Butter my arse

Written by: adekun on 30 May, 2008 10:06 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »

Towards the end of March notices appeared above the empty butter shelves. The general theme was an apology from the supermarket manager saying they are unsure when the next delivery will be. Although it hasn’t been the most fervent of searches, Monday brought an end to over a month without any respite. I spotted a few blocks. They must have just had a delivery and I was in the right place at the right time. A steal I thought at ¥368 for a scant 200 g. Along with the ridiculously priced apples and flour, pie making will have to wait (probably indefinitely). I also spotted seven cherries for ¥298.
There have been many stories covering this phenomenon. Hashimoto an official at the Ministry of Agriculture was quoted “Drought in Australia which pushed up the cost of cattle feed and bulging demand for butter elsewhere in Asia are making butter imports more expensive and shoppers are turning to made in Japan butter. The bottom line is, however, butter is not our staple food. Personally, I can happily switch to margarine.” (continue reading…)

Tags: food and drink, news, politics, whinge

Nine out of ten Japanese prefer pasta

Written by: adekun on 11 May, 2008 7:21 pm - Filed under: blog — 3 Comments »

Price rise announcements are now a common precursor to each month. Earlier in the year there were reports of Japan’s WPI being at a 27 year high and CPI being hitting decade highs. In a country where the economy is as stagnant as the wages, cost-driven inflation is really spanner in the works. Being so hideously short on natural resources you would think it prudent that the country not to be reliant on something that can be grown at home.* Japan’s food self sufficiency has fallen to a meagre 39%. Despite this there is still a surplus of the tightly controlled rice. Rather than relay my own thoughts and experiences this article sums it up much better and offers an insight as to what the government is cooking up (skip cynical typo). I think it’s worth adding however, when asking students what their favourite food is, they almost always respond with pasta or spaghetti.
What I am yet to understand is flour cost increases are met regular tax increases levied upon the millers. I can only surmise as I don’t have an understanding of how things work here. Nor do any Japanese I speak to. In fact there is so little interest in the subject it is little wonder things go awry or politicians get repeatedly caught with their hands in the till. On a more positive note there are plans to increase the self sufficiency rate; with a coffer that no doubt needs to be filled.
This month was greeted with a McPrice Hike. An example given was because of cheese and flour cost increases the ¥100 hamburger will now cost between ¥20 and ¥30 extra depending on the region. The last part made me laugh. Undoubtedly the forbearing Japanese will swallow the latest price rise.

* herein lies a little of the problem

Tags: news, politics

VJ Day

Written by: adekun on 15 August, 2007 10:03 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »

In the morning, there was a short program about some American veterans who served on the USS Drexler, meeting a Japanese pilot trained to carry out kamikaze attacks. It was arranged by the filmmakers of Wings of Defeat. The documentary released in July, aims to dispel the myths that the pilots were all crazy fanatics and show many shared mixed emotions. The release comes a couple of months after the film written by Tokyo’s nationalist governor, depicting the pilots as national heroes.
My wife looked a little shocked watching the footage, so I asked her what she knew of the tactics. Nothing was taught at school; it was only by chance that she had seen an animated depiction some years after leaving. It seems no different now, after a couple of days of the earthquake, there has been no mention of the Kashiwazaki power station. There is however, plenty of coverage outside of Japan.

Tags: news, politics

I haven’t got the power

Written by: adekun on 18 July, 2007 7:02 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »

What has made me angry is that yet again greed has taken precedence over safety. The operator of the damaged plant TEPCO took seven hours to report that water containing radioactive material had leaked into the sea. These figures were undervalued and it is now reported that the levels are 50% higher than first stated. At first there was a denial of any problems.
A transformer, part of the grid connection caught fire. Transformers are cooled by oil which is the likely cause of the fire. It took almost two hours to extinguish, which begs the question were they prepared. Although the units had automatically shutdown, the fuel in the reactor core needs cooling. Had the onsite generation failed, meltdown becomes a credible outcome.
News of a small emission of radioactive cobalt-60 and chromium-51 into the atmosphere, has since been released as well has fifty malfunctions at the plant.
It seems the operator was keen to restart some of units, but as reports mounted the local mayor ordered the plant be closed indefinitely until its safety can be confirmed.
Although built to withstand strong earthquakes, frequently the tremors are beyond these limits. Some are even built on fault lines as maybe the case with Kashiwazaki-Kawara. It all seems a bit slapdash to me but expect there are more pressing concerns.

Tags: news, politics

Waking Babies Everywhere

Written by: adekun on 16 April, 2007 9:19 am - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »

During my first visit, the Orwellian aspects of Japanese daily life were quickly apparent. The use of loudspeakers in particular struck a chord. The announcements can range from the warning of a nearby fire, a missing loon from the nearby institute, the lone salesman and politicians hungry for votes. Here in Yonago the election campaign has finally come to a close. From the beginning of the month the sound trucks hit the streets. These tend to be tired diesel mini vans, modified to accommodate placards and a commanding PA system.

They patrol both public and residential areas screaming an introduction “this is candidate X” followed by a phrases such as “yoroshiku onegaishimasu” (please look upon me favourably) and “ganbarimasu” (I will do my best). The vans are often tailed by a car load of dressed up supporters hanging out of the windows, waving at everything and distracting passing drivers. The consequences for a pleb of the same undertaking would be most severe.
The recitals border on the hysterical and can be heard from afar. There is little chance of the shift worker, the sick or infants sleeping through the disturbance. Conversations have to cease, it is so penetrating, I have little doubt that a cranked up television set or modest hi-fi could compete.

The continuous seven or ten day spell is regulated to between the hours of eight in the morning to eight in the evening and exploited to the fullest.
If I were to seek the support of my fellow citizens, I would question this method thus:

• Are my polices, values and the like being conveyed?
• Is my own personal gain more important than people’s privacy?
• Is this practice good use of public funds?
• Does this influence people?
• Is this correct, e.g. environmental cost?
• And so on.

I had decided against publishing this post as my understanding is short and opinionated. After reading a story on the Maininchi site, I now have chance to offer a happier ending.

It seems ten hopefuls have been doing some similar thinking have stated they will not by riding sound trucks. One even travels by bicycle to seek support. Although not of the same proportions, I quote Henry Kissinger “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.” I hope the idea catches on.

Tags: news, pests, politics

Fame And The Rubbish Solution

Written by: adekun on 3 April, 2007 12:28 am - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »

This morning on the national news there was a feature covering the introduction of charging to dispose waste. Our city is not the first to impose a levy, but it has difficulties with the amount of non-burnable waste that was amassed prior to the deadline (sorry no pic). From the start of the month, householders here, now have to purchase special bags. Blue for burnable and orange for the non burnable, stickers for those unwieldy items. I expect it to be similar for businesses.

My interpretation of the figures is it would seem, the more sparsely populated regions and less affluent regions receive the brunt.

Region/City		￥/40L Bag
Hokkaido		120
Yonago		60
Kyoto		45
Tokyo		0

Rather than ramble on about what should be done, here is a picture of some foodstuffs found around the house.

Although not the best (or worst) examples, here we have some instant noodles which inside the polystyrene bowl, can contain several seperate flavourings and additions. Chocolate and butter with an extra cardboard sleeve, the chocolate being wrapped in plastic foil sits on a card tray. Some individually wrapped confectionaries and some beer, which is more steel than beer. Some more chocolate a little too dressed up. I should have included some black teabags - I can’t find any that don’t have their own little packet, string and tag.

In a country where cement is king, I expect it’s not only aesthetics are going to suffer further from fly-tipping (illegal dumping). But when has the environment been a concern?

Tags: news, politics