My opinion of this week(301):

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Even while this holiday seasons, there were many interesting and excellent
messages addressed to our Mailing List. The message titled "Rich Dad, Poor
Dad" sent by Watanabe san was one of them.  Hara san sent his excellent
comment following Watanabe san's message introducing original English
phrases of the book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki and others.   

Hara san's introduction of original English phrases were very helpful for
me for I have to write this "Opinion of this week" both in Japanese and
in English. 

Watanabe san wrote for ML and I quote: 

"Have you ever read the best seller book titled "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" 
written by Robert Kiyosaki? I read it two years ago and have read it
again recently in view of the current economic situation in Japan. 

Typical life style of Poor Dad was to let their children go to a good
college, work for a good business firm and retire with high retirement
allowances after climbed up ladder of success by themselves. The vision
of such success is over now.

"What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and the Middle
Class Do Not." Rich Dads teach their children how to make money by 
themselves. They work not for money but for using money for learning and
investing them to make more money. "  

The top page of Nikkei News Paper on January 1, 2003 wrote about "Japan
Disease" describing serious condition of deflation these days. The reason
why Japan cannot get out from this disease is rather clear. Japan has
attained an sarcastic utopia. People are satisfied with such a good
living and a small success enjoying a quite comfortable stage of life. 
They do not wish to change the current status and avoid any efforts to
develop new frontiers.  

People are very indifferent about how the Government is slow and idle
to work for necessary actions to get out from deflation. Koizumi Cabinet
have postponed a number of critical reform issues for the future. Prime
Minister Koizumi lacks the sense of emergency about the deflation and 
the problems is that people overlook that serious fault. 

We may have to give up now the existence of "Poor Grand Father". But
We should never allow to exist "Poor Dad" as such any more. Those working
dads at the current generation must learn how to teach their children
to become Rid Dad.

It takes time but it is the only way to overcome Japan disease as far
as my view is concerned.

2003/1/4
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(302):

Corporate Governance

 "60% of big Japanese business firms answered NO to the questionnaire 
for introducing American system of corporate governance 
 -January 6, Nikkei Newspaper"

This is the top news of Nikkei Newspaper of January 6. 60% of Japanese big
firms have no intention to introduce American way of governing corporation
as to how business firms are to be managed and governed. Contrary to 
Japanese corporate auditors system , business enterprises are governed
by board of directors which make several auditing works by committee 
consisted of directors.  

60% answered that they would continue the current auditing system consisted
by several numbers of auditors appointed at shareholders meeting. The rest
40% firms also intend to continue the current governance system, although
they did not clearly answer in that way.

It seems that they are too negative to make any necessary improvement. 
There were so many scandals happened among Japanese big firms these days 
due to weakness about Japanese corporate governance system. Some said 
reasons why not they introduce  US governance system is that they recognize
various problems were involved  with US them  as we see many scandals 
happened for recent US business. 

What a strange way of thinking they are ! I wonder why even only a few 
firm do not try to change their system and organization so that they can
attain to establish better governance system to grow faster and healthy.

I found and reconfirmed very  negative and conservative attitude involved 
with Japanese business.

2003/1/11
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(303):

A star on the earth

 At the beginning of the new year, there was a news about viewer rate of
New Year's Eve song show of NHK saying that the rate recorded the second
lowest in the past. I just wonder why is that such a big news. Why is just
one entertainment program of NHK so important?

 I personally don't like many of conventional Enka songs(typical schmaltzy 
Japanese ballad) sang by old stagers. I do not quarrel with that itself.
There are many fans who like that kind of songs. That's fine. But the
I have some doubt how they are selected to that show. What kind of objective 
standard do they have to select those singers? Some seems to be  selected 
because they are very old professionals. Some are selected because of
contribution  to other programs of NHK. It is reasonable that many new
comers are selected because their songs recorded a big hit in that year.
At any rate, I don't care about it at all every year in the past.

But I was interested in one news last year end that a singer song writer, 
Miyuki Nakajima had been selected first time  for the show. I knew the 
fact that her song titled "A star on the earth (Chijyou no Hoshi) "
have been record a long seller in the past four years since its 
introduction.  The song has always been ranked within best 100 and ranked
top at last recently. According to a TV news, many business people sing 
the song at Karaoke bar these days. The song is very popular especially 
among aged business people.

The reason for that is obvious when we listen to the words of the song. 
The phrases represent feeling and sentiment of aged business people who
have worked hard in their firms in order to realize their objectives and
dreams in their business career. The song has been known as a theme song 
of "Project X - Challengers" news documentary program of NHK. As a matter
of fact, the song became famous through  this program.

Every Japanese business are now facing a lot of difficulty to survive in
severe competition. Business people, especially of aged people are working
hard to overcome such difficulty.  The song is cheering up those people.
I am going to buy CD of this song by myself at this week end.

2003/1/8
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(304):

Distrust for medical treatment
　
　My wife appealed some pain with her knees about a couple of weeks ago. 
She said she would like to visit a orthopedic surgery of a hospital nearby.
I agreed with her but said that would not help too much. I assured her 
that all what they could do are some number of X ray pictures, and
diagnostic opinion of stop doing any sports which are hard for her
knees. They would say she should stop swimming and playing tennis which
she is doing now.

My guess was found out right when she came back from the hospital. But I
said she should continue swimming any way in order to get rid of pains 
on her knees regardless what was told by a doctors in charge. One big 
doubt at this time was that the doctor game her some oral drug to get 
rid of pains. Why is such drug is necessary? She did not drink them at
all, for she checked it with her younger brother who is a doctor by
himself.

About 20 years ago, I had a strong pain with my chest. I visited the
same orthopedic surgery of this hospital. After observing X ray
picture of my back, the doctor informed me that I got herniated disk on
my back. He continued to say that I had to have a surgery on it. 

I visited another hospital and recovered completely from the trouble
by getting a different medical treatment. Since then I have a kind of
distrust with their medical cares of this hospital. 

Incidentally, I found a book titled "Distrust of a doctor himself against
current  medical treatment of a hospital" advertised in Nikkei Newspaper
of January 24th. Those kind of books written by doctors increased distrust
of people  with medical care services of hospitals these days.

I remember the face of the doctor who informed me to get operation for
my back. His face said he did want to make surgery of that kind. There must
have existed many mistakes on medical treatment in those days. But they
did not come up in front so much as today. There was no such word as "informed
consent" 20 years ago.

Today is quite different. The attitude of doctors against patient has changed.
They become more cautious and considerate against patients. But from patient
point of views, there still exists many doubt and questions about what 
doctors do for patients. 

Many doctors just do not realize the fact that patients are carefully
observing what doctors do and say to them.

2003/1/25
Tadashi HAYASE