“Pray For Japan” by Stu Levy

In Columbus, OH, there will be a documentary film honoring the heroes of Japan’s tsunami tragedy, “Pray For Japan” by Stu Levy.

1. 11/14, 7pm: Worthington McConnell Arts Center

777 Evening Street, Worthington, OH 43085

2. 11/16, 6:30pm: The Ohio State University

180 Hagerty Hall, 1775 College Road, Columbus, OH 43210

3. 11/18, (Three times)

1pm, 3:30pm, and 6pm

Dublin Community Recreation Center

5600 Post Road, Dublin, OH 43017

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-12

Basic Fundamentals- Behavior equals values

Something that I saw off a video that I was watching back in Japan in 2005. The video was of my collection brought from the US of my former shacho (Japanese term meaning head of company). One of the things that he mentioned was "loosing his way".

With a move as drastic as mine was in 2007, it is understandable that I "lost my way" and spent most of 2008 in conflict with myself.

One of the things from the video that seems to hit home is the following:

1- Identify your values. Your values are the foundation for everything that you do.

2- Keep your behavior in line with your values. By doing this, you will have more success and happiness in all aspects of your life.

3- The further your behavior is away from your values equals more stress.

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-12

Urgent Request from Fuji TV in Japan

Press Release- October 4th, 2012, Columbus, OH In reading below, one of my video clips will be aired on Fuji TV. Daniel Stone Dear danone19, I am writing to ask for your permission to use the following video for our Sunday night news and infotainment show called Mr. Sunday! of Fuji TV in Japan for Japanese customer service. Japanese Customer Service- Diligent worker at convenience store in Kawaguchi Station, Saitama.

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration and I am looking forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,
K. Iwata
Fuji Television Network Inc.
2-4-8 Daiba, Minato-ku,Tokyo, Japan
http://www.fujitv.co.jp/en/tv/infotainments.html

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12

First American-born

Since returning from Japan in July 2007, there has been a certain swing-for-the-fences feel and a hurried nature to my approach to things since I had much to prove to myself such as trying to accomplish a major life event. Now that this milestone has been achieved, I don't have the pressure that came with the journey to fatherhood. Most will say that I have most of my challenges ahead of me, I dare say that many of my challenges are in my rear-view mirror.

Madeline Ayako Stone was born on Friday, September 28th, 2012 at 10:25am in Columbus, OH. She was born nearly a month early at the weight of 6 lbs. and 14 oz. and is 19.5 inches long.

Being of Japanese-American ancestry, Maddie is the first American-born child on her mother's side of the family making her a Nisei (2nd Generation Japanese).

Nearly two and a half years have gone by and I finally am beyond the negative aspect of loosing the job that brought me to Columbus and was my family's bread-winning salary. We have survived the darkest season in my life and are doing better than ever in spite of everyone's best efforts at ELS Educational Services and Ohio Dominican University to derail me and my dreams.

No one should ever be put in the situation that I was put in which was spend the equivalent of one's paternity leave faced with the decision of "Do I accept ELS's offer of a neutral discharge and use them as a reference or accept the termination charge and collect unemployment and never use ELS as a reference?"

It was a no brainer to go the unemployment route since the ELS and Ohio Dominican names do not go very far and I argue that these organization actually sully one's reputation, not be an "employer of choice" and actually build people's resumes and add value to the stakeholders that they serve.

In closing, it is easy to learn of the good, proven, and proper examples of how to run a business, adapt and adjust to change management, and lead an organization. Then there are the bad, unproven, and improper examples. Unfortunately, those bad examples are hard to find at the local Barnes and Noble, and are rarely discussed at your area university. But, by searching "ELS" and "Ohio Dominican" you will get the tip of the iceberg in terms of the bad examples. The reason why the bad examples are so hard to find is that those bad examples have to be first-hand experience that one experiences by walking the walk and talking the talk.

So, the next time someone shares their experience of the joy of starting a new family, just remember the guy from South Carolina who took his simplistic approach which worked to a fault and applied it to the "Charlie Foxtrot" of the "ELS Experiment" at Ohio Dominican University. He ended up out of a job and having to collect unemployment instead of receiving paternity leave. But, don't feel sorry for him or sing a sad song, because he is better than ever because of it. Those that were actively or inactively involved will be the ones crying in the end.

 

Proud father with newborn daughter.



The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12

National Domestic Violence Month

Julia Tran, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK) The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12

Van Halen Frontman, David Lee Roth in Japan

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12

Localization in Japan- Pre economic downturn

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12

The Divine Wind Vault Review: Translated from Japanese to English

【米国ブログ】サービスが素晴らしい日本のコンビニ

http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2009&d=0608&f=national_0608_005.shtml

We are following and deploying new products and services, convenience stores become the subject. People in the United States is said to be the birthplace of, seems to often be surprised to convenience stores in Japan today.

The Divine Wind Vault bloggers that previously lived in Japan, wrote the following about service at a convenience store in Japan. Look when I went to the petrol station in the local last Sun ", it was terrible too attitude hospitality of the clerk, I remember that the convenience store was attending well in Japan. Clerk was in the shop always, the cash register when I first clerk. made a bow again when the bow when the bow to see me when the bow once and stand in front of, quote a price to scan the bar code of products, to receive the money, give you a Otsuri is After you return home after it has been customer service in the same way for everyone, have experienced living in Japan. suppose I was repeating the same thing thousands of times every morning, perhaps the evil of concierge service in the U.S. . became so ashamed "

In the article in addition to, and mention about the splendor of the service at a fast food restaurant and hospitality of the Japanese airport. McDonald's and KFC said is a fast-food chain in the United States, and more delicious menu is rich in shops in Japan, that are described as follows: for products sold at convenience stores also. Of side dishes. Convenience store other items, sweets and drink "is a rich set is named convenience store fresh and delicious. Of Japan than those sold in the (organic store in the U.S.) Whole Foods Market, the he has been attached rather than being put in place soon because affordable, because really helpful. "(editors: Koji Yamaguchi, Nozomu Matsui)

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-12

Japanese Christians and the religion of being Japanese: Article by Tom Aaron

The religion of the Japanese

Once again, I found myself out drinking with Fred. We were in a cheap place, one of those places with the little red lanterns outside, which usually signified cheap food and drink, the drinks being of an alcoholic nature. We were peacefully solving the problems of the world, when a drunk homed in on us. We Westerners, living in rural Japan, were like magnets for drunks. Red in the face, four sheets to the wind, Jiro Hamasaki welcomed us like long lost brothers, Christian brothers, as he babbled in Japanese and English repeating the same basic points again and again: He was a Christian, he loved America, and he loved us. I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't religious and Fred didn't say anything. Not speaking to drunks was one of Fred's mantras.

We called for the check, beat a hasty retreat, and ducked into a coffee shop a few hundred meters away. We ordered beer, which was the only alcohol the coffee shop served and Fred began his theory on Japanese Christians. "A few of them were born into Christianity and grew up with it due to their Christian parents or other family members. I can understand that. What I can't understand is the others. So few Japanese become Christians, in spite of all the missionaries and the English conversation classes missionaries use to attract potential converts. So, why do these few become Christians?"

I knew this was a rhetorical question, but I thought I would try and get a word in anyway. I opened my mouth, but Fred continued, "I know that some of them do not fit in Japan. They are lonely, and they become Christians to become part of a community. What I can't understand is how they can turn their backs on what I think is the true religion of Japan- being Japanese.

I opened my mouth again, but the monologue continued, "Being Japanese is a religion in and of itself: Shinto for birth, Buddhism for death, Japanese holidays and festivals in between with some visits to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples for weddings, memorial ceremonies for the deceased, and so on. Combine all that with a belief in Japanese culture, the secure knowledge that Japan is a unique country, and the even more secure knowledge that the Japanese are a unique people, you have the religion of the Japanese- being Japanese.

Once again, I tried to say something, but I should have known better. Fred changed tack in midstream, "Actually I take that back. Being Japanese is actually stronger in terms of faith than most of the Western religions. How else could we have beliefs such as Japanese snow being unique and not fit for Western skis, people from other countries being unable to speak Japanese, and Japan being the only country in the world with four seasons."

I finally managed to break in to Fred's monologue, "Japanese don't really believe that Japan is the only country with four seasons."

"They don't?" Fred shot back. Then why are they always saying that Japan has four seasons as if it something unique?"

I didn't have a good answer to that. Fred's statements may have gone a little bit overboard, but he did have the gist of the matter right. Being Japanese was almost like a religion due to the beliefs involved. Most Japanese put a lot more into being Japanese then many Americans who claimed to be religious put into their religion. Being Japanese may not be a religion like Fred claimed, but it definitely meant subscribing to a strict set of beliefs and rules.

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-12