Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Operation Seat

     At first, look at the picture. It looks like an operation seat for something. Can you figure out what it is for? It's a machine for moving! It has no window! Do you see? This is the cockpit of a retired submarine which is exhibited at the JMSDF Kure Museum. JMSDF stands for Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. This museum is in Kure City, which is located on the other side of Matsuyama City, across the Seto Inland Sea. As I wrote about Kure City a little bit at the URL: http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/08/hiroshima.html, this city is also famous for its military industry. The JMSDF's officer candidate school is also in this city. I could see some other stuff about JMSDF in this museum. If you want to see this submarine, you can detect it on the Google Earth. Try it out! It is near the harbour of Kure City.
     I went to Kure City last Sunday and I want to show you the location of Kure City and how to get from Matsuyama City to there. When someone goes to Kure City, he usually uses the Shimanami Highway or some ferry boat. However, I used the Tobishima Route, which is not so popular among people in Matsuyama City, but I heard it was a nice route. Look at the last picture that I took on the route. The surface of water was incredibly calm. It was not a lake, but the sea.

(Vocabulary)
stand for sth 〈文字・数・記号などが〉 ＜言葉・名称・概念など＞を表す, ＜…＞の略である
Maritime Self-Defense Force  海上自衛隊
officer candidate school  幹部候補生学校

(KW: 潜水艦　海上自衛隊呉史料館　とびしま海道　岡村島　関前村　呉市)

Wakkanai

     Serious stories are continuing and something relaxing is needed, I think. This picture was taken on the hill of Wakkanai in 2001, which is located at the very north end of Hokkaido. The mountain behind us is Mt. Rishiri on Rishiri island. If the condition is perfect, you can see Karafuto island (Sakhalin) from here. The southern half of Karafuto and all the Kuril Islands are Japanese territory from the legal point of view, but now Russia holds them. I've felt helplessness for Japanese politicians. Going back to the picture, the left motorcycle is mine. The person with a red jacket is me. The pole on the right side is part of the radar facility of the Japanese Self-Defense Force. It is famous for listening and recording communication waves between a Russian fighter and the commander at the incident of the bombing of a KAL airliner. It was the evidence of the Russians responsibility for the crash. I started writing this entry with ease, but got to end seriously. (grin)

(Vocabulary)
Kuril Islands  千島列島
bombing of a KAL airliner  大韓航空機爆破事件

重い話が続いたので少しリラックスしましょう。

下の写真は２００１年のツーリングで稚内に行ったときに撮ったものです。後ろに見える山は利尻だけです。天気が良ければ樺太(サハリン)まで見えるらしいです。樺太の南半分と全千島列島は本来なら日本の領土なのですが、現在ロシアに占拠されています。この状況をなんともできない日本の政治家には呆れてしまいます。話を戻して、左のバイクが僕のバイクで、赤いジャケットを着ているのが僕です。右側のポールは自衛隊のレーダー基地の一部です。この基地は大韓航空機撃墜事件の際にロシアの戦闘機と本部の間の交信を記録したことで有名になりました。これがロシアが撃墜したという証拠になりました。この記事は気楽に書き始めたのですが、結局重い話になってしまいました。(笑)

 

Wadachi

     Today was really windy. We seldom have such storm-like days except for when there is a typhoon. So I just kicked back at home. I've seen google maps moving on some private web pages. I really wanted to know the way to make up such web pages and was surfing on the net. I eventually found some fantastic software called "Wadachi". This Japanese word means tracks. I downloaded this software at once and made the following web page. It is the report of my short tour on April 19th. See http://kumo.typepad.jp/wadachi/kinzan_shussekiji_temple.html It's wonderful and just what I wanted to make up. Some parts are written in Japanese, but I think I can modify the template into an English version by myself for everyone in the world. Please enjoy my report, zooming the map in and out, and you'll know where it is on the globe.

(Vocabulary)
kick back = relax
at once  すぐに
eventually  結局は, 最後には

VMAX

     The picture is of VMAX, a 1200cc motorcycle, which is my brother's. I borrowed it this afternoon and took a short ride. I got an unlimited license for motorcycles recently. It was not easy, but I got it in order to ride this motorcycle. This is so heavy that I managed to put up the center stand only after a great deal of effort. However, once it started, it was so light. I felt a comfortable sound and beat from the heart of the motorcycle. Its accelerating force was so amazing that I've never felt before. I became eager to have my own super-big motorcycle. I almost got addicted to its power.

(Vocabulary)
after a great struggle / after a great deal of effort 辛うじて
accelerating force/power  加速力

(From the comments)
in-laws  婚姻による親戚(しんせき), 義理の親
load up （＜車・トラックなど＞に）荷物［貨物］を積み込む
load sth up with sth ＜車・トラックなど＞に＜…＞を積み込む
She loaded up the car with camping gear.  彼女は車にキャンプ用品を積み込んだ．
go off 出かける
hightail it  一目散に逃げる
seaboard  沿岸（地帯）
the eastern/western/Pacific seaboard  東部［西部，太平洋］沿岸地帯
be hot on sb's trail/tail/heels  ＜人＞のすぐあとを追いかけている
hail [U] ひょう, あられ
sideways 横向きに, 斜めに
in the middle of nowhere 辺ぴな所に
cover (長い行程の一部として) (ある距離を)進む, 移動する, カバーする
They were hoping to cover 40 miles yesterday. 彼らは昨日40マイル進みたいと思っていた．
cover a lot of ground  長い距離を進む
That's about it. まあそんなところだ。／こういったところだ。／それが限度だ。

 

Short Touring

     It was totally clear this morning and I've been going to ride my scooter since last night, for I saw the weather forecast on the TV last night and it said, "Tomorrow will be a comfortable day." After a long consideration, I decided to go south with my scooter at that time. I had cared for a person with a cervical spine injury for three years about ten years ago. I heard that he had moved into a nursing and personal care facility in Ozu City to the south of Matsuyama City. I wanted to see him after a long interval. His condition was so-so and I was relieved. We chatted for about an hour.
     After leaving the facility, I headed for the coast and came across the roadsign to a famous temple; "Kinzan Shusseki-ji Temple". I turned left, following the sign without hesitation. It was before noon and the sky was clear. I went up the hill in high gear. When I climbed about 80%, I bumped into a brand-new monument. It looked like it had been built recently. I'll show it below. The monument was about a plane crash that happened at 2:15 A.M. on Aug. 8th in 1952. I didn't know about this accident, but a U.S. military aircraft crashed against the hillside in heavy fog and 14 soldiers were killed. At that time, the priests and staff members of the temple struggled to save them, but in vain. It was just after the second World War and there was no road that an ambulance could use to run up to the scene and no water supply to put out the fire. People who had actually joined the rescue activity have prayed for the victims who died far away from their country for more than a half century. They wanted someone to also pray for them after they passed away and built this monument for the victims. (Map) (Report)

(Vocabulary)
nursing and personal care facility / nursing home for the elderly // nursing-care facility 介護施設
into [in] high gear  快調に進んで

(Crew) LT Howard L. "Sam" Cornish (PPC), LT(jg) Steven Arthur Dobbins, LT(jg) Donald E. Richardson, ENS Wayne Grogan, LT Ebbie Wells (Squadron Maintenance Officer), ADC Lee Ladd, AD2 George J. Brambinck, AD3 John Edward Meriwether, AL2 William Morrison Grayson, AL3 Joseph Arnold Hall Jr., AO 3 Davis Mawney, AN Roscoe Bence, AN L. Lowell and AN George A., Murray Jr.

License Application

     I took half day off today to apply for the riding license. The department which deals with driving license affairs is located at the north of the city facing Seto Inland Sea. It took 20 minutes from my office by my scooter, but the weather was great and it was comfortable to ride my scooter. I've already had my driving license and the permission for riding big motorcycles was added to it. I was so happy to see the license, because I had been eager to get it for the last 30 years. I took a walk around the license center while waiting for the issue and took pictures. The picture was taken from the second floor of the license center. It shows the course and Seto Inland Sea.

(KW: 勝岡　運転免許センター)

I Made It

     I've been struggling to get the big motorcycles license for these past three months. As I wrote about this topic before, this license isn't easy to get, but I got it today. I'm so happy. My youngest brother has already gotten it and has a super big motorcycle that is shown in the picture. The displacement of the motorcycle is 1200cc, the engine of which must be unbelievably strong. I'm going to rent it from him from time to time, and buy my own in the near future.

For reference:
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/11/driving-school.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/12/the-first-lesso.html
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2009/01/driving-school.html

Wandering in Myeongdong (명동 明洞)

     We had lunch late and decided to walk around for a while before dinner. Myeongdong is located at the center of the city and lively 24 hours. We were searching for the best restaurant for us, but there were numerous eating houses and stalls. Anyway, we started to walk.
     The pictures were taken when we were walking in the Myeongdong area. About 90% of the motorcycles that I found in Seoul were made and used for business and so when I found a majesty that I've shown you in the first picture, I was surprised and happy. It was the previous version of my scooter. The name of my scooter is also majesty. It is shown in this URL: http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/09/new-scooter.html. Only around the majesty, a few motorcycles for amusement were parked. Myeongdong might be the most culturally advanced area in Seoul. After a while, I found another one, shown in the second picture. I'd never seen this in Japan. Wandering in a strange place is always fun to me because I bump into something new. http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2006/11/travel-for-me-c.html

Korean Scooter

     I unexpectedly found a nice scooter near the restaurant. The place was at 37°50'10.70"N and 126°47'41.37"E. I'd been aware that there were few motorcycles in Seoul and was thinking that the culture of enjoying motorcycles was still underdeveloped in South Korea. That's why I used "unexpectedly". I hope that the user of this scooter sent me an e-mail after seeing my blog.
     One more thing. I found four aged people having a party in the daytime near the scooter. Two were male and two were female. I'd like to have talked about this scooter, but I hesitated because of my lack of skill in Korean. They looked to be nice and friendly. I was so sorry not to have enough ability to use Korean. I really wanted to chat with them. The place where they were is pinpointed now. If someone who knows these people reads this entry, please remember us to them. They will remember us, a middle aged man and a young girl from Japan. It was at 37°50'10.56"N and 126°47'41.23"E where they were sitting. My daughter couldn't listen to their words, either. This encounter will be a good motive for brushing up our Korean skills.

 

Ainu Culture

     It seems that Ainu people are not well-known in the world, but they had lived in northern Japan and eastern Russia since recorded history and had been keeping their own rich culture. However, they are almost totally absorbed in Japan at present because of the forced assimilation of the then Japanese Government. I know it was for the defense against the Russian invasion, though. The policy of national defense in Meiji era is acceptable, but I wonder if there was any other choice?
     It was not until 1997 that I had interest in Ainu. For, I rode my motorcycle in Hokkaido, located in the north of Japan, for a week and I visited many Ainu related sites at that time. I heard that 99% of the names of places in Hokkaido originate from Ainu language. In fact, place names in Hokkaido have something different from that of other areas. I wrote about Ainu Museum and Ainu cuisine in this blog before. To my regret, the culture of them has already disappeared or come close to perishing.
     I knew an Ainu woman who ventured to record their culture about 100 years ago. Ainu people didn't have their own letters and so, her work to preserve their cultural heritage was very tough. She investigated many stories by word of mouth from the elderly and wrote a book. I read it through and I admired her work.

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/08/porotokotan.html

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/03/ainu-cuisine.html

(Vocabulary)
rich culture  豊かな文化
assimilationism / forced assimilation / integration policy
（異なる文化・人種に対する）同化政策
by word of mouth  口伝で

　アイヌ民族はおそらくあまり世界的には知られていないだろうが、日本の北部、ロシア太平洋岸で暮らしていた文化度の高い民族である。現在は日本に吸収されている。時の政府の過度な同化政策のためである。北方からの侵略に備えるためであった。

　９７年に北海道をバイクで走ってから興味を持つようになった。

　文字を持たなかった民族の記録を残そうと立ち上がった一人のアイヌの女性が残した本を読んだ。文字を持たなかったが故にその文化は消えかかっている。民族が存在した事実は記録として残していかねばならない。

 

Driving School

     I've reported about this driving school before, when my daughters were learning to drive here. Now I'm learning here how to handle a big motorcycle. I've no idea about how to get the motorcycle riding license in other countries and I hope some of you readers send me e-mails or comments about it. http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/12/the-first-lesso.html
     Motorcycle instruction is divided into two courses. One is to ride by the book on the road. I am strictly required to follow the traffic laws one hundred percent. The other is to control the motorcycle in any situation.
     One picture shows the straight narrow course, 15 meters length, 30 cm width and 5 cm height. I have to complete the course without running off, falling down or allowing the engine to stall. If the conditions are only these, it is very easy, but actually one more condition lies before me. I have to ride through in more than 10 seconds. That is to say, I have to ride at an extremely low speed on a 250 kilogram motorcycle. It's no picnic.
     The next picture is the slalom course. Pylons are arranged every 4.5 meters in the 27 meters of the straight course. It's fun to go through this course lightly, but there's severe assignments as you can imagine. I have to finish it within 7 seconds and never touch any pylon. If I touch one of those pylons in the end-of-course exam, the exam will be over and I will have to take an extra class.
     The next is the wave-like course, which is assumed to be a rough road. I have to pass it in more than 7 seconds. It means that I am required to ride as slow as I can. I have to keep the balance standing up on the step.
     There are some narrow courses around here. We call them for example like this, S-course, Crank-course from the shape of the courses.
     The license I'm trying to get is the highest level of riding license and if I get it, I can ride any motorcycle I like. I'll never say die.

(Vocabulary)
pylon  交通規制用のコーン(円錐形の標識)
lightly  軽快に

http://www.shikoku.ne.jp/josei/

(KW: 城西自動車学校　大型２輪　大型二輪)

あけましておめでとうございます。

謹賀新年

我が家は皆元気でおります。

平成２１年が皆様にとって良き年になりますようお祈り申し上げます。

１枚目の写真は、１２月３０日に先輩の家にお呼ばれした時に撮った写真で、「ぼっちゃん列車」の中に並んで座っています。左からあんり、しのぶ、ゆり、えり(研修医時代、岸和田で生まれた娘)です。２枚目の写真は大型二輪免許取得のため自宅近くの教習所で練習をしているみちとです。

An E-mail from An Old Friend

     My old friend, five years younger than me, sent me an e-mail with a picture that I will show you at the end of this entry. He seemed to have bought this motorcycle and enjoys riding every weekend around Mt. Fuji, which is the highest mountain in Japan.
     We had been working at the same hospital in Osaka twenty some years ago. It is him who has a camera in this picture: http://canada1995.web.fc2.com/tateyama/87tateyama-1/original/File0002.jpg  He and I were both single and free to go everywhere we wanted. Tons of scenes of my younger days were coming up in my mind. He has two kids now and I have three. I wish we could see each other with our whole families.

 

The First Lesson for a Big Motorcycle

     I had two riding hands-on lessons today. As I wrote before, I had decided to lift the restriction on my riding license and went through the procedure to enter a driving school two weeks ago. Today was the first day of the practical exercise.
     At first, I was given a 750cc motorcycle, a Honda CB750 and told to follow the instructor dragging it. Fortunately I could tow it for about 5 minutes and reached a small space. The instructor made the motorcycle lie down gently and ordered me to raise it from both sides. As you can imagine, 750cc motorcycles are heavy and this exercise is a basic item and if I couldn't do it I would be expelled from the school. I was nervous, but I completed this task.
     The second task was to stop within 8 meters from a speed of 30km/h. I managed to accomplish this task. The last task was a straight narrow course (width 30cm, length 15m, height 5cm). I was required to go through in more than 10 seconds. It was difficult and I have to try again next time.
     The weather was nice and it was the first time I'd ridden a big motorcycle. I had a great time today. The silver motorcycle in the center of the picture is the motorcycle that I rode today.

Driving School

     As I wrote many times, I love motorcycles and have visited lots of places with my motorcycle. Naturally I have a riding license for motorcycles. I'm going to write about this license today. Riding licenses are separated into seven categories in Japan by displacement and transmission as follows:

1. displacement is 50 cc and below
2. displacement is 125 cc and below (automatic or manual transmission)
3. displacement is 400 cc and below (automatic or manual transmission)
4. displacement is 401 cc and over (automatic or manual transmission)

     As for my license, I am not allowed to ride a motorcycle with an engine capacity of 401 cc and over. My scooter is 250 cc and is enough in daily life and for long tours, but I have dreamed of motorcycles over 1000 cc since my college days. I know such big motorcycles are of no use in ordinary life. However, I have thought of lifting the restriction for about 30 years. I tried to do it many times and hesitated at the same time.
I'm afraid I might have remorse later and made up my mind to enlist for the driving school today.

(Vocabulary)
and below / less or equal / not over　　以下
displacement   排気量

Seeing After Seven Years In The Dome

     I'll introduce one of my friends, Kenta, who lives in Tokyo. I had enjoyed motorcycle riding with him and one more friend in Hokkaido seven years ago. The first picture was taken on Rebun island that is the northernmost island in Japan and noted as a flower island. It was named from many kinds of alpine flowers on the island. When we visited the island, it was in the midst of the peak season and we couldn't find a vacancy, even in a small cheap hotel. Unfortunately it started raining. We looked for places to stay one night hiding from the rain, but ended up putting up our tents close to each other and setting up a tarp between the tents. We stopped regarding the situation as miserable and decided to enjoy the situation. There was nothing around us except the big sound of heavy rain. We ran wild and nobody cared because there was no one else in at least a three kilometer radius in the torrential rain. Actually we had a rough time there, but it has become a good memory now.

     I got an e-mail from him just before the rally. I was surprised and happy to hear from him after quite a while. He seemed to be coming to Sapporo to watch the competition. He checked this blog and knew that I was going to join the volunteer staff members of the rally. We promised to see each other in Sapporo.

     If you want to enjoy the rally to your heart's content, you have to move long distances. He was moving between some points in the mountains and forests in the daytime, while I was setting up the time control station near the Dome and was not allowed to be away from my area. Finally, we couldn't see each other until the night of the second day. However, he was a spectator and I was on the side of the organizer. The second picture was sent from him, saying "I'm in the seat from where I can take it." I guessed his position in the stadium seeing the picture from 200 meters away and the opposite side of him, communicating with him by my cell phone. He moved a small flag right and left, while I was wearing a light reflector on my jacket. That was how we found each other from 200 meters' distance and talked via cell phones. It was extremely strange seeing him again. I couldn't see him face to face, but it's ok. It was also a good memory and will be one of the topics when we see each other next time.

(Vocabulary)
northernmost island  最北の島
alpine flower   高山植物　高山の
in the midst of sth  ～のまっただ中で
hide from the rain // seek shelter from rain  雨宿りする
tarp/tarpaulin   防水シート
in at least a three kilometer radius  少なくとも半径３キロのなかには
move a flag up and down   旗を上下に振る
that's how   そのようにして

(KW: 礼文島　ラリージャパン　バイク　ツーリング)

Cleaning Kit and Mocha

     Long subscribers of my blog know that Mocha is the name of my dog. I don't know why, but whenever I clean my helmet up using a special cleaning kit, Mocha stays at my feet. When I don't use the cleaning agent, he doesn't come. Therefore, I speculated that Mocha likes the smell of the agent or alternative for chlorofluorocarbon. I sometimes wonder how he thinks, moves, and makes decisions.
     Anyway, Mocha is a wonderful pet for me. He seems to be able to deal with my stress.

(Vocabulary)
CFC's substitute / Hydrochlorofluorocarbon HCFC〕/ alternative for chlorofluorocarbon   代替フロンガス

(KW: ヘルメット　シールド　クリーニング)

Garbage Landfill Site

     I came across the garbage landfill site near the Choushi Dam. The people who had lived in the era of Senri Castle didn't leave us garbage or anything polluted. I wondered what would happen to the garbage that is buried here. Do they never do harm against soil or our descendants? I'll reduce the amount of the garbage coming out of my house.

(Vocabulary)
garbage landfill  ごみ埋め立て処分場

(KW: 千里埋立処分場　砥部町)

A Trail to the Site of an Old Castle

     I found a destination stone column near the parking lot of the Choushi Reservoir. The stone reads "To the ruin of the Senri Castle." According to the signboard near the column, there was a castle at the summit of the hill over the reservoir about 1000 years ago. What was the life like at that time? How did people get water or daily necessities? I was wondering about such questions over a canned coffee.

(Vocabulary)
destination board / destination screen   行き先表示板
stone columns   石柱

(KW: 大森彦七　足利尊氏　楠正成　千里城　砥部町)

Choushi Reservoir (N33 41.841 E132 47.526)

     After leaving the Tobe Fault Park, I dropped in at Choushi Reservoir. This was made for the irrigation of citrus orchards around here. It's not so famous, but beautiful.
     I've been here a few times, but those were at midnight only. Some of my friends who participate in the autocross competition were exercising their driving here. It is far away from folk dwellings. There were no people around the reservoir at midnight, so making a loud noise didn't annoy anyone.
     In other words, it was just my first time to see the scenery around the reservoir. It was totally calm and relaxing, just before the changing colors of the autumn leaves.

(Vocabulary)
irrigation  灌漑
citrus orchard  かんきつ類の果樹園
folk dwelling  民家
enjoy the changing colors of autumn leaves   紅葉を楽しむ

(KW: 銚子ダム　砥部町)