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11 .22Encounter with a Rock StarDuring the recent summer vacation I enjoyed an overseas trip to Europe and my home country of the United Kingdom. I had a marvellous time enjoying the sights, sound and food of Greece, then headed to London for my last week where I hung out with old friends and immersed myself in the incredible sights and culture of Britain’s capital.It had been a fantastic holiday. But on my last evening in London, even I couldn’t believe what happened! That night I met two friends for dinner at a well-known vegetarian restaurant. As we entered the restaurant and took our seats, I was astonished to see, sitting at the next table, the legendary British rock star Jimmy Page! Younger readers of this blog (anyone born after, say, 1970), will probably say, “Jimmy who?” But Page is one of the great rock guitarists of all time. Together with the American blues-rock genius Jimi Hendrix and British blues legend Eric Clapton, he probably forms the ‘holy trinity’ of 1960s rock guitarists. His band Led Zeppelin defined heavy rock and were undoubtedly the biggest band in the world from 1969 to 1975. Their albums sold by the millions and their tours ( they were an incredible live act) broke attendance records set by The Beatles.As soon as I saw him I excitedly said to myself, “Oh my god! JIMMY PAGE!” My friends didn’t recognize him at first, but I did immediately. He was dressed in his familiar rock star style of black leather jacket and jeans, with his characteristic grey hair pulled back into a bun.It was amazing to be sitting only one meter from a rock legend, but we decided to ‘play it cool’, pretending not to notice him. This turned out to be a good idea because he was enjoying a family dinner with his daughter. The last thing we would have wanted would be to interrupt a private occasion. What surprised me was that he was sitting right in the middle of the dining room with all the other customers, they hadn’t given him a more isolated and private position in the room. And the most surreal thing was that I could continually hear Jimmy’s voice - familiar from tv and radio interviews - in my ear for the whole 2 hours as he talked about recording studios and whatnot with his daughter.After we left the restaurant, I was glad we hadn’t approached Mr. Page and potentially spoiled his evening. Anyway, what would I have said? “Hi Jimmy, I love your music” ? It sounds banal and is the kind of thing he’s heard a million times before. Anyway, some people say you should never meet your heroes! You’ll only be disappointed, they can never satisfy your impossible expectations of them.So, yeah, part of me would have loved to discuss my favorite blues artists with a rock legend. And it would have been great to impress my friends by saying, “I met Jimmy Page!” But we did the right thing. We respected a celebrity enough to leave him alone. For his fans, the legend, the essence of Jimmy Page lies in his remarkable music, not in his private life. And I can marvel at that music and enjoy it in my own privacy as often as I want for the rest of my days.Photo Credit: Clem Odojeghuo at Pexels.comDale Ward
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11 .18A Brief History of the HandshakeOne of the most visible cultural differences between Japan and my country (the U.K.) is how people greet each other when they first meet. Even though I have lived in Japan for a long time, my first instinct when meeting someone is to put out my hand, ready to shake. But when and where did the handshake greeting begin? I did a bit of research to find out….Of course, the handshake is pretty familiar all over the world nowadays, even if many countries don’t actually use it as a greeting, but where did handshaking start? Apparently, the origin can be traced back to Greece around 2,500 years ago. In ancient Greece (and many other countries) it was quite common to carry a weapon. People would touch their right hands together as a sign of peace. Of course, if you touch hands then you are showing that you’re not holding a weapon (unless you’re left-handed like me!)The touching of hands seems to have changed into an aggressive arm-grab during the era of the Roman Empire. You would grab the other person’s forearm (not hand) and shake the other person’s arm to be sure that they weren’t hiding any secret weapons up their sleeve. After shaking hands (arms!) and becoming friends, it was common (as it was and is in many cultures) to then share a drink (usually alcohol) to celebrate the new friendship. This is where the ‘cheers!’ gesture comes from. People would hit their cups together very strongly so that the liquid in each cup would mix together. If one person was trying to poison the other person, the poison would end up mixing in both cups, so mixing the liquid from both cups showed that nobody was trying to poison anyone. Finally, the new friends could trust each other.Handshaking is not just for greetings. It is also used to make a promise to another person. Making a promise with words is fine, but if you also use a handshake then it makes the promise more meaningful and powerful. The other effect of the handshake is to try to show that both people are equally respected. Both arms are level and at the same height, which is a symbol of both people being equal as humans. This is rather different from bowing, where one person is showing that they do not feel equal to the other person (for example, you bow more deeply if you are bowing to a boss).But is the handshake becoming less popular? Apparently, yes. A recent survey in the USA shows that 49% percent of Americans sometimes choose the fist bump over a handshake greeting. I have seen this myself often among athletes such as Premier League footballers before matches. Maybe the handshake will eventually die out and be replaced by the fist bump? It’s certainly a healthier option than the traditional handshake, which, when you think about it, is an easy way for bacteria to spread from one person to another.Maybe I’ll start using the fist bump in future!(Photo Credit: Cytonn Photophy@Pexels.Com)Simon Ball
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11 .15Explore the Finnish LifestyeHave you ever been to Finland?
What images do you come up with when you hear the name of this country?
Santa Claus? Aurora? Sauna? Moomin?
I visited Finland to learn about their lifestyle and education during this summer vacation. After returning my trip, I believe that Finland is a great travel destination and I want to go there again. However, many of you have not thought about traveling to Finland before. Therefore, I am very happy to share some information about Finland and I hope you will become interested in this country! Here are 3 things you should know before traveling to Finland.
1) Nature
As you arrive in Finland, all you can see is lush, green nature! Nature is very important for Finnish people and they never live far away from parks and forests. To experience their lifestyle, I took a hike in the national park. I had a great time in the quiet forest with beautiful calm lakes. I also picked berries and ate them there, as well as met and talked with people who told me how essential being in nature is to “recharge your battery.” When you travel to Finland, don’t forget to put “recharging your batteries in forest” on your itinerary! The breath-taking view of nature will surely be a part of your travel memories.
2) High tax & Public services
In Finland, you have to be careful when you go shopping. Basically, pretty much everything is expensive in Finland! In order to finance the expensive welfare state model, the Finnish government needs to highly tax most things. The tax is called “VAT (Value Added Tax)” and even tourists must pay this extra 24%. Although this extremely high tax can be a burden when you plan a trip, Finnish people’s life and welfare are supported by this tax system. As proof of this, fees related to all education and welfare are free. Also, there are a great amount of public facilities that people visit and use for free. “Oodi”, a new central library established in 2018, is one of the best facilities in Finland. It provides a wide range of service to visitors for free, including musical instruments, computer games, special sawing machines, and even 3D printers! It is an internationally famous new sightseeing spot, so you should definitely visit there!
3) Language & Education
The Finnish education system is one of the best in the world. And, of course, it is free! Whoever wants to study hard can go to university regardless of their family background and financial condition. Not all high school graduates go to university. About half of them go to university to study and the other half go to Polytechnic, where they can take hands-on training and acquire specific skills for jobs. In Finland, people are regarded as significant national resources, so the government has tried to improve their educational system and support the education/career goals of individuals.
In addition, the official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Also, Finnish people speak English very well. I did not hear any strong accents in their English. So, if you speak English, you can communicate freely!
There are a lot more things I want to share with you, such as food, Moomin, design, etc. However, I will not share everything with you, since I recommend you to go and explore more by yourself.
Let’s take a trip to Finland!
Kiitos paljon!Kikuchi Nagisa -
11 .11A Sad Day, and a New DiscoveryLast year a very expensive accident happened at my home. My youngest daughter accidentally spilled “mugicha” all over the Apple laptop computer I used for work...and I wasn’t quick enough to save it. Nor was I successful in trying to repair it afterward. Although it was a sad time, I put on a brave face and told my daughter not to worry as I knew I would be able to find a good laptop to replace it.I didn’t want to spend too much money as I only needed a laptop for basic office work. My challenge was to find one that was cheap yet good enough to accomplish all my work tasks: prepare for my classes, write academic papers etc... I first looked at Apple and Windows laptops but I quickly found them to be too expensive.Then, by chance, I found laptops similar in power to the Windows and Apple ones but these were much cheaper. These laptops were Chromebooks, laptops supported by Google, and they were much cheaper in part because they have a very simple OS (Operating System). Moreover, I was happy to find that the Chromebook I wanted was only 60000 yen with shipping on amazon.com (USA) versus 80000 yen with shipping on amazon.co.jp (Japan), which meant 20000 yen in savings for me.When I received it after two weeks or so, I was happy… but I couldn’t do everything I wanted because of google’s simple OS. I couldn’t install software to do professional sound/video recording/editing.After reading online, I found the answer to my problem. The answer was to include Linux OS on my Chromebook. Linux OS is a completely free OS made by volunteer programmers that can be installed on any computer, even Chromebooks. Now I have two operating systems on my work laptop. If I only want to do simple tasks like email and web browsing, I use Chrome. If I want to do video/sound editing or install new software, I use Linux.One of the greatest advantages of Linux is that it’s very lightweight. In comparison to bigger operating systems like Windows 10 and MacOS, it doesn’t use much of your computer’s resources. I was surprised to see that my cheaper Chromebook with Linux could operate at the same speed as laptops which are much more expensive. All in all, although losing my old laptop to “mugicha” was a sad day, I wouldn’t change that day as it made me discover another good yet cheap product in Chromebooks, and a free yet very good operating system in Linux.(Photo: pexels.com@burst)Louis Lafleur
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11 .08Becoming better at job interviewsAs a supervisor of the BBP, I am sometimes asked by students how to prepare for a job interview in English. For example, I was recently asked how to get ready for a group interview at a business consultancy; i.e, Deloitte Touché, Tata, or McKinsey. While there are many aspects to performing well on such an interview, being able to express yourself clearly is paramount. Most people realize this, but they do not know how to improve their ability to communicate, especially on their own. To such people, I often suggest watching clips of the television program Dragon's Den which are readily available on YouTube.Dragons’ Den is a British reality TV program in which entrepreneurs attempt to get money and support for their new companies from experienced business people. The format for the show is based on the Japanese program, Tigers of Money(マネーの虎). In each episode, a person seeking an investment explains the merits of an idea and answers questions about it. If the entrepreneur’s presentation is successful, he or she receives an investment in exchange for a financial stake in the company. For example, in one-episode entrepreneurs were able to get an investment of around 12,000,000 yen for a bicycle helmet that had rechargeable lights and signals built into it.Watching Dragons’ Den is a good way to prepare for a job interview at a consultancy for at least three reasons. For one, it exposes you to new business trends and ways of thinking that will help you view future issues from more perspectives. For another, you will be able to observe how people express themselves concisely. In the process, you will come to understand the information business people value and how to differentiate between essential and superfluous information. Finally, it will give you the chance to watch and learn from real negotiations. By doing this, you can pick up tricks for building rapport, defusing contentious situations, and standing your ground.As there are many Dragons’ Den highlights on YouTube, you can access them easily at your convenience. In addition, since the clips are often less than 20 minutes long, they can be fit into even busy schedules. Ideally the clips will make you so familiar with negotiations that you will be free of anxiety and ready to shine in your next interview.Reference: BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006vq92)Robert Perkins
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11 .04Playing at DiversityWith the Rugby World Cup finishing this year and the Japanese team making it close to the finals, I think there is still much to celebrate even though they didn’t win the championship. The fact they made it there is an achievement for East Asia in how usually the only other teams from the Pacific would be a part of Oceania. I fully expect even more future generations of Japanese people, men, and women, to take an interest in playing the sport. At the same time, I couldn’t help but notice the diverse backgrounds represented in the team. While some of this could have been just to help the team, I hope in the long-term the slogan of “One Team” becomes a saying used to describe Japan by improving the present and ensuring future well-being.At present, most would not look at Japan and think of a diverse country. Even though there is an international community present, they do not exist here naturally. In recent years, they are largely here by choice, and many have made Japan their home. When that is presented on television and other media, though, it is usually presented in a sense of “foreignness.” Maybe background and lifestyle choices are given attention, and perhaps focus is given to difficulties experienced in Japan. Still, it is mostly in the context of being outside the culture, not a part of it. Even children born of biracial families with one Japanese parent will be casually referred to as “half” in society, but you cannot be both half and whole, not one and less than one. These ideas are counter to being “one” made popular with the rugby team and would be good to make a part of daily practice in Japan now.This acceptance would also make sense for Japan in the future. With the well-known population problem facing the country in the coming years, solutions will have to come from outside Japan to help. Television and other media may focus on foreigners as a source of labor, but history, both recent and distant, is full of problems when labeling of people from other countries to only cheap labor. Instead of viewing foreigners as a set of hands to get dirty, this idea of being a part of “one team” should also be encouraged. The future of Japan will not look like it does now, and that is okay.People you see to your left and right on a train in the future may have hair that is grayer, but it also may be blonder, browner, and redder. That does not need to be taken as a threat to Japanese culture because, like members of the international community today, they will probably be here by choice. There is something about Japan that makes them want to stay, and that means Japan lives in them. Japan may look differently, but Japanese culture carries on in a diverse people. Japan will still be one.Jesse Patterson
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11 .01How to memorize English vocabularyPhoto by Paul Chilson https:www.pinterest.com/blueump/
Have you ever had trouble remembering new English words, particularly technical terms? When you try to remember new words, how do you usually do that? Here’s one possible effective way of memorizing new words. Let’s have a look through examples of medical English terms.
Before starting, I’ll talk about “Morphology.” In a nutshell, morphology is the study of words. Morphemes are the minimal units of words which have a meaning and cannot be subdivided further. Morphemes have two main types: free and bound. Free morphemes can occur alone and bound morphemes must occur with another morpheme. For example, there’s a word “unimportant.” Can you see this word consists of two morphemes? That’s “un” and “important.” Now, which morpheme is free and which is bound?The answer is:
Free morpheme: important
Bound morpheme: un
“Un” is bound because it cannot stand alone though it has a meaning. It must be attached to another morpheme to produce a word. Like “un,” affixes are often the bound morpheme and they will be a key for remembering new words. The popular affixes are prefixes and suffixes. A prefix is added to the front of a word and a suffix is added to the end of a word.
Examples:
Prefix: dis- , com- , re- , mis- , tri-
Suffix: -able , -ness , -er(or) , -ish , -less
If you have deep knowledge of prefixes and suffixes, it can be a big help to remember new words and increase your vocabulary size.
This is a common strategy for remembering words and it can be applied to storing technical terms as well. Here, technical terms mean “medical English terms.” Medical English terms have a feature, that is; a frequent use of morphemes specialized in the field. Therefore, it can be a shortcut for memorizing medical terms efficiently to know affixes including a prefix and suffix used frequently in the medical field.
Basically, a medical English word consists of:
Prefix + Root + Linking Vowel Sound + Suffix
Because medical English terms are composed in this manner, many of them are long. Therefore, it can be very difficult to remember a meaning without following a pattern. It’s much easier to remember words by breaking a word down into each morpheme.
Example: ar – rhythm – ia
ar- (prefix) rhythm (root) -ia (suffix)
un-, in- heartbeat state of illness
So, arrhythmia means an irregular heartbeat.
In medical English terms, it is often said that prefixes generally show numbers and positions. Roots, which are a core part of a word, generally show body parts including organs. Then, suffixes generally show condition and symptoms. Here are some examples of each morpheme. They are all popular in the medical English terms.
<Prefix>
Meaning
anti- against
dys- difficult, bad
hyper- above, excessive
hypo- under, below
mal- bad, wrong, ill
<Root>
Meaning
abdomin- belly
cardi- heart
dent- tooth
neur- nerve
derm- skin
<Suffix>
Meaning
-gram drawing
-itis inflammation
-oma tumor
-pathy disease
-rrhea flow
It is of course important to have a lot of knowledge about roots as they are core parts of a word but even having knowledge about prefixes and suffixes will help you memorize new words. Moreover, the knowledge about them helps you guess meanings when you face new vocabulary. Here, I showed the examples of medical words, but you can make your own morpheme list based on the field you’re interested in. I hope the way shown in the blog helps you remember new words!The BBP Staff -
10 .25Rugby Union Explained SimplyThe Rugby Union World Cup is happening in Japan from September 20 to November 3, 2019. France is set to host the next one in 2023. If you have been watching the world cup and said: “What is going on?” I am here to help you with that.About rugbyRugby is a physical sport. It is a popular sport in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and France. The object of the game is to score points against your opponents while stopping them from scoring.Each rugby team consists of 15 players. There are 8 forwards, big men that do a lot of the hard work in the game. Trying to run the ball, tackling, scrums, line-outs, and mauls. They have the number 1 - 8 on their jersey so it is easy to find them on the field. Then there are 7 backs. (number 9 - 15) they are usually the smaller quicker players. And they are sometimes the last line of defense, or they are the quick ones who try to get through the opponent's gaps when attacking.Rugby is played on a rectangular field, 100m long by 70m wide. There is a try zone at both ends of the field and H shaped goalposts. The sport is played with an egg-shaped ball. The game is played in two 40 minute halves. The half ends when there is a stoppage in play after 40 minutes. For example, when the ball is kicked out, knocked on, or there are penalties against the attacking team.Scoring in rugbyThere are 4 ways to get points in rugby.1 - TryThis is when your team gets the ball into the try zone and touches it on the ground there. It is worth 5 points.2 - conversionThis happens after a try. Your team has a chance to get 2 more points after the try if they can kick the ball between the goalposts. So if you want a better chance at those two points you want to touch the ball to the ground closer to the goalposts. You use a stand to hold the ball in place when you kick it. Regular playtime is stopped for a minute to let the team try to convert. The other team can try to block the kick if they are fast enough.3 - Penalty kickThis is 3 points. When the opposing team does something bad to you, the referee might give you an option to kick for touch or kick for points. It is up to the team. But this is done exactly like the conversion. Regular playtime is stopped for a minute but the team cannot block the kick.4 - Drop GoalA drop goal is 3 points. It is similar to the conversion or penalty kick where you have to kick the ball between the goalposts. The only difference is that with a drop goal, you might have people trying to tackle you as you are doing this. Regular playtime is not stopped, and you have to drop the ball on the ground once before you kick it between the goalposts. You have to drop it correctly or it will be a knock-on.Some important information when watching the gameTackle: -When you wrap your arms around an attacking player with the ball and bring them to the ground. Tackles should not be dangerous. For example, no arms above the neck, no lifting and turning a player over 90 degrees, and no no-arm tackles.If are tackled, you have to release the ball. So you have to hope your teammates are close-by to grab the ball.If you are the tackler you can try to take the ball from the player you tackled. However, you have to be supporting your own weight on your feet. The minute you are supporting your weight on your hands, or knees. You cannot try to take the ball.RuckA ruck is formed when the teams try to get the ball from the tackled player. When a ruck is formed, it means that the ball is protected and that players from the team that doesn’t have the ball, cannot try to grab it anymore. Unless it is not under anyone in the ruck. Then the ball is considered out, and anyone can try to grab the ball.Knock-onWhen the player with the ball loses it and it falls in front of the player. The other team gets the ball and feeds it into the scrum.Forward pass:Passes in rugby should be to the players behind you. If you pass the ball and it goes towards the opponent's try line, that is considered a forward pass, and the other team gets a ball to feed into a scrum.Scrum: -This is when the 8 forwards from both teams fight for a ball that is put in by a scrum half. You will see this after knock-ons, forward passes, held up tries, and kicking out of bounds from the start off.Both teams have to try to keep the scrum up. If it collapses then the referee will try to see who is collapsing it and will penalise the team for collapsing the scrum.If the ball exits the scrum, then anyone can try to take or use the ball. But you have to be careful. If it is under the foot of a player it is considered to be still in the scrum.Line out:When the ball goes off the field the ball is thrown back into the field. If no-one besides the players on the field has touched the ball, then it is OK for the teams to throw it back in quickly and start the game. If not they do a line out. In a line out, the team throwing the ball into the field again, get to choose how many players will jump to get the ball. Usually, you will have 3 - 5 people in the line. You have to throw the ball straight down the middle of the gap the teams make and hope that your team gets the ball back.Maul:A maul is when a player is tackled but is kept on their feet by both teams.If the tackled player can release the ball to their teammates they can keep it. And they can use all members to push the ball forward towards the try line. If the maul stays still and doesn’t move, they are issued a warning to get the ball out of the maul and to start passing the ball. They have 2 warnings before they are penalised.If the player cannot pass the ball to his players, the two teams push against each other. The team with the more forward momentum is declared the winner and gets the ball.When a maul has formed, it cannot be collapsed by the opposing team, unless they have tackled the person with the ball and have brought them down. This leads to a penalty.You cannot enter a maul from the side. If you are pushed away from the maul, you have to run to the back and join again.Set play:A set play if usually a rehearsed move that the players use. They are usually done at the line out or the scrum. These are the times of the game where they know where everyone is and play a routine that will help them maximise their chances of scoring.Double movement:When a player is tackled to the ground and his held by the tackler they have to release the ball. If they try to move along the ground while still being held it is called a double movement and they will be penalised.Advantage:For small things that happen like knock-ons, forward passes, offsides, the referee will play an advantage if the team receiving the penalty has the ball. This means that the game will continue to see if the team receiving the penalty can do something with it. For example, score a try, or move down the field. If yes, he will call advantage and there is no stoppage for a penalty. If there was no advantage then he will stop the play and call the penalty.Short arm penalty:Given for technical offense committed by the opposing side such as numbers at the line out or time wasting at a scrum. A free kick is given, however, if they kick for touch the other team gets the throw in.Longarm penalty:Most penalties are longarm. These penalties allow the team some options. Either kick for touch and then have a line out or take a penalty kick.Conceded try:When the defending team does something that results in a yellow or red card that stops the team from scoring a try when they look like they will score a try. This usually happens when the attacking team is close to the opponent's try line.Yellow card:A player has repeated penalties or does something dangerous, the player is sent off for 10 minutes. He can only rejoin after the 10 minutes and there is a stop in play.Red card:If the player receives a second yellow card or does something extremely dangerous, they are sent off for the rest of the game. The team goes down to 14 members for the rest of the game.I am sure that there are many things that I am missing. However, this is enough information to get you up and running to understand Rugby Union and enjoy the world cup.The BBP Staff
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10 .18Safe Summer Hiking in JapanLast year over 3,000 people got into difficulties in the mountains of Japan. Of these, 342 died or are still missing. A large percentage of these accidents and fatalities occurred during the summer months, when large numbers of walkers venture into the Japanese mountains to enjoy hiking amongst the breathtaking scenery. However, due to the sudden increase in popularity of this pastime, many hikers lack experience and are often unprepared.If you are thinking of hiking in the Japanese mountainside, here are some tips to make your trip safer and more pleasurable.Take a map and compass. Don’t rely only on guidebooks or your smartphone. The most popular maps in Japan are Shobunsha’s Yama-to-Kogen 1:50,000 maps. These are easily available from most bookshops and give adequate coverage for most hikes. They include predicted timings for different sections of routes which are surprisingly accurate. 1:25,000 scale maps offer much more detail but are not so easily available. If you feel you can’t live without an app then YAMAP provides a good one. However, remember signals are notoriously poor in remote areas.
Carry enough water. Summer in Japan is hot even at altitude. Many Japanese mountains do have natural springs, and mountain huts usually have a supply of water where you can refresh your water bottle. However, you should still carry at least 3 liters of water during the summer months. You will be surprised how quickly you go through it in the heat.
Get insurance. Usually the last thing on your mind is being rescued. However, if you are lost, sick or injured on a mountain it may be your only option. Helicopter rescues can cost around 400,000 yen so you are advised to buy insurance, particularly for longer treks. YAMAP offers some reasonable and flexible insurance options from 280 yen per day, or 480 yen for a whole 30 days' cover. Link below:
https://yamap.com/insurance
Take the right gear. Weather can change rapidly and rain can quickly turn a warm summer hike into freezing cold misery. Always carry some rain gear with you. Also, even in summer carry a warm layer such as a fleece or down jacket. This will be especially welcome if you find yourself having to spend an unplanned night out in the open because you are lost or injured. On this note always carry a torch or headlamp, just in case you find yourself out after dark.
A large percent of reported injuries are from walkers slipping or falling. The mountain paths above 1000m are often very rugged with lots of loose, jagged rocks. Good footwear is essential. Use purpose made hiking shoes or boots. Lightweight Gore-Tex hiking shoes and boots are fine in the summer and autumn months, but avoid training shoes. These have poor grip in the wet and little protection for your feet on the craggy mountain paths. Additionally, get some hiking poles. A pair of hiking poles will offer a welcome relief for your knees on the way down. Additionally you get some extra stability; many accidents occur on the descent when tired climbers slip and fall.
Finally be flexible. Be prepared to change your itinerary if you feel exhausted or the weather changes. In 2009 a group of 21 hikers were caught in a rainstorm while summer hiking in Hokkaido. Instead of remaining in the mountain lodge where they were staying, they decided to keep to their itinerary and pushed on through the storm. 10 climbers died from exposure. This was a senseless and avoidable waste of life. Remember it's OK to change your plans, just quit and call it a day if things are not going your way.Chris Pond