Since yesterday, the wind has become very strong, and the weather feels almost like a storm. There is a little sunshine now, but the wind is still strong. However, for this time of year, it is quite warm, and it feels like the wind is blowing from the south. There is a large river in front of my workshop, so strong winds can feel a bit frightening. Because of this, I need to take some precautions. Yesterday, I did a little repair work the workshop, and I am planning to do more of it today as well.
At my home, we subscribe to a printed newspaper. It is a regular, general newspaper. In Japan, there are five major nationwide newspaper companies. Two of them mainly focus on business and economic news, so that means there are three major general newspapers. Of course, there are also many local newspapers that are published only in specific regions.
For about twenty years, we have continued subscribing to one of the three major national newspapers at our current home. For the past few years, we have been reading Asahi Shimbun (photo). However, starting in February, we decided to switch to Yomiuri Shimbun. All of these are large newspaper companies, but among them, Yomiuri Shimbun is the largest. By the way, the other major newspaper is called Mainichi Shimbun. Some years ago, the delivery and sales person who used to handle our Asahi Shimbun subscription moved to a Yomiuri Shimbun sales office. Last year, he visited our home and asked if we would consider subscribing. In Japan, it is possible to subscribe to a newspaper from the same sales office for an unlimited period, but many people choose contracts that last from a few months to about two years, and then decide whether to renew. When our current contract period ended, we decided that this time we would switch to Yomiuri Shimbun.
I am not sure how it is in other countries, but in Japan, newspaper subscription sales used to be quite a social issue. These days it is no longer a problem, but in the past, some salespeople used very strong language or even stayed in front of a house until a contract was signed. Now, they usually bring small gifts or offer discounts instead. Forced subscriptions have disappeared. This may be because public awareness and social pressure have become stronger. This time as well, they offered a slightly lower subscription price than my current newspaper. Of course, that was not the main reason for switching 😅. Still, since it is a monthly payment, the small discount is certainly helpful.
In recent years, the number of people who subscribe to printed newspapers has dropped sharply in Japan. Especially among younger people, many do not read newspapers at all. Since news and information can be found easily on the internet, this may be natural. I also know that some people criticize newspapers for having various ties and for being biased. Even so, I personally like reading printed text, so I still subscribe to a newspaper. I also enjoy being able to read about fields and topics that I do not usually come into contact with. In addition to news, I like reading letters and opinions sent in by readers. Through newspapers, I can read the thoughts and experiences of older people, which I do not often see online. A newspaper is delivered to my home every day by a real person, and in that sense, it feels like a small luxury 😊. My parent’s home have subscribed to Yomiuri Shimbun for a very long time, so I have been familiar with it since childhood. Because of that, I sometimes think about choosing a different newspaper, but since I cannot go to my parents’ house every day to read it, I feel this choice is fine. The new newspaper subscription will start on February 1.
