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Two Days, Two Articles

Before I dive in to what I've done these past few days, I'd like to just comment on what I've observed of Japanese companies (at least of the newspaper variety). With every new reporter and official photographer I'm paired with, I ask them how long they've been working for the company and if they enjoy it and if they wanted/were interested in journalism when they were younger. Most people say they've been working for the company anywhere from 4-8 years, but their responses for the second two questions are often less than enthusiastic. Most people say the job has some fun parts; others just say it's downright a pain. None of them were interested in journalism when they were younger--they all just said "I applied for jobs after college and this is what I got" more or less.

The atmosphere in the office is also difficult to describe. At some points it's very relaxed, but at others it seems quite tense and stressful--many people with pinched faces hunched over a computer.

Anyways, on Friday morning there was no official assignment for me to tag along with, so one reporter just sort of drove me around. We stopped at a place that makes soy sauce, so now I know how soy sauce is made. It involves a rather extended process of mixing roasted wheat with steamed soybeans which then sit in a mash for at least a year and are then pressed and heated. We got to look at the old factory from about a hundred years ago as well, and the whole wooden structure still smells like soy--in a pleasant, aromatic way.


In the afternoon I went with a DIFFERENT reporter to the annual ikebana (flower arrangement) exhibit at the 21st Century Art Museum (which doesn't allow photographs). After looking at all the entries, we returned to the office and I wrote a kansoubu (basically a brief reflection) on the exhibit. (It was printed--along with a huge photo of me--in the paper today, but I didn't have time to cut it out, so I'll do that later and share tomorrow).

Today was Saturday, one of my supposed off days. I had a plan. HOWEVER. At noon I was called by the office and told to suddenly come in because tomorrow is the third month anniversary of the new shinkansen and they wanted me to ride it for a bit and then write something. Needless to say I was terribly, terribly displeased because I had made plans with people--including my host family, who were surprised that I was so suddenly called in--that I had to cancel.


That is the very sleek shinkansen. I rode it for 20 minute to Toyama (for comparison it takes an hour to get to Toyama otherwise), went around Toyama for a bit with a reporter (pretty dull place, nothing to see), and then took the train back. It was now 4:30. I went promptly to the office (which was very full, very tense) and wrote a piece which was subsequently edited (and by that I mean that they usually end up rephrasing large parts of it--I think my Japanese is technically correct but the way ideas transition is different) and didn't get out of the office until 7pm. What a Saturday. They've promised me Monday off in exchange, but frankly I have my doubts. We'll see. Here's to hoping I can do something for myself with my Sunday tomorrow...

Also: this is apparently my 100th post so congratulations to me!

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