Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Key for Longevity

　　Nowadays, more people are aware of the importance of regular exercises. People who go jogging are frequently found around my neighbourhood. Sometimes, I wonder whether I can start, but I don't want to wear outfits which show my body shape and lines too clearly.
　　By the way, several marathons are held across Japan today. Those events had been held for only athletes for a long time, but now they are open to the public. The event named the Ehime Marathon will be held in my prefecture too on Feb. 5th. This marathon is so popular and highly competitive that more than double the number of people were trying for 7000 positions. My acquaintances, who belong to my Lions Club, will take part in the marathon and I'll go and support them.
　　By the way, I wondered who was the oldest who completed the full marathon and looked for one on the net. According to an article, 100-year-old Briton, Fauja Singh, became the world's oldest marathon runner, completing the race in Toronto in eight hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds in October 2011. Ginger curry, tea and "being happy" appear to be the key to finishing the race.

He says;

"The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from people who are negative, stay smiling and keep running."

I agree!

Full Circle

　　Life occasionally generates moments when you feel things have come full circle.

　　I was born in a remote village of Ehime Prefecture in 1958 when 13 years had passed since the devastating end of the Great East-Asian War. As you know, Japan was beaten thoroughly in the war, which came to an end in 1945. At that time, those who were associated with education considered how they could raise Japanese young people who would be responsible for the reconstruction of Japan. In my prefecture, some passionate people and one of the Catholic orders, Ordo fratrum Praedicatorum, established a school for 12-18 year old boys, Aiko Gakuen, in 1952. For your information, "ai" means "love" and "ko" means "light". The principles of the school was based on that of Christianity, evading the post-war brainwashing by MacArthur.
　　Lots of young boys were keen to enter Aiko Gakuen and brilliant boys got together from not only Ehime Prefecture, but all over the country. I was eager to do it, but my primary school was average, and I needed to learn something more and at a higher level for the entrance into Aiko Gakuen in a preliminary school in Matsuyama city, which was 6 hours away from my home by bus and train at that time. The school also wanted to collect up-and-coming boys even from remote regions and provided those boys with one night's stay and meals. I started attending the school every Saturday, leaving my primary school earlier. I crammed from Saturday evening to Sunday evening and went back home late Sunday night. This short trip continued for one year.
　　Nagahama, in which my office is located now, is on the route that I used to move along 40 years ago. I never had even the slightest idea that I would work here after 40 years. It was full circle indeed.
　　Additionally, I had a fantastic reunion with my old friend, who used to get on the same train at his village near Nagahama. He entered a different school from mine, but finally became a surgeon and opened his own clinic in his original village. Our reunion was the first time in 40 years.

(Vocabulary)
come/turn full circle　振り出しに戻る
Ordo fratrum Praedicatorum　ドミニコ会（カトリックの修道会の一つ）
order　修道会
up-and-coming  新進気鋭の, 将来有望な
reunion [C,U] 再会, 再び一緒になること
his reunion with his wife  彼の妻との復縁

Negative Mass Media and Exhortation for Positive Thinking

　　A low-fat diet and moderate aerobics exercises are essential to keep good physical health. Aerobics exercises are, in particular, necessary to enhance the cardiopulmonary function. On the other hand, I think that you want to take proper care of your mental health, too.
　　Lots of pessimistic news like about disasters, disputes, terrorism and economic unrest from TVs deplete our energy and make us blue. There actually exist various unhappiness and sufferings in the world. However, it's very important to recall that all the things in the world aren't desperate, while recognizing that this world is full of violence and injustice.
　　You get to watch what you feed yourself as far as the media goes and that kind of thing. In today's society, there is a lot of negativity that comes from the news if you watch the regular news. A part of it is, I do believe, what they do for ratings to get people to watch and those kind of things. However, you have to take it with a grain of salt. You have to take a look at it and say "Not everything is like that." Not everything is doom and gloom and fear-based. There are positive things out there in the world. It's important to find and do those positive things.
　　Even if it is a simple thing like helping your neighbor to pick up trash along the street or whatever it might be, doing positive things for other people helps you and that makes you feel good.
　　You, including me of course, need to do mental exercises too, paying attention to positive aspects of beautiful scenery or buoyant occurrences around us. It's not a big deal. You have only to volunteer for something for your neighbors like cleaning streets as I wrote above. Such simple things have the power to change us positively. You will be impressed that life is not that bad. How about joining the volunteer activities around your neighborhood?

(Vocabulary)
exhort (フォーマル) (演説などで) …に呼びかける, 勧告する [同意] urge
exhortation  勧告, 呼びかけ
negativity  悪い面のみを見る態度
take it with a grain of salt.　一粒の塩と一緒に食べろ
つまり「味のないものはそのままでは食べられない」転じて「眉唾（味のないもの）はそのまま受け入れられない」になります。話がうますぎる場合などに「話し半分に聞く」「疑ってかかる」「眉に唾を付けて聴く」というように使います。
doom  運命　悲運
gloom   暗やみ, 暗がり; 憂鬱(ゆううつ), 絶望感
doom and gloom　 陰々滅滅な;  暗い見通し

Our Priest King, Ten'noh's Words (Reprint)

Last year, it pained me greatly to see that many lives were lost to natural disasters, the Great East Japan Earthquake in the spring and torrential rains in many places in the summer and in the autumn. My heart also goes out to the people who regrettably can no longer live in the places they used to live because of the radioactive contamination caused by the nuclear plant accident. Last year was a truly distressing year. However, it has been heartening to note that, even under such conditions, the people were helping each other and many people were working hard to support the victims.

This year, our country has to make various plans towards reconstruction and decide on guidelines for the future. At the same time, it is expected to be a year in which our country has to tackle many difficult challenges, including the disposal of the debris from the disaster. It is my sincere hope that people will bring together their wisdom and that those involved in the various tasks can work under safe conditions.

Our country is now going through difficult times because of the earthquake and other factors, but I hope that the people's hearts will always be with the afflicted, and that everyone will persevere and work together to build a brighter tomorrow.

It is my hope that the new year will be a good, peaceful year for the people of Japan and the people of the world.

陛下の平成２４年、新年のお言葉の英訳です。実に美しい英文です。このような文章が書けたらなあと思います。

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
　昨年は春には東日本大震災が起こり，夏から秋にかけては各地で大雨による災害が起こり，多くの人命が失われ，実に痛ましいことでした。また，原発事故によってもたらされた放射能汚染のために，これまで生活していた地域から離れて暮さなければならない人々の無念の気持ちも深く察せられます。
　昨年は誠に心の重い年でした。そのような状況の中で，皆が互いに助け合い，また多くの人々が被災者の支援に力を尽くしていることを心強く思っています。

　今年は，復興に向けて様々な計画を立て，将来への指針を選択していく年であるとともに，がれきの処理を始めとする多くの困難な業務に取り組まなければならない年になると予想されます。人々の英知が結集されるよう，また業務に携わる人々の作業が安全に行われるよう，願ってやみません。

　日本は大震災の影響等により現在厳しい状況にありますが，皆が被災者に心を寄せつつ，力を合わせ，明日の社会を築くために忍耐強く力を尽くしていくことを期待しています。

　この年の我が国及び世界の人々の安寧と幸せを祈ります。
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

　陛下は「心を寄せつつ，力を合わせ，明日の社会を築くために忍耐強く力を尽くして」と述べられています。何かが変わろうとするとき、それはなにやら劇的な変化や過激な言葉、強烈なリーダーシップのようなものに、ついつい多くの人が期待を寄せてしまいます。とりわけ現代のように、閉塞感に包まれた日本においては、とくにそれが顕著で、だからろくに考えもしないで民主党に票を入れた馬鹿者などが現れたりします。
　けれど陛下は、「心を寄せつつ，力を合わせ，明日の社会を築くために忍耐強く力を尽くして」と述べられています。これが日本流、これこそが日本人の行動原理なのではないかと思います。

　日本を変えたい。そのために必要なことは、なにか突飛なことをすることではない。みんなが「心を寄せつつ，力を合わせ，明日の社会を築くために忍耐強く力を尽くす」。このことこそ、日本が日本を取り戻す原動力なのだろうと思います。

（日心会メルマガより転載）

New Year's Resolution

　　I wish all of the subscribers to my blog a Happy New Year. As for the annual event concerning myself, I chose several items that I would aim to accomplish this year. Revealing my private intention here will drive me into a corner, but it's my way to stir me into action. The list of my resolutions I chose is as below:

1. Improve my Korean skills from the 4th grade to the 3rd.
2. Improve my German skills from the 4th grade to the 3rd, as well.
3. Reach at least the lowest level of Mandarin Chinese skills.
4. Get enough physical power to jog for 10 kilometers.
5. Read at least 50 books in various fields except for books regarding medical science.

　　I don't know if I can attain the above items, but I'd like to stay goal-oriented and positive all the time. As you get older, you generally become inactive. I've seen lots of those people in the past quarter century as a surgeon. They ended their lives just like old leaves which fall down in autumn.
　　I wish I could be active and healthy until the last minute of my life. The above resolutions might be suitable measures for this purpose.