Aug.31 Subscription and Pet

出典：JAPAN TODAY

Article from Dec. 2022:

New unlimited cat subscription service in Japan blasted online

Dec 15 was the launch day for Neko Hodai, which some observers are calling a cat subscription service. In other words, for a monthly fee of 380 yen, you can acquire a cat of your choice from a participating shelter and also freely return the said cat to the same or another participating shelter.

Once news of the new service spread, many cat lovers online were immediately appalled at the idea of temporarily owning a cat and then returning it, considering such a system tantamount to animal abuse. Comments such as the ones below argue that, like many animals, cats undergo a great deal of stress when being relocated to a new environment and shouldn’t be seen as an object that can be easily shipped around.

“That’s disgusting.”

“Cats can die from the stress of moving. This is really dark.”

“Is this even legal?”

“Cats should be given a home, not passed around with all the stress that comes with it.”

A lot of the anger was directed at the way the service is marketed as well. The name Neko Hodai uses the term hodai which is often found in words like tabehodai (“all-you-can-eat”) or nomihodai (“all-you-can-drink”). These unlimited food and drink offers elicit a sense of at-will consumption with reckless abandon that is pretty much the antithesis of caring pet ownership.

However, Nora Neko Bank, the Tokyo-based company that runs Neko Hodai, explains on their website that the service is mainly aimed at elderly people who are capable of providing good homes and in need of companionship, but worry about what might happen should they pass away before their cat. In this way, Neko Hodai acts as a sort of intermediary between owners and shelters should a cat suddenly find itself no longer with an owner.

Neko Hodai has no additional charges for accepting or returning cats and they are all spayed or neutered at Nora Neko Bank’s expense as well. It’s hard to say for sure without a closer look at how they operate, but it appears that Neko Hodai is operating more as a public service than a purely profit driven company.

It’s definitely not an ideal solution to an ever-present problem, but if handled with the utmost care the core concept seems like it could potentially help to reduce the amount of animal abuse out there.

猫サブスク「ねこホーダイ」に断固反対。獣医師が本気で訴える5つの理由

Questions:

What do you think of this article?

Do you agree or disagree with this new service?

Would you like to try this service?

Are you using any subscription service?

Do you like all-you-can-eat restaurant or do you often go to all-you-can-eat restaurants?

When you hear the word "Hodai" or "all-you-can-***", what comes to your mind first?

Do you have a pet? Have you ever had an unusual pet?

Aug.24 Children Avoiding Water

Made by ChatGPT

Article:

Increasing Number of Children Avoiding Water

As summer temperatures rise, an increasing number of children are avoiding water because they find it tasteless. Junji Hashimoto, head of the Aqua Sphere Water Education Research Institute, discusses this issue.

School Reports: Tokyo elementary school teachers report a rise in children who refuse to drink water, even when showing heatstroke symptoms. Surveys indicate that each class typically has two to three children who avoid drinking water entirely.

Reasons for Avoidance: Many children prefer juice or sports drinks, often consumed at home. Some parents send their children to school with these beverages, believing their child cannot drink water.

Home Environment: Family habits significantly impact children’s preferences. Parents who frequently drink sugary beverages influence their children. After discussing this issue on NHK radio, many parents reported that their children stopped drinking water after being introduced to juice during meals.

COVID-19 Pandemic: To prevent infections, schools discouraged the use of communal water fountains, leading children to bring their own drinks and reinforcing the habit of avoiding water.

Heat and Sports Drinks: Increasing summer heat has led to more heatstroke cases. The Ministry of Education recommends sports drinks for their salt content to prevent heatstroke, fostering a perception among children that water is not the best option. However, the high sugar content in sports drinks poses a risk of obesity if consumed excessively.

Family Habits: Encouraging children to drink water requires establishing it as a family habit. Parents should model water consumption during meals. This collective effort can help children gradually become accustomed to drinking water.

School Initiatives: Some schools successfully encourage water consumption during events like summer school and field trips, where only water is offered. Over time, children who initially disliked water began to drink it more comfortably.

Water Quality Standards: Concerns about tap water safety are unfounded in Japan, which has stringent water quality standards. Tap water is safe to drink, unlike in many parts of the world where access to clean drinking water is a significant challenge. Given this, it is crucial to encourage regular water consumption for good health and to prevent dehydration.

Questions:

What do you think of this article?

Are you particular about water?

Do you drink a lot of water throughout the day? Why? Why not?

Have you ever experienced heat stroke?

How often do you buy bottled water? Why?

What are your favorite drinks? How often do you have them?

Are there any foods or drinks that you try to avoid?

What would you say are the most popular alcoholic beverages where you live?

Aug.10 Clothes and Success

出典：https://eikaiwa.dmm.com/app/daily-news/

Article:

Can Better Clothes Make You More Money?

American English has many expressions related to clothes. Two of the more common ones are: “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have”; and, simply, “Dress for success.”

Tara Luizzi, a professional stylist, says that our clothes can influence how we feel, our confidence, even our ability to do a job.

Luizzi says that people make a judgment about us before we even speak.

“My feeling is you don’t have a second chance to make a great first impression.”

But choosing the right clothes is not just about impressing others.

A recent study suggests that people who dress more formally perform better at some work tasks.

People wearing casual clothes tend to focus more on the smaller details of a problem.

Luizzi also has some advice for people preparing to go to a job interview:
1. For a man, wearing a suit is not always the right choice. If the job is creative and casual, a suit might look out of place, or strange.
2. When going on a job interview, wear something new or at least newer.
3. Make sure your shoes are clean and polished.
4. For women, don’t wear too much make up, perfume or jewelry.

Questions:

What do you think of this article?

Do you agree about the expression: “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have?”

Do you think our clothes can influence feeling, confidence, even our ability for a job?

What do you pay particular attention to about your appearance when you prepare to go to work?

Where do you see about someones's appearance when you first meet the person at work?

What aspect do or did you see when you try to find your partner?

Why do you think women are advised not to wear too much make up, perfume or jewelry when going to a job interview?

Have you ever misjudged someone based on a first impression? If so, please share your experience.