暇人ぶぅのブログ一覧

In Japanese fire volunteer #1, I wrote how Japanese fire volunteer is insufficient to act in huge disaster while it does not help normal,everyday fire. Today, I'd like to write about Fire fighting competition, "SOUHOU" in Japanese. Whole name is "Competition of how to use pump". It is national wide competition and every Japanese fire volunteer must attend that match. This competition is tournament,
so there is city tournament, area tournament, district tournament and national tournament. I abbreviate Japanese fire volunteer as JFV in following text.
It is essential to train the members of JFV to be a efficient useful organization against fire and disaster. There was a simple welcome guidance when I entered JFV . I remember that city JFV chief was too heavy and said about his young day. He was proud of his carrier as JFV. Later, we sow short video of how JFV is efficient and be grateful by citizen in certain earthquake. After that, we use small pump and spray water for 1 minute. That was everything. I had thought to be trained as Fire department and was much disappointed. I hope I can be trained in each blanch but is was not. There is no efficient training build by institution in JFV. If one want to know how to use pump, you should ask fire department because most of JFV members does not know how to use pump in detail. Some of them knows how but they are not grad to teach it. Education is not their job and they are afraid of teaching wrong method. Needless to say, no JFV member knows how to fight fire in each case. They lack command skill as well as thinking skill. They can not imagine some day they have to be responsible to fire and disaster.
Instead, there is a sports competition "SOUHOU". JFV member compete how first and accurately spray down the target by pumping water. Is it sound nice?
Well, It might be if it is just one of trainings. Accualy, it is one one the most important event and cancer of JFV. Some say JFV "SYOUBOU DAN"
is "SOUHOU DAN".SYOUBOU means fire fighting .If there is 100 things JFV do in a year, 80 to 90 is"SOUHOU" training.
SOUHOU rule is strictly defined and it changes several times. How "SOUHOU" competiton goes on is hard to explain in word but you can easily find that in YOU TUBE. First team members gathers and salute in certain fashion. How salute is evaluated. Pump and water tank and target and house are set in certain place that is never seen in real fire case. They begin to act by the commander's voice and time is measured till the target go down. They act as if they are a machine. Is it necessary to act like that? It's like a traditional event. Every action they did is evaluated and small difference of angle of a hand when salute might be fatal. It is not useful in real case and stupid. JFV members often say it is necessary because it is basic fundamental training. I must agree that some point is necessary like how to begin a engine of pump and how to throw hose. But other action they do is not like gathering in line and salute.
If necessary, every member should be able to do "SOUHOU" in any position. For example, commander can not use pump. I think everybody should be able to use machines JFV has at least but almost no one can do that. "SOUHOU" is highly divided in role and specialist only knows their job. If you act as fire department member, it might be rational because there is no proble to define the role to members for they act in a cell. Of course they can do every role, I believe. But JFV is no such institution. Once a fire occurs, the member who can gather in that time must go. If there is no pump control member, they are at lost what to do. Such things rarely occurs because JFV does not go out if there is not enough skilled member. Actually, such talented person is not a "SOUHOU"
special. Because "SOUHOU" competition is so stupid and ill natured, member of "SOUHOU"game came to be the same. Like baseball, member A joined the "SOUHOU" as a first attacker again and again. In addition, such member is not required to join usual JFV activity in many branch. Therefore, Not all new guy are trained in "SOUHOU".
You now find "SOUHOU" is outdated useless tradition of JFV. But I have to say it is rather harmful. Since training of "SOUHOU" needs help, JFV members are required to join the training with game players. They clean the place, rewind hose, set equipment and dry wet hose. It takes about 2 hours and more. But every JFV members have their own job. To gather many people, "SOUHOU" training is often held in early morning and late night. For example, you
must awake in 4 and come back home in 6:30. How long does such training goes on? It depends on each branch's chief but usually it begin in November or December. It is held once or twice in the preceding year. In March and April, three times a week is normal. You may be asked to attend the special training held in night or Sunday morning.
Is player OK in such hard schedule? Of course not. It is quite usual that a player is injured in training. Sometimes, player died in hard training. Other members are also tied out by the training. Many member have to be divorced because of "SOUHOU". Even some are laid off or make mistakes in job.Why JFV member themselves for such stupid, useless game?
One reason is that OB member are influential. Since JFV consists of local residence, father and grandfather can be a member of that brunch. OB might be a member of council or other important position. Such OB force to do such activily or branch chief do so to grate the OB. Other members of that branch are not allowed to argue such activity. One reason why council member is so keen to "SOUHOU" is that they won the "SOUHOU"in old days. But in old times, "SOUHOU"is not such competitive game. They just prepare the game in a month or two. In addition, Japan was still rich and JFV is still necessary in fire case(see #1). People respect JFV because they fight fire and fire was quite horrible. Now everything have changed but old dog never learn new tricks! I have to point out
some current members of JFV is also due to such bad tradition. As you can clearly see, to attend every "SOUHOU" trainig is impossible for office worker and factory worked. Almost all good employee can not do such activity. Such person can not become chief. In JFV, chief is not elected between members. They are decided in upper class council. So, chief and sub chiefs are tend to be dog of OB and their job are "farmer""carpenter"and "manager". They have foundation of life and their family ,especially their father "understand" necessity of "SOUHOU" and JFV.
Another reason of why JFV obey OB is that OB pays some money.I am not sure how much but OB bribes JFV. In addition, if one branch won some games, city chief of JFV gave new equipment to that branch as a prize. How about council? OB council often use JFV member as election support and require to vote him so that he will ask city to give money or goods for that branch. Even new building might be built for the branch.
So, If you are asked to join JFV , do not join the JFV. It may break your family, your job, and your norm. If you say "SOUHOU"needs improvement, you are certainly forced to get out of that brunch and you are accounted as crazy man in local town. It is much better not to join JFV from the begining. Now you know the truth of JFV so you can save your time to know that. Quite small number of JFV brunch might be better but it is hard to know if it is "SYOUBOU DAN"or "SOUHOU DAN". One simple method is just ask how good prize the branch won in "SOUHOU". If it never won the prize, it may be not SOUHOU DAN". If it won the district tournament in recent years, NEVER join that JFV branch. I know many person who have to move outside that city to get out of that brunch! NEVER, never lose your important time and health by joining JFV. You can meet many local residents but those who enjoy such activity is,after all ,not worth to be friend with.

　・ＭＭＤは同じキャラに複数のモデルがいるものが居て、その筆頭はミクなんだけど、ほんといろんなタイプがあるんだなーと思う。第九回で目だったのはＴＡＤ式ミクとミクダヨーで、他にも定番になってるＬＡＴ式とかＤＩＶＡとか、ネタでしゅしゅミクとか。ＴＡＤ式改変でネルとかも出てきていて、どんどん現代的理想の美を追いかけていて、ちょっと恐ろしくも感じたりするのだけれど、一方で古い定番ミクもいいなーと思うようになってきた。月並みな言い方だけれど、キャラに頼ってない分、ストーリーや見せ方に独自性があって、それほどすごくもないモデルでも充分見せてくれるというか。その筆頭がラブ式ミクで、これはプレＭＭＤの時代からある某エロゲのカスタム要素で作られた３ＤモデルをＭＭＤ用に改変したものなので、まあ完全に古いモデルでもないが、根本はかなり古い。当然キャラ単体で見ると似てない感じなのだが、なぜかドラマ要素で使われると恐ろしい威力を発揮する。クセのある漫画の絵とでも言おうか、美形モデルでやると多分世界一さんとかネタになる物がそうならないというか。でもＩＳＡＯ式はミクだとかなり美形な部類だよな？イメージが大事という事だろうか？
　　とは言え新しいモデルの表情や仕草の自然さはすごい物がある。ままま式ＧＵＭＩはあんまりにも完成度が高すぎて、その他のＧＵＭＩが無くなってしまった感がある。反面、こういう理想の女性を見過ぎると、三次元に興味がなくなるんじゃないかと余計な心配もしてしまうよね。実際にはこれらのモデルはかなりディフォルメされていて、よく美少女キャラの骨格とか書くと眼窪が非常に大きくなったりアゴが小さくなって「これ人間じゃないんじゃない？」とか言われる訳だが。
　　面白い事に、この人間に「似ている」という要素は好感度とは比例関係にはないらしい。全く似ていなければ、それに関心は払われないし、１００％同じなら当然ながら人間と認識する。その間基本的には忠実度が高い方が好感度も上がるらしいのだが、１００％の一歩手前、９０％とか９５％の段階で人は嫌悪感を覚えるのだそうだ。例えばロボットなんかＲ２Ｄ２やＣ３ＰＯだと愛らしいロボットな訳だが、それが人間に近くなっていくとある時点で嫌悪感を催すようになる。大学の実験室の表情ロボットとかね。動画で６８万円のダッチワイフの奴があったが、あれも私には呪いの人形というか無機質で怖いようなカットもあった。もちろん、大きな目や小さい口という特徴は子供に似ているので、そういう意味で親和度が高いという意見もあるが、ＭＭＤキャラが人間を忠実に再現する方に向かっている訳ではないのは確かだ。こういう好感度の逆転部分をさして「不気味の谷」と言うらしい。経験則なので明確な答えはまだ出てないそうだが、私には「死体」との峻別を原因とする説がなかなか説得性があるように思われる。というか、怪談を読んでいると、日本的なソレの怖さはまさに不気味の谷としか思えない物が多いからだ。
　　なぜ不気味の谷が存在するのか？レベルＥ的に考えるなら、「かつて人間には捕食する側がいて、それが擬態して接近するため、擬態看破能力がある個体が選別されている」（宇宙生物学より）とかありそう。実際怪談なんかでも、母親が二階に来て不自然に思っていたら本物が帰ってきたとか、その手の物も多いし、幽霊との区別が最初つかない類のもある。まあ、高度に人間に似てくると一般的な認識回路ではなく共感のような自分の感覚に落とし込んで感じる傾向があるので、それに落とし込めなくなる事に違和感を感じるのかも知れない。例えばマシンマンインターフェイスの一つに表情を使った状態表示があるのだが、それは表情による状態察知はとても感覚的で正確で手短だからという理由だそうだ。もっとも、それは対人間インターフェイスの段階であって、「どうやって機械の状態を表情で表すか」という部分の正確性はアレな訳だが。同様に、ＳＦアニメの一部では大型ロボットが擬人化されたコミュニケーション個体を持っている事もあるのも、萌えとか話しのわかりやすさという問題はさておき、ある程度妥当な設定だろう。最近だと霧の艦隊の戦艦の人型思考回路が面白かった。あっちは対人インターフェイスを備える必要がないＡＩなので、なんでかは逆に漫画の謎のコアになっているが。しかしＡＩにしてしまうと、本質的には人間とは異なるロジックなので、きっと擬人化しても違和感は消えないんだろうね。

　　少し話しを飛躍させると、車というのもＭＭＤモデルに似ている。次々と新しい物が発売され、ミクロで見ていると確かに良くなっているのだが、案外昔のムスッとしたようなモデルが魅力的に見えたり、性能だけじゃない部分で人が好感を持ったりしている。そして、それが何かに近づきすぎた時、これまで感じていた新型の良さが逆に不気味に感じられていないだろうか？少し前の車だが、セリカのＳＴ１８５には一時期非常に強い不快感を感じたのを覚えている。今はむしろ好きなデザインで、ＳＴ２０５より好きなんだが、当時なぜあれほど不気味に感じたのかよく分からない。今度な人間側が学習して、機械にすりよって行っているのかも知れない。それが一部のプロの間では進み、逆に多くの大衆では離れて、今の車離れって現象があるのかも知れない。昔の車ってのは無条件で憧れの対象であり、例えば免許がない小学生でも虜にさせる何かがあったのだが、今の子供ってそういう事がないのは、もう純粋に車の魅力ってのが分かりづらくなっているからじゃないだろうか？進歩しすぎたって訳だ。
　　ここで過去を懐かしんでも始まらない。例えば１９３０年代のイタリアの車のように、走る芸術品のような工芸品が大量生産されうる訳じゃないし、性能的にも現代の車の方がはるかに優れているのは当たり前だ。かと言って人間はすり寄るのが老人ばっかりだ。という事は、車に擬似人格的インターフェイスを与えてみたらどうだろうか？ナイト２０００みたいにしゃべるとか、痛車のようにかわいい女子の外見にしてしまうとか・・・発想がオタクだし、しゃべる痛車が発売されたら、私は乗りませんけどね。いや、真面目な話し、痛車＝萌え絵という図式が崩れれば、そういう車にしてみたいという気はしますが、あまり良いモチーフが存在しないんですよね。アニメでもタバコと車はすっかり出番が減りましたし、３ＤＣＧの車はどこか無機質でいかにもオブジェクトって感じです。走り屋アニメの真似はちょっと趣旨が違いますし。