I mostly reference this app to make sure I’m not eating out too much or if I can afford a weekend trip to Osaka. In the beginning of my time here in Japan, I used this app to create a budget that was reasonable, yet allowed me to build savings and put away some money for school loans.  It also provides a general level of relief.  With everything becoming digital, this is my digital version of a check book.

On a quick note, this app is useful to someone who uses mostly cash.  In the US, apps such as Pageonce and Mint.com provide all of your transactions and categorizes them automatically. So it may be safe to say that I find this app beneficial only as a yen spender.

FAULTS

This app has two faults in my opinion.

1. No recurring transactions.  Everybody has a number of recurring transactions in life.  Daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly recurring transactions would make this app even easier to use.

2. No data export. For someone who really wants to dig into the numbers and calculate ratios or sort data in different ways, data export to CSV or Excel would be excellent.  It would make keeping track of your transactions invaluable.

So take it for what it is. I like this app, and it’s my suggestion to any expats living abroad with their iPhone!

If you live abroad and would like to use Google Voice, here is a quick guide!

1. Get an iPhone or Android-based phone.  You will need to run the official Google Voice app and at least one other.

2. Sign up for Google Voice.  If you are still in the US, this is cake.  Just visit google.com/voice and follow the steps.  If you are abroad, however, you must have someone login to you google account or create one from a US IP address.  The website will not let you create a Google Voice phone number from abroad.  There is of course the option to connect to a US IP via VPN, but that could get difficult just for a quick registration.

3. Download the Google Voice App here and install. The google voice app will let you do everything but make a phone call.  You will even receive missed call alerts.  Use this app to send text messages listen to voice mail and everything else. With alerts turned on, you will have nice real time alerts of text messages, including the name of the contact.

4. For making calls, you will have to download the app called Talkatone.  You can get it here. It is a bit buggy, but use it only for phone calls and you’re set.

I find myself actually using the Google Voice app more than my native phone app on the iPhone. The great thing is that it’s like two phones in one device.

If you are not completely familiar with Google Voice, you can check out my previous post.

A weak dollar means trouble for countries who rely on US consumers to import their goods. It is said that Japanese companies such as Toyota lose millions of dollars when the exchange rate moves even as little as 4 yen per dollar. As a result, the Japanese government, which is known for it’s strict monetary policy, added a bit more yen to the economy to devalue the yen against the dollar. This releases much pressure from giant Japanese automotive and electronics manufacturers, making their goods more affordable abroad. Let’s call this a currency limbo.

The results so far: There were some immediate changes in the exchange rate, but recent dips in both countries’ financial markets deemed the efforts a wash and we’re back to ground zero.

But what does this mean for American expats in Japan? It’s very nice. Simply, expats’ salaries are overvalued. Expats such as myself who send money home will see a sweet price for their earned yen. Anyone with loans or debt will enjoy this exchange rate for a while.

For example, anyone sending 50,000 yen to the US will get around around $647.  The spending power of 100 yen is roughly the same as $1.

But some must be warned. Investing with this strong currency in the US will yield the same return and inflation in Japan might eventually occur as a result of adding money to the economy. This is a short-term, yet substantial benefit for expats.

As humans we naturally share, and this has caused a real problem for the music industry. Nobody buys music anymore because music is in it’s most copiable format. It’s very sharable and it’s shared like crazy.  It is easier to just find the album through file sharing sites and torrent links than to go to iTunes and fork up $10 for it.  Musicians’ incentive to sell their music and work towards fame has all but faded nothing.  The only way to profit in the industry is to perform tour after tour. Slinging the real talent into a catch 9 where they cannot continue without another production, but cannot produce another album because of touring is the only outcome.

A new music industry must exist where bands can earn a profit for new music. Some avid fans and listeners vow to pay for the music rather than pirating, but that won’t be enough. Laws of economics say that people will continue to steal music because free songs result in higher satisfaction (free CD+slight legal risk > $10 CD), at least for now.

Industry record labels are fighting the battle and bringing down pirates with the law, but new methods of madness will always prevail and they will never be able to keep up with the thievery.  The only real solution to revive the music industry is to control the release of new music (now known as a leak) as much as possible to reveal some revenues and cut costs, for the musicians that is.

Radiohead has always experimented with releases and interesting ways to earn money from their music, such as with “In Rainbows,” but their new album “King of Limbs” was delivered perfectly and I’m sure they are seeing a nice stream of revenue from it’s release.

The key was the hype.  No singles. No hints of a new album.  It was pretty clear that they were working on new material because they were not touring.  On Monday, Fans and the media spread the news of a release only days away.  The world’s curiosity beckoned and everybody wanted to be the first to listen.  Almost nobody had heard any tracks beyond Thom Yorke’s own cover of the song “Lotus Flower.” I cannot find and solid numbers, but tons of people prepaid for the digital download.  $$$ right? And it created a collective listening experience that the world hadn’t seen in years.

Costs of this album were next to nothing in comparison to others.  Radiohead has their own studio so they just create and put the mp3 files (or WAV) on the website for download.  It’s simple and it’s genius.  They cut the middle man (record labels), get closer to listeners and uncovered the potential to create cheaper music for the end consumer.

Radiohead are smart businessmen.  They realize that they don’t need the support of record labels and have managed to cut them out of the way.  This is where the music industry will head.  Radiohead’s success was also largely due to their fame, but eventually smaller artists will have this same power to cut out the record labels.

I am inspired by both Radiohead’s progressive business mindset and amazing music. They’ve defined my taste for music and my out-of-the-box thinking.  If you do not know Radiohead and have made it this far into my post, give them a listen!

I needed some groceries so I headed to the grocery store on my bike after class today.  After just a few minutes I arrived and looked for a bike rack.  There was one bike rack with room for only about 10 bikes which reflects the rarity of grocery shopping by bike.  After shopping, I loaded up my backpack and headed back.

I’ve been disappointed and ill-willed about this new carless lifestyle, but today was nice.  The weather outside was great and I found it to be refreshing to get some exercise while accomplishing something.  It also really brought back some memories of my time in Japan.  As long as the bus works in a timely manner so that I can be on time for my internship, I think these couple of months without a car might be fun.  Everyone else should try not to use their cars for everything…it’s a good feeling!

Google voice is one of the most brilliant tools, and it’s available to any American. Google has braced themselves for the changes in technology trends to come with it’s complete voice service.

Technology as we have seen develop in the past (and near past) consists of multiple devices all with different functions.  TV, Phone, Computer, E-Reader.  They all have different inputs and outputs, but in the end, they all involve streaming data one way or the other as they are communication devices.  We can see now with smart phones and iPads that they are all becoming one device (one way or another) so why can’t they all work with the same kind of data? In truth, mobile phones are using the same data as our computers and digital TV. It’s all zeros and ones in the end.  Soon, there will be a distinction of data companies and service companies.  Cell phone companies that control contracts, phone selections, and charge pricey premiums for phone calls will no longer exist.  They must become strictly data providers or they will go under as a result of their services being left in the dust.  The invisible hand of the free market would provide better services and cheaper data in the future.  This is where google voice comes into play.  With a data connection, you’ve got your phone with you; no contract and free calling no matter where in the world you are.  The service is only available to Americans, but I believe they will have other countries on board soon, with free voice calls to anyone in the world.  As long as this service can be used on mobile devices, this is going to be the way we connect with voice in the future. No matter where I am, my contacts can reach me with my phone number.  I went to Japan recently and it proved to be brilliant.  I suggest that everyone at least get a google voice number because it’s free! It’s going to be the future of the way we connect through voice and break down international calling boundaries in no time.  Let me know what you think.

1. Shanghai

To me, China seems to be a very intimidating place.  You might as well call the government China, Inc. with their bold moves and relentless nationalists’ strategies to harness as much economic power as possible.  They also have a reputation for not being quite so fond of foreigners.  However, Shanghai has a unique attraction for me.   They’ve got the first implementation of Maglev rail technology (yes, I would go there just to ride their awesome train), and there seems to be many years-worth of activities; exploring it’s unique history through museums, or just walking around and absorbing the atmosphere of this crowded city (a little over 70,000 people per sq. mile) would be on my list of to-do’s.  It is a bustling high-tech city with a powerful international community.  On the downside, my friends have told me the city is quite dirty, and poor sanitation standards in restaurants could leave you sick.  I’ve always been “afraid,” so to speak, of going to China ever since I had passport issues just flying through the country (and hearing the Japanese’s stories about their dislike of China), but I think Shanghai is a place where I’d like to get my foot in the door; the door of China that is.

2. Seoul

I do not really know a whole lot about Korean culture other than LG, Samsung, and Hyundai (can you pronounce it correctly?), but they’ve got my attention in Seoul.  Almost every Korean person I met while in Japan was from this city, and the had nothing but good things to say about it.  Supposedly they have heating down a bit better than the Japanese, and they’ve got some heat in the food as well.  The food and technology are what thrive in Seoul.  They also have one of the most efficient public transportation systems, which would be another thing I would like to experience.

3. Singapore

I’ve already been here.  And you may ask, “why do you go there if there are other interesting places you haven’t been?”  I will answer, “because it’s that awesome.” And I was there with a lousy budget that only allowed for the cheapest food and a self-guided foot tour of the city.  This place is a feast for culture (and food) enthusiasts.  With a population comprising Chinese, Indians, and Malaysians; you’ve got so much to do here.  Having seen much of the city, I have two specific focal points for a future visit.  First Attraction: the food.  There are restaurants everywhere, with decent prices too.  You will find anything from traditional foods from these three cultures, contemporary Singaporean, to a mix of all three.  I was astonished by the amount of quality foods. Second Attraction: the port.  Singapore houses the world’s largest port and I want to see it.  They import almost everything and export tons of electronics and other assembled goods.  If it weren’t for such a large, sufficient port Singapore would not be what it is today and that fascinates me.  The City-State also has an interesting trade history which would be interesting to delve into as well.

So that’s it.  There are so many other places I would like to visit, especially in Japan, but these three are the top three cities that I constantly find myself reading about in procrastination of my coursework.

What places would you like to visit?

On February 17th, 2009 President Obama signed into action the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).” This bill allocated $8 billion to states for inter-city high speed rail development. As of right now, states such as Florida and California are accepting applications for this grant money. High speed rail is coming to America.

With an entirely new mode of transportation coming, there will be changes in many aspects of Americans’ lives. According to the ARRA, one purpose of creating such a system is “to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.” Another reason for this investment, according to the act, is to “create jobs and promote economic recovery.” Economic issues have played a key role in promoting American high speed rail. Current plans often refer to the direct jobs and money to construct the rail system, but what other indirect economic effects and long term benefits should be considered? I will explore this question with my research.

Japan was the first to develop an inter-city high speed rail system, dating back to 1964. This system, known as the Shinkansen, has become the backbone of Japan’s infrastructure and stable economy. With the Shinkansen being the fastest, safest and most efficient system in the world, it has become a model for rail worldwide. China’s current effort towards high speed rail and many European systems often compare themselves to the Shinkansen, to measure their success. Understanding its key influences on the economy in Japan will reveal some insightful information regarding what lies ahead in America’s future when a similar system is implemented. Using the Shinkansen system as a model, I will investigate the relationship between high speed rail and the economic elements in everyday life.

Choosing an appropriate scope of focus is essential to this research. Population density and supporting infrastructures are two factors that make the U.S. and Japan difficult to compare on a national level. However, my research will focus on specific regions in both nations. I had a great talk with Petra Todorovich on this topic. As the director of America 2050, a research organization dedicated to high speed rail, she was sure she had a target location for my research. She determined that a rail line between New York City and Washington D.C. would be most comparable to the current Tokkaido Shinkansen connecting Tokyo and Nagoya. I will use the research and information available from America 2050 on the Washington-New York corridor and focus my analysis on the Tokkaido Shinkansen.

Examining long-term effects of such a system means analyzing the ridership history of the Tokkaido Shinkansen. Although there are economic theories that place monetary value on transportation systems, they are only concerned with the time saved compared to the next best alternative (auto, air). This ignores what happens after stepping off of the train. It ignores how travelers interact with the city and how the city accommodates these travelers. Understanding ridership trends will tell a story of the relationship between the Shinkansen and the economy.

The next step of my project will be to compare the ridership data to important economic factors such as city growth, business growth and development, wages rates, cost of living, property values, population fluctuations, and changes in the work force. Finding a correlation with ridership will reveal the kind of relationships that exist with the economy. I have been in contact with Japan Rail, the company operating the Shinkansen, and they will assist me in obtaining ridership information.

I plan to obtain this data by visiting companies and surveying employees who use the Shinkansen to travel to work. I will also ask for businesses’ financial statements to reveal economic growth trends. To get information related to population and cost of living, I will visit city halls and town halls. The Chamber of Commerce for these towns will also be a useful place to learn about business development. Visiting these offices will be an essential part of my research because it may lead me to unsolicited information and people who have experience in this field. Although I have planned my project, it is a possibility that changes may arise as I come across new information and make discoveries through my own research.

Next, I will begin to analyze and look for trends in the data. Members of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Railroads, The director of America 2050, and members of the Federal Railroad Administration are all aware of my research and will provide me with support if I need.

Understanding the influence of a high speed rail system on a local economy will be useful in many ways for US development. Cities may better understand how to integrate new rail into local transportation and create more pedestrian-friendly areas. Businesses will learn to utilize high speed rail to increase competitiveness and operate efficiently. Residents of areas where rail is being developed will better understand the changes of their cities. Finding positive influences in my research will promote this energy-efficient and time-efficient transportation system that is much needed in the U.S.

This grant will give me the opportunity to engage in Japanese culture beyond my research. Through my experiences collecting data and a formal classroom setting, I will be able to learn Japanese fit for business and professional settings. I would also like to learn the history of the language and study Japanese literature. Language will be a key part of my learning experience abroad and will help me become a better cultural ambassador of the U.S.

My previous year in Japan only left me with a longer list of things to see and do. I would like to continue my learning about Tea Ceremonies, as it is a fading ancient tradition. I will also use my time in Japan to study Shinto and Buddhist thought to better understand the religious aspects of Japan’s society. I will share American culture as well as assisting students of English.

This proposed project will also be a medium of cultural understanding for more than just me. I hope this project will become a learning experience for everyone involved, Americans and Japanese alike. Receipt of this grant will make me a lifelong ambassador of America and give me a chance to contribute to U.S.-Japan relations and the America of tomorrow. It is my hope that one day I will live in an efficient, thriving America that learned from the Japanese way of travel.