Notes from Iwashita: 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

War Is Over If You Want It

   It is the new year's eve today. We clean both inside and outside the houses and decorate for the coming new year. Children and grandchildren visit their parents to spend their holidays. It is the busiest and happiest
season in Japan. I have sent all the new year's cards and presents, finished(?) cleaning, and prepared some dishes for the new year's meal.
   I had to do some more things this year. Yesterday I sent a comment about the government's new plan for the energy supply in Japan to the government ministry. Abe's Cabinet plans to maintain the nukes as the basic source of energy, though its ex cabinet said we are going to stop relyng on nukes in 2030. People are trying to send as many comments agaist the plan. Abe won't listen any voices of the people, but we are doing everything.
   I am also joining an action to protest the new law to hide the national secrets from people. We are planning to buy a whole page of a best selling newspaper in this area to advertise the truth and show how many people are against the law. I sent the names and money of my family members and friends who want to join.
   I'm afraid this will be the worst new year for Japan in 68 years since the end of the World War II. These days I'm thinking  about  such things; Why couldn't people stop Hitler? Was there any way to stop him? What is the intelligence and the civilization? What is wrong with the Japanese education?
    Do you know that Japan's Minister of Foreign affairs said,"Why don't we learn the way of Natiz to change the constitution, silently and secretly?" He was not joking, perfectry serous. The main officer of LDP, Abe's party, said,"The demonstration is the same as the terror." when people were gathering around the diet building to say "No" to the secret keeping law.
   I hope I can write some good news here next year. The situation is difficult, but I believe we are not alone. Today I suddenly remembered the tune of John Lennon;" War is over if you want it", the song I sang with my students in Chrismas season when I was at school.
    I wish you all have a happy New Year !

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Help Us to Stop Insanity of Japan

Japan"s prime minister Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine yesterday. Visiting Yasukuni means to consider the war criminals of the World War II as national heroes. He doesn"t accept the historical view that Japan was wrong in its imperialistic and militalistic way to invade other countries and kill more than ten million people.

He wants to make Japan a militarily strong country ruled by the emperor like 70 years ago. His policy is to change the constitution that bans to go into wars and build a strong army. Actually he wants to start a war, we are worrying. He is now doing everything for the purpose, against strong opposition of the people including scholars, lawers, artists,journalists,medias. Many people have had demonstrations against his policy, but he never listens. He neither listens to the old members of his own party, or even the U.S.A., his boss. He is happy with the praise from right wing, especially internet right wing. He is a stupid , unmature paranoia, but he has a position in power. Even a member of the government said, "No one can stop him."

Abe's politics is not a problem only inside Japan, but also world political issue. He doesn't think that Japan behaved wrong to Korea and China, and so he doesn't understand what do the people of those countries feel. He believes Japan doesn't need to apologize about the killing or the military sex slaves. These years the tension around East Asia is increasing, and Abe's politics is making it worse. The prime minister's visiting Yasukuni means an intentional insult to Korea and China. The tension can happen to go into a war easily, we are afraid. There are people who welcome the war, like big businesses that want to make and sell weapons and people who hates Korea and China not knowing what war is like. There seems to be some power that likes to go into war easily also in China.

One more big problem of Abe is nuclear power issue. There are people who think Japan should keep nuclear power as a weapon. Also, nukes and its plants is one of the biggest businesses many people parasite. Even after that serious disaster in Fukushima, not finding the way to control it with contaminated water pouring into the sea every day and more than fifteen thousand refugees, Abe is going to move the nuclear power plants again and even build new ones. Moreover he is selling the plants to Asian and the Near and Middle Eastern countries. As you know, Japan is called a nest of earthquake, and huge ones are predicted. We should know all the earth will be contaminated seriously once those plants break, and we can't avoid accidents or errors forever.

We are now doing a lot to stop Abe's politics, but not enough. Many are having gatherings, are marching, making speeches, writing in the papers, but they won't listen. During Abe's dynasty they are going to do everything they want, everything they couldnot do before. You may say who that elected Abe's party is us. It's true though I don't like to admit it. I want to write about it next time. As I nave written, the matter is concerning to the world peace and environment. We will do our best here in Japan, so please help us to stop wars and nukes. Send messages to Japan. Don't buy power plants from Japan, please.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Why don't we have Olimpic Games in Fukushima?

More than 1000 days have past since the disaster in the East Japan. The damage is so big that to revive the people's lives has been difficult. Especially, we are worrying about Fukushima nuclear power plant and contamination by the radiation. Even now they can't find the way to controle the decayed plant and polluted water is pouring into the sea. More than 150000 people are away from their home because of the radiation. And so many people including children are living in the contaminated area. We are worrying about their health in the future. The government of Japan and the electoric company have been trying to make people not worry about the radiation and avoid the responsibility for the accident. Nuclear power business is national business and the power is huge. In spite of the objection of the people, they won't give up the nuclear power Moreover, the Olimpic Games in Tokyo! OUR prime minister said in the IOC meeting, " The radiation is perfectly controled." It is a lie. "Tokyo is 250km far from Fukushima, so it is safe." It means Fukushima is not safe. You leave a lot of people in Fukushima. what do you do with them? Our government want us forget the accident in the festival mood. We had a meeting to listen to a speech of a woman from Fukushima last Saturday. She is a member of the women's group that are against the nuclear power policy. They know they are fighting a difficult and long fight but they are keeping acting. And there are many people who are trying to know the truth and do something for anti n auclear.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

My First Days as a Teacher

I had a visitor today. He was my student 45 years ago in a small village,and so he is now sixty years old! It was my first place to work as a junior high teacher, and I knew nothing about the job or the common sence in school then. He reminded me many episodes I have forgotten. I wonder what did I do in those days? I remember I felt myself nearer to the students than to the other teachers because I was young then. I was happy with the students and I talked a lot with them after school and even on Sundays, and I enjoyed it. After a long time I remembered my young and important days. The sixty year-old students are going to have a re-union in two months, and I'm happy to be invited, but a little worrying if I can tell their names.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Day Democracy Died

Today I was among the people who were protesting around the Diet building in Tokyo. The government and the LDP were trying to vote the new law to keep the national informations secret from the citizens. The law makes us remember the old one called "chian iji hou", a law for order-keeping, which made Japan's dark days during the war. The new law has the same idea. It will shut our eyes, ears, and mouths, spys us, and threat us. Many people including lawyers, artists, scholars are against the law, and everyday they have taken actions in many ways im many places. Many people massed around the Diet building today, and all of them were calling and shouting their protest. Many people made speeches. A young boy said, "What a shamful nation! I want to get out of this country!" A young woman spoke next,"I understand you, but I still find a hope here. Don't give up. Don't be desperate. We can do some more things." In the late afternoon they enforced the voting. On the way I saw a man in a dark dress standing with a black picture frame and inside it there was a letters "democracy". He was mourning the death of democracy.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Before and after the secret trip

The concert of "Mochiduki no koma " is over. The music is telling a folk story that has been told in this area. I have been a member of the chorus for seven years. At first , the music was very, very difficult for me. Even now it is difficult for me to sing well, but anyway, I am still sinnginng. Why? The music is beautiful

and singing together is fun, I feel.

Just after the concert, my husband and I made a tour to Germany. There are too many things to write when I try to tell about the trip, so, I won't. Actually, even in Germany, we were worrying about the terrible political condition of Japan and feeling somewhat guilty to be on a tour easily. So, after coming back to Japan, we are

working as hard as we can in spite of jet lag. Ha,ha,ha.

Winter has come. We have to pick all the vegitable from the garden and stock them. It's a hard work to make pickles for winter. There are so many things to do tomorrow and I should go to bed now!

I am also responsible

Threre was a Korean language class in the afternoon. Usually it's once every two weeks, but there was only one week since last class. And the teacher gave us some homework, and so, my memories were clearer than usual. When I was at school, I always told my students to study everyday because it's the best way to remember. Telling is far easier than doing.

I went to Nagano both on Saturday and Sunday last week. On Saturday there was a meeting of "9jo-no-kai" from all over Nagano Pref. And on Sunday, as my husband wrote, "9jo-no-kai about education and child raising". We could listen to many useful speeches, but we had to be assure the situation of this country is terribly dangerous. What the government is doing now is a kind of coup d' etat. and there are many politicians that are like Nazis.

I found the sentences in the book written by Sadaka Makoto and Koide Hiroaki.

"Those who cheet people are of course guilty, but those who are cheeted aren't innocent, also guilty."Not thinking is bad."