2009年2月28日 星期六

Apple's iPhone is a hit everywhere in the world — except for Japan.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Apple's iPhone is a hit everywhere in the world — except for Japan.

It turns out that Apple's video-playing, music-downloading, motion-sensing handset is just too, well, backward for the Japanese market.

In fact, the iPhone is such a flop in the Land of the Rising Sun that it's being given away free with a 2-year contract, Wired News reports.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that carrier charges are a lot cheaper in Japan than they are in the U.S., and Apple hasn't learned to compete.

Few Japanese want to pay $60 per month to use a phone that can't shoot video, receive TV signals or text-message photos.

"The pricing has been completely out of whack with market reality," one expert on the Japanese cell-phone market tells Wired News. "I think they [Apple and its partners overseas] are in the process of adjusting to local conditions."

2009年2月25日 星期三

おくりびと

「死に対する畏敬」米でも評価 「おくりびと」栄冠

2009年2月23日18時46分


 受賞の瞬間、滝田洋二郎監督は足早に壇上に上がり、「サンキュー、オール・アカデミー」と英語であいさつした――。第81回アカデミー賞で「おくりび と」が外国語映画賞を受賞した。英語題は「旅立ち」を意味する「ディパーチャーズ」。海外36カ国・地域で公開が決まっている。滝田監督はスピーチを「ア イル・ビー・バック」と締めくくった。

 主人公を演じた本木雅弘さんが、旅先で葬儀の光景をヒントに十数年前から温めてきた企画。07年に山形県庄内地方などで撮影し、本木さんの上司を山崎努さん、妻を広末涼子さんが演じた。

 本木さんは、納棺師の青木新門氏の著書「納棺夫日記」を読み込み、現役納棺師の特訓を受けた。「ご遺体」を丁寧に清める湯灌(ゆかん)の儀。旅立 ちの衣装への着替えでは、故人の肌が見えぬよう細心の注意を払い、化粧を施して生前の面ざしをよみがえらせる。流れるような所作の美しさ。ひつぎに納める までの動きの隅々に、命に対する厳粛な思いがにじむ。

 「死は誰にでも平等に訪れる。普遍的なテーマに共感してもらえたのではないか」と本木さん。米の映画業界紙ハリウッド・リポーターは「死に対する畏敬(いけい)の念を通して生をたたえる感動作」と評した。

 メガホンをとった滝田監督は81年にピンク映画で監督デビューし、85年の「コミック雑誌なんかいらない!」で一般映画に進出した。幅広いジャン ルで上質の娯楽映画を手がけてきた。日本映画界を支えるヒットメーカーでありながら、国際映画祭とは縁が薄かったが、今回の受賞で国際舞台に大きく羽ばた いた。

 本木さんの企画実現を支えた所属事務所社長が一昨年11月に死去。滝田監督は完成直後の昨年6月に師匠だった向井寛監督を亡くした。映画で本木さ んの父親を演じた峰岸徹さんも昨年10月に病死した。スクリーンの外で様々な「旅立ち」を見送りながらつかんだオスカー像だった。

 日本では昨年9月に封切られ、観客数272万人のロングランヒットを記録。キネマ旬報ベスト10で日本映画の第1位に選ばれ、日本アカデミー賞で 最優秀作品賞を含む10冠を獲得するなど、国内の主要映画賞を独占していた。海外でもカナダ・モントリオール世界映画祭でグランプリを受賞。

Funeral industry in spotlight after Oscar night

BY KIYOKO MIICHI

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2009/2/25


photoSakura Tokita consults Yoshiaki Yajima on funeral procedures. (YUKI NAKAZATO/THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)

Yojiro Takita's "Okuribito" (Departures), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in Hollywood on Sunday, sheds light on a profession that had received little attention until now: nokanshi, workers who prepare bodies for funerals.

One woman who relates to the lead character played by Masahiro Motoki in the movie is Sakura Tokita, 37.

Tokita has been preparing bodies for cremation for the past eight months at a funeral parlor in Ibaraki Prefecture.

"It is not painful," she said. "I feel very fulfilled when I am able to send someone on their way."

In mid-February, Tokita visited a bereaved home in Ibaraki Prefecture with a colleague, Yoshiaki Yajima, 53, to prepare a body. The work is done in full view of the bereaved family.

First, Yajima disinfected the deceased's nose and mouth with absorbent cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol, and placed more cotton in the nasal passages. Tokita handed him tweezers and other tools.

Next, Yajima drew on eyebrows and skillfully applied other makeup. The result left the dead man's face appearing younger. In just 15 minutes, the face looked much closer to a photo of the man taken years before.

The bereaved relatives became teary-eyed at the change.

"It almost looks like he will get up at any moment," one said.

Originally from Miyazaki Prefecture, Tokita joined the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo when she was 19. She worked as a detective.

She worked for a time after her marriage, but quit at 27 when she became pregnant. She stayed home to raise her two children for 10 years, but now that they are both in elementary school, Tokita began looking for work in June.

She answered an ad for a funeral parlor in Sakuragawa, Ibaraki Prefecture, and got the job.

The recent death of her uncle from cancer also motivated her to apply, she says.

On her first day, there was a funeral for a woman about Tokita's age.

When she saw the woman's young child, Tokita hid behind a curtain to cry.

Her first experience of preparing a body for cremation came just 10 days after she joined the company.

She had decided to just do her best, even if she made a mistake. If she found she could not handle it, she would quit, she thought.

Even when one memorizes all the procedures, it is difficult to do this work because of the pressure of working in front of bereaved family members.

Tokita admits it took a while to become adjusted to the situation.

"I often cried during my first three months on the job," she said.

Although Tokita had often seen death as a police officer when she handled traffic accidents or drug overdose cases, having children and being older have given her a deeper appreciation of life.

"I believe preparing the body for a coffin is in a way a psychological (process) that helps bereaved family members cope with their sadness," she said.

Yajima is a veteran nokanshi, having handled about 13,000 cases over a career extending about two decades.

"I just move my hands in a very focused manner without thinking about anything," he said. "The deceased's face can change greatly with just a few touches" of makeup.

Two years ago, Yajima was hospitalized after being diagnosed with a connective tissue illness. He still takes medication.

In the movie "Okuribito," one character says, "Death is like a gate that everyone has to pass through."

However, even though he has worked many years with dead bodies, Yajima says that death still scares him.

"Since I returned to work after pondering my own death, I have begun to feel more strongly that I must mourn each individual and remember them in my soul," he said.

Yajima said he was happy the movie has shed more light on their work.

Tokita also said she has found her calling.

"Like the main character, I have now, after several months, begun to feel like I can continue with this work," Tokita said. "'Okuribito' is a job that is indispensable."(IHT/Asahi: February 25,2009)


2009年2月24日 星期二

Japan to pay 80,000 Afghanistan police salaries

©2009 Google - Map data ©2009 ZENRIN - Terms of Use

Japan to pay 80,000 Afghanistan police salaries

TOKYO (AP) — Japan will pay the salaries of Afghanistan's 80,000 police officers for six months as part of its ongoing financial support for the country, a government official said Tuesday.

Tokyo will also fund the building of 200 schools and 100 hospitals, and train thousands of teachers in Afghanistan, said Foreign Ministry official Miyako Watanabe.

The projects will be funded out of the $520 million remaining in the funds pledged by Tokyo to help rebuild the country's infrastructure, Watanabe said. Japan has already spent $1.48 billion of the $2 billion it has pledged since 2002.

News of Japan's latest assistance in the region comes as Tokyo and Washington continue to strengthen their long-standing alliance.

Prime Minister Taro Aso, who has said building better ties with the U.S. is one of his administration's goals, is in Washington, where he will become the first foreign leader to meet President Barack Obama in the White House. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made Tokyo the first stop on her Asian tour.

Obama has made stabilizing Afghanistan a priority, approving a troop surge of 17,000 troops in the conflict-ridden country.

Japan's pacifist constitution, along with the public's strong aversion to sending troops into combat, prohibits it from taking direct military action.

But the country has a large military, and despite political gridlock and a deepening recession, remains the world's second-largest economy, often using its wealth to influence affairs on the world stage.

Last year, the country approved legislation to extend through January 2010 a refueling mission in support of U.S.-led operations in the Indian Ocean. The mission, which began in 2001 and has been briefly suspended due to political opposition, partially supports U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

日本民生產業點滴

221

昨夜電視說日本的教育媽媽少了點 婦女出外工作的漸多 可是公私立托兒所容量嚴重短缺


Funeral industry in spotlight after Oscar night

BY KIYOKO MIICHI

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2009/2/25


photoSakura Tokita consults Yoshiaki Yajima on funeral procedures. (YUKI NAKAZATO/THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)

Yojiro Takita's "Okuribito" (Departures), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in Hollywood on Sunday, sheds light on a profession that had received little attention until now: nokanshi, workers who prepare bodies for funerals.

One woman who relates to the lead character played by Masahiro Motoki in the movie is Sakura Tokita, 37.

Tokita has been preparing bodies for cremation for the past eight months at a funeral parlor in Ibaraki Prefecture.

"It is not painful," she said. "I feel very fulfilled when I am able to send someone on their way."

In mid-February, Tokita visited a bereaved home in Ibaraki Prefecture with a colleague, Yoshiaki Yajima, 53, to prepare a body. The work is done in full view of the bereaved family.

First, Yajima disinfected the deceased's nose and mouth with absorbent cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol, and placed more cotton in the nasal passages. Tokita handed him tweezers and other tools.

Next, Yajima drew on eyebrows and skillfully applied other makeup. The result left the dead man's face appearing younger. In just 15 minutes, the face looked much closer to a photo of the man taken years before.

The bereaved relatives became teary-eyed at the change.

"It almost looks like he will get up at any moment," one said.

Originally from Miyazaki Prefecture, Tokita joined the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo when she was 19. She worked as a detective.

She worked for a time after her marriage, but quit at 27 when she became pregnant. She stayed home to raise her two children for 10 years, but now that they are both in elementary school, Tokita began looking for work in June.

She answered an ad for a funeral parlor in Sakuragawa, Ibaraki Prefecture, and got the job.

The recent death of her uncle from cancer also motivated her to apply, she says.

On her first day, there was a funeral for a woman about Tokita's age.

When she saw the woman's young child, Tokita hid behind a curtain to cry.

Her first experience of preparing a body for cremation came just 10 days after she joined the company.

She had decided to just do her best, even if she made a mistake. If she found she could not handle it, she would quit, she thought.

Even when one memorizes all the procedures, it is difficult to do this work because of the pressure of working in front of bereaved family members.

Tokita admits it took a while to become adjusted to the situation.

"I often cried during my first three months on the job," she said.

Although Tokita had often seen death as a police officer when she handled traffic accidents or drug overdose cases, having children and being older have given her a deeper appreciation of life.

"I believe preparing the body for a coffin is in a way a psychological (process) that helps bereaved family members cope with their sadness," she said.

Yajima is a veteran nokanshi, having handled about 13,000 cases over a career extending about two decades.

"I just move my hands in a very focused manner without thinking about anything," he said. "The deceased's face can change greatly with just a few touches" of makeup.

Two years ago, Yajima was hospitalized after being diagnosed with a connective tissue illness. He still takes medication.

In the movie "Okuribito," one character says, "Death is like a gate that everyone has to pass through."

However, even though he has worked many years with dead bodies, Yajima says that death still scares him.

"Since I returned to work after pondering my own death, I have begun to feel more strongly that I must mourn each individual and remember them in my soul," he said.

Yajima said he was happy the movie has shed more light on their work.

Tokita also said she has found her calling.

"Like the main character, I have now, after several months, begun to feel like I can continue with this work," Tokita said. "'Okuribito' is a job that is indispensable."(IHT/Asahi: February 25,2009)

2009年2月20日 星期五

Japan turns to 'work-sharing' to avoid layoffs

Japan turns to 'work-sharing' to avoid layoffs

HIRAKATA, Japan (AP) — Yasuo Igarashi spends a lot of time these days on the jungle gym with his daughter, after his employer joined the growing ranks of Japanese companies adopting "work-sharing" to ride out the global slump.

Common in parts of Europe, work-sharing means slashing employees' pay and hours instead of firing people outright. Two or three people might share what previously was one person's job.

The idea is that employees are required to share the pain of coping with hard times while everyone gets to keep their jobs — even if they're paid less.

Work-sharing is the latest buzzword in Japan Inc. Proponents say it's a good way to avoid American-style layoffs in a society that has long fostered lifetime employment. Toyota Motor Corp., Mazda Motor Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Fujitsu Inc., have all taken up some kind of work-sharing. Nissan Motor Co. and others are considering it.

Although critics say it's merely a fancy way to disguise wage cuts, the practice is winning powerful supporters here, including Fujio Mitarai, the head of the major business lobby Keidanren.

The government is now considering earmarking public money for companies that take up work-sharing to curb surging joblessness as the world's second-largest economy slides into what authorities are calling Japan's worst recession since World War II.

Companies big and small are expecting losses or drastically dwindling profits. Thousands of job cuts have been announced in recent weeks.

At ASKK Ltd., a precision machinery maker in Hirakata, central Japan, with 50 employees, that counts Panasonic Corp., Sharp Corp. and Toyota affiliates among its clients, no one has lost their job.

But Igarashi, a 30-year-old employee there, says his monthly pay has dropped by about 60,000 yen ($640) from the 270,000 yen ($2,900) he earned before work-sharing kicked in earlier this year.

Like many Japanese, Igarashi used to work six days a week and racked up a couple of hours overtime every day. Now he works only four days a week.

"It can't be helped," he said with a smile and a shrug as he toiled by his whirring machine. "I try to find things to do that don't cost money."

Igarashi has cut back on buying new clothes, and his wife looks for discount coupons for groceries. On the upside, he spends more time with his family, including going to the playground with his 3-year-old daughter.

A handful of Japanese companies experimented with work-sharing during a slowdown a decade ago, but this time more are adopting the practice than ever before as a way to survive the far more serious recession.

Work-sharing is catching on here for cultural, legal and practical reasons.

Many Japanese companies maintain the tradition of lifetime employment so work-sharing is a way to avoid firing regular workers. So far, most of the layoffs have involved contract workers, whose use became legal in recent years to skirt the regulations protecting full-time, salaried workers.

Labor laws tend to defend lifetime employment, usually requiring companies to provide hefty severance packages or risk facing lawsuits. If a company is in bankruptcy or losing money, it becomes easier legally to lay off workers.

At the same time, work-sharing allows companies to keep trained workers — and bring them back up to full-time quickly, once a recovery comes.

Work-sharing is routine in nations such as Germany and Switzerland, where the government provides unemployment benefits to make up for the income fall from lost hours, said Jenny Hunt, economics professor at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

She said the practice is unlikely to be popular in the U.S., where companies prefer to "concentrate the misery in a few people," and simply reduce workers.

"The income loss is spread over more people, and fewer people suffer the depression associated with unemployment," Hunt said. "The economic advantage is that firms retain their workers who are experienced on the job."

Work-sharing is taking various forms in Japan, and some companies aren't even calling it that.

At Tourism Essentials Tokyo, a job-referral company, two flight attendants sent to an airline were asked to share one job, and one person's pay, to avoid one of them getting fired.

At Fujitsu's computer chip unit, the shifts at the 24-hour-running plants were increased from two shifts of 12 hours each to three 8-hour shifts so each worker had their hours and pay reduced by a third.

At auto plants across Japan, including Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mazda, assembly lines are grinding to a halt on some days, resulting in a type of work-sharing. Toyota Motor Corp. has announced it will carry out work-sharing at its U.S. plants but has not expanded that to Japan.

A recent survey by the Yomiuri newspaper found about half of its respondents, a nationwide sample of 1,077 people, support the idea of work-sharing, although they also expressed fears about lower pay.

Work-sharing is also finding acceptance in nearby South Korea.

A group of labor, management, civic groups and the government to tackle the financial crisis is preparing to soon announce measures that will include work-sharing as a key element, said Kim Soo-gon, a Ministry of Labor official.

The government plans subsidies for companies that maintain employment by sending workers on paid vacations and training programs, he said.

Work-sharing has created some problems, says Sadao Nagakura, an executive at ASKK, the precision equipment maker.

Accustomed to working long hours, some employees found that cutting back undermined their morale. Another obstacle was that wives of male employees complained that they didn't want their spouses at home, he said.

Side jobs are allowed, he said, and at least one worker has already starting working at a convenience store on Saturdays to supplement his income.

Nagakura, who has made a point of ending his work day at 3 p.m. lately, sees work-sharing as the best way to cope with a drop in orders that has erased about two-thirds of ASKK's profit over the last year.

"There's no work for them to do even if they show up," he said. "I tell them to go on walks with their wives, holding hands."

But Nagakura also sees the downturn as an economic opportunity to get ahead. He expects most rivals to go bankrupt in the next year or two before a recovery comes while his company rides out the recession in good shape.

"We are going to survive, and we are going to win," he said.

Associated Press Writer ShinWoo Kang in Seoul contributed to this report.

2009年2月17日 星期二

日本經濟形勢嚴重惡化

日本經濟形勢的嚴重惡化也引起了英國多家報紙的關注。

《金融時報》記者發自東京的報道說,日本經濟出現了35年來的最大下滑。

報道說,日本的國內生產總值在去年第四季度下跌了3.3%,是1974年來的最嚴重下跌。

《金融時報》的文章說,經濟學家認為日本經濟在今年頭三個月還會大幅下滑。

經濟學家還表示,即便經濟下滑速度減緩,通貨緊縮也會讓經濟復蘇復雜化。

日本財政大臣中川昭一在意大利羅馬參加七國峰會一次記者會時表現失態的消息也成為英國各報報道的重要話題。

有人指責中川昭一在參加記者會前飲酒過量,但是他自己說是因為感冒藥吃多了。

《泰晤士報》還就此發表了一篇社論。

社論說,中川昭一的解釋就象是一個小男孩咳嗽几聲想說明自己為什么不能去上學一樣。

2009年2月16日 星期一

taiyaki.

Taiyaki

Taiyaki (鯛焼き , lit. "baked sea bream"?) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, or cheese. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.

Taiyaki is made using taiyaki, regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown.

Taiyaki was first baked by a sweet shop Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo in 1909, and now can be found all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and Japanese festivals ( matsuri?).

This is similar to imagawayaki (今川焼き?), which is a thick round cake also filled with sweet azuki bean paste or custard.

In popular culture

Taiyaki was the theme of a 1975–76 Japanese hit single, "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" ("Swim! Taiyaki") sung by Masato Shimon. The single sold more than 4.5 million copies, and remains the largest-selling Japanese single to this day (as of February 2007). Originally written for a children's TV program, the song was about a taiyaki escaping from the vendor stand into the sea, enjoying his brief freedom there until he is finally caught by a fisherman and consumed. It was a thinly veiled satire of the overworked Japanese businessman, with whom the record struck a chord, resulting in the unexpected mega-hit.

It is the favorite food of Ayu Tsukimiya from Kanon, also Renji Abarai from Bleach

It is practically the only food that Golden Darkness eats in To Love-Ru.

Fish shaped cake is mentioned in the videogame Portal by one of the modules making up the game's villian, GLaDOS, who seems only to talk about cake recipes, of which some really become absurd.

The Toxic Avenger happily eats his first Taiyaki in The Toxic Avenger Part II on his trip to Tokyo.

Taiyaki was briefly introduced in the Japanese high school drama Nobuta wo Produce starring Kamenashi Kazuya (KAT-TUN), Yamashita Tomohisa (Kurosagi), and Horikita Maki.

It is eaten by characters Chiyo and Osaka at a cultural festival in episode 16 of the anime series Azumanga Daioh.

See also

References



Sweetest pleasures need not be most costly

2009/2/13

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Perhaps at the urging of the gods that I go easy on alcohol, I started to develop a sweet tooth in my 50s instead. I sometimes stand in line to buy taiyaki, a fish-shaped pancake stuffed with bean jam. As I open the paper bag and bite into the head sticking out of it, I can feel the steam and sweet scent of bean jam. Blowing on the piping hot pancake to cool it is a winter delight. "I break a taiyaki/ And blow on its guts" is a haiku by Michio Nakahara.

While there are various theories about the origin of taiyaki, Naniwaya Sohonten, a Tokyo maker of Japanese confectionery reputed to be a pioneer, is celebrating its centennial this year. Based on the round-shaped imagawayaki, it developed taiyaki using a mold in the shape of tai sea bream, an expensive fish which is considered auspicious. The idea proved successful. It is also said that the store was the inspiration for "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" (Swim! Taiyaki), a hit song of the 1970s.

There are mainly two ways to bake taiyaki. Many establishments of long standing, including Naniwaya, cook them one by one, but others use larger molds that can turn out several taiyaki at once. I heard that like the real fish, they are called tennen-mono (natural) and yoshoku-mono (farm-raised), respectively.

Let me continue with sweet talk. The year of 1909, when taiyaki debuted, was also the year Morinaga Shoten, now Morinaga & Co., sold the first Japanese-made chocolate bar. The company processed bitter chocolate it imported from the United States to make it.

During the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras, unfamiliar Western confectionery such as marshmallows, caramel and biscuits drew attention for their novelty. In the century since then, the positions of Western and Japanese sweets have reversed in the market. In fact, Western sweets have become so popular these days that even some taiyaki are filled with such ingredients as chocolate and cream. The trend also owes much to the way makers of Western confectionery took advantage of occasions such as Valentine's Day and Christmas to promote their products.

According to a survey of 400 women by Morinaga, the average amount they planned to spend on honmei chocolates for someone special this year was 1,700 yen, down 900 yen from last year. As the economy continues to slump, if women want to cut down on their budget, why not take a completely different approach and share taiyaki that sell for 300 yen a pair?

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 12(IHT/Asahi: February 13,2009)

2009年2月15日 星期日

Kanji body should return profit

Kanji body should return profit

2009/2/12


I once likened kanji characters to "soup stock cubes" in this column. Each cube has a flavor of its own with a story behind it. Kanji also has the power to convey the feeling of things and reflect social conditions.

An organization that spread the fascinating aspects of kanji and rode the crest of a kanji boom has run into kon (a square-shaped kanji), which means trouble.

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, known for administering kanji aptitude tests and announcing the "Kanji of the Year," was searched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Despite the fact that it is a public-interest corporation which is given a tax break, it has produced annual profits of hundreds of millions of yen and came under scrutiny for "making too much profit."

In the hope that passing the tests will help them enter schools and land jobs, applicants have continued to increase and reached 2.72 million in fiscal 2007. Some young people must have spent money they earned from part-time work in an effort to pass higher levels.

The proper thing for the foundation to do would be to return the profits it made by lowering testing fees without being told to do so by the ministry.

When foundation head Noboru Okubo started the tests in 1975 under a private organization neither controlled nor protected by law, the project must have begun as a small family-type operation.

Even now, having grown into a testing business that raises 6 billion yen a year, the president and his son control it. In three years, as much as 6.6 billion yen was diverted to businesses run by father and son as subcontract commissions.

Okubo has a keen sense of business and contributed to the development of kanji culture. The kanji test boom that he created even evolved into games on portable game machines.

The announcement of the "Kanji of the Year," held in Kyoto's Kiyomizudera temple, has become a year-end tradition. I also wrote about it in this column on several occasions.

But as businesses grow, they must acquire respect to go with it. It is out of the question to enrich one's family businesses with a "mean spirit" by transferring profits. The operator tried to hide personal gains behind public interests but they were too huge to cover.

We must ask Seihan Mori, chief monk of Kiyomizudera temple and a director of the foundation, to write the kanji sei (self-reflection) in extra large size and have it hang in the office of the Kanji foundation's top official.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 11(IHT/Asahi: February 12,2009)

2009年2月14日 星期六

太宰治〈東京八景〉

太宰治──在風景中懺悔自剖的東京 (上)
很少有一個地方像日本那樣,以文化想像的方式啟發賦予了那麼多旅行的動機和意義,日本也不像世界的其它地方,在文學的表現內容裡選擇較多的地名或無何有之鄉,來安放人物故事情節;日本文學在這個部分似乎較不介意...
【文/向鴻全】 曾經在一次京都的旅遊中遇見一位年輕的留學生,背著笨重的行李告訴我他計畫利用假期空檔用走路的方式走完日本最重要的二個「京」:當然是東京和京都,分別 是日本在平安時期和江戶時期塑造出來的重要都市。現在大多數的觀光客前往日本旅遊,也多半以這兩大都市為首選──繁華落盡或是曾經滄海、嚮往充滿靜謐古意 的歷史情懷、歲近中年或有意無意老成的人也許會選擇京都作為旅遊的地點;青春正盛或胸懷熾烈、嚮往充滿驚豔獵奇的東洋想像、錯過年輕或有意無意再次童年的 人大概會選擇東京吧。當然這種想當然爾的想像,就如同每個人都有不同的旅行方式的選擇一樣,也只是我個人的偏見或錯覺而已;不過有些偏見或錯覺卻可能成為 了不起的文學經典,就像谷崎潤一郎、芥川龍之介對中國的想像、或者永井荷風對西方的想像一樣,都成為這些偉大作家創作生涯中重要的部分。 很少有一個地方像日本那樣,以文化想像的方式啟發賦予了那麼多旅行的動機和意義,日本也不像世界的其它地方,在文學的表現內容裡選擇較多的地名或無何有之 鄉,來安放人物故事情節;日本文學在這個部分似乎較不介意,於是我們可以在各種文化表現形式裡看到另一種真實的呈現,也就是在小說裡認識日本風土、在日本 的風土裡讀到小說。當然這裡的「小說」也可代換為詩歌(俳句)、散文、戲劇和電影,甚至動畫。就像村上春樹在《遠方的鼓聲》裡有一個「因為聽到遠方有鼓 聲」這樣浪漫得幾近超現實的啟動旅行的念頭,那麼會是什麼聲音或理由,召喚我們出發前去東京呢?或者說,在我們心裡會畫出什麼樣的東京旅遊路線呢?是原宿 新宿涉谷、六本木青山表參道、還是增上寺淺草寺明治神宮? 除了那些充滿人聲鼎沸腳步雜沓、在地圖和旅遊指南有著確切位置的景點之外,還有沒有其它的旅遊可能?如果翻開太宰治(1909-1948)的〈東京八景〉(1941),或許我們會有不同的發現。 太宰治在〈東京八景〉以南伊豆半島作為旅遊的起點,那時太宰治三十出頭,「想要藉當時的風景寫下我在東京十年的生活」,慢慢地完成〈東京八景〉這個短篇小 說。太宰治從南伊豆的「伊東」(いず)搭巴士到「下田」(しもだ),並沿著伊豆半島的海岸「走」了三個小時(據說現在如果搭乘從伊東到下田的電車,這條路 線經過的海是日本中部的蔚藍海岸,是長期以來極受日本人歡迎的電車之旅),最後下榻在一家破舊的小旅館。在這間小旅店裡,太宰治開始構思他的小說,不過顯 然這場構思後來變成一場幾近懺悔錄式的剖白,結果這篇小說變成有著後設意味的作品,也充滿太宰治那種自我質疑、反省、顛覆的個人色彩。如果以為太宰治的 〈東京八景〉真的有八個景點,並想從此展開太宰治式的旅行的話,這個期待恐怕會在小說的末尾時落空,「這裡雖然是東京市郊,但附近有東京都知名景點之一的 井之頭公園,所以這武藏野的夕陽被列入東京八景之中,是無庸置疑的。我嘗試翻閱自己胸中相本,想決定其他的七景。但這時,稱得上藝術的並不是東京的風景, 而是風景中的我。是藝術欺騙了我?還是我欺騙了藝術?結論,藝術是我。」 這個時期太宰治在他奉為終生之師的井伏鱒二夫婦的撮合下結婚,他一方面開始過世俗化的人生,但另一方面卻也隱約對這樣的人生感到失落困惑,於是他過去在東 京的生活種種突然湧上心頭,他想起了東京八景。原來太宰治想創作的是他在東京的人生風景。我們幾乎可以試著揣想,當太宰治在翻看他的相簿想找出東京八景 時,映照在他眼底裡的不只是東京的風景,還有那風景之後的自己,那痛苦掙扎的靈魂倒影。 關於眼底的倒影,也讓我想起太宰治在〈雪夜的故事〉裡,浪漫地描述了一個類似「視覺暫留/殘留」的感官經驗。太宰治透過一個小說家的口,說人的眼睛可以儲 存風景,「快看我的眼睛。我看了很多很多美麗的雪景回來。快、快看我的眼睛,這樣一定會生出有著雪般美麗肌膚的小寶寶喔!」我想那應該是那種看過一次就永 遠不會忘記的景色,所以才會深深烙印在小說家的眼底。那麼,太宰治在〈東京八景〉裡說,就算勉強整理出「戶塚的梅雨,本鄉的黃昏,神田的祭典,柏木的初 雪,八丁堀的煙火,芝的滿月,天沼的日落,銀座的閃電,板橋腦科醫院的大波斯菊,荻窪的晨霧,武藏野的夕陽」這些景色,也是「卑鄙的事」;小說家之所以卑 怯,大概是因為在他的眼底已然看過壯麗的內在景色,那些地點已塗抹上永恆的色彩,那是閉上眼睛就能看見複習的風景,又何需勉強挑出而讓人感到難為情呢?



這種對於現實不安甚至帶有輕微蔑視的情緒,也可以在太宰治之前的〈富嶽百景〉中看到。被視為從太平洋中升起的完美圓錐形的富士山,一向是日本人所有神聖美 好想像的象徵與投射,但是太宰治卻說「從這裡所看到的富士山,雖然自古就被譽為富士三景之一,但我卻不是很喜歡。不但不喜歡,甚至感到輕蔑。實在是太過理 想的富士。富士山位在正中央,其下方的河口湖白而寒冷的敞開著,附近的群山就靜靜的蹲踞在它的兩側,環抱住整個湖泊。我看了一眼,感到不知所措的紅了臉, 這就好像是澡堂的油畫,戲劇的舞台背景,怎麼看都像是訂做出來的景色,所以我羞恥得無法自己」。在〈富嶽百景〉中,太宰治表現出在藝術創作上的困惑,他對 於太單純的美的事物懷抱著不安,於是他「早晚都看著富士,度過陰鬱的日子」。

在創作中質疑創作這件事,大概就像在旅行中抱怨旅行一樣不太健康吧,不過不論是從〈東京八景〉或〈富嶽百景〉中,似乎可以感受到屬於太宰治的美學態度,那 種態度也就是我們經常從日本語言當中聽到的「原來如此」、「那是用什麼樣的心情在面對著的」諸如此類的「和風」敘述;也就是說我們當然無法從這些文字當 中,找到任何以為是屬於歡樂幸福的旅遊元素,當然也就無法複製那些景點的內在意義。但是這樣的過程卻能逼顯出另一個問題:遠離(或也可名之為旅遊)所熟悉 環境的意義究竟是什麼?是短暫地虛構異想一個無法持續的美好生活樣態,還是藉此看見一個更為真實的自我形貌?

太宰治在書寫時發現一個不完美的自我,我們在閱讀時發現一個不完美(因為不了解作者或作品)的自我,我們也會在旅遊時發現不完美的景點。但彷彿愈是經歷那 種不完美,我們就離美好更近一步。太宰治在〈東京八景〉中塗抹掉了我們以為在地圖上確切有的那一點,取而代之的是一張精神層次的地圖──那裡沒有座標、沒 有確定的交通方式、沒有開放時間,但只要帶著文學想像的心情,我們也會找到屬於自己的東京八景。

太宰治〈東京八景〉的副標是「獻給苦難的人們」,這對照起目前正經歷痛苦的金融風暴的日本來說,是再準確不過的了;儘管如此,聽說日本人還是會在太宰治的 忌日時,到他曾經出現和生活過的地方,談論著他的作品,甚至還有所謂的「斜陽族」;我想,那些熱愛太宰治和他的小說的人,眼底一定也殘留著太宰治筆下的風 景吧;這就是日本的文化。當然,既然提到太宰治,就不得不提及後來他移居並且下葬的三鷹市。三鷹市裡還有日本人驕傲的夢想天堂──宮崎駿的「三鷹之森吉卜 力美術館」,提醒著我們只要有夢想,就能飛翔。

【作家豆知識】

太宰治(1909-1948)
本名津島修治,為青森縣有數的富家之子。學生時代曾一度醉心左派運動,為當時非法的社會運動提供資金援助,又因與有夫之婦殉情未遂而遭本家除籍。一九三三 年以筆名「太宰治」創作之後即以嘲謔與詼諧的筆風獨樹一格,後世文學史因此以「新戲作派」或「無賴派」名之。一九四七年連載的小說《斜陽》因成功刻劃沒落 貴族在二戰後的淒涼處境,從小說衍生的「斜陽族」就此成為人人望而知義的新語詞;過世前不久脫稿的小說《人間失格》讓作中人物告解自己從小不為人知的羞恥 行徑,明知忝為人身仍無力自救的過程,僅新潮文庫版即銷售六百萬冊,與漱石的《心》長居暢銷書之列。太宰一生為精神衰弱所苦、數度自殺未遂,一九四八年三 十九歲生日前不久在東京西郊投水身亡。(黃毓婷/文)

作者簡介
向鴻全,一九七一年生,台灣桃園人,中央大學中文所博士,現任教於中原大學,編有《臺灣科幻小說選》。曾獲梁實秋文學獎、台北文學獎、宗教文學獎,並於二○○五年以〈歸藏〉一文獲得二十七屆聯合報文學獎。著有《借來的時光》。

【詳見292期《聯合文學》二月號。訂閱聯合文學電子版


2009年2月10日 星期二

Amakudari and Watari

Civil service is a privilege, not a path to riches

2009/2/6

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Michio Hashimoto, who died last spring, was a bureaucrat who deserved to be called "Mr. Environment." During the 1960s, when pollution cases were rampant, Hashimoto served as the first chief of the former Health and Welfare Ministry's pollution division. He engaged in tough negotiations with industry and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, as it was then known.

As head of the Environment Agency's Air Quality Bureau, he dared to relax environmental standards in the face of strong opposition from people with pollution-related diseases. The development led him to retire. He declined offers of employment from the private sector and chose to teach environmental policy at the University of Tsukuba. He used the various privileges of government employees not as an excuse to slack off but as a tool to work.

The ruling and opposition parties are vying to abolish amakudari and watari work practices by retired bureaucrats. Amakudari refers to the way retiring bureaucrats land cushy jobs in industries that were once under their supervision. The practice of hopping from one such job to another, each time earning huge retirement sums, is called watari.

Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) criticized the newly established personnel exchange center, which serves as the only body for finding post-retirement jobs for outgoing bureaucrats, as an "amakudari mediation organization." The government also decided a schedule to integrate personnel administration to a new office within the Cabinet.

The National Personnel Authority, whose turf will be trampled, is resisting the move. NPA officials said it would not be able to maintain neutrality and fairness in personnel administration. NPA President Masahito Tani, who appeared stressed out, maintained a resolute attitude like a model civil servant. But can the situation in which high-ranking government officials alone hop from one lucrative post to another be called neutral and fair?

Like a paper airplane flown from a roof, the higher the post from which one descends, the longer the duration of flight. Tani himself retired from the post of administrative vice minister of the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in 2001 and landed jobs with a ministry-affiliated body and a communications satellite company before heading the NPA. Perhaps this is not the case with Tani, but some retired bureaucrats practically go on a leisurely tour across the nation hopping from one job to another.

Government employees are guaranteed their jobs and salaries and are given responsibilities and various powers. Hashimoto, whom I referred to earlier, explained that this is "because they must do unpleasant things when they have to, even when doing so may invite criticism and bashing." Too bad he is no longer with us to give a lesson.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 5(IHT/Asahi: February 6,2009)

Unplugged 救經濟?日本企業武士道精神失效?

救經濟?日本企業武士道精神失效?

作者:經濟學人  出處:Web Only 2009/02

相關關鍵字:經濟學人

要知道日本電子企業的問題,走一遭秋葉原的大型電器行就知道。企業的產品繁多,「超級市場策略」在六O和九O年代間相當成功,也讓「Made in Japan」成為世界品質的領袖。但日本企業以規模為傲,不專注獲利。許多企業擁有五百個以上分支,也仍保留下午停下工作唱社歌等老習慣。只要企業能接受低獲利,都可以繼續下去。但是,全球衰退卻突顯出如此問題。 各大電子企業預測今年會虧損,遂進行傳統上被認為恥辱的裁員和關廠。高階管理人員一直知道公司有問題,但改革時卻遇上內部強大反彈。此外,武士道精神,也讓企業寧可戰到最後一刻,也不願被併購。 去年12月時有了改變的跡象。國際牌(Panasonic)買下了三洋(Sanyo)大部分的電子部門,可惜沒有進一步的合併。日本企業採用的方式 是「內部購併」,把部門關閉或出售,讓公司更專注。例如,著重媒體科技的新力(Sony),就把「Cell處理器」部門,賣給半導體強項的東芝 (Toshiba)。 隨著各企業進一步瘦身,此過程將更劇烈。但在全球電子商品需求下滑之下,國外競爭對手分食市占率可能仍不夠。日本企業家相信,長遠的解決之道,是轉往綠色科技。例如,太陽能板和電動車電池等,是日本企業的優勢。 日本政府新刺激方案也重新推出綠色科技補助。除了少數南韓大廠,有足夠研發經費和日本企業競爭,因此對手並不多。但日本企業的規模,也有弱點──想投資太陽能的投資者,並不想投資電鍋。(黃維德譯)


Unplugged
By The Economist print edition
From The Economist
Published: February 10, 2009 TO SEE the problems facing Japan's electronics companies, pop into one of the huge gadget shops in Tokyo's Akihabara district (pictured above), the consumer-electronics capital of the world. Nine domestic firms make mobile phones. Then head over to the appliances section: five of the same firms offer everything from vacuum cleaners to rice cookers. Three of them make the escalators that carry you through the shop. In short, the industry has too many companies selling too broad a range of products that overlap with one another. This "supermarket" strategy, in which each company has a hand in every area, worked well during Japan's incredible economic boom between 1960 and 1990. "Made in Japan" gadgets, once cheap and flaky, ended up as world leaders in quality, humiliating America's electronics industry along the way. Consumers at home and abroad snapped them up, generating vast trade surpluses and bitter trade tensions. But the companies got bigger and bigger, priding themselves on their girth rather than their profits. Many now have over 500 affiliates, from travel agencies to restaurants. Old practices linger. It is not uncommon for employees to recite the corporate mission in the morning, or stop work in the afternoon as the company song reverberates across the cubicles. LaserDisc players never really caught on after being introduced in 1980, but Pioneer stopped shipping them only last month. All this could go on for as long as firms accepted low returns on equity. But the global recession is exposing their deep-seated problems with astonishing speed and severity. Demand for consumer electronics has collapsed. The strong yen is crippling exports: the currency has gained 67% against sterling in the past year, and almost 75% against the South Korean won. So Japanese exports—which account for more than half of some firms' sales—cost more to foreign buyers. Meanwhile, component prices are plunging, overcapacity is rife and margins are meagre. Apple's iPhone is stuffed with Japanese parts, but most earn their makers a return of less than 5%. Having predicted full-year profits only three months ago, the giants are now forecasting massive losses. Sony expects an operating loss of ¥260 billion ($2.6 billion). Its Welsh boss, Sir Howard Stringer, is fighting to overcome internal resistance as he tries to restructure the firm. He wants to close factories and cut over 16,000 jobs including,


controversially, some staff who expected lifetime employment. He has been trying to push through many of these changes since his appointment in 2005. But only now can he get his way. At a news conference on January 29th Sir Howard said Sony had been "putting off unpleasant decisions" and now had to "move in a hurry". The same is true of Sony's rivals.

Panasonic is expected to post a net loss of ¥380 billion loss for 2008. Hitachi and Toshiba, which make everything from nuclear reactors to the toasters they power, have been hit by the collapse in sales of microchips. Hitachi's loss is expected to be ¥700 billion, and Toshiba's ¥280 billion. Sharp, NEC and Fujitsu are also expected to lose money. In a damning sign of the times, Fujitsu's bosses recently called upon the firm's 100,000 employees in Japan to buy its goods. This week shares in Hitachi and NEC fell to their lowest levels for three decades. All this seems to have prodded the giants into action: all have announced job cuts and factory closures of extraordinary brutality by Japanese standards.

Better late than never

Privately, senior executives have long known that their companies were in crisis. But like Sir Howard, they faced strong internal resistance to change. Bosses were reluctant to cut projects initiated by their predecessors to whom they owed their jobs, to axe superfluous divisions, or to abandon cosy relationships with trusted suppliers. With docile domestic investors and a network of friendly cross-shareholdings, there was little outside pressure to restructure. Besides, samurai believe it is better to fight to a tragic and noble end than to surrender (which, in the corporate world, is equated with being acquired).

There were signs of change in December when Panasonic agreed to buy a majority stake in Sanyo Electric for around $9 billion. Struggling Sanyo had been whittled down by three banks that had bailed it out three years earlier (including a foreign one, Goldman Sachs). Panasonic gets Sanyo's respected battery and solar technology, but must still "throw out the sinking trash," in the words of one banker. The pity is that no one expects the deal to signal further consolidation. Panasonic (called Matsushita until it adopted its best-known brand as its corporate name last year) had great difficulty combining two of its divisions in 2004. Bringing Sanyo into the fold will be even harder.

Instead of consolidation, companies have been pursuing a strategy of "internal M&A", in which business units are shut down or sold to other firms, so that each company ends up more focused. Fujitsu, for example, hopes to unload its loss-making hard-disk business, but it recently took full control of a joint-venture to sell computers as part of a push into computer-related services. Sony, which is concentrating on media technology, sold its "Cell" chip unit to Toshiba, which is specialising in semiconductors. Sharp and Pioneer have formed an alliance to unite their LCD and audio technologies.

This process will intensify as companies make deeper cuts. But will it be enough, given that domestic demand for electronics is shrinking fast and foreign rivals are taking market share elsewhere? South Korea's Samsung and LG in televisions, and China's Haier in home appliances, threaten to do to Japan what Japan did to America, by producing high-quality products at low prices.

The long-term answer, Japanese bosses believe, is to move into clean technologies such as solar panels and electric-car batteries—new areas where Japanese firms are already strong. The government's new stimulus package reintroduces a subsidy for green technologies to encourage such a shift. With the exception of the South Korean conglomerates, few other firms have the research-and-development resources to compete in these areas. But the Japanese companies' size is also a disadvantage. Investors who want to bet on solar power or electric cars do not want to be saddled with rice cookers or restaurants. At last, it seems, the giants have realised this.

2009年2月8日 星期日

永井荷風──在街巷中孤獨漫遊的東京, 吉卜力美術館


吉卜力美術館:一起來迷路吧!
「一起來當個迷路的孩子吧!」怎麼會有美術館「號召」大家來迷路?不是應該規規矩矩地設立「順路」、「由此進」之類的告示牌,方便參觀者欣賞嗎?
【文/張漢宜】


沒錯,這裡就是「三鷹之森:吉卜力美術館」,以宮崎駿的動畫為主要展出內容,堪稱一座動畫博物館。這座很「不乖」的美術館,就像老是喜歡嘻嘻笑的老頑童宮崎駿的投射。

走進館內的庭園,會發現售票亭內有一隻超級大龍貓在賣票。可別被騙了,這隻大龍貓並不賣票,它是宮崎駿對訪客開的一個小玩笑。要買門票,必須到Lawson便利商店預約才行,美術館本身是不賣票的。

吉卜力美術館把宮崎駿的動畫世界化為實體的夢幻遊園地,大受小朋友歡迎,自二○○一年十月開館以來,成為東京新興景點,每年吸引七十萬人次參觀。第一任館長就是宮崎駿的長子宮崎吾郎,二○○五年起由中島清文接任館長至今。

宮崎駿親自製作展出物,跟小朋友開玩笑

中島清文表示,當宮崎駿手邊沒有動畫電影要忙時,喜歡小孩的他常到這座美術館,並親自製作展出物,透過製作物跟小孩溝通、開玩笑,宛如童心未泯的老爺爺。

「我覺得他(宮崎駿)是很有童心的人,好像十幾歲的小孩一樣,」中島清文描述,宮崎駿每當做好一個館內的新展出物時,就會很得意地拿給大家看,還一邊很興奮地說,「你看你看,是不是很棒?」

有一次,宮崎駿在館內畫十隻青蛙,以重疊的方式藏在不容易發現的地方,有些青蛙在水面上,有些在水底下。宮崎駿看到小朋友在找青蛙時被騙,他就好高興。

龍貓巴士成焦點

館內最知名、最受小朋友歡迎的展出品,就是《龍貓》裡的那輛貓巴士。小朋友可以在裡面鑽來鑽去,歡笑聲不斷,是全館最high的焦點。

館內以宮崎駿的動畫為範本,告訴小朋友一張張圖片如何變成動畫的原理,具有科學教育的意義。吉卜力工作室製作的短篇動畫片,也會在小劇場播放。

【全文未完,完整內容請見天下雜誌414期訂閱天下雜誌知識庫訂閱天下雜誌電子版




永井荷風──在街巷中孤獨漫遊的東京 (上)
京都是小說的,而東京是隨筆的。我居然有這樣的感受,大概是因為京都的情趣需要從《源氏物語》中探尋,那據說是世界第一部長篇小說,從文獻的三言兩語來推測,二○○八年正好問世一千年,京都大張旗鼓地紀念了一番...
【文/李長聲】

京都是小說的,而東京是隨筆的。我居然有這樣的感受,大概是因為京都的情趣需要從《源氏物語》中探尋,那據說是世界第一部長篇小說,從文獻的三言兩語來推 測,二○○八年正好問世一千年,京都大張旗鼓地紀念了一番,而現在要說的是東京,若回溯一下歷史(基本是叫作江戶的時代)風情,每每難免不引用永井荷風的 隨筆,受其感染。

當然不止是荷風的,其他如國木田獨步,他的《武藏野》首次讓人們驚豔雜木林風景,還有幸田露伴,寫有隨筆《水的東京》。文豪夏目漱石也寫過《玻璃窗內》, 那時他住在今新宿區,從玻璃窗內看外面,書齋裡的眼界是極其單調而且又極其狹窄的──「我想繼續寫一點這樣的東西,我擔心這種文字在忙碌的人眼裡會顯得多 麼無聊」。日本文學自古有隨筆傳統,甚而在率性表現自我上,他們把十世紀末成書的《枕草子》舉為世界第一本隨筆。像東京這座城市一樣,日本隨筆在西方文學 影響下近代化,更見其「隨」。《玻璃窗內》與永井荷風的《東京散策記》(原文正題為《日和下馱》)是近現代隨筆的傑作。

夏目漱石寫道:「談自己的事情時,反而可以在比較自由的空氣中呼吸,那我也還是沒達到對我完全能去掉野心的程度。即便沒有說謊欺世那般的虛榮,卻也下意識 地不發表更卑鄙之處、更惡劣之處、自己更丟面子的缺點。」他寫《玻璃窗內》時四十八歲,病逝前一年,探究自我,其幽默是苦澀的,而荷風寫《東京散策記》正 年富力強,三十六歲,不是隔窗眺望,而是腳上趿拉著木屐,手拄蝙蝠傘,「走後街,穿斜巷」,脫俗自適,更放膽地呼吸自由的空氣。

近年有一種介紹、導遊東京的季刊雜誌就叫作《荷風!》。「東京散步」是永井荷風的發明。散步,總像是老人所為,荷風的書也是上了年紀才愛讀,心有戚戚焉, 年輕女性幾乎不讀它。戰敗之初,有一個叫野田宇太郎的詩人,在劫餘廢墟中尋覓文學家及其文學的蹤跡,寫《新東京文學散步》,頗為暢銷,以致日本文學又獨有 了「文學散步」的類型,但近來好像完全演變成群眾性散步活動,只是拿文學湊趣罷了。江藤淳以研究夏目漱石聞名於世,晚年寫《荷風散策》,他的散步不是出門 走路,而是「不過想效顰穿木屐散策東京市內的散人,隨心所欲地散步於愛惜不已的荷風散人的小說、隨筆、日記的世界」。

一八七九年永井荷風出生於東京,常住久居,晚年遷徙千葉縣市川,一九五九年孤寂而卒。五十年過去,市川一帶也早已城市化,失去了荷風所喜愛的自然與閒靜。 他自幼喜愛在街上散步,眺望生活風景,但是寫《東京散策記》的散步卻是跟法國人學來的。不過,並非要讚美東京這座新興城市的壯觀,論說其審美價值,他另有 出發點。一是找一個不用在社會上露面,不花錢,不需要夥伴,自己一個人隨便悠閒地度日的方法,考慮來考慮去,結果就是在市內蹓躂。這種遊遊蕩蕩的散步是孤 獨的,不與人發生直接的關係,只是眺望,觀察,思考,自得其樂,當然也從中得出些「本來日本人沒有理想」之類的日本論。再是從法國遊學歸來,震驚於東京勢 如破竹的破舊立新,便想把老東京記錄在文字中,留作日後的談資。記得是石川啄木,批評荷風好似地主家少爺去東京逛了一趟,回到鄉下就大講鄉下藝人的壞話, 但其實,荷風這種人未必遊歷了歐美之後才覺出故國的好,回歸國粹,而是體認到歐美先進就先進在對於古蹟不是破壞,而是留存,這種文化觀念使他非同世人地關 注被棄之如敝屣的傳統文化。正因為如此,荷風文學中對法國文學的愛和對江戶文化的愛融為一體,有如吃法國大菜也不妨喝日本的清酒。他的眼光常常是客觀的, 認為現代人保護古美術反倒損害了古美術的風趣,修繕等同於破壞,所以他四處尋訪舊都古蹟,卻並不去鼓吹保護。

【詳見292期《聯合文學》二月號。訂閱聯合文學電子版