click on the image for a clearer view
Thursday, July 30, 2009
THE UNBEARABLE UNIQUENESS OF THE JAPANESE RACE by Dice-K
THE UNBEARABLE UNIQUENESS OF THE JAPANESE RACE by Dice-KYo! It ain't easy being descended from a Divine Sun Goddess...
Nihonjinron as cultural nationalism
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonjinron#Nihonjinron_as_cultural_nationalism)
The term Nihonjinron (日本人論) literally means theories/discussions about the Japanese. The term refers to a genre of texts that focuses on issues of Japanese national and cultural identity.
Scholars such as Peter N. Dale (1986), Harumi Befu (1987), and Kosaku Yoshino (1992) view nihonjinron more critically, identifying it as a tool for enforcing social and political conformity. Dale, for example, characterizes nihonjinron as follows:
- "First, they implicitly assume that the Japanese constitute a culturally and socially homogeneous racial entity, whose essence is virtually unchanged from prehistoric times down to the present day. Secondly, they presuppose that the Japanese differ radically from all other known peoples. Thirdly, they are conspicuously nationalistic, displaying a conceptual and procedural hostility to any mode of analysis which might be seen to derive from external, non-Japanese sources. In a general sense then, nihonjinron may be defined as works of cultural nationalism concerned with ostensible 'uniqueness' of Japan in any aspect, and which are hostile to both individual experience and the notion of internal socio-historical diversity."[22]
The emphasis on ingroup unity in nihonjinron writings, and its popularization during Japan's period of military expansion at the turn of the 20th century, has led many Western critics to brand it a form of ethnocentric nationalism. Karel van Wolferen echoes this assessment, noting that:
- In the nihonjinron perspective, Japanese limit their actions, do not claim 'rights' and always obey those placed above them, not because they have no other choice, but because it comes naturally to them. Japanese are portrayed as if born with a special quality of brain that makes them want to suppress their individual selves.[23]
As Japan is often deemed to be "almost as unique as its people like to think" (Pearl Buck, qtd. In Dale 1986:26) so too the Japanese people are considered not just unique but, in the words of Sugimoto and Mouer, "more unique than other societies."[24]
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1187573
Francona, Sox ’disappointed’ by Matsuzaka’s criticismBy Michael Silverman | Tuesday, July 28, 2009
| http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Red Sox
Manager Terry Francona expressed disappointment on behalf of the Red Sox for Daisuke Matsuzaka’s comments about the team’s throwing program, comments that Francona believes Matsuzaka showed poor judgment in making.
Photo by Nancy Lane
“I thought we made huge strides in communicating through some of his frustrations and maybe ours, so to hear him say that is disappointing,” said Francona this afternoon. “Not disappointing that he has an opinion, that’s very welcome. Disappointing that he took a meeting that was confidential and decided to air it publicly. Yeah, we’re very disappointed.”
Matsuzaka expressed to a Japanese newspaper that he had considerable frustration with the Sox’ conditioning program, specifically that he is unable to do as much throwing off the mound as he would like. He also complained about the team being unable to give him a timetable for his return.
In comments that were translated and appeared on WEEI.com, based on an article written by Taeko Yoshi for the allatanys.com website, Matsuzaka also has told the Red Sox that because of ethnic, racial and physiological differences between U.S. and Japanese-born pitchers, different conditioning programs must be used. When it cannot be used, the result is the decline in performance of so many Japanese pitchers after only a couple of seasons in the major leagues.
“If I’m forced to continue to train in this environment, I may no longer be able to pitch like I did in Japan,” Matsuzaka said. “The only reason why I managed to win games during the first and second years (in the U.S.) was because I used the savings of the shoulder I built up in Japan. Since I came to the Major Leagues, I couldn’t train in my own way, so now I’ve lost all those savings.”
Francona does not believe that there will be a problem going forward.
“I think we already have a resolution,” he said. “I guess that’s why we’re somewhat disappointed. We came out of that meeting feeling very good. Came out of that meeting two days ago and felt that everybody was on board with exactly what we were doing, himself included. I don’t know that we felt there was an issue there, still don’t know. I think there were things said out of frustration that were poor judgment on his part.”
Speaking on the radio, Sox pitching coach John Farrell agreed.
“For this to come out as it has -- I mean, we recognize there are differences and we’ve worked diligently and thoroughly to bridge that gap. For them to come out as they have is, in a word, disappointing,” said Farrell.
Matsuzaka is on the disabled list now for the second time this season with a mild right shoulder strain that the team said translates into a weakness stemming mainly from his participation in the World Baseball Classic this spring.
Matsuzaka has been hit hard this season, and the Red Sox have gone to great lengths of late to portray their communication with the pitcher as positive and improving.
After a visit at Fenway Park last Friday, the Red Sox said that Matsuzaka’s shoulder strength had “vastly improved” and that his conditioning had also taken a turn for the better.
They also said that he would continue to throw from flat ground only for the immediate future and that no mound throwing had been scheduled.
But to the Japanese media, Matsuzaka also said, “Until now, many Japanese players have joined the majors, but they usually only lasted for two or three years. I realized from my own experience that this was not due to their individual abilities but because of the difference in training methods. If someone doesn’t act, the way people think in the Majors would never be changed. I want them to understand this, not only for my sake, but for the sake of future Japanese players in the Major Leagues.”
Matsuzaka added: “They come armed with data and logic. To counter that, I have to respond with my own logic and that takes a lot of thinking and energy, but I can’t back down on this one.”
Farrell disputed the notion of the cultural-physiological theory proposed by the pitcher.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re from Japan, the Dominican or the States,” said Farrell. “We feel that the human body has movements that it goes through that you’ve got to support with overall conditioning and strength in addition to throwing. But if you just take it from a throwing standpoint, you are reaching a point of diminishing return and putting your arm in jeopardy of further injury. That’s what we’ve felt along.”
Farrell said that the ball club never mandated that Matsuzaka make changes in his program but it appears clear that the club still believes that its way is the right way. For Matsuzaka to do the throwing off the mound he wants to do, he must first meet the club’s standards when it comes to shoulder strength.
“I know Daisuke’s transition here and the challenges he’s faced, he’s obviously on record now saying he has vast differences with the throwing program but we have a $103 million investment in a guy that we have to what we feel not only to protect him but to have that success that we just outlined,” said Farrell.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
NPB STANDINGS FOR JULY 29 2009
Got this from a friend. Hope he doesn't mind...
click on the image to get a better view
click on the image to get a better view
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
ROYALS MANAGER HILLMAN GIVEN VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
... JUST BARELY. According to the AP, former Nippon Ham Fighters Manager, Trey Hillman, will be managing the Kansas City Royals for one more year.
Royals manager Hillman given vote of confidence
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — General manager Dayton Moore has given Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman a vote of confidence, saying he will return next season.
The Royals (37-54) went into Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels 17 games below .500 after losing six straight and eight of nine.
They took leads into the eighth inning in three games over the weekend against Tampa Bay, but the Rays rallied each time and swept the series.
Hillman said he appreciated the vote of confidence. He had never played or coached in the majors, spending five years as a manager in Japan before the Royals hired him after the 2007 season.
Hillman guided the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to the playoffs three times and the Japan Series title in 2006.
JAPANESE WASHOUTS TO RETURN HOME?
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sb20090726wg.html
Sunday, July 26, 2009Kobayashi, Yabuta might have better luck pitching back home
It is obvious 2009 has not been a great year for Japanese pitchers in the major leagues. Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox and Koji Uehara of the Baltimore Orioles have spent a lot of time on the disabled list, while Kenshin Kawakami of the Atlanta Braves has posted a losing record of 5-6 through games of Wednesday.
Hiroki Kuroda of the Los Angeles Dodgers is also behind the .500 ball at 3-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 11 games.
Hopefully, they will all get healthy, bounce back and make significant contributions to their respective teams before the season ends. For at least two others whose attempts at finding success at the major league level have not panned out, it may be time to call it a day, to look back with pride for trying, come home and help a Central or Pacific League team.
Former Chiba Lotte Marines close Masahide Kobayashi was released by the Cleveland Indians last week, and media reports indicated his agent was still trying to get him hooked on with another major league club. Instead, he should follow the example of Kazuo Fukumori whose attempt at playing regularly in the majors with the Texas Rangers never materialized.
Fukumori, the Rakuten Eagles closer in 2007, left Tohoku for Texas in 2008 but struggled through a season and a half. Finally, he apparently saw the writing on the wall, realized he is not MLB compatible and returned to Sendai, back with the Eagles.
Kobayashi should see the light, too, and the same goes for Yasuhiko Yabuta, another ex-Lotte reliever who, like his former teammate, has not really done anything for the Kansas City Royals since departing Chiba for the American Midwest at the end of 2007.
The 35-year-old Kobayashi has seen more of Columbus, Ohio, than Cleveland during the past 18 months. His major league record with the Indians does include 57 appearances, but he leaves behind a 4-5 won-loss record, six saves and a 4.53 ERA.
In 10 American League games this year, he was 0-0 with no saves and an ERA of 8.38. With the Triple-A Clippers, he was 2-2 with a save and a 4.66 ERA in 18 games prior to his release. Obviously, he was nowhere near the pitcher he was in 2005 with Lotte when he recorded a Pacific League-leading 29 saves in 46 games, along with a 2.58 ERA for the Japan Series champion Marines.
Middle reliever and setup man Yabuta (36), meanwhile, pitched in 31 games for manager Trey Hillman's Royals last season, compiling a 1-3 mark with a 4.78 ERA. This year at Triple-A Omaha, Yabuta is 1-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 19 appearances.
After losing both Kobayashi and Yabuta to free agency and the majors last year, and seeing situational lefty reliever Soichi Fujita become a free agent and defect to the Yomiuri Giants, Chiba Lotte manager Bobby Valentine indicated there was no doubt his club was damaged by their absence.
"Not so much Fujita, but not having Kobayashi and Yabuta in the bullpen was huge," said Valentine at mid-season in 2008, as the Marines failed to make the Pa League postseason Climax Series, and the outlook for this season's playoff qualification does not look that great, either.
It would seem Kobayashi and Yabuta could improve the bullpens of several teams in Japan, and they should be more comfortable here than in Columbus or Omaha.
The list of native players who left Japanese ball for a crack at MLB but returned to their native country is getting to be a long one. It includes pitchers Hideki Irabu, Masato Yoshii, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Kazuhisa Ishii, Shingo Takatsu, Masao Kida and Fukumori, and position players Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Tadahito Iguchi.
Is it not time for Kobayashi and Yabuta to join them by giving up the major league dream and coming home where they belong?
There are a lot of teams here who could use them.
* * * * * Contact Wayne Graczyk at: wayne@JapanBall.com
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM BOBBY VALENTINE
This official announcement from Bobby Valentine was posted on his blog:
http://www.bobbysway.jp/?p=493
http://www.bobbysway.jp/?p=493
日本語で読まれたい方は、ブログタイトル横の「日本語」をクリック！
(July 26th)
To the Chiba Lotte Marines Family,
From the moment that I agreed to come back to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines 6 years ago, I have always had two major priorities: to do what is best for the Shigemitsu family, who invited me back with enthusiasm, and to do what is best for the Chiba Lotte Marines. For the first 5 years, thanks to the wonderful support of our fans, players, coaches and support staff it was easy to be passionate and committed to my task as manager.
But this season many people around me and I were presented with a very challenging and confusing situation. Lask week Acting Owner Shigemitsu came to my office and I had a chance to speak privately with him one-on-one for the first time since last July. I thanked him for visiting me and apologized for the poor performance of the team. We reassured each other that our friendship remained the same and I felt grateful for it. And most importantly, I came to feel that for me to leave the team at the end of the 2009 season is best for the Shigemitsu family and for the Chiba Lotte Marines, and so I wanted to make this announcement about the decision as soon as possible.
There might not be words to sufficiently express my love and appreciation for the greatest fans in baseball. You moved me to tears when I was met at the airport in January. You amazed me and the entire baseball world with your petition drive. You inspire me and the players every single game with your banners, songs and your relentless passion and commitment to this team. All of it will be part of me forever. I deeply respect the traditions and culture of Japan. And, especially, my love for Japanese baseball will never fade.
Please view this announcement as my determination to make Chiba Lotte Marines baseball fun once again, for our fans and for each member of the team. I have always felt victory was shallow--and true victory was impossible--if the attempt to gain it was not fun. This year has not been fun for anyone who truly loves the Chiba Lotte Marines, so I will make a renewed effort to make this 2009 season the most fun that it can possibly be, and one that we will all remember and cherish for our lifetimes. To help me with this effort and to inspire the team, I would like you, the greatest fans in the world, to cheer for us more than ever.
Let’s play fun baseball again,
Bobby Valentine
Bobby
Commit to your passions - Passionately pursue your commitments(7月26日)
千葉ロッテマリーンズ・ファミリーの皆さんへ
6 年前、私が千葉ロッテマリーンズの監督として復帰すると決めた時から、私は、情熱を持って再度迎えて下さった重光家のために最善を尽くすこと、そして、千 葉ロッテマリーンズのために一番良いと思われることに尽力することの二点を、最も重要な事柄として捉えてきました。そして最初の 5 年間は、ファンの皆さん、選手、コーチとスタッフたちの素晴らしい協力に助けられ、監督業に情熱を傾け、真剣に打ち込むことができました。
しかし、今シーズンはここまで、私と私の周囲の人々にとって大変困難で、混乱を極める事態に見舞われています。この中で先週、重光オーナー代行が監督室に いらっしゃり、昨年の 7 月以降初めて、私はオーナー代行と二人だけでお話しすることができました。私は、彼の訪問に感謝し、今シーズンこれまでのふがいない成績に対する謝罪をし ました。また、我々の友情も以前と変わらぬことを確認し合い、それに対する感謝の気持ちをお伝えすることもできました。同時に、今シーズン限りで私が千葉 ロッテマリーンズを去ることが、重光家、そして千葉ロッテマリーンズにとって最善の道であると実感し、その決断を皆さんにできるだけ早くお伝えするべき だ、と思うに至りました。
世界で最も素晴らしいファンの皆さんに対する、私の愛情と感謝の気持ちを十分に伝える言葉はないかもしれません。今年の 1 月に皆さんが空港で出迎えてくれたとき、私は感動で涙しましたし、私の残留を求める署名活動には深い感銘を受けました。また、毎試合のように旗を振り、歌 を歌い、チームに対して絶えることない情熱と献身的な姿勢を見せてくださり、私も選手たちも大変勇気づけられています。これらの全ては、永遠に私の中の一 部として生き続けることでしょう。私は日本という国の伝統や文化を心から尊敬しており、その中でも日本の野球に対する愛情が色あせることは決してありませ ん。
皆さんに対する私のこのメッセージは、千葉ロッテマリーンズの野球をもう一度、ファンの皆さんにとって、そしてチームの皆にとって楽しいものにするための 決意だ、と考えてください。私は、勝利を目指す過程が楽しいものでなければその勝利は表面的なものであるし、本当の意味での勝利とは呼べない、といつも感 じています。今シーズンはこの時点まで、千葉ロッテマリーンズを本当に愛する人々にとって、決して楽しいものではありませんでした。ですから、2009 年シーズンを最高に楽しいシーズンにし、ファンの皆さんそしてチームの皆が一生忘れることのできない、かけがえのないシーズンにするために、私はこれか ら、改めて努力を続けていきます。そのためにも、ファンの皆さんの、チームを勇気づけるためのより一層の応援をお願いしたいと思います。
もう一度、楽しい野球をしましょう！
ボビー・バレンタイン
ボビー
Commit to your passions - Passionately pursue your commitments
心に誓い、心を燃やす
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Nippon Robotic Baseball (NRB) League
The NRB is not quite yet reality, but given the accomplishments by Japanese researchers, Japan could be the first country to field such an endeavor.
The Associated Press reported that a Japanese researcher at the University of Tokyo, Masatoshi Ishikawa and his team have developed a baseball batting robot that works for balls thrown to it at slow speeds, but with great accuracy. It can bat the balls into a basket at a desired location.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072401104.html
A pitching robot throws a ball made of polystyrene against a batting robot, right, during a demonstration at University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, July 24, 2009. The both robots have been developed by Information Science Technology Prof. Masatoshi Ishikawa. The pitching robot can throw 40 kph (25mph) strike balls at one-meter (3 feet 3 inches) by 0.8-meter (2 feet 6 inches) strike zone set at 3.5-meter (11 feet 5 inches) away with almost 100 percent accuracy and the batting robot can hit them with more than 90 percent accuracy if hey were thrown in to the strike zone.
Japanese professor creates baseball-playing robots
The Associated Press Friday, July 24, 2009 7:47 AM
TOKYO -- Look out Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka. A pair of baseball-playing robots that can pitch and hit with incredible results have been developed in Japan.
The pitching robot, with its three-fingered hand, can throw 90 percent of its pitches in the strike zone, won't need any relief from the bullpen and never asks for a pay rise.
The batting robot, which has a sensor to determine if pitches are strikes or balls, hits balls in the strike zone almost 100 percent of the time, doesn't swing at pitches outside the strike zone, and is guaranteed to pass all drug tests.
The two robots were created by University of Tokyo professor Masatoshi Ishikawa.
"The demand level of the robotics technology of each robot is very high," Ishikawa said. "What was difficult was to create a mechanism to satisfy such a high level of demand."
The pitching robot throws a plastic foam ball at 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph), but Ishikawa is hoping to increase the speed to 150 kph (93 mph) and make it able to throw off-speed pitches like curves and sliders.
Ishikawa is also working on getting the batting robot to be able to hit to all parts of the field.
The robots don't resemble humans but instead the type of robots on a car assembly line.
Japan boasts one of the leading robotics industries in the world, and the government is pushing to develop the industry as a road to growth. Automaker Honda has developed the child-sized Asimo, which can walk and talk.
Another Japanese researcher down at Hiroshima University, Dr. Idaku Ishii has already developed a robot able to hit a pitch coming at speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour ...
http://www.engadget.com/2005/06/06/japanese-baseball-robot-can-hit-a-300km-h-pitch-whut
Japanese baseball robot can hit a 300km/h pitch, whut?
by Barb Dybwad, posted Jun 6th 2005 at 6:05AM
Hiroshima University associate professor Idaku Ishii has developed a robot able to cope with some serious fastball action, able to hit a pitch coming at speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour. We're pretty impressed with this, considering we routinely strike out during heated Engadget Whiffle Ball matches. The robot manages such uber-skilldom by instantly analyzing the imaging results from its precision cameras to determine the balls' trajectory, then whammo, socking the living daylights out of it (that's the technical terminoloy, honest). All of which is part of a plan to replace all humans in the sport of baseball with either mechanoids or cartoons, saving the industry millions in salaries and legal fees.
IT'S OFFICIAL :( Bobby Valentine Decides Not to Return to Chiba Lotte
As reported already by several Japanese sports newspapers, Bobby Valentine has officially indicated his intention not to return in 2010 to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team.
At 16:50 on Sunday, just after practice, Valentine distributed a one-page document to all the reporters. Addressed to "the Chiba Lotte Marine Family", he indicated that after discussing the matter in mid-July with Acting Owner Akio Shigemitsu, he decided that it would be best for sake of both the Shigemitsu family and for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
A link to one of the articles by the Nikkan Sports:
At 16:50 on Sunday, just after practice, Valentine distributed a one-page document to all the reporters. Addressed to "the Chiba Lotte Marine Family", he indicated that after discussing the matter in mid-July with Acting Owner Akio Shigemitsu, he decided that it would be best for sake of both the Shigemitsu family and for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
A link to one of the articles by the Nikkan Sports:
http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/p-bb-tp0-20090727-523689.html
ボビー退団認めた「ロッテにとって最善」
- ７月１７日、連敗を７で止め、笑顔を見せるバレンタイン監督
ロッテのボビー・バレンタイン監督（５８）が２６日、今季限りでの退団を正式に決断した。千葉市内の室内練習場で練習後、異例の声明文を発表し、 決意を表明をした。自ら用意したＡ４紙１枚の声明の中で「今シーズン限りで私がロッテを去ることが重光家、そして千葉ロッテマリーンズにとって最善の道で あると実感し、決断した。ロッテの野球をもう１度、楽しいものにするための決意と考えてください」と、初めて退団を受け入れ、後半戦へ向けて巻き返しを 誓った。
バレンタイン監督がついに白旗を揚げた。これまで来季以降の契約延長も見据え、退任について明言を避けてきたが、後半戦開幕を前に自らケジメをつ けた。「先週、重光オーナー代行と昨年７月以降初めて２人だけでお話しをすることができた。私が去ることが重光家、そして千葉ロッテマリーンズにとって最 善の道であると実感し、決断した」と、直接会談で退任を決意したことを明かした。
０４年からロッテで２度目の指揮を執る同監督は、０５年に３１年ぶり日本一に導くなど手腕を発揮し、人気、実力両面でチームに貢献した。だが一方 で、４億５０００万円（推定）の高額年俸と全権を掌握した独断的な手法でのトラブルも生じ始め、昨年１２月に４年契約が終了する今季限りでの退任が通達さ れた。
異例のシーズン前の通達で、フロントとの確執が表面化し、一時はファンも巻き込むお家騒動が勃発（ぼっぱつ）。その影響もあってか、選手のモチベーションも低下、前半戦を終えて５位と不振が続いている。
このタイミングで発表したことについて、石川晃副代表は「後半戦はチーム一丸となって戦いたいという監督の気持ちの表れでしょう。フロントとして は最後まで監督をバックアップする気持ちに変わりはない」と受け止めた。西村ヘッドコーチは「ミーティングで初めて聞いた。残り５９試合。我々コーチ陣も 結果を出していかないといけないし、引き締めてやるしかない」と話した。
前半戦最終戦となった２２日の日本ハム戦（札幌ドーム）では、「選手たちの足を引っ張る出来事もあり、楽しんでプレーさせることができなかった」 と反省の弁を述べていた。この日の決意表明で周囲の雑音をシャットアウト。「千葉ロッテの野球をもう１度ファンの皆さん、チームの皆にとって楽しいものに するための決意だ」とも話した。
監督の心意気に、選手も気合を入れ直した。渡辺俊は「ボビーのために楽しんでプレーします。選手だったら監督の気持ちを感じるでしょう」。バレン タイン監督に才能を見いだされ、０５年日本一に貢献し西岡も神妙な面持ちで口を開いた。「僕や今江さんは監督に育ててもらい、感謝すべきことはたくさんあ る。これからもしっかり自分のプレーに集中したい」と話した。
［2009年7月27日9時3分 紙面から］
Sunday, July 26, 2009
BOBBY VALENTINE SUCCESSOR FOR 2010 ANNOUNCED
Well, it sounds more and more like Bobby Valentine won't be returning to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines for 2010 - despite the massive efforts of his fans to gather over 100,000 signatures protesting the decision by the Lotte ownership. According to Kyodo News, the front office announced that the current head coach, Norifumi Nishimura, has been selected to succeed Valentine next year as the new field manager.
It appears that Club President Ryuzo Setoyama's campaign to sabotage both Valentine and the team at large have worked. Next year, there is no doubt that the Marines will sink back and stay at the bottom of the league as they did before Bobby turned them around.
Baseball: Lotte tapping Nishimura as Valentine's successor
Jul 25 10:31 AM US/Eastern
TOKYO, July 25 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The Lotte Marines are in the final stages of tapping head coach Norifumi Nishimura as manager Bobby Valentine's successor for next season, club officials told Kyodo News on Saturday. The 49-year-old Nishimura's promotion is expected to be announced after the 2009 season upon the approval of owner Takeo Shigemitsu. Lotte has already decided not to offer Valentine a contract extension after his current four-year contract expires at the end of the season. The team appears to have stopped short of bringing someone from outside of the team since Japanese baseball has seen successes from those who have coaching experience within respective organizations. Last year, Hisanobu Watanabe guided the Seibu Lions to the Japan Series title as a rookie manager after being promoted from the farm team manager. Nishimura spent his entire 16-year playing career with Lotte through He led the Pacific League with a .338 batting average in 1990. "As I said before, the new manager will be announced after the season," club president Ryuzo Setoyama said. "All I can say is that we the front office will support the team's attempt to reach the postseason." Lotte is last in the six-team standings with a 33-49 record.
.....NIPPON SERIES 2005
ICHIRO SPARKS CURRY FOR BREAKFAST BOOM BACK IN JAPAN
How a single 2008 New Year's documentary clip of Ichiro Suzuki helped spark a "curry for breakfast" boom in Japan ...
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/fr/tnks/Nni20090619D19JF062.htm
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/fr/tnks/Nni20090619D19JF062.htm
Friday, June 19, 2009
Curry, The New Breakfast Staple
House Foods profits by pinpointing, expanding tiny social trend
By Kosuke IwanoHouse Foods' House Asa-Curry became an instant hit as a packaged breakfast product, quickly selling out after it hit store shelves in February. It spawned a continuing trend in Japan.
Over the past couple of years, curry has gone from being a novel item on the breakfast table to establishing itself as a breakfast staple. House Foods Corp.'s House Asa-Curry is largely responsible for the trend. The company released the ready-made curry meal after spending a year on product development.
What was the secret to transforming a small trend into a mainstream one? Taking advantage of a small social phenomenon with smart marketing.
House Asa-Curry comes in two varieties: Medium Hot and Yasai Keema Medium Hot. One package holds two 75-gram curry pouches, a perfect size to pour over a bowl of rice. A package is priced at around Y198 ($2.04). Soon after House Foods released the curry on Feb. 26, it sold out, and is now taking a bite out of the market share of leading brands Bon Curry by Otsuka Foods Co. and House Foods' own Curry Marche.New curry concepts"While contemplating the next curry product, the company's product developer noticed a TV show on baseball star Ichiro Suzuki that aired on New Year's Day in 2008. The special showed Ichiro eating the homemade curry his wife prepares for him every morning before he goes to work as a Major League Baseball player. The word "morning" stood out in the product developer's head."
Baseball star Ichiro Suzuki gets his morning lift from curry breakfasts prepared by his wife. Foodmakers and consumers took notice.
House Foods, the largest curry seller in the country, has always been aggressive about developing new curry concepts, from white curry to curry served in a pot.
While contemplating the next curry product, the company's product developer noticed a TV show on baseball star Ichiro Suzuki that aired on New Year's Day in 2008. The special showed Ichiro eating the homemade curry his wife prepares for him every morning before he goes to work as a Major League Baseball player. The word "morning" stood out in the product developer's head.
A quick search on NTT Data Lifescape Marketing Corp.'s Shoku-Map revealed that breakfast curry was on the rise. Having curry for breakfast is not all that unusual, but luckily, Ichiro's morning curry story got picked up by the mass media. House Foods product developers realized they were onto something and sensed that the floundering market for pouch curry was about to turn around.
One of the first things researchers looked into was the average time people spent on breakfast regardless of generation or age. Their finding: 10 minutes. That meant heating time needed to be reduced. But curry pouches use animal fat and without heat, the curry gets too thick. Manufacturers decided to use vegetable oil with a low melting point so that all it needed was a warm bed of rice.
To keep the curry light on the stomach, wheat content was reduced, while vegetable fiber was increased to give the meal some weight. Ingredients were cut up into small bite-size pieces.
For marketing and promotional purposes, the target consumer was the family. For a whole month after the day before the product's release, commercials were aired relentlessly in the morning to reach TV-viewing mothers.
Masahiro Tanaka, a starting pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball, was hired as a spokesman to convey the product's image of strength and toughness.
The plan worked. Pouched curry is usually considered a meal for single people, but it is also popular with families and young couples, according to officials at Daiei Inc.'s Ichikawa Colton Plaza outlet, a supermarket in Chiba Prefecture. The curry was unveiled during exam season, and it was around that time that people took notice of an essay discussing how curry's beneficial effects on blood flow in the brain help boost concentration. Mothers who had children taking exams started feeding them more curry.
The breakfast angle is not really new - consider canned coffee - but the company succeeded at identifying a latent demand, giving a product a new twist - in this case, a place on the breakfast table - and breathing new life into it.
Already part of the diet
House Foods's hit concept can be found in many train stations in Japan. Curry Shop C&C is managed by Restaurant Keio Co., a subsidiary of Keio Corp. It added morning curry to its menu in 1998, and the meal has been popular with businessmen in their 30s and older. Sales at the restaurant have been climbing in recent years.Curry guru Prof. Tei of Nihon Pharmaceutical University has actively spread his scientific findings that curry enhances brain power.
Curry is a dish most commonly ordered during lunch or dinner at restaurants. The Curry Shop had tried offering curry as part of its breakfast menu earlier, but the response was tepid. However, when the shop began offering a special curry it had developed for breakfast, the response was positive. The portion is smaller and comes in two toppings: sausage priced at Y370 and omelet at Y400, both cheaper than the regular pork curry at Y430.
The morning curry is offered until 11 a.m. The regular menu is also available, but at the busiest Shinsen Shinjuku store, 80% of its customers order the morning curry. At the 10 stores that offer morning curry, an average of 70% order it. The curry accounts for an average of 5% of total sales for all 10 outlets.
Why curry in the morning? A survey conducted in September 2008 by Asahi Soft Drinks Co. of office workers in their 20s and 30s may provide some clues. The survey was conducted to get a clear picture of how today's businessmen spend their mornings.
When asked how their daily routines have changed since two to three years ago, about 40% responded that they were doing more in the mornings. About 53% said they eat out for breakfast and spend an average of Y338 on breakfast.
The decline in economic conditions has forced companies to reduce overtime, encouraging office workers to make better use of their mornings. That meant people wanted a more substantial breakfast, but one that can be consumed quickly.
Prof. Munetetsu Tei of Nihon Pharmaceutical University, a specialist in Eastern medicine, is the man behind House Foods' Asa-Curry. In clinical studies, he confirmed that curry improved blood flow in the brain and strengthened one's ability to concentrate. He has been singing curry's praises for 10 years.
Tei himself is a big curry fan and critic. When he steps into a curry shop, restaurant owners go on high alert. He makes his own curry spices from scratch, and during his days as an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, he discovered that after a curry meal, blood flow in the brain increased 2-4%. This, he found, was due to cardamon, a spice commonly used to add aroma.
(The Nikkei Weekly June 8 issue)
Tokyo Beer Garden Recommendation: Meiji Kinenkan
Located in the heart of Central Tokyo - and within walking distance of the Yakult Swallows' Jingu Stadium.
The Meiji Kinenkan is where the Japanese Constitution was written. It's also great place to enjoy a top-class beer garden:
The National Constitution was written here, Emperor Meiji hung out here, and for ¥700 you can guzzle a jug of Super-Dry here. On dry summer evenings, history, tradition and beer come together in this most elegant corner of Meiji Jingu. Deep wicker chairs frame a croquet-esque lawn that "once or twice a day" becomes a stage for the kind of kimono-clad buyou dancer the old emperor probably enjoyed. Everything from the staff to the two huge pines comes groomed to perfection, and the customers at this joint look the part too. Scrubbed-up businessmen and women are the norm. If you're clutching your wallets and purses by now, don't stress: the menu is more than reasonable. Super-Dry, Lowenbrau and black beers are ¥700 a glass, while a pitcher is only ¥2,800. To soak it up there's a 44-dish menu ranging from Italian pizza to black-bean tofu (or stir-fried chicken guts with garlic for the more robust palate), each for around ¥1,000. With no hidden charges, and prices that belie the sumptuous surroundings, this has to be a prime date spot. Hide the menu, pay in secret and come up smiling.
Open 5-10:30pm until Aug 31. 2-2-23 Moto Akasaka, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3746-7723. Nearest stn: JR Shinanomachi.
The Meiji Kinenkan is where the Japanese Constitution was written. It's also great place to enjoy a top-class beer garden:
The National Constitution was written here, Emperor Meiji hung out here, and for ¥700 you can guzzle a jug of Super-Dry here. On dry summer evenings, history, tradition and beer come together in this most elegant corner of Meiji Jingu. Deep wicker chairs frame a croquet-esque lawn that "once or twice a day" becomes a stage for the kind of kimono-clad buyou dancer the old emperor probably enjoyed. Everything from the staff to the two huge pines comes groomed to perfection, and the customers at this joint look the part too. Scrubbed-up businessmen and women are the norm. If you're clutching your wallets and purses by now, don't stress: the menu is more than reasonable. Super-Dry, Lowenbrau and black beers are ¥700 a glass, while a pitcher is only ¥2,800. To soak it up there's a 44-dish menu ranging from Italian pizza to black-bean tofu (or stir-fried chicken guts with garlic for the more robust palate), each for around ¥1,000. With no hidden charges, and prices that belie the sumptuous surroundings, this has to be a prime date spot. Hide the menu, pay in secret and come up smiling.
Open 5-10:30pm until Aug 31. 2-2-23 Moto Akasaka, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3746-7723. Nearest stn: JR Shinanomachi.
BOBBY VALENTINE BOUND FOR WASHINGTON, DC?!
Well, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post seems to think so ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302908.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302908.html
Acta and Nationals Will Likely Have Options Beyond This YearBy Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
ST. LOUIS, July 13 -- Come October, the Washington Nationals will be searching for a permanent manager and Manny Acta will be searching for a job, and while there is no chance of a match between the two -- not after the Nationals fired Acta as their manager late Sunday night -- both could wind up having their choice of several enticing possibilities within their respective searches.
Several baseball executives surveyed Monday in St. Louis, where the sport will hold its All-Star Game on Tuesday, predicted Acta, 40, would get a chance to manage in the big leagues again -- though perhaps not right away.
"My guess is that he'll have to go through a coaching job first, but he won't have any trouble [achieving] that," said one National League executive. "He may not be the rising star he was [when the Nationals hired him in November 2006], but I think people will look at that mess in Washington and see him as deserving another chance to manage."
Acta has extensive ties with two other organizations -- the Houston Astros, with whom he played for six seasons as a minor leaguer and coached and managed in the minors for nine more, and the New York Mets, for whom he served as third base coach from 2005-06 -- although he is unlikely to find a new job before the end of this season, even if he wanted one. The Nationals still owe him the balance of his $600,000 salary for 2009.
The Nationals, meantime, named bench coach Jim Riggleman their interim manager in the wake of Acta's firing, and indicated a willingness to consider him for the permanent hire. However, interim managers are rarely retained -- as Riggleman found out last year, when he got the interim job in Seattle following John McLaren's midseason firing, only to be passed over for the permanent job.
Speculation in Washington is certain to focus on Bobby Valentine, the former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager now in the final year of his contract for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines, who appear unlikely to bring him back. Valentine has publicly acknowledged a desire to return to the United States, although it is unclear if the Nationals would be willing to pay Valentine what he is making in Japan (about $4 million), or if not, whether he would agree to a steep pay cut.
Valentine, 59, declined comment in response to an e-mail message seeking to gauge his interest in the Nationals' job.
Nationals President Stan Kasten is known to maintain ties to several potential candidates from his days with the Atlanta Braves, including Ned Yost, formerly the Braves' third base coach and most recently the Milwaukee Brewers' manager; Jim Fregosi, who managed four different teams between 1978 and 2000 and is currently the Braves' advance scout; and Terry Pendleton, the current Braves hitting coach, whom the Nationals interviewed for their manager's job in 2006.
Mike Rizzo, the Nationals' acting general manager, also has ties to potential candidates from his days as the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm director, perhaps most significantly to former Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, who was fired this season and last week was hired as a special assistant by the San Diego Padres.
One executive who knows both men said Rizzo and Melvin remain close, and that Melvin would "jump" at the chance to manage again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
