Monday, July 18, 2005

LESSON FROM NATURE

▼ He had a customary practice to welcome the beginning of summer vacation. He walked down to the lakeside and slowly dipped his hand into the water. It was what Arthur Ransome experienced in his youth. He is an author of famous “Swallows and Amazons” series of children’s books.

▼ He wrote about his adventurous sailing during a holiday season on the Lake District in Britain. His books brought forth young sailing fans in the world. Amamiya Isaku, 47, is one of them, who works for the National Institute for Sea Training in Japan to train sailors.

▼ Yearning for the life of Ransome, he was enrolled in Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine. He found it significant to work for a school ship and brought up many student trainees. He participated in the North American School Ship Race to commemorate the second millennium in the year of 2000. He was the chief officer of the Kaio-maru that won the first place in the race defeating powerful rivals in the world.

▼ Why do they need to train themselves on a sailboat in this age of modern technology? Amamiya says, “A sailboat does not move without wind. If wind is on our side, sailing is comfortable, but if not, wind might deprive of your life. Students learn how to cooperate with each other in defiance of nature’s threat.” After taking an ocean cruise for two months, “they become a little more adult-like with a beam in their eyes and consideration to others.”

▼ In the home of sailing boats, Britons use school ships to train young people. In one of Ransome’s series, the most exciting one, “We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea,” describes the leading characters of four brothers, who sailed a drifting boat in the midst of fog and storm and crossed the North Sea from Britain to the Netherlands. They became fully-fledged by overcoming the perils.

▼ In the world of sailors, they say that “Sail Teaches You.” At the time when nature is ignored and efficiency always comes first, many things will be taught by sail.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TRAIN

▼ Opening the closing door by force, a man got on the train. Immediately a conductor in the car made an announcement by the public-address system. “Don’t rush into the car, please. It’s your fault if you are hurt as a result.”

▼ At the beginning of the last month, the incident happened as soon as a Japan Railway train left Kokubunji station on the Chuo line in Tokyo. Later one of the passengers complained about the announcement to the company saying, “It was unpleasant.” After investigating the matter, East Japan Railway Company concluded that it was inappropriate and cautioned the conductor about the warning. He was a veteran conductor with nearly thirty years’ experience.

▼ When it was reported in the media, JR Company received as many as 420 letters, among which 90 percent were in favor of the conductor. Though his wording sounded like shifting all the responsibilities to the passenger and may have evoked unpleasant feelings, I cannot deny his anger to blame the reckless passenger.

▼ Former conductor Sachida Katsuo, 60, says, “When a conductor gets excited, he is required to have the competence.” Sachida worked on a commuter train and a night train for many years from the time of National Railways Corporation. He was said to be an expert to relax passengers by casual announcement. “It is important to have the capability of making an off-the-cuff speech. A single word at a timely moment is required.”

▼ Ubukata Keiichi, 72, a former announcer of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) comments that the conductor should have kept his composure to say, “If forced to open, the train door would be broken. ”Ubukata had committed a serious error as a master of ceremonies at the annual male-and-female singers’ contest held on New Year’s Eve. He introduced a popular singer Miyako Harumi by mistake as another popular singer “Misora.” Twenty years have passed since then. He reflected on the error and said that in case of an unexpected happening, a sense of humor is important.”

▼ In the past I often heard a conductor add something extra to his announcement such that “Hydrangeas are at their best now,” or “Have a nice day.” But those expressions are no more heard. Japan Railways explain that some passengers require quietness under any circumstances while others ask for an announcement full of information. How to announce on the public-address system is a “very” hard nut to crack