"Three leaving" in Japanese movie.

There are a lot of changes in Japanese movies recently. Simply put, "three leaving" is happening.

First of all, it's "movie theater leaving"

The second one is "foreign movie leaving"

The final one is "subtitle leaving"

As for "movie theater leaving", Life media research bank released their survey result about movies on 22nd Feb. According to this result, over seventy percent of people watch movies at least one time in half a year.

38.9% of people also watch a movie in one month.

Meanwhile, seven percent of people who watch movies don't go to theaters. Over fifty percent of people said the reason is that watching movies in the house is much easier and movie tickets are too expensive.

I agree with this opinion of "watching movies in the house is much easier compared to going theaters" because I can decide when I start to watch, no need to move, don't care about other audience, best of all, relaxing with a drink is the biggest reason. I don't have to hold my gas, too.

As for ticket price, despite of some discount tickets exist like a ladies day, it costs $22.5 basically. It's too expensive compared to the U.S price $9.

In addition, home TV is getting bigger and have some equipments like 3D and 5.1ch sound. It helps people to enjoy movies in their house.

In contrast, classy large movie theaters disappeared and small cinema complex style theaters increased. Then it lost special feeling.

DVD price got cheaper and everybody knows that DVD is released as soon as road shows are finished. In addition, epidemic of bootleg DVD on the internet is one of the big reason. It's a big issue that new movies are downloaded easily.

In my case, I usually download movies from iTunes or use rental DVD store.

However, I went to movie theaters to watch Avatar and Alice in Wonderland because, it has additional values like beautiful images and 3D technology.

Considering people's opinion above, in fact, it's almost to be expected that people move away from movie theaters. Rather, movie lovers still exist and it just changed the way of watching.

I think movie theaters should conduct the price reduction first and also, they have to add something special. In addition, they shouldn't make light of hard-core movie fans. Tsutaya Roppongi book store could be good example as giving something special to hard-core fans.

Next, as for  "foreign movie leaving", I realized this somehow but, the box-office of Japanese movies have already surpassed foreign movies since 2006.

Big hit movies still come from foreign movies but, a lot of smash hit Japanese movies come from animations, popular TV dramas, cartoons and novel.

According to the internet, many people said that Hollywood movies are becoming knee-jerk and has no movie stars.

Of course, the contents of Japanese movies are getting strong and foreign movies don't improve in a decade such as remake and series movies. And I also agree with the opinion of "no movie stars" because Brad pitt and Johnny Depp are still popular.

I personally think there are some nice foreign movies and nice actors but, I feel they are hidden by huge budget movies as we called "Big Hollywood movie" and people don't realize the existence of small nice movies.

Furthermore, I want to watch other than American movies.

The third, as for "subtitle leaving" I personally can't understand but, if I throw out my obsession with original movie, dubbed movies are much easier to watch. According to the research, over 50 % of teenagers prefer dubbed movies to subtitled movies. I understand that many American TV dramas on the air are dubbed and young people are familiar to them but, I still can't understand the opinion of that subtitle movies are difficult to concentrate.

I think that catching a glimpse of subtitle is enough to understand and I want to hear original actor's voice. So I prefer subtitle movie to dubbed one. It is also problem that using unskilled comedians to have the news hook which makes  the quality of the movie lower.

However, 3D movies use dubbed because it's easy to focus on the movie. In addition, it helps to prevent from foreign movies leaving.

I don't deny dubbed movies but, I hope to keep subtitle movies in the future.

In conclusion, I described that there are three "leaving" in Japanese movie world and showed some reasons but it doesn't matter that watching movies at theaters or house, domestic or foreign movie, subtitled or dubbed. I think that all things to do is just making nice movies and prepare a lot of watching styles. In addition, it's important promoting not only big Hollywood movies but also small nice movies and increasing the range of movie lovers.

written in Mar 20 and revised Mar 26

Hawaii vs California

I read one interesting news on the internet. TIME reported the news that Hawaii came out on top: the annual Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index released on Feb 27th.  The island state still ranked highest in well-being in the nation - for three years in a row.

The report also said that Hawaiians were the most likely to say they smiled or laughed a lot "yesterday" and the least likely to report daily worry or stress and to have ever been diagnosed with depression. Residents' good eating and exercising habits and lower smoking rates earned them the distinction of having the best healthy behaviors in the nation.

I have been living in Southern California for three years and I've never been in Hawaii.

I feel living in California is really comfortable, so I was surprised that California was ranked out of top 10 in this ranking.

Then, I became interested in which one is better; California and Hawaii

I tried to investigate and described my opinion below.

Generally speaking, both states have a nice weather and beautiful beach.

Both state are also known as expensive place to live.

As for advantage of California, there are a lot of cultural and sports events. People who live in California (especially Southern California) enjoy famous rock star concerts, art events, sports events and shows.

Job availability and college situation are probably better especially in city area like LA. It's easy to access to other states by air or car.

California is given for the large number of national parks, giant trees, mountains and waterfalls like Yosemite.

California is also known for mixed-race and mixed-culture state.

That means there are many chances to meet different types of people and culture.

Also, locals are very welcoming to new residence compared to Hawaii.

As for advantage of Hawaii, it has better easy going and relaxed atmosphere than California. Hawaii has beautiful nature and really convenient city area.

There is no gang problems,(once you are out of Honolulu).

There is also no smog, no polluted waters, no tornados and no floods.

Sales tax is only 4% and it's much cheaper than 8% in California.

Food and drink situation are much better compared to California.

These are general comparisons with Hawaii and California.

I think that California has a lot of different faces like SF, LA, Sun Diego and Santa Barbara. Some areas are nice & safer.

So, I think one of big attractiveness of California is wide variety.

If you want to success in acting, you can go to LA.

If you like nature, you can go to beautiful national parks.

If you want to stay and relax, you can live in Santa Barbara.

On the other hand, the attractiveness of Hawaii is much simpler.

Nice weather, beautiful beaches, safer, good food,,

These attractiveness brought a lot of people to Hawaii.

Meanwhile, as for Japanese, both states are easy to live and comfortable.

Especially, Hawaii is much better for Japanese.

Many people can speak Japanese and there are a lot of Japanese restaurants and super markets. Also, Hawaii is bit close to Japan.

In conclusion,

I think it's difficult to decide which states is better, because it depends on what aspect you are looking at.

All I can say is that

For young people, I recommend to live to California.

For elders, I recommend to live to Hawaii.

Written in Mar 6th and revised Mar 20th

IT依存症

先日朝日新聞でトップレス会議という物を紹介している記事を読みました。

トップレス会議って上半身裸の会議？？と思いましたがトップレスのトップの意味ははラップトップのトップです。つまりデジタル機器の持ち込みを禁止する会議のことです。紙とペンだけ持って集まり、ガチで議論するという事です。シリコンバレー発祥の言葉で、オックスフォード大学出版部による「ワード・オブ・ザ・イヤー」の2008年版最終候補になったそうです。私はこれはグッドアイデアと思いました。

最近の会議で気になる事は会議中なのに誰もスクリーンを見ていない事です。なぜなら皆自分のラップトップの画面とにらめっこしているからだ。別の資料を作成したりメールの処理をしたりおおよそ会議とはまったく関係のない事をしている事が大半だ。本来意見をぶつけ合って深い議論をして方向性を導きだすはずの会議がITの進化とともに全く機能しなくなって来ている。私もPCを持ち込んだときはついやってしまう。

また会議の資料も昔と比べて綺麗だが全く的を射ていないただページだけが多いパワポの資料が目立つ。ペーパーレス化を目指してパワポとプロジェクターを使ったプレゼンスタイルになり議事録もその場でPCで作成し一気にメールで配信するという会議があたりまえになり便利にはなった。しかしその反面本来の目的である議論するという目的に対しては退化している。

会議だけではない社内のIT化によって職場の雰囲気も激変しました。ほとんどの社員は１日の大半をPCに向かって過ごし話し声も無くなりました。管理職からすると今誰が忙しくてどんな仕事をしているか見えなくってしまったのです。話せば５分ですむ内容の事を１時間かけてメールをしてたりネットサーフィンしていても外からはわかりにくいのでさぼっている人には良い状況です。

パソコン一人一台時代となったのは90年代。そこから一気にオフィスのIT化が加速しました。

メールでの情報共有が当たり前になり、パワーポイントなどのソフトにより美しい資料が誰でも簡単に作れるようになり、テレビ会議で移動しなくても会議が出来るようになったりと次々と効率を上げる為のアイデアがオフィスに浸透しました。このようにIT化は効率化に必要不可欠な存在として賞賛されてすごい勢いで発達してきました。

しかしそれは同時に多くの依存症の人を増やしました。

パソコンが無いと資料が作れない。念のためといろいろと情報を添付してしまう。

メールが無いとコミュニケーションが取れない。

ついコピペを多用して安直に資料を作ってしまう。

このような症状をもつ人が近年増えています。そして我々が便利で効率がいいと信じて疑わなかったIT化が実は効率を悪くするケースもあるという事に一部の人は気づき始めました。

パワポなど年々出来る事が進化してしているがかえって非効率になっている。

なぜなら余計な影やアニメーションなどはやりすぎるとかえって見にくいし制作に時間もかかる。インターフェースも変わるたびに学習しないといけない。そして安直なコピペで増えた大量のページ数の資料は伝えるべき事がぼやけるし会議時間が長くなる。

メールに関しては業務の連絡手段としての使い方はもう限界に来ています。与えられる情報が膨大になりすぎてさばききれないのです。一説によると迷惑メールは全体の８割だとか。企業は大きなコストをかけてフィルター機能を設けています。でも『身内の迷惑メール』は防げていません。ＣＣメール、つまり『参考に』と同送するメールです。『聞いていないぞ』とか『知らなかった』と言われないためでしょう。IBMの社員でメールをやめて多くの人と情報がシェア出来るツイッターなどのSNSを使うというひとも出て来ました。

インターネットで見つけた意見ですがまさにIT依存症に対して的を射た意見を言ってる方がいるので紹介します。

「ITは恐ろしいくらい便利な道具です。でも便利さゆえの「安直さ」もふくまれます。

仕事の質はそれをおこなう人間次第のはずなのに、まるで「IT次第」のような誤解もみられます。ITを道具にすれば効率は良くなります。でもそれは「仕事の質」じゃない。質を置き去りにしたまま効率を求めれば、現場から仕事の深みや愚直さが排他される危険性があります。とても大事なことなのに。ITのもたらす「安直さ」はそのまま人の手抜きにつながり、効率はやがて質の低下をまねきかねません。」

結論としてはＩＴは本来、時間を作るためにあるはずです。作業を早くすませ、もっと質の高い仕事をするとか、生み出した時間で現場に行くとか人に会うとか。それなのに、ずーっとPCにへばりついていませんか?　結果としてとても大切な現場、現物、現実主義が失われています。

ITは企業にとって必要不可欠な物であるがあくまで効率をよくする為の道具で仕事の質はあげてくれないという事を私を含め使う側の人間が再認識する時期に来ていると思います。要は使いようなんですね。ということでトップレス会議はぜひ我が社でも導入してほしい。

IT　addictionの日本語版

IT addiction

I read an article in Asahi news paper that introduced about "Topless meeting" the other day. I thought "Topless meeting" means having a meeting with top off and I was interested in it so much.

Unfortunately, the meaning of "Top" is Laptop PC. In fact, it means a meeting with no laptop pc. So it means that people join the meeting with only pen and paper and debate genuinely. This phrase was born in Silicon Valley and it was nominated for word of the year 2008 and it climbed onto the shortlist. I think it would be good idea.

What concerns me is no one see the main screen during a presentation  or a report in the meeting these days. That is because most of the people stare at their own computer screen that they bring in. Most of the people make their own documents or deal with their e-mail which are not related with this meeting they are having. Originally, the purpose of a meeting is to debate with each opinion and lead to their direction.

However, it's disappearing with improving IT. To tell the truth, when I bring my pc in a meeting, I do same thing carelessly.

Also, power point documents are becoming increasingly silly that is beautiful at first glance but it has a lot of unnecessary pages and it lacks focus. It is becoming popular that people use power point and projector on their presentation for paper saving. They make a meeting note by their pc and distribute it by e-mail on time. It gives us huge convenience, but debating and discussing quality are undergoing regression.

Not only a meeting, but also office environment was changed by IT improvement. Most of co-workers spend all day in front of the display monitor and then conversational voice disappeared from the office. From the management point of view, it became difficult to see who is busy and what kind job they are doing. On the other hand, it's good situation for goldbricker, because no one will ever know even if they spend one hour to make one e-mail that can finish in five minutes if they talk directly or they are just netsurfing on their computer.

One laptop per person situation became common thing in 90's. Then progressing of IT in office accelerated rapidly.

It became a common thing that people use e-mail to share their information. Power point helps everyone to make a beautiful document easily and we can have a meeting without moving by using video conference system. A lot of efficient ideas became widespread to the office. Then IT became an essential thing to make more efficient in office

However, it made a lot of IT addicted workers at the same time.

They can't make the document without pc.

They add a lot of unnecessary information without deep thinking.

They can't communicate with others without using e-mail.

They tend to use "copy and paste" for their documents.

Increasing number of people have such kind of case these days. Then, some people start to find out that using too much IT sometime cause an inefficient situation.

Power-point is improving their function year by year, but it's getting inefficient. There are too much adding unnecessary shadow and animation which make documents more confusing. We have to learn the new functions if the new version of power point is released. In addition, many pages of document by using copy and paste tend to make the document unclear and it makes the meeting longer.

As for e-mail, it has already reached a limit for as a communication tool.

No one can deal with the tons of e-mails that they get in one day.

According to some people, 80% of e-mails are junk mails. So many companies installed a spam e-mail filter by using their cost.  However, they can't prevent from inside spam e-mail. CC mail that is used as for your information. It's used to prevent from getting told off by their boss like "I didn't hear it" or " I didn't know it" One of IBM co-worker stopped using e-mail and started to use SNS that can share information with a lot of people such as twitter.

I'd like to introduce one pity opinion of IT addiction that I found on the internet.

"IT is really convenience tool. However it included the meaning of easy pass that is caused by "convenience" The quality of work should be judged by people's performance, but in some cases it's judged by IT quality. If we use IT as a tool, the efficiency would be improved. However, it's not the quality of work.

If we seek for the efficiency with leaving the quality, there is the risk that depth and naivety of the work will be excluded from the office even it is very important thing. The convenience that come from IT leads to easy pass and then the efficiency could cause a decline of the quality."

In conclusion, I think the main purpose of IT is creating time. For instance, finish the work in a short time and doing more high quality job or going on-site or meeting someone using created time. However, do you stick to a PC all the time?

As a result, the Three Reals Philosophy’(Sangen shugi), which means Go and see by yourself and understand the situation that is starting to disappear.

IT is the essential thing in business, but it's about time that people who use IT should rethink it is just a tool to improve efficiency not improving the quality of the work. The point is how to use. Thus, I hope that my company will introduce the topless meeting.

Written in Feb and revised Mar 08

日本語版リンク
http://femto-myessay.blogspot.com/2012/03/it.html

Virtual idol

Google's "Google Chrome global campaign" CM started on the air from 16th Dec last year. Google chose one Japanese artist and surprisingly, she is not human. Her name is "Hatsune Miku" who is known for a famous virtual idol and it became a popular news as first virtual idol for Google CM which uses only famous artists like Lady Gaga.

Hatsune Miku is the name of the software to sing a song by voice synthesis system "VOCALOIDO2" which was developed by YAMAHA and also, Hatsune Miku is the name of the virtual idol singer who sings the song made by this software.

It's still a fresh memory that Toyota used her for their advertising in the U.S and she seems to come first in the singer vote of the London Olympic game in 2016. What's more, her song "Tell Your World" which is used in "Google Chrome " CM was distributed on iTunes store to record number of 217 countries as a Japanese artist from 25th Jan. It has dominated the sales chart first place in Japan iTunes store which launched initial sales already.

I downloaded this song and listened to it. Also, I listened to her other songs on Youtube. I think her songs have really impressive melody and is easy to sing, but it's not enough level as real human voice.

Simply put, it sounds like a mechanical voice. However a lot of enthusiast tried to improve her skill and then she is improving her singing skill day by day.

In addition, there are already tens of thousands of her original songs on the internet and it's not only a pop music but also Rock, Jazz, R&B, and Metal music.

Besides, hundreds of her original song are made by about ten thousands of people every day!!  She is super idol who never sleep, gets a sick, has scandals, says complains, ages, and is always improving.

Meanwhile, her concert has been conducted by using three dimensional laser holography 2 years ago in Japan and it became popular. Last year, she performed her first concert abroad in LA and she was welcomed there.

So, what is the reason why Hatsune Miku was accepted so much?

 I researched on the internet and found a lot of opinions.

For instance,

"I know her voice is a mechanical voice, but important thing is that whether or not to sing my song. Regardless the song is a parody or an amateur quality, she sings whatever I want. I prefer a vocaloido who sings every song I want to real good singer who never sing my song"

As for a live performance, someone said "there are real player, real audience and then, Hatsune Miku becomes substance. It's same as religion."

The other opinions which I found on the internet were described in the key word of "Connectivity"

"like Google's CM, I think Hatsune Miku is not just a player or voice synthesis system. I think she is kind of a realization of a passion by creators and fans who love Miku all over the world. The Crypton company gave her the body and voice first. Then some creators who respond it gave her their original songs and draw other version of her body. Then, people who respond these songs dance and sing and uploaded it on the web. Then ,,, it's like a chain connectivity which is never end and Miku made this start line for this world. Then Miku have grown with them."

I think the "Connectivity feeling" was the big reason who she was accepted all over the world.

With these in mind, I think Miku is much familiar than Japanese typical idol group, such as AKB48, who are so popular among young people.

Furthermore, idol means just a virtual icon in the first place. As for Wikipedia, idol is the statue of God or Buddha which is made by material like wood, stone, soil and metal and it become objects of their worship.

Looking at Miku in this way, I believe she is considered as a true idol and AKB48 is only a virtual idol in which humans play a role instead of the statue made by material.

In conclusion, I expect that Miku movement will expand all over the word like Christian religion.

Written in Jan 31th

Reference URL

Google Chrome CM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGt25mv4-2Q&list=FLwbwGUZLfPNRwVQYCXGaeNQ&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Hatune Miku Concert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVRJQQlvx1k&feature=BFa&list=FLwbwGUZLfPNRwVQYCXGaeNQ&lf=plpp_video