Cool Japan: Made in Japan

■Cool Japan: Made in Japan

NHK Cool Japan: The "Domestically Produced" episode.

The value of Japanese products is being re-evaluated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, they received a flood of inquiries from various countries asking if they had masks, thermometers, and protective clothing.

Japanese people themselves are re-evaluating domestically produced goods for their peace of mind.

However, I think that right now, people around the world are probably re-evaluating domestically produced goods.

With people moving less, trade volume has decreased.

In the midst of a global crisis, there is also a desire to protect one's country and prioritize one's own nation.

In this context, how does the image of Japanese people cherishing domestically produced goods appear?

"Food labeling"

When you go to the supermarket, you'll find that some products display not only the place of origin but also the producer's face and name.

The information about when, where, and by whom something was made is becoming increasingly precise.

The emphasis on food safety—the idea that food is safe to eat—is unique to Japan, and manufacturers have always strived to meet this expectation.

If we don't provide products that are 100% free of defects, we will lose credibility. A customer-first culture.

Rather than focusing solely on domestically produced goods, we pursue a more localized approach, seeking trust and reliability based on personal connections.

This level of dedication seems likely to continue for a while.

"Used agricultural machinery"

Apparently, not only used agricultural machinery, but also heavy machinery, construction equipment, and medical equipment are very popular overseas.

Durable, long-lasting, and affordable – the quality of Japanese products is recognized worldwide.

Even more importantly, the key selling point of second-hand goods in Japan is that they have been carefully used by Japanese people.

Japanese people, on the other hand, like new things, but they take good care of them and maintain them well , so even when they sell used, they can be worth almost as much as new.

it's often said that the apartment is cleaner when the tenant leaves than when they rented it out .

lies in the fact that it was used by Japanese people .

"whiskey"

Anime, games, ramen, and curry—they all originated from foreign countries.

When something is made into a Japanese product, domestically produced, and then surpasses the original to go out into the world, that's what we call Cool Japan. Whiskey is a good example of this.

it's sushi , sake , or kimono , there's still nothing about Japanese culture that has been surpassed by overseas countries in its country of origin, Japan. Japanese whiskey is amazing, though .

During the Meiji era, under the banner of "Japanese spirit, Western learning," Japan adopted Western civilization with a Japanese spirit. And we're still working on that, a process that will take another 100 years.

In the past, people longed for imported goods, but as Japan's national power grew, the value of domestic products increased, and they gained recognition worldwide, and Japanese people also came to love domestic products.

I think it's truly wonderful that we can enjoy delicious domestically produced whiskey.

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Kyoto International Film Festival 2023: Art and more.

■ Kyoto International Film Festival 2023: Art and more.

Otaku Summit Satellite @ Kyoto Seika University.

The guests included Hatsune Miku's Mr.Hiroyuki Ito, Dr. Kang Hanna, Professor Mariko Koizumi of Kyoto Seika University, Mr.Kazuki Sato, representative of the International Otaku Event Association, entertainment sociologist Professor.Atsuo Nakayama , Mr.Hirotaka Yoshida of Toranoana, and otaku comedian Mr.Kicchomu Yoshikawa .

A luxurious group of people discuss the present and future of otaku culture, pop culture, and content.

I want to translate this into action.

How about we do it in Tokyo next time?

Events include a live ikebana competition at Ikenobo and an exhibition by Mr.KAORUKO and Mrs.Kishimoto Mai at Gion Kagetsu.

Thank you very much.

Professor Naoko Tosa of Kyoto University gave a presentation at the "NY Fashion Week Participation Report Meeting" at Kyoto University.

I also walked (or ran) down the runway for Sound of Ikebana, and we had a discussion about it.

This is a joint research project conducted by the Disaster Prevention Research Institute in collaboration with Epson as part of an industry-academia partnership.

Instead of presenting research findings in papers or at academic conferences, I want to express them as art on an international stage. That's it.

The clothes I designed are now being sold in a boutique in New York. I'm turning it into a business. This is it.

I will learn from you.

Eirakuya x COOKIE New Product Launch Event @ Hosotsuji Ihei Museum

Ihei XIV and Okakenta.

The title is "Earth CEO Goes Overseas".

this into a product tenugui (Japanese hand towel ).

"This is the first time something like this has happened in 400 years," said the 14th generation.

Art @ Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art

Tomoko Sawada's "Ripples".

Your own face will spread like ripples.

Apparently, this is the first time a work of art has been created that allows viewers to view this space from above.

The advancements in printing technology were also a factor in making this work possible.

Creators Factory.

An exhibition of works and a workshop by Miwa Ichiko and Takada Yuhei.

"Let's make masks out of cardboard!"

"Let's make a giant rising dragon out of newspaper!"

Higashi artwork by Mrs.Saeko Hirano @ Kagizenyoshifusa

Thank you very much. 2000 yen.

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iU President Gachon: Mrs.Kaori Sasaki

 ■iU President Gachon: Mrs.Kaori Sasaki

From interpreter to journalist to entrepreneur to business owner. She's an amazing woman, even though we're the same age.

I've known him since I was a bureaucrat, around the time digitalization began, so I've been following in his footsteps for about 30 years now.

◆Why start a business?

Back then, the word and concept of entrepreneurship didn't even exist. After graduating from university, I ended up working at the same place where I had a part-time job. Eight or nine years passed, and I thought, "Is this how I'm going to continue?" so I quit.

1. I was working as a freelance interpreter in the music industry. As my workload increased, I was told that having a business name would make it easier for people to pay me.

2. I wondered how I would survive without getting a job, and how I would make a living.

3. It's a waste to only use interpreters and translators as language experts; it would be good to have a system in place to utilize them as comprehensive consultants.

These three factors led me to decide to establish a company (Unical International Co., Ltd.).

◆ e-Woman Co., Ltd. established

I worked in a way that believed doing a thorough and good job would lead to future business. I started using databases and email in 1988 or 1989, and switched entirely to email in 1992. I created a website in 1995. I had always advocated for the impact of the internet on the working lives of women, people with disabilities, and people living in rural areas, and for the concepts of SDGs and ESG, as they are known today.

They were doing it voluntarily using Unical International's profits. I was thinking it was about time we could break even and stop wasting money, and that's when IT came along in 1999.

We hit the bubble. And a lot of people and money came together.

What started as a discussion about how to make the volunteer project less of a burden on Unical International quickly escalated to the point where hundreds of millions of yen in capital were raised. Unical International couldn't handle it all internally, so they reluctantly created a second company. E-Woman was established in 2000.

◆Difficult period

The period from around 2000 to 2010 was incredibly difficult; I barely felt alive. I saw many different sides of people. There were about three times when I could have easily lost my life.

Some companies may struggle with things like not being able to come up with new product ideas, not knowing how to market, or not knowing their people, but all of these problems can be solved by people.

◆ Envisioning the future

I always have ideas and things I want to do. I've been able to continue because I'm basically serious about what I do. I was looking 10 or 20 years into the future. I've been talking about SDGs, ESG, and diversity for 20 years, and now people are finally starting to think they're important. Even when I explained it 20 years ago, my employees didn't understand.

◆People are everything

who work honestly and correctly, who are motivated and give their all even when no one is watching, and who improve themselves and their skills every day. People who can work as a team and understand the company's vision—when such people come together, the company will move towards success.

◆What is a school?

School is a place that constantly presents you with questions. About 50 years ago, school was a place that provided knowledge. Now, you can find knowledge by searching online. School is a place where you deepen your own thinking by exchanging questions with fellow students and teachers about how to use knowledge and why things are the way they are.

◆Roundtable Discussion for Working People

Typically, the media relays what the proprietress says to the common people. The internet is largely the same. The common people ask questions, and experts answer them.

The process is streamlined, with experts asking questions and ordinary people responding with their own experiences and opinions in the form of iStatements, within a set word count. It's training in diversity thinking, and because various experiences and perspectives are gathered from different angles for a single question (North Korea, abuse, education, parenting, beauty, etc.), a database of experiences and wisdom is created. We continue this because it's online and not limited by time or location.

◆University is a place to discover behavior

Universities should provide a more regular setting for professors and students to discuss such questions. Professors should pose questions and offer different perspectives.

A place to discover the habits of learning, thinking, discussing, and combining different perspectives to arrive at better answers.

◆A message for you

I think the most important thing is to increase your experiences, such as meeting many people and going to many places. I want you to accumulate a variety of experiences.

When you travel abroad, you encounter many regions without electricity or even safe drinking water. Returning from such places made me realize just how fortunate I am to live, study, and work in Japan—a rare and exceptional situation in the world.

To make this planet a better place, let's not get discouraged or discouraged by small things, but instead work towards a bigger goal. I also recommend taking advantage of the International Women's Business Conference, which is being held online, to immerse yourself in a shower of knowledge.

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Kyoto International Film Festival 2023, including all kinds of films.

 ■ Kyoto International Film Festival 2023, including all kinds of films.

Kyoto International Film Festival.

Greetings from the Executive Committee Chairman at Gion Kagetsu.

It's like a film festival, but not quite a film festival.

It's like an art exhibition, but not quite an art exhibition.

When I asked what it was

Movies, art, and everything else

Kyoto International Film Festival.

Ready, set, go!

It always began with a call from Honorary Executive Committee Chairman Nakajima.

That chant is missing.

I offer my deepest condolences for the passing of Mr. Sadao Nakajima.

Thanks to your support, this film festival has reached its 10th year.

Coincidentally, the Agency for Cultural Affairs came to Kyoto at that very time.

This year's film festival, we convey our "thank you" to Sadao Nakajima in heaven,

Building upon its 10-year history, this must be a milestone that leads to the future.

That's why I opened it.

Thank you very much.

Next year, we aim for a new format.

Thank you in advance.　I beg you .

Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa,

Hiroki Furukawa, Vice Governor of Kyoto Prefecture,

Nobukazu Hinata, Councillor at the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

The host is the usual Kim-ni.

Thank you very much.

The Shozo Makino Award goes to Junji Sakamoto.

"The night brings the alcohol."

I love the line that Renji Ishibashi says in "I've never fired a shot ."

I also like Naomi Fujiyama and Ittoku Kishibe in "Kao" and "Danchi," as well as the sticky, lingering feel of the people of Kyoto.

Congratulations on winning the award.

Thank you very much, Yuko Natori.

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Cool Japan: Takeout

 ■Cool Japan: Takeout

NHK Cool Japan “Takeout” episode.

In my neighborhood too, Japanese, Western, and Chinese places all started doing takeout, and around lunchtime the streets got lively with people calling out, “We have bento!”

Japanese cuisine, with lots of soups and noodles that stretch easily, didn’t really lend itself to takeout—but this is the result of tearful efforts during COVID.

“Takeout Surge”

Chinese, curry, French, Italian—everyone started takeout.

There’s a foundation in bento culture.

Food designed to taste good even when cold.

Visual presentation through small portions and careful arrangement.

Containers that are easy to obtain for that purpose.

In Japan, where takeout and takeaway weren’t very common before, a new bento culture has been born through COVID.

“Ramen”

Ramen appears again and again in this program.

In the past, ramen delivered as “demae”—something like takeout or delivery—was often soggy and cold.

But it has been evolving rapidly, and even what’s sold in convenience stores is now quite delicious.

They keep developing, obsessing over noodle texture and soup.

That level of dedication is almost abnormal.

And with COVID, new innovations are emerging.

I’m impressed.

There are over 30,000 ramen shops in Japan, and even during COVID everyone continues refining their flavors.

“Edible Containers”

Japan has long devised ways to eat fish completely, even down to the bones.

And yet, over the past few decades, we’ve been throwing away containers and chopsticks—maybe that was a bit off track.

But making something “edible” to reduce waste, and making it “delicious” at the same time—that feels very Japanese.

Food was one of the sectors most heavily damaged by COVID.

But at the same time, it is trying to use that as a springboard to create new culture.

After COVID settles down, it would be nice if this rich takeout culture remains.

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iU President Gachon :Mr.Junya Komatsu

■iU President Gachon :Mr.Junya Komatsu

 He is the creator of "Chiko-chan ni Shikarareru!". He has also created "Gottsu Ee Kanji", "Laughing Dog Life", "SMAP x SMAP", "Fountain of Trivia", "Honmadekka TV", and many more. In other words, he is a legend.

◆The difference between television and smartphones

The basis is to create something that is enjoyable to look at. It never changes.

The interesting thing about smartphone content is that it uses a touch panel. Television can make what is otherwise a one-way stream interactive. It's interesting and fun to be able to customize the viewing experience for each viewer. The line between television and games is disappearing.

◆ What inspired me to start making this

We're not always looking out at the world trying to create something new.

I often get inspiration from other people. For example, Chico-chan scolds me.

The director suddenly handed me a piece of paper with the question "What is the expiration date for ice cream?" I thought about it, but there was no expiration date. I thought it was interesting that I had lived for 50 years without knowing such a thing. If it was just a trivia quiz, it would end with whether you knew it or not. What's interesting is that we live our lives aimlessly without knowing things that we should know. What would it be like to be asked such a thing and not be able to answer, and a little girl would scold us? This idea was born from a conversation that lasted about 10 minutes.

When something interesting happens in front of you, it becomes a gateway that connects the things you experience in your daily life.

The Fountain of Trivia. Why is Isetan's paper bag the biggest? It was born from that. It's strange, but there are people who are thinking about the same thing at the same time. I started it with those people.

◆Weaving with friends

You may not have thought of it spontaneously. Arrange something that you find interesting while talking. Think of a way to share something that you find interesting with others.

How to spend your student days

I hardly went to college. I wrote scripts for plays and skits in coffee shops. When I was thinking of a skit with a forced theme, I felt like I was training myself quite thoroughly to gather various things and combine them to create a story.

I often made skits. What makes me popular is that I bring out things that are in the everyday lives of people. I value what I think about in my daily life. I thought about what was interesting and lived a fun life every day, and that's all the input that connects me to the present.

◆ Differences between being an employee and starting a business

While in an organization, you have to empty yourself. It's the aesthetics of working. Even if you disagree with something, you have to take responsibility for what's been decided and carry it out. That's work. I think that's a wonderful thing. But it was stressful. After I quit, I felt free.

The reason I decided to quit was because I felt that TV was the only outlet for video entertainment, but times have changed, and various things such as streaming and games have appeared, and the way people spend their time has changed. In order to realize a plan within a TV station, the organization must give the go-ahead. There are some things that can't be done just by being interesting.

Now, if you find something interesting, you can take it to various broadcasting stations, stream it, make it into a game, or make it into an app, so your ideas never die. If you find something interesting, you can make it a reality in some way.

◆Message for you guys

My father told me, "Don't become a craftsman." He was in a research lab, but he said that if you become a specialized technician there, your potential as a human being will be closed off. In other words, "Don't become a professional." Of course, it is important to acquire various skills and use them to gain confidence and confidence.

With the advancement of technology, access to many things has become easier. Many things can be realized. If you decide who you are, you will not be able to go beyond that, and your life will become boring. It is more enjoyable to live life by being amateurish, being loved by everyone in an unfamiliar place, and doing things you have never done before.

★Postscript

He is quiet and calm. He may look like that, but he is really scary on the set. That's what I heard from someone at Yoshimoto + NTT's video platform "Laugh & Peace Mother." Of course. Although he is my junior at university, he is cool and I admire him.

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Cool Japan: Massage

■Cool Japan: Massage

NHK Cool Japan: "Massage" edition.

The word massage is French, but there are many different types, including anma, which originated in China, and shiatsu, which originated in Japan.

Among them, Japan is a major country in the world.

Stiff shoulders have been said to be a national disease, and massage has undergone a unique evolution.

It used to be said that Westerners don't suffer from stiff shoulders, but I hear that with the spread of smartphones and games, stiff shoulders are becoming more prevalent worldwide.

Can Japanese massage bring relaxation to the world?

"Goods"

It seems that it is not actually the case that Japanese people are prone to stiffness and Westerners are not.

In the past, it was said that differences in lifestyle, such as sitting cross-legged and wearing traditional Japanese clothing, were the cause, but that difference no longer exists.

However, compared to Westerners, Japanese people are more aware of the pain of stiffness, so the threshold for massage is lower and they use it casually and without hesitation.

Producing lots of goods for anything is a Japanese specialty, but another factor may be that stiff muscles are more readily available in Japan.

"school"

The national qualification is a combination of the three, called "Anma Massage Shiatsu Therapist."

Massage is a technique performed directly on the skin that was introduced from Europe after the Meiji period.

On the other hand, massage over clothing originated in ancient China and was introduced during the Nara period.

Shiatsu, the technique of pressing with the fingers, originated in Japan during the Taisho period.

Use your fingers to press the acupressure points connected to the affected area.

Shiatsu is now attracting attention around the world, with vocational schools being established one after another in Asia, Europe and the United States.

If smartphones and games make people overseas more aware of their stiff muscles, then Shiatsu may become more popular.

"chair"

When it was first invented about 60 years ago, it was just a big ball sticking out of a chair that opened and closed, but it has evolved since then.

More than 10 years ago, when asked what they would like to bring back to their country, a foreigner answered, "A massage chair."

They say it's a fusion of technology that gently massages the body and beautiful interior design that looks great in the home.

I realized that Japanese massage chairs are the most advanced in the world.

It has continued to evolve since then, and the latest models have become "massage computers" that read each person's body shape and adjust the massage intensity accordingly, with the chairs connected to a communications network and managed using AI and data.

It's like wondering how far it will go.

 

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