issho V1 #809 (fwd)
Tony Laszlo
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 00:05:02 +0900 (JST)
From: issho <owner...@ml.gol.com>
Reply-To: is...@ml.gol.com
To: issho-...@ml.gol.com
Subject: issho V1 #809
issho Wednesday, September 22 1999 Volume 01 : Number 809
subjects of the messages sent today:
[ISSHO] new book: kawari
[ISSHO] Link to 9/21/99 Doshin article on Otaru Onsen
[ISSHO] Japanese Text of Doshin article on Otaru Onsen
[ISSHO] newspaper copies
[ISSHO] *** Otaru - what now? ***
[ISSHO] Re: issho V1 #808
[ISSHO] Foreign Residents and Public Participation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 00:18:22 +0900 (JST)
From: Tony Laszlo <las...@gol.com>
Subject: [ISSHO] new book: kawari
September 13, 1999
Miami Herald
Japan on the verge of painful transformation, book says
TERESA McUSIC
Knight Ridder News Service
Don't let the recent proposed megamerger of three Japanese banks into
the world's largest financial institution mislead you. Japan is still
in the hollow of its economic doldrums.
Political corruption, economic woes and an entire nation's feelings of
self-doubt could have described the United States in the 1970s. Today,
those words describe Japan, author Milton Ezrati says.
``For the Japanese now, as for Americans then, it carries the sense of
a lost future, the feeling that the population and leadership have
collectively deceived themselves about who they are, what they are
capable of, how they fit into the world, and, more importantly, about
the character of their society,'' he writes. ``Despite her past
stability, in coming years Japan will change radically, become more
volatile, less predictable, and possibly even dangerous.''
Japan is at a major crossroads, something the country has faced
numerous times in its long history, most recently after World War II.
``Her utter defeat in the Second World War made it clear that the
imperial-militaristic experiment into which she had flung herself had
failed,'' Ezrati writes. ``Once again the Japanese responded with a
radical shift. Suddenly, as if with one mind, they abandoned their
ferocious devotion to militarism, and began the single-minded peaceful
pursuit of manufacturing, exporting, and commerce for which they are
now well known.''
How Japan will transform itself to meet its current internal and
external pressures is the topic of Ezrati's new book, Kawari: How
Japan's Economic and Cultural Transformation Will Alter the Balance of
Power Among Nations (Perseus Books, 294 pages). Kawari means
``change'' or ``alternative'' in Japanese.
The new Japan will be but a shadow of its old self, the author
asserts.
``If history is any guide, Japan's transformation, once it gains
momentum, will break completely with the past,'' Ezrati writes. ``Her
economic and demographic imperatives will make it increasingly
difficult for her to carry on as the world's workshop. Her huge trade
surplus will shrink into deficit, and her high rate of savings will
fall.''
This is not necessarily bad for the country, however. Ezrati foresees
Japan turning to the rest of Asia for its manufacturing needs,
becoming a ``headquarters nation'' and global center for management,
finance and design.
Such a change will become absolutely necessary if for only one reason
-- lack of factory workers, Ezrati writes. Japan is aging rapidly: One
in four citizens will be older than 65 early in the next century, and
the country's birthrate is historically low. Japan's emphasis on
exporting is simply not sustainable.
But organizing the country in a new direction is going to be
difficult, given the current political climate, Ezrati observes. Old
management and control techniques, supported and guided effectively by
a bureaucratic system, have failed the country, and public anxiety is
high.
``Recent police data show a 50 percent jump in suicides since the
mid-1990s,'' Ezrati writes. ``Newspapers have begun to report which
Tokyo commuter trains encounter the most suicides. Therapists,
previously rare in Japan, are experiencing a boom.''
Ezrati does an admirable job in explaining the state of this important
country, with chapters on both its history and its future.
Ultimately, he believes that Japan will pull itself out of its
economic problems and dire mindset to thrive once again, albeit after
many years of painful transition.
``If she wants to protect her economic and national well-being, she
will have to open her economy and her financial markets, cease her
absorbing emphasis on exporting manufactures, decentralize her
approach to economics, allow her industry more freedom to manage its
own affairs, including to move abroad; and develop her domestic
economy into a regional management and service center,'' Ezrati
writes. ``Doing so will transform her from the failed economic machine
that she seems to have become in the late 1990s into a major power in
every sense of that phrase.''
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:53:53 +0900
From: Dave Aldwinckle <dav...@do-johodai.ac.jp>
Subject: [ISSHO] Link to 9/21/99 Doshin article on Otaru Onsen
Good Morning Everyone. The Hokkaido Shinbun newspaper carried the article
on this Sunday's activities in this morning's edition, page 29. It is up on
my web page now at:
http://www.voicenet.co.jp/~davald/doshinonsen92199.jpg
It is in Japanese with a picture of Olaf and myself. Do have a look at it.
I have my reservations about it but I'll hold them for now and let you read
first.
Thanks very much, Dave Aldwinckle in Sapporo
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 14:44:21 +0900
From: Dave Aldwinckle <dav...@do-johodai.ac.jp>
Subject: [ISSHO] Japanese Text of Doshin article on Otaru Onsen
Hello Everyone again. The text of the Doushin article on Otaru Onsen, for
those who want to cut, paste, forward, and print out more easily, is below,
with an URL link at the very bottom. Courtesy of supersurfer Joe Tomei.
Thanks for all your assistance, feedback, support, and debate, everyone.
Dave Aldwinckle in Sapporo
在日外国人が小樽で外国人お断りの温浴施設の状況を調査
【小樽】札幌など道内在住の外国人たちが、小樽市内の大型温浴施設で外国人への
対応を調査した。それによると、訪れた四施設のうち三施設が日本人以外 の入浴を
断り、調査メンバーは「外国人というだけで排除するのは理不尽」と憤慨している。
一方、温浴施設側は「入浴拒否は本意ではないが、外国人を入れる と日本人客が離
れる」と苦しい胸の内を明かしている。
調査を呼び掛けたのは、道内の私立大で講師を務める米国人のデビッド・アルドウ
ィンクルさん（34）と国立大で助手を務めるドイツ人のオラフ・カートハウスさん（
36）。他の米国人男性と中国人女性やその家族を含め計十六人が参加した。
小樽を選んだのは、以前から外国人の入浴を断る温浴施設が問題になっているため
。参加者は十九日、各施設に入場を試み、拒否された時点で説明を求めた。拒否した
施設は「Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｏｎｌｙ」などと掲示。従業員は「浴室で酒を飲むなど
一部のロシア人客の入浴マナーが悪く、日本人客から苦情が多かった」などと説明し
た。拒否の三施設のうち、折衝の結果、入場を認めたのは一施設だけだった。
アルドウィンクルさんは「一部のマナー違反を外国人すべてに当てはめるのは危険
な発想」と話し、カートハウスさんも「稚内などでも同様のケースが見られ、こうし
た動きが広まらないか心配」と指摘する。
アルドウィンクルさんらは独自に開設しているインターネットのホームページで調
査結果を掲載し、「今後、ほかの都市でも調査したい」と話す。
ロシア人船員が多い小樽では以前から、温浴施設での入浴マナーでトラブルが絶え
ない。ロシアでは浴場での飲酒などは当たり前の習慣というが、こうしたロシア人を
敬遠する日本人客が多く、外国人を当初受け入れていた温浴施設も相次いで入浴拒否
に転じた。ある施設の支配人は「外国人を入れることで、大多数の日本人客が離れれ
ば死活問題」と話している。
(Photo)
「日本人だけ」と英語で書かれた看板を見て憤慨するアルドウィンクルさん（右）と
カートハウスさん
Available at:
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/News/general/0025/0025.article.shtml#52
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 17:03:56 +0900 (JST)
From: Anna Isozaki <ken-...@tim.hi-ho.ne.jp>
Subject: [ISSHO] newspaper copies
>
> PS: Mr Nishimura just told me, in a phone call a few minutes ago, that his
> article on this whole trip should be appearing in the morning edition of
> Hokkaido Shinbun, September 21, 1999. Have a look if you can get a copy.
Having been turned away myself (with my Japanese husband and
middle-aged parents) from a soba shop in Wakkanai, I can tell you Ken
and I were cheering over your story this morning, David and Olaf (and
cheering your wives and kids and the others who came!) I'm also
noticing the 21st is now half over! Can we get copies down here in
Gunma somehow? And the Hokkaido Shimbun editor's address? (Thank you
notes are in order I think!)
Regards,
Anna Isozaki
ken-...@tim.hi-ho.ne.jp
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 20:30:28 +0900 (JST)
From: Tony Laszlo <las...@gol.com>
Subject: [ISSHO] *** Otaru - what now? ***
Congratulations to Dave, Olaf and friends
on a very fine fact-finding mission!
Now that we have confirmed the situation
in Otaru, I think we should consider
taking certain actions. The first step
would be to brainstorm this and determine
what can and should be done. ISSHO
listmembers who feel the same way, please
contact me off the list at las...@gol.com .
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 21:42:34 +0900
From: Roger Boisvert <r...@gol.com>
Subject: [ISSHO] Re: issho V1 #808
David, is this a Hilton Hotel, the famous American chain, or, is it a rip
off of their name?
If its part or the American chain I do believe they could be in deep, deep
trouble for their exclusionary practices.
If it not part of the American chain, I suspect the American chain would
LOVE to hear about this onsen destroying their reputation.
At 00:05 99/09/21 +0900, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 19:10:10 +0900
>From: Dave Aldwinckle <dav...@do-johodai.ac.jp>
>Subject: [ISSHO] REPORT: Exclusionary Onsen in Otaru (Aldwinckle)
>
>Okay, sorry to keep you waiting:
>
>REPORT: THE TRIP TO "GAIJIN-OKOTOWARI" ONSEN
>OTARU, HOKKAIDO, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
>
>PART ONE: THE SETUP
>OTARU MYCAL, HILTON HOTEL LOBBY, 1PM
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 23:14:56 +0900 (JST)
From: Tony Laszlo <las...@gol.com>
Subject: [ISSHO] Foreign Residents and Public Participation
As I mentioned some weeks ago, I will be
making a presentation at Tokyo University
on 9/24 concerning "Foreign Residents and
Public Participation".
This speech is part of a three day symposium
on Public Philosophy.
Many thanks to all who offered suggestions
and otherwise helped me in preparing.
T. Laszlo
------------------------------
End of issho V1 #809
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