Blog #4: My favorite thing

Hi, I’m yuna.

Today I would like to introduce my favorite drama.

That is “SEX and the CITY.”

Probably you know this drama because this is really popular drama in Japan and all over the world.

They have broadcasted from season1 to season6. In addition to those seasons they made movies. A stage in this drama is New York and main characters are Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.

 She is Carrie.

Carrie’s job is to write a column in newspapers. The title of her column is “SEX and the CITY.”  She is the most main character of four. She often spends night time with boy friends. She met with a gentle man whose name is Big and she went out with him. But they broke. Big got married with a lady. Carrie was depressed because of it.

She is Miranda.

Miranda is a lawyer. She is a good speaker so boys tend to keep away from her. She went out with Steve but they broke. However she met Steve again and went out with him.

She is Charlotte.
Charlotte is an art dealer. She has a strong desire to marry someone like prince. She met with a gentleman who is a doctor and she married him.

 She is Samantha.  Samantha is a president of a PR company. She enjoy “one night love.” She is the most powerful and sexy woman.

The most favorite thing in this drama is “costumes” characters wear. I really want to wear their clothes. Shoes they wear are always cute. Actually this drama is not new one but their clothes are soooo cute in the present.

A thing I like next to costumes is their life style. They succeed in their job. They have good friends and often have breakfast, lunch or dinner and they talk about their own love affair each other. I like their relationship.

The reason I start to watch this movie is to keep listening to English. I was really poor at listening but I didn’t like studying English. I wanted to enjoy learning English. So I changed the way of studying.

The new way of studying is to watch drama!!! That way really fits me so I can keep studying. I would like to recommend my way.

If you are worried about the way of studying English, I recommend you to change your way.

Now I really like talking, speaking, writing and listening English. This is due to Sex and the City. I appreciate this drama.

I hope you can also enjoy this drama and I hope you will find your way to study English.

Blog #3 New Problem for Japanese Manufacturers

Hello. I'm Marumi. 

In the last blog, I mentioned about the situation of Japanese manufacturing companies after the earthquake. Their business has been improved especially in September. However, a disaster which threatened them is happening again.

It is in Thailand, a devastating flood has hit. The news of the flood has been reported in Japan since the beginning of this October. However, it seems that from August to October is a rainy season in Thailand, and there has been some damage through the season.  More than 283 people have died since the middle of July, and even the world heritage temple is in danger.

Because of the flood, lots of plants are damaged in Thailand.

This is the article from the Japan Times.  

Japanese factory workers flee Thailand floods 

In the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate, Japanese factories have reduced the production due to the flood, but the last remaining workers have finally abandoned the factories. Before the workers leave the factories, they hurriedly moved some machines to higher ground and put plastic sheets and sandbags in order to protect the machines. The estate included some manufacturing electronic devices and automotive parts, and 60,000 employees worked there. Other estates which contain factories were submerged and employees were forced to evacuate. According to the Thai Labour Ministry, it is estimated that 200,000 workers in Ayutthaya Province’s industrial estate cannot work due to the flood.

Moreover, Thai’s world heritage site, the Wat Chai Watthanaram temple is submerged under 2 meters of water.

Major dams in the country are almost full capacity, and Bangkok will also be submerged soon. 

The article from asahi.com mentions the situations of some Japanese companies.

Japanese firms moving production from flood-hit Thailand

Japanese companies are needed to make a plan to relocate their operations to other countries. Canon Inc. plans to move some production to drier areas of Thailand and Vietnam. Pioneer Corp., whose two plants have submerged, will increase production in China. The hardest industry in the current situation would be automakers. Honda Motor Co. has suspended the production, and the officials cannot even approach their plant. Other automakers have also stopped their production. According to the Bangkok office of the Japan External Trade Organization, about 300 Japanese-affiliated companies have been damaged by the flood. It will have impact not only on Japanese economy, but also Thai economy because Japanese-affiliated companies employ 20 percent of Thai’s export workers who work at manufacturing industry.

Finally, this article mentions the attitude of JETRO (Japanese trade organisation) .

JETRO criticizes Thai gov't for lack ofinfo over floods

 JETRO criticized Thailand’s government because it did not provide timely and accurate information about the floods. Japanese companies could not understand what was happening when the floods happened. They only received warnings but, they were not enough to decide their next step.

   Japanese manufacturing companies have revived their business after the earthquake in March, but the flood in Thailand is the new problem for them. I wonder why so severe problems for manufacturers have happened in short time. Hope the situation will be better in Thailand, and the production at plants will be started again. 

Blog #2: Child Care Problem in Moldova -What they need-

Bună ziua! (it means ‘Hello’ in Moldovan.)

I’m Motoo.

Last time, I told about left Moldovan children.

So today, I would like to tell about what they need.

According to Yomiuri Shinbun & a briefing session about 20th anniversary of Moldovan independence, educational system of Moldova is well organized.

During the period of Soviet control, Soviet offered compulsory education.

So, average literacy rate is more than 90%.

It is said that there is no need to support by building new school and institution.

↓This is elementaly and middle school of farm village, Moldova.

↓The class room. Students of this school study Japanese after school.

　This school is supported by Supporting Association for Revival Moldova, Japanese group.

The problem is not lack of educational institutions.

The one of the problem is no or few care for children at their home and school.

Because of their parents’ absence, children must do most of all housework by themselves.

So, there is less time to study at their home.

The school of Moldova gives a lot of homework, and scores of homework decide the results of a year.

Children who have not time to study at their home can’t do their homework well.

They get bad scores and bad results, then drop out.

This is the process how left Moldovan children drop out.

What they need is not a kind of building institutions.

They need well care of children at their home and school.

Blog#1: Japanese Manufacturers Business Rebound

Marumi Tasaki

This blog will discuss Japanese manufacturers business, which are mentioned in the articles from the BBC News, the Japan Times, and the Yomiuri Online. 

In the BBC News, it refers to the situation of whole Japanese manufacturers. The Japan Times focuses the car makers' business. The Yomiuri Online shows us the situation which can be seen fromTankan survey.

First, this is the article from the BBC News:Japan's big manufacturers expect conditions to improve.

  According to the Bank of Japan’s survey, the conditions for Japanese big manufactures are expected to improve in the next three months.

  Because of the March 11 earthquake, their confidence was damaged. However, the manufactures have been reestablishing their business, and their conditions will be better in the next few months.

  However, there are also big problem-external risks. The debt crisis in Europe and the economic problems in the US will affect Japanese companies’ expansion plans.Moreover, Japanese yen is extremely high, which influences the manufactures to export their products.

Second, this is from the Japan Times: Toyota, Honda lose market share in U.S. sales rebound. 

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Corp are not still able to export enough vehicles to dealers. On the other hand, Nissan Motor Co. has sold more than expected since April.

After the March 11 earthquake, it was an issue for manufactures to produce the amount of production as much as it used to be.

Nissan’s suppliers have not affected seriously compared to these two because it has fully working North American plants which was not influenced by the earthquake.

Toyota and Honda still do not have varieties of vehicles and it will take time to produce enough amounts which consumers need.

However, they are optimistically saying that in fourth quarter, they will manage to recover their sales as normal levels.

Third, this is the article from the Yomiuri Online: Makers see improvement in business / Tankan survey shows rebound in September

According to the central bank’s quarterly Tankan survey, large manufactures had improved their business in September. After the March 11 earthquake, their business was in difficulty; however they have made the rebound of the business after the earthquake. Especially carmakers made a remarkable improvement which is the biggest rise since 1992. Manufactures still have a problem the rising yen’s value. It prevents them from exporting, which affects their sales grow. 

This is the graph which shows the business transition of large companies.

In conclusion, Japanese manufacturers have improved their business, however they still have problems for exportation.  After the March 11earthquake, they have managed to make the situation better. Even though they have difficult problems, their work will help Japanese economy activate because they have high motivation to make the improvement.