Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Osorezan

     I left the JSDF quarters for Osorezan. When I climbed up north into the mountains with my bike, I was quite suddenly attacked by the strong smell of sulphur. At the next moment, I ran over the pass in the forest and saw a beautiful lake with some desolate terrain beyond the lake which jumped into view. Osorezan is well known as one of the three major holy sites in Japan. The mountain features a mystic landscape with a beautiful emerald green lake and desolate wastes. It is believed that the spirits of the dead gather here. Osorezan is also famous for its Itako or spiritual mediums. These people are said to be able to call up the spirits of the dead to communicate with them. I walked around. The steam was coming out of the ground all over the place. They would be selling eggs boiled in the steam if in Kyushu. I couldn't find them. I expected them, so I was disappointed.
     By the way, August 15th is the anniversary commemorating the end of the Greater East Asian War. I found the monument to the War victims. I offered a prayer. We will never make the same mistake again.

(Vocabulary)
desolate 〔土地などが〕荒れ果てた、荒涼とした
terrain   地形、地勢、地域、領域、範囲、分野
beyond the lake　湖の向こうに
three major holy sites 三大霊場
mystic　秘密の、神秘的な、秘教の、秘伝の、不可解な
waste　荒れ地
spiritual medium   霊媒
the Greater East Asian War  大東亜戦争

(KW: 恐山 宇曽利湖 うそりこ イタコ 大東亜戦争)

Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF)

     A friend of my junior and high school days lives here in Mutsu city. He has advanced to the rank of Colonel of the JSDF and lives in the official JSDF quarters away from his family. He has enough room to give us a night's stay. We spent a night at his residence. Though I know some of my high school alumni want to see his photos, I didn't have his permission to introduce his specialities and facial portrait here. I stored many pictures of us on another space so let me know your e-mail address and I'll send you an url and password.
     Getting back on the track, after taking a bath at Yatate Spa, we enjoyed his home cooking and talking far into the night. I really want to introduce his story here, but that has kinds of secrets. I have to keep it in my heart. Oh, I've almost forgotten to write about Yatate Spa. It was searing-hot water, but relaxing. I felt envious of the locals who can bathe here whenever they want. The recirculation and purification system isn't needed here. We simply bathe in the hot water, the gift of the earth, just after coming out of the earth. What a gorgeous way of bathing!
     He is kind enough to work out of his marine headquarters so that we can observe the inside of a trim destroyer in active service. My bike friend and I prepared some questions in advance.... This morning, when we were about to go out, we found ourselves clad in rags and with riding boots on. We don't have suits because we are just tourists with minimum packs. We had no choice about clothes, but we could rent sneakers from my friend.
     We got into the Marine Base with his car. We received a salute from a Sergeant-at-arms at the gate. I knew how high a rank he is judging from the kind of greeting. I got a few instructions from my friend as to how to get on the destroyer after getting out of the car. Though I thought I knew how to express the honor of going aboard a destroyer, my mind became a complete blank when getting on board. It's because the crew were waiting for us in a line with their white uniforms on. It was a real formal reception. In spite of our shabby clothes! I really tensed up! I almost fainted.
     Though it's 20 years since the destroyer was built, I felt it was well maintained. I couldn't find any accumulation of barnacles on the hull around the water line. Really good maintenance had been done. The destroyer was built by bringing together the outstanding technologies of the U.S. and Japan, and being kept punctiliously in the best condition all the time. The capabilities of the ship must be high.
     They allowed us to take many snapshots. The number of the crew is about 100. They don't have private rooms except for the captain. They have a small bed only for private use. It was like a chicken shelf in a poultry farm. There must be food, water, sewage system, showers, kitchen, laundry, medical room for 100 crew members and enough ammunition and fuel. I wondered where that is kept. I guessed their daily work is so hard in such conditions. I took off my hat to their guts. I felt they were dependable. I'd like to send hearty cheers to the JSDF.

(Vocabulary)
JSDF　自衛隊
colonel  １佐　大佐
quarters  《複数扱い》 (軍人・使用人などの) 部屋, 宿舎
searing-hot  焼けつくような　(痛みなどが)焼けるような
trim  船の出航可能状態〔バラスト・帆などの準備ができて〕
active service  現役、現役勤務、現役服務、常時勤務、戦地勤務
clad in rags  《be ～》ぼろを着ている
sergeant-at-arms  守衛官、警備局長
barnacles on the hull  船体に付いたフジツボ
hull  《海事》船こく、船殻、ハル、船体
punctiliously  きちょうめんに、細かいことにこだわって
poultry farm  養鶏場
dependable  信頼できる、頼りになる、頼もしい、信頼に足る、安心できる

Photo Album

See our shoes! We rented those.

On the deck of the destroyer.

(KW: むつ市 むつ矢立温泉 海上自衛隊 護衛艦 ゆうべつ)

I Hate China #2

     Qingzang railway, which connects Beijing and Lhasa (Tibetan Capital), was completed. A routine run will start next year. Japanese mass media focus on the tourism only, but their way of thinking is very superficial. I'm sorry that they are following the well-planned propaganda by the Chinese Communist government. What is the purpose on earth that Beijing pressed ahead with this difficult construction of the railroad. This railroad runs at an altitude of 5000 meters. Can you believe it? I'm going to mention my opinion.
     First of all, their purpose is a forced assimilation of Tibet. It's more than half a century since China invaded Tibet and killed hundreds of thousand of Tibetans on a massive scale. The honest and sincere religious leaders became rare by the destruction of Buddhist temples and the repression of priests. Potala Palace is crowded with Chinese tourists and there are many Chinese security officers in the Palace. You can see swanky souvenir shops, shopping malls, restaurants, and many taxis in the street of Lhasa. You might think Tibet is getting rich, but the owners of those companies are Chinese, not Tibetan. Speaking of Tibetan people, they draw a ricksha, play folk instruments in sightseeing points, or beg for something in front of Potala Palace. In fact, Tibet got colonized by China. Young generations of Tibet became unable to realize the significance of the existence of their spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama. Using Tibetan is strictly prohibited in all public tests; every test after 3rd grade in primary schools, the test for the driving licence, the exam for the National Public Service, the entrance exam of universities,,. In those tests Pekingese is used. Consequently young Tibetans became unable to speak the Tibetan language. The Tibetan language and culture might dissappear from this world except for written characters on the Buddhist canon, just the same as Xinjiang Uighur, that consists of Turkish. Does China have the right to accuse the former Empire of Japan of having forced Koreans to use Japanese? They didn't prohibit Korean people from using their own language.
     The second intention of this railway is to raise the capacity of transport of soldiers and weapons. This railway might escalate the level of military readiness between India and China. The Chinese Army can dispatch 120,000 soldiers to Tibet within a month. India repeats missile-launching tests. The range of those missiles covers Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Most Indians view China as a threat. As for the atomic power plant that gets U.S. assistance, the Indian government has deep ideas to improve their own atomic bombs in future.
     I investigated this railway further. The security seems to be uncertain in case of melting of frozen ground due to global warming. Is the daily maintenace of track possible at an altitude of 5000 meters? This railway has 960 km of section over 4000 meters high. The railway cars have a pressurization system using technology introduced from the aircraft maker Bombardier Inc. and have an oxygen inhalation system and a UV protection system too. I love railway traveling, but I hesitate to use this railway.

(Vocabulary)
Qingzang railway  青蔵鉄道
press ahead with　～を押し進める、～を敢行する
repression (武力・政治力による）弾圧、抑圧
swanky (場所･衣服などが)　おしゃれな、けばけばしい、ゴージャスな
Lhasa　ラサ　（中共チベット自治区の首都）
Xinjiang Uighur　新疆（しんきょう）ウイグル自治区
pressurization　予圧　加圧

私は中共が嫌いです　その２

　北京からチベットの首都ラサに繋がる青蔵鉄道が開通した。来年から運行が始まるらしい。日本の愚かなメディアは観光の面ばかりに焦点を当てるが余りにも浅はかな考えだ。中共政府の練られたプロパガンダに乗せられていることが残念だ。この困難な鉄道工事を中共が推し進めてきたのには訳があるのだ。この鉄道は標高5000メートルの高度を走っている。信じられますか？如何に意見を述べたいと思う。 　まずは、この鉄道の目的はチベットの強制的な同化政策だと言うこと。中共がチベットを侵略し、数十万人ものチベット人を虐殺して半世紀以上が経過した。この間に敬虔な宗教指導者は寺院の破壊や僧侶の弾圧のためほとんどいなくなってしまった。ポタラ宮殿は中国人観光客であふれ、悪名高い中共の公安が見張っている。おしゃれな店やショッピングモール、通りを走る沢山のタクシーを見て、チベットが繁栄していると映るかもしれないが、これらのオーナー達は全てシナ人である。チベット人はといえば、人力車を引いたり、民族楽器を演奏したり、ポタラ宮殿の前で物乞いをしたり。事実上、チベットは中共の植民地と化している。チベットの若者は彼らの精神的な指導者、ダライ・ラマの存在意義さえもわからなくなってきているのだ。また、全ての公的な試験においてチベット語を用いることは厳しく制限されている。小学校３年生以降の全ての試験で。運転免許試験、公務員採用試験、大学入学試験等々。これらの試験では北京語が使用される。従ってチベットの若者たちはチベット語を話せなくなってしまうのだ。チベット語やチベット文化は仏教の経典に書かれた文字以外、この世から消えてしまうかもしれない。ちょうどトルコ人の新疆ウイグル自治区のように。大日本帝国は朝鮮人に日本語を強要したが、彼らが母国語を使うことを禁止してはいなかった。中共に日本を非難する権利があるのだろうか？ 　この鉄道のもう一つの目的、それは武器や兵士の運搬である。インドとの戦争に備えるためのものである。人民解放軍１２万人を１ヶ月以内にチベットへ送ることができるのである。インドはミサイル発射実験を繰り返し、その射程距離は北京、上海、広州に及ぶ。多くのインド人は中共を脅威と見なしている。アメリカの協力を得ている原子力発電に関してはどうかというと、インド政府は将来の原爆開発の意図があるのだろう。 　この鉄道について更に調べてみた。安全性にかなり問題があるようだ。温暖化による凍土の融解に対して対策が講じられていない。標高５０００メートルにおいて毎日の点検が可能なのだろうか。この鉄道は４０００メートル以上の区間が９６０キロメートルもある。車両はボンバルディア社で設計され予圧されている。また、酸素吸入設備や紫外線対策も施されている。鉄道旅行は大好きだが、この鉄道だけは遠慮させてもらう。

HIROSHIMA

     Today is Aug. 6th, the day that the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima city 61 years ago. We Japanese never forget this day. It was an extremely hot day. The U.S. hasn't apologized yet about this matter and moreover defends their atomic bombing of Japan. The U.S. claims that they just wanted to end the war. However, I don't believe it. If the war had continued a little longer, Russia, the most powerful communist country, would have intervened in the occupation of Japan. I think the U.S. wanted to fend off undue pressure from Russia. Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima city, passed over two militarily important cities before bombing. One is Kure city where the biggest naval arsenal was located. The battleship Yamato was built there. The other is Matsuyama city, my home town, where the most powerful fighter squadron was located. At the terminal stage of the war, excellent fighter pilots were gathered and the strongest fighter group was in Matsuyama city. Actually, in the dogfight off Matsuyama city, the U.S. air force suffered serious damage at the end of the war. There were many secret, camouflaged airplane sheds in Matsuyama. If the U.S. wanted to end the war as early as possible for real, they should have attacked Kure or Matsuyama. Never Hiroshima.
     It's no doubt that the atomic bombing on Hiroshima was an experiment on human bodies. A week before bombing, a B-24 bomber crashed near Hiroshima city. Several crews were rescued and were held in custody by military police in Hiroshima city. They were killed by acute radiation damage due to the atomic bomb a few weeks later. I think they never thought they would be killed by their own bombs.
     If the U.S. was a sincere country and wanted the end of the war and wanted to use the atomic bomb, they should have dropped the atomic bomb in the center of Tokyo Bay so that the Emperor and officers could see the mushroom cloud directly.

(Vocabulary)
fend sb/sth off   ＜襲撃者・攻撃など＞から自分の身を守る
undue  過度な, 必要以上の
squadron  飛行中隊, 小艦隊
shed  物置, （物置）小屋  (電車の) 車庫, 倉庫, 作業場
for real  (見せかけではなく) 本気で, 本当に

　今日は８月６日、６１年前アメリカが広島市に原子爆弾を投下した日だ。我々日本人はこの日を決して忘れてはならない。それは暑さの厳しい日だった。アメリカはこの件で未だに謝罪していないどころか原爆投下は戦争を早く終わらせるために仕方なかったのだと自己弁護している。が、私は信じない。もし仮に戦争が少し長引いたらロシアが介入してきただろう。アメリカは日本占領についてロシアの圧力を排除したかったに過ぎないと思うのだ。広島に原爆を落とした爆撃機、エノラ・ゲイは爆撃前に二つの軍事的に重要な都市を通り過ぎている。一つは呉市。海軍最大の武器庫のある街である。戦艦大和はここで建造された。もう一ヶ所は松山市、私の故郷である。ここには投じ最強の戦闘機部隊が配置されていた。敗戦間際に日本中から優秀な戦闘機乗りがここに集められていた。実際に松山市沖での空中戦で米空軍は甚大な被害を被っていた。戦闘機は厳重にカモフラージュされ隠されていたが、彼らが本当に戦争を早く終わらせたかったのなら松山に原爆を落とせば戦闘機などすべて破壊できたであろう。従って原爆を落とすべきは広島ではなく、呉、松山だったはずだ。
　原爆投下が人体実験であったことは明白である。原爆投下の一週間前、B24爆撃機が広島市の近くに墜落し、数名の乗組員が救助され、広島市で拘束されていた。彼らは原爆による急性放射線障害で数週間後に亡くなっている。自分の国の原爆で殺されるとは夢にも思わなかったろう。
　もし仮に、アメリカが誠実な国であったなら、そして戦争の終結を祈り、原爆を使いたかったなら、彼らは原爆を東京湾の真ん中に落とすべきであった。そうすれば天皇陛下、政治家達はキノコ雲を直接見ることができたであろう。

Ocean Investigation Again

     Korea conducted oceanographic activities around Liancourt Rocks (Japanese name: Takeshima Island). Takeshima is an integral part of Japan from the historical viewpoint and from a bibliographical consideration. If Korea has the confidence that Takeshima is their traditional territory, they don't have to seize the island and should file the case at the International Court of Justice. It's because they know that Takeshima is traditional Japanese territory that they don't go to court.

(Vocabulary)
oceanographic　海洋学の
integral part　切っても切れない部分、切離せない部分、なくてはならない部分
integral part of Japan　日本固有の領土
bibliographical consideration　文献的考察

海洋調査再び

韓国は竹島周辺でまた海洋調査を行った。竹島は日本固有の領土である。もし韓国が自国の領土であると自信があるのなら、武力で支配するのではなく、国際司法裁判所に提訴するべきだ。それができないのは日本の領土だと知っているからだろう。

North Korean Stupidity

     What, in the name of heaven, is the aim of North Korea? They launched 7 missiles. One of them is considered as a ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. The other 6 missiles can easily reach Japan if they change the direction of launch a little to the south. Who is responsible for North Korea? Who made the country such a rogue country? I believe China and Russia are responsible for stopping North Korean silly acts. I heard more than 90% of North Korean people are on the verge of starvation. It's not missiles but food that the rogue nation needs.

北の愚かさ

　いったい北の目的は何なのだろうか？７発のミサイルを発射したのである。うち、１発は大陸間弾道弾と考えられ、米国に届く。残りの６発は少し南に方向を変えさえすれば日本に届く。北をこのようにした責任はどこにあるのだろうか？このばかげた行動を止める責任は支那とロシアにあると僕は思う。北の国民の９０％は飢えていると聞く。北に必要なのはミサイルではなく、食料だ。

Miscellaneous Impression About Korea

     I make it a rule to see a student from Korea once a month for half a year. She has been studying economics in a college in my city. I asked her to be my teacher. I'm learning Korean now and she checks my pronunciation and grammatical mistakes. I started learning Korean one and half year ago, and have learned by myself. However, because self-taught knowledge might be often wrong, I asked her to see me for 1 hour a month. She is a good teacher and I'm a little more confident.
     By the way, to learn another language is to know another people, another culture and their history, I think. I got to be able to understand the Korean way of thinking.
     "Ann-Nyong ha-se-yo" is Korean for "Hello". It can be used anytime, anywhere. When I knew the meaning of this greeting, I was very surprised and realized Korea's sad history. This phrase doesn't expect anything new, happy, or good. This greeting means "Something unusual or something bad may not happen!" They couldn't have wanted anything better in their long history.
     I can guess the miserable history of Korea, which has been ruled and looted by other peoples; Chinese, Mongolian, Japanese and South-East Asian peoples all the time. Even now they are struggling, divided into 2 countries, in the midst of the Korean war after World War Two.
     I just hope they will be united into one country in the near future.

　この半年、韓国人留学生に韓国語をみてもらっている。月に一度会って、しゃべるのを聞いてもらうのである。全く独学でやってきたので不安ではあったがあまり間違って覚えていることはなく、自信を持った。
　ところで、言葉を学ぶことはその国の民衆、文化、歴史を知ることだと思う。韓国人の考え方が少しわかるようになってきた気がする。
　「안녕하세요」は韓国語のあいさつであるが、いつでもどこでも使うことができる。この言葉の意味を知ったとき、驚きもし、韓国の辛い歴史にも気がついた。このフレーズは何か新しいこと、幸せなこと、良いことを期待しているものではない。只単にいつもと違った悪いことが起きていないことを確認するだけなのである。良いことを期待できない歴史とは、、、
　有史以来、他国からの略奪を受け、常に支配されてきたみじめな歴史。今でさえ同じ民族が分割されている状態である。
　ただただ、近い将来に統一されて一つの国になることを望むのみである。

I Hate China #1

     I have a concern about hegemonic China. China started to insist recently that Okinotorishima Island is not an island but a mere rock and Japan can't insist on an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around it. Okinotorishima Island is acknowledged as an island internationally. No matter how much noise Beijing makes, it is an island if the surface of land is above the sea at high tide according to international definition.
     Mischief Reef, that has belonged to the Philippine's EEZ for a long time, has been dominated by China since 1995. This Reef goes under sea level at high tide. China built military facilities on the reef, pouring concrete over the reef in 1995. The funny thing is that China calls this reinforced reef a kind of an island and calls these facilities a shelter for the fisheries. Besides, China insists on their EEZ around this artificially elevated area which was captured from the Philippines.
     China is so naughty and difficult to deal with. They complain about Okinotorishima, the surface of which is above the sea even at high tide. On the other hand they occupy Mischief Reef, which goes under the sea at high tide. Can you accept these facts? What do you think about their opinion? It sounds paradoxical. As an aside, the Paracel Islands were occupied by China in 1974.

     The victim of the hegemonism of China is not exclusive to Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Prime Minister of Nepal, Koirala, spouted off at a news conference, "No one had climbed Mt.Everest from the Chinese side. Nevertheless, why does China request that mountain. How would they explain that?" I expect China to act with civilized words and acts.

(English Version)   http://www.geocities.jp/baud_2005/tx310.swf

(Chinese Version) http://www.geocities.jp/baud_2005/tx310c1.swf

(Vocabulary)
exclusive   締め出す、中に入れない、排外的な、排他的な、唯一の、一つだけの

Two Deaths

     I lost two longtime acquaintances recently.
     One is a work associate, four years my junior. He had been suffering from a liver disease for a long time and he wasn't able to recover. I used to work with him, and sometimes go downtown with him. He was a nice guy.
     The other is an old gentleman who had been working as a bar hostess(!) for more than 50 years. He was a real man and always served in drag. He was not a man and not a woman in the bar. He had a distinctive character and was very popular among customers. When I was in difficulties, he would help me get focused. His age was in the late 70s. He had no family and no relatives, and no one knew his registered name, so he ended up as a John Doe in a Potter's Field.
     I found myself trying to find the answer to the philosophical inquiry "What is life?"

(Vocabulary)
in drag　女装して
distinctive character  際立った特徴、顕著な特徴
have distinctive character   特色がある
maintain a distinctive character   独自性を保持する
get focused and devoted  集中し専念する
John Doe / Jane Doe
Potter's Field  無縁墓地

Korean Media

     I can't help but be skeptical about the Korean media. The families of the victims of the abduction by Kim Jong-il visited Korea today. They are very famous in Japan for trying to get their families back from North Korea. The Japanese climate of opinion is cheering them on now. I expected all Korean medias would handle this problem sensationally and it could trigger the Korean people's movement against Cruel Tyrant of the North. However, the Korean TV medias didn't take the time to broadcast about this issue. I didn't know why? Although North Korea kidnapped many South Korean people in a couple of decades, why can those media be indifferent about it?  I heard the South Korean government seems to have the power to shuffle the personnel of TV companies.  Unbelievable! Is South Korea a socialist country? The current government of South Korea seems to want to have a good relationship with the Evil North that has a national project to produce stimulant drugs, fake bills and fake tobacco. I think the authorities don't want to upset the North even if their people were kidnapped.
     I hope the Grand National Party wins the next election. I have a good feeling about the leader of the party and her mother, though I hate her father.

(Vocabulary)
the climate of opinion  世論
Grand National Party　ハンナラ党

Dispute Over Textbooks

     North and South Korea and China have been accusing Japan of several problems.  I have opinions about each of these problems.  I'd like to mention my opinion here from time to time.
     I've read the Japanese history textbook of which the Korean government requests a revision because they don't like its description.  I couldn't understand where it is bad, or incorrect.
If you can read Japanese, see the article below.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%99%E3%83%88%E3%83%8A%E3%83%A0%E6%88%A6%E4%BA%89#.E9.9F.93.E5.9B.BD.E8.BB.8D.E3.81.AE.E5.8F.82.E6.88.A6

I'm sorry I couldn't find the same article written in Korean.  I know two Koreans privately.  I'd asked them about the Vietnam War.  They didn't know that the Korean government dispatched their troops to Vietnam and committed many crimes, besides not apologizing about it.  It's no wonder because they haven't been taught history correctly.  I'd like to shout at Korean people, " examine yourselves before criticizing Japan."

教科書論争

南北朝鮮と中国はいくつかの理由で日本を非難する。それぞれに対して意見があるので時々書いていくことにする。韓国政府が修正を要求している日本の教科書を読んでみたが、どこがまずいのか、間違っているのかわからなかった。日本語で書かれてはいるが下記のサイトを参照下さい。朝鮮語で書かれているサイトがあれば良かったのですが。
個人的に二人の韓国人を知っている。ベトナム戦争について尋ねてみた。韓国が軍隊を派遣したことも、多くの犯罪行為を犯したことも、またそれについて謝罪していないことも知らなかった。正しい歴史教育が成されていない証左である。韓国人に対して叫びたい。日本を批判する前に自分自身をチェックしろと。

Abduction Issue

     Japanese news media says the families of Japanese abduction victims are going to meet U.S. President Bush shortly to put pressure on North Korea. This abduction was conducted by one nation, North Korea. The alleged mastermind is Kim Johg-il, the head of North Korea. I'm afraid that the solution of this simple problem won't come until the rogue nation collapses. This is an infringement of Japanese sovereignty by North Korea. I get frustrated because the Japanese government don't take a consistently firm line on the evil, North Korea.

(Vocabulary)
mastermind   (犯罪計画などの) 首謀者, 黒幕
infringement  (契約・協定などの) 違反, (権利などの) 侵害
sovereignty   (一国を統治する) 主権, 統治権
take a hard/tough line  厳しい姿勢をとる

日本のメディアによると拉致被害者の家族がまもなくブッシュ大統領に会って北朝鮮への圧力を強めてくれるよう依頼するとのこと。もちろん拉致の黒幕は金正日だ。この単純な問題の解決はならず者国家、北朝鮮の崩壊を待たなければならないような気がする。これは日本の主権侵害であることが間違いない。日本の政治家の北朝鮮に対する弱腰に腹が立つ。

Cartoon Outrage

     I'm watching CNN now. It is reporting the story about the cartoon of Mohammed repeatedly. A phrase came up in my mind watching the news. So many men, so many opinions. However, they have no right to harm anybody for any reason. To express my opinion to the world is one of the reasons for me starting to write a weblog in English. Though I have many opinions about many things in the world, I don't have enough ability to express them in English properly now. I need to learn more and more.

風刺漫画論争

今、ＣＮＮを観ている。ムハンマドを冒涜した風刺漫画について話している。いろいろな人がいていろいろな意見があるのであり、どんな理由があるにせよ、人を傷つけることは良くない。

　世界に向けて自分の意見を書くことはこのブログを書き始めた動機の一つ。いろいろなことについて書いていきたいが、まだそこまでの英語力はない。もっともっと勉強しなくてはいけない。

Haircut

     I've been visiting the same barber for more than 30 years except for the period when I didn't live in Matsuyama. The barber's shop is managed by a hearing-impaired, married couple. Their pronunciation is far from the normal pronunciation and they seldom speak to strangers. It's so quiet except for the sound of the TV in the barber's shop. Besides, most customers don't speak. Consequently, the atmosphere in the shop is a little weird. If someone came in this shop for the first time, he must feel a sense of discomfort. I can catch what they talk about, but I don't like to speak during my haircut. I usually have a comfortable nap there. Today I had a haircut and got very relaxed.

Day by Day

     It's my policy to take life one day at a time. I'd like to be better in all senses tomorrow than today, next year than this year. I'm making it a point to always have some fun in the near future.  I'm happy to feel myself changing for the better.
      I started writing this blog last November and continued for 2 months. Now blogging has become kind of fun. This turned my thoughts to thinking routinely of the way of thinking of foreign people. A couple of e-mails came to me every week from many places all over the world. I was really moved to feel English is an international language. Most of them were from physicians or surgeons. I could find out about their daily life, which is not on the news or TV programs. It's fun and amusing to me. I'm thinking I'll write about daily events. It must be fun for them, just as their daily life is fun for me.
     The other day, I got to know a certain Korean student. I asked her to check my pronunciation of the Korean language once or twice a month. I didn't have any interest in Korea and could not read or understand any Korean word one and a half years ago. However, I can do so a little now. Though I've never been to Korea, I could be routinely dining in Seoul or Pusan, which are easy to access. Seoul has a direct flight from here and Pusan has a sea route from the port of Shimonoseki, near my hometown.

(Vocabulary)
take life one day at a time  一日一日を大切に生きる

Confucism

     I attended a special lecture at Matsuyama Univ.
     The topic was a Korean Confucist, Kanhan, who had brought Confucism to Japan in 1597. He was captured by the Japanese sea forces and confined for ten months to Ozu city, which is near my hometown. After that he was transfered to Kyoto which was the capital area in those days. He met the most sophisticated people there.  He enlarged the number of his friends and lots of people got to show him deep respect. He taught them the fundamentals of Confucism and wrote some textbooks.  Those books were the sourcebook which was passed down the generations. After the death of the absolute ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, he got his freedom and could go back to Korea.
     Confucism was a backbone of the nation in the Edo era and in modern Japan.
     In 1868, the last Edo Shogun returned political power to the Emperor, and the Emperor began to rule once again. Then feudal policies such as the land-owning and class systems were abolished and a new constitution was established.
     This was a bloodless revolution without any bleeding.  There is no revolution in the world that can rival it. I suppose this bloodless revolution could be achieved because of the confucian ethic that every Japanese kept in their heart.
     The post world war 2 reconstruction in Japan was successful. I believe this was because of the confucian values which every Japanese had. The U.S.President Bush said, Iraq and Japan are similar, and so Iraq can make a recovery like Japan. He doesn't know the spiritual difference between Iraq and Japan. I was mad at him after hearing him tell such a silly thing. He is nothing more. Our Japanese had been getting kind of an education of the confucian ethic for about four centuries.
     Confucism is a backbone of Japan again. I'm ashamed I didn't know how Confucism was born in Japan at all. Besides, such a great historical event had something to do with my prefecture "Ehime".
     There are lots of pending issues between Korea and Japan. However, I hope both countries get close to each other from the bottom of my heart. We are alike. I really felt so today. 

儒教

松山大学の特別講演を聴いた。演題は韓国人儒教学者「姜沆」。１５９７年に日本へ儒教を伝えたとされる人物である。秀吉の朝鮮出兵の際に囚われの身となり日本へ連れてこられ、大洲市に幽閉された。その後、京都へ移送され日本の文化人と交流を深め、多くの日本人から尊敬のまなざしで見られるようになる。彼は日本人に儒教を教え、書物も書き残している。これはその後、何代にもわたって伝わっている。秀吉の死後、自由を得て本国に帰国した。

儒教は江戸時代そして現在の日本でも国家の屋台骨となっている。１８６８年、最後の将軍が皇室へ政権を返した。明治維新と呼ばれるこの改革は全くの無血革命であった。世界に類を見ないもので、日本人の心に儒教の教えが生きていたためだったと考えられる。

日本の戦後復興はうまくいった。これもまた日本の持っていた儒教的な価値観によるものだろうと思っている。米国ブッシュ大統領が、日本とイラクは似ている、だからイラクも日本のように解放、改革できるといった。アホである。何世紀もにわたり、安定した平和な暮らしの中で、儒教の教えに浸かっていた我々日本人をイラク国民と一緒にしてもらっては困る。

重ねて言うが儒教は日本の精神である。この儒教がどのようにして日本で始まったのか、知らずにいたことが恥ずかしい。ましてやこの歴史的な事件が我が郷土に関係していたとは。

I Like Snow

     It's overcast and windy today. The weather forecast says there will be snowfall even in this southern part of Japan. A big snowfall is uncommon in my city. I'm so sorry for the people who live in the north, but I feel excited. I'll go skiing this weekend.

Drive

     My family took a long drive to my wife's original home. It's 180 miles away from Matsuyama city where I live now. When I got married 20 years ago, it took 8 or 9 hours. But now, it has been shortened to 4 hours. It's because the Seto Oohashi bridge over the Seto Inland See and Highway was constructed. My profession is to cure disease and I'm proud of my job. However, I envy the people who were related to such a big project, which would remain on the map even after their death. I sometimes imagine if I hadn't selected the medical department when I took the university entrance exam, what would I be doing now?

Nengajo

     Nengajo are postcards sent as a greeting for the New Year. The Japanese send many nengajo every year. It is similar to Christmas cards in the West, though there is no religious significance in nengajo. The New Year holidays (oshougatsu) are very important to the Japanese. Nengajo are used to express gratitude, or maintain friendships on this special occasion.
     However if one of their relatives passed away this year, they don't send nengajo and send postcards saying "I don't send you nengajo for New Year's Day because my father, mother, , , .... passed away....and I'm (We are)in a mourning period of one year." When you receive such postcards from someone, you shouldn't send nengajo to them.
     Every December I receive a few postcards like that. But this December, I got 20 or more. I thought I must be getting older. Several parents of my friends, my acquaintances, and my friend have passed away this year. I send postcards expressing my sympathy in return. All at once I thought I have to be good to my parents who are healthy as of now.

Shinto (religion)

     Today, I saw the movie "Princess Mononoke" (1) (2) which is a famous animated movie all over the world. While watching the movie, I had a brainwave. If foreign people see this movie, how do they feel about the Japanese culture, especially about Shinto. In the movie a wild, enormous boar often attacks some rural villages, kills people there, and damages crops. Villagers get together to capture, kill, and eat him. This kind of thing happens all the time. You don't know the half of it.
     After that, villagers establish his shrine, and they honor him. Why?
     Most foreigners will take their behaviour as honoring him, but in fact they are just sealing a boar into the shrine as a calmed being.  In Japanese traditional beliefs, those who die a tragic death can become furious demons, known as onryo. For centuries, Japanese people have considered that the more powerful a living person was during their lifetime and the more tragic their death was, the more powerful and cruel a demon they could become.  Such furious demons were thought to cause all sorts of disasters, including earthquakes, plagues, famines and warfare.
     I hope the leaders of China or Korea would see this movie and consider the Japanese culture carefully.  Shrines were built to calm down their wrath and anger. Shinto priests voice holy words, compliment and honor them to prevent their horrible curse.

神道

 　今日、世界的に有名なアニメ映画「もののけ姫」を見ていて、突然ひらめいたことがある。 (http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mh/　 http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hn7y-mur/mononoke/ )

　この映画を外国人が見た場合、日本文化は、特に神道はどのように映るのだろう。映画の中で、巨大な野生のイノシシが村々を襲い、人々を殺し、作物に被害を与える。村人は集まって、このイノシシを捕らえ、食べてしまう。

　と、ここまでの話は良くある話であるが、話はここからである。なんと村人達はその後、神社を建て、こともあろうにこのイノシシを祭ったのである。

　いったいなぜ？

　ほとんどの外国人は彼等のこの行為を祀り(honorは不適当な単語かもしれない）と考えるだろう。しかし実際に彼等が行ったのは、イノシシを神社に封じ込め、鎮められた存在(英霊)とすることである。日本では悲劇的な死を遂げたものは怨霊と呼ばれる猛々しい悪魔になると伝統的に信じられている。生前の力が強ければ強いほど、その死が悲劇的であればあるほど、怨霊の力は強くなると何世紀にもわたり日本民族は考えてきた。そしてこの怒り狂った怨霊は様々な災害、例えば地震や疫病、飢餓や戦争などを引き起こすと考えられたのである。

　今望むのは、中国や韓国の指導者達がこの映画を見て日本の文化を注意深く考えることである。神社は非業の最期を遂げた人々の怒りを静めるために建てられ、神主達は祝詞、賛辞を唱え、彼等を祀り、怖ろしい呪いを防いでいるのである。