Mr. Naomi Mizuno: Japanese Chocolate Master!
The movie, “Into The Wild”
My salute goes out to you, Mr. Supertramp !
“Into The Wild” is both a non-fiction novel by Jon Krakauer (which I am going to get real soon) and a movie by Sean Penn. This movie got my standing ovation though I was alone in my room (consider it crazy but it was that amazing). I am not going to talk much about the movie because it is going to be a spoiler for those who are going watch it from now. Anyway, it was a great movie indeed, which means that the original novel must be a greater version of the greatest journey that “Mr. Supertramp” had in his life. Why am I labeling it a good movie? Simple reasons, there are many things in this movie that I can relate to myself but at the same time, many of the things inside are simply things I wouldn’t do normally and of which I could only dream of for I really wish to know what’s the taste of living those lives. Perhaps someday I would unleash myself ‘into the wild’ like Alex and the other distinct characters in his adventure but the ending tells you that you don’t have to rush into it. I am recommending this movie to you my junior (you know who you are) so that you can illustrate your future undertakings in a more focused and vivid way, but still have the wild style to it. Thumbs up for this movie and I recommend this movie to anyone who’s looking for a good one to watch. Pretty long but every minute invested counts.
P.S. The actress, Kristen Stewart, that appeared in this movie caught my eyes once again after my eyes first laid on her in the movie “In the Land of Women“, which is another good movie. She’s the “next door girl” type of chick that you wished you had in your teens.
World Chocolate Master 2007
Naomi Mizuno of Japan is crowned World Chocolate Master of 2007
After three days of fierce competition the results of the World Chocolate Masters Final have been announced.
The second World Chocolate Masters took place at the first Salon du Chocolat Professionnel held in Paris from October 20 – 22, 2007. Twenty of the world’s greatest chocolate craftsmen took part in this year’s international final, which had the theme of ‘National Myths and Legends.’
The road to victory was long, with the competitors first having to win their national heats earlier in the year to gain a place in this year’s grand final.
Throughout the competition the competitors thoroughly demonstrated the mastery of their art in front of a jury of experts headed by Francisco Torreblanca, the master Spanish chocolatier. The tension increased throughout the three days of intense competition as spectators watched awestruck from the public galleries at the amazing technical skills and dexterity of the competitors who created some real works of art.
In addition to the first, second and third place awards the jury gave special awards for Best Chocolate Praline, Best Chocolate Dessert, Best Chocolate Pastry and Best Chocolate Showpiece.
The results of the 2007 World Chocolate Masters were announced in Paris on October 22nd. The overall winner was awarded the World Chocolate Masters trophy specially created by leading Dutch Designer Rob Verhoeven. The finalists shared a prize package of 100 000€.
Results
- Naomi Mizuno (Japan), Winner of the World Chocolate Masters 2007
- Yvonnick Le Maux (France), second place finisher
- Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy), third place finisher
These candidates were highly commended:
§ Yvonnick Le Maux (France) received an award for his pralines
§ Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy) received an award for his gastronomic chocolate dessert
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his chocolate pastry
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his creative chocolate showpiece
***
Friday 30th of March : Japanese pre-selection for World Chocolate Master.
Jusuke Tsukahara, BC Japan Sales Manager, Jean-Marc Bernelin, President of Jury, Eizo Ohyama, Senior Representative of Jury proclaimed Mr. Naomi Mizuno as a winner of “Japanese Chocolate Master”.
Mr. Naomi Mizuno will represent Japan in Paris for the final in October 2007.
Mr. Naomi Mizuno, 28 year-old, the youngest contestant in Japan pre-selection, is working for Futaba Pastry School as a teacher. After participating in many events, he was elated to learn of his success, as this is the first time for him to win a competition. He received the highest scores for most of the evaluation attributes, especially for his high technical skills and his delicious creations. He was filled with emotion during the speech, and said, “this award was the result of the constant challenge every day. I will do my best at the final.”
Mr. Tetsuji Okada, 31-year-old, working for Marriott Nagoya Hotel, won the taste award with his excellent taste presentation, especially for his dipped praline and chocolate cake.The “World Chocolate Masters pre-selection Japan took place at Ecole de Patisserie de Tokyo in Tokyo, co-organized by Japan Confectionery Association and Barry Callebaut Japan Ltd.
In Asia, a total of 5 countries will be represented in the 2007 finals : China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Korea.
This competition in Japan is becoming very famous amongst the elite chocolatiers and pastry chefs. Japan. The representative from Japan in WCM 2005, Mr. Koichi Izumi, became very popular within the gastronomic society after he won the desert category and came 3rd overall winner at the final. Now he is in very high demand from TV programs and famous magazines.
This years, 5 competitors challenged about the theme ‘National Myths and Legends’. All the contestants created a showpiece, produced dipped and moulded pralines, made pastries and produced a dessert form a mystery box.
President of Jury from Barry Callebaut, Jean-Marc Bernelin said, “The level of the competition was extremely high and amongst the best in Asia so far. The artistic part was very good and the taste was excellent.” We are sure that the winner, Mr. Mizuno, will be one of the strongest competitors at the final!
The jury was composed of 5 central confectionery figures: Mr. Eizo Ohyama (Senior representative of the Jury, President of technical guidance committee in JCA), Mr. Susumu Shimada (Vice-president of technical guidance committee in JCA), and 3 of technical guidance committee members in JCA (Mr. Tadashi Yanagi, Mr. Shuichi Sakurai, and Mr. Koichi Izumi).
Japan’s Mobile War
The numbers are out. According to the database of Telecommunications Carriers Association, a total of 5,600,400 mobile phones were sold here in Japan in the past year 2007. Japan’s mobile war among the 3 main giant companies was heated up after the “Mobile Number Portability (MNP)” system was introduced in October, 2006. Softbank’s marketing strategies, among the few are the commercial ads which involved Hollywood top stars Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz, low price plans namely White Plans and also free talk hours between Softbank mobiles, were quite effective in winning hearts of users but they were just one step behind, taking the 2nd place after KDDI au, with a total sales of 2,115,800 phones.
KDDI au showed a steady growth, catchy in its original way turned out top with a total sales of 2,329,400 phones. What’s surprising is that NTT DoCoMo for the first time in history, turned out 3rd with a total sales of 949,300 phones. DoCoMo impressed users with their brand strategy “DoCoMo 2.0” with impressive phones and ads involving local big stars but they were a bit slow in their actions. Moreover, they were mimicking others and taking actions only after others moved and I guess that’s the reason to why they were not able to catch up with the rest in the market last year.
By the way, I am a KDDI au user myself and at the moment, I have no plans to switch to a different company though there are some tempting points about the other 2 companies. We’ll see.
Wishy-washy Japan
Adapted from Metropolis
In 2007, the Japanese were wishy-washy about everything. Voters booted out the LDP, but they didn’t seem much happier with their replacements, the DPJ. A sumo grand champion was banished to his homeland before being invited back, and the country’s Self-Defense Forces announced that they were through supporting US-led anti-error operations … maybe. The only sure thing: everyone is looking forward to a happy and healthy 2008. But first, a look back.
The Year’s Best
Research
Academics spent the year finding out that…
- The frequency of English in Japanese pop songs has plummeted because “the freshness symbolized by foreign words seems to be declining”
- Japanese parents are less involved in bringing up their children than counterparts in South Korea and China
- Japanese men prefer to kill themselves on a Monday, but not a Saturday or a holiday
- The number of homeless in Japan decreased by a quarter during the past four years
- Japanese couples have sex on average just 48 times annually, and just 1 in 10 say their sex life is “exciting”
Break-throughs
In 2007, Japan’s scientists managed to…
- Power an electric car to a speed of over 100km/hr using commercial AA batteries
- Create baby mice from “bimaternal embryos”—in other words, without any male input
- Develop a robot that can change direction without lifting its feet
- Develop technology that can instantaneously determine whether someone is a minor or an adult (to screen users of alcohol vending machines, among other applications)
- Replace a mouse’s teeth with ones created in a lab dish
- Create a fire patrol robot with a nose so sensitive that it can identify a stinky ashtray
- Twice break internet speed records, first by sending data at 7.67 gigabits per second, then at 9.08 Gbps
Trends
Over the past 12 months it was noted that…
- Net cafés are becoming de facto homeless shelters, as thousands of people of no fixed address spend the night there
- It’s time to do away with the stereotype of Japan as an uncreative nation, after The Economist dubbed Japan the most innovative country on the planet
- The pet boom has created a lucrative market for scam artists, like the one that fooled thousands of women into buying coiffured sheep under the ruse that the animals were actually dogs
- Japan’s reputation around the world is on the rise, especially in the US and China, where record numbers of people view the country favorably
Polls
This year’s surveys found out that…
- 21 percent of Japan’s population is elderly
- 88 percent of Japanese women in their 20s would refuse to marry a man who is a temporary worker
- 39.3 percent of Japanese men smoke, a record low
- 90 percent of the nation’s conbini have a problem with people dumping household trash in their bins
- 73.3 percent of Japanese females aged 16-19 have had sex during the past month
- 13.5 percent of able-bodied Japanese drivers admit to parking in handicapped spaces
- 96.3 percent of Japan’s 2007 university graduates are currently employed
Products
Hot items from 2007 include…
- PowerBankSystem’s flexible solar panel, which can be rolled into a tube and stowed in a backpack for emergencies
- TakaraTomy’s Wonderfulshot, a ¥6,000, .35-megapixel camera for dogs
- Coleman Japan’s battery-powered portable shower, which is capable of pumping out 20 liters of water
- Sony’s Walkman, which features a USB cap studded with Swarovski glass crystals
- Yoshitoku’s Samurai Vader, a medieval Japanese version of the Star Wars figure
- Hitachi’s “portable brain monitor,” which can keep tabs on the cerebral activity of subjects who are performing tasks in “normal daily life”
- Hokkaido Prefecture’s Dual-Mode Vehicle, which uses rubber tires when driving on pavement and retractable train wheels when operating on rails
Words to the Wise
Japan’s “words of the year” for 2007, as selected by Jiyukokuminsha publishing company, provide a snapshot of a country that’s feeling a bit insecure about itself.
“ハニカミ王子 (Hanikami Oji),” which can be translated as “bashful prince,” is the nickname of 15-year-old golfer Ryo Ishikawa (above, right), who won the 2007 Munsingwear Open KSB Cup and whose reserved, respectful manner touches a nostalgic nerve in older Japanese.
“どげんかせんといかん (Dogenka sento ikan)” (I have to do something), the campaign slogan spoken in Miyazaki dialect by newly elected governor (and former comedian) Hideo Higashikokubaru (above, left), was music to the ears of locals after their former gov was kicked out of office in a bribery scandal.
Other words bespeaking social ills include “消えた年金 (Kieta nenkin)” (vanished pension), which referred to the Social Insurance Agency’s missing pension-records imbroglio, “食品偽装 (Shokuhin giso)” (mislabeling of foods), and “ネットカフェ難民 (netcafe nanmin),” or net cafe refugees. On the lighter side was “どんだけ(Dondake?)” (What the hell?), the catchphrase of popular transvestite/makeup artist Ikko (bottom).
It was a good year for…
- Teenagers, who learned that they will be able to drink and smoke legally when the government lowers the age of majority from 20 to 18
- Toyota, which was expected to surpass General Motors as the world’s top automaker
- Sumo grand champion Hakuho, who won four tournaments and was promoted to the rank of yokozuna
- Yosuke “Dainoji” Ochi, who beat out France’s Guillaume “Moche Pitt” de Tonquédec to take the crown at the Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu, Finland
- Japan’s real estate companies, thanks to a rise in commercial land prices for the first time since the days of the Bubble
- Nintendo, whose market value surpassed that of Sony despite the fact that Sony generates eight times as much revenue
- Japan’s love hotels, which reported sales of 2 to 3 trillion yen
- The comics industry, which launched the inaugural International Manga Award and which found a highly visible supporter in PM candidate Taro Aso, who is said to read 20 manga a week.
- Bluefin tuna, which the Fisheries Agency sought to protect because of overfishing
- The Tokyo Marathon, which saw some 30,000 competitors turn out in pouring rain and numbing cold to participate in the inaugural race
- Japanese language teachers around the world, as record numbers of foreigners are learning nihongo
It was a bad year for…
- Shinzo Abe, whose ineffectual one-year tenure as prime minister was bleak even by Japanese standards
- The LDP, which gave up control of the upper house of the Diet to the DPJ in July
- Sumo, which was buffeted by a hazing scandal, match-fixing controversies, and the exile of yokozuna Asahoryu
- English school chain Nova, which went into bankruptcy
- Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, who lost his Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest crown to 22-year-old American Joey Chestnut
- Japan’s national sports teams, who got trounced at the Rugby World Cup and the women’s soccer World Cup
- The imperial family, after Prince Tomohito of Mikasa—fifth in line to the throne—was hospitalized for five weeks due to alcoholism
- The Social Insurance Agency, which lost data on tens of thousands of pensioners
- Niigata, which was hit by a massive earthquake that caused multiple deaths and trillions of yen in damages in July
- Foreigners—including long-term residents—who are now required to be fingerprinted and photographed each time they enter Japan
- Handgun deaths, after the murder of a SWAT officer during a hostage standoff in Aichi and the assassination of Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito
Men of the Year
According to GQ Japan
Politician
Former comedian Hideo Higashikokubaru, 50, became a governor of Miyazaki prefecture after winning an astonishing 90.7 percent of the vote.
Intellectual
Sony’s computer scientist, Kenichiro Mogi, 45, explicated the thorny subject of neuroscience in numerous media appearances.
Entertainer
Lou Ohshiba, 53, the most hated tarento of the ’90s, was the hottest star on Japanese TV thanks to his super-energetic personality.
Business Leader
Tadashi Yanai, 58, founder of fashion brand Uniqlo, which enjoyed sales of over ¥525 billion in 2007.
Sports
Manager Tatsunori Hara, 49, led the Yomiuri Giants to the Central League championship for the first time in five years.
Women of the Year
According to Vogue Nippon
Singer-Actress
Anna Tsuchiya, 23, released Strip Me? in 43 countries and appeared in Mika Ninagawa’s drama Sakuran, which was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Athelete
After a disappointing performance in Turin last year, Miki Ando, 20, made a strong comeback by winning the gold at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships.
Pageant Queen
Shizuoka-native Riyo Mori became the second Japanese woman to win the Miss Universe title.
Director
Naomi Kawase, 38, snatched the Grand Prix at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for her film Mogari no Mori.
Musician
Violinist Mayuko Kamio, 20, won the first prize in the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Year of the Fake
The kanji for 偽 (itsuwaru), meaning “fake,” was chosen as the character that best summed up the year 2007 by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. A full 18 percent of respondents to the nationwide poll felt the character would serve as a fitting “good riddance” to a year rocked by food-labeling scandals, sumo shenanigans, the Nova debacle, and the usual bouts of political shady dealing, among other fiascoes. “I don’t know what to believe,” said one down-in-the mouth respondent. “I just hope that next year we can restore our sense of trust after all these deceptions.”
The Year in Numbers
27
Consecutive batters retired by Chunichi Dragons pitchers Daisuke Yamai and Hitoki Iwase in throwing the first perfect game in Japan Series history
60
Number of transportation companies in the Tokyo area that accept Pasmo and Suica IC cards
5.8
Percent of “teenagers hanging around Shibuya ward” who have contracted a sexually transmitted disease
37
Average number of sexual partners these teenagers reported having
2 million
Number of Tokyoites who would be immediately killed by a North Korean nuclear ballistic missile strike
84,150
Kilos of trash illegally dumped on Mt. Fuji that were cleared by volunteer members of the Fujisan Club
110
Consecutive number of winters, since recordkeeping began in 1897, that Maebashi experienced snow accumulation at least once, before that streak was snapped in 2007
8
Number of infants left at the “baby hatch” for unwanted newborns at Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto, during its first six months of operation
32,295
Centenarians in Japan, the first time the number has topped 30,000 since records began in 1963
6 comments