PUBLISHER’S NOTE Indulgence in?

By Hatakeyama Noboru

Last spring a seminar aimed at Now every major newspaper in Having said all this, I have been spreading the Japanese language to Japan carries Sudoku in its wondering why people who have a lot non-Japanese speakers was held by the weekend editions. If you do not of experience in work and in private Japan Foundation. The event fea- want to buy Sudoku books, you can lives are so attracted to Sudoku. A tured a dialogue in Japanese between also download the off the friend of mine who had retired from H.E. Mr. Graham Fry, the UK ambas- Internet and you can enjoy a virtually government said: “When we were sador to Japan, and H.E. Mr. unlimited number of Sudoku free of working for the government of Japan, Domingo Siazon, the ambassador charge. there were many important issues. from the Philippines. Since I know It is not only in Japan that Sudoku When we successfully resolved the both of them and I am interested in has proliferated. Last summer an issues, we got lots of satisfaction, and spreading the Japanese language to the Indian company held a seminar in we were filled with a sense of achieve- rest of the world, I attended the semi- Karuizawa, a prestigious resort in ment. After retiring from govern- nar, which, if I am allowed to exagger- central Japan. During lunch time, I ment, we have not had such a sense ate a bit, has changed my private life. went to a table seated by around 10 of achievement. Sudoku, once solved, On the podium, the two ambas- Indians and asked them if they knew might give you a similar sense of sadors were talking with each other in Sudoku. Each one of them replied yes achievement.” eloquent Japanese. In the middle of and asked me: “Are there any For the last 10 years I had been their conversation, Ambassador Fry Japanese who do not know Sudoku?” writing a diary every day. I have referred to a Japanese word, which I Last autumn, during a flight from stopped writing a diary now. For the did not know. After I went back Japan to the United States, an last 10 years I have been doing oil home, I hesitantly asked my wife American gentleman sitting next to painting. Now, I paint just enough about the meaning of the word. She me seemed to be reading USA Today. to fulfill my obligations for the art said: “Don’t you know Sudoku? It has Actually he was solving a Sudoku puz- exhibitions organized by the clubs come into vogue all over Japan now.” zle printed in the newspaper. He where I belong. My sleeping hours She appeared surprised at my igno- kindly shared the solution have been cut by one and a half hours rance about a fashionable trend in my with me and told me that the airline on average. All these happened just own country. Thus, my wife taught magazine carried a Sudoku puzzle. because of my indulgence in Sudoku. me how to play Sudoku. Since then I Right from the start, this game However, I am confident that I will have indulged in this mind-bending spread quickly outside Japan. The never feel bored as long as I can play game. original model was apparently invent- Sudoku. Sudoku somewhat resembles a cross- ed in Switzerland in the 18th century. word puzzle. There are 9 x 9 square Similar puzzles were carried by news- spaces, and some of them (the num- papers in France close to the end of TO READERS ber depending on the degree of diffi- 19th century. The current model of We welcome letters of opinion or culty in the game) are filled before- Sudoku was completed by an comment from our readers. Please hand with single-digit numbers, and American architect in the 1970s. It include your full name and address, and the rest are left blank. You have to fill was in the 1980s that a Japanese came send your letters to the Editor. the blank spaces with single-digit up with the name for this puzzle and Japan Economic Foundation numbers so that every vertical and called it Sudoku. “Su” means “num- every horizontal line consist of nine ber” and “doku” is “single” in 11th Floor, Jiji Press Building, 5-15-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, distinct numbers – one to nine. Japanese. Tokyo 104-0061 Japan Sudoku is a very good medicine to Intensive marketing was conducted kill time, but you have to be careful in the 1990s by a New Zealander Fax: +81-3-5565-4828 about an overdose. Last July, I went who happened to have found a E-mail: [email protected] to Weihai in and I had to wait Sudoku book in Tokyo. He is said to for five hours at Beijing Capital have succeeded in persuading the Letters may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. The editor has no obligation to International Airport to get a transfer London Times to print Sudoku puz- acknowledge receipt of a letter or give a reason flight. However, the five hours zles. This is probably where the UK for not publishing it. No inquiries by telephone passed really fast, as I was playing ambassador to Japan found out concerning letters will be accepted. Sudoku. Sudoku.

2 JAPAN SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2007