fukai

The ume blossoms are coming out one by one in the Osaka Castle plum orchard today. The fragrance of plum blossoms is floating about in the garden now.

Ume is one of flowers which typifies Japan and Japanese loved since old times.   

Ume is always used for a matter of congratulation and a glad occasion in Japan.

Ume endure the rigors of winter and the tiny lives are born.

Ume is not gorgeous. It feels simplicity and modesty.

Ume has the language of flowers which are “faithfulness” “devotion” “lofty” and “patience”.

There are ume flowers: red, white, and pink.

The language of flowers (red) is “Grace”

The language of flowers (white) is “Dignity”

The language of flowers (pink) is “Pureness”

When ume mature to fruition, it becomes umeboshi or ume brandy. June in Japan is written by “Ume rain”. June is Japanese rainy season. Please try to put umeboshi in hot water and drink it!  Drinking the hot water will surely help to cure an upset stomach.

Please appreciate the beautiful Japanese flower Ume. Then you could feel Japanese aesthetic sense which came since one thousand years ago in Japan.

Access & Time of flowering 2020

https://www.osakacastlepark.jp/flower/plum_grove.html?lang=en

Natural wood floored like solid natural wood conveys a sense of extravagance and so preferred.However in case it is a rental apartment, natural-wood floored needs to be careful.

• Fading of floor ~ Avoid direct sunlight

Natural wood floored often fade and loss of color in the sunlight or lighting. Direct sunlight increases the speed changing color. So direct sunlight shall be shut out by a curtain.

Please shut out the sunlight by a curtain to avoid curling, cracking, fading.

• About a chair and a table

Furniture like a chair and a table should be put some felt. Felt is always better for any future.

• To be resistant to soiling and stains

If the wood floor gets wet for a long time, it will cause stains, changing color, and cracking. So it is important that the water shall b

• Around a kitchen and a washstand

The places where water splashes shall be covered by mats.

• Water condensation

In case wood floor absorbs water by water condensation, it causes stains and flapping of the floor.

• A foliage plant

A flowerpot for a foliage plant must be put on a receptacle to be stop water from getting wet of the floor.

• A medicine / a seasoning

In case a medicine or a seasoning is slopped on the floor, they shall be wiped up with a rag which is wrung tightly or soaked with a neutral detergent.

• Air-conditioners

When heater of air-conditioners are used too many hours continuously, the air in the room could be too dry. Then it causes a crack of the floor. So the air humidity in the room shall be regulated properly.

• For reference https://www.woodtec.co.jp/maintenance/index05/　

• We visited the village of Echizen Washi in Fukui prefecture.

http://www.echizenwashi.jp/english/index.php

The history of Echizen Japan Paper dates back to 1500 years ago.

Echizen Paper is used for fusuma paper of the Katsura Detached Palace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsura_Imperial_Villa

The Louvre Art Museum also adopts Echizen Paper.

It is said that Picasso Pablo had treasured Echizen Japan Paper habitually. 

In the building we visited there was a shop various Echizen Washi were on sale.

I felt the price isn’t so expensive and suited my pocketbook.

Most paper were not finished product for interior design, the Paper itself were on sale in the shop.

We visited Udatsu traditional handicrafts house.

http://welcome-echizenshi.jp/tourism_detail/udatsunokougeikan/

After my return from Fukui to Osaka, we did various work with Echizen Paper I purchased.

It was utterly delightful to create handmade products.

I think we can provide very attractive interior design for our customers by Echizen Japanese Paper.

We stuck Echizen Paper on the back of our smart phone.

Furthermore we colored in the pap

I twisted Echizen paper around a light.

This is our office.

The Ritz Carlton Kyoto

I would like to provide information about The Ritz Carlton Kyoto

It is a low-slung building by the Kamo River and the atmospher is different from the Ritz Carlton Osaka.

I think the reason for the low-slung hotel is the Japanese Building Standards Law, however the building is thoughtfully designed for the underground floor to admit sunlight.

The interior is designed on the theme of The Tale of Genji.

I found in the picture by the Italian restaurant that an image of Hikaru Genji (a main character of The Tale of Genji) appears on the picture as I watch from the side.

The best part of the interior design of this hotel is the Moon which reflects and hangs on the large glass.

The moon has fine stitching. It is on the wall of the opposite side.

The Tale of Genji is the Japanese literary work in the Heian Period which is one thousand years ago. The literary artist is a woman writer. It is often said that Japan is an exclusively male society, however actually women were playing leading roles in Japanese society since one thousand years ago.

It was long before European women’s participation in society.

The Tale of Genji is the highest pinnacle of Japanese literature.

There is no other Japanese literary production up to the present.

There are a few representatives of foreign managers in the Ritz Carlton Kyoto. They are real professionals of hotel management. Japanese staffs are managed by these few foreign management.

The Ritz Carlton Kyoto is a charming hotel which combines Western style of design and Japanese history.

Q、I want to bring a small Japanese gift for a foreign friend. My budget is approximately 3000 to 5000JPY. What a gift do you think is good ?

 A、The craftsmen of Echizen lacquer in Fukui Prefecture are making woodworking products before varnishing with lacquer. There is a shop (HACOA) in the building of LUCUA 1100 7^th floor at JR Osaka station. I feel the imaginativeness and fun of the craftsmen. So there are a lot of fun things.

I took a special fancy to this product in this shop.

The price is 4800JPY.

There is a Japanese-style general goods shop in DAIMARU Umeda at JR Osaka station.

In view of the fact that the budget is under 5000JPY, it would be these products.

If you go to the food section B1F of Hanshin department store at JR Osaka station, there is a tea set which I often buy for a gift-giving to foreign customers. The design of these boxes are so beautiful and Japanese-style. I think this tea products will be very preferred.

There are bright lights outside the window of the master bedroom in the apartment. The beams come through the openings in the curtains. So the lights disturb our customer’s sleep.

However there is nothing like the morning sunlight to wake one up

1. A new curtain box is necessary
2. A new thick curtain to keep out light with “return” system

This must be made to order and it is very expensive.

So we consider the method of settlement without incurring any charge.

(1) Filling up the gap on the curtain’s side 

• Creating the curtain exactly like “return curtain

(2) Filling up the gap on the curtain’s upper side

• Adjusting by the curtain’s hook

(3) Filling up the gap on the curtain’s center

•  The plastic part is inconspicuous.

(4) IoT devise “MORNIN”

• The automatic switch for the curtains
• Time setting
• Openable by Google Hom
• Openable with smart phone. 

(My movie)

https://www.facebook.com/masahiro.fukai.7/videos/1893426310727311/

Windows can change the life of living significantly.

“Light” is very important for a comfortable home.

If you have any problems about windows, please feel free to come talk to Dios at any time.

　Japanese relocation service for foreign companies has a structural defect in a system.

　Recently foreign companies are outsourcing all business of the personnel department to outside contractor of relocation service for the purpose of cost savings.

 　However this management strategy to contract out entirely of work failed and is not working well.

 　Consequently the question has come to the fore and many complaints have come in regarding Japanese relocation service by outsourcing it.  

　Foreign companies in Japan should perform a ground-up review of relocation service and make a drastic reform of the management strategy.

The underling causes are the following points.

（1）  The Lack of a Sense of Belongings

　In the event that foreign companies contract out entirely of work, since the outside contractor is not a member of the concerned company, the person who handles relocation service does not have “the Sense of Belongings” to clients.    

（2） Lack of Experiences and Employee education 

　There is a great difference of human resources’ quality between a relocation company and a client company.  

 　The inexperience of the relocation company and employee training is another factor behind the problems.

（3）Rebates and kickback money

　A relocation company charges rebate / kickback money to real estate companies.

 　Rebates are common between a relocation company and real estate company. It is business malpractice for a client.

 　The management strategy is not going well for foreign companies to contract out entirely work to outside contractor.

 　In case of outsourcing the relocation service to outside contractor, it is necessary for foreign companies to check the outside companies’ business affairs well.