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tetsuya1999-blog · 4 years

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My journey in Japan (School assessment: written post 2)

Tokyo, one of the most famous viewing places in Japan, consisted of modern developments and cultural heritages. A lot of people come to Tokyo for plenty of various reasons: western travelers come to the amazing place to enjoy the precious eastern cultures and eastern travelers to see how the ultramodern city is built on a traditional foundation.

As foreigners travel to Japan might meet many difficulties that can cause inconveniences in their journey, such as language difference and cultural difference. Except for that, the first thing you have to encounter is how to take full use of the transportation facilities in Tokyo. There are two main airports in Tokyo, Narita Airport and Haneda Airport, and travelers can access to the city very easily from both of them by taking the shuttle bus, taxi, and subway. Taxi is the option that I would not recommend for you because of its expensive fees, and even Japanese people do not take taxis usually. Then is the Tokyo subway, which is probably the most efficient one that I would like to recommend. You can take many lines from the airport and finally get to the city much quicker than other transportation. If you do not know anything about Japanese and which line is best for you. It would not be a big problem to handle, first, as many oversea travelers come to Japan, a lot of signs in the public are also added different versions such as Chinese version, English version, and Korean version. You can easily find the exit for every building and what is some sign means in your language. Second, you can download some useful apps for your directions. Such as Google Maps and Yahoo Maps, these apps are very helpful for you to find famous viewing places and the accesses to them. For communication, you can also download translation apps such as Google Translate, and communicate with local people by just swiping your phone.

When you gradually get used to traveling around Japan, there is one more important thing that you need to pay attention to. After I have done some research on Japanese people and Japanese culture on the internet, I found that Japanese people do not like to bother other people in public places or anywhere else, and their company workers usually wear the same suit for work to make sure everyone is in the form of Japanese culture, which does not be strange or different from the other people. The results that I have found are matched what I have observed in real Japanese society. Most Japanese people do not bother other people, and they are very quiet when they were in public places such as on the subway, airplane, and train. As foreigners, we do not have to be 100 percent Japanese when we are in Japan, but we need to be respectful of their culture, and their well-constructed society.

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release-info · 5 years

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Because of South Korea’s tumultuous history, construction and destruction has been repeated endlessly, resulting in an interesting melange of architectural styles and designs.[374] Korean traditional architecture is characterized by its harmony with nature. Ancient architects adopted the bracket system characterized by thatched roofs and heated floors called ondol.[375] People of the upper classes built bigger houses with elegantly curved tiled roofs with lifting eaves. Traditional architecture can be seen in the palaces and temples, preserved old houses called hanok,[376] and special sites like Hahoe Folk Village, Yangdong Village of Gyeongju and Korean Folk Village. Traditional architecture may also be seen at the nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Korea.[377] Bulguksa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Western architecture was first introduced to Korea at the end of the 19th century. Churches, offices for foreign legislation, schools and university buildings were built in new styles. With the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910 the colonial regime intervened in Korea’s architectural heritage, and Japanese-style modern architecture was imposed. The anti-Japanese sentiment, and the Korean War, led to the destruction of most buildings constructed during that time.[378] Korean architecture entered a new phase of development during the post-Korean War reconstruction, incorporating modern architectural trends and styles. Stimulated by the economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s, active redevelopment saw new horizons in architectural design. In the aftermath of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Korea has witnessed a wide variation of styles in its architectural landscape due, in large part, to the opening up of the market to foreign architects.[379] Contemporary architectural efforts have been constantly trying to balance the traditional philosophy of “harmony with nature” and the fast-paced urbanization that the country has been going through in recent years.[380] Cuisine Main article: Korean cuisine Bibimbap Korean cuisine, hanguk yori (한국요리; 韓國料理), or hansik (한식; 韓食), has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Ingredients and dishes vary by province. There are many significant regional dishes that have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. The Korean royal court cuisine once brought all of the unique regional specialties together for the royal family. Meals consumed both by the royal family and ordinary Korean citizens have been regulated by a unique culture of etiquette. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes, banchan (반찬), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. Kimchi (김치), a fermented, usually spicy vegetable dish is commonly served at every meal and is one of the best known Korean dishes. Korean cuisine usually involves heavy seasoning with sesame oil, doenjang (된장), a type of fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and gochujang (고추장), a hot pepper paste. Other well-known dishes are Bulgogi (불고기), grilled marinated beef, Gimbap (김밥), and Tteokbokki (떡볶이), a spicy snack consisting of rice cake seasoned with gochujang or a spicy chili paste. Soups are also a common part of a Korean meal and are served as part of the main course rather than at the beginning or the end of the meal. Soups known as guk (국) are often made with meats, shellfish and vegetables. Similar to guk, tang (탕; 湯) has less water, and is more often served in restaurants. Another type is jjigae (찌개), a stew that is typically heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot. Popular Korean alcoholic beverages include Soju, Makgeolli and Bokbunja ju. Korea is unique among Asian countries in its use of metal chopsticks. Metal chopsticks have been discovered in Goguryeo archaeological sites.[381] Entertainment Main articles: Korean Wave, Music of South Korea, Cinema of South Korea, and Korean drama Rain, one of the most popular music artists in South Korea, found international fame by reaching a global audience through his music and films. In addition to domestic consumption, South Korea has a thriving entertainment industry where various facets of South Korean entertainment including television dramas, films, and popular music has generated significant financial revenues for the nation’s economy. The cultural phenomenon known as Hallyu or the “Korean Wave”, has swept many countries across Asia making South Korea a major soft power as an exporter of popular culture and entertainment, rivaling Western nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom.[382] Until the 1990s, trot and traditional Korean folk based ballads dominated South Korean popular music. The emergence of the South Korean pop group Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for South Korean popular music, also known as K-pop, as the genre modernized itself from incorporating elements of popular musical genres from across the world such as Western popular music, experimental, jazz, gospel, Latin, classical, hip hop, rhythm and blues, electronic dance, reggae, country, folk, and rock on top of its uniquely traditional Korean music roots.[383] Western-style pop, hip hop, rhythm and blues, rock, folk, electronic dance oriented acts have become dominant in the modern South Korean popular music scene, though trot is still enjoyed among older South Koreans. K-pop stars and groups are well known across Asia and have found international fame making millions of dollars in export revenue. Many K-pop acts have also been able secure a strong overseas following following using online social media platforms such as the video sharing website YouTube. South Korean singer PSY became an international sensation when his song “Gangnam Style” topped global music charts in 2012. Since the success of the film Shiri in 1999, the Korean film industry has begun to gain recognition internationally. Domestic film has a dominant share of the market, partly because of the existence of screen quotas requiring cinemas to show Korean films at least 73 days a year.[384] South Korean television shows have become popular outside of Korea. South Korean television dramas, known as K-dramas have begun to find fame internationally. Many dramas tend to have a romantic focus, such as Princess Hours, You’re Beautiful, Playful Kiss, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Boys Over Flowers, Winter Sonata, Autumn in My Heart, Full House, City Hunter, All About Eve, Secret Garden, I Can Hear Your Voice, Master’s Sun, My Love from the Star, Healer, Descendants of the Sun and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. Historical dramas have included Faith, Dae Jang Geum, The Legend, Dong Yi, Moon Embracing the Sun, and Sungkyunkwan Scandal.[385] Holidays Main article: Public holidays in South Korea There are many official public holidays in South Korea. Korean New Year’s Day, or “Seollal”, is celebrated on the first day of the Korean lunar calendar. Korean Independence Day falls on March 1, and commemorates the March 1 Movement of 1919. Memorial Day is celebrated on June 6, and its purpose is to honor the men and women who died in South Korea’s independence movement. Constitution Day is on July 17, and it celebrates the promulgation of Constitution of the Republic of Korea. Liberation Day, on August 15, celebrates Korea’s liberation from the Empire of Japan in 1945. Every 15th day of the 8th lunar month, Koreans celebrate the Midautumn Festival, in which Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and eat a variety of traditional Korean foods. On October 1, Armed Forces day is celebrated, honoring the military forces of South Korea. October 3 is National Foundation Day. Hangul Day, on October 9 commemorates the invention of hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. Sports Main article: Sport in South Korea http://bit.ly/2Wq38LD

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stopkingobama · 7 years

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These Obama holdovers are clogging the Swamp

[State Department photo/ Public Domain]

There’s an age-old rule of family gatherings that still holds true today: Stay out of grandma’s way in the kitchen.

She has a meal to prepare and knows exactly what she’s doing, and how to do it. Too many cooks causes inefficiency, miscommunication, and a confusion of leadership roles.

This “too many cooks” problem applies in government just as well as the kitchen. A prime example of it can be seen in the State Department’s special envoys.

Special envoys are presidential appointees who are given a mandate to address specific foreign policy concerns that may range from Holocaust issues to LGBT issues to Arctic issues.

Special envoys work in conjunction with American embassies abroad, yet retain a high degree of independence and flexibility to achieve their mission apart from the work of ambassadors and their staff. As one might imagine, this has led to organizational conflicts.

This problem can be tolerated in exceptional cases. But under the previous administration, the exceptions became common. The use of special envoys increased during the Obama years and the State Department reported a total of 67 special envoys representing U.S. interests overseas.

The work of special envoys are often duplicative, as they can obstruct the work of embassies and sometimes compete for influence. Adding to confusion abroad, each envoy—whether paid or unpaid—receives a personal staff of foreign service officers and is often able to circumvent the normal lines of authority in order to “more efficiently” complete its mandate.

In a report on the efficiency of the State Department, Heritage Foundation fellow Brett Schaefer wrote:

This can format tensions with the existing State Department bureaucracy with overlapping responsibilities, undermine the authority of U.S. ambassadors, and create confusion for foreign governments as to who actually represents the president.

Take the example of Kenneth Merten, a special envoy holding the title of Haiti special coordinator, a position designed to represent the United States in assisting with reconstruction after the 2010 earthquake.

Merten was appointed to handle the U.S. response in Haiti even though the U.S. already had a permanently stationed ambassador with staff and seven search and rescue teams. His position was a simple waste of taxpayer dollars, which is a live concern after the Trump administration proposed sharp cuts to the State Department budget that has nearly doubled since 2005.

An even bigger waste? The fact that the position is still filled long after the situation should have been incorporated in to normal State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development business.

That’s not unusual for a special envoy. With sweeping mandates for action and no specific goals or timelines, special envoys can stretch their appointments out as long as possible, leaving themselves just enough reason to stay in the job.

No wonder Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wants to eliminate many of these envoys.

Congress may not see eye to eye with Tillerson on every envoy, but there is appetite for reform there as well. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had strong words for special envoys in July. He said:

[Special envoys] hurt the culture of our professional foreign service officers candidly because I think they see them in many cases as a workaround … I hope that we’ll do away with all of them that are unnecessary. And I think most of them are unnecessary.

Moving forward, the best way to address the waste is to restructure the State Department, starting with a healthy budget cut and the elimination of most special envoys.

For the envoys that stay in place, Congress should place clear constraints on their mandates and reform the way that envoys are appointed, and who gets to fill the position.

Under current law, special envoys can be appointed either by Congress or by executive appointment—but the current picture is quite imbalanced in favor of the executive. Only 11 of the current 67 special envoys were appointed by Congress.

Schaefer wrote, “Most of these senior officials are appointed by the president without need for Senate confirmation or consultation—and, hence, little oversight and accountability to the American people.”

Congress needs more say in the appointing of special envoys in order to correctly represent the interests of taxpayers in controlling where their money is allocated.

For starters, special envoys should be qualified individuals with career experience in foreign policy, and the best way to verify this is through the confirmation process.

This would also help remove the temptation of the president to use special envoys as an avenue for political patronage, rewarding supporters with a powerful appointment abroad.

In addition, if Congress decides that a special envoy is necessary in a given situation—such as providing relief in Haiti—it should put an expiration date on the service of the envoy to make sure that it does not continue when it is no longer necessary. If the need continues, Congress can always extend the expiration date.

The American people should not be alarmed at the retraction of special envoys from service. Issues such as North Korean aggression, the use of chemical weapons, and the conflict in Syria will still remain utmost priorities for the State Department.

With fewer cooks in the kitchen, taxpayer money will be saved, and the U.S. will project a more unified and decisive foreign policy.

Commentary by Ben Roper. Originally published at The Daily Signal.

#State Department

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americanlibertypac · 7 years