Category: Biometrics and Security Blog

During this visit, I had the opportunity to meet with 10 start-ups from Sri Lanka. Out of them, 9 had been shortlisted from about 70 companies through a document screening process for a contest that offers a chance to visit Japan and collaborate with Japanese enterprises. I participated in listening to their presentations and evaluating them. Firstly, what impressed me was the strong sense of patriotism evident in their presentations. Of course, they all want to be successful, but there was a prevalent message about realizing the potential of Sri Lanka and contributing to its growth, which I found admirable. However, I felt that many are not familiar with making

Continuing on with episodes from my jungle visit. ①Next, I was most surprised by a vanilla farm where we applied a ‘leech-repelling cream’. It’s located deep in the central region. While other parts of the jungle had narrow roads that just about allowed a single car to pass, here we had to leave the car towards the end and walk a few hundred meters to reach the destination. When told about the ‘leech-repelling cream’, I was so taken aback that I forgot to take a crucial photo. We applied a cream, similar in color and consistency to mentholatum, all around our shoe midsoles. Still, the brave soul (?) who accompanied

The primary purpose of our 1,200 km journey this time was to promote the main business of the tour leader’s company.Specifically, it was to advance the trade of specialty products from Sri Lanka’s primary industry. To achieve this, we visited places that produce high-quality specialty goods, leading us deep into the dense jungles. ① Our first jungle stop was in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka, where we visited a natural cinnamon cultivation and production facility. This additive-free Ceylon cinnamon is referred to as “Cinnamomum verum” scientifically and is believed to be one of the world’s oldest spices. The manufacturing process was truly an artform: we observed the stages of

Let me write a bit more about my impression of Sri Lankans. ① They are broad-minded not only about time but also in conversations with people. Generally, debates or discussions don’t become confrontational. Even if you complain strongly about something lacking in a hotel at first, they will bow down to you so much that you gradually stop feeling aggressive and just end up saying, “It’s okay this time, but please get it right next time.” In some countries, it’s common never to admit a mistake or apologize, but Sri Lanka is the complete opposite. ② I had heard that in Sri Lanka, women often take the forefront and shine;

Time seemed to flow slowly and leisurely. The journey felt like being constantly told, ‘There’s no need to be in such a hurry.’ It had the laid-back atmosphere I felt when I visited Okinawa. In hindsight, maybe the 4-hour flight delay on the way there was a foreshadowing? On this day, 7/22, there was supposed to be a 2nd-anniversary party for IS-san’s company, our tour leader for this trip, at our hotel in Colombo. We, the visitors from Japan, were supposed to join, but our expected 17:25 airport arrival ended up being around 21:00. Hence, we were only able to join the party just before the hotel’s reported end time.