I participated in Intermodal Europe 2014 held in Rotterdam in middle of Nov. and I went to the office right after arriving at Narita Airport in the morning of Nov. 17(Mon) returning from Europe. I felt something was noisy when I came back to Japan. I was suspicious of what was going on with my unclear head suffering the jet lag. Next day the Prime Minster Abe decided dissolution of the House of Representatives to ask right or wrong to the nation about the consumption tax of 10% to be extended one and a half years later and “Abenomics”. It was very hard for me to understand why dissolution was now. However, it was because he would like to obtain the strong political power. It was officially announced on Dec. 2 and an election result will come to light on Dec.14 (Sun). Most newspapers report the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will win a big victory in the House of Representatives and will suggest possibility of exceeding two-thirds (317 seats) in Diet. The Abe Administration was already supported by the nation to gain the majority of the House of Councilors at the election on July 2013. The Abe Administration’s dedication for political issues has gained the confidence of our nation. No other parties could replace LDP and they are the rabble and no attractive at all comparing with the Abe Administration. It must be reaction of the disappointment after people had entrusted administration to Democratic Party of Japan for three and a half years till 2012. We were betrayed 2 times by the parties other than LDP even if we entrusted them 2 times in the past. So it is the Abe Administration that we could only trust.
Japan has been suffering from rapid weakness of the yen for the first time in 7 years like $1.00=120 yen. It is as part of economic recovery of Abenomics. According to TTS of Mizuho Bank it is $1.00=121.60 yen as of Dec 8 but it was $1.00=109.34 as of Oct. 31 one month ago. It was reduced 12.26 yen by -11.2%. $1.00=104.14 as of Sep. 1 which was lowered 17.46 yen by – 17.5%. It was weakened by over 10% for the past one month. In the past 3 months it was weakened nearly by 18%. It was great burden to the nation with rapid weakness of the yen for such short period of time. Hike in all import prices will give hard time to our life. It is nothing to do with us even if the Nikkei Average was said to have recovered temporarily 18,000 yen level as of Dec 8.
The Prime Minister Abe should think that you are requested to accomplish the difficult problems like carrying out consolidation of primary balance, additional enforcement of economic recovery as the third arrow of Abenomics, the wage increases, bright future design of Japan about low birthrate and aging society, welfare society and his tenacious attitude about foreign policy. I would like to continuously watch his action after election.
OPEC shelved a decrease in crude oil production on Nov. 27 so that Dubai crude oil recorded the lowest figure of $67 per barrel which was for the first time in 5 years. It fell by 40% from the peak of June. The profit line of shale oil seems to be $65 per barrel. The crude oil price hike will be subject to the trend of speculation money or revitalization of economy in consumer nation stimulated by lowering oil price.
Most shipping lines have made profits in the third quarter of 2014 by increasing cargo, stabilizing the freight rates, business efforts by themselves (slow ship operation, adjusting the service routes and so on). Besides the effect of lowering crude oil will be inestimable to shipping lines. In case of Japanese 3 shipping lines (NYK, MOL, K Line) will expect to boost the ordinary profit to 18 billion yen for coming half of year.
On the hand Chinese steel makers have been suffering from excessive steel production due to the slowing domestic economy so that these surplus products have been accelerating to export. Therefore, container price in China is staying around $1,950 per 20f. However, it will be expected to go up after Chinese New Year. Meantime, the major leasing companies will aiming at acquiring large number of new containers by speculative order at this period of time. There seem to be 600,000teu of new containers storing in Chinese factories while shipping lines and leasing companies seem to have ordered 600,000teu of new containers from 4th quarter 2014 to before Chinese New Year of 2015. By the way Chinese New Year of 2015 is from Feb. 18(Wed) to 24(Tue) for 7 consecutive holidays. Chinese factories will take about a week to get back on their normal operation so that you should take at least one week to spare after Chinese New Year. Anyway you cannot expect any work by the end of Feb.
There was a sequel of Intermodal Europe 2014. I took friends to Japanese restaurant as per request after the first day ended. It was not easy to find a Japanese restaurant. There were several shops like a first-food restaurant with the signboard of “Sushi”, “Yakitori”,”Hand-made Sushi”, “Udon-Noodles” along the main street. However, there were not many customers in because of a bit early to have dinner? I thought I had to take them a certain level of Japanese restaurant as they want. I found the restaurant named “Izakaya” (a pub in English) at the corner of the main street near our hotel. It was quite stylish and a menu was displayed on the table like screen and ordered by touching the items shown on the table like a smart phone. It was a next-generation restaurant. It seemed to be known by many people because we met people who were one of the main Chinese container makers. After greeting them I ordered a course menu as I felt like in Japan. Japanese food served were like collaboration with Thai food. A soup like “Tom yam kung”, salad with sliced “Kusaya(?)” (dried horse mackerel which has a very strong smell), duck dish with a Thai herb of special flavor, “Udon-noodle”, “Sushi” and the pudding of the dessert. It ended the showy performance of a pudding with decoration of firing brandy on the top. I ate it up greedily. My friend who wanted Japanese food left some dishes. I wondered why but I just recommended him to eat them up because Japanese food made him feel hungry later. Another person also didn’t eat them up all. I just thought it was no appetite caused by tiredness of travel.
However, I suffered serious diarrhea after coming back to hotel. I regretted to have no medicine to stop diarrhea. I felt the food which I ate went up to a throat. The jet lag, fatigue by diarrhea forced me to go to bed earlier. Diarrhea didn’t stop so that I went to toilet several times in the night. The nest day was a second day for me to meet an important people. Early morning I vomited out all until stomach emptied. I was surprised to see how much I held such volume of food in the stomach. Without breakfast I had just kept drinking a cup of warm tea for hydrating myself well. I worried about stamina of standing all day. I was afraid that I had to go home soon due to diarrhea and would be isolated for 2 weeks by an immigration inspector because of mistakenly Ebola bleeding.
In the site of Intermodal I was luckily saved by Ms. Fukuda and Mr. Furuta of Daikin because they gave me an effective medicine for diarrhea. I was recovered by completing my business trip without problem after that. Nothing is happier than kindness offered while traveling. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to them.
“Washoku” (Japanese food) has been registered by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. I think it is good to know that but I would like to emphasize how Japanese government help it. It is meaningless if we only pride ourselves on “Washoku” but we should have got people oversea known merits of Japanese food. Strictly speaking, 99% of the owner of Japanese restaurants overseas are not operated by Japanese. Most of them would have not been in Japan and have served dishes as Japanese food. They don’t take soup stock from dried bonito and dried kelp and so on. Hygiene issue is serious. Chopping board, kitchen knife are clean? Manner of cooking Japanese food should be observed as long as they sell them. The restaurants could be entitled as Japanese restaurant if they could master the manner of cooking Japanese food? Is it needed by rating of Michelin? Otherwise, Japanese food would be misunderstood by people in the world until they could eat a real Japanese food
One more thing I would like to mention is that Japanese young people should learn more Japanese food in detail and go abroad to introduce Japanese food to people in the world. It will give young people chance to start business overseas. There is no language barrier in food. It is a good chance for people in the world to get real Japanese know and the way of Japanese thinking. I am confident that the world will wait for you to come to see them. Japanese young people should go out of Japan!