Bureaucrats versus ministers

In Japan unfortunately the real power is firmly gripped by bureaucrats.
Ministers change, bureaucrats never change.

Bible harmonises

Bible harmonises because not harmonised parts were excluded from Bible.
Bible harmonises, which is tautology.

Baptism by fire

It occurs to me baptism might correspond to destruction by God. Baptism by water corresponds to Deluge and baptism by fire might correspond to Armageddon.

Just the thought.

Literal translation

Literal translation doesn't work.

English term 'Good morning' is literally means 'yoi -good, asa -morning'
But nobody here understand if someone say 'yoi asa', which literally means 'good morning'

Instead we use the term 'Ohayo' which literally means 'It's early'
But nobody in America would understand if one of them said 'It's early' instead of saying 'Good morning'

Translation requires meaning to meaning, not word to word.

I feel it's derisive when someone insist some translation is accurate because it's word to word.

True Superstition

20 years ago in America.

One very old woman told me someone who opens umbrella in a room will be suffered from unhappiness for three years and it's true.

True superstition?

She must have wanted to say that the superstition is true. Not the contents of the superstition is. 

The truth about Asashoryu

Asashoryu is a Mongolian Sumo wrestler who got a highest title.

He was absent from one trivial series and Sumo association accused him of not attending the series, prohibiting his playing two important series.

He was reported as mentally ill, and this is said to be the absence from the trivial series.
This is not true. He is completely sane.
What makes him nervous was the decision of Sumo association that prohibited his playing two consecutive series. It was Sumo association that made him sick.

Angel of light

In two different parts of Japan -Oga peninsula and Yokohama, the scene of unidentified flying object was video-recorded. One recorded in Oga peninsula was like a rolling sphere of light, and the other taken in Yokohama was like a stingray swimming in the sky and the size of the shape changed one to five times bigger. I recall the shape of Seraph's flying. 

Farewell party

Top; Head of the group and his wife

From left to right

up;missionary, missionary, researcher(he's leaving for the Philippines),high school teacher, writer, teacher, teacher

down;I don't know their profession. Sorry.

English circle; 28/Aug/2007

 

Pleasure Boat

On the last Sunday I went to one university where test for social insurance solicitor took place with a friend who took this teat.
We arrived at 8:30 in the morning. She's going to take this test until 16:40, so I needed to kill time until then. I went to the famous Wajiro lagoon near the university. I walked and walked along with the lagoon under the extremely strong sunshine. I was the only who dared to do under such a extreme sunshine. I got tanned very much.
I was the only one on the land side, but on the bay there're three pleasure boats that were playing ski on the water. Some of a young girl wearing bikini shouting very loud, which was of course seemed very fun.
It takes nothing to walk along with the beach. It takes a lot of money to play on the water. I felt envious, to tell the truth.
Back in my home, I learned one of the people who were playing ski on the water accidentally drowned to death. He was drunk and dropped from the pleasure boat accidentally when someone cut the direction sharp.
The news report revealing that he was a member of self defence force.

Total eclipse

One of my friends let me know that we had a total eclipse for a couple of hours. It was till 20:30. I was unable to observe though. I thought it symbolises his leaving from our sight soon.

Famous last word

Tonight we had a farewell party for one of our colleagues who came here a year ago for exchange scholar from the Philippines. He's about to leave here soon.
'This is the beginning of our true friendship.' This word came to be my famous last word to him.
Men and women are physical relationship. The relationship is likely to cease when they leave. Between men and men are of course spiritual relationship. Spiritual relationship will start strengthening itself as they left.

Matter of comparison

Take my word for it, the silliest woman can manage a clever man, but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool. -- Kipling

Now I understand why I've been needing a clever woman.

Death Toll

Hitler sent Jews to death camp, eliminating 6 million. The same number of Germans were killed at the end of war.

Hitler eliminated 10 million Russians. The same number of Russians were killed by their leader Stalin.

Japanese troops are said to kill 10 million Chinese. 2 million Japanese people were killed at war.

In battle of Okinawa, 200 thousand people were dead in 80 days. In Nanking Massacre, 300 thousand people were killed in 42 days.

In atomic bomb, roughly 70 thousand people were dead in each two cities instantly. About 100 thousand people were dead in Tokyo incendiary air strike at one night.

Crime doesn't pay, let alone war.

Hirota & Hitler, one common point

Hirota was the only civilian politician among 7 executed war criminals in Far East War Tribunal held after the WWII. Other 6 were all military commanders.

This tribunal was held under over lawful considerations. Under the Constitution at that time Emperor was the supreme commander of all military forces and adminislative body couldn't possibly interfere any decision military forces determined. Military was where no political power could reach. Hirota, prime minister in time of war was not guilty if they applied existing laws at that time to him, but he was charged and hung to death in the end.

In Germany, Ribbentrop was executed though he was a civilian politician. General Headquarters of Far East wanted to execute Matsuoka too, he was a foreign minister and civilian politician. He was dead in natural cause during the trial. Some civilian politician had to be hung in this trial at least to reinforce the justification of political forces in Allied by denying the political power in Axis countries. In my opinion, Hirota was chosen to act for this justification. Hitler was of course a civilian politician.

Cultural Revolution

In China 1960s.

Chinese leader Mao Zedong made use of two traditional very useful tactics. One is to make a scapegoat. The other is Divide and Rule. Many regional leaders made targeted as counter-revolutionary and two different sects were struggling whether they were revolutionary or counter-revolutionary.

Red Guard led the struggle and People's Liberation Army settled the conflict, or semi-civil war.

War Crimes

In Japan August is a season of war. Two atomic bombs were dropped in two cities in August. Japan surrendered in August. Besides they have usually bon festivals which celebrate the return of ancestor's souls as well as the souls of the dead at war.

Dead people are free from any discriminations they had while still they were alive. Even though executed crimes ought to be treated just as the deceased souls as ordinary citizens. War criminals are a strange word. For those who think war is nothing but a crime, war crime just sounds like capital punishment death penalty, or automobile car, submarine undersea boat.

Seven war time leaders were executed as A class war criminal in International Military Tribunal for the Far East held in Tokyo after the World War II. One out of seven was a civilian official. They were charged at their role of war in three parts, war crimes, crimes against peace, crimes against humanity.

Some insist that they ought to be payed respected in a different shrine other than one particular shrine that specifically designated for soldiers who were dead at war. Is there any meaning to discriminate even after their death?

About those who pretend to be evil

There are some people who pretend to be evil. What's their psychology?

Probably their moral standard is extremely high and they realised their behaviour cannot possibly meet their supposedly very high moral standard. Their claim is humans are so sinful and they themselves feel as if they are committing some crime. According to God's standard, humans make error. According to ordinary humans' ordinary moral standard, humans are perfect.

Cross culture

Many people believe cross means Christianity. How come it came to be a symbol of Christianity?

Jesus was believed to be crucified on the cross, that is one reason. The fish mark was used to represent Christ, and cross might be the simplified form for fish or Christ. The first Greek letter for Christ is X as the abbreviation form Xmas suggests and X became the representation for Christianity. Cross had been used to represent Seraph, or angel, cross came to represent Christ after people started believing Christ became angel after resurrection.

In Japan there's very few church and many people here don't know the relationship of cross and Christianity. For almost all people here cross is just a decoration of some design. Probably I think cross was used to indicate an important target as a bull's eye, this could have meant simply an objective of life.

Economic aspect of war

In ordinary times it's hard to decrease population drastically. People cannot kill other people in legal manners. Population tend to increase. The more population grows the harder they feed themselves. War occurs when systematic culling was necessary. At war innocent people kill one another. There's no more effective way of culling of population other than war.

Did St Paul meet Caesar?

He insisted he meet Caesar when he was talking to local authority or he asked this local ruler to make him see Caesar. But I think he didn't see Caesar. There's no direct description as to him seeing Caesar.

I believe in God

One of my best friends pointed out pointing one of the famous Bible account that is God is love. He said God is love, not God has love. That means God is a personification of love as well as wisdom, power, justice.

We must believe in God or at least we ought to.

Where is the Red Sea?

I read Exodus in New International Version and in the description of crossing the Red Sea the note says that is the Sea of Reed located at the lower Nile that has an ebb, so I understand Moses was well versed in astronomy and he made use of his knowledge and he crossed the Sea when the land appeared from above the sea.

But one of best Christian friends insisted that he as well as Jewish people crossed the Red Sea and he thinks it is well in accordance with Bible descriptions. But I think it's hard to cross the Red Sea, because it's too deep the seabed lies. Do you really think Moses really crossed the Red Sea or Sea of Reeds? Also it's too circumnavigating way to take the route across the Red Sea when Canaan is just next to lower Niles.

Defrost

Dacha in Mt Aso

I took holiday from 8th of August to 11th and I spent a couple of days in dacha, I mean second house. I must emphasise I don't have a second house,  I rent it for one night. 

Mt Aso is 1500 metre high and it was of course cool. I went there by my car via express way. 

Nice refreshing time.    

Psychology of wearing leg-ins

Psychology of wearing leg-ins is obscure. They wear a mini-skirt, they don't have to wear tights to hide their legs, yet they do probably because of shame they tend to feel when they wear the mini-skirt. This is, I think, a sign of another movement of women's lib. They are eager to wear the same cloths as man's so that they feel they all are the same as men in appearance as well as the work they usually do.   

Atomic Bomb

62 years ago today one atomic bomb was dropped under the sky of Hiroshima. 400 thousand people were terminated at one second.

Many US articles justify dropping the atomic bomb saying it accelerated the end of war and made lessen the number of casualties both in US army and Japanese nationals who were likely to resist in the event of US army landing and they also introduced the number of casualties who were dead at the time of Tokyo incendiary carpet bombing,  that is 100 thousand civilians.

Many Japanese people and newspapers accused of dropping the atomic bomb in humanity perspective. But I think it was inevitable to use the ultimate force to put an end to the war no matter how many people were victimised by this act. 

 

Excursion II

Right, the path of philosopher, in the shrine of noble ship.

Huge rocks supposed to be used to fasten the ship rope. 

Excursion

I found this figure in front of the house located at the next to my girlfriend's house. This is very similar to Seraphim.

Left, in front of the gate I found those famous gatekeeper called Hoo Dog. This is so similar to Cherubim in role.

Mudflow, deluge, bridge collapse

We are alarmed by mudflow, deluge. This is not a drill. All our news are about typhoon No.5 except the news from Minnesota bridge.

Natural disasters

Only several weeks ago intermediate quake hit northern Japan. Some weeks ago one typhoon, typhoon No, 4 hit our area. Now we are under severe attack from typhoon No.5. In south Sakhalin, intermediate quake hit the area. Lots of people stay in refugee shelter. As if our country were cleansed. IAEA is coming to investigate whether nuclear power plant in northern Japan was safe on 5th of August. They will stay in the area for four days. We can't easily get out of the house.

Letter from Noah's Ark

Now typhoon hit our region. Our region is under very heavy rainfall. It will be clear tomorrow. I'm on a short trip tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.  See you on Sunday night.