Think Pieces reviewed and written by Lakshmi and Seetha Ram

3.5 "Improving Asia's water governance"In partnership with Friends of Europe - Environment - European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/greenweek2012/sessions/35-improving-asias-water-governancein-partnership-friends-europe.html

Medical bills to be free in all Tokyo wards for high school students, younger kids from next year - Japan Today Living in Tokyo's 23 wards could become much less expensive soon, though, as starting next year medical bills for high school students and younger children will be free. The plan was announced by Takaaki Yamazaki, mayor of Koto Ward, following a conference of the special wards' mayors on June 21. https://japantoday.com/category/features/health/medical-bills-to-be-free-in-all-tokyo-wards-for-high-school-students-younger-kids-from-next-year ?

Did corporate greed fuel inflation? It's not biggest culprit - Japan Today https://japantoday.com/category/business/greedflation-is-price-gouging-helping-fuel-high-inflation ?

Do not bring your whole self to work from TheEconomist One of the attractions of the workplace is that it is a place where there is a shared endeavour. That endeavour is called "work". You need to be friendly to be a good colleague, but you don't need to be friends. You need to be capable of empathy, but you don't need to constantly emote. You have to turn up, try hard and play your part. You have to bring your role self.  https://www.economist.com/business/2022/06/02/do-not-bring-your-whole-self-to-work

Work, the wasted years from TheEconomist You know the sort of thing: you will spend one-third of your life asleep, almost a decade looking at your phone and four months deciding what to watch on streaming services.  https://www.economist.com/business/2022/06/16/work-the-wasted-years

China ponders the humans behind "virtual idols" from TheEconomist Young people, meanwhile, are increasingly fed up with "996" schedules (ie, working 9am to 9pm six days a week).  https://www.economist.com/china/2022/06/16/china-ponders-the-humans-behind-virtual-idols

Latin America's vicious circle is a warning to the West from TheEconomist Now that virtuous circle has been replaced by a vicious one.  https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/06/16/latin-americas-vicious-circle-is-a-warning-to-the-west

Study: Laughter boosts brain function, eases stress - The Japan News The study has found that laughter triggers various effects, including a boost in the blood flow inside the brain, after examining subjects who viewed a video of a manzai comedy duo that prompted some chuckles. https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/science-nature/science/20211130-5735/

Scientists devise robot finger with 'human skin' - The Japan News https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/science-nature/science/20220623-40121/

https://savvytokyo.com/ikigai-japanese-concept-finding-purpose-life/ -- Best regards Seetha Ram "Life is a journey. The destination is within oneself."

Human capital at work: The value of experience | McKinsey about half of what people earn during their lifetime is associated with the skills they gain through work. That's a huge number. A lot of previous research has focused on the value of education, qualifications, and credentials as you enter the workplace. Those are important, but the decisions you make regarding the roles, the jobs, and the skills that you acquire through your work life will drive your earnings. That's even more true for people who don't enter the workforce with top credentials. For example, for tile setters or counter workers in the US, the value of the skills they develop at work is more like 65% to 75% of lifetime earnings. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/human-capital-at-work-the-value-of-experience https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/human-capital-at-work-the-value-of-experien...

Totoro's home: Japan crowdfund for forest that inspired film - Japan Today This is really interesting! https://japantoday.com/category/national/totoro%27s-home-japan-crowdfund-for-forest-that-inspired-film ?

Vedadhara: Tamil brahmin death rites - demystified Good reference.  http://ramaswamysastry.blogspot.com/p/understand-death-to-understand-life_84.html http://ramaswamysastry.blogspot.com/p/understand-death-to-understand-life_84.html?m=1

APARA KRIYAS | Kanchi Periva Forum https://periva.proboards.com/thread/11159/apara-kriyas

Masafumi Mori appointed as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Shiro Yamazaki as Special Adviser to the Cabinet https://www.tellerreport.com/news/2021-12-28-masafumi-mori-appointed-as-special-adviser-to-the-prime-minister-shiro-yamazaki-as-special-adviser-to-the-cabinet.S1xWLYzdjY.html https://www.tellerreport.com/amp/2021-12-28-masafumi-mori-appointed-as-special-adviser-to-the-prime-minister-shiro-yamazaki-as-special-adviser-to-the-cabinet.S1xWLYzdjY.html

The village is the backbone of the whole country. The child becomes an adult, the village grows into a town; but we should see that the innocent, simple, sincere child does not grow into a cruel, hard-hearted man. Similarly, we have to see that the quiet, God-fearing simple village does not grow into a noisy negative town. Tomorrow's leaders are being bred in this and other villages all over the land. If you have virtue, towns will have virtue tomor- row. If you have strength, towns will be strong. https://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume01/sss01-23.pdf

Frontiers | Evaluating Hierarchical Diversity and Sustainability of Public Transport: From Metropolis to a Weak Transport Demand Area in Western Japan | Sustainable Cities the Shinkansen can not only strengthen the hierarchy of public transport networks but also improve the performance of other transport services in the city. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.667711/full?utm_source=F-AAE&utm_medium=EMLF&utm_campaign=MRK_1885330_a0P5800000IUuDXEA1_Sustai_20220614_arts_A

Uyghur-heritage candidate urges Japan to embrace diversity - Japan Today https://japantoday.com/category/politics/uyghur-heritage-candidate-urges-japan-to-embrace-diversity ?

Russian monk in Osaka leads peace procession - The Japan News Inspiring  https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/japan-focus/20220618-38723/

Greg Schwem: Have we allowed our children to become royal pains? | Opinion | ehextra.com Have you read? https://www.ehextra.com/opinion/greg-schwem-have-we-allowed-our-children-to-become-royal-pains/article_8de3f29a-ecc6-11ec-b466-4fefd5efc464.html

Why Lakes and Rivers Should Have the Same Rights as Humans | KarmaTube https://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=8586

Farmers cultivate a taste of home for foreign residents - The Japan News https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/delicious/20220607-35535/ https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/delicious/20220607-35535/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3629&pnespid=q_.Nn5cNuqaW4rTp.hv0tuZJvwkQqyhvxRAxQhZjq06VxHBivHeRFpPm8H.Mbed7PLhSiA

Galungan and Kuningan – Balinese Holiday https://www.twinkl.jp/event/galungan-and-kuningan-2022

Omicron is turning out to be a weak vaccine | The Japan Times Scientists do have one concrete piece of evidence: Unvaccinated people who have been infected with omicron get very little protection against sublineages of that virus. A South African study revealed a wide gap between vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the amount of antibodies generated after an omicron infection. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/06/05/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-omicron/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/06/05/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-omicron/?utm_source=pianoDNU&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=72&pnespid=quTMnplQ_vHF5Lbjrx625aYI.UkUqHNmkBAkFlE4qxaVo5tU5Uk8pBJOHaQKCNX_tNKz

For Japan's star poet Tanikawa, it's fun, not work, at 90 - Japan Today Tanikawa is among Japan's most famous modern poets, and a master of free verse on the everyday. https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/for-japan's-star-poet-tanikawa-it's-fun-not-work-at-90

Japan's Little India: Nishi Kasai|wagaya Journal https://wagaya-japan.com/en/journal_detail.php?id=7384

Little Tokyo in Chennai https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/little-tokyo-in-chennai/articleshow/26819744.cms

Researchers transform food waste into potentially edible 'cement' - Japan Today Tokyo University researchers Kota Machida and Yuya Sakai have developed a technology to transform food waste into potentially edible "cement" for construction use. https://japantoday.com/category/tech/Tokyo-Researchers-transform-food-waste-into-potentially-edible-cement ?