How silly the otohime is! ("Devices to cover up bodily toilet sounds may date back to 19th century," Feb. 27 issue) It would be strange if no sound came out of occupied toilet stalls. Why be embarrassed? Why is a device that makes flushing sounds to cover up toilet sounds necessary? These sounds are natural and everybody makes them. Applying makeup on a train is not embarrassing but toilet sounds are? Perhaps we should think about reconsidering the definition of the word "embarrassing."

The company I work for also has installed such devices. Although I am not shy, I respect the thoughtfulness of people who want to cover the sounds of their bodily functions. However, what I can't understand is when some people trouble themselves to actually flush the toilet several times while at the same time using the otohime! Don't they know that while they waste water in such a manner people are dying of thirst somewhere on Earth? Can't they use their "consideration" to save those people instead?

Many anti-whalers welcome the idea, mentioned by Toyokai Fukui in the "Readers' Voice" section of the Feb. 20 issue), of a Japanese return to sustainable coastal fisheries. After all, Japanese fleets have only been capable of penetrating Antarctic waters for the last century, so this type of whale consumption is a fairly recent development. Unfortunately, prices for some Japanese coastal fish are rising very steeply.

While the sheep and pigs that are killed (in Australia) daily, might be considered to be docile by some observers, they certainly do not have the same high-level mental capacity of whales. Some whales communicate by speech patterns that they change and learn again every year — this is what is known as the "whale song." Perhaps it is naive and emotional to react to that fact. But, perhaps rational people also may feel that there is something wrong with inflicting such a death on an intelligent animal.

Congratulations on 50 years of The Japan Times Weekly. I often hear that expatriates living in Japan experience a lot of stress ("Counselors aiding expatriates and Japanese alike" Jan. 9 issue) because of the language barrier and difficulties adjusting to living in a different culture. Many foreigners experience stress because they have difficulty learning the Japanese language, specifically the kanji and katakana writing systems.

When I was studying English, I also had quite a bit of difficulty, but I kept at it. I always tried to read a lot and listen to many English conversations. I realized this method was a very effective way to improve my vocabulary and grammar. This method greatly helped me improve my overall English ability. In the past, I had failed to learn other languages because I didn't like reading them or studying them in this way. Because of this, my ability never advanced past the level of basic conversation (and I must admit, my conversation skills weren't great). I believe that regular reading in a foreign language is a great way to become more skilled and also is an excellent stress reducer!

The Japan Times Weekly: March 20, 2010
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