Mizuho Fukushima, Prime minister of Consumer affair ministry, expressed at a new briefing in Miyazaki-city, "we are going to inquest and discuss how we avoid crimes on the network as one of consumer problems" upon topics regarding marriage fraud recently.

by Mainichi news paper
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20091031-00000065-mai-soci

In the middile of big political change in Japan, the consumer ministry as the first ministry on the side of consumers among other ministries rather for the side of industries launched on 1st September.

Consumer Affairs Agency (http://www.caa.go.jp/en/index.html)

Only 200 staffs were attended. It's said rather small organization for japanese population. Originally the ministry has been preparing to start in October until The prime minister ASOH announced it should start at September.
"Consumer hot-line" receives complaints from consumer in nation, it would be transferred automatically to its regional consumer center. All prefectures could launches each center on November, while five leading prefectures already accepted those complaints on September.

Consumer committee who audits the ministry also organized with Professor, consumer center, business, lawyer, to demand reporting or adjuration to the prime minister directly.

The next cabinet, Minshu party, expresses objections to several points, such as the first minister from a government bureaucrat, rather higher cost for a building etc.. However, do not forget related laws were agreed with unanimous passage.
The consumer hot-line already accepted over 600 complaints in four days from its start.

ODR, which appeared in 1999 around back and forth for solving chain mail problem, fraudulent and misrepresenting personality or sex, is actively applied for insurance dispute, another dispute resolution even including civil affairs in all over the world recently.

8th ODR forum, subsequently 7th forum held in Victoria CANADA, was held in Israel, 3rd to 4th June, 2009. Haifa university located north of TelAviv was venue, 1.5 hours by train from Bengurion International Airport.




Luckily, We had an opportunity to introduce about our activity for The ICA-Net about which I have been participating, though just attending a conference as a audience in CANADA.

Forum agenda

ICA-Net is an abbreviation for International Consumer Advisory NETwork.
It is based on bilateral collaboration for small claim in electric commerce, and now is trying to extend to multi-lateral collaboration, by private companies.

GBDe（Global Business Dialogue), which is international conference by CEO, is driving it as one of activities in Consumer Confidence Issue Group, introduced in APEC, OECD and ERIA project.
Finally as authorized project in ERIA, a trial was started with CALO(Consumer advisory liaison Office) from 5 countries, United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, observed by Thailand and Taipei since 2009.

The basic structure is that CALO as window organization for consumer complaint will be assigned in each countries. The CALO will receive complaint from consumer in located country, or handle complaint from other CALO to solve with Business company.

The ICA-Net is already handling several complaints crossovering on plural countries. I believe our presentation at the conference could work for recruiting some candidates of CALOs.

By the way, on the way back to Japan, as not usual, stayed in London 2 days, enjoyed "walking tour for historical Beatles memories" including Abbey road.

Many people who is living abroad especially United States told me that I should not say sorry so easily. Actually I found several blogs that said almost same thing but I try to re-think about this issue.

I, personally, think it could be better to say sorry if you want to continue relation. Expressing your apology will make people peaceful rather he or she considers to sue if one say sorry.

But those blogs said if you say sorry means you admit your ERROR, means you may be sued or fired, means you may be redressed suit.
Yes, I understand if you are in a court case. If you admit something and say sorry makes you millions of dollars compensation, you should not say sorry only for maintaining relation.
In case you are in a traffic accident, the cause may be "not looking ahead carefully" for you and "speeding" for the other side, also you should not say sorry only for maintaining atmosphere.

I agree those art of saying sorry is one of technical issues for negotiation.
I think both should say sorry to maintain atmosphere in such conflict.
That maintains atmosphere and start of negotiations are same.


In addition, I would like to describe here about "yuzuri-ai" spirit in Japanese.
In Japanese-English dictionally, some expresses it as "give and take".
It's almost near, but core of its feeling is different.
My understanding is "Give and take" means "you give to take". I truly think it is fair.
But Japanese "yuzuri-ai" is "just you give, then you may be given but it is not noblesse if you want to take".

You can give but the other can not give sometimes, but you allow it. That will help you when you can not give.
If you only get without giving, other will loose things to give you finally, so you should give when you become to give others. That will make "yuzuri-ai" spiral.

Japan provides huge amount of ODA for many other countries.
The basic mind of this behavior is we believe "yuzuri-ai" will make world peace.
Sometime in the future, someone will give help to whom someone gave thing in the past.

UN decided for North Korean missile issue to announce the statement, but not resolution.

I love this japanese style "giving without expecting taking".

But we may be not able to give continuously without getting, because nobody plays "yuzuri-ai".

http://www.quon.asia/yomimono/lifestyle/law/2008/11/10/1228.php

I already reported in the article as above, ICA-Net has been used as trial project in ERIA Working Group since Jan., 2009.

I have attended the research meeting in Singapore to report status of trial project. It was the first time for me to visit Singapore though many friends and relatives, had worked in here. I always told them "Oh, we should meet soon" but I could not come during these 20 years. Those friends almost came back to Japan.




I feel the international airport is clean and tiny.
It was easy to path trough the immigration gate because of a few tourists.
The weather was bad with thunderstorm flash. A taxi driver tried to entertain us with "Enka(Japanese traditional popular music)" on TV, however I had a headache on the way to the hotel.

The meeting was held at the hotel located along Clarke quay area with participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan and China. While One day and a half meeting included reports from each country and several discussions. The theme was "to establish safety e-commerce market in ASEAN and East asia" to contribute economic flourish in the area. We found differences among countries, some do not have enough law environment, some has rare reference case. One thing, to encourage asian economy, is the same purpose for all.




Attendants enjoyed delicious dinner until late night, so I only went back to the hotel room to go to sleep deeply in a beautiful Singapore night.

By the way, Only one friend still lives there, who was a friend in a same kindergarden, in a same junior high school.
She is a owner of a nailing salon for celebrities, came up with Mercedes coupe even for my sudden calling. We had enjoyed excellent sea food dinner at the restaurant besides a river, talked a lot about old friends, old memories and so on.