A few days ago when you made the introductory post about Japan, I felt I had misread the part where you stated that someone asked whether the ABCs was learnt in the university. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. And to even imagine that the questioner was a "director" of English learning is unpardonable and, in fact, justifies your words that:

But the whole English-education system in Japan is quite screwed up, and almost beyond redemption or repair.

I still cannot imagine how you managed to keep your job under such circumstances except perhaps that you were passionate about teaching English.

Lately, I have come to realize, perhaps incorrectly, that the average people in the "developed" world seem to be generally ignorant about the other world. And this stems largely from the fact that they feel they have a superior culture. The exceptions are academics and vast travellers like you.

A westerner once asked me if Africa was a village and whether all black people know each other.

All the same, I have had a nice time reading these new Japanese series. Keep the good work up sir.