Articles by Tom Takihi on ArticleSnatch.com

Toilet Training

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

When should I start toilet training my child? Do not start toilet training until both you and your child are ready. You are ready when you are able to devote the time and energy necessary to encourage your child on a daily basis for at least 3 months. Your child is ready when he or she can signal that the diaper is wet or soiled, or when your child is able to say that he or she would like to go to the potty. This usually occurs when a child is 18 to 24 months of age. However, it is not uncommon for a child to still be in diapers at 2 and a half to 3 years of age. How should I prepare my child for toilet training? Allow your child to be present when you go to the bathroom and make your child feel comfortable in the bathroom. Allow your child to see urine and bowel movements in the toilet. Let your child play with flushing the toilet. Before toilet training your child, place a potty chair in your child's normal living and play area so that your child will become familiar with the potty. **End Summary** Topics: parental care]]> kids]]> family]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This website is brought to you by Tom Takihi and for more information please visit http://www.discoverbabies.info/ToiletTraining/index.html

How to choose the perfect Realtor

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? But if you're still not convinced of the value of a REALTOR, here are a dozen more reasons to use one: 1. Your REALTOR can help you determine your buying power -- that is, your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a REALTOR some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, he or she can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you. Most lenders -- banks and mortgage companies -- offer limited choices. 2. Your REALTOR has many resources to assist you in your home search. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your agent to find all available properties. 3. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> business]]> finance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This website is brought to you by Tom Takihi and for more information about choosing the right Realtor please visit http://www.discoverdiy.info/Realtor/index.html

The Origin of Aquarium

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Fishkeeping in artificial environments has existed for centuries. In the Roman Empire, the first fish to be brought indoors was the sea barbel, kept in small tanks made of marble under guest beds. With the introduction of glass panes around the year 50, the Romans replaced one wall of the marble tank, improving their view of the fish. In 1369, the Chinese Emperor Hongwu established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for maintaining goldfish; over time, these tubs were produced more and more like modern fish bowls. Leonhard Baldner, who wrote Vogel-, Fisch- und Tierbuch (Bird, Fish, and Animal Book) in 1666, maintained weather loaches and newts. In 1836, soon after his invention of the Wardian case, Ward proposed to use his tanks for tropical animals, and in 1841 he did so, though only with aquatic plants and toy fish. However, real animals were soon housed. In 1838, FÃ©lix Dujardin noted owning a saltwater aquarium, though he did not use the term. In 1846, Anna Thynne maintained stony corals and seaweed for almost three years, and was credited as the creator of the first balanced marine aquarium in London. **End Summary** Topics: history]]> aquarium]]> fish tanks]]> information]]> hobbies]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website and for more information please visit http://www.discoverconsumers.info/

Starting a Garden of Growing Herbs

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Little wonder that herbs have earned a place in American gardens. Freshly harvested herbs have pungent and aromatic qualities that far exceed those of their commercially obtained counterparts--whether fresh or dried. Even after the outdoor growing season is over, you can still enjoy dried herbs in fragrant potpourris and sachets. You can also grow herbs indoors in pots on sunny windowsills, and use them for culinary purposes, either fresh, dried, or frozen. You will enjoy growing herbs because their culture is easy. They require little care and space, have very few insect and disease problems, and generally require only moderate fertility levels. Above all, herbs provide you with a continuing and satisfying hobby. CHOOSING A SITE Herbs flourish under the same conditions that you provide for your flower or vegetable garden. Although most herbs will grow in partial shade, it is better if the herb garden receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day. A majority of herbs will grow well under a wide range of soil conditions, with the exception of extremely wet, poorly drained soils. Note, however, that sage, rosemary, and thyme require a well-drained but moderately moist soil. **End Summary** Topics: garden]]> herbs]]> plants]]> home]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website and for more information please visit http://www.discoverdiy.info/GrowingHerbs/

Why Breastfeed?

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Whether you are a new or expecting Mom, if you are on this section of the web site, you're probably interested in giving your baby the best care you can. And one of the best things that only you can do is to breastfeed for as long as possible. While breastfeeding isn't the only option for feeding your baby, every mother has the potential to succeed and make it a wonderful experience. Or maybe you are the partner or a family member of a breastfeeding Mom and would like to learn more about breastfeeding. You've come to the right place! Here we provide practical, helpful breastfeeding information. Dive into our resources to find out how breastfeeding can be one of the most important things you do for both you and your baby! BENEFITS FOR BABIES: Â· Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula. Â· As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. **End Summary** Topics: family and home]]> breastfeeding]]> baby]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website and for more information about breastfeeding please visit http://www.discoverbabies.info/Breastfeeding/

The Truth About Cellphones

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Using a cell phone regularly even a modern one raises the risk of developing a brain tumor for many users, a new Finnish study published online in the International Journal of Cancer. The study, done by a collection of researchers from many universities and led by Anna Lahkola of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland, found firm corollary evidence that using a cell phone causes the risk of getting a brain tumor called a glioma to rise by 40 to 270 percent on the side of the head preferred for using the phone. What you need to know - Conventional View ¢ The study compared 1,521 cellular phone users who received a glioma to 3,301 control participants without tumors. ¢ For people who have used a modern cellular phone for more than 2000 hours in their lifetime, the risk of getting a brain tumor rose by 270 percent. ¢ The study is considered the second that firmly correlates cell phone usage with an increased risk of developing certain brain tumors. ¢ The risk was highest among people under the age of 20. **End Summary** Topics: cellular phones]]> gadgets]]> technology]]> communication]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> For more information about cellphones, please visit http://www.discovergadgets.info/Cellphones/ and this is brought to you by Tom Takihi.

The Invasion of Computer and Video games

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

A video game is a game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device , most commonly a television. The "video" in "video game" traditionally refers to a raster display device.[1] However, with the popular use of the term "video game", it now implies any type of display device. The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms; examples of these are personal computers and video game consoles. These platforms are broad in range, from large computers such as mainframes, to handheld devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Specialized video games such as arcade games, while previously common, have gradually declined in use. The user interface to manipulate video games is generally called a game controller, which varies across platforms. For instance, a dedicated console controller might consist of only a button and a joystick, or feature a dozen buttons and one or more joysticks. Early personal computer based games historically relied on the availability of a keyboard for game play, or more commonly, required the user to purchase a separate joystick with at least one button to play. **End Summary** Topics: video game]]> computer game]]> entertainment]]> leisure]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This information was made possible by Tom Takihi who at the same time owns the http://www.discovergadgets.info/Games/ website.

What you should know about Social Bookmarkings

Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Introduction On a Social Bookmarking system or network, users store lists of Internet resources that they find useful. These lists can be accessible to the public by users of a specific network or website. Other users with similar interests can view the links by topic, category, tags, or even randomly. Other than web page bookmarks, services specialized to a specific subject or format - feeds, books, videos, music, shopping items, map locations, wineries, etc. - can be found. Social bookmarking is also part of social news sites like Reddit. Overview In a social bookmarking system, users store lists of Internet resources that they find useful. These lists are either accessible to the public or a specific network, and other people with similar interests can view the links by category, tags, or even randomly. Some allow for privacy on a per-bookmark basis. They also categorize their resources by the use of informally assigned, user-defined keywords or tags (see folksonomy). Most social bookmarking services allow users to search for bookmarks which are associated with given "tags", and rank the resources by the number of users which have bookmarked them. **End Summary** Topics: internet marketing]]> online business]]> web marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website. For more information about social bookmarking, please visit http://www.socialbookmarkers.net/

Internet Services - ping services

Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Many blog authoring tools automatically ping one or more servers each time the blogger creates a new post (or updates an old one.) That is, the tool sends an XML-RPC signal to one or more "ping servers," which can then generate a list of blogs that have new material. Open ping servers, like Verisign's Weblogs.com and Yahoo!'s blo.gs, let other web-services subscribe to a list of blogs that have recently pinged them. Blog search engines can provide fresh results very quickly by polling only the newly-updated blogs. Similarly, aggregators use results from ping servers to tell subscribers which items on their subscription lists have fresh material. A few of the blog aggregators that can be pinged directly include: BulkFeeds, FeedBurner, Google Blog Search, IceRocket, Technorati, and Yahoo. In addition to open ping servers, there are an increasing number of proprietary ping servers that gather information only for their own applications. Most of the major blog search engines operate such ping servers. **End Summary** Topics: internet marketing]]> ping]]> online business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This Online Business website is brought to you by Tom Takihi. For more information please visit http://www.up8.org/

Make your url easy to remember - Linkshrinker

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Linkshrinker.info Link Shrinker is an extension which allows you to shrink links via http://www.Linkshrinker.info without even leaving the page. Shrink links via http://www.Linkshrinker.info without even leaving the page you're on, using the Linkshrinker Link Shrinker FireFox extension. Choose from either a popup window or an unobtrusive box within the browser window to display ShrunkLinks. The Linkshrinker Link Shrinker has several different ways to shrink links to the page you're on or links within that page, so you can choose which way you want to shrink links, and integrates with the My ShrunkLinks feature to help you keep track of links you've shrunk. It can even automatically copy the ShrunkLink to your clipboard! Ever find yourself looking at a funny Web site and wanting to send it to a friend? The only problem that pops up is that the URL is super long. Well, with using the ShrinkThisLink.com Link Shrinker, that problem is a problem no longer. What is this Firefox extension all about? Here is what the developer of the extension has to say about it: Adds right-click context menu items for shrinking links with ShrinkThisLink. **End Summary** Topics: internet]]> web]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi owns this article and for more information about Linkshrinker please visit http://www.linkshrinker.info/

Japanese Kimono - The Origin

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Traditional clothing of the Edo period, (1600-1868), included the kimono and obi as we know them today. The obi did not, however, become a prominent part of a woman's ensemble until the mid Edo period. It was then that designers, weavers and dyers all focused their talent on creating a longer, wider and more elaborate obi. Obi measurement was then standardised to 360cm long by 30cm wide. Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosode kimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaborate kimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi. For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. **End Summary** Topics: fashion]]> society and culture]]> tradition]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This Kimono article was made possible by Tom Takihi who apparently owns this website: http://www.japandiscovery.com/culture_arts/kimono/index.html. Visit the page if you want to know more about Japanese Kimono.

Japanese Gadgets - DocuPen

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Hailed as the world's most advanced nation, Japan never stops initiating new ideas as far as technology is concern. Almost all technological appliances inside our living room today even came from their genius inventions. Now, another mind-boggling office device being invented which will soon replace a traditional scanner. Here's a pen that looks like an ordinary shick pen but it is in fact also a scanner. This is perhaps the closest thing out in the public consumerism market that's from a movie set. Really. Remember those spy movies and mission impossible movies where the main character scans a bunch of document using a pen like scanner and once they're done they just clip it over the breast pockets like it's just another pen. This is the DocuPen RC800 Color. It scans a full page of graphics and text in just 4-6 seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, this is definitely an certified novelty from a scanner the size of a pen. There two versions to this DocuPen, one is the more expensive RC800 at $299 and the other is the RC700 at $99, which is rather affordable for students. Planon Systems Solutions, Inc. **End Summary** Topics: technology]]> gadgets]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the author of this article. If you to know more about new gadgets and more astonishing inventions from japan, please visit this website http://www.japandiscovery.com/scitech/gadgets/index.html

Japanese Army - Shogun

Wed, 09 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The term bakufu originally meant the dwelling and household of a shogun, but in time it came to be generally used for the system of government of a feudal military dictatorship, exercised by the shogun, and this is the meaning that has been adopted into English through the term "shogunate." The bakufu system was originally established under the Kamakura shogunate by Minamoto no Yoritomo. Although theoretically the state, and therefore the Emperor, held ownership of all land of Japan, the system had some feudal elements, with lesser territorial lords pledging their allegiance to greater ones. Samurai were rewarded for their loyalty with land, which was in turn, on the liege lord's permission, handed down and divided among their sons. The hierarchy that held this system of government together was reinforced by close ties of loyalty between samurai and their subordinates. The Heian period Originally, the title of Seii Taishogun was given to military commanders during the early Heian Period for the duration of military campaigns against the Emishi who resisted the governance of the Imperial court based in Kyoto. The most famous of these shogun was Sakanoue no Tamuramaro who conquered the Emishi in the name of Emperor Kammu. **End Summary** Topics: society and culture]]> history]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi owns this website http://www.japandiscovery.com/history/shogun/index.html. For more information about all Japan History, please visit the site.

Digg History

Mon, 07 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Digg is a community-based popularity website with an emphasis on technology and science articles, recently expanding to a broader range of categories such as politics and entertainment. It combines social bookmarking, blogging, and syndication with a form of non-hierarchical, democratic editorial control. News stories and websites are submitted by users, and then promoted to the front page through a user-based ranking system. This differs from the hierarchical editorial system that many other news sites employ. How it Works Readers can view all of the stories that have been submitted by fellow users in the "digg/News/Upcoming" section of the site. Once a story has received enough "diggs", it appears on Digg's front page. Should the story not receive enough diggs, or if enough users report a problem with the submission, the story will remain in the "digg all" area, where it may eventually be removed. Articles are short summaries of stories on other websites with links to the stories, and provisions for readers to comment on the story. All content and access to the site is free, but registration is compulsory for certain elements, such as promoting ("digging") stories, submitting stories and commenting on stories. **End Summary** Topics: internet]]> internet marketing]]> online business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This article is brought to you by Tom Takihi and if you want more information about Digging please visit this link http://www.digghistory.com/

The Budget Diva

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In today's financial world that fluctuates like the to and fro of the tide most people find themselves financially challenged. This may not actually mean that one does not have enough money to go around to cover expenses, but not having enough for each and every expense without jeopardizing your ability to increase your savings. Having the right amount of money available for all the payments you expect to make in terms of purchases, mortgage and many more can be achieved by simple budgeting. This way, one does not have to scrounge around from other monetary reserves intended for use to pay other bills which if not handled properly could easily get you into debt. Debt that would not only affect your credit rating in the long run, but purchasing power the next time you have to make payments. In market terms you are credit able when your rating is high and that could mean a lot in today's cash driven world. Every day we use cash in getting to work, purchasing grocery, filling up your gas tank and much more, sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough to go around. **End Summary** Topics: finance]]> budget]]> home and family]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Budget Diva website was made possible by Tom Takihi. If you want to learn more on how to manage your expenses, please visit this site http://www.thebudgetdiva.com/

Playing the Game: Sudoku

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Modern Sudoku was anonymously revived by a retired Hong Kong Judge Wayne Gould, as a logical game disguised as a numbers game. Most people do look at it as a numbers game but if you would see the way the solutions are derived, logic would surely be the key. It has caught on like wildfire and transcends the boundaries of countries with challenging puzzles in every form and style. Sudoku is not restricted to numbers for one can use colors or objects to represent the grid contents that work on the same basic principle without need of modification of the basic rules. It is unique among the games currently published in either print or on the internet in the sense that it is different and unusual from other usually boring puzzles that we are attracted to when we are waiting in queue or waiting for our number to be called to be served. Most puzzles found in newspapers are simply word games in disguise that have lost appeal with most readers. Sudoku on the other hand needs not translation from language to language and can be understood by people from all ages. **End Summary** Topics: games]]> leisure]]> entertainment]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the author of this page. If you want to know more about this type game, please try to visit this link http://www.sudokubrainteaserpuzzles.com/

Social Bookmarkers

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The advent of the phenomenon known as WEB 2.0 that is now revolutionizing the way we use the internet is now re-shaping the internet as we know it. The traditional way we use the internet is usually through web browsers that give us a list of the most relevant web pages that match exactly the word or phrase you are searching for. That is granting that most of the results would be of any relevance to the information you are searching for with most ending up as either a waste of time and effort. This is due to the way search engines work, which is usually through exact phrase matching that can give you a web page that has the exact word or phrase or a link to a document that has the same content. The WEB 2.0 revolution is re-shaping the Information Superhighway by first decentralizing the information and then collaborating it with other information whether it be a web page or document that has the highest rating with respect to votes by users like you and me. **End Summary** Topics: internet]]> blogging]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> This website is made possible by Tom Takihi. For more information on how social book markings really works please follow this link http://www.socialbookmarkers.net/

Japanese Pets

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Literally translated as a Lucky Bag or Fortune Bag, the Fukubukuro is Japan's version of the gift pack, or those food baskets given around the world at Christmastime and the New Year. Of course, as with all things Japanese, this time the humble gift pack or fruit basket has been taken to new heights, in true Japanese-style - bigger, better and well, just better. And, theres also an element of surprise, as the contents of the lucky bag are unknown. Usually out for the New Year, the Fukubukuro is wonderfully varied and comes in all levels of price. You can pick up one for your beloved dog or splash out on one of the luxury Fukubukuros. As most shops have it (as a marketing and sales ploy in time for the January sales), all you have to decide on is the theme. The price range is usually uniform, but what's fun is that could get lucky and buy a Fukubukuro for Â¥10,000, only to find that the goods inside your bag is worth more than Â¥100,000!!! **End Summary** Topics: animal and pets]]> travel]]> leisure]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of Japanese Pets website. To gather more information about this Japanese Website, please visit http://japandiscovery.com/home_living/pets/index.html

Japanese Video Games

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Horror junkie that I am, I started playing Tecmo's Fatal Frame II for the Playstation 2 this morning. Knowing the Japanese's mastery of horror, I was expecting a thrill ride with this game¦ and I was not disappointed. Fatal Frame II is one of the creepiest games that I have every played. Yes, the Americans can also make good horror games (like The Suffering, Clive Barker's Undying, Doom) but when it comes to consistency of quality, white-knuckle horror, and an almost cinematic pacing I doff my hat off to the Japanese. They have really got the formula right. In fact, almost all the games that come from Japan boast of the kind of mastery of atmosphere and storytelling that always keeps me coming back for more. **End Summary** Topics: entertainment]]> computer games]]> video games]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of Japanese Video Game website. To gain more information, please visit http://japandiscovery.com/scitech/video_games/index.html

Japanese Pop Culture

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Some people say that music is a universal language. No matter where you go, music will always be one of the things you could find in common with other people. There is something about the way stories are told through music. It so happens that even when it comes to pop music, Japan boasts of different artists who have shown that they are of international fame and accord. One of them is 23 year-old Utada Hikaru. She released her debut single as Cubic U in America. Later on she debuted in Japan as Utada Hikaru and her album was First Love. Utada's music could be said to be R&B and it is definitely not like the enka music that her mother used to sing. It is actually quite hip and would appeal to teens, no matter what nationality they are. Utada's latest album is Ultra Blue. It has the songs Keep Tryin', Colors, This is Love and Passion, a song featured in Kingdom Hearts II of Square-Enix. A song from her album Sakura Drops, the one entitled Simple and Clean was a song featured in Kingdom Hearts. Undeniably, Utada's voice, songs and videos have improved over the years. **End Summary** Topics: entertainment]]> culture]]> pop]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of Japanese Pop Culture Website. To know more about Japanese Culture and their ways of living, please visit http://www.geishablog.com/culture/utada-hikaru-japanese-pop-sensation-2/

Teaching Japanese Language

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Japanese language is an interesting one. Reading Japanese signs, books and all sorts of written material will require you to at least know katakana, hiragana and some kanji. Each set of characters have an importance in the language. Hiragana Take for example hiragana. Those are the basic characters that will let you get by in Japan, especially if you see that the kanji have furigana, the small hiragana on top or at the side of them. Hiragana are rounded characters that show you the basic syllables of the language. Katakana Aside from the basic hiragana, you have to also learn the more sharp and pointed characters of the katakana. Each katakana corresponds to a syllable. Sometimes you may see how the katakana resembles the hiragana or how it could have been derived from it. Katakana is generally used for foreign words, like those that have been assimilated. Take for example the word donut. In Japanese, it is written with the katakana characters donatsu. It would take a while to get used to it. Kanji This is tougher to learn. After all, these are the more complicated ideographs. **End Summary** Topics: language]]> information]]> literature]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website. To gain more information, please visit http://japandiscovery.com/jobs/teaching_japanese/

Japanese Massage

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Have you ever felt during a massage that the masseuse was just not strong enough to push through the ridges of tension in your shoulder blades, and at the same time not gentle enough to melt the tension in your neck or legs? Then try Japanese Hot Stone Therapy, a post-modern combination of gentle massage with ancient tools of muscular penetration. Japanese Hot Stone Therapy is based upon ANMA, the oldest form of East Asian Massage. It was developed over 7000 years ago and is a kneading, rotation, and vibration based technique. Japanese Hot Stone Massage is much more than placing stones along side of the body, or sliding stones over the body. An expert will hook into a muscle with the stone and then gently rotate and/or knead the muscle¦then apply pressure and use a rapid vibration technique to further relax the muscles and drive the heat deeper. It is quite an experience to feel the deeply relaxing, penetrating heat from the basalt stones alternating with the toning and refreshing coolness of the marble stones. The use of extremes of temperature has long been scientifically and medically proven to be of benefit to the body. **End Summary** Topics: massage]]> japanese culture]]> leisure]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of Japanese Massage Website. To gather more information, plaease vist http://japandiscovery.com/leisure/massage/index.html

Japanese Healthcare

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

When you start looking at birthing options, you'll notice that most of the hospitals work with mid-wives. In the USA, mid-wives are virtually synonymous with natural delivery. But that's not necessarily so in Japan. In most hospitals, mid-wives work with mothers prior to the delivery (mainly making them comfortable), but doctors delivered all the babies. Many mid-wives have confirmed that doctors monopolize control of the birth process in most situations. The lack of empowerment can really weaken the role (and, in some cases, the abilities) of mid-wives. The nurses in Japan also work under the doctor's firm authority. Once you check into the hospital, and ask the nurses questions about the birth process, some of the answers could be alarming, because they could completely contradict what you hear from the doctor. Despite their confident show of authority, it does prove how little the nurses are actually empowered. Through its universal health insurance program, Japanese bureaucrats are charged with the responsibility and power to ensure a minimum standard of care for all. Rules of the game, and in particular what is covered and how doctors get paid, are mainly set by the central government in Tokyo. Sound familiar? **End Summary** Topics: fitness]]> health]]> information]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website. For more information ohn Japanese Healthcare, please visit http://www.geishablog.com/culture/japanese-maternity-nurses-and-midwives-an-expats-view/

Japanese Housing

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

At his favorite neighborhood cafe, Shunsuke Yamagata, a college student who proudly calls himself a nerd, smiled shyly behind his horn-rimmed glasses at waitresses hurrying about in black Minnie Mouse shoes and lacy, racy mini-dresses inspired by Japanese comics. The place is a dream come true for Yamagata, whose passion is collecting comics and cartoons. He giggled with glee when his servers addressed him in the squeaky little character voices they use to delight their fantasy-loving clientele. For Yamagata, 20, it was just another night out with the pocket-protector crowd in Tokyo's neon-splashed Akihabara district, where costume cafes are the latest of hundreds of new businesses catering to Japan's otaku , or nerds. A subculture of social misfits obsessed with electronic role-playing games, manga comics and Japanese animation, they began gathering in Akihabara in the late 1990s, lured by the district's proliferation of electronics retailers and stores selling everything you would need to build your own computer. Maligned and shunned by mainstream society, here they stayed, their tastes and habits transforming the area also known as Electric Town into what sociologists are calling an urban first ” a ghetto of geeks. **End Summary** Topics: japanese culture]]> socialization]]> people]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website. If you want to know more about Japanese Housing, please visit this site http://japandiscovery.com/expat/Housing/index.html

Getting Around Japan

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

As if quitting your current job, selling your car, packing your life into boxes and saying goodbye to friends and family isn't difficult enough, settling into your new life in a new country can also be overwhelming and difficult for even the most brazen travellers. Moving to Japan is not for everyone, but for those up to the challenge can be one of the most exciting and rewarding times of your life. Some of the things to think about when contemplating whether living in Japan Japan is for you are: * Are you an adaptable person who would be able to adjust to a different culture, even if you were the only foreigner working in a small country town? * Are you are prepared to leave behind your support networks? Are you an outgoing and naturally enthusiastic person who could easily establish new groups of social contacts? * Are you prepared for the change in lifestyle that results from living in Japan, including living in a considerably smaller apartment and dealing with overcrowded trains every day? * Do you enjoy working with children? * Do you have a genuine interest in Japanese culture and the language? **End Summary** Topics: travel]]> entertainment]]> leisure]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Tom Takihi is the owner of this website. For more information on how to get along with Japan, please visit http://www.geishablog.com/culture/thinking-of-moving-to-japan/