BIRTH DAY

I became 19 years old on last Thursday.

When I was in a high school, I could not imagine that I become a college student. I feel that the time passes so fast! My freetime has been filled with assignments since I entered this university and I could not often hang out with my friends... but this is the last year I can be a child. I want to enjoy my last teenage before I really become an adult :)

On my birth day, I received many mails and presents from my friends. This is a chestnut cake that Hitomi Tsuchida gave me. Hitomi, this was really delicious! and I received some bath goods of LUSH from one of my friend. I love LUSH and it smells so nice! I enjoy my bath time.

Thank you so much, everyone ! :>

Response to "Protect the whales off Australia"

According to “Protect the whales off Australia”, Japan will send this year’s whalers bound for Southern Ocean, Australia in less than a week. The aim of the action is to hunt and to do scientific research of a whale and the whalers are planning to hunt in all 60 endangered whales for their research. Then Australian have formed ‘Sea Shepherd’, an organization which tries to stop antiwhaling action and saves whales, has named Japanese whalers ‘Migaloo’, and Craig Stringer, the author of the article, disagrees with Japanese whaler strongly.

The article includes a lot of emotional appeals. Craig describes how whales will be captured and how they will be killed and researched, and tried to make the readers feel sympathetic and want to save whales. The descriptions are vivid and the readers can imagine the scene that whales are suffering easily, so probably most people will feel pity for them and agree with him.

Also, he mentions specific names of endangered whales such humpback whales and fin whales. It is easier for the reader to realize the situation and the word, ‘endangered’ can makes the readers want to save whales (because they are endangered), and make Craig’s opinions more convincing.

US-VISIT of Japan

New law that foreigners have to be taken their fingerprints and photographs every time when they enter Japan will carry out on November 20th by justice minister. A part of foreigners such people with permanent or children who are under 16, but this law is sure to become a annoying procedure for most foreigners.

This law does not work under a situation that the government does not have a database of fingerprints of terrorists in advance. If a member of al-Qaida entered Japan now, no one could notice that, because there is no data about him or her. So the government can not even suspect him or her and will overlook a person who may commit a crime.

Therefore I think this law will be effective to catch people who have already committed a crime and already be known their fingerprints by the government, but be unable to prevent terrorism.

Views from the street

Today’s articles are about discrimination in Japan.

Six people suggest their own opinions about discrimination in Japan in first article, “Which minority groups face the worst discrimination in Japan”. They are differ in nationality, sex or job and their opinions also various.

In second article, Mike Dewood, the writer of “Ebb and flow of discrimination” suggests his idea with his experiences. In his case, he lives in Nagasaki and is annoyed about harassment from local people because he is American. So, he says the question which minority groups face the worst discrimination depends on where you live.

I agree with Mike. However I think a situation also become factors when you judge the question. For example, in case of Yuko Furusawa, she has a brother who has a Down syndrome and it is difficult for him to find a job, and the government does not give him chance, so she thinks minority group which face the worst discrimination is the handicapped. She takes a priority over them because of the situation that she has a handicapped relative. Conversely speaking, if her brother was not the handicapped, her opinion might be changed.

Each opinion that six people and Mike suggest is very convincing for me because they suggest them by showing their own experiences and these discrimination are actually happening in Japan. However, I think all discrimination are serious and we cannot make light of them. Therefore I think we cannot decide which minority group faces the worst discrimination in Japan.