I mean, I don’t want to whine about life, and I won’t. I’m just fortunate my part is going to be OK, because a lot of other things are not certain. This includes my father’s fate, since he has the basically perfect donor match he needs for a stem cell bone marrow transplant he must have to get his rare marrow condition cured, which involves chemo-ing his existing marrow to death first and therefore carries the risk of infection and death. So, as he puts it, it’ll either cure him or kill him. His odds are as good as they’re going to get, but… who knows? I don’t, no one can.

In the meantime, his tool invention – patented in the US and trademarked in Canada, with the patent here pending without serious problems – still awaits its final form, with the final redesign being made into digital drawings and new physical prototypes being made. It’s the family’s best bet for the future whether he makes it or not… which is hard to say, but it’s true. Few inventions make it and few solve a real world need, well. Even so, the process is out of my hands, and while it looks like they’ll get things done before he gets his transplant (and in principle they have to be done, he is the inventor and needs to see this process through), I can’t make it go faster.

So, in the meantime I’ve been catching up on novel reading – I’ve just finished the book, 1st of its series, A Game of Thrones (source of the HBO series, which I have not seen yet) – and pursuing other interests. I’m certainly not just idling around; I’m helping my father when and where I can, but I’m a patient too. I’m better off than he is, but I know my limits.

What you’ll see here on this blog is more opinion. That is, I’ll be commenting when and where the mood strikes me. No one needs to hear me give opinions on much in the real world, which brings enough problems and follies, so I choose to apply myself mostly to things like anime and culture, like old times. Maybe sometimes a little language too, but as a curiosity.

The Japanese word fukkatsu (復活,ふっかつ) means revival, restoration, and so on. It combines “restore” with “living”. So, it’s kind of like bringing the blog back to life.

I just wanted to make sure at least some words were written about it before I just start up again. Most people will probably just see the anime/ culture/ life related articles from Google searches, and believe me that’s fine. See you in the blog posts ahead.

For a wide variety of reasons, I just feel that keeping this blog entirely about Japanese culture is played out. That is, I am not an encyclopedia; I am a person. I want to write about people as much as possible. Also, I have been privileged to deal with more and more Japanese people: helping them with their problems, translating where it will help, pointing out ways to improve English, and so on. It’s not about me; it’s about them.

The March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami were, in one sense, part of a long history of natural disasters striking Japan. In another sense, this was disturbingly new: the damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and the subsequent evacuations, rubbed salt into Japan’s raw wounds. Even the Kobe earthquake felt like a lesser event in terms of lasting impact. You can rebuild from an earthquake, but how can you rebuild from a nuclear disaster if no one is allowed within 30 km without a radiation suit? This is to say nothing of the great concern for the long-term health of the children, though the short-term problems have been thankfully minimized. No one has died of radiation so far, and workers continue to battle with the reactors to maintain a semblance of control.

The tsunami’s devastation was far broader than this. This was like Hurricane Andrew (the one that hit Florida a couple of decades ago) brutalizing a long length of coastline. This, people know can be rebuilt, but it’s going to take, conservatively, a decade of work to really bring it back. It won’t be an issue of just restoration, of course; they’ll want to make it better than ever.

These are Japan’s twin (or triple, if you want to count the nuclear as an added twist) disasters in the age of high speed internet and a truly wired and networked world. The entire civilization seems to have come together in a new-found sense of unity and purpose, far outstretching the limits of government intervention. Even though Japanese people are still predisposed to cooperating with the government’s efforts, they do not seem to be, or feel, like enough.

That’s where we come in.

Together, With Japan

The modern Internet gives us Westerners who have a piece of Japan in our hearts, be it for personal reasons, cultural appreciation, or some other form of admiration, actual ways to contribute. Some of this is just expressing our moral support for Japan and the people in it, and trust me – this helps. They are heartened by our best wishes. It’s good to see.

Beyond this, what we can do is to strive to make the Internet a bridge for cultural communication. As my experience teaches me, language – and getting around the language barrier – is part of this, but it is a means to an end. Even culture isn’t the “end” of the process.

The objective, and the purpose, is to connect with Japanese people. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what I want to really go for.

My reasons are professional as well as personal. My interests, and post-secondary education, are very focused on Japan, and my efforts in education (basic Japanese for Westerners; English for Japanese natives) fit very well with this cultural outlook. But the personal reasons are still very important. I want Japan to succeed; simple as that. I do not view such success as threatening or a bad thing in any way. I want to work with the right people and make things better.

A Celebration of the People of Japan

This blog’s new focus will be people. That is, people in general, but also, specific people as opportunities permit.

In the past, I have even done little biographies of entirely fictional characters. I mean, that’s fine, for a certain crowd, but hey, I want to be primarily about living people whenever possible. ^^ Seriously, it’s something I want to do. I want to make people the focus.

Also, I want to play up how we, too, can be part of Japan, even from a distance. This is the power and magic of the Internet. I have long brought “a piece of Japan” into my own life from my redoubt in Nova Scotia, Canada. Bridging my cultural interests back to Japan, and helping real people with real problems, just feels right.

The Future

In the days ahead, you’ll be hearing more about the people I’ve been helping and supporting with my skills, moral support, and often, just lending an ear to listen.

This post is my indulgence. When I write about others, I want it to be about them, not about me. This is something that was always in my soul, but working with Japanese people has helped me to express this properly: I want my efforts to be about what I can give to others, not what I can demand for myself. Of course, where that really works is when you have other people doing the same. Then you’re helping each other and, soon enough, you’re really starting to change the world, piece by little piece.

Together, with Japan and the people within it, we are changing. It is up to us to make these changes happen for the better and to face the future with the power of the human spirit. By combining our individual as well as cultural points of view, we can turn this into something even more special than it already is.

Together, we can build a better tomorrow. – J

About the only good thing we can say is, at least it wasn’t on the level of the tsunami. This link at the Mainichi Shimbun details tolls of dead and missing; just scroll down a little for a lot of photographs related to this latest weather related disaster. I don’t want to infringe on their copyrights. Even for Japan, this was a direct typhoon hit that broke some rain records. Best wishes to everyone there.

"Ultimate Online RPG Action"

So, I’ve Been A Busy Boy.

This is not for the faint of heart, but I did the lion’s share/ heavy lifting for a fansub (“fan subtitled video”) of a “media briefing” (in the vernacular: press conference) for the still-in-development, upcoming online RPG, Phantasy Star Online 2. You can check it out here. There are high hopes and a lot of strong wishing involved. It was like 38 minutes. That’s some work, people. And I didn’t get paid a dime for this, either.

I have no intention of stealing the thunder of Producer Satoshi Sakai, who seems to genuinely know his gaming stuff and is a breath of fresh air here. This has the feel of a very good online action RPG that can actually fulfill its potential. The original Phantasy Star Online was ten years ago, and therefore very primitive by today’s standards, but is still beloved by many for creativity and concepts… but can go much further. Would-be successors didn’t cut it; not enough, though the most recent portable ones (PSP) are “better” (though probably shouldn’t be called great either). This has a shot at greatness.

At any rate, when a guy’s opening gambit is “Is there adventure in RPG’s today?” then let me make this clear: adventure is good. Sense of adventure is very good and most critical. Feeding that beast is a Good Thing.

Anyway, my work is done, and I credit Velocity7 for the work he’s put in, and those who helped on the other end of things. I hope people appreciate it all. I’m interested in the game after all this, at least. The rule is, promise much… and deliver.

The alpha test is on the 18th, two days hence. – J

The biggest dilemma for a blog like this is trying to say something useful without trying to come off as an absolute authority, which seems to be the cause of most flame wars. I know a few things about a few things, but some people are like, if you don’t know everything, just shut up. I can’t live like that.

Blogging has to be a mix of fact and personal opinion. Otherwise, the content would belong in an encyclopedia. So a blog must be a personal act.

One thing I try to be careful about is to not blog in a way that is political. There are simple reasons for this which hardly require explanation. It’s just best left avoided.

Anyway, I’ve tried to do blog posts here that are from a fairly objective standpoint, providing a fairly neutral stance, trying to shed some light on matters relating to Japan’s culture. But, this is still a blog. After spending some time meditating (or more to the point, procrastinating) about what to write here, I think I shall write more that is my opinion… so long as it is clearly marked as such, and not presented as fact.

Lo and behold, Sensei’s Corner has been born.

Now, I’m not a very active teacher, though I’d like to do more to change that. I’m actually between jobs. I’m going to be the webmaster of a startup corporation that has heavy family involvement. It’s a good project. It just hasn’t finished starting up just yet. That’s life. I’m trying to do things in the meantime.

I write this as an explanation for why I’m not spending all of my time doing things that would prevent me from blogging a single word. Put simply, I do not live a perfect life, with a perfect income and perfect happiness. I’m working to deal with it. If anyone wants to complain about it, I will note your complaint and then move on with living life.

Even so, well, not everything I’ve done has exactly been a waste.

A couple of mornings ago, I heard from a former student from one on one tutoring I did over Skype. This was a way back, like, last year. Once he dropped off the grid, he was working his rear off to help get the money to go to Japan and enroll at a language school, which is where he is now. He only regained internet access about, oh, five days ago.

So, I told him not to feel any concern about my having been dropped like a hot potato. (I’m kidding.) I’m just another guy here. I just had a natural interest in if everything had worked out. Well, he wants to study at university in Japan, so this is a stepping stone in that direction.

I asked him if my lessons had prepared the groundwork for him. He said, yes; in particular, my lessons on Japanese particles were serving him very well. This made the “Sensei” in me very happy.

You see, it is the nature of language courses and language schools that everyone is working on a tight schedule. This is the same for language instruction to native speakers in high school. Once you reach a certain point, instruction in basic grammar and spelling and vocabulary stops. Your mistakes may get flagged and marked, but we get past “correction” to the point of simply punishing those who didn’t learn 100% what they ought to have at a lower level. These students fail upwards, and are the kinds who are cranked out of school without functional literacy. Many more simply come out with bad English, which is another thing I’d like to address more and more – just not on this blog.

With Japanese, particles are a core feature of the Japanese language, starting with “Watashi wa Jeremiah desu”. Yet it took me years as a translator, and some frustration as a tutor, to truly understand the particles and the roles they play to the point of being able to smoothly and reliably instruct others in it.

Not to dwell on the fine details but, I’ve read explanations that portray “Watashi ga” as if WATASHI was in ALL CAPS, and “Watashi wa” as if Watashi is in regular writing. This is badly astray. I mean, in some sense, there’s a point, but this is way, way off from the grammatical roles of “wa” and “ga” and will lead the unsuspecting student to a frustrating lack of full comprehension of short, basic sentences.

Suffice to say that this makes effective learning harder.

So, knowing that this young man was benefiting from my particle lessons gave me a sense of relief, because I know from past discussions with him about his research into language schools, and independent research, that language schools will not teach this thoroughly or properly. In other words, if you come in not knowing it, you’ll be bouncing into walls unnecessarily for a long time, and brute forcing the problem is a lot harder than just understandings the “shinjitsu” (objective truth).

So yes, the Sensei in me is happy. He’ll be benefiting from what I taught him for literally years to come.

Moving On

Anyway, aside from telling that story, the point of this was to tell anyone interested that I’m going to be doing more classical blogging. That is, I’ll write in the first person, give opinions, present more of my mind to you, the readers, and hope that this entertains thee.

As I said, I’m in between jobs, and I never really managed to find a business for teaching Japanese in the locale where I live (and where I will work in the family business as fate would have it), so I’m not doing this for money. I’m just trying to keep it clean, speak my mind as much as public decency permits, and have a little fun with it, and try to make sure you have a little fun with it.

We’ll see how it goes. – J

A Goodwill Gesture

Readers may recall my post on origami and how origami gained international exposure when a victim of the nuclear bombings of Japan set out to fold 1,000 for the sake of other victims before she perished. Here, we have a Canadian 8 year old boy folding 1,000 for donations of $2 apiece to send a total of $2000 to Japan for victims of the earthquake and tsunami. (Story at link.)

Dartmouth has the same relationship to the capitol of my province of Nova Scotia as Yokohama has to Tokyo. The story references a tradition that 1,000 in a year will make a wish come true. I’m not sure if that started with the aforementioned nuclear weapon victim, but either way, it’s in Japanese (and world) culture now.

There’s a Facebook page for this, and this is for donations to the Canadian Red Cross for Japan. I include the links for completeness. I have no personal connection to either effort, but I wholly wish them well.

Onsen Master itself is all about Japanese hot springs bathing. I strongly suggest taking a look, since you can get a nice look at the Japanese culture that surrounds hot springs bathing; a good example is the luscious food shown here.

I’ve added Onsen Meijin to my blogroll, which isn’t nearly large enough but, I haven’t been doing this blog full time.

Come on, Hina! There's still hope!

Some Unrequested Advice

日本語版は英語の後

(Japanese version below English)

So, I was speaking to my Japanese culture interested friends about J-Comi. I had asked for an update if the site went up, and apparently it did. Also, it apparently has some issues that a quick explanation made obvious.

First, the site is using an affiliate purchase business model. That is, creators aren’t paid for clicks; they’re paid for purchases made through the clicks (and through the clicks only). This is a more difficult model and is making even testing the idea out a bit difficult, as Twitter posts shown on the site itself are suggesting.

Second, the site relies on a model of PDF downloads rather than on-site hosting. I really, really hate to mention this, but to use one example, the now shut down copyright violating site Onemanga.com had a business model more in tune with the public: making manga readable completely on-site, through a browser, through page by page clicking (or arrow keys). Other sites that I will not name still survive, and put ads for things like free-to-play MMO’s without unduly angering the reader.

Third, as these PDF’s are concerned, let me give my blunt opinion: low-quality PDF downloads are absolutely worthless for reading Japanese. They do have value in the strict sense of viewing the pictures but… people, this is not working. Low quality scans are often adequate for reading ENGLISH, but are completely inadequate for the human eye to properly read kana and kanji.

Now, the site does feature high quality PDF downloads, and these are just fine to read on my 1650×1050 resolution monitor without squinting or annoyance. I plan to catch up on Love Hina manga and intend to support Ken Akamatsu’s effort however I can.

While I’m not sure this is a problem, a site like this can only work if creators sign up. I know Ken said that creators could submit content easily by zip file, but I’m not sure if the sign-up process is smooth. Anyway, if that’s a problem, it needs solving.

Finally, patience is required. Don’t give up, Ken!!

So, in terms of solutions, here’s what my interested friends and I would suggest:

Go to a pay-per-click ad model. It’s better.

Implement on-site viewing.

Make it easy for creators to create accounts.

Don’t give up!!

That’s my advice.

日本語版、手短いに

（下手な日本語を許して下さい。－J)

アフィリエイトのモデルは厳しいね？Pay-per-clickは遥かに優秀な手段と思います。

元翻訳者として、悪いが、軽量版PDFは読む価値がない。英語の場合、出来るかもしれないが、かなと漢字の場合、読めないよ、普通な人にとって。日本語版の価値はゼロです。それに、米国版の画質低下を回避するべきです。

ちなみに、高解像度PDFは全く問題なし。私も喜んで読みます。

真の問題は、サイトの必ず必要物がサイト内見る機能です。でないと、pay-per-clickモデルが出来ないよ。コンテンツを盗む人までサイト内見る機能とアドを混じる。そして、金を稼ぎます。プロのサイト、それぐらいを出来ないなら。。。未来がないかも。

是非、私はJ-Comiを全力でサポートします。武運を祈るぞ！

ちなみに、翻訳者が必要ならば、連絡して下さいね？（汗）

では、頑張って下さい。外人のファンも応援します。諦めないで！（＾＾）