I wonder what would happen if I printed out a lot of these cigarette warnings that I posted in my blog, and I gave them to smokers around campus. Would they be offended, embarrassed, angry, rude? First of all, they'd probably think that I was just some crazy gaijin and ignore whatever I gave them. On the other hand, it would be a good example of "civil society". Me acting for the better of all rather than waiting for the government to do something.

Anyway, I'm just waiting for my Japanese teacher to come over. I study Japanese every Wednesday afternoon. It's been a lot of fun, but I never did learn how to speak Japanese. It's such a shame. I will have been here for two years, but I never learned the language. It funny, because I learned Hebrew in about six months, and it seems like I learned French in just six weeks when I was a kid. However, I sure am going to be an expert when I go back home and I eat in sushi shops! I know how to say all of the fish :-)

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

This is a cigarette pack from Canada, I recommend that Japanese cigarette companies be forced to do the same thing to try to discourage smoking. 

You know, there is a major global issue that we aren't going to talk about in the class, but it is killing MILLIONS of people every year. That's right, it's smoking. Japan has just signed an internation agreement to lower the rates of smoking in Japan, and they are going to introduce such measures as ID cards for vending machines, so that is a step in the right direction. However, I think that the efforts to reduce smoking in Japan are going to be quite an uphill battle. For one thing, I read in the paper that something like 25% of all doctors and nurses smoke in Japan, this is compared to 3% in the west. I wonder why there is such a difference. If your doctor smokes, how likely is it that he is going to recommend that you quite smoking? I think the key is to raise the price of cigarettes sky high, ban all public smoking, and make it completely illegal for minors to smoke. Plus, all tobacco advertising should be banned, and graphic warnings should be put on packs of cigarettes. This isn't just a matter of personal choice. Second hand smoke causes cancer. People who smoke are killing the other people around them.

There . . . that's my two cents.

Aichi Expo 2005

Hey Everyone, I just went to the Aichi Expo 2005, and it was amazing! I am so exhasted today. I went on Saturday, only for one day. If anyone is interested in what I did at expo, they can check out my other blog (www.kansaigaidaienglishtwo.blogspot.com), but basically, here, I just want to talk about what impressed me the most about expo. I was so impressed with the garbage! One of the themes of this years expo is all about the environment, and because of that, all garbage must be totally separated before you throw it away. This is such a great idea. After I had eaten lunch, I had to separate all of the plastic containers, wooden chopsticks, drink cups, plastic bags, and burnable garbage into separate garbage cans. It was a really efficient system, because all of the garbage cans were clearly labled, so that you could know where to put what garbage. What warmed my heart the most was that everyone was separating their garbage, even though it took longer to thow away your garbage. It was nice to see how willing everyone was to recycle and organize their garbage when there were clearly labled garbage cans available to do so. I wish we had garbage cans like that all over the place. I think the expo should be really proud of the way that they are handling garbage . . . now if only they hadn't cut down all those trees to build the expo in the first place, but that's another story.

I now realise that I should have made one blog for all my classes, because I wrote all about my Golden Week holiday in my other blog and now I don't want to repeat myself! That means, if anyone is curious about what I did this past week, they're going to have to check out my other blog.

After 20 Years, Whale Returns to Wakayama School Lunches

Anyway, I guess this is supposed to be my serious blog where I tackle global issues. You know, I felt my blood pressure rising again this morning while I was reading the paper. The lastest thing to disturb me is the matter of serving whale meat in school lunches:
I guess it saddens me that there are people in the world that think it is necessary to kill whales for food, when there are other perfectly good alternative protein sources. Those in favour of eating whale argue that it is part of Japanese culture, and that the international ban on whaling is disrespectful of Japanese culture. The point is though, that culture changes. It was once the culture in my country to wear fur, shoot native people, hang criminals, put homosexuals in jail, pay women less pay for equal work, and denie women the vote . . . but things change. I am not even pointing this out from a position of righteousness as Canada continues to do such barbaric things as club baby seals to death every year. The point is that things can change. The baby seal fur trade will end when enough people realise the cruelty and pointlessness of it, just as hunting whales is not necessary. Contrary to some Japanese goverment figures, whale populations are not thriving. They are in danger. Once they whales are gone, they won't be coming back. Now is the time to do something about it before it is too late.