At the end of this month, 63 Japanese will be “buried†in space. The ceremonial burial is in fact going to include people from all over the world. This service is provided by Celestis, Inc, a company from the United States.
Celestis has been providing this service since 1997. According to a spokesman, since the space burial service was launched, the Japanese has become their second most numerous customers, the first being Americans. So what exactly is a space burial anyway?
The first step is for the deceased to be cremated here on Earth. The ashes which result from the cremation are then placed into capsules – or rather, a small amount of the ashes. The capsules range from 1 gram to 14 grams, depending on the person. The capsules containing the ashes of the deceased are the placed in a satellite, which will eventually be launched into space. Once launched, the satellite will be orbiting the Earth for several years, after which it will burn out in space.
How much will a space burial set you back? Celestis advertises different services in their web site and based on the information given there, you can spend anywhere from USD695 to USD12,500. The services range from Earth Rise Service, Earth Orbit Service, Luna Service, and Voyager Service, respectively.
For more information – whether you are merely curious or you want to make plans for your future – visit the Celestis web site.
Posted July 26th, 2008 by Maki+ | Comment (1)
In some cultures, women are expected to quit working once they get married and start a family. Though Japan is not unique in this respect, the figures involved are probably significantly higher. According to a report in Japan Today, the estimated figure is about 70 percent. That is, this is the percentage of working women who quit their jobs when they get married.
The report states:
In Japan, about 70% of working women quit their jobs when they start a family. Though many hope to eventually return to the workplace, it is difficult for them to return to a full-time working environment afterwards. According to the government, approximately 2.45 million women aged between 25 and 65 wish to work full-time in companies.
As one of the measures to encourage women to return to the workforce, Japan Women’s University (JWU) started the so-called “Recurrent Education-Employment System†with the government’s financial support in September, 2007. In the one-year program, women who have bachelor degrees and working experience take courses to update their work skills, such as business English and introductory and advanced computer training. The program also provides career counseling so students can find new jobs which match their related experience and skills.
This is good news for the large number of women who may have been forced by the circumstances to give up what they have worked long and hard for. Aside from having the chance to continue what they started before they got married, these women would be able to help out with the family finances. With the way things are going in world economics today, this is something that a lot of people would welcome for sure.
Posted July 17th, 2008 by Maki+ | Comments (3)
Do you work in an office in a 9 to 5 job? Do you sometimes feel that your job is getting to become to routine and that you are getting bored with your 8 hour work day? Well, maybe you should quit your job and head on over to Japan.
The newest thing to hit Japan is cheerleading concepts being applied to the business setting. Based on a report by Japan Today:
Few management consultants can cheer you up the way AMT Group’s Maki Nakayama can. Nakayama, a Washington Redskins cheerleader alumnus, is using the lessons she’s learned in over a decade of cheerleading to promote “Cheerleadership†in Japanese companies. Her idea is that Japanese businessmen can have more fun at work if they apply the same energy and enthusiasm to their job as cheerleaders apply to their cheers.
The combination of team work and independent work is important for cheerleaders and businesspeople. “As a cheerleader, team work was really important because we spend time together and we have to cooperate. Sometimes we would have a promotion and they would just tell us what time, what to wear, what to do and we would just go there to do the promotion by ourselves. We had to be independent. So I spent time with girls who are independent and can help each other.â€
Very interesting concept, I should say. I wouldn’t mind learning something that can be applied to the workplace in a fun and novel way, would you?
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Beall
Posted July 1st, 2008 by Maki+ | Comment (0)
