Japanese job markets are not in good situation now and even in flag ship company like
SONY is starting 10% layoff.  In Hokkiado, a lot of people are working in government
jobs, if the Japanese economy is getting worse, it may be a great damage to Hokkaido.

TM Firokola chaired this session and focused on this issue from the perspectives of our
career.
  
Questions are:
* What would you do if your company went bankrupt or carried out mass layoffs?  
* Do you plan to work for the same company until you retire?  
* Are you planning to take any career related degrees or courses (eg. CPA)?  
* Do you have any long time career goals?

TM Kouno said that she needs some qualification according to a degree of study.  
Guest Mr. Kai said that he wouldn't think of a life-time employment.  
TM Komata said, "If the company get bankruptcy, I'll find a job related to my major, 
or I can take vacation for several months and get licenses for the good job opportunities 
in the future."

TM Firkola pointed out that the career relate to companies in Japan not relate to the
personal skills.  He introduced the examples in Canada, questions for Canadian who
wants to get a new job:  "what do you like to do?  What's your major?"  And the market
problems shall be considered.

Reducing workforce considered restructuring in Japan.  Workers are very naive and they
don't know their situation clearly.

Career is actually the self responsibility. What is your goals?
It's important to distinguish between dreams and goals.

TM Kouno gave her first speech; "Gun Accident in high school at Denver Colorado".
 Terrible accident related to gun happened in the U.S.  The suspects were the admirers
of Adolph Hitler.  The murder conducted based on the plain logic; "We will kill black
students because they are black."  She said this accident is based on the ethnic
problems in the United States.  America is said to be the melting pot, but it's not a
real melting pot but just a mixture of races.  She told the case of her friend, she
was good at study but didn't admitted in the counseling class because of the racial
discrimination.

 After the speech we discussed the gun problems and racial problems in the world.
This accident gave a very bad image to people all over the world although the United
States has lots of good aspects. Japanese people tend to have images from the movies.

In Canada it's difficult to get a gun, in England and in New Zealand, it's virtually 
impossible to have guns, i.e.  to get and keep a license is difficult.
And in Japan, to get and keep a gun is not easy; people have to get licenses.

 We learned from this discussion that Japan is a multi-racial country; peoples in
Okinawa, Honshuu, Ainu peoples, peoples from Korea and several indigenous peoples in
the north.

TM Brazil gave his second speech; "Migration of birds".
 As he is a naturalist, he usually talks about seasons. He's majoring in biodiversity and
introduced his research topic from the general point of views. 

 The word "migration" is misunderstood by lots of people.  "Immigrate" means one way
journey and "migrate" means two way journey.  Swallow migrates by way of Hokkaido from
Thailand and Indonesia to Siberia.  For some birds Hokkaido is the last point of
migration and for some species Hokkaido is the southern end.

This season near Sapporo, we can see a spectacular migration in Miyajima-numa(lake) in
Bibai city.  Migration back and forth from Honshu island to Siberia through Hokkaido.
45,000 birds!  They are going back and forth between fields and lakes.  In the morning
and in the evening, we can see the birds change their place, but unfortunately most
people don't know and didn't see.

If you're living near Bibai city, how about go and see this magnificent scenery?