Coming Winter

The place I live is about 700 meters above sea level and we have already had some frosty mornings. Tree leaves are changing their colors. People are rushing to harvest and get ready to meet coming winter. Tokyo is far warmer than here.

Two women ministers of the government quit today. One month ago the prime minister Abe designated five women as new ministers saying "the society women can act". He is trying to get more popularity. But two of them had to quit becaause of their money scandals. I would like to say that women love peace, but it's not always true. Those five women are war-like and agressive, conservative in gender problems. One of them was in a photo with a leader of an extreme right group, and another was also in a photo with the leader of the group that has been doing hate crime.

In Japan, we have so many serious problems,like changing constitution, nuke power, new US military base, taxes, tax treaty with America, etc. The LDP government and greedy capitalists are destroying our country and our lives. We are saying "NO!", but our voice is not loud enough. They are ignoring the voice. I"m gazing this stream, scared.

We, Japanese people have never experienced struggling and getting democracy ourselves, I think. The democracy of Japan was given or forced from the Allied Powers after the WWII. In Japan we are told to be subdued, not to be against the power.
Oh, I remember there were people who tried to start a revolution against the government 150 years ago in Japan. They named themselves "the party of struggling people", and their motto was "change the society, equal society". It's wrong that we have no experience. But they were crushed only after half a month and only a few people know about them.
I am feeling to be stiffened preparing for coming winter of Japan.

To Enjoy Our Routine Life...

I often write about political matters agressively, but most of my life is full of routines and peaceful. Today, I went to see my doctor, then went to a pharmacy. On the way home I visited the cell phone shop to talk about my husband's broken phone. In the afternoon I got some beans and sweetpotetos in our vegetable garden. We are happy to get nonchemical, organic vegetables from our garden. We had dinner with our grandchildren and their mother and talked about their sports day next Saturday. Their father, our son, came home late as usual, like most of the workers of Japan.

There seems to be no problem, nothing to complain. It may be the problem. In Japan there are so many things to discuss, to solve. to be corrected. Many people think it is the biggest crisis of our society, of Japan, after the W.W.II. But our routine life is going on. Of course I love peaceful life with my family myself, and it's good for people to enjoy peaceful life. The problem is; most of Japanese are interested only in their personal affairs, not seeing what is happening in this world, even next to them. Why are we like this? It's a little too late for me to think and write about it today. I'll try next time.

It Is a Shame To Ignore Okinawa

Do you know what is going on in Okinawa, a small islands prefecture? Many USA military bases are in those islands, and the people have been suffering danger, noises,crimes caused by the bases and its armies. Around fifteen years ago, an elementary school girl was raped by three US soldiers from the base. Seeing the rage of the people, the US and Japan areed to give the Hutenma Airport back to Japan, but instead, the US demanded a new airport. They chose a place in the north of Okinawa, and they have tried to build a new base, a huge military base including a harbor for even nuke battle ships.
People stood up against the plan in the area. They built a small tent on the beach and have been sitting in it more than ten years, and organized the movement against the military bases. People of Okimawa have been doing every activities they can think of, and they have showed their will through the elections, but Abe cabinet is doing the construction work violently.
My friend Humiko, a 84 year-old Okinawan woman, is standing at the gate of US military camp everyday in the heat. I saw her on the internet and there she was standing with a stick alone on the road in front of a big concrete mixer car and saying, "Boy, if you want to go into the base, run over me. Your concret will build a military base, and it will bring you a war. Don't you understand? Come down from the car and look at me, listen to me!" After this, she was sorrounded and taken to the side of the road by several big police officers.
Another friend Kim is protesting on a tiny boat against the construction, against the ships of the Coast Gurd.
What a shameful government we have!! I would like to appologise about the discrimination against Okinawa.

Japan Can Go Into Wars with Big Weapns

On July 1st Abe Cabinet of Japan resolved that Japan has the right of inclusive self-defense. It means Japan is going to join the war of U.S.A. Japan will go to the other country with weapons and kill the people.
Our constitution declares that we will never have armed force and we will never go into wars. Those ideas came from the deep regret for the misled nation that made a lot of people suffer. We have been proud of our peace-loving constitution for almost 70 years.
But actually,since just after the war, some people tried to have millitary force again,and the USA also wanted Japan to work as its follower. Japan has the fifth biggest force in the world now. Even though, we have the constitution that is forbidding to go into a war and so our self-defense force has never been in the other country with weapons and killed anyone.
Abe and his right wing followers have planned to change the constitution and have a strong military force that can threat other countries. When they realized it is difficult to change it soon,they began to say that the cabinet could change the interpretation of the constitution.
So many people includng lawers, ex-government officers, have protested against it, but Abe has no ears to listen. What a despotism!
We won't to stop protesting, but they have power and brain. Japan can be a big war- like military nation. Keep wtching,please.

Can We Be Optimist?

In Liverpool, we got two T-shirts that have the phrase "Imagine peace" in many different languages,one for our son and one for a fried of ours who is acting for peace. When I was teaching at junior highs, I often read the phrases with students. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
Is the world getting better?
When I handed a flier about the government and its politics a few days ago, a man said," I agree with the government. China and Korea are making a fool of us, Japan. We can't bear their underestimating us. We have to be strong, and the only way to show it is the military strength." He talked about the nations and the wars like a quarrel among the children. More people look to be thinking like them these days, and the fact scares me.
Another friend of ours who is acting in Okinawa says that he is givig canoe lesson to fight on the sea against the construction of new US military base and he is enjoying it. What an optimism!

How Free Are We?

It's rainy season now in Japan, and I struggle against weeds in my garden everyday. I don't know the reason why, but we have a pandemic of caterpillars this year. Whenever I find them on the leaves, I slaughter them mercilessly. Many of the trees especially azaleas were damaged. Roses are beautiful this year and it makes me happy.

The World Cup of soccer is now held In Brazil. I've heard that there were demonstraitions against it in Brazil evn just before the games. I wonder whether we can have the same kind of actions against Tokyo Olimpic Games. Probably NO. We are not free like them, I feel.

Surveillance Cameras Work, But...

My husband and I went on a tour to the UK last month. We enjoyed the beautiful fields with sheep, old stone houses, and flowers. And at the very last moment there, I was robbed my bag at the airport. The security gard of the airport called the police and soon two officers came along to me. Wow! Famous Scotlandyard!
The officers asked me many questions, made a documentM, and gave me a victim card. The officer's name and e-mal address, the steps how the investigation go, and where to access in emergency were on it. It also said that the police would report the result of the investigation in six days.
My bg was a cheap old one and it had nothing expensive except the electric dictionary. The cash I had in my wallet was only 20 pound. Poor thief! He must have been disappointed. Luckily I had my passport im my hand, and I could come back to Japan. And! To my surprise, I got an e-mail from Scotlandyard that they had arrested the thief after five days.
I have heard that there are surveillce cameras everywhere in the UK. The officers said they would check videos from cameras, and so they could identify the thief, I guess. Even in Japan, we are alwys watched by many eyes of cameras unknown to us. It is a little uncomfortable, isn't it?
Our tour conductor said that the UK is the best friend of the USA, and so they are aware they can be the biggedt target of the terror. Yes, the security check there was very close. After 9.11, the security of the airports in Japan also has changed.
When the USA declares that a person is a terrorist, they even go to another country and attack it. What is left must be just hate. Hate can be a cradle of terror. Endless hate and endless suspicion. It is sad.

Why Are We This Timid? Though It's a Beautiful Season, I Worry

It is a beautiful saeson with fresh green leaves and early summer flowers like irises, azaleas, and peonies. Rice paddies are filled with water and rice seedlings are already planted in some of them. Blue skies and green mountains are reflected on the water. It must be one of the most beautiful landscape of Japan. But many of those rice paddies are disappearing. In the cities or along the roads they are changing into shops, or restaurants, or apartment houses. In the country you can see many abandoned farms. They have no people to keep farming on them. We can't make a living on a small farm now, and sons and daughters of the old farmers leave the farm.

Today's newspaper made a scoop that 90% of the workers of the Tokyo Electric Company left the exploded plant, against the order of the Head of the Fukushima 1, including the member who were responsible to take care of the plant with the accident. The Head told the fact but TEC has hided it. I've heard that the families of the TEC employees were the first to get away, on the other hand huge number of the people were left in the radiation without information.

I heard a talk of a comedian who has kept researching and reporting about the TEC and the accident in Fukushima and the government. She said she was asked in Germany
" Why don't you fight against the government?" " Do you think the posters can stop the nuke?"
Why don't we, Japanese get angry about the wrong? Why can't we fight against the power? Why are we this timid? Why are we this ignorant about suffering neighbors, about democracy? It's a shame.

Oh, again I'm complaining about this and that. We are planning to have a gathering and demonstration to protest the government that intend to change our constitution and join the wars all over the world. Now people are acting all over Japan though each one is not so large.

Why Don't We Stop Fighting?

Holidays called "the golden week" is over now and spring is turning into early summer around here. Spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils are almost gone and fresh green leaves are beautiful now. People enjoy going out and enjoy nature. In the field they are starting farming; plant vegetable seedlings or plowing the rice paddies.

Yesterday we made "miso"-bean past, one of Japanese basic seasoning. We boiled soy beans in a big pot and mushed them. Mixed it with malted rice and salt and packed it in a big barrel. In a year we can enjoy good bean past.
Until some decades ago most families here made bean past and soy sauce themselves, but now many of them stopped to make them by themselves, just go and buy at the supermarkets.
When I was working at school, I was too busy and felt too stressed to think of food for my family. After retirement I joined a women's group and I learned how to make bean past from them. Those women are so wise and know a lot about making food, farming, and sewing. To farm and produce food to eat is the basic skill for living, I feel now. To buy the ready made food from the shelves of the supermarkets knowing nothing seems a fragile way of life, isn't it?

March 3rd was our Constitution Day, so we had many kinds of act to appeal it. We also collected the signatures to ask for the Nobel Peace Prize to the article 9 of our constitution, which declares not to go to war and not to have army and weapons. In fact we have a big army, but we, people have protested to go worse. It's so strange that people have to act to keep the constitution against the government. The government is responsible to keep it.
Many conflicts in many places in the world were reported in the TV news this evening; Ukraine, China and Vietnam,Thailand and so on... Can't we stop fighting?

Obama Made Abe Happy?

It's the most beautiful season in my garden now. All the spring flowers and blossoms are blooming, but not so big weeds yet. Under the cherry tree in the garden we had lunch with friends who visited us today. Our grandsons and their friends tried fishing in the river nearby(but caught none!) and found a snake and played with it!!! We have holidays in this beautiful season and so many people enjoy going out or having picnic. The families that have boys put carp streamers high up on the pole in this season.

The US President Obama visited Japan and talked with the Primeminister Abe. Obama's main purpose must be to put Japan a pressure about the TPP, and the government of Japan probably made some secret deal. At the same time Obama expressed his approval for Abe's politics to change our constitution and join USA's war. It made Abe and his followers so happy and I scare that they are encouraged. Obama said the Asian nations should find a way to get together, not militarily, but Abe seems not to understand it but occupied with war games. TV news and shows made a fuss that they called each other by their first names, or they went to a famous sushi restaurant, and they said the sushi was the best they have ever had, and so on.

I was shocked to read Henmi You, one of the most intellectuals in Japan, I think, about the situation of recent Japan. He describes it as a society of "Ignorance is power" and has anticipation that the time of violence we have never experienced will come He is asking us and himself if we are prepared to fight against the fascism even if we are alone. He thinks now is the crisis of the slight hope left in Japan. He also thinks the war between China and Japan can be happen, because of the stupidness of both countries.

Why Does He Keep Feeding Contaminated Cattle?

The cattles in the contaminated area in Fukushima were abandoned and then the government decided to kill them all. But there are some people who have refused to do so. I listened to a speech of one of those people today.
His name is Yoshizawa and he has been a manager of a ranch in Namie town in Fukushima, which is 14km from the power plant that exploded. Though the area is seriously contaminated, he has stayed at the ranch and kept feeding the cattle. Of course the cattle have no value for sale.
He is angry with the government and the Tokyo Electric Co. that destroyed everything of the area but have evading the responsibility of the fact. And, he is also angry with Tokyo, which has used the electricity from Fukushima and enjoyed the prosperity, forgetting the fact in Fukushima. So he goes to the government and the TEC to make protests. He also goes to many places to tell the people his story. He makes speeches in Shibuya in Tokyo, that is one of the most crowded place in Japam.
He said, "Let's speak loud and clear, not just complain." He named his ranch "Kibo no Bokujo Fukushima",it means" Ranch of Hope Fukushima" . His speech encouraged me though he is suffering and in the desperate situation himself.

Cherry Blossoms Spring!

The cherry blossoms finally start blooming even here. I have been waiting for them! Do you know that in Japan we have the forecast for the cherry blooming in the early spring? Cerry blossoms bloom earlier in warmer places, and gradually go to colder area. In Tokyo, they enjoyed cherry blossoms more than twenty days ago, and then, we've heard the news of the blossoms in many other towns and cities. Our place is about 700 meters above sea level, and so we have to wait long for the blossoms.
Why do we worry about cherry blossoms so much? They are the symbol of spring for us. After a long,cold, and colorless winter, pink cherry blossoms excite us. If you visit Japan in this season, you can see pink blossoms everywhere.

A big news. Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan was nominated for the Nobel Prize for peace!! The prize winner will be the people of Japan.
The article declares that we will never go into a war as the means to solve a conflict between the other nations, and so, we will never have an army and weapons. According the article,we have not attacked or fought with other nations for almost 70 years. It is really worthy for the Prize, isn't it?
Abe Government is hurrying to change our constitution and make Japan a warlike nation. The sentiment to support it is spreading, we fear. And, actually, we have a big army already. We are doing hard to stop the government, but it is very difficult. At this time, the news about the Nobel Peace Prize encourages us a lot. And we hope every nation will have the same idea as the article 9, of course.

What I Listen and Saw in Fukushima

I joined a short tour to Fukushima and Iwate this week.

In Iwate, we visited a city that was attacked by tsunami three years ago. The tsunami was more than ten meters high and swept all the things along the shore. Four hundred people died and seventy were lost in the small city. It has been three years since then, but we saw many broken buildings and the vacant lands only with concreet foundations of houses. But the city has made the plans to reconstruct the town and we could see the big construction works. They looked to be overcoming the disaster and start to make the new town and lives.

In Fukushima, we visited the temporary houses for the people who fled from the broken nuclear plant. They were just told to flee from home in Hutaba town, and after that they strayed to a gym in other town, then to relative's houses, to an unused school building in other prefecture... And now they have lived in tiny temporary houses like dog houses for more than two years. They lost everything; houses, jobs, families, friends, communities, and prides, although they are there. What a sorrow and distress! I can't even imagine it. One of the men we listened to said, "They tell us to walk ahead, but we don't know which direction is 'ahead'." We leared how serious their dismay was.

The government and the electricity companies are trying to make us forget the disaster and suffering people. "Wow! Their aim is to use the nuke power and make money.
So, we'll never forget it.

On the First Friday

My stepmother has lived alone more than fifteen years, but moved to a house for elderly today. The day we have to give up living alone surely comes some day. We have to think about how to finish our lives. I found one big problem. We can't afford the fee for the house for elderly with our pension. What should we do?
The old house I lived for seven years when I was young will have nobody to live any more. How will the garden be? Who will pick the persimmons there?

Yesterday was the first Friday of the month, and so, as usual, we appealed anti-nuke plant on the crowded crossroad. Every Friday evening people have come together around the Diet building to protest the nuke plant policies for three years. The government and those who want to keep the nuke power are waiting us to get tired of protesting and to forget the problem. So, we are trying to keep on saying NO! But it was so cold last evening, and I was the first to give up.

I asked an American who has married a Japanese woman and lived in Japan what he thought of Japanese society. His anser was "passive" "never ask why" That is true.
We, Japanese people have chosen the easy way to follow the strong power or authority passively. Where are we going? I'm scared.On the

Tomorrow Is Another Day

It was a beautiful spring day today and I spent almost all day in the garden. I caught a flu and had to stay in bed all last week. I canceled all the outing and it was frustrating. So working with spring flowers in the sunshine was a happy thing for me.

In Japan, tomorrow is the day when the consumption tax is going to increase from 5% to 8%. TV news showed the people doing shopping before the tax rises. The government has told us they need the money for welfare, but it is a lie. The pension will decrease and the money of the medical care for eldery over 70 will be double, and the premium for the pension will increase. All of these start tomorrow.
The consumption tax is not a fair system, everyone knows. For the poor it's a heavy burden. Our government intends the rich to enjoy richer life and the big companies to make more money while the poor suffer harder life and difficult business, we are sure.

Most of the people do not welcome the tax increasing under this bad economical circumstance. Instead of running for shopping, we should go out for demonstration, I think. Why do't they do it? I have been thinking about it, and it's a shame to tell, but probably we haven't learned the democracy.

Japan is suffering a huge amount of debt and we have no plan to make it decrease. So, we have tried not to make more debt. But Primeminister Abe printed a lot of Japanese bills and are using them. The price of Japanese Yen is down and big exporting companies like TOYOTA are enjoying the benefit. But the commodity price is rising now, so we will suffer double. Of course our national debt is largely increasing. Who will pay it? Mr. Abe? NO!!! He is just thinking of his populality and power today. He never seems to worry about the debt, about the future of Japan.

The famous phrase "tomorrow is another day" is used a little differently in Japan, I think. It means," Don't worry about the future. Take today's fruit and enjoy it."

It Has Been Three Years

It has been three years since the huge earthquake in the northern part of Japan and the breakdown of the nuke plants in Fukushima. Even now more than 150,000 people are living as refugees from the contaminated home. And even now we don't know why and how the accident happened.
But we, Japanese people are forgetting about the disaster quickly. People prefer happy things, fun things, and they are too busy about their own matters to worry for other people. It's a shame. And of course there is strong politics that lead us far from the bad memories. Wow! Olympic Games to come! It can make much money! Oh,no! Bad China and Korea must invade our country!
And, the Sendai nuke plant is expected to start re-operating soon. Abe Government is hurrying into the reviving the nuke plants and declare they use the nuke power as the basic source, as if there were no accident , no suffering of the people.
Do you know where the Sendai Nuke Plant is? It's in Kagoshima in Kyusyu Island; the southest part of Japan except Okinawa, about 1500km far from Tokyo, maybe not with big business. The same picture as the plant in Aomori. The people, the Government, and the big companies in Tokyo don't care such remote poor towns, and feel safe without danger. What a shame!
But actually, I was one of the stupid three years ago. When I was watching the picture of the exploding plants, I didn't imagine what was happening. I believed the speech of the government that said there was no problem about health right now. I did not support the nuke policy, but I knew nothing. I feel so much ashamed.

Happy news. The snow is retreating rapidly, and spring flowe
rs are popping in my garden now. After a long long winter, spring is coming!

We Are Sorry, Anne

　　Many copies of "The Diary of a Young Girl" written by Anne Frank were damaged in public libraries in Tokyo. We don't know who and why, but we feel malicious intention related to racism or Nazism. Many Japanese people feel ashamed about this occurrence.
And I fear racism or nationalism and belligerence are allowed to show in Japan now, sometimes it must look stronger and decisive. About six hundred thousand voted to Tamogami on the election for the Tokyo Governer, and he is insanely nationalistic, warlike, and discriminate. I am shocked that so many people support his idea.

I read "Two Brothers", a novel written by Ben Elton recently. It is a story about the people under Nazis ruling in Germany from 1920. The author's father was a Hitler refugee to England and he says the story is inspired by his family history. The story looks to be written based on the real history and research. It is a great story and I enjoyed it a lot. But at the same time I felt so scared that the circumstance of the society in Germany in those days resembles so much to the one in Japan now.
How easy people can be brainwashed! How can they be cruel to the others? When the power ignore the laws or humanity, or democracy perfectly, people' effort to oppose it can do little but to be oppressed!
I'm so sorry that Japan is walking such a shameful way hurting many people in the world. We are trying our best to stop Abe government's misdeed, but it seems not to be enough.

"DAYS JAPAN" Is True Journal

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.