The season has come again this year.

Many people graduate again.

Some people are looking for a job, some will continue their studies, some will go under training to look for a job or to continue their studies, some are just hanging out there without having destination nor direction...

The serious problem in Japan is that the people classified last is increasing rapidly.

They are called "NEET" - Not in Employment, Education or Training.

And 680 thousand Japanese are classified as NEET.

I found an interesting article said that there are 4 kinds of NEET:

1. the one who thinks "If I can live today happily, then why do I have to struggle?".
2. the one who can't build a relationship with the society and keep on staying indoor.
3. the one who fears to go forward and stand petrified.
4. the one who once employed or continued their education but lost self confidence and quited.

Thus, there are many job offers but they don't work.

Thus, there are many colleges where they let enter the examinees 100% for admission and yet lacks the quota.

Hmmmm...

Am I the only one who feels weird?

Pollens as the cause of allergy. (from the issue of "New Journal From Japan")

Pollinosis.
Well known as hay fever.
It is an allergy caused by pollens. its symptoms are: sneeze, mucus, bloodshot eyes, itch, etc.

It's now a serious social problem in Japan.

Every year, hay fever positives are increasing.

Prediction says that year 2005 will break the record of maximum pollens released.
It is 30 times greater than the amount of year 2004.

Some causes of hay fever:

• Pollens lost its destination.
  Grounds are covered with concretes, asphalts and other artificial constructions, which don't absorb pollens.

• People have weak immunity.
  Japan used to be too clean, which it can be called as "germ-free" environment. Thus, immune system lost its opponent and began attacking the pollens, which is harmless to human body.

• Global warming.
  The theory says that it has some effect on amount of pollens produced, but still on research.

Conclusion:
Highly modernized community is not necessarily comfortable to us.

Be kind to nature. ^_^

Still cold in Tokyo.

Spring has come.

Yet, I find Tokyo is still cold.

I'm not talking about the climate, but the people here.

Why?

It's simple - because Tokyo is too urban.

I'm living in a residential area, which is quite popular in Tokyo to be "good place to live".

But is it so? I do agree with the statements that this place is quiet, clean, full of nature, not so far from the downtown, etc...

You know, it is true that they are some important factors in the residential area, but what I am looking for is definitely absent here.

The communication.

Why some people don't greet, even they're my neighborhood? Is it because we're not acquainted? Does people need to get acquainted in order to make greetings? Is it necessary to be shy just to greet?

I can't get the behavior of the urbanized people. If the answers to the questions above are all "Yes", I guess they'll end up their life in their small world, without knowing the presence of large world outside their.

I don't want to be "the frog in the well". I want to get out of the well, and open my eyes to the outside.

I know it won't make my life easy, but many challenges are awaiting.

And those are my motivations.