Estimates by March 2012 Show Company in Red
Due to Increased Cost of Thermal Electricity
20 January Evening Edition P2
The accounting sheet of Kansai Electrical
Corporation shows heavy net losses for the company for figures till March 2012,
sources revealed on 20 January. The main reason behind these losses is said to
be increased cost of operating thermal power units, even as the nuclear plants
undergoing inspection remain in a shutdown condition. If the balance sheet
figures prove correct and the company suffers the projected losses, it will be
the first time since March 2009 for Kansai Electric, which lost 8.7 billion yen
loss at that time. Kansai Electric sources say that the profit will go down by
a margin of 300 billion yen due to the increase in the cost of the fuel for
producing electricity. This means that March 2012 may bring the largest losses
for the power company since balance accounting started in March 1995. In March
2011 balance sheet, the company showed a sale of 2.7697 trillion yen, which
meant a net profit of 123.1 billion yen.
Kansai Electric had projected an 80% use
rate for its nuclear power stations as of April 2011, but shutdowns for
inspections meant that only 35% use could be materialized as of March 2012. Calculations
show that with every 1% drop in nuclear plant use rate, there is a loss of 6.6
billion yen.
The company is delaying its corporate performance
estimates for March 2012, saying the delay is due to the indecision over the
fate of stopped nuclear reactors.
Comment
The story not only makes it clear how
dependent Japan is on nuclear power, but also shows how dependent we have
become on electricity. It will probably not be an exaggeration to say that the
modern civilization is powered by electricity, and the Tohoku disaster has
dealt a massive blow to this core engine of today's lifestyle. I still think
there is no short term solution away from nuclear electricity, and nuclear
plants need to be restarted, albeit with extreme caution against possible
breakdowns after quakes or flooding. However, the country needs to be locally
self reliant on energy, and production to some extent must move away from these
mega corporations, who are the zaibatsu of today. This is a lesson not only
limited to Japan, and I hope the world in general learns from such cases.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd Year
India
Agriculture, Fisheries to be Strengthened with High-Tech Measures
20 January Evening Edition P1
Latest high tech ways to produce energy from
solar radiation utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) and Light Emitting
Diode (LED) will begin in right earnest from 2012 in the disaster ravaged
provinces of Miyagi and Iwate in Northeast Japan. The cutting edge technologies are
to be used to stimulate sectors like agriculture and fisheries in these
provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has
identified two cities and two towns affected by saltwater aggression, like the
Natori City in the Miyagi Prefecture, and the Kamaishi Port in the Iwate
Prefecture as research spots, Research in these areas is expected to be linked
to the efforts of regenerating local economy. Apart from the immediate goals,
there are plans to disseminate the findings on the national scale and help
agriculture and fisheries to rebound.
The period for the experiments will be till
2016 and a total of 760 million yen has been earmarked for the research budget
for 2012. As for the experiments on farming, a large area of 200 to 250
hectares will be secured with cooperation from local businesses and a model
farming plot will be constructed. The ground will have sensors to detect changes
in water or fertilizer levels, and will also involve designs for agricultural
automation. While taking note of precise conditions with the help of GPS,
automated rice planting devices and robot tractors will spread seeds of rice,
wheat and soy bean. The efforts will also involve small scale hydroelectricity
production in gentle rivers flowing across plains for agricultural production. There
will be vegetable and fruit production as well with LED radiation used to
exterminate harmful insects.
Taking lesson from the fact that in
Kamaishi port, a great deal of damage was done by loss of power after the quake
and tsunami knocked off power supply, back up power facilities involving solar
or hydroelectric power will be set up for deep freezing and refrigerating
units. Sensors will be fitted on floating buoys to accurately detect movements
of tides and planktons, helping in fish tracking. The MAFF is optimistic that
the efforts will halve marine production costs or will generate high income
from this sector.
Comment
This is an ambitious experiment by the
MAFF, and they are using novel technologies and approaches. The usage of GPS
and LED, if successful, will probably usher in automated farming, which is a
need for a country like Japan where farming hands are declining day by day.
Yet, I remain somewhat unconvinced. This is
because mega-experiments like this will have their flip side too, and that will
in all probability be looked over by the MAFF. It seems that the ministry still
remains inclined at technological fixes, rather than solving problems through
small scale local initiatives. If things go wrong, this could well turn out
like the MLIT design of river governance, where deteriorating river quality due
to human intervention is addressed by yet more intervention, in the name of
cutting edge technology, resulting in a constant deterioration of natural
conditions. The MAFF experiment seems inclined to use a lot of hydroelectricity
as well, what will happen to the rivers where small scale hydropower stations
will be fitted? The problem is disasters like the Tohoku Tsunami always give opportunities
to a range of stakeholders, and ministries tend to see this vacuum as an
opportunity to push through grandiose plans.
That said, the experiment promises much as
well, time will tell how it actually fares.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd Year
India
Aiming to coexist
in a disaster and energy conscious society
After
attracting large amounts of criticism for wasting electricity following the
disaster in Eastern Japan, makers of beverage vending machines are eager to
clear the name of their machines once and for all. They point out that their
machines can act as a lifeline in times of crisis, providing information and
hydration. Vending machine manufactures have been quick to implement energy
saving measures on their products and they are aiming to become accepted as a
part of a disaster and energy conscious society.
Investing in energy
saving models
In
the part of Sendai city hit hard by the earthquake, "town communication"
vending machines were installed near seven temporary housing facilities. These
machines are equipped with a 12 X 16 cm digital display that provides the
citizens with up-to-date information for their area, such as news, public
announcements, and disaster reports.
The
machines are an experimental product that was developed by Suntory and Toppan
Printing working together with Sendai City. Suntory, who is currently looking
into the feasibility of a broader commercialization of the product, explained
that, "In times of crisis, we are hoping that these machines will become a kind
of central base for sending out information."
Coca
Cola Japan is working with NTT Docomo to use remote operation technology to
develop "a vending machine that would make positive contributions to the local
area." During a disaster, evacuation information will be shown in real time on
an LED display. All the drinks inside the machine will also become free of
charge. Equipped with solar panels, the vending machine uses the power it generates
during the day to light up at night.
Fuji
Electric, one of the largest makers of vending machines, is also working on a
disaster compatible model of its own. At the flip of a switch it also can be
made to dispense drinks free of charge; the standard model can hold over 500
bottles. "In 2012 we are set to ship about 10 000 disaster compatible models,
about four times the number of last year," said a confident representative.
With
the focus shifting towards conservation in the heavy electricity use of the
winter season, makers are touting new models that use up to 40% less energy
than previous machines. In terms of electricity consumption, they are the
lowest in the industry.
The "saturation
point"
In
the 1990s vending machines became the topic of frequent public criticism
because of the way they jutted out into the street. The recent string of
bashing stems from comments made last spring by Tokyo governor Shintarou
Ishihara. Singling out wasted energy, he stated, "I can't believe our country is
so stupid as to allow our streets to be clogged by an endless row of vending
machines."
The
beverage industry is currently putting a plan into action that would
periodically halt refrigeration on drinks in vending machines during the summer
months. No matter how much these achievements are emphasized however, "this
regulation alone is unlikely to quiet the voices of those saying that vending
machines are entirely unnecessary."
Following
the disaster, as part of their investigation into a new type of vending
machine, Coca Cola Japan began holding public dialogs with local citizens. Coca
Cola managers took the initiate to give guest lectures at junior high schools
about the future of the vending machine. The students provided a variety of
ideas of their own as well, including: "special discounts for the elderly",
"vending machines stocked with locally produced products", and "touch panel
selection".
With
over 5 Million units around Japan, there is often talk of vending machines
having reached their saturation point. For the sake of the survival of their
industry, vending machine makers will continue to experiment.
Comment:
The
capitalist system has come under considerable criticism in recent years; some
of it is justified, others less so. The recent protests against the "1%" (the
small population at the top of the wealth pyramid who own a hugely
disproportioned share of wealth) are an expression of the resentment that has
arisen due to the inequalities that are seemingly endemic to capitalism. On the
other hand, much of the recent backlash against capitalism and consumerism, I
feel, is predicated on a nostalgic longing for times past.
Thinking
about it, vending machines are a surprisingly apt symbol for capitalism. Devoid
of human interaction, the selling process has been streamlined to near
perfection. As they are portrayed in this article, however, vending machines
can also show us a positive example of how corporations can do good for society
if properly led by government regulation.
Let us not mince words: vending machine
manufactures do not love us. The reason that are trying to save electricity and
find new ways to stay relevant is purely reactionary. They realized that if the
current public opinion continued, their energy-guzzling, eyesore machines would
be among the first to go. Sure the government could pay to install its own
emergency information kiosks. But Coca Cola and friends will probably do so
more efficiently. Corporations are not inherently good or evil; they simple
strive for profit. We must, both as consumers and citizens, hold companies
accountable for their actions and pressure them to act in ways we think are
right.
Abebe Tinari
Re-launch of Famous OM Line Digital Cameras Aimed at Image Recovery
20 January Morning Edition P4
Olympus announced yesterday (19 January)
that it is going to re-launch its famous OM from spring 2012, a model swept
photography enthusiasts of yesteryear off their feet, as the to end product of
the 'mirrorless single lens (SLR) cameras' segment of the digital market--- an
area where the company enjoys the top position in the domestic market. First
launched in 1973 as a film SLR camera, the first model OM1 was an instant hit
due to its compact size and durability. The re-launch is aimed at an image
makeover for the company, as re-launching a brand that was in the market for 30
odd years is expected to boost sales for a company struggling with allegations
of falsifying huge amount of losses.
The new camera will be named OM-D, and a
pyramid shaped projected part on the top is a throwback to the yesteryear, inspired
by a similar structure on the OM1 version. The 16 megapixel version will use
cutting edge technologies like high speed autofocus and advanced shake-guard,
for taking high quality images. The prominent color will be black, and the
price tag with a removable lens is seen at around 100,000 yen.
The camera will be launched in Asian,
European and American markets following its domestic launch.
Comment
Olympus cameras are great value for money,
I still have the E410 DSLR, which once was the smallest DSLR in the market. The
new OMD is likely to be a boost for the company's battered image, and will
surely be a challenger to the NEX models of Sony Alpha. Mirrorless DSLs or more
appropriately, DSLMs in the case of this product: are fast becoming a popular
segment due to their operational ease, compact size and style. It will be
interesting to see what sort of lens mount and range of lenses Olympus offers
for the OMD, whether it can be a ready replacement for other versions with
compatible mounts or whether the company goes for lenses suited for portrait,
landscape and a variety of everyday use, and leaves out the more serious stuff
like super macro and super zoom kits. It will also be interesting to see what
sort of balance the camera is able to provide if mounted with a hefty lens.
Retro enthusiasts and ladies will probably
become big fans of the brand when it is launched, as the race to bring SLRs and
DSLMs down to the common people continues.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd Year
India
Medical culture
meets Buddhist culture
I once asked a man
about 60 who took very good care of his health: "You sure take care of
yourself. You have lived a long life and seem to have many years ahead of you.
What is it you want to achieve?" To which he responded, "I don't have the
answer to that yet. I am still continuing my search."
The
usual way we go about thinking about life goes something like this: we do not
consider a fixed goal of living, after we are born we just continue living, not
wanting to die, or not having the courage to face death. Remember the famous
saying: "As long as there is life, there is hope." We live, and while we are
alive we convince ourselves that if we just continue living, something good
will be waiting in our future.
When
we think like this, it is not "now," but in fact some abstract future that we
are pursuing. In other words, the present becomes nothing more than a step in
preparation for some imagined future.
This
way of thinking might be okay while we are young, but when you get up past 60
or 70 and you are still hoping for some future satisfaction or gratification, I
would say that is a problem. By thinking like this, we are essential saying, "I
am living for a bright future." But by doing this, aren't we losing the goal
of "living" for itself? Isn't the
most important thing to make "now" or "today" an aim in itself?
By
making your focus tomorrow, and constantly setting your sights on the future,
you begin to live in an empty, hollowed out way that Buddhism refers to as a
"vacant life of futile vicissitudes (空過流転の虚しい生き方.)
Asking
ourselves question such as "why was I born?" or "why am I alive?" we deeply
feel what it means to be alive and the truth of Buddhist saying, "life is
suffering."
The
principal of rational scientific thought that forms the basis of our current
practice of medicine is not designed to measure our satisfaction or test the
meaning of our life; this is outside its jurisdiction. I have come to believe
that satisfaction is something that depends solely on the subjective feeling of
the patient, and is not a concern of the person treating them. This is all the
more true when it comes to cold, objective, purely scientific evaluations of
the cost / benefits of extending or saving a life.
Comment:
As
human beings we bear the simultaneous gift and curse of the ability to
contemplate our own existence. I see a lot of apathy when I look around the
world, and I feel that, as identified in the article, much of this is due to
people feeling like they have no purpose in life. When I say purpose, I do not
mean some grandiose mission or calling, only a daily role that has meaning to
them personally. Lottery tickets, fortune telling, reality TV shows...they all
pray on our tendency to reflect on what our current life offers us, and wish
for something more.
As
life spans increase, we will have more time on this planet. To some this will
be a boon; more time to create, to accomplish, and to learn. To others, it will
just mean a longer gradual decline and more unfulfilled yearning. I recently
heard a story of a woman in her 90s who went back to university. Her goal was
to graduate before she died. To me, this is an amazing pursuit. Realizing that
nothing is permanent, let's try to make our subjective outlook on each day
positive.
Abebe Tinari
Earthquake Policy of the Nation Undergoes
Sweeping Changes after Tohoku Earthquake
14 January Morning Edition P 7
The March 11 2011 earthquake in Northeast
Japan brought sweeping changes to the earthquake policies of the nation. This
is not only due to the fact that the earthquake at Magnitude 9 was the
strongest observed in the country, but also due to the situation where a
massive tsunami resulted in over 20,000 people either dead or unaccounted for,
which was totally unforeseen. The national government is also reconsidering the
earthquake policy after this disaster. 'Disaster reduction' seems to be the
mantra of the new policy that is in the process of being born in today's Japan.
This approach accepts that seawalls and structural
barriers are unlikely to stop this type of natural hazards completely, and
thus there is a need of concentrating on
provisions to swiftly relocate after quake disasters strike from seashore
areas, and more efforts are needed to realize 'self help' mechanisms. This will
result in a 'reduction of the disaster.' This policy also shows that serious
rethink is being done after delay in evacuating people resulted in a lot of
casualties from the tsunami.
Apart from swift evacuation from danger
zones, the 'self help' strategy also involves building more quake resistant
homes and buying quake insurance policies, and provision of water and food for
emergencies, which can save lives when aid does not reach the affected people
for up to 3 days. It is being seen that several killer quakes rattled regions
immediately around Tokyo, the Tokai area, Tonankai and Nankai areas within a
1000 year time scale. It is also being seen that initial estimations might have
been wrong and the Nankai earthquake might have been a magnitude 9 temblor,
which puts it at par with the Tohoku earthquake. All these mean that it is extremely
important to have steps at managing and mitigating natural disasters such as earthquakes
on an individual basis in this country.
Comment
This is an extremely valuable report,
showing that the state and the civil society is already coming together
silently to realize new efforts towards mitigating natural disasters. Especially,
the acknowledgement that seawalls and concrete structures are not full-proof
defenses is a welcome one, from a geographer's point of view, it appears to me
that they might actually have worsened the death toll by providing a false
sense of security. The concept of 'disaster reduction' rather than 'disaster
prevention' is a very useful one in this sense, and as historic evidences
suggest, there will possibly be more of similar disasters in the future
involving the northeast. Internalizing natural disasters is the way forward in
this scenario, and the revision in the earthquake policy is a step towards the
right direction.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd year
India
Sumire Hirotsuru
becomes determined to study abroad after visiting Harvard for a musical
performance
Sumire Hirotsuru, a
third year student at Uenogao high school in Oita city, was recently accepted
to the prestigious Harvard Collage in America. "I'm looking forward to learning
about a much broader variety of subjects that I have not had to the chance to
experience yet," said Hirotsuru as she looks ahead to the start of her first
semester at Harvard next September.
Hirotsuru
began playing the violin at age 3 and is still an active violinist, performing
both in and out of the prefecture at venues such as the Argerich music festival.
She excelled at the international music contest held in Italy in 2009. As an
extra benefit of winning that contest, she was invited to a performance in
Carnegie Hall in New York last year. "I became interested in the culture and
soul of America, and starting thinking about going there to study."
The
entrance examination was held in Japan last May. She also went to Fukuoka each
month to take an American university aptitude test. Her application also
involved multiple short-essays and a video-interview over the Internet. She has
never studied at a cram school, instead learning English from her mother and
assistant language teachers (ALT). As for her other subjects, her success comes
from simply working hard after school and listening to her teachers. According
to Hirotsuru, "The most difficult part was memorizing the requisite 15 000
words of English vocabulary."
Word
of her acceptance came by E-mail the morning of December 16th. When
asked about her thoughts at that moment, "Right after we read the message, it
was much quieter than I would have expected. I just thought, 'I've got to tell
all the people who helped me out over the years.'"
"I
want to become someone who can contribute to international society, so I plan
to study Sociology. Of course I will continue to play my beloved violin. By
going abroad, I hope to further appreciate Japan and Oita," Said Hirotsuru of
her future aspirations.
Comment:
I
recently read a book called "Reimagining Japan: The Quest for a Future that
Works." The book was divided into groups of essays structured around a common
theme. In the part of the book dedicated to a discussion of how Japan should
reconnect with the rest of the world, nearly every essayist mentioned the
declining number of Japanese students at prestigious American universities. I
am sure that Miss Hirotsuru worked hard to earn her acceptance. However, there
are two points I would like to make on this topic.
First,
a point is made about the method she uses to study English. Private tutors are
not cheap, nor are professional violin teachers, nor Harvard's school fees. My
girlfriend went to the same school as the girl mentioned in this article, and
apparently her family's wealth was infamous. This is nothing to be ashamed of,
but it does say something about the way that our world is structured. It is one
thing for an essayist to proclaim that more Japanese students should make it
abroad, the question remains, however, of how to pay for the lessons required.
This
brings me to my second point. The author of this article points out that
Hirotsuru never went to cram school to study. I feel very sorry for the parents
who read this, considering that many of them must work hard to send their kids
to after-school lessons in the hopes of giving them opportunities in the
future. It is true though, that the inflation of education continues. Cram
schools, once the mark of an extra-dedicated student, have become the norm. Schools
now expect that students will be going. In return, students pay less attention
in class, because they know that they will cover the same material in their
cram school. The race to give your child a leg up in life continues.
Abebe Tinari
Beppu City Publishes Leaflet after 10 Years
14 January Morning Edition P11
The water supply department of Beppu city
is preparing a leaflet called 'Water supply and Life (Suido to Kurashi) to
expand awareness about water supply works after a period of 10 years. The
leaflet will be published twice a year and is being used in circulars to
promote the city's image. The department was earlier involved in publishing leaflet
on water supply issues, commemorating the water supply week in the first weks
of June till 2001, but financial problems shut this operation down. However,
after the Tohoku earthquake and natural disaster, the importance of water and
water supply was felt once more and young workers voluntarily came forward to
take over the mantle of bringing out the leaflet once more. The title remains
the same and even the volume numbers will follow from the last edition.
The leaflet will be written in clear
sentences, with lots of illustrations, to make the message easily
understandable. In order to circumvent financial problems, workers are drawing
the illustrations themselves. The first edition introduces facts like in 100
yen one can only get 1 liter of bottled water, but at the same price, 4 drum
cans of tap water (about 824 liter) can be bought, if one goes to a bath of 300
liter capacity, he or she uses 45 yen of water at a time, and for every time
one goes to the toilet, he or she uses 1.5 yen (10 liters of water).
Wakasa Youichi (33 years) of the
administrative division who is in charge of the illustrations and layout says
that they are already thinking of how to make the next issues interesting for
readers.
Comment
This is a laudable effort from the water
supply division of Beppu. The earthquake and tsunami disaster in the Northeast
has sparked different types of responses in different layers of the Japanese society,
and the water supply workers are showing that they have their own way of
contributing to the resurgence of civic awareness. The news report mentions
that young workers have come forward to shoulder the responsibility on their
own, this shows how much vibrancy, ideas and latent energy are there in the
youth of the country today, despite complaints of 'lost generations' and 'carefree
lifestyles'. This will surely be a successful project, what is now required is
support from readers and the public.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd Year
India
Brave Challenge by Youth to the Harsh
Conditions a Must See Event
14 January Morning Edition P11
The annual '18th Resilience
Challenge (Gaman Taikai) to Cold' will be held atop Mt. Tsurumi (1375m) in
Beppu city from 10:30 am on 22 January this year. The Oita Godo Newspaper is
supporting the event. The event sponsors are looking for contestants with grand
prizes to those that show warm hear and enthusiasm to challenge the harsh and
cold conditions on top of the mountain.
The annual resilience challenge is a
popular event held on top of the mountain, where temperatures remain below zero
degrees even in midday. The challenges are of five kinds: to sit on benches
made of ice, and eat shaved ice with ice spoons while measuring time and eat
somen noodles in the same way, make a snowman with bare hands and aim at it (snow
darts: for children below primary school age), immerse hands inside a water
bucket for a minute and then thread three needles (called the threading from
hell), holding onto ice poles with bare hands (the ice-embrace challenge).
Every year the warmth of the spirit of the contestants stimulate those who come
to see this event.
A total of 10 contestants can take part in
each category. The places are filled up on a first come first served basis and
the snow darts part has already reached full capacity. There is a gallery for
the audience with shaved ice available. There is also free service of amazake
(sweet rice wine). In case of rains though, the event will be cancelled.
Enquiries and applications can be made to
the Kintetsu Beppu Ropeway at the number 0977222277.
Comment
The Resilience Challenge is a novel way to
express the warmth of human spirit facing harsh challenges. It is also a way to
draw people together to appreciate the cold mountain weather, especially the
tsurumi which is very beautiful at winter, with ice flowers (muhyo). I have
been to the top for a number of times, but so far have not managed to see the
resilience challenge. Wish all the best to the contestants and hope it does not
rain!
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate 3rd Year
India
17 January Morning Edition P11
The Dean of the International College of
Management in Ritsumeikan APU, Professor Yokoyama Kenji has brought out a book
on improving English language skills based on his own experiences. The book is
titled 'Eigo wa totsuzen umaku naru (English can be Mastered Suddenly)', is
published by President Publications on a B6 format with 158 pages, and costs
1365 JPY. The book can be purchased in bookshops in Oita and the university
Co-Op in APU.
Professor Yokoyama tells that he was
neither good at nor fond of English in his student days. Nor does he have any
experience of traveling to foreign countries for education. Yet he takes
classes in English on a regular basis in the university today.
Professor Yokoyama took notice of the key
to mastering English about 10 years back, when APU was just being opened. After
practicing to repeat words spoken at a fast pace in an English language program
on the radio, he found that during lectures, he could speak English with ease. "We
all learn English at school. It is about stimulating your brain by moving the
muscles in your mouth, then the latent English language skill can surface easily"
he says. He contends that the way to master English is to repeat short phrases
at a fast pace, he calls this method as the 'rehabilitation method.' He says if
one repeats this practice everyday, his or her speaking will definitely
improve, and listening skills will be benefited as well.
Professor Yokoyama has explained in detail
about the rehabilitation method in his book. He also points out that before
mastering English, one needs to develop the ability to understand expressions and
intentions in speech, which remain keys to smooth communication. He also offers
advices on the ways to master English grammar. Professor Yokoyama says: "It is
very important that you enjoy English when you use it. I think for the people
who have many opportunities to use English in daily life, the efficacy of this
method will be readily apparent. I hope they will try it out."
Enquiries about Professor Yokoyama's work
can be made at APU at: 0977781114.
Comment
Professor Yokoyama is one of the most popular
professors at APU, a charming, easygoing personality who is not only interested
in his own subject, but also about a variety of issues. His book is definitely
a refreshing approach to mastering English, as it is written with both a
personal flavor as well as familiarity with most of the troubles faced by the
young people when communicating in English in this country. Apart from the book's
obvious usefulness from this point, I also particularly like the comment of his
where he mentions that enjoying is the key to mastering something. This lies at
the core of any type of education. Professor Yokoyama has shown us that he is a
teacher in the true sense of the word.
Abhik Chakraborty
PhD Candidate (GSAD 3rd Year)
India
