Our struggle with the snow isn't over! Yesterday afternoon when we came home, we found large snow heaps in the alley to the neighbor's and our doorway. It was the snow slipped down from the roof of our garage. We had to shovel it all off before stepping inside the house.
The social life is coming back gradually, and we can have more information around here now. Our Korean teacher's family were stucked in their car for four hours on the road usually in five munites drive from their house. Another friend walked with a backpack to a supermarket in the heavy snow fall but found no vegitable there.
An information not around here. OUR prime minister Abe was watching the Olympic games on TV and went to a tempura restaurant with his suppoters on the weekend, while many people were suffering with the snow. It's OK that he eats how much expensive tenpura when he pays, but the problem is that he had had the information about the dasaster. He always says about the importance of the national security or the crisis management, and so, he even wants to have a strong army. Now it is clear that his interest in national security is not for the people, but for his war games.
Today I would like to recommend a photo magazine. Its name is "DAYS JAPAN" edited by a photo journalist Hirokawa Ryuichi. He started publishing it ten years ago, and since then it has informed us the real news other medias never do. On its front cover it says "Just a photo can move a nation." "The day when people's will stops wars must come."
DAYS JAPAN has informed about the danger of the nuclear plants,
and just before the 3.11 Fukushima disaster it warned the danger of the plants on this island with so many faults. And now, when the government declares nuclear power as a basic source of energy and operation of the plants now stopped, and most of the other madias are not writing about the problem, and the people are inclined to forget it, the magazine repeatedly inform us FUKUSHIMA.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
After the Snowbound Weekend
It's been one week since we had much snow. All the transportation stopped, so we didn't have newspapers for four days or more. The shelves of the supermarkets were vacant. Schools were closed at least three days. Luckily the weather has been good this week, and the situation is getting better day by day. But even now there are places that don't have enough access.The school buses of the elementary school in this area won't move some more days.
The city recruited the volunteers to shove the snow off the roads to schools this weekend. People are busy to take care of their own houses and driveways, and tired these days, so I wondered how many would respond. But my son told us that more than fifty people went to the junior high school he is working and cleared the roads to the school in two hours.
We helped each other in the community, and the workers of cities and towns did good effort, I think.
But what did the governmement do? We saw nothing. It was after four days since the snowfall that Primeminister Abe said "Deal with it fast." Fast! Already isolated without food and medicine for days!
The city recruited the volunteers to shove the snow off the roads to schools this weekend. People are busy to take care of their own houses and driveways, and tired these days, so I wondered how many would respond. But my son told us that more than fifty people went to the junior high school he is working and cleared the roads to the school in two hours.
We helped each other in the community, and the workers of cities and towns did good effort, I think.
But what did the governmement do? We saw nothing. It was after four days since the snowfall that Primeminister Abe said "Deal with it fast." Fast! Already isolated without food and medicine for days!
I noticed how fragile the system of our life is. Just a bit much snow than usual stopped everything. We depend on the things transported from far away; food, oil.
And one more thing. How hard and stressful days the victims of the disaster in Tohoku have been suffering, I can't even imagine. We knew the snow will stop and melt sooner or later. There were many people who stucked in the cars or trains for hours or for days. Many greenhouses were crushed, and it is serious. The damage from tsunami and radiation must be far more serious, we know.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Snowbound Weekend
I have never seen this much snow in this area. It is more than 75cm depth. All the railroads stop, all the highways are closed, all the events are canceled. So, all the members of my family are staying home on the weekend.
I was invited to a reunion party held by my former students this weekend. I was their vice homeroom teacher 45 years ago, and I have not seen most of them since then. I really wanted to see them, but it was also canceled.
I was invited to a reunion party held by my former students this weekend. I was their vice homeroom teacher 45 years ago, and I have not seen most of them since then. I really wanted to see them, but it was also canceled.
It was my first school to work as a junior high teacher, just after the graduation from university. I was only a young girl knowing nothing about scchool systems or common practises at schools. My English classes must be awful, now I know. But I liked the students so much. On weekends they visited my room, had snack together and chatted together. I was happier with them than with the other teachers. They were fifteen years old then, and now sixty.
It seems a story of good old days. The situation of schools , students, and parents are changed so much. Their relation looks more and more oppressive.
Moreover, the government has a plan to teach children their favorite moral in the class. Their plan has been to change people through education as before.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
How Can We Stop Rashing into a War?
Yesterday we had a lot of snowfall and it was clear today. The blue sky and snow covered field was beautiful. Our grandsons were so happy to enjoy sleding and making a snow cave. They had special snack and hot chocolate in the cave! In cities snow causes a lot of troubles but it is a big gift for children.
Every first Friday of a month we do some acttion against nukes. Last Friday evening we stood at a busy cossroads in Saku city with banners or lanterns. In front of the Diet building in Tokyo, people demonstrat agsinst nukes every Friday evening.. On February 11th we are going to have a meeting about nuclear plants, peace and Okinawa, and the constitution of Japan.
These kind of big and small meetings and actions are held all over Japan every week and every month now and it is defferent from Japan three years ago. It is because people think Japan is on the verge of a crisis, I think.
We Japan has never killed anyone in the war for almost seven decades, because our constitution prohibits the government of Japan from going into wars. It is a great thing, isn't it? But LDP and its government has long wanted to change the constitution and become an armed nation. We have been struggling to stop it.
Abe is extreme right wing and he has no repentance for the millitalism of Japan that drove people to the war and make people not only in Japan but also in Asia suffer misery and cruelty of the war. He doesn't admit that Japan did wrong to the other Asian countries, and even hates China and Korea. He wants to make Japan a nation of millitalism that looks strong. His government seems to ignore the voices of the protesters completely. They just listen to the voices they want to hear, and appoint only those people of the same ideas as theirs or those who flatter them for important and influential posts like NHK, Japan's public broadcasting/ telecasting association.
We fear Abe might really go into war with neighboring country. The situation around Japan is so tense, and it looks Abe has no intention to avoid the war. The government and LDP are arrogant because they have power now.
Oh, I always complaining the same. I'm sorry. But could you help us not to raise another fire of war?
I really appreciate the statement about the new US base in Okinawa undersigned by more than one hundred named people. What a big encouragement for the people struggling. You can join undersigning on the internet.
Every first Friday of a month we do some acttion against nukes. Last Friday evening we stood at a busy cossroads in Saku city with banners or lanterns. In front of the Diet building in Tokyo, people demonstrat agsinst nukes every Friday evening.. On February 11th we are going to have a meeting about nuclear plants, peace and Okinawa, and the constitution of Japan.
These kind of big and small meetings and actions are held all over Japan every week and every month now and it is defferent from Japan three years ago. It is because people think Japan is on the verge of a crisis, I think.
We Japan has never killed anyone in the war for almost seven decades, because our constitution prohibits the government of Japan from going into wars. It is a great thing, isn't it? But LDP and its government has long wanted to change the constitution and become an armed nation. We have been struggling to stop it.
Abe is extreme right wing and he has no repentance for the millitalism of Japan that drove people to the war and make people not only in Japan but also in Asia suffer misery and cruelty of the war. He doesn't admit that Japan did wrong to the other Asian countries, and even hates China and Korea. He wants to make Japan a nation of millitalism that looks strong. His government seems to ignore the voices of the protesters completely. They just listen to the voices they want to hear, and appoint only those people of the same ideas as theirs or those who flatter them for important and influential posts like NHK, Japan's public broadcasting/ telecasting association.
We fear Abe might really go into war with neighboring country. The situation around Japan is so tense, and it looks Abe has no intention to avoid the war. The government and LDP are arrogant because they have power now.
Oh, I always complaining the same. I'm sorry. But could you help us not to raise another fire of war?
I really appreciate the statement about the new US base in Okinawa undersigned by more than one hundred named people. What a big encouragement for the people struggling. You can join undersigning on the internet.
Monday, February 3, 2014
On the First Day of Spring
Yesterday was "setubun", the last day of winter. The lunar calender tells us today is the first day of spring, though we find no sign of it. Oh, the sunlight is getting brighter, I know. On setubun we have a traditional event to invite happiness and drive the evil out of the house. In the evening our grandchildren threw the beans both outside and inside the house calling loudly "In happiness! Out devil!" After that we ate as many beans as our age. (The fact was children ate far more and we ate far less.)
On Sunday I went to a women"s meeting in this area It is called "Mothers' Meeting" . The national meeting satarted in 1955, and has been held every year since then. Its slogan is "Mothers who give lives birth wish to protect them". Mothers have talked about children's happiness, women's rights, and peace. It has made many important movements in its long history. But in the meeting I found most of the participants were aged people like the other civil activities.
We often find young people have little interest in politics or the society although they are living harsh lives. Many of them are temporary employees and so they are payed a little, fired easily, and working long hours. Big and strong workers' unions were crushed down decades ago and laws to protect workers seem to be ignored. I think they should get angry, but they don't. Instead they blame themselves, or try to conform with the situation, or run away from the problems. They might have no time or energy to think. It seems that their anger sometimes goes to the weaker part of the society like other Asian people or those who live on welfare.
Most of the people including the politicians don't kmow any real wars in Japan. For those people the slogans from the right wing like "We want strong Japan" or "Don't be looked down!" or "Get ready for the attack from the evil countries " sound descisive, I think. It resembles the situation just before the last war we have heard or read.
But now in Japan, there are many movements for peace, anti nukes, anti military bases, environment, human rights, helping homeless or jobless people, and so on. It's a big difference from the days seven decades ago. Many of the news on the papers make me angry every morning, but we old and retired people have a lot of time to think, read, and act, and we are stubborn! In Okinawa octogenarians are in the front line of the protesting activities because they have no jobs to lose in case of being arrested. What an idea! So, watch out Abe.
On Sunday I went to a women"s meeting in this area It is called "Mothers' Meeting" . The national meeting satarted in 1955, and has been held every year since then. Its slogan is "Mothers who give lives birth wish to protect them". Mothers have talked about children's happiness, women's rights, and peace. It has made many important movements in its long history. But in the meeting I found most of the participants were aged people like the other civil activities.
We often find young people have little interest in politics or the society although they are living harsh lives. Many of them are temporary employees and so they are payed a little, fired easily, and working long hours. Big and strong workers' unions were crushed down decades ago and laws to protect workers seem to be ignored. I think they should get angry, but they don't. Instead they blame themselves, or try to conform with the situation, or run away from the problems. They might have no time or energy to think. It seems that their anger sometimes goes to the weaker part of the society like other Asian people or those who live on welfare.
Most of the people including the politicians don't kmow any real wars in Japan. For those people the slogans from the right wing like "We want strong Japan" or "Don't be looked down!" or "Get ready for the attack from the evil countries " sound descisive, I think. It resembles the situation just before the last war we have heard or read.
But now in Japan, there are many movements for peace, anti nukes, anti military bases, environment, human rights, helping homeless or jobless people, and so on. It's a big difference from the days seven decades ago. Many of the news on the papers make me angry every morning, but we old and retired people have a lot of time to think, read, and act, and we are stubborn! In Okinawa octogenarians are in the front line of the protesting activities because they have no jobs to lose in case of being arrested. What an idea! So, watch out Abe.
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