Life has a lot of coincidences

I like to study English. My passion came from my childhood memory. My parents are Christians, and they took me to a service every Sunday where there were preachers. Some of the congregation were Japanese, but the others were from abroad. In addition, my mother has an English teaching qualification. All in all, western culture was in a natural environment for me. Although I feel fascinated by speaking English, my parents never forced me to learn English, so I didn’t speak English much when I was a child. However, I chose an English literature major at junior college, because there was a choice for me to do it. Life has a lot of coincidences, and I finally took that opportunity. I also joined the club activity, called the English Speaking Society, and learned some colloquial English.

My next biggest chance for learning English was my husband’s relocation to London in 2010. At that time, I was not interested in going to English learning institution, because everybody was speaking English in their everyday lives, so I thought there was no point in paying a high tuition fee to learn English. Instead, I found an organisation, called MRC, which provided services for migrants, including English courses. The local language is a tool to communicate with local people, and I was lucky enough to learn English there. While I was learning English, a member of staff saw me studying at the reception desk one day, and she introduced me to their legal team department where they provide a legal service for migrants. Luckily, I found work there, too.

Some of my blog readers will have come across my blog by chance, which is a coincidence, a so-called algorithm at this moment. Using algorithms is controversial, but chance is a chance. It is some sort of serendipity. In addition, I appreciate the opportunity to express my idea freely on the Internet, as there are many countries where there is no freedom of speech. I am not a person to fight to acquire rights, and I generally accept my fate and current situation. However, at the same time, I am not submissive enough, and sometimes I say what I think my opinion confidently. When some people see me expressing my opinion, they say I am snobbish and opinionated, but that is my character. If they feel like that, that is fine for me, because the reason they feel is their matter, and not mine, so I am not convinced by them, but I respect their feelings, because everybody is different. The good point is that when I realise my way of expression might seem aggressive to someone, that is a great opportunity for me to think and amend it accordingly.

I hope for an equal world, but there is no such a paradise in society. Humans are intelligent in many ways, and all of us always compare each other consciously and unconsciously. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. However, the sort of character I don’t like is a person who takes advantage of someone else. Sometimes people behave like that without realising it, so the thing I want to emphasise is to pause at some point, and look around their situation. To do so, taking a deep breath is the most effective way, I believe. I do it quite often, but sometimes this action is taken as a sigh of tiredness and sadness, in which it might contain those emotions, because the world is unfair.

However, the most important thing is to continue doing something until you get fed up, because our life continues until our death. If you feel too much pain at the current position, you don’t need to endure the situation too much, in which people feel despair too much, as it might cause mental problem. I feel the same sometimes, but there is always a way to move forward, that is for sure. My mentor told me that when one door closes, a new door opens, and I respect it. At the same time, one sort of endurance is called tolerance, so I also respect the tolerance as well, because that is the highest result of education. According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word “tolerance” means a willingness to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them. Don’t be discouraged too much by things happening.

Last week, I wrote a blog about “Accept circumstances”, and this means the same. In these situations, people need someone who listens and gives them clear information and advice. Human beings are social creatures. I believe that a good professional should be aware of technical issues, and most importantly, emphasise with people’s feelings.

I will update every Monday.
For more information

https://lawhelp4u.com/blog/
Japanese business consultant
Shihoshoshi Lawyer
(Judicial Scrivener)

Akiko HORI

Accept circumstances

Humans have history, culture and languages. Some people have a religion and a belief as a source of their emotional support. However, many people get easily confused, because so much information is circulating with the development of modern mass media and internet technology, and the world seems in turmoil.

Due to our intelligence, humans tend to compare themselves to others, not only parents, siblings, relatives neighbors and people at school and work, but also celebrities in news, TV programmes, social media and magazines. There is a wide range of comparisons to be targeted. The internet is a useful tool, but we tend to pick up the information that we agree with, and we are unconsciously influenced by someone else’s opinion that represents what we think.

I always wonder whether we could have chosen the way of our birth, such as time, place, race, and class, when we were born. It would be hard to answer, because such a fact would happen by coincidence. Thus, all we have to do is to confront those coincidences and find a way that we can act. Basically, there are not many things we can do by ourselves. This is because there are other people in society. Life would be easy if we could turn away from the unpleasant facts in front of us and choose only what is good for us. However, such a choice is impossible in reality. There are so many people who have different perspectives. There are many fields, such as agriculture, healthcare, transportation, distribution, real estate, science, manufacturing, educational services, etc. and all of us are a member of the public.

Only you can do is to change the way you think as you can do it alone. If what you’re thinking about now is suffering and hatred, I suggest that you look at those with a third person’s eyes. Hypothetically, if others behaved in a troubling way, that you would think would not be nice, and those people are putting a burden on their mind, and you are the person who must carry it. This burden on the mind leads to stress, and stress leads to physical and mental illness.

If the situation doesn’t change, you have to change, which is to accept your circumstances and give up the negative thoughts you cling to and liberate yourself with as much determination as you are able.

The key to having peace of mind is to let what you are going through now become an experience, and to motivate yourself. That’s essential to living in a peaceful life.

I will update every Monday.
For more information

https://lawhelp4u.com/blog/

Japanese business consultant
Shihoshoshi Lawyer
(Judicial Scrivener)
Akiko HORI

The way to light up our lives.

I would like to talk about children’s future. Children are the future generations and they deserve a bright future regardless of their ability, or their parents’ status and situation. However, nowadays it is difficult for them to follow their dreams unless their talent is exceptional or their family financially backs them up, because of capitalism. For example, the English Chancellor, Rishi Sunak was told he would become a prime minister by his school headmaster at the time, and his wife’s family is the sixth richest family in India. That is a massive fortune. The world has become unfair, so do others like ordinary people have to give up their challenge? No, I don’t think so, because we don’t need to achieve fame or stardom like elites or celebrities. As a human being, all of us deserve a decent and calm fulfilment.

My ethos is to empathise with other people, because we are not alone in society. When I was a child aged ten, I was bullied and felt extremely sad at that time, but when I look back at my own past, the experience was not bad at all, and still taught me a lesson of life. Especially now, I realise that the person who bullies a friend also has a problem, such as an issue in their family, mental problem and pressure. However, it is almost impossible for the bullied person to understand this because they are also still young. Adults such as parents, guardians and teachers should, therefore, realise the potential sign. However, this is also difficult, because getting older doesn’t mean all adults are mature enough. When I was child, I wanted to grow up quickly to gain freedom, but in reality as an adult, freedom is not being free at all, and always includes a responsibility instead. If so, what can we do?

Firstly, learning is important. The knowledge and comprehension that we acquire from school provide us with many of the necessary skills in a practical world. I want children to find a favourite thing from those subjects they learn from school. Traditional formal education should not be undervalued. In my experience, I didn’t study much, and the time I studied hard was just before the exams. I regret it now, so now I do study with my child aged eight. When he does his homework and uses learning materials, we work together. It doesn’t mean I answer questions instead of him, I just look at the contents and think about what is written on the paper. Basically, I can absorb basic knowledge a lot from them.

I suppose I was lucky for being a lawyer now, as to be a Shishoshoshi lawyer, I didn’t need to take a university degree, and I only took the professional exam. Nowadays, almost all lawyers and many accountants undertake full-time study at university, which costs quite a lot, before their exams, but other ways still exist. In my case, this was a professional exam. Learning never ends, so I still had to study by myself. My suggestion is that it would be worth searching for what suits us by ourselves.

Importantly, I want children to enjoy learning. Everybody is different. Even though they face some difficulties, I don’t want them to stop learning. If no one talks to you at school, why not read a book, play music or draw a picture instead. As individuals, we only have a limited time, but books, music and art tell you many different aspects of life. When I was bullied, I expressed my sad feelings on a recorder. I don’t have it anymore, but I wanted to express my emotion at that time, and funnily enough, it worked to support my mental strength.

By using the same tactics, I am now recording my voice to learn how to explain and learn vocabulary. I assume language is the power to communicate with others, because humans are social animals. That would be my own way, but there is a way for each of us, if we seek for it. Additionally, when we do something pleasant, we can lift up our feelings and that would create energy of living. Learning contributes to our education, so don’t detract from it.

I will update every Monday.
For more information https://lawhelp4u.com/blog/

Japanese business consultant
Work for Life
Shihoshoshi Lawyer
(Judicial Scrivener)
Akiko HORI

Do I need to explain Japanese “Anti-social forces” in an agreement?

The content of this article is what I consider to be generally accepted in Japan. Please note that this is not an unquestioned view.

In Japan, “Anti-social forces” is a difficult term to define in practice, and there was a news report in 2019 when Chief Cabinet Secretary at the time, Yoshihide Suga confirmed at a press conference that the term “Anti-social forces” is an ambiguous term open to differing views about the correct interpretation.

The official name of the Japanese law is “Act on Prevention of Unjust Acts by Organized Crime Group Members” (暴力団員による不当な行為の防止等に関する法律).
Available only in Japanese.
https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/search/elawsSearch/elaws_search/lsg0500/detail?lawId=403AC0000000077

Clauses about “Anti-social forces” are often written in Japanese agreements that are recommended, especially those by government or council officials. When translating the “Anti-social forces” clause, the translation varies from agreement to agreement, but it basically states as follows.

The term, “Anti-social forces” is commonly used in Japan, but I think the term “Organised Crime” is common in Europe. The translation “Anti-social forces” has been in use for a long time and I use it in the same way.

What kind of organisation or activity is intended is defined in an agreement. When I translate an agreement, I often use the words “Racketeer” and “Extortioner”, because my main business target is a business operation and real property transaction in Japan. “Racketeer” is someone who makes money from a dishonest or illegal business activity, and “Extortioner” is a person who obtains something by threatening to expose a scandal.

No matter how far machine translation has progressed, I believe that it is humans who should ultimately be able to check contents. I believe that the day when machines can understand the nuances of the language is still a long way off.

In relation to “Anti-social forces”, there are criminal groups similar to the Mafia around the world, but they are generally a secret criminal organisation. However, from a non-Japanese’s point of view, Japan has a law that gives these organisation a legal definition. For example, Article 15 of the law says police forces can order them not to use their office in the event of conflicts and disputes arising, but conversely, it can be read as saying that they can use the office when they are not involved in a conflict or dispute.

In addition, Article 3 regulates them as “designated organised groups”, and the definition gives the impression that the National Public Safety Commission (the Japanese governmental body) legally designates and licenses those groups as if they are some sort of licensed organisation!

I might be delving into true Japanese nature, and going too far. However, I feel it is typical of Japanese ideas.

I will update every Monday.
For more information

https://lawhelp4u.com/english/legal-advice-for-business-in-japan/

Japanese business consultant
Shihoshoshi Lawyer
(Judicial Scrivener)
Akiko HORI

Proof of identity in Japan: Proof of address and a seal certificate as a proof of agreement

Proof of address
If you are resident in Japan, you may be required to provide proof of your address to complete various procedures.

In Japan, you can register your address in the city where you live and obtain a certificate of residence at the city office. Non-Japanese nationals are also required to do this, and they can obtain a certificate of residence (proof of address) (住民票)at the city office after completing the necessary procedures.

You don’t need to prepare your passport as proof of name and your utility bill as proof of address separately. The “certificate of residence” states the individual’s name, address and date of birth.

When you move to another city, you should submit a “Notification of Moving Out” to the city office that holds its jurisdiction over your current location, and then submit a “Notification of Moving In” to the city office of your new city.

When you move abroad, you are required to submit a notification of moving out of Japan. After a Japanese citizen moves abroad, they should submit a “Residence Report” （在留届） to Japanese embassy in their new country and register their residential address abroad. Once the “Residence Report” is submitted, you will be issued a Certificate of Residence, which is an administrative certificate in place of a certificate of residence.

A seal certificate as a proof of agreement
In Japan, stamping a seal is widely used in daily life to signify approval, acceptance, or obligation. Especially when making an agreement, signatures are not used, and a person stamps the agreement instead. The stamp should be the official stamp for an individual and that is registered at the local council where the individual person resides. The registered stamp is called “Jitsuin” (実印) and a seal certificate is issued at the city office.

The presence of the seal certificate along with the personal seal acknowledges that “the document is indeed stamped with their true intention”.

If someone moves out of Japan, their seal registration will be cancelled at their local council. If Japanese citizen who resides abroad requires their seal certificate, they need to ask Japanese embassy to issue a “signature certificate” in place of a seal certificate.

In Japan, the primary purpose of the resident registration is to provide central and local government with the information about the movement of the population and family structure.

In addition, Japanese nationals are also registered in the family register system. The family record is an official document in Japan that is kept in the local council that stores all changes in family structure from birth to death.

I hope the information is useful.
I will update every Monday.
For more information
Japanese business consultant
Shihoshoshi Lawyer (Judicial Scrivener)

Akiko HORI

https://lawhelp4u.com/english/how-to-buy-a-property-in-japan/