
I know what government officials are doing. They believe that forcing effectively every cab driver to use Japan Taxis, which look like London taxis, will make Japan a developed country at least during the period of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. They don't care about what would happen after that.
Who benefits? Toyota, the manufacturer of Japan Taxis winning this project; tire manufacturers which are now very busy producing as many studless snow tires as possible as quickly as possible for these taxis; and large taxi companies which can afford to dispose of sedan taxis before the expiration of their useful life and can control the taxi market after that. However, what will happen to small taxi cab companies or independent cab drivers who can't afford to replace their cars......?
Is this a capitalism we're heading toward or a state-led oligopoly?
日本のタクシーがセダンからボックスカーに変わってるのをご存知ですか。ジャパンタクシーというそうです。ロンドンのタクシーを真似たらしいのですが、なんと、スノータイヤを格納するスペースがなく、今のままでは雪の日は走れないとのこと。
決めたのは日本政府。ボックスカーに切り替える場合は最大60万円の補助金が出るそうです。ボックスカーが障がいのある方にいいのは分かりますが、雪の日って障がい者の方が一番タクシーを必要とする時だと思うのですが、そこは考えなかったのでしょうか。東京オリンピックにロンドンタクシーに似たタクシーを走らせることしか考えていなかったのでしょうね。でもその後はどうするつもりなのかしら？タイヤメーカーは今、スタッドレスタイヤの受注増加に嬉しい悲鳴だそうです。
一番得するのは誰でしょう？ジャパンタクシープロジェクトを受注したトヨタ、タイヤメーカー、そして大手タクシー会社でしょうか。中小や個人タクシーは補助金をもらってもセダン型からボックスカーに換える余裕はないそうです。
これって政府主導の寡占のような気がするのですが、日本って資本主義じゃなかったでしたっけ？
Taxis in Japan have been changing. They used to be generally sedans, but have been replaced by van taxis, so-called "Japan Taxis," manufactured by Toyota. The problem is that these van taxis, which look like taxis in London, have no space for snow chains, so if it heavily snows, these taxis are useless.
What troubles me most is that it's the government that decided to use these vans as taxis knowing they can't carry snow chains. It's also decided to give a grant of up to JPY600,000 (about USD6,000) for a replacement of a sedan taxi by a Japan Taxi. These vans may be more friendly to physically challenged people as long as the weather is fine, but what will happen if it snows, i.e., when the physically challenged most need taxi services?
I know what government officials are doing. They believe that forcing effectively every cab driver to use Japan Taxis, which look like London taxis, will make Japan a developed country at least during the period of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. They don't care about what would happen after that.
Who benefits? Toyota, the manufacturer of Japan Taxis winning this project; tire manufacturers which are now very busy producing as many studless snow tires as possible as quickly as possible for these taxis; and large taxi companies which can afford to dispose of sedan taxis before the expiration of their useful life and can control the taxi market after that. However, what will happen to small taxi cab companies or independent cab drivers who can't afford to replace their cars......?
Is this a capitalism we're heading toward or a state-led oligopoly?
日本のタクシーがセダンからボックスカーに変わってるのをご存知ですか。ジャパンタクシーというそうです。ロンドンのタクシーを真似たらしいのですが、なんと、スノータイヤを格納するスペースがなく、今のままでは雪の日は走れないとのこと。
決めたのは日本政府。ボックスカーに切り替える場合は最大60万円の補助金が出るそうです。ボックスカーが障がいのある方にいいのは分かりますが、雪の日って障がい者の方が一番タクシーを必要とする時だと思うのですが、そこは考えなかったのでしょうか。東京オリンピックにロンドンタクシーに似たタクシーを走らせることしか考えていなかったのでしょうね。でもその後はどうするつもりなのかしら？タイヤメーカーは今、スタッドレスタイヤの受注増加に嬉しい悲鳴だそうです。
一番得するのは誰でしょう？ジャパンタクシープロジェクトを受注したトヨタ、タイヤメーカー、そして大手タクシー会社でしょうか。中小や個人タクシーは補助金をもらってもセダン型からボックスカーに換える余裕はないそうです。
これって政府主導の寡占のような気がするのですが、日本って資本主義じゃなかったでしたっけ？
Is the Emperor a Human or God? 天皇だって人間だもの
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Why do so many Japanese still revere emperors? They may be good people, but are human beings who happen to born into the imperial family, living as required by law. I feel sorry for them because they are deprived of the right to live as human beings.
Why do so many Japanese still revere emperors? They may be good people, but are human beings who happen to born into the imperial family, living as required by law. I feel sorry for them because they are deprived of the right to live as human beings.
Kyoto - Horinji Temple in Arashiyama and Matsuo Taisha to Avoid Crowd 京都－法輪寺と松尾大社が静かです
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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| 1. Saki offerings to Matsuo Taisha |
I went to Matuo Taisha shrine in Arashiyama Kyoto on December 30, 2018. I didn't plan to go there, but happened to know that this famous shrine is near Arashiyama, my destination on that day. Matsuo Taisha is famous for enshrining God of sake (or saki) protecting people who not only produce, but also sell or drink sake. It's understandable for the shrine to receive so many offerings from sake manufacturers across Japan.
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| 2. From top of Horinji temple stairs |
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| 3. From Horinji temple viewpoint |
As a sake lover, I had wanted to go to Matsuo Taisha shrine for a long time, but thought it was an inconvenient place to go. I was wrong. The shrine is very close to the very famous tourist site Arashiyama, in which Horinji temple is located. The temple enshrines a deity of electricity and radio wave and I happened to go there to avoid crowd in Arashiyama. After enjoying beautiful views from this temple, not only from the top of its stairs (Picture 2), but also its viewpoint (Picture 3), I again happened to find a sign showing Matsuo Taisha shrine being only 2.1 km from the temple.
If you are now in Arashiyma, but disappointed at the crowd and want to go to a quiet place nearby, cross the Katsuragawa River and go to Horinji temple. You can enjoy a serene atmosphere and in 20 minutes walk, pray to the sake deity at Matsuo Taisha. You can go to Matsuo Taisha shrine also by the Hankyu Line, one stop from the Arashiyama station.
年末年始と京都で過ごしました。12月28日に嵐山に行ったら相変わらずの混雑で大失敗。でも桂川を渡ってふらふらしていたら法輪寺を見つけました。電気と電波の神様を祭っているとのこと。すると何と松尾大社まで2.1キロという標識を発見。歩いて行ってみました。
松尾大社はお酒の神様。お酒大好きな（あまり飲めないけど）私にとっては大事な神様。ちゃんとお礼を言いました。
嵐山であまりの人込みにうんざりしたら、法輪寺、そしてそこから2キロほどの松尾大社はお勧めです。ちなみに嵐山から松尾大社までは阪急電車で一駅。歩き疲れた方は電車でどうぞ！
If you are now in Arashiyma, but disappointed at the crowd and want to go to a quiet place nearby, cross the Katsuragawa River and go to Horinji temple. You can enjoy a serene atmosphere and in 20 minutes walk, pray to the sake deity at Matsuo Taisha. You can go to Matsuo Taisha shrine also by the Hankyu Line, one stop from the Arashiyama station.
年末年始と京都で過ごしました。12月28日に嵐山に行ったら相変わらずの混雑で大失敗。でも桂川を渡ってふらふらしていたら法輪寺を見つけました。電気と電波の神様を祭っているとのこと。すると何と松尾大社まで2.1キロという標識を発見。歩いて行ってみました。
松尾大社はお酒の神様。お酒大好きな（あまり飲めないけど）私にとっては大事な神様。ちゃんとお礼を言いました。
嵐山であまりの人込みにうんざりしたら、法輪寺、そしてそこから2キロほどの松尾大社はお勧めです。ちなみに嵐山から松尾大社までは阪急電車で一駅。歩き疲れた方は電車でどうぞ！
Solution for Loneliness: Get Off Train One Stop Before Destination 孤独対策 一駅歩きます！
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
A book I've been reading recently* says that uncertainty avoidance is different from risk avoidance. It goes on to say, "Anxiety ..... has no object. Uncertainty has no probability attached to it."
* Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede and Michael Minkov
Today, I would like to talk about loneliness from this uncertainty-anxiety perspective because I want to reduce my loneliness.
First, I want to attach a probability to uncertainty about my loneliness as it's easier. The chance that I will end up living by myself is statistically 100% because my husband is five year older than I am and males' life expectancy is shorter than females' one in Japan. It's almost for sure that I'll live not necessarily lonely, but alone for the last ten years of my life.
The next step is to identify what I'm so anxious about. Eating alone? Having no walking buddy? Having no one to talk to? Having no one to kiss? Having no one I drink with? Or dying alone?
Now I realize that I'm scared of having no one understanding or caring for me. Of course, after my husband dies, I'll still have friends who care about me, but they wouldn't understand or care about me as my husband does. At this point, I again realize that it's understandable that they wouldn't understand me as deeply as my husband does because I'm not open to them and don't spend much time with them.
The thing is that I have no energy left for others physically or mentally after using it for myself and husband. But I also know that I will end up lonely if I don't change and that it's too late to start building or deepening friendship after my husband dies. Real friendship takes time. So, what should I do to spend more time and energy for my friends before it's too late?
The answer is simple. I need to be physically and mentally stronger to be more active and open, and listen to and accept others and for that, I have to eat, walk and laugh more. I'm going to get off the train one stop before the destination from today!
今読んでいる本に「不確実を回避することとリスクを回避することは違う」とありました。そして「不安とは何が不安か分からないこと、不確実とはそれが起きる可能性が分からないことをいう」とありました。ナルジマ風に言いますと、不安の根源を数値化、具体化できたら、もうそれは不安ではなく不確実なことになって対処しやすくなる、と言ったような感じでしょうか。
* Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede and Michael Minkov
ということで今日のお題は「どうしたら孤独を減らせるか」です。
まず最初に「不確実の数値化」から。うちの旦那は5歳上です。平均寿命からすると、私の晩年10年ほどはほぼ確実に一人暮らしということになります。
次は「私は何を恐れているのか」という問題です。一人の食事？ 一緒に歩く人がいないこと？ 話し相手がいないこと？一緒に飲む人がいないこと？一人で死ぬこと？
ここまで書いて分かりました。自分を分かってくれる人、構ってくれる人がいなくなるのが怖いんです。旦那が死んだって友達はいる。だけど、旦那ぐらい自分を構ってくれるような人はいないし、旦那が死んでから友達を作ろうとしたって遅すぎでしょ。そもそも私、他人にオープンではありません｡｡｡
でも、私がもっとオープンになって、時間とエネルギーを他人に向けたら解決するってことも分かりました。今すぐはちょっと無理かも。自分と旦那で精いっぱい。でもここでまた開眼。もっと強くならなければいけないんですね、私。心も体も！ というわけで、もっと食べて、歩いて、笑います。早速、今日から一駅歩きます！
A book I've been reading recently* says that uncertainty avoidance is different from risk avoidance. It goes on to say, "Anxiety ..... has no object. Uncertainty has no probability attached to it."
* Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede and Michael Minkov
Today, I would like to talk about loneliness from this uncertainty-anxiety perspective because I want to reduce my loneliness.
First, I want to attach a probability to uncertainty about my loneliness as it's easier. The chance that I will end up living by myself is statistically 100% because my husband is five year older than I am and males' life expectancy is shorter than females' one in Japan. It's almost for sure that I'll live not necessarily lonely, but alone for the last ten years of my life.
The next step is to identify what I'm so anxious about. Eating alone? Having no walking buddy? Having no one to talk to? Having no one to kiss? Having no one I drink with? Or dying alone?
Now I realize that I'm scared of having no one understanding or caring for me. Of course, after my husband dies, I'll still have friends who care about me, but they wouldn't understand or care about me as my husband does. At this point, I again realize that it's understandable that they wouldn't understand me as deeply as my husband does because I'm not open to them and don't spend much time with them.
The thing is that I have no energy left for others physically or mentally after using it for myself and husband. But I also know that I will end up lonely if I don't change and that it's too late to start building or deepening friendship after my husband dies. Real friendship takes time. So, what should I do to spend more time and energy for my friends before it's too late?
The answer is simple. I need to be physically and mentally stronger to be more active and open, and listen to and accept others and for that, I have to eat, walk and laugh more. I'm going to get off the train one stop before the destination from today!
今読んでいる本に「不確実を回避することとリスクを回避することは違う」とありました。そして「不安とは何が不安か分からないこと、不確実とはそれが起きる可能性が分からないことをいう」とありました。ナルジマ風に言いますと、不安の根源を数値化、具体化できたら、もうそれは不安ではなく不確実なことになって対処しやすくなる、と言ったような感じでしょうか。
* Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede and Michael Minkov
ということで今日のお題は「どうしたら孤独を減らせるか」です。
まず最初に「不確実の数値化」から。うちの旦那は5歳上です。平均寿命からすると、私の晩年10年ほどはほぼ確実に一人暮らしということになります。
次は「私は何を恐れているのか」という問題です。一人の食事？ 一緒に歩く人がいないこと？ 話し相手がいないこと？一緒に飲む人がいないこと？一人で死ぬこと？
ここまで書いて分かりました。自分を分かってくれる人、構ってくれる人がいなくなるのが怖いんです。旦那が死んだって友達はいる。だけど、旦那ぐらい自分を構ってくれるような人はいないし、旦那が死んでから友達を作ろうとしたって遅すぎでしょ。そもそも私、他人にオープンではありません｡｡｡
でも、私がもっとオープンになって、時間とエネルギーを他人に向けたら解決するってことも分かりました。今すぐはちょっと無理かも。自分と旦那で精いっぱい。でもここでまた開眼。もっと強くならなければいけないんですね、私。心も体も！ というわけで、もっと食べて、歩いて、笑います。早速、今日から一駅歩きます！
Whose Work Do We Read, Author or Translator? - A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro and Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino カズオ＝イシグロと東野圭吾
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Fans of mystery books always look for good mystery books. If you are interested in not necessarily murder mystery books, but mystery books with a literary bent, I recommend A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro because it contains a mystery.
I wrote a post about the mystery about a year ago, asking the reader if my understanding is correct. Basically (spoiler alert: don't read this post if you haven't read the book and plan to read it), the story was about two pairs of mother and daughter and one mother (i.e., the protagonist) looks back on her life and starts to talk about a sad story of her own. The mystery is whether these two mothers are the same person because at one point while reading this book in English, you would find the two pairs almost completely overlapping.
And the problem or reason I wrote about this book one year ago is that you wouldn't be able to see that mystery if you read this book in Japanese due to a linguistic difference between English and Japanese. Japanese speakers usually omit the subject if they think that it's self-evident and this often causes a problem in translation as follows:
'"In any case," I went on, "if you don't like it over there, we can always come back.... (underlined by the writer of this blog)"' - A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The problem is that the underlined part is translated into Japanese that "行ってみて嫌だったら、帰ってくればいいでしょ," which can be re-translated into English that:
".... if (no subject) don't like it over there, (no subject) can always come back."
The Japanese sentence has no subjects, so those reading this novel in Japanese generally assume that both subjects are the same, i.e., you or we, and in any case, they would be deprived of a chance to find this subtle change in the subject from "you" to "we" and to suspect (or realize) that the two mothers are the same single person. (For more details, please read this post.)
I have recently received a comment and found that the commenter, who is Japanese and read this book both in English and Japanese, felt the same way. She also gave me a very interesting link to another blog on which people discuss the generally the same issue, i.e., whether the two pairs of mother and daughter are the same.
Personally I believe that Etsuko is Sachiko and I wouldn't have enjoyed this novel if I had read it in Japanese because I love mysteries. But I also know that without the knowledge the novel is still enjoyable, so the most important issue here is not which interpretation is correct (i.e., whether Etsuko and Sachiko are the same person or not), but that Japanese readers are deprived of the opportunity to enjoy this mystery.
As a translator, I understand the difficulty of translation and have no intention of criticizing the Japanese translation. So, I want to talk about another interesting thing related to translation.
I've read several novels by Keigo Higashino, a Japanese very famous and popular mystery writer, but I read them all in English. It's only because the author’s work isn’t available in digital format. I bought Journey Under the Midnight Sun, Malice, Salvation of a Saint and enjoyed all of them in English. But this contradicts my belief, "Direct communication is better than indirect one." So, one day I decided to read his another book in Japanese in paper form and went to a book store.
But I bought none because I felt embarrassed when reading the beginning of his another novel in the store. I didn't or still don't know why. Then, I realized that maybe part of the joy of reading the three books came from the translation? I went home and found they were all translated by the same translator, Mr. Alexander O. Smith. Thank you Mr. Smith for your translations and for making me realize that translation is very important. I'm gonna keep working hard to be a translator like you....
イシグロカズオ氏の「遠い山並みの光」について以前書いた記事に、verde arbolさんという方からコメントをいただきました。私が思っていたこと（悦子と佐知子は同一人物）をverde arbolさんもお感じになられていたようで、問題意識を共有できてとてもうれしく感じました。ブログってこういうところに書く喜びがあるんですね。
他の記事にも書いておりますが、私は翻訳を生業としております。ただ、文芸ではなく、もっとお固い、解釈の余地が少ない分野でお仕事しています。とはいえ、日本語と英語の行き来には日々考えさせられることが多く、やりがい、そして広がりを感じます。そうです。英語が少しでもできるようになると世界が広がります。私がこのブログを英語と日本語の両方で書いているのも世界を広げたいからです。いつか、このブログが日本語と英語の両方が行きかう場になればいいなと願っています。
そこで今日は翻訳ネタをもう一つ。実は私はミステリーが好きで、そういう意味でもイシグロ氏の「遠い山並みの光」はとても楽しめたのですが、ある書評で東野圭吾氏の「白夜行」がやはり殺人トリックよりも人の心に焦点を当てた良質のミステリーであることを知り、読もうとしたのですが、なんと、氏の本は日本語電子版がない。そこで自宅ペーパーレス化を推進する私としては仕方なく翻訳電子版を買いました。いや、面白かった。最後の方なんか、一気読みでした。その後も2冊続けて東野氏の英語電子版を楽しみました。
ところが、私の信条に「コミュニケーションは間接ではなく直接の方がいい」というのもあり、「やはり、日本語で読もう！」とある日、本屋に立ち寄り、東野氏の別の本を一冊手に取り、開いて、でも戻してしまいました。冒頭の日本語が恥ずかしく感じられて、読めなくなってしまったのです。（決して東野氏を批判しているものではありません！）その時思ったんです。もしかして私は東野氏とその翻訳者の共同作品を楽しんでいたのでは、と。家に帰って確認したら、読んだ3冊は3冊ともAlexander O. Smith氏の訳でした。Smithさん、ありがとう。翻訳の大切さを改めて認識しました。私ももっと頑張ってあなたのような翻訳者になります！
Fans of mystery books always look for good mystery books. If you are interested in not necessarily murder mystery books, but mystery books with a literary bent, I recommend A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro because it contains a mystery.
I wrote a post about the mystery about a year ago, asking the reader if my understanding is correct. Basically (spoiler alert: don't read this post if you haven't read the book and plan to read it), the story was about two pairs of mother and daughter and one mother (i.e., the protagonist) looks back on her life and starts to talk about a sad story of her own. The mystery is whether these two mothers are the same person because at one point while reading this book in English, you would find the two pairs almost completely overlapping.
And the problem or reason I wrote about this book one year ago is that you wouldn't be able to see that mystery if you read this book in Japanese due to a linguistic difference between English and Japanese. Japanese speakers usually omit the subject if they think that it's self-evident and this often causes a problem in translation as follows:
'"In any case," I went on, "if you don't like it over there, we can always come back.... (underlined by the writer of this blog)"' - A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The problem is that the underlined part is translated into Japanese that "行ってみて嫌だったら、帰ってくればいいでしょ," which can be re-translated into English that:
".... if (no subject) don't like it over there, (no subject) can always come back."
The Japanese sentence has no subjects, so those reading this novel in Japanese generally assume that both subjects are the same, i.e., you or we, and in any case, they would be deprived of a chance to find this subtle change in the subject from "you" to "we" and to suspect (or realize) that the two mothers are the same single person. (For more details, please read this post.)
I have recently received a comment and found that the commenter, who is Japanese and read this book both in English and Japanese, felt the same way. She also gave me a very interesting link to another blog on which people discuss the generally the same issue, i.e., whether the two pairs of mother and daughter are the same.
Personally I believe that Etsuko is Sachiko and I wouldn't have enjoyed this novel if I had read it in Japanese because I love mysteries. But I also know that without the knowledge the novel is still enjoyable, so the most important issue here is not which interpretation is correct (i.e., whether Etsuko and Sachiko are the same person or not), but that Japanese readers are deprived of the opportunity to enjoy this mystery.
As a translator, I understand the difficulty of translation and have no intention of criticizing the Japanese translation. So, I want to talk about another interesting thing related to translation.
I've read several novels by Keigo Higashino, a Japanese very famous and popular mystery writer, but I read them all in English. It's only because the author’s work isn’t available in digital format. I bought Journey Under the Midnight Sun, Malice, Salvation of a Saint and enjoyed all of them in English. But this contradicts my belief, "Direct communication is better than indirect one." So, one day I decided to read his another book in Japanese in paper form and went to a book store.
But I bought none because I felt embarrassed when reading the beginning of his another novel in the store. I didn't or still don't know why. Then, I realized that maybe part of the joy of reading the three books came from the translation? I went home and found they were all translated by the same translator, Mr. Alexander O. Smith. Thank you Mr. Smith for your translations and for making me realize that translation is very important. I'm gonna keep working hard to be a translator like you....
他の記事にも書いておりますが、私は翻訳を生業としております。ただ、文芸ではなく、もっとお固い、解釈の余地が少ない分野でお仕事しています。とはいえ、日本語と英語の行き来には日々考えさせられることが多く、やりがい、そして広がりを感じます。そうです。英語が少しでもできるようになると世界が広がります。私がこのブログを英語と日本語の両方で書いているのも世界を広げたいからです。いつか、このブログが日本語と英語の両方が行きかう場になればいいなと願っています。
そこで今日は翻訳ネタをもう一つ。実は私はミステリーが好きで、そういう意味でもイシグロ氏の「遠い山並みの光」はとても楽しめたのですが、ある書評で東野圭吾氏の「白夜行」がやはり殺人トリックよりも人の心に焦点を当てた良質のミステリーであることを知り、読もうとしたのですが、なんと、氏の本は日本語電子版がない。そこで自宅ペーパーレス化を推進する私としては仕方なく翻訳電子版を買いました。いや、面白かった。最後の方なんか、一気読みでした。その後も2冊続けて東野氏の英語電子版を楽しみました。
ところが、私の信条に「コミュニケーションは間接ではなく直接の方がいい」というのもあり、「やはり、日本語で読もう！」とある日、本屋に立ち寄り、東野氏の別の本を一冊手に取り、開いて、でも戻してしまいました。冒頭の日本語が恥ずかしく感じられて、読めなくなってしまったのです。（決して東野氏を批判しているものではありません！）その時思ったんです。もしかして私は東野氏とその翻訳者の共同作品を楽しんでいたのでは、と。家に帰って確認したら、読んだ3冊は3冊ともAlexander O. Smith氏の訳でした。Smithさん、ありがとう。翻訳の大切さを改めて認識しました。私ももっと頑張ってあなたのような翻訳者になります！
Having Career Decreases Woman's Marriage Chances in Japan? 働く日本女性は結婚できない？
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The book I've been reading recently answered my long-term question, "Does having careers reduce women's marriage chances"? The answer is "Yes" here in Japan.
The book I've been reading recently answered my long-term question, "Does having careers reduce women's marriage chances"? The answer is "Yes" here in Japan.
Bedridden Elderly Worth More Than Those With Dementia in Japan 認知症と寝たきり、どっちがいい？
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
A TV program I watched a few weeks ago showed a couple, a husband and a wife in their 90s, both suffering from dementia, expelled from one facility to another every one to three months. The reason is that their level of nursing care requirements, designated by the authorities, is relatively low, i.e., Level 2 on a scale from 1 to 5, because they are physically okay. In Japan, elderly who are physically fine, but mentally not (such as the couple) are considered to need less care requirements, tend to be categorized as a lower care requirements level and as a result get less care benefits even though they actually need more help, i.e., often going missing and caregivers having to find them even if it's midnight. Care homes, mostly privately run, don't want to accept such elderly people because of less profitability. It's easy to understand why physically fine elderly with dementia, such as the couple, aren't so popular.
A TV program I watched a few weeks ago showed a couple, a husband and a wife in their 90s, both suffering from dementia, expelled from one facility to another every one to three months. The reason is that their level of nursing care requirements, designated by the authorities, is relatively low, i.e., Level 2 on a scale from 1 to 5, because they are physically okay. In Japan, elderly who are physically fine, but mentally not (such as the couple) are considered to need less care requirements, tend to be categorized as a lower care requirements level and as a result get less care benefits even though they actually need more help, i.e., often going missing and caregivers having to find them even if it's midnight. Care homes, mostly privately run, don't want to accept such elderly people because of less profitability. It's easy to understand why physically fine elderly with dementia, such as the couple, aren't so popular.
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