1. Agreeing and disagreeing with statements

2. Most people depend on the Internet too much.
I don't believe that most people depend on the Internet too much. People depend on the Internet for information and for entertainment. Both are necessary for daily life. Information about natural disaster, traffic conditions, the weather and so on is crucial for our survival and comfort, while entertainment helps us relax in the little spare time we have. Therefore, though people do depend on the Internet, they don't depend on it TOO MUCH.

3. The consumption tax in Japan should be raised further.
I don't believe that the consumption tax should be raised further in Japan. This is because the tax was recently raised from five to eight percent (April 2014). Although it is said that the tax will be raised to 10 percent in October 2015, this will not improve the Japanese economy; it will propbably have a negative effect, instead.

4. Overseas travel is as important as formal classroom education, and all students should travel abroad at least once.
I believe that overseas travel is at least as important as formal education. It is important that young people should not only travel abroad, but also work abroad in order to broaden their values and gain practical foreign-language skills.

5. Volunteer activities should be made compulsory for all college students.
I believe that making volunteer activities compulsory is wrong, because "volunteer" means "willingly." "Compulsory" means "against the individual's will." Therefore, compulsory volunteer activies are nonesense.

6. School uniforms are useful and convenient.
I believe that school uniforms are both useful and convenient. They are useful because they show us which school a student belongs to. At the same time, they are convenient for students because they don't need to worry about what to wear every day

7. Life in Japan today is better today than it was 20 years ago.
I don't believe that life in Japan today is better than two decades ago. This is because 20 years ago employment was more stable: Japan had more lifetime employement. Another reason is that there were no cell phones 20 years ago. With cell phones, we can't escape from work and we have no peace. These are my main reasons for preferring life 20 years ago.

8. "Omiai" is no longer a good way to find a marriage partner.
I believe that "omiai" is still an excellent way to find a marriage partner. It is very difficult for some people to meet potential partners. For example, some people have too few opportunities, too little time, or maybe they are just too shy. The more options for romance we have, the better. Therefore, let's keep "omiai."

9. Tokyo is the best place to live in Japan.
I don't believe that Tokyo is necessarily the best place to live in Japan. There are many beautiful places in Japan where life is slower and less crowded.
If we need the convenience of Tokyo, we can travel there for a change of scene. In that sense, we don't need to live in Tokyo to enjoy its advantages.