Japanese too like 午休(after-lunch nap)

When I was in Japan, one of "notoriety" of Chinese known to everyone in Japan, besides spiting in public, is

午休(After Lunch nap). Japanese coworkers like saying to me in my face, "How can you guys go to sleep right after lunch?” with their faces filled with surprises, as if Chinese are E.T. from outside space.

It is not surprising that Japanese got so surprised, because worldwide known for a nation of workaholics, Japan just CANNOT handle someone who appears sleep so much.

However, this is changing. In a Washington Post article, titled "Nation of Workaholics Sleeps on the Job", Japanese executives and students start taking naps after lunch. The result, fewer students now sleep during classes and test scores have gone up.

The reason for the change, it seems not sleeping enough is not only hurts Japanese people's health, it also harms the Japanese economy in general. Sleeping deprivation costs Japan's Economy 30 billion dollars per year, according to a news story reported by AFP.

During my whole periods in Japan, I was shocked to see so many people sleep on the Subway trains, AND, how easy to fall asleep on a packed train. After I stayed in Tokyo for a while, I was one of the sleepers on the trains, one time, I slept all the way from Chiba city in Chiba Prefecture to Yokohama, and forgot waking up to get off.

How I wished I could have an after lunch nap while I was in Japan!

Grassroot Efforts: one cartoon at a time

Japan is wellknown for its Manga, Cartoon, or in Chinese, 漫画。I grew up watching Japanese Cartoon shows on TV every day at 6pm. My favorite is 阿童木。

Japanese award winning Cartoonist Furuya Mitsutoshi (古谷三敏）, author of awarded cartoon, "爸爸，不行啊” came to Beijing, and had a discussion with young Chinese students. Who says that you need government to step forward to improve ties, So many Chinese and Japanes, young or old, such as Koto Hime princesses, have done their parts to demonstrate that China and Japan can work together。

International relations starts from small, sometimes just a cartoon at a time.

some laugh, some cry

When Deputy Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick resigns from Bush administration, and joins Goldman Sachs, Xinhua reports that Japanese media are laughing, as Zoellick was viewed as more close to China, and far away from Japan compared to his precedent, Richard Armitage, However, what Xinhua didn't say openly is, Chinese media are not happy to see Zoellick depart and a China hand gone.

Who's not afraid of North Korea?

When North Korea's planning to test launch a Tepedong-2 missle, and causes an international uproars, from the United States to New Zealand, from Japan to Australia, South Korea, certainly put out strongest ever warning to Kim Jung Il not to go forward, China sit out of the circle and keeps its silence.

Used to be an active host for the six party talks, China is obviously not satisfied with North Korea's missle testing, which is being viewed as a provactive action. However, being a solo friend of North Korea, China has to restrain from criticizing Kim openly.

But this silence is not costfree, Japanese government won't be pleased by China's silence, and South Korean government won't, either. How China's decision over North Korea's uproars will affect improve Sino-Japan relations, still remain a question mark.

China Japan News Around the World

Washington DC sees a key Sino-US figure departing, Deputy Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick, is resigning. Famous for his statement that China should be a stakeholder in International relations, Zoellick will join Goldman Sachs. Unlike his precedent, Richard Armitage, who is mostly credited for buidling a strongest ever US-Japan alliance, Zoellick is a architect and set a tone for US-China relations.

Xinhua points out that Mr. Koizumi is going to have a farewell trip to the US, and it also picks up Koizumi's planned trip to Elvis Presley's Graceland. Xinhua also reports that Mr. Koizumi intents to propose a "US-Japan Global Alliance", to set up a tone for post-Koizumi leaders.

6 Chinese died seperately during watching the Soccer World Cup television live broadcasting. One woman in Hangzhou, south of Shanghai, got too excited and died after wataching South Korea-France game, in which South Korean's Park Ji Sung scores in the 81st munute to tie 1-1 with France. 5 others, from 20 soemthing to 60s, died similarly in Southern provinces of Hunan and Guangdong.

Talking of the World Cup, just the rest of the world is as crazy as China, where soccer fans, men or women, young or old, deadly addicted to soccer games, Guess how many people in the United Stats like watching soccer? 4%. Most of these 4% will be new immgrants from Asia, Africa and Europen countries.

70% of Chinese and Japanese view each other negatively

In Japan, 71% of Japanese have a negative about China, and in China, more than 70% of Chinese view Japan unfavorably. This is a new public poll report released by Pew Research center on 06/13/06.

63% of Japanese view the United States favorably, 47% of Chinese like the U.S.
Among the people of other 14 countries, 63.5% of people view Japan favorably, while 55.7% of people have a favorable view about China.

This research is conducted via phone or personal interviews among 17,000 people in 15 countries from March to May, 2006. South Korea is not among the 15 countries.

Asahi Shimbun has a news story specially on how people in Japan, China view each other.

Soccer: what's funny about?

Today's funny friday, thinking of the ongoing World Cup, here is my take:

Before Togo made to the World Cup, I didn't know about this African country at all. (until now, I know not much, either). However, obviously, I am not alone. FIFA, Fideration of International Football Associations, has to pay big for being not knowing Togo enough. Before the game between Togo and South Korea, two nation's anthem were played. To every Togo national's surprise, their national anthem was not theirs, but South Koreans. In front of the world, South Korean's anthem was played twice!

FIFA was protested by Togo's Ambassador to Germany, who said that every Togo person was hurt emotionally, ritually and spiritually, according to a Xinhua news story.