Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I've seen this movie a few times in the past. But I watched it on TV last week during my ski trip to Naeba, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

True story of the last emperor of Sino dynasty, Pu Yin, who was crowned at the age of 3. Since he became the emperor, he had been like imprisoned in the Forbidden City Palace until the revolution kicked him out from there. After that, he was used by Japanese imperial army to set up puppet state called Manchuria Empire. He was crowned as emperor again but again he could never actually rule the country, only used as puppet.

The film described how Japan exploited him for its greedy purpose. I know history about that. Pu Yin was accused of treason for his collaboration with Japanese but acquitted.

A few years ago, Japanese TV station produced a mini-series drama of Pu Yin's brother who joined the Japanese army and married Japanese peer's daughter. The story was from Japanese wife Soga Hiro's perspective. The brothers believed they could establish truely good state for Chinese but Japanese only used them to expand their territory and steel resources from Chinese.

Today not many Japanese know about this part of history, especially youngsters don't. Many Chinese visit Japan for tourism. Last week I saw many Chinese skiing in Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata. They seem to enjoy skiing and bathing in hot spring. Not just Naeba, I've seen Chinese skiers in other ski slopes such as Zao in Yamagata, and Shizukuishi in Iwate. These days skiing has become popular sport in China and skiing in Japanese ski slopes is greatest status for them.

I am so glad many Chinese come here and enjoyed although very sad things happened between the two nations.

I hope they enjoyed magnificient view of Naeba like this.

Vancouver winter Olympic was over. Frankly, I do not care.

I was never interested in it because I think this event is just nonsense one.

There are many issues related to Olympic games such as doping, commercialism.

But my personal opinion is sports are just for leisure and health. I don't like heroism in it.

In fact, who wins or loses relies on how much money the athletes were invested by their sponsors.

That is why rich nations' athletes can get more medals than others because their sponsors could afford good facilities and coaches to make the athletes medalists. It is never fair games.

I do not like commercialism using athletes' heroic images. They are just good at sports, so what? They are not entertainers.

I want to say "Enjoy sports just for fun, leisure and health." Those who need professional skills for sports are only those who teach people how to do the sports like trainer or instructor.

If someone wants to take advantage of his or her physical advantage, use it for military, fire fighter, coast guard, police, construction work and other professional works which physical strength is vital. The below video shows such people. I like them.

Maybe the most famous Hollywood film in history, I think. I bought the DVD of it for 500 yen recently.

The film was 3 hour and half long and all color though it was produced in 1930's. The story of a passionate and selfish daughter of plantation owner who lived through the Civil War period.

The first public showing in Japan was 1950's because of the war. Many say how come we tried to provoke the war against the country which could produce such dynamic film.

Yes, the film was great. I was really impressed when I first saw the film at younger age.

But now I grew up and see the film from different angle. Well, it still impresses me although it is not best film for me any more.

Beautiful, dynamic scenes, georgeous outfit and interior. Actors do very serious and dynamic acts. Easy to understand script to follow the storyline and its background.

It contains basic elements of entertainment film maybe like "Titanic" and current greatest hit "Avater." 

The story was well-done. It was made politically correct as Mammy was taken as a very important character in the story taking into account the time the film was made and in fact a Black actress who played that role won the Academy's best supporting actress award.

However, romantisizing or beautifying the tradition of slavery in the South before the Civil War was not something we should get along. Slavery was wrong. The wealth of the South was consequence of exploitation of Africans. It is like the old western movies that portrayed native Americans as savages and cavalries, the police for white invaders as heroes.  

Furthermore, the story is unrealistic. Scarlett who was born in wealthy plantation owner's family and spoiled could live through the turmoil of the war and managed to revive the wealth. She was really fictional character.

I think the theme of the story is what is real "good." Real "good" person is realist who knows how to survive and prevail in real world getting along with reality. Scarlett played a kind of role model for that. But no one could live like that. Those who could live like that are never impressed by this film because they think it is very common practice.

Interesting fact is when the film was first released in the U.S. It was near the second world war. The situation of its enemy, Japan was similar to the Southern Confederation. People believed braveness could beat the enemy states.

After the war Japan was democratised by Yankees and the old elite class people lost so much of their asset by high rate tax imposed on them. Their glory days were gone with the wind like the Southern plantation owners portrayed in the film. The below photo is former house of the old elite class people in Tokyo. Now it has become museum park for anbody to visit and have tea and sweets.

Me, having tea and sweets there.

I like the ending of the film because it is not happy ending. In reality happiness doesn't last so long. If you get something good, you should lose something else. But don't get depressed too much, there is a way out and think to find a new way of living.

Yes, you can because tomorrow is another day.   

Toyota is Japan's biggest corporation, not only that, it is the world's largest auto company.

But I do not like Toyota, not because recent recall scandals but its arrogance as giant corporation.

The scandal spread from the U.S. to Japan.

A few years ago, Mr. Okuda, a former president and counselor of Toyota made a very arrogant comment in relation to media's bashing of Ministry of Health and Labor. Because Mr. Okuda had a friend in the ministry, he said "Current media's bashing of the ministry is too much, I think we should withdraw sponsorship from them."

What a pity is no media tried not to respond to his comment. Good media should have responded like "Oh, good, then we can reveal anything about Toyota's problem such as heavy overwork on engineers that resulted in death, exploiting dispatched workers for cheaper cost that resulted in masscre in Akihabara shopping district committed by a Toyota factory worker, making public streets warehouse for "Just In Time" policy and etc.

There are too many hidden facts never reported by media because of too strong sponsorhip.

Since his comment, I decided not to buy Toyota cars regardless its quality and brand status. Now such brand status and quality is deteriorated by recent scandals.

For the U.S. auto makers, it is a great opportunity to take over Toyota's share that has been taken. Great time for the revenge?

Well, GM bankrupt itself, not by Toyota.

In my opinion, it is time Toyota and other Japanese auto makers stay away from U.S. market.

The U.S. market is huge but by the world's key currency, US dollar. They do not produce goods by themselves but by Chinese printing US dollar bills to give them.

The world has been supporting the U.S. because it has been thought the largest and most powerful, attractive market in the world.

Kind of weird situation, isn't it.

I think it still is, but you never know the future of it.

The bottom line is safest market is at home. We do not have to seek cheap and high quality goods any more but safe domestic goods.