Difficult Problem for Me

I love to visit other countries and see the people living there. My husband and I sometimes go on cheap tours abroad. If I were younger and had more money, I could have traveled more adventurously. When I was young, I had neither time nor money. And even now, I don't have much money and I can't leave home for very long. But I enjoy walking around the foreign towns and talking with people there.

The best place we visited was Uzbekistan. Its culture on the Silk Road was interesting, and the people were so friendly. The country seemed not so rich, and the life of the people in their folk clothes wasn't modernized very much, but they looked happy. We saw no streetchildren, no beggers on the streets. Even though how beautifulI the the scenery is, or, how interesting the history is, I can't enjoy the trip when I see those people.

There ia a problem with trips abroad. When I go to other countries, I always feel embarrassed with the custom of 'tipng'.
Some twenty years ago we went to America for the first ttime. At a restaurant in the hotel in L.A. a waitress was kind enough to give us some information about Disney Land. Thanks to her, we could enjoy the park with our son, and the next day we wanted to say "thank you" to her. But she never came up to us, never smiled to us. We didn't understand what was wrong, but later, I understood. The reason she was in such a bad mood was that we didn't give her any tip! Her kindness and her sweet smile was for a large tip!
For us, Japanese, kindness requires no repay. We try to be kind not expecting any repay. If I would change my attitude about my job because of small money, I would not be respected.
In foreign countries I always have to worry about waitresses' smile or porters' greeting whether it is for money, or from their heart, and it makes me unconfortable. At the same time I often see that cashiers and clerks are so sullen. I wonder if I have to ask them, "Would you please sell this to me kindly?"? They don't have to wear any smile to the customers because they don't expect any special money from the customers for their smile. I feel a little sad. Smile and kindness makes everyone happy without money .
Some says that their wages are low and it is figured to include their tips. It's strange and not fair. The company or the owner should pay them enough for their work since the owners get enough money from their customers.
OK, I try to respect your 'tipping' custom and give some tip to the people who do small ruoutine work for me. But how do you hand your tip in a refined manner? Old Japanese people feel it's rude to give bare bills or coins to someone. Do you always put coins and small bills in your pockets? Women don't do it, so, where do you have small money for tip? It takes too long to open my handbag, then open my wallet, grab some coins from it, and count them. Are you always calculating the amount of tip when you are eating at a restaurant or talking with porters, like, "Ten percent? No, her smile is nice, fifteen percent. Oh, she is winking to me, it should be twenty." Isn't it a tiring job?
You might ask me, " If Japanese are kind without expecting repay, then please explain the news about the politicians and money." I'm sorry, but I have never seen such big money. Show me that big money, then I might change my idea.

I wish you a Happy New Year

A few days ago I knew this blog had a new reader. I haven't expected it. I have been thiking of closing this blog, but I'll write a little more.
Christmas is gone, and the new year will soon come. How were your days in Japan this year? Did you enjoy the days here? I hope you did. Living in other countries and other cultures will give you a great chance of learning. I wish I could have such a chance when I was young.
Yesterday I watched a film of a fifteen-year-old girl who went to stay in Mongoria alone. She could not go to school those days, and she wanted to change herself. Yes, through the experience in another cculture, she changed a lot. The person who was taking care of her through the horse riding lesson, and arranged the trip to Mongoria is one of our friends. He loves the people of Mongoria and their way of life a lot. What are you learning here in Japan?
In 2009, the president of the U.S. and the primeminister of Japan both changed. We, Japanese people found a great hope in Obama's adress referring to the ressetion of the nuclear weapons. The Nobel Peace Prize to him ment an expectation or encouragement, we thought. But in his speech as a winner of the prize, he justified the U.S. wars. Justice for what? And the issue of the U.S.army base in Okinawa. The U.S. army has more than 140 bases in this small Japan, and we pay more than 200000000000 yen to support them every year. Why does the U.S. government get angry when we want to remove only one of those 140 bases? Our new government of Japan is not brave and they can't be against their boss, I'm afraid.
I get too mad when I think of this issue. Calm down, it's the end of the year. What's your plan for the New Year's holidays? We will be with our sons' families. I'm happy to see our younger son and his wife after five months and to enjoy the New Year with our sons' families.I wish you all and all the world a happy new year!

Can Japan Change?

　I didn't write here for a long time, maybe because my focus was on the things to think of, and to do, such as peace event, learning korean language, singing in the chorus, and so on. The peace event was over, but we are thinking of continuing the activity and keeping the network. The season is changing. The summer vegetables in our garden will soon be over. Thanks to my husband's hard work, our harvest is wonderful this year. many pumpkins are still lying in the garden, and I have to cook them.. My husband is preparing winter vegetables now. In the evening, our grandchildren enjoy playing with their grandfather in the garden. Their voices echo all around the neighborhood. They look so happy and I want their happy days last forever. But it seems difficult to draw an optimistic future now
The Lower House election is over What do you think of the result? The long -lasted rule of the LDP stopped now.(I wonder if I can use the word 'end') How long we have hoped to stop the LDP's rule! It has been supported by the big companies and their runners and capitalists, and so、 benefited only them. It is including successors of militalists. Its power is so big, and to resist it is very difficult. The landslide win of the Democratic Party is a surprise. It shows the people's anger against the LDP's politics and their hopes to change this situation,I think.
I don't believe the DPJ , and I don't agree all of their policy. The party includes many different type of people, mainly ex LDP members. I have to doubt how can they unite them and manage the politics in power. But anyway I'd like to welcome their win and new government and I'm looking forward some of their plans to be carried on. The DPJ seems fragile, to tell the truth, so we have to observe it very carefully and civil activities will be more important.
OH, one more thing. The LDP has obeyed the USA and did everything for the benefit of it for moe than 60 years. Of course it has been the benefit of themselves. The news some days ago said some of the high officials of the USA showed doubt against the DPJ's government and its policy. The USA doesn't like the change of Japan and wants to keep the benefit from it. For Japan, the US is a power like King. I'm afraid that the DPJ wavers and changes
I really hope that ordinary people can live happy and safe lives and no one suffer poverty, war, or starving., and I want unfairness and injustice to be abolished some day.

IN AUGUST


　It's almost three years since I retired. Time flies! And I write here. only once two or three months. Sorry!I have been busy this two months preparing "the exhibition for peace" held on Juy 31st, August 1st, and 2nd in Saku-city. Many people from many different groups workig for peace in this area got together and worked together. It was exciting to work with those people. I think I'll keep working for peace even if it's a tiny activity.
President Obama of the U.S. refered to the abolition of the nuclear weapons in his speech in Prague. It is said that he also refered to the responsibility of the country that used the nuclear weapons on people. (I haven't read his speech.) No other U.S. presidents never told like that. We, the citizons of Japan really appreciate his idea, and expect the world will move to the abolition of the nuclear weapons.
Young people from foreign countries, visit "the Peace Musium in Hiroshima", and tell the people of your country about it, please. We have more than fifteen thousand warheads and each is far more stronger than those bombed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Where do they want to use it? Who will be the winner of the war?
By the way, did I write about my Korean lesson? I started learning Korean this spring. The class is only once a week and I'm a very slow learner, but it's exciting for me. I found a lot of common words d differences. And, some weeks ago I was introduced to a woman from Korea living near here and we started learning languages. each other. She is a strict and good teacher. So I have to study harder now....

It's the season of fireflies now

Abby sent me mails and she was saying in it that everything was going well after some unhappy days.. My anxiety has vanished. No letters means no problem, they say. Abby is talented and works hard, and she can find her right way. It's good and lucky. But when I look around me, I find many young people who cannot work happily. Some of my friends have sons who can't find jobs, and some others have daughters who work too hard and whose mothers (my friends) are worrying about their health. Like other places, there are many bankrupted factories and fired workers also in this area. My son's wife is trying to find some part time job and visiting the job office every week, but she can't get any jobs till now. Five, six, sometimes ten people rush for one seat, she said.
As you know, many people are suffering terrible working conditions these days. TV said the condition in Korea is worse than in Japan .How about in the US or in the other countries? Who is benefited by this ? How can we handle this ?
We are now preparing an event for peace in this summer. More and more people who know the World War II and can tell us about it are passing year by year. And when economy is bad, people easily go into wars, our history tells us. And, poverty is a kind of violence, I feel. But I'm finding a hope in the fact that many people from many different groups are getting together for the event.
Oh, several weeks have passed since I wrote the line above. I didn't remember I had started the essay. It's the season of fireflies now, but they will disappear in some days. Fireflies live only by clear waters, they say. I hope there will be more places they can fly. If you want to see them, come to the river running beside Mochizuki JHS around 8:00 in the evening very soon.

Article 9 of Constitution of Japan

An article on May 4th Shinano-mainichi Shinbun surprised me a lot. It is an interview with Arthur Binard, a poet from the United States. He says he found two war and peace issues that surprisd him in Japan. The first one was the fishing boat named "Dai 5 hukuryuumaru", that met the United States' H-bomb test in 1954 in the Pacific Ocean and 23 people on it were killed or injured because of it. The fact has been seldom introduced in the US, and he didn't know it. He says his second surprise was that the constitution of Japan is still working, while the American one is like a mummy, not living. It is saying that only the US Congress has the right to make a declaration of starting a war, but the US has started many wars without it.

I didn't know both; the fact little people of America knows the terrible affair with the fishing boat; to know it means to learn what the nuclear weapons mean for human beings, and the American people are giving up to make their constitution work for their own life.

Arthur says it's time to change the US economical strategy from relying on the forces and wars to the other way. "The constitution of Japan has seemed too new, but the time to make it work is coming now. It can be a great foothold to the future days when wars are out of vogue."

He is telling of the Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan. It bans the government of Japan to go to war and to have forces But our government, conservative politicians and people who want benefits in the war or armament are trying to change it and make Japan a nation that can involve with wars. It's an urgent subject now. On May 3rd, the memorial day for proclamation our constitution, I stood in front of Sakudaira Station with some other people and asked the people to vote if they support the the article or not. And, almost all the people were against changing it. The picture is the cards we gave that day, and it says " Never go to war. Never hold weapons. It is the Article 9."

Some days ago, the US president Obama spoke about reducing nuclear weapons refering the US's responsibility as the only nation that used them on people, I read. Many of us, Japanese people, appriciate his speech. They say there are about 16500 nuclear bombs in the world and the USA and Russia have 90% of them. Can you guess how many times they can kill all the human beings on the Earth? Shall we work together to abolish the wars and weapons?

By the way, I haven't heard from Abby for a long time.Does anyone know about her?

Cherry Blossom Enthusiasm

I'm so sad the cherry blossoms in my garden are going away!. Pale pink petals are flying in the wind and scattered on the ground. Wind, don't blow! Oh, how much I'm missing them! Actually I was very happy and excited this ten days, during the cherry blossom season. Long ago a Japanese poet wrote, "If we had not had cherry blossoms, we could live more calmly in spring." Yes, we all get excited in this season; when it blooms, where to go to watch, where good trees are, and so on.

Yeserday was Sunday, and my family went out with lunch to enjoy cherry blossoms. First, we went up to the ruined castle and enjoyed the view, then visited some more places with cherries. None of them are famous, and so, there were not many people, but the blossoms were so beautiful.

Once, a foreighner asked me," Your cherry trees don't have any fruit to eat. Why do you plant them?" Why? I don't know. But we love the blossoms and plant the trees not only in the gardens but on the river banks, along the roads, by the grave yards, around the schools. It's a little strange to plant them only for the blossom season of a week or so a year, but we have planted them.

You sometimes find cherry blossoms also in the mountains. They are wild trees. Only when they have blossoms, we recognize them. I love those wild cerries,too. A week ago, I visited Ogawa-village. It is a small village in the mountains near Nagano-city. and it was amazingly beautiful with wild cherry blossoms. The village seemed to be in the pink cloud. But if you visit it after you read this essay, it's too late. You have to wait untill next spring.