June 2009 Archives

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on June 20, 2009)

The idea of "Sending quality milk to father on Father's day" was first created by young woman members of Oita Dairy Farming at the committee meeting. On July 19, Mr.Osajima - chairman of the committee - with other 10 members came to visit Oita city's office and give the Governor of Oita many bottles of fresh and quality milk as well as other products made from milk.

The President of Oita Dairy Farming Association talked sincerely to the Governor, "for the re-establishment of the management of Kyushu Dairy Business, we need the cooperation from the prefectural government." "Especially on Father's day, we wish to encourage people to drink a lot of milk" said the President while giving yogurt product manufactured in Oita to the hands of the Governor.

After drinking a glass of milk given, the governor presented an opinion and promised that "For being healthy, milk is the best as always. Our office will also help promote both the tastiness and the usefulness of Oita's milk. Let's overcome all difficulties!"

Comment:  I love drinking milk! It is really good for creating the strength of your bone. Now I have very big and strong bones. As studied in high school, our bone's calcium will gradually decline according to the increasing of our age. Therefore, everybody should drink milk as well as eating other food containing calcium. Remember good health brings other good things to your life!

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

"A person with died brain is considered dead."

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on June 18, 2009)

At the grand conference of the House of Representatives in the afternoon of July 18, 4 organ transplantation proposals were introduced as the new legislation by Diet members.

Among four proposals, proposal A stating that "Died brain is generally considered to the death of the person" was the one which obtained the most supportive votes, thus has been approved by the House of Representatives. As furthermore information, if the person does not declare the disagreement of transplantation before the death of his/her brain, relatives have right to decide whether to allow the transplantation of the patient's internal organs or not.

Since the proposal A has been approved and sent to all hospitals, the other three proposals were failed. The old legislation required the lowest age of organ donor as 15 years old but the new one requires no limitation of donor's age.

All these are from the intention to increase the number of internal organ donors domestically.

Comment:  This is very hard to decide. There are always pros and cons in every proposal. In this case of proposal A, I think the most important advantage is that more people can be helped in time by getting fully-working-organ transplantation from donors (people with died brain but the body is still normally working). However, one thing I wonder is that when they will decide to operate the organs out of donors' bodies. How long should the doctors wait? Could it be possible if the donors' brains become awake some time we do not know in the future?

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University             

(Oita Godo Newspaper, June 10^th 2009, morning paper)

With President SAKAMOTO said that "We want to support Oita Trinita in this critical condition", and "Urgent Fund-Raising Support" activity was started. "Loving Trinita Voluntary Assembly" was inaugurated on June 11^th from 2pm onwards, in the public park in the Soccer Sports Association in Oita Prefecture.

"Loving Trinita Voluntary Assembly" consisted of volunteers, supporters. They did fund-raising activities on the streets as well as the usual tournament place at J-1 League Chiba Contest (April 7^th, Kyushu Petroleum Dome) to raise donations to Oita Football Club (Oita FC) .

Trinita, who is at the bottom of the list of J-1 League, needs its players to be strengthened and reinforced. At the Supporter Conference (May 31^st), in his speech CEO Mizohata Hiroshi said "Even though we don't have money for the reinforcement, we should make it happen (raise fund) with all of our strength".

The support assembly said, "Gathering in a short period of time, and we would like to give strength to the team so they can have good spirits". Feel free to join the Voluntary Assembly, if you need more information please contact "Loving Trinita Voluntary Assembly" at 097-573-2102.

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on June 14, 2009)

In July, 2005, the first floor of Saiki city's chamber of commerce was set to be a job-hunting support center for under 35-year-old people, called "Job Café Oita - Saiki Satellite". However, due to the dramatic augment of visitors, the consulting corner seems to become very narrow. Thus, it is moved to Naka-cho, shopping district inside Saiki city.

The new place is 130 m². Within that, 60 m² are arranged as a computer corner for a staff to teach computer lessons. Since there is a support from the prefecture as well, people can participate the lessons for free making a rising number of participants.

According to the statistics of the Saiki Satellite, there were 450, 570, and 485 visitors in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively. Notwithstanding, it became 1,227 people visiting in 2008.

Comment:  It sounds that this center is really helpful to them. The Saiki Satellite is doing a great job of helping people. When people get jobs, they will have money to spend. And when they have money to spent, the economics will run better, won't it?

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on June 14, 2009)

A pre-internship, which students can have an opportunity experiencing a career related to the reception at the front of the school, was begun on June 11 at Takada High School in Bungo Takada city. This will last until June 25, with shifts of roughly 60 third-year students who enrolled in general department but formerly interested in business department and job hunting. The responsibilities mainly include corresponding visitors and giving them necessary information.

The purpose is to let students actively learn about how to communicate with strangers wisely and politely, how to deal with unexpected situations, how to behave in good manners at the future workplace, and keep what they have learned in their mind. This can help students get ready for the future job hunting.

Since the business department will be canceled in next academic year, students who are interested in job hunting after graduation from the high school have already been transfer to the general department from this academic year. They must first take lectures taught by teachers invited from a business school, form a group of three persons, divide duty to each member, and then go to the real stage. At first, most of students looked nervous but later gradually get used to and be able to correspond to the visitors smoothly.

Comment:  Although this is exactly a good practice that students are pushed to what is called "active learning" through the real situation, but isn't it too early for them to do job hunting after graduating from the high school? I know it is related to Japanese culture. There is no wrong, no right. I just express my Thai-style opinion. Generally in Thailand, a person can get a good job only when he graduates from a university at least bachelor degree. So I feel like that.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on June 14, 2009)

"Learn China - Food Culture Seminar" was held at Oita city's Conpal Hall on June 13 by 3 organizations including Confucius Institute of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Tsujicho Cooking School, and Oita Godo Newspaper. Approximately 30 citizens took part in this event.

This is the second of the overall 5-time series seminar. A professor from Osaka Tsujicho Cooking School's Research Center gave the participants a lecture about types and characteristics of Chinese tea, as well as growing areas, under the theme of "The General View and The Way of Tasting Chinese Tea." The participants could taste and compared 6 types of tea such as Jasmine tea.

"This is an opportunity to experience the difference between various kinds of Chinese tea, and to learn a part of Chinese living culture. Moreover, it was very fun" said a female company employee (40) from Oita.

Next time will be held on July 11, from 2 P.M., at the same place. The theme is set to be "The Way of Tasting Chinese Tea - Oolong Tea, Pu'erh Tea, and Red Tea." Participant Fee is 1000 yen (500 yen for high school students). Please contact APU's Confucius Institute - 0977-78-1188.

Comment:  All of the organizers have contributed their knowledge and more to the society. If you are interested in learning about Chinese tea, please do not hesitate to take part in!!!

Thank you (I am not told to propagate this event though ^^)

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

 Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on June 13, 2009)

Nowadays, human are researching about other living things on the Earth including those living under the sea. Today's scientific column will present about Penguin in Antarctica continent.

The emperor penguins usually go under water more than 500 meters to get the food land. We mistakenly thought "mostly vertically, they dive within very short distance", said Associate Professor Sato of Tokyo University (Oceanic Biological Department).

Associate Professor Sato told that the research team has been analyzed the depth and the speed as one of the penguin's movement called "Data Locker." The result is that the penguin dives slowly with the shallow degree of angle at the depth of 60-70 meters, and then turns to more sloping degree of angle to reach the food land.

The penguin inhales deeply when it dives deeply, on the other hand it inhales just a little when dives shallowly. The inhaled air will be compressed by the water pressure as gradual as the depth the penguin goes thus the buoyancy (floating power) will lessen. However, at the shallow stage which the buoyancy is still powerful, the penguin needs to try hard to dive. At a fixed condition they calculated, the buoyancy at 400-meter depth under the surface of the sea remains only one-fourteenth of the buoyancy at the sea level.

To be easier to understand, Associate Professor Sato gave an example of slope ways. Where the gravity is powerful (such as when we have heavy luggage), we choose to go the long way around with a gentle slope. But where the gravity is lesser, we can go the direct way which is more sloping.

Comment:  Very interesting scientific article. I have not read any scientific column for ages! This one made we want to go back to my high school and restudy the whole science.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                   

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on June 13, 2009)

The second Saturday of every month is called "Residents Thank Giving Day". On June 13, the show of disassembling a 230-kilogram canned tuna was taken place at 'Toyo no Umi' wholesale fresh market in Oita city. Staffs from the marine products industry sweated and tried their best willingly to give an observing opportunity to Oita residents both adults and children.

This huge canned tuna was caught at Kagoshima province, and then conveyed to Oita by 3 staffs from Kagoshima's 'Asanama' Marine Products Industry. Each of them held a 40-centimeter-long kitchen knife with two-side blades and attempted to cut the head off. Later, three of them continued cutting the body hardly just like the fish scuffling.

For this market, it is rare to see this big fish. "We could prove that we have enough power to catch big and quality fish!" satisfactorily said a staff from Asanama.  The cut canned tuna's pieces were arranged cleanly and tidily, ready to sell.

Comment: I became hungry after translating - -; haha. I like to eat tuna. However, actually before coming to Japan, I never touched raw food.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on June 13, 2009)

The country's "Guideline to Declining-birthrate Society - Control Measures", which is a guiding principle of the comprehensive and long-term policy towards an issue of declining number of children, was reconsidered and revised by the Liberal Democratic Party's declining birthrate Research Council. The plan was announced clearly on June 13.

The reduction of educational-expense burden such as in high schools and universities, the stability of now inclining health diagnosis fee for expectant mothers, will be submitted to Mr.Hori Kousuke, the Chairman of the Policy Affairs Research Council, on June 16.

This plan reflects the government's "Large-boned Policy 2009" which will be determined on June 23. Later, the council will continue with some detailed discussions, and then a new guideline will be decided at the Cabinet meeting in the end of year.

Comment: They are thinking carefully in order to solve this issue. However, from my experience, I feel that I see many small children almost everywhere I go!! I could not believe that the declining birthrate problem really exists in Japan.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University                                  

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on June 13, 2009)

Provincial Business Office decided on June 12^th to stop the generation of electricity at Serikawa Dam since the water level had dramatically decreased due to the fewer rainfalls this year. Instead of that, the water valve for agricultural use, which had been regularly closed, was opened on June 13^th in the morning. The discharge of water from this valve is two years after the last time.

Referring to the information from the office, the percentage of collecting and storing the rainwater was 31.14%, while the water level was 319.96 meters which nearly as low as the water level that the electricity generation cannot be operated, 319 meters.

Regularly, the water used by the process of electricity operation will be drained to the lower land for the agricultural purpose. However, the water level in Serikawa Dam had dropped to lower than 319 meters on June 13 thus the generation of electricity was stopped and then there was no water drained for the agricultural fields. This is the reason the office decided to open the mentioned valve on that day (June 13^th) at 11 A.M. with the maximum of 4.7 tons of water draining per second.

Comment: As always, Japanese people are well-prepared mind for everything. They have created solutions for any problem considered to have possibility to happen. This is another good solution they have prepared before hand.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University