Tokyo summer is approaching, it's not yet too hot, but the humidity is really high. You can not avoid getting sweat just by being outside.
There is so much humidity in the air, that you can not see far. But better that than the grey skies in Korea I saw during the past couple of days.
She took us to places like Odawara, Disneyland, Finland Village, again, again, again, again and again, and Hakone.
She never let us down - in town, on the highway, and not even in the toughest conditions!
She had plenty of room to transport furniture or bicycles.
She had two extra seats to fit our friends to take them places like Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa, Finland Village and Mt Fuji with Samuli's aunt and her family, Hakone with Grandma and Grandpa, fishing with Grandpa, Finland Village with Michael and Sonoko, or Hakone and Mt Fuji with Jonni and Mannu.
After 12 years and only 40 500 kilometers she is in very good shape to spend her retirement days most likely in Russia, Pakistan or some other exotic destination.
We will miss our Old Faithful Toyota Ipsum!
Sunnuntaiaamu on ollut sateinen ja näkymä ikkunoistamme on varsin harmaa. Viime viikon muuton jäljiltä olemme kaikki uupuneita ja päivän suurin ponnistus on sunnuntailounas jossain lähiseudun ravintolassa.
Kirjahylly purettu - Book self taken apart
Olohuone melkein pakattu - Living room almost packed
Auran huone melkein pakattu - Aura's room almost packed
Makuuhuone pakattu - Master bed room packed
Oskarin huone pakattu - Oskari's room packed
Vain keittiö ja kellari jäljellä - Only kitchen and basement are left
Olemme asuneet kohta neljä vuotta Tokiossa ja on aika palata kotiin. Muuttokuormaa alettiin pakata tänään, jotta se ehtii Suomeen ennen kuin koulut alkavat syksyllä.
We have been living in Tokyo for almost four years now and it is time to return to Finland. The moving company started packing today in order to get our belongings to Finland in time for the new school year in August.
We participated the 10th TELL Charity Walk and Runathon! Samuli ran two laps around the Imperial Palace (10 km), Riikka walked one lap with the kids. It was +24C and we really enjoyed it!!
Samuli going along his own path.
Downhill in the beginning.
Imperial palace gate.
"I am thirsty!"
"I am flying!"
Aura finishing the race (Oskari finished 15 minutes earlier).
We did it!
We all did it!
Riikka will have another lecture about Finnish education tomorrow. Here is a link to a report (in Japanese) of her earlier lecture. And attached are some sample slides she uses.
She starts with "During my stay in Japan for almost 4 years now I have been asked many times about the Finnish schooling system. Everybody seems to know the OECD’s PISA tests and their results, in which Finland has scored really well on most areas of the study. Japanese people have asked me why we have done so well, and what is the secret behind the educational success. Today I will try my best to reveal some facts behind the success story. I will also tell about special education in Finland and point out some problems we are facing at the moment in the Finnish educational field." She can then continue to tell her insider stories about the system.
Way to go!
Japan's parliament has passed legislation to give a cash hand-out to every resident in attempt to boost the recession-hit economy. Most people will get at least 12,000 yen, while children under 18 and people aged over 65 will get 20,000 yen as part of the scheme.
It was unclear to me if we foreign residents would receive this hand-out. Then, two weeks ago, I received a letter from the local government with instructions on how to apply for the "Supplementary Income Payments", and that included some Japanese peculiarities.
1) The cash hand-outs are managed by local governments, which means that for example each of the 23 wards in Tokyo manages them on their own. They design the forms, distribute them, set up a approval process and process the payments. I can not imagine how much extra work is being done if this is done in a bit different way in each of the 783 cities of Japan.
2) I need to verify my address, which the local government already had when sending me the application. My address was printed on the application, but I needed to hand write it the document AND to provide a copy of my alien registartion card which has the same address on it. In some parts of Tokyo also phone number, which means that the aplication forms are designed individually (refer to #1). They have my correct address, but I have to confirm it twice!
3) I need to fill in my bank account (which is actually the only information the local government did not have). And to verify that I need to provide "A copy of a bankbook page indicating the account holder, account number, financial institution and the branch of the account where the Supplementary Income Payments is to be deposited". To start with, I did not have bank book in Finland since mid 80's...
4) Everybody will get the cash hand-out. Even the prime minister.
I wonder who will have time to go trough all the copies submitted with the applications? There will be tens of millions of applications (1 per family), which means huge waste of paper and money on this process.
In Finland I would imagine that
1) similar process would be managed by KELA, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, who would already have
2) the addresses (not needed) and
3) the bank account information of
4) families with children, students, uneployed, retired, disabled, and other people in need receiving social security payments - others might not need the cash hand-out.
(Or there might be a tax cut, which is slower to implement)
That would not work in Japan, where the people do not have, and will not have a social security number. Now, how would I take a copy which verifies my "computer-readable integrated circuit card" they plan to implement instead...
Anyway, we will be happy to receive the 64.000 yen (500 euro) cash hand-out and will spend it on local services or local products to boost the Japanese economy.
Kävimme Oskarin kanssa juoksemassa ja pyöräilemässä palatsin ympäri. Palatsille menimme molemmat fillareilla, minä juoksin sen ympäri ja Oskari pyöräili. Kävin testaamassa miltä lenkki tuntuu jos parin viikon päästä juoksen kaksi kierrosta hyväntekeväisyysjuoksussa. Yksi kierros meni tänään helposti, joten kaksikin pitäisi onnistua.
Hämmästyimme kun palatsin lähikatuja oli suljettu, ja innostuimme polkemaan leveillä kaduilla hetken aikaa "kilpaa". 
Oskari piti helposti 25 km/h vauhtia ja otti huiput yli 30 km/h!
Lopuksi maistui maistiaiseksi jaettu juoma.
Aura piirsi kimonoprinsessan, joka skannattiin, lähetettiin Satakunnan Kansaan ja julkaistiin heidän nettisivuillaan.
