Lost and found

Our Man is quite used to being lost. In fact, he's made a career out of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, most notably as a cub reporter nipping out for a fag (in the British sense of the word) while covering President Bill Clinton's first speech of 1994, me thinks. While outside (Our Man did inhale), he completely missed the Prez and First Lady glad-handing everyone including his editor back in the building. Ah, the glory days of nicotine addiction. Anyway, Our Man is gratified to find others in his adopted home can get equally lost, with or without a Complicated map (pictured above). The excellent Observing Japan has more analysis of the LDP losing its way under Conservatives, Clientelists, and Koizumians and there's more evidence of the traditional media losing their grip (Japanese print media in crisis and Japan Times censors article about Soka Gakkai). Interestingly though, new media has its fair share of problems (Social Not Working? and Blog usage habits in Japan). Then there are the lost in translation posts worth a perusal (“Get Your Picture Taken with F*cking Angels” and Worst Place for a Christmas Party), although RDV knows a thing or two about how to say "to google" in Japanese (guGUttara?). But I'll leave the final word to a fellow Britisher's article I read in a newspaper (remember those?) - Moving back to socialism? - which valiantly defends pragmatists against ideologues. Moderation in all things, as Our Man's mother used to say.