ISSN 1348-7906

18 11 25 242

12December

2006 No. 242

390

Le Petit Prince Succession Antoine de Saint-Exupery 2006 Licensed by Le Petit Prince

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The musical The Little Prince by theater companyOngakuza is scheduled to be performed starting thismonth in many locations around Japan. It is a musicalbased on Le Petit Prince written by Frenchman Antoine deSaint-EXUPRY, and its eventful story started long before itopened. Le Petit Prince is a childrens book, but it containsmany words and ideas that are suggestive to adults includingthe famous words What is essential is invisible to the eye.The bestselling book has sold 50 million copies worldwideincluding 6 million in Japan.

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This is not the first performance of The Little Prince. In1993, Ongakuza, which was just waiting for the opening bell,received a sudden unexpected message from the ditionsGallimard in France which manages the copyright for SaintExupry. They said Ongakuza was not permitted to producethe musical. Ongakuza had received the performance rightsfrom their USA agent, but Gallimard said the rights hadalready expired.

1993

The Ongakuza staff faced a panic situation. After desperaterequests by the staff and repeated questions and answers,Ongakuza received approval only for this performance asthere was no fault on their part. However, Gallimard statedthey had no intention of allowing the musical to be producedby any theater companies anywhere. They said that funda-mentally the musical does not honor the original book sincemusicals are a part of culture born in the USA.

Subsequently, the worst scenario of having to cancel theperformance was avoided. Everyone who was concernedabout the situation tried to do their best to at least ensure theperformance would be re-staged. The performance was sopopular that they received the National Art Festival Awardfrom the Agency for Cultural Affairs. However, Gallimardcontinued to refuse Ongakuzas request to re-stage the perfor-mance.

One year passed. After continuing tenacious negotiations,Ongakuza was successful in inviting Gallimard staff and a

Le Petit Prince Succession Antoine de Saint-Exupery 2006 Licensed by Le Petit Prince

4

family representative and talked in Japanese about her passionfor the production. This softened their hard attitude and a mir-acle occurred. The representative nodded saying, We havethe same spirit.

The great Hanshin earthquake struckFrance, too

The Ongakuza staff saw a ray of light. After the representa-tives returned home, Ongakuza sent a script which was writ-ten to mirror the book as closely as possible. However, it wasnot accepted as it was still different from the original. Thecorrespondence continued for a long time and the project team

felt lost. When the production seemed to be in desper-ate straights, the great Hanshin earthquake struck. Itwas January 17, 1995. At the end of the month, a let-ter arrived at the Ongakuza office.

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The letter was from a father who had lost his son anddaughter in the earthquake. He had been a fan of Ongakuza

bereaved family representative of Saint Exupry to Japan.However, they pointed out in detail the differences betweenthe production and the original book such as how Ongakuzahad reinterpreted the plot so that the pilot in the story reflectedthe author, added a prologue and epilogue, and adoptedEnglish words and a rock music style reminiscent of broad-way musicals.

1

These details were difficult for Ongakuza to accept becausethey wanted to create an original production adding a newinterpretation so that Le Petit Prince would be more suitablefor an oriental audience. Ongakuza productions are createddifferently from the pro-duction styles of ordinarytheater companies thatrequest a scriptwriter anddirector to create a pro-duction. Their work isproduced in a uniquemanner called a wormhole project where thecompany director AIKAWA Reiko herself directs herteam to create the script and direct the performance.

When negotiations came to a dead end, director Aikawa,who was negotiating through an interpreter, suddenly said,Ill speak to them directly. She set her eyes on the bereaved

Performances will be held in Tokyo between Nov. 9 ~ 19, and in other cities around Japan11

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www.ongakuza-musical.com

http://www.ongakuza-musical.com

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and had taken his now-dead children to the performances.The Little Prince was the first musical his children saw, andthey were impressed. He put patches of the Le Petit Princeson the clothes of his children and a card containing the musi-cal lyrics was placed in the coffin. In the letter, hewrote They will be stars and watch us, which aresimilar to words used in The Little Prince.

This changed the moodof the project membersfrom Someday, we willdo this again to We haveto do it! A revised plan was created immediately and themusic composer and producer flew to Paris. With this visit,the situation changed and the exclusive musical and perfor-mance rights were granted to Ongakuza. They were the onlyrights of their kind granted in the world. However, on theother hand, severe restrictions, such as that the stage had to beas accurate as possible to that in the original book, were set.

That restriction has since been taken away for the currentperformances as the rights period of the original book haveexpired and the production team has created a new interpreta-tion that they have wanted to do for a long time. It expresses

the intention of the work that one canfeel from Saint Exuprys footprint.It is a further evolution of the 1998performance that gained a reputationfor its unique stage designs includingone where the desert was expressedusing a sheet of cloth. A new face,NODA Kumiko was selected to playthe role of prince.

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When I heard I was selected toplay the role of prince, at first I felt anxiousabout whether I could accomplish it, butsoon after I made up my mind that I woulddo it. I think the prince is not a human being,but something like a soul. It is very deep.Listen to my laughing in the stage show,Kumiko smiles. The story of The Little Prince hasmoved to the stage now with new members and finally thereal curtain opens.

Photos on page 3 and 4: scenes from past performances. Photos on page 5: rehearsal scenes of the current performance.

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Topics & Events

No singing, no dialog, no stories this is a musical without compare and full of freshfeeling and lots of laughs. There is no other musical like this in the world. Fifty men andwomen who have world-class skills make their muscles beat together while hot musicechoes loudly. It is extremely exciting to see the vaulting horse world record holder chal-lenge for a new record during every performance and the amazing techniques of the worldstop mountain biker. The sexy dialog dancing of the female dancers is also very popular.

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Muscle Musical

JAPAN TOUR Final Tokyo Triumphant Performance at Shibuya NHK Hall

NHK

December 15~1612

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5,5007,500

MUSCLE MUSICAL 2006 MAX

in Ariake Coliseum

2006

December 28~3012

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6,8008,800

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MUSCLE MUSICAL

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Topics & Events

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Coterie magazines (published by a group of creators for themselves) arenow booming behind the scenes in Japan. Coterie magazines are basicallycreated and sold as a hobby, and not for the pursuit of economic benefits.However, since more sales exhibitions are being held, the market forcoterie magazines has expanded to the point where those involved canexpect to earn a profit to a certain extent. Comics in particular are verypopular. COMIC CITY Tokyo 114 is an all-field coterie magazine salesexhibition for women. The hall is filled with a lively mix of creators, sell-ers and buyers.

COMIC

CITY

114

COMIC CITY Tokyo 114

COMIC

CITY

114

November 2611

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Held by Akaboo

Tokyo Big Site, West hall

Admission fee: purchase of guide

Tel: 03-3225-8520 www.akaboo.jp

http://www.akaboo.jp

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www.hiraganatimes.com

2006 by Katsuhiko Mizuno, Published by Kodansha International Ltd.

DVD-V i d e o

1980

4,179

A documentary DVD-Video, which describes the life ofBANDO Tsumasaburo, usually called Bantsuma, has beenreleased. Bantsuma was a great actor in Japanese movie histo-ry who was known as a master of swordplay. The movieBantsuma The Life of Tsumasaburo Bando was filmedin 1980, and later shown at the International Film Festivals inBerlin and London, and received high praise. This DVD-Video contains a compilation of famous scenes from hisworks, interviews with related people, and much more.Contains bilingual subtitles in Japanese and English. Now onsale 4,179. Distributed by Urban Connections.

www.digital-meme.com/

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Topics & Events

DVD-Video

DVD-Video Bantsuma TheLife of Tsumasaburo Bando

4,800

There are many traditional town houses in Kyotos oldtown. This type of house is built using traditionalJapanese construction methods. When you open the frontdoor, you will see an entrance area with a high ceiling,and then adjoining that will likely be a Japanese-styleroom and a small garden with a very Japanese atmos-phere. It looks like another world. Photographer Mr.MIZUNO Katsuhiko took photographs of CourtyardGardens of Kyotos Merchant Houses, which showsevery aspect of the beauty and gracefulness of courtyardgardens (see previous page). You can see true Japaneseculture through these most impressive photographs withthe aid of explanatory notes. This book is also recom-mended as a souvenir. Published by KodanshaInternational. 4,800. Present for three people3

December Issue Contents12

COVER STORY 3-5

TOPICS & EVENTS 6-11

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS12-13

PARODY TALK 14-15

USEFUL WEBSITES

16

Insight into Japan Japanology Textbook

17-24

JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES

CLOSE UP JAPAN

TIPS FOR LIVING IN JAPAN

JAPANESE HISTORY MAKERS

TIPS FOR LEARNING JAPANESE

SPECIAL REPORT

25-27

INTERNATIONAL COUPLE SCENE

28-29

HIRA-TAI FORUM 30

VISA Q&A Q&A 31

MY JAPAN 32

NEW TREND 33

SUBCULTURE 34-35

HOT SPOT36-37

JAPAN QUIZ 38

The unauthorized reproduction, photocopying or copying of articles or photographs appearing in this magazine is strictly prohibited.

Publisher & Editor: HASEGAWA Katsuyuki Assistant Editor: Jonathon WALSH Illustrations: YOSHIDA Shinko DTP: NAKADA Natsuko

Courtyard Gardens of

Kyotos Merchant Houses

http://www.digital-meme.com

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5,00012,000

David COPPERFIELD, who made the Statue of Liberty inNew York disappear, jumped across the Grand Canyon, andpassed through the Great Wall of China, will come to Japanagain after a 5-year absence. Everybody who seesCopperfields shows thinks this is magic, therefore it has tobe a trick, but no one can discover how he does it, even ifyou watch him carefully. He planted the term illusion inJapanese minds and helped bring the magic boom to Japan.In this show he will perform fantastic magic tricks far beyondthe audiences imagination. Held from December 6 ~ 10 atTokyo International Forum, Hall A. Admission fee; 5,000 ~12,000.

www.kyodopromotion.com/

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Topics & Events

David Copperfield Show

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Bunkamura

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2007

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1,300

M. C. ESCHER is a well-known Dutch graphic artist andmaster of illusion. This great retrospective exhibition displays180 of his works including the paradox of the ever-streamingwaterfall (see picture). In addition to such famous trick pictures, his early works that were inspired by Italy and Spainand that have rarely been seen, are also included. ToolsEscher used for his woodblock etchings and his treasurednotebooks, are also on show. Held at The Museum atBunkamura, in Shibuya, Tokyo from November 11 to January13, 2007. Admission fee: 1,300.

www.ntv.co.jp/escher/

Super Escher Exhibition

Present for five couples (10 people)5

10

Presents for readers,You have a great chance to win a present whenever you see this picture (left). Write the present name, your name, address, sex, age, nationality and the top article(s) you enjoyed in this issue, as well as your impression(s) or suggestion(s) for future articles and send by postcard or e-mail. Competition closes November 25. Winners will be selected by lottery and receive presents directly.

e-mail1125

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Please keep in mind that articles printed in Hiragana Times may be published without notice in PDF version, on the Hiragana Times website, in other media related to Hiragana Times and possibly by third party media approved by Hiragana Times.

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2006

17th FAI World Hot Air BalloonChampionship, Tochigi, Japan, 2006

F-1

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Hot air balloon races are often called F-l races in the sky andmany hot air balloon tournaments take place all over the world.A hot air balloon looks as if it moves quietly, but in the case ofthe tournament, it is a difficult sport in the sky which requiresskilled techniques and the ability to decide what to do nextafter reading the wind direction that changes as each momentgoes by. This World Championship is held every two yearsand many top pilots from around the world will compete. Sixtysix hot air balloons from 35 countries are scheduled to partic-ipate in this world championship. MIZUKAMI Takao, the present Japanese champion and FUJITA Masahiko, who isranked No. 2 in the world, will be participating. Held betweenNovember 18 ~ 26 in Tochigi prefecture.

www.air-b.com/

Free Professional Consultationsfor Foreign Residents

12

3

13:0016:00

12

In this meeting, professional specialists will answer freeof charge questions about visas, the certificate of eligibili-ty, legal problems (including international marriage anddivorce), social insurance, educational and work disputes(payment, layoffs), and other problems you may be experienc-ing while living in Japan. The specialists include a lawyer, anadministrative scrivener, a certified social insurance and laborconsultant, a clinical psychotherapist, and a labor counselor.Interpreters in English, Chinese and Korean, etc, are available.Privacy is strictly maintained. Appointments are not necessarybut possible to make in advance. December 3rd between13:00 and 16:00. Location: Chofu City Culture Hall,Tazukuri, Big conference room. For inquiries: Chofu CityInternational Exchange Association.

Tel: 042-441-6194

Topics & Events

Image

http://www.air-b.com/http://www.sakura-house.com

Galvani Creative Co., Ltd, produces a diverse range ofmedia including multimedia products, TV, print,websites, videos, photography, advertising, packag-ing and much more.

I come to Japan to stay for two months thatwas 16 years ago! Eduardo says about how hefirst got going in Japan after previously spendingtime working as an Art Director in Italy, Braziland New York. By that time, I had no idea howdifficult it would be to get established in Tokyo. Inmany countries, even if nobody knows you, youcan still phone prospective clients and ask to present your portfolio.This is not the case inJapan everything isbased on referrals andsomeone that knowssomeone else who willintroduce you.

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2

How did Eduardoget his first job?First, I started beg-ging to be allowed topresent my work tocompanies. For sever-al months I receivedso little work.Luckily, the smallstream of workbecome larger and I

found a position at the biggest design company in Japanat that time.

Eduardo continued, The time between the first contact tothe point that you actually are trusted enough to be given

12Galvani Creative Co., Ltd.www.galvani.net

Japan has one of the HighestDesign Traditions

Eduardo GALVANI

24 24

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some work from a new client in Japan is enough to allowMICHELANGELO to paint the Sistine Chapels ceiling several times over!

Japan has one of the highest design traditions in the worldand quality and reliability is a national obsession, Eduardosays. Just to be able to compete in this market is for me aprivilege and a prize in itself. When we created the Sony labelfor CD-R and other recording media and had it adopted allover the world, it was an overwhelming feeling to see ourwork sold by the million worldwide. The same thing hap-pened when we were asked by Japanese food manufacturerPokka to design a green tea label for the Japanese market or when our KDDI TV commercial aired for three consecutive years; those weresome of the best moments.

CD-R

KDDI3

A good point about working in Japan, he says, is that

Japanese clients are very loyal. If you are lucky enough tohave your proposal approved and become successful in themarket, it is very likely that you will keep receiving new jobsfrom that client for many years. Nevertheless, you can nevertake anything from granted and the sales efforts are endless.

Eduardo says his business will never become a very largedesign company because the kind of care and attention theyprovide to each client and project limits their output to a max-imum number of clients. If we give up this concept, we willbecome just another design company, and theres no fun in

that. In ten years from now, I see mycompany with about 10~20 talentedprofessionals giving me support and atleast twice as many regular clients but still keeping all the ones we havenow.

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13Text: Jonathon WALSH

http://www.youors-rent.com

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Amakudari is the practice of retired bureaucrats obtaining high-ranking positions in companies or related organizations

in the field they previously worked in.Note

CIA: Why is this reform taking place?President: The situation behind this reform is the recentharsh collecting of loans by leading consumer loan compa-nies. A practice that also came into the spotlight was one inwhich these companies tied up with insurance companies andlet their debtors take out contract with them, and then collectthe loan money when the debtors die. Actually, the suiciderate of debtors has increased.

CIA

CIA: But, the plan to lower the annual 29.2% interest ceilingbased on investment law to 15 ~ 20 % is good, isnt it?Pre.: No, not at all. The interest rate has to be raised. Itshould be at least 300% .

CIA

29.2

1520

300

CIA: Wait a minute! You are on consumers side, arent you?Pre.: Listen! The situation of those who have to borrow100,000 yen with a high rate of interest will be equivalent tothat where ordinary people have a debt of one million yen.Actually, it will be almost impossible to pay back. If the inter-est is rate raised to 300%, the interest alone will be 300,000yen, nobody will borrow and hence no more heavy debt victims will be created.

CIA

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CIA: I see. By the way, why has the number of consumer loan

by Hiragana Times CIA

A consumer loan institution reform plan is now being discussedin the Diet. This plan proposes the lowering of interest ratescharged by moneylenders, however, some tricks can be observedbehind the scenes. Hiragana Times CIA conducted an emergencyinterview with KANEDA Shoji, author of Tricks of ConsumerLoans and president of Heavy Debtor Rescue Association.

Hiragana Times CIA

Consumer Loan Interest is Too Low!

mailto:info@mmtl.jphttp://www.mmtl.jphttp://www.tgkrealty.com

15

companies been increasing?Pre.: Until the mid 90s, banks lent 20 trillion yen to individu-als, but the lending amount has since dropped to 8 trillion yen.On the other hand, housing loans that require a mortgage haveincreased from 66 trillion yen to 114 trillion yen. In short,banks have become hesitant to loan to individuals who donthave mortgages. On the other hand, during that period theamount of consumer loans swelled from 4 trillion yen to 12trillion yen. Now, it is not the banks that individuals borrowmoney from, it is consumer loan companies which chargemuch higher rates of interest.

CIA

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CIA: There are big differences in interest rates between banksand consumer loan companies, arent there?Pre.: The difference is 5 ~ 10 times. If the low interest banksloan to consumers, the tragedy of heavy debtors will decreasegreatly. Surprisingly, banks lend 4 trillion yen to consumer loancompanies at an interest rate of only 1.7 ~ 3.8%. Furthermore,banks have purchased a huge amount of their debentures. So thebanks are supporting the majority of their funds behind the scene.

CIA

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1.73.8

CIA: When the bubble economy burst and many banks were

faced with possible bankruptcy, the govern-ment loaned money to the banks at almost nointerest, didnt it? Well then, that means that ourtax money was used to support consumer loan companies that are, ironically, very tough on non-paying customers, doesnt it?Pre.: That is not all. Many Finance Ministrybureaucrats who are in the position to monitor theindustry are taking advantage of Amakudari to joinconsumer loan companies. Some politicians ask con-sumer loan companies to purchase expensive ticketsto their campaign parties, and they supported them by saying,If interest rates are reduced, bank lending criteria willbecome harsher and many people will not be able to borrow.To satisfy politicians, lets dare them to raise interest rates allthe way up to 300%.

CIA

300

Comment from CIACIAMany artistic masterpieces about moneylenders have been pro-duced including SHAKESPEAREs Merchant of Venice andDOSTOEVSKYs Crime and Punishment. Did you knowthat in Japan there was a best-selling book published a fewyears ago called Never pay back the money you borrowed!?

CIACynically Insulting Agency

Makiko

Note

http://www.tiger-house.commailto:info@tiger-house.comhttp://www.gaijinhouse.net

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Japans Leading English Language Newspaper

Japan Times Online www.japantimes.co.jp/

Japans most renowned news source. This site features National News, NewsFeatures, Business, Opinion-Editorial, Community, Lifestyle, Arts, PerformingArt, Education, Books, Sports, Film, Food, Travel, Events, and more.

If you are thinking of Japan as an import source or export market, or if youwould like to bring your business here, this is the place to start. Informationabout investing in Japan, market information, business opportunity and statisticsand surveys are available.

Japanese Language Education Information

The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute, Urawa

www.jpf.go.jp/e/urawa/

Opening the Door to Business in Japan

JETRO

www.jetro.go.jp/

This institute was established to provide human resource development, develop andproduce teaching resources, and provide information and further assistance forJapanese language education abroad. Plenty of information about the Japanese language from the latest news to Japanese teaching resources is available.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/http://www.jetro.go.jp/http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/urawa/http://www.hiraganatimes.commailto:tokyoinfo@p05.itscom.nethttp://www.tokyo-information.comhttp://hiraganatimes.com/hp/acomo

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Every year the National Athletics Meet is held in a particu-lar prefecture based on a hand down rule. The host prefecturehas always won the overall championship in both the mensand womens athletics since 1978 to 2006, except for oneoccasion. This is mainly due to the fact that the host prefectureteam pleads with top athletes to change their addresses to theirprefecture to enable them to win the right to host the event, andother prefectures gave their silent approval.

This kind of practice is also seen in business world. Thebiggest one is the so-called Dango, a pre-negotiation meeting,generally about bids for public construction projects.Construction company representatives meet in advance andnegotiate so that all the corporations concerned will receive workin turn. The next corporation that is arranged to win the bid sub-mits a lower estimate than other corporations. This bid, however,is usually more than 30 percent higher than the standard estimate.

The money flows back to the influential lawmakers, gover-nors and mayors who decide public undertakings in the form ofbribes or donations. On the other hand, these corporations fullysupport the lawmakers involved at election time, and in return,they are secretly advised to submit high estimates. Subsequently,many dams, roads and public facilities that residents do not thinkare necessary have been built. The people involved are simplyunaware that what they are doing is a crime.

Japans harmony-oriented culture promotes group consciousness and places priority on benefiting the group.Even if an injustice or criminal conduct is discovered, if it hasbeen carried out to benefit not an individual but the group,then people in that group will generally keep silent.

No. 009

Harmonious Japanese CultureOften Goes Off the Track

1978

2006

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CHINESE CUISINE (Simple Eating)

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A son called HISAHITO has been born to the Japaneseroyal family after a gap of 41 years and the discussion aboutimperial succession has been toned down. According to thepresent Imperial Household Law, the Emperor should be amale. However, the Crown Prince, who is now over 40, hasonly a daughter, Princess Aiko. The other branches of theImperial families also only have daughters. This is why theGovernment has been discussing revising the ImperialHousehold Law to allow either a female who has theEmperors blood line, or one who doesnt, to ascend thethrone in future.

Prince Hisahito, the son of Prince Akishino who is theyounger brother of the Crown Prince, is the third in line to thethrone after the Crown Prince and his father Prince Akishino.The law stating that only male descendants should succeed thethrone was created in the Meiji era. The reasoning behind it isobscure, but some say that the blood line of the Imperial family will be changed as a female Emperor must use her husbands surname.

Who Should Succeed the Emperors Throne?

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http://www.j-os.commailto:info@j-os.comhttp://www.jp-lesson.jpmailto:nihongo@jp-lesson.jphttp://www.jp-lesson.jp

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The Japanese Imperial family has an unbroken line ofEmperors in its approximately 2,000-year history from thefirst Emperor Jinmu right through to the present 125thEmperor. Though the existence of early Emperors is doubtful,at least it is possible to trace back the Imperial family morethan 1,500 years. There is no Imperial family in the world thathas lasted such a long time without any revolutions or break-ing of the blood line. The Japanese anthem Kimigayo is asong containing lyrics wishing that the generations ofEmperor will last forever.

Japanese people open to female Emperor

In the past, there were eight female Emperors, but theirfathers were either Emperor or Crown Prince. The revision ofthe Imperial Household Law is partly being based on this fact.A female Emperor means that a female becomes an Emperor,and this is quite different from the case where the daughter ofan Emperor ascends the throne. The issue of who will succeedthe throne seems to have been left on the shelf, but sooner orlater, it will need to be discussed again.

According to a survey run by the Mainichi newspaper inDecember 2005 before Prince Hisahito was born, 85% ofthose surveyed are in favor of Japan having a female Emperor,with 10% against it. Regarding the question of whether thedaughter of an Emperor should take the throne, 71% were infavor, while 22% said they favored a male Emperor.Regarding who should succeed the throne, 54% answered thatthe first child should take priority, and 39% answered that thefirst male child should.

The Japanese Imperial family exists simply as a spiritualsymbol for the Japanese people at present, and are notinvolved in politics. People are becoming increasingly famil-iar with the Imperial family since the Empress and CrownPrincess are from outside the Imperial family. However, theirlives are still a sanctuary that cannot be broached. It is inter-esting to note that while Japans mass media often severelycriticizes the cabinet, they use respectful terms in their articlesabout the Imperial family and seldom criticize them.

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http://www.japonin.com/mailto:info@japonin.comhttp://www.shibuya-hanko.com/index-e.htm

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One of the many kinds of entertainment Japanese like isPachinko. Pachinko parlors can be easily spotted all overJapan and at the very least you will find one around any trainstation. Pachinko is a Japanese-style slot machine that is lovedby men and women of all ages. It is very easy to play. Youbuy the Pachinko balls with an appropriate amount of money,say one or two thousand yen, and put them into the Pachinkomachine. You then hit a ball using a handle attached to themachine, aiming at the center of slot start hall.

When a ball falls into the hole in the center, the displaybegins to show three different spinning images at a time.When three images match, many balls start coming out. Thereare many kinds of pachinko machines. Pachinko players canexchange the balls they win for various products at thepachinko parlor. The products can be exchanged for cash at asmall booth that is always near the parlor. Pachinko is actual-ly a kind of gambling, but since the parlors dont directlyexchange the balls for money, legally it is not recognized as agambling site.

Popular Entertainment in Japanincludes Pachinko, Gehsen, Karaoke ...

2

199810049,800136

199810049,800136

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Recently, the number of Gehsen, which is an abbrevia-tion for Game Center, has been increasing, especially in bigcities where they are popular among the younger generation.You can play with the large-scaled games using computersincluding those providing virtual experiences. Many newgames have been introduced. On the other hand, games suchas a crane game in which players pick up objects from a pileof goods contained in a transparent box, are still popular.

Internet cafs where you can also enjoy read-ing comics

There are also more Internet cafs. Japanese Internet cafshave a unique characteristic in that you can not only use acomputer, but you can also read comics as they usually have acomic corner filled with a variety of comic books. ManyInternet cafs have evolved from comic cafs. In addition tothat, there are now more and more cafs equipped with reclin-ing seats for you to enjoy watching DVDs and play TVgames.

There are also many DVD/video rental shops. They offer avariety of videos and DVDs ranging from foreign movies tofamous Japanese movies and animation. Those who arelearning the Japanese language will be able to find somegood learning material in these shops. The easiest form ofentertainment will be watching TV, but there are only a limit-ed number of programs in English including some news.Now that broadband services are becoming more widespread,more and more non-Japanese are increasingly listening tonews from their own countries over the Internet.

Karaoke is ever popular. Most bars are equipped withkaraoke facilities, but parlors specializing in karaoke can beseen all over Japan, the birthplace of karaoke. Karaokeparlors contain a variety of rooms called Boxes that peoplecan rent with friends or family. In these boxes, you can relaxand have fun with familiar people. Meals and drinks are alsoavailable, as well as English songs.

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22

Tochigi born TANAKA Shozo (1814 ~ 1913) was a man ofjustice ever since he was young. To save farmers from tyran-ny, he sued the lord of the manor and his subordinates.However, they were connected to the government behind thescenes and they used many tricks to trap Shozo. As a result,he was charged with murder, tortured, and jailed as a suspectin other crimes too, but he never gave in.

With support from farmers, Shozo was elected as a memberof the prefectures congress, and then as a member of the firstImperial Congress. Among other members who were dressedin suits, Shozo, who was clad in rags with his hair loose anddisheveled, looked bizarre. At that time, an unusual accidentoccurred. The fish in the local Watarase river began to die ofunnatural causes, nearby rice plants in the rice fields withered,and potatoes in the surrounding farms did not grow. Shozopointed out that these occurrences were caused by poisonedwater coming from the Ashio copper mine upstream, and heasked the government for aid for the farmers.

However, the government eluded his requests. One of thereasons was that Japan at that time had policies that supported

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23

increasing wealth and military power, and together with silk,copper was the largest export earner. Ashio copper mine pro-duced 40~50% of the copper in Japan at the time and was thebiggest copper mine in the nation. Meanwhile, the second sonof Agricultural and Commerce Minister MUTSU Munemitsuwas the husband of the daughter of FURUKAWA Ichibei,owner of Ashio copper mine. The second son would later takeover the mine. This made the situation more complicated.

Resigned as a member of Congress as a last resort

When it became apparent to scholars that Ashio coppermine was the cause of the damage, the government explainedthat they would ask the company to introduce a poison disposal machine and stop further damage. The Governmentalso proposed an out of court settlement that involved payingcompensation to farmers. Congress members supported thegovernment policy, but Shozo warned the farmers that it wasa government trick. However, the affected farmers, who haddifficulties just maintaining their daily lives due to the poisoning, happily accepted the proposal and took the money.

The mass media then lost interest in the incident and Shozobecame isolated. However, the poisoning caused by the minehad gotten worse. Mrs. Furukawa Ichibei, who knew the truthabout the damage, killed herself by jumping into a river.Shozo, who was determined to act, then resigned from hispost as Congressman. His plan was to make a direct appeal tothe Emperor. This was a very serious act at the time thatcould, in the worst case, result in the death penalty. Shozosent a letter to his wife saying he was divorcing her before hemade this very risky commitment.

Shozo, wearing a black kimono and a hakama (formal tradi-tional Japanese menswear), stepped out of line when theEmperors carriage was approaching the Sakurada gate of theImperial Palace and shouted I have a plea! Unfortunately hewas grabbed on the spot by the guards and the Emperors carriage proceeded as if nothing happened. The governmenttreated him like a madman and later released him. Afterwards,he died, but his aspiration became a stepping stone to inspirethe creation of peoples movements.

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100

100one

hundred

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1,000one

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10,000

10 thousand

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10,000

10

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100 million

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1

When you convert US dollars to Japanese yen, you mighthave puzzled about the units used for Japanese numbers. Inthe English language, you just add the word dollars after anumber less than 100. When a number reaches $100, it iscalled one hundred dollars. The unit name hundred isused. And in the same way, $1,000 is called one thousanddollars. The unit name thousand is used. This is followedby million, billion, trillion, etc. with the addition ofevery three digits.

In the Japanese language, we add yen after numbers lessthan 100. When a number reaches l00, it is called hyakuyen. The unit name hyaku is used. And in the same way,1,000 is called sen yen. The unit name sen is used. Themethod is the same as that used in English up to the unit of1,000. However after this unit, names used in English andJapanese differ. In English $10,000 is called 10 thousand dollars, but Japanese never say 10 sen yen, instead, it isreferred to as 1 man yen.

In other words, in English, unit names are changed forevery three digits that are added to figures over one thousand,but in Japanese, unit names change every four digits. For thefigures after man, oku and chou are used. For example,100 million is referred to as 1 oku yen in Japanese. (Pleaserefer to the below.)

In Japanese, the number ichi (1) isput at the beginning of unit names,ie: ichi man yen (10,000), ichioku yen (l,0000,0000) and icchouyen (1,0000,0000,0000). However,ichi (1) is abbreviated for 100 and1,000. Japanese never say ichi-hyaku yen or and issen yen.

24

Numerous Japanese Unit Namesare Changed every Four Digits

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At present Japan is experiencing an ever-increasing petboom, and in particular, dogs are very popular. It issaid that the total number of dogs kept at home inJapan exceeds 12 million. An image comes to mind that inJapan dogs are welcomed as a member of the family and as asubstitute for the ever-decreasing number of children. Dogowners treat dogs in the same manner as they do their children, taking a bath together, combing and trimming, dress-ing and so on. It seems that dogs support mental healing andprovide satisfaction to human beings.

1,200

To meet this trend, there are more and moredog facilities (similar to human facilities)including shower and trimming salons, restau-rants and hotels opening up. At the same time,animal hospitals are thriving due to the factthat dogs are eating food of a similar quality to human foodwhich causes dogs to suffer from lifestyle-related diseasessuch as diabetes. Recently, to respond to this hysterical lovefor dogs, even more new businesses have been starting up

including dog fortune-telling, insurance, and even a servicethat helps a dog owner recognize their canine by planting amicrochip into its body.

However, this phenomenon is not only taking place inJapan. In the USA, a service in which breeders mix differentspecies of dogs such as a golden retriever and a poodle tomeet customers tastes has appeared. This service is called

Customized Dog and has became a hot topicof conversation. In addition, as a result of thegreat damage suffered by dogs due to hurricaneKatrina, dog shelters have also became a newbusiness.

Dogs are treated as family members, but behind the scenes ...

linkstyle.co.jp

mailto:info@hiraganatimes.comhttp://www.hiraganatimes.com

26

On the other hand, over 160,000 dogs are killed by Japaneseauthorities every year in Japan. The majority of animals are suffo-cated with carbon dioxide gas, not by euthanasia. Ms. KODAMASae, a photo essayist in Osaka, is tackling this problem. She beganwhen she found the dead body of a dog abandoned in a trash bag.Ms. Kodama realized that some dog owners morality is very low,and she began collecting materials by visiting public health centeranimal shelters and disposal facilities for animals, and beganreporting real stories about dog abuse.

16

In her website Requiem to Animals, on the first page ofLast Portrait, two pictures of dogs that are about to die areshown. One photo shows a dog which is finishing its happy lifein the hands of its beloved owner (above left), and the othershows a caged dog about to be killed in a cold, dark gas chamber(below left).

2

1

1

What decides their fate?

Ms. Kodama tells that the factor that decides the fate of thesedogs exists in our consciousness and is appealing to peopleabout their silent plea for survival. Furthermore, she is explain-ing the meaning and responsibility of living together with animals to their owners. Ms. Kodamas photo exhibition is now

According to the cabinet office survey statistics, pet related expenditure per family is 14,000 per month.

1

1

4,000

Note

Easy Text of Insight into Japan

The Insight into Japantext is written in an easy-toread style and portions ofthe full texts are sent tosubscribers of HiraganaTimes Easy every day.You will be able to readthe full texts in a month.The subscription toHiragana Times Easy isfree of charge.

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27

circulating throughout Japan. Also,Requiem to Animals has been published asa book by Nihon Shuppansha.

There are other people whoare anxious about this situation.One of them is Austrian, Mr.Marco BRUNO who has beenliving in Japan for over 40 yearsand is author of the book Dog stories ofMarco I never want to be born as a dog inJapan! published by Heart Publishing Co.Mr. Bruno is also president of the Society forthe Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Hegrieves, saying Among the rules created bybureaucrats, there are no rules or commonsense regarding dog breeding. Dishonestbreeders whose only aim is to make moneyare as rampant as ever.

40

Mr. Bruno has been doing his best to savepoor pets for a long time. He resents the lackof morality among dog owners, saying angri-ly More people are abandoning their dogs inthe mountains, as it costs 3~4,000 yen tohave them destroyed by authorities. Not onlythat, there are also people who go to a petshop and buy a new dog soon after takingtheir old dog to a public health center dogshelter to have it disposed of. He deleted hisaddress from the top page on his website,because many people come to leave dogs infront of his house.

34

Behind the scene of the pet boom, peoplesirresponsibility is becoming clear out. Howdo you see the reality?

Hiragana TimesULC www.abcjp.com

Requiem to Animalswww1.u-netsurf.ne.jp/~s-kodama/

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

www.adachi.ne.jp/users/help/index/index2.html

270,000 cats are killed every year.

27

Photos at right: dogs about to be disposed.

Cats brought to public health centers animalshelters are put into hemp bags and disposedof in gas chambers.

http://www.abcjp.comhttp://www1.u-netsurf.ne.jp/~s-kodama/http://www.adachi.ne.jp/users/help/index/index2.html

28

Sometimes the best things in life emerge from the worstexperiences, and often all we need to do to discoverthem is to look. But looking was exactly what Stuart, aNew Zealander, was not doing when he first set eyes on hisfuture wife Mariko at a house party in Oakland, California inNovember 2000.

2000

11

I had just come out of a previous relationship that hadturned sour and had vowed never to jump into another, Stuartsays. But after a few drinks, Stuart decided to approach herand after chatting, the pair soon found they hadquite a few things in common. While I hadntcome to that party looking to meet someone, letalone start a new relationship, my instincts toldme that there was something special about usmeeting that night, Stuart recalls.

When Marikos visa ran out she returned to Tokyo whileStuart went traveling around Europe. But love had touchedthem and Stuart came to live in Tokyo three months latter onhis birthday in July 2001.

3

2001

7

One of the more interesting times in the couples relation-ship occurred after they had moved to Japan. We were both

quite drunk at the time so I didnt hold anypunches when she sweetly told me she hadsomething important to ask, and then asked,Will you marry me? I replied quiteaggressively, How can you ask me thatquestion? like this!? right now!? Of courseI felt like an asshole the next day and shewas pretty shattered. But I guess apart fromjust not being ready for marriage at thattime in my life, my clairvoyant intuitionmust have known that my financial future

was not too secure and I was about to get screwed over by myemployer at the time.

The International Couple Scene

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Instincts gave him sense she was someone special

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Then, three months after Marikos proposal, Stuart decidedto turn the tables and ask her the same question. She said yes.But that was just the beginning of the baptism of fire. Twoweeks after Stuarts marriage proposal, the company he wasworking for at the time, went bankrupt and left him with nomoney. One week after they had signed their marriage docu-ments, Stuart took off to live and work as a white water raft-ing guide in Hokkaido for six monthswhile Mariko lived and worked in Tokyo.When I saw an advert for the job I wastempted by memories of similar jobs inthe past, he says. And although livingapart from Mariko was a challenging idea,I had no regrets.

3

2

6

29

Text: Jonathon WALSH

The biggest challenge Mariko faced was helping Stuart settle in. Moving back to Japan in April 2001 was a smoothtransition because I was already familiar with my own culture.It was only when Stuart came to live in Tokyo a few monthslater in July that I realized all the difficulties that foreignerscan experience while trying to set up a life and work here, notto mention how inflexible Japanese culture can be for them. Ifound myself becoming a problem solver and translator whichwere very stressful at first.

2001

4

7

How did she overcome these difficul-ties? I talked a lot with my friends whohad had similar experiences with their for-eign boyfriends or husbands. And as wellas feeling relieved that I wasnt the only

one experiencing those problems, I received a lot of goodadvice about how to find solutions.

In March 2004 they had a wedding ceremony in NewZealand.

2004

3

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30

The other day my sons kindergarten held an athletic meet-ing. It was the first time for me to see this event. The sportsground was crowded with many parents and families. Mostparents were chasing their sons and daughters, taking shots ofthem with cameras and video cameras. I was one of them andwas especially enthusiastic on the day, as my son can run sofast that it makes me proud, therefore, I wanted to record hisgallant appearance.

The time had come for him to run a race. When the starterwhistled, they began to run toward the finish line 30 meters infront of them. Of course, my son soon ran to the front andwon. When he saw me, he had a huge smile on his face andflashed me the V sign. My wife was so excited it was as ifour son had won in the Olympic Games.

30

What I cant understand wasthat there was no award ceremonyfor my son. I asked my Japanesefriend who was with me about it.You see, the children who winwill be happy, but those who losewill be sad. In the Japanese soci-ety, all should be appreciatedequally, he explained. Childrenhave to join the competitive society sooner or later. This is abad Japanese aspect to spoil their children, I thought.

1

On the day my wife and I walked home with holding oursons hands. On the way home we saw a place covered withcorrugated cardboard cartons. Inside there a homeless manlying down hopelessly, looking up at the autumn sky. Justthen, an expensive deluxe car carrying a kindergarten pupilpassed by in front of the place. My wife and I looked at eachother. Although my son achieved victory in his athletic meet-ing, no one knows what his future will be. I thought the soci-ety where people have consideration for losers is not so bad.

My Sons Athletic MeetingShowed me what JapaneseSociety is Like

Text: Andrzej LEM (Poland)

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I am a Chinese female. At first I came to Japan on anentertainment visa. I lost my passport. It is now one yearsince the visa expired. I still have my alien registration card.Im hoping to marry a Japanese man now living with me andobtain a proper visa and live in Japan in the future. Pleaseadvise me what I should do.

After getting the appropriate documents ready includingthe application, his family registration and residents card, anydocument that certifies your incomes and lives such as jobcertification, a tax deduction certificate, a certificate of taxpayment, a house rental contract, photos of you both, etc., aswell as your alien registration card, the two of you will needto go to the nearest Immigration office. Although it takes a lotof time, there is possibility that you can obtain a Japanesespouse visa unless your marriage is not genuine or you havedone something illegal.

31

First of all, carry out the procedure tomarry him, and then go to the nearest

Immigration office to apply for special permis-sion to stay in Japan. After that, your application

will be examined, which takes some time. Whenthey judge your marriage is genuine and not against

the law, there will be a possibility for you to obtainthe visa. Ill explain separately about marriage and immigra-tion procedures.

Ask your parents in China to send you official documentssuch as your birth certificate, proof you are not currently married, nationality and family tree. Also, ask your partner forhis family registration. Take them to your local city office andfollow the necessary steps to get married. At the same time,we recommend that you take the appropriate steps to renewyour foreign registration card. After completing the proce-dures for your new family registration and foreign registrationcard, you will need to take another step.

Answer

56

--107

TEL082-223-5581

FAX082-223-5705

Public notary since 1981Former Counselor at the Information Center of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau

Office: 2-3-107 Nobori-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima

What are the special permissionrules for staying in Japan?

Takeshi MIYAKE

Q

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Ikebukuro Tokyo

English Language service available

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32

My Japan has begun this month.Please send us your comments.

Contributors will receive a present.www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/questionair/

Many people answered question No. 4of last issues Japan Quiz as Unadon. The

correct answer is Unaju. Una = Unagi (eel), don = don-buri (bowel) and ju = juubako (lacquered wooden box).

The Hula girl introduced in the Subculture sectionthis month is a really touching movie that I recently saw.I hope this film can be shown worldwide. It is interestingto see how the lovely Fukushima dialect is translated.(HASEGAWA)

www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/questionair/index-j.html

Japan

Quiz

4

Editorial

Name: KO Shourai

Nationality: Chinese

Job: Postgraduate student

Stay in Japan: 8 years

8

What aspects do you like about Japan?

SmilesThe most memorable moments in Japanwhen I first arrived was seeing that Japanesesmile very often. I see many smiling shopclerks, school teachers, Japanese talking inthe streets and many other places. I dontthink it is too difficult to smile, but it iswonderful to see they can do it so naturally.

What aspects do you dislike about Japan?

Many drunken peopleIt is a very nice aspect of the culture thatthey all drink together in a friendly way, butI cannot understand why they drink somuch that they lose control. I see drunkenpeople at stations, in front of izakaya(Japanese pub) and in trains almost everyday. Lets have sake more enjoyably!

Name: Carl SMITH

Nationality: New Zealand

Job: Student

Stay in Japan: 6 months

6

The high moral standardsOne of the things that stands out most forme is the high moral standards of mostJapanese, which makes for relatively stress-and confrontation-free living. I also lookforward to the different foods and customswhenever I get the chance to travel to different places in Japan, which is some-thing we dont have back in New Zealand.

No rubbish bin and no seatThere is never a rubbish bin when you needone, but you can go to a coffee shop andleave your rubbish. The other difficult thingis finding a seat. However, I have foundways around this like catching a train.

www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/questionair/index-j.htmlhttp://www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/questionair/

It was recently reported that the very small town ofKucchan in Hokkaido ranked top in Japan in terms of therate of residential land price increases according to anational land survey carried out in 2006, surprising manyJapanese. The surprise spread further when it was found thatthe growth in land prices was caused by a rapid increase inski tourists from Australia. Niseko ski resort, a part ofKucchan, is well-known to skiing fans, even though manydont know the name of the town.

2006

1

The number of Australian visitors to Niseko in 2005 was76,000, most who stay for an average of 10 days. To meet thisdemand, there has been a rush to build more accommodationfacilities in the area. This is the main reason behind the subse-quent rise in land prices. Resort mansions and condominiumsare sold out for half the year. Recently, not only Australiansbut also people from Hong Kong and Singapore are purchas-ing these accommodation facilities.

2005

7

6

10

Mr. James HOGAN from Australia comes to Niseko everyyear. Talking about the attractiveness of Niseko, he says, Thegood thing is that there is almost no time difference betweenJapan and Australia. And another is the beautiful scenery andthe good quality of the snow. I cant find any other ski resortlike here. My wife and I are considering buying a condomini-um here soon.

The population of Kucchan is 15,800. English has beenadded to the guide board map in front of the station from2006. Furthermore, the local tourist office has opened Englishconversation classes for tourist industry staff to enable themto improve their services to Australian tourists. The transfor-mation of this little town has caused a large impact on tourist

resorts all over Japan. Besides the famous tourist resorts likeKyoto and Nara, there are still many attractivespots unknown to foreigners in Japan.

1

5

800

2006

33

1

Kucchan sees highest rate of land priceincreases thanks to Australian Tourists

Photos by Jalpak International Oceania Pty. Ltd.

Mass media reports the news

34

Hula Girls, a movie produced by Cinequanon,is now screening in cinemas throughoutJapan. The movie is based on the true story ofhow the Jouban Hawaiian Center (at present called SpaResort Hawaiians) in Iwaki City, Fukushima, was success-fully opened. Iwaki City used to be one of the big coal min-ing towns known to everyone. When the mine closing wasimminent, the locals gambled their lives on the opening of atheme park. The leading stars of the project were a danceteacher and girls in the coal mining town.

It was the story of the 1960s. Although the number ofJapanese tourists visiting Hawaii at present exceeds 1.5 mil-lion per year, at that time, the number of people who couldtravel overseas was very limited and Hawaii seemed like anisland of dreams. The girls had never seen the hula dance,the main attraction of Hawaii. Nevertheless, the girls triedtheir best to learn it, and the project went on to achievegreat success. The hula dance is now experiencing a boomin Japan.

1960

150

The number of hula schools in Japan is increasing andthey are all thriving. Ms. KANOELEHUA Erina ofHanayama Yukiko Hula Dance School, which has schools

Hanayama Yukiko Hula Dance School

www.naleikalakupua.com/

Photo on page 34: Spa Resort HawaiiansP34

Aloha all over Japan

http://www.naleikalakupua.com/

You can enjoy not only dancing hula butalso watching it. The Hawaiian restaurantscalled Tiki Tiki in Shinjuku and Yokohamaare always crowded, as customers enjoywatching a live hula show performed every day while eatingHawaiian dishes. Some customers join in the dancing duringthe show, which makes the atmosphere of the show even moreenjoyable. On the other hand, at the Hula Style online shop,customers can purchase a variety of Hawaiian costumes andgoods including T-shirts and pa- u- skirts.

Tiki

Tiki

T

In Japan, people generally call Hawaiian dance the HulaDance, but the word hula refers to the dance, so, currentlythere is a movement to standardize the word to hula. Hulabusinesses will expand by increasing the number of hulaenthusiasts.

35

in Meguro, Aoyama, Ikebukuro and Ogikubo, explains thereason behind their popularity. I think it is because everyonefrom little children to the elderly can dance. Dancing joyfullyto the sounds of slow Hawaiian music will help get rid of theirdaily stress.

Hula is rich in variety in its music, costumes and dancingstyles, including active hula for the young and elegant hula forelderly people. Erina continues. And one of theattractive points about hula is the elegant movement of the hips. Moving thehips in a way that we seldom do in ourdaily live, seems to be very effective at reduc-ing lumbago, period pains and constipation. Aslong as we can move our body, it is wonderfulfor us to keep dancing for the rest of our lives.

The Hawaiian restaurants Tiki Tiki

Hanayama Yukiko Hula Dance School

Pa- u- skirt

Spa Resort Hawaiians

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1-31

Tel: 042-339-1111

www.puroland.co.jp/

Mitsukoshi

Ito-Yokado

Parthenon Tama

Tama Center

Keio Plaza Hotel

Tama Monorail

Mitsukoshi

Ito-Yokado Tama Art Univ. Museum

Hakusan Shrine

Parthenon Tama

Tama Center

Keio Li

neTama Monorail

Odakyu

Line

Keio Plaza Hotel

Sanrio Puroland

http://www.puroland.co.jp/

37

2006 SANRIO CO., LTD.

JAPAN QUIZ

76

5

3

4

38

Q.: What do these signs mean?

A present will be awarded to everyone whoanswers all the questions correctly!1. Free one-time Hiragana Times party admis-sion ticket (next month in Tokyo or Osaka).2. Audio Insight into Japan for 1 month(next issue).*The above can be used by people besidesyourself.Send the all answers and the number of thepresent (1 or 2) together with your name, sexand nationality to quiz@hiraganatimes.com bythe end of Nov. 2006.*Applicants must be non-Japanese. Theanswers will be published in the next issue.

1. Hiragana Times

1

2.

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12

11

: quiz@hiraganatimes.com

1

You may well need this sign whenyou start to live in Japan.

Sometimes mens and womensones are not separated in old build-ings. There are Japanese-style andWestern-style ones.

Japan isbehind othera d v a n c e dc o u n t r i e s .You oftensee this signin restau-rants nowa-days.

This sign can be seen in many placesaround train stations and public facilities.

About Japanese Signs

Osaka

TEL: 03-3341-8989E-mail: info@hiraganatimes.com If you lose your way, help is available from 30 mins before the party starts 30080-5091-8989

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Every Friday at Shinjuku except on National Holidays 7:30p.m.10:00p.m. At the Tokyo Business Hotel 2F Restaurant, "Noel" 2

Held at the Hyatt Regency Osaka and ANA Hotel every month

Osaka

JAPAN QUIZ Answers: November issue11

1.

Sushi 2.

Sukiyaki 3.

Tempura 4.

Unajyu

5. Tonkatsu 6.

Miso-Shiru 7.

Natto

In cities, youwill often seethis sign evenin the latenight.

2These arelocated nearsign boards.They are nec-essary incase of emer-gencies.

This is nowbeing moni-tored morestr ingent ly .Fines rangefrom 10,000~ 15,000 yen.

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1

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mailto:quiz@hiraganatimes.commailto:info@hiraganatimes.comhttp://www.hiraganatimes.com

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