Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Terraced Paddy Fields

　　After the replacement of my car to a Mercedes-Benz SLK200, the number of drives increased. Today, I went out for a drive to a scenic place, which had been on air the other day. The destination was a terraced paddy field. That was recently designated by the Government as one of the three scenic terraced paddy fields in Japan. That was 2 hours' drive from my house. The lunch and coffee which I brought there was really nice in the soft breeze.
　　By the way, I'll quote something from a book which I happened to read as follows. Japan is surely one of the industrialized countries, but the forest area accounts for 68.5% of its land area. Among the developed countries, it's ranked as the third, after 73.1% of Finland and 68.9% of Sweden. The Japanese archipelago accounts for 0.2 % of the global land area and 1.7% of all the human beings live in Japan and 5.6% of the global GDP was produced there.
　　That can be called "miracle". We Japanese can be proud of that. If you ask me why this miracle was realized, my answer would be like this. It's really simple, but it would be the only single answer. People in Japan have been taking care of nature, while they have developed its industrial technologies.
　　FYI, the rate of forest area of China, whose GDP is the 2nd of the world is only 21.5%.

　車を変えてから休日のドライブが増えた。今日は先日テレビで見た棚田へ行ってみた。写真のように狭い土地で稲作が行われていた。風が気持ちよく、持参した弁当、コーヒーがこの上なく美味しかった。
　たまたま読んでいた本に書かれていたのだが、日本は工業国ではあるが、その国土面積の６８．５％が森林。先進国の中ではフィンランドの７３．１％、スウェーデンの６８．９％に次いで３番目。日本列島は世界の陸地面積の０．２％、そこに世界の人口の約１．７％が住み、世界のＧＤＰの５．５％を生み出している。という。
　これは奇跡とも呼べる現象で、日本人が誇って良いことだと思う。なぜこのような奇跡が実現したのか、といえば、日本人が近代産業を発展させながら、同時に自然を大切にしてきたから、としか説明のしようがない。支那は森林率は２１．５％　はげ山を見れば日本人なら自然に対して申し訳ないと考えるが、支那人は『自然は人間の必要に応じて好き勝手に利用すればよい』とでも考えているかのようだ。
(読んでもらえるのは２５０単語までという自己規制で最後の部分は英文からは省略)

Shodoshima Island

　　The ferry slowly entered the principal port of Tonosho. Olive oils and cosmetics, foods derived from olives, soy sauce, and somen noodles are known as major products of this island. However, the island is not so highly evaluated as a tourist spot. The cycling tour event, which I'd join tomorrow, was planned by a major travel company and local body of commerce and industry to raise the awareness about Shodoshima among Japanese people.
　　I'd visited the island nearly 40 years ago from the opposite side of Okayama City. I didn't remember clearly the scene of those days, but the base station of the Kankakei Gorge Ropeway remained as it used to be 40 years ago. Kankakei Gorge is the representative sightseeing spot on the island. I took a walk on the narrow path in the gorge and then the historic streets in a small village. After taking a shower in my hotel, I attended the party of the eve of the event with lots of other strange participants. My wife was going to enjoy sightseeing on the next day, not to ride a bicycle, but by courtesy of the company she enjoyed dinner with me and the performances of local people. Praying for the clear sky of the following day, I hit the sack.

　小豆島に着いた。オリーブ、醤油、そうめんなど特産品はいろいろあるのだが、観光地としてはそれほどメジャーな場所ではない。サイクリング大会は旅行会社と地元の企業がタイアップして島を宣伝するための大々的なイベントだろう。
　４０年前に今回とは反対のルート、岡山市からこの島へ来た。当時のことはよく覚えていないが、島一番の観光スポット寒霞渓のロープウェイ乗り場は変わっていなかった。寒霞渓を歩き、古い街並みを歩き、サイクリングイベントの前夜祭を楽しみ、翌日の快晴を祈りつつ床に就いた。

Oshimaseishoen 大島青松園

　　The waters between Honshu and Shikoku, the largest and 4th largest island in Japan respectively are called the Seto Inland Sea. The biggest island in these waters is Shodoshima Island, which is located at an hour by ferry from Takamatsu City, the capital of Kagawa Prefecture. I'd like to join a cycling tour event there and visited the island on the previous day.
　　The sky was clear. I took a seat on the roof with a canned coffee and my iPad. Comparing the surrounding scenery and the map on the iPad, and being blown by the comfortable sea wind, I spent about an hour there.
　　Then, I happened to see Oshima Island on the way, which I knew since long ago by name, but didn't know where the island was. The island has a lot to do with Hansen's disease(leprosy). In the era of uninformed medicine many patients suffering from leprosy were forced to move to the island and became isolated. They had never been allowed to leave the island in their life. Most of their relatives are said to reject receiving their bodies or even their bones. The stupid superstition had prevailed on society in those days. The leprosy related facilities are now renovated into the national sanatorium for patients with chronic illnesses. The island is only 20 minutes from Takamatsu City and rich in natural environment. I'd like to visit the island before long and pay tribute to the departed in front of their cenotaph.

　本州と四国の間の海域を瀬戸内海と呼ぶ。この海域で一番大きな島が小豆島だ。この島で大手旅行会社がサイクリングイベントを行うというので参加した。イベント前日の６月４日に小豆島へ渡った。
　途中で大島を見つけた。ハンセン氏病が恐れられていた時代、患者はこの島へ集められ終生島から出ることを禁じられた。今は療養所と生まれ変わり、長期の療養を要する患者が住んでいる。高松市から２０分。便利で自然に恵まれた所となった。近いうちに見学に行ってみようと思う。ハンセン氏病に対する誤った認識により、大勢の患者を苦しめた歴史遺産がここにはある。

小豆島　http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5430.html
大島青松園　(日本語サイト)　http://www.nhds.go.jp/~osima/index.html

Grumman F6F Hellcat

　　This article is the continuation of the previous entry. The old man, who looked over 80, asked us, "Do you know how these holes were made?", indicating several holes on the bridge structure. "An F6F Hellcat shot ordinary people who were walking on this bridge in 1945", he continued. It might be a pilot's pastime on the way back from an operation of attacking somewhere. There was no military-related facility around. The color of the red bridge might be catchy.
　　My mother's original house is located at a distance of 20km from there over the hill. They earned their living through the cultivation of citrus fruits on terraced fields, and their house was one of the most unobtrusive houses. One day in early summer in 1945, an F6F hellcat emerged abruptly and shot houses in a rural area. My 3 months old cousin was sleeping on the veranda then and was nearly shot by the bullet which hit the wall 30cm above her. She was not killed luckily, but my grandfather told me that he had seen clearly the pilot smiling. That was not a war, but a lawless slaughter. The old man's story reminded me of my late grandfather's story.
　　The U.S. took aim at innocent people like this. Incontrovertible evidence of the cruelties of the U.S. remains even in such a tiny place.

　前の記事の続きである。
　
　８０歳を越える老人はしっかりとした言葉で続けた。ここにある穴はなぜついたのかわかりますか？グラマン社製の戦闘機F6F Hellcatがこの橋を渡る人を攻撃したのです。どこかを攻めた帰りに弾が余っていたので撃ったのでしょう。歩いている人を面白半分で狙ったのかもしれません。軍関連の施設はなにもないところなのに、狙われるとは不思議。赤い色が目立ったのだろうか？と。
　
　ここから山を越えて約２０ｋｍのところに母方の実家がある。段々畑で柑橘を育てる農家である。当時生後数ヶ月の従姉妹が縁側で寝かされているときにやはりHellcatに狙われ、頭の上３０ｃｍくらいのところに銃弾が飛んできた。幸い命に影響は無かったが、戦闘で余った弾を帰り道で使ったのだろう。祖父は撃ってくるパイロットの顔が見えたという。
　
　こうやってアメリカ人は無抵抗の一般人を狙った。動かしがたい証拠がこんな小さな町にも残っていた。

Iconic Drawbridge

　　My workplace is located in a small town and one of the town's icons is a red drawbridge built about 80 years ago. It is now preserved as a kind of historic asset of the town and works correctly even now as it used to do. The town regularly makes it work for maintenace once a month on the third Saturday. Today is the day and I took a walk around the bridge. Several tourists got together at the end point of the bridge. I listened to an old man's story about the town there and was surprised. I'll write about his story in the next article.

Hazakura

　It's getting warmer day by day. My workplace is located in a farming and fishing village. The surroundings are getting green. The following picture was shot from my room in my workplace. Do you know the name of the tree in the picture? It's Sakura, the cherry tree, one of the symbols of Japan. We call this status of cherry trees "Hazakura". Though it's one word in Japanese, if described in English, it is cherry trees whose blossoms have fallen, revealing the fresh green leaves. I get to see the leaves and flowers up close, right at eye level.
　From the end of May, the rainy season will start. It's essential to rice farming and the water will be stored against the heat of the summer. I like the green cherry leaves in the rain. I'll show you the pictures later.

(Vocabulary)
a cherry tree whose blossoms have fallen (, revealing the fresh green leaves). 葉桜
I get to see the leaves and flowers up close, right at eye level まさに目の高さで、桜の葉や花を間近に見ることができる
get to do sth ～する機会を得る　～することができる

Going Out

　　Staying home all day instead of going out, I got nearly depressed. I decided to go out in the neighborhood. I walked slowly along my usual jogging route in the morning. The school in the picture is Aiko High School, from which I had graduated in 1977. The school had renovated its grounds and looked nice.
　　After lunch, I went out for a drive with my wife to the forest in the adjacent Iyo City. There were places for BBQs, campgrounds, hiking trails, and a small serene pond. I climbed up to the hill summit not on foot but by car. The landscape was great.
　　Though I got refreshed by a natural breeze, the pain due to herpes zoster was still alive. I came by a liquor shop to get a bottle of wine to sterilize my whole body on the way back. Just joking around! It's my lame excuse against my wife.

　じっと家に居ても気が滅入るので、朝、散歩に出た。ジョギングをしているコースをゆっくりと歩き、母校の写真を撮った。人工芝のサッカーコートを作ったというので見に行った。写真をｕｐする。昼食後、伊予市の森林公園へドライブ。そして帰りにワインを一本。全身のアルコール消毒と言ったら、白い目で睨まれた。体調が悪いのにアルコールはダメでしょうと、、、(^_^;)

Miserable holidays

　　You have consecutive holidays, which is called "Golden Week", in Japan from the end of April to the first week of May, though the length varies every year due to the sequence of the day of the week. I had two three-consecutive holidays, I mean six holidays totally, this year. I was going to have a short trip, but I was suffering from herpes zoster. My chest hurt when I moved, and I was staying still in front of the TV all day as if I was watching that the TV set would not be stolen. Thanks to it, I knew how to use the remote of the TV in detail. I knew only a minimum of the functions of the remote until today.

(Vocabulary)
remote (テレビなどの) リモコン（装置）[同意] remote control

４月末から５月上旬にかけてゴールデンウィークと呼ばれる一連の休日がある。今回４／２９－５／１と５／３－５の３連休が２回ある。どちらも２泊３日の小旅行をする予定だった。それが、、帯状疱疹になってしまった。数日前から左胸部痛が有り、もしかしたらと思っていたが、皮疹が出て確定。動くと痛むのでじっと過ごしていた。テレビが盗まれないよう見張り番をするが如く、一日中テレビの前でじっとしていた。お陰でテレビのリモコンの使い方を憶えることが出来たが。

I'm Home

　　I stayed in a hotel on the lakeside of Biwako Lake last night. I drove my car from Shizuoka Prefecture on the previous day, but I didn't feel any fatigue. That would be the true value of the car.
　　Now, I have to come back home today, but I wanted to see my almost 100-years-old aunt in Kyoto, who was infirm with old age and in bed. This time would be the last time to see her. Though she was not able to recognize me, I was happy to see her. In my childhood she took huge care of me and my brothers. I said, "Appreciate you" in my mind.
　　I took a picture of my car's instrument panel to record the distance of this trip. It shows 2912.5km. The trip was really fun and I'm thinking now about next summer's plan. How about making the circuit of Hokkaido?

(Vocabulary)
infirm 虚弱な, 老衰した
instrument 計器
the ship's instruments 航海計器

（北海道・東北旅行記　４月３日）

　昨夜は琵琶湖湖畔に宿を取った。どこにも寄らず、伊豆から琵琶湖まで走ってきたが、疲れは感じていない。これが車の価値なのだろう。さて、今日は、一気に家まで戻らねばならない。京都に住む100歳近い叔母を見舞い、ひたすら松山を目指した。写真は朝、ホテルから見た琵琶湖。そして帰着時のインパネ。松山を出発してから２９１２．５ｋｍの旅だった。

Tsuta Onsen Hot Spa

　　We arrived at Tsuta Onsen Hot Spa. It might not be known worldwide, but it dates back nearly 1000 years. People who had enjoyed the hot spa as a measure of therapy were documented at least in 1147. Their English website is here(link), though it's not in as much detail as the Japanese one.
　　When we reached the spa, it was getting dark. I decided to take pictures around the spa tomorrow, and rushed to the spa, called "Senkyo no yu". The picture of the spa is here(link), so I'll upload the ceiling of the spa.
　　According to the booklet of the spa, lots of varied figures in politics, the financial world, show business, and literature seemed to visit the spa. Most successive prime ministers also enjoyed staying deep in the forest. The owner built a new separate building recently, which is modernized with handy facilities, but our room was a traditional room  upstairs from the main entrance. The room next to the entrance was the room in which Showa Tennoh had stayed for a while to take a rest after the bath. This room is open to the public and you can relax in a conventional Japanese living room.
　　Today is the 24th birthday of our youngest daughter, who will start her career as a medical doctor on April 1st. We have now  finished our parental care, and toasted our fulfillment.

　蔦温泉に到着した。国際的にはあまり有名ではないかも知れないが、１２世紀には小さな温泉小屋があったと記録に残っているので、１０００年近い歴史のある温泉である。

　薄暗くなり始めていたので温泉周辺の写真は翌日撮ることにして、まずは温泉。温泉の名前は泉響の湯。井上靖の言葉から名付けたという。温泉の写真は下記のウェブサイトにあるので、温泉の天井部分の写真を載せておく。

蔦温泉のウェブサイト紹介
http://tsutaonsen.com/

　宿の記録を読むと、政財界、芸能界、文筆家など多彩な人々が立ち寄っている。例えば総理経験者のほとんどがプライベートで立ち寄っている。最近新しい建物が出来たのだが、我々が泊まった部屋は一番古い建物。玄関の２階部分に当たる。その玄関横には昭和天皇が休憩された部屋もある。現在は入浴後の休憩室として使われており、誰でも利用できる。
　
　この日は三女の２４回目の誕生日。この春から医師として働き始める。子育てを終えたお祝いということで少し贅沢な酒を飲む。

Goryokaku 3

　　Crossing the bridge in the first picture, you'll reach the gate in the second picture. Passing through the gate, you'll find the honoring monument for Ayasaburou Takeda, though his achievements were just written on a shabby wooden board in Ozu City in which he had been born and lived in his youth. Going on toward the center of Goryokaku, some posts stood. Each post has a portrait of heroes related to Goryokaku, such as Toshizo Hijikata. I understood how Takeda gets respect from people in Hakodate now.
　　In the grounds of Goryokaku the old Hakodate Magistrate Office was restored faithfully and was used as a museum inside. I wanted to look around the items and I'll show you some of them in the next entry.
　　Incidentally, why does the face of Ayasaburou Takeda on the monument shine? I wanted to know the reason of the shining, and sneaked up to a group tour from overseas with a guide and listened to the explanation. Local students seemed to stroke the head and face of his relief wishing their success in academic achievements. Ayasaburou Takeda was also a hero for kids in Hakodate. I was so surprised and happy to know that.
　　My high school was established by the Dominican Order and the bust of the founder is set at the main entrance. There was a legend that the guy who rubbed his nose on the day of the graduation would be sure to succeed in the entrance exam of universities. Not to mention, I rubbed his nose. I chuckled at the similar situation.

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2014/09/school-festival.html

(Vocabulary)
honoring monument 顕彰碑
magistrate 治安判事
magistrate office 奉行所（の英語訳としてどうだろう？）
faithfully
1 忠実に, 誠実に, 固く
She promised faithfully never to tell. 彼女は決して口外しないと固く約束した．
2 (原本・原物に) 忠実に, 正確に; 3 規則正しく, きちんと
incidentally 《文修飾》ちなみに, ついでに言うと, ところで; (フォーマル) 偶然に, 付随的に
sneak up 〈人が〉忍び寄る, こっそり近づく
stroke〈体・物など〉をなでる
Dominican 聖ドミニコ会の
Dominican Order　聖ドミニコ会
bust 胸像

　１枚目の写真に写っている橋を渡ると五稜郭の入り口がある。入ってすぐのところに顕彰碑があった。武田斐三郎を讃えたものだった。彼のふるさと大洲では安っぽい看板一枚。大洲市の関係者にはこの顕彰碑を見てもらいたい。そして更に歩いて行くと土方歳三などとと並んで彼の写真、経歴を書いたポストが立っていた。彼が箱館で如何に尊敬を集めているのか実感した。五稜郭内部には、旧箱館奉行所が再建されており、内部は資料館になっている。
　たまたまプロのガイドが案内をしているグループがいたので、紛れ込んだ。武田斐三郎のレリーフの顔が光っているのはどうしてなのか？地元の子供達が頭が良くなるようにと祈って顔をなでているらしい。武田斐三郎の顔をなでると頭が良くなるらしいのだ。僕の卒業した高校に母体となっている聖ドミニコ会の創立者の胸像が有り、卒業時にはその高い鼻をなでた。大学に合格するという言い伝えがあるのだ。どこにでも似たような話があるのだなと苦笑。

Goryokaku 1

　　I wonder when I became interested in Goryokaku, which was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo, which is the old name of Hokkaido. The name of Goryokaku is derived from its shape of a five-pointed star. I knew about the Boshin War (1868-1869) and Goryokaku since a long time ago. During my last visit to Hakodate City I didn't have time to see Goryokaku, but I always wanted to visit there in the not-so-distant future. It was in April in 2010 when my desire was strongly intensified.
　　When I made the second visit to Freiburg in Germany to see what the city was like, because my second daughter would stay there for her study, a Japanese young guy, who lived in Freburg, took us, me and my daughter, on a short trip to Alsace-Lorraine in France. Our destinations were Colmar, Riquewihr, and Strasbourg. On the way to Colmar, I happened to see a walled city. The walls of the city were vividly inscribed in my mind at that time. I wrote about it here(url).

(Vocabulary)
Republic of Ezo 　蝦夷共和国
Alsace-Lorraine アルザス・ロレーヌ地方
Colmar　コルマール
Riquewihr　リクヴィル
フランス北東部、アルザス地方、オーラン県の村。古くからワイン産地として知られる。第二次大戦の被害をほとんど受けなかったため、中世の城壁に囲まれた村内には同地方に典型的な木組み造りの家並みが残されている。
walled city 城郭都市



　五稜郭に興味を持ったのはいつだったろう、、。戊辰戦争はずっと前から知っていたし、五稜郭も知ってはいた。前回、函館に来たときには残念ながら寄ることはできなかったがいつか訪れたいと思っていた。その想いが強くなったのは、２０１０年４月。
　次女のドイツ留学に際して、留学先の街を見に行ったとき、地元在住の日本人に案内してもらって国境を越えフランスへ入った。目的地はコルマール、アルザス街道、ストラスブールだったのだが、フランスに入った直後に見た城郭都市に目が止まった。下記のエントリーでその街の写真がある。
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2010/04/neufbrisach-.html

Snow

　　When I arrived in Sapporo, it was dark. I didn't see almost anything outside, and I was surprised to see outside from the window in the morning. There was still snow in places where people hadn't stepped, though the snow had been shoveled on roads and sidewalks. Very few cars have winter tires in my hometown in this season and I thought it was nice to keep my car equipped with winter tires. To tell the truth, I wondered if I swapped winter tires to summer ones before departure.
　　After breakfast at my hotel, I came by my daughter's apartment and picked my wife up. Then we headed for Hakodate immediately. I'd like to open the roof of my car, but my wife was inclined to have a pollen allergy. She firmly refused to do it.

　昨夜札幌に着いたときはもう暗くなっていてわからなかったが、朝になってホテルの窓から外を見てびっくり。大量の雪が残っている。地元ではもうスタッドレスを付けているような車はないが、スタッドレスで来て良かったと心底思った。ホテルの朝食を食べて娘のアパートでカミさんを拾って函館へ向かった。花粉はこの辺りでは飛んでいないはずだが、花粉症のカミさんの希望で屋根は開けずに走る。ただただ残念。

Sapporo

　　I drove my car from Tomakomai, which my ferryboat had reached, to Sapporo City, in which my daughter will start to work as a trainee resident and pursue her career in the medical scene. I took her stuff to her new apartment and toasted her alone with a good glass of Japanese sake and specialities of Sapporo. I wanted to walk around, but it was too late to do so. I would pick my wife up at her apartment in the following morning and start to drive down south to my hometown. The following picture shows a sashimi raw fish of "Hokke", which is one of the specialities of Hokkaido.

　フェリーの着いた苫小牧から一時間ほどのドライブで札幌に着いた。街を歩きたいがもう２２時近い。娘がこの地で４月から医師として働く。娘に持ってきた荷物を届け、１人で嬉しい酒を飲む。写真はホッケの刺身。ふるさと愛媛では新鮮なホッケの刺身は珍しい。

Mutobe PA

　　Japanese express ways are usually toll roads equipped with two kinds of resting places about every 10 kms along the way, which are abbreviated to "PA" and "SA". "PA" means a parking area with toilets, and vending machines for drinks. "SA" stands for a service area with a gas station, restaurants, shops, an information center in addition to the facilities of "PA".
　　After breakfast on the ferry, I headed for Maizuru City. The following picture was shot at the Mutobe PA on the way. The weather was fine and I wanted to open the roof of the car, but the trunk was full of my daughter's stuff. The roof wasn't able to be stored in the trunk. It was really regrettable.

Long Drive

　　The ten days' spring vacation was given to me and I decided to drive my car for a distance of 2500 ~ 3000km to Hokkaido. A wonderful function equipped with my car to  automatically keep the car-to-car distance constant will help me drive for a long time.
　　Why Hokkaido? My youngest daughter will start to work as a doctor-in-training in Hokkaido and I wanted to see her hospital and residence. Naturally I'm able to take her possessions to her apartment. She was allowed to choose her workplace from across the country, and she picked Hokkaido. I undoubtedly assume that she was attracted by the snow in Hokkaido. She has been to the Canadian ski resort of Whistler three times and now is mad about skiing. Anyway, now, I really want her to become a trusted doctor. My daughter has just flown to Hokkaido today and my wife accompanied her to help her with chores. I'll pick my wife up in Hokkaido the day after tomorrow and return to my hometown in several days.
　　There are several ways to Hokkaido from here. I made a ferry reservation from Maizuru City in Kyoto to Otaru City in Hokkaido. The ferry will leave Maizuru at midnight. Starting from my home tomorrow morning, I'll surely reach Maizuru City in time, but I want to see around Maizuru City. So I leave tonight and move to Osaka by an overnight ferry, which will save half a day and I can enjoy sightseeing in Maizuru City.
　　The following picture was shot last December, when changing tires to winter ones. I had the winter tires of my car checked here before starting for the snow country, though winter tires are now usually changed to summer ones in my hometown. Just like I have written other trip memos before, I'm writing this article after coming back, recalling the trip.

Der Frühlingsurlaub

　　Der Frühling ist da. Ab April wird meine Tochter in Sapporo arbeiten. Weil ich ihren Arbeitsplatz und ihre Wohnung sehen möchte, habe ich mich entschieden, im Urlaub nach Sapporo zu reisen. Wenn ich das Flugzeug benutze, dauert es nicht so lange, bis ich in Sapporo ankomme. Aber ich möchte das Tohokugebiet besichtigen und will daher mit dem Auto fahren.
　　Auf der Hinfahrt will ich ab der Stadt Maizuru in Kyoto bis zur Stadt Otaru mit der Fähre fahren. Auf der Rückfahrt werde ich ins Tohokugebiet fahren und eigige Sehenswürdigkeiten besichtigen.

Cenotaph

　　"Cenotaph" means the monuments for the departed thanks to the war, according to my dictionary, so it might be wrong to use it as the topic of this article. Anyway, however, I'd like to write about servicemen who were killed by the crash of the military aircraft 60 years ago near my workplace.
　　I heard an OPD patient looking for a person who can speak English. I asked him why. He was one of the people who worked for the rescue of the crews at that time and built the monument for the victims. I wrote about it here(link) in 2009. He told me that the relatives of the crew, which are written on the third line on the monument, will visit the monument to console the souls of the victims. They will visit Iwakuni City in April, where the Marine Corps Air Station is located, and wanted to drop in at the monument.
　　Listening to his story closely, the municipal staff members will help him. They would find someone who is able to translate words. I will write the names of all the victims in my blog entry, because their families or friends will easily find the monument.

(Vocabulary)
cenotaph  (戦没者の) 記念碑

Howard L. "Sam" Cornish
Steven Arthur Bobbins
Donald E. Richardson
Wayne Grogun
Ebbie Wells
Lee Ladd
George J. Brambinck
John Edward Meriwether
William Morrison Grayson
Joseph Arnold Hall Jr.
Davis Mawney
Rosene Bence
L. Lowell
George A. Murray Jr.

FYI
http://www.vpnavy.com/vp892_mishap.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/04/short-touring.html

March

　　March has come and the region which I live in is getting warmer. Along my commute route the field mustard grows in clusters. March is the season of the commencement and lots of young people sketch their road map for the future.
　　Japan has four seasons and the spring makes me feel happier, coming through the bitter winter. This spring, especially, made me joyous, because my youngest daughter will break into the world of medicine and leave home for her own future plan.
　　As for me, I'll take a spring leave for 10 days toward the end of March, and I'm going for a drive all the way to Hokkaido with my wife. I'll take a ferry to Hokkaido and be back by land. I'll get on board the ferry at least three times. Anyway I'll write about my trip on the blog after coming back home. Enjoy it, please.

Relaxing Day

　　Some people find it tough to simply let go and relax, but I sometimes do it for a change. It's good to unwind once in a while.
　　Today I visited the Ehime Prefectural Museum, which was staging an exhibition of Egyptian historical and cultural heritage. The items on display were all brought from Egypt and, to my surprise, one of three noted golden masks in the Egyptian Museum was also displayed. As the visitors weren't allowed to take pictures, I'll show you a picture quoted from the net. The right one in the picture was actually placed in a small museum of Japan's local city of Matsuyama. The historical importance of this mask along with other items like a coffin in which an Egyptian mummy was contained, sculptures of various periods, etc overwhelmed me. Listening to guidance from the digital device, I recalled the ancient days of the Nile basin.
　　Take a look at the second picture below. I took it in the hallway. Four to five-year-old kids drew them. Their intense impression toward Egypt looked like the golden mask and the pyramids. I remembered my daughters' pictures in the days of kindergarten.

(Vocabulary)
basin 流域
the Amazon basin  アマゾン川流域